Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: Who Wants To Be A Winner?

Whether it’s your first book or your tenth one, it’s always celebration time when your book is finally born and sent out into the world to be shared with others.

Yesterday, Story Catcher Publishing released its tenth children’s book, THE WARRIORS THREE and we’re continuing the celebration with not ONE, or TWO, but FIVE signed copies of this sport adventure chapter book kids ages 7-12 years old. Story Catcher Publishing will also be giving away FIVE swag bags of goodies! All you need to do is click on the Rafflecopter link below for a chance to be entered into the FREE drawing! Winners will be announced on Monday, 5/29…Memorial Day in the US.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/10046a023/

The reviews are starting to roll in and we’re dancing a jig!

 “Great children’s book Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2023

I really enjoyed this book! I was actually a taekwondo student around the age of the boys in the story and the descriptions of the school, tournaments, and their teachers brought back so many warm nostalgic feelings for me. I could imagine every sentence as I read. Beautiful job and a sweet book about perseverance and mentorship. ??” Liz

“Fun Read With Some Great Lessons! Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2023

The story is easy to follow and fun to read! The wonderfully descriptive story makes you feel like you know these kids in real life. My favorite parts are the lessons that are intertwined throughout the story. It was a great reminder as a parent, it’s okay to make kids brainstorm their own solutions and to also accept loses from time to time. The history lesson at the end was interested as well, I had no idea! Great read and highly recommend.” Courtney

A must read for new parents! Reviewed in Canada on May 16, 2023

This story is a modern parable; although fun, it gently teaches several critical life lessons.
Simply written, and fast enough to keep young readers engaged, The Warriors Three could be read by a junior reader on their own or used as a bedtime reader by a parent and be enjoyed by both. While age appropriate, the author has made the characters real enough to engage with emotionally. As events unfold, you share their successes, and failures, as they strive for greatness. The history lesson provided is a bonus for those interested in the background! This is a must read for new parents. The mentality it encourages is essential for growth, happiness and success in life.” Steve

Story Catcher Publishing will be opening its door to submissions later this Fall and we can’t wait to share all those lovely stories with the world!

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Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: To “AI” or not “AI”? That is the question!

No matter where you look these days, you will find debates hot and heavy on whether or not to use artificial intelligence to boost a writer’s creativity. Everyone has an opinion…some in favor of computer programs to generate stories that simply needs a name attached to it…and others vehemently opposed to any source other than stories coming straight from the writer’s imagination.

So, which way is best? The tried and true of old school? Or boldly stepping into a new frontier where writer and AI work hand in hand to create stories for the next generation to discover?

If artificial intelligence programs had been available fifty years ago when I first started writing stories, I might have been tempted to lean toward a little bit of helpful “assistance” in completing my stories. But at what cost? I might have ended up with a decent story, but would have missed out on the opportunity to grow as a writer through trial and error.

As a Certified Taekwondo Instructor, I could either choose to teach my students the stepping-stone curriculum which eventually leads to Black Belt, or I can simply hand them that black belt and let them out into the community with the false sense of confidence that may not protect them from the harshness of the REAL world.

When Story Catcher Publishing opens up for submissions in the Fall, we will endeavor to make sure only the very best stories are shared with the world. We don’t believe that will include any stories created with the help of artificial intelligence. The entire team will be working hard to support our authors and it’s only fair our authors work as hard as we do!

But for those of you who are considering using AI to supplement your writing, here are a few articles you might want to read:

http://alextucker.ca/ai-story-generator/
http://www.nownovel.com/blog/artificial-intelligence-for-writing/

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What do books and a martial arts tournament have in common? For Alex, Billy, and Nathan…A LOT! Based loosely on a true story, follow these three friends as they work to raise enough money to enter their school’s tournament. Who will win, who will lose, and who will learn a valuable lesson? Read THE WARRIORS THREE to find out! 

