• How To Write an Award-Winning Children’s Book

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    During the month of June, we’ve been cheerleading a segment of authors who write some of the sweetest books around: those who write children’s stories. To cap things off, we’re featuring a special guest blogger, Terry Doherty of Mom’s Choice Awards and The Reading Tub. We wanted to find out what she looks for when in an award-winning children’s book, and she was kind enough to share some of her expertise! Writing for children seems like it would be easy, right? Kids have the most active imaginations, they’re open to any and all ideas, and of course they LOVE stories.…

  • writing a children's book, plots for a childrens book, characters in a childrens story, how to write books for children

    The Most Common Mistake in Writing a Children’s Book—and How to Avoid It

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    Who doesn’t have a children’s book that they have cherished and grown to love over time, hoping to share with their children when they reach the right age? This month we’re talking about writing and self-publishing children’s books on the blog, and it reminds me of my love of reading—and how I don’t have enough fingers to count the number of books I read as a child, and still love to read as an adult. Children’s books regularly come through our editorial fingers, but what has become a noticeable trend in manuscripts is content gaps in storylines: characters disappearing and reappearing…

  • books about fathers, books for fathers, Father's Day

    Top 4 Reasons Why Writing a Book this Father’s Day Could Change the World

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    This Sunday we’ll celebrate fathers. Some of you will take dad out for his favorite steak, while others will simply call to say “I love you.” For me, my favorite was the year my kids surprised me with a new grill. They sent me out into the backyard to cook steaks on my old, rusted-out grill. When I realized there was no gas in the tank, I had no choice but to run to the store and exchange the empty tank. When I returned with the full tank to connect it to the grill, I found in its place a brand new, shiny,…

  • 4 tips for writing children's books on difficult subjects from Xulon Press, the largest Christian self-publisher.

    4 Tips for Writing Children’s Books on Grown-Up Topics

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    When many think of writing children’s books, images of talking animals communicating with awe-struck children come to mind. Many of these children’s stories aptly summarize the youthful whimsy of naivety, as the young protagonists are captivated by every angle of his or her growing experience. Some may even feel the role of children’s books would be to focus on the positive aspects of life, downplaying the harsh realities of daily unpleasantness. This is just one option and perspective of children’s literature. In editing and examining the assortment of children’s stories we come across, the need for children to be exposed to reality—the…