Finding the right comparable titles can be key to a successful query letter. They should instantly give literary agents and editors an idea of what your book is all about and where it fits in the market.
So, of course, comparable titles cause a considerable amount of agony for querying writers. I’m here to help!
Read the rest of this entry »Another departure from my normal writing-related posts here. This one is about towing horses with an electric truck! I crafted an article on Medium about this experience. There’s a free link in the article if you don’t subscribe. Here is the link to my article about towing horses with my Ford Lightning!
I have a love/hate relationship with Amazon but they DO give me a cut of things ordered via my affiliate links, so here we go with some random links of things that might be useful to folks who share my interests (kids, books, horses, outdoor life).
I always try to stock up on any basics I might need moving forward while they’re on sale, so I looked through my recent Amazon orders, and here we go.
All affiliate links!
Kid stuff
Kid velvet hangers–I had a lot of baby/toddler hangers but now Ava’s clothes are falling off so I upgraded to these. And they’re on sale! I’m going to order more!
“Call Your Mother”: My book! Not technically on Prime sale but so freaking cheap. Less than $3 as I write this.
Adorable butterfly hair clips: These are beyond cute! I discovered these for flower crowns/the Ren Fest but they’re great any time.
Amazing flag pants: Ava’s top pick for July 4th or whenever.
Miscellaneous
Untested change plates–we have a home gym and my weight needs are um much lighter than my husband’s. The trainer we zoom with recommended getting some change plates on sale!
Air tags–not technically on Prime sale but so cheap which makes me mad because I just bought new ones NOT on sale!
Air tag holders: I use these on Royal’s hoof boots and they mostly stay on…and keep her air tags dry when we cross streams.
Spray bottles: For horse stuff and life, I am often needing spray bottles. These have a good continuous spray and work well when I am waterproofing horse laundry.
Laundry tub cleaner: With all my horse stuff, my machine gets gross. I use this every now and then on a tub clean cycle.
Hair drying towels: if you have long hair, wrap it up in one of these when it’s wet and it will come out nicely wavy (if it’s like mine). Plus you won’t get everything all wet. Lifesavers!
Aquaphor healing ointment: This stuff saves my lips. I take it with me everywhere. Amazon tells me I’ve purchased this 27 times lol. And it’s on sale!
Cheap ear phones: I am always losing these so I go cheap. These work and they’re cute!
Scout bags: I bought a bunch of these on last Prime Day and they are GREAT. Bags and coolers with zippers that hold up and are worth the money…if you get them on sale. Get an extra large one and thank me later. These midsize coolers are great too–I keep water bottles in them. I like how the long strap makes them easier to carry.
Phone screen protectors: I go through these. This brand is cheap and easy to put on. Make sure you get the right size.
Horse stuff
Untested hoof polish–I haven’t tried this yet but it has rave reviews and it’s on sale!
Perfect prep gold–this is show legal calming paste aka what I like to call chamomile tea for horses. (Except I think actual chamomile might not be legal? Make it make sense.) Anecdotally, I do think this helps Royal relax at shows, as she was a bit more excitable the one show this year where I forgot it. But it was also a busier environment so who knows. It is long lasting so you can give it the night before instead of waking up even earlier. It’s not technically on Prime Day sale but it does have the lowest price in 30 days.
Magic shine sponge: for your boots before you go into the show ring!
If you are bringing a book to a baby shower instead of a card, it can be hard to know what to write. Cards are ephemeral–subject to oohs and aahs, and then put in a pile or discarded. (Though I think we’ve all gotten cards with messages so special and thoughtful we’ve kept them!) Books, though, will be cherished by the family and hopefully read again and again.
I have a popular post on my blog about how to host a “bring a book, not a card” shower, and I am seeing some people asking what to write in a book when you’re bringing it to a baby shower.
Well, as the author of some pretty darn cute books that you could–no, should–bring to a baby shower, I have some ideas for you.
*All Amazon links in this post are affiliate links. Help me fund this blog by using them to buy books!
Keep it Simple
Just write “To the FAMILY NAME,” with love, YOUR NAME. That’s really enough if you’re having a mental block about it. If you know the baby’s name, include that. You can also write Baby LAST NAME.
The Name Problem
Normally, you won’t know a baby’s name by the time of a baby shower. So I always go with a last name. However, if the parents have two different last names, I would always recommend checking with someone who knows about the baby’s last name before writing it down. Want to skip the name problem? Just write “Welcome, Baby” or “We already love you, Baby!”
Write Something Related to the Book
Many books will give you opportunities to write something cute. For example, my book, “Call Your Mother” (affiliate link) has an entire page where readers can write a note for the person to whom they are “dedicating” the book. I loved it when the Familius publishing team came up with this idea. Here are some things I’ve written on this page when giving the book to my friends:
“I know you’re going to be a great mom because you’re a great friend.”
“I am here for you whenever you need it. I know you’re going to be a great mom!”
“I can’t wait to meet your baby and see you as a mom!”
You could also go funny with something like “There are Moms Way Worse Than You” and say: “You won’t suck as bad as these moms.” (Recommended for close friends only!) Or–pair “Go the F to Sleep” with my book “Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby” and write “I hope you have a good sleeper!”
