Have you ever considered writing to a specific audience outside of the norm? An author can sit down and write for a specific genre (i.e. science fiction, fantasy, and general fiction), age group and topic. What about writing for those kids who are reluctant readers? Kids, who have trouble reading at their level, but want to learn about topics for their level and specific to their age group.
Books for reluctant readers have been dubbed by publishers as high-interest, low-reading-level, or hi-lo books. They are written not only for the middle-grader who has trouble reading at a first-grade level, but also for ESL students and adults, or university students with learning disabilities.
Hi-lo books are written for the reluctant reader.
Readers who have trouble reading may declare that they hate reading, simply because there are not many book choices out there that meet their high interest in a subject, but don’t address their low vocabulary reading skills. However, over the last ten years, more publishers have met this demand and are publishing hi-lo books. The population continues to have a growing number of challenged and reluctant readers.
A hi-lo book is written with content that interests the struggling reader who is older than the reading level the text is written for. The hi-lo books are edited to a reading level that is usually at least two grades below the interest level of the reader.
When writing for reluctant readers, think of topics, determine a plot and select characters that match or exceed the reader’s age and interest level. A student in grade eight wants to read about what grade eight and older grade kids are up to. But, the text they need to read has to be at a grade six level for them to comprehend the story. It poses a challenge to the author, as sentence length and narrating simple concepts are important. Dialogue plays an important part, as it helps to break up text, especially if it’s short and to the point.
An interesting thing to note with school-appropriate hi-lo books is that most of the books have male protagonists simply because it is mostly boys who are the majority of reluctant readers. In this case, hi-lo books will be about subjects that interest boys, such as nonfiction, disaster series, sports stories and adventure stories. Teachers make good authors of hi-lo books, simply because of their experience with students who have reading challenges.
If you think you would like the challenge of writing hi-lo books, do some research to find out about the technical writing requirements of high-interest, low-reading books. Ultimately, it will be the responsibility of the editor to work with the author in editing the text and using readability formulas as an aid to ensure that the manuscript meets the needs of those readers requiring a hi-lo format.
I’ve attended more than a few writer’s classes and meetings where the topic of ‘doing your homework’ with regard to manuscript submission has been discussed at length. ‘Doing your homework’ refers to the research a writer should do to determine the appropriate market trends and publishers to submit a manuscript to. This is in advance of submitting a manuscript to any publisher for publication, and sometimes even before beginning a project.
The general discussion at meetings is that if someone is really interested in a topic or has a burning idea for a novel, they should write about it, and not worry if it is marketable or not. If it comes from the heart, how can it be all that bad? Right? Wrong… When publishers look for new titles to add to their lists, they look toward market trends and what the readers are reading now. If you are someone who writes in a genre geared toward market trends, then you will have a higher chance of getting published.
When you are looking at different markets, and want to know what publishers are seeking, do a look-up using ‘author submission guidelines’ as a keyword phrase. Many publishers post their guidelines on their websites with what they want and especially what they don’t want. Even if you haven’t written toward a market trend, but have a manuscript you wish to sell, then you need to know which publisher will accept your manuscript.
Not only are you finding out what the publisher requires, but they also list ‘how’ they want the manuscript sent (i.e. with cover letter, brief CV or bio, synopsis, first three chapters, etc.). By meeting their submission criteria, you increase the chances of your manuscript reaching the right department and actually being read.
Note that some sites have taken great pride in creating several pages of guidelines, so they mean business. Don’t send a manuscript away without looking at these guidelines with the thought that, “Well, my book or query is really great I am sure they will read it.”
Some publisher guidelines also give useful tips, resource lists and links about publishing and organizations. These are invaluable tools and can help you with writing and submitting for publication.
It is wonderful to write an exciting story that comes from the heart and mind, but keep your mind open to suggestions for stories and submissions from those publishers who are actually looking for specific ideas to market.
Tags: author submission guidelines, book market trends, Manuscript Submission, submitting manuscripts to publishers
We all set them. Whether it’s for weight loss, achieving financial gain or for personal reasons, we all set out with goals or New Year’s resolutions each and every year. Did you finish that novel in 2009? Did you even start it?
Over the last few years, I’ve published two children’s books, and written two other chapter book manuscripts for young adults. The two chapter books have not been published yet, but as has been pointed out to me by those I’ve talked with is, “at least you have product to sell”.
We’d all like to publish that new best selling novel of 2010, but to do so we need to set some writing goals. I was totally unrealistic last year thinking I could write every day. It’s hard enough keeping up with a daily job, blogging and just enjoying life. They (whoever ‘they’ are) say that to get something you have to give something up. I’ve decided during winter I spend a little too much time in front of the TV. So, I’ve decided that for two nights a week I’ll give up two hours of TV and replace it with a writing project. From 7 to 9 pm, during which time there’s not much to watch anyway, I could be sitting and continuing work on my new novel.
When you pick a time to write, take into account the hours in the day when your mind is fresh and you are feeling creative. I’ve also decided to write on Sundays. Being the TV is taken up with football, (yikes get me outta here), I find myself escaping to a quiet area of the house for several hours until sports are over. I could be doing exercise, but hey, right now we are talking about writing resolutions in 2010 (we’ll save the ‘getting fit’ one’s for next year).
Whatever you wish to write, finding the ‘when’ is the hard part. Don’t be afraid to rearrange your day or week and schedule a time to fit in a little writing.
When writing for an audience, it is important to remember the senses.
Much of a story can be defined as flat if the sense of touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell don’t affect the characters you are writing about. If you include what a character is feeling with their senses, you draw the reader into the story. Sometimes it is easy to write about your character, what they are up to, what they are thinking, but making the story real involves what they are feeling with their senses.
What about your male character? Is the salt spray stinging his face while he drives the boat at a high speed. Is he able to talk easily to his girlfriend sitting next to him, or is the roar of the motor making them yell to each other? Can he see where they are going or is the glare of the sparkling water making him squint, thus making it hard to steer the boat. When he bends over to kiss his girlfriend does he taste the salt water in her lips? Does he smell a hint of rain in the air, or the fish factories off the coast.
Think about a recent incident where you felt strong emotion. What did you feel sense wise? An exercise you might do to sharpen your writing skills and use senses, is to flip through a magazine and find a landscape photo.
- What would you feel if you were to step into the photo. Write a small scene including all of your senses.
- Next pick a photo of a person. Step into their world. What type of clothes are they wearing. Would they be cold depending on the background. What would they be hearing. Are they eating? If so, what does the food taste like.
- Visit a coffee shop or restaurant. What senses are you perceiving while sitting there? Was the food okay, great or excellent? Who did you see walk in? What were they wearing? Did they have on strong perfume? Did they greet you with a handshake - was it firm or soft?
Our senses carry us through life, enveloping our world. Be sure to remember the reader needs to feel the world you are writing about too. There is another sense as well, which is sometimes called the sixth sense or intuition, gut feeling, something a person feels from within when in a given situation. Don’t forget to include this sense too. The guy driving the boat knows all will be well as soon as he pulls into the dock. That knocking sound coming from the engine was driving him nuts, setting him on edge. What if they hadn’t made it back to land?
Storybook time on Krysta’s Kingdom, an animated children’s series, produced by Electric Bear Studios, will feature the colourful children’s book, Little Blue Penguin on Episode 4, aired on KTV, October 10, 2009 at 7:30 am and 1:30 pm.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wood Lily Publishers (Press Release) - October 5, 2009 - Water Valley - Storybook time on Krysta’s Kingdom, an animated children’s series, produced by Electric Bear Studios, will feature the colourful children’s book, Little Blue Penguin on Episode 4, aired on KTV, October 10, 2009 at 7:30 am and 1:30 pm.
Little Blue Penguin Book
Little Blue Penguin is a children’s picture book written by author, Patricia L. Atchison, illustrated by Jo-Anne Jagers, and published by Wood Lily Publishers. When Little Blue Penguin leaves the toy shop for a new home, he meets a special playmate and discovers a world of love and happiness. Through a variety of emotions, Little Blue Penguin brings colour to his world and those around him.
Children love their stuffed toys and relate them to this whimsical story about Little Blue Penguin and Becky. Audiences watching Krysta’s Kingdom will listen during story time while the book is read aloud and how it explains Little Blue Penguin’s journey from a toy store, to a new home, to a lonely lost and found box at the zoo. With each new emotion the little penguin feels, he shines a different colour, thus introducing young readers to the opportunity to learn their colours.
Wood Lily Publishers was pleased when Little Blue Penguin was selected to be read on Krysta’s Kingdom. Atchison says, “I like the educational premise of the children’s show, and its characters, Milo the Hummingbird, and Rex the teddy bear. I think Little Blue Penguin will fit in quite well.”
Atchison wrote the story based on a penguin stuffed toy her daughter had as a toddler and the adventure of losing the ‘stuffie’ when her daughter dropped it out of the stroller while on an outing. “When I wrote the story, I decided to give it an educational element and introduced colour every time the penguin felt a different emotion. Teachers love this element and so do toddlers and play school kids.” explains Atchison.
Krysta’s Kingdom is produced by Electric Bear Studios, a production company based in Florida. While enjoying producing several productions, Krysta’s Kingdom, is a personal favorite of owner Sam L. Siragusa and wife, Barbara. The show is named Krysta after one of their grandchildren and features Krysta, played by Brittany Duchaine. Milo, the Hummingbird pops Krysta’s hot air balloon as she is flying over a deserted island, leaving her stranded there. But she is not alone, and soon finds herself surrounded by talking animals that learn from her and teach her as well. The show can be seen on Kids and Teens Television (KTV), Saturdays at 7:30 am and 1:30 pm.
In addition to the book being aired as a reading, Little Blue Penguin will also be listed on Krysta’s Kingdom web site, in the Book Nook section at www.krystaskingdom.com/Book_Nook.shtml. The site also features many resources for children, including the list of characters, cooking tips, spelling quizzes, and Krysta’s lab. Visit www.krystaskingdom.com or become fans of the show on Facebook.
For information about the Little Blue Penguin children’s book visit www.woodlilypublishers.com or www.littlebluepenguinbook.com. Atchison has a blog through her web site, www.patriciaatchison.ca and welcomes comments about her book.
Atchison’s past endeavours include editing and publishing the Canadian Teddy Bear News magazine. She has written two books for children, including Little Blue Penguin, which was nominated for The Word Guild 2008 Canadian Christian Writing Awards. Her second book, McKenzie’s Frosty Surprise features a Mallard duck and wetland conservation information. Little Blue Penguin is currently being converted into digital format and will be available for download later this fall.
Electric Bear Studios, LLC (EBS) is a multiple award winning company, headed by Mr. Sam L. Siragusa. In 2009, EBS won 12 Crystal Reel Awards, including best children’s series for Krysta’s Kingdom. His previous awards include four Addy’s, one of which was the prestigious Addy. The FMPTA Award for the EBS, LLC production of Team Bravo Bears, as well as the Dove Seal of Approval. The FMPTA award for the EBS, LLC production of Beauty Cast, as well as four Dove Seals of Approval.
Contacts:
Wood Lily Publishers
403-637-2728
Krysta’s Kingdom
Barbara Siragusa
VP, Electric Bear Studios, LLC
321-206-6388
2009 Calgary Children’s Book Fair & Conference
The first annual Calgary Children’s Book Fair and Conference featuring local children’s authors and illustrators is set to take place Saturday, November 14, 2009. Promoter and children’s author, Simon Rose (The Doomsday Mask 2009), took the challenge of creating and administering this new book event.
When asked why he wanted to bring this event to Calgary, he replied, “From my own experiences at school visits and book signings over the years, I realize how excited children are to meet a real live author, especially if they have read your books. I thought it would be a great idea to bring authors together for a one day event where children could meet their favourite authors, chat with them about their work and buy an autographed book with a personal message.”
To date, thirty exhibitors are attending, and all of the readers and speakers will also have tables at the event with books for sale. The adult conference topics include: Writing for Children and Young Adults, The Riches of Writing, Word Power, Scriptwriting for Graphic Novels, Illustrating Characters, The Importance of Research, Educational Publishing, Finding and Working with a Literary Agent, and Powerful Poetry.
The book fair also features an element for children and teens. There will be a Children’s Fiction Writing Award for those kids residing in the Calgary area. Invited to unleash their creative imaginations, there are two categories: ages 8 to 12 and 12 to 15 years old, in three genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Mystery. Winning entries in each age group will be announced at the book fair on November 14. The winning stories will be professionally edited, and then collected into an anthology, featuring not only the story, but also a photograph and biography of the author, to be printed by the conference sponsors, Blitzprint.
Regarding the Children’s Fiction Writing Award, Rose says, “The award obviously generates more publicity of the event with parents, schools and the media and should help with attendance on the day. However, I also review children’s writing all the time through my online workshops and at schools and believe that some of it needs to be recognized as the quality it undoubtedly is, for the age group. There is a possibility that we will be able to offer workshops for children at next year’s event, but this is very much in the planning stages.”
The ultimate goal of the book fair is that exhibitors will be able to showcase and sell their books, and attendees, especially children will be able to interact with the authors and illustrators. Rose explains, “Authors will be able to promote their work through readings and also demonstrate their expertise in various aspects of the writing business in the conference section of the event. Conference attendees will enhance their knowledge of how to work with agents, how to submit to publishers, improve their writing skills and so on, depending on the sessions they attend.”
Plans for a 2010 book fair depend on the success of this year’s event, and it is expected that both the book fair and conference would be expanded in 2010. Rose would like to see the support of the public and says, “Please attend on November 14 and make not only this year a success, but also help us create an annual event for the writing community and children of Calgary and the surrounding area. Everyone keeps saying what a great idea this is, but without the support of the public, it will disappear into history and be quickly forgotten, never to be repeated. If attendance is low this year, there will be no 2010 event. So on November 14, come experience inspiration, imagination and invention, right here in your own backyard.”
The Calgary Children’s Book Fair and Conference will be held at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Centre in North West Calgary on Saturday November 14, 2009 from 10 am to 4 pm. Visit www.calgarybookfair.com for more information.
Note: Patricia L. Atchison will be an exhibitor at this event, with her books, Little Blue Penguin and McKenzie’s Frosty Surprise.
Kids find it fun to select books to buy at a bookstore.
One of the most exciting moments for me as an author is when I am doing a signing at a bookstore, and parents make the effort to ensure that I am introduced to their children. We take a few minutes to talk about my being an author, what I wrote and I talk about writing and reading in general. It is nice to discuss with children and teens what their reading habits are and what they are currently reading. Right now, it seems that The Twilight Saga series is the most popular. It’s great when I run into the studious types who enjoy non fiction such as bug and dinosaur books.
I have on occasion witnessed when children really want a book, have taken several minutes to pick their favourite, have requested it be purchased, but for whatever reason are denied by whomever is with them (be it Mom, Dad or Grandma). I hope the denial comes with a good reason, and not just ‘no - just because’. I know there are libraries to take out books, and that children are inundated at schools with book order forms, author visits and book fairs where they can pick out books, but the bookstore provides something special for kids. To be honest, I’d rather see a child purchase a book (especially with their own money), than head to the toy department and purchase something else.
The last thing I’ve also come across which really does bother me at a bookstore is when I see a child accompanied by an adult, and they are picking out a gift with some money they have either saved or been given. With their savings clutched tightly in their hand, they take their time and finally find that specific book they really want. They show it to their accompanying adult, who right away turns it down in favour of a stuffed toy or some other trinket not at all related to reading. In these instances I would sure like to see the parents (grandparents, aunts, etc.) forgetting about the toys and really encouraging a good read.
While we adults enjoy perusing through the bookstore (or not), we can’t forget that bookstores offer quite a bit of magic to children too. Help raise a reader by allowing their interests in reading to be met.
I’ve received a few calls this week from people who have written a children’s book and the question asked is one I’ve heard several times before, “What do I do now?”. They have some knowledge of the publishing industry, but not much. I am not sure how much writing experience they have, but the question remains the same. They have a manuscript in hand (an unpublished book is is referred to as a manuscript, not a book), and want it published.
In this blog, I’ve gone around this topic a few times, and will continue to do so, (answers though varying depending my mood swings - kidding aside). I am also a web designer and have experience with keyword searches. These come in handy when you are looking at the options for your manuscript. Do you self publish or do you want it accepted by a trade publisher? What are the in’s and out’s of self publishing? What are publishing houses looking for? Start your answer search on the internet using search words entered into Google or another search engine. Phrases like:
- children’s book publisher
- children’s publishers
- author guidelines for children’s books
- manuscript guidelines for children’s books
- submitting manuscripts to publishers
- canadian children’s book publisher (or varying country)
- children’s book submission guidelines
- children’s book printing
- publishing children’s books
- call for submissions
- book printing packages
- book printing costs
- self publishing information
- self publishing a manuscript
- self publishing children’s books
The list goes on. Try to phrase your search into a question that you would like answered, rather than just single words. Be specific to your topic, e.g.. “Publishers seeking kids books about nature”. If you are on a site and you see some sentences that match what you may be looking for, you can also pick these out and use them for a new search. A lot of web sites use the same keywords, so you may get more information. Use the Internet as a learning tool. It does take some time, but you have to research your options. The local library is also a wealth of information. Writer’s Market guides published every year have articles on resources for writers. Your comments are welcome on this subject.
There are many reasons why a writer can’t write. If you are a writer where characters, plots and settings surge through your mind like an electrical current and you can’t wait to get to a pen and paper or a keyboard, then you will understand what it means to you when you can’t write. In my writing career, I’ve come across 3 different ways that I can’t write.
The first…. was writer’s block. Writer’s block can be somewhat intimidating. You are heavily into a project and go to sit down and write, and bam… it’s like someone deflated your mind. No thoughts come easily, and you sit and stare at the page for the longest time before giving up and going to do something else. Eventually, you are able to gather your thoughts through any number of exercises and begin to write again after breathing a heavy sigh of relief.
The second… was the loss of passion for writing. This was a very dark time for me and only lasted a short few weeks, but I felt like I had lost a part of myself. I had been attending many critiquing sessions with several different published authors with the same piece of work. I figured it couldn’t hurt to get a few perspectives, but I ended up with a flattened ego, lack of confidence in my writing ability, and the will to give up writing forever. Writing had been part of my life ever since I can remember. I have always written. To suddenly loose the will to write was like loosing my best friend. After a few weeks of serious self talk I decided to forget all that I had been through and just start writing from the heart. I was happy again and my best friend was back.
The third… and most highly unusual, is if you can’t physically write. After a serious accident to my writing arm (and subsequent use of my right hand) several weeks ago, I am finally able to write and type (with some degree of success) again. So in this case, there I was able to write, willing to write, but simply couldn’t. It was a strange feeling. It was like I still had my best friend, but with no help. My writing pal was just looking in, unable to participate.
When a writer can’t write, I think that writer looses part of their identity. In my case, writing is part of my life. I may not write everyday, but the writing process is always with me, similar to a doctor who may not always be practicing, but they are still a doctor.
There may be other reasons why you can’t write, and if it’s a part of you, you will soon find ways around the reasons and try your hardest to get back to your characters, plots and settings. We are what we are, and I am so happy to be back writing and blogging once more.
Tags: writer's block, Writing
Being in the book publishing, and graphics industry, one comes up against copyright all the time. When you create a piece of writing or artwork that is original, specifically from your thoughts, crafted, designed and written or illustrated by you without the use of any copying methods, then you own the right to that piece of work. You are entitled to copyright it - you own the whole portion of your work, as you are the creator. You own it throughout your lifetime, plus it remains within your estate after your death, for another 50 years, at which time it will revert to public domain.
If you have written a book, you are entitled and should register the copyright of it. You automatically own copyright of your work, by the simple fact that you created it. If you are considering publishing your writing, you have to be aware of copyright.You would want to register your copyright of a piece of work, for your protection. If the work is not going to be published, but is in the initial stages, one form of ensuring copyright is to post a copy of the work to your home address, and keep the package sealed (until - if and when - it may be required to open in a court of law). The postmark and un tampered seal are proof of the original contents. If the work is a finished piece that is being published, the copyright can be added, such as on the book’s copyright page, or at the end of the document.
The Copyright Board of Canada at the following link has information from the Government of Canada that may be of help in understanding copyrights and registering a copyright, or you can visit your local library. http://www.cb-cda.gc.ca/info/index-e.html. For those living in the United States, be sure to check out your copyright legislation.
When you are writing be wary of reproducing, copying or using anyone else’s text, illustrations or photographs, otherwise you will be in violation of their copyright, and you could face legal action. You must be original in all you write, unless you are specifically quoting a resource, and stating where the information came from, and creating a reference table. You may be able to use someone else’s work if you have ‘express written permission’ to do so, depending on their copyright message for the work. Even so, you will have to make reference to the usage. Make sure your characters are fictional, you can’t be writing about people you know or giving them character traits similar to your friends and family, as you may infringe on their right of privacy, which is another law unto itself (Privacy Act).
You can also request a license from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (access©™), which would allow photocopying or reprographics copying. Visit www.accesscopyright.ca for more information.
Tags: copyrights
