10 Questions about the fantasy genre and YA literature:
While not every publisher accepts fantasy manuscripts, strong interest in this genre exists among children, teens, and young adults well beyond college age. This interview is the first in a series to explore fantasy’s appeal to younger readers, and to look at connections between this genre and Christian faith. Q: Before we start, how do […]
How To Find an Agent: Six Questions for Picture Book Writers
As an aspiring picture book author, I had high hopes for breaking into children’s publishing. I worked on my craft, joined a critique group, revised and polished my picture book manuscripts, then sent them off to publishers, hoping my dream would soon be reality. That’s when I encountered two seemingly impossible hurdles: the slush pile and, worse […]
Part IV of “How to Lose an Editor in 10 Ways” BELIEVE YOU ARE PERFECT
Whew! There’s a lot to learn when you’re striving for rejection. Here is your last round of ideas to help you to master the art of losing an editor in ten ways. [spacer height=”20px”] Way 8: Don’t Edit Your Work No one’s work is perfect. So, to seal a rejection of your manuscript, skip editing. […]
Part III of “How to Lose an Editor in 10 Ways” COMPLICATE YOUR CONTENT
We’ve been talking about some of the top 10 ways to lose an editor, based on interviews I conducted with editors at four Christian children’s publications. (Part I: SKIP THIS STEP, Part II: HOW TO MESS UP YOUR CHARACTERS) In this section we are going to cover four more ways to lose an editor through […]
Part II of “How to Lose an Editor in Ten Ways” HOW TO MESS UP YOUR CHARACTERS
Welcome to part 2 of my blog series. (Click here if you missed PART I: SKIP THIS STEP) Let’s delve into a couple more ways you can lose an editor. Incorporating some of these flaws into your characters will almost always guarantee a rejection. Here’s how: [spacer height=”20px”] [spacer height=”20px”] Way 2: Make Your Characters […]
Part I of “How To Lose An Editor in Ten Ways” SKIP THIS STEP
The first (and possibly the most important) step to writing for publication is to read the writers guidelines and a few of the organization’s publications to get an idea of what they publish. So, if you are looking to lose an editor immediately, simply skip this step. Three out of the four editors I interviewed […]
How to Lose an Editor in Ten Ways
Anyone can sabotage their writing career. It takes less skill to fail as a freelance children’s writer than it does to succeed. I’ve interviewed four editors from popular Christian children’s magazines who reveal details on what to do to increase your chances of staying out of print. In this four-part series, you will learn 10 […]
Classic Keys for Writing for Children
If you’re like me, you probably have bookshelves crammed with books. Too many to keep and too precious to give away. As I look through my bookcases, I enjoy finding a long-forgotten treasure. Even better, on occasion I’ll make a new discovery—a book that made it onto the shelf without being read. I recently came […]
Finding Inspiration
Spring Break – Finally! Exhausted from the cold wet winter weather and teacher paperwork this week I’m doing what I love most – digging in the dirt. Fence posts need to be set. Wire must be stretched and the garden has to be tilled. Why would I love all this physical, backbreaking, bone-tiring work? It […]
Who Needs A Two-for-One Critique?
By Brenda Covert You may be wondering whether your manuscript is ready to be published. Maybe you have a nagging feeling that your story is missing something, but you don’t know what it is. Perhaps you’re going to attend a writer’s conference, and you want to make sure your writing is polished before sharing it […]