Writing for children can look deceptively simple. The vocabulary is easier, the sentences are shorter, and the stories often appear straightforward. But creating a successful children’s story requires precision, clarity, and a strong understanding of your young audience. Many new writers make critical mistakes that weaken their stories. Below are ten to avoid, along with…
Author: Karen Cioffi
Karen Cioffi is an award-winning author and children's ghostwriter. She loves to help those who want to be the author of a children's book fulfill their dream. Contact Karen today to get your story started!
Writing Historical Fiction: 10 Pitfalls
Writing historical fiction can be challenging. You must tell a story and convincingly recreate a bygone time and culture that readers must believe in.When done well, historical fiction transports readers into another era. Done poorly, it loses credibility and readers quickly.If you’re writing historical fiction, it’s essential to be aware of common pitfalls. The following…
Book Publicity Scams are in High-Gear
I’ve been getting scam book promotion emails every day for a while now. But over the past two days, I’ve received 8 of them—3 in one morning. What’s sad is these scammers must be getting traction; otherwise, they wouldn’t continue so aggressively. Most of these emails explain why promoting your book matters and how they…
Blog Post Idea Bank: The What and How
Every blogger hits it sooner or later: the moment you sit down to write, your mind goes completely blank. You know you need to publish, you know blogging matters for visibility and authority, but you’ve got nothing. I’ve been in this mode, so I know the value of a Blog Post Idea Bank. An idea…
Building a Children’s Fiction Story: 10 Elements
Every writer has their own process and method of writing, whether it’s a novel, a short story, or even an article. But, whatever process you use, there are at least 10 elements needed to craft an engaging children’s story.Here are 10 Elements to Building a Children’s Fiction Story1. The idea.The very first step to writing…
Authors: Your Newsletter Statistics and How to Improve Them
I’ve been thinking about my subscriber list and newsletter. While the list is relatively small, it has good open and click rates.But before I get into newsletter statistics, there’s a question many ask: Is a newsletter really necessary for writers, editors, and even ghostwriters?According to Google’s AI, a newsletter is considered the backbone of a…
Freelance Writers: Have a Unique Hook
Contributed by Suzanne LieuranceIf you’re trying to earn an income as a freelance writer, you’ll start making MORE money FASTER if you figure out something unique to offer a specific target market.The easiest way to figure out what your unique offering and your target market might be is to consider your background, education, and interests.For…
Struggling to Find New Topics for Your Blog?
What do you do when you can’t think of a topic for your writing blog?This is my current dilemma. And I’m sure every writer who maintains a blog eventually hits the same wall: I need to post something… but I have no idea what to write about. I feel like I’ve already written about everything.Writing…
Making Your Book’s Descriptions Powerful
Descriptions help bring the reader into the world of your story. When describing the environment, you want the reader to feel it, to picture it, to experience it.In a chapter book I’m rewriting, well, it’s a rewrite/ghostwrite, there’s a river. The original manuscript doesn’t describe it, though. And it’s an excellent opportunity to bring the…
10 Ways Children’s Authors Lose Their Readers
Children are simple readers. If a story doesn’t work for them, they won’t struggle through it; they’ll stop listening, stop reading, or ask for a different book. For children’s authors, this means every choice matters. From the opening line to the final page, missteps can quickly push young readers away. Here are ten common ways…