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Picture books are often rejected for being "overly didactic." This is a word that gets thrown around a lot by agent-and-editor types, and I know if you aren't familiar, it might sound sort of harsh and insulting (particularly since, as I said, it is normally coupled with a rejection) -- so just what does it mean when an editor or an agent says Didactic?
It isn't meant as an insult. Didactic just means "intending to teach a lesson." (The word is also kin with "moralistic" - which is of course "intending to teach a MORAL lesson.") These words can have a negative connotation (like if I were to say "my neighbor came over and hollered at me for playing rock music instead of hymns - what a moralistic jerk")... but neither of them is inherently a negative word.
They are just negative words to an agent or editor because they are so very rarely are used in the same breath as "HOT!" "HILARIOUS!" "WOW!" or "AWESOME!"
Many stories are meant to be didactic or moralistic. Fables are meant to teach a lesson (and in fact that lesson or moral is very clearly spelled out at the end!) Some nursery stories, rhymes and famous old tales are meant to teach a specific lesson. Some sorts of modern "issue books" (like HANDS ARE NOT FOR HITTING or HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES or DOG HEAVEN or MIND YOUR MANNERS, BB WOLF or even EVERYBODY POOPS) are meant to leave the audience with a specific message at the end. Some of these books are so successful at their job that they are at this point classics and will be found in nearly every bookstore or library, and stay in print for ages.
These stories definitely have their place.
That "place" is usually one shelf in the bookstore or library. Probably labeled "special issues."
While the demand for them might be consistent, it is also comparatively rather small, which means they can be tough to sell unless they are REALLY well done, and the advances may be on the low side. The exception might be for a book by a well-established author or illustrator, or something featuring an already popular character, or on a "hot topic" possibly that can break it out of niche-ville... but I digress. The point is, because the market for them is limited, I believe very few (if any) agents would ever say that they are ACTIVELY SEEKING didactic picture book texts.
So if agents aren't looking for "teachy" -- what ARE they looking for?
Stories that are intended to entertain and delight first and foremost. Punchy, funny, warm-hearted texts, preferably featuring a great, kid-friendly main character. If funny isn't your thing, hopefully you've mastered beautifully spare and elegant writing. (Even straight-up nonfiction should be a joy and a pleasure to read!)
Hey, if the character has some entertaining experience and happens to learn a lesson or two organically along the way, fine, but the book should be about the EXPERIENCE -- if the resulting lessons overpower the story, that's a problem.
And if your query SAYS the book "is meant to teach a lesson about ______", that's a huge red flag that signals amateur.
HEY! YOU THERE! PAY ATTENTION, THERE'S A NEW PINKWATER BOOK OUT:
Bushman Lives! tells the tale of Harold Knishke, an ordinary Chicago kid with a special place in his heart for
Bushman, the famed departed gorilla of the
Lincoln Park Zoo (who now lives in the Field Museum in Chicago).
After a chance encounter at the art museum, Harold decides to change his life. He's not going to be some schlub schoolkid - he's going to be a Great Artist. Also, he's going to figure out why and how he became the object of a famous folk song. Along the way he'll run into magic and mystery and some very weird people.
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Another title for this book could have been "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ape." In his
very nice BoingBoing review, Cory Doctorow wrote:
"Bushman Lives is, more than anything, a book about art, and a very good one. I'd read Pinkwater all day long even if his absurdist fairy tales were nothing more than odd little stories, but as Bushman Lives proves, Pinkwater's absurdism is a delivery system for profound and important insight that stay with you for years and decades" Here's the thing about Daniel Pinkwater's books. You have no idea what will be in them. You may know how
normal stories unfold, and often while reading you can predict what will happen next and even how the whole thing will come out. I promise you THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE.
This story will come at you from all angles like some sort of literary starburst. You'll find yourself thinking about it long after it is over. You'll realize after the fact that some of the things you found most absurd in the book are, in fact, totally true. You'll begin to see coincidences and strange occurrences everywhere around you. It may even change the way your mind works forever.
Enjoy. Have fun. Relax. Don't be too freaked out.
BUSHMAN LIVES!
I've hosted a LOT of bookstore events over the years, and while most authors do fine, there is still a lot of angst about the reading portion of the event. Authors can be shy-boots or nervous-nellies who are amazing at strutting their stuff on the page, but are afraid to read aloud in front of people.
Deep breathing helps, as does finding friendly faces in the audience and trying to talk to them, as does practicing at home. But there is also something technical you can do beforehand to make sure you are totally prepared and ready to bring the awesome.
One of the biggest problems when reading aloud is that when people are nervous and confused, they rush. If you are rushing, mumbling or fumbling, you will lose your audience. This EXCELLENT advice on slowing down was given to me by the very sensible Bella Stander, founder of Book Promotion 101. (For the record, Bella herself got this advice from her son's bar mitzvah coach. So it is not only useful, but approved by G-d!)
* Decide the section(s) you want to read ahead of time. 90% of authors seem to be seeing their books for the first time when they are asked to read. Confusion reigns - what should I read? Where should I start? What who where wha???! Remember, your goal here is to get people to buy the book, not just read it aloud to them - short and sweet is better than long and disjointed, and it's GREAT to end the section with a cliffhanger "and then what happens?" moment.
* Type this selection (or cut and paste) into a clean document. This will also give you the opportunity to edit anything you don't want to include - like if there are references to something that the audience won't understand at this point, or story spoilers. You don't want to have to interrupt your own reading to explain what so-and-so meant by such-and-such, and the audience won't know or care that you skipped a bit.
* Make the font BIG - 18 point type or so, and give each paragraph its own page. The big font and space means you'll be able to see very clearly, you'll be able to look at the audience more and keep your notes further from your face, and you'll be forced to slow down to at least go to a new page between paragraphs.
* Now take these pages and put them in plastic sleeves in a loose-leaf binder, and read from THAT. The binder and plastic sleeves mean the notes won't get mixed up and you won't have to fumble for the section you want, and it will be ready for you at a moment's notice... and use anti-glare plastic in case there's a spotlight on you at a podium.
Personally, I love it when people read a few SHORT selections, as I tend to drift off/get bored after a few minutes of straight reading. Luckily, your nifty new Reading Binder can include a variety of selections from the book. Also, if there are fans who know your work well in the audience, you might consider not just reading from the new book, but also giving a sneak peek at whatever you are working on next -- no spoilers of course, but teases can be great fun.
Now go make that binder - don't forget to breathe - and happy eventing!
I just did a stirring round of 10 Queries in 10 Tweets (this meme shamelessly stolen from the brilliant Sara Megibow) where I go through the slush pile and tweet my reaction - what the category is, if I am passing or requesting, and why.
I don't do this in "real time" exactly, so it is pointless to try and figure out if I'm talking about you specifically. (I'm not.) I sometimes conflate multiple queries and I do NOT quote directly from query letters, and if there is a point to be made that would require a quote, I invent one to prove the point. I'm not interested in shaming any writers or being snarky or making people feel personally "dissed" -- the point of the exercise is to see the general tenor of the slush pile, the ratio of requests to passes (and the amount of it that's nothing I rep, etc.) I try to be helpful. And it is just MY perspective, I cannot say what any other agents' reactions would be to the exact same query. All that said, here are my takeaways:
* I knew this already, but now it is confirmed: At least half my slush pile is stuff I don't represent or it doesn't follow query guidelines. This is a waste of my time and your own.
* It's been said before, but seriously, if you don't follow query guidelines, or you write a messy letter, you're only hurting yourself. I don't ask for much... what's the problem? Pick one agent at the agency. Put Query in the subject line. Query and first 10 pages in the body of the email. Still, many people don't paste pages in, even though we specifically ask for them. A lot of that is forgetfulness, I reckon, and I realize everyone makes mistakes. Same goes for typos - one, OK sure. More than that? Come on. This is possibly one of the more important emails you can write. Double check spelling, grammar, agent name, and that you've followed guidelines before pressing send!
* Every day I have at least one querier who makes a point of mentioning that they will not share their work unless I reach out and contact them. I guess it's like the writers version of Stranger Danger? They are afraid random agents are going to ... steal their ideas? Or something? This is my best guess. But I don't have the time or inclination to chase after you. And if you're that unclear about how publishing works, I'm afraid we probably won't be a great fit for each other anyway. I can't assess your work if you don't show it to me.
* Of the viable queries that are left, 90% are YA. The thing is, I already represent lots of amazing YA books. This means I am not "hungry" for YA and I am VERY picky. I tend to go through these teen queries very quickly and am less inclined to give a second read or request a full unless it is very much up my alley or something extremely fresh that I've not seen before. It's just chemistry, baby, you know it when you read it. (But to start: GREAT VOICE and AWESOME PREMISE, along with some combo of smarts, wit, tension, high stakes, emotion, terrific writing? Likely to get my attention.) There's a glut, which means YA queries have to really spark, or they aren't going to be requested. Seriously. In fact, I don't just want a spark, I want FIREWORKS.
* Conversely, because I get relatively few Middle Grade queries (and because I really WANT MG) - I tend to consider each MG extra-favorably. These queries very often end up in my "think about" file for a closer and more thoughtful read, and are more likely to end up as full requests. (That doesn't mean I'm taking them all on - just that I'm looking a bit harder at them and giving them an extra chance.)
Is this helpful? I don't know. What would make it more helpful?
Got ASHES cliffhanger fever? Good news - SHADOWS is here at last! Even before the EMPs brought down the world, Alex was on the run from the demons of her past and the monster living in her head.
After the world was gone, she believed the town of Rule could be a sanctuary for her and those she’d come to love.
But she was wrong.
Now Alex is in the fight of her life against the adults, who would use her, the survivors, who don’t trust her, and the Changed, who would eat her alive.
Welcome to
Shadows, the second book in the haunting apocalyptic Ashes Trilogy: where no one is safe and humans may be the worst of the monsters.
If you read ASHES a year ago and want a refresher about who-what-where, you can get it here on Ilsa's blog. BEWARE! HUGE SPOILERS! If you haven't read ASHES yet, for crying out loud what are you waiting for? It's in paperback, more info and links to buy in the clickety. “Bick’s follow-up to Ashes is another heart-pounding, frantic, action-packed adventure for those who can’t get enough of the zombie apocalypse. As protagonist Alex fights to survive in a world gone seriously haywire, she begins to piece together just how dangerous her situation is. These are not the walking dead we know from television and film; they are cognizant beings, fueled as much by shrewd instinct as by animalistic blood lust. Bick keeps her complicated plot moving with plenty of twists and turns, creating a cringe-inducing, fascinating, and utterly entertaining read.” —Megan Graves, Hooray for Books!, Alexandria, VA
You can get SHADOWS in tree-book or electronic format at Oblong Books, Powells, Anderson's, Amazon, BandN, Book Depository, or a fine bookstore near you. In the UK, release date is 9/27.
The interwebs have been abuzz this morning with talk of the attack on agent Pam van Hylckama, allegedly by a writer whose work she'd rejected. (Pam is an agent-pal and I have no reason to doubt her story, btw, but I say "allegedly" because obviously we don't know all the facts in the case and presumably the investigation etc is ongoing and nobody has been found guilty, so. ANYWAY....)
Scary stuff, for sure. My initial reaction is, thank god Pam is ok, and seems to have no more severe injuries than a bruise (and some shattered nerves!) -- and her little dog deserves a huge reward. Hugs to Pam and family.
My second reaction is more selfish. How could this have been avoided? How, indeed, can I personally avoid a situation like this?
It's true that agents do get a lot of crap. I've had authors show up outside my house, authors drop off notes in my home mailbox or at the bookstore (with no postmark - in other words, delivered by hand) authors come talk to me while I am at an event or show up while I am working at the bookstore to ask for advice, authors follow me way too closely in conference hotels, and authors call me on my cell phone. All of which very much freaked me out, but always ended up just being genuinely nice but clueless people who I could explain "look, this is inappropriate" and they get it, or if they don't get it, they at least go away.
I've also certainly gotten my share of thoroughly weird queries and responses to rejections. The query for a thriller about a dude who kills literary agents comes to mind. (eep!) I do not respond to such queries, and I save them in a "In Case I'm Murdered" file. Yanno, to be on the safe side. I've had people snap back and accuse me of being racist or hating men, etc, when I reject them. But I myself have never gotten actual threats, thank god. And 99% of the many, many authors I interact with on a daily basis are delightful and non-freaky.
Let's be clear: The dude who attacked Pam is not a "disgruntled author." He's a CRIMINAL. I'm trying to avoid the obvious word, because I hate when people just say "he's crazy" - (is that a diagnoses, Doctor Internet?)... but the behavior is certainly crazy, whether or not the person is. If the allegations are true, he didn't attack Pam "because she rejected him" -- he attacked her BECAUSE HE HAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH HIM. And, though I don't know him personally and I am not trying to diagnose what that "something wrong" is, it's safe to assume he has emotional and/or psychological disturbances of some kind. This isn't really a case of "authors behaving badly" as it is "unbalanced individuals behaving erratically."
So what to do? Like most people, I try to keep my personal address and phone number off the internet (though strangers still find them with disconcerting regularity). I don't have phone or address on my business cards or website. I don't use 4Square or Facebook "check-in" apps. But still, like many people, I live my life online. I tweet or facebook about places I visit and things I do. And as a semi-public figure, where I work is common knowledge. Because I work all the time, it is easy to figure out where I am, pretty much all the time. Even if I unplugged completely, I still live in a small village, and if you know the name of the village (which is no big secret), you can find me - because I am usually visibly standing somewhere near the center of it! (Of course it is also no big secret that I have a dog who craves the taste of human flesh and would love to bite a stranger on my behalf, and honestly I pity anyone who breaks into my house, so I have little fear on that front.)
I guess the point is -- writers, agents, anyone who lives part of their life in public (which is an ever increasing number of people) -- ALL OF US need to be vigilant. ALL OF US need to watch how much info goes online, and use a certain amount of discretion.
Also, ALL OF US need to be considerate about personal space bubbles -- just as you wouldn't ask a stranger to examine you in line at the supermarket if you found out he was a gynecologist, don't creep around a literary agents house and wait for her to go outside to water the plants so you can ask her questions about your work. There's a time and a place. Don't be a creep.
But you can't really predict or protect against a stranger snapping on you. And you can't live your life in fear. I guess the most we can do is just be as nice as we can to each other?
What do you think?
A couple of years ago I wrote The Big Ol' Genre Glossary. This blog post was intended to be "the last word" on the subject of genre identification, etc. Ha ha, is all I have to say to that.
