Articles & Resources:

10 Tips for Querying an Agent by Chuck Sambuchino from Writer's Digest. Peek: "If you have an automatic spam filter, turn it off. If you're lucky enough to garner a reply from an agent interested in your work, the last thing they want to deal with is a spam filter requiring them to prove their existence."

Agent Advice: Lilly Ghahremani of Full Circle Literary from The Guide to Literary Agent's Editor's Blog. Peek: "I would love to do some children's, YA, or middle-grade books about the Middle East. Multicultural books are appearing about a variety of ethnicities, but I'm not seeing them about Middle Easterners as much as I'd hoped." Source: Alice's CWIM Blog. Alice notes, "Ghahremani is interested in children's, YA, or middle-grade books about the Middle East, as well as graphic novels."

Agent Interview: Elana Roth of Caren Johnson Literary from Alice Pope at Alice's CWIM Blog.

Agent Jennifer Mattson on Magic Realism from The Spectacle. Peek: "I also think of the magic as being very gentle and often surreal - nothing 'high fantasy' (wizardly bolts, vampires, et cetera) about it."

Agent Query: agent research resource.

Already Have Publisher Interest? from Bookends LCC -- A Literary Agency. Peek: "Most agents will jump on the opportunity to consider a proposal that is currently under consideration with a major house. Be wary though because..."

Art of the Agent Search from Pub Rants: A Very Nice Literary Agent Indulges in Polite Rants about Queries, Writers, and the Publishing Industry. Peek: "Here a few tips on some things that will hinder your agent search."

Association of Artists' Representatives: "a not-for-profit organization of independent literary and dramatic agents." See Frequently Asked Author Questions.

Authors Talk About Agents in a week-long discussion led by Kelly Bingham at Through the Tollbooth. Note: begins at linked page and continues. Peek: "In many publishing houses, there is no more slush pile. “Not accepting unsolicited submissions at this time” has become the mainstay. Where does that leave us writers? In many cases, writers seek out agents."

Children's Book Agents and Artist's Representatives: A Guide from Harold Underdown. Note: includes Finding and Choosing Literary Agents; Resources Listing Literary Agents and Artists Representatives; and three case studies: Firebrand Literary; Writers House; and [Name Withheld].

Crowe's Nest: An Agent and Her List Discuss Children's Books, Publishing and Beyond from Sara Crowe.

Curtis Brown Guest Blogger [Tracy Marchini] talks PBs in the Slush from Kidlit Central News.

Divorcing Your Agent from BookEnds, LLC--A Literary Agency. Here's a sneak peek: "...while I know it's incredibly stressful for an author to suddenly go agentless again, I think that you need to make the decision to fire your first agent before querying others."

Don't Get Caught Up in the Rush from Nathan Bransford from Curtis Brown. Peek: "...twice in the past month authors have come back to me after an unsuccessful submission with the unrevised manuscript, wishing they had taken the time to revise. But at that point I can't really help them — it's already been seen at the major houses."

Exclusives and Literary Agents from Nathan Bransford, Literary Agent. Peek: "I'm going to break down my thoughts on exclusives based on the different stages when they might arise and give you some dos and don'ts along the way..." See also Unagented Revisions.

"From the Mixed-up Files of Agent Manners--age and writing" by Jennifer Jackson at Et in arcaedia, ego. Peek: "Age is unlikely to get you noticed. Brilliant writing and marketable concepts will. If you don't mention your age in an inquiry, it's unlikely an agent will ascribe any weight to such a statistic." See also "Multiple Offers of Representation." Peek: "...do keep in mind that the object here is not to play the agents off each other but to find the best match for yourself as author."

Get Ready — For A Literary Agent from Tami Lewis Brown at Through the Tollbooth. Peek: "The time to find a literary agent is when you are ready. That sounds so simple. It seems to go without saying. But nearly every failed agent/client relationship can be traced to that simple cause--the writer wasn't ready to sign with an agent. Any agent." See also The Myth of Querying Widely, Going on an Agent Hunt, and More Questions for Your Agent to Be or Not To Be

Guest Blogger: Jennifer Hubbard On Going From Blog Reader to (soon to be) Published Author from Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent. Peek: "Not that there's so much mystery involved. I signed with Nathan not as a result of knowing any magic words or secret handshakes, not as a result of being related to him, and not as a result of cocktail-party schmoozing. (As if I've ever been to a cocktail party in my life.) If I knew any magic words, I would tell you. Or sell them at an entirely reasonable price."

Guide to Literary Agents: find out more about a specific agent.

How (and When) to Follow-Up with Agents and/or Editors from Tracy Marchini at My VerboCity. Peek: "Sometimes, it seems that writers are over-anxious in their follow-up methods after submitting to an agent or editor. Here's some basic guidelines to make sure your follow-up is professional and effective."

How Much to Tell [a Prospective Agent] from Bookends, LLC.

How To Find a Literary Agent by Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown. Peek: "...in today's publishing clime it's just not enough to have written a good book. Treat this business seriously, because it is a business."

How to Find an Agent by fantasy author Cinda Williams Chima (PDF file).

How To Fire Your Agent from Fiction Writer's Connection. See also the Tips Sheets on revising, pre-writing, attending conferences, contracting with an agent, finding and working with an agent, manuscript formatting, novel writing, query letter writing, submissions, writing a novel synopsis and more.

"I Want a Divorce" from Allison Winn Scotch at Ask Allison. Peek: "I am a divorcee. This will come as news, however, to my husband. No, really, I have divorced an agent, and like many divorcees (both from their agents and their spouses), I am so much the better for it. So I do speak from experience here."

Literary Estate Representation by Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown.

Marvelous Marketer - Sarah Davies (Greenhouse Literary) from Shelli at Market My Words: Marketing Advice for Authors/Illustrators from a Marketing Consultant & Aspiring Children's Book Author. Peek: "On one hand, it is an agent’s job to fight for their author. Yet, on the other hand, I think there are times when an agent has to manage their author's expectations. There will never be limitless funds available to promote every book in the way every author hopes (there is probably a finite overall budget for the whole list and whole year, laid down in advance, to be sliced up by the marketing director)."

"The Mood I'm In" by Jessica from BookEnds, LCC-A Literary Agency. Peek: "The truth is that you never know the mood of the agent you’re pitching to or what is happening in her personal life that might affect the choices she’s making. In fact, in a lot of ways you don’t know what’s happening in her professional life that affects the choices she’s making."

More Story, Less You from Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent. Peek: "I know you'll find all over the Internet that writing qualifications are important. They definitely are if you're writing nonfiction. But for novels: not so much. Honestly."

On to the Agent!: an interview with agent Erin Murphy from the Class of 2k8. Peek: "If we're uncertain which direction to go with revisions, we might test the waters with just one to three editors to start with, so we can try a different version if needed."

Publishers Marketplace: “Track Deals, Sales, Reviews, Agents, Editors, News — and Get Lunch Deluxe Every Day.”

Query Critiques from Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent. Nathan analyzes samples from volunteers. Peek: "It's so important not just to present the heart of your work, but also to give a sense that your writing is up to the challenge."

Querying an Agency, Not Just an Agent from Bookends LCC. Peek: "...it continues to amaze me how many of you will query all three of us at once or query us one at a time as the rejections come in."

The Query Points System and Rule Breaking from Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent.

Query Shark: " You can send a query letter to the Shark. It might get posted and critiqued. It might not. You'll know either way. You can send a revised query letter after the critique. It will be posted and critiqued as well." 

QueryTracker.net: agent research and query management resource.

Query Stats by Word Count from Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent. Peek: "Anything shorter than 250 usually (but not always) seems too short and anything longer than 350 usually (but not always) seems too long."

Rants and Ramblings on Life as a Literary Agent from Rachelle Gardner. Peek: "In all genres, I'm looking for books that express a Christian worldview. In some books, particularly non-fiction, the message will be overt, while in others (especially fiction) the Christian message should be subtly woven through, not in-your-face." Note: In youth literature, she seeks YA only (not middle grade or picture books). See also: Literary Agents Who Represent Christian Authors from Mike Hyatt, president and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Reading Queries by Agent Kristin at Pub Rants. Peek: "...the glaze factor can hit SF&F queries harder as I find writers will often ramble about world building in their queries. Short, succinct, and well done should be your mantra."

