New! Over 80 Publishers Accepting Children’s Books

Posted in Writer's Platform, Writing Children's Books, Writing events, Writing events, promos, contests by bitsykemper

…No Agent Needed!

Updated as of May 16, 2023

cute girl reading a picture book to her stuffed bunny — Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Finding publishers accepting children’s books is no easy task! I know because I’ve been doing it awhile. I’ve authored 16 books without an agent. I’m now actively pursuing one, given the tighter and more competitive climate, but am still pitching solo. It’s not impossible, and I know many other kidlit authors/illustrators that are staying commando. Wait, I mean rogue. Agentless? You know what I mean.

image of "closed" sign symbolizing publishers closed to picture book submissions

But as I get ready to submit my next round of picture books, I see more and more publishers that USED to be open to submissions are either closed and now agent only, are at capacity and temporarily closed until further notice, or sadly have shuttered down completely. Some have been bought out by larger houses so their policies have changed, some are simply catching up from the constant influx of subs and are temporarily overwhelmed.

What that means to me is that aaalll those great lists of picture book publishers I’ve bookmarked and found sooo helpful are now outdated. It’s frustrating to have to re-research every link. You feel my pain, I know you do.

[click READ MORE to read entire post and get to list]

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6May2023

31 Day Author Platform Challenge Day 6: Bio, Bio Everywhere

Posted in 31 day author platform challenge, Writer's Platform, Writing Children's Books by bitsykemper

[Before we start, have you followed 10 new people yet?]

It’s all about YOU!

Yesterday was a big-picture assessment of your homepage. Day 6 hones in on your Bio, which you need for your website as well as every social media platform you’ve got. Let’s make sure you are presenting the best possible version of yourself (that’s still truthful of course).

I sorta cheated on this task, since my home page right now is my bio page, and I worked on that yesterday. But I do need to revisit the bios I have on Twitter (oh, wow, noticed outdated info right away!) and Insta (how long has that link been broken?! Oh and did you know they now let you add FIVE links on your Insta profile?!). I bet you forgot about those platforms and were only thinking about your website! But they are ALL our brand, and they all have bios–even if just five words. I’ve culled bio tips other professionals (I searched the web so you don’t have to) and blended them with my own advice.

First off, think about your audience. Who is reading this bio? Is it parents, past and potential buyers of your books? Specialists from schools and libraries considering whether to book you for an author signing? Kid fans that read your books? Literally picture them in your mind as you write your bio. As we’ve talked about, different platforms will have slightly different audiences. It’s OK to vary them.

Secondly, write it well! Be engaging! If you can’t write a good bio about yourself, can readers trust you can write a good book? Remember that you are your own brand. Your bio needs to reflect who you are, so that when someone reads it, they “get” you. Some great examples of writing in your own voice are here: https://rocketexpansion.com/about-the-author-examples/. Granted, those are mainly jacket flap bios, but you get the idea. This bio isn’t for jacket flap, which has an even more centralized audience—potential and current reader/buyer. First work on your webpage since it’ll be the longest. Adapt accordingly for Insta, Twitter, etc.

Third, don’t sweat wordcount. It can be as simple as a paragraph. Don’t bore anyone by cramming in too much information no one needs. (You’ll have stricter parameters on most of the other platforms.)

Lastly, don’t forget a CALL TO ACTION! More on that below.

On websites, I’ve always appreciated the almost-all-encompassing two or three sentence bio, followed by a few paragraphs of more-detail-that-isn’t-crucial-but-is-nice-to-have. That way, if your reader only has a few seconds, they can get enough from those first few sentences. It’s something they can cut and paste if they need to introduce you. To nail down the super short “elevator pitch” of your bio, check out https://scribemedia.com/write-author-bio/ (scroll about halfway down to Template heading).

OK, let’s get down to it. What should you include on your bio page?

