Tag Archives: Children’s Book Week

Tuesday Tips on Writing and Publishing a Book

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ImageIt’s finally here: Children’s Book Week! 

I don’t have a horse in this race, as the expression goes, but I’m still excited to hear about the Children’s Choice Book Awards, 2013. Any minute today, they’ll post those titles, and I’ll take a few minutes to dream about my books and the what ifs that might follow…

Of course, first I have to deal with a little sticky wicket I call “publishing.” So, Tip One:

Book Publishers Accepting Submissions by Location

I can’t say for sure if a regional publisher is an easier sell. But I can say that this list of publishers are accepting submissions (unlike bigger publishers who only accept agented submissions). A local publisher may be a perfect fit for your proposal or manuscript, particularly if your book has a regional bent.

And Tip Two comes from one of my very favorite authors, Margaret Atwood. She shared her Ten Rules of Writing Fiction. Because before I can get my book published, I have to write the best book my brain can bust out. So I particularly liked Rule Ten:

10. Prayer might work. Or reading ­something else. Or a constant visual­isation of the holy grail that is the finished, published version of your resplendent book.

So, yeah. We’re back to publishing. And if I’m going to write and pray and visualize, I might as well dream big.

Like the Children’s Choice Book Awards. (You get a trophy, right?)

 

 

 

Children’s Book Week–And Why I’m A Champion

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ImageIf you are the observant type, you noticed the Children’s Book Week Champion badge that I added to the blog a few days ago. If you’re the lazy not-so-observant type like me, you’re now glancing around the blog, saying, “I don’t see any Children’s Book Week badge. I don’t know what Cathy’s blah-blah-blahing about–oh. Never mind.”

So, ahem. Let’s just move on to Children’s Book Week and why I champion it.

1. It’s all about a celebration of books and the joys of reading for young people. How can you NOT champion that?

2. You (and by you, I mean you who have something to do with schools and/or libraries) can get a free and very cool poster, art by Brian Selznick. (He’s a Caldecott winner, amazing illustrator, SO many books…well, perhaps you should just go read for yourself here.)

3. You (and by you, I mean any old you) can download this cool bookmark by Newbery Honor author/illustrator, Grace Lin. (You’ll want to check out her website. It’s also very cool and free to peruse.)

4. You (and by you, I mean the writer you who would like someday to get that much-loved manuscript into the hands of children everywhere) can get a very good idea of what children love to read when you take a look at the list of book finalists. If you haven’t read these books yet, perhaps you should. (And by perhaps, I mean definitely.)

So if you know a kid who loves to read, give that child the chance to celebrate the joys of reading. Ask him or her to vote. (Oh! Teachers, librarians and booksellers can vote, too!) Cast your vote, you and you and you,too. And I’ll stop blah-blah-blahing about Children’s Book Week.

(Um, I can’t really guarantee that. I do SO love books.)