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Showing posts from March, 2010

How I sold my book, part 1

For aspiring authors the question of how an author sold his/her first book is always of great interest. They're looking to do the same thing, so of course they'd like to get the ins and outs from someone who has been there. At all the writing conferences I've attended, this question is tops when the panels convene to answer queries from the audience. Writers working diligently to get their creative genius down on paper aren't always the best at selling, so any tips can help. There are lots of blogs out there giving advice, most of it useful to a certain extent. But one can only be told to spell correctly and use proper grammar so many times. Another popular tip is telling people to "develop a unique voice." But again, that's not much in the way of advice, everyone knows that already. And no one I've yet heard has ever been able to define a "unique voice," let alone explain how you develop one. So in the end that particular piece of advice i

Just write it down

I had an idea for a picture book this morning while putting on my sock. Actually I was checking my email on my IPOD while putting on my sock, but something I saw there gave me a story idea. I shoved the IPOD in my pocket, ran for a pad of paper with one shoe on, and started scribbling my thoughts down before they turned to breakfast. Oatmeal can ruin any idea. Halfway through my frantic scratching there was a knock on the door. Someone wanted to trim my shrubs. But rather than interrupt my thoughts, and say that I don't want my shrubs trimmed no matter what they look like, I dashed into the basement with my pad and pen and finished writing while sitting next to the washer and dryer. (My shrubs really need trimming). Once I had my idea down on paper it was safe to eat. I now had time to get out the laptop and commit my masterpiece to digital form. This of course leads to today's question. What do you do when you have an idea for a story? Do you write it down immediatel

So you're a writer...

So you're a writer? I get that question a lot. People are often interested in the answer, even if they don't like to read that much. And when I say I'm a children's author, they like it even more, because even if they don't read their kids are darn sure going to if they know what's good for them. It's much more fun to tell people that you're a writer than say, a gas station attendant or a shoe salesmen. The trick comes with the follow up question. Where can I get your books? Well, if you're like most of the writers I personally know, the answer is, "I'm still working on getting an agent or an editor." That usually ends the conversation. But if you are in that situation, don't fret. You will sell your work one of these days. An agent or editor is going to recognize all the effort and skill you've put into that manuscript and they will get it on the shelf, or into a Kindle. Your day will come. I know this because an agen

First post!

This is it, my first blog post. And the question you're all asking is, why? Is it because I want to be famous? Blogs don't make you famous. Is it because I've gotten too big for my britches? Possibly. Is it because I like spending so much time with my computer? Hardy-har-har. No, it's really because I want to share my writing with as many people as possible, and to pass out free advice on writing, getting an agent, getting published, junk like that. I'm a sharer.