How to Avoid the Feeling of Isolation by Conducting Author Visits by Donna McDine

I am delighted to resume our monthly guest posts with author and Editor-in-Chief of Guardian Angel Kids, Donna McDine.  Welcome, Donna!

Your writing career is moving at a steady pace, but from time-to-time, the feeling of isolation overwhelms you. What is a writer to do to get one’s self out into the world of the living, but not neglect your writing goals?  One of the best ways to get yourself known locally as a serious writer would be to participate in author visits to elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools in your area - depending on what genre you write for. Also check out your local library and bookstores – they too may be interested in having you conduct an event. Presenting your short story or non-fiction article for children’s magazines can be fun way to present the creative writing process to children of all ages without overwhelming them. And since you are writing for children, why not spend time with them? 

It can be daunting to research school visits, considering the Internet comes up with over 2 million hits when typing in “School Author Visits.”  Why not check out the following resources:

1.      Local Schools –Contact an elementary school in your area and find out whom you need to present your school visit request to. The school secretaries are happy to point you in the right direction, whether it is the principal, PTA or program coordinator of the school. IMPORTANT: Keep in mind you don’t necessarily need to have a published book to conduct a school visit. You may be able to present a published short story or non-fiction article to the class. In addition, let the school know that you can meet with respective teachers and conform the event to coincide with their ELA State Assessment Guidelines.

One of Donna's Author Visits

2.      Your network of fellow writers – We are all cheering for one another and I’m sure your network would be happy to discuss their ideas of school visits. If you are just starting out, the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators – http://www.scbwi.org, has a wealth of information on all topics for writing for children.

3.      Local Librarian – I have had wonderful success in becoming “buddies” with my local librarian. They are a chock full of information when it comes to conducting events for children. You never know, they may be so impressed with your initiative that they may request that you conduct a visit at their library. What better way to keep children inspired to read by meeting a local writer living in their midst?

4.      Local Bookstores – Approach the manager or owner to see if they would be interested in having you conduct an author visit. If they are, obtain their guidelines for conducting such a visit and tell them that you will get back to them with your proposal / school visit kit. Be sure to leave your business card with them.

Put yourself out there…it will not only be fun for the children but for yourself!

Bio: Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78^th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions,  Literary Classics Silver Award & Seal of Approval Recipient Picture Book Early Reader, Global eBook Awards Finalist Children’s Picture Book Fiction, and Predators & Editors Readers Poll 2010 Top Ten Children’s Books ~ The Golden Pathway. 

Her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna has four more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, Hockey Agony, Powder Monkey, A Sandy Grave, and Dee and Deb, Off They Go. She writes, is Editor-in-Chief of Guardian Angel Kids, moms and is a personal assistant from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI, Children’s Literature Network, and Family Reading Partnership. Visit www.donnamcdine.com. 

G is for Guide as in Educator’s Guide for your Children’s Book by Donna McDine

It is my great pleasure to host the talented and multi-faceted award winning author, Donna McDine on the blog today.  Welcome, Donna!

After I signed the book contract for The Golden Pathway I took the time out to discuss with teachers what sparks their interest in children’s books for their classrooms beyond what the school provides. Many times over I heard they are under strict confinements with their curriculum and books need to fit into their daily teachings.

I then took to task to research state curriculum guidelines and learned the creation of an educator’s guide for The Golden Pathway needed to be a comprehensive across the curriculum guide. After meeting homeschool specialist, Amy O’Quinn through the Working Writer’s Club I approached Amy about hiring her to write an educator’s guide for The Golden Pathway. The end result was beyond my expectations!


The educator’s guide is a teaching tool for English, Social Studies, Math, Science, and Art teachers, as well as for Homeschooling families. Activities include:

• Language Arts: Writing/Vocabulary
• Integrated Language Arts/Social Studies: Topical Study/Presentation Boards
• Social Studies: Timeline, Mapping and Geography
• Math: Map Work Mathematics, Calculations, Time, Recipe Math, Quilt Math
• Science: Astronomy, Skin, Plants and Crops, Alcoholism, Five Senses
• Role Playing, Disguises and Escape/Safe Houses
• Toys and Games of the 19th Century: Make a Rag Doll, Make a Nettie Doll, Information on Games/Toys
• Songs of Slavery and the Underground Railroad: Background Information and Lyrics
• More Fun Art Projects, Activities, and Resources: Coloring Sheets, Printables, Juneteenth, Make A Tin Can Lantern

Donna McDine

It is in my opinion well written children’s books have a better chance of finding their way into schools when it is accompanied with an educator’s guide. By having this guide for The Golden Pathway it has certainly helped spark additional interest with school visits. 

Case in point, when I participated in the New York State Reading Association, October 2011 I had the opportunity to meet with teachers from across the tri-state area (NY, NJ, and CT) and many commented on the educator’s guide I was chatting up with them as they stopped by my table. They were delighted and impressed to learn of this complimentary addition to The Golden Pathway, explaining their time is at a premium and to have activities already planned for them saves them valuable time.

 At this point in time, one of these conversations has turned into a week long visit to a local elementary school. The Parent Teacher Association purchased The Golden Pathway for each classroom and when I presented each teacher with the complimentary CD of The Golden Pathway Educator’s Guide their responses where overwhelming positive. Knowing even beforehand how essential an educator’s guide is, I’ve already hired Amy O’Quinn to create educator’s guides for my future books.

As writers many of us can and do create our own educator’s guides, but for myself I wanted someone with the expertise of being in the trenches of teaching to formulate my educator’s guide. By outsourcing this project, it has freed me to up to work on new manuscripts, marketing, and client work.

