by Allison Tait | Aug 21, 2023 | Books, Life, News
CBCA Book Week might officially last just one week, but the reality is that author life gets very busy for many weeks around the official dates (19-25 August this year).
So today might be Official Day One, but for me Book Week kicked off last Monday with a series of ‘Writing Fantasy Stories’ workshops in Sydney, and then continued up the coast to Newcastle and Port Macquarie on an ‘author road trip’ with the wonderful Jacqueline Harvey.
We had such a great time, we’re already making plans to do it again next year in a different region!
This week, I’m closer to home, sharing my new author talk ‘Write What You Know (And Create Something New)’, along with workshops about finding your writing superpower and the 10 keys to writing a great story with kids along the south coast.
It made my heart sing today when one student told me how much she loves my books, and another was beside herself to meet a ‘real, live author’.
Long live Book Week!
Reach out via my Speaking page if you’d like me to visit your school either for Book Week 2024, or any other time of year you’d like me to chat reading and writing with your students.
On the subject of speaking, in case you missed it, I’ve also got a couple of special events later this week.
So You Want To Be A Children’s Author?: Free workshop for adult writers
Event blurb
You’d love to write stories for kids, but you’re not sure where to begin. Or perhaps you’ve made a start, but you’re wondering what to do next?
To celebrate the launch of her brand-new middle-grade novel The first summer of Callie McGee, Allison Tait – internationally published bestselling author, co-host of the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast, and teacher at the Australian Writer’s Centre – is sharing her insider secrets and practical tips on writing for children.
She’ll look at the top 10 questions you need to ask yourself in order to write a great book for kids – as well as answering any burning questions you might have.
24 August, 2pm-3.30pm, Nowra Library, 10 Berry Street, Nowra.
All details and bookings here.
A. L. Tait Book Launch: THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE
Event blurb
Join local children’s author Allison Tait at Gerringong Library for a book launch celebration and talk about The First Summer of Callie McGee – a mystery about growing up, figuring things out and solving the puzzle of who you are, from the author of the bestselling middle-grade adventure series The Mapmaker Chronicles.
A fun event for middle-grade kids, families, lovers of children’s books, teachers, local friends and supporters of all ages – everyone welcome.
This is a free event, bookings essential. Books available for signing and purchase on the day.
The winners of the Beach Art Competition will be announced and prizes awarded at the launch.
All details and bookings here.
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade fantasy adventure series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries, as well as my new contemporary middle-grade novel ‘The First Summer of Callie McGee’. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, and tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast!
by Allison Tait | Aug 3, 2023 | Advice for Writers, Reading, Writing, Your Kid's Next Read
My new book, The First Summer of Callie McGee, is out now in bookshops everywhere – and I’m at home in that strange netherworld that is post-launch day.
Pre-publication day, the anticipation builds and builds, like those epic summer thunderstorms that press the very air down on you for hours before they finally burst into a light- and sound-show followed by furious drenching rain.
Unfortunately, publication day brings less of the light and sound and fury, and more the sound of boxes of books being opened in bookshops across the country and the slight rusting of pages as the books are placed upon the shelves.
The day after is just… business as usual. Except that I’m typing with my fingers crossed, hoping that readers will love Callie as much as I do.
The inside story of Callie McGee
In the headline, I’ve promised you the inside story on the book, but I think the best way to get that is to listen to me talk about it.
I’m the special guest on a veritable bonanza of podcasts this week, and each of them will bring you a slightly different perspective on this story and how it came about.
So You Want To Be A Writer
For a deep dive into the process of writing the book, from that first glimmer of inspiration to working through the complexity of creating the procedure of the mystery element, don’t miss my conversation with Valerie Khoo on So You Want To Be A Writer.
It was so nice to be back chatting to Val about all things writing and publishing. I spent seven years as co-host of this podcast, so sliding back into this space is like coming home.
But it’s a home where your Mum does not hold back on asking the hard questions, and I can always count on Val to keep asking ‘why?’ until I manage to articulate some part of my writing process that seems impossible to explain.
So we talk about the writing, we talk about wading into uncertainty and the memories of being 12, and we talk about re-drafting manuscript themes downwards. But we also talk about the very real challenges of establishing and maintaining a longterm author career.
You know you can count on us to be honest and get to the very crux of this stuff, so it’s worth a listen.
Find it here, or where you get your podcasts.
