Advice

To Schools

• Get the support of your faculty and colleagues. Without their enthusiasm, even the best programs will fall short.
• Sellect several possible dates before contacting the author or illustrator, and plan EARLY. It isn't unusual for an author or illustrator to book dates a year to six months in advance. By all means, make contact at least three months prior to the scheduled event.
• Team up with other schools in your system or in neighboring towns. Most authors wish to maximize each trip away from the office or studio.
• Order books well in advance of the visit. The most successful programs result when students and faculty have become familiar with the visitor's work.
• Plan an autograph session.
• Remind teachers to be engaged in the program. They should not mark papers or carry on personal conversations. When they do, it sends the wrong message to students.

To Aspiring Writers

Are you someone who is interested in a career in writing? Do you want to be a published author? Perhaps you simply want to improve your writing. Here are some tips for you:

• READ. Read well-written books. Read poorly-written books. You'll learn something in either case.
• WRITE. Write as if your next breath depended upon it. Write whenever and wherever you find time. DON'T WAIT FOR TIME TO FIND YOU! Write impressions of the world around you--that park down the street, the scream of sirens in the night, the trill of birds on an early summer morning. WRITE. Write new endings to stories you've read. Write the sequel you wish existed. Keep a journal of favorite quotes and well-written passages. Don't worry about trends. Write the stories that you would like to read.
• SUBMIT YOUR WORK TO PUBLISHERS. No manuscript was ever published sitting in a drawer!
• Don't think you need an agent. Eventually, you may want one. In the beginning, however you are better off submitting your work on your own directly to publishers.
• Consider enrolling in writing classes, either through your local university extension or by correspondence.
• Join the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). This is the professional organization for those who write and/or illustrate for the children's book and magazine markets. Their website is located at: http://www.scbwi.org. Their physical address is: 8271 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048; phone: 1.323.782.1010.
• There are currently several books on the market about writing for children (and for any other demographic you can imagine). Read some. The BEST, in Larry's opinion, is Jane Fitz-Randolph's HOW TO WRITE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS. You may have to hunt it down in a library, but it's chock-full of useful advice.
• Consider a professional critique service. One reasonably-priced service that Larry can vouch for is: Writer's Ink, 3646 Woodlake Road, Bellingham, WA 98226; phone: 1.360.306.5438.
• If you are a young person interested in writing and wish to get yourself published (or someone who works with such young people), study magazines. Many of them delight in receiving material from young people and will include information about submitting your work to them if they do. Another excellent source is the MARKET GUIDE FOR YOUNG WRITERS; WHERE AND HOW TO SELL WHAT YOU WRITE, compiled by Kathy Henderson and published by Writer's Digest Books. Find it in a library. Remember there is no age minimum or maximum for being an author.