While most authors know the answer to the title question, whether the story or illustrations come first in picture books, some newbies don’t. I have a client with a three-book series. This client happens to be an amazing artist and created her story around her illustrations. For the purpose of this article, I’ll say…
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 – Showing vs. Telling
Yeah, yeah, yeah . . . we’ve all heard of, or read about the showing and telling aspect of writing: you must show, not tell. But, there are those out there just beginning a writing career and may be uncertain as to the importance of this writing strategy. While there must be some amount of…
Tips to Overcome Writing Procrastination
Contributed by Mary Jo Guglielmo. “If and When were planted, and Nothing grew.” ~Proverb Procrastination………….who me? I know how to get things done; I also know how to procrastinate. As a writer, sometimes procrastination has to do with feeling lost in a project, other times it’s about not being satisfied with a draft. Personally, I’m…
Children’s Writing and Information Dump
As a ghostwriter and editor, occasionally I get clients who give me a draft of a story that has information dump within the first few spreads of a picture book. This is a no-no. Information dump is when an author literally dumps a chunk of information for the reader to absorb. Granted most new writers…
6 Book Marketing Tips Sure to Boost Your Author Online Platform
So, you’re an author. That’s great. But, just writing books isn’t enough – you’ve got to promote you and your books. The first step to doing this is to have yearly, monthly, and weekly book marketing goals. With goals, you know where you’re heading and can work toward that end..Marketing goals can be considered a…
Traditional Book Publishing – Contract to Sales to Career
You’ve chosen to write books, possibly children’s books, and you’ve done it right. You did your homework and learned the craft of writing. You created a polished manuscript and submitted it to publishers. And, knowing it’s not necessarily the best writer who gets published, but the one who perseveres, you were steadfast and didn’t let…
4 Writing Tips on Using Descriptions
Using descriptions can be a powerful writing tool. The most important thing to keep in mind is to use your imagination. Close your eyes and picture what your character is doing. Picture what the scene looks like then paint it with words. Below are four tips to help you get a handle on writing…
The Ghostwriter
She’s Invisible…She’s Powerful…She Helps People…She’s the Ghostwriter! What’s the essential characteristic of a ghost? Invisibility. And, along with being invisible, the ghostwriter is a powerful tool and a huge help to people who can’t seem to get their ideas into readable and publishable stories. Or for people who don’t have the time to write themselves….
Do Book Back-Covers Really Matter?
Being an author is no longer just about writing. Now, you have to become savvy about marketing your book. An important element of book marketing is the back cover. And, making it powerful does really matter. In fact, aside from the front cover, the back cover is what will motivate the reader to buy your…
Writing a Memoir – 5 Rules
While this site is for those who want to author a children’s book, I do get the occasional individual who wants a memoir written. So, I thought I’d provide some information on that topic. Writing a memoir is different things to different people. Some people are looking for closure, or a cathartic release from a…