Final Week to Enter : Win a Book and a Tip by one of our Expert Children's/YA Authors

This is it! It's the LAST week to enter the "Comments Contest" for your chance to win a book by one of our Expert Authors or Illustrators who gave tips on the blog this summer!

Each Book comes with a writing tip from the author inside!

Linda A is the clear front-runner in the Comments Contest at this point -- GO LINDA!

But there will be 2 winners, so your chances are still good!

How to win? 

Place a relevant comment on any posts that were written on this blog from June through the end of August of this year (2013).   Every time you comment your name will be entered into the jar for the drawing. 

2 lucky winners will each win a book by one of our expert authors, 

with a writing tip from that author inside!

Winners' names will be posted the 2nd Saturday in September!

There have been lots of diverse posts this summer -- comment on any of them!  Each one will enter your name in the jar! The more comments, the more chances to win.

So, to help you, here are links to some of the posts you may have missed this summer:

1.)  Newberry Honor winning Non-Fictin Author Steve Sheinkin -- on Writing "Interesting" Non-fictin for teens (Interview).

2.) Writing Non-Fiction Books for Kids and Teens: With Author Steve Sheinkin (part 1).

3.) Four Literary Agents Tell You What They're Looking For (Video pitch sessions)

4.) Two New Small Publishers are Looking for Your Book!

5.) Artist Valentin Acosta's Art School: Training Up Kids in Art and Life

6.) Opportunities for Poets - Contests 2013

7.) Judith Curr of Atria Books Talks about Bilingual Publishing in the U.S. today (Video)

8. ) Editor Jane Friedman's Thoughts on Your Author Platform.

9.) Live Streaming of Book Expo America Publishing Industry Presentations

And though these last 2 are actually from May, and not June-August, I'll throw them in as a bonus and count comments made on them for the contest as well -- because Don Tate's thoughts are definitely worth reading! :)

10.) Author/Illustrator Don Tate - On Writing Multicultural Picture Books/Biographies

11.) Author/Illustrator Don Tate - On why Multicultural Children's Books are Important.

So, have fun reading and commenting this week!  

Good luck to all who are entering the 

WRITERMORPHOSIS COMMENTS CONTEST 

this summer!

4 Literary Agents Tell You What They're Looking For!

Today on Write-On-Con we're featuring two literary agencies and listening to what they are and are not looking for in MG, YA, and New Adult Book submissions this Fall!

These are pitch videos from last week's Write On Con to 4 agents from 3 literary agencies. The agents explain at the beginning of each video what types of manuscript submissions they are looking for, and after that they each listen to pitch after pitch from write on can and say why they think it's a good pitch or not, and why - based on that pitch and their submission interests - they would request more info. on that manuscript or not.  

Click the links in blue to find info. and submissions guidelines for the 3 agencies.

The agents in the second video are particularly hilarious.

Enjoy!

1.) New Leaf Literary - Agents Susie Townsend and Liz Ortiz

2.) Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency - Agent MacKenzie Brady

3.) Aragi Inc - Agent Duvall Osteen

Pitches & Queries -- Professional Presentations at Write On Con!

 

In case you missed this year's WriteOnCon Free Online Writer's Conference, here are a few of the great Presentations on the industry and the craft that you missed! Enjoy! - Janelle

 

 

Here's one on how to write a Great Query Letter:

 

 

 

 

See where these pitches to Editors at Spencer Hill Contemporary (YA) and Spencer Hill Press either won the editor's interest or fell flat and needed revision:

 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Online Writing Conference and Critiques - August 13th & 14th, 2013!

Have you attended Write On Con?  If not, it's a great opportunity for YA and Children's Writers1

Write On Con is a FREE ONLINE WRITERS CONFERENCE. 

I attended last year and was very impressed by the quality and broad list of topics for the  presentations given by well-published authors and industry professionals at the event.  You can also get your query letter and your manuscript synopsis critiqued, and the various agents and editors who sneak in can see your query letter there and give tips or express interest in your book!

Plus you'll find new writer friends in the online chat-rooms.

It's well worth the time to attend!

The next Write On Con is AUGUST 13th-14th (and you want to sign up early if you plan to attend.)

 

Information can be found here:

 

WRITE ON CON, August 2013

New Small Publishers are looking for your book!

Competition is fierce if you're trying to get your book published by one of the few giant book publishing houses still publishing Children's Books in the U.S. -- mostly in New York -- today.
But don't dispair!  If you've written/illustrated a special book that just hasn't fit in with what the large publishing houses are looking for right now, smaller and newer traditional publishing houses might be another great option for your manuscript!  Here are two examples:

1.) CRESTON BOOKS

New California children's book Publisher CRESTON BOOKS focuses on picture books.

Their first books are being released this year!

According to the agency's website "Creston Books fills the void left behind by the major New York publishers who no longer put out a broad range of quality picture books. The golden age of picture books, when fine books were edited and published despite not being blockbusters, does not have to be over. Creston Books is author/illustrator driven, with talented, award-winning creators given more editorial freedom and control that a typical New York house."

Read an article here from Publisher's Weekly about author Marissa Moss and How she started Creston Books

2.) CHICKEN HOUSE 

CHICKEN HOUSE PUBLISHES FICTION BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS

Per their website:  "The Chicken House is a small, highly individual children’s book publishing company with an enthusiasm for new fiction. Chicken House books have found huge popularity with children, parents, teachers and librarians around the world."

Comments on the publisher from the following great names in Publishing tell us a bit more about them:

‘ ... a publisher with a growing reputation for ingenuity, not least in finding new talent.’SUNDAY TIMES

‘Chicken House has garnered itself a reputation for finding the quirky and original.’BOOKSELLER
‘Enterprising and interesting publishing of the best sort.’PHILIP PULLMAN, AUTHOR OF HIS DARK MATERIALS

‘In a very short period of time the Chicken House list has produced groundbreaking books that have left their mark on the field of children’s literature.’ELLIE BERGER, PRESIDENT OF TRADE PUBLISHING, SCHOLASTIC INC. NEW YORK

So if your book seems like a match, check out the CHICKEN HOUSE Submission Guidelines and website to see if this publisher is right for your manuscript!  Note that they're not currently accepting picture books, nor "officially" unsolicited manuscripts, but they have a contest for novels for ages 7-18, and the winner of the contest gets published by Chicken House.  So, you can submit your manuscript there.

There are a number of other small new publishers publishing Children's Books in the U.S. and around the world today.  Just look them up online by searching "Children's Book Publisher." :)

Happy submitting!

Don't forget your chance to win great books by our featured interviewed authors by entering the
"Comments Contest' (writing a relevant comment on as many Writermorphosis blog posts as you can this summer.)  Good Luck To All! - Janelle

"The Writermorphosis Comments Contest" ends in 1 month!

A CHANCE TO WIN GREAT BOOKS AND GREAT TIPS! 

Just a reminder that the "Comments Contest" on Writermorphosis runs from June 1st -August 1st this Summer!  Any relevant to the post comment that you write in any (aka every) post enters your name in the contest to win one of 3 great books written by this summer's featured author interviewees!  Each book will contain a writing tip from that book's author.

So, the more posts that you make comments on the more times your name will be in the jar, which will increase your chances of winning in the drawing.  

Yes - it's ok to go back and read the June and July ones and comment on those too. We won't count up the comments and select winners until the last day of August, 2013!

Huge thanks to those who are continuing to enter as the summer goes along!  Good luck to all!

- Janelle