Launching in time for Halloween.
FLIP IT – READ IT.
Readers fell in love with the first Creative Kids Tales Story Collection published in 2017, and we know you will enjoy this compilation just as much. Whether you enjoy stories filled with magic or ones that give you goosebumps, there is something for everyone in this collection.
Thirty-five of Creative Kids Tales authors and illustrators have crafted 74 stories, verse and illustrations to enchant and thrill you.
The Creative Kids Tales Story Collection 2 was compiled by Creative Kids Tales Founder and Editor, Georgie Donaghey.
Check out this great trailer created by Lilly Pilly Publishing. Thanks, Julieann.
There will be launches happening all over the country. Keep a look out on the Creative Kids Tales Network Facebook Group for launch information in your area.
The Sydney launch will be held at Harry Hartog Bookseller (Miranda) on Saturday, 26 October 2019 from 2:30pm - 3:30pm.
Shop 1107 Westfield MirandaVisit the Facebook event page for more information: www.facebook.com/events/415143835775170
Last month we hinted about a BIG announcement.
We’ll be sharing more information with you very soon. We are just crossing our t’s and dotting our i’s before we shout our new initiative out to the world.
Stay tuned…
Congratulations, Madeleine Watson who gave the winning answer for Question 1.
In 30 words or less, tell us the most beneficial information you have sourced from the CKT site or services and explain how it has helped your writing.
I love reading about yours and other authors publishing journeys. It helps me to stay motivated and reminds me that publishing in this industry is a long game. Madeleine Watson
Also...
Congratulations, Natalie Ward who gave the winning answer for Question 2.
What would you like us to include on the CKT website and explain why this would be beneficial to you?
I would love read stories of rejection. The competitions authors didn’t win, the manuscripts met with silence. Too often we champion success without normalising the struggle that often comes first. Natalie Ward
Here’s what the winners will receive.
Winners can choose from either a Picture Book Manuscript Assessment (valued at $99).
OR
Can trade-in the PB Manuscript Assessment and upgrade it to our Author Personal Training. All they need do is pay the difference between the two services.
Thanks to all those who entered our Happy 100! Competition.
This month we welcome the Australian Society of Authors (ASA).
The ASA is the professional association for Australia's authors and illustrators. They provide advocacy, support and advice for authors and illustrators in matters relating to their professional practice. Formed in 1963 as the organisation to promote and protect the rights of Australia's authors and illustrators. The organisation established Public Lending Right in 1975 and Educational Lending Right in 2000.
We hope you enjoy this new featured guest as introduced by Fiona Lloyd.
Our featured emerging author of the month is June Perkins.
June Perkins is a creative writer for children and adults living in Brisbane.
She is passionate about poetry, music, stories, environment, and art, which reflect multiculturalism. She also adores stories, reading, writing, digital storytelling, video, song writing and photography.
June’s latest work can be found in the Creative Kids Tales Story Collection 2, out now.
We continue to welcome new emerging authors and illustrators to our family.
You can tick all the above with a Creative Kids Tales membership.
For only $40 per year for a standard profile or $60 if you want a combined author/illustrator profile, you can promote yourself on an industry recognised Australian website that is viewed by Australian and International audiences.
Take that next step and make this year, YOUR year.
For information about becoming a Creative Kids Tales emerging author or illustrator, please email:
If you have wondered about what goes on at writer’s conferences that’s classified! Only joking! They are loads of fun and essential networking opportunities for both emerging and published authors. It was at a NSW Writers’ Kids & YA Festival where my writing life took an extraordinary turn that led me on the path that I am on today.
My advice would be to research the one best suited to your writing and try and attend at least one a year. You will find the benefits far out way the ticket price.
For festivals, writing workshops and opportunities to network with other writerly folk around Australia visit our Upcoming Events page.
Don’t forget you can read about my various conference experiences on our Conference Wrap Up page.
Have you had a chance to check out our new Tools of the Trade page?
This page will be a continual work in progress adding useful resources such as software tools, tutorials and E-Workshops that will help you on your writing or illustrating journey.
If you have found or know of a tool that has helped with your writing or illustrating we would love to hear about it. We might just add it to our Tools of the Trade page.
You can download all of our free Creative Kids Tales Anthologies from Smashwords.
Be sure to download our NEW 2017 Creative Kids Tales Anthology; Wings, Superheroes and Determination from Smashwords.
Look out for more competition opportunities next year.
We are adding tips from the experts to our ‘Top Tips’ page all the time.
Did you ever want to know what advice your favourite Australian author lives by?
Here you will find Top Tips from the cream of Australian children’s literature.
Enjoy!
In 2015 we launched the Creative Kids Tales YouTube channel. Included are audio interviews with authors and illustrators from my time on The Author’s Shelf, plus an interview with Wendy Orr that never made it to air. While my Creative Kids Tales and writing commitments no longer allow me the time to bring you a fortnightly radio show, I will bring you special interviews from time to time on our YouTube channel. We’ve added three more interviews with Morris Gleitzman, Mem Fox and Tristan Bancks.
Each audio interview has been matched with a slideshow of photos and book covers of the corresponding author/illustrator. The great thing about having an audio file/podcast, is you can listen to our interviews anywhere like on the bus, the train, while gardening, or even relaxing in the bath. However you choose to listen, we thank you and hope you find them informative and inspiring.
For information about becoming a Creative Kids Tales emerging author or illustrator, please email:
We always love to hear what you think about our website. After all, we are here to help you on your journey to publication.
We’ll accept all forms of feedback. Don’t be afraid to tell us what you think.
If you have any suggestions for the website, we’ll listen to them too.
That’s all from us this month. Enjoy!
Happy writing!
'I’m thrilled to be Creative Kids Tales author of the month.' 'I hope in some small way by me taking part, I might help and inspire young authors and artists to follow their own artistic path.' 'The key I believe is to seek to enjoy what you do. Even though doing your best is a constant challenge I find it is a worthwhile one. So, get drawing and / or writing.' Good luck ! - www.leighhobbs.com.au
"What a wonderful website and wealth of resources. I wish I’d discovered it sooner - but I can still enjoy it now, and have added it to my list of resources for new writers."
"Keep it up, Georgie!" - www.wendyorr.com
'CKT is informative, relevant, recent and fun! It’s an exceptional resource for anyone involved in children’s literature.'
'Creative Kids Tales has inspired, encouraged and supported not only the published, but also us hopefuls still learning the ways of the publishing world. Thanks for providing not only an amazing site to scroll and learn through, but also providing friendship and a real sense of chasing our dreams.' - gardenbabyfaeries.webs.com
'Creative Kids Tales is a lovely online meeting space brimming with support and ideas for writers.'
'Creative Kids Tales is ambitious, specific and professional - the Top Tips section alone is a must-read for every aspiring children's writer.' - jackheath.com.au
'Thanks for being such a strong advocate for children’s literature, the power of stories, and reading.
Keep fighting the good fight and call on me anytime.'
www.tristanbancks.com
'Creative Kids Tales is great. You can pick the brains of people who make stuff without having to stalk them or do anything illegal.' - www.aaronblabeybooks.com
Creative Kids Tales offers a brilliant platform for established and emerging creators to keep in touch and learn from each other. That is a great thing for this most isolated of all professions (apart from On-site Antarctic Penguin Imitators). - www.terrydenton.com
'Creative Kids Tales contributes a wonderful sense of community to the Australian kids’ book scene, from sharing insightful interviews, to writing competitions and now a conference. It’s a great organisation to follow online and be a part of!'
'I stumbled on to Creative Kids Tales by accident. I thought it was kid's tails. I'd been doing some research about goats and how their tails were actually a fifth leg, a very long time ago. Or did I just dream that? In any case, I was bitterly disappointed at first to find not tails, but tales. However, while I was at the site I had a wander around, and soon discovered that it was even better than a goat's site - no kidding! This is a brilliant haven for writers, new and not so new; a place to showcase their work and to learn from others.' Well done, Georgie. You've done a fantastic job. - www.enterprisingwords.com.au
'Wow! Creative Kids Tales is a fantastic resource for writers, no matter what stage of their writing journey they are at. Congratulations, Georgie, on your attractive, easy-to-navigate website, your generosity to your fellow writers and your constantly evolving ideas. Thanks on behalf of all of us.' - wendyblaxland.com
'Creative Kids tales is the perfect place to go for inspiration and to recharge the creative batteries.'
'Wow! What a wonderful resource.
Congrats to everyone involved with Creative Kids Tales.'
georgeivanoff.com.au
'Having been a publisher and an author and now proprietor of Pinerolo, the Children’s Book Cottage, I am passionate about promoting children’s books. Creative Kids Tales is such a welcome part of this network and I salute them for their support and their inspiration to so many. On their seventh birthday I wish them many, many happy returns.'
'Creative Kids Tales is a brilliant resource – for established writers and those just starting out. I wish it had been around when I was a new writer. There are lots of invaluable tips and great advice.
Congratulations Georgie – it’s fabulous.' - jacquelineharvey.com.au
'Buckets of thanks to Georgie for creating Creative Kids Tales. There’s a wealth of wonderful information and resources for everyone interested in creating books for kids – and a warm sense of community.'
www.meredithcostain.com
"Whether just starting out or with many books under your belt, Creative Kids Tales is the perfect place to go for all things writerly. Sharing the inner world is a wonderful thing for solitary writers, and it's all there on Georgie's website.
Happy reading!" - tashibooks.com
'Creative Kids Tales is a treasure trove of resources and insights, compiled with dedication and enthusiasm. A wonderful resource for anyone who is interested in picture books and children's literature.' - sarah-davis.org
'It's about time that we had something like Creative Kids Tales. It's a treasure trove for information and news, plus it showcases talent from aspiring writers. It's a wonderful springboard for anyone who wants to dive into the Children books world!'
Keep up the fabtastic work! - www.oliverwriter.com
'Creative Kids Tales is a fantastic resource for aspiring writers that showcases emerging and published authors and illustrators and provides links to publishers' websites, helpful hints and competitions.'
'I love the grumpy cat videos, hahaha it's so grumpy ... oh, wait, wrong website. Ah yes, Creative Kids Tales. Brilliant! Getting published is an amazing, frustrating, brilliant, lonely, creative journey, and www.creativekidstales.com.au is awesome in that it helps both published and pre-published authors by providing support, inspiration, a community, and by allowing authors to learn from other authors, and who better is there to learn from .. .except maybe that grumpy cat, hahaha, hilarious.' - www.adam-wallace-books.com
'The long-distance marathon of writing, illustrating and publishing usually begins along a very foggy road, in the dark, shoeless. But wait! What's that light on the horizon? A glowing little cafe, full of a bunch other runners plotting out mud-maps on napkins and exchanging anecdotes, warning about ditches and praising short-cuts. Stop for a while, have a cup of tea, maybe even a shoe-fitting, then get yourself back on the road for the long slog to sunrise.' - www.shauntan.net
'Congratulations on a brilliant site, and a superb first year!'.
Jackie French is Australian Children's Laureate for 2014 – 2015
www.jackiefrench.com
'Once you find an easily-accessible, up-to-date and vibrant source of writing help and encouragement, you should value it and use it! Thanks to Creative Kids Tales, that’s all available, just with the tap of your finger: www.creativekidstales.com.au
Well done, CKT team!' - janeenbrian.com
'The Creative Kids Tales site is great fun and full of information about authors and their books!' - www.isobellecarmody.net
'If a website can be described as 'homely' or 'a friendly place for emerging writers to visit' then that's how I would describe Creative Kids Tales. It's probably the only Australian website for children's writers that I visit regularly and actually feel part of. When I need motivation, interesting writers to read about, or just a peek at my own 'baby steps' towards being a published writer, I visit the Creative Kids Tales family.' A big thank you to Georgie and Rod for a great website. - www.patsimmonswriter.com.au
'Creative Kids Tales will jump-start adults seeking to become writers!' - www.wimpykid.com
'Creative Kids Tales is such a great website for navigating this industry – not just for authors and illustrators, but for parents and teachers and librarians and publishers and kids and storytellers of all sorts. It’s awesome!' - www.julesfaber.com
'Creative Kids Tales offers new writers the joy of publication on their journey of craft and creativity.'
'It’s a warm and wonderful home.'
www.sgervay.com
'This is a great website. Nowadays, when getting published is so hard and staying published not much easier, everyone needs all the help they can get. And here's Help with a capital H!' 'Go Georgie! Creative Kids Tales is an inspiration for all writers of children's and YA fiction.' - www.richardharland.net
'Creative Kids Tales is a fabulous community of passionate, hardworking and committed writers. If you're looking for new and exciting talent that's dedicated to the children's book industry - look no further than CKT!'
'Creative Kids Tales deserves all its accolades. Thanks to its creator, the site provides brilliant support, inspiration and encouragement for anyone who loves creating children's books. I have no hesitation in passing on your link.'
Well done, Georgie! - www.sherylgwyther.net
'Creative Kids Tales provides such a valuable service. Writing can be a lonely business at times, and seeking publication can be daunting. So it is especially wonderful for writers to be able to access such a comprehensive site where information, experiences and the ups and downs of writing for kids can be shared.' Well done, Georgie! - www.suewhiting.com
'CKT is like the friendly and helpful colleague I could have done with when I started out. Back then I didn’t know anyone who was a writer or illustrator of books.'
'This site is such a wonderful resource for writers and illustrators at every stage of the journey. I've learned more about some of my favourite people in children's literature here, but also had the joy of discovering whole new worlds of talent.' - annabranford.com
'Thanks for having me on Creative Kids Tales. It's a great resource for emerging writers and illustrators and I hope it will have a long future.'
www.sallyrippin.com
'Creative Kids Tales is a great forum for people who spend most of their working time alone. It is interesting and inspiring to see and hear what other authors and illustrators have to say.' - www.maisyfun.com
'CKT is such a valuable site for anybody wanting to learn a bit more about making children’s books. When time travelling becomes possible, I’ll steal all the info from this site and deliver it to my younger, aspiring self.'
'Everything you need is here, on Creative Kids Tales! Oh, how wonderful this would have been for the young Emma Quay, knowing she loved children’s picture books but not knowing a soul in the industry. Down to earth, comprehensive, friendly, realistic and encouraging advice — this is an invaluable resource. Bravo!' - www.emmaquay.com
'Creative Kids Tales would’ve been mighty handy to know about back when I was sitting about drawing and writing and having no idea what to do with any of it! Go explore and create knowing you have such an amazing resource at your back!'
'Creative Kids Tales is an awesome resource you should totally check it out.' - raspratt.com
'What a great site! We all tend to work in isolation in our own little caves. It’s great to see all the other cave dwellers out there and realise we are not alone. What a great resource!'
'I would have loved to have had access to creativekidstales.com.au when I was starting out! It's an invaluable source of information, inspiration and encouragement for both emerging (and fully-emerged!) writers.' - www.andygriffiths.com.au
'The thing I like about the Creative Kids Tales website is that the authors come across as real people who face the same problems that beginning writers do and that there’s plenty of practical advice.' - www.duncanball.com.au
'What can I say? Well if you have clicked this far and uncovered these words you KNOW that this (Creative Kids Tales) is a terrific resource full of ideas and connections.
SO dig deeper and get connected!' - www.chrischeng.com
'It's easy to feel alone when writing, and clueless about what happens next. Creative Kids Tales offers answers and community - invaluable resources.'
'Georgie and the team at Creative Kids Tales have a wonderful passion for children’s stories, and this site is a wonderful place to visit to find and share ideas!
Well done guys!' - www.nick-falk.com
'The details available on this site, for emerging writers (or those emerged) is incredibly helpful. From creating stories- plotting, dialogue and character building- to the support writers can seek for their work, be it mentoring or seeking a publisher, it’s all there. An excellent easy-to-access writers’ site!'
Writing can be a lonely profession. By necessity, you need to work alone much of the time. But it is wonderful to have a website which eases that by connecting creators with each other and with a wealth of information and resources.
Bravo! - sallymurphy.com.au
'Creative Kids Tales is a unique and valuable online resource for new and established authors. The site provides a wealth of information and insight into the children's writing world.' 'Thanks for all your support, Georgie, and keep up the good work.' - www.aleesahdarlison.com
'What a wonderful website Creative Kids Tales is, supporting and helping Australian authors in their quest through the dark thorny forest of the publishing world. Georgie should be congratulated for all her hard work and fearless leadership!' - www.kateforsyth.com.au
'If there's anything emerging authors struggle with (beyond the dreaded writer's block), it's receiving recognition or even acknowledgment of their work – battling for a slice of that incredibly elusive publishing pie. Georgie Donaghey has created a priceless promotional and networking station that allows new authors to not only share their work, but gain the courage and nous to take their work to a whole new level. Creative Kids Tales is a valuable addition to Australia's burgeoning children's book market.' - www.taniamccartney.com
'What a great asset you are to the children's book industry, Georgie.
Long may Creative Kids Tales rule!'
www.paulcollins.com.au
'CKT is a great resource for both established and emerging authors. I like the way you're always coming up with new and exciting initiatives at your site. And I love reading the fascinating journeys and achievements of the writers you profile here.' - www.deescribe.com.au
'Emerging from one's chrysalis of anonymity into the prodigious world of creative children's writing and publishing is a daunting prospect. Georgie Donaghey's Creative Kids Tales is a superlative source of inspiration and information for the bourgeoning writer and illustrator. She has created an invaluable platform from which writers, both developing and established, can view, promote and share each other's work, and most importantly aspirations. A fun, friendly, and informative forum that everyone in the kids' lit industry can benefit from.' Keep it up Georgie! - dimswritestuff.blogspot.com.au
'Congratulations to Georgie Donaghey for her hard work and enthusiasm in setting up a site that has been sorely needed to promote current Australian children's writing. Not just for the established, but for up and coming, Creative Kids Tales showcases talent and provides information essential for anyone in the industry.' - www.enterprisingwords.com.au
What a terrific, enthusiastic, informative and creative resource - of value and interest to so many people.
I'm delighted to be a part of it.
ursuladubosarsky.squarespace.com
'Georgie Donaghey’s Creative Kids Tales is deservedly going gangbusters! What a wonderful forum and multi-storeyed resource for shiny new authors, legends of the industry and every writer in between!'
dcgreenyarns.blogspot.com.au
'I wish Creative Kids Tales had been around when I was first starting out! What a brilliant way to connect with other authors and find out about the lovely world of kids books.' 'Go Georgie! I think you're amazing.' - www.deborahabela.com
Copyright Information
All content on this website remains the copyrighted property of the author/illustrator or Creative Kids Tales and may not be reproduced, copied or distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. Should you wish to use any content from our site, please contact for further information.
Date: Saturday 26th October 2019
Time: 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Location:
Shop 1107 Westfield MirandaThere will be launches happening all over the country. Keep a look out on the Creative Kids Tales Network Facebook Group for launch information in your area.
Visit the Facebook event page for more information: www.facebook.com/events/415143835775170
