Here’s what’s available:

Proposals with Pizzazz—This is my most requested teaching. If you’ve got a great book idea, don’t let it die in a publisher’s or agent’s slush pile! Instead, get your book noticed by adding a bit of pizzazz to your proposal. Big house editors have touted this award-winning format as their favorite proposal ever.

For years, I’ve sold this in printed book format; it frequently sells out at conferences. Now you can instantly get the ebook to view on your PC in PDF format or print on your printer. And as a bonus, I’m also including a complete audio teaching with it—where I lead you through the proposal page-by-page.

Common Children’s Book Blunders—After reading more than 3000 children’s manuscripts and interviewing editors and many successful children’s writers, I’ve compiled the most common mistakes found in children’s books. Many will surprise you!

This audio workshop covers blunders in both picture books and in novels–from act one to act two and act three.

Avoid these mistakes and get ahead of 99% of the competition.

Secrets, Truths and Myths of the Writing Industry—In this session, I share many of the trade secrets I discovered after more than 10 years of freelance writing, working with editors, attending conferences and more.

We look at tips for the creative process of writing, the business side of publishing and everything in between.

A great compilation of tips that you’ll enjoy listening to time and again!

The Tween Adventure—Writing for middle-graders is rewarding! Discover what this group is interested in, how to reach them and how to stay up-to-date on this powerful, ever-changing demographic.

How to Write Comics and Graphic Novels is very informative if you’ve got a great comic or graphic novel idea, but aren’t sure how to get it on paper in such a way that shares your vision for each and every frame.

This workshop is more about format and technique than story. In it, you’ll learn from my 15+ years of writing comics. I’ve written science fiction adventures, spoof comedies, mysteries and even Westerns. And I’m not an illustrator!

While writing these, I’ve studied many of the popular format techniques which I share in this system. I’ve also come up with my own technique, capitalizing on the industry standards. This technique–also in this workshop–is preferred by almost all my editors and their illustrators.

This audio workshop also includes actual examples of several techniques in PDF format.

Finally, one of the most grueling parts of writing for many of us is not finishing our manuscript, but having to pitch it to an editor or agent! In The Perfect Pitch, I share how to create query letters that follow industry standards and get noticed. Next I cover how to follow-up with a great cover letter.

For those of you who regularly attend writer’s conferences (which I highly recommend), you’ll be pleased to know I also cover how to create an effective and concise one-sheet–as well as how to approach an editor or agent. We’ll talk about what to say, what not to say and what to leave with them.

Of course, if you want my most detailed set of teachings, check out my Children’s Writing Super System!

Trophies (Photo credit: AlaskaTeacher)

I’ve long been a proponent of contests when it comes to getting your work published. They’re a great way to get your manuscripts before editors and agents and avoid that dreaded slushpile.

If you’re looking for a good contest location, check out Writer’s Digest. They regularly hold contests over a variety of topics, genres and skill levels. One of my recent favorites is the “Dear Lucky Agent” Contest. The niche changes regularly so all you have to do is wait until one comes along that works for you. (It’s free, too!)

The current contest is for middle grade fiction. If you have a book along the lines of what I write with the Commander Kellie and the Superkids or Amazing Laptop series, this one might be a good one for you…I’ll be entering an unpublished manuscript, too!

(Photo credit: photosteve101)

I don’t believe in writer’s block. I know that sounds like heresy, but I don’t. Are there days I just cannot write, not matter how hard I try? Yes. But all-too-often writers attribute their lack of ability to move forward to this mystical, mental block we’ve accepted into our writing path as authors: “Writer’s Block.”

“Oh, I’ve got writer’s block. Nothing I can do about it. Guess I’ll stop writing until the inspiration hits.”

The problem is, the inspiration rarely hits. I have discovered over the years that having “writer’s block” is more often a result of being exhausted, unmotivated or uninterested in what I’m writing than it does with some sort of actual, quantifiable “block.”

So when I’m faced with trouble writing, I try to stop and ask why? Then usually one of these seven hammers will smash through the “writer’s block” I’m facing.

1. Get a Due Date. If there was one hammer that could smash through any size writer’s block, this is it: Get yourself a due date. Sometimes writers try to set their own due dates. If that works for you, great. That doesn’t work for me. I just keep moving them. So instead, I ask any editor I’m working with to give me a due date if they haven’t already. That works for me. On personal items, I set a due date with my wife—a promise of when I’m going to finish something. A due date boils down to accountability, which is just what writers need to get the job done every time.

