I recently posted my book trailer for BLACKBERRY BANQUET (click here to view) and I was surprised at the response from other writers. Some wanted to know how I did it; some said they impressed because they could never do such a thing. Well, I’m here to say that YOU CAN! It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be—the main thing for me was to go into it with a learning attitude. Play around, tinker, and don’t pressure myself. I told myself it could take months to complete.

Here are some tips and tidbits of info, based on my own experience:
I used Windows Movie Maker. I didn’t realize I even had it on my computer, until someone pointed it out to me. I found it by clicking on the START button (lower-left corner), went to PROGRAMS then ACCESSORIES then voila! There it was. Because I’m generally one of those people who reads the instructions before starting something, I first read about the program from the HELP menu, just to get an overall sense of what I was in for .

Next, I did thumbnail sketches of what I wanted on a notepad. I knew I wanted to keep it around 60 seconds (like an average TV commercial) and I didn’t want to have more than 20 images, including the text-only images. Once I had my thumbnails (aka, roadmap), I used Adobe Photoshop to select and size my images (note: I had already contacted my publisher about the project and received permission to use the artwork—she was so happy about my doing this that she not only gave permission, she ultimately resent all of the art images in higher resolution images).

In WMM (Windows Movie Maker), I figured out (from the Help menu) what frame size the program uses, and I made my images conform to that size. I knew this would make the transition easier later, when I would import the images into WMM. In Photoshop, I also created the text-only frames. Note: Be sure to include a frame with your publisher’s website, your website and book ordering info. After all, you are trying to promote your book!

Next, I opened up WMM, and began importing my images. That was the easy part. Once they were all there, I had to determine the length of time on each frame (by clicking on the thumbnail image at the bottom and dragging it to the desired time), and what kind of transition effect I wanted from one frame to another (by right-clicking on the thumbnail image then clicking on “Video Effects”). This is where the real fun began—lots of tinkering and playing around!

Once I had the frames in place and was pleased with the overall look, I did a music search. There are all kinds of royalty-free music sites on the internet. I found mine on “The Music Bakery” but as I said, there are many out there. I should add too, that this was probably the lengthiest part of the entire process—finding the perfect music. I purchased the music (prices vary), but once I did, it was mine to use and I won’t have to worry about copyright issues.

Downloading the music to my computer then to WMM was a bit tricky for me, but some great websites on the internet guided me through. One of my favorites was the Papa John site. A couple of times, I also Googled my questions and was able to find the answers.

Once I had the music downloaded, I put it to the video clip, and then tinkered with the timing. I shortened some transitions or frame lengths, doing what was necessary to make it all fit.
Once I was finished, I saved the file to my computer (the file in WMM is a project file, so you have to save it separately onto your computer to be able to email or upload it to the internet). I sent it to my editor, for her opinion. With a tiny bit more tinkering, I was completely finished.

The entire process took me about four days, but as I said, it really was fun and gave me a chance to indulge in a whole new kind of creativity (plus, I saved myself about $300-400, what I had found was the fee for a professional to make one for me). So, don’t sell yourself short–give it a try! Since I shared this with my fellow Sylvan Dell authors, another author, Sherry Rogers, has created her own (click here to view). And if you want to see a terrific sampling of many wonderful children’s book trailers, click here.

Happy movie making!

I’ve had a nice response to Kristin Daly’s Mini-View and her advice on writing in rhyme (special thanks to those who emailed me :-). It seems that writing in rhyme, whether in the form of a poem or a story, is a longstanding love for many children’s writers (this writer being one!). So, on that same line, pop on over to The Write Marbles for an interview with poet Greg Pincus. Greg gives a great writing tip, shares the benefits of working in library and of course, fills us in on some fibbery!

You only get one chance to make a first impression, right? And you want it to be a good one, right? You might think that your cover letter is what an editor reads first (well, besides the outside of your envelope), but that’s not always true. In the course of attending many SCBWI writing events, I’ve often heard editors say that they go straight to the manuscript then read the cover letter if they’re intrigued—which means that your first page is your first impression.

This is why properly formatting your manuscript is so important. Before reading a single word, an editor will get a first impression of you; will see your level of professionalism. You want to conform to industry standards because you want your writing to stand out, not your formatting. Editors receive hundreds of manuscripts a week and frankly, it can be annoying to read one that is not in accordance with what their trained eyes are accustomed to reading. Improper formatting screams “amateur/inexperience/newbie.” It might also scream, “Run, editor, run!”

So, what are you to do? Well, once again, the fabulous SCBWI has done the legwork. Go to their website and read their article called, “From Keyboard to Printed Page: Facts You Should Know.” When I first began writing for publication, I had no clue what to do, until I read this article. Trust me, it’s a gem!

What are some things to avoid when formatting your manuscript? How could you make a bad first impression? Here are a few things that I came up with:
1. use any other paper than plain white (no colors, scents, textures)
2. use cute, fancy fonts or clip art
3. use anything other than double-spacing for the body of your work
4. don’t give a word count
5. don’t number your pages
6. “cheat” with the margins so you can fit more text on a single page
7. send your envelope certified mail or any way that requires a signature

Please add a comment if you can think of anything else! I welcome funny or serious 😉

Donna German offers a great explanation of what’s currently happening at Sylvan Dell Publishing and what they look for when acquiring manuscripts. Click here (and scroll down) to visit her post on the Verla Kay Discussion Board.

You’ve decided that it’s appropriate to write your story in rhyme (see my post on 10/04/07) and have toiled over your work for months/years and finally completed a beautifully rhymed piece. Now what?

Here are five things I do after I think I’m finished with my story (BTW, this also works for non-rhyming text, but I find it especially helpful for rhyming work):

1. Read your work aloud. Picture books are meant to be read aloud so you need to hear how your words sound.

2. Tape-record yourself reading your story aloud. When you play back the recording, listen for any inconsistencies in the flow/rhythm. Listen to the sounds of the words. Do they roll of your tongue with ease? Are they pleasant to the ear? Will children and adults want to hear them over and over again?

3. Read your work aloud while walking. This is one of my all-time favorite tips (which I heard from Ann Whitford Paul): I will walk through my house with manuscript in hand, reading aloud, and if there’s any glitch in the rhythm, my feet stumble a bit. I actually feel the inconsistencies in my body. It’s a very telling technique. If I get hung up on a certain line or stanza, sometimes I’ll take a pad and pencil and go for a walk, repeating the words till I get something that fits the rhythm of my gait.

4. Let a “non-reader” read your work aloud. By “non-reader”, I mean someone who does not normally read children’s literature, especially aloud. I find this extremely helpful. My husband assists me with this, and every time he reads my rhyming work aloud, I can immediately hear any flaws. While he reads, I make a note of any spots where he hesitates, or stumbles a bit, or the flow/rhythm sounds off to me.

5. Workshop your story amongst other children’s writers. Critique groups, “critiquenics” and retreat or conference opportunities are a great way to get feedback on your much-labored work. Let your professional colleagues be the final judges of whether your story is ready for an editor’s eyes and ears.

We often hear editors say that they don’t want rhyming work. I honestly believe that most editors like rhyming work, IF it’s written well. The problem is that too many writers submit work that hasn’t been scrutinized enough. Make sure your story is its absolute best and you’ll have a much better chance for publication.

Best of luck!