As you might know if you ever go on internet writing fora, there are some genres and sub-genres that are just fuzzy, and there is a lot of overlap. Five different people might have five very different ideas about what constitutes "paranormal" versus "supernatural" versus "urban fantasy" versus WHATEVER. People can get very anxious about how to categorize their own work. I've had writers say to me, in tones of deadly seriousness, that they know agents will look for any reason to reject, and if they get the sub-genre of their own work "wrong," they will never be taken seriously and agents will hate them. That getting this bit of information "wrong" will be cause for an auto-reject.
Yes! Those terrible, dragon-like AGENTS. Always keen for any small reason to run writers through with a pike and roast them alive, the better for the feasting! Oh you didn't know we get younger every time a writer screams? Yes! Your agony is our elixir! Our blood is thrumming with your pain!
Oh, the guild tells me I was not supposed to say that last part aloud. Please strike it from the record. Also disregard the cackling. Now. In all seriousness.
For the most part... Agents are just people. People who love books, and who want to help facilitate the making of books. People whose job it is to advocate for authors. (That FOR is quite important!). We work with a lot of authors. We LOVE authors. We recognize that authors can sometimes be neurotic. We are not trying to drive authors crazy (or crazier, anyway).
This drama that the internet has cooked up about agents declining you because there was a typo in your query, or because you formatted an email query letter as a business letter complete with home address (or failed to do so), or double-spaced when you meant to single-space... or because you said "dark fantasy" when you meant "urban fantasy" or "paranormal" when you meant "supernatural"? Is just not true.
* First of all, as I mentioned, there is a lot of overlap, and different people have different definitions. If an agent was to decline your work based on that alone? They are not somebody you'd want to work with.
* Tying yourself in knots because of this kind of minutia may be keeping you from looking at the bigger picture, and at things that actually WILL cause agents to accept or decline your work. Things like having a killer pitch and tight, great, polished writing in the actual ms. This is truly what the agent cares about most.
* Some of the most interesting books defy easy categorization. If you have a book that is gorgeously written but also highly commercial, that is a GOOD THING. If as a genre it is something that lies on the crossroads between mystery, romance and fantasy (or whatever) -- that too is probably a GOOD thing, not a bad thing.
* If you have a magical story and you just call it "fantasy" I won't even blink an eye. The default "big category" of Fiction, SF/F, Mystery or YA is actually sufficient information. If you want to get more specific, that's fine. But if you go nuts with it and decide to make up a genre like "high-urban-splatter-steam-rotica"...well if it seems like you're joking, I'll chuckle. If it seems like you are being serious, I'll roll my eyes. But if the book sounds interesting, even that bit of silliness wouldn't stop me from continuing.
* IN fact I'll go further and contend that "overcategorizing" is self-limiting. If you've written what you consider to be "high-urban-splatter-steam-rotica"... you'll never find an agent who reps that, no matter how much research you do. If you consider your work a "Steampunk inspired paranormal-mystery" you might find a couple of agents who rep all of those categories. But if you just call it FANTASY, wow, suddenly you have a ton of potential people to query, and you can pick and choose who seems like might be the best fit from this larger pool.
* So sure, absolutely, give categorizing your best shot. But if you find yourself freaking out over which sub- or sub-sub-genre your work falls into, understand that this is of little concern to agents at the query stage. They care that the story sounds cool and the writing is excellent. And that is where you should be putting your energy.
And yet more amazing book release news! Wooo! Welcome to the world BLACKWOOD by Gwenda Bond.
On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.
Miranda, a misfit girl from the island's most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can't dodge is each other.
BLACKWOOD is a dark, witty coming of age story that combines America’s oldest mystery with a thoroughly contemporary romance.
BUY THE BOOK at Oblong, IndieBound, Book Depository, Amazon, BandN, or wherever fine books are sold."With whip-smart, instantly likable characters and a gothic small-town setting, Bond weaves a dark and gorgeous tapestry from America's oldest mystery."
- Scott Westerfeld, New York Times bestselling author of the Leviathan series
"This haunting, romantic mystery intrigues, chills, and captivates."
- Cynthia Leitich Smith, New York Times bestselling author of the Tantalize series
"Miranda Blackwood's battle against her own history is utterly modern—and utterly marvelous. She's truly a heroine all readers can rally behind."
- Micol Ostow, author of family and So Punk Rock
"A deft and clever debut! Bond takes some reliably great elements—a family curse, the mark of Cain, the old and endlessly fascinating mystery of the Roanoke Colony—and makes them into something delightfully, surprisingly new. How does she do that? I suspect witchcraft."
- Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club
It's pub day for BUTTER from Erin Jade Lange. This book is unforgettable.
A lonely 423-pound boy everyone calls “Butter” is about to make history. This New Year's Eve, he’s going to eat himself to death live on the Internet – and everyone will watch.
When he makes this announcement online, he expects pity, insults, or possibly sheer indifference. Instead, his classmates become morbid cheerleaders for his deadly plan. When that encouragement tips the scales into popularity, Butter has a reason to live. But if he doesn’t go through with his plan, he’ll lose everything.
BUTTER has the relentless immediacy of THIRTEEN REASONS WHY (talk about a ticking clock!), but the keen observations and dark humor of the main character keep the book from becoming grim. I think that the thing that freaked me out most about BUTTER was that I could identify so well with both the bullied... and the bullies. And though I was disturbed by some of the content, I found myself thinking about the book long after I'd turned the last page.
Buy the book from Oblong, Changing Hands, IndieBound, Book Depository, Amazon, BandN, or wherever fine books are sold.
BUTTER is a New Voices pick for 2012:
"A gripping debut about J.P. (aka "Butter") who, tired of being the fat kid at school, decides to binge-eat himself to death live on his website, butterslastmeal.com, on New Year's Eve. When Butter is suddenly swept into the 'cool' crowd, he must decide if popularity is worth dying for."
--Brandi Stewart, Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, AZ
“When does an Internet dare go too far? Erin Jade Lange tackles a timely topic with a hefty dose of in-your-face intensity, tempered by the droll sense of humor from an unexpectedly fierce narrator. Butter’s voice is loud, funny and unapologetic. I cared deeply for him and found myself rooting for him to find a way out of the mess he’d made.”
- Daisy Whitney, author of THE MOCKINGBIRDS
“A clever, tender and emotional page-turner! Butter’s sharp and witty narrative had me laughing out loud on one page and broke my heart just as easily on the next. Debut author Erin Jade Lange proves she knows how to tell a story and this is one I won’t be forgetting any time soon.”
- Courtney Summers, author of SOME GIRLS ARE and THIS IS NOT A TEST
This one is arriving on shelves tomorrow from our friends at Feiwel and Friends. So keep your eyes peeled, mateys!
Are you brave enough—and bold enough—for the adventure of your life?The award-winning author and illustrator team of
Eric A. Kimmel and
Andrew Glass introduce a new generation of readers to a magnificent and memorable retelling of Herman Melville’s masterpiece,
Moby Dick.Buy the book at Oblong, Powells, Amazon, BandN or wherever fine books are sold.
"...this rollicking yarn with its splendid art will serve as a stand-alone introduction.”--School Library Journal
"Kimmel make[s] this classic accessible to young readers.”--Publishers Weekly
ASHES by Ilsa J. Bick is out in paperback today, with a brand-new look. This is a completely addictive apocalyptic thriller that will leave you breathless... and sleepless. Buy it and read it so you can be ready for the sequel SHADOWS next month!
