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2021 Writer's Holiday Wish List

11/29/2021

Need gift ideas for your critique partners? Your writing friends? Or a hint to sneak on a list for yourself?

Look no further!

Our wonderful guest bloggers (aka gift elves) have joined us to share their favorite writing, illustrating or book must-haves.
You’ll find serious and practical suggestions our guest bloggers use daily, as well as fun and whimsical items that bring joy and offer motivation.

Peruse and enjoy our 2021 Writer’s Holiday Wish List! (Then maybe forward it to your favorite shopping elf!)

Julie Rowan-Zoch:
Something I find helpful in keeping book projects organized is reusing my kid’s old school binders. Apparently I still cling to traditional paper: manuscript drafts, character sketches, rough dummy art - and the extra pockets are great for storing a gazillion scraps used to jot down quick ideas.

I use the binder to file the notes taken during calls with editors and art directors, and I also hand-write revision comments from an email onto paper. The process helps me remember all I need to do, and I’ll admit I enjoy the dopamine rush of crossing off accomplished tasks!

Be a friend and buy the disorderly writer in your life a snazzy binder!

Julie Rowan-Zoch is an author/illustrator. She followed her illustrator debut, Louis by Tom Lichtenheld (Clarion Books, 2020), with her author/illustrator debut of I'm A Hare, So There! (Clarion Books, 2021), and there are more projects coming. Learn more about Julie here.

Kristi Mahoney:
For over the past decade I’ve been writing in a “One Line a Day” journal. As a writer, I know the importance of journaling, but also the importance of time. This takes minutes each day, yet the result at the end of the year is profound. A true treasure for those that appreciate the art of taking pen to paper.

Kristi Mahoney is a picture book writer whose work was featured in both the 2020 PBCHAT and 2021 PBParty picture book showcases. She’s a guest contributor for http://www.24carrotwriting.com/. Find out more at @kristi_mahoney.

Megan Litwin:
I tend to do my best writing in the morning, so having the right coffee mug is key. This positively perfect one is just the right size (large, of course) - and sends just the right message. In an industry where patience and persistence are needed in spades, I find it helpful to start each day with a deep breath, a big sip, and a lot of hope. Another bonus: I bought this mug from CauseTeam as part of a fundraiser for a community nonprofit, so the good vibes just keep coming!

Megan Litwin is the author of the upcoming Twinkle, Twinkle Winter Night (Clarion, 2022) and a guest contributor to 24 Carrot Writing. A former teacher (and a forever one at heart), her lifelong work is growing lifelong readers. Visit her at www.meganlitwinbooks.com.

Francine Puckly:
Being an old-school writer, I like to have wide-ruled paper and pen in hand, as well as hot tea next to me on my desk. And nothing pleases me more than a composition notebook! My favorite notebook pattern is available in key rings, S’well bottles, mugs and more through Out of Print! Collect them all! And my go-to pen remains Pilot’s Precise V7 roller ball. Worth every penny.

Francine Puckly writes young adult contemporary and historical fiction. Her first book, The Word-a-Day Vocabulary Workbook, is an entertaining nonfiction blend of 365 obscure words, amusing word trivia, and thought-provoking daily writing prompts. Find out more here.

Amanda Davis:
The craft-related book, The Emotion Thesaurus, that has helped improve my show vs. tell skills, and I couldn't go without my writing/illustrating partner and pup, Cora, either!

Amanda Davis is a teacher, artist, writer, and innovator who uses her words and pictures to light up the world with kindness. 30,000 Stitches: The Inspiring Story of the National 9/11 Flag is her debut picture book.
Find out more at https://www.amandadavisart.com/

Sarah Jane Abbott:
I'm a very distractible person who happens to live on a loud, busy road and has a partner who plays video games near my desk on his days off. So I was excited this year to discover Loop earplugs. They are specifically made to reduce noise by 20 decibels (or 27, depending on which model you choose), so they muffle sound around you, but still allow you to hear important things, like your door buzzer or someone trying to talk to you. Plus, they come in a variety of pretty colors and actually look nice, not like the traffic-cone orange foam ones I used to use. They come in a hard carrying case too. I have a set in each of my purses, coat pockets, and work areas.

