It’s Time to Celebrate!

Our CBI Insiders are taking the publishing world by storm! Here’s some of what our Children’s Book Insider subscribers are accomplishing (with just a little help from CBI!):

 

And — this is very cool — we’re starting to see the fruits of our Writing Blueprints, thanks to some authors who are making a big splash after using those new tools to create killer manuscripts. Awesome!

 

 

Insider Jesse Arrington III used Picture Book Blueprint to create The Villains of Splazat, which has just been published. Here’s what Jesse has to say:

 

What a joy and journey…and I could not have done it without the help of your Blueprint road map to guide me, literally, step by step! Picture Book Blueprint was a god-send for me at a pivotal time when I was struggling to create memorable characters, to develop a great plot, make logic or sense of the enormous vocabulary of words in sentences all ending in “at”.

 

Then, there were the nights I went to bed with writer’s block, wondering what do I do now or where does the storyline go from here! Then, I would wake up with the obvious solution. “Hey, wait a minute! Why am I struggling so hard? I have Picture Book Blueprint to help me with my next step on what I need to write or where I need to go in this story!” I’m not kidding you when I say that either. By answering a few simple questions embedded in my story, Picture Book Blueprint freed my brain cramps and sent me on my way to whole new chapters!

 

My book is doing remarkably well and I’m flattered to be nominated for several children’s book awards thanks to many new friends and fans! Much credit goes to you and your Picture Book Blueprint because without it, I do not know whether I would have even finished the book, let alone published it, in both soft and hardcovers and now in Kindle edition.

 

Wow! This is awesome news, Jesse. And we’re so glad Picture Book Blueprint helped make it happen!

To learn more, visit Jesse’s lovely website: http://www.thevillainsofsplazat.com/

 

 

 

Insider Katie Hayoz used Chapter Book Blueprint to create a chapter manuscript that was included in the new Undiscovered Voices anthology! Here’s Katie:

 

I’ve written for teens and adults, but I had wanted to write a chapter book as I was frustrated with my youngest’s lack of interest in reading. Either the books like this were too difficult for her or they were aimed at boys. So…I wrote one of my own. Chapter Book Blueprint gave me the confidence to move forward on my project, knowing I wasn’t just winging it. And, most of all, CBB opened up a world of literature that I hadn’t really explored before.

 

I’m thrilled to say that my chapter book manuscript was chosen as a finalist in SCBWI’s British Isles/Europe’s Undiscovered Voices competition and included in the anthology!

 

Way to go, Katie! That’s a great accomplishment. If you want to download the anthology free, go to http://www.undiscoveredvoices.com/?page_id=1762

 

 

 

Insider Kim Ellis checks in with some great news:

 

My middle grade fantasy novel, Tangled in Magic, has been published by Handersen Publishing. In the story, Agatha searches for her twin brother, Malcolm, but the evil warlock, Santer, uses magic to prevent them reuniting and reclaiming their inheritance. The book features illustrations by Alison Gagne Hansen.

 

Thank you CBI!

 

Awesome, Katie! Head over to https://www.amazon.com/Tangled-Magic-Kim-Ellis/dp/1941429513 to see the book. And check out all those sweet 5 star reviews!

 

 

 

Insider Beverly Witwer is using not one, but two Writing Blueprints to make her publishing dream a reality:

 

I have been a CBI Insider for over 3 years and I wanted to tell you my story of using the Picture Book Blueprint. I had been trying to write a children’s picture book for a long time when I bought the Picture Book Blueprint. Once I applied the Picture Book Blueprint to the new plot I was writing, everything came together. My manuscript is now ready to go.

 

Thankfully, I thought ahead and when the Self-Publishing Blueprint became available, I snatched it up and I am now using it to guide me in self-publishing my manuscript of The Triplet Ballerinas. Thank you for developing the Picture Book Blueprint and helping me to succeed.

 

Now that’s what an empowered author sounds like. Great job, Beverly!

