The CBI Clubhouse - The Community for Children's Book Writers » Laura Backes

VIDEO: Helen Landalf’s Tips for Writing & Marketing Young Adult Books

Laura Backes — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:53:35 +0000

Join in as Laura and Helen chat about the Young Adult market, and how writers can gain a foothold:

Our Expert Craft Guides Answer Your Questions

Laura Backes — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:46:17 +0000

Some of our Craft Guides have shared their expertise in answering your questions. Read on to find out more about the market for picture books, and writing a chapter book series, middle grade historical fiction, and young adult dialogue. For Linda Arms White: I understand that most picture books

Nuts & Bolts: Word Counts & Age Groups in Children’s Books

Laura Backes — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:57:17 +0000

By Laura Backes, CBI Publisher

Here they are: The Rules of the Game for Writing Children's Books -- from Board Books Straight through Young Adult! This is a must-read for all authors.

Picture Books 101

Laura Backes — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:48:06 +0000

What is a Picture Book? Illustrated stories and nonfiction for children ages 3-6, or 4-8.** Designed to be read out loud to a child. Text averages 1000 words or less; books average 32 pages. The text focuses on the characters, plot and action of the book. Very
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Young Adult Books 101

Laura Backes — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:39:51 +0000

What is a Young Adult Book? Fiction and nonfiction for ages 12 and up or 14 and up. Books tend to be 150 pages or longer. Manuscripts are generally 40,000 words and higher. Fiction can be any genre. Some of the
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Easy Readers 101

Laura Backes — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:25:58 +0000

What is an Easy Reader? For readers kindergarten through second or third grade. Designed to be read by children just learning to read on their own. Books can be 32-64 pages long, fiction or nonfiction, with texts ranging from about
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Chapter Books 101

Laura Backes — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:18:37 +0000

What is a Chapter Book? Called “transitional books” (ages 6-9), or “chapter books” (ages 7-10), these short novels are broken into chapters that average 3-5 pages each. Books range from 64-96 pages; manuscripts average 6000-15,000 words (transitional books being on the shorter end). Characters can be animals, fantasy creatures or
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New Picture Books from Three Fightin’ Bookworms!

Laura Backes — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 21:29:02 +0000

We’re pleased to highlight new picture books from three Fightin’ Bookworms: Natasha Yim, Allyn M. Stotz, and Carrie A. Pearson. In this interview they give some of their best tips on writing, revising and getting published. Cixi “The Dragon Empress” by Natasha Yim, illustrated by Peter Malone, published

Plot Guidelines for Writing in Different Fiction Genres

Laura Backes — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:32:53 +0000

From mysteries to thrillers to historical fiction – learn the rules of the road for developing your plot.

Developing Your Book Idea

Laura Backes — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:27:21 +0000

This month’s CBI Challenge article: Is your story idea ready to be turned into a book?