Fourth Degree Black Belt and award-winning children’s author, Donna L Martin, creates a sports adventure story for any boy or girl who has ever struggled with self-confidence or wanting to give up on their dreams of winning at something.

Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: What Makes Up An Award-Winning Book?

You can ask any writer if they would like to win a book award, and the answer would be a resounding YES! Book awards help create an air of authenticity and adds to the legitimacy of their work. It also helps overall sales in most cases. But what makes up an award-winning book? All great books have five different areas of excellence.

Let’s look at five areas of a good book:

A Strong Beginning…

I’ve always been an avid reader. If there was captivating writing on that first page, I was hooked and wouldn’t put the book down until the last page was read. In high school I was introduced to some of the classics during my English class. The beginning lines of TALES OF TWO CITIES stopped me in my tracks and set me on a journey back in time to a land and time I had never experienced before. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” has challenged millions of readers over the years and certainly deserved any awards it may have won along the way.

Captivating Characters…

Another great classic story I read that same year in English was SILAS MARNER. From the little orphaned baby left on the doorstep of a solitary bachelor, all the way to that imposing man himself, author George Eliot created universal characters who connected with readers all around the world. Captivating characters can be found in any award-winning books.

A Compelling Storyline…

When I was eleven, I won first place in a summertime writing contest at my local library. The prize was a book titled MISTY OF CHINCOTEAGUE by Marguerite Henry. I had a fascination with horses back then, but had never read this story. From the very beginning, Ms. Henry’s story about the wild mustangs of Chincoteague Island captured my attention. Her vivid imagery and action-packed storyline broadened my horizons and fed my hunger to one day visit the ancestors of those might Spanish horses. This childhood favorite rightfully won awards for its author’s literary talent.

Moving Dialogue…

After reading Ms. Henry’s book, I stumbled upon another classic. BLACK BEAUTY by Anna Sweell was a stunning masterpiece in creating a world where the reader could step inside the mind of one horse, while experiencing all the tragedies…and triumphs…one beast of burden could endure. My young imagination could feel every cruel lash, and every straining muscle as Black Beauty dealt with the harsh realities of his world. The inner dialogue of this main character led this manuscript to winning awards which still resonate with readers many years later.

A Unique Style…

Back in 2004, there was a lot of talk about a new book written by author Alice Sebold. I don’t typically jump on the band wagon when it comes to the latest and greatest in anything, but there was something unique about THE LOVELY BONES that captured my interest. A new twist where the main character takes the reader on a quest to find out more about them…including who murdered them! It was certainly a strange point of view in which to write a story and the book ended up not only winning coveted awards but was eventually made into a movie.

With the millions of “stories” being lived out each and every day, there will always be ways to draw that reader into a magical world they had never experienced before.

As Story Catcher Publishing expands this Fall by opening up to submission for writers of children’s books through some young adult and specialty books, we will be looking for strong stories with these five components to support and bring to life for the authors who choose to work with us. We are eagerly anticipating all the fabulous manuscripts we will get to read come September, 2023!

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Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: Traditional, Indie, Hybrid, or Vanity Publishing…Which One Is Best?

The day a writer decides he or she wants to see their name on the cover of a book, they must answer the question of exactly HOW they will get their book published. The four most common avenues in which to get a book out in the world is through traditional, indie, hybrid, and vanity publishers.

But which one to choose for your “baby”?

It will depend largely on WHAT you have written and WHO you have written it for.

WHAT DID YOU WRITE?

A 100,000 high-fantasy novel is treated differently than a 500-word picture book. And a historical fiction chapter book is handled differently than a 200-page nonfiction book on the blue footed booby of the Easter Pacific Ocean. Just as the four main styles of book publishing are different, so are the ways to get your masterpiece published. To narrow down your choices best suited for your project, it might be best to consider your target audience.

COMMERCIAL AUDIENCES

If you write in genres like children’s fiction, adult fiction, non-fiction on topics of general interests, etc. then just about any of the four publishing arenas would work for you. Traditional publishing offers the least control over your work but with the right agent, might offer the best chances of notoriety. Indie or Hybrid publishing offers the best opportunity to have more control over some, if not all, of the publishing process but the financial investment increases with the level of control you’re looking for.