Oblong BooksIndieBoundBook DepositoryBarnes and NobleAmaz*nGripped me from beginning to end – dark, creepy and suspenseful. -- James Dashner, New York Times Best-Selling author of The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials
A haunting and epic story of survival in a shattered world, ASHES is a must read. -- Michael Grant, New York Times Best-Selling author of Gone
HUNGER GAMES, Schmunger Games! -- me When an electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky it zaps every electronic device we rely on and kills the vast majority of adults. Those who haven't had their brains fried have certainly had them scrambled and pretty much everyone who is left has changed considerably. (Change can be for good, as in "
now has super-human-spidey-sense"... or bad, as in "
now has taste for human flesh".)
A few teenagers and children are spared. Among them are Alex, a resourceful teen who was running from her own demons, and now is running for her life; Tom, who left the war in Afghanistan only to find something much worse at home, and Ellie, the angry eight-year-old girl that the two have to rescue. This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to survive.
IF YOU ALREADY READ ASHES BUT NEED A REFRESHER BEFORE SHADOWS COMES OUT, CLICK HERE. WARNING: MASSIVE, MASSIVE, MASSIVE SPOILERS.
ME AND MOMMA AND BIG JOHN by Mara Rockliff, illus. William Low:
Momma is a stone-cutter for the massive Cathedral of St John the Divine ("Big John"). Every day she comes home exhausted and covered in dust, but what she's doing is important. Her son "little John" is proud of his momma and excited to see the cathedral... but when he does, he's disappointed. All the stones look the same! How will anyone know which one was his momma's stone? This is a book, as the publisher says, that "lovingly shows the grace and dignity of having pride in one’s work — and in one’s Momma."
This book is seriously gorgeous. And there is a certain page spread that made me cry the first time I saw it. It is perfect for anyone interested in any of the following: NYC architecture or history, stories about strong women, stories about mothers and sons, stories about art and artisans, African-American stories... uh yeah. Basically it is perfect for most thinking people, is what I mean. It's touching and spectacular.
(Oh and the historical aspect is really cool too; this story is based on real events.
The Cathedral of St John the Divine is arguably the
largest Cathedral in the world, it is right in Morningside Heights section of NYC on Amsterdam and 110th St. It started being built in 1892.
120 years later it is still unfinished. !!! And there really was an apprenticeship program that trained neighborhood people to be stonecutters through the 1980's and 90's.)
Buy the book from
your local independent bookstore, from
my local independent bookstore, from Mara's local independent bookstore
Aaron's Books,
amaz*n, B&N, Book Depository, or anywhere fine picture books are sold.
With Rockliff's plainspoken lyricism providing scaffolding for Low's incandescent realism, the story of a struggling family transformed through the joy and power of meaningful work is woven into the history of a beloved spiritual landmark. Whether the scene is inside the narrator's modest apartment or looking down from the barrel vault ceiling onto the cathedral's magnificent nave, every page is infused with golden light, quiet pride, and soaring hope.--Publishers Weekly (starred review)Rockliff's lyrical text celebrates collaboration and communion, whether as voices rising in a cathedral hymn or among the skilled workers who labored over more than a century. Low renders many gorgeous digital spreads, articulating the extraordinary light and deep shadows within and outside the architecturally splendid cathedral...An intriguing examination of the inside story of one of New York City's most important and beloved monuments.
--Kirkus Reviews
BEAR IN LOVE is by Daniel Pinkwater, beautifully illustrated by Will Hillenbrand and out today from Candlewick. It's a total sweetheart of a story about a loveable scruffy bear and his small and mysterious secret admirer. They leave gifts for one another, and when they finally meet, sparks fly amidst a bit of confusion. (Bear to Rabbit: “
You are some cute little bear,” Rabbit to Bear: “
And you are quite the big strong bunny.") But it's all cleared up soon enough and (spoiler alert!) the tale of friendship has a charming and happy conclusion.
I adore this book. I adore the art. I adore the story. I want to hug both the bear AND the bunny. This picture book has the look and feel of a modern classic. Candlewick did a terrific job. Three cheers for BEAR IN LOVE!
For a larger look at the art,
click here.
“Extra special.” It’s a phrase that is used to great effect toward the conclusion of Daniel Pinkwater’s new picture book,
Bear in Love, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand and out this August from Candlewick. And extra special could describe the book itself... It’s like a breath of fresh air, this sweet, unassuming tale. -- Julie Danielson of 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast (for the whole lengthy and wonderful review, plus more images, click here)
[P]erfect for reading aloud, either to groups or to an audience of one, again and again. - Horn Book
Pinkwater’s (Beautiful Yetta) impulsive, happy-go-lucky bear keeps finding carrots on a flat rock outside his cave, left by some anonymous well-wisher. After days of this, the bear places honeycomb on the rock as a lure (“He wanted to see who had left him the nice things”), and pretty soon there’s a full-scale war of random acts of kindness going on... Pinkwater’s talent for creating loveable characters and his unalloyed sense of goodness make it work. -- Publishers Weekly
While the story is awfully sweet, Hillenbrand’s mixed-media illustrations distinguish this picture book. Faintly rendered backgrounds offset characters and foreground settings, lending a truly fresh look to the compositions. There’s lots to love here. -- Kirkus
About THE UNNATURALISTS by Tiffany Trent - out today from Simon&Shuster:
The streets of New London teem with a strange and wonderful bustle. Mechanical carriages glide down streets lit by the flicker of everlanterns, thanks to myth–the refined essence of magical beasts, and the resource that keeps the engines of the Empire moving. But myth is in ever more limited supply as the last of the magical beasts are killed for it, and New Londoners are becoming desperate.
Vespa Nyx is a privileged young scholar with a penchant for jam pies and mischief. She spends her days cataloguing and studying creatures in the museum, and has no desire to follow her aunt's advice and start looking for a husband. She also may be New London’s sole surviving witch.
Syrus Reed is an outcast Tinker having an extraordinary run of bad luck. He hasn't a coin to his name, his family has been killed and he is being hunted to become a refinery slave. His only way out may be to find a witch.
These two are about to find their fates wound more tightly in the gears of deception and intrigue than they could ever imagine...
Review Quotes:
"By St. Darwin and his Great Apes, "The Unnaturalists" is unnaturally good! Few authors can mix science and fantasy the way Tiffany can; her science-worshiping New London is perfectly original and perfectly realized, and Vespa Nyx is a heroine to cheer for. So much steampunk is just more of the same; "The Unnaturalists" is captivatingly different."--Ysabeau Wilce, Andre Norton Award-winning author of "Flora's Dare"
"Thrilling, intricate and magical, "The Unnaturalists" is a formidable entry into the steampunk genre. Vespa Nyx is a spunky heroine we can all root for, and Tiffany Trent's worldbuilding skills are unmatched. This book will delight anyone who loves magic, gadgets and brilliantly drawn settings. I highly recommend it."--Caitlin Kittredge, author of "The Iron Thorn"
"Fast-paced, heart-wrenching, magical and fascinating."--Tamora Pierce, author of The Song of the Lioness quartet
"Utterly ingenious! Tiffany Trent has more fine invention at her fingertips than a roomful of magical Leonardos!"--Ellen Kushner, World Fantasy Award-winning author
"Thoroughly magical...Leaves readers wanting more."--Kirkus Reviews
"Science, magic, myth, and alternate history all work together to create an intriguing alternate world with more depth than many books in the genre. This is a world worth visiting." Publishers Weekly
BUY THE UNNATURALISTS at: Your Local Independent Bookseller, My Local Independent Bookseller, B&N, Book Depository, Powells.com, Amazon, OR WHEREVER FINE BOOKS ARE SOLD.