Something About the Parents or Family
When I was pregnant, I looked through my childhood books. I found a note in the book “Good Dog Carl” from my parents’ best friends. It said something like “Your parents love animals so much, we know you will too.” For some reason, that made me bawl! It really doesn’t take much to bring tears to the eyes of a family expecting a baby. A sweet memory of the new parents as children or something relative to their family will do the trick!
I may come back and add to this post as I have more time, but in the meantime, what are your ideas for writing notes in a book to a new baby? Leave them in the comments!
Need more ideas of books to buy? I have a list of more unique baby shower gift books here. And here’s a list of books that are typically under $10; about the same price as a card!
Today I got an email from a writer that made me very angry on her behalf, and on the behalf of all writers just trying to get their books out into the world. She detailed several “offers” from “hybrid” publishers all costing an arm, leg, and the family dog.
Now, there is a lot wrong in the world of traditional publishing, too. It’s extremely hard to break into and I’ve seen many horror stories and broken hearts. I really do think the market is ripe for reimagining; there’s got to be a better way to do this.
But so-called “hybrid” publishing ain’t it. I’m going to tell you why, and share the red flags that should make you run away from these unethical businesses, fast.
Let’s take a moment for some definitions, which I’ve pulled and updated from my post on how to evaluate whether a publisher is traditional or vanity. I’ve used bold to note my updates which particularly pertain to picture books.
Traditional publishing is when a publisher chooses to publish a book and takes charge of the editing, design, distribution and basic marketing. (Marketing mileage varies WIDELY.) The author receives royalties and maybe an advance. The author pays NOTHING to get published. For picture books, the author DOES NOT PAY FOR THE ILLUSTRATIONS. The publisher finds and pays the illustrator, normally with an advance and then half of the royalties.
Self publishing is when an author publishes a book themselves, either by piecing together freelancers/DIYing or working with a company that helps take a book from a manuscript to a final book. The author puts all the money up front and keeps all of the profits from the book. For picture books, authors typically pay illustrators and any other service providers with flat fees because it’s too complicated to keep track of the royalties. Distributors like Amazon do take a percentage of self-published books.
Hybrid publishing or vanity publishing is when a publisher convinces an author they’re chosen/special yet charges them money to publish their book. My original description did not include “hybrid” as “vanity” publishing, but lately, I’m having a hard time seeing how any “hybrid” publishers are NOT “vanity.” I’ve heard of authors spending as much as $40,000. Today I learned about a publisher asking for $15,000 to publish a picture book. Vanity publishing also covers those anthologies/collections that seek out authors but then charge $100 or so for a copy of the book. Traditional anthologies, lit magazines, and collections GIVE contributing authors at least one free copy of the book or magazine.
Confusion and Clarifications
When I talk about hybrid in this post, I am talking about publishers who are hybrid, meaning they charge authors to publish their books. There are also authors who call themselves hybrid, and confusingly, this is not at all the same thing. Hybrid authors are those who use a mix of traditional publishing and self publishing. This is A-OK, totally normal, and increasingly common given the problems with traditional publishing. No ethical issues there!
Read the rest of this entry »Hello, everyone! I have a ton of events coming up this spring relatively local to the Baltimore, MD area. As I tell my friends, want to see me in the few months after a book launch? Come to a book event! I’ve had plenty of events before where very few people come, so it can be so meaningful when people do show up.
That said, if you have an event where you know there will be a ton of kids, I am happy to show up and do a storytime and/or craft activity for them! Ping me at tracycgold@gmail.com. I’m probably looking at the fall right now as spring is packed!
Local Events for Readers
Saturday, April 20, 10:30 am
Storytime and Craft
Snug Books
Baltimore, MD
Saturday April 27, 1 pm
Annapolis Book Festival (this still only shows last year’s schedule)
Key School, Annapolis, MD
Reading and signing
Thursday, May 2, 10:30 am: FULL
Storytime and craft
Weber’s Farm
Parkville, MD
Free, but tickets required. Register here. FULL AS OF 4/3/24
Saturday, May 4, 10 am
Storytime and craft
Park Books
Severna Park, MD
Sunday, May 5, 9 am
Storytime and Craft Morning at The Ivy–RSVP so we can get the right supplies, please
Baltimore, MD
New: Saturday, May 11, 10:30 am story time, with signing to 2 pm
Storytime and signing at Kenilworth Mall’s “Momosa” event
Towson, MD
New: June 22, 2024
Chesapeake Children’s Book Fest
Easton, MD
Webinar for writers
Thanks to Reedsy, a platform of publishing professionals where I get a ton of my editing work, on April 3rd at 3pm Eastern, I’ll be chatting live about “Common Mistakes in Dialogue and How to Avoid them.” Register here. There will be a video and transcript available afterward, too, and you’ll be notified if you register even if you can’t attend.
Don’t Forget My Classes!
Students are enjoying my Beginner’s Guide to Writing Picture Books!
You can buy it on Thinkific. Or access it with a Skillshare subscription.
And of course, my class on rhyming picture books is still live! Here’s Thinkific and Skillshare.
