15 Steps to Building My Children's Author Website ~ by Patricia Toht

In January, 2016, I made a list of writing resolutions. #1 was to build my author website.

Image by medithIT

Here's how I went about it:

STEP 1 - Secure the Domain 
Possibilities abound for securing a domain name, but I decided to go with the granddaddy, GoDaddy. My last name is unusual, so it was readily available. If you have a more common name, you may need to get creative - add your middle initial or name, or add "books" or "author" to your name.

STEP 2 - Do Some Research
I spent time studying other authors' websites. Many were built by website designers who, for a fee, can transform your vision into a technical reality. But in the end I decided that, a) the price was prohibitive for me, and b) I wanted the ability to change things on my website without incurring additional charges. That led me to...

STEP 3 - Buy a Book 
I decided to look into Wordpress. Like GoDaddy, Wordpress is a platform with longevity and one that offers a lot of options for customization. It came recommended in many articles that I read about author websites. 


STEP 4 - Procrastinate

*************

In January, 2017, I made another list of writing resolutions. The first resolution was to finish the resolutions I vowed to do in 2016. So, back to the website!

STEP 5 - Do Even More Research 
Despite reading the entire, most of, half of the book, I knew little about building and hosting a Wordpress site. It was research time again. I filled out spreadsheets about hosting sites, costs, themes, etc., but still felt stuck. I resorted to an online quiz, which pointed me to a particular host + Wordpress, and a suggestion to use their overlay which would make design "simple." Well, "simple" wasn't what I encountered. I worked on it for days and made NO progress!

STEP 6 - Throw a Tantrum

This may have involved tears, lots of self-deprecation about my small brain, a call to cancel the web hosting order, soothing (but unappreciated) words of comfort from my husband, and a large glass of wine. 

STEP 7 - Phone a Friend
I called my son, who knows a few things about tech stuff.

STEP 8 - Pick a Winner! 
I decided on weebly.

STEP 9 - Select a Theme
A theme forms the basic skeleton for how your website will look. My friend and fellow grogger, Christy Mihaly, has a weebly-built website that I really like, so I begged her to share the theme's name with me, and she generously did.

STEP 10 - Choose Color and Overall Mood
I wanted my website to reflect childhood innocence. My husband photographed an old typewriter and some Hummel-like bookends that reflected that innocence and I chose colors from those photos.

STEP 11 - Pick the Pages 
Which pages did I want on my website? I chose the basics: a Home page, About Me, Books and Magazines, News, Extras, and Contact Me. (On some of the pages, I found that the amount of info was too much, so I made subpages.) Christy's website had used a plug-in to add colorful boxes, and I added that app to my toolbox.

STEP 12 - Create Images and Words

This part took quite a bit of thought and editing. I already had lots of images to use, so it was a matter of choosing the right ones. As for information, of course I wanted to include my books, but what else? Each bit of text was rewritten several times. In fact, I'm still tweaking.

STEP 13 - Get a Critique
I know what I don't know, and that includes what makes for an effective website. Christy Mihaly had enlisted the help of Lisa Amstutz to build her website, so I asked Lisa for a critique. She was reasonably priced and incredibly thorough - I am still working through her suggested changes!

STEP 14 - What about SEO?
Another thing that I hadn't a clue about was search engine optimization - how to get your website to pop up when a web search is done on your name. I asked Lisa for help with this as well.



STEP 15 - Now, PUBLISH! 
Weebly guided me through connecting my website and my domain name, and I sent my website out into the world! Yes, I still have one section that is not completed (the "Extras"). I still have changes to make, and I know some errors have yet to be found, but I expect this will be ongoing. If you'd like to take a peek, you can find my website at: 

www.patriciatoht.com.

If building a website is a goal of yours, then go for it! 

Don't hesitate to ask for help. Don't be afraid to start over if needed. Experiment. Tweak. And I recommend a glass of wine, too.

Do you already have a website? Leave your address in the comments below. I'd love to take a look!

Will March be a lucky month for you? ~ by Patricia Toht

Do you write or illustrate books for children?

If so, are you a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators? 

If not, you are missing out on a premiere international organization that offers layer upon layer of support to you. From national conventions to local groups to a website teeming with resources, SCBWI is well worth the membership fee. So JOIN! HERE! NOW!

Let's wait a few moments for those who need to enroll...

We can have a little bite and a cup of tea while we wait...

Good! Now that we're all on the same page, let me direct you to another page here, because tomorrow is March 1st. And the first day of March is the day that YOU can apply for an SCBWI grant!

Let's be honest, folks. It's difficult to get your work in front of publishers. It's hard to feel validated in what you do. And it's not often you can receive an endorsement from a respected powerhouse like SCBWI.




Well, should you win an SCBWI grant, you will be achieving a hat trick -- exposure to publishers, validation, and endorsement!





SCBWI's Work-in-Process grants (WIPs) "assist children's book writers and illustrators in the publication of a specific project currently not under contract." SCBWI awards one grant in each of the following categories:

• Picture Book text

• Chapter Books/Early Readers

• Middle Grade

• Young Adult Fiction

• Nonfiction

• Multicultural Fiction or Nonfiction

Submissions guidelines can be found here. (You MUST follow these guidelines -- absolutely no tweaking or fudging allowed!)

Leo the Late Bloomer
by Robert Kraus
and Jose Aruego

If you're a "Late Bloomer" -- those of you over the age of 50 who have not been traditionally published before -- you have an additional opportunity. The Karen Cushman Late Bloomer Award provides the recipient $500 plus free tuition to any SCBWI conference world-wide. Author Karen Cushman published her first children's book, THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE, at the age of 53. That book won the Newbery Medal in 1996! 
More details about the award here.


Patient illustrators who have read this far are probably wondering, "What about me? Isn't the group called SCBWI? I as in "illustrator"? I am an illustrator!

No worries! SCBWI has a grant with your name on it, too. Or perhaps I should say, "two." The Don Freeman WIP grant of $1000 (each) is presented to two illustrators annually -- one published illustrator, and one yet-to-be-published. Don Freeman is perhaps best known as the illustrator of the CORDUROY books. Details about the Don Freeman Grant can be found here. Again, follow those directions, folks!

You may only submit ONE piece, so make it your best! Submissions must be made between March 1 and March 31, 2016.  

Don't let time run out! 
Good luck!

What is BookPALS? by Jan Godown Annino

More KIDLIT HEROES: BookPALS by Jan Godown Annino

 Open pages with the non-profit literacy group, BookPALS. 

This Q & A is with Natalie Rogers, my BookPALS coordinator. 
In 2013 BookPALS celebrated a grand 20^th anniversary. 
It is sponsored by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.

 Q: What or who is a BookPAL?

BookPALS are Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools. They are actors, performers, educators and community members who volunteer their time and talent reading aloud to public school children who need it most. BookPALS bring the magic of books to life, sparking children’s imaginations with their animated, engaging and fun delivery.

Q And what is a PencilPAL?

PencilPALS provide children firsthand experience with letter writing. Volunteers pair with elementary students and correspond by postal mail, reviving the lost art. Letters are exchanged on topics ranging from favorite books, authors and school happenings, to long term aspirations.  Reading, writing, and spelling skills improve when children write habitually in this way.  Children also gain a sense of pride in their own writing and in their own stories by sharing them with interested readers. Plus, research proves that the act of handwriting is far more beneficial than typing and texting, as it hones fine motor skills, improves memory and fosters more complex thinking processes.

Q How much does it cost the volunteer?

For BookPALS, it is simply the cost of gas to commute to a school. For PencilPALS, it is the cost of a stamp once or twice a month and perhaps some fun stationery. Books can be borrowed from public or school libraries. Book donations from organizations like First Book also help us arm our volunteers with literature that is read aloud and then donated to build classroom and home libraries.

Q Can anyone sign up?

The opportunity is open to anyone with experience in the performing arts or education. In addition to performers, retired teachers, children’s authors, film and theater majors, English and education majors also make up a vital component of our volunteer base.

Q Doesn’t the classroom teacher read to the children?

Yes, classroom teachers do read to children (or at least I hope they all do), but sadly, in this era of high stakes testing and accountability, they often aren’t allotted time to do the kind of reading BookPALS do, which is reading for pure pleasure. BookPALS don’t teach children how to read. We teach children how to LOVE to read. In doing so, we hope to create lifetime readers as opposed to just school time readers. Plus, BookPALS are trained to pull out all the stops—to do the voices, sound effects, bring in props, dress in costume when they can. Some teachers say that BookPALS teach them to be more animated readers! 

Q Example of BookPALS making a difference in communities?

 One 1st grader’s desk was situated in the back corner of the classroom, away from his classmates’ clusters of desks. He was not permitted to sit on the floor with the others during my readings. He sat alone at his desk, fuming, thumb twiddling, barely listening. During one reading, I caught his eye and smiled at him. He looked baffled. When I asked the class a question about the book, I looked him in the eye again, held his gaze, and silently encouraged him. He blurted out an answer. I acknowledged, gave another warm smile, and gently asked him to please raise his hand next time. A few visits later, he asked the teacher if he could sit on the floor, next to me. She hesitated, but agreed. Each visit thereafter, he sat right in front of me, listening intently, remembering to raise his hand, ever eager to share. Something magical happened to this marginalized student. He became an active member of our community of listeners, thinkers, questioners. With the help of some very clever authors, I had caught him . . . in the line of an imaginary book hook!

Q THAT is a splendiferous story, Natalie - congrats! And now, what is STORYLINE?

Storyline Online is a really fun, interactive, streaming video. The books are handpicked by the BookPALS National Director. Of course, the selections ultimately depend on securing publisher’s rights. But with the hope of giving children the best literature possible, Storyline Online strives to provide books from a wide range of topics that deal with the young minds of today. Visit www.storylineonline.net 

Q. How does a reader sign up?

Those interested in becoming a BookPAL or PencilPAL may sign up at www.bookpals.net We have chapters in 6 locations: Arizona, Florida, Los Angeles, New England, New York City, and San Francisco.  Simply choose your location and complete the online application. We promise you won’t regret it!

Group Blog: Thank you, Natalie Rogers
Thank YOU, Jan, for being one of our stellar BookPALS

Aww, back at you, & BookPALS.