Hi everyone,
With the boys back at school I feel as though 2017 has really kicked off – and revved up several gears as I prepare for the launch of Beyond The Edge Of The Map (The Mapmaker Chronicles #4) next month! It's an exciting and hectic time, and my calendar is getting a real workout as I slot in events and other promotion activities.

I'm still using a Filofax (I know!) to keep everything in order because, and this is just how I work, I need to write it down and see it in front of me every morning to remember it. I must confess, though, that I'm finding it more difficult these days with the family calendar also filling up! How do you manage to keep on top of everyone's schedules? I'd love to know!

As I get organised, I'll keep you updated of any workshops/events I'm holding, in case you'd like to come along and say hello!

In the meantime, the juggle continues...
 

For readers

• I'm thrilled to announce that The Mapmaker Chronicles series continues to kick goals. Race To The End Of The World (book #1) was recently shortlisted for the Western Australian Young Readers' Book Awards (Younger Readers), and all three books are on the 2017 NSW Premier's Reading Challenge booklists (7-9). It's so exciting, as an author, to see the books continuing to resonate with young readers from 8 or 9 years old, up!
• When I'm editing, as I have been for the past few months, I tend to read. A lot. And I read outside my genre, which is to say, I'm not reading middle-grade fiction. In fact, I read everything BUT middle-grade fiction, so as not to confuse myself. In the subject line, I promised to reveal the best book I've read this month and here it is.

 If you're a crime fan and you haven't yet discovered Adrian McKinty's Sean Duffy series, then run, don't walk in that direction (you'll find book #1 here). You can also listen to my podcast interview with Adrian here. 

• The Your Kid's Next Read Facebook group continues to grow - we're at nearly 1200 members now! If you're struggling to find the right books for the kids in your life, or just have interest in children's literature, this is the group for you!

 

For writers

It seems that editing is on everyone's mind at the moment, as many of the questions I've been sent, via my blog, Facebook or the podcast, have been about getting edits done. My best tip for editing your work is to start small. Read it through (aloud preferably) and make note of the typos, the missed words, the glaringly clunky sentences. Then go through and make those changes.

As you're doing that, take notes (actually write them down) of things in the story that need fixing - and you'll see them as you go. This will give you a guide to approach the structural changes that need to be made.

You can read more of my thoughts on editing here, and you'll find five fantastic tips from top freelance editor Nicola O'Shea here. 

• How to get the words written: Top 10 tips for writers
• When (and how) to split your story into a series
• 10 tips to up your book marketing skills right now
• Author blogs: 5 bad reasons for authors to blog and 5 good ones
• Endeavour House Writer-In-Residence: Applications now open
• Scared you don't have the skills to write the story you want to tell?
• FAQ: How do I get my book published?
• 100 best websites for writers (2017)
• 3 copywriting 'tricks' to help you sell more non-fiction books
• KYD Unpublished Manuscript Awards now open
• CBCA Aspiring Writers Mentorship Program 2017: Applications open
• Build Your Author Platform With Me: A step-by-step guide

 

On Instagram

I love going back through Instagram each month to find out which image has been the most popular! Usually, Procrastipup features, but this month, it's all about the book! In case you missed the cover reveal of Beyond The Edge Of The Map (book #4 of The Mapmaker Chronicles series), you can read all about it here. 
 See you next month!