Thanks to Writer's Digest for including my site in their 101 Best Websites For Writers list!

Thanks to Writer's Digest for including Inkygirl.com in their annual list of best websites for writers again! So honored. What they said:

"Artist and children's book author Debbie Ridpath Ohi is perhaps best known for illustrating award-winning children's books (including several for Judy Blume), but her online presence is equally vibrant. At Inkygirl, she couples writerly inspiration with adorably endearing doodles - you can spend hours browsing without even realizing it."

Thanks also to Dee Romito for the heads-up in her Twitter feed at @writeforapples; I had missed seeing this news!

My podcast interview on WritersMarket about writing and illustrating children's books

Thanks to Robert Lee Brewer and Brian Klems of Writer's Digest for inviting me to be on their new WritersMarket.com podcast! I talked about how I started writing and illustrating books for young people, what I've learned so far, my middle grade novel, meeting Judy Blume, how much I love illustrating Michael Ian Black's stories for kids, board gaming, musical instruments and much more.

I was nervous but ended up having a lot of fun; both Robert and Brian are such nice guys. I used to work with both Robert and Brian for Writer's Digest (a daily publishing news column as well as articles for the magazine) and I hope to finally meet them in person someday!

Link: How To Be A Children's Book Author & Illustrator With Debbie Ridpath Ohi on the WritersMarket.com podcast.

Inkygirl named one of WD's Top 101 Websites For Writers

Thanks to Writer's Digest for including my website Inkygirl.com in their list of 101 Best Websites For Writers! I haven't seen the full list yet but just got the congrats letter. List is in the most recent issue of the magazine. Congrats to all the others in the list!

See MY INTERVIEW in the 2014 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market, yay! (and what I wish I could tell my younger self)

The 2014 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market is now on book shelves, and includes AN INTERVIEW WITH ME!!  I'm pretty thrilled. 

I've been buying this annual guide for many years, not just for the great info about children's book publishers and other markets, but also because of the excellent interviews and advice for pros in the industry….so actually being mentioned in the book as well as ON THE FRONT COVER (thanks to my friend Carolyn Dee Flores for pointing out the latter) this guide is way exciting for me.

I'm also SO flattered to be included in the blurb description about the book, especially considering the other names mentioned. An excerpt:

"Interviews with some of today's hottest authors and illustrators, including author R.L. Stine (the Goosebumps series), author Marie Lu (Legend), author Beth Revis (Across the Universe), and illustrator Debbie Ridpath (I'm Bored, written by Michael Ian Black)."

How cool is that?!?

Wish I could send that paragraph back to my younger self to help take the edge off all those rejection letters.

Anyway, thanks so much to Ricki Schultz for interviewing me and to Chuck Sambuchino for editorial guidance.

More info about the book on the Writer's Digest website.

Photo of me at I'm Bored signing courtesy Walter Korynkiewicz.

Kudos and Thanks

Thanks to the Kindergarten and 1st Grade students at Avoca West Elementary in Illinois for choosing I'M BORED as their 2013 ITC March Madness Champion. :-)

For more info about Avoca as well as winners in other categories, see this blog post. Thanks to Susan Geidner for alerting me to this news via Twitter.

Also:

Thanks to Writer's Digest for choosing Inkygirl.com as one of its 101 Best Websites For Writers in the May/June issue!

Inkygirl chosen for Writer's Digest's list of 101 Best Websites For Writers

Inkygirl.com was included in the Writer's Yearbook 2013 list of Top 101 Websites For Writers! Apparently 4,350 nominations for sites were sent in, and the Writer's Digest editorial team sifted through them to choose the final list. Thanks to all who nominated me and to Writer's Digest for choosing Inkygirl!