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To make the most of your time with children, take plenty of pictures.
And to take your classroom photo skills to the next level, I turned to friend and professional photographer Carmela Dutra for advice. No matter if you click with a fancy camera or a smartphone, she shares five tips for snapping that perfect photo in this next in the series of author school visits with a dslr camera. Of course, smart phones work, too, and are great in a pinch. But if you have a digital camera and are willing to take the time, you'll really move to the head of the close with amazing snaps!
Move to the Head of the Class: Tips for Kid Lit Author School Visits-Part 3
Five Tips for Taking Better Photos of Kids in the Classroom PART 1: Six Steps to Ace Your Author School Visits PART 2: Kid Lit Pros Share Secrets to Move You to Head of Class PART 3: Five Tips for Taking Better Photos of Kids in the Classroom PART 4: School Visit Giveaways on a Shoestring 
Look for photo opps as children engage in every day activity.
Photographing children is something that many photographers say should be avoided at all costs!
I disagree. While child photography can be challenging, it doesn’t need to be painful. Capturing the magic of an exploding smile, the furrowed brow of a child in thought, or that mischievous grin outweighs the risks of tears and tantrums. Here are five tips to help you can capture memorable moments of children at school, in the library, or at book-signings. 1. Remove the stress Create a natural environment that rewards you with winning shots. Most importantly, you need to be relaxed. Children sense when you’re nervous. If you want them to be relaxed, you have be that way, too. 2. Forget about formal settings Posed shots aren’t ideal for taking portraits of children that express their personalities. For natural-looking shots, you want a casual environment in which children can simply play and be themselves. While they’re playing, you’ll capture those candid images. The classroom is perfect for candid shots because kids will already be in their own zone coloring, reading, laughing, etc.  Use fast shutter speeds to capture movement.
3. Set exposures ahead of time
Before you do anything, make sure the camera’s exposure settings are sorted out. If you’re fiddling with dials or scrolling through menus in the middle of the shoot, you run the risk of missing the shot, and the children will lose interest in the whole event. Time is of the essence; use it wisely! The settings you’ll need are similar to those you’d use for shooting sports or action photography. Use a fast shutter speed (such as 1/125 sec or faster) to avoid movement blur. Don’t compromise on this – if you have to increase your ISO to 400 or 800, do so: your camera can handle it. A wide aperture, such as f/2.8, helps you achieve a fast shutter speed and creates a shallow depth of field, which will throw the background out of focus. This can be a useful way to de-clutter a distracting background. Depending on your lens, it can also introduce some striking bokeh effect. 
Wide apertures, like f2.8, blur backgrounds; bring foregrounds into sharp focus
4. Get the shot
Once the exposures are set, start by playing a game or engage in an activity, so kids get used to you. Don’t bring out your camera until everyone’s spirits are high. However, keep it nearby so you can grab it when you need to. Once everyone’s having fun, get your camera and fire off a couple of shots. A winning shot isn’t all about big smiles with the subject looking the camera –a contemplative shot of a child concentrating on a game or enjoying lunch can be just as engaging.
5. Always check school policies
One of the most important pieces of advice I can give you: check with the teacher first. You want to make sure that you have the correct understanding on guidelines, procedures, and school policy about taking photos of children. You won’t be able to take headshots of the children without parental consent. Many many teachers have a 'do not photograph' list, so you'll know to avoid taking any pictures of students on that list. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get nice pictures. Focus on their hands while drawing, or get a shot of the classroom while the kids are occupied. 
Don't post faces without parental consent
Now you know my secrets for classroom photography. Good luck with school visit pictures!
Connect with Illustrator/Author/Photographer/Mom Carmela Dutra on her website
@ www.carmeladutra.comwebsite. Coming Next in this Blog Series Part 4: Kid Lit pros share tips for giveaways on a shoestring budget.
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Feeling the excitement yet? A bit more confident? You can do it!
In this second of a four-part series about author visits in schools, writers and teachers share their top tips for acing YOUR classroom experience.