Sarah Jane Abbott is an editor and ghostwriter, who has a passion for helping authors write the very best version of a story. To learn more about Sarah Jane and the services available at Sarah Jane Abbott Editorial visit her website here.

Kelly Carey:
I do almost all of my writing on a computer, but when it's time to make revision notes on a printed draft, I love the scritch-scratch of a nice sharp pencil. When those revision moments need a little inspiration, a moment of humor, or a quick distraction, these fun writer themed pencils never disappoint. I love to grab the pencils at random and see what advice they have. I'm particularly fond of the pencil that suggests that I "Add A Vampire"!

Kelly Carey is the co-founder of 24 Carrot Writing and the author of How Long Is Forever (Charlesbridge, 2020). Learn more about Kelly at www.kcareywrites.com.

Nancy Tupper Ling:
I know. I know. Everyone has a favorite journal, so why am I mentioning one more? Well, my daughter, Sarah, picked this one out for my birthday this year, and I LOVE it. It’s called a Jour Voyager Notebook, made by Peter Pauper Company. It has three different inserts/sections, which works great. I keep my daily “To Do” list in one, my story ideas in another, and the last is for meeting notes. It’s easy to refill them, too.
BUT wait! That’s not all. I’ve paired my notebook with this handy-dandy Paperang, which my former library director introduced me to one day. This mini-printer creates stickers from your photos or lists, making your notebook into a scrapbook. The Paperang has come down in price, now selling for about $34 online if you shop around. Of course, you’ll need to purchase the special printer paper as well, but I buy the 6-pack and that lasts for quite some time. See how fun!

Nancy Tupper Ling is an award-winning children’s author, poet, book seller, and librarian, who has great fun teaching poetry to all ages. Her picture books have received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, and her newest anthology entitled For Every Little Thing (Eerdmans Publishing) hit the shelves in September 2021. Visit Nancy's website at www.nancytupperling.com/

Heather Kelly:
Okay, so this first one might seem strange, but I cannot write without my super cute cat door. Not only do I love the look of tiny hobbit holes around my home, but it solves this scenario: I sit down to write and get into the groove. Skippy cat decides she must be with me and starts to eat the closed door to my office. (I'm not joking. She eats our doors.) I get up, open the door, let her in, and go back to writing. A kid yells at me to close the door because they are in zoom school and I'm typing too loud. I get up and close the door. As soon as I get settled back in my chair, Skippy decides she must leave the office NOW. I let her out. And ... repeat. All. Day. Long. Until I installed the Purrfect Portal cat door on my office door. Skippy now comes and goes as she pleases. It has a locking feature, in case I ever wanted to go against Skippy's wishes. (I really NEVER do. She knows where I sleep.)
The other thing I love is my Projects Planner notebook. It's like a bullet journal but designed to keep tabs on multiple projects at once. Once a task or project has a page in my Projects Planner, it WILL get done! It's my pensieve: I put in it all the details of all kinds of projects no matter whether they are writing projects, a new collaboration, a Writers' Loft event, or all the stuff I need to do for family Thanksgiving. Definitely on my shortlist of things I can't work without.

Skippy NOT eating Heather's Project Planner.

Founder of the Writers’ Loft community, and developer of the Creatively WIN method for writers, Heather wears many hats. She is a professional mentor, publisher, editor, author, conference director, and Pokémon catcher. Her most recent project is a non-profit she co- launched with Kristen Wixted that aims to get books into the hands of vulnerable kids. To learn more about Little Book Locker, click here.
Find out more about Heather at www.heatherkellyauthor.com

Kristen Wixted:
I need different places to write, so I don't get bored or too stuck in one way of doing things. My mom gave me this comfy chair which I recovered this year because after sharing it for a while with my dog Scoutie, the fabric was torn. I use my lap desk when I sit in it. After hours of writing at my desk (or answering emails, or whatever), I relax a bit more in the comfy chair. It's small so it fits in my office without any trouble. When I'm not in it, my family members sit there to talk to me, and they stay and chat longer since they're comfortable. A comfy chair is a multi-purpose piece of furniture any writer will love in their space!

