How to Stay Productive During the Holiday Season

I admit it. Shopping, baking, wrapping gifts, and sending holiday cards, along with everything else I have to do, makes me want to hide in bed until after the new year. But, I need this little thing called money that keeps the roof over our heads, so I keep writing.  

Here’s my advice. Don't let the holidays derail your writing progress. Adjust your expectations and stay focused on your goals.   

Adjust Expectations 

Many of us have this Currier and Ives picture perfect holiday in our minds, and we kill ourselves trying to achieve it.  

Stop a minute and think back to the holidays of your childhood. Did it bother you if Mom burnt the cookies or if the house next door had more lights hanging from it than yours did? Probably not. 

Here are a few ways you can simplify your holidays: 

• Focus your energy where it belongs: on family and friends. Instead of rushing around to make everything perfect, be okay with good enough.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your family will be more than happy to lend a hand if they know it means spending more time with you.
• Trim back your holiday card list or consider sending postcards. I used to mail out over one hundred cards a year with handwritten notes inside. Then it happened: the year I just couldn’t do it. So, I pulled the previous year’s cards and only mailed cards to people who had sent us one that year. Postcards are a cheaper alternative when you want to send a quick note to someone you don’t see very often.
• Many online retailers offer free shipping during the holidays, so you can shop from home while taking a break from your writing. You save gas, don’t have to deal with crowds, and can easily get back to your writing schedule. Shopping local can also help. Commit to shopping at small businesses for one day out of the holiday season.

 Focus on Your Writing Goals 

It’s easy to lose track of your writing goals while preparing for the holidays. Now, more than ever, it’s important to write out a to-do list each week. Time block your calendar so that writing time stays part of your routine. 

Be realistic and plan ahead, knowing you have more on your plate this time of year. By November, I don’t take on additional writing assignments or book reviews. This leaves me wiggle room for those added holiday chores and more time to spend with those I care about. 

Preparing for the holidays doesn’t mean you can’t find the time to write. Adjusting expectations and focusing on writing goals can simplify your life and help you write, even during busy times.

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she is a member of SCBWI and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

5 Tips for Coordinating a Virtual Book Tour

Coordinating a virtual book tour can intimidate an author. It takes organization and time management skills to get the most out of your tour. You’re also looking to build relationships with bloggers and readers so they support you throughout your career. Let’s look at five tips for coordinating a virtual book tour.

Be Organized

I managed nearly 100 authors spanning over 125 books when I coordinated virtual book tours. Those years taught me the importance of organization.

• Have your marketing materials together before you solicit tour hosts.
• Use an Excel Spreadsheet or Google Sheets to maintain a database of all review, interview, and guest post requests. Create a column to show whether you mailed the printed copy out, so you can follow up with the blogger in a week to make sure it arrived.
• Pre-order thank you cards or create an electronic thank you message prior to the tour so you can thank your hosts once the tour ends.

Include a Note with Printed Books

Bloggers can receive dozens of books to review each month. Losing track of a book happens. Do yourself, and the reviewer, a favor by including a note and printed marketing material in the envelope. This will avoid confusion for the tour host as to where the book comes from and if the review is time sensitive.

When I mail out my books, I include a personal note to the blogger, mentioning the book tour and the date they agreed to host me. I also ask for a prompt email if they cannot keep the scheduled date.

Complete to-do Items Early

Tracking down missing to-do items creates frustration for a virtual book tour host. Don’t be that last-minute author.

Plan your schedule so you can complete and return to-do items a minimum of two weeks prior to your tour stop. This will give the blogger time to review your submission to be sure its complete and to ask for clarification when necessary. Not only will this give your host the chance to schedule it ahead of time, once your next book comes out they will be more willing to host you again.

Leave Comments at Your Blog Stops

We all lead busy lives, but if you want to show your tour hosts how much you appreciate what they do, take a few moments to leave a comment on the day your interview, guest post, or review appears on their blog. Interact with readers who leave comments. They are often bloggers, too, so nurturing those relationships is important.

No comments? Try not to get discouraged. That doesn’t mean lack of interest. Sometimes people just have nothing to say. However, always thank your host.

Promote Your Virtual Book Tour

Why go through all the effort to coordinate a virtual book tour if you will not promote it? Even those authors who pay a company to coordinate a virtual book tour should have a hand in promoting their tour stops because it expands your reach.

