Pot-O-Gold Awards: Author Platform Includes Websites

The Pot-O-Gold "Blogger" Award is now the Pot-O-Gold Award, for blogs, authors, books, and websites.

Today I'd like to share a "new" changed-up (edited and completely revised) feature with you, the Pot-O-Gold Awards! This month, the Pot-O-Gold Award goes out to the following people for the following four categories. Welcome to the NEW Pot-O-Gold AWARDS!!!

BLOG: All News, No Schmooze

• All News, No Schmooze (News and Notes for Busy Children's Book Writers) by Laurie Wallmark. It is super simple and straightforward. Nearly every day for the past 5 years (since May 2009), Laurie has linked to powerful articles in the kidlit industry. If you haven't heard of this blog, it's worth putting on your blog reader radar. I've learned many things from Laurie's links.

AUTHOR: Jane Yolen

• Jane Yolen. And why not? She's my Maurice. One of the founders of SCBWI. 330+ books to her name. If you are a children's writer and you have not heard of Jane Yolen, you might not actually be able to call yourself a writer at all. Seriously. If you haven't heard of Jane Yolen, get thee to a library! Some of my favorite books of hers are much older than her How Do Dinosaurs... series. Owl Moon, Where Have All the Unicorns Gone, Welcome to the Ice House, Color Me a Rhyme, Dinosaur Dances, Miz Berlin Walks, Raising Yoder's Barn, and many many more, including middle grade novels.

BOOK: Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae 

• The book award always goes to a book I actually bought. WHY I BUY! It won't have a summary, be a review, or include a lesson. It's simply why I bought this book. I think it's interesting. I'm picky when I plunk down the dough. Aren't you? I'm curious about why people buy the books they do and thought you might enjoy reading why I buy the books I do. 
• This book was one of the first picture books I ever bought, long before I ever had any children of my own. I remember standing in a bookstore in the mall, reading over several different picture books. This was cute and fun to read, with great illustrations. But the selling factor? It touched me. I felt I was a better person for having read this book. We ALL can dance, ....? And I do love to dance! What a great message that truly does not hit you over the head.

WEBSITE: Jackie Urbanovic

"...If you’re not sure what your platform-building priorities should be, think about your long-term goals, or where you want to be in 1-5 years. This can quickly become a paralyzing task, so keep it simple. For instance, if you envision having several books published in five years, but you don’t yet have a website, then a platform priority would be establishing one. If you want to grow your reach online, becoming involved in social media or writing online articles (or a blog) is a common step. 

Here’s what I use as a general rule of thumb for platform-building priorities, specifically for new and mid-career writers: 

1. Establishing or improving your website and/or blog. Sometimes this means investing a little money in design or development...." ~Jane Friedman (TweetSpeakPoetry.com)

• I'm quite positive Jackie Urbanovic invested some money in her website. Since Jackie is an author and an illustrator, her art is easily able to give her website a more personal flair. Here are a few positive things about her site that could be incorporated into yours as well. The navigation links to other pages on her site are fun with arrows and handwritten fonts. Her picture is displayed and is a clear quality image, including a fun border. Her books' main character, Max the Duck, visits the pages too! Her name is prominently displayed in a bold and legible font at the top of the home page. It is color coordinated and has a nice subtle background image of paper texture to go along with the notepad theme. Way to go, Jackie. Not only do I love your books, I also love your site design!

Who would YOU like to see receive the Pot-O-Gold Award? 

Hope you enjoyed the Pot-O-Gold Awards and come back next month on the 30th to see who earns the coveted spots for blog, author, book, and website. Thanks!

Keep on keepin' on...

Writers Who Run: The Tortoise and the Hare

Are you the tortoise or the hare and which is better? I think all of us are sometimes one and sometimes the other. Perhaps there's a middle ground? I like to think so.

THE "fearful" TORTOISE

In writing:

• 10 revisions for one sentence
• taking a YEAR of "letting it sit" before you submit
• only writing two new mss (for picture books), or two chapters (for a novel) in a YEAR

You're taking a little TOO much time.

In running:

• running once a week
• not making any progress after 6 months
• taking 3 months off just because it's winter
• never entering a race b/c you're afraid you'll come in last, or like my first race, people will walk faster than your slow jog (for reals, people were passing me left and right in that cold and hilly 5k)

Get over it, girl! Step up the pace!

THE "anxious" HARE

In writing:

• Hurry up and get published, even if it means bad illustrations.
• Hurry up and submit, even if it means the story isn't ready.
• Hurry up and get an agent. I'm worthless without one.
• Hurry up and write the story, even though I haven't researched anything at all.

In running:

• Hurry up and sign up for the 10k race, even though you've never ran a mile - ever.
• Hurry up and get your 20+ miles in for the week, even if you're only injured a little bit.
• Hurry up and do 2 extra speed drills for the week, even though you just did one this morning.

Yes, slow and steady always wins the race. But, really, there is a thing as being too slow. It's called inaction. I guess that would be speed zero. Too fast can cause injuries too. We really do want to submit, get an agent, and get published, but it does take time. So hurry up and do you're true homework. SWEAT. Crank out the words. Put in your miles - slow and steady - with the occasional speed workout of agent submissions. 

But when the time comes to slow down, KEEP MOVING. That's called being patient. Perseverance. Marathon runners have to pace themselves. You can't sprint a marathon. And you can't sprint publication for yourself. Your agent/editor/critique partners will be your coach. Listen to them. But never stop running and never stop writing. And if you're injured, pick yourself up and go slow, but don't stop. 

QUESTION: Where are YOU in the spectrum? What's holding you back and what moves you forward?

Live the dream and keep on keepin' on...

High Five #30: Poisoned Author Makes it Big

Piggy backing off of my last event, it's High Five 14:14 time with week 3 of 14 debut picture book author interviews in 14 weeks. Here’s a big HIGH FIVE congratulations to Jennifer Young for her debut picture book, which also won the rhyming category of Spring 2011 for the Lucky Clover Picture Book Contest (deadline for Winter 2014 is fast approaching - Monday March 31). Awesome!!! Get ready for FIVE questions and FIVE great answers!

MeeGenius Books

Title: Poison Apple Pie
Author: Jennifer Young
Illustrator: Lara Apponyi
Publisher: MeeGenius
Release date: March 2012
Word count: 638

After Winka’s wand cracks she quits her witch job in fairy tale land and searches for a new job. But when she turns to her broken wand for help it leads to disaster.   

Question ONE: So, Jennifer, what are three of your favorite picture books? 

1. Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard
2. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
3. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

Question TWO: I see you have a couple classics in there. Nice! I have to say, I also love the movie "Cloudy..." What is your bedtime routine like with your children? How do books play a part in that?

I have three children. I have a son who is ten, and two daughters that are seven and three. My son enjoys tv time, shower and then bed (no more picture books, but he loves the Weird School Series). My seven-year-old daughter just got into chapter books. So at night she’ll read a chapter to me, at times. And my three year old enjoys picture books before bed. We don’t always get a chance at night, but during the day works for us too. Her favorite one(s) right now are the books by Laura Numeroff. If You Give a (Mouse a Cookie) series.

Question THREE: I love learning how different families incorporate literacy into their lives. Our children benefit greatly from it. How might teachers use your book in the classroom?

In Poison Apple Pie, Winka the witch searches the newspaper, a job fair and a career bulletin board to find the right job for her. One way teachers could use Poison Apple Pie in their classroom would be to first discuss different types of jobs available. Then, supply a handout where the student could draw what type of job they see themselves doing in the future. Have them make a list of responsibilities they must do for the job they selected.

Question FOUR: Sounds like fun. Your book could make a great opening activity for a unit on jobs, community, or goal setting. Perhaps YOU could create a few handouts for teachers and make them available on your website. Was your road to publication anything like Winka's road to employment? 

I began writing Poison Apple Pie in January of 2011. I lost count on revisions but I’ll share the titles it went through before final submission. In order from start to finish: Winka’s New Job, Winka the Witch, Winka’s Wand (my least favorite) and then finally Poison Apple Pie.

Before I sent my manuscript to MeeGenius in the fall of 2011 I had received two rejection letters. The one from Ladybug Caraus Publishing. It was the typical generic letter. But the one I received from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky Imprint was my first rejection with an editor’s note, yay! I was happy to receive it. It said, "Although I felt your manuscript was unique, the picture book market has become our most competitive."