 

To get updates on the progress of The Triplet Ballerinas, go to https://www.facebook.com/thetripletballerinas/

 

 

 

We’ll have lots more good news to report soon.   Do you want to get in on the fun of being a successful published author?  Then do what these folks did — become a CBI Insider by subscribing to Children’s Book Insider, the Children’s Writing Monthly!

 

 

For just pennies a day, you’ll receive fresh market leads, special “Above the Slushpile” submission codes to top editors and agents, state of the art instruction, community support and much, much more.

 

 

 

 

 

Check out our special offer now at http://writeforkids.org/come-join-the-insiders-2/ and join the fun!

And to learn much more about our Writing Blueprints, go to http://WritingBlueprints.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post It’s Time to Celebrate! appeared first on   WriteForKids - Writing Children's Books.

Amazon Marketing Services Offers Cheap Ads for Self-Publishers

by Lois Wickstrom

 

For the self-published author, Amazon is the single easiest and least-expensive way to get your book in front of readers. Amazon lists self-published books from many sources, such as IngramSpark, Lulu, CreateSpace, and Kindle Direct Publishing.

 

But once our books are created, published and up on Amazon, the next question is: How can we get customers to find and buy our books? Most advertising for self-published books costs more than it brings in.

 

Amazon Marketing services now has an advertising program for Kindle books that links in the paper editions (printed) of those books as well.  You do need to make sure that the Amazon listing for your Kindle book also shows your paperback and/or hardcover versions.  If they don’t, just contact KDP Customer Service, giving them the links to all versions of your title, and they will combine the listings.

 

My Kindle books were lingering in the 2 millionth most popular on Amazon for Ladybugs for Loretta and 4 millionth most popular for Oliver, A Story About Adoption. This means they were selling one or two copies a month combining all forms of each title, and had been selling that slowly for about a year.
Then I decided to try the Amazon Marketing Services.

 

This is a program that lets you buy sponsored positions on Amazon’s search pages.  Ladybugs for Loretta is about a girl who finds ladybugs under rocks and behind tree bark.  I want people who are looking for books about ladybugs and books for girls to consider my book.

 

Amazon Marketing Services is designed to let authors choose their own search terms (you can buy a pre-selected list, but I don’t recommend that.) The AMS site also offers a default price of $0.25 per click, calculated when people click on the link to view your book. I changed that to $0.15.  Sometimes a click only costs me $0.06. (The actual price depends on what other sellers have bid for the selected search terms.) Also, AMS lets you put a daily cap on how much money you will spend.  I capped my costs at $2 per day.  I rarely spend more than $0.20 per day per title.

 

I selected the key words I wanted and I wrote the short description of each book that will appear beside a small version of the cover, when people search for my key words.  My books now appear on the top pages of an Amazon Search – maybe not the top 10 listings, but in the top 40 listings. That’s a reasonable number for a customer to look through.

 

Amazon will display my ad when people search for my key words. I only have to pay when somebody clicks on the ad.

When you set up an AMS account, you will be able to see how many times your book ad was displayed and how many times people clicked on each of your key words.
The bottom line here is that my books have gone from selling one or two a month, to selling about 13 a month.  This doesn’t sound like much, but it means that my Ladybug book is now in the 200,000s and Oliver is in the 600,000s. This is a huge jump in rank. I figure the increases can become cumulative.  The higher my books are in rank, the more often people will see them and the more often people see them, the more copies I will sell. And my marketing costs remain less than $10 per month.
The most important aspect of selling on Amazon is the number of reviews your book gets. But you can’t get reviews if you don’t have readers. Amazon Marketing Services is one easy, inexpensive tool you can use to start building readership for your book. It’s not the only tool you should use, but it can help generate some buzz. And once people start talking about your books, you’ve found the best advertising of all.

 

Lois Wickstrom’s books include:

 

Ladybugs for Loretta

Bees in Loretta’s Bonnet

Loretta’s Pet Caterpillar

Oliver, A Story About Adoption

Invisible Magic Wand

Hot Chocolate Underpants

Rooster Under the Table

The post Amazon Marketing Services Offers Cheap Ads for Self-Publishers appeared first on   WriteForKids - Writing Children's Books.

