Annette Whipple's Blog, page 3

Get Your THANK YOU for Pre-Orders

I am soooooo grateful that so many friends, family, and folks I don't even know personally have pre-ordered Quirky Critter Devotions: 52 Wild Wonders for Kids. 
May I send you a personalized bookplate for your copy of Quirky Critter Devotions along with some other goodies to say thank you? (While supplies last!) Please fill out this really simple Google Form so I can collect the information needed to send your bookplate and goodies. If you purchased multiple copies to share as gifts, you are welco...

Quirky Critter Question Cards Printable

I'm thrilled to have a unique (and free) printable for readers of Quirky Critter Devotions: 52 Wild Wonders for Kids . (Coming March 5, 2024 from Tyndale.) 
My long-time followers have seen the comprehensive teacher guides (also used by families) for The Truth About animal series. Since Quirky Critter Devotions includes activities and journal entries for every animal in the book, I talked to my editorial team about what we might do. We came up with Quirky Critter Question Cards!  Each of the 52 cri...

A Story of Triumph

Writers struggle to get published. I'm no different. There's so much to learn about the craft and the business. And it takes time--years (despite ads claiming to teach you how to write a bestseller in just a month)--to figure out how to revise your story so it's one that readers and publishers will delight in. In my last blog post, I shared how my first 12 children's books got published . In that post, I explain how I found the editors who believed in my books...and me. (Each book was different!)...

How My Books Got Published

My thirteenth book will be out in ONE MONTH. Woo-hoo! I struggle to get published. Still.
For those who read the sentence above and wondered why I said I struggle to get published when I've had many books come out since my first one in 2016, you should know I've also had multiple manuscripts on submission for years. I have other manuscripts that sit on my computer. Revised. But not ready for a reader. Or rejected by publishers.
One thing I've learned with these 13 books is that there are lots of w...

The Writing Resource We've Been Waiting For

I'm absolutely thrilled that Kirsten W. Larson has written a much-needed resource for children's writers. Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book: A Step-by-Step Revision Guide is the book that writers like me have been waiting for.
Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book  is just what the title says. It really takes the writer through the writing process after first draft. Chapter 1 asks, "Are You Really Ready to Revise?" The final chapter is "Selling Your Story." A few topics include book stru...

Event Contracts for Authors

As a children's author, I'm often asked to present at schools, libraries, and zoos. Other times I'm invited to teach workshops for writers. I learned it's not just big name people who need contracts for events. A contract is needed for all authors putting on presentations because it spells out expectations--both your own as well as those of the host organization. An event contract is an important business document for authors! When I teach writing workshops about getting started with author visit...

An Author's Year: Writing 2023

As a professional writer, it seems I work hard but the rewards (and publications) come much later. The wait is often measured in years instead of weeks or months. And of course, some of my writing (including 2023 efforts) may never be published. 
Despite zero new books published in 2023, I've been busy. Most weeks my writing and writing-related work is a full-time job of 35-40 hours a week during the school year. (I took off July and August.) However, I'm awful at keeping track. 
As encouraged by ...

Picture Books in College Classrooms

A conversation began when I shared about middle school teachers using picture books in their classrooms on Twittter/X. I was thrilled when one of my followers shared the post and said she uses picture books in her college classrooms. Of course, we began talking! Not only is Shannon Avra an anthropologist and college professor, she is also a published children's author. I knew I wanted to get to know more about Shannon. 
And now a bit of her story is here for you all because Shannon is really an i...

Cat and Dog Debate Guide

Last year after Meow! The Truth About Cats released, a librarian friend on Twitter (now X) let me know she was eager to have her students debate dogs and cats using my newest book along with previously published Woof! The Truth About Dogs. Inspired by these books published by Reycraft Books (and written by me), I'm thrilled to share librarian Chrissy Holcombe and I teamed up to create a cat and dog debate guide for you! 
Which animal rules your classroom?  This is a comprehensive cat and dog debat...

How to Sell Books at a School Visit

In my last blog post, I shared steps to get started doing author visits . I'm continuing the topic because so many authors have asked me in the past month for details about author visits. The most common question is related to how to do book sales.
Below are some of the questions I've been asked recently. 
How do I sell books at an author visit?Every school I've worked with for in-person author visits has wanted students to have the opportunity to purchase books or they have purchased books for the...