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Writing Time: Selfish, Selfless, or Saving Others?

Jan10

Food for thought…

theryanlanz's avatarRyan Lanz

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by Christopher Slater

I will start out by saying that this is a perfect example of what is meant by the phrase, “Doctor, heal thyself!” I am the absolute worst at not following this advice. Of course, that is probably why I have joked with my students that my name should be a verb meaning “to screw up badly.” So if you ever heard me say “I Slatered myself by not listening to my own advice,” then you can understand what I mean.

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Readers Can’t Find Your Book: Internet Marketing for Authors (Guest Post) By: Steven Capps

Jan7

What you can do to make your writing life successful!

Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatarChris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

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According to UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) over two million books have been published this year. That does include everything written before or all of the books that will be published in the future. If I had a penny for every hundred books ever published, I’d certainly have a lot more pennies than I do now. While this statistic seems a bit detached, it is crucial for your success as an author. In order for a reader to find your book, you have worse than a one in two million chance.

There is one major problem with this statistic; launching a book isn’t the same as buying a lottery ticket. Luck might be a bit of a factor, but if you are not seeing sales, there is likely something you are doing wrong. I know this sounds harsh, and no…

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This entry was posted on January 7, 2017. 2 Comments

Picture Book Dummy, Picture Book Construction: Know Your Layout

Jan6

Food for thought, of those interested in this.

Tara Lazar's avatarWriting for Kids (While Raising Them)

Editorial Anonymous provided a great explanation of basic picture book construction a few months ago.

At that time, I skimmed the info. Today, I’m studying it.

Why? An editor asked me to make page breaks on my current manuscript. And know what? I had more page breaks than a 32-page picture book would allow! Whoops. I knew that my manuscript had to fall within the 500- to 800-word length, but I had neglected to pay attention to logical page breaks.

The editor said, “Page turns can make or break a book, and it can be helpful to an editor to see how you envision the text.”

In a 32-page picture book, you don’t actually have 32 pages for your story. You only have 24 pages since 8 are used for the book ends, copyright and title. And 24 pages translates to 12 spreads (an illustration that spans the two opened pages…

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Continued Birth Celebration

Jan2

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The Birth of Jesus 
  
                                       Luke 2:1-20 NKJV
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 
 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.