Category: Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes: “Using Learnings from Readers When Writing a Follow-up Title” by Katy Tanis

May 10, 2024

Sometimes authors get a chance to follow up a book with another title as part of a duo, trilogy, or series. Here are a few tips from Katy Tanis sharing how she used the response from the first book to inform a second one!  Congratulations to 2 winners of blog post giveaways:   Lori Alexander, you’ve … More Behind the Scenes: “Using Learnings from Readers When Writing a Follow-up Title” by Katy Tanis

Behind the Scenes: “The Bounty of Primary Sources” by Beth Anderson

May 3, 2024

Here’s a bit of the story behind the story of THOMAS JEFFERSON’S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE: BIAS, TRUTH, AND A MIGHTY MOOSE! Research is definitely an adventure. All of you who do it know the lure of the rabbit hole and the joy of surprises that add richness to the writing. Letters seem like a lost … More Behind the Scenes: “The Bounty of Primary Sources” by Beth Anderson

Behind the Scenes: “Leafy Landmarks—The Journey from Seed Idea to Layered Poetry Collection” by Michelle Schaub

April 5, 2024

When I read LEAFY LANDMARKS by Michelle Schaub, I was amazed by the layers! Not only all the research and multiple angles, but also an incredible poetry collection! Such a great book for the classroom! Michelle is here to share how the layers of her manuscript grew over time as she persevered to publishing.  GIVEAWAY! … More Behind the Scenes: “Leafy Landmarks—The Journey from Seed Idea to Layered Poetry Collection” by Michelle Schaub

Behind the Scenes: “Writing Childhood Stories for the Modern Market” by Sarah Hovorka

March 29, 2024

Setting is a key piece of story. For me, it requires lots of research. For author Sarah Hovorka, writing a fictional story based on a childhood memory, it required an awareness of how times have changed. Sarah offers a few examples, and … a GIVEAWAY! Just leave a comment below the post for a chance … More Behind the Scenes: “Writing Childhood Stories for the Modern Market” by Sarah Hovorka

Behind the Scenes: “Waking the Muse for WAKE UP, WOODLANDS” by Karen Jameson

March 15, 2024

Many of the books coming out now were products of the pandemic, a time when all of us experienced anxiety and many kid lit authors found it difficult to write. When faced with an exciting opportunity, Karen Jameson dug in to find her way past that block. In this post, she shares how she did … More Behind the Scenes: “Waking the Muse for WAKE UP, WOODLANDS” by Karen Jameson

Behind the Scenes: “The Mysterious World of Work-for-Hire Early Readers” by Melissa H. Mwai

March 8, 2024

Today we get a peek into the world of work-for-hire early readers with Melissa H. Mwai. Along with essential info for people interested in breaking into writing for children via work-for-hire, she also shares links to resources and more specifics to explore. GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment below to be entered to win a copy of … More Behind the Scenes: “The Mysterious World of Work-for-Hire Early Readers” by Melissa H. Mwai

Behind the Scenes: “Making Marketing Fun – From Facebook Post to Podcast in Under 12 Months” by Gina Soldano-Herrle

March 1, 2024

Many people are surprised to learn that much of the marketing for children’s books is placed in the laps of authors and illustrators. For most of us, it’s daunting and uncomfortable. But Gina Soldano-Herrle has made it fun, and she’s here to share how she discovered this piece of her journey. GIVEAWAY! Gina is offering … More Behind the Scenes: “Making Marketing Fun – From Facebook Post to Podcast in Under 12 Months” by Gina Soldano-Herrle

Behind the Scenes: “Branching Out Into Longer Form Nonfiction” with Kirsten W. Larson

February 2, 2024

So glad to see another book about writing nonfiction for kids! My copy has arrived, and I’m diving in! Thanks, Kirsten Larson, for sharing your knowledge in the book, and also for this post about taking on this endeavor.  Kirsten is also doing a GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment after the post to be in the … More Behind the Scenes: “Branching Out Into Longer Form Nonfiction” with Kirsten W. Larson

Behind the Scenes: “Expanding Your Book with Back Matter” by Kelly Rice Schmitt

November 21, 2023

Back matter in a book serves a multitude of purposes—it’s like a bonus book that can extend the journey, spark curiosity, and answer questions! If you’re a person who tends to skip over back matter or a writer who’s looking for ideas, here’s a great article from Kelly Rice Schmitt about all that back matter … More Behind the Scenes: “Expanding Your Book with Back Matter” by Kelly Rice Schmitt

Behind the Scenes: “‘Twas a Long Time Coming: A New Look for Benjamin Franklin” by Gretchen Woelfle

October 20, 2023

One look at my bookcase will tell you I’m a fan of Benjamin Franklin. That man was into everything! For a writer, no matter what you want to share about him, there’s the challenge of focus, scope, and finding the best way to tell the story. In this post, author Gretchen Woelfle shares how she … More Behind the Scenes: “‘Twas a Long Time Coming: A New Look for Benjamin Franklin” by Gretchen Woelfle