D IS FOR DRAMA by Jo Whittemore - Aug 7, Simon & Schuster
A lead role means lots of drama in this sparkling story of one tween's efforts to shine in the spotlight.
Sunny Kim is done with one-line roles at Carnegie Arts Academy--she's ready for the lead. But even after a summer of studying with an acting coach, Sunny doesn't snag the role of Mary Poppins in her school's upcoming production.
Unfortunately, her entire family mistakenly thinks otherwise, including her former-actress mother.
Desperate for a solution, Sunny convinces her theater adviser to let her produce a one-woman show. But when the rest of her friends find out--the friends that never seem to make the playbill either--they all want to join in. Before long, Sunny is knee-deep in curtains, catfights, and chorus lines as her one-woman work turns into a staging of the hit musical "Wicked." And when a terrible misunderstanding pits the entire cast against Sunny, can the show--and Sunny's future acting career--be saved in time for opening night?
Jo is a master at writing "tween slapstick with heart." Her books really are laugh-out-loud funny, but with a core of
sweetness rather than meanness. They're a delight. But they are also not dumb. After all, Sunny is dealing with something serious. Are the directors passing her over for leads because she is Korean-American, or because she isn't talented enough? What about the heavy kid, or the klutzy kid, or the "weird" kid... is it discrimination or just chance that they don't get lead roles? Will they always be "Villager #2" or "Tree"? Sunny and her friends are determined to take the reins of their own destiny and not let anyone else define them, and I love that.
D IS FOR DRAMA will find a place in the heart of anyone who has ever felt like they don't fit in (which... is almost everyone, right?) and it is sure to please the young drama lover in your life.
Buy at
Your Local Independent Bookseller -
Powells -
Oblong Books -
Book Depository -
Barnes&Noble -
Amazon .... or wherever fine books are sold.
So as some of you know, I'll be attending LeakyCon for the second time next weekend. I'm excited because last year was SO fun. I love Harry Potter, I love Chicago, I'm basically obsessed with all my fellow LitDay participants....basically I'm going to BE NERDY and GET MY RAVENCLAW ON.
But sadly I don't JUST get to guzzle butterbeer and run around a hotel in a cape. I'm also, you know, doing official stuff. I'm on a Diversity in YA panel, I'm on a "How Not to get Published" panel... and I am MODERATING at panel too!
Moderating? Me? YES!
Is This Panel Too Dirty? For many, sex is a tricky and sometimes squicky business. How do you write a sex scene? Should there be sex in YA novels? Our panelists discuss the pros and cons and talk about how it’s done. (Possible graphic content.)
Panelists: Daniel Ehrenhaft (editor & author), Laini Taylor (author), Kate Schafer Testerman (agent), moderated by ME!
So here's where YOU come in. I want more points of view on this stuff. I have some questions - what do you think? How would you ANSWER them? And what other questions would YOU ask the esteemed editor, author and agent on this panel?
* Lot of people say there can be sex in YA books as long as it is not "gratuitous" - what does that even mean?
* How far is "too far" -- is there any topic TOO TABOO for a YA book?
* For the editor and agent: Have you ever asked an author to tone down sex scenes? Why?
* For the author(s): Have you ever been asked to tone down (or ramp up!) sex scenes?
* For editor: Do sales & marketing departments ever have a say on a books content? Does "cleanness" or "edginess" affect how you publish & promote the book?
* Sometimes books come under fire or are banned because of content issues. How does this affect the authors?
* What are some of your favorite "sexy" YAs? Are they actually "dirty" or is it more sexual tension than outright s-e-x?
Anything else I should be sure to ask?
*comments are moderated - if I'm not at my computer it might take awhile. sorry!*
Question from the comments: "Many literary agents say that they have to "fall in love" with the book in order to represent it. I don't get it. I view literary agents as professionals, with the main goal to find books that they feel editors/publishers will buy ... whether they like the book or not. Lawyers defend clients that they believe to be guilty, but also feel that they can set them free. Maybe it's my business education/background/attitude ... if a literary agent finds a book that she is "not in love with" but knows that editors/publishers will buy it ... why not take the book"
Let me start by saying: Both my parents were lawyers, and I love lawyers. But a literary agent is not the same as a lawyer.
A defense attorney might know their client to be guilty, but they defend them because everyone in this country -- EVERYONE -- has the right to a fair trial. Even straight-up, no-doubt-about-it, self-admitting guilty people get to have an attorney defend their rights in court. A public defender doesn't get to pick and choose their clients, they are assigned... so obviously, unlike an agent.
A somewhat more accurate comparison might be a privately-hired defense attorney, who, if they were in the position to pick-and-choose, would (I imagine) pick the richest clients with the most interesting cases. Except for the fact that agents DO NOT GET PAID by their clients until/unless they sell a book.
So it is more like having a privately-hired defense attorney who is willing to work pro bono. Why would they work pro bono? Well, it would probably have to be for a cause or a client they REALLY BELIEVED IN and wanted to support. Because it is a hell of a lot of work and time, with no guarantee of a reward.
Some agents might very well take on work that they don't care for, or work with clients they personally despise, if they knew for a fact the book would sell. That wouldn't work for me, but hey. To each his own. Even if a client comes to me with an offer already in hand, I still have to like the book and believe the author can do more, because I am hoping to work with them for their whole career, not just one deal.
Personally, for me, I have to spend a lot of time reading these books, and a lot of time talking about, and to, and for, my clients... for free. A LOT. OF TIME. FOR FREE. I have limited time available, so I have to devote the time I have to things I believe in. I have to love the work, or I can't be passionate about reading it over, and over, and over, and over again. I simply
have to like talking to the author, or it will be a misery for us both. (After all, I have worked with some of my clients for YEARS at this point, and talk to them more often than I talk to my own family!) My enthusiasm for my client's work is not fake, it's genuine - and the editors I work with know my taste. If I tried to fake it, I pretty much guarantee it wouldn't work.
That said - I have to not only love the book, but also THINK IT CAN SELL. Just thinking it's good isn't enough. If I loved the work or adored the author but had a strong feeling that I could NOT sell it for whatever reason... I'd also have to pass.
But that's just my .02 - any other agents feel differently?
I read a nice blog post the other day that inspired this -- but it is something I say when I give talks all the time:
There's a lot of advice out there for writers. I've read lots of it, I've given some of it... and you might have, too. No advice is "one size fits all." (Not even the advice in this very blog.) But one thing I feel very strongly about is, it is damaging to compare yourself to other writers. (<--- don't do it! this is advice. sorry.)
Recently a writer I think is terrific said that when she writes faster, she writes better. She's quite successful, so it is tempting to take that to heart and say, "Hm, clearly, if I want to be successful, I HAVE TO WRITE FASTER! FASTER!!!" ...until the next successful writer declares that slow and steady wins the race. One writer says that she has to write things out of order, skip from action scene to action scene and fill in the rest later. Then somebody else says they have to write things IN order. One person is a plotter and does a detailed outline before she starts. The next is a "pantser" and the story comes to her in the moment.
