Wrapping up children’s books for the holidays can be lots of fun. With some creativity you can add a personal touch to your gift book. From designing your own gift wrap to adding memorable trinkets, a book can be transformed into a much loved gift. Here are some creative ways to wrap children’s books. Wrap … Read more
Books make the best gifts for children and books bring us together. Think back to when you were a child. What are some of your memories of gifts you received? I think we are all likely to remember the big gifts, such as your first bike, special doll, or game. You are also likely to … Read more
A “thankful author” is an author who expresses gratitude for the gift of writing, acknowledging the people and experiences that have influenced their work. I am going to claim this day as a day of thankfulness and encourage writers to think about the many people who bless and enrich our lives. Here are some things that … Read more
Many of today’s workers worry that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace their jobs, leaving them out in the cold while robots take over the world. Writers are no different. We worry that AI will replace us too. That is until, I learned that artificial intelligence is just a tool. Recently, I attended a workshop with … Read more
To note or not to note? That is the question on the minds of most writers. I am referring to illustration notes. With my books Gertie Save the Day and Two Wins for Wiley I could not be happier with the illustrations. Did I use illustration notes? Illustration Notes If you write picture books, you’ll … Read more
This was a new idea for me. A bookcation? It seems simple enough. A vacation in which all you do is read books. The beauty of a bookcation is you can make it whatever you want. You can read whatever you want, for as long as you want and you can read any where you … Read more
Summer, for me, is a quiet time with fewer book signing events, but not this year. I have three opportunities to share my books with children. There is only one thing that can make or break the event – engaging children during story time. If you are like me, you want to ensure that story … Read more
Not everyone feels the same as I do about ebooks for children. I believe that ebooks provide some advantages that paper copies may not. When my first book, Gertie Saves the Day, was being released I had mixed feelings about releasing it as an ebook. Naturally, I wanted everyone to have a paper copy of … Read more
When revising one of my picture book drafts, I like to spend time checking my page turns. I ask -Have I created a reason for the reader to turn the page? In my research, I found many techniques authors use to create an irresistible page turn. Feel free to try one or more. Pose A … Read more
Authors are a buzz! At each author event I attend this month there seems to be a Back Matter Buzz among the authors. While non fiction books often have back matter, it is new territory for picture book authors. What exactly is back matter? Do picture books have back matter? Where should I be adding … Read more
