SCBWI Highlights
I had the pleasure of spending this past Saturday at the SCBWI Winter Conference in NYC. Wow! For those of you remotely interested in writing for children, the SCBWI conferences are a must. The information, networking opportunities and resources are invaluable. The venerable Lois Lowry gave a superb keynote on finding ideas (during which I [...]
The Replay of the Children’s Book Writing Q&A Call is Ready!
If you missed last night’s live Q&A webcast/teleseminar on writing and publishing children’s books, you’ll want to hear the replay, as we addressed over fifty questions about all aspects of writing and publishing for children and young adults. There are also slides with links to resources and information mentioned throughout the call. You can click [...]
Announcing the Children’s Book Hub!
I’ve been hinting about this for some time… and here it is: I am very excited to announce a brand new center of information, resources and support for children’s book authors – The Children’s Book Hub! The Children’s Book Hub is a membership-based ‘virtual salon,’ featuring lively, ongoing discussion about writing and publishing for children [...]
Answers to Your Questions About Writing Children’s Books – Tonight at 7!
This is just a quick post to invite you to join me TONIGHT at 7 PM EST for a FREE question and answer phone call during which I will be answering your questions about writing children’s books! Here are the details: EVENT: Children’s Book Author Q&A Call with Emma DATE & TIME: Tuesday, December 14th [...]
Why You MUST Write That Children’s Book
I was recently interviewed for the esteemed blog “Cynsations,” run by the very talented YA author Cynthia Leitich Smith. It was a real honor – Cynthia’s site is among the most respected, and followed, in the Kid Lit blogosphere – but it also gave me an opportunity to reflect on a core value of mine, [...]
The Why’s and How’s of Choosing an Editor
Writing for young people is deceptively difficult. But getting published these days can be a harder task than the writing process. The marketplace has changed dramatically over the past ten years, and the pressure on publishing houses to cater to their bottom lines means fewer acquisitions and higher hoops for authors to jump through in [...]
Just Write For Kids
I have terrific news! But first – let me ask you a question: *Have you ever dreamed of writing a children’s book? *Do you have an idea for a story but don’t know where to start? *Have you written a book, but don’t know what the next step should be? *Would you like to join [...]
Agents and Publishers
Two of the most frequently asked questions I hear from aspiring authors are: “Do I really need an agent?” and “How do I get one?” The answer to the first question is: Ideally, yes. Agents handle everything from submitting your manuscripts to publishers, to negotiating contracts and overseeing royalty statements, in exchange for which they [...]
Submissions 101
So, you’ve written a children’s book and you’re ready to submit it to an agent and/or a publisher. The following are the industry standards for manuscript submission, regardless of whether the manuscript is for a picture book, a chapter book or a novel: Standard white paper – Don’t even think of using colored paper! Black [...]
