KIDLIT AND MORE!

Word By Beth

9/27/2021

USED WITH PERMISSION

My friend, Beth Stillborn, has kindly given me permission to use a post from her blog. I know this will be as interesting to you as it is to me! Just follow the link to read it. http://www.bethstilborn.com/mary-kole-is-for-writers/?fbclid=IwAR2XNcPtumdgBCiEa0NenoOxJy6Yj6HScTvHliUGYmRsikYwumbBTh81EoU

Keep on writing!

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To register for this free online conference, follow https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/middleway-words-book-festival-tickets-167061797333?ltclid=2eb7543c-efa5-440a-8382-6ff2ea2812d6&fbclid=IwAR2OPzAQsnB83VQgL9rjhkKEiqqoU8JzOHHFmUlNI2Y_Na60g8czdx4TOes

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MARKETING YOUR BOOK

8/16/2021

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Whoever said that writing your book is the easy part was so right. I still feel like I'm hitting my head against a brick wall when it comes to marketing.

I've taken The 5-Day Amazon Ad Challenge by Bryan Cohen. In fact, I've taken it twice! I knew that I'd gather more information the second time around, get it to stick in my brain, and I did. It's free and packed with information. This is well worth the time! He's having another challenge coming up in October, so watch for it. Like I said, it's well worth your time. Also, did I tell you it's FREE?

I've found out through Bryan's challenge that the more reviews the better, so I'm trying to find places that accept manuscripts to review that are in my genre. This is time consuming, but it'll be well worth it.

I've found a few places in my town that will accept my book on consignment. Now, I'm going to broaden my horizons and look at nationwide Indie Book Stores. Wish me luck!

In the meantime, I've found a video for us all to watch. It's from the Self-Publishing With Dale series and it's on marketing. I do hope it helps you as well as myself. Please follow this link to view this informative video. For some reason, Dale won't let it be played on other websites. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKxznoMoVH4

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HOW OFTEN SHOULD I WRITE?

7/26/2021

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Some people say that you should everyday until you get to a certain word count. Others also claim that writers should use a flexible schedule. Then again, even others say that you should only write when the muse inspires you. Do I do any of these? Yes. Should you? Yes.

I’ve found that I do best when I use the flexible schedule. I may or may not get some writing done on Saturdays depending on what my health allows. By doing a process of elimination and listening to my body, I’ve found it pays off for me to take Sunday off. After all, it is a day of rest. I do have to admit that there are Sundays when I’m on the computer writing away. That’s when I’m under a deadline.

It has been proven that like other muscles in your body, your brain needs a rest too. Science has found that you’ll be more creative and productive. The trick here is---again---to listen to your body. Your body will tell you when to give your brain a rest. Giving your brain a rest is taking time away from your writing and do anything that doesn’t concern writing. Don’t forget exercising and meditation. This helps immensely and even helps you with if you have writer’s block! But how do you know when to give your brain a rest?

Do you know that feeling you get when you’re so sleepy that you can hardly hold your eyes open? You’re getting a message here from the brain to take a break. When you keep right on writing and getting exhausted, tired, I-can’t-move-another-finger-on-the-keyboard feeling? Your body is screaming at you to stop! So, how do you rest your brain?

I know that the first thing that comes to mind is taking a nap. Believe it or not, that is a way! So are needlework, woodworking, going to the gym, watching movies, reading, or listening to an audiobook, cooking, or any other hobby. When the weather is nice, I like to take a walk and visit friends. The key here is to do what you like where it doesn’t involve your writing words. Don’t forget daily exercise and meditation.

Try the meditation video below called, Meditation for Writers: Meet Your Muse. Just sit in your desk chair, close your eyes, and focus on the music. I guarantee that you’ll feel 100% better!

In short, how much should you write per day? That’s completely up to you. Try the three different types of schedules above and your body will tell you which is right for you!