Blogger Jodi hosts Author Sam on her blog. Blogger Jodi promotes the tour stop to her social media accounts of 3,000 friends/followers. Author Sam promotes the tour stops to his social media accounts of 5,000 friends/followers. Now, Author Sam has reached 8,000 people instead of just 3,000; plus when their people share the post Author Sam’s reach increases again.

Virtual book tours are fun, but they require time and work to be successful. Following these tips will make it easier.

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters. She also has a son who is married. Visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com and her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

How to Practice Intentional Writing

Have you ever seen the Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes in New York City? We have had the pleasure of watching it several times over the last decade. One thing that amazes me is that every time we have seen the Rockettes perform, each number is spot on. Each performer is right where she should be. They dance or sing in time with the music. I've never seen a mistake ... and, believe me, at this point I look for one.

As a former dancer, I appreciate and stand in awe of the amount of practice the Rockettes dedicate themselves to in order to pull off such an outstanding performance multiple times a day for two months. And, while dancing might come naturally to these performers, just like any athlete, certain moves or numbers may present challenges. Dance, like any sport, requires intentional practice.

Just like a dancer, writers can also be intentional with their craft. But, what does that mean, and why is it important?

Devise a plan to help you succeed

It's easy to just plop into your chair for 15 minutes and write something. It's not always easy to discipline yourself to do it regularly. It's also not likely you will go from writing sporadically to writing regularly as quick as snapping your fingers. Figure out a plan that works for your schedule to encourage you to write regularly. For example, the first week you could write with a prompt for two days. The second week you could write with a prompt for three days. The following week you could complete a short story over four days, and so on, until you create that regular habit of sitting down to write on a consistent basis.

Hone your craft

Just like a dancer practices over and again until she is satisfied with her performance, writers can be intentional about honing their craft. Choose a skill you wish to improve. You'll find plenty of online resources to help. You can also read a book on the subject or take a class. Then put what you learned to work by writing. A beta reader or an editor can help you gauge your progress.

Eliminate distractions

You can be intentional about eliminating distractions, too. How stellar of a performance would you expect from a dancer who stops in the middle of practice each time her cellphone rings? Trust me, it won't be pretty.

I'll be honest, this area is my largest struggle. Social media, household chores, and a litany of other things drag me away from writing all the time. Identify what distracts you and reduce or eliminate those distractions. Some days, I simply have to pick up my laptop and drive to a place without Wi-Fi so I can focus on writing.

When you sit down to list your 2020 writing goals, consider what you want your writing career to look like by the end of December. Approaching the new year with well thought out intentions will help you succeed.

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters. She also has a son who is married. Visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com and her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

A Time for Thanksgiving

So many days pass where I forget how truly blessed I am. That's why it's important to take a step back this week and consider the daily blessings that can easily be taken for granted.

1. My faith grounds me during those days of struggle. I can't say I smile through the storm, but knowing God's grace and love carry me through even the worst of days comforts me.
2. My family offers me love, acceptance, and strength when I have convinced myself I can't continue on the path I've chosen.
3. My career as a real estate professional allows me to help dozens of people. Most have become great friends.
4. My career as a writer creates the opportunity to reach young people across the globe. 
5. The support of friends and colleagues helps to quell doubt. 

No matter where tomorrow finds you, I hope Thanksgiving is filled with a multitude of blessings. Please share something you are grateful for this year. We would love to hear about it.

Newly Released Resources for Writers

As with any occupation or craft, it's important to continue to sharpen your skills. Reading a variety of resources throughout the year is helpful. Here are two recently released resources for writers. 

What are the secrets for writing a great ending for your novel? How do you leave readers so satisfied that they'll want another book by you—right now? What tools and techniques can shape your last fifty pages into a powerful, unforgettable experience?

In this book, International Thriller Writers Award winner and #1 bestselling writing teacher James Scott Bell reveals:

• The five types of endings.

• What needs to happen in Act 3.

• How to use the Ah and Uh-Oh emotional wallops.

• A simple technique for crafting twist endings.

• The most important secret of all—resonance.

• The Stew, Brew, Accrue, Do brainstorming method.

• The best way to tie up loose ends.

• The most common ending mistakes, and how to avoid them.

And more. Read this book and you will come away with a thorough knowledge of why great endings work and how to create them for every novel you write.

The bestselling Emotion Thesaurus, often hailed as “the gold standard for writers” and credited with transforming how writers craft emotion, has now been expanded to include 55 new entries!

One of the biggest struggles for writers is how to convey emotion to readers in a unique and compelling way. When showing our characters’ feelings, we often use the first idea that comes to mind, and they end up smiling, nodding, and frowning too much.

