Your one sentence pitch is a very condensed, super-tight yet concise description of your story, specifically the plot of your story. Think of it as a one sentence calling card–you’re unique selling proposal or proposition. A beginning step on your book marketing journey. You might ask why it needs to be only one sentence. Well,…
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How Do You Build a Successful Writing Career? (3 Tips)
Writers need to be tough. It’s not an easy arena to be in. Did you know that writers get so many rejections there have actually been studies done on it. According to a Huffington Post article, “96% of authors seeking agents are rejected.” (1) That’s pretty severe. Another article at Writer’s Digest says, “don’t even…
Aim for Writing Success
Writing success can mean different things to different writers. Some writers may simply want to get a book or article published; others may want to be on the New York Times Best Sellers List; others may want to make a living writing; and others may be seeking wealth and fame. The key here is to…
Writing – Let Tom Swift Guide You
Guest Post by Carolyn Howard-Johnson Ever heard of Tom Swifties? Maybe you’re too young to be familiar with the classic Tom Swift adventures for boys. Or maybe you’re a girl who never read a Tom Swift book nor cares to. Tom Swifties are one-line jokes lampooning the style of Victor Appleton, the author of the…
Had a Children’s Book Ghostwritten? Now What?
As a children’s ghostwriter, I am often asked what comes after the manuscript is written and edited. Well, this depends on which publishing road you’ll take: self-publishing or traditional publishing. Since the majority of my clients go the self-pubbing route, I’ll start there. SELF-PUBLISHING BASIC PAGES AND COPY (in addition to the story). 1. You’ll…
8 Top Fiction Writing Mistakes to Avoid
There’s a great article in The Writer, April 2012 issue (1). If you’re able to get your hands on a copy or find it online, it’s worth the read. Delving into this article, I did some additional research and came up with eight elements that are probably the most common fiction writing mistakes. 1. You…
Point of View and Children’s Storytelling
Point-of-view (POV) is the narrator’s view of what’s going on. The POV is who’s telling the story. This will determine what the reader ‘hears’ and ‘sees’ in regard to the story. And, it determines the ‘personal pronouns’ that will be used. There are three main POVs in young children’s storytelling: first person, second person, and…
Storytelling – Do Not Let the Reader Become Disengaged
As an author it’s your job to create an engaging, compelling, suspenseful, intriguing, romantic, or other type of story content that will lure readers in and keep them turning the pages. But the key word for a successful story is ‘engaging.’ Engagement, according to Merriman-Webster.com, means to have an emotional involvement or commitment. Based on…
Book Review of The Lucky Baseball
As a children’s author and writer, I’ve done my share reviews of children’s books. Occasionally, I’ll be sharing them with you. It’s important to make note of ‘good’ books for kids. The first one up is: Title: The Lucky Baseball: My Story in a Japanese-American Internment Camp Author: Suzanne Lieurance Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc. ISBN:…
Writing Fiction and Writing Nonfiction – Similarities and Differences
Writing fiction and writing nonfiction have some distinct similarities and differences. But, before we get into that, let’s find out the definitions of fiction and nonfiction: Fiction: According to Merriam-Webster.com, fiction is “something invented by the imagination or feigned, specifically an invented story; the action of feigning or of creating with the imagination.” Nonfiction: Merriam-Webster’s…