Words and Nerds
The thing I love about chatting with author and podcaster Dani Vee on the Words and Nerds podcast is knowing that the conversation will ramble its way into unexpected places and interesting revelations. And so it proved yet again.
We talked about The First Summer of Callie McGee, solving the puzzle of who we are and writing books outside our comfort zones.
But we also talk about publicity for authors from a journalist’s perspective, and how to find different ways to draw attention to your book – by thinking outside the box of your book, guest posting on blogs, making connections, getting your byline in the article, understanding the importance of booksellers and hand selling and the awesomeness of librarians.
If you’re a children’s author or would like to be one day, don’t miss this one!
Find it here, or where you get your podcasts.
KidLit Classics
If you haven’t discovered this podcast gem, you’re in for a treat! Hosted by author Samantha-Ellen Bound, KidLit Classics podcast invites contemporary children’s authors to discuss one book from their own childhood that made them a writer today.
I had the most wonderful time chatting to Samantha-Ellen about Callie’s Castle by Ruth Park. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while or listening to my various podcasts over the years, you’ll have heard this book come up before, but here we take a long, hard look at the beginning of my turret fixation.
To discuss the book, I had to read the book again and remain in awe of Park’s ability to create broad brushstrokes of a world, emotions and characters with a few fine details.
And yes, our characters share a name, but I swear this revealed itself to me only when Samantha-Ellen asked me to choose a book for this podcast episode. Until that moment, I hadn’t thought about Callie and her castle for years – but deep down in the part of the brain where fond memory lives, there she was.
I hope she’d like Callie McGee.
Find the episode here, or where you get your podcasts.
And an opportunity to ask your own questions
Writer’s Bookclub Podcast
Author Michelle Barraclough’s Writers’ Bookclub Podcast has its own special twist on the author interview format – you get to ask the questions!
Michelle has chosen The First Summer of Callie McGee as her first middle-grade book to explore and dissect, and you can play along by reading the book and then posting any questions you might have for me about any aspect of writing the book to the group Facebook page before 15th August. (See How It Works here)
Michelle and I have a date later this month to interview an episode for the podcast where she asks me all your questions.
All the details on how to join in here.
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries, and my latest novel ‘The First Summer of Callie McGee’. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, and tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast!
by Allison Tait | Jul 27, 2023 | Advice for Writers, Writing
Building a writing habit is the key to getting a novel written. Showing up is half the battle.
But making the time to write is not always easy – and sometimes a little bit of help goes a long way.
With that in mind, I’ve created #Spark6000, a new Creative Challenge this August for the members of Write With Allison Tait (WWAT), my online writing group.
Part word-count building, part creativity bending, the #Spark6000 challenge is designed to create a sustainable writing habit.
The kind of habit that you can maintain not just for one month, but for many, many months. After all, 6000 x 12 = 72,000 words – a very respectable first draft of an adult novel, or a complete YA or children’s novel (and then some, in some areas of that market).
With me right in there beside you to cheer you on.
Join the group before 1 August to hit the ground running!
I wanted to call it Hot August Writes, but managed to control myself…
Industry Insider Secrets
Of course, WWAT is not just about word counts. Each month, we get together on Zoom for two events. One is an Access Al Areas (Ask Me Anything) with me, and one is an Industry Insider event, with a special guest.
August will feature an AAA on 7th August, and the #Spark6000 challenge will take the place of the Industry Insider event (due to my CBCA Book Week commitments).
BUT
The line up for our Industry Insider events for the next three months looks like this:
• September: Dani Vee (author, host of Words And Nerds podcast, acquiring editor for Larrikin House)
• October: Rachael Johns (international bestselling author (romance, commercial fiction))
• November: Dervla McTiernan (international bestselling author (crime fiction)
I could not be more excited to put these authors in the hot seat and extract all the insider knowledge and secrets that I can. Plus, you’ll be able to ask your own questions as well!
There’s never been a better time to join our intimate group. Membership details for Write With Allison Tait here.
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries, as well as my brand-new middle-grade mystery THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE.
You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
by Allison Tait | Jul 14, 2023 | Advice for Writers, Writing
It is a truth universally acknowledged that writing a book is one thing – promoting that book is quite another..
But thinking outside the box about book publicity can give an author more avenues to promote their book, and is also very satisfying. All too often new authors worry about what’s not happening with their book, so taking control of what you can do really helps.