It’s OK If Your Readers Cry

If you’ve ever feared that your manuscript is too “real” for children, or if you feel the urge to write about a sanitized reality in order to protect young readers, remember this: kids learn how to navigate the world through their books. And if they are experiencing pain, seeing that pain acknowledged in a story helps them know they are not alone. But you should really hear this from two of the greatest children’s book writers of our time. Matt de la Pena, in his essay “Why We Shouldn’t Shield Children From Darkness” for Time magazine, and Kate DiCamillo’s response, “Why Children’s Books Should Be a Little Sad“, beautifully articulate how a little sadness in a children’s book teaches readers that they can, indeed, bear the burdens life may give them.

The post It’s OK If Your Readers Cry appeared first on   WriteForKids - Writing Children's Books.

35 Years a Writer, 35 Lessons Learned

by Jane McBride

 

 

 
 
(Note:  This article is from the new January 2018 edition of Children’s Book Insider, the Children’s Writing Monthly.  To learn more about this essential tool for all kidlit writers, click here.)

 
 
 

Thirty-five years have passed since my first writing was published. Thirty-five years in the crazy business of writing have taught me a number of things. Thirty-five years have also taught me that I have much still to learn. But today we’ll start with what I’ve learned thus far. My hope is this list will shorten your own learning curve.

 

1. Writing is a business. Treat it as such.

 

2. Treat yourself as a business person. If you don’t respect yourself as both a writer and a business person, how can you expect others to treat you that way?

 

3. Keep records. Keep very, very good records. You never know when you’ll be audited, as my husband and I were five years ago.

 

4. Keep on top of your taxes. Do you need to make quarterly tax payments? Penalties are no fun.

 

5. Keep track of your expenses. Do you think that it’s too much trouble to record your mileage to a meeting or postage costs? Think again. Every penny counts.

 

6. Invest in yourself. If you can swing it, attend writers’ conferences. Subscribe to industry periodicals such as CBI, The Writer, Children’s Bookshelf (twice-weekly newsletter electronic newsletter from Publishers Weekly), etc.

 

7. Invest in good equipment. You wouldn’t try to cook professionally without the right tools. The same applies to writing.

 

8. Network. Even if you are an introvert, as many writers are, learn to network. You needn’t become a social butterfly at conferences, but don’t spend all of your time in your room. Engage others in conversation.

 

9. Have a support group. Writing is a solitary business. One of the best things you can do for yourself and for your career is to find a group of like-minded people. If you belong to a professional organization, see if there is a chapter in your area. If there isn’t, consider starting one. Or join an online group.

 

10. Find a mentor. A mentor can guide you in your writing, offer critiques, and tell you when you’ve gone off track.

 

11. Be a mentor. I’m a firm believer in giving back. Mentor a less experienced member of your writers group. Mentor a young writer at your local high school. You’ll learn much in teaching others.

 

12. Work to first learn and then improve your craft. Do you expect a surgeon to decide he wants to practice medicine and then start operating the next day? Of course not. You want a surgeon to have the necessary training and skills before he performs an operation. Then why do we expect to be skilled writers without learning how to write? Take classes. Attend workshops and conferences. Above all, practice your craft and write.

 

13. Don’t take the first offer that comes your way. In our eagerness to sell a book, especially a first book, it’s tempting to take the first offer, even a bad one.

 

14. Be wary of scams that pop up in the industry such as book doctors and others who claim they can fast-track your career. Some are legitimate; some are not. Always do your research before paying anyone to edit your manuscript or help you self-publish.

 

15. Remember that no agent is better than a bad agent. Don’t be in such a hurry to sign with an agent. Do your due diligence and check out any agent or agency before you sign.

 

16. Understand that a contract with an agent does not mean you are married to him or her, but that you will be “bound together” for the lifetime of any book he or she sells for you.

 

17. Don’t burn your bridges. Leave any agency or publishing house with good feelings on both sides. Any bad-mouthing about editors or agents on your part can and probably will come back to bite you.

