This week I am reviewing a book I found recently at the library called “Princess Peepers.”  This was an adorable book about real life situations, kind of, written by Pam Calvert and illustrated by Tuesday Mourning.

Princess Peepers by Pam Calvert, illustrated by Tuesday Mourning

The book starts out showing us a princess that absolutely loves her wide collection of glasses.  She had all kinds of fancy glasses, a pair for every occasion.

Everything changes when she attends the Royal Academy for Perfect Princesses.  The princesses in attendance make fun of her “spectacles” and make her feel horrible.

She decides to go without her glasses to try and fit in and ends up running into many hairy situations.

At one point Princess Peepers falls out a window onto what she thinks is a horse.  She of course cannot see it well without her glasses.  It ends up being the prince!!  She explains she can’t see him without her glasses, and low and behold he wears glasses too.  They wed and and everyone lives happily ever after!

The happy couple!

I really like this book.  I liked how it covers how a child might feel if they have glasses and go somewhere where they encounter criticism.  This is real life and very tough for children.  Even though she loved her glasses she wanted to fit in more and so she goes without them.  Again I feel this is very true to life.  I appreciated in the end that she, above all the other girls, ended up getting the prince.  It just goes to show you that being yourself in life will get you where you want to go!

I love Pinterest as much as the next person.  I usually pin crafts I am interested in or gardening things, or maybe even something about health.  Just recently I thought to myself “I wonder if there is anything thing on Pinterest for writers?”.  To my pleasant surprise I found TONS of awesome pins to add to my new “writer” board!  Try it for yourself.  Just search “writing” and you will be happy with the results you get.  I have included some below.

There are so many fun ideas to check out! You can follow me on Pinterest if you would like, my Pinterest name is “momtomany”.

Have a great week.

Jodi

It is that time of year again!  Time to submit your manuscript to the MeeGenius Author Challenge.   If you have a manuscript you have been sitting on for awhile and are ready to get it moving consider submitting it for the challenge.  The winner gets a $1500.00 cash prize, and published on the MeeGenius site.  It really is an awesome opportunity.  Follow the link below to read more about it.

http://www.meegenius.com/challenge/overview

Also before you hit SUBMIT check out the requirements for your manuscript.  You can find that information HERE

Good luck to all!

I have recently been looking at different contests that are happening for writers and came across a blog that has quite a few of them posted so I thought I would throw them on my blog as well for anyone who might need the info!  Good luck to all! (info from http://www.kidlit411.com )

MAY

April 4 – May 2   LIKE A VIRGIN PITCH CONTEST

• What: Any YA and NA ms that has not previously been entered into a pitch contest.  First 50 qualifying pitches will be accepted 1st come 1st served by entering at lvcon14 (at) gmail dot com. Five authors will pick their top 2 pitches to move onto the agent round.
• When:  Opens April 4th at 6 am EST

May 5 WRITER’S DIGEST ANNUAL WRITING COMPETITION

• Award: cash prizes, work seen by editors & agents, etc.
• Who is eligible: anyone writing for all genres, including kid lit (fees are involved to apply for this competition)

May 5 THE KBR UNPUBLISHED PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPT AWARD

• What: picture books of 400 words or less.Winners will score $150, a manuscript appraisal, a certificate and the chance to have their manuscript viewed by Sue Whiting, Publishing Manager at Walker Books Australia. All participants receive feedback.
• Who is eligible: There is an Australian, International and Illustrator segment.

May 15  REMIXING THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS CHALLENGE

• What: Using a poem or poems from Solving the World’s Problems by Robert Lee Brewer, write your own poetic remix. “Include your name, the title of the poem (or poems) you’re remixing, and the title of the new piece–along with your contact information.” The “author of my favorite remix will receive a $500.”
• Who is eligible: Everyone
• Fee: Free

JUNE

June 15    SCBWI TOMIE DEPAOLA ILLUSTRATION CONTEST PART 1

• What: winning illustration entry gets a free trip to the winter SCBWI conference and lunch with Tomie de Paola. Note that this year’s competition is a two-part competition.
• Who is eligible: SCBWI members

June 29  GOLDEN BAOBAB PRIZES (African writers/illustrators)

• What: $5000 prize and opportunity to get children’s stories published (picture books, chapter books, rising writers/illustrators, illustrators)