2. Eliminate Distractions. When I’m working on a project, I turn off my email notifier and check email only at the end of my writing day. Better yet, I often grab my iPad and get away from the Internet. I don’t answer the phone. I don’t clean (well, ok, I don’t need  much motivation to stop that…). In today’s super-connected society, it’s all-too-easy to spend your day maintaining your life and relationships. But now’s not the time. You’ll be amazed how long you can put distractions like this off without missing a beat.

3. Change Your Venue. If you don’t own a laptop, netbook, or tablet with a keyboard—get one. Even a cheap one on eBay will suffice. Then get up and leave your house and go sit in a Starbucks or McDonald’s. It’s amazing how getting away from your surroundings causes you to focus. It also allows you to set a short-term goal such as, “Before I go home at 4 pm, I’m going to write one short story.” Plus, a jolt of caffeine from a Coca-Cola or cappuccino may be just what the doctor ordered.

4. Change Your Subject. Can’t seem to get your protagonist moving in your children’s novel? Forget her. Start a picture book. Or write a blog for your Web site. She’ll be there when you return (just make plans to return soon!). But don’t stop writing altogether. Just change what you’re writing and keep your production flowing.

5. Just Write Something. When you’re faced with the most severe feeling of writer’s block, at least write something. Maybe only one paragraph will spit out of your fingertips today. Who cares. You keep it up and in a month, you’ll a chapter or more completed. If all you can do is a page, you’ll still complete your Great American Novel in a year.

6. Get Inspired. Sometimes we just need something to pick us up. Don’t watch YouTube videos, catch up on Facebook or play Plants vs. Zombies. Instead, pick up a book of inspiring quotes, take a short and prayerful walk, or talk to a writing friend. It won’t be long before you’re ready to jump back into your work.

7. Give Yourself a Break. If you’re a prolific writer, then sometimes you really do just need a break. If you’ve been writing for six days, take a siesta day. Don’t even turn your computer on. When you learn to run, one of the first thing a trainer will tell you is that you must listen to your body. Sometimes you need to rest. If you’ve been putting in the miles, a good mini-vacation may be just the prescription.

If you’re facing “writer’s block,” don’t give it the time of day. Stop believing it exists. Instead, grab one of the hammers above and smash through it!

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for the Commander Kellie and the Superkids novels, or the Amazing Laptop book series, they’re available now on their own sites.

Come back soon and see the changes!

PubIt! Is the new Barnes and Noble online, digital self-publishing platform. Independent publishers and authors can upload their ebooks and make them available for sale on bn.com.

Uploading and selling is a 3-step process through pubit.com. Setup an account, upload your ebook and cover art, let PubIt! Convert your Word, HTML, TXT or RTF file into the epub format. Within 72 hours, it’s available to your customers…and it’s free! There’s simply a royalty-share upon sale.

Ebook stats:

• ebook sales will reach $9.6 billion by 2012 and surpass paper books by 2018 (PricewathouseCoopers).
• Book sales dipped 1.8% in 2009. Ebook sales rose 176% (AAP).
• Nook represents 25% of the ebook marketshare (CNET 2/2011).

eReaders and eBooks are popular because:

• Adjustable font sizes for comfort
• Portable
• Instant
• Large storage
• Ease of use
• Economical
• Convenient

When you publish with PubIt!, you control:

• Your copy
• Your cover art
• Your book description
• Your pricing
• …and you can make changes whenever you want

Who’s on PubIt?

• More than 11,000 independent publishers/authors in 4 months.
• 35 PubIt! titles are currently among the top 200 NOOK books sold.
• PubIt! added more than 65,000 new works to the NOOK bookstore.

The two C’s of electronic media:

• Convenience—it must be easy to download and customizable
• Cost—the price must be lower than its physical counterpart

Compare, for instance, the price of a book at Amazon:

• Retail hardback: $27.99
• Audiobook: $26.39
• Discounted Price: $14.50
• Kindle Price: $9.99

Even if you sell your ebook for $6.99, your royalty per book is $2.45—much more than you’d get through a physical book!