 

18. Keep in touch. When an editor leaves your publishing house, it pays to stay in touch. The same goes for agents and other industry professionals.

 

19. Volunteer. Volunteer at your writers’ chapter, at conferences. Volunteer at bookfairs and the library. You will not only be giving back, you will also be making valuable contacts.

 

20. Establish working hours. When you’re writing, you’re working. Let your family and friends know that.

 

21. Don’t be afraid to say no. A few years ago, I received an offer to buy a book from a new publishing company. Something felt fishy about the offer, and I turned it down. In the end, I’m glad I did. The company proved not to be reputable.

 

22. Don’t be afraid to say no to family and friends. This goes back to treating yourself as a professional and expecting others to do the same. It’s tempting for others, when they learn that you work from home, to say, “Since you’re not working, will you ‘Let the repairman in,’ ‘Watch my sick child,’ Bake seven dozen cupcakes for the school bake sale,’ etc.” Smile politely and say, “I’m sorry, but I am working.”

 

23. Give yourself a break now and then. It’s wonderful to write every day (or whatever your schedule is), but it’s okay to take a break once in a while. You need to experience life to write about it.

 

24. Don’t beat yourself up when you can’t make your word count. Double down the next day. The important thing is that you keep writing.

 

25. Treat rejection as part of the learning curve. Rejections are a way of life for many writers, including me. After selling 36 books and hundreds of stories and articles, I still receive rejections with depressing frequency.

 

26. Respect your editor and/or agent. Don’t pester them with constant calls, texts, or emails. It’s okay to stay in contact, just don’t overwhelm them.

 

27. Meet your deadlines. Publishing houses operate on strict deadlines. If you don’t meet yours, you may put a crimp in the entire schedule.

 

28. If you can’t meet a deadline, let your editor know as soon as possible. Editors realize that emergencies happen. Give yours a heads-up if it becomes apparent that you can’t meet a deadline.

 

29. Be prepared to have financial dry spells. What happens if your last book doesn’t sell well? Can you still make the mortgage and buy groceries? (See # 30.)

 

30. Think twice before quitting your day job. Royalties can be delayed and/or be spotty. It helps to have the cushion of a regular paycheck to fall back on.

 

31. Know how many books you can reasonably expect to produce in a year. Set a realistic goal and then do your best to meet it.

 

32. Don’t be so quick to send off a book. Revise and polish, revise and polish again.

 

33. Stay current. Know what’s happening in your genre. Keep up with the latest trends. You don’t have to write to them, but you should know what is going on.

 

34. Find an outlet outside of writing. Writing is not just a business, but a form of expression as well. It helps to have another outlet to replenish your well of creativity.

 

35. Keep learning. A woman in my writing chapter expressed surprise when I mentioned that I had just returned from a writers’ conference. “With all the books you’ve published, I’m amazed that you that you still attend conferences,” she said. I replied, “I hope I never feel that I don’t need to learn something.”

 

 

Well, there you have it—35 lessons learned, many of them the hard way!

 

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Jane McBride is the author of 36 novels, numerous short stories and articles including pieces in 16 Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies . Follow her writing blog at http://ift.tt/2EqH3z5

 

 
 

You’re Registered for the Middle Grade / YA Webinar!

Awesome — you’re in!

 

The webinar will take place September 19 at 5 PM Pacific, 8 PM Eastern.  It’s should last about an hour and it’s completely free.

 

We will have a replay available starting the day after, but you will need to be on live to ask Laura and Alice questions.

 

Here’s how to access the webinar (we’ll send you these instructions again before the event begins):

 

A few minutes before the scheduled start, please click the link below to join the webinar:
http://ift.tt/2FlQ7q6

 

Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +14086380968,,117622143# or +16468769923,,117622143#

Or (as a backup) Telephone：
408/638 0968 or 646/876 9923
The webinar ID is 117622143

 

 

Now, please take just a few minutes to watch this important video from your co-host, Alice Kuipers: