Penny’s Two Cents

One-on-One Q & A
Small-Group Q & A
Package: Manuscript Feedback + Video Chats
Two Cent Topics: Small-Group Webinars + Q & A 

Do you have questions about writing for children and getting published? I don’t claim to have it all figured out, but I’m happy to share my Two Cents based on what I’ve learned and continue to learn on my journey as an author. My focus is fiction and nonfiction picture books.

I offer video chat sessions, small-group webinars, and packages. Packages include general/big picture feedback on a picture book manuscript. In my feedback I’ll note the strengths of your manuscript and the places I feel need work. This does not include in-line comments, but I’m very thorough with my general feedback.

We’ll chat via Zoom. (I’m open to other options such as Skype, Google Hangouts, phone.)

I accept payment via PayPal or Venmo. I will send an invoice once you’re on the schedule. Do NOT send payment before you receive your invoice.
***To avoid fees, please use PayPal Friends and Family instead of Goods and Services. (If you use Goods and Services, I’ll bill you for the fee.)
PayPal
Venmo

Contact me HERE to check availability and to schedule. *I will send an invoice once you’re on the schedule. Do NOT send payment before you receive your invoice. 

Q & A Chats

I offer one-on-one chats as well as group chats. Both allow the participant/s the unique opportunity to ask questions particular to their own writing journey/s. A group setting offers a different dynamic as participants’ questions spark new questions and expand the learning opportunity for the entire group.

30-Minute Chat — One-on-One only: $20

1-Hour Chat — One-on-One or Group: $40
***(Limited to six people)

1 1/2-Hour Chat — Group only: $60
***(Limited to ten people)

Note: When booking a group chat, it’s up to you to gather a group and find times that work for the group. Then I’ll work with you to find time in my schedule. The cost will be divided equally between participants unless you indicate otherwise.

Contact me HERE to check availability and to schedule. *I will send an invoice once you’re on the schedule. Do NOT send payment before you receive your invoice.

 

Packages: General Feedback on a Manuscript + One-on-One Chats

You’ll receive written feedback. You can chat about your feedback or use chats for Q & A. 

One 30-Minute Chat + General/Big-Picture Feedback on one picture book manuscript 750 words or under: $100

Three 30-Minute Chats + General/Big-Picture Feedback on one picture book manuscript 750 words or under: $125

One 30-Minute Chat + General/Big-Picture Feedback on one picture book manuscript 751-1000 words: $135

Three 30-Minute Chats + General/Big-Picture Feedback on one picture book manuscript 751 to 1000 words: $150

***For longer manuscripts, contact me HERE. 

Contact me HERE to check availability and to schedule. *I will send an invoice once you’re on the schedule. Do NOT send payment before you receive your invoice.

 

Two-Cents Topics: Small-Group or Pre-Recorded Webinars

Take advantage of Two-Cents Topics in a couple of ways.

1. Live webinars are available for small groups: $15 per person.

A small-group webinar offers a different dynamic than a large-group webinar. Fewer participants should allow for a beefier Q & A experience that will extend the learning experience. ***You must have a minimum of four people to book a live webinar. You may have up to fifteen people.

Small group webinars are presented in Zoom video meeting format.  Webinars last 1 hour and 15 minutes which includes time for Q&A. 

Note: When booking a small-group webinar, it’s up to you to gather a group and find times that work for the group. Then I’ll work with you to find time in my schedule. (I know things happen so if someone can’t attend the live session, they’ll have access to a replay for 30 days.)

2. Recorded webinars: $20
15-minute one-on-one Q & A Chat Add-on: $10
This option allows you to watch the webinar when it best fits your schedule. You may add-on a 15-minute video chat Q & A if you like. You’ll have access to the recording for 30 days. Even though the Q & A time in a small-group webinar is especially beneficial since questions from others spark new questions, some people will find this a more convenient option. 

Contact me HERE to check availability and to schedule. *I will send an invoice once you’re on the schedule or have requested a recorded webinar. Do NOT send payment before you receive your invoice.

Two-Cents Webinar Topics

  • Writing in Rhyme-Gettin’ on Your Goldilocks: From Not Quite to Just Right—In this webinar, I’ll discuss common reasons that rhyming manuscripts are rejected. Then I’ll share the steps I took to go from “Not Quite to Just Right!” and land a contract. Although I discuss the importance of meter along with the importance of other elements in a rhyming picture book, this is not a webinar about the intricacies of meter. 

  • Poetic Techniques in Rhyming and Prose Picture Books—In this webinar, I will give pointers for using poetic techniques to create vivid imagery and lyrical language, while staying aware of the important balance between story and language. Through examples, I’ll show how the use of simile, metaphor, personification, repetition, alliteration, and rhythm can create stories that have that re-readability factor that all writers strive for.

  • Using a Mentor a Text as an Interactive Revision Tool—In this webinar, I’ll share how I use mentor texts as an interactive revision tool. Adding this technique to my writer’s toolbox has been key to my revision process.

Other’s Two Cents
(About Penny’s Two Cents 😉 )

I enjoy chatting with writers about character, plot, arc, rhyme, poetic techniques, revision, agents, editors, art notes, writing process, and more. I love sharing resources that I’ve used along my journey and discussing how and why they’ve benefited (and still benefit) me.

Here’s what some of them had to say after our chat.

“I really appreciated that thoughtful and insightful manuscript feedback that Penny gave. Line edits can be great for troubleshooting a specific problem but her general feedback was helpful for honing my craft as a writer. Being able to talk with her afterward and get more details about her feedback gave me a new lens through which to view all my manuscripts – not just the one I had sent. Being able to follow up with questions made the feedback infinitely more valuable.”
Package: General Feedback on a Manuscript + Chats

“I really appreciated Penny being so open about her own experiences during our sessions. From the kidlit resources she used ten years ago to the ones she continues to find invaluable, I have so many new tools in my writing kit. Learning more about how she organizes her notes, drafts, and research was enlightening. Even if a specific strategy wasn’t the best fit for the way my brain works, it sparked new ideas and got me thinking outside of the box in ways I hadn’t before.” 
Package: General Feedback on a Manuscript + Chats

“Penny is wonderful! I walked away from our talk feeling more aware and prepared for the author road ahead of me. Thank you again!” 
Small-Group Q & A

“The group chat was a really exciting opportunity for my online critique group. I try to keep up on webinars and author and editor blog posts but it was so exciting and helpful to be able to ask questions that were specific to our writing journeys. And to be able to ask questions that people don’t always answer in blog posts! Our conversation sparked new questions which sparked new conversations. We’ve had follow up conversations within our critique group and shared revisions based on what we learned in our conversation with Penny. Her two cents is priceless.” 
Small-Group Q & A

“Penny’s video chat was like meeting up for coffee with an author. I loved being able to sit and listen to her, and I loved having the chance to ask her questions “face-to-face.” She was a delight!”   
Small-Group Q & A