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RESUCCITATE YOUR STORY

7/5/2021

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What in the world? You’ve just finished your latest and (hopefully) your greatest story. You’ve let your friends read it and of course, they liked it. They’re your friends. You also read it to Rex, asleep in the corner of your office. He gave a yawn of approval too. So you proofread your manuscript and proofread some more. Is the punctuation okay? Check. Does each word move the story along? Check. What’s wrong with it? Try reading it to Rex again and listen to your words, Try reading it into a tape recorder and listening to it, or have your computer read it too you. Don't depend on what your friends and family say since they’re just going to tell you what you want to hear. There. Hear that? Read or listen to that section again. There’s no life in your character nor is there good description in the narrative. You have write visually and bring your book to life.

What is writing visually? It’s something we’ve all heard before. Show, don’t tell. For those of you who haven’t heard those particular words here’s my definition: It’s when your reader is able to put himself/herself in your book. You should engage all five senses to do this. Let your readers feel Jason punch Harry without warning. Let Mary smell those fragrant roses. Describe these sentences so your readers can feel that punch or smell the rose. Have your characters talk naturally. Describing in a few words what they feel (emotionally), see, question, etc. Also, people aren’t robots in real life and they shouldn't be in books, either. When was the last time you saw someone talking and their expression never changed, they didn’t talk with their hands, or they didn’t fix their hair when the wind blew?

For instance: Keira left school. “I’m going to the mall,” she said to Sasha. Here’s the same sentence brought to life. Keira raced down the hall stopping when she saw Sasha putting her books in the locker. “I’m going to the mall after school,” she puffed. “Wanna come?” “Sure! Wait a sec until I fix my hair. Maybe that new guy will be there.” Which description would you rather have in your manuscript? Which one shows more instead of tells?

Take a look at these sentences: The three young people climbed the hill. Okay. Now read this: As the three friends climbed, they swatted flies away from their faces. Bees buzzed around them while low-hanging tree branches smacked them in the face. Which sentence shows more thus giving it life?

The trick is to give your characters some character not only in the dialogue but in the narrative as well. In the narrative, your reader can see them struggling up that hill. In dialogue they can see, feel the emotions of the girls and relate to them.

Here’s a video by The Three Minute Writing Teacher that will help you along the way to bring your book to life!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d68vWb5rvso

I’ve also found some books, blogs, or websites that will help you with this.

BOOKS
Word Magic for Writers by Cindy Rogers http://www.amazon.com/Word-Magic-Writers-Cindy-Rogers/dp/1889715247/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420086148&sr=1-1&keywords=word+magic+for+writers
You Can Write Children’s Books by Tracey E. Dils http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Write-Childrens-Books/dp/1582975736/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420086272&sr=1-1&keywords=you+can+write+children%27s+books
Picture Writing by Anastasia Suen http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Writing-Write-kids-library/dp/1582970726/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420086481&sr=1-1&keywords=picture+writing

Blog
How To Write Visually by Donald L. Vasicek http://www.donvasicek.com/writing/how-to-write-visually/

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Huckleberry Happiness One Scoop or Two

6/28/2021

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TITLE: Huckleberry Happiness One Scoop or Two
AUTHOR: Judy Ann Davis
PUBLISHER: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
COPYRIGHT: ©2020
ASIN: B087YM6SL7 (Kindle or Nook)
PRICE: $1.99-US

Emelia's parents have recently died leaving her and her sister to take over the family bakery completely. Yes, Emelia has a sister to help her out with the bakery, but she takes off to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to pursue her dreams. Also, a large mortgage on their family home looms over Emelia's head. What's a girl to do in 1885? Will Emelia find help?

I loved this ebook and so will you. I fully recommend putting it in your Kindle library. It's short and easy to read; I read it in one evening.

You can find Huckleberry Happiness One Scoop or Two on Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.

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CREEPY MR. SNAKE A JUNGLE TALE

5/10/2021

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TITLE: CREEPY MR. SNAKE A JUNGLE TALE
AUTHOR: Ivy Verdin
ILLUSTRATOR: Stian Thomassen
PUBLISHING DATE: December 3, 2020
PRICE: Kindle $8.99
ASIN: B08PPZTHFH
FILE SIZE: 6766 KB

What does a person do when he’s feels icky around someone? Does he just talk to his friends who feel just as icky? Sometimes he buys them presents. Then, they feel yucky. What will the young jungle animals do? Find out when you read this book on your Kindle!

