Use the Power of the Pause to Strengthen Your Storytelling When we are telling stories to a group, and especially as a newer storyteller, one of the most difficult techniques to master is the use of the pause. Even in everyday conversation, most people have a problem with silence. Somehow we feel we must always fill a space with words. And yet silence and a pause during the telling of a story not...

Understanding Ebook Rights: The Basics You Need to Know Information products are big online. Generally, they’re PDF products packaged in what is known as an “ebook format”. Years ago another popular option was .exe but due to viruses and their incompatibility with the Mac they have lost a lot of their popularity. An easy way to start your own web business with low start up costs is to purchase e...

Understanding Children’s Book Genres I just received a letter from a writer who said, “Alas, I find myself adrift in a sea of unexplained and/or contradictory publishing terms.” It’s true — you can read three different books on writing and find three different definitions of “picture book.” So, to make your life easier, here’s what I hope is a definitive glossary of children’s publishing genres: ...

Run Your Own Race-At Your Own Pace On Thanksgiving Day, dawn spills over Dana Point Harbor where thousands of runners gather for the annual Turkey Trot. The largest holiday race in California beckons folks of all ages, sizes, shapes, and abilities. Waiting at the starting line for the 10-K, I talk to a Dad and his 7 year- old daughter. Around me, I hear bravado talk about marathons, triathlons, h...

How to Write a Romance That Publishers Will Buy Romance fiction is designed to entertain. At its best, it can transport a reader to a fantasy place where happy endings are guaranteed, where there are always resolutions to problems and the girl inevitably gets her perfect man. Is that your understanding? Perhaps. From an objective (some might say cynical) point of view, romance fiction is an ex...

Researching The Market Editors always plead with authors to research the market before submitting manuscripts. This makes sense–it cuts down on the number of inappropriate submissions an editor may receive, and presumably will lower the chance of a manuscript getting rejected. But how, exactly, does one research a market that produces thousands of new products each year? I suggest a systematic, t...

Questions Storytellers Need To Ask Themselves Who am I and why would someone hire me? Can I work a crowd? Can I work in any weather environment? What do I have to offer a festival or event? Can I be flexible enough to fit the needs of the audience? Can I be a team player? Will I be our partner to the producer? Will I promote the festival or event? Do I have any "non negotiable" points? ...

Questions Storytellers Are Often Asked and How They Answer When I tell people that I am a “storyteller” right away they fire back a slew of questions. In this article I am going to share some questions and answers from two of my favorite storytelling friends. These mini-articles appeared originally as posts on the StoryTell List. Whether or not you are a storyteller and/or a listener, you will fi...

Query Writing Mistakes to Avoid You know that you’re not supposed to start your letters with “Dear Editor,” need to follow proper formatting protocol, and should always send your queries to the correct person, right? You’ve no doubt also mastered the art of kicking out embarrassing grammar goof-ups, know more about your word processing software than you do about your fiancé, and have learnt the d...