The CBI Clubhouse - The Community for Children's Book Writers

101 Things to Blog About!

John Kremer — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:56:11 +0000

We all know that blogging is one of the best ways to get attention in today's Internet world. A blog is a godsend to your website, bringing it traffic, fans, and more. But you have to post regularly: twice a week or more.

Stuck for what to blog about? Here

Who’s Amanda Palmer? And Why Do You Need to Know About Her Right Now?

Jon Bard — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:12:22 +0000

Starting in the 90s and continuing through the aughts, the music industry utterly imploded. The old ways (get a record deal, record in a high-end studio, depend on your label to distribute and promote) disappeared and the new ways (record it yourself, distribute it digitally, promote via social networks

The 5 Biggest Picture Book Mistakes – Are You Guilty of These?

Linda Arms White — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:15:40 +0000

I have had the opportunity to critique hundreds of manuscripts and help their authors make improvements. I see five problems more often than any others. 1. It's a slight story that won't sell. A slight story is one that has little substance or significance. The plot is too

Anastasia Breaks It Down: What Makes “Brown Bear” a Classic?

Anastasia Suen — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:59:22 +0000

Once a month I will be posting a mentor text for you to read. A mentor text is a book that can act as mentor for you as you write. This month we will be looking at a beginning reader that started as a picture book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear,

A Few Minutes with Author Linda Urban

Kirby Larson — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:20:06 +0000

This month I am so pleased that Linda Urban granted my request for an interview. I became a huge fan of her work with her first novel, A Crooked Kind of Perfect , and my appreciation only grew after reading her second novel, Hound Dog True . Two things

Ask an Author: Writing Longer Picture Books

Linda Arms White — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:53:53 +0000

Hi Linda. What would you call a longer picture book, word count anything from 1000 to 2000 words; one that has beautiful sophisticated illustrations. I'm thinking of something like The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey. Or When Jessie sailed Across the Sea. Does this genre have a specific name? I

Exclusive Interview: Debbie Dadey on Promotion, Publishing & the Writing Process

Jon Bard — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:21:22 +0000

Debbie Dadey is the author of over 150 children's books, including The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series. Debbie was a first grade teacher and librarian before becoming a full-time writer. Her award-winning "books for reluctant readers" have been published by Scholastic, Tor/Starscape Publishing, Hyperion Press, Bloomsbury USA, Delacorte,

Exclusive Interview: Debbie Dadey on Promotion, Publishing & the Writing Process

Jon Bard — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:18:22 +0000

Debbie Dadey is the author of over 150 children's books, including The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series. Debbie was a first grade teacher and librarian before becoming a full-time writer.

Her award-winning "books for reluctant readers" have been published by Scholastic, Tor/Starscape Publishing, Hyperion Press, Bloomsbury USA, Delacorte,

Ask Melissa: How Can I Promote My Book?

Giovagnoli (G) Wilson — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:18:58 +0000

Here's a question from a Fightin' Bookworm for our Social Media Expert Guide Melissa Giovagnoli (G) Wilson: Dear Melissa, I am a previously-published author who will be self-publishing an illustrated digital children's book optimized for the pixel-dense iPad 3. An experienced artist from Sweden is collaborating with me, and

Writing Exercise: Turn Holiday Fun Into a Publishable Story!

Bryan Cohen — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:07:43 +0000

One of the first things you might think of when you think of a "classic tale" is one associated with a well-known and jubilantly celebrated holiday. Personally, you probably have about 20 stories that could easily be adapted into such a holiday yarn. Here are a few prompts that can

The CBI Clubhouse - The Community for Children's Book Writers

101 Things to Blog About!

Who’s Amanda Palmer? And Why Do You Need to Know About Her *Right Now*?

The 5 Biggest Picture Book Mistakes – Are You Guilty of These?

Anastasia Breaks It Down: What Makes “Brown Bear” a Classic?

A Few Minutes with Author Linda Urban

Ask an Author: Writing Longer Picture Books

Exclusive Interview: Debbie Dadey on Promotion, Publishing & the Writing Process

Exclusive Interview: Debbie Dadey on Promotion, Publishing & the Writing Process

Ask Melissa: How Can I Promote My Book?

Writing Exercise: Turn Holiday Fun Into a Publishable Story!

Who’s Amanda Palmer? And Why Do You Need to Know About Her Right Now?