This Kindle book is a must-have for your device. The author did a great job of explaining to children ages two to five about predators and saying just what a person should do. The illustrations are done in bright colors and the young jungle animals are drawn to catch your young monkey’s eye. Get your copy here!

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FREE TRAINING!

4/19/2021

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This is posted with Brooke's permission.

"I received the BEST news this weekend!
My picture book, This is My Castle, just received the Independent Book Publishers Award as the distinguished favorite for preschoolers.
️
While my books have received awards before, I'm always so humbled every time I see the email come in. It wasn't very long ago that my picture book manuscripts weren't ready to publish.

So how can you go from just okay writing to award-winning? You start by avoiding the 5 misconceptions new writers make about children's books.

I'll teach you what they are tomorrow during a live webinar at 11am CST. Sign-up for the free training here.
During the webinar, we'll talk about:

What ideas qualify as children's books and what ones don't.
The story concepts you must master before you start writing your first draft
How to know when you have a story worth publishing and what your role as the author is.

Plus, you'll receive a free workbook to follow along so you can take action with your own story right away. I'm anticipating a full house so come early.

Save your seat here.

See you then!
XOXO - Brooke

PS - The webinar will be recorded so even if you can't join me live, still be sure to sign-up! It's going to be a game-changer for you as a children's book writer and I expect to see A LOT of lightbulbs click, so don't miss this one."

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The La Viness Short Story Contest

4/13/2021

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I found a new contest that I hope you'll enjoy! It's the annual La Viness Short Story Contest. It works like this. The creator gives you two words to give you an idea for the story. In this case, it's butter and fly. You can combine 'butter' and 'fly' (butterfly) or keep them separate. Let your imagination go wild and think outside of the box. Good luck! Info about the contest follows.

THIRD ANNUAL
La Viness Short Story Writing Contest
2021Hosted by Renee' La Viness.
.
SUBJECT

Butter and Fly do not have to be the focal
point(s) of the story, but they should be
so important that the story would not
make sense without them.
USAGE: As one word (BUTTERFLY) or two separate words (BUTTER and FLY)
Any type of BUTTER is acceptable: milk butter, peanut butter, almond butter, body butter, engine butter, butterfly, etc.. Also, any type of FLY is acceptable: a fly, butterfly, dragonfly, or other item with the word FLY in its name; or the story might require an airplane, helicopter, drone, bird, hot air ballon, sports balls, kites, fairies, ghosts, knives, arrows, or other flying objects.
   1st Place - $100
2nd Place - $75
3rd Place - $50
Up to three Judges' Choice
Up to three Honorable Mention
For more information about awards, click here.
      SUBMISSION DATES
E-mail submissions will be
accepted from July 1, 2021 until
11:59 PM (CDT) on August 31st, 2021.
.ENTRY FEE
$10.00 USD for up to two stories per author.
Multiple entries allowed.
.WINNERS
Winners will be announced and
awards/certificates will be mailed
on or before December 5th, 2021.
First Place will also be listed here.
GUIDELINES
Fiction or Nonfiction
Any subject / Any genre
(No erotica, gore, or poetry.)
2000 word limit, not including title
Must be a complete story. (Beginning, middle, end.)
All entries must be UNPUBLISHED* at time of submission.
.
ANONYMOUS SUBMISSION RULES
No identifying author information
allowed on the story pages.
.
   FORMATTING
Entries should be written in American English.
Font: size 12, easy to read, use curly quotes.
Double-spaced.
One inch margins.
No special "front page only" formatting is required.
Top right of every page: Title / page #
EXAMPLE: The Last Tadpole / 1
   COVER PAGES
Each story should have a separate cover
page with the following information:
Author Name
Mailing Address
City, State Zip Code
Phone
Email Address
Story Title
Fiction / Nonfiction
# of words in story
First full line of story

Polish your story with this check list:
Story Checks
.
Questions about the contest?
Email Renee' at LSSWC@jespiddlin.com
DO NOT mention details about your story or title.
.
* UNPUBLISHED
Not published in a book, ebook, audio, website, mass email, or other format that is publicly shared, including online. (This does not include items shared for critique in private writing groups. In fact, we encourage critique before submission.)
.