Details of my author school visit workshops, visit: http://thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com/2012/03/author-school-visits-bardonia.html.

Literary Classics 2011
Silver Award Recipient
Picture Book Early Reader

To learn more about my writing career or to order an autographed copy of The Golden Pathway visit, www.donnamcdine.com. Gift with purchase: The Golden Pathway Educator’s Guide.

Additional ways to order The Golden Pathway:

Guardian Angel Publishing: http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.ht

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Golden-Pathway-Donna-McDine/dp/1616330813/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331737065&sr=1-1

Where Does One Begin in Creating a Media Kit?

Today, my friend and colleague, Donna McDine, does a guest post here on the necessity for an author's media kit. She has much experience in this area and owns her own firm, Author PR Services.  Donna is also the author of the award winning children's book, The Golden Pathway. We are delighted to welcome her to the blog!

Media Kit? Why would I need a media kit, I’m not even published yet? To be quite honest with you it’s never too soon to start. To begin now will make it much simpler to add to as you move forward in your writing career. The essential components in creating your media kit are:

About the Author or Writer (Bio):This one pager consists of your current bio, education, current work-in-progress, and contact information (email, blog and website addresses). After you become published update your bio to reflect each success.

Appearances: Appearances may include volunteer reader at your local library and/or school visits and later on as you become published you will be known as the local children’s author, which then will open up doors to school visits.

Interviews (online and in-person):Before I became published - myself and fellow aspiring writers interviewed each other for our blogs to get our names out there. It’s fun and simple. Contact a fellow writer and exchange questions and there you have your first finished interview.

Awards and Publishing Credits: This may be blank for now, but create the page with this heading and you can fill in your information as you go along. Your publishing credits include no-pay, low-pay, and paying markets both online and print.

Media Releases: Even without publishing credits you can create a media release about upcoming interviews and book reviews on your blog and of course tying in with interviews make sure you write up a media release about your personal interviews. It’s important you send out your media release to your network and post on free media release sites such as www.prlog.com. For a detailed list of the services I utilize visit: http://www.authorprservices.com/p/services.html.

Book Reviews: Yes, even if you don’t have a book published yet do not forget this important part for when you do so you can place excerpts of book reviews for easy reference.

Some of your pages will be blank for now, but you will be surprised how quickly they will fill up. All of my pages started out blank and are now filling up. My book review page is still blank and I’m eagerly awaiting reviews to fill in below the title. The saying from the movie The Field of Dreams… “Build it and they will come” is true for your media kit too. The intention and creation of blank titled pages will bring it to fruition. Oh and yes, working at your writing craft is essential too.

If you have any questions I’d be happy to help. Feel free to email me privately at donna@donnamcdine.com. You may also view my media kit at http://donnamcdine.com/mediakit.html.

BIO:

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78^th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions, Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2010 Top Ten Children’s Books, Global eBook Awards Finalist Children’s Picture Book Fiction, and Literary Classics Silver Award & Seal of Approval Recipient Picture Book Early Reader ~ The Golden Pathway.

Her stories, articles, and book reviews have been published in over 100 print and online publications. Her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna has three more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, Hockey Agony, Powder Monkey, and A Sandy Grave. She writes, moms and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids, Publicist for the Working Writer’s Club, and owner of Author PR Services from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI.

Write What Inspires You Interview Today

Write What Inspires You is a serious blog, full of reviews, tips on writing and interesting articles.  It is one of my recommended blogs and, in fact, is on the Writer's Blog List on this blog.

I am pleased to be a part of Donna's blog today, when she interviews me as the author of One Pelican at a Time. 

She asks probing questions about my motivation for writing Pelican and what I plan on writing next and why?  Donna's questions are thought provoking and in-depth.

On a bit of a different note, please allow me to tell you one of the things Donna and I have in common.  We are both nominees for the Global eBook Award for Children's Picture Books.  Donna's important book, The Golden Pathway, won the nomination, too.  I am pleased for us both.

The Golden Pathway by Donna McDine

Title: The Golden Pathway

Written by: Donna McDine

Illustrated by: K.C. Snider

Ages: 8-12

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

Hardcover: ISBN: 978-1-61633-081-1; 1616330813

Soft cover: ISBN: 978-1-61633-088-0; 1616330880

eBook: ISBN: 978-1-61633-082-8; 1616330821

Published: August 2010

Abused by a callous father, David, a sensitive boy, knows by his kind and compassionate nature, the difference between right and wrong.   When he observes his father’s cruel and constant punishment of Jenkins, a sixteen year old slave, David knows he must save him.  But, how? 

Follow David as he tends to Jenkins’ wounds from Pa’s relentless beatings.   And be there as David gathers information as to how a slave can make his way to freedom, a dangerous undertaking for the brave and caring boy. 

Award winning children’s author, Donna McDine, has produced a powerful story of good and evil, a must read for every child.  She defines, in a beautifully written and poignant way, one man’s inhumanity and the redeeming qualities of his son.

The author also provides the reader with a strong bibliography and an interesting Author’s Note section, giving insight into the various terms used during the Underground Railroad years.

The well known Oregon artist, K.C. Snider, has done heroic work with her illustrations.  They are not only realistic, but timeless. They provide a compelling backdrop to the author’s commanding prose.  She gives one a tender glimpse into a world gone mad, where one boy stands alone and makes a difference.

Please take a look at Donna McDine’s web sites and learn more about this talented author:

http://www.donnamcdine.com

http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com

http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com

K.C. Snider’s beautiful artwork may be viewed at:

www.kcsniderart.com

http://blog.kcsniderart.com/