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Somewhere around mid-December a word will pop into my head that symbolizes the year ahead for me. December 2013 brought me the word "Completion." It was a good word for 2014, encouraging me to finish, polish, and prepare my novel The Abyssal Plain for 2015 submission. The year before that, the word was "Focus," another good direction that brought me to where I am today. 

This year, for some mysterious reason, my word is "Tao" as in Taoism. At first I thought it had something to do with my upcoming trip to Taiwan, but then I thought it might be connected to my current art project of sketching and painting doors, i.e., Tao being related to "the way," or "the door." Whatever the reason for it coming into my life, I like it. 

To me, the Tao means "go with the flow," a much-needed quality as I begin submitting my manuscript. It's a scary process and I need all the help I can get, from chanting "nerves of steel" as I seal up my envelopes, to occupying my waiting time with revising and polishing yet another WIP.

This morning as part of my daily morning pages routine I brainstormed some of the ways using a Taoist approach could help me get through my submission angst. My biggest fear is getting to the post office and then tearing open the envelopes because I'm certain I've "done it wrong" and have to check everything one more time. After all, submission holds so much baggage: fear of rejection, bending one's will to another, even the idea of "breaking your spirit" altogether. Except, according to my brainstorming, it doesn't have to be any of those things. Rather than believing that submission is about being meek, mild, and a total  doormat, it's about saying "Yes!" with total confidence. It's about believing that:

1. Yes, my work is finished to the best of my current ability.
2. Yes, my work is sale-worthy. If I were a publisher, I would pay to have it published.
3. And, yes, I can let this piece go because I have many, many more books and stories to write and prepare for publication. So, let it go!

It's a whole new publishing world out there, with new editors, agents, and publishing houses. As modern writers and authors, we really do have a myriad of fresh opportunities at our fingertips, e.g., e-books, serialized novels, on-demand printing, audio-books. The idea of allowing the Tao to support and maintain our submission efforts is an attractive one, helping me to remain (relatively) calm and centered, the very best way, I would think to approach any task, starting with writing those manuscripts in the first place!

Tip of the Day: Okay, so what if a manuscript submission really does "go wrong"? It happens: a typo in the cover letter, addressing an editor who left the house long ago, sending the manuscript to the wrong department, a confusing pitch. Believe me, I've been there, and more than once. But none of these things are worth agonizing over. A mistake is a chance to learn and get it right next time. Do your best to move on and . . .  let it go . . .

P.S. Over the next few months I'll be examining and reporting on my experiences of working with the Tao as a writer and artist. Stay tuned--and be sure to drop me a line if you have any questions or thoughts to share on the subject. Thanks!

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I blogged last week about jump-starting your writing resolutions with Julie Hedlund’s wonderful 12X12 in 2013 program for picture book authors, but here’s some further news that includes yours truly…

Next week, from January 23-25th, I’ll be offering FREE query critiques for members of the 12X12 in 2013 program. If you’re a children’s book author and you haven’t already signed up for 12X12, now’s the time to do so, since registration closes in just a few weeks. And if you do it this week, you’ll get access to my free query critique session AND a special offer to join the Children’s Book Hub for just $5 for the first month!

Here’s what Julie has to say about it from her blog:

“NYT bestselling, award-winning author Emma Walton Hamilton will conduct a multi-day query critique session, January
23-25, on the 12 x 12 Membership Forum. Little GOLDen Book and Shel SILVERstein members will be able to submit one
query for Emma’s review and comment, with LGB member queries taking priority if there is not enough time to get
through all the queries.

Those of you who have attended Emma’s similar sessions during WriteOnCon know how invaluable her feedback is and
how much you learn, even from her comments on others’ queries. But you have to be a 12 x 12 member, so sign up
today and don’t miss the chance to get your query in shipshape for submissions in 2013!

Emma is also offering a special deal for 12 x 12 members interested in joining the Children’s Book Hub. Details will
be provided next week on the Membership Forum!”

To find out more and register for the 12X12 experience as well as my free critique session, click here: 12 X 12 in 2013

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Hi Everyone!

Lists can be extremely useful, especially when they are constantly being updated!

Here are two such.

The first, compiled by the enterprising and enthusiastic Brain Grove, is a list of US publishers who are currently accepting submissions for children’s books – http://j.mp/SVbnCk  – he also, very helpfully, adds links toeach entry to take you straight to the site.  I also recommend his ebook on  query /submission letter writing.

The second,  a veritable database, is continuously being updated by the very proactive authors, Delin Colon and Lisa Kalner Williams – http://bit.ly/writerinterviewopps …

If you haven’t joined www.jacketflap.com, I highly recommend it – an excellent networking site for all things related to children’s literature and books.

Get busy and good luck!

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Ask anyone. The biggest question when you're a writer is likely "how do you get published?" Some writers start thinking about it way before they should—before they've focused their attention on improving their craft and writing a good story. In my opinion that should always come first and if you're serious about getting published, well, then that's your first step, isn't it? Make sure your writing is good and write something worth reading. That said, when you are ready to get published, what do you do? There's plenty of advice on how to get published out there—volumes and volumes written on the subject. But within all that wealth of information that's available, how do you know which advice is right for you, especially if you write within a specific genre like fantasy (or an even more specialized niche like fantasy YA or say paranormal YA romance)? The key (aside from having a really great manuscript) is in being detail oriented and communicating well. Sounds easy enough, but if you've been writing for any length of time at all, then you know it can be tricky. Here are a few tips that I hope will help you in your search for publication. Continue reading →

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Today's guest post is courtesy of "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter."