The reason I sent my manuscript to MeeGenius was because they were hosting a picture book contest and it was free to submit. Even though Poison Apple Pie made it to the final round it was not a winner but they decided to publish it on March 23rd 2012.

Question FIVE: Awesome! I love the title you landed on. Much better than Winka the Witch, the title that won the contest in 2011. What are some writing tips you can offer to writers seeking publication? 

1. Join a critique group or as many as you like.
2. Critiques may hurt your feelings at first but you’ll learn to love them. Even the brutal ones because they’re the most helpful.
3. Join a writer’s group. Here are a few: Julie Hedlund’s 12 x 12, SCBWI, and CBI Clubhouse. 
• Also, in November Tara Lazar has a picture book idea challenge where you write one idea down a day for the whole month of November. It’s called PiBoIdMo. I know I left out a lot more but the ones I listed I’m a member of (or at least was at one time).

Thank you so much, Jennifer, for sharing with us. Congratulations, and HIGH FIVE!

Jen: It was an honor to be interviewed on your blog Christie. Thank you for the opportunity! Before I end, I wanted to share with everyone that I had send Poison Apple Pie to Christie back in 2011 because of her contest section on her blog and she did the most fabulous critique on it. Christie, thank you again for all your help!

If you crave "beginner" success stories as I do and receive inspiration from reading how they did it, please, by all means visit the other interviewees and read their stories, too! See you tomorrow for a little tortoise and hare inspiration...

Keep on keepin' on...

Nine Days Left, Including Today - It's Contest Crunch Time

Only 9 days left to get those manuscripts in for the WINTER Lucky Clover Picture Book Contest, even though technically it's already spring. Yea for spring! Deadline is Monday, March 31.

Winners will be announced on April 22.

It's not too late to enter. Just follow my blog via e-mail, then follow the directions and e-mail me your ms. Good luck!!!

Free entry. Win bragging rights, gain confidence, and receive a critique! Winners are not chosen randomly. May the best story win!

Now go write, or revise... Can't wait to see what you've got!

And come back on Friday for another great High Five interview.

Keep on keepin' on...

Writers Who Run: Overcoming Defeat

We all encounter pain. We must endure it. If we don't we'll never see the sunny rainbow after the storm.

Writers get discouraged, receive rejections, have bad reviews, face writer's block, and more. Runners face discouragement, get injuries, have slow runs, lose races, and more. Let's face it. Life is hard. But we must rise above the pain and endure to the end. Else how will we ever see our dreams fulfilled?

Writing Discouragement

Several weeks ago, I had a "review" of one of my mss come back LOW, so low it made the limbo look pleasant. This is a ms I have been working on and revising for well over a year. My knowledgeable and respected critique group said it was submission-ready.

But a 4 out of 10 ain't ready! Pain and doubt and discouragement seeped in. I almost cried. It's not every day one little opinion of one little person (or organization) cracks the tough skin of a writer.

We are tough. We have to be so that the scratches won't hurt us. Apparently, on that day, that review was more than a scratch, it was a slashing gaping gash. After several minutes passed in agony, I remembered other critiques that ms had received prior. A 7 and an 8. My, I am good, after all. The story has merit and quality.

I'm not a loser writer and I can find a home for it one day. Must. Keep. Polishing. The pain of one bad critique is much like the pain of a bad knee after a run.

Running Discouragement

A couple weeks ago, I hurt my knee somehow. Felt fine during the run, but afterward? Not so much. I hobbled for a couple days, then decided to give it another go. Not smart. Made it worse. Actually hurt then.

How do you rise up above that kind of pain? You take time off. You go slow. You baby it with ice and muscle rub and plain old simple walking. I'm almost above the storm clouds. I'm starting to see the silver lining.

Does it hurt to stop what I love? Yes! Does it hurt worse knowing I have a 10k race coming up in two weeks? Yes! Will I rise above the pain? Yes! That means looking at the pain head-on. Acknowledging what needs to be done.

Slowing down, if that's what it takes.

