Laurie Wallmark's Blog, page 365

Picture Book Dos and Donts

Author Mem Fox shares twenty things picture book writers should (or shouldn't) be doing.

http://memfox.com/for-writers-hints/for-writers-20-dos-and-20-donts/

Goodreads Giveaways

What's the best strategy to use in planning a giveaway on Goodreads.

http://catherineryanhoward.com/2014/08/18/goodreads-giveaways-dont-do-what-youre-told/

Cliches

It's good to use metaphors and similes in your writing, but not if they're cliches.

http://suspense.net/whitefish/cliche.htm

Are School Visits Mandatory?

It's up to you how many and what kind of school visits you feel comfortable doing.

http://schoolvisitexperts.com/?p=1143

Reducing Word Count

Whether you write picture books or novels, cutting out words will tighten your writing.

http://www.susanuhlig.com/2015/08/reducing-word-count.html

Self-Editing

Here are some simple tricks for editing your manuscript.

http://thewritelife.com/self-editing-basics/#.aj6dpc:sAb7

Negotiation

If you don't have an agent, you'll be responsible for negotiating your contracts.

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2015/06/how-to-negotiate-like-a-pro-part-1/
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2015/07/negotiate-like-a-pro-part-2/
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2015/08/negotiate-like-a-pro-part-3-the-negotiation/

Balancing Dialogue and Description

Your story should contain a good mix of dialogue and description.

http://snip.ly/kN1a

Pinterest

How can you use Pinterest to raise awareness of your book?

http://mandywallace.com/writers-leverage-pinterest/

Critique Group Sandwich

A popular method of critiquing is the sandwich: what you liked about the text, what you think needs more work, and what you liked again.

http://www.childrenswritersguild.com/critique-group-sandwich/