NICHE AUDIENCES

If you’re that writer of the next blue-footed booby masterpiece, or even the molecular breakdown of cheese puffs, or some other super niche topic, traditional publishers will probably not be the most viable publishing partner for you. Indie or Hybrid publishers would be more willing to add to their catalogs those titles that appeal to a smaller audience. Think of where you might see your book. Places ike museums, giftshops, indie bookstores, homeschool arena, etc. could be places where Inde or Hybrid publishers might make the best publishing partners for your project. It’s not that these types of publishers wouldn’t publish commercial appealing titles, it’s just that they are more open-minded to other possibilities.

WHAT ABOUT VANITY PRESS PUBLISHERS?

I’m not a champion of Vanity Press publishing because in most cases they are NOT interested in what’s best for the author. They are ONLY interested in getting the most money out of a writer through offering additional services like editing, marketing, illustrating, cover design, etc. until a writer has racked up a large investment without ever knowing if their book will sell any copies.

A great start to any research on potential vanity publishers is the Writers Beware blog at http://writerbeware.blog/. They are an industry leader in keeping writers up to date on shady publishing operations and industry scams. Here is an article from Neon Books on how to recognize a vanity publisher…http://www.neonbooks.org.uk/how-to-identify-a-vanity-publisher/#:~:text=The%20basic%20difference%20is%20this,publishing%20services%20to%20unwary%20authors.

SO WHAT TYPE OF PUBLISHER WILL STORY CATCHER PUBLISHING BE?

We are considered a Hybrid Publisher, where we are a publishing partner for writers who want to delve into the indie publishing world without having to juggle the responsibilities that come with completely self-publishing their books. Indie published books can cost upwards of $8,000 or more for fully illustrated picture books. OUR picture book and illustrated chapter books publishing packages will only be $1200 for everything including quality hand-drawn, digitally colorized illustrations, basic editing, cover design, formatting, proofreading, and completed production files for both ebook and print. Ebooks will funnel through Amazon and paperbacks will funnel through IngramSpark for better worldwide distribution. SCPublishing authors will also receive FREE support to set up their author platform, including website, blog, social media sites, author events, and anywhere else we might be able to help out.

And if you are an author/illustrator or a writer who doesn’t need our illustration department, then the publishing package is only $600 for most genres up to 50,000 words for everything including basic editing, cover design, formatting, proofreading, and completed production files for both ebook and print. Ebooks funneling, paperback funneling, and FREE support for author platform services are the same as for our illustration packages.

It has been my dream for the past five years to bring a top quality, but affordable publishing company to the indie community where ALL writers of great stories will finally be able to afford to see their name on the cover of a book!

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Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

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Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: How To Hook A Literary Agent’s Attention

Beginning in the Fall of 2023, Story Catcher Publishing will provide support for new and established writers who want to expand into the indie industry. We will celebrate the relationships we build with the Kidlit community.

But what if, as a writer, you don’t want to step your toe into the hybrid publishing pool?

Then we still want to provide resources for writers focusing on hooking an agent to represent them because readers deserve all the lovely books we can create for them!

Here are some things to keep in mind as you go in search of the right agent for you…

POLISH YOUR MANUSCRIPTS

You can’t play baseball without the right equipment, and you can’t hook an agent without some polished manuscripts. And I don’t mean just one manuscript you just typed “the end” on. To show a potential agent you are a serious professional when it comes to writing, they will expect three to four high-quality completed stories to look at. Check your spelling. Double check your grammar. Triple check everything and make sure there has been plenty of revisions done to tighten those storylines. If you get a wink from a potential agent, you want to then dazzle them with stunning stories.

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR

There are almost as many types of agents as there are writers. Take a moment to really think about the type of agent you are looking for. Want one for your picture books? Need someone to guide you through your chapter book series? In search of a partner to champion your young adult novels? Whatever type of agent you are looking for, DO YOUR RESEARCH! There is nothing more disrespectful to an agent than for them to have to dig through a slush pile of manuscripts that aren’t even genres they represent! Take the time to study the likes, dislikes, and preferences of each “dream” agent so your short list will only include the talent most suited to your writing style.

PREPARE YOUR QUERY LETTER

You have three or more polished manuscripts. You’ve done your research and have a list of potential agents who might be interested in your style of writing. Now you need to focus on creating the strongest introduction to your work that you can via a stellar query letter. Check out our blog on creating a strong query letter by clicking on this link… http://storycatcherpublishing.com/2023/02/22/story-catcher-publishing-expansion-creating-a-strong-query-letter/

IT’S TIME TO SUBMIT TO YOUR AGENT LIST

Choose the first four or five agents from your list and review their website submission requirements to make sure you understand what you need to submit to them. Some only want query letters. Others want a query letter and a full manuscript if you are submitting picture book stories. Still others want query letters, synopsis, and maybe first ten pages if submitting a chapter book or young adult novel. DO YOUR RESEARCH before you push that send button!

TRACK! TRACK! TRACK!

It doesn’t really matter what method you use to track your submissions. Some people use index cards. Other use an Excel spreadsheet. Many choose a program like Query Tracker (http://querytracker.net) which is free and is an excellent way to track your manuscript submissions to potential agents. Whichever method you choose, double check your agent websites to see the time frame allowed before you should send a polite follow up email to that agent. If you don’t get a response from an agent after the follow up email, realize they probably aren’t interested in your work and it’s time to move on to the next one.

The search for agent representation can be a long and tedious process. It can literally take years to finally hook an agent so make sure you have the patience and a thick enough skin to make it worth the effort!

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Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

.

Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: 5 Easy Peasy Book Launch Party Tips

When Story Catcher Publishing opens up this fall for submissions, we are hoping to be able to celebrate many new book launches with our authors. With that in mind, we wanted to share some easy peasy tips for having a book launch that is not only fun, but increases the chances of getting books sales off to a strong start.

PICK A THEME

Do you write mysteries? Are your picture book characters animals? Is fantasy your thing? Whatever the theme is, make it the focal point of the party. When your audience is caught up in the theme of the party, it’s only natural for them to drift to the book table for a signed copy of your party themed book!

SELECT A DATE

Is there something in your story that can be tied to a specific date? If I was doing a launch party for my HISTORY’S MYSTERIES: Ship of Dreams book about the Titanic, I might choose the maiden voyage date for my party. If your book has a specific holiday theme, maybe pick a date close to the holiday your book helps celebrate. If your target audience is teachers or librarians, maybe check the calendar for a day that is special to them and hitch your party to that wagon!

CHOOSE A VENUE

While bookstores are a great first choice when you’re thinking about where to have your book launch party, don’t overlook other possibilities as well. Check out places like bowling alleys, library meeting rooms, daycares, and even karate dojos like I’m contemplating using for the book launch of my latest chapter book, THE WARRIORS THREE, where three young boys try to raise money to attend a taekwondo tournament while still supporting a local library’s annual book drive. Look outside the box to find a really creative way to celebrate your book’s launch day.

GENERATE EXCITEMENT

Working hard to put a book launch party together won’t go far if you don’t advertise what’s about to happen. This is the time to work your social media, newsletters, venue websites, local newspapers and radio stations looking for feel good stories. If you plan to tie a portion of your sales to a local charity or other good cause, make sure to connect with them to have them share your good news as well.

SHINE THE SPOTLIGHT

While you want your party visitors to learn more about you as an author, you don’t want to hog the limelight. Try to have a photographer to take lots of pictures and videos of everyone having a good time. If you have a website, those book launch party pics and book signing photo ops will look great in your photo gallery.

Book launch parties can be large or small, costs hundreds of dollars or just pennies backed with a lot of creativity. What’s most important is to have fun while you are working the crowd and generating excitement about your latest book. Here are some links for more book launch party ideas…

http://writingcooperative.com/how-to-throw-a-successful-book-launch-party-43f91a842d71

http://www.smithpublicity.com/2018/01/bookbaby-blog-throw-book-launch-party-isnt-waste-time/?_vsrefdom=googleppc&gclid=CjwKCAjw_YShBhAiEiwAMomsENyMNOhyszHCQ2iUU8hOVWTDCwk4q0x3TKw6n2Oa2Cs-7fRGdNb9vhoCt3MQAvD_BwE
http://www.pinterest.com/princessdine/book-launch-party/

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Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: When Rhyming Matters

Most young children (and a lot of adults too) love listening to rhyming picture books. The lyrical storylines with near perfect rhyme, rhythm, and meter capture a reader’s imagination and creates worlds full of page turning adventure or whimsical silliness. But even though some people think this genre may be easy to write, a GREAT rhyming picture book contains certain key elements.

When Story Catcher Publishing opens for submissions in the fall, we will be looking for rhyming picture books which have these key elements as well as a strong storyline…

CHOOSE YOUR RHYTHM

Rhyming picture books are known for their lovely lyrical sentence structure. Nowhere is the word choice and placement of those words as important as in a rhyming picture book. Select your rhythm or pattern and STICK TO IT! Whether you choose couplets, A/B Alternate rhymes, simple four-line rhymes, etc. be sure to remain consistent to the pattern you have chosen. Once your story is read out loud, any deviation from that chosen pattern will jump right out to declare you amateurish attempt at writing a rhyming picture book.

WHAT ABOUT METER?

Once you have your rhythm chosen for your story, you have to pay attention to your meter or syllable beats for each line. You can’t jump around like a cat on a hot tin roof. Be consistent! Let’s say your first two line have a 10 syllable beat to it. Then your third and fourth line drop down to a 6 beat pattern. That means lines five and six would typically repeat the 10 syllable beat. Lines seven and eight would then follow with a 6 beat pattern. This way a writer stays true to the rhythm they’ve chosen AND conformed to the meter they’ve selected.

MAKE THOSE WORDS COUNT

I’ve mentioned before the industry “sweet spot” for picture book word count runs 300-500. Add to that the challenge of sticking to a patterned rhyme and now there is added pressure to make those words count! This is where some writers make the creative decision to switch to prose instead of rhyme.

DON’T SACRIFICE YOUR STORY

Once you’ve picked your rhyme, rhythm, meter, and words, you have to then make sure you still have a story to tell. The end result must still have a beginning, middle, and end. The main character still has a problem to solve, adventure to go on, a mission to accomplish, etc. and the reader can find a satisfactory ending to the story where the main character has grown in some way from a subtle lesson learned.

Here are some ways to help writers improve their rhyming picture book skills:

READ IN YOUR GENRE

It can’t be emphasized enough about reading as many books as you can in the genre you want to write about. Study the classics but embrace current industry favorites (released within the past five years) so you can be fully aware of what is out there…what is winning awards and capturing the attention of those readers you want to read your own book!

READ OUT LOUD

Once you have completed your manuscript…paying attention to rhyme, rhythm, meter, etc. then read your story out loud. Better yet, have someone who isn’t familiar with your story at all read it out loud. If there is hesitation or sudden stops in the flow of your words, then make notes of where you have to focus your editing efforts before submitting your story to an agent or publisher.

DON’T TALK LIKE YODA

Writing, or speaking, in a forced rhyme only works for a certain Star Wars character. Here’s an example:

“Whenever we go for a walk,

with you, I like to talk.”

No one but Yoda could get away with talking like that and you certainly don’t want to see it in a rhyming picture book. Be very careful to not put “forced rhymes” in your manuscript. It screams your lack of skill writing that type of picture book. It is the main reason some agents and publishers won’t even accept rhyming picture books as part of their submissions, so pay close attention to your sentence structure!

Writing rhyming picture books can be a huge challenge for some writers, but that’s not to say it’s completely impossible to have a strong rhyming story. Everyone knows Dr. Seuss’ lovely rhyming picture books, but here is a small list of other authors just as skillful so check them out!

Bill Martin

Giles Andreae

Claire Freedman

Anna Dewdney

Julia Donaldson

Arnold Lobel

Kess Gray

Just to name a few…;-)

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Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: Word Count Matters!

***My apologies for not releasing this post yesterday as planned. My computer is acting up a little and deleted part of the original post so I had to rewrite it this morning.***

For the past 50+ years I’ve spent my spare time writing words. Tons of words. Millions of words. And like the picture above says, words have power.

When Story Catcher Publishing opens up for submission in the Fall, we will be looking closely at all the words coming in those query letters. Studying them closely to see if some of those words capture our attention enough to make us ask for more. Then the truly hard work begins when the actual manuscripts start rolling in.

Newbie writers may not fully understand how important it is to carefully weigh each word they use in their stories. Generally speaking, the shorter the story, the more powerful each and every word becomes. Below is a general countdown to the word count for each genre Story Catcher Publishing will be looking at…

FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

Word count can be 50 to 1000 but industry sweet spot is between 300-500 words typically. Don’t use words that can be inferred through illustrations. Don’t use words far beyond the reading level of your target audience. Make sure those words weave a story with a strong beginning hook, engaging middle and a satisfying ending.

FICTION EARLY READER CHAPTER BOOKS

Word count can run anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 words. Most of the books Story Catcher Publishing has been releasing has been around 10,000 words. Early Reader Chapter Books challenge those new readers to expand their reading ability. This when writers can add an additional theme or even sub-characters storylines into their manuscripts. Early Reader Chapter Books typically still have some illustrations inside but not at the level you see in picture books.

FICTION MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS

Word count typically runs between 25,000 and 40,000 words. Industry sweet spot is around 35,000 words. Story Catcher Publishing hasn’t released any middle grade books at this time, so any writers who decide to work with us will have to have a very strong story to begin with. This genre of books have both stand alone and serial titles where readers will find deeper subject matter and sometimes even controversial topics not usually seen in picture books and early reader chapter books.

YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

Word count will run anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 words with the sweet spot being around 75,000 words. Sub-genres can cover everything from steampunk to fantasy, science fiction to historical, and everything in between. Longer chapters with multiple storylines for the main and sub-characters. The worlds found in this genre range everywhere from real to others created within the writer’s own imagination. Young adult books might include magic, time travel, portals, mythical creatures, war torn landscapes, new worlds and everything in between. The sky is the limit with this genre and any creations/situations within the storyline must still fall within the range of “believable” to the target audiences.

SPECIALTY BOOKS

Word count for this category would vary widely depending on the type of manuscript. Story Catcher Publishing will be considering specialty books which could include low-content (coloring books or activity books), memoirs, journals, short stories, anthologies, etc. The subject matter will really have to capture our attention, but we are open to the possibility.

Do you write outside of these listed genres, but are still interested in talking to us about your story?

You are welcome to drop us a query letter when we open for submissions in the fall, but please realize Story Catcher Publishing probably won’t be the best partner for your project. We want to focus on the genres we are best qualified to help our authors achieve their goals of building a writing career. And the only way to do that is to focus on all those fabulous words coming our way later this year, because EACH WORD COUNTS!

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Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: Creating A Strong Query Letter

Sometimes the mere mention of a word will instill fear in the hearts of writers everywhere.

Query Letters.

A newbie writer may not even know what a query letter is, but if you have been writing for any length of time and trying to capture the attention of agents or publishers, then you will know how stress-inducing writing a eye-catching query letter can be. In today’s post, I wanted to share not only what Story Catcher Publishing will be looking for in query letters when we open for submissions later this Fall, but to also give you a few tips and links to better research what will work for your own journey into query letter writing…

QUERY LETTER WRITING DO’S:

  1. Address your letter to the correct person. I’ve been a female all my life, so when you decide to write me a query letter, please address me as Donna L Martin, Ms. Martin, or Ma’am. Any other title just shows me you have no clue who you’re trying to reach.
  2. Get it all on one page. Sending me an email with five pages of an ongoing chat will lose my interest. Be concise and to the point. If you don’t know whether you’ve gone over one page for your query letter, attempt to print it to view how many pages it will be. I like hard files on my authors, illustrators, formatters, etc, so I only want to have to print off one page to consider your story, not the equivalent of your entire book.
  3. Have a great hook. If your beginning paragraph goes on and on about how you even got around to writing your book, I’ll likely fall asleep before I get to the part why I should even READ your book. Give me something that catches my attention and I’ll probably ask for more!
  4. Include a strong bio. If you have won writing awards in the past, let me know. If you belong to professional organizations pertinent to the story in your query letter, let me know. Be sure to include all ways to contact you…Website, blog, social media, email, etc. If you’re just starting out and have little to no accomplishments to share, there is still a way to create an interesting bio.
  5. Make a connection. If we’ve met somewhere…author event, business event, online, grocery shopping…wherever it was, let me know! I connect with hundreds of people every day in different ways so my memory needs jogging every once in a while as to who you are. Maybe you’ve only “met” me through reading one of my books. That’s okay…tell me that!

QUERY LETTER WRITING DON’TS:

  1. It doesn’t matter to me if your kids loved the story or your second cousin twice removed thinks you wrote a NYT bestseller and I’d be a fool not to offer you a contract. I’m not being disrespectful to your family. I am being professional while I am conducting business and I expect you to do the same.
  2. Resist the urge to include anything in your query letter submission that I didn’t ask for. This includes the manuscript itself, pictures of cute drawings you think would look great in the final book, or your local bridge group can’t wait to see your name on the cover of your book. That won’t increase any interest I might have in your story. In fact, it will do the complete opposite because it will scream you aren’t ready to conduct your business in a professional manner.
  3. Being impatient for a response. Believe me, I understand the stress of waiting for some reply when you’ve sent your story out on submission. It can be nerve-wracking. And a lot of time, you don’t even receive a response at all which is twice as hard to deal with! I will start out giving myself 3-4 weeks to review query letters before responding. This give me adequate time to vet the authors I might want my team to work with, and still have a chance to respond individually to every writer that’s taken the time to reach out to Story Catcher Publishing. This might not be a viable practice in the future, but for now, I want to give respectful feedback to every person who tries to connect with me. So, please be patient!
  4. Combining multiple manuscripts in one query letter. If you have five different stories ready to submit, then write five different query letters. This is especially important if you write in different genres. You can’t do ANY story justice when you are trying to cram five different book viewpoints into a one-page query letter, so keep everything separate, okay?
  5. Putting your life on hold while you wait. That is the worst thing you can do for yourself and your writing career. It is demoralizing for YOU, and living in a suspending mental state prevents the flow of creativity. Keep writing. Send out more query letters. If I reach out to you with a request to read your manuscript only to find out you’ve sold it to someone else, I’ll be the first to do a happy dance for you! I’m here to support YOU as a future author, wherever that publishing path may lead you, not to get rich off your hard work.

RESEARCH LINKS:

  1. Picture Book Query Letter examples…http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Children%27s+Picture+Book+Query+Letter&form=RESTAB&first=1
  2. How To Write Query Letters…http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=How+to+Write+Query+Letter&form=RESTAB&first=1
  3. Jane Friedman’s Tips On Writing Query Letters…http://www.janefriedman.com/query-letters/
  4. New York Book Editors Query Letter Tips…http://nybookeditors.com/2015/12/how-to-write-a-darn-good-query-letter/
  5. Writer’s Digest Query Writing Tips…http://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/the-10-dos-and-donts-of-writing-a-query-letter

There you have it. Just some words of wisdom to help better your chances that your query letter will grab my attention and make me want to read more! And for a final bit of help to all you lovely writers out there, I’ve included a few links to help you learn more about writing a strong query letter. Good luck and I can’t wait to start reading YOUR query letters later this fall. Be sure to check back next week for more peaks into Story Catcher Publishing’s expansion!

