by Arielle Haughee Sell More with School VisitsIt’s the time of year when things are gearing up for school, and the perfect time for you to start setting up school visits. School visits are a great way for you to connect with young readers, encourage them to write, and feel like a rockstar—the kids all think you’re famous! It can also be a great way to sell books, but you’ll need to plan ahead. Connecting with SchoolsIt’s tough to start out with cold calls or emails; schools are not exactly welcoming to community members (aka strangers) these days. The best way to get into a school is to use your connections. Do you have children or grandchildren in school? Perhaps another family member or some neighbors? Have their parent reach out to the school for you or send in a sample of your book with a flyer or personalized note. To Charge or Not to ChargeThere is much debate in the kidlit community about whether to charge or not. One side argues that author time is valuable and schools have resources to help pay. The other side believes in the importance of influencing kids, regardless of payment. Both sides have valid points. I get the best of both by not charging a fee to come to the school, but making sure they set up a preorder for me. Setting Up PreordersDoing a preorder before your scheduled visit will help you be successful with sales. You can bring the ordered books with you, along with a few extra, and have them ready to go. Remember that parents won’t be there to buy books the day of the visit, so selling the day of isn’t feasible. Trying to sell books afterward doesn’t work out to well, either. I’ve learned that the hard way. The best way is to work with the school’s media specialist, who can coordinate orders across grades and then communicate them to you. Getting Kids ExcitedYou can get the kids pumped up for your visit with two easy tricks. First, send a few attractive posters to the school for them to hang up in the halls or office. You can also mention the preorder on them (wink). Second, create a quick video introducing yourself, sharing a little about your book, and perhaps that lovely preorder. Show your enthusiasm and it will be infectious. Age-Appropriate PresentationsBe sure to always ask which age group(s) you will be speaking to. Remember that kindergarteners can only sit for about twenty minutes before they get wiggly. If you create slides, have more pictures for grades K-1 and gradually increase the complexity of the content for older grades. Fourth and fifth graders do very well with discussing the writing process. Most of all, no matter the age group, make sure it is FUN! If you come across as professional, knowledgeable, and fun, schools are very likely to ask you back next year. And if you get your preorder set up and send content for the school to share ahead of time, you’ll see the payoff from school visits, too. Once you visit a few schools, you can request the media specialist or your contact person if they would be willing to reach out to another school to let them know how great it was to have you. Then you can get started all over again!
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by Arielle Haughee Picture Book BasicsPicture books are a magical way to turn children into book lovers at an early age. While they may appear to be easy to write, there are actually many facets to making a quality picture book. They contain all the elements of adult literature—character development, plot, theme—but delivered in a compact form. If you are interested in writing children’s picture books, here are a few basics to help you get started. Word CountGetting the proper word count is important for any genre, but especially for picture books. You need to keep the attention of the wiggly, easily-distracted audience for the entire story. This is also critical if you’re considering traditional publishing as the industry draws a hard line on this issue. So what is the magic number? 500 words. Less is even better for traditional publishing. If you’re going to take the indie route, you have more leeway and can go up to about 650. LanguageThe most common mistake I see when editing manuscripts from first time picture book authors is language. Writers tend to draft their stories using adult style and structure but with animals or children as characters. The language in a picture book is structured specifically for children. This means shorter sentences and the conscious use of challenge words. Picture book text also needs to be designed to be read aloud. A good trick is to have someone unfamiliar with the story read it to you and listen to where they trip up. Those are places you’ll want to edit. RhymingWell written rhyme flows naturally and is especially deceiving. It seems incredibly easy to write. This could not be more false. Writing in rhyme is an absolute nightmare I can personally attest to. Why? It’s not just about having the last two words of the sentences rhyme. There is a poetic meter with predictable beats that is necessary for rhyming structure. I recommend studying Lynley Dodd or Aaron Blabey and counting out their beats as an exercise in examining poetic meter and rhyme in picture books. But I have good news—you don’t have to write in rhyme to make a picture book! So if taking on this challenge seems daunting, stick to good ol’ prose. Illustrators and Picture NotesA common question is: How do you find an illustrator? Followed by: How do you tell them what to draw? First, if you are going the traditional route, the publisher chooses the illustrator for you. Second, no matter how you publish, illustrators greatly dislike—dare I say hate—picture notes. Think about it: Would you want to be told exactly how to write a story? I didn’t think so. Illustrators don’t like to be dictated to either. They prefer to read the text by itself and create their own vision for the story. This is where trust comes in. If you’re indie publishing, you need to find a talented, experienced illustrator, and they’ll create something better than you even imagined. Writing picture books takes time to learn and plenty of practice. I recommend finding a critique group in your area that focuses solely on this genre. A big plus is there are often illustrators in these groups who can give you an insight into their side of the process. Spend the time learning picture book craft, and you’ll be giving children the gift of a passion for books that will likely last a lifetime.