If you need inspiration for creating characters’ emotional responses that are personalized and evocative, this ultimate show-don’t-tell guide for emotion can help. It includes:

• Body language cues, thoughts, and visceral responses for 130 emotions that cover a range of intensity from mild to severe, providing innumerable options for individualizing a character’s reactions
• A breakdown of the biggest emotion-related writing problems and how to overcome them
• Advice on what should be done beforedrafting to make sure your characters’ emotions will be realistic and consistent
• Instruction for how to show hidden feelings and emotional subtext through dialogue and nonverbal cues
• And much more!

The Emotion Thesaurus, in its easy-to-navigate list format, will inspire you to create stronger, fresher character expressions and engage readers from your first page to your last.

What are some of  your favorite resources? How often do you read books on writing craft? What is the best piece of advice you've found within the pages of a book that has changed your writing?

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of Little Shepherd, A Christmas Kindness, Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving, and Amos Faces His Bully. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters. She also has a son who is married. Visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com and her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

You Have a Book Contract. Now, what?

What have I learned from getting my first book contract that I’d do better next time?

                                                                 LOTS

I was green as an alien. 4RV Publishing offered me my first contract in July, 2011. I'm grateful they took such a newbie under their wings.

 

Here’s my top ten tips:


1. Read your contract and clarify anything you don’t understand.

2. Have a professional picture and a short bio ready to go.

      3. Read any guidelines or information given by the publisher.

 

      4. Make friends in your local area with librarians, book store owners, and newspaper columnists before your book comes out, and you want a favor.

 

      5. Stay in town or with definite internet access during the last two months before release of the book.

 

      6. .Have an acknowledgement page ready to go when requested.

 

      7. Search out like books online and in book stores for what you desire in the cover art, so you’re ready with input when asked.

 

      8. Get reviewers and guest blogs lined up before your book releases.

 

      9. Consider arranging for a blog tour to announce the book

 

     10. Publishing is a team effort. You need the publisher, but they also need you, so don’t fear speaking up about something you don’t like or asking questions on anything you don’t understand

 

      11. Be ready to work as hard on the manuscript after the contract as you did before the contract.

Okay, I gave you 11. Sue me.

Does anyone else have words of wisdom to share?

? What is Tradigital ?

by Ginger Nielson

The methods and means of illustrating for children's books, book covers, novels, and magazines have changed dramatically over the past 15 years.  Advances in computer painting software, digital photography and the internet create a combination of tools for the artist.


For any artist trained in the traditional methods of oil, acrylics, pen and ink, etching, print making, and screen printing the advances in computer technology provide new tools for the trade.


Combining the traditional methods with digital methods leads me to define the work as "Tradigital."

As an example, my work begins as pencil sketches.  Often I will add paint to the first draft and then either photograph the beginnings or scan the work if it is small enough.  I am not alone using this traditional beginning process.  The advantage for a traditionally trained artist is the freedom to work in large strokes that capture a moment and keep the flow from the brain to the paper or canvas.  If wanted a soft wash can be added to define form. Some of us love to feel the paper beneath the pencil; a soft and reassuring sound and feel can stir the imagination.

There is something about a pencil on drawing paper that cannot be recreated.  There is a tone, a feel and a journey the artist takes from that first mark on the paper to the completion of an idea.

Using a digital camera to transfer the initial work to the computer is easier than using a scanner if the first sketches are very large.  I like to keep the drawing table ready for any thought or idea that pops into my head.  The camera is always ready too *:)

As the artist paints in the computer, layer upon layer of image can be created.  Before the layers of painting are merged into one final painting the artist has the option of eliminating, improving, changing, enhancing or redoing any layer.  Once merged, the layers become the final painting.  Then it is on to the designer and editor.


What are the tools of the "tradigital" artist? A must-have is a drawing tablet and stylus or an entire screen on which to draw. Wacom is one of the companies that make various sizes of tablets that are packaged with a pressure sensitive stylus.  For this type of tablet the artist draws on the tablet while watching the computer screen.  Color, line, paint, adjustments in size and much more are easily controlled.

 A newer, but more costly advance, the Cintiq, eliminates the disconnect between tablet and computer screen. The Cintiq is the screen you actually draw upon. Cintiq by Wacom is the industry standard for a screen on which your high end painting software combines with the ability to draw right on the screen itself.  The images the artist creates in this way mimic the traditional method most closely.

Apple also entered the market with the ModBook and ModBook Pro.  A few other companies are now in the market and have similar products available.

The advantages for the "tradigital" artist are numerous.  Today's publishing industry often demands quick turn around on assignments.  Numerous changes may occur during an assignment.  Computer painting programs allow the artist to make changes in color, composition, size, and style without laboriously redoing an entire oil or acrylic painting.  There is also the fact that many large files containing illustrations can be sent quickly over a secure internet connection.

Another key factor that enables "tradigital" artists to keep their sanity is the fact that there are 32-200+ levels of "undo" in some of the most sophisticated painting programs.  You may not like the color of an object... you can change it in an instant.  Your art director may not like the size, position, proportion or particular hue in a painting.  The digital process will allow far more forgiving changes.

Occasionally editors, on behalf of their client, the author, will require the artist to redo and revise large sections of a book or create an entirely new cover.  The "tradigital" artist enjoys an advantage here even if the editor needs a completely new direction. The combination of traditional and digital moves the project along at a quicker pace and keeps to tight deadlines.

Do not call "tradigital" or even "digital" painting computer generated art or call it digitized.  Those are two things it is not.   This is still painting and drawing which take time and talent. There are instances where a digital painting can take longer than a traditional one because of the complexity that is coupled with the endless possibilities.  Calling this type of art - digitized -does not reflect the amount of time and care that goes into the creation of illustrations that have the power to interest, enlighten and entertain.

Visit me  *:)

Is Your Online Portfolio Overwhelming?

by Aidana WillowRaven

Back in art school (I won't be going into how long ago THAT was ... lol), it was repeatedly drilled into our impressionable minds to keep our portfolio neat, clean, and ready to show off at a moment's notice. We were taught that too many images, especially if we worked in various genres and mediums, vs. a set 'look' or style, could confuse the viewer. And the last thing you want to do, when showing your work to a prospective employer or client, is to confuse them. You want them to know, without a doubt, that you are the artist that they just have to have doing their project.

The trick is enticing them with enough to convince them without going overboard. So where do you draw the line?

Well, in the olden days ... we used a physical portfolio. The came in various sizes and had the option of holding anywhere from 6 to 100 pages. We were coached to keep portfolios between 12-24 images of any one genre or style, and to also consider having different folios for different styles. That way, if the potential client is a clothing designer, you don't waste her time and yours by flipping through children's book illustrations, but you show her a full portfolio of your best fashion illustrations.

With the accessibility of the internet, the opportunities for artists have skyrocketed. We no longer need to mail in our portfolios, requiring that we have several copies on hand of each. We no longer need to request our work to be hopefully returned after review, and pray they use our prepaid postage and honorably send it back. An artist without an online portfolio these days does not really want to have his/her work seen. Having an online portfolio is essential.

But we run into a new dilemma. It's so easy to upload images when there is no consideration of space or consciousness of physical 'pages,' to over 'fill' a portfolio.

I recently noticed I had fallen into that trap. I had a gallery page on my site that held almost all of my professional work. Almost everything I had in print. 

Problem ... I've got over 100 books, not counting magazines and websites, with my work in them in print.

I am one of those artists who works in several genres, in several styles, and in several mediums. I pride myself in my diversity. But when I started getting comments like 'You're such a prolific artist,' and 'Wow, I don't know where to start,' I knew I had to go old school and tidy up my portfolio ... my online portfolio. I had to look at my work objectively and select only key pieces -- not all of them -- regardless of how much I had a personal attachment to them. Check out how my gallery page used to look:

I only should showcase my best work (we all have those old works where we go, 'Boy, I've improved' ... lol) and the styles I want my potential clients to see, not everything I've done.  If you notice, the left column was kid's books and illos, the second column was originals and promo pieces, the third column was novels, and the right column was logos and banners. All on one page. What you don't see is how long this stretched on ... lol. I just kept adding to the top of the pile. Here's the link so you can get the real idea of just how congested this got (I kept the link active just for ya'll to see): http://willowravenback-up.weebly.com/gallery.html

I also had to evaluate who would be looking at what. Since I work in so many genres, am I wasting someone's time or misleading them into thinking I can't deliver what they want, because they are overwhelmed with children's art when they are seeking high fantasy or graphic art? I had to compartmentalize my portfolio. Effectively create several folios, just like back in the day, but on my website. That way, when clients pop in, they know just where to go for the type of genre they may want to hire me to do. 