Want to know about future events? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook or join my email list!
I just had to share this adorable video/podcast that the kids at Krieger Schechter put together during my last visit to their school. I am the Silverman-Brown author in residence this year, which means I am coming for three visits over the course of the year. In my first visit, I talked with children about coming up with ideas and research. In my second visit, we talked about drafting and structure. When I return in April, we’ll be talking about revision. Throughout, we’ve been using my book “Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat” as a jumping off point to talk about how bats can affect a region’s ecology. Krieger Schechter is planning to have kids make bat boxes to install at the school to give these helpful bug eating critters a safe home.
I love sharing my process and hopefully inspiring all of these young people!
This new on-demand class goes through all the FAQs I get from new picture book writers, and then some!
This class is shorter and quicker than my in-depth course on writing rhyming picture books but still jam-packed with information about traditional publishing, self publishing, structure, language and everything you need to get started with writing picture books.
Find more details and enroll on Thinkific, where you will be added to a community for students of all of my classes.
Join Skillshare to access both classes, minus the community attached to them.
You can also reach out to me at tracycgold@gmail.com with questions at any time!
It is the season of shopping! Er…I mean, giving. If you’re looking for a gift for a writer in your life, or if you’re looking for a gift for yourself (coming from someone who absolutely fills her own stocking), I’ve got some great ideas for you. These ideas are focused on writers, but many of them apply to any creative.
Most creative fields are rife with self-doubt. I speak for myself and for many writers and artists when I say that we can feel a great sense of guilt when we take time to work on our craft instead of doing more pressing tasks. Most writers I know have nagging questions in the back of their minds: “Am I good enough?” “Should I really be spending time on doing this?”
Here’s the thing: having someone in your life who supports you as a writer or creative can make the difference between giving up and persevering. Giving someone support for their dreams is more meaningful than any gadget or soft sweater.
And I joke about filling my own stocking, but the truth is that someone’s gotta do it. No one else is going to buy me socks, hair ties, chapstick, and candy. I enjoy all of those things, so I do it for myself. So if no one else is giving you the gift of encouragement to pursue your dreams? Do it yourself.
So, while a post like this may seem commercial, there is a layer of meaning here about believing in your loved ones, and believing in yourself. You deserve it!
Ok, enough sappiness. On to the gifts.
Yes, my own classes on writing or a coaching session make great gifts…but I also have ideas that don’t cost a cent. Full disclosure, all Amazon links are affiliate links (help me fill that stocking?).
Here we go!
1. The gift of time. Especially for parents like me, there is never enough time! Think about what you can take off someone’s plate (or what you can take off of your own plate) to give the gift of time to write. If you want to make this into a cute physical object, you can make an IOU gift card which is good for, say, one night a week of dishes or laundry duty if that’s normally their chore, or a few hours of watching the kids when it’s normally your spouse’s time (or a few hours of babysitting for a non-spouse loved one). If you’re trying to clear your own plate, is there something you can say no to that’s filling up a lot of your time? A chore you can let wait? A dinner you can order instead of make?
The key is to then use that free time to actually be creative, or to help your loved one do so. This is where having a physical object or card can be a helpful reminder. Personally, I make a calendar event to block out time for myself to write.
Read the rest of this entry »I love horses and I love picture books! So…whenever someone asks about picture books about horses, I’m your girl. I was going through some favorites today and thought I’d post a list.
These links are all affiliate links which means if you buy these books (or your regular Amazon purchases) through these links, you’ll be supporting my horse and picture book habits. Thank you!
What books have I missed? Please comment with your suggestions!
This one is so much fun to read aloud! It’s perfect for younger kids, babies on up.
Horse Power: How Horses Changed the World by Jennifer Thermes
My kid is obsessed with this book. It is a longer non-fiction read. My kid’s takeaway is pretty much that horses make the world a better place! I agree!
If I Had a Horse by Gianna Marino
This book is spare and beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that when I saw it at the library, I knew I had to have my own copy, and bought one lickety split.
The Ultimate Book of Horses by Sandra Laboucarie illustrated by Helene Convert
This one was just recommended to me but I had to add it on here because we have a ton of the books in “The Ultimate Book of” series, and I never knew a horses one existed! This series is super interactive and fun, with more than you’ll ever want to know about cities, space, dinosaurs…you name it.
Fritz and The Beautiful Horses by Jan Brett
A scruffy pony saves the day! A beloved classic from my childhood.
Sergeant Reckless: The True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero by Patricia McCormick, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
For the older range of picture book readers (a mature four-year-old at youngest on up), this is an incredibly touching story about a brave horse who becomes a war hero. The book shows a little bit of war, but isn’t too scary.
Wild Horse Annie: Friend of the Mustangs by Tracey Fern, illustrated by Steven Salerno
Another true story, about a woman who spoke up to protect wild mustangs. A more whimsical read (I mean, just look at the adorable cover!).
This Way, Charlie by Caron Levis, illustrated by Charles Santoso
This absolutely beautiful book tells the story of a blind horse who becomes friends with a grumpy goat. It’s based on a true story, but is lyrical and spare in a way more common to fiction.