Challenge: Write a Chapter Book in One Month

The end of the month is in sight! How did you do with CHABOOCHA, the Chapter Book Challenge to write a chapter book in just one month? I want to give a big thank you to Becky Fyfe, our fearless leader and coordinator of this yearly event.

If you’re not yet done or even close to finishing, don’t despair. Just pick up where you left off and go for the finish line!

And if you’ve been following along here on my blog and have been using THE RED FLYER ROLLER COASTER as your mentor text, it’s time to finish up your manuscript and submit it.

EDITING

For starters, let’s talk about editing your manuscript. CLICK HERE to read an awesome (and fun) checklist by Lee Wardlaw for editing and revising.

FINALIZING YOUR MANUSCRIPT

Let’s also talk about finalizing your manuscript. It needs a chapter title for each chapter and also Table of Contents at the front of your book. Don’t worry about page numbers for your table of contents. You won’t know that until the book is typeset and illustrations are added in.

Go over the submission checklist from the last time we submitted a nonfiction early reader to Kaeden Books to make sure you have all your ducks in a row.

COVER LETTER

Go ahead and type up your cover letter. (Especially remember to include your SASE and the extra fun, super-duper strategy I recommend in the cover letter.)

And then pop it in an envelope and submit it in the mail.

Then dance a happy dance. Pick up your favorite feline writing buddy, kiss him on his furry little head and say, “We did it!” (Well, actually, you did it. He just shed furry hairs all over it and took a nap on the envelope after you addressed it and put it on the counter to be there when you’re ready to go to the post office.)

And then get ready!!!!! Our next writing adventure here on my blog will be to write an early chapter book and submit it to a publisher who offers royalty contracts to their authors. (Think 10,000 words or less. You can do this!)

We’re going to take our time. No rushing for this next adventure. We’ll just complete one task at a time.

We’re going to go step by step along the journey. No questions left unanswered…All you gotta do is ask them!

I’ve had a number of chapter books published with publishers big and small–both nonfiction and fiction! I’ve been flown to a publishing house to meet with their editor and marketing and series creator to brainstorm outlines for 3 chapter books so I’ll be sharing firsthand and insider experiences and more on how to create and write a chapter book from beginning to successful end.

So if you didn’t have the chance to write a chapter book this month because of your crazy schedule or you just weren’t sure where to start, plan to join in on the upcoming fun!!!!!

(I hope you’ll join in. You’ll be happy you did. And we’ll be happy you did too!)

Filed under: Uncategorized