Here's a screen shot of my new main page:

 My old main page was full of quotes, links, a video folio, and widgets (http://willowravenback-up.weebly.com/). I moved my 'follow me' widgets and other non-art stuff to the bottom and kept the page minimal and neat. It's not what I want people to see first. The art had to come first. You see above that there are five clear categories, or portfolios, to choose from. That's it. I deliberately made myself stick to as few a number as possible. I had to really evaluate 'what I do.'

I made each image that represents a portfolio a link to the pages that hold that genre. I also included the links in the drop down menu for those pages. As one follows to the genre of choice, he will find either small to medium sized examples of the work, with links to full sized examples, or find a subcategory page (let's look at the Children's - YA Illustration page, where you'd find such a page):

As you can see, I sub-divided this category into three parts. That way, if the client or publisher is looking for a picture book artist, they know where to look and are not distracted by my middle grade line art. This also allows me to show 24-24 images of just that type of art, rather than trying to show 12-24 images of all three types together.

Say we choose to go to the Tween - Young Adult page and we see:

Right now, I only have eight images, but they are solid works, and the viewer isn't distracted by everything else I've done. I still end up showing off a lot of my work this way. But now it's much more targeted to the audience.

The sub pages and enlarged example pages are not listed in the navigation bar. Again, I don't want to overwhelm the viewer with choices. I want to herd them, gently, to the areas I want them to travel. As I've often seen editors tell authors, less is more.

Lastly, I wanted to create a sense of my work, as a whole, and wanted something to introduce people to my art, a welcome page of sorts. So, I linked my URL, to a 'portal' page, which I have opening up with my latest piece.

So in conclusion ...

Your online portfolio needs to be treated like your physical portfolio. You don't want too little, too much, or work that just isn't up to your current standard. You don't want to muddy the waters with too many quotes, link, or bells and whistles. Make sure your audience know how and where to reach you, and can be able to communicate their wants by your showing them what you have to offer in the best possible way.

For those that wish to check out the new site in action, follow my link: http://willowraven.weebly.com/.

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations
4RV Publishing

Now, "That's a baby!"

by Ginger Nielson

When we were growing up we usually lived in a neighborhood.  The houses were close enough that families got to know one another, did a fair amount of visiting, and shared their joys and concerns with one another. We shared the chaos of growing families.

Because our homes were often very close to our neighbors' we knew what was going on in their homes and the homes of their friends.  Every time a new baby was born into the neighborhood the new moms would come visiting to show off their little ones.

After all the waiting and anticipation the new  babies were paraded up and down the street to each home for inspection.  Everyone loved seeing the new babies.  Mothers had them dressed in their cutest pink or blue outfits and the hair, if they had any, was swept up into a cwepie doll curl.  The ooos and the ahhs were expected responses.

Just the same, there were times, when we children could not exactly agree that these newcomers were worth all the oooing and ahhing.  Some of them were not at all as beautiful in those early visits as they might eventually become. But, let's face it. Not all babies show their potential in the beginning.  Squish-  faced, red blotched, bald headed, toothless, crying little creatures are not at their best.


When our mother cautioned us to be nice and not say anything unkind, we had to ask for guidance.  How can you say an ugly baby is "Oh so beautiful" and really mean it when you don't.

Our sweet mother borrowed a line from a current comedian and told us just to say, "Now, that's a baby!"
It seemed to fit the occasion more than once.

Why this story?

It seems that some writers and artists as well are like those mothers.  After waiting long months for the manuscript they created and submitted to be recognized, they have a tendency to think it is perfect.

Everyone should love it .  Right?

Only if you are one of the rare few who can produce a masterpiece in one version, could this be right.
Any manuscript needs more than one eye, more than one critique, more than what a writer might give to it in one draft.  You might even need to put it away for a month or more and come back to it with your own new view.

Editors and Art Directors have learned over years of experience how to spot the best, or what could become the best.  Once an interest has been shown your work, your foot is in the door. The advice and direction an editor is willing to give is worth the time they take to give it.  The author or artist is well advised to listen, pay attention, learn from the experts and follow the advice.   If an editor has taken the time to review and ask for changes the author or artist needs to act upon the advice.

Some criticism is definitely hard to swallow and there is a tendency to reject the comments, remove the submission and move on to another and another publisher or editor.  It sounds all too familiar, but it is a sign of the professional when the communications between editor and artist are acted upon in a positive way.  Good things come from intelligent collaboration and respect for one another.

Be aware that if your manuscript continues to go unedited by you or a professional you may constantly receive the non committal comment: "Now, that's a book!"