Contributed by Melinda Brasher A trope is a common plot device, character type, writing element, etc. I believe that many tropes are so common because they’re popular, fun, and good—except that they’ve become so overused that they’ve lost some of their goodness. These should be treated carefully and creatively. Other tropes are simply a result…
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Working with New Authors and Writing Mistakes
Six Common Writing Mistakes I FindI’ve worked with a client on four picture books over the past few years. She loves the final product and keeps coming back, but she’s still making the same mistakes regarding her feedback on the drafts.With every new section or draft I send her, she sends them back with notes…
Your Children’s Manuscript: Synopsis to Submissions
Once your manuscript is complete, it’s time to submit if you’re taking the traditional path. The first thing you’ll need is a synopsis. Then it’s on to the submitting process.
Self, Indie, and Hybrid Publishing – Which is for You?
Authors have lots of choices when it comes to publishing. There’s traditional, self, indie, and hybrid. Which is best for you?
6 Things a Writer Should Always Do
What’s the very first thing you should do as a writer? It’s pretty simple, you should know what you’re doing. Find out the other five things.
Shaun the Sheep and Marketing with Animation
If an hour and a half cartoon movie with no talking can hold a child’s attention, you can be assured using short-clip animation will do the same for your book marketing audience.
Sell Your Books Face-to-Face
Book marketing encompasses a lot of strategies, one of them is selling books face-to-face. Find out how to go about it.
Sensitivity Readers – Are They Now a Necessity?
Description: We’re in a world where some people have ultra-sensitive trigger fingers. We’re in a world of hidden social media lurkers and bullies. Under the circumstances, do you need a sensitivity reader for your manuscript?
Two Ways to Format Your Manuscript
Contributed by Linda Wilson Properly formatting my MG mystery book loomed in the background during editing. The reckoning day arrived. Thanks to children’s author Margot Finke, I knew who to call upon: the formatting service at Golden Box Books Publishing Services. Margot sang the praises of Golden Box author Erika M. Szabo, who did the…
7 Steps to Creating a Successful Writing Career
If you are selling books, you have a business, even if just a simple sole proprietorship.