YOUR HISTORY

Where you’re from, and where you live now. I like to keep this generic, as in “from NY, now live in CA” as I honestly don’t think it’s anyone’s business what town or exact city I live in. Plus, with cybersecurity issues, you don’t want to give out too much info on yourself. But if you have an unusual city name, like Boring, OR – please keep it! Have some fun with it.
Personal info but IMHO only AS IT PERTAINS TO YOUR WRITING such as if you write about the environment and you have a biology degree. Or, say, if you mainly write male characters b/c you are a mom of four boys, talk about how they influence story ideas or creative work hours.
Toss in some “PERSONAL TAGS” like something you’d call out on a main character to show their personality or make them memorable. Do you love Orange Crush? Root only for the Mets? Enjoy fly fishing? Hate the Oxford comma? Show readers what makes you uniquely you. Be relatable!
Recognition or awards you’ve received. Go ahead and toot your own horn! But no need to be a jerk about it. “I was excited to win the MOMMA 2022 Book of the Year” is different than “I beat out 200 other mostly-lame entries to capture the coveted award that most other authors only dream about” which makes you sound like a poo-poo-head. Be specific, spell out all acronyms, and give dates/years (unless it’s over 8ish years ago as then it’s old news so don’t give the year). Bonus points if you can toss in a few kid-friendly things like “baton champ of 5^th grade” or “voted worst penmanship in 12^th grade.” Remember that note about being relatable?

YOUR NOW

Books published. If none, don’t say you’re unpublished. Consider saying something descriptive like you have “a middle-grade novel for shy girls in the works.” Find tips for unpublished writers here: https://gatekeeperpress.com/how-to-write-an-author-bio-with-no-experience/
Your main age level and genre. For example, although I have CB and MG manuscripts that I’m working on, I am mainly a PB fiction writer, so that’s what I talk about. If I get published in the other age ranges, I’ll talk more about them. If you say you “write for all ages” then it looks like you’re unfocused. It’s more impressive to be specialized.
ALL your current social media handles WITH LINKS. (If you haven’t updated Pinterest since 2006, say, don’t include it.)

YOUR PHOTO(S)

Headshot that’s within the last 5 years please! NOTE: HEADSHOTS ARE TOMORROWS TOPIC so no excuses for an outdate selfie.
People love pets so feel free to also add a few of those.
Book covers! Add all of ‘em. Feel free to have the pic linked to an indy book store where the book can be purchased—but do NOT say anything about buying the books. Simply have the linked book cover images.

YOUR CALL TO ACTION

Don’t miss the opportunity to ask people to leave a comment, sign up for your mailing list, click on a link to your blog or recent recorded interview, follow you on social media (with links), etc. Do NOT have the call to action be a sales pitch. No one likes that. It ruins the great impression you’ve just created.

Did we miss anything? Let me know if you have crucial info you think has to be included.

Once you hone your revised bio, make sure you update your bio’s main points on all your social media accounts. They don’t have to be exact; as mentioned, most people have slightly different personalities on each platform. But make sure they sync up and make sure they are all current.

Recap: Update and rework your bio(s!) as needed. Make sure each social media service you use has a bio that fits the audience (adapt your new one accordingly).

Happy multi bio-ing!

5May2023

31 Day Author Platform Challenge Day 5: Website homey

Posted in 31 day author platform challenge, Writer's Platform, Writing Children's Books by bitsykemper

[Hey there–before we start, have you followed 10 new people yet?]

Bringing it home

Welcome to Day 5! Today we are going to apply your brand to your website. We’ll start with your homepage. Let’s tidy up the house so we are proud when company comes over. We’re first looking at your home page because you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Your homepage:

Open your website. View it with fresh eyes, as if you were someone that doesn’t know you, and is there for the first time. As far as the big picture, do you see an author brand? Would a stranger see it? Is your site a visual mess, or is it a place someone would want to stay and linger? Take notes on what needs to change.

Take closer inventory. What is the first specific thing people see and feel? Take notes on the following:

When someone sees it, do they get an immediate sense of who you are—but more importantly, is it welcoming?
Does it represent the current you, and your brand?
Are the colors right? Is font readable? Is there enough whitespace?
Is it current? As in when was your last post or update? How would they know?
How old is your bio pic?
Is every subheading correct, necessary, and relevant?
Do you have clearly marked Contact info and links to social media?

RIGHT AWAY, get working on anything that needs fixing. Make notes in that new notebook or document on any work you still need done. Give yourself a deadline to complete it. Even if you end up needing to push the deadline out, give yourself one. Trust me (and science!), it is more likely to happen when you hold yourself accountable by being SMART (remember–Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.) If you don’t have time to add the icons and links to all your social media platforms today, write down you’ll figure out how to do it by Friday the 5th and complete it by Saturday May 6th.

If editing a website is above your pay grade and it’s not something you can immediately start on, contact someone today with SPECIFICS on what you would like them to do for you. Not “help me with my homepage” but “change the colors on the homepage, update my contact info, and remove this image.” Give them a (reasonable) deadline too – or at least a timeframe.

I just got done assessing my homepage, and FWIW this is what I realized:

My colors were too juvenile so I changed them
I hate the random, ugly ads that are generated in the free version of WordPress that I use, so did what I’ve been thinking about doing for years: upgraded to the no-ad version. Not saying you need to! Just something I’ve wanted to do and finally did, whew
My “Upcoming Events” list was waaay too long so I shortened it and put stuff from 2020 on a diff page
The “long version” of my bio was, well, too long so I pared it down (it’s still too long, but progress…)
My tagline, held over from when I spent more time marketing than writing, feels dated, so I edited it
My formatting skills are horrendous but I cleaned up a little bit at the bottom (it’s still terrible but it’s good enough for now. I added it to my To Do list to fix later.
I added a “subscribe” button in the top right column — please sign up so you get emails on each daily task! (it’s now on the top right of every page)

I was able to handle all of it within about an hour.

Now it’s your turn.

Recap: Take a birds-eye view of your homepage. What needs updating, changing revising? Take note (literally) of larger things To Do and change what you can right now.

Let me know how it shakes out! Leave a comment below.

13Jan2022

Writing Goals vs Writing Skills

Posted in Writer's Platform, Writing Children's Books by bitsykemper

Every writer has a goal, whether it’s yearly, monthly, or “someday.” Goals are used as motivation to get stuff done. Resolutions are made, typically with broad intent.

A goal might be to get on the best seller list.

It might be smaller, like come up with x number of viable book ideas (challenges like Storystorm encourage picture book writers to come up with a 30 new ideas in 30 days).

Or get an agent, find a critique group, nab a pitch party.

Or, finish that darn book (NaNoWriMo is famous for encouraging writers to complete a novel in 30 days).

The problem with those kinds of goals, is that the skills needed to accomplish them are glossed over. Nowhere in the goal setting does it account for HOW it will get done.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to focus on the skills you need to accomplish your goals, instead of the goals themselves?

As performance coach Derek Schenck puts it, “The Good focus on a goal; the Great focus on a skill.”

Maybe, instead of having a goal to finish your book, you can focus on the skill of, say, self discipline. The skill you choose to focus on for the year or month could be limiting social media to x numbers of hours a day/week, or once in the morning after you’ve checked email, and once in the afternoon after lunch. Maybe the skill to focus on is saying no to interruptions, and reminding yourself you are worth alone time. Those skills free up time for you to write…which will help you finish your book.

Maybe, instead of the goal of finding a critique group, your focused skill could be on better communication and social interactions with fellow writers. You could focus on being the best type crit partner one could have–like having tact, kindness, offering direction/suggestions without rewriting, and knowing when to shush. Practice your people skills (introverts prefer online groups for this very reason–avoiding in person convos. But it needs to happen, and practice makes perfect–or at least better). Find ways to interact with people without expecting a return or gain. The better you get, the more you’ll view yourself as a valuable crit partner, and the more confident you’ll be in seeking others out. Get real good and a critique group might even come find you!

Instead of a goal of finding an agent, how about you (re)focus on your writing skills, getting them so fine and tight and absolutely irresistible that no agent could possibly say no? Same goes for getting a best seller. Sure, some of that might be luck and marketing–but it’s nothing without beautiful writing. Quality writing is something you can control. Fame is not.

Wanna nab a pitch party? Focus on research — what EXACTLY is being asked, how can I meet that, who are past winners, how did they format their pitch, who can I bounce revisions off of until I’m ready?

To paraphrase the hilarious Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, to master the skills needed to reach your goals, the question isn’t so much “Who do you want to be?” so much as it’s “What are you doing to make it happen?”

His blunt questions are: What are you improving at? What are you learning and gaining? Instead of thinking about what you want to achieve…ask yourself, “What do I want to be good at that I’m not?” Then he challenges you to get working on it.

Goals are easy to formulate. But when you achieve them, you need new goals. When you don’t achieve them, you feel disappointed if not disillusioned. Repeat ad nauseum. You’re never done; you never close the loop.

Skills? They are harder, for sure.

But they last a lifetime.

18Feb2021

Growth Along the Writing Journey

Posted in Writing Children's Books by bitsykemper

As a panelist on the WriteOnCon session “We Were All New Writers Once: Growth on the Journey,” I spent some time reflecting, of course, on my own writing journey.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Here’s the thing: I honestly never thought I’d be a writer.

