Guest Post by Penny Lockwood (Ehrenkranz) If you check market resources both for printed and online publications [picture books], you’ll find a number whose word limit is below 1,000 words. How do you trim the fat from your manuscript to fit within the tight confines of those word limits? These are words that writers use…
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Writing a Book – To Publish Traditionally or Self-Publish
Whether to publish traditionally or self-publish is the question I get most from my ghosting clients. Most new to the writing arena don’t understand what’s involved with either path. This article will hopefully shed some light on the topic. TRADITIONALLY PUBLISHING With traditional publishing, you submit your EDITED and PROPERLY FORMATTED manuscript to publishing houses…
Self-Publishing: 3 Tips to Help You Avoid the ‘I Want It Now Syndrome’
(What’s a ‘Wannabe’ Author to Do?) Self-publishing is a ship everyone wants to sail on. And for good reason. This publishing avenue is quick and cheap. Yes, self-publishing is fast. There’s no more submitting to a publisher or multiple publishers and waiting for (possibly) months for a response. Will they accept your manuscript that you’ve…
Writing with Clarity
Writing with clarity is a common challenge that many writers face. There isn’t a GPS for clarity. And no matter how clearly you think you are conveying a particular sentence, paragraph, or theme, you may not be able to see that you’ve missed the clarity mark. How does this happen? Missing the clarity mark may…
Rhyme in Children’s Stories – It’s Not Always a Fit
Rhyming, when done right, is an excellent way to engage children. Children, as soon as they’re able, love to rhyme words… and this can begin as early as two years old: cat-hat, mouse-house. But to write a rhyming story… a well-written rhyming story… is difficult. You need a good story, rhyme, rhythm/beat, meter, stresses, and…
The Writing Elements Mix – Is There a Right Balance?
Writing can be thought of as a recipe, a handful of plot, a quarter cup of setting, a half cup of dialogue, and a half cup of action and forward movement. Then you also need to add just the right amount of theme, character, setting, and style. Stir it all together, bake for several months…
Be a Better Writer by Writing More
Do you write everyday? Do you make sure you get some writing time in each week, if not daily? If you answered yes to these questions, you should have noticed an improvement in your writing, and possibly an improvement in the speed at which you are able to write. But, that’s not all. You will…
Book Marketing – You’ve Gotta Have a Blog
The time and effort you put into writing your book paid off – you got a publishing contract. And, now you’re book will be out in a few months. Or, maybe you self-published your book . . . or are just about to. Whichever route you’ve taken, it’s time to get your visibility and platform…
The Path to Writing Success – Focus, Determination, and Perseverance
Focus, determination, and perseverance are essential to just about every aspect of your life. Each characteristic is unique and together creates a powerful synergy. Focus is one’s ability to concentrate exclusively on a particular thing through effort or attention. Determination is an unchanging intention to achieve a goal or desired end. Perseverance takes determination a…
Want to Self-Publish a Rhyming Children’s Book? Read This First
As a ghostwriter, I deal with a lot of new authors. One scenario I come across now and then is when someone sends me a story with rhyme. When this happens, the story is lacking, and the rhyme is unprofessional; it’s my job to guide these authors on the path of ‘doing it right.’ I…