Guest Blogger & Founder of WRITING FOR CHILDREN LIVE: Kim Taylor-DiLeva

Writing for Children Live

by Kim Taylor-DiLeva

Hi followers of Writing Teazurs!  Angie has been kind enough to let me “hijack” her blog for today as a guest blogger, so thank you very much Angie! 

I am an aspiring children’s book author who, like you, is a follower of this blog, so I’m so tremendously excited to be a part of it today.

So back to the post…if you are, or ever have been, an aspiring children’s book author, then like me, you’ve had times when you’ve either been closed out of great conferences, had to travel great distances to hear from experts in the field, or spent a lot of money on fees and travel.

I was a frustrated, but very motivated, aspiring children’s book author, who decided to do something about it.  Having been an aspiring children’s book author for a very long time (on and off for 12 years – children, career changes, rejection letter after rejection letter, etc.) and having made the decision to finally devote my free time and career to doing what I really loved (writing for children), I needed education and training from the best, experienced children’s book authors available.  So in an effort to help other aspiring, frustrated, and motivated aspiring children’s book authors (and myself), I began Writing for Children Live.   

Writing for Children Live is a website where you can learn from the best experts in the field of writing children’s' books, from the comfort of your own home, through FREE, LIVE teleconference calls and webinars.  No fees, no travel.  You can listen in on your phone or via your computer.  If for some reason you can't make the call or webinar at the time and date it is scheduled for, there is no need to worry.  A replay of the call/webinar will be made available for your convenience FREE for 24 hours following the live call. So no getting closed out, either. 

If you miss the replay of your favorite, author, agent or publisher, or if you heard the call, but wish you could hear it again, and again, for all of the great information and tips, all calls will be made available to purchase on an MP3 download (after the 24 hour free replay).  All webinars will also be available to purchase, so that you can watch it as many times as you want to. 

My favorite quote from the movie Field of Dreams is “If you build it, they will come.”  So when I decided to start Writing for Children Live, I thought that if this website was meant to be, the speakers will come.  You can imagine the THRILL I had when the first author to submit a proposal to speak on Writing for Children Live was the one and only, Newbery Honor Award Winner for her book On My Honor, Marion Dane Bauer!

I can’t wait to host Marion Dane Bauer’s teleconference call and webinar on September 19^th and 26th and am so tremendously excited about hosting all of the other great authors that are coming this fall:  YA author Angela Morrison, YA author Susan Shaw, nonfiction author John Micklos, Jr. and YA Author K. M. Walton.  Even more great authors are coming this Winter and Spring (you won’t want to miss my interview on writing coming this spring with Gail Carson Levine!!!)  Angie, herself, may be doing a presentation this Spring as well!!!

To get notified of how you can access upcoming author presentations, visit http://www.writingforchildrenlive.com. 

Now, just in case you were wondering…I have managed to get a professional book published for librarians and teachers, called Once Upon a Sign, but am still waiting for that book contract to come in for a children’s book.  I continue to get rejection letters, but am starting to get a few sentence responses in my rejection letter instead of just the “form” letter, so I figure I’m getting closer. J 

I look forward to helping each other to achieve our writing and publishing goals together through Writing for Children Live and Writing Teazurs!