New Web Presence Finally

Wahoo! I finally got the websites figured out for my children's fiction and non-fiction work.

It was a lot of work, but thanks to the tech folks at the Author's Guild, I finally got everything up and running. 

So you can find my children's fiction at quinncole.com
and my non-fiction at ldwilliams.com. I'm hoping to simplify things and still maintain my sanity. Well, mostly. 

In other news, I have posted picture books I love (some old favorites and some newly published) on my pinterest boards on children's fiction, non-fiction, illustrations, first lines and westerns. They are all so creative and fun to read. Definitely worth a look. -Q

Social Media, Pinterest and Me

We all have our favorites. Favorite color - purple, favorite fruit - blueberry, favorite fish - salmon. How about favorite social media? They are many. It's a maze. 

The question I hear many authors ask is - "Which social media is best for my writing career?" No idea. There are too many variables. Do you want to reach other authors, agents, or editors? Or do you want to reach readers? Or do you want to communicate only with family or friends on social media? 

Your ultimate goal determines which social media is best for you. Personally, I can't keep up with the latest and greatest. My theory is that when a new site overtakes the social media I am now on, I will look into it. Life is too short to chase social media to the detriment of writing time. 

Okay, that said, my super visual self loves Pinterest. (don't judge.) I have a children's writing account, Picbooksrock and a science/steampunk/ 3Dprinting/non-fiction account, Sciwhisperer account. These are relaxing, stimulating, and fantastically fun places to connect! Show and Tell for adults! 

On Pinterest, I don't have to stress about which demographic is interested in an awesome illustration, "The Blue Monster" by Christa Unzne or intricate 3D art by Kevin Mack, Steampunk story starter, "Modern Steam Monobike 1896" by Stefano Marchettiv or picture book video, Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. I just pin what strikes me and like-minded folks do the same. Perfect. 

Is is a time suck? Can be. Does it help me keep track of writing resources shared by others? Absolutely. Does it spark tons of creative ideas? Every day! But the best thing about Pinterest? It's FUN! and I am exposed to tons of many different people and their favorite things. 

Pinterest. Stop by and share a favorite. I will too. - Q

Marketing - Be the Reader

Marketing is not my cup of Earl Grey. As soon as I open my mouth, I have visions of all the overbearing sales people I've ever met mocking me. However, I realize it's nutty to write for publication and never talk about it. I'm not a hermit. I just like to write.

So, what to do? Be the reader. 

I've started sitting on the floor with a picture book and thinking about color and text choices. I'm spending time (minutes) on particular characters and/or characteristics on each page like a child would do.

Olivia by Ian Falconer is a good book to try this with. Black, white, and splashes of red tell the story in addition to words. I love it. The words and illustrations focus the attention, but also let an active imagination wonder what will happen next.

When I became the reader of my books instead of the author, the marketing monkey got off my back.
-Q

Princesses & Even More Princesses

I bought The Secret Lives of Princesses recently. The art is fantastic and all the non-standard princess descriptions are just plain fun. It got me thinking of how many different fictional princesses there are in picture books. Here are some of the titles I found during a quick princess search at Barnes & Noble:

The Real Princess by Hans Christian Andersen

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch 

Princess Baby by Karen Katz

Olivia the Princess by Natalie Shaw

Pirate Princess by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker

Princess Palooza by Joy Allen

Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke

Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole

Princesses, Princesses, Princesses by Julie Olson

Monster Princess by D. J. MacHale

Princess Penelope by Todd Mack

Princess Posey and the Monster Stew by Stephanie Greene

Princess Me by Karma Wilson

Paiute Princess by Deborah Kogan Ray 

Princess Peepers by Pam Calvert 

You get the idea. (And I didn't even try to list all the Disney princesses.) Why is this interesting? Well, it means they are still stories to be told about princesses, but perhaps more importantly, it illustrates that each writer brings something to children's fiction that wasn't there before; a different slant, touch of humor, adventure, or whatever. I find that exciting and encouraging. How about you? 
-Q