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If you are writing picture books, check out my 20 Questions for a Picture Book and my blog.
If you are an Inland Northwest SCBWI member, the best way to contact me is by email. Visit the SCBWI Inland Northwest page to get in touch or to view our upcoming events.
This weekend, our local SCBWI region organized a Social Media Day. We talked about websites, personal branding, and different marketing strategies. My presentation covered social media, and how to connect with the #kidlit community on different platforms. Whether you’re published or pre-published, having a social media presence can connect you to a larger community. It … Continue reading
For our upcoming SCBWI conference in Spokane, I’m leading a small group session about Magazine Writing & Work-fir-Hire. Here are a few great resources I found during my research. The ‘bug‘ magazine submission guidelines & wish lists. This interview with Patricia Stockland on Harold Underdown’s site. This article by Christine M. Hepperman on The Horn … Continue reading
The who, what, where, when, why, and how of a picture book idea. 7 questions to figure it out. 1. Who is your main character? 2. What does your main character want? 3. Why does your main character want this? << This one’s important so go deep. The answer will likely be the theme of … Continue reading
Writers interested in picture book publication sometimes hear this disheartening comment during a critique: This story doesn’t read like a picture book story. Why not? This comment can be confusing. It could be the subject matter, the age of the main character, or the structure of the story. A picture book story most often fits … Continue reading
We often think of the word ‘gimmick’ as having a negative connotation. But good gimmicks are found in a lot of picture books! Gimmick – an ingenious or novel device, scheme, or stratagem, especially one designed to attract attention or increase appeal. The picture book gimmick is the twist, the mash-up, and the familiar story … Continue reading
It’s what’s on the inside that counts. A doughnut without jelly is just doughnut. Sure, a it’s sweet, but you pretty much know what you’re getting at first glance. Like the jelly filled doughnut, a great picture book is full of surprises! It serves up suspense at the turn of a page. It presents quirky … Continue reading
Rachel Hamby 