My daughter disagrees. She says from what I’ve told her, at every turn I was a writer…from the boxes and boxes of saved handwritten letters (each one means I wrote to them first), to papers I claimed to have loved writing in school (including my dissertation), to comedy & theatre sketches, to the way I somehow always ended up writing at work whether it was news releases or ghostwritten technical papers or business plans. She even mentioned the mock Christmas newsletters I used to send out, like when I claimed she toured Europe in sold-out piano concertos (she was 7) and one son had unlocked the secret to the Dead Sea Scrolls (he was 5) and the other had been banned in the Midwest for his expert ninja skills (he was 3). [I guess I was always creative if nothing else.] Yes, I had stints as on-air and newspaper reporters too, but they came as a result of a corporate job where, to make a long story short, I ended up co-writing a syndicated newspaper column on a fluke.

Or was it a fluke?

Did I unknowingly will it to happen? Have I always been a writer?

My daughter’s accusation, if you will, really caught me off guard. But OK. Maybe I really have always been a writer even if I didn’t realize it until this week. Maybe it’s that I never thought I’d be an author. But honestly, aren’t they really the same thing?

I realized I have always been drawn to — what…places? work?… — where writing plays a large role. What a great creative outlet! And you’re in control the whole time. Don’t like what you’ve written? Go back and fix it. Get feedback that what you’ve written isn’t right, or good? Well it’s not like math–right or wrong. It’s subjective. So you don’t have to like what I’ve written. I do! It’s the perfect loophole, lol.

Surely that “you can’t tell me it’s wrong” caveat gets tricky when it comes to being published. The other person HAS to like what you’re writing in order to publish it, unless you are self publishing. Even then, there are grammar rules, punctuation, etc. People have to like your writing in order to buy it. It’s not exactly a free-for-all. But as a writer, I am in control of everything! I write when I want. What I want. I certainly take what others say into consideration. I honor proper English and don’t go rogue on spelling or manuscript formatting or query protocol. I have several critique partners that I couldn’t live without. I definitely do my research, attend conferences, and listen to experts. I learn and adapt. I feel I improve a little every day. I don’t do it for anyone else, any more than someone who practices free shots in their driveway over and over does it for any one other than themselves. (Are they trying to impress the neighbors? Get an NBA contract? No. They just want to get better at free throws. They earn a sense of accomplishment, of work well done.)

My daughter had a point. Maybe my journey started before I even knew I was on board, and all that time I spent writing earlier in life helped land me where I am now.

And my journey isn’t over. Far from it.

Maybe your journey started years ago too. Maybe it’s starting right now. No matter when it began, your writing journey can go wherever you want it to! You are in control, my friend.

Your writing is yours. Only you can write what you write, from your perspective, with your voice, with your knowledge base. And so too is your writing journey. Only you can decide where and how to map it out. Only you decide how often you write, how often you edit, how seriously you take professional feedback and direction. It might be up to another person to say yes or no as far as a contract, but its up to you to get your work to the point where they simply can’t say no! Write once in a while? Great. Just don’t expect grand success if you’re not hammering away regularly. Even the best natural writers won’t succeed unless they–wait for it–SIT DOWN AND WRITE.

It takes time. Probably more time that you’re gonna want it to take. Other people will succeed before you. But that’s their journey, not yours. Keep at it. You might not have all the time in the world right now. No one does. It might be really hard to see how to get from point A to point B if you can’t even make it through the day. We’ve all been there! If you can only afford a few hours a week for now, that’s okay. Relish those few hours a week! Work smarter so those 20 minute a day can be even more productive than an open day where “let me just finish this last email” leads to three hours of wasted time. It’s your time, respect it. It doesn’t have to be strictly in front of your computer. Block off time on the calendar and temporarily cut off the internet. Eat lunch alone outside under a tree and speak your notes into your phone. Brainstorm while folding laundry. Find a pen-pal to swap ideas and manuscripts with (note: be upfront with what you are looking for: do you want ongoing positive reinforcement or true honest feedback?)(not that they are mutually exclusive!). Try to do one thing every day to move your path forward, even if it’s one tiny step…but don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Or three.

Your journey can only move forward if you’re in motion!

Mainly: take yourself seriously. Allow yourself that daily distraction-free time, even if nothing immediately usable comes of it. Nothing creative is wasted anyway. You’ll reuse it in some form, either by learning from it (finding out it’s not a direction you want the story to go, for example, is great progress!) or from the positivity you just allowed yourself to embrace.

