To craft a children’s story from a theme, the first step is to know what you want to convey to the child. The next step is to brainstorm relevant words. After you have a handle on your theme, weave it through the plot, characters, and dialogue; however, don’t explicitly let the reader know what it…
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!
The AI and Blogger Connection: Good or Bad
I’ll admit that I use AI to help with my blog posts. It gives almost instantaneous outlines or even full articles that I rewrite. This is a huge timesaver.In my AI-generated articles, I tweak the content, putting my own insights and experience into it. I also change words that I would not ordinarily use.For example,…
Writing Picture Books or Novels: Which is Easier to Write?
At first glance, writing a children’s picture book might seem easier than writing an adult novel. The reason for this is because picture books are short, usually under 1,000 words, and often include colorful illustrations and simple language. Adult novels, on the other hand, can run into tens of thousands of words and delve into…
Republishing a Previously Published Children’s Book
Several months ago, I wrote an article while republishing three picture books and a chapter book, which I got the rights back to from the traditional publisher who stopped selling them. The chapter book was with the publisher for over ten years, and the picture books for five years. They weren’t selling well, so the…
Backlist vs. Back-End Book Marketing
I’ve recently gotten the rights back to four of my children’s books, three picture books, and one chapter book. Revising and republishing them, I got a do-over. I’ve added both back-end marketing and backlist marketing to the books.So, what’s the difference between these two strategies, and why does it matter?When it comes to marketing books,…
Can You Submit Your Self-Published Book?
The rise of self-publishing has opened doors for countless authors, allowing them to bypass traditional gatekeepers and bring their stories directly to readers. Yet many self-published authors still aspire to secure a traditional publishing deal, seeking wider distribution, professional editing, and marketing support. A common question arises: Can an author submit a self-published book to…
Writing Beyond Cultural Borders: Controversy or Creativity?
In today’s interconnected world, fiction writers are increasingly inspired by people, places, and traditions outside their own backgrounds. Whether it’s a novelist weaving a story set in rural India while living in New York, or a fantasy author borrowing from Chinese mythology, writing across cultures has become both a common artistic practice and a hot-button…
Reach More Readers by Going Bilingual
Contributed by Linda Wilson, Children’s AuthorWhile presenting programs about stories from my books at schools and libraries, I’ve gotten to know many students and teachers, some from EL (English Learner) classrooms. The EL students’ reading needs are being addressed with dual language books, or side-by-side books, for ages K-12. Many more books are needed. My…
Unpublishing a Book on Amazon?
I recently had to unpublish a book I had just self-published. After unpublishing it, I republished it with new ISBNs (for the paperback and ebook). There are a couple of reasons you may need to unpublish a book; mine was because of a mistake. REASONS YOU MAY NEED TO UNPUBLISH A BOOK1. You make a…
Children’s Series Characters: Why Kids Love Them and How to Write Them
If you’ve ever seen a child tear through the Magic Tree House book series or tote around a battered copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, you’ve witnessed the power of a great series character. For children, characters in book series aren’t just fictional—they’re companions, role models, and even imaginary best friends.As writers of children’s…