Tips for Kid Lit Author School Visits:
Kid Lit Pros Share Their Secrets PART 1: The A to Zs of Classroom Visits PART 2: Kid Lit Pros Share Their Secrets PART 3: Five Tips for Taking Better Photos of Kids in the Classroom PART 4: School Visit Giveaways on a Shoestring 
Nancy Kunhardt Lodge
Artist, Author of The Crystal Navigator Series Website
Kentrell Williams engages kids by teaching American Sign Language from his book series
Kentrell Martin
Author, Shelly’s Adventure Series Website
Karen Emma Hall
Illustrator, Author, founder of the online Kid Literature Community Twitter | Facebook
Carmela Dutra
Illustrator, Photographer, and Author of Lorenzo the Bear Series Website | Twitter
Click up your camera skills with Carmela's tips for taking classroom photos -- see part 3 this blog series.
Tracey M. Cox Author Author, Picture Book Reviewer Website | Blog Series, School Visit
Tracey M.Cox sets up for a school visit.
Rhonda Paglia
Former Teacher, KidLit Non-fiction and Picture Book Author Email | Website
2. Educators' Advice to Authors
Jill Cofsky
First-grade Teacher, Professional Voice Actor Website | Twitter | Facebook
Former teacher and Kid Lit author Rhonda Paglia reads to children
Feeling better about your foray into schools and libraries?
Part Three in this four-part series on school visits is up next with more tips to boost your skills and zip you to the head of the class. Tips for Kid Lit Author School Visits: PART 3: Five Tips for Taking Better Photos of Kids in the Classroom Professional photographer and children’s author, illustrator Carmela Dutra offers five tips to click up your skills and snap professional-looking photos of kids at school.
How do these school visit tips work for you?
What additional suggestions can you offer? Join the conversation in the comment section. Click below on the three dots to deliver Author 101 to your RSS feed or inbox.
UPDATE:
It's the end of August in North Carolina, and schools here and everywhere are gearing up for a new term. As a children's book authors, it's also the season to gear up and reconnect with students, educators, media specialists and authors. I edited and added new content for this first of a five-part series (accessible now by clicking on the titles below) about authors in the classroom. You'll find tips from my years in the classroom and advice from other writers and teachers for moving your author school visit to the head of the class.
After two decades behind the chalkboard with kids or on the podium with adults, I was still nervous about venturing into elementary schools for a KidLit author visit.
It was a tall order: get students excited about reading, wow teachers and librarians with dynamite learning experiences, and generate interest in my books without a hard sell. No pressure! However, after visiting 600 children in grades K-4 in three states and in three days, my confidence is back. 
I forgot how exciting it is to be in the classroom! Being with the kids is the shot of magic elixir that reminds me why I write. I am over the moon when they share their ending toFinding Fuzzy. And I melt into a puddle when a shy first grader pulls out a notebook to show me her stories. I wish I had more time to encourage them all.
In this first of four posts about authors in the classroom, I walk you through a five-stage process, from pre-visit to follow up, to offer ideas to add to your writerly tool kit.
Tips for Kid Lit Author School Visits
Part 1 of a 4-part series PART 2: Kid Lit Pros Share Their Top School Visit Tips PART 3: Five Tips for Photographing Kids in the Classroom PART 4: Giveaways on a Shoestring Budget
2. BEFORE THE VISIT
Confirm expectations
Save angst down the road by establishing mutual expectations from the start. It’s fine to deviate, but it’s wise to have a starting point.
Giveaways Create, produce giveaways (bookmarks, rack cards, etc.) on a shoestring budget.
Stay Tuned ...
More about budget-friendly giveaways in part 4 of this school visit series. 