Don’t forget the “journey” part of the writing journey means it’s a process, not a one-time event. The journey might be spotty and frustrating at times, but it will also be rewarding and wonderful. Stick with it, even if it’s just for fun. Not everything we write has to have the ultimate goal of being published. Some of our best writings never have to be read by anyone but ourselves. We can be proud of our work no matter where it sits. The important thing is that we’re writing–present tense.

Never thought you’d BE A WRITER?

You already are.

30Nov2020

(Intangible) Gifts Ideas For Writers, 2020 Edition

Posted in Writing Children's Books by bitsykemper

Unique Gift Ideas For Writers They They Really Want (Hint: Not Another Journal)

22 Best Gift Shops in Major U.S. Cities - Unique Gift Shops Near Me

What a year, amiright? I think it’s okay for me to be blunt. 2020 has been so nutty that I think we all deserve some peace this holiday season. Let me help ease your mind with some unique gift ideas for your writer friends; gift ideas that will leave them happy and thankful you took the time to understand them, to see them.

While none of these can be wrapped, they are all ways to better your writer’s life. And boy will they appreciate them.

Book Review: Lipedema - The Disease They Call Fat - Lymphoedema Education Solutions

REVIEW THEIR BOOK The best possible gift won’t cost you a dime. You can do it from home, any time, day or night. And you don’t even have to leave your house. Win/win, right? Reviewing your friend’s book means more than you realize. Admit it, when you’re about to buy a widget on Amazon, you look at the reviews. How many stars did it get? How many reviews are there? You don’t want to take a risk that what you’re about to buy is crud. Same is true on books. Even though reading is subjective (it can’t break, it won’t matter if it’s smaller than the image shows, etc), reviews matter. More reviews implies heavier loyalty/popularity, which helps get their book ranked higher in searches. It impresses future/potential buyers. It can make or break a sale.

Do your author friend a favor and review it anywhere you can: Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, your local library, your local bookstore’s website.

NOTE: If the book is not your style, or you feel you’ll do a disservice by reviewing it, ok fine. Don’t leave a review. In that case, see #2.
BUY THEIR BOOK I can’t believe this goes without saying. You can’t review their book if you haven’t read it. If you HAVE to, buy from Amazon, but please get it from your local independent bookstore. If they don’t carry it, ask them to order it for you. That is a double bonus because it introduces your friend’s name the the bookstore owner!

And yes, technically you are buying YOURSELF something, but ultimately you are gifting your friend the best kind of support.

Once you’ve read it, two things can happen: You like it or you don’t.

If it’s not your cup of tea, still let your friend know the extent to which you bought it. No need to give your opinion, just give them admiration for all the time and effort they must have gone through to complete such a book. Ask your writer friend to send what’s called a “bookplate” and they will be thrilled!! (A bookplate is a signed sticker that can be placed inside the book, the quasi-equivalent of the author signing the book in person). Let them know you are either going to “keep it forever” or will now share it with a local school or library so more people can enjoy it.

If you like it, review it (see #1). IF you already bought one, buy another copy for another friend, family member, school, or library. If it’s kidlit and you have kids in school, ask your kids’ teachers to have the class read the book. Ask your friend what their rates are on a Zoom visit and maybe help sponsor an author visit. Again, let your friend know the extent to which you’ve gone. Ask your writer friend to send bookplates for the copies you’ve purchased and they will be thrilled!! (See above for bookplate definition).
BUY EDUCATION/GROWTH/NETWORKING OPPS Regardless if your writer friend is published yet, they’ll always want to be a better writer. They’ll want to hang out with other writers, even if it’s virtual. Get them a year’s membership in SCBWI (free webinars, access to publishers contact list), classes in legit places such as Institute of Children’s Literature or The Writing Barn or Children’s Book Insider (always check credentials before signing up!), or a subscription to Writer’s Digest (yes, the paper one!). Donate $5 or $5/month to Writers Happiness in their name so they can take some online writers’ yoga classes to ease their weary neck and shoulders. Research and create a list or calendar of virtual meet ups they might want to participate in (there are so many I guarantee they don’t even know about!).

Writers don’t need another pen, journal, or notepad you can use on the shower. We don’t need bookmarks or posters or coffee mugs. I mean, sure, yes, they are great gifts, I mean no disrespect. But what if you gave it just a little more thought?