June 30 GREENHOUSE FUNNY PRIZE

• What: Submit your funny PB, MG, or YA manuscript for a chance to be represented by the Greenhouse Literary Agency
• Who is eligible: unagented writers in the UK, Commonwealth (excluding Canada) and Europe

JULY

July 1 BOOKSTAR 2014

• What: Submit a completed fiction manuscript or biography for  the chance to attend a live event and read 2 minutes of a manuscript. Winner will be chosen by vote from judges and the public.  Winner will be signed to Mithra Publishing with a PR agency.
• Who is Eligible: UK Novel Writers only
• Fee: £5 for each submission

(July 31)        CHEERIOS 2014 SPOONFUL OF STORIES CONTEST   There will not be a Cheerios contest this year…boooooo

• What: a national search for a winning picture book story
• Who is eligible: unpublished writers (very strict – can’t have published in kidlit market, including magazines)
• Prize: $5000 and publication & distribution in Cheerios boxes nationwide

(TBA)

#PITCHMAS

• What: Twitter pitch party with agents and editors. Check the website for rules and additional details including a participating list of agents and editors.
• Who: Open to All with a Twitter Account
• Prize: agent and editor requests for manuscripts

AUGUST

August 15 POCKETS MAGAZINE FICTION CONTEST

• What: Christian magazine seeking unpublished stories 750-1000 words.
• Award: $500 and publication in Pockets. Submit with SASE.

Aug. 31           SUSTAINABLE ARTS FOUNDATION 2014 FALL GRANT

• Award: Five $6,000 awards and five $2,000 awards for writers or artists who are also parents
• Who is eligible: applicant must have at least one child under the age of 18

Aug. 1- 31  INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S STORY COMPETITION

• Award: Inclusive Works, KAZDU and Clavis Publishers invite you to submit a story for an international children’s stories competition “Grandpa, grandma and I in the multicultural society.”for children either in the age group of 1-3 years or 4-6 years. Both winning stories will be published by Clavis Publishers as illustrated children’s books in Dutch and English.

SEPTEMBER

(Sept. 30)       NEW VOICES AWARD, LEE & LOW BOOKS

• What: a national search for a winning picture book story
• Who is eligible: unpublished, unagented writer of color (can be published in kidlit magazines)
• Prize: $1000 plus standard publication contract

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Dec. 8-17 (tentative)  HOLIDAY CONTEST with Susanna Leonard Hill

• What: Write a story with a holiday theme and share on your blog or at HTTP://SUSANNAHILL.BLOGSPOT.COM. Top stories will be chosen and eligible for prizes. Check the website for specific contest guidelines and rules.
• Who: Open to All

(Dec. 13)        TOMIE DEPAOLA ILLUSTRATION CONTEST

• What: annual search for a winning illustration following a prompt given by Tomie dePaola
• Who is eligible: SCBWI members
• Prize: trip to the winter New York SCBWI conference, award presented, and lunch with Tomie dePaola

(TBA)
#PITCHMAS

• What: Twitter pitch party with agents and editors. Check the website for rules and additional details including a participating list of agents and editors.
• Who: Open to All with a Twitter Account
• Prize: agent and editor requests for manuscripts

It is a crazy circle.  The publishing industry wants you to have already been published before they will publish you themselves.  How do you get published to have some credit behind your name?

I think your best bet is to grab a writers guide. (Writer’s & Illustrator’s Guide) Here you will find a wealth of information on publishers for your genre.  If you are wanting to be published to get some credibility behind your name look for those magazines that publish without pay.  I know, I know we all want to be paid for what we write, but think of it as a stepping stone.  A way to get to where you want to go.  If what you need is writing experience to add to your query letter than that may be a great way to get it!

You may also want to look locally.  There are several local magazines that are looking for local articles about the area, or maybe you could write a spot for your local paper.  I am sure they would love to hear from you.  They like a fresh perspective.

Be sure you represent your self professionally even if the gig is for no pay because remember it is a stepping stone to your future as a writer!  You can do it!  Just use your resources.

Have a great weekend!

JODI

Have you been considering pitching an agent with your work?  I have been thinking about it, and so I have begun my research on how to go about it.  This is something I have never done before and since this blog is all about walking along the path to publication I thought I would share my knowledge and experiences with you!  I hope all of these links come in handy for you on your road to publication as well.

Of course you will first want to find an agent that would be suitable for you and your work, and a great place for this is http://www.literaryrambles.com/  on the left side of the page you will find where the categories are broken down into agents who rep PB, agents who rep MG and agents that rep YA.  This will take you to “Spotlight” agents that you can read more in-depth about.  This site is extremely helpful when starting your research!

Once you find an agent that you feel would be suitable for you then do a google search with just the agents name.  This will help you find out more about that specific agent and what they are looking for. You may be able to find a personal website, blog, or even examples of queries that have snagged them in the past!

When you have found out more about your agent then you will want to start working on  your agent pitch.  Before starting turn to Nathan Bransford’s site as it will have the information you need to get started.

Query Formula: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2008/03/query-letter-mad-lib.html

Good examples:http://blog.nathanbransford.com/search/label/Anatomy%20of%20a%20Good%20Query%20Letter

Formatting an email query: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/03/how-to-format-query-letter.html

Another great spot to find tons of information is Mary Kole with the Andrea Brown Agency.

Help with queries: http://kidlit.com/category/queries/

Information about agents: http://kidlit.com/category/agent/

Pitching to an agent does take a bit of research to find the right person and agency but it will be worth it in the end to have that expert in your corner representing you!

Hope this helps you on your path to publication!

Have a great week

~Jodi~

Sometimes writing can seem like such a long process. It is easy to get distracted from your goal, and get sidetracked by other things that promise a quicker payout.  I tend to get distracted from my writing easily, probably because I have such a busy, crazy life, like most people.  It is hard to stay focused on the long-term goal.  Today in the rare two hours I had to myself I read a story from Kristi Holl’s book Writers First Aid-Getting Organized, Getting Inspired, and Sticking to It, and I wanted to share part of it with you.  I do have to give you a bit of background on it first: she begins by talking about a bamboo stalk and when you plant the tiny shoot it does not grow much even though you water it diligently, and then after five years you can expect it to grow as much as 80 feet.  So after telling you that here is the part of the book I wanted to share with  you.  “The tortoise approach is often ultimately the most successful, but it can take so lo-o-o-ong to succeed that discouragement can set in.  Picture again that Chinese bamboo tree.  It is sending roots down for years before its sudden rapid upward growth.  If you are writing and studying diligently, you are putting down a writer’s roots.  It’s critical time, with little to show others for your efforts.  But if you look closely, you can see progress.  You may not be making many sales yet, but there is progress in your writing skills, your marketing skills, your networking.  You are building a solid base that will support future growth.  It will be comfortable, steady growth too; it will add to your life rather than disrupt it.  As one Chinese proverb says, “Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.”

Taking things slowly is okay.  Building a good writing base for your work is what you need to succeed in the long run.  There are some people who have overnight success, but that is the exception, not the norm.  Enjoy where you are right now in your writing career, and be excited about the future.  You will get there!

You can find more about Kristi Holl at her blog or at her website, and I will add links to my sidebar as well.  A little more about Kristi taken from her site: Kristi Holl is an award-winning author of 34 books for children, one nonfiction book for writers, and over 150 stories and articles for children and adults, as well as conference speaker and web editor. Her stories and articles have appeared in Jack and Jill, Child Life, Hi-Call, Your Life & Health, Touch, The Writer, Children’s Writer, and the SCBWI Bulletin, among others. She also wrote a mystery column and self-coaching column for the magazine Once Upon a Time.

Keep writing every day! Make it a habit.

Have a great week

Jodi~

I am going to make this quick as I only have limited time on my hands.  I have just realized that I may have mastered the art of sneaking away from a sleeping baby!  This takes an immense amount of skill and strength, if you don’t know why, well then you have never tried sneaking away from a sleeping baby.  Example:  Baby is awake, so you lay next to them.  You close your eyes to encourage them to close their eyes as well.  You lay absolutely still awaiting the moment when the baby’s eyes close.  The little hand twitches and you know it is then possibly safe for you to make your first move.  You start to slowly put one foot towards the ground but the darn bed squeaks and the baby’s eyes open…hold that leg, don’t let the bed squeak anymore.  (See this is where the strength comes in!)  Once the eyes close again you proceed, moving each limb slowly and steadily like you are doing tai chi.  You are now in standing position but you just stare at the little one for a moment to ensure they don’t wake again.  Then you creep slowly, like a burglar in the old movies you know up on your toes,   praying the whole way that you don’t hit that one creak in the floor.  Once you reach the door frame you are home free.  You do a silent cheer and then move on!

And take a guess at why I was doing all of this sneaking?  Of course to get a little writing time to myself!

Enjoy your day!

Jodi