Will I rewrite my story? Maybe. Will I finish my race last? Maybe. But one thing's for sure, I am a writer who runs. And I will rise above the pain. I will make every story and every run the best that I can. And the next day I'll make it even better. I will take time off when necessary. I will fulfill my dreams. And so will you.

What pain have you had to rise above recently?

Keep on keepin' on...

High Five #29: Another Debut Success Story Falls From the Sky

This is week 2 of the High Five 14:14. 14 interviews with debut picture book authors in 14 weeks. If you missed last week's interview with Romelle, you can still read her story. Also, be sure to check out how to be an engaged writer, once you read today's interview.

Today's debut author is Kirsti Call. Happy HIGH FIVE for your debut picture book. Congratulations!!!

Title: The Raindrop Who Couldn’t Fall
Author: Kirsti Call
Illustrator: Lisa Griffin
Publisher: Character Publishing
Release date: December 15, 2013
Word count: 516

"How many times do you try before you give up?" wonders little Plink. He's a raindrop who can't seem to fall, no matter how many times he tries. Learning to do things isn't always easy and sometimes it takes the support and love of others to succeed. 

Question ONE: What are three of your favorite picture books? I know, I know. Only three?!

1. Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos
2. The Day the Babies Crawled Away by Peggy Rathmann
3. Leonardo, The Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

Question TWO: Monsters and babies. Maybe you'll write a baby monster book one day. Do you feel like you have an extra special bond with your children because of books?

I have five children. My oldest and youngest are boys and I have three girls in the middle. They are 12, 10, 8, 6, and 3 years old! Reading is part of our daily life. I keep books in every room and in the car.  If we have a spare moment, or we are waiting for the older kids in car line, I read to the younger kids. All of my kids would listen to me read for hours if I could! Night time reading parties are the best--I feel like I’m sharing something important with my kids and learning how to be a better writer at the same time!

Question THREE: I love that dual action of reading/sharing and learning at the same time. My kids are 7 and 9 and a lot of times when I read at night, they're busy doing other things at the same time. Like drawing, playing with stuffed animals or Legos, or playing DS games. So, how might teachers use your book in the classroom?
 
My book is peppered with fun facts about the water cycle, cloud formation, and the science of rainbows (among other facts), offering an age-appropriate introduction to science. It includes activities, supplementary material, and a glossary.  Teachers can also use the story of Plink who fails and keeps trying despite getting bullied and feeling discouraged.  Persistence is an important skill for kids to learn.

Question FOUR: Sounds fun! I love books that have facts peppered throughout. Persistence is indeed an important skill for kids to learn. And here's the juicy question...what was your road to publication like? I hope you have a juicy answer.

I told this story to my kids when we were stuck at Home Depot trying to order cabinets for 5 hours!  It was raining outside and in a desperate attempt to entertain them, I told them the story of Plink.  They liked the story, so I wrote it down about 3 years ago.  It was my second picture book manuscript and after joining a critique group and showing it to them, I submitted to two publishers. I was blessed to get a contract with Character Publishing 6 months later.  I only got one rejection with this story, but I’ve had dozens or maybe even hundreds of rejections on other stories, since.  I’m now submitting to agents and publishers, hoping to find homes for many other stories.  I’ve got 24 in various stages of revision and 7 that are submission ready right now :)

Question FIVE: That's an amazing amount of stories. I probably have 24+ in idea stage. And maybe 7 submission ready. My children love to help me come up with stories. Unfortunately for me, those ideas are never marketable. What are your top three writing tips you can offer to writers seeking publication?

1.  Write. Revise. Submit. Repeat.
2.  Don’t give up.  Rejections are just proof that you are a real writer!
3.  Research your publishers and agents. If your story is really polished, there will be someone who loves it!

I love that 3rd tip. There WILL be someone who loves it, I am sure. It's all about being in the right place at the right time. Thanks so much for sharing some of your story and insight with us today. Debut authors always give such an inspiration to the rest of us. Thanks!!!

Come back next week for another great debut success story!

Writers Who Run: Getting Engaged

Having trouble making commitments because you can't seem to get started? If you feel that what you want to do is simply too big, then don't fully commit right away. Coax yourself into it. Let me explain.