The Rejecter: blog from an anonymous assistant at a literary agency. "I don't hate you. I just hate your query letter."

Requesting Partials: You've Got 30 Pages, Pal! by Nathan Bransford – Literary Agent.

Revision from the Agent's Perspective by Sara Crowe from Crowe's Nest. Peek: "If the author is deciding between a few different ideas for a next book it can be helpful to have me look at drafts of chapters and synopses to try to help figure out what idea to develop first. I always tell my clients to send material to me when my feedback will be useful, and I think that point is different for each writer."

The Safest Way to Search for an Agent by Victoria Strauss from SFF Net. Peek: "Too many agents engage in abuses--charging up-front fees, participating in kickback referral schemes, urging writers to pay for expensive editing services--for you to assume that every agent who expresses interest in your manuscript is reputable."

Tips for You from Agents Linda Pratt of Sheldon Fogelman Agency, Jennifer DiChiara of The Jennifer DiChiara Literary Agency and Tina Wexler of ICM from Colleen Ryckert Cook at Kidlit Central. Peek from Tina: "When it comes to author branding or building an identity, you must identify your focus: are you reaching future readers? Teachers and librarians? Other writers? As for blogs, always be aware of potential readers and keep content appropriate."

Triple the Query Critique, Triple the Fun: agent Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown looks at query letters for three YA fantasies and chimes in on what works, what doesn't, and why.

Upsetting the Author-Agent Relationship from Bookend LCC - A Literary Agency. Peek: "If you enter a contest and an editor requests your work or if you are a nonfiction author who has been approached by an editor, go ahead and send the material. Otherwise, if you really want an agent, it might be wise to hold off."

We Ask An Agent: Edward Necarsulmer IV, McIntosh & Otis, Inc. from Sara Crowe at Crowe's Nest. Peek: "The agent should really have the name or names of editors who they think might be a fit for the project popping into his or her brain as they read. This is usually the big sign for me that an author and I may be a match."

When To Cut Ties with Your Agent by Jessica at BookEnds, LCC. Peek: "...in at least a couple of instances I felt like the client was really, truly, for the first time telling me what she wanted, when she fired me." See also Why Do You Seek Publication?

Why I Don't Have an Agent or Doing the Math by author Barbara Kanninen.

Why I Love My Agent by Jenny Han at The Longstockings. Peek: "The first person to really impress upon me the importance of this was Sarah Weeks, our old writing teacher from New School. She told me that it was vital that I have an agent before stepping into the big bad publishing world."

Working with An Agent by Sara Crowe at Crowe's Nest. Peek: "Once you have your dream agent, there are some basic rules for maintaining a healthy author-agent relationship."

Working with an Agent (I Think) from Bookends, LCC - A Literary Agency. Peek: "...did this agent offer representation somewhere along the way and the author forgot?"

Writer Beware from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Offers alerts to writers on unscrupulous types and related information.

Individual Agents, a Partial Listing:

Adams Literary: "a full-service literary agency exclusively representing children's book authors and artists."

Agent Interview: Michelle Humphrey from Sterling Lord from Denise Jaden. Peek: "I'm looking for YA (contemporary, historical, romance, quirky – not really genre fantasy, but I'm open to fantasy elements)--anything with a distinct voice. I am especially fond of subversive heroines--characters who break the rules and aren't afraid to set themselves apart from the crowd."

Agent Interview: Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary Agency by Tami Lewis Brown from Through the Tollbooth.

An Interview with Agent Stephen Barbara of the Donald Maas Agency by Lisa Graff from The Longstockings.

Andrea Brown Literary Agency: official site.

Bookstop Literary Agency: official website.

Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown at MySpace.

The World Doesn't Need Another Rhyming Tooth Fairy Story: A Conversation with Agent Andrea Brown by Anna Olswanger from The Purple Crayon.

Interview with Andrea Cascardi of Transatlantic Literary Agency by Nancy Sondel of the Pacific Coast Children's Writers Workshop.

Interview with agent Jamie Weiss Chilton of Andrea Brown Literary Agency from Uma Krishnaswami.

Interview with Literary Agent Jill Cochran by Bethany Hegedus from Hunger Mountain.

Interview with Literary Agent Mark McVeigh by Kekla Magoon from Hunger Mountain.

Sara Crowe Literary Agent: new official site features client list, news, and blog. Peek: "I am always looking for young adult fiction and middle grade fiction for my children's list. I represent a few wonderful picture book writers and am not looking to add to that list at this time. I am open to hearing from author/illustrators."

Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency: official Web site.

Interview with Jennifer DeChiara by Tina Morgan from Fiction Factor.

Barry Goldblatt Literary: official website.

Barry Goldblatt via Barry Goldblatt Literary's blog.

Kirchoff/Wohlberg Literary Agency: established in the early 1980s. Represents children's book authors and author/illustrators to trade publishers.

Harvey Klinger Agency: official website. Specializes in adult and YA titles.

Interview with Ginger Knowlton from K.L. Going.

Donald Maass Literary Agency: official site. Don't miss What We're Looking for This Month.

Workshop Transcript: Working With An Agent With Steven Malk from author Verla Kay.

"Do I Need an Agent and How Will I Know If I Do?": a chat with Sharene Martin, co-founder of the Wylie-Merrick Literary Agency from the Institute of Children's Literature. See also Wylie-Merrick Literary Agency. See related cynsational thoughts.

The McVeigh Agency: a boutique literary agency handling writers, illustrators, photographers, and graphic novelists for both the adult and children’s markets.

Michael Stearns Starts a New Agency, Upstart Crow Literary... from Alice Pope at Alice's CWIM Blog. Peek: "Michael will be joined at Upstart Crow by two other former Firebrand agents, Chris Richman and Danielle Chiotti."

A Conversation With Literary Agent Erin Murphy from Olswanger.com.

Interview with literary agent Erin Murphy by Pam Mingle from Kite Tales, the newsletter of the SCBWI Rocky Mountain Chapter.

CYN NOTE: editor Sharyn November offers links to several agents and literary agencies as well as related resource information (scroll to read).

Pippin Properties: official agency site with history, client list, etc.

Agent Jennifer Rofe of Andrea Brown Literary Agency from Kidlit Central News.

Sarah's Blog from Greenhouse Literary Agency. Peek: "Greenhouse is a new literary agency with a difference. We exclusively represent and manage the careers of authors writing fiction for children, from first readers through middle grade to sophisticated teen fiction."

See also New Agent Interview: Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary from Alice Pope at Alice's CWIM Blog.

An Interview with Agent Rosemary Stimola by Siobhan Vivian from The Longstockings

Stimola Literary Studio: official agency site.

"Authors Need Someone On Their Side": A Conversation with Ann Tobias from The Purple Crayon.

Interview with Scott Treimel from Alma Fullerton.

Anna Webman of Curtis Brown at MySpace.

10 Things I Hate About Your Web Portfolio from Editorial Anonymous. Peek: "If you can do people, show me that. If you can't--if your proportions are always a bit off and you can't get a 3/4 profile right and you can't figure out why your children just look like short adults, then for the love of mike, don't do people."

Manuscript Formatting for Beginners by Kent Brewster from Speculations: For Writers Who Want to be Read.

"Picture Book Manuscripts and Illustrations" by Harold Underdown from The Purple Crayon. An excellent Q&A article covering commonly asked questions about picture book submissions. Topics include: connecting with an illustrator, illustration notes, visual references, package submissions, and authors who themselves are also professional illustrators.

Some Thoughts on Book Design from Alvina Ling at Blue Rose Girls. Peek: "Personally, I trust our designers and their vision, and love working with them on cover designs. In some cases, I have an idea of what I want the cover to look like, but oftentimes I'll wait and see what the designer comes up with first so as not to taint their creativity."

