Guest Interview: Meredith Davis Talks with Carolyn Leiloglou about Writing a Middle Grade Series & Marketing Strategies

By Meredith Davis

Carolyn, I was so excited to meet you since we’re both publishing with Waterbrook (an imprint of Penguin Random House). I’m thrilled about your recent release, Beneath the Swirling Sky! Can you give readers a brief synopsis?

Sure! Beneath the Swirling Sky (WaterBrook, 2023) is the story of twelve-year old Vincent,

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Author Interview: Will Taylor Reflects on the Washington State Book Award, Writing Influences & Staying Motivated

By Suma Subramaniam

We’re thrilled to have Author Will Taylor on Cynsations today.

Congratulations on winning the Washington State Book Award! How has winning the award changed or affected your creative life? What hasn’t changed?

Thank you so much! I remember attending the Washington State Book Award ceremony the year before my first book came out and thinking “Maybe someday!” It’s truly wild that it’s actually happened.

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New Voices: Doan Phuong Nguyen & Patricia Tanumihardja Share Inspirations & Publishing Journeys

By Gail Vannelli and Gayleen Rabakukk

Spotlight image: Doan Phuong Nguyen celebrates the release of her new book.

Today Cynsations is excited to share the publishing journeys of two children’s authors, Doan Phuong Nguyen and Patricia Tanumihardja. Doan Phuong is the author of Mèo and Bé (Tu Books,

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Throwback Thursday: Mari Mancusi on Kids Kids Don’t Read Like They Used To…And That’s a Good Thing

Congratulations to Mari Mancusi on her newest book, New Dragon City (Little, Brown BYR, 2022)!

From the publisher’s description:

No one predicted the dragon apocalypse. The dragons came suddenly and decimated the world as we knew it, including New York City. Now, three years later, Noah, his hardcore survivalist father,

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Guest Post: Debbie Gonzales on Kidlit Promotion, Pinterest Analytics & You

 

By Debbie Gonzales

Book people love a good story. One that is filled with twists and turns. Interpreting Pinterest analytics is much like watching a drama unfold. Ups and downs. Peaks and valleys.

With a little bit of training, Pinterest users can read the receptibility of their content within a few days of posting.

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Guest Post: Debbie Gonzales on Kidlit Promotion & Personal versus Business Pinterest Accounts

By Debbie Gonzales

The typical Pinterest user searches the platform for one-off ideas to enhance their projects. Such pinners typically establish Personal Accounts on which to save and classify pins they find to be educational, inspirational, or edifying.

Oftentimes, book creators build what are known as “mood boards” by selecting and categorizing pins that visually represent themes,

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Cynsations Return & Author Update: Cynthia Leitich Smith on Author Events, Balance, Social Media & What She’d Change About Publishing

Thank you, Cynsations readers, for joining us in the 16th year of this blog! We are so grateful to you all for reading, sharing and supporting our efforts. You’re the whole reason we’re doing this.

Thanks also to those of you who submitted questions for Cynthia over our winter hiatus. Full disclosure: Some of the wording was changed to fit the style of this blog.

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Author Interview: Writing & Marketing for Multiple Age-Levels

Author Interview: Writing & Marketing for Multiple Age-Levels

By Robin Galbraith

In today’s world of author branding how do you market yourself if you’re interested for writing for more than one age level?  What are the joys and challenges of working across age levels? Are agents still willing to work with someone who doesn’t commit to just one age level?

These are the questions I asked five currently publishing authors: Hena Khan

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Intern Insights: How Lenore Appelhan’s Friends Created A Wonderful Book Launch Under Difficult Circumstances

By Robin Galbraith

Putting together a fabulous book launch is tricky for any author. But what if the author has a family tragedy just a few weeks before their book comes out?

At the beginning of the year, Lenore Appelhans, author of the delightfully clever YA novel The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project (Carolrhoda Lab),

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