• New @ The Clubhouse: Another Great Free eBook for Fightin’ Bookworms. A 1906 gem! http://cbiclubhouse.com, Children’s Writers’ Community #
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As a writer, you’re expected to know enough about your subject to write authoritatively about it. That’s fine if you’ve spent your life as a firefighter and your story is set in a firehouse. But what if you’re writing a story in which the main character dreams of being an Olympic diver, and you don’t even know how to swim?

That’s the sort of pickle writers find themselves in all the time. There’s a setting, an occupation, a hobby that just feels right for your character, but the writer is utterly ignorant about the details and inner workings that would bring such an element to life.

That’s why eHow.com is such a cool site. Their slogan is Clear Instructions on How To Do (just about) Everything and it’s a fair boast. Pay them a visit and you’ll know how to do a Forward One-and-a-Half Flip From a Springboard in a matter of minutes!

http://eHow.com

For writing tips and more information about writing for children, visit The CBI Clubhouse – Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms!

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(Note: the following is excerpted from our acclaimed eBook Improving the Odds, Insider Secrets that Can Help You Get Published! by CBI Publisher Laura Backes.  To read another excerpt and get more information about this eBook, visit http://write4kids.com/odds.html)

Here’s a fascinating question I received a while back. It brings up an interesting dilemma faced by writers who receive personal (as opposed to form) rejection letters.

Although getting a rejection letter is no fun –even if it’s directly from an editor who clearly enjoyed your work — you’ve actually established something quite important: a relationship with a real live editor.

Here’s how I advised one writer about taking advantage of this great opportunity:

Hi Laura,

I seem to have clawed my way to the near the top of the slush pile; I am now receiving signed, personalized rejection letters rather than photocopied forms. Several of the letters have included favorable comments, but so far I have received no suggestions for revisions of the manuscripts, or requests that I do so. My question is, if I revise the manuscript substantially, can I send it back to the same editors again? Or does ‘no’ mean ‘no, no, never, never’?

In publishing (unlike the rest of the world) being rejected “personally” is much better than being rejected anonymously. It’s frustrating, though, if the editor doesn’t tell you why your manuscript was rejected (that’s up to you and your writers group to figure out). If the editor doesn’t specifically say she wants to see the manuscript again, then “no” means “no”. However, she may say she’d like to see other manuscripts from you. If that’s the case, be sure to send her something else, and remind her in your cover letter that she requested another story. Even if she didn’t mention seeing more work, I’d still send her another manuscript (provided it’s the kind of thing that publisher is looking for) and in your cover letter thank her for taking the time to respond personally to your previous submission, and say “Here’s something else I thought you might like.” Forming a relationship with an editor now can often lead to a sale later.

For writing tips and more information about writing for children, visit The CBI Clubhouse – Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms!

One exception: There are some mass market publishers and book packagers (companies who create books and series for publishers) who have lines of books with related merchandise. These are often nonfiction books (crafts, activities, science projects, etc.), books for very young children (small stuffed animals accompany the book), or book-and-cd packages. Again, looking through book stores to find these publishers and then sending for writer’s guidelines is your best bet.

For much more information about writing and submitting children’s books to publishers, visit http://cbiclubhouse.com

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• New Video: “Writing Children’s Books: A Crash Course in Submitting a Manuscript to a Publisher” http://snurl.com/gkk07 Enjoy! #
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• New Video: “Writing Children’s Books: A Crash Course in Submitting a Manuscript to a Publisher” http://snurl.com/gkk07 Enjoy! #
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Here’s our brand new video “Writing Children’s Books: A Crash Course in Submitting a Manuscript to a Publisher.”  Enjoy!

For writing tips and more information about writing for children, visit The CBI Clubhouse – Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms!