Sara Ryan

Why yes, it is that time of year when perhaps you are contemplating purchasing items for others. Conveniently, I have some items that you might consider purchasing: Flytrap minicomics set — Includes “Juggling Act,” “Deep, Too,” “Over the Wall,” and “Performance Anxiety.” YA minicomics set — Includes “Me and Edith Head,” “Click,” and “Einbahnstrasse Waltz.” [...]

I just programmed this for my mom: Chapstick and keys for scale. What have y’all installed, debugged, or otherwise explicated for loved ones lately?

My online access is sporadic this week. So here is a sunset: Taken in a parking lot. There are a lot of parking lots in the Usual Undisclosed Location. If you are celebrating soon, enjoy it.

So many people have written so well about querying agents that instead of saying “Have a wheel, I just invented it,” (h/t Nisi Shawl) I’m gonna make this one a linky post of linkness. Holly Lisle‘s How to query an agent is straightforward and clear. She reminds the querent to always keep in mind that You [...]

Because I haven’t done a photo post in a while, a few sights from a recent neighborhood walk. Note that the junction box (I think that’s what that is) is being used as an altar.

(Parts one and two, in case you missed them.) Convening, considered as an ing on the way to publishing, means attending conferences & conventions for those involved with books and writing in assorted capacities. Some examples with their primary audiences in parentheses: SCBWI (writers and illustrators for kids & teens), ALA (librarians), NCTE (teachers), KidLitCon [...]

(Here’s part one if you missed it.) Wait, you might be thinking. Doesn’t researching start way earlier, like, before finishing? Yes, if you mean research that informs your story. In this case, though, I’m talking about market research. And as I type, it occurs to me that in my first post I neglected to mention [...]

From the mailbag: “I was wondering if you could give me a few hints on how to put myself out there to get published. I feel like I’m bumbling around in the dark trying to figure out the next step to take, and any advice is greatly appreciated.” There are many ings involved along the way to publishing. [...]