Kristen's picture book, Miss Rita, Mystery Reader, which she wrote with her nephew Sam Donovan (who spent a lot of time sitting in the chair when they were revising) is coming out May, 2022 from MacMillan FSG Young Readers. When Kristen is not writing she's usually working on Little Book Locker which people can find out about at LittleBookLocker.org.
Her website is kristenwixted.com

Annie Cronin Romano:
So many projects. So little space. Rolling file cart to the rescue! While most projects live in files on my laptop, I prefer to do edits and final read-throughs using hard copies. This rolling file (by Lorell) provides extra hanging file space for manuscripts and notes, and the wheels allow me to roll it out of the way when company comes. It also houses my idea notebooks, and the bottom shelf holds office supplies (and a small portion of my to-be-read pile).

Annie Cronin Romano is one of the co-founders of 24 Carrot Writing and is a published picture book author. In addition to her love of kidlit, she also writes adult fiction, works as a bookseller and library assistant, and is a literary associate with Olswanger Literary. Learn more about Annie at www.anniecroninromano.com.

Amanda Smith:
The thing with the "Butt-in-Chair" philosophy of writing is that our butts are physically in chairs for extended periods of time. Which might not be the healthiest option for our butts (and lower backs and hip flexors.) This year my husband gifted me with a Flexispot standing desk. I love the flexibly to keep working while stretching my legs. It even comes with an optional timer that will remind you to stand after long periods of sitting.

An art print from a favorite illustrator makes for a wonderfully whimsical gift. I adore my prints. They bring me joy on a daily basis and make me feel connected to the other creatives in the industry. When you give a print you are not only cheering on the writer in your life, but you are also supporting an illustrator. Most illustrators have a link to their Etsy shop on their websites.

Amanda Smith is a co-founder of 24 Carrot Writing. Her poems "Stingray" and "Cuttlefish" can be found in the Writers' Loft's newest illustrated anthology Friends and Anemones: Ocean Poems for Children. Learn more about Amanda at AmandaSmithWrites.

Bonus Gift Ideas:
Let's be honest. We don't always need more stuff. Often an experience or thoughtful donation to a bookish cause will warm the cockles of a writer's heart more than any physical object. Consider giving a yearly membership to a local writing organization or community such as the Writer's Loft, a craft related online course or workshop, or an SCBWI-membership. Or perhaps donate towards a worthy organization, such as Little Book Locker, in the name of the writer in your life, and let them know.

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7 Tips to Set Up a Rocking Blog Tour

11/12/2021

1 Comment

By Kelly Carey

If you are reading this blog, then you already know the benefits of perusing great blogs as a reader, but blogs can also be a tremendous help when you are trying to market your book. Two of my writing friends are launching amazing books soon and they asked me for advice on setting up a blog tour. I’m going to share that advice with you too!

Don’t have a book contract yet? That’s okay. Read the tips and advice and learn how you can position yourself now to be ready to send your book out on an amazing blog tour when you do have a publishing date!

#1 Your KidLit Community Is Flush with Wonderful Bloggers

The authentic time and energy you have put into building your KidLit community likely means you know a few KidLit bloggers. Have you met authors at conferences who have blogs? Have you met bloggers at book signings? At retreats? Those relationships are the best place to start when deciding to reach out to bloggers for spots. Your KidLit friends are going to be excited about your upcoming success and if they have a blog, they will be happy to boost your news on their site.

Don’t have any blogging contacts? Don’t worry, it’s okay. Ask your critique partners if they have any connections. Reach out to the relationships you have in the KidLit community and ask if anyone could introduce you to bloggers they know.

For those of you who are pre-published, work on building relationships now so that you will have a long and comfortable list of bloggers ready to trumpet out news of your debut!

#2 Offer Relevant Content to the Blog

If you are asking for space on a blog, you need to honor the theme, format, and audience of the blog. The blogs that will host you are those that see you offering good content. Make sure you have read the blog and that you have a clear idea of how you and your book fit the blog’s structure and how you and your book could be featured.

