Welcome to Blossom Books

Karen Cunningham (writing as Karen Margaret) is a member of the Australian Society of Authors. After spending the past five years living and working in Kalgoorlie, Karen is now located in Perth, Western Australia.

"I always have my nose in a book, though had never considered writing one myself. Jenny Spaghetti was a real 'bolt from the blue' which has prompted both a huge learning curve and the desire to write more, and improve my skills. I'll keep writing stories for as long as somebody wants to read them!"

Jenny Spaghetti is Karen Margaret's first picture book.
Email her at blossombooks@hotmail.com

*Unfortunately Blossom Books can not assess manuscripts for publication. Please refer to The Australian Writers' Marketplace for submission guidelines to publishers throughout Australia.

Books in Print

JENNY SPAGHETTI
What would YOU do if YOUR hair turned into spaghetti? Follow Jenny's amazing adventure as she searches for help...

Suits children aged 0-4 years.

ISBN 0646405799

Sorry - Jenny Spaghetti has sold out!
A few autographed copies are available by special request.

Book Cover Designs

The cover is one of the most important elements of a book. It sells the feeling of the book to the reader, and must entice them to choose your book over the one beside it.

Karen Cunningham is a Senior Graphic Designer, with more than 15 years' experience in the industry. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Design (Graphics) from Curtin University, Western Australia.

Included above are a few book samples that Karen has designed. Perfect for self-publishers, Karen can proof via email and supply a CD to hand straight to your printer. Supply your own images or select from an extensive photo library.

For more information, further work samples or a quotation, please contact blossombooks@hotmail.com

References for Beginning Writers

It’s often hard to find information about writing. Maybe you have written a story and don’t know how to submit it to a publisher, or maybe you have an idea and simply don’t know where to start. We’ve all been there! Here are some references I have found that might help you on your way...

Books

Amoss, Berthe & Suben, Eric, The Children’s Writer’s Reference (1999), Writer’s Digest Books
A book of lists to get your creative juices flowing - ideas, character skills and interests, locations etc

Bickham, Jack M., The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them) (1992), Writer’s Digest Books
Good, solid advice for first-time writers. If you’ve done any writing courses though, you will know all this.

Bird, Carmel, Dear Writer (1996), Random House Australia
A little harder to read than many, but good in-depth advice on writing fiction.

Dadey, Debbie & Thornton-Jones, Marcia, Story Sparkers, A Creativity Guide for Children’s Writers (2000), Writer’s Digest Books
If you don’t know where to start, start here. Activities to help create your perfect story.

Disher, Garry, Writing Fiction (2001), Allen & Unwin
Garry Disher’s writing experiences, along with examples from international fiction writers. Covers plot, structure, setting etc.

Edelstein, Linda, The Writer’s Guide to Character Traits (1999), Writer’s Digest Books
Profiles of emotions, behaviours and personality types. Takes a lot of the guesswork out of descriptions – from childhood devleopment through to philandering husbands.

Gleeson, Libby, Writing Hannah, On Writing for Children (1999), Hale & Iremonger
Libby’s journal of the process of writing ‘Hannah and the Tomorrow Room’, including general fiction advice.

Goldberg, Natalie, Writing Down the Bones (1986), Shambhala Publications
This book was recommended by many writer friends, and it reads as easily as a novel.

Grenville, Kate and Woolfe, Sue, Making Stories, How Ten Australian Novels Were Written (1993), Allen & Unwin
Focuses on much older but still well known novels such as Oscar & Lucinda and Lilian’s Story. Excerpts of passages before and after publication are quite interesting.

Kempton, Gloria, Write Great Fiction: Dialogue (2004), Writer’s Digest Books
Techniques and exercises for crafting effective dialogue. Even if you don’t have time for the exercises (let’s face it - who does?), this provides great inspiration for anyone struggling with making dialogue realistic, suspenseful or emotional. Contains handy dos-and-don’ts throughout. Good value.

Lukeman, Noah, The First Five Pages, A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile (2000), Robert Hale Limited
How to identify and avoid bad writing. Good examples of what not to do, but would have been nice to see the bad examples corrected as well. Also a little about what publishers look for during their first read of your manuscript.

Lurie, Alison, Don’t Tell the Grown-Ups, The Subversive Power of Children’s Literature (1990), Little, Brown & Company
A look at the classics - Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Rabbit etc. Quite interesting as historical background only.

Marsden, John, Everything I Know About Writing (1998), Pan Macmillan Australia
Full of examples of writing dos-and-don’ts from the master.

Mogilner, Alijandra, Children’s Writer’s Word Book (1999), Writer’s Digest Books
Contains word lists grouped by school grade and overviews of children’s reading levels at those ages. Especially valuable for picture books.

Obstfeld, Raymond, Novelist’s Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes (2000), Writer’s Digest Books
How to make scenes memorable, using point-of-view and structuring a scene are key components. Very in-depth guide with sound tips and tricks. A tough read in places, but well worth the effort.

Oliver, Marina, Write & Sell Your Novel, The Beginner’s Guide to Writing for Publication (2003), How To Books Ltd
Step by step guide to storylines, characters, viewpoint etc. Also preparing manuscripts for submission. The additional quotes from editors and agents aren’t too revealing though, so if you’ve read anything else like this you may not learn much more.

Orr, Alice, No More Rejections, 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript That Sells (2004), Writers Digest Books
A former editor, now a literary agent and author, Alice Orr gives tips from “the other side” on getting your manuscript noticed. Focuses on story and characterisation, opening sentences and conclusions. Read this if you have a finished manuscript you want to spice up.

Roberts, Gillian, You Can Write a Mystery (1999), Writer’s Digest Books
A brief overview about plotting a mystery, hiding clues, using red herrings etc.

Roberts, James; Mitchell, Barry; Zubrinich, Roger, Writers on Writing (2002), Penguin Books Australia
Australian and International writers reveal their working methods. Big names like Thomas Keneally, Vikram Seth and Janet Evanovich.

Rozelle, Ron, Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting (2005), Writer’s Digest Books
Techniques and exercises for crafting a believable world of people, places and events. Even if you don’t have time for the exercises (let’s face it - who does?), this provides great inspiration for anyone struggling with the age old problem - too little, or too much? Contains handy dos-and-don’ts throughout. Good value.

Underdown, Harold D. & Rominger, Lynne, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books (2001), Alpha Books
Read this first! Very easy to use and covers a wide range of topics from how to get ideas to how to send to publishers. Heaps of great references. Good for those starting to think about writing for children and wanting an overview.

Wells, Gordon, Writers’ Questions and Answers (2001), Allison & Busby Ltd
Written in a very easy-to-understand question and answer format. Covers the agent’s role, how to submit to editors, payment deals etc., grouped by subject. What you always wanted to know but were too afraid to ask!

Whitton, Rhonda, The Australian Writers Marketplace (2002), Bookman
Contains addresses and submission guidelines for Australian magazines and publishers. Information on available courses, writing events/competitions etc. Use it when sending unsolicited manuscripts - saves a lot of research (and postage!).

Winokur, John, Advice to Writers (2000), Pavilion Books
Quotes and anecdotes from some of the world’s most famous writers, past and present. Just a bit of fun, really. A lovely gift for writer friends.

Web Sites

http://www.aaronshep.com/kidwriter

http://www.australianwritersmarketplace.com

http://www.underdown.org

http://www.write4kids.com

http://www.writersbookcase.com.au
I praise the day I stumbled across this! The most comprehensive online bookshop for writers. All prices are in $AUS, so no nasty surprises on your credit card. Ask Keith for a catalogue so you can leave it lying around near your birthday and Christmas. I’ve found all of my favourite and most helpful books here.

http://www.writing4success.com/
Be sure to subscribe to Marg’s email newsletter and tipsheets. The tipsheets are free and the newsletter is well worth the very small investment. A great service for authors of any ability.