How to set-up a quick-and-easy ebook:

1. Use Times New Roman, no bigger than 16pt font
2. Use center, bold, italic and underline…that’s about it
3. Use asterisks as page breaks to keep it simple
4. Save from Microsoft Word as an HTML web page
5. Go to Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing and upload
6. Go to Smashwords to get an ISBN for $10 and upload (but keep Amazon separate)

The good thing about paying it forward is that it helps you find the perfect critique partner, builds a strong support system and you might make some real friendships. The bad side? You may trade work and find you aren’t a good match, or you may agree to do too much because you always say yes.

Some online tips:

• Set up a Google alert for yourself. You want to be notified the moment someone mentions your name or your book.
• Comment on other people’s blogs. This means so much to people. It will build your online connections fast.
• Whenever someone mentions you, go to Twitter and share the love—mention them and point people to their blog.
• Tag people on Facebook. When you do, it alerts those people that you’re tagging them and encourages communication.

How to start a critique group:

• Look for people at the same stage in their career as you.
• Cultivate online friendships the same as you would offline relationships.
• Keep it simple. If your crit group isn’t working, dump it.
• Don’t stalk people. If they stop answering, stop the communication. It’s not a good fit for you.

Should I self-publish a book or epublish a book or go through an agent?

It depends on your goals. Do you want to see your book on store shelves or sell it yourself? Figure out what you really want to do and go with that. That’s not saying a self-published book or ebook might not open doors, but that’s usually the exception, not the rule. Some publishers won’t even consider something that’s already been published. The odds are against you if you do it that way.

Should I send an agent more than what they ask for—such as a proposal when they simply ask for query letters?

No—respect the agent. Send an agent only what they request and stop there until you hear from them. You’ll save postage, time and stress.

I’m not looking at getting one book published—I want to have a career with an agent. How do I communicate that?

Unless you only want to be represented for one work, chances are most agents want to be with you for your entire career. The hope is that you’ll be successful together. Most agency agreements are open-ended. The idea is to “catch” an agent with one great work, then tie your careers together.

Once an agent requests your manuscript, how long do you wait before contacting them again if you haven’t heard back?

Understand that agents get behind quickly and receive thousands of queries each year. A nudge is fine though if the agent falls a few weeks behind on getting back to you. They won’t be offended so long as you’re respectful.

I have a book about a girl in college. Is this a young adult book or a woman’s fiction book?

Likely women’s fiction. Once the main character is older than 18, it’s really not YA anymore.

I’m writing a series, but only have the first book done. Should I start with book #2 or start another series until the first book sells?

Start a new book or new series. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Try something new and see what sells. You’ll also have a better sense of clarity when you go to a new series that may often make your first series better. Finally, what if your first book has quite a few changes in the publishing process? Then you’d also have to change all your subsequent books. Wait before continuing your series.

Can I send out multiple submissions to agents?

Of course. Sure, agents would love exclusive access—but for a writer that’s insanity. Send it out to 10 or so at a time. See if there are common themes as to anything you need to change, but otherwise, send it out! You don’t even need to put in a letter that you’re sending your work out to multiple agents. That should be understood.

I have a YA novel with an 18-year-old and a 64-year old as main characters. Is this a YA book?

No. An adult character as the main character pushes it out of YA territory. If the adult character is minimized, it might work, but chances are you’re writing out of the YA genre.

I have a memoir. Is it fiction or non-fiction?

If it’s a memoir, it has to be non-fiction! That said, it should read like a fiction book to keep it exciting. Be clear when querying that it is a memoir though because that may affect whether an agent takes it or not.

I write in multiple genres, everything from comedy to scary books. Does this hurt my chances of getting an agent interested in working with me?

It depends on who you go to. Some agents can’t sell certain types of novels because that’s not their business. That said, if your agent is specialized, they’ll often refer you to other agents for books in other genres that you write. So you could end up with more than one agent, say one children’s agent, one adult fiction agent.

I have more than one book. Which should I send out?

Only your strongest one. Don’t send them both out, and certainly don’t send them both out the same agent. They don’t want to see multiple books from you—they want one book, your best one.

Once you get signed with an agent, what’s next?

Just be patient. Don’t worry. She’s working on your platform, your social marketing, looking for offers. You should hear regularly from your agent, so just wait for the next communication.