A 2k9 interview with Molly O'Neal of HarperCollins. Peek: "I really respond to books with a strong sense of place, where setting is woven into every part of the book--books where I feel like I'm stepping not just into a story, but a whole world, where the setting is far more than the just a static backdrop, but is as active a part of the story as the characters and plot."

About the Editors: editors and guidelines from Dutton Children's Books. Find out who's looking for what!

A Day in the Life of An Editor by Alvina Ling at Blue Rose Girls. Peek: "If I’m not in a meeting, I'm mainly either responding to emails (including responding to authors and agents about submissions) or reviewing various materials in my inbox that are circulating, such as picture book mechanicals, proof, marketing materials, and so on."

"All Answers are Yes" from Editorial Anonymous. [On pre-contract revisions,] Peek: "This is also a test: the good writers are the ones who are good at rewriting. Some people are only good at first drafts, or terrible at using feedback effectively, and I'd like to know that about someone before I commit to working with them for months/years and spending many thousands of dollars on their project."

Ask the Anonymous Editor: a chat transcript from the Institute of Children's Literature. Peek: "So while your worry that people are going to annoyed by your non-standard envelope is justified, it's also unnecessary. Never mind about that crap. Just write something really, really good."

Author-Editor Andrea Pinkney: an article and interview by Don Tate in conjunction with 28 Days Later 2009: A Black History Month Celebration of Children's Literature from The Brown Bookshelf. Peek: "One of the most refreshing changes I've seen in recent years is the blending of genres — the pushing past the hard-and-fast lines of specific publishing categories."

Author-Editor Dialogs from CBC Magazine include: Tracy Mack and Brian Selznick; Christopher Paul Curtis and Wendy Lamb; Kevin Henkes and Susan Hirschman; Katherine Paterson and Virginia Buckley; Karen Cushman and Dinah Stevenson; Virginia Duncan and Naomi Shihab Nye.

Bunny Eat Bunny: The diaspora website of Bowen Press.

An Interview with Candlewick Editor Jen Yoon by Brian Yansky from Crowe's Nest. Peek: "The one quality that draws me into a manuscript is voice. That trumps everything else for me."

Backinprint.com Reprints Out-of-Print Titles by Guild Members from the Authors Guild. Peek: "The Guild's Backinprint.com service makes out-of-print works available through online bookstores and the nation's largest book wholesaler. There is no charge for members to participate, for most titles."

Cheryl Klein: official site of the senior editor at Arthur A. Levine Books. Includes a number of "talks on writing and publishing," "on submissions and about me," and more.

Children's Book Council Members List from CBC. "Membership is open to U.S. publishers of trade books for children and young adults and companies that produce related literacy materials for young people. The CBC Members List includes each member's address, main phone number, representatives of record, publishing program description, and general manuscript submissions guidelines (when provided)."

Children's Book Publishers: a list of members with links to available Web sites from the Children's Book Council.

Children's Writer: Newsletter of Writing And Publishing Trends.

Cinco Puntos Press: a new blog in celebration of an independent publisher with roots on the U.S./Mexico border.

Margery Cuyler's Web site: official author/editor site.

Donna Bray, co-Publisher at Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins, on Title Changes from Agent Kristin at Pub Rants. Peek: "I have in the past stood up for a title that sales was unsure of--some felt, for instance, that We Are The Ship by Kadir Nelson was not obvious enough, even with the subtitle 'The Story of Negro League Baseball.' Every day, editors and publishers do support the vision and instincts of the creative people we work with–-and we bump up regularly against the demands of the marketplace, which presents more and greater challenges daily."

Editorial Anonymous: The Blog of a Children's Book Editor. Source unknown, obviously. Note: the posts to date are entertaining and helpful at dispelling beginning writer myths and insecurities.

Editor/Author Interview with Jill Santopolo from Holly at Crowe's Nest. Peek: "High quality writing is the most important thing to me. I love working on well-written, well-crafted books. And then the second most important thing is a cool concept—something different and fresh and unique. I always like books that project a feeling of empowerment."

Editors Speak: an extensive archive of interviews with children's magazine editors from Kid Magazine Writers Market Guide.

"Hellooooo? Anyone there????" by author-editor Lisa Graff at The Longstockings. Peek: "What is the proper protocol when you query an editor, they request the manuscript, months go by, you send a status, and still more months go by? Do you chalk it up or still hold out hope? Do you try and contact that editor again? I have this same problem with the same manuscript with at least four different publishers. Any suggestions?"

How (and When) to Follow-Up with Agents and/or Editors from Tracy Marchini at My VerboCity. Peek: "Sometimes, it seems that writers are over-anxious in their follow-up methods after submitting to an agent or editor. Here's some basic guidelines to make sure your follow-up is professional and effective."

How can I become a children's book editor? from Editorial Anonymous. Peek: "People who are a good fit for the job have been reading a lot of children's books (and a lot of different kinds of children's books), and have a lot to say about them."

How Do I Find an Editor's Name for Submission? from Darcy Pattison's Revision Notes. Peek: "You mention that is important to list the name of the submissions editor; however, I am finding this piece of information extremely hard to find."

Interview with author-publisher Icy Smith of East West Discovery Press by Marjorie Coughlan. "We are an independent publisher specializing in multicultural and bilingual children's books with a mission of promoting history, culture, and social justice."

Interview with Flux Editor Brian Farrey from Karen Screk at Crowe's Nest. Peek: "You can learn from writers whose material you don’t care for just as much as you can from writers whose material you adore. Know what’s out there. It’s very, very easy for me to spot a submission written by someone who hasn't read a contemporary YA novel. Ever."

Lisa Graff: "Where can you find thoughts about children's books, the publishing industry, and Lisa's totally wacky six-month long beauty experiment all in one place? (Hint: Right here.)" Lisa describes herself as "writer, a children's book editor, and an all-around lover of good books."

Lobster Press: new blog from the "award-winning publisher of books for children, teens, tweens, and families."

The Growing and Changing Christian Magazine and Book Markets with Terry Whalin: a chatlog from The Institute of Children's Literature.

The Heroic Journey of the Requested Manuscript from Editorial Anonymous. Peek: "Sometimes I fantasize about taking time out of my day to sit comfortably with my reading and a cup of coffee and give everything the time and consideration it deserves. And then I roll my eyes or snort or laugh a little hysterically (depending on my current emotional stability) and get back to answering emails.

How Do Book Auctions Work? by Little Brown editor Alvina Ling at Blue Rose Girls. Peek: "In my experience, there are two main ways an agent will conduct an auction. Prior to the auction, the agent will generally send out an email outlining the rules of the auction. Sometimes this will include a request for a marketing plan. In general, the two types of auctions are Rounds, and the other is Best Offer."

How Important Is Your Book, or, Top Ten Ways to Blow a Book Deal #4 from Editorial Ass. Peek: "It is unforgivable to ever tell someone (or their boss) that you're too important to be working with them, or to imply the same."

Interview with Deborah Brodie from Alice's CWIM Blog.

Interview with Ben Schrank of Razorbill from Alice's CWIM Blog.

 

Interview with Julie Romeis by Nancy Sondel of the Pacific Coast Children's Writers Workshop.

Interview with Liz Waniewski by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen.

Kidlit Junkie Tells All! From the bio: "I'm an Editorial Assistant at a Big Name Publishing House. I blog about children's books, events, and publishing in general. I'm happy to answer questions."

Living Is Optimism from Editorial Anonymous. Peek: "If I told someone I would get back to them in three months, my brain/work-style would categorize that task as too far in the future to keep track of, and forget about it entirely. If I told someone I would do something in three months, it would not happen."

Meet Three Amazing Editors from the Class of 2k9. Interviews with Anica Rissi of Simon Pulse, Madeline Smoot of CBAY Books, and Miriam Hees of Blooming Tree Press. Peek from Anica: "I am a sucker for quirky or dark humor, smart writing, compelling storytelling, and characters that I can’t get out of my head."