Guest post by Bay Collyns Mobile LibrariesI chuckled when I recently saw a mobile library as I was driving along the city highway. I reflected on my frequent visits to the mobile library that was in the nearby public park in my hometown. Every summer, my brother and I borrowed books and magazines for our leisure readings, that was forty years ago. Today, mobile libraries vehicles are buses, vans, trucks, wagons and yes, there are ships that are libraires too. These diverse mobile libraries continue to bring books and magazines to adults and children around the world. Especially to areas that do not have a library facility, or the brick-and-mortar libraries are in faraway locations. In addition to books, these libraries often carry videos, audiobooks, music, movies, and families can attend the story times for children. When wi-fi hot spots are available, the library is a computer center on wheels that may provide online services for obtaining references, educational and ancestral research. For a fee, documents can be printed or forwarded to reach its destination. Whether near or far mobile libraries remain a welcomed way to read, seek information and provide technical support to the population it serves. Yet, there is another option offered by the traditional walk-in libraries, books and other materials will be mailed directly to your residence. Therefore, inquire and seek information for the home delivery services. Arielle Haughee The Online Marketing Trifecta: |
Erik Peters is a teacher and avid mediaevalist from Canada. Erik's work with marginalized students has profoundly influenced his writing which has been published in numerous magazines including Coffin Bell, Superlative Lit, Prospectus, The Louisville Review, and The Dead Mule School. Read all Erik's publications at www.erikpeters.ca or @erikpeterswrites. |
Some of Ree's earliest memories are with a book in her hand, and today, she still loves to read stories of all kinds, from children’s poetry to adult suspense novels. Before her love of reading turned into a love of writing, she took many turns in her life, some of which were an accountant, a retail clerk, and a volunteer worker for abused women. When she and her husband started their family, she became a stay-at-home mom to two boys. It was then, in a few solitary moments, she put a pencil in her hand and discovered a love of writing. Now, she spends her mornings in Eastern PA creating stories of her own with her writing partner by her side, a sleepy greyhound. Quiet things inspire her: a word, a child’s desire, a tug in her heart. Afternoons and evenings are for family, friends, and lots of daydreaming. |
Previously an elementary teacher, Arielle Haughee (Hoy) is a five-time RPLA-winning author and the owner of Orange Blossom Publishing. She is an editor, speaker, and coach. She is the author of The Complete Revision Workbook for Writers, the children’s books Grumbler, Joyride, Pling’s Party, and Sixth Sunday, the editor of the How I Met My Other anthology series, and the creator of the Focus Journal line of journals. She was also honored with the President’s Award from the Florida Writers Association in 2020. She has a serious reading addiction, fantasy romance her absolute favorite, and loves nothing more than good conversation paired with a good wine. She is surrounded by males at home—a husband, two sons, and an energetic dog—and tries to integrate as much purple and flowers in the house as possible. |
Previously an elementary teacher, Arielle Haughee (Hoy) is a five-time RPLA-winning author and the owner of Orange Blossom Publishing. She is an editor, speaker, and coach. She is the author of The Complete Revision Workbook for Writers, the children’s books Grumbler, Joyride, Pling’s Party, and Sixth Sunday, the editor of the How I Met My Other anthology series, and the creator of the Focus Journal line of journals. She was also honored with the President’s Award from the Florida Writers Association in 2020. She has a serious reading addiction, fantasy romance her absolute favorite, and loves nothing more than good conversation paired with a good wine. She is surrounded by males at home—a husband, two sons, and an energetic dog—and tries to integrate as much purple and flowers in the house as possible. |
.Tonya Spitler is a personal assistant who loves working with authors and publishers. An avid reader since the age of four, she loves to read all things that have a Happily Ever After. Currently, she is working on her own novels, encouraging authors on their road to success, and wrangling her three teens. Visit www.anovelchoicellc.com to find out more. |
Previously an elementary teacher, Arielle Haughee (Hoy) is a five-time RPLA-winning author and the owner of Orange Blossom Publishing. She is an editor, speaker, and coach. She is the author of The Complete Revision Workbook for Writers, the children’s books Grumbler, Joyride, Pling’s Party, and Sixth Sunday, the editor of the How I Met My Other anthology series, and the creator of the Focus Journal line of journals. She was also honored with the President’s Award from the Florida Writers Association in 2020. She has a serious reading addiction, fantasy romance her absolute favorite, and loves nothing more than good conversation paired with a good wine. She is surrounded by males at home—a husband, two sons, and an energetic dog—and tries to integrate as much purple and flowers in the house as possible. |
Arielle Haughee is the owner and founder of Orange Blossom Publishing.
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