From Written to Spoken Word – Part Three: The Business of Audiobooks

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Amy Rubinate, audiobook publishing, Audiobooks, Erin Bennett, Ideal Audiobooks, Live Oak Media, Mosaic Audio, picture books, Ron Butler, writing tips

by Amy Rubinate

Photo Credit: Ron Butler and Erin Bennett

Many authors use audiobooks to enhance their readership and increase sales. To confirm why a writer would want to ensure that their book is made into an audiobook, I went straight to the source. I asked the executive director of the Audiobook Publishers Association (APA) Michele Cobb for her thoughts. She replied, “By giving the consumer all the format options, you maximize their ability to connect with your title. With eight years of double-digit growth, audiobooks have proven their value again and again.”

Interview with Author Rucker Moses

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alternate reality, Black, Craig S. Phillips, fantasy, Harold Hayes Jr., humor, Kingston and the Magician's Lost and Found, magician, middle grade, mystery, Rucker Moses

Rucker Moses is the pen name of Los Angeles authors Craig S. Phillips and Harold Hayes Jr. Together, they have been nominated for three Emmys for writing in a children’s program. Along with Theo Gangi, Rucker Moses are co-authors of the middle grade book Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found (book one of two, Penguin, February 2021).

CHRISTINE VAN ZANDT: Welcome to Kite Tales! Your new book has three authors. Wow! How did two of you work together, and then how did your Rucker Moses portion coordinate with the sections Theo Gangi wrote?

#KTChat with Kitty Felde: Want to Sell More Books? Try a Podcast

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by Kitty Felde

Editor’s Note: Host of the award-winning Book Club for Kids podcast Kitty Felde adapted her middle grade novel Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza to a podcast. The second book in her Fina Mendoza Mysteries series will be out later this year in the summer and she will be available to chat with you on Twitter on Friday, March 26, 2021, from 12PM to 1PM (Pacific Time).

Keep on reading to learn the benefits of adapting your book to a podcast, and some of her tips and tricks for when you do…

Credit: Imelda Hinojosa

Podcasts are everywhere — a record 1.8 million podcasts, according to Edison Research. So why not turn your book into a podcast?

I’m not talking about an audiobook where one actor reads your manuscript word for word. I’m talking about an audio play, like an old-time radio drama, that takes your readers on a literary journey through their ears.

From Written to Spoken Word—Part Two: Writing for Audio

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Alex Gino, Amy Rubinate, Anna Meriano, Audiobooks, editing, Ideal Audiobooks, Megan McDonald, Mosaic Audio, narration, Patricia Hruby Powell, Tara Dairman, writing

by Amy Rubinate

Photo Credit: Ron Butler and Erin Bennett

Audiobooks are an increasingly important part of the literary marketplace, and there is a high likelihood that every book will become an audiobook sooner or later. In light of this shift in the market, authors may wonder if they need to keep the audio version in mind when writing, and adjust their writing style to accommodate this medium. I would suggest that the answer is yes, even if the changes are subtle or few. But let’s start with the easiest adjustment: using audiobook techniques to your advantage as part of the writing process.

From Written to Spoken Word – Part One: Bringing Stories to Life

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Amy Rubinate, Audiobooks, Ideal Audiobooks, Mosaic Audio, spoken word

by Amy Rubinate

Photo Credit: Ron Butler and Erin Bennett

There is an adage in the audiobook industry that the right narrator can make a bad book good, and a good book great. I like to expand on that by saying that the pairing of a great narrator and a great book is a kind of alchemy that creates a new art form all its own. Audiobooks bring a written story to life—not on page or stage or screen, but through the physical act of storytelling.

An Interview with Karen Jameson, Picture Book Author

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interview, Karen Jameson, Kathleen Rushall, manuscript research, Marc Boutavant, Moon Babies, MSWL, picture books, Woodland Dreams

by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison

Karen Jameson is the author of Moon Babies, illustrated by Amy Hevron (Putnam, 2019). Her most recent book is Woodland Dreams, illustrated by Marc Boutavant (Chronicle, 2020). More stories are in the works. She was awarded the Sue Alexander Grant for the Working Writers Retreat (SCBWI-L.A.) for her lyrical picture book Woodland Dreams. Karen has retired from teaching to write full-time. She took a moment to answer some questions for the Kite Tales blog.

10 Inspiring Kite Tales Quotes from 2020

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Christian McKay Heidicker, Claire Annette Noland, Creative Life, Emma Trithart, Grace Lin, Harold Underdown, inspiration, Mary Ann Fraser, Monica Sagaser, Nancy Whitesides, quotes, Sherry Shahan

Photo by Tairon Fernandez on Pexels.com

As the year draws to a close, it’s always a good time to go back and reflect on the things that have moved and inspired us along the way. Especially in trying times, going back to the moments that brought light into our world can help us continue to be inspired and come up with new ideas that might not have occurred to us before.

Creating may have been tough for most of us this year, but we had many encouraging authors, editors, agents, and illustrators sharing with us their insights on how to keep going when the times get tough. Sometimes the reassurance that giving ourselves a break was indeed what was needed. And sometimes we just needed to let our stories come out on the page.

Interview with Best-Selling Author, Ann Whitford Paul

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Ann Whitford Paul, If Animals Gave Thanks, pandemic, picture book, picture books, writing tips

Ann Whitford Paul is the New York Times best-selling author of the picture book series If Animals Kissed Good Night and of the definitive children’s picture book writers’ reference book, Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication. She was kind enough to chat with us and share how her series got started, what’s next for her, her advice for other writers, and more

CHRISTINE VAN ZANDT: Welcome to Kite Tales! With over twenty children’s books published, there’s so much to talk about, but your If Animals Kissed Good Night series is a favorite of mine. The fifth book in the series, If Animals Gave Thanks (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux), is out in time for the holidays. How did this series get started?

Hope in the Mail: An Interview with Wendelin Van Draanen

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fiction, Flipped, Hope In The Mail, inspiration, interview, nonfiction, Sammy Keyes, Wendlin Van Draanen, Writing Life

by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison

Wendelin Van Draanen, a member of the SCBWI Central-Coastal California region, has written more than thirty novels for young readers and teens. She is the author of the 18-book Edgar-winning Sammy Keyes series, and wrote Flipped, which was named a Top 100 Children’s Novel for the 21^st Century by SLJ, and became a Rob Reiner directed Warner Brothers feature film.

Her first non-fiction book, Hope in the Mail: Reflections on Writing and Life, is part memoir, part writing guide, and part publishing insight.

ANN ROUSSEAU SMITH: Congratulations on your newest book Hope in the Mail: Reflections on Writing and Life! You have written many novels, why a non-fiction book, why now?

Smart Research—Or How to Approach Research for Your Manuscript

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Author Tips, Colleen McAllister, manuscript research, researching tips, Smart Research

by Colleen McAllister

Stuck in an endless hole of research? Overwhelmed by what you still must learn in order to write your manuscript? Is it stopping you from moving forward?

Here’s how to refocus and make a directed approach that will break you out of your standstill. 

When I worked as a Hollywood film executive, part of my job was researching topics our CEO was interested in. I had to cover the topic quickly, gain a thorough working knowledge of it, then regurgitate what I learned in an interesting, easy-to-digest way. Topics ranged from the concept of Biohacking, to researching a video game company, to “futurists” and what they’re thinking about!

I usually had a few hours to turn my research around and zero knowledge of these topics beforehand. Under time pressure and a desire to impress my boss, I learned how to do comprehensive research in no time flat. Here are some tips to help you do the same!