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July 9, 2018

Interview with Illustrator Steve Brown

I am pleased to introduce illustrator Steve Brown! He is a freelance children's illustrator from the Romney Marsh in Kent, England and has been drawing for as long as he can remember. His animation style is heavily influenced by the cartoons of the 70's, 80's, and 90's which he considers "the best". Steve is most often in his home studio scribbling away on his Wacom Cintiq, located at the bottom of his garden that overlooks fields and trees. His passion is for character design and story telling through illustration. Steve "likes to use humor" in his illustrations to "make it more fun for children and adults." Secretly, he sneaks in lots of subtle details that take a careful eye to spot. Follow Steve's incredible art on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and at his website, Steve Brown Illustration.

July 2, 2018

10 Best Picture Books for Boys

These 10 picture books are the best for young boys. Having two young boys myself, I can assure you these will create giggles and laughs time after time. I have personally read these books on numerous occasions! Whether you're looking for a cuddly bed time reading or a perfect gift for someone else, consider these 10 wonderful titles.

June 29, 2018

What Writing Can Actually Do for Your Thinking and Life

Do you know what writing can do for you? You may not fully understand why writing matters, how writing helps, or how writing can be so important. Prepare to have your mind blown! Here are 5 reasons why you must develop your writing skills if you ever hope to be remembered as a success on this planet.

June 27, 2018

How to Create Major Characters from Scratch

Curious how authors create incredible leading characters from out of nowhere? Well, be curious no more! After reading these techniques, you will be able to create brilliantly believable characters your readers and listeners will love. In fact, you will want to re-visit some of your old characters and give them a new paint job. Leave the boring, one-dimensional characters to your competition.

Write Without Being Preachy

June 26, 2018

Write Picture Books Without Being Preachy

Teaching through stories has been around since the dawn of communication. Although when that dawn occurred is hotly contested, what isn't contested is that stories are excellent methods to communicate a message. They are so excellent, in fact, writers often abuse them by being too preachy. What this really means is that the lesson or purpose in a story, especially in children's books and even more so if it's a picture book, should be subtle. Does this come natural to you? Probably not. But it can, if you implement these 5 techniques.

June 22, 2018

Who Is the Real Audience for Picture Books?

When writing a picture book, it's easy to believe your audience is an editor, literary agent, parent, teacher, or librarian. After all, those are often the people deciding whether your book gets published, purchased, or shared. But while many people influence a picture book's success, only one audience truly determines whether the story endures. The real audience for a picture book is the child experiencing it. A child may not buy the book, approve the manuscript, or negotiate the publishing contract. Yet they decide whether the story is remembered, requested again, or forgotten after a single reading. Understanding this distinction can dramatically improve your writing and help you create stories that resonate with young readers and listeners. This distinction is one of the most important lessons new picture book authors can learn.

June 11, 2018

The Publishing Trend That Never Changes

Every year authors are told to pay attention to trends. Which genres are growing? Which categories are declining? Which books are selling? While understanding the publishing industry has value, many aspiring authors make the same mistake. They spend more time studying trends than creating books. The truth is that most publishing trends come and go. But one publishing principle has remained unchanged for decades: readers return to authors who consistently create work they love.

February 13, 2018

Lessons from Debbie Dadey: 166 Children’s Books, 42 Million Copies Sold

Debbie Dadey is one of the most successful children's authors of the modern era. Best known as the co-creator of The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series, she has published more than 160 traditionally published books and sold over 42 million copies worldwide. A former teacher and librarian, Debbie has spent decades helping young readers discover a love of books. In this interview, we discuss writing perseverance, traditional publishing, critique groups, finding time to write, working with co-authors, mentoring aspiring writers, and what it takes to build a long-term career in children's publishing. Although this conversation took place in 2018, the lessons about creativity, persistence, and professional growth remain just as relevant today.