You want to get married to the love of your life. But you're afraid to elope tonight. That's okay. You don't have to jump in right away to get what you want right now. You don't have to commit to when you'll tie the knot, or where, or how, or what you'll eat and who to invite.

But if you want to be with your special someone for the rest of your life, then you need commit to getting engaged. You know you're going to tie the knot - eventually. You're doing something. You're saying yes. It's still commitment.

Congratulations on your engagement! So how do writers and runners get engaged?

First, what are the commitments we want, but are afraid to get engaged with? These might be commitments to revise that story/chapter, to run 3x a wk, to sign up for a race, write a new book or story, or some other goal you may have.

Here's how to get engaged.

Just showing up is how you say, "Yes!" You don't have to go far. You don't have to go fast. You just have to "go." Showing up is always half the battle. It's how you'll convince yourself to get started.

Don't have time to run six miles? Don't feel like running at all? Just tell yourself you'll do ONE mile. Don't have time to revise your whole story? Can't decide which one to revise first? Read both stories aloud, then go with your gut and pick one. Decide on one sentence to change. You're sucked in now because you have started the journey by being engaged in the work.

Keep on keepin' on...

What's Your Story, Anyway? How Did You Get Your Picture Book Published?

I just finished my PB 14:14 challenge, where a group of bloggers united to read, study, and share 14 picture books in 14 days. It was cosmic. If you missed it, you can still study our list of nearly 100 books, all of which were published within the last 10 years. And since it's 2014, and I apparently love the number 14 this year, I thought it would be neat to continue on in that theme.

Usually, on the 5th of each month, I share an interview with a debut picture book author so we can all learn how it's done and give us hope and inspiration for our own work. I ask 5 questions. The last time I did this was May of 2013, due to going to school for web design. Now, it's back with a bang. And bigger and better than ever, or at least more often, that's for sure. Beginning today, Friday March 14th, I will be posting a new debut picture book author interview each Friday for the next 14 Fridays through June 14th (okay, you got me, it's actually Friday the 13th in June). Anyway, buckle up and visit often. It's going to be a wild ride!

Romelle [pronounced:  RO-mah-lee] Broas Guittap will start us off on this fabulous journey. Her manuscript, Artsy-Fartsy Spider, won her a critique in the Spring 2012 Lucky Clover Picture Book Contest. You can still enter the 2014 Winter contest. Deadline is March 31. Romelle now has more than one book published, though Artsy-Fartsy Spider is not yet one of them. Without any further ado, please welcome Romelle with a big HIGH FIVE congratulations for her debut picture book!

Title: Casey Chameleon
Author: Romelle Broas
Illustrator: Lydia F. Ferron
Publisher: Flying Books, Ltd.
Release date: October 2012
Word count: 450

Have you ever seen a pink chameleon? "When I'm tickled, I turn pink," says Casey. What you don't want to see is Casey turning red! Casey thinks someone has stolen her special feather and she finds herself turning red with anger. Can she manage to find her true colors? 

Question ONE: What are three of your favorite picture books? Just three mind you. 

ONLY three? That's like choosing your favorite son or daughter. Here goes:

1) The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone
This is my first introduction to what is called breaking the 4th wall and I didn't even know it back then when I first read it to my son 13 years ago. I loved the book for its ingenuity and charm. What I enjoyed most about this book is that it always made my son giggle.

2) Prudence Wants a Pet by Cathleen Daly
This book is so funny! The pacing of the text and the illustrations are brilliant. The stick figure drawing adds to the humor of the book. I adore Prudence and her persistence to get a pet. She doesn't come across as whiny or spoiled, but rather sweet and clever.

3) Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown
It's absolutely adorable. In this book Mr. Tiger lives in a town where everything is very proper. Then his instinct gets a hold of him and he lets loose. Mr. Tiger transforms from a personified creature to a true tiger. I love its message of staying true to yourself. Peter Brown did a fantastic job relaying this message in a humorous and fun way.

Question TWO: Now I really need to read your book #3. So, how often did you read to your children when they were younger? Do you feel like you have an extra special bond with your children because of books?

I have two boys. Ages 11 and 13. When they were younger I read to them at bedtime and just before nap time. It was a very special time for us. Now that they're grown, they read to themselves. But books are still a part of our routine. We go to the library 3 times a week and