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September 24, 2019
The Art of the Deadline
Every word I’m typing right now is late. Not a month late, or even a week late, but three days late. And with every tap, tap, tap on my keyboard, I feel a pang. Anxiety. Guilt. Racing thoughts. Why ...
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December 23, 2019
How You Get Paid Writing Children’s Books or: Math is Fun!
One question I rarely get asked is how you get paid when you write and/or illustrate children’s books. I know people have a lot of questions regarding how much they might get paid, but how does the ...
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July 26, 2019
The Truth About the Slush Pile
Sit down and write a manuscript. Craft it for many months—maybe, even years. Print off manuscript at your mom’s house. Carefully wrap it with your hopes and dreams. Place it in an envelope purchased ...
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December 28, 2020
How to Make Your Longest, Darkest Nights Shine
The Winter Solstice is happening as I write this column. It’s the shortest day of the year and the longest, darkest night of the year. But during this time, every night often feels like the longest, ...
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May 29, 2018
What I Wish Every Aspiring Children’s Author Knew About Publishing
It seems like book publishing is a mysterious, captivating industry to many people. It barely gets represented in pop culture and when it does get featured (Elf and Fatal Attraction come to mind), ...
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September 08, 2022
Naseem Hrab's Adorable Snail Party Picture Book is a Love Letter to Homebodies of All Ages
While everyone loves a special occasion, we all have different ideas about the perfect way to celebrate. Some people may love a big, boisterous party, but plenty of people find that all a bit overwhelming ...
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February 23, 2023
"Capturing Lightning in a Bottle" Naseem Hrab on the Magic of Kids Can Press Turning 50
Naseem Hrab is one of the definitive "how does she do it?" people in Canadian publishing: a Governor General's Literary Award-winning writer for young people and former librarian, she also serves as Kids ...
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May 06, 2019
Moving On and Holding On: Writing Picture Books as Therapy
Is it just me or is closure overrated and nearly impossible to achieve? It sometimes feels like the more you try to shut out painful experiences, the more they wave their hands around and yell, “Look ...
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April 22, 2020
All of this listening
It was hard to write this column. Like everyone else, I’m all for trying to grasp at normalcy where I can, but I don’t have many writing tips to share right now. (Actually, I do have one writing tip: ...
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August 23, 2019
Tough Love for People Who Are Better at Talking About Writing Instead of Actually Writing
I just binge-watched three seasons of Revenge Body with Khloé Kardashian. If you’re not familiar with this incredible reality television show allow me to tell you about it: in each episode, two normies ...