How to use this Page

Today, everyone is pressed for time. There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. You may be trying to squeeze writing and marketing time in while working full time and taking care of a family. You may be trying to s-t-r-e-c-h time to get as much done as possible. You may be trying to do it all. Well, before you take on too much and finally break the ‘camel’s back,’ take a step

FlashLight Press is celebrating their 10 year in the publishing business. They are a small publisher and only publish a few books each year, but they specialize in picture books. Check out their awards pages. I was impressed with what they have accomplished. You may even recognize some of the artwork on their covers, since many of their illustrators have been featured on Illustrator Saturday. Click on the illustration that shows off some of the character in their books to look over their book catalog.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

If you have a story you want FLASHLIGHT PRESS to consider:

First, make sure your manuscript fits the following criteria:

• is a fiction picture book (NOT a concept book, non-
  fiction, an early reader, a chapter book, or a YA novel)
  
• has a universal theme (but no holiday themes, and no
  talking inanimate objects)
  
• deals with family or social situations
  
• targets 4-8 year olds
  
• is between 500-1,000 words
  
• feels like a Flashlight book (Please read about our
  books to determine whether your story really feels like a
  fit.)

If your manuscript meets their criteria:

• send a query email describing your story (plot, word
  count, target audience, what makes this story unique) and
  a bit about yourself, to Shari Dash Greenspan at
  [email protected]
  
• do not send snail mail queries. We disregard and
  recycle all snail mail submissions.
  
• do not send attachments (instead, type your query
  into the body of the email.)
  
• do not send your full manuscript (neither attached nor
  pasted into the email).
  

Then:

• you will receive an automated reply within a week or so
  that we received your email query.
  
• if we wish to see your full manuscript, we’ll let you know
  by email within a month or so. If you do not receive an
  email requesting your full manuscript, please realize that
  your story was not considered a fit for our line.
  

Manuscripts, when requested, will be evaluated within three to
four months.

Important tip: unless you are also an artist, do not include
illustrations with a requested manuscript.

If you create artwork that you want them to consider:

• Explore our site to be sure that your style could be a fit.
  
• Please do not send any samples by snail mail – we are going
  paperless and will recycle all paper samples we receive.
  
• Do not send attachments. Instead, please paste a few sample
  jpegs into an email. Then we don’t have to open any files and
  can easily view your artwork.
  
• Do include links to your online portfolio in your email.
  
• Send the email to [email protected].
  
• We‘ll keep your information on file for future reference, and will
  be in touch if we have any projects to offer.

Make this the year you revise and submit. Gook Luck!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Capital Talent Agency located in Washington, DC has added a new literary division to their agency services. They say they want to provide a wonderful home for authors who are looking for a supportive and hands-on agency. “We want nothing more than to see our authors achieve their dreams, and we do everything we can to make that happen.”

Agent Cynthia Kane has been involved in the publishing industry for more than ten years. She has seen over 100 titles to market and has edited for UN Women (The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women). She has worked with Michael Gross, New York Times best-selling author, on “740 Park: The Story of the World’s Richest Apartment Building” and “Rogues Gallery: The Secret History of the Moguls and the Money That Made the Metropolitan Museum.” Cynthia has also written for national and international publications and has served as a writing instructor at the Writopia Lab in Washington, DC, and has run several writing workshops. Cynthia received her B.A. in Literature from Bard College and her M.F.A. in Creative Nonfiction from Sarah Lawrence College.

She is looking for: young adult, children’s, nonfiction, memoir, commercial fiction (but no science fiction or fantasy).

How to contact: “Submissions should be sent to literary.submissions [at] capitaltalentagency.com. We accept submissions only by e-mail. We do not accept queries via postal mail or fax. For fiction and nonfiction submissions, send a query letter in the body of your e-mail. Attachments will not be opened. Please note that while we consider each query seriously, we are unable to respond to all of them. We endeavor to respond within six weeks to projects that interest us.”

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

HIGHLIGHTS 2015 FICTION CONTEST GUIDELINES

CATEGORY:

Mystery stories

PRIZES:

Three prizes of $1,000 or tuition for any Highlights Foundation Founders Workshop. (For a complete list of workshops, visit http://www.highlightsfoundation.org.)

ENTRY DATES:

All entries must be postmarked between January 1 and January 31, 2015.

RULES:

No entry form or fee is required.

*Entrants must be at least 16 years old at the time of submission.

We welcome work from both published and unpublished authors. All submissions must be previously unpublished and not found online.

Stories may be any length up to 750 words. Indicate the word count in the upper right-hand corner of the first page of your manuscript.

No crime, violence, or derogatory humor.

Entries not accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope will not be returned.

Manuscripts or envelopes should be clearly marked FICTION CONTEST. Those not marked in this way will be considered as regular submissions to Highlights.

SEND ENTRIES TO:

FICTION CONTEST
Highlights for Children
803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431

WINNERS:

The three winning entries will be purchased by Highlights and announced on Highlights.com in June 2015. All other entries will be considered for purchase by Highlights. For details about our purchase policies, please see our contributor guidelines: https://www.highlights.com/contributor-guidelines

Good Luck!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

NO FEE WRITING CONTEST

Contest is open to residents of the U.S., its territories and possessions, including Puerto Rico who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: January 31, 2015

Tell us your original poem, in 15 lines or fewer. The entry must not be lewd, obscene, sexually explicit, pornographic, disparaging, defamatory, libelous or otherwise inappropriate or objectionable, as determined by the Judges and/or Sponsor in their sole and absolute discretion.

Prize(s): One grand-prize winner will receive $500 and his/her story will be published in Reader’s Digest Magazine. Reader’s Digest will also select three (3) runner-up winners to receive $100.

Winners and finalists will be notified by email and regular mail within two months of the closing date.

SUBMISSION LINK: http://www.rd.com/poetry

Read Rules: http://www.rd.com/magazine/poetry-contest-rules/#ixzz3MaCPeJpR

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Interested in writing a Chapter Book? Don’t miss this FREE WEBINAR with Hillary Homzie and Mira Reisberg on Friday January 2nd 2015 at 5.30pm PST! They are also going to give some late holiday presents for some lucky folks that include a free critique with Hillary or Mira and some free signed books. Wahoo! See more at: http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/free-novel-writing-webinar.html#sthash.aEum3YJW.dpuf

Mira is my Guest blogger for today’s post. Here’s Mira:

Critiquing Secrets by Mira Reisberg

First of all, thank you Kathy for having me on your fabulous blog. This site has been such a great resource for our community for a long time and I feel honored to be here. As we come to the end of the year, it seems like a good time to reflect on what we did to better our craft and improve our skills as people who create children’s books. Personally, I think it comes down to three things: take courses (i.e. study and improve your craft and keep revising), join the Society of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators, and join and participate in a critique group. For this post, I’d like to talk a little about critiquing and then share some critiquing secrets.