Nobody knows this better than Dani Vee, whose first picture book My EXTRAordinary Mum was published in 2022, and whose second book My EPIC Dad! Takes Us Camping (book one in a six-part series) is out now.
With many strings to her bow, including podcaster and commissioning editor, Dani was better placed than most debut authors to understand the nuts-and-bolts of book promotion – but even she found herself having to think outside the ‘publicity’ box to maximise her efforts.
Fortunately, she’s dropped by to share her experiences in this guest post.
Thinking outside the ‘publicity’ box as a newbie writer!
By Dani Vee
The excitement of signing my first book deal lasted about 10 seconds before the terror hit.
What if it didn’t sell and no-one ever signed me again?
Ten seconds. The exact amount of time we allow ourselves to celebrate!
Leaving nothing to chance, I created a juggernaut of a spreadsheet of all the bloggers, reviewers, podcasters and book people I could contact.
I planned book shop visits, a book launch, social media posts and contacted local newspapers and magazines.
But I also watched others, and what I noticed was that the most successful people were creating content outside their books. They were creating a story around their story.
My picture book My EXTRAordinary Mum had been written from my own experiences of motherhood – and I realised that created an opportunity I hadn’t yet tapped into.
Creating stories around your book
I started writing articles about identity after motherhood, the expectations of motherhood and who you’re ‘supposed’ to be, the challenges of single motherhood, feminism, and even what it was like having a Gwyneth Paltrow LAT (Living Apart Together) relationship.
In other words, I wrote about the ideas, thoughts and feelings that were behind my picture book. When it comes to publicity, you have to work to your strengths and show an authentic and vulnerable self. I think the more Instagram posts we like and the more filters we use, the more authenticity we crave – and it seemed to work.
Those articles were published by Mamamia, MamaMag, local newspapers and magazines and other media outlets interested in stories about motherhood, women and feminism.
Even though the articles were not directly about the book, they were topical. And they all featured my byline and my bio at the end – a bio that related directly to my book and led interested readers to my website to find out more.
How to find your story
You can do this too – all you need to do is to find an angle.
We know what your book is about, but what is it really about? What’s the story around the story?
What inspired it?
What is it about you and your experiences that resonate, inspire or interest others?
Sit down and brainstorm a list of the things that drove you to write the book, as well as a list of the themes and ideas that developed as you wrote it.
Once you have those lists, think about how they might crossover into articles or blog post – and which publications and bloggers might be interested in running them.
You’re not always going to get it right when it comes to publicity and promoting your book, but thinking about different ways of presenting your work is probably a good start!
Dani Vee is the podcast host of Words and Nerds, and author of picture books My EXTRAordinary Mum and the My EPIC Dad! series. She also works in publicity and acquisitions at Larrikin House, judges books for crime awards and may just have a crime novel in her somewhere one day. She is currently working on her first junior fiction novel. Find out more.
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries.
My new middle-grade novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out on 1 August. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
by Allison Tait | Jun 27, 2023 | Blog, Reading, Your Kid's Next Read
In case you missed it, the End Of Financial Year (EOFY) is upon us, which means it’s time to think not just about getting tax records and deductions in order.
Many of us will choose to make a tax-deductible donation to a charity at this time of year as a way to support causes close to our heart and reduce any tax liability at the same time.
But which charity to choose?
Reasons for supporting various charities are wide and varied and you no doubt have your favourites.
But if literature and literacy is something you care about, the Your Kid’s Next Read team have put together a list of our favourite charities that you might like to consider.
All of these suggestions offer ways to support children’s books and reading this tax time.
The Pyjama Foundation
Through its Love Of Learning program, children in foster care are matched with a trained volunteer ‘Pyjama Angel’ who meet with them for one hour a week to focus on learning activities, such as reading, educational games and help with homework.
The Pyjama Foundation has a resource library in every region where volunteers can borrow books, games and resources to take to the children each week. This is a free service.
Your Kid’s Next Read podcast co-host Megan Daley is an ambassador for The Pyjama Foundation. “The work the Pyjama Foundation does is vital,” she says. “Arming young people with the (super) power of reading can be life changing.”
Find out more and donate here.
The Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation
The Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation (ACLF) is a not-for-profit organisation with representation from across the field of children’s and young adult literature. The ACLF’s vision is to enrich the lives of young Australians through the power of story.
The organisation aims to promote the value and importance of reading, raise the profile of books in the lives of Australian children and young adults, and to undertake select national projects to further it’s work. The highest profile activity of the ACLF is the development and management of the Australian Children’s Laureate program.
