Hello! My name is Crystal Bowman and I have been writing books for almost 30 years. I broke into publishing in 1993 by self-publishing a collection of humorous poems for children to compliment my school programs. I teach poetry workshops in the classrooms and entertain larger groups by sharing my poems, stories, and the ideas behind them. I send order forms home with the kids and it’s a formula that works. In the first two years, I sold 10,000 copies of my book, Cracks in the Sidewalk. Since then I have written more than 100 books for children, 4 nonfiction books for women, and have contributed to numerous compilation books. I also write for Clubhouse Jr magazine.
When I visit elementary schools, at least one student will tell me, “I see your name in my piano books.” That’s because I write lyrics for children’s piano music and many of my songs are in Piano Adventures by Randall and Nancy Faber.
I have written for most of the major Christian publishing houses and am currently writing for Tyndale, Kregel, Our Daily Bread, Worthy, and Zonderkidz.
Marketing has changed a lot through the years and now social media is the place to be. I have a website, two Facebook pages, and Instagram. I also contribute monthly to 4 different blogs to broaden my exposure.
On a personal note, my husband and I are currently living in Michigan, which is where we grew up and raised our kids. We spent 14 glorious years in Florida but moved back home two years ago. I miss the ocean and sunshine, but we have 3 grandkids near us and seeing them warms me enough to tolerate the cold temps. My daughter, who also co-authors many of my books, lives in TX with her hubby and two little cowboys. I have another son whose family lives near D.C., so I have fun places to visit.
I absolutely love leading workshops at writers’ conferences and meeting one-on-one with writers. There is so much to learn in this crazy world of publishing, so I enjoy sharing what I have learned through the years to help others.
Attending a writers’ conference is one of the best investments you can make in your writing journey. It will help to connect you to editors, agents, published authors, and other writers who are trying to learn as much as they can. If you are thinking about attending the WELL, think of it as a stepping stone to reaching your writing goals. Please come!
I’ll see you at the WELL!