Over the past 26 years as an illustrator, author, editor, art director and former literary agent, I’ve learned that although your work is uniquely your own, you can’t exist in a vacuum. Receiving criticism from fellow writers or illustrators, and peers is a must have regular part of your creative process.
So let’s talk about the secrets of critiquing for plot-driven books.

After struggling with a piece, if you can, let it percolate for a while and then come back not only with a fresh eye, but with fresh sets of eyes. Other eyes may see what you have missed, offer a different perspective, and question what you have taken for granted.

While you may be tempted to have your mother, your significant other, or best friend critique your work, they should not be your only ‘eyes’. They’re not trained to critique, may not understand your work, and may try to protect your feelings, regardless of their true opinion.

So what are some great critique techniques? For plot-driven writers the main things you need to look for are:
• How enticing is the hook or beginning?
• Do we care or are we intrigued by the character(s) enough to want to find out more about them and their journey?
• Does the tension build as the main character faces challenges and obstacles along the way?
• Do they solve the problem themselves?
• Is the climax and resolution satisfying with a twist at the end?
• Is each character different with their own distinct voice?
• What makes this particular story memorable?
• Does it have any underlying universal themes that are meaningful for kids?
• How can the drama, humor, pathos, or whatever key feeling the story has, be amplified?
• Does the pacing move at a good speed or does it slow down anywhere? Is there redundancy or excess?
• And finally does the language sparkle with techniques like alliteration and assonance, rhythm and repetition where appropriate?

All of these suggestions will help you in the critiquing process to get to the core and heart of your story to make it stronger, sweeter, funnier, or whatever its essence more appealing and thus more marketable.

Finally, for tender newer critique groups or critiquing partners who are vulnerable, remember to use the hamburger technique of starting and ending with something positive and getting to the meat of what needs help in the middle. As creatives, we tend to be a little thin skinned and starting with something positive will make it easier for the person being critiqued to hear the more challenging suggestions.

BIO: Mira Reisberg Ph.D. has worn many hats in the industry including being a university professor teaching children’s literature and now as the Director of the Children’s Book Academy. Mira has taught and mentored many successful authors and illustrators.

Her next interactive e-course, for beginners to award winners, the Chapter Book Alchemist, co-taught by former comedian and award-winning chapter book author Hillary Homzie, promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with potential life and career changing benefits starts January 12th!

Click here to find out more: http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/the-chapter-book-alchemist.html

The course includes optional critique groups, weekly live webinar critiques, and the option for critiques with Mira or Hillary among other goodies!

Mira, thank you for taking the time to share your expertise with all of us. Good luck with the webinar!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Interested in writing a Chapter Book? Don’t miss this FREE WEBINAR with Hillary Homzie and Mira Reisberg on Friday January 2nd 2015 at 5.30pm PST! They are also going to give some late holiday presents for some lucky folks that include a free critique with Hillary or Mira and some free signed books. Wahoo! See more at: http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/free-novel-writing-webinar.html#sthash.aEum3YJW.dpuf

Mira is my Guest blogger for today’s post. Here’s Mira:

Critiquing Secrets by Mira Reisberg

First of all, thank you Kathy for having me on your fabulous blog. This site has been such a great resource for our community for a long time and I feel honored to be here. As we come to the end of the year, it seems like a good time to reflect on what we did to better our craft and improve our skills as people who create children’s books. Personally, I think it comes down to three things: take courses (i.e. study and improve your craft and keep revising), join the Society of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators, and join and participate in a critique group. For this post, I’d like to talk a little about critiquing and then share some critiquing secrets.

Over the past 26 years as an illustrator, author, editor, art director and former literary agent, I’ve learned that although your work is uniquely your own, you can’t exist in a vacuum. Receiving criticism from fellow writers or illustrators, and peers is a must have regular part of your creative process.
So let’s talk about the secrets of critiquing for plot-driven books.

After struggling with a piece, if you can, let it percolate for a while and then come back not only with a fresh eye, but with fresh sets of eyes. Other eyes may see what you have missed, offer a different perspective, and question what you have taken for granted.

While you may be tempted to have your mother, your significant other, or best friend critique your work, they should not be your only ‘eyes’. They’re not trained to critique, may not understand your work, and may try to protect your feelings, regardless of their true opinion.

So what are some great critique techniques? For plot-driven writers the main things you need to look for are:
• How enticing is the hook or beginning?
• Do we care or are we intrigued by the character(s) enough to want to find out more about them and their journey?
• Does the tension build as the main character faces challenges and obstacles along the way?
• Do they solve the problem themselves?
• Is the climax and resolution satisfying with a twist at the end?
• Is each character different with their own distinct voice?
• What makes this particular story memorable?
• Does it have any underlying universal themes that are meaningful for kids?
• How can the drama, humor, pathos, or whatever key feeling the story has, be amplified?
• Does the pacing move at a good speed or does it slow down anywhere? Is there redundancy or excess?
• And finally does the language sparkle with techniques like alliteration and assonance, rhythm and repetition where appropriate?

All of these suggestions will help you in the critiquing process to get to the core and heart of your story to make it stronger, sweeter, funnier, or whatever its essence more appealing and thus more marketable.

Finally, for tender newer critique groups or critiquing partners who are vulnerable, remember to use the hamburger technique of starting and ending with something positive and getting to the meat of what needs help in the middle. As creatives, we tend to be a little thin skinned and starting with something positive will make it easier for the person being critiqued to hear the more challenging suggestions.

BIO: Mira Reisberg Ph.D. has worn many hats in the industry including being a university professor teaching children’s literature and now as the Director of the Children’s Book Academy. Mira has taught and mentored many successful authors and illustrators.

Her next interactive e-course, for beginners to award winners, the Chapter Book Alchemist, co-taught by former comedian and award-winning chapter book author Hillary Homzie, promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with potential life and career changing benefits starts January 12th!

Click here to find out more: http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/the-chapter-book-alchemist.html

The course includes optional critique groups, weekly live webinar critiques, and the option for critiques with Mira or Hillary among other goodies!

Mira, thank you for taking the time to share your expertise with all of us. Good luck with the webinar!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Kendra Shedenhelm sent this illustration in for us to enjoy. It makes me think of the song that was out a year ago titled, “What does the Fox say.” Must be Tee Hee Hee. The fourth book she has illustrated, “You, the Magician,” was released in November 2014, and can be viewed at http://www.youthemagician.com. http://www.kendrashedenhelm.com/

Kimberly Brower, Agent
Kimberly fell in love with reading when she picked up her first Babysitter’s Club book at the age of seven and hasn’t been able to get her nose out of a book since. Reading has always been her passion, even while pursuing her business degree at California State University, Northridge and law degree at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. By joining the Rebecca Friedman Literary Agency in 2014, she has been able to merge her legal background with her love of books. Although she loves all things romance, she is also searching for books that are different and will surprise her, with empathetic characters and compelling stories.

Kimberly is interested in both commercial and literary fiction, with an emphasis in women’s fiction, contemporary romance, mysteries/thrillers, new adult and young adult, as well as certain areas of non-fiction, including business, diet and fitness.

Follow her on Twitter at @kimberlybrower

Rachel Marks, Agent
Rachel began her career in the entertainment industry.  Starting out as a production assistant, she has worked on popular shows like So You Think You Can Dance, The Biggest Loser, and The Golden Globe Awards Show.  In 2011 her focus shifted to publicity  and marketing where she worked for Sony Computer Entertainment, assisting in the launches of several video game titles.  She is a graduate of University of Miami and lives in Los Angeles.

Rachel is interested in young adult, science fiction, fantasy, new adult and romance.

Follow her on Twitter at @rachelmmarks

How to submit: Email a query to Kimberly at kimberly [at] rfliterary.com or Rachel [at] rfliterary.com. Submit a brief query letter and your first chapter (pasted into the email, not to exceed fifteen double-spaced pages) and for security purposes, do not include any attachments unless specifically requested.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

SCARLETTA PRESS accept submissions ONLY during their reading period (September 1 to June 1).

SUBMISSIONS ARE CURRENTLY OPEN.

They use Submittable.

While they seek to publish new voices missing from the literary world, they also want to make sure your manuscript will fit their genre community. The books they choose to publish are intellectually stimulating, adding relevant knowledge to readers’ minds. Their Junior Readers and Kids imprints focus on literature and picture books with educational twists, exciting illustrations, and engaging plots.

Genres they focus on include:

• Children’s Fiction
• Middle-grade Fiction
• Educational Fiction/Nonfiction
• Picture Books

They do not publish plays, screenplays, short story collections, or poetry.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Carol MacAllister copied me on this contest, yesterday. I don’t usually bring you contests with more than a $10 entry fee, but this one sounds like fun, is giving feedback on all submissions, cash prizes, and has gotten a lot of buzz, so I thought I would let you know about it for you to decide.

The Short Story Challenge 2015 Early Entry Deadline is Today!

The 9th Annual Short Story Challenge is a creative writing competition open to writers around the world.  There are 3 rounds of competition.  In the 1st Round (January 16-24, 2015), writers are placed randomly in heats and are assigned a genre, subject, and character assignment.  They have 8 days to write an original story no longer than 2,500 words.  The top 5 in each heat advance to the 2nd Round (March 12-15, 2015) where they receive new assignments, only this time they have just 3 days to write a 2,000 word (maximum) short story.  Judges choose finalists to advance to the 3rd and final round of the competition where writers are challenged to write a 1,500 word (maximum) story in just 24 hours (April 24-25, 2015).  The top writers receive thousands in cash and prizes and feedback from the judges is provided for every entered story.  Sound like fun?  Make sure to register by the early entry deadline of December 11th before the entry fee goes up!

OFFICAL RULES and PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

EARLY ENTRY FEE: $45 – Get $5 off if you tweet or post on facebook
EARLY ENTRY DEADLINE: Today – December 11th.

Click Here to Visit the Forums.

In addition to the cash prizes listed below, we will be announcing many more great prizes for the 2015 competition soon!

1st Place • USD$2,000 Cash

2nd Place • USD$750 Cash

3rd Place • USD$500 Cash

4th Place • USD$250 Cash

5th Place • USD$100 Cash

Good Luck!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Yvonne Ventresca (Pandemic author) sent me a note pointing out all the wonderful writing worksheets on Jami Gold’s Blog. I wanted to make sure I pointed out all the helpful information you can find, download, and use on her site.

Last week we talked about the Seven Point Story Structure System. You can find worksheets for other story structure systems to use on Jami’s site, too.

I particularly like the one below because you can use to see if each scene in your manuscript has what it takes when you revise.

Here is Jami Gold’s Elements of a Good Scene Worksheet from her blog:

Use this link to download and print the spreadsheet out to use: http://jamigold.com/for-writers/worksheets-for-writers/ – Check it out!

Jami also does workshops:

Full Beat Sheet Basics OnDemand Workshop Information:

Beat sheets, long used by movie scriptwriters, can also help us create strong stories for our novels.
Don’t know what beat sheets are or how to use them?
Do you write by the seat of your pants and don’t want to plan your story in advance?

Never fear—learn the terminology, uses, and ways to adapt beat sheets to our writing methods. At the end of this class, students will have an overview of story structure and beat sheets:

• Introduction to story arcs
• Introduction to beats and terminology
• Digging deeper to avoid formulaic clichés
• Using beat sheets to find unnecessary scenes and pacing issues
• How those who write by the seat of their pants can use beat sheets too

Click here for more information about Jami Gold’s Beat Sheet Basics OnDemand Workshop

A little bit about Jami: After escaping the corporate asylum by leaving a clone in her place, Jami Gold moved to Arizona and decided to become a writer, where she could put her talent for making up stuff to good use. Fortunately, her muse, an arrogant male who delights in causing her to sound as insane as possible, rewards her with unique and rich story ideas. Fueled by chocolate, she writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy tales that range from dark to humorous, but one thing remains the same: Normal need not apply. Just ask her family—and zombie cat.

Thank you Jami for sharing this with all of us.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Molly Ker Hawn

Molly Ker Hawn represents authors who write for the young adult and middle grade market.

Her time in the children’s publishing industry has included editorial roles at Chronicle Books and Dial Books for Young Readers, early social media development for a major teen magazine, and serving as National Programs Director at the Children’s Book Council, the trade association of American children’s book publishers. She’s also been a bookseller, and a past board member of the United States Board on Books for Young People.

She lives in London and works with authors and publishers both in the U.K. and the U.S. She’s bounced back and forth from America to England since she was a teenager: She grew up in Northern California, lived for a time in the West Country, read English at Cambridge University, spent many years in New York City, and now lives a stone’s throw from the River Thames.

She’s looking for middle grade and young adult fiction that’s inventive, well-crafted, and rich with emotion. She is also interested in non-fiction for readers ages 8-18. “I like wit, but not snark; I prefer books that lean more toward literary than commercial, but of course, my perfect book neatly bridges the two. The books on my list all share a strong sense of authentic place, whether real or imaginary. Some of my favorite (non-client) authors are Ellen Raskin, Edward Ormondroyd, Margo Lanagan, Maureen Johnson, Jack Gantos, Jacqueline Woodson, Catherynne Valente, Chris Crutcher, Francesca Lia Block, Noel Streatfeild, Gene Luen Yang, and Susan Cooper. And in the non-children’s/YA pantheon, my favorites include Maeve Binchy, AS Byatt, Mollie Panter-Downes, Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury, Laurie Colwin, and Judith Krantz.”

If you’ve got a terrific story, well-told, Molly wants to read it.

Send me your smart, funny YA contemp romance, your clever literary MG, your upmarket YA horror.

Twitter: @mollykh

email: [email protected]

Submission Guidelines:

Please do not send an exclusive query. Queries are meant to be shared with multiple agencies. The Bent Agency ONLY accepts email queries. If you send your query by postal mail, it will be recycled and not returned to you.

It is their goal to respond to every query. If you don’t receive a response within a month, please resend your query and indicate that you’re sending it again.

If the agent is interested in your work, she will respond with instructions for sending the rest of your material. If we do request material from you, we ask that you check back with us before accepting representation elsewhere.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

The snowy illustration above was sent in by Lidia Gurling-Mielcarek to help us celebrate this time of year that brings in the cold. Brrr! 

Lidia is an freelance illustrator from Poland. She works in traditional and digital medias and loves to create children’s illustrations.

Call for:

Kudos for Friday post

Holiday Illustrations (at least 500 pixels wide)

Christmas Poems

Hanukkah Poems

New Year Poems

Send to Kathy.temean(at)gmail.com Put December Illustration or December Poem in subject area. Thanks!

Last week I pointed out that the 7 Point Story Structure System could work even with short Stories. Here is an opportunity to try it out with this no fee short story contest. Here are the details:

2014 NIGHTLIGHT READING WRITERS CONTEST

Nightlight Reading is requesting submissions for our 2014 Nightlight Readings Short Story Writers Contest that is geared to at-risk boys in the 10-12 year age group who often stop reading for pleasure.  Nightlight Reading’s goal is to fund and promote literature that appeals to boys and keeps them engaged and reading.

• The 2014 CONTEST THEME is ADVENTURE.
• The written piece should be considered a SHORT STORY with a MAXIMUM COUNT of 5,000 WORDS.

JUDGING
The 2014 contest entries will be pre-screened and read by a jury panel who may be scholars, librarians, teachers, and special guests who will decide on 10 semi-finalists.  Then, a jury of young readers selected from our target readers will read all 10 entries and vote on the winners.

PRIZES
Prizes will be awarded for First, Second, and Third Place as follows:

• First Prize: $1,000 award plus certificate and publication of the story.
• Second Prize: $500 award plus certificate and publication of the story.
• Third Prize: $300 award plus certificate and publication of the story.

All award winners will be publicized nationally by Nightlight Reading.

OWNERSHIP
The authors will retain ownership of the stories, but Nightlight Reading will have the right to publish and distribute the story without compensation and in ways consistent with its mission for up to 2 years from the date of the awards are announced.

RULES
The Nightlight Reading Writers Contest is open to anyone who loves to write stories for boys, and may be a professional writer, student or budding writer.

Submissions must not have been previously published or won any other writing contest.  However, simultaneous submissions to other contests are acceptable.

DEADLINE
Deadline for submission for the 2014 contest is December 31, 2014.

Use this link to enter: http://www.nightlightreading.org/contest-entry-form/ Good luck!
Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Every year I pick my favorite illustrations from the artists featured on Illustrator Saturday. It is not an easy task to decide. I am sure you probably would chose different illustrations. You can click on the link under each picture and give it a try. You might have been busy when an illustrator was featured. This post makes it easy for you to click over and see what you missed. If you were featured on Illustrator Saturday (since it started) please send me a new illustration and tell me what you have been up to since you were featured. It is a nice way to show off your talent. Put “Previous Illustrator Sat. Featured Illustrator” in the subject area.

Here are my favorite from the second half of 2014:

Mehrdokht Amini: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/09/13/illustrator-saturday-mehrdokht-amini/

Craig Cameron: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/06/28/illustrator-saturday-craig-cameron/

Rebecca Caridad:  http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/08/09/illustrator-saturday-rebecca-caridad/

Marcelo Elizalde:  http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/06/14/illustrator-saturday-marcelo-elizalde/

Lisa Fields: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/illustrator-saturday-lisa-fields/

Anna Guillotte: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/10/11/illustrator-saturday-anna-guillotte/

David Harrington: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/10/18/illustrator-saturday-david-harrington/

Leeza Hernandez: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/11/22/illustrator-saturday-leeza-hernandez-3/

David Hill: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/09/06/illustrator-saturday-david-hill-2/

Sharon Lane Holm: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/illustrator-saturday-sharon-holm/

Ines Huai:  http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/08/23/illustrator-saturday-ines-huai/ 

Lita Judge: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/10/04/illustrator-saturday-lita-judge/

Colleen Kosinski: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/07/26/illustrator-saturday-colleen-kosinski/

Mary Manning: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/illustrator-saturday-mary-manning/

Gregory Manchess: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/11/29/illustrator-saturday-gregory-manchess/

Rob McClurkin: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/illustrator-saturday-rob-mcclurkan/

 Mike Moran:

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/05/31/illustrator-saturday-mike-moran/

Angela Padron:  http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/07/19/illustrator-saturday-angela-padron/

Andreja Peklar: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/07/12/illustrator-saturday-andreja-peklar/

Maja Sereda: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/11/15/illustrator-saturday-maja-sereda/

David Small: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/08/16/illustrator-saturday-david-small/

Connie Steiner: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/07/05/illustrator-saturday-connie-steiner/

Sarolta Szulyovszky: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/09/20/illustrator-saturday-sarolta-szulyovszky/

Laura Susan Thomas: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/illustrator-saturday-laura-susan-thomas/

Sholto Walker: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/11/08/35367/

Anne Wertheim: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/illustrator-saturday-anne-wertheim/

Annie Wilkinson: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/illustrator-saturday-annie-wilkinson-2/

I am looking to do a Kudos post next week. Any good things happening out there? Let me know.

Call for Christmas Poems or Hanukkah Poems and or illustrations. Will be posting them later this month. Send to Kathy.temean(at)gmail.com Put December Illustration or December Poem in subject area. Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Every year I pick my favorite illustrations from the artists featured on Illustrator Saturday. It is not an easy task to decide. I am sure you probably would chose different illustrations. You can click on the link under each picture and give it a try. You might have been busy when an illustrator was featured. This post makes it easy for you to click over and see what you missed. If you were featured on Illustrator Saturday (since it started) please send me a new illustration and tell me what you have been up to since you were featured. It is a nice way to show off your talent. Put “Previous Illustrator Sat. Featured Illustrator” in the subject area.

Here are my favorite from the second half of 2014:

Mehrdokht Amini: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/09/13/illustrator-saturday-mehrdokht-amini/

Craig Cameron: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/06/28/illustrator-saturday-craig-cameron/

Rebecca Caridad:  https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/08/09/illustrator-saturday-rebecca-caridad/

Marcelo Elizalde:  https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/06/14/illustrator-saturday-marcelo-elizalde/

Lisa Fields: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/illustrator-saturday-lisa-fields/

Anna Guillotte: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/10/11/illustrator-saturday-anna-guillotte/

David Harrington: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/10/18/illustrator-saturday-david-harrington/

Leeza Hernandez: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/11/22/illustrator-saturday-leeza-hernandez-3/

David Hill: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/09/06/illustrator-saturday-david-hill-2/

Sharon Lane Holm: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/illustrator-saturday-sharon-holm/

Ines Huai:  https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/08/23/illustrator-saturday-ines-huai/ 

Lita Judge: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/10/04/illustrator-saturday-lita-judge/

Colleen Kosinski: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/07/26/illustrator-saturday-colleen-kosinski/

Mary Manning: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/illustrator-saturday-mary-manning/

Gregory Manchess: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/11/29/illustrator-saturday-gregory-manchess/

Rob McClurkin: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/illustrator-saturday-rob-mcclurkan/

 Mike Moran:

https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/05/31/illustrator-saturday-mike-moran/

Angela Padron:  https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/07/19/illustrator-saturday-angela-padron/

Andreja Peklar: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/07/12/illustrator-saturday-andreja-peklar/

Maja Sereda: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/11/15/illustrator-saturday-maja-sereda/

David Small: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/08/16/illustrator-saturday-david-small/

Connie Steiner: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/07/05/illustrator-saturday-connie-steiner/

Sarolta Szulyovszky: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/09/20/illustrator-saturday-sarolta-szulyovszky/

Laura Susan Thomas: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/illustrator-saturday-laura-susan-thomas/

Sholto Walker: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/11/08/35367/

Anne Wertheim: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/illustrator-saturday-anne-wertheim/

Annie Wilkinson: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/illustrator-saturday-annie-wilkinson-2/

I am looking to do a Kudos post next week. Any good things happening out there? Let me know.

Call for Christmas Poems or Hanukkah Poems and or illustrations. Will be posting them later this month. Send to Kathy.temean(at)gmail.com Put December Illustration or December Poem in subject area. Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

This wonderful holiday inspired illustration was sent in by Joan Charles. She is an illustrator, writer, graphic designer. Her work can be found in gallery exhibitions, magazines, and books. She illustrated the award-winning middle grade adventures Lost in Lexicon and The Ice Castle, written by Pendred Noyce. http://www.joancharles.com

In the last few months I have been asked how someone gets on Writing and Illustrating to show off their work, get an interview, and market a book. Here are the things I consider:

1. Do I know you? Have I met you?

2. Do you follow my blog?

3. Do you leave comments?

4. Do you promote Writing and Illustrating on your website, facebook, or blog?

5. Have you tweeted, reblogged, facebooked or shared information posted on Writing and illustrating?

6. Have you ever been featured on Writing and Illustrating?

7. Have you ever written or shared any information on Writing and Illustrating that would help other writers or illustrators?

8. If you haven’t done any of the above, do you have something to share that the readers who be interested in hearing about?

9. Have you published a book? Is there anything interested in how it got published or something you did that would interest readers?

10. Are you willing to do a book give-a-way?

I can’t know everyone by meeting them in person, but I can get to know you by leaving a comments or following my blog. I have many friends that I hope to meet someday. If you are writing or illustrating a book, you should be looking for people like me who have a large amount of followers and start working to make a connection.

I’m happy for everyone who gets something published, wins a contest, gets an agent, or wins an award and will be happy to include you in a Kudos post. But if you fit into the first seven on the list, you are considered family and will always get your successes promoted on Writing and Illustrating.

Tips: You shouldn’t wait until your book is about to come out to start building connections. Start doing that right now. Think about what type of things you could share that would help other writers. Maybe you don’t feel like you have anything to share, but I bet you do if you think about it. Have you attended a workshop or conference? Have you read a book on how to write or illustrate? You may be revising a story and have an epiphany. Did you learn anything useful during a critique? Maybe you run into an agent or editor who shared knowledge that could be shared?  The substance of all these things could be used to write an interesting article. It would be a great way to get your name out there and be noticed.

Just remember when you want to promote yourself, you can’t look like that is all you are interested in doing.

Submissions: Send to Kathy.temean (at) gmail (dot) com. In subject area write, SUBMISSION ARTICLE FOR WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING. Introduce yourself, bio, and send me your article or express you interest in writing an article on…(subject and your idea).

I love when people have a topic they would like to write about that will help other writers and illustrators. If there is not enough meat to the article, I will give you some ideas or suggestions to pump it up. So write something interesting, helpful and start submitting your article to build your list of places and people who will help spread the words when success jumps in your path.

I am sure you have gone to blogs or signed up for newsletters that end up just talking about their book or books. If you haven’t you are lucky. I know I have and it is very disappointing. In fact that tactic could turn someone off and cause them not to buy anything with your name on it. So be careful.

Don’t get buried in only thinking about writing only for your own blog. If you get your article on another blog, you are getting access to a whole new group of people who might end up following your blog. Be smart. Even if you have ten published books, do not turn down someone with a large following saying things like, “I want people to come to my blog, not yours.” This is a statement from someone who doesn’t understand the importance of marketing and someone not savvy enough to see how getting exposure to thousands of new people could be a huge win.

Remember: I am not the only blog with a large following. There are many that could provide opportunities for you.

I am looking to do a Kudos post next week. Any good things happening out there? Let me know.

Call for Christmas Poems or Hanukkah Poems and or illustrations. Will be posting them later this month. Send to Kathy.temean(at)gmail.com Put December Illustration or December Poem in subject area. Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

This wonderful holiday inspired illustration was sent in by Joan Charles. She is an illustrator, writer, graphic designer. Her work can be found in gallery exhibitions, magazines, and books. She illustrated the award-winning middle grade adventures Lost in Lexicon and The Ice Castle, written by Pendred Noyce. http://www.joancharles.com

In the last few months I have been asked how someone gets on Writing and Illustrating to show off their work, get an interview, and market a book. Here are the things I consider:

1. Do I know you? Have I met you?

2. Do you follow my blog?

3. Do you leave comments?

4. Do you promote Writing and Illustrating on your website, facebook, or blog?

5. Have you tweeted, reblogged, facebooked or shared information posted on Writing and illustrating?

6. Have you ever been featured on Writing and Illustrating?

7. Have you ever written or shared any information on Writing and Illustrating that would help other writers or illustrators?