My favorite book is out-of-print! from Brian Unbound at School Library Journal. Peek: "Marshall Cavendish has announced a new line of books, Marshall Cavendish Classics, that will 'bring a select number of out-of-print titles from all publishers back into print. We are interested in titles that have received awards, have enjoyed starred reviews, or have with stood the test of time in story hour.'"

MTV Books Blog: a blog for readers and authors of MTV Books.

National Awards Listing from CLSCYALR.

Interview with Editor Meghan Nolan from Lobster Press. Peek: "In this interview, Nolan shares her thoughts on writing children's books and the kind of manuscripts and characters that excite her. Authors interested in submitting manuscripts to Lobster Press can find more information on the Lobster website."

Notes from Uncle Albert: the blog of Albert Whitman & Company, "an independent publisher of children's books in the Chicago area for more than 85 years."

Preparing for Critique Sessions from Editorial Anonymous. Peek [from Questions Not to Ask]: "'Why is getting published so hard?' (No matter how sympathetic the editor seems, don't start whining to her. Be professional, cheerful, and accepting of critique. We meet a broad spectrum of people at conferences, and these qualities usually mark the people who have a chance at making it in the industry.)"

Protocol: When An Agent Offers to Represent You from Rachelle Gardener from Rants & Ramblings on Life as a Literary Agent. Peek: "Then say something like, 'I wanted to let you know that I’ve received an offer of representation from a literary agent. Would you like a chance to respond to my proposal before I finalize the arrangement with the other agent?'"

Publishers Council of Canada: official website.

Putnam Editor Stacey Barney Talks to Us: an interview by author Heidi R. Kling at Crowe's Nest.

Inside Look At Cricket Magazine Group and Cricket Books with Paula Morrow: an ICL chatlog.

Ten Block Walk: a new blog from HarperCollins editor Molly O'Neil. Peek: "...young adult literature's greatness comes from a place that is often just as aesthetically and technically brilliant, but also far more emotional, I think. And perhaps this is why I love it far more than the many Great Works of Literature I read in college."

Tor.com: a publisher site for news and discussion of science fiction, fantasy, and all the things that interest science fiction and fantasy readers.

Unabridged: an official publisher blog from Charlesbridge.

Young Adult Book Editor Sharyn November: official personal/professional Web site.

We Ask An Editor: Emily Schultz, Disney-Hyperion by Megan Frazer from Crowe's Nest. Peek: "I often reread my letters and think, ‘Thank God she didn't agree with me on that one.’ I write really long editorial letters with plenty of suggestions, but my real aim is to show authors potential in their stories they might not have realized. Sometimes they're good ideas in themselves. But usually it's the back-and-forth that propels the evolution of a story."

Working With Editors With Cheryl Zach: an ICL chatlog.

What Do Literary Agents Do? by Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent. Peek: "An agent will carefully select the best editors to consider a particular project, but at the end of the day an agent never quite knows who is going to respond the strongest to a particularly project." See also Nathan on Submitting to Editors Without An Agent and Queries from Previously Published Authors.

"What Editors Wish Writers Knew...and Would Do:" a chat with a "mystery children's book editor" from the Institute of Children's Literature.

What I Like by Alvina Ling, an editor at Little, Brown, from Bloomabilities.

Who's Moving Where? Editorial Staff Changes At Children's Book Publishers from Harold Underdown. Your cheat-sheet to the musical chairs that is children's editorial.

Writer Beware from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Offers alerts to writers on unscrupulous types and related information.

Writing Extraordinary Queries by Tabitha Olson at Writer Musings. Peek: "While we’re on the subject of e-queries, never never never send a query to multiple recipients. Copy and paste each query into a new email, addressed to one specific person, with the word 'query' in the subject line."

CYN note: Surf over to Barbara Odanaka's site, Skateboardmom.com, which features interviews with Andrea Davis Pinkney, Wendy Lamb, Allyn Johnston and more. See also: Getting to Know Deborah Brodie from Skateboardmom.com.

CAUTION: editors change jobs more often than other professionals! Check first before sending your manuscript to any editor at a publishing house to make sure he/she is still working there.

Aaron Shepard's Young Authors Page: Writing and Publishing as a Kid from author Aaron Shepard's Web site.

Anastasia Suen offers online classes on a variety of topics, including picture book writing, easy reader writing, writing for the educational market, and children's writer book blogs.

Anatomy of a Writer's Group by Allison Whittenberg at Crowe's Nest. Peek: "If you are thinking of creating your own writers group, here are some guidelines..."

Barbara Seuling’s Manuscript Workshop: intimate, in-home workshop hosted by the author of more than 50 books and former children’s book editor.

Book, Magazine, Organization and Web Resources from The Purple Crayon (for when you need to keep reading, keep learning).

Children’s Authors’ Boot Camp: hosted by Linda Arms White and Laura Backes.

Children's Writing Resource Center presented by Children's Book Insider, The Newsletter for Children's Writers. Both site and sponsoring newsletter are recommended, especially to beginners.

Dean Cathie Mercier on the Simmons MFA program in Writing for Children,

Frequently Asked Questions from the Children's Book Guild of Washington, DC includes advice for beginning writers and illustrators.

Frequently Asked Questions about Children's Writing by Anne LeMieux, David Lubar, and Marilyn Singer for the AOL Children's Writers Chat from Writing-World.com.

Highlights Foundation: workshops for children’s writers and illustrators, hosted by the people behind Boyds Mills Press and Highlights magazine. CYN NOTE: I’ve known past participants and faculty members—all raved.

Institute of Children's Literature: don't be put off by the aggressive marketing and the fact that this is a correspondence course. The program offers first-rate instructors.

Interview: Kent Brown on the Highlights Foundation, the Writers Workshop at Chautauqua, and the Founders Workshops from Cynsations.

Kindling Words: a conference for those of us who aren't beginners (gasp!). Real talk about acceptance speeches, money, marketing and more.

Mentoring: The Writer You Guide Might Be the Future by Tara Yellen at BookSquare. "He instructed us to spend as little energy as possible on the classes that we taught. He told us to keep time with our students to an absolute minimum. 'Teaching, critiquing, working with them. It’ll suck out your writing soul,' he said."

Professional Critiques: published authors offering for-a-fee critiques of children's/YA manuscripts, from CYALR.

The Purple Crayon: A Children's Book Editor's Site from freelance editor Harold Underdown. The ultimate children's writers and illustrators site. Teaches most of what you what to know starting out and then offers to quiz you about it. Articles on variety of subjects appeal to more established writers. Includes information about writing, promotion, publishing and more. Especially see: The How Do I Get Published? Quiz.

Harold Underdown on THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO PUBLISHING CHILDREN'S BOOKS

Smart Writers: "for everyone who reads, writes, or teaches literature for kids."

Writers Workshop at Chautauqua from the Highlights Foundation. Never been but folks seem to rave about this one.

Dean Mary Rockcastle on the Hamline University Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults.

Rutgers One-on-One: "A Unique Program for Authors and Illustrators of Children's Books Sponsored by the Rutgers University Council on Children's Literature."

Teaching Authors: Six Children's Authors Who Also Teach Writing (April Halprin Wayland; Carmela Martino; Esther Hershenhorn; Jeanne Marie Grunwell Ford; JoAnn Early Macken; Mary Ann Rodman). Peek: "Here, we will share our unique perspective as writing teachers who are also working writers. While part of our goal is to discuss what we've learned about writing and the teaching of writing, we also hope to accomplish something here that we can't do on our websites: facilitate conversations between writers, teachers, and librarians about the subjects we love best--writing, teaching writing, and reading."

Writing Retreats by Mary Atkinson from Crowe's Nest. Peek: "Settling in is a necessary part of going on retreat. It might take you an hour; it might take you three days. Either way, it's got to be done. One of the fastest ways I've found to settle in to a new retreat space is to unpack my suitcase and then take a nap."