Craft an Exceptional Elevator Pitch
Penny Sanseviere

What is an elevator pitch and why do you need one? An elevator pitch is a short one- to two-sentence description about the book. It's the briefest of the briefest descriptions you can develop. The reason elevator pitches are important is that we have an ever-shrinking attention span, so you need to capture someone's attention in a very short, succinct pitch.

How do you begin crafting an elevator pitch? The first step is to look at the core of your book. What is your book about, really? Looking at the core of your book will help you determine the primary message. The next step is to look at the real benefits to the reader. Not what you think the reader wants to know but what they actually need: What's in it for the reader?

When I worked with people on elevator pitches, I found that they often kept the best sentence for last. This comes from being an author and saving the crescendo of the story until the final chapter. You don't want to do that in an elevator pitch. You want to lead with the tease that will pull the reader in.

When would you use an elevator pitch? You might use it to promote yourself to the media, to book a speaking event, or to pitch a blogger. Elevator pitches can be used for a number of reasons and in a variety of ways. Once you create a great elevator pitch, you may find yourself using it over and over again. That's a good thing!

Components of a great elevator pitch

All elevator pitches have particular relevance to them, but for the most part, every elevator pitch must:

• Have emotional appeal

• Be helpful

• Be insightful

• Be timely

• Matter to your reader!

Essential Elements of a Powerful Elevator Pitch

1. Concise: Your pitch needs to be short, sweet, and to the point.

2. Clear: Save your five-dollar words for another time. For your elevator pitch to be effective, you must use simple language any layperson can understand. If you make someone think about a word, you'll lose them and the effectiveness of your elevator pitch will go right out the window as well.

3. Passion: If you're not passionate about your topic, how can you expect anyone else to be?

4. Visual: Use words that bring visual elements to your reader's mind. It helps to make your message more memorable and brings the reader into your story.

5. Stories: People love stories. It's the biggest element of the elevator pitch: tell the story. I also find that when the pitch is woven into the story, it often helps to create a smoother presentation.
How to Craft Your Killer Elevator Pitch

• Write it down: Start by writing a very short story so you can tell the story of your book in two paragraphs. This will get the juices flowing. As you start to edit your story down from 200,000 words to two paragraphs, you'll start to see why it's important to pull only the most essential elements from your story to craft your elevator pitch.
• Make a list: Write down 10 to 20 things that your book does for the reader. These can be action statements, benefits, or book objectives.
• Record yourself: Next, record yourself and see how you sound. I can almost guarantee that you will not like the first few drafts you try. That actually is a really good thing. If you like the first thing that you write, it probab

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I had the pleasure of spending this past Saturday at the SCBWI Winter Conference in NYC.  Wow!  For those of you remotely interested in writing for children, the SCBWI conferences are a must.  The information, networking opportunities and resources are invaluable.

The venerable Lois Lowry gave a superb keynote on finding ideas (during which I suddenly had a brainstorm for a new picture book idea!).  There was a very informative picture book panel led by Jane Yolen, Mark Teague and Patricia Lee Gauch. Jane shared ten words every picture book author must know – lyricism, compression, child centeredness, focus, hook, words, ‘illustratability’, motion, emotion and resolution (thank you, Jane – this gives me weeks worth of blog topics!). Mark spoke about art that has depth, and provokes wonder and a sense of mystery for the reader as to what might be going on beyond the borders of the page.  Patricia talked about “letting go to story,” the miracle of page turns and the dramatic arc as a wave, that must rise and crest and resolve itself.

The breakout sessions with editors, agents and art directors were hugely informative, and provided attendees with rare opportunities for manuscript submissions.  There was much discussion about the opportunities as well as the challenges being brought about by new technology, and there was general agreement that most editors have seen enough manuscripts about dystopian societies, vampires and psychic teens, thank you very much.  Everyone agrees that strong, simple premises, compelling and true characters and beautiful – or witty – writing will always be in demand.  Hilarious keynotes by R.L. Stine and Jules Feiffer rounded out the day’s delights.

Thank you, Lin Oliver, Stephen Mooser and everyone at SCBWI for forty years of unmatched service and support for children’s book authors and illustrators!

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If you missed last night’s live Q&A webcast/teleseminar on writing and publishing children’s books, you’ll want to hear the replay, as we addressed over fifty questions about all aspects of writing and publishing for children and young adults. There are also slides with links to resources and information mentioned throughout the call.

You can click on this link to access the replay: http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=16816809

Enjoy!

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My manuscript went out to four more editors this week, which is both exhilarating and terrifying. "Optimistic" is usually my default setting, but to save myself from crushing despair, I also have to be realistic. So in an attempt to ground my realism, I went back through the “Thanks, but no” letters that the previous editors sent via my agent. Half didn’t dig the plot, half didn’t dig the voice, but there was one consistent response among all of them, which, generally distilled, came down to this:

“I enjoyed Christy’s [choose one: plot or voice] but in the end I just didn’t fall in love with the [insert opposite of previous: voice or plot].

The one constant: the not falling in love. And, you know, ouch.

After getting over the initial sting (and this took awhile), I am now able to see this as a consolation, not an insult. Because if you think about it, there’s really no formula for falling in love. If you put five people in front of me and said pick one to fall in love with, I probably couldn't do it. Maybe I’d have to see twenty, or thirty, or fifty or more, and even then my mood and what else is happening in my life would factor greatly in how I responded to those potential mates.

So I guess shopping a manuscript around is a lot like dating—chemistry and timing are everything. An editor has to spend the next year or so with your characters and plot, so you really want them to be in love. Like dating, I can clean up my manuscript, make it look and smell nice, and present it in the most polished way, but how it is received is completely up to the Erotes.

Ah, love.

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