The Weekly 411 (9/27/19)

Sept. 27, 2019 vol. 38

The Weekly 411 gathers all the links added to Kidlit411 each week. To receive this post by email, sign up for our email updates. Are you on Facebook? Join our Kidlit411 group for conversations & camaraderie. This week's illustration is by Demelsa Haughton.

KIDLIT NEWS

The New York Times Bestseller List will Track YA and MG Paperback Sales

New Children's Imprint: Reycraft Books

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHTS

We are excited to feature author Katie Zhao and her middle grade debut novel, THE DRAGON WARRIOR (Bloomsbury Children's Books Oct. 15, 2019). Be sure to enter to win a copy!

cover art © Vivienne To

We are excited to feature author Jenna Grodzicki and her picture book debut, I SEE SEA FOOD! (Millbrook/Lerner July 2019).

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY

This week we have a special giveaway of middle grade author Kim Tomsic's new novel, THE 12TH CANDLE (Katherine Teagan Books/Harper Collins), coming out Oct. 8, 2019. Enter to win a copy using the Rafflecopter below.

About the book: Sage Sassafras’s life is cursed! No, really. Since birth, Sage has been plagued by the Contrarium Curse, AKA the curse of the opposites, and it has set her at odds with classmate Priscilla Petty. Every time something goes right for Priscilla, it goes terribly, horribly wrong for Sage. And things always go well for Priscilla. Sage blames the curse for her middle school misery—from losing a friend to failing gym to gaining a reputation as the girl whose daddy’s in trouble. So when Sage is given a magical candle on her twelfth birthday, she seizes the chance to turn her luck around—with a wish to reverse the curse. But when the consequences of her wish take a terrible turn, Sage has to team up with her worst enemy—before she’s doomed to a life of opposites forever.

About the author: Kim Tomsic is a gesticulator, word wrangler, and exclamation point abuser! As a military brat, she moved from state to state and had to find her way as the new-kid at many schools. It forced her to become an extrovert. Now Kim enjoys helping others connect. Kim is the author of The 11:11 Wish (2018 Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins), Guitar Genius (April 2019, Chronicle Books), and The 12th Candle (October 8, 2019Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For Writers

Unusual Writing Tips

Let the Reader Diagnose your Characters

For Illustrators

Illustration Licensing Explained - For the Small Business Owner & Marketer

Legal Resources for Creatives

How Authors Make Money

An Agent Explains the Ins and Outs of Book Deals

Marketing & Creating a Platform

Our Marketing & Creating a Platform page lists all the debut and marketing year groups we know of for 2019, 2020, and 2021 releases. Please contact us if you are part of one that is not listed. Latest addition:

New Readers Rock 2020: authors & illustrators of chapter books, graphic novels, and other works for early readers coming out in 2020

Query Letters

How to Write a Query Letter in 7 Simple Steps

Contests & Awards

Oct. 1- Oct. 31 We Need Diverse Books Mentorship

What: apply for a one-year mentorship (2020) for your PB, MG, YA, or illustrations
Who: diverse writers or illustrators who have completed a draft of a work that features a diverse main character or diverse central story theme (more info here)
Prize: a mentorship with best-selling and award-winning authors and illustrators (list of mentors here)

Submissions: Agents & Editors

10 Things We Hate About Agents (and 10 Things They Hate About Us)

Query Letters

In Closing: Resources We Love (links to querying, synopsis-writing, more)

Inspirational Things

Ten Commandments for the Happy Writer

Are You Struggling to be Creative? This Might be Why

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