Find out more and donate here.
Indigenous Literacy Foundation
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) is a national charity working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote Communities across Australia.
ILF is Community-led, responding to requests from remote Communities for culturally relevant books, including early learning board books, resources, and programs to support Communities to create and publish their stories in languages of their choice.
Your Kid’s Next Read donates 10 per cent of sales of our merchandise to the ILF.
Find out more and donate here.
Dymocks Children’s Charities
The stated mission of Dymocks Children’s Charities (DCC) is ‘to promote a love of reading and improve literacy outcomes for children in Australia’.
DCC runs three core programs that provide brand new books to children in priority locations in Australia. The charity aims to support children who have little or no access to good books, and the programs focus on restocking priority school libraries, community centres, hospitals, classrooms and providing books for children to take home and cherish.
“Ensuring all children reach an appropriate level of literacy remains one of Australia’s major challenges,” says author Jacqueline Harvey, a longtime ambassador for DCC. “Literacy is not just about reading, it is the foundation for learning.
“Dymocks Children’s Charities has developed unique literacy support programs that encourage children to cultivate a love for books and read every day ‘just because they want to’. Quite simply, it’s about getting great books into kids’ hands!”
Find out more and donate here.
The Children’s Book Council of Australia
There are currently two ways that you can help the work of the Children’s Book Council of Australia through donations.
The CBCA Award Foundation funds prizes for the creators of the books that win the CBCA Book of the Year Awards, as well as Honour books.
The CBCA Gift Fund helps fund programs that enrich young lives through Australian stories and create a thriving creative world. The fund supports the CBCA’s mission to connect, communicate, celebrate and advocate stories across Australia.
Find out more and donate here.
Room to Read
Room to Read aims to tackle illiteracy and gender inequality around the world, with a philosophy that ‘World Change Starts With Educated Children’. In practical terms, they build libraries, support literacy, create local language books and endow long-term scholarships for girls in developing countries, collaborating with governments and other partner organisations to deliver positive outcomes for children on a large scale.
“I was attracted to working with Room to Read after reading founder John Wood’s biography, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World back in 2010,” says author Tristan Bancks, a Room To Read ambassador. “He was struck by how many children in the world have little or no access to books. Room to Read is a super-dynamic literacy organisation – they’ve reached 32 million kids!”
Through the Room to Read World Change Challenge, Bancks and his team of Australian author-ambassadors have raised more than $200,000 in the last decade. “This year our goal is to raise $20,000 to buy 20,000 local language books for kids in Asia and Africa,” he says.
Find out more and donate here.
The Smith Family
Beyond reading, The Smith Family’s Learning For Life program takes a broader approach to supporting Australian children and young people with their education. The program provides emotional, practical and financial support aimed at keeping disadvantaged kids engaged with school and learning to set them up for life.
You can choose to sponsor a child or make a one-off donation to support the program.
Find out more and donate here.
Literacy and literature for a different cause
These two charities focus on literature and literacy to fundraise for research.
MS Readathon
In 2019, I was chuffed to be asked to be an author ambassador for the MS Readathon, having fond memories of participating in the bookfest myself as a child.
The MS Readathon continues to invite children and young people to ‘read for a cause’, seeking sponsorship based on the number of books they read. It’s a different way to motivate kids to pick up a book!
Funds raised help support the thousands of Australian families affected by Multiple Sclerosis.
Registrations are open now for the 2023 MS Readathon,
Find out more and donate here.
Write A Book In A Day
Write A Book In A Day is a fun, creative challenge where kids team up to write, illustrate and publish a book in just one school day, raising money through sponsorship for The Kids’ Cancer Project.
In 2021, I was asked to provide my top tips for the young writers involved, and you can see the video here.
The challenge promotes creativity, teamwork and the literacy skills required to produce a finished book in a short timeframe. Funds raised through the Write a Book in a Day competition go toward childhood cancer research to find better treatments and ultimately a cure.
Find out more here.
There are a lot of people and organisations out there doing amazing things in the world, making it difficult to choose where to put your hard-earned dollars. So we hope these links help with the process.
And remember, keep track of your receipts – and follow the organisations you choose via newsletters or social media so you can see how they’re spending those tax-time dollars.
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, and tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast!
Event blurb
Event blurb
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade fantasy adventure series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries, as well as my new contemporary middle-grade novel ‘The First Summer of Callie McGee’. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
