Pointers When Pitching Your Manuscript.

Kathy Temean, Regional Advisor of SCBWI-NJ, has a great post on 11 Questions to Answer While Working On Your Pitch. Kathy makes a great analogy of comparing your pitch to a t.v. commerical. You have the ear of an editor/agent for 30 seconds. Make it work for you! Kathy urges us to be clear on the theme, genre, hook and conflict. Check out Kathy's blog here and find other interesting tidbits too.

The ABC's of Rebus Writing

My critique group has challenge this month - rebus writing. "How simple" you say? Not so fast!
At 80-125 words, rebus writing has its own set of challenges. I picked up some great tips from an article in Institute of Children's Literature by Marianne Mitchell.

Focus on one small event
The topic must appeal to 2-6 year olds
1-4 characters in the story
At least 8 nouns that can be clearly illustrated
Illustrative possibilities are nouns, colors, numbers
Need a surprise or twist at the end

Check out The Nuts and Bolts of Rebus Writing for other important rebus tools.

Agents Talk Trends in Children's Publishing

At the NE-SCBWI conference, agents discussed trends in the children's publishing world. What's hot, what's not, the status of picture books and nonfiction. The agent panel consisted of three top agents: Edward Necarsulmer, Ammi-Joan Paquette and Sarah Davies. Find out what writers were asking and how the agents responded. Great information . .

Find the article in The Guide to Literary Agents.

Writing Narrative Non-Fiction? Read On!

In last week's Guide to Literary Agents, agent Jon Sternfeld gives us the skinny on the essential elements of writing narrative non-fiction. Jon is an agent with the Irene Goodman Literary Agency. He describes the five important points in this type of writing:



1. Arcs

2. Inverse rule for nonfiction

3. Familiar strange, strange familiar

4. Big and small

5. Voice



Read Jon's interview here