Organisations

Australian Society of Authors
The largest and most highly recognised association for authors in Australia.
www.asauthors.org

Children’s Book Council of Australia (WA)
www.cbc.org.au

Women in Publishing
The lovely ladies at WiP have been so helpful and encouraging. They run great seminars each winter - well worth attending.I’ve made great contacts at these functions, and always leave feeling like I can achieve anything!
www.wipwa.com

References for Self-Publishers

After I wrote Jenny Spaghetti I blindly wandered the maze of self-publishing. Most of the emails I now receive are from other potential self-publishers asking for advice. It is not possible to summarise the three year journey I took, but I will list here some of the more helpful books and web sites I uncovered along the way. Thankfully I have emerged on the other side relatively unscathed, but only due to research, research and more research. Try some of these...

Books

Baulch, Libby & Blain, Georgia, Copyright for Book Publishers (1997), Australian Copyright Council
Not a book really, but helps with that tricky copyright terminology on the imprint page. Gives examples you can copy.

Clark, Sherryl, Successful Self-Publishing, Making and Selling Your Own Book (1997), Hale & Iremonger
Easy to follow, though not too in-depth. Includes “How not to look like an amateur”, “The importance of a great cover”, “What new printing technology has to offer”, “Why doing it yourself pays off”.

Day, Marele, The Art of Self-Promotion, Successful Promotion by Writers (1995), Allen & Unwin
For self-publishers needing publicity guidance, or those want to supplement their publisher’s efforts. Basic information only.

Gleeson, Libby, Making Picture Books (2003), Scholastic Press
Not really specific to self-publishing, but shows many picture book authors and illustrators behind the scenes in various stages from concept to publication. Very interesting!

Henderson, Robyn and McAlister, Marg, Be Seen, Get Known, Move Ahead, A Beginner’s Guide to Self Promotion (1998), Networking to Win & Word Dynamics
Helpful info on how to create an image and promote yourself after your book comes out.

Mitchell, Euan, Self-Publishing Made Simple, The Ultimate Australian Guide (2000), Hardie Grant Books
An Australian step-by-step guide to getting your book printed. Includes all the easy-to-forget stages such as organising a bar code, listing your book with the bureaucracy and setting your retail price. A bit too brief in some areas, but has a great reference section for further enquiries.

Kremer, John, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books (1998), Open Horizons
Great for self-publishers, though equally as important for those contracted to a publisher. Probably the most in-depth marketing publication for authors around. Unfortunately a US publication, but not as much of a problem as with other books.

Poynter, Dan, The Self-Publishing Manual, How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book (2000), Para Publishing
One of the best guides to seIf-publishing I’ve come across - it’s actually self-published(!) and in its 12th reprinting. The downside is that it’s an American production, so all of the handy addresses and pricing guides are irrelevant. Still well worth the investment, and don’t let the dodgy cover design put you off.

Rintoul, Susan & Phippard, Bill, Book Launching for Authors, Making the Most of Your Sales (2001), Seaview Press
A step-by-step guide to organising a book launch.

Shepard, Aaron, The Business of Writing for Children (2000), Shepard Publications
Not specifically about self-publishing, but contains loads of relevent advice about promoting your book. Also contains samples of media releases, author biographies etc that he’s produced and you can follow. Can also download samples from his website at www.aaronshep.com

Web Sites

http://www.thorpe.com.au/isbn/isbn_self.htm
This has a short downloadable guide to the steps involved in self-publishing, and provides all the contact details you will need.

dotty spot/vanilla bean canvas art

See my friends at dotty spot designs for a brilliant range of canvases to brighten up your kids' bedroom walls.

Now with a range from Vanilla Bean Art (yours truly!)

http://www.dottyspot.com.au

Little Bellies

Coming soon! An exciting new range of dinnerware for little bellies and not-so-little bellies. Watch this space for a preview of new designs as they pop out of my head and into the computer.