AWARDS INFO
RULES/REGULATIONS
PREVIOUS WINNERS
SUBMIT NOW

.

.

JesPiddlin - copyright 2021.

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PROMOTING YOUR WEBSITE

4/5/2021

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Okay, now you’ve built your website. YAY! It was quite a job getting it just the way you want it, getting the right feel in it, along with letting it show the world that you’re a professional. Now what? It’s up, it’s published, but who’s going to see those videos much less read your brilliant words? Just how do you promote your website? I ran into this problem myself and I’ve found a few ways to do this.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Visit Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, YouTube, MeWe, and any other social media site you visit regularly. Create a post saying something like, “Hey, I’ve just built a website. Come check it out and tell me what you think!” Then add your URL or link.

I did this on Facebook. I put it on my wall, my announcement and link traveled down my newsfeed, and went out to all my friends. Who knows where it went from there. I also shared this announcement to any applicable Facebook group I’m in. Make sure the group will accept announcements, announcements for blog posts or articles first.

I also did this on Twitter. I changed my announcement a bit to fit their 200 character limit and added appropriate hashtags. The hashtags I put in my announcement were things like #children’swriting, #debhockenberry, #article, and #links. Don’t forget to include your link too. But remember, your announcement, hashtags, and link have to stay in the 200 character limit.

Pinterest is a great way to do this. You can create boards that link to your website. Each time you add new content, pin it and put it on the appropriate board. It will automatically link back to your website and people will notice.

You can use all of the other social networks in the same fashion.

YOUR EMAIL SIGNATURE
I’m supposing you have your email signature made out. If you don’t, it’s in the settings area of your email program. In your signature you’re allowed several lines to put your information. I’ll use myself as an example here. You can have something like this:

Deb Hockenberry, Children’s Author
Where Can We Have The Party? http://www.amazon.com/dp/1537077120 <- List your book here. If you have more than one you can list them one under the other.
KidzTales: http://kidztales.net <-Here’s your website and it’s link.

Because of your email signature, everyone that you email will know about your books and website including where they’re at. Hey, I’ve had people visit this website from the email link!

YOUR OWN WEBSITE
That’s right. Your own website can help you get the word out that it’s there! You see all those social media icons on the left side of your monitor on KidzTales? Click them and fill in your information for that site. When someone reads or views your content and is impressed, they click these buttons and information goes out. Believe me, this does happen. It’s happened to me more than once!

GUEST BLOGGING
That’s right. Guest blogging. When someone puts out the call for anyone to be a guest blogger on their blog, jump at it!

Ask to have your website link below where the blogger puts “by guest blogger, “Your Name,” ask to have your website link put under your name. When the blog owner’s readers read your informative article, they’ll visit your website to see what other information you have to offer them. And all because you asked the blog owner to include your website link.

COMMENTING ON OTHER’S BLOGS
When commenting after reading another’s blog post, don’t just say things like, “nice post,” or “I can relate to everything you say.” Add something useful to the subject or expand on something the blogger touched on. At the end of your comment, add your link. Others will read your words of wisdom and wonder what else you have to say. They’ll see your link and visit. This does work!

SEARCH ENGINES
There are a few search engines that will let you list your site for free. You will want to have a few good keywords of exactly what you have to offer on your site. People who want to find a (example) children’s writing website will put in the search bar “children’s website.” For your convenience I’ve included a few of the most popular search engines and the pages where you can list you website. We’ll start with the most popular search engine.
Google- http://www.google.com/submityourcontent/website-owner/
Bing- http://www.bing.com/toolbox/webmaster/
Sign in with your Microsoft account. If you don’t have one, it’s free. Just go to http://www.hotmail.com.
Yahoo – That just took me to Bing who, I suppose, has control of Yahoo search.

If you decide to submit your search to other search engines, always read the privacy notices and the terms of services! Sometimes these are just called legal terms.

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Word By Beth

FREE Online Book Festival

MARKETING YOUR BOOK

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I WRITE?

RESUCCITATE YOUR STORY

Huckleberry Happiness One Scoop or Two

CREEPY MR. SNAKE A JUNGLE TALE

FREE TRAINING!

The La Viness Short Story Contest

PROMOTING YOUR WEBSITE

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