Insider came up with this list of the most famous books set in each state. How many have you read? AL “To Kill A Mockingbird” (Harper Lee) AK “Into the Wild” (Jon Krakauer) AZ “The Bean Trees” (Barbara Kingsolver) AR “A Painted House” (John Grisham) CA “Play It As It Lays” (Joan Didion) CO “The…
Category: Topics
A New Publisher Who Promotes Your Book
When JK Rowling first wrote Harry Potter, she couldn’t land a publishing deal. That’s right, the greatest money making book of our time was passed over repeatedly. However, it was finally accepted…not because an editor actually read it, but because one of them gave the first chapter to his eight-year-old daughter and said, “Here, you…
Best Children’s Books of 2016
Here’s the New York Times list of notable children’s books from 2016: Picture Books DU IZ TAK? Written and illustrated by Carson Ellis. (Candlewick, $16.99.) In this enchanting tale of bugs who build a fort in a plant, only to see it toppled by a spider, Ellis presents an imaginary land of stylish insects who…
Give the Gift of History — Yours!
As the holidays approach, our thoughts turn to gift giving. When I look at advertising, so much of what I see being touted as great for gifting seems thoughtless and shallow. I like to give truly personal gifts that will create emotion in the heart of the recipient. So here’s an idea for something that…
NaNoWriMo: Creating a Novel in 30 Days
November is National Novel Writing Month, when authors can sign up at http://nanowrimo.org and receive encouragement as they work to create a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Hundreds of my students have successfully used NaNoWriMo to complete their first draft, so it’s a valuable tool. It sounds like a lot of work, but you…
Publishers Who Accept Unsolicited Manuscripts
I’ll try to keep this list updated. Please let me know of any good or bad experiences with these by dropping me a note at [email protected] Books for Adult Readers Baen Books Baen Books is a science fiction and fantasy publisher. It accepts unsolicited manuscripts for all books and prefers electronic submissions through its manuscript-submission…
Creating Your Author Website – A Checklist
What authors should have a website? Every one of them. But a writer or illustrator should have a website that contains information of value. Simply having a book⏤whether publisher or in-progress⏤listed on an author’s website is of little use to the viewer. Having information to support that book adds value. One of my students compiled…
Textbook Publishers
Acada Books Publisher of textbooks and supplements in communications and environmental studies Academic Innovations Publisher of career choices, secondary school/college textbook Addison Wesley & Benjamin Cummings Textbooks in science, mathematics, and computer science Allyn & Bacon/Longman Publisher of college textbooks, professional information; subject areas are education, social sciences, and humanities Anderson Publishing Company Arnold Publishers…
Publishing Your Teaching Ideas
Tips by MaryAnn Kohl Your Book – the idea – Clearly define your idea Assemble, narrow, and sort material and research Find a system to begin File cards Dummy pages Tape recorder Suggestions from this group Research your unique idea (do not skip this step) Check other books for formats Talk to bookstore owners Talk…
Three Act Structure
Syd Field, author of Screenplay and The Screen Writer’s Workbook, has outlined a paradigm that most screenplays follow. A paradigm is a conceptual scheme. This paradigm is the structure that holds screenplays together. According to Field, screenplays follow a three-act structure, meaning the standard screenplay can be divided into three parts: Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution….