By Jane McBride Choate , Traditional Publishing Expert Guide
Your query letter gets about 10 seconds of an editor’s time. Here are five unique ways to make sure that your letter stands out — and grabs an editor’s attention.
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.
Kathryn Lay has more than 1,600 — that’s right, 1,600 — publishing credits. Listen in and find out how she’s built such a thriving career!
In this video, Laura gives tips about how to target the correct age group for your book.
Driven to write a children’s book, but not sure what to write about? Let’s figure it out! In this video, we’ll give you some tips for avoiding what not to write about, and how to mine your own life experiences for great subjects.
What turns an ordinary character into an extraordinary one? Check out these tips for turning everyday kids into exceptional characters.
From the ever-changing publishing world, the latest from Highlights for Children, Simon & Schuster, Dial and more.
Jon’s quick video discloses two excellent free resources for checking out agents, contests, publishers and more.
Jon’s got a new video about how successful authors think. This time – how to spread those eggs around!
In this video, Jon explains why knowing the difference between being a writer and an author is vital – and which label newcomers should embrace.
Legendary author Lois Lowry discusses her writing process, and the one change she would make to The Giver.
Yogi said it, and he wasn’t kidding. Here’s Jon with a quick video about developing a winning mindset for your writing career.
Working on a novel? Here are some creative and innovative ways to tell your story that are definitely “out of the box”!
Want to know a neat, simple way of making a memorable first contact with a favorite author? Read on!
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This month's highlights include:
► Submissions Open for Christian Magazine/Fiction Writing Contest
► Promotional Opportunity for Kindle Authors
► New Publisher of Boy-Centered Middle Grade Seeks Submissions
► New Agent Seeks Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction
► 20th Annual Self-Published Book Awards Taking Entries
► Spice Up Your Writing With Tasty Details
► Stop! Read this Before You Publish Your Book!
► Important Lessons From Two Best-Selling Authors
► How To Take Your Online Marketing to New Levels
► Going From Outline to Finished Manuscript
Welcome to The CBI Clubhouse! We're so glad you're here.
Founded in 1990, Children's Book Insider is a family business based in beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado.
CBI Publisher Laura Backes has served as an editor and literary agent, and has been published herself by Random House, Writer's Digest and The Writer, among many others. She was Technical Editor of Writing Children's Books for Dummies and is the co-founder of the acclaimed Children's Author's Bootcamp workshops.
Jon Bard owned a New York-based public relations firm and was one of the field's top copywriters before joining Laura in making Children's Book Insider a full-time family effort. He is responsible for the development of The CBI Clubhouse and oversees the day to day operation of the site.
So that's a little about us. But, of course, this site is really all about you -- and all the Fightin' Bookworms!
If you have any questions at all, just use the "Contact Us" link at the top of the page to drop us a line.
Enjoy your stay!