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Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: Contracts, Contracts, Contracts…

Even though I’ve been writing on and off for more than 50 years, it wasn’t until 2010 that I decided to seriously begin a writing career. I had the dream to become a traditionally published author and pursued that goal with great passion. I think every wishful author waits for that one special word that has the power to change their life…

CONTRACT.

Whether it’s a contract with an agent or a publisher, writers know when a contract finally arrives, it takes them one step closer to their publishing goal.

I’ve been working on the new Story Catcher Publishing contracts…upgrading them to include the expansion we will be offering the world this coming Fall. We have three new contracts in place:

  1. Design Team Contract…We now have a three-year agreement with my design team. Everyone knows what is expected and their costs have been taken into account because while my goal is to help as many indie writers as possible, the reality is that there are publishing costs involved with any new book release. My design team feels confident that we will be able to handle any number of production projects for chapter books and novels that may come along once we open to submissions this Fall.
  2. Illustrator Contract…We also have a three-year agreement with my lead illustrator. We’ve had long chats about the future growth of Story Catcher Publishing, and we will be able to handle six to eight picture books per year once we open to submissions this Fall.
  3. Publishing Packages Contract…I’ve spent a long time pouring over this contract to make sure the rights of all involved are protected and there is no confusion as to how Story Catcher Publishing will be helping writers on their publishing adventures. There are a few things that will be offered differently than by anyone else in the publishing industry. Like this…
    • If during any time during the term of this Agreement, the Author should receive an offer of agent representation or offer to publish the Work through a different third party not directly affiliated with the Publisher, the Publisher shall, at its sole discretion, provide a written revision of rights covering the Work listed in this Agreement to the Author if said offer meets one of the following stipulations:
    • The offer of agent representation comes from an agent affiliated with a major literary agency with an office based in the United States. Proof of a current, valid signed contract by the Author and the agent (covering Work previously published by Story Catcher Publishing) must be provided to the Publisher in order for the request for a written revision of rights to be considered.
    • The offer of publication from a third party comes from a publisher with a medium to large publishing house with an office based in the United States. Proof of a current, valid signed contract by the author and publisher (covering Work previously published by Story Catcher Publishing) must be provided to the Publisher in order for the request for a written revision of rights to be considered.

Contracts can be very tricky to read which is why I will encourage any writer we work with to have our contracts looked over very carefully or at least ask me plenty of questions before signing anything. And in case you may not fully understand what the above paragraphs says, it means any author signing with Story Catcher Publishing who still pursues a traditional publication path will be helped by us to try to better their chances to be signed by an agent from a major literary agency or medium to larger publishing house. AND we will release them from OUR contract with proof that they’ve achieved that goal.

What other publishing house has ever offered something like this before? And what other publishing house who offers publishing packages will offer those services for one-fifth the cost or even much less than the industry average?

None that I know of.

And why would Story Catcher Publishing do something like that? To turn its back on future profits for the company?

Because THAT is not what our company expansion is for! Story Catcher Publishing is expanding to help aspiring authors to further their writing careers as a way of “paying it forward” or giving back to the KidLit community for all the love and support it has shown me over the years. It has been a five-year dream of mine to do this, and it is finally coming true!

I’m trying to be as transparent as possible about what is coming this Fall, so polish up those picture book, chapter book, and young adult novel manuscripts to get ready for a new way to reach your own dreams of sharing your stories with the world!

And check back next week for more expansion news from Story Catcher Publishing…

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Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927