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, [...]

Marketing Mondays #8: 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 take [...]

Marketing Mondays, #6: 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 ink [...]