8. If you haven’t done any of the above, do you have something to share that the readers who be interested in hearing about?

9. Have you published a book? Is there anything interested in how it got published or something you did that would interest readers?

10. Are you willing to do a book give-a-way?

I can’t know everyone by meeting them in person, but I can get to know you by leaving a comments or following my blog. I have many friends that I hope to meet someday. If you are writing or illustrating a book, you should be looking for people like me who have a large amount of followers and start working to make a connection.

I’m happy for everyone who gets something published, wins a contest, gets an agent, or wins an award and will be happy to include you in a Kudos post. But if you fit into the first seven on the list, you are considered family and will always get your successes promoted on Writing and Illustrating.

Tips: You shouldn’t wait until your book is about to come out to start building connections. Start doing that right now. Think about what type of things you could share that would help other writers. Maybe you don’t feel like you have anything to share, but I bet you do if you think about it. Have you attended a workshop or conference? Have you read a book on how to write or illustrate? You may be revising a story and have an epiphany. Did you learn anything useful during a critique? Maybe you run into an agent or editor who shared knowledge that could be shared?  The substance of all these things could be used to write an interesting article. It would be a great way to get your name out there and be noticed.

Just remember when you want to promote yourself, you can’t look like that is all you are interested in doing.

Submissions: Send to Kathy.temean (at) gmail (dot) com. In subject area write, SUBMISSION ARTICLE FOR WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING. Introduce yourself, bio, and send me your article or express you interest in writing an article on…(subject and your idea).

I love when people have a topic they would like to write about that will help other writers and illustrators. If there is not enough meat to the article, I will give you some ideas or suggestions to pump it up. So write something interesting, helpful and start submitting your article to build your list of places and people who will help spread the words when success jumps in your path.

I am sure you have gone to blogs or signed up for newsletters that end up just talking about their book or books. If you haven’t you are lucky. I know I have and it is very disappointing. In fact that tactic could turn someone off and cause them not to buy anything with your name on it. So be careful.

Don’t get buried in only thinking about writing only for your own blog. If you get your article on another blog, you are getting access to a whole new group of people who might end up following your blog. Be smart. Even if you have ten published books, do not turn down someone with a large following saying things like, “I want people to come to my blog, not yours.” This is a statement from someone who doesn’t understand the importance of marketing and someone not savvy enough to see how getting exposure to thousands of new people could be a huge win.

Remember: I am not the only blog with a large following. There are many that could provide opportunities for you.

I am looking to do a Kudos post next week. Any good things happening out there? Let me know.

Call for Christmas Poems or Hanukkah Poems and or illustrations. Will be posting them later this month. Send to Kathy.temean(at)gmail.com Put December Illustration or December Poem in subject area. Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

The 23rd Annual Austin Chronicle Short Story Contest Now Open For Submissions

Submit Your Manuscript To:

Short Story Contest, PO Box 49066, Austin, TX 78765

Deadline for Submissions

Submissions must be postmarked by December 12, 2014.

Prize Money

$1,500 to be divided among the five winners. Manuscript to be published in early winter in The Austin Chronicle.

Rules

1. Your work must be unpublished, typewritten, and must be no more than 2,500 words.
2. Include the title of the story on the first page of the manuscript. All entries must also be accompanied by a separate cover letter, which contains the name, address, email address, and phone number of the author, as well as the title of the story.
3. The author’s name must not appear anywhere in the manuscript.
4. Only one entry per person.

Regulations

Manuscripts must be the original work of the contestant, unpublished (and not under consideration of being published), typed, and double-spaced on one side of 8.5-by-11-inch paper, and no longer than 2,500 words.

Contestants must submit one copy of the manuscript and a cover sheet containing the name, address, email address, and phone number of the author and the title of the work. Names and copyright markings must be omitted from the manuscript, which will go to screeners and judges anonymously. Do not send originals – no entries will be returned. Staff members of The Austin Chronicle, freelancers who have contributed more than one article since October 2013, and first- through fifth-place winners from the 2013 Short Story Contest are not eligible to enter. Copyright remains in the name of the author, but The Austin Chronicle reserves the right to publish the winning entries and any honorable mentions in The Austin Chronicle and to reproduce them electronically on our online edition.

All entries must be postmarked to The Austin Chronicle by December 12, 2014. NO ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS. Finalists will be notified in late January, 2015. Questions should be directed to [email protected]. No phone calls, please. Please read all rules and regulations thoroughly.

Contest is open to Texans and non-Texans alike.

Need inspiration? Last year’s winners can be read here.

Good Luck!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

The 23rd Annual Austin Chronicle Short Story Contest Now Open For Submissions

Submit Your Manuscript To:

Short Story Contest, PO Box 49066, Austin, TX 78765

Deadline for Submissions

Submissions must be postmarked by December 12, 2014.

Prize Money

$1,500 to be divided among the five winners. Manuscript to be published in early winter in The Austin Chronicle.

Rules

1. Your work must be unpublished, typewritten, and must be no more than 2,500 words.
2. Include the title of the story on the first page of the manuscript. All entries must also be accompanied by a separate cover letter, which contains the name, address, email address, and phone number of the author, as well as the title of the story.
3. The author’s name must not appear anywhere in the manuscript.
4. Only one entry per person.

Regulations

Manuscripts must be the original work of the contestant, unpublished (and not under consideration of being published), typed, and double-spaced on one side of 8.5-by-11-inch paper, and no longer than 2,500 words.

Contestants must submit one copy of the manuscript and a cover sheet containing the name, address, email address, and phone number of the author and the title of the work. Names and copyright markings must be omitted from the manuscript, which will go to screeners and judges anonymously. Do not send originals – no entries will be returned. Staff members of The Austin Chronicle, freelancers who have contributed more than one article since October 2013, and first- through fifth-place winners from the 2013 Short Story Contest are not eligible to enter. Copyright remains in the name of the author, but The Austin Chronicle reserves the right to publish the winning entries and any honorable mentions in The Austin Chronicle and to reproduce them electronically on our online edition.

All entries must be postmarked to The Austin Chronicle by December 12, 2014. NO ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS. Finalists will be notified in late January, 2015. Questions should be directed to [email protected]. No phone calls, please. Please read all rules and regulations thoroughly.

Contest is open to Texans and non-Texans alike.

Need inspiration? Last year’s winners can be read here.

Good Luck!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

ANNOUNCING NEW INSPIRATIONAL/FAMILY LINE!

HIGHLAND PRESS PUBLISHING
Actively seeking Inspirational and/or Sweet themed manuscripts. Think Hallmark Hall of Fame, Janette Oke, Little House on the Prairie, etc. Accepting full manuscripts for adults or young adult lines.

