In this second installment of my interview with Tonya Alexandra, she delivers some sage advice and we find out what has encouraged and challenged her in writing for kids. You can catch up on the first installment here
Tonya, I understand you have an agent. I hear that they are as hard to get as publishing contracts! Can you tell us how this came about?
I needed some help with the contract for my book deal, and one of the authors in our CBCA group told me an agent was really good for your c...
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writers
Tonya Alexandra – magic happens!
Today I have the pleasure of interviewing YA author Tonya Alexandra. Tonya is a very generous committee member of my CBCA subranch, where I have the privilege of catching up with her from time to time. The Incredible Story of Olive In Love is the first of a YA series picked up by Harlequin Publishers. The book launch for Olive In Love was at a brewery - a far cry from the kid's book shop or library story-time sessions for picture book launches! What a hoot! Tonya doesn't like talking about herse...
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Robert Vescio -Soaring Part 2
In part 1 of this interview with Robert Vescio we looked at his soaring success in the picture book market in Australia. Today we continue to find out the events and experiences that helped shape him and his writing.
Robert, can you tell use how you developed your writing to get it to a publishable state? Did you belong to any critique groups, attend courses and association events, enter competitions? If so, how did/do they help?
I’ve always submitted my stories to manuscript assessment ...
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So- how did you go?
At the beginning of last year I posted this matrix of things to do spread throughout the year. I think it’s a good strategy for everyone to review their goals from time to time, and when better than at the beginning of the year?
So, how did you go with these goals and what were the results for your efforts?
Here’s how I went:
Subscribe: I discovered Jen Storer’s vlog Q&Q Fridays – invaluable information delivered her in her warm, fun, quirky way. Just a delight!
Join: I join...
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Robert Vescio – Soaring
Robert’s interest in writing seems to be lifelong, showing up as a school student, but like me, when he had kids he fell in love with children’s books, especially picture books. He’s been writing now for over 5 years and in that time has published several short stories in various anthologies and four picture books , with more on the way. He's totally soaring! He's excited that his latest release, Jack and Mia with Wombat Books has just been placed on the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge and he ha...
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Do You Know Your Why?
Are you feeling a little lost as an author? Are you just going day-to-day doing what you think you're meant to be doing with no insight as to why, or where you should focus your attention? You’re blogging, or not blogging, you’re on social media, you’re writing stories that are in your head, you're told to build an author platform and yet you have no idea what it means, and you’ve joined a critique group. Maybe you are running around doing all this stuff and are losing heart. You know that deep ...
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In the Presence of Giants
The title of this article might seem a misnomer given the physical stature of both Margaret Wild and Julie Vivas, however there is no doubt about their giant status in the picture book world. It was an absolute pleasure to hear them speak in conversation with Belinda Murrell at the CBCA Northern Sydney sub-branch Christmas party on the last day of November 2016.
Margaret’s writing has long been a touchstone of mine with her exquisite use of words and her perfect emotional pitch. I return agai...
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Penny Morrison – Riding the Wave part 2
This is the second part of my interview with Penny Morrison, author of Captain Sneer the Buccaneer, the Hey! series and The Mighty Mighty King Christmas Book which is hot off the press! See part 1 here.
In this part Penny tells about the struggles this writing life throws up and the things that encourage her to keep going.
Penny, how are you linked in with a writing community?
My writers’ group runs through the NSW Writers’ Centre, where members can use a room for their group meetin...
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Penny Morrison – Riding the Wave
Penny’s wonderful picture book Captain Sneer the Buccaneer (illustrated by Gabriel Evans and published by Walker Books) was released in September to great fanfare and Penny has been riding the wave of swashbuckling book launches and appearances around the Sydney area since. Penny also has a series of board books for preschoolers (The ‘Hey’ books, recently shortlisted for the CALEB award) and other Christian resources published by Christian Education Publications (CEP) over the last few years. He...
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Deborah Kelly – Star Ascending Part 2
In Part 1 of this interview with Deb Kelly, we found out how she got started on the road to writing books for children. This week we focus more on how the books came to be picked up for publication and the setbacks and encouragements along the way:
Deb, can you tell us the path your books have taken to be picked up by publishers? Is it similar/different for each?
My name was pulled out of a hat to pitch a story idea to a panel of publishers at the Kids and YA festival one year at the NSWWC...
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