CYN note: The following institutions offer MFA degrees in writing for children and/or young adults: Chatham College; Hamline; Hollins; Lesley University; Seton Hill; Simmons College; Spaulding University; Vermont College of Fine Arts; Western Connecticut State University.

Cyn Note: Based on my personal experiences with critiques by Uma Krishnaswami, her online class (see link) is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The Evolution of Identity (for illustrators) from Elizabeth O. Dulemba. Peek: "Coming from a graphic design background (as I did), I used to think the opposite. 'Isn't it good to show you're flexible, that you are capable of many different looks and can help a publisher with different needs?' The answer is no."

How to Be a Children's Book Illustrator: online course (with accompanying blog) from author-illustrator Mark G. Mitchell. Peek: "Comprehensive, illustrated lessons come in PDF sessions that you can download and save. Monthly online group calls with teacher Mark Mitchell provide a valuable (but still fun) interactive component. Students also have 24 hour access to the Children’s Book Illustration Wiggio group site where they can chat with each other and Mark, check messages, review portfolios and share files and links." Webmaster Note: Highly recommended.

How to Make a Storyboard: An Illustrated Tutorial from "Writing with Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children's Books" by Uri Shulevitz from Mighty Art Demos and Tutorials. Peek: "The storyboard gives you a bird's eye view of the whole book: it shows all the pages of the book, greatly reduced, on a single sheet of paper."

25 Tips to Book Promotion and Other Thoughts from Gentle's Holler.

Author Websites from Nathan Bransford -- Literary Agent. Peek: "...definitely don't forget that professional part, and that goes for every single thing you post online, whether it's a blog, blog comment, or Twitter."

Avoiding Burnout from Shrinking Violet Promotions. Peek: "The act of writing, while it may be horrendously difficult sometimes, fills some deep, creative need within us. This is a gift we've been given in this life, and we need to cherish that and nurture that. And that often means striking some kind of devil's bargain with Publishing. Because the very last thing we want to happen is for Publishing to destroy our love of Writing. And it can happen."

Blog Book Tours by Elizabeth O. Dulemba. Note: previously published in the September-October 2007 SCBWI Bulletin. Here's a sneak peek: "Blog book tours are suddenly quite popular as a quick, inexpensive way for famous (or not so famous) authors to get the word out about their new releases to an exponentially growing audience.”

Blue Slip Media: new publicity-and-marketing agency, specializing in youth literature. Peek: "In a business climate where publicity and marketing resources at major publishing houses are stretched thin, we offer expertise in crafting effective press releases, targeted mailing lists, niche and local market outreach, and event planning to create comprehensive campaigns for print and online media."

The Book Roast: a free promotional site for authors dedicated to celebrating great books. "Our mission is to help publicize books of all genres, printed by publishers of all sizes (excluding self-published and pornography). We serve up a variety of authors and books lightly grilled and seasoned with humor. The interactive and party spirit on our site helps set us apart."

Building Your Mailing List -- Data Mining for Authors by Saundra Mitchell at Crowe's Nest. Peek: "Sure, there's all kinds of information on the web, but some sites are more accurate than others. Weigh your sources when you search for information- a dated government website listing all the libraries in your region is probably more accurate than an undated Geocities website made by an unknown author."

Building Your Own Press Kit by Saundra Mitchell at Crowe's Nest. Peek: "A press kit provides basic biographical information and information about your work, in an easily accessible kit for reviewers and journalists."

Children’s & YA Lit Blog Book Tour Hosts from Blog Central.

Children’s & YA Lit Blog Reviewers from Blog Central.

Bookseller Insights: Elizabeth Bluemle on Promotional Bookmarks and Postcards.

The Cookie Theory: Author's Secret Weapon or Crummy Mess: from pixie stix kids pix: Thoughts, Observations, and Ideas About Children's Books. An article about the "(sometimes tricky) relationship between booksellers and authors."

Creating an Author Identity by Colleen Ryckert Cook from Kidlit Central News.

Curious City: an excellent supplier of books for school/author events nation-wide.

 

Cynthia Hughes Literary Management offers publicity coordination and consultation to authors, publishers, and event planners.

Good Books Need Good Marketers: A Conversation With Publicity/Promotions Manager Donna Spurlock by Anna Olswanger from The Purple Crayon.

How I create digital book trailers by Naomi Bates at YA Books and More: Reviews and digital media of current young adult books and more.

How to Build a Marketing Platform by Christina Katz from Writer's Digest. Peek: "A strong platform includes things like a Web presence, classes you teach, media contacts you've established, articles you've published, public speaking services you offer and any other means you currently have for making your name (and your future works) known to your readership."

How to Launch a Book Virtually: Q&A with Grace Lin from Mitali Perkins at Mitali's Fire Escape. Peek: "The easiest thing to do was to start a Facebook Fan Page. Once I found the links on how to do it on Facebook, it was a breeze. And it's been a great way to keep in contact with fans."

How to Throw at Book Launch Party by Cynthia Leitich Smith from Create/Relate.

An Interview with a Real Live Publicist: Random House's Kathy Dunn from Mary Hershey at Shrinking Violet Promotions. Note: a discussion of to-dos, dos, and don't for authors.

Interview with Jason Wells (part 1 of 2) from Just One More Book! Note: "Mark speaks with Jason Wells, Director of Marketing and Publicity for Harry N. Abrams Inc. in the first of a two-part series. In this part, Mark and Jason speak about the role and career path of the publicist, the high turnover rate in the industry and the evolution of book marketing and publicity in the digital age."

In the Book Reviewer Hot Seat: a series of red-hot reviewer interviews from the Class of 2k8.

Making your Bookmarks by Kristina Springer at Author2Author. Peek: "First, you need a snazzy design. If you're photoshop savvy, this will be easy for you. You just need to create a bookmark that includes your cover, some book info or a tease about your book, release date, ISBN, your website URL (and e-mail if you'd like), and don't forget to put what age your book is for!"

Marketing Task Recap from Robin LaFevers at Shrinking Violet Promotions. Peek: "We thought that it might be helpful to post a checklist of all the marketing tasks we've referred to over the last few months in one place, so you wouldn't have to hunt and peck to produce a To Do List of your own."

Marvelous Marketer - Elizabeth Dulemba (Illustrator/Author) from Shelli at Market My Words: Marketing Advice for Authors/Illustrators from a Marketing Consultant & Aspiring Children's Book Author. Peek: "It's the old 'see it seven times' rule of advertising. People generally don't notice an ad until they've seen it at least seven times. In other words, the more you and your name are out there, the more likely your work will stick in people's minds."

Marvelous Marketer: Anastasia Goodstein, editor-in-chief of Ypulse from Shelli at Market My Words: Marketing Advice for Authors/Illustrators from a Marketing Consultant & Aspiring Children's Book Author. Peek: "One thing we as writers know how to do that other folks trying to market products sometimes don't is writing. Blogs and other websites love good, free content. Guest post, offer to write newsletter articles, etc. and make sure your book is mentioned and/or integrated in some way (include the cover!). Work with your publicist to be able to do book giveaways combined with Q&As for blogs."

Marvelous Marketer: Children's Book Editor Martha Mihalick (Greenwillow Books) from Shelli at Market My Words. Peek: "...blogging or being active on Facebook or Twitter puts you in the public eye. Anyone can see what you write, so don’t forget that as you post—be aware that you are presenting yourself to potential readers, critics, editors, agents, and fellow writers."

"Meeting" the Author by Melissa Stewart from I.N.K. Interesting Nonfiction for Kids. Peek: "Seeing someone on screen isn't quite as powerful as a live visit, but videos are a great option for schools that lack the time, resources, or funding to bring in authors and illustrators. They're also a great way for any school to increase their students' exposure to book creators."

Michelle Moran on How to Promote Your Book from Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent. Peek: "Like galley covers, not all galley print-runs are equal. A lead title might have anywhere from a thousand to ten thousand galleys printed up for every type of reviewer imaginable, while most other novels will have between a hundred and two hundred." Don't miss part two.

Namastechnology: Asana: Twitter: "This new monthly column aims to bring bookselling and technology into greater balance with one another and is written by Stephanie Anderson, manager of WORD bookstore in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, N.Y. You can read more of her thoughts on books and bookselling at bookavore.com." Another peek: "You'll feel almost instantly how good Twitter is for you. There are dozens upon dozens of booksellers, sales reps, publishers, reviewers and authors on Twitter. You know that sort of glow-y buzz you get after a bookseller convention, when you feel like your mind is expanding and you've met some cool new people and you have the greatest job in the world? That's what Twitter can be like."

On Blogging: Tips for Newbies: an interview with Mitali Perkins by Taylor Rogers, Publicity Assistant at Charlesbridge, at Mitali’s Fire Escape.

Predicting Success by Robin LaFevers from Shrinking Violet Promotions. Peek: "It turns out that creative success is a very elusive beast, and that it often has less to do with quality and more to do with reaching a certain tipping point in terms of generating buzz and getting talked about."

Promoting Your Novel: How To Make a Book Trailer by romance novelist Brenda Coulter from No rules. Just write.

Publicist Interview: Jennifer Taber of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt from Shrinking Violet Promotions. Peek: "Authors can do themselves a great service by educating themselves about the current state of publishing and by communicating with their publicist about plans and goals."

"Publicity Packages for Smaller Presses by Rose Fox from Publishers Weekly. Peek: "...be very, very wary when comparing an author to other authors or a book to other books. I've lost count of the authors who have been proclaimed 'the next Tolkien' or 'the next Robert Jordan'." Source: Sherwood Smith. Note: Great article (for authors as well)!

Raab Associates: marketing, consulting, publicity; includes a number of related articles.

The Reviewer's Slush Pile by Sue Corbett, Children's Book Reviewer of Miami Herald/Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire from Cynthia Leitich Smith Children's Literature Resources. Online article about how to get books reviewed by newspapers.

Saying Yes to Possibility: The Art & Craft of Self-Promotion by Saundra Mitchell at Crowe's Nest. Peek: "Unless you're independently wealthy, send postcards to all the libraries in your home state, and again, make sure you write a personal note on each one."

School Visits (and other events) from Cynthia Leitich Smith. Includes preparation, booking agents, and directories.

Self-Promotion and Marketing for the Children's Book Author: A Conversation with John Kremer by Anna Olswanger from The Purple Crayon.

Seven Habits of Highly Effective Marketers by David Poyer; for the adult market but illuminating for children's/YA as well.

Shrinking Violet Promotions: Marketing for Introverts: a blog from authors Mary Hershey and Robin LaFevers.

Social Networking Guilt: Get Over It by Mitali Perkins at Mitali's Fire Escape. Peek: "Creative purists who scoff at social networks as a time-waster need to remember that a writer is only half the dialectic in this business. The other half is made up of readers, and these days young adults make calendaring and purchasing decisions via social networks."

Teacher Guides by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer. Authors, illustrators, and publishers may contact Tracie to order a guide for a specific book.

Tips for Successful Radio Interviews from Lorilyn Bailey of GuestFinder.com.

TMI (or To Blog or not to Blog) by Kristina Springer from Author2Author. Peek: "You most likely wouldn't go up to someone in an office and say hey, guess what my salary is. Right? So don't do it online either."

Twittering Made Simple by Kristi Holl at Writers First Aid. Peek: "Today let's talk about one of the most popular networking sites, Twitter–and how to simplify its use."

VisitingAuthors.com: "one-stop shopping for anyone interested in hosting a children's book author or illustrator." Has a more impressive client roster than many competing services.

We Love Children's Books: Laurina Cashin and Bobbie Combs specialize in promoting children's books. Services include: websites, catalogs and marketing publications, collection development and research, writing and editing, trade shows, workshops and informal presentations. Clients include: authors and illustrators; publishers; education and retail wholesalers; organizations; children's bookstores.

Where's My Book? from Editorial Anonymous. Peek: "Yes, many booksellers like to support local authors. But here's the thing: keeping books on the shelves that do not sell uses valuable real estate for no gain, which in bookseller terms means financial loss."

Wide-Eyed and Curious: Working with Young Children in Groups by Shutta Crum. Some great advice for public speaking. Read A Story Behind The Story With Shutta Crum on SPITTING IMAGE and WHO TOOK MY HAIRY TOE?

You Can't Just Be a Writer Anymore by Tess Gerritsen from Murderati. Peek: "These days, being a writer is no longer just about the books. We can no longer slide by like those 1980's slacker writers and turn in one well-written manuscript every year. Now we have to be novelists, salesmen, speakers, and media personalities."

The Acquisition Process by Harold Underdown from The Purple Crayon, to appear in the 2010 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market. Peek: "Part of the reason why the process can be difficult and time-consuming is simply that it couldn't possibly be more important to publishers. As noted above, this is how publishers build their future, and they want to get it right. So publishers think, and debate, and then think some more."

Attorney Interview: Aimée Bissonette on Law & Publishing from Cynsations.

Blurb Etiquette by Justine Larbalestier.

Book Publishing Glossary from Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent. Note: if you want to succeed in the publishing business, it helps to speak the language.

Book Revenue Breakdown from Nathan Bransford -- Literary Agent. Peek: "....note that this (thankfully) doesn't include rights the agent/author might have reserved, such as audio rights, foreign, and dramatic rights, which can be very important in helping authors earn enough for a new couch to sit on as they frantically write their next book in the hopes of landing the money for a new coffee table."

Book Wire: Inside the Marketplace published by Cahners Business Information.

The Business Side, an e-newsletter, covers the business aspects of the children's publishing industry for the author-illustrator audience. Each issue will contain an article about a business issue like a contract term or phrase and what it means for an author or illustrator. Subscribers are invited to send in general contract or other business questions. Each issue also will feature a market that offers fair contracts. From the editor: "When you subscribe, you'll receive an e-mail confirming that you signed up. Option one in that e-mail takes you to the Yahoo site. Option two is just to click 'reply', then 'send'. That's the faster, easier one. If you do not receive an e-mail from Yahoo confirming your subscription, please try again or contact me." To subscribe: click here.

Candie Moonshower on Dealing with Rejections from Alice's CWIM Blog.

Children’s Media Professionals’ Forum: an online community of media specialists, booksellers, authors, illustrators, agents, educational consultants, publishing industry professionals, and television producers.

Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market E-Newsletter: "sign up to receive a free monthly newsletter featuring news, tips, market information, Q&A and more straight from CWIM to your inbox."

Children's Writers Marketplace from Margaret Shauers (formerly of inkspot.com) at the Children's Writing Resource Center. Especially helpful to magazine writers.

Children's Writers' Submission Guidelines Online: features articles and guidelines for publishers and periodicals.

Coauthor Agreements from BookEnds -- LCC. Peek: "I'm here to tell you right now, this very minute, sit down and get something on paper. You don't need a lawyer to do it, you simply need wording you can both agree to."

Cold Hard Facts About the Writing Life and More Financial Truth by Laurie Halse Anderson from Mad Woman in the Forest. Peek: "...your take-home pay is around $12,5000.... for a year's worth of work. And remember: it's an advance against your royalties. Your book has to sell around 10,000 copies to pay your publisher back. (...the average middle grade or YA novel in America sells 5000 copies a year...)."

Conference Etiquette from BookEnds, LLC. Peek: "One of the reasons I advise against getting in touch with agents or submitting just before a conference is that for a lot of agents this puts them in an uncomfortable position. They feel that you’re expecting something they don’t want to give—usually feedback or more personal, detailed critiques than they would normally give." See also "How to Impress an Editor" from Down a Dusty Gravel Road.

Decline letters 101 by Alvina Ling at Blue Rose Girls. Alvina breaks down the various degrees of feedback offered and what each means. Peek: "...if you think of decline letters as a stepping stone to publication, that may make receiving them that much easier."

Definitions for the Perplexed: Editorial Anonymous offers insights into the mysteries of such publishing issues as cast-off, galleys, ARCs, proofs, PPB, ISBNs. Peek: "So galleys are not like buckshot loaded into a shotgun, meant to be fired in the general direction of marketing opportunities. They are sent to the people who will very likely make a difference in the sales numbers. Try to remember this before you suggest that your publisher send you a couple hundred to pass out to your friends."

Definitions for the Perplexed: Sell-In and Sell-Through from Editorial Anonymous. Peek: "It's a tough, tough business, and it's only tougher these days. Do everyone a favor and go buy a book, okay?"

Diving in with a Smile by Jan Fields from The Institute of Children's Literature. Peek: "...you need to know what you can expect to gain from a conference so you can prepare for all it has to offer."

"Down the Publishing Path" with Harold Underdown from the Institute of Children's Literature.

Editing versus Copyediting from Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent. Peek: "...before you go and amend the complaint to "What was the copyeditor doing," here's how this process works (actual process may vary, but this is one example)."

Glossary: book and publishing terminology from Harold Underdown at The Purple Crayon.

Hardcover Deep Discount Clause (and part two) from David Lubar. Peek: "This works out to 17 cents a book. Which means that a ton of books were sold at an even deeper discount than 50%. (In the interest of full disclosure, the hardcover earned a bit more than twice that.)"

Hardcover versus Paperback Debuts from Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent. Peek: "...a book that might have caught on as a paperback original could see a paperback run partially dashed if the hardcover doesn't do well."

Hardcover versus Paperback Redux from Justine Larbalestier. Peek: "Say you have a $10 pb, that's 60c per copy. If the advance was $20,000 you'd have sell more than 33,333 copies to earn out. If your hc retails for $17, you’d only have to sell 11,764 hard covers."

How Long Does It Take to Sell a Novel? from Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown.

How to Prepare for Your One-on-One Critique: Insights from Editors and Authors by Gayle Jacobson-Huset from the Institute of Children's Literature.

"I'm published. What now?" from author Verla Kay's Web site. "A Web page devoted to the business end of being a published author." An extensive author/writing resource site.

Kid Magazine Writers: a Web site for those who write for children's magazines, which includes market information (such as editor interviews), writing lifestyle issues, and craft.

Lee & Low New Voices Award: competition is open to picture book manuscripts no longer than 1,500 words by "writers of color" who are previously unpublished in the picture book.

Making Your Conference a Success from BookEnds, LLC. Here's a sneak peek: "I’ve learned from an agent's perspective what works and what doesn't. So here it is. My list of those things I've seen and those things I can recommend." See also Calling All Conference Organizers from Agent Kristin at Pub Rants.

Managing Expectations by Caroline Hickey at The Longstockings. "If you aren’t prepared for the reality of being an author, which often means working for many years on several books, slowly building an audience and a name and relationships with booksellers and librarians, and stomaching a lot of disappointments as you watch other new books come out and get more attention than yours, then you need to ask yourself if you really want to be a writer, or if you just want the cache of being published."

Orphaned Manuscripts by Darcy Pattison from Darcy Pattison's Revision Notes. Here's a sneak peek: "The question is this: What happens to your manuscript/ book when the acquiring editor leaves?" Note: not a new post but too-often timely

Publishing 101: What You Need to Know by Jerry D. Simmons from Writer's Digest. Peek: "Here's your step-by-step guide to the publishing process–how it works, why you need to know and how you can play an influential role in your book’s success." Source: April Henry.

Publishing in the 21st Century: The Ten Commandments of Courtesy by Richard Curtis (Part 1 and Part 2) from E-Reads. Peek: "In publishing, the rules governing behavior are codified into a system of protocol and etiquette called 'courtesy.' Courtesy is not always easy to define because editors, authors, and agents each have their own code and the three don't always harmonize."

Question of the Week Thursday: Dianne Ochiltree from Robin Friedman. On behalf of a reader, Robin asks: "Should I self-publish my children's book/memoir/self-help book/novel?"

Read My Rejection Letters! from author Dan Gutman. Offers insights into all the rejections that can go into creating a successful book. Gutman highlights exceprts from his numerous rejections of his award-wininng HONUS AND ME (Avon, 1997). Recommended for perspective.

Review Survival: It Can Be Done! from Jo Knowles.

Rising Above The Slush Pile With Verla Kay, a chatlog from the Institute of Children's Literature.

Revenge of the Children's Book Author by children's book author Carolyn Crimi. Scroll to read.

Rules for Not Making Editors Hate You from Editorial Ass.

Solicited! Queries That Make it Happen by Darcy Pattison.

So, What Happens During the Editorial Process? by Janet S. Fox from Through the Wardrobe. Peek: "The entire thing is a great deal more complicated than I’d thought. I knew there would be revisions--I love revisions! I'd already made a bunch of revisions with my agent. But this was something else. So here’s what happens..."

Surviving A Writer's Hard Times: A Conversation With Bruce Balan from Olswanger.com.

Tea Time at Annick Press: a new blog from "a small, independent publisher of books for kids and young adults." Based in Toronto, Vancouver, New York. See also the Annick Press official publisher site.

Ten: ten lessons learned in ten years of publishing from Grace Lin at Blue Girls.

There Are No Rules: a new blog from Writer's Digest Editorial Director Jane Friedman.

Top 10 Myths About E-Books from Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent. Peek: "...because e-books are (usually) much cheaper than print books, it doesn't take long before an e-reader pays for itself - since most hardcovers that sell for $25 or more are available for $9.99, all it takes is roughly 20 e-books for an e-reader to pay for itself."

Unsung Heroes of Publishing from Christine Kole MacLean. Short interviews with a book designer, copy editor, publicity director, indexer, Printz committee chairperson, and sales rep.

Working in Children's Books and the Recession of 2008-09 by Harold Underdown at The Purple Crayon. Peek: "What should you do, if you write or illustrate or edit or design or do any of the other jobs that keep our business running?"

Ten Tips On Writing Race in Novels by Mitali Perkins at Mitali's Fire Escape.

30 Days to Stronger Characters: a helpful series for writers from Darcy Pattison at Revision Notes.

A Character's Controlling Belief by Mary Atkinson from Crowe's Nest. Peek: "A character’s goal is different. Goal answers the question, what does a character want? Controlling belief answers, why does she want it?"

Author Studies by Carol Hurst from Carol Hurst's Children's Literature site (first published in Teaching K-8).

The Bad Guys Wear Black: Villains by Darcy Pattison.

Beyond The Big Idea by Chris Barton from Bartography. Here's a sneak peek: "In a series of posts, I'm going to use examples of this book's content in a tutorial geared toward my own children--and maybe just right for some that you know--about how to track down more information on a subject covered in a nonfiction book." Don't miss part two, part three, part four, and part five.

Blockbusters and Balancing Acts from Lisa Firke of Hit Those Keys.

Bethany Roberts’ Writing for Children Workshop: writing and publishing children’s books; tips on children’s writing.

Character and Plot: Inseparable! from Nathan Bransford – Literary Agent. Peek: "Plot is what makes the character interesting (because the character is tested) and character is what makes the plot interesting (because we're learning about the character)."

To Cheer or To Covet by Liz Garton Scanlon from Liz In Ink. Here's a sneak peek: "I'm here to admit right now that I've been on both sides of this thorny fence."

Children's Writing Web Journal: From the Editors of Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for Children's Writers.
 
Dialogue: Writing for Children and Young Adults: an interview with authors Linda Urban and Micol Ostow by Carrie Jones from Through the Tollbooth.
 
Dirty Little Secrets about the Writing Life by author Shutta Crum from Written Words. Peek: "No author will refer you to his/her agent or editor without falling in love with your manuscript. Relationships of this type are built on trust. No author would do damage to his or her agent/editor relationship without first reading and loving your manuscript."

The D-Word by Sarah Sullivan from Through the Tollbooth. Peek: "...how do you effectively capture a historical time and place without 'letting your research show,' by overloading the text with background information?"

Even More Long-Winded and Practical Writing Advice from Whatever: The online home of writer John Scalzi. Taunting the Tauntable Since 1998.

Eye for a God's Eye: The Bold Choice of the Omniscient Point of View in Fiction for Young Adults by Gwenda Bond at Shaken and Stirred (PDF file).

Finding Flow in a [Writers'] Group by Helen Hemphill at Through the Tollbooth.

First Drafts by Brian Yansky at Brian's Blog: Writer Talk. Peek: "Michelangelo was very eloquent about his approach to sculpting. He said, 'I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free.' Oh, yes, very nice indeed. Very pretty. Lucky bunch, those sculptors."

Frequently Asked Questions from Beginning Writers by Greg Leitich Smith.

Five Ways That Another Author's Career Can Sideline Yours from Pub Rants. Peek: "This is a long haul business and we have seen new authors who rush too hard to get projects out that should have been edited more. Don't kneecap yourself by worrying about your friend's recent deal."

Games to Play While Waiting for an Idea from Tim Wynne-Jones. Peek: "When the ideas aren’t flowing you can prime the pump. Here are some games I have discovered along the way."

Getting Out of Your Own Way from Gail Giles.

Holly Black's writing resources: especially helpful to fantasy, horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction writers.

How Do We Know The Truth - For Sure? by Susan Kuklin from I.N.K.: Interesting Nonfiction for Kids. Peek: "Writing both narratives and giving them equal weight turned out to have an unexpected benefit. The readers now had opposing material for debates. And they did. In the classroom and privately. With passion and conviction."

How to Mock Up a Picture Book from Darcy Pattison's Revision Notes. Peek: "The structure is so unusual, that you need a dummy to refine and polish your text. It can tell you which section of text is too long, let you look at pacing of the story across the pages, help you spot needless repetitions and much more."

How To Write Forever and with Joy with Jane Yolen, a chatlog from the Institute of Children's Literature. Read A Story Behind The Story with Jane Yolen.

I Don't Want an Honest Critique by Darcy Pattison.

If At First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again by Darcy Pattison.

If I Had a Hammer, I'd Hammer This Message Into You from Editorial Anonymous. Peek: "People (of any age) do not appreciate the funnel-to-gullet method of learning a lesson."

Jean Craighead George on Writing: some basic idea starters.

Karleen Bradford's Writer's Help Page. Focuses on: How to Write a Query Letter; Where Do You Get Your Ideas; and How to Overcome Writer's Block.

Less is More by Kelly Bingham from Through the Tollbooth. Peek: "Your best poetry is going to take shape when you figure out which details to select and which ones to leave out."

Let's Get It On: Sex Scenes in Young Adult Novels by Marianna Baer from Crowe's Nest. Peek: "Once I stepped back and looked at YA novels I think handle sex beautifully, I realized I needed to come back to that – the craft. Because, in the end, good craft will set us free."

Manuscript Formatting for Beginners by Kent Brewster from Speculations: For Writers Who Want to be Read.

Missed Opportunities by Brian Yansky at Brian's Blog: Random thoughts on the art and craft of fiction writing. Peek: "The good thing about fiction is a missed opportunity isn’t really missed. We get do-overs all the time. We get the gift of revision."

Multicultural Dialogue: Please Pass the Patate by Carmela Martino from Teaching Authors: Six Children's Authors Who Also Teach Writing. Peek: "Members of my own immigrant family speak with heavy accents and often intersperse Italian words, or Anglicized Italian, with English. If I tried to reproduce such speech in my novel, readers would have a difficult time deciphering it."

Mystery Writing Lessons from Kristi Holl.

Negotiating the Revision Maze by Uma Krishnaswami.

The Nonfiction Author-Illustrator Relationship by Sneed B. Collard III at Interesting Nonfiction for Kids.

On Writing Non-Fiction for Kids from Fiona Bayrock. Includes subsections on writing science, writing biography, writing history, writing crafts, and selling series non-fiction.

Pleased to meet you--fully exploiting a character's first scene by Marianna Baer from Crowe's Nest. Peek: "From the moment a new character enters a book, the reader consciously and subconsciously picks up on clues about his nature and quickly forms an opinion. If details are not thoughtfully chosen, a character's first scene can be a missed opportunity or, more negatively, disruptively misleading."

The Power of Myth by Darcy Pattison.

The Pre-Side of Writing with Cynthia Leitich Smith from the Institute of Children's Literature.

Picture Books: Plan, Polish, and Publish: One Writer's Method from Dori Chaconas.

Research is for the Background by Greg Leitich Smith.

Sympathetic vs. Unsympathetic Characters from Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent. Peek: "And there are some actions that are just too far beyond the pale for even the most likable of characters, including using racial slurs and/or other powerful cultural taboos. (Oddly this does not seem to include killing people and eating their flesh. Books are weird that way.)"

Taking Risks from Gail Giles.

Tips on Writing: Making the Most of Your Writing Group by Jo Knowles. Here's a sneak peek: "I say responding because I think this is much more helpful to the writer than 'critiquing.' After a person reads, let the responders take a minute or two of quiet time to gather thoughts and take notes. This can be torture for the writer waiting to hear what people thought, but I think it's worth it to let people take a minute to, well, think."

Tips for Writing Mysteries from Laura Backes of Children's Book Insider.

Young Writer Interview: Elisabeth Wilhelm on Absynthe Muse.

Verla Kay's Website: "This website for writers of children's literature was named one of the 101 Best Web Sites for Writers in May of 2000 by Writer's Digest." Her books include GOLD FEVER and IRON HORSES. Read An Interview With Verla Kay.

Websters Online Dictionary: The Rosetta Edition: the ultimate online dictionary; definitions, encyclopedic references, and more!

Writing.com: an online community for writers of all ages, interests and skill levels. Anyone may create a free portfolio and exchange feedback with other writers.

Writing Dialogue: Class Differences by Carrie Jones at Through the Tollbooth.

The Write Journey from children's and adult author Sheri Gilbert. Children's writing site features articles, coffee chat, readers' corner, tips, publishing news, and more!

Writing Easy Readers: A Chatlog with Anastasia Suen from author Verla Kay's Web site.

Writing Multicultural Children's Books by Harold Underdown from The Purple Crayon: A Children's Book Editor's Site.

Writing Picture Books by Marisa Montes. Includes tips and diagram.

Writing process...writing practice from Helen Hemphill at Through the Tollbooth. Peek: "Practice is about getting better. It's about doing, analyzing, and critiquing. But it's also about reflecting. What am I doing to sabotage my story? How can I write this sentence, this paragraph, this chapter better?"

Writers' Resources from the Highlights Foundation at Chautauqua. Articles by faculty on a variety of writing-related subjects. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Writing to Deadline by Liz Garton Scanlon. Peek: "Yes, I capture phrases out of dreams and pound out plots while I walk and generally try to stay in a muse-induced state as frequently as a mother of two with a marriage and a mortgage can. But I still produce most effectively when someone's expecting something from me. "

Writing Young Adult and Children's Science Fiction and Fantasy: Making The Impossible Possible by Marnie Brooks.

Jane Yolen's For Writers: the noted fantasy author talks about writing with joy, serendipity, getting published, and more. A thoughtful essay. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Read A Story Behind The Story with Jane Yolen.

more resources

Baby Names by Category: male and female names by national origin and time period with meanings and personality analysis.

CHILD_LIT: an unmoderated subscription e-mail list for discussing theory and criticism as related to children's and young adult literature. Full information site.

Copyright: United States Copyright Office from the Library of Congress.

Mailing Lists Related to Children's Literature: includes instructions for subscribing to eight lists from the Children's Literature Web Guide.

My Virtual Reference Desk: the net is a boon to savvy researchers. This is a place to start.

Wordcounter.com: do your characters sigh or nod every fourth page? Check out which words are most (over?) used in your manucript.

Writers and Depression by Nancy Etchemendy, author of THE POWER OF UN, from the Horror Writers Association. A frank discussion of warning signs and why writers are so vulnerable. Be good to each other out there. Take care of yourselves.