Submission Guidelines

If you are interested in submitting your manuscript to Highland Press Publishing, please take a few minutes to review the following and acquaint yourself with our guidelines:

Highland Press is at the present particularly interested in expanding our Christian/Inspirational/family line—both historical and contemporary stories.

We’re looking for outstanding manuscripts of all genres and timeframes—with the exception of erotica. (Absolutely no graphic sex scenes, please!) We want love and romance. A HEA. Emotion. Not just sex.

While some swearing is understood, it is preferable that you use swear words as little as possible. One thing we are firm on is not using the Lord’s name in vain.

We want historicals similar to what many of us grew up with and fell in love with. This does NOT mean we want manuscripts with history dumps! Please ensure the history is sprinkled throughout your manuscript. Also, it is imperative that your historical facts are accurate. Please research your facts at multiple sites, not just one.

While we have predominantly focused on historical novels to date, this doesn’t mean we’re not willing to consider well written stories of every time period. We look forward to receiving them. We have released several Young Adult books, including our first Young Adult inspirational. We have a few non-fiction books, including a reference book we believe every author will want to have. Use it to help your creativity come to life.

Each manuscript e-query packet must include the following:

~ Cover letter with total word count, brief synopsis, and information about yourself (publishing credits, writing memberships, etc.)

~ Make your cover letter interesting; tell us why we’ll love your manuscript

~ Be sure to let us know what marketing strategy you plan for your book

~ First three chapters of your manuscript (in standard manuscript format)

~ Do NOT staple chapters; use standard binder clips

Each full e-manuscript submission packet (when requested) must include the following items:

~Cover letter with total word count, brief synopsis, and applicable publishing credits

~Include a one to two page outline of your specific marketing strategy

~One e-copy of the full manuscript in Word – in standard format

~ Since we write notes and see how much editing will be required while we’re using the e-copy, the version you send us will not be returned if the story is not accepted.

Do not send your full manuscript if we have not requested it.

Standard Manuscript Format:

~8 1/2 x 11 document

~Times New Roman 12pt font/black ink

~1-inch margin on all sides

~25 lines per page

~Align text left, do not justify

~Header containing author name, manuscript title, word count, and page number

Capital letters at the beginning of sentences and proper nouns

~Show new paragraphs by indenting first line of new paragraph to .3 (not .5)

~Do not add blank line between paragraphs

~Show scene breaks with ~ * ~ centered in the appropriate line between paragraphs

All correspondence must include:

~Name (and pseudonym if applicable)

~Mailing address

~Phone number

~E-mail address

~Web address (if available)

Due to overwhelming number of submissions, response time for manuscript submissions cannot be guaranteed at this time. We will do our best to get to your manuscript as expeditiously as possible.

Please note: We do not accept email submissions without prior arrangement. We must request the full document from you before you send it. Unsolicited submissions sent via email will not be considered.

Please direct all email queries in the body of an email (no unsolicited attachments) to: [email protected]

General questions about Highland Press Publishing should be addressed to: [email protected]

If you wish to send a partial query via regular mail, please send the necessary cover letter, brief synopsis, marketing plan, and the first three chapters to:

Highland Press Publishing
Submissions Department
PO Box 2292
High Springs, FL 32655

Full submissions of your print document, when requested, should be sent to the same address.

Thank you for your interest in Highland Press Publishing. We look forward to hearing from you.

Submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines will be discarded.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: opportunity, Places to Submit, publishers, Young Adult Novel Tagged: Call of Submissions, Christian Stories, Highland Press Publishing, historical and contemporary stories, Inspirational Novels, New Inspirational Family Line of Books

Welcome to the 2015 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Novel Competition!

Please read all of the rules and guidelines before submitting your entry. You can find the complete rules and guidelines at us.macmillan.com/minotaurbooks/writing-competitions.
To enter, you must complete this form and upload an electronic file of your Manuscript.

Only electronic submissions, uploaded through this entry form, will be considered; do not mail or e-mail
manuscript submissions to Minotaur Books.

• Before uploading, please ensure that your Manuscript is formatted as follows:
• 1) The Manuscript must be either a Microsoft Word document or a PDF
• 2) Text must be double spaced
• 3) Pages must be numbered consecutively from beginning to end
• 4) The Manuscript must be saved as “Manuscript Title_Entrant Name”

Because of the great volume of submissions we receive and the fact that judges are volunteers with full-time responsibilities elsewhere, it is important that you submit your Manuscript as early as possible. Submissions will get a more careful reading if the judge does not have to contend with a flood of last-minute entries.

To be considered for the 2015 competition, all submissions must be received by 11:59pm on December 15,
2014.

If you have questions or need further clarification regarding the rules and guidelines of this competition, you may contact us at [email protected].

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Lana Popovic

Lana Popovic

Lana Popovic holds a B.A. with honors from Yale University, a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law, where she focused on intellectual property, and an M.A. with highest honors from the Emerson College Publishing and Writing program. Prior to joining Chalberg & Sussman, Lana worked at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth, where she built a list of Young Adult and adult literary authors while managing foreign rights for the agency.

In 2009 Rana DiOrio founded San Francisco-based Little Pickle Press, a 21st century publisher of high quality, high impact media for children.

Most of you know how I love reading journey stories, so when I noticed Emma Dryen’s great interview today with Rana on her blog, I thought you might like to read it too. It also made me want to check out Little Pickle Press. The first thing that impressed me was the quality of their website and books, so if they were to publish your book, you would not have to worry about placing your baby in their hands. I knew they were a small press publisher, but I thought they were only interested in picture books. I was wrong. They are open to receiving manuscripts all the way up to YA. And they are open to non-agented writers.

I am so glad I took the time to read Emma’s interview and visit Little Pickle Press because I would not be able to share the Submission Guidelines below and the opportunity to find a good home for your books.

If you’re going to aim high, you need the right launch pad. Does your goal involve writing the next great children’s book or YA novel? Little Pickle Press wants to know about it, and we’re working with Submittable to make it even easier to share your best ideas with us.