For example, does the blog routinely run interviews with debut authors, like Lindsay Ward’s CritterLit blog? Offer an interview. Does the blog feature authors with a unique hook, like Nancy Tupper Ling’s Author Acrostic blogs? Offer to write a poem. If, like 24 Carrot Writing, the blog offers tips and advice to writers, offer to write a helpful post on a relevant topic as Cathy Ballou Mealy did for 24 Carrot Writing here.

Know how the blog handles guest authors, debut books, and cover reveals and be specific in your request. A straight ask to “please review my book,” is not the best method. Leave that type of request to the publicist at your publishing house. At 24 Carrot we never review books on request. That’s not our format.

The best way to know how you can fit into a particular blog is to be a regular subscriber of the blogs you love and might want to see yourself on someday. If you are pre-published, be a patron of your favorite blogs. Comment, retweet and repost your dream blogs and you’ll be ready to fit into their format when the time comes.

#3 Be an Easy Guest

Many bloggers are busy wearing multiple hats and love finding guest bloggers who provide everything needed to assemble a great guest spot.

Make sure your request to be featured on the blog is easy.

In your initial email offer up the following:

Remind the blogger of your connection (where you met/how you know each other)
Share the Title, publisher, pub date and a one sentence pitch of your book
Offer to provide material in the blog format (i.e., guest post on a relevant topic, interview, acrostic poem)
Be Flexible but do offer dates you are hoping to post

Once you have a spot make sure you:

Hit the deadline requested by the blogger (Don’t be late!)
Comply with any wordcount parameters and formats the blogger has requested
Provide a headshot, cover of your book, and any pictures that complement the post
Provide a brief bio and links to your website
Provide a link to purchase your book

Even if the blogger hasn’t asked for these things, make it easy for them to pop this information into a post. If you have provided it and it is readily available, chances are you’ll see it in the post.

#4 Timing Can be Flexible

If you are setting up a blog tour for your launch, you’ll want blogs to post ideally the month prior to your launch and the month of your launch. This will create that wonderful buzz you want to generate and hopefully drive preorders as well as post launch purchases. Many blogs schedule their posts three to six months out, so it’s a good idea to start asking for spots four to seven months before your launch month.

Worried you’re too late? You’re not. Bloggers are always looking for great content and sometimes have spots in their schedule to fill. They might love a last-minute booking. And remember, if the only spots left are months after your launch, a post at any time can still help readers find your book. Suggest a date tied to the theme of your book, even if it is a year after your launch, it will still help readers find your book.

#5 Don’t Rely Just on the Publicists at Your Publishing House

The publicists at your publishing house will reach out to bloggers and reviewers on your behalf. But publicists are busy folks and if you have personal contacts, they will be happy that you reached out. If your publicist sees you working hard to promote your book, they will be happy to work hard alongside you.

Your publicity team is never going to be upset if you have already secured spots on blogs - go for it!

#6 Don’t Worry About Over Saturation

Marketing stats say a person will need to encounter your book 7-10 times before they decide to purchase it. That means they need to hear a friend talk about it, see it on social media, read about it in a blog, and/or spot it in a bookstore a handful of times before a purchase might be made.

Every blog about your book is a chance for a reader to find and hopefully purchase your book. Every blog gives you a reason to repost and retweet things on social media that will keep your book news buzzing.

Remember, not every reader will see every blog you appear on. You want to maximize your visibility. When it comes to a blog tour, you want lots of venues.

#7 Asking for Group Spots

If you are in a Marketing Group that’s wonderful! If you are not check out this post about the benefits of group marketing and how to find a group here.

I reached out to bloggers that I knew for my Soaring 20s Picture Book marketing group, and I have to say, asking on behalf of others was a bit easier than asking just for myself. Other members of our group did the same. Many bloggers, offered to let members of our group contact them individually while others opted to host us as a group. Either way, we were grateful for the opportunity. Make sure you take advantage of these offers when they come your way.

All of these tips are made easier if you are already a follower of the blog. While you are awaiting your first or next contract, spend time connecting with the KidLit community and be a regular reader of your favorite blogs.

When you ask them to support your marketing efforts, you will be glad you did!

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2021 Writer's Holiday Wish List

7 Tips to Set Up a Rocking Blog Tour

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