Success Strategies Guest Post: Candice Ransom Writes Across Age Categories & Genres

Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!

Spotlight image: Author Candice Ransom with a few of her 180 published books at a library event.

By Candice Ransom

There was no doubt I was going to be a writer of children’s books.

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Career Achievers: Don Tate on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children’s-YA Author, Illustrator & Author-Illustrator

Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!

By Gayleen Rabakukk

Don Tate is a successful children’s-YA creator with a long, distinguished career.

In children’s-YA writing, maintaining an active publishing career is arguably an even bigger challenge than breaking into the field.

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Writers Alex Sanchez, Anica Mrose Rissi & Sheela Chari Reflect on Teaching Writing

Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!

By Michael Leali

The world of children’s literature is a rich landscape of teaching and learning. Many acclaimed writers seek to share their knowledge, building up the next wave of writers for young people.

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Author-Illustrator Interview: Ellie Peterson Reflects on Her Creative Process & Winning the Washington State Book Award

Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!

By Suma Subramaniam

We’re thrilled to have Author-Illustrator Ellie Peterson on Cynsations today.

Congratulations on winning the Washington State Book Award! How has winning the award changed or affected your creative life?

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Kidlit Caravan Authors Carrie Tillotson, Harshita Jerath & Rebecca Gardyn Levington on Sophomore Book Inspiration

By Suma Subramaniam

I’m thrilled to welcome Kidlit Caravan members, Carrie Tillotson, Harshita Jerath, and Rebecca Gardyn Levington to Cynsations today!

Why did you write this picture book?

Carrie: The short answer is that my editor asked me to! The long answer is a bit more involved.

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Author Interview: Srividhya Venkat Reflects on Her Creative Life & Picture Book Writing

By Suma Subramaniam

I’m thrilled to welcome Srividhya Venkat to Cynsations today!

What do you love most about the creative life/being an author? Why?

I consider my creative life to be a privilege and I’m grateful that I get to do this every day. I like that I can decide what projects to work on and do them at my own pace (with the exception of contracted projects). 

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Wearing Two Hats: Editors & Agents Who Write: Editor Frances Gilbert & Agent John Cusick

By Helen Kampion

Spotlight image: agent John Cusick signing a contract

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.

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Throwback Thursday: Michaela Goade Shares Her Illustration Process

Congratulations to Michaela Goade (Tlingit) on Berry Song (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2022)! It’s the first book Michaela has authored as well as illustrated, and it received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, and School Library Journal.

Take a look back at Michaela’s 2020 Cynsations interview discussing the creation of her Caldecott-award winning We Are Water Protectors,

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