If you were to hear all this advice from these expert-fantastic-genius writers, and you were new enough to think advice was all gospel and had to be followed to the letter, you'd likely feel real crappy about yourself pretty darn quick. Because it'd be IMPOSSIBLE to do all those things at once. They contradict each other. It is a recipe for failure and sadness. The only thing that works is to figure out what works for YOU.
It's like dieting. There is NO crazy fad diet that is awesomely good for you, works for 100% of people 100% of the time, and keeps working. If there was, we'd all be "bikini ready" right now. You generally get healthier by eating more good stuff and being as active as you are able to be. "But that is BORING and SLOW" you say! I say, if you try to circumvent it ("Hey! This magazine says I should ONLY EAT BACON from now on and I'll lose weight fast!") -- well it might work in the short term, but in the long run, you will probably be damaging your body.
And let's say you do get healthier: There is no "right" way to look at the end of it. Some people's "healthy" is the body of an Olympian. Personally, my "healthy" is the body of a Yugoslavian peasant woman. Genetics, babe. Neither is wrong. And if I bemoan the fact that even at my healthiest, I'm naturally more "Hammer Throw" than "Uneven Parallel Bars", that is not helping me be as healthy and happy and successful a Hammer-Thrower as I can be. In fact, if I sit at home crying about it instead of practicing, I'll be a TERRIBLE Hammer-Thrower.
Wow that was a long tangent, sorry.
The point I'm making: Just as there is no one way to look, there is NO ONE WAY to write a book. There is NO ONE WAY to get an agent. There is NO ONE WAY to be published. I have personally seen as many paths to publication as I have seen books. All of them different. None of them "right." There are no guarantees in life, and there sure aren't any in this crazy business, except that everything is subjective, and your path will be your own.
Great writing. Great hook. Kick-ass Query. All of these might help you, and definitely couldn't hurt. But what is "great"? Every single one of the manuscripts I've sold, also had rejections. I know for a fact I'd have turned down a book like DA VINCI CODE, TWILIGHT or 50 SHADES... does that make those books "bad"? No. Just bad for ME. While many would agree with me and pass on these books, many more millions of people do not share my taste at all... and that's a good thing. People liking different things - it's what makes this crazy world go round. If everyone liked the exact things I liked... well I'd be richer, sure... but I'd also be pretty bored.
Perseverance. Being in the right place at the right time. Sheer luck. These factors will likely play a part in your success, too. Author A was writing and actively looking for an agent for ten years. She wrote and queried several manuscripts over that decade. We became friends when I wasn't even an agent yet, just a bookseller. I thought she was terrific. I said, "If I were an agent, I'd rep you!" -- and then, later on, I became an agent, asked her to query me. Everything clicked into place beautifully and I sold two books for her in two weeks. I know for a fact that this has happened to me with editors as well - - for Author B, I sent a manuscript out for almost a year with nary a bite. I sold a picture book and a chapter book for B, but the novel didn't sell and didn't sell. On the third round, it got snapped up immediately... by somebody who hadn't been an acquiring editor yet when I sent it out the first time. Kismet! It was a perfect match, and the book went on to become an award winner.
And see? Two successes right there in that last paragraph - two VERY different paths! If Author B compared herself to the quick-selling Author A, she might have been miserable for a year... but she didn't. Instead, she kept writing, and I sold different projects for her, and she has had terrific success, in her own timeline, on her own terms. If Author A compared herself to Author B, she might have grimaced about the 10 years and many manuscripts before she even landed an agent... but she didn't. Because she couldn't have had that path. It TOOK the 10 years, and it came together when the manuscript and the timing were both right.
There's a quote that's attributed to Samuel Goldwyn that I like. "The harder I work, the luckier I get." I feel like this applies to writers. LOTS and LOTS of people want to be successful writers... but then they never finish a book. Or they finish, but they never learn to revise. Or they finish it, and revise, but are too scared of rejection to put it out there.
If you've finished a book? CONGRATULATIONS. You are ahead of MOST of the world. Sure, that doesn't mean it will automatically get published. Still, the harder you work, the luckier you are likely to get.
Pretty much everyone who shares advice is doing so from a good place in their heart. If the advice works for you... awesome. If it makes you feel upset or weirded-out or doesn't work for you -- you're allowed to ignore it! Take the best, discard the rest.
Ultimately, no matter how much research we do, no matter how many "buddies" we have to ask questions of, we each have our own machete, and we each have to hack out our own path through this jungle. Bring a headlamp!
I have to preface this post by saying, I know nothing at all about gardening. I grew up in a city, with a little concrete patio that had some potted plants on it, which I dutifully forgot to water and killed every time my mom went out of town. Which was often. Then I lived in college dorms and apartments with no gardens or plants at all. So when I moved to the Hudson Valley, it was my first ever house with a backyard and a garden. The owners at the time paid a nice set of ladies to come and weed and take care of things out front. But now... now I own the house. And it is my garden to take care of. And gardening ladies are expensive.
So I - a total nature newbie - am now confronted for the first time ever with this PROFUSION of greenery that is mine to deal with. Most of the shady plants are doing fine on their own, but the sunny plants on one side of the house are at this point all taller than me, taller than the windows, quickly trying to consume the driveway and the house. It's chaos.
As I was outside today finally pruning it reminded me of what you writers go through in writing and especially revising your work.
First step: I put on my special pink gloves. I went outside with shears. And I looked at all the green madness. I really looked. It was pretty - VERY pretty - but also, to be honest, a hot mess. And how to fix it? I was overwhelmed at first.
The giant plants-that-I-don't-know-what-they-are were starting to encroach on the driveway. They are beautiful ... but my car needs to go there. So, though I wasn't sure what was OK to cut and what wasn't... I just had to go for it. Cut. Cut. Cut. Oh wow - it's still beautiful - but now my car fits! And it all looks better actually!
That mass of green that is the prickly ancient giant miniature rose bush (giant bush, miniature roses) -- well, many of the roses are dead and can just be trimmed off. And in fact, it isn't just a rose bush. It has other plants winding around INSIDE of it, some of which are dragging poor Rosy's branches down. Some branches are clearly dead and are just weighing down the whole bush.
So I trimmed a few dead blooms off here and there. Fluffed some leaves. But no real progress until I TOOK A RISK. I had to decide, on purpose, to plunge my arms in. YES it scratched, but it was the only way to access the ivy and whatnot and cut it out of the bush, and really, though it stung to dive in like that, it was a thousand times faster and more effective than if I'd been dawdling around the outside parts for an hour. Then I had to take another risk and cut off pieces of the bush itself. I was nervous, because I didn't want to RUIN the bush - but they had to go. Not only dead branches, but branches that were alive, and even nice, but just too heavy.
And guess what? It is STILL a prickly ancient giant miniature rose bush. It is STILL sweet smelling and beautiful. But now it is actually much nicer looking, and much more likely to survive, because all the crazy stuff that was weighing it down is gone.
SO here are a few tips, culled from my first hour or so of gardening:
The only way to do it is to DO IT. This is how you prune the plants. You get suited up, put on the gloves, go outside with some shears, and start cutting. Peering at the plants from the porch, thinking about the plants, researching them online? None of those will actually prune the plants for you.