Step 1: Write!
We can’t read your mind, so get those fabulous ideas written down. Bear in mind that while there are scores of topics to choose from, the mission statement of Little Pickle Press is your best guide to the sort of manuscripts that we’re seeking. These include (in no particular order and not exclusively):

• Altruism (and other anti-narcissism, anti-entitlement themes)
• Dare To Be Different
• Tolerance/Acceptance
• Non-traditional family structures
• Choices: It’s Not All Black And White; Most of Life is Gray
• Anti-Princess Themes
• Strong, female protagonists
• Creativity—the importance of it, fostering it, etc.
• Divergent (vs. Convergent) Thinking
• Systems Thinking
• Self-Sufficiency/Taking Care of Yourself and Your Community/Planting the Seeds of Being a Locavore
• Water as a precious, global resource
• Creativity: the importance of it, fostering it, etc.
• Forgiveness
• Gratitude
• What is a conscience? How do we foster it? Use it?
• Leadership and/or Entrepreneurship

We’re growing with our readers, so don’t think you have to create a picture book if you have a novel rattling around in your brain. We’re seeking picture books for 5 to 8 year olds, chapter books for 9 to 12 year olds, and middle grade novels for 10 to 14 year olds. In addition, we’re now accepting manuscripts in the young adult novel category for readers ages 15 and up. We are open to the literary vehicle employed to convey the story—fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, creative nonfiction, etc.

Step 2: Get it ready!
Okay, so you’ve written your book. You’ve shared it with friends, family, and that neighbor down the street who’s known for disliking pretty much everything. They all agree that your book is the best thing since sliced bread. Now what?
Now you or your agent can send it to us! We’ve got a few uniformity guidelines to keep all submissions easy to read, and here they are:

• As an MS Word document
• Double-spaced
• With Times New Roman font 12-pt
• With your suggested title and name at the top as well as a word count
• With pages numbered
• Without illustrations

Relatively painless, wouldn’t you say? That’s because we’ve been saving the hard part for last. Everybody has a creative spark, and following instructions is a snap. Now for the really tough step.

Step 3: Send it in!
Sending your carefully-wrought manuscript off to a real, live publishing company is one of the most exciting and stressful things that you can do. But don’t worry. We don’t bite. Follow the submissions link, take a deep breath, and click!

Step 4: Sit back, but don’t relax just yet.
We have lots of manuscripts to consider, so it will take up to 8  weeks before we get back to you. While you’re waiting, why not see what other great story ideas you’ve got? Children need and deserve books. Whether it’s an imaginative tale that encourages creativity, or an engaging story that fosters responsibility and social awareness, Little Pickle Press seeks to offer the very best in children’s literature. Will you help us?

Hope this information helps push you closer to finding a home for your book.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Highlights Fiction Contest

HIGHLIGHTS 2015 FICTION CONTEST GUIDELINES

CATEGORY:

Mystery stories

PRIZES:

Three prizes of $1,000 or tuition for any Highlights Foundation Founders Workshop. (For a complete list of workshops, visit http://www.highlightsfoundation.org)

ENTRY DATES:

All entries must be postmarked between January 1 and January 31, 2015.

RULES:

No entry form or fee is required.

Entrants must be at least 16 years old at the time of submission.

We welcome work from both published and unpublished authors. All submissions must be previously unpublished and not found online.

Stories may be any length up to 750 words. Indicate the word count in the upper right-hand corner of the first page of your manuscript.

No crime, violence, or derogatory humor.

Entries not accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope will not be returned.

Manuscripts or envelopes should be clearly marked FICTION CONTEST. Those not marked in this way will be considered as regular submissions to Highlights.

SEND ENTRIES TO: 

FICTION CONTEST
Highlights for Children
803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431

WINNERS:

The three winning entries will be purchased by Highlights and announced on Highlights.com in June 2015. All other entries will be considered for purchase by Highlights. For details about our purchase policies, please see our contributor guidelines: https://www.highlights.com/contributor-guidelines

Highlights for Children Fiction Contest Winners for 2014:

“Harold’s Hat” by Mike Allegra
“Easter with Baba Lena” by Vila Gingerich
“Heart Surprises” by Clare Mishica

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

OPPORTUNITY: TWO BOOK-GIVE-A-WAYS

Gayle Aanensen’s new 88 page novella, GREATER THAN GOLD hit the book shelves this week. It is now available on Amazon and will appeal to anyone who celebrates Christmas.

Greater than Gold is the story of two troubled boys and their two Christmases—Oscar in the present day, and Omar way back in biblical time. A good description would be The Polar Express meets The Book of Luke. After all, if a magical train ride can restore a boy’s belief in Santa Claus, why can’t an angel time-travel Oscar back to Bethlehem, where he discovers the peace, joy (and danger!) of the very first Christmas. Twelve-year-old Oscar Olsen is missing his soldier Dad, and he wants nothing (repeat, nothing) to do with Christmas this year! He acts out his anger on his Mom, his friend, Melissa, and even the strange new kid in church, Albert. A young, inexperienced angel, still struggling to control her wings, appears in Oscar’s bedroom. She tells Oscar that her official alphanumerical name is too long, so he can call her Earth Angel 10. She whirls him back to 2,000 years ago, where he becomes Omar, an orphaned camel-boy, riding with the Magi. Omar is a brand-new person in the traditional nativity story. Young readers will be drawn into the boys’ two parallel stories, told in alternating chapters.

Ten days ago, I featured Margo Sorensen new book, SPAGHETTI SMILES and forgot to offer everyone a chance to win a copy her wonderful book illustrated by David Harrington who was featured on Illustrator Saturday. So we are offering the book give-a-way this week.

So if you leave a comment to this post you will automatically have a chance to win GREATER THAN GOLD OR SPAGHETTI SMILES.

If you reblog, tweet, post on your facebook page you will get an extra ticket with your name paced in the hat. This will definitely up your chances for winning one of the books. You can comment now and then do the other things later, but please come back before the deadline and let me know how many things you did. Both will make a nice gift for the holidays. Good luck!

The Unusual Stew by Robert Zammarchi was voted as the best Halloween poem. His prize is a featured post right here on Writing and Illustrating. He can choose to use it right away or hold on to it for when he wants to talk about something special. Thank you to everyone who submitted poems and to everyone who voted.

I think everyone enjoyed this, so I am going to do the same thing for Thanksgiving. If you have a poem or an illustration inspired by the holiday, please email it to me at: Kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail.com – Please put THANKSGIVING POEM or THANKSGIVING ILLUSTRATION in the Subject Box.

Agent Alex Slater

Remember to submit your first pages for this month. It is the last one for this year.

The four winning first pages will be sent to Alex Slater from Trident Media for critique. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO HAVE YOUR CRITIQUE POSTED.

Here are the guidelines for submitting a First Page in November:

In the subject line, please write “November First Page Critique” and paste the text in the email. Please make sure you include your name, the title of the piece, and whether it is as picture book, middle grade, or young adult, etc. at the top.

Plus attach your first page Word doc. to email. Format using one inch margins and 12 point New Times Roman font – double space – no more than 23 lines. First page should not be submitted with two pages. Send to: kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com.

PLEASE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES: Last month a number of submissions were taken out of the mix, due to not following the directions for both the pasted email and the attached Word doc.

DEADLINE: November 24th.

RESULTS: November 28th.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy