My journey in calendaring my manuscripts did not begin with a calendar. It began with a list—a lengthy, elaborate document I had created to cross-reference dates, settings, and activities for my main character Yasmeen in my debut middle grade novel, Wishing Upon the Same Stars (HarperCollins, 2022). I thought my list was perfect.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Jacquetta Nammar Feldman: Your Manuscript Needs a Calendar! »
Featured image: Arthur Levine and Levine Querido crew celebrate 100 starred reviews.
Most of us think that agents and editors just do agenting or editing. But what if they are also writers? Does this make a difference how our work is viewed? Evaluated? This three-part series asks agents and editors to share their thoughts and experiences on wearing two hats.
Today we’re chatting with a few Angelella Editorial editors about what it’s like to be a freelance editor, along with tips for working with a freelance editor.
First, what makes Angelella Editorial different from other editorial companies?
Diane: We’re small enough to work as a team,
Continue Reading Editor Interview: Angelella Editors on Freelance Editing »
Deborah Halverson
We work hard to get to know our characters.
Creating bios, interviewing them, giving them personality tests. One discovery tool often overlooked in this great pursuit are the small actions tucked into the narrative beats.
Narrative beats are those little breathers in dialogue, sometimes filled simply with speaking tags like he said,
Eileen Robinson and I have been teaching about revision for several years now through our partnership, Kid’s Book Revisions.
Until recently, we hadn’t taught about line-editing–it seemed too complicated, too messy, for a workshop approach–but we thinking we’ve figured out how to do it.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Harold Underdown on Line Editing »
Learn more about Cynthia Leitich Smith.
By Traci Sorell
for Cynthia Leitich Smith‘s Cynsations
As an New York Times bestselling author and the creator of Cynsations blog, Cynthia is well known to many. But after reading her upcoming YA novel, Hearts Unbroken (Candlewick,
By Emma Dryden
An Editor Tries on Her Writer Hat
I’ve been a children’s book editor for over thirty years. Editing’s in my blood. Little else brings me as much joy or satisfaction as coaxing, guiding, and encouraging authors and illustrators to dig deeply and express their truest passions and richest stories.
Continue Reading Guest Post & Giveaway: Emma Dryden on Putting the Internal Editor in a Time-Out »
Thinking of going indie?
Self-publishing can be a fun, exciting, and rewarding endeavor. But get ready for an eclectic collection of hats, because you’ll be wearing many. It’s important to realize you’re selling a product that should be of the highest quality.
Here are some tips and resources to help you through the process.
Kate Hosford’s book, Feeding the Flying Fanellis and Other Poems from a Circus Chef, illustrated by Cosei Kawa (Carolrhoda, 2015), is a complete delight.
The concept of combining cooking with circus is genius. Both activities are popular with and appealing to kids,
By Ann Angel
Right about the time I pitched my first anthology, a writer friend said she’d hate that sort of work.
“It would be so time-consuming to read all those stories,” she said. “I can’t imagine having to edit all that content and you’ll have to write all that front and back matter and it will take away from your own writing.”
Even though everything she said is true,
Continue Reading Guest Post & Giveaway: Ann Angel on The Power of Secrets in Things I’ll Never Say »
