Guest Post with illustrator Ronda Eden - part of the World of Ink May '11 Virtual Tour

Publishing Tips (dos and don'ts)

By Ronda Eden Illustrator of "The Brothers Foot"

This is the one I’m betting Steve, the author, is avoiding. I know this because we are alike in that promotion, publishing and all the business parts of our work is hardly our forte. Like most artists, we just want to be left alone to do our art. We are however, making an effort...but it’s not easy. I think I could offer a few tips though as I do some writing for children as well.

First: Keep up with the latest trends and how things are quickly changing.

Second: As much as you may not like Facebook and other social networks, they are fast becoming a necessity if you want to get the word out there. Do keep some boundaries tough. It’s easy to get distracted and led astray.

Third: Be careful of self-publishing companies. Make sure you understand the costs involved. Realize you are probably going to have to buy your own books and usually in bulk to get any kind of profit margin. Some of the self-publishing companies are very large and have become (I think) impersonal. This may not bother you, as they can also be very efficient and produce a nice finished product. I just found the last time I dealt with them I never got to speak to the same person twice.

Fourth: Start off with magazines. Get an up to date copy of Children’s Writers and Illustrator’s Market, as it is a good all around source of information and resources to help you figure out your niche. It contains really helpful articles as well.

Fifth: Have a look at a variety of publishing options and keep a creative and open mind.

I hope my list of tips was helpful. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts, Ronda Eden, Illustrator, The Brothers Foot

You can follow "The Brothers Foot" May'11 World of Ink Tour with author Steve Cormey and illustrator Ronda Eden at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/TheBrothersFoot.aspx

Also, tune today at the World of Ink Network show: Stories for Children with hosts: VS Grenier, Kris Quinn Christopherson and Irene Roth as they chat with Ronda and Steve about their fun, colorful book, "The Brothers Foot."

The Live Radio Interview is at 11am MST (10am PST, Noon Central and 1pm EST)

at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork or call in to listen or ask questions (714) 242-5259.

You can also listen on demand after the show airs!

VBT-Guest Author Spotlight Donna McDine

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78 th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions. Her stories have been published in many print and online publications and her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna has two more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, The Hockey Agony and Powder Monkey . She writes, moms and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids and Publicist for the National Writing for Children Center from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI and Musing Our Children. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it? The Underground Railroad was a pivotal time in American history, one that should never be repeated. It is my hope by keeping history alive for each generation that these huge mistakes will never reoccur. Q. How lon

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Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor from Western Massachusetts . A regular contributor to Writer2Writer, her articles focus on increasing productivity through time management and organization. A founding member of Musing Our Children , Ms. Malandrinos is also the Editor-in-Chief of the group's quarterly newsletter, Pages & Pens . Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book Promotion , a book reviewer, and blogger. Guardian Angel Publishing will release her first children’s book, The Little Shepherd Boy, in 2010. VS: Cheryl, I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today. I know being a parent and writer can be hard and I find myself asking if I am giving my three children enough attention throughout the day. I am sure you have been in my shoes from time to time. So to start here is the first question, how many children do you have and what are their ages? Cheryl: Thanks for having me at The Writing Mama, Virginia. I’m thril

Websites, Blogs and Newsletters

Marketing and promoting is a subject that confuses many writers. Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, for adult or children readers, are self-published or traditionally published, all writers need to promote themselves. And one of the best ways to do that is through the internet. I put these three together because in reality everyone has their own idea on how to market themselves on the internet. I personally use all three ways to market my work and myself. I know others who use only one form to promote themselves. Whichever you choose, make sure you keep it updated with the most current information about you. Another thing to think about is what you are going to post on your websites, blogs, or in your newsletters. Jan Fields, an instructor at the Institute of Children’s Literature, Editor of Children’s Writers enews said in the February 14, 2008 issue, “We live in the information age and little things can become big things really fast. For example, although it is true that ed

VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

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