School art designed around computer parts
 Cat ears, stuffies help kids role play story endings
3. DURING THE VISIT Arrive early Have directions in hand and on GPS (because you will be nervous and/or stuck in traffic), and check in at the front office to wait for someone to show you around. Bring extra copies Bring EVERYTHING....books, business cards, giveaways, etc. (More about giveaways later in this series). Have back-ups on a portable usb drive or Dropbox/Google Drive folder if you’re projecting visuals. I print out 8x10 copies of my presentation to use in a pinch. A list of materials to bring helps me, too, because travel trauma and adrenalin usually kick in, and I lose track. Check the tech If you use own or the school’s AV equipment, make sure those gadgets are loaded and working. I always arrive early and ask for an on-site AV person to help with set up and test. Seek the library/media center Librarians (nowadays called media specialists) are an author's best friend: be sure to meet him or her, and donate a signed copy of your book to the library. Connect with kids Get the group in your corner right away through a personal connections. Share a story about your writerly journey:
I wasn't sure about role playing with K-3 kids, but after consulting with teachers, we settled on a ‘controlled’ role play: I played Mama Cat, a character from my book, and teachers selected children to interact with me 1:1. It was a huge hit with the students and a total joy for me.
Channel wiggles and giggles
Manage behaviors
Thanks for raising your hand. Awesome answer. Snap Photos
Third-grader writes her story ending for "Finding Fuzzy"
Stay tuned ...
More about photography in part 3 of this series when author, illustrator, and professional photographer Carmela Dutra shares secrets for taking your school visit photography to the next level.  Kindergarteners draw story endings
4. CLOSE
Say Thanks Don't laugh. You will be so excited that you may forget! Before leaving, remember to thank students and staff. Energy and enthusiasm is highest at the close, so this is also the perfect time to let them know you welcome a return visit. Include Your Call to Action An author visit isn’t a hard sell event, but it's a chance to build relationships and find readers. I ask students, with the help of an adult, to send me drawings, story ideas, and photos of them reading my books. My giveaways include urls to sell sites and social media, so I direct follow up with me there. I especially encourage adult subscribers to my newsletter. (Note: In the USA, children under 13 years old cannot legally subscribe to an online newsletter.)
5. FOLLOW UP
Almost done! Just like a job interview, demonstrating appreciation after the event goes a long way to augment your standing as a professional and keep your presence in the forefront. After each visit, I send an e-note of thanks to my sponsors and school staff, including a link to a video I create from visit photos. I use free, user-friendly software, such as i-movie or the Animoto app to make the videos. The video showcases photos taken during my visit as well as illustrations from my book illustrations and author links supporting my call to action. Congratulations! You finished your first round. Now sit back and relax. But don't rest too long. It's already time to start planning your next school visits. The next blog posts in this series may help, so stay tuned. Coming Next in this Blog Series PART 2: Kid Lit Authors Share Their Top School Visit Tips PART 3: Five Tips for Photographing Kidsin the Classroom PART 4: How do these school visit learnings work for you? Join the conversation in the comment section below.
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My brain is about to explode. In my quest as an Indie author to stay on budget with a quality product, I uber-researched ways to create illustrated chapter e-books for kids. I want go digital to expand my market and use low-cost e-books to entice readers and build book discoverability.  Photo: ThinkStock I published two print chapter books for early readers on Amazon that contain color illustrations. But I was bedeviled trying to convert them into digital format across platforms (Kindle, Apple) because the DIY quality of that digital conversion just isn't there. In the past eight months, I have gone through two graphic designers to wrestle Amazon’s formatting technology and a coding guru who finally helped me create an ePub doc. Thus after great toil and tribulation, Sweet T and the North Wind is finally on Amazon as an e-book for $.99 US. However, it shouldn’t have taken a gazillion hours to create an ebook, right? Currently, I’m exploring cost-effective DIY e-book options, such as Apple’s iAuthor and Amazon’s newly released Kids' Book Creator software, to turn my Finding Fuzzy You-Decide tale into an e-book. I asked for help from today’s guest blogger, writer and self-publishing guru Catherine Ryan Howard. Her wit and knowledge I find on her