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Good dialogue captures a character’s personality, moves the story forward, and helps the reader connect with the character. But when dialogue sounds inauthentic, it can throw off the rhythm of a read-aloud and disconnect the reader from your characters.

As a freelance picture book editor, I read hundreds of manuscripts each year. And some common mistakes always stand out.

...it's critical that you take the time to learn the genre and it's unique expectations before you dive in.

At a recent conference, someone sat down across from me and said, “I wrote a picture book, but it got too long—so now I’m turning it into a young adult novel.” This wasn’t a one-off comment. When I asked more questions, I realized: they had no idea that middle grade was a thing. They didn’t know what chapter books were, either. And they definitely didn’t realize that a picture book isn’t just a book with pictures. That moment is exactly why I wrote this post. Because I’ve bee

One of the most common dilemmas new authors face, is what to do with feedback once they receive it.

Here’s a round up of my favorite FREE writing contests and challenges for children's book authors.

If you're writing children's picture books, bringing your vision to life is the hardest part. If you have an idea for a picture book...

When writing a children's picture book, the art tells half the story (more, in some cases!) Because of this, your picture book layout is essential to the reading experience. You want page turns in the right place and you don't want too much text on each page. But if you're not an illustrator, this can be tricky to envision. In this post, I'll show you how to make a picture book dummy so that you can nail your layout before the illustration phase. What is a picture book dummy

Regardless of which publishing route you choose, you want to avoid pouring time and energy into a project that falls in the dreaded “no man’s land” of children’s publishing. In this blog post, I'm going to break down each subgenre of children's books so you can do just that!

Most children's book authors struggle with imposter syndrome at some point. But the debut of artificial intelligence that can generate...

But did you know that the skills that make a great teacher are also the characteristics of a great children's book author?

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re just getting started on the first draft of your children’s book. Here are five things you DON’T nee

When you’re writing your first draft of a children’s book, the most important thing is to just get the story out of your head and onto the s

In my experience, first-time authors often go through a process similar to the 5 stages of grief as they come to the painful, but necessary

Hey there, aspiring children's book creators! So, you're ready to embark on a magical adventure into the world of children's literature?