You will not succeed unless you take a risk. You WILL get scratched up. It WILL be a pain in the ass. Yes, it is hot and there are probably bugs out there. Oh well. If you don't work hard,
On the same day that the enormous flag that inspired “The Star Spangled Banner” is stolen from the Smithsonian Museum of American History, three very different kids (who have more in common than they realize) are snowed in at a chaotic Washington D.C. airport, along with a mysterious tattooed man, a flamboyant Texas politician, and a rambunctious poodle named for an ancient king. When the kids figure out that the flag and whoever stole it are snowed in at the airport, too, they decide to work together to solve the heist. They'll have to slink through baggage handling tunnels, commandeer luggage carts and other airport mayhem to avoid getting nabbed by baddies and CAPTURE THE FLAG.Kate Messner's CAPTURE THE FLAG is the start of a fun, funny and action-packed new series about a group of kids who are descendents of the Silver Jaguar Society -- a secret society dedicated to protecting the world's treasures. The series will appeal to fans of art-world mysteries like Chasing Vermeer and Masterpiece as well as kids who love the high-octane fun of National Treasure movies.More about the book from Kate Messner here. Read the first two chapters here.CAPTURE THE FLAG teacher & librarian resources on Pinterest. Kate is having a launch party tomorrow, 7/2 at the Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid from 4-6pm. I'll be there! If you can join us, that would be fantastic -- if not, you can still order a personalized signed copy of this or ANY of Kate's books (here's a list) for your bookshelf. Kate says: "Their number is 518-523-2950 – you’d need to call Monday morning, 7/2 before the signing that afternoon!"Or buy the book from Indiebound, Powells, B&N or wherever fine books are sold.
Look I'm NOT talking about you here.
YOU are somebody who is seeking out knowledge and absorbing it like a sponge. YOU are somebody that knows about research and takes the time to do a little before sending out query letters. YOU have a basic grasp of how the English language works, and how to be polite and sane in correspondence.
Sadly, YOU guys, the awesome folks reading this right now, represent less than half of those who send me queries. Less. Than. Half. The majority are sent by people who will never see this. And they pretty much all have one or more of the following problems:
* They do not understand who I am or what I do (generally they think I publish books... which I do not) -- or they DO know I'm an agent, but are sending me material not even close to something I represent, which the simplest google search or website glance would have revealed.
* They betray an inability to write in English. I'm not saying "they aren't brilliant" - I'm saying, they are barely coherent. I have several each day that have been seemingly run through Google Translate or Babelfish and are just nonsensical. Is it spam? I have no idea.
* Mega-typos. I really am not going to get judge-y about the occasional typo in a manuscript. Look, it happens, that stuff can get fixed, no biggie. But if you have multiple typos in a three paragraph letter... I'm going to raise an eyebrow. And if you've inconsistently spelled your own TITLE... OR YOUR OWN NAME... That's a problem.
* They are rude, psychotic, scary. ("I'm sure, as a woman, this will be hard for you to understand" -- "Jesus was a Dinosaur!" -- "My book is about MURDERING LITERARY AGENTS", etc) (note: actually I changed these somewhat... nobody sent me these EXACT queries... but the idea is similar. And in fact, I thought I made up Dino Jesus, but apparently it's a thing. And I kinda like it.)
* They don't follow directions. They are addressed to somebody else, or to no-one at all. There is no query letter (the pages start immediately). There are no pages (we ask for 10 pages in the body of the email). There are a query letter and pages, but they are all as an attachment (which I don't open). There is a query letter, but I have to sign on to some site to see it, or it comes in a block of graphics that I can't read, or similar.
I understand, honest mistakes happen, and I'll happily overlook it if you get my name wrong, or the formatting is weird, or you've use the wrong form of it's/its. If I like the query but you haven't put pages, I'll ask for them.
But let's be honest. If you've got multiple gaffes in one email, what that shows me is that you don't really care about this. If you can't be bothered to proofread a short letter that is theoretically extremely important to you... how shoddy is your book?
Our official agency policy is "no response means no" -- but time permitting, I do try to just at least send a form response to everyone who seems sane and like they are trying. I don't respond to people who blatantly don't follow query guidelines, or who query with stuff I don't rep, but other than that, I do my best.
But I'm just... I'm just really burnt out on this part. I spend my entire Sundays doing this most weeks, and it is making me bitter. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO BE BITTER Y'ALL.
At the same time, I really don't want to close to queries.
Understand this: MOST of my clients came from slush, especially in the beginning. I didn't know
"Avast! This combination of nonsense verse and everything pirate is a guaranteed winner."--Kirkus ReviewsPIRATERIA: We put the "ARG" in Bargain! From the madcap mind of the inimitable NYT bestselling poet & artist
Calef Brown comes this zany picture book tour through that Wonderful, Pluderful Pirate Emporium PIRATERIA. Young scallywags, swashbucklers and swashbucklerettes will love it.
From the publisher: When pirates need superior wares for life at sea, they head on down to Pirateria, where they can find treasure chests (the very best), peg legs, planks, eye patches, head rags, vests, pantaloons—and even satchels and pouches for gems and doubloons—all at prices that can’t be beat. Creativity runs amok in this energetic, rhyming text full of beards and barnacles and plenty of pirate fun. Arrrr ya looking for a good price on big-buckle shoes—and a rollicking read-aloud about practical pirates? Look no further!
This weekend, I was at the League of Vermont Writers event and somebody asked me a question which sparked a memory which sparked an anecdote, and what the hell, this is my blog, I can share it with you here. (Strap in, it might go long!) The question was, "Can we query you over again if you say no the first time? Do you really remember stuff you've read?" Well....
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| Miz Rachel in 1949 - age 53 |
When I was growing up, I spent a good amount of time visiting my Great-Grandmother, Miz Rachel (aka Momie). She lived deep in the heart of Southwest Louisiana, in Maurice, a tiny village named after my Great-great-great Grandfather.
She was old. How old? Well, she was born in the 1800s. She graduated college during WWI. She taught first grade for 40 years or so, and retired more than a decade before I was even born. So... yeah. OLD. She passed away in 2005, aged 108.
Now Miz Rachel lived by herself on a farm from the time she became a widow in the 1960's until almost the very end of her life. Even in her 80's, 90's, and early 100's, she tended the huge garden by herself. When a water mocassin came along, she'd happily cut it to ribbons with an axe, then knock back a glass of Creme de Menthe or Cold Duck. If something worse came along, she had a loaded shotgun under her bed. Miz Rachel did NOT screw around.
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| Momie's House, Maurice LA. |
She also talked a lot. If you didn't visit, she'd say in a guilt-inducing manner, "Don't worry, my
plants are my family, and my flowers are my friends." If you DID visit, she'd say, "Welcome to my parlor, said the spider to the fly!" She knew the entire history of the region and every family in it, and she would regale you with stories, songs in French, snippets of Shakespeare, and show you the shroud she wanted to be buried in, all in the same breath, if you gave her half a chance.
(She also was fond of waking us up early when she got bored by blasting the Rosary on television, or jabbing her grandchildren with her finger and remarking about their weight, then saying "I eat to live, I don't live to eat!" ... but that's another story.)
"Although she credits God and clean living, if nonstop chatting somehow prolongs a person's life, then Villien's key to longevity becomes evident as soon as introductions are made."
ANYWAY.
Every time any family member would visit, we'd take Momie
So I am all caught up on queries. Which should be a time for rejoicing!
I have plenty of stuff that I know clients are working on, so I don't need to find.
But... there are still things I am looking for. Holes on the list, if you will. So. Here's what I'd really like to see -- and note, this list is only MY taste, I am speaking for nobody else at my agency.
YES:
*MIDDLE GRADE* - I want a book that a kid is gonna read and re-read till the wheels fall off.
I tend to like MG books with a "classic" feel. I'm pretty much always partial to comedies, school stories, heartfelt family stories, mysteries, magical OR realistic adventure. I like stories where the kids are active, smart, have interests, hobbies, are super into the arts or athletics, or even have jobs or start businesses.
Recent favorite MG's include LIAR & SPY, BIGGER THAN A BREAD BOX, THE SECRET TREE. Old favorites include anything E. Nesbit, Hilary McKay, and Noel Streatfeild.
I appreciate a fun format/style. ORIGAMI YODA comes to mind, or THE NAME OF THIS BOOK IS SECRET. But you know, not those, because those are taken.
I'd love a great creeptastic MG ghost story, along the lines of Antonia Barber's THE GHOSTS, Patricia Clapp's JANE-EMILY or Mary Downing Hahn's WAIT TILL HELEN COMES.
I'd also love an animal story, particularly Dog or Horse... but no DEAD animals, please. Favorites include DOG'S WAY HOME, BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, and the horse books of Farley, Smiley and Pam Munoz Ryan.
*YA* - I want to be absolutely invested in the characters and their world.
Realistic YA (or possibly magical realism): Examples: Character-driven weepers like Jandy Nelson's THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE, which takes your heart out and stomps on it, but then puts it back together with love. Or Natalie Standiford's HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT, a 'non-traditional friendship story' that made me cry buckets and see the world through new eyes when I was done. Or romance like ANNA & THE FRENCH KISS - light, bubbly, a love interest you adore, challenges to the relationship, but a happily ever after.
GLBTQ Romance is cool, as long as it isn't stereotypical or just a coming-out narrative. I'm interested in gender issues, gender-bending, and just basically queer stuff that isn't preachy or gloomy.
Sexy Historical -- I don't want to learn some dumb lesson about history -- I want to think about dresses, kisses and intrigue. For example GILT by Katherine Longshore was a favorite (I think of it as "Gossip Girl in the Court of Henry VIII" -- or VENOM by Fiona Paul, set amongst the murderers and artists of Renaissance Italy. I would really like a fun, sexy YA set in old Hollywood.
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. Hard to describe but um... Have you written something with characters that the reader falls in love with, that is also as riveting & cunningly wrought as CODE NAME: VERITY? If so, please come to me, my pretty little darling.
*HIGH CONCEPT MG OR YA*
A high concept premise should resonate with the reader immediately, be super appealing, and have a compelling twist. You should be able to immediately get a picture in your head of what this book will be about. And OH YEAH, the writing and characters still have to be awesome. Note: High Concept can be in pretty much any genre or category. If you can say the plot in one snappy sentence, that is often high-concept. Many movies are high-concept. (Click for more detailed explaination)
EXAMPLES of High Concept:
EVERY DAY by David Levithan. Every day, "A" wakes up in a new body, in a new house, in a new life... but every day, is in love with the same girl. (This is sort of a quadfecta, as it is h
So I made what might have been a colossal mistake last week and posted my "wish list."
It was a failure of imagination on my part not to realize the can o' worms that would be opened by this post. For several days I battled tweets, emails, private messages, comments, smoke signals etc, basically saying "OK, you say you don't like ______ -- but what about ______ ????"
"OK, no paranormal romance - but what if it is mostly realistic but then there are GOBLINS?" "OK, you don't like books with dead girls... what about dead BOYS?" "OK, you like horse books... what if they are SEAHORSES?" "OK, you want a love story, and you like animals, but you didn't mention a combo... what if it is a KANGAROO love story?"
OMG. You guys. Killin' me.
The "wishlist" is not meant to be "A Comprehensive List of All the Types of Books That Are Good."
Th wishlist is also not a list of all the books I enjoy reading - this is not a list of all the books that are popular - this is also not a list of what any OTHER agent might be looking for.
The wishlist is merely a SAMPLE of the kinds of books I don't already represent, that I might be especially interested in looking at if somebody out there has written one.
For example - I didn't talk much about Historical Fiction. I like it fine, but I already represent a lot of it... I am not begging for more, unless it is totally different from what I already have. (I already have Victorian England, Victorian America, Dark Ages Europe, Weimar Republic, 1960's USA...)
Likewise, I didn't mention fantasy, because I already have LOTS of magical stories on my list. It would have to be pretty special and different to get my attention. That isn't to say that a special, different story that I'll love isn't out there - I'm SURE it is. I just don't consider that a "hole in the list."
Are there types of books that are not on the list that I would also love to see? I am sure there are - but I haven't even imagined them. That is where the fun of going through the submissions comes in -- I love to be surprised by what I fall in love with.
So I give up. For goodness sake, submit whatever you want. Just know that the things on the wishlist have a higher chance of getting close reads and more requested materials... and the things on the No list have an extremely good chance at swift rejection.
The things I never mentioned on either list? Go for it, why the heck not.
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Yeah, you gotta be clever and funny in your didacticism. The thing is, punchy, warm-hearted or funny texts carry messages, too. They're teachy. They're didactic. They're not necessarily SEEN that way because the message is "the norm". Case in point: dressing up like Indians at Halloween? That, in my view, is an organic way for the dominant power structure to retain its power, and its ability to dehumanize American Indians.
Didactic = Dejection... :(
{D words are fun to play with. Sorry to be Distracting.}
I love today's post, Jennifer. I was talking with a new writer this weekend about didactic. He asked, "What happened to the books I love as a kid? Why isn't anyone publishing books like that anymore?" Which led to the question, "Would a series like Berenstain Bears be published today?" Now THOSE are didactic books (the lessons are even in the titles! "Pressure", "The In-Crowd", etc.), but kids still love them today. What's changed? Wouldn't you also put someone else (especially an adult) solving a character's problem in the same no-no category?
Entertain and delight, definitely! FUN! Enjoyable. Lessons are so bleh.
I took a children's book writing class with a person near me known for her expertise with PB. The don't be preachy part seemed so obvious when she reminded us that kids are constantly told what to do, when to do it, and what not to do. They have little power in and over their lives. I liked that she reminded us that the PB should give the protagonist power. Using what you've described, I'd say the lessons may be there, but do it through the experience that give the protagonist power.
Debra, I soooo agree with your blogpost! I wonder if we are talking of the same person, or if not, then even more reason to believe what is being said...Newbery Honor Winner, Marion Dane Bauer, gave an incredible teleseminar with Writing for Children Live on picture book writing and said the same thing!!!! Such great advice Jennifer!!!!!
I was thinking of Berenstain Bears too. Oh, how my husband and I hated reading them for their banal prose and hit-you-over-the head obvious lessons. Oh, how both our kids loved to hear them again and again. Made me think that kids find those "lessons" reassuring.
In MG, there are brilliant writers who teach so subtly you don't even know what you're learning. E.L. Konigsburg comes to mind. She somehow brings Savanorola into a contemporary story about -- among many other things -- a vending cart battle. (and that's just one example!)
Oh I definitely know B-Bears is big for kids - still sells like crazy (and I personally remember LOOOOVING them as a kid). There is always going to be a place for this kind of preachy stuff. But the thing is... it exists already, you know? That is the kind of stuff that publishers churn out in their "merch" catalog -- mass market paperbacks, e-z readers, lessony books, books they sell in a bin in the supermarket... often written by editorial assistants under false names. There's nothing WRONG with these books per se, but they are not exactly art, and they aren't the sort of books that agents often rep.