blog are great sources for inspiration on my writerly journey. She responds to my question about KidLit e-books below. Check out her new book, Self-Printed, The Sane Person's Guide to Self-Publishing, too. Cat’s Question: Can you suggest ways, sources, etc. to get quality conversion of printed books with illustrations into digital format across multiple e-reader platforms? Catherine's Answer: I wouldn't be an expert in illustrated e-books, but there's two ways I know of to achieve a full color, high-quality fixed-format layout, which is what you're after. (Essentially you need things to stay in place - the text on page 3 has to be opposite the illustration on page 4, etc.). The DIY method is to use Blurb.com, better know for their absolutely GORGEOUS coffee table POD books, which I have used to make amazing presents for big birthdays, milestones, etc. I love that company. Alternatively you could go to a company like eBookPartnership that will create and distribute your fixed format e-book for you. I really don't know what a graphic designer would've done for you - what you need is an expert e-book builder. What the average self-publisher would do - go to Amazon KDP and Smashwords - is just a waste of time for you. What I would say though, Cat, is that this is going to cost money. Are you sure there's a market for this before you begin, as in are you sure you're going to be able to sell these as e-books to the parents of K-3 children? I'd make sure before I spend the cash. Catherine Ryan Howard is a writer, self-publisher and caffeine enthusiast from Cork, Ireland. SELF-PRINTED: THE SANE PERSON'S GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING (3rd edition) is out now in paperback and e-book and available from Amazon. Follow the #selfprintedsplash on Twitter and/or visit www.catherineryanhoward.com for chance to win an amazing prize that will get your self-publishing adventure started! “SELF-PRINTED is my self-publishing bible. It taught me how to format, create and upload my e-books and print-on-demand paperbacks. It showed me practical things such as how to build a website/blog and how to promote my books. More importantly, it taught me how to compete with the professionals. Just look at the results - The Estate Series has sold nearly 100,000 copies and following that I got a traditional book deal with Thomas & Mercer too, so I’m now a hybrid author. Jam-packed full of hints and tips all in one place, I’m always referring back to it. In a word, it’s priceless.” – Mel Sherratt, author of The Estate Series and DS Allie Shenton Series What do you think about Indie KidLit e-book creation or technology? Please weigh in on the comments section.
Click below to deliver Social Media 101 to your RSS feed.  Writing headlines for social media bedevils me.  Photo: Pixabay I must toss rules of print writing for punchy openers that grab search engines. And though it gives me sleepless nights, I insert the cyber-preferred second-person voice, you - GASP! --- a huge no-no from my days as a college writing coach, where professors deducted points for every ‘you’ found in papers they graded.  Advanced Marketing Institute Then I stumble on the Headline Analyzer, a FREE gem of an online tool from the Advanced Marketing Institute. I don’t know much about this organization, other than I love how its analyzer tool measures my headline's likelihood of click-throughs and shares. This tool is based on an Emotional Marketing Value (EMV): words measuring three areas that engage people:
Here’s how the analyzer helped me find an effective title to for this post.
Boo. An EMV of just 11% (see below). I'm so hosed.  First attempt using Headline Analyzer I stress out when I read studies about writing headlines like the one reported in The Guardian. Eight words max. OK. Odd numbers are better. Huh? Colons (not of the human intestinal kind) are magical. Really? Yikes! I need help!
And now that you know how to write powerful social media titles with this handy tool, may the headlines be forever in your favor. TAKE-AWAYS: To learn more... Check out this comprehensive post for writing effective headlines for tweets, emails, and blogs by social media guru Kevan Lee, Content Creator for Buffer Social. Blogger Amy Lynn Andrews also shares a dandy blog content generator you can use to stimulate ideas for blog topics and titles. P.S. We're all on this writing journey together, so please join the conversation in the comment section. What do you use for writing social media headlines? And if you tried the headline analyzer, how did it work for you? Click below to deliver Social Media 101 to your RSS feed. |
CAT MICHAELSThe writing journey is a long one. And with all that social media and technology in the mix, it's easy to feel overloaded. To make it easier, I share angst-saving tips found along my way. I'm still learning, so please join me. Let's travel this writing journey and learn together. 
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