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. Howdy, Campers--and happy Poetry Friday! (See below for a poem about being a writer by Richard Wilbur and for today's PF host.)
We're in the middle of TeachingAuthors' series on Summer Learning Opportunities.
So far we've heard from JoAnn--who, through her own fascinating Summer Science Experiments, is learning more about hatching monarchs in her backyard;Esther--who's learning about authors from her own fair city (Chicago), discovered four "eye-openingly insightful" blogs, learned about the "3-paragraph query," and how to "attend" the National SCBWI conference if you can't be there in person. Carla shares what she's learned about the unexpected benefits from attending an SCBWI conference, and Mary Ann inspires us with her summer Young Writer's Camp.
As for me, I'm looking forward to being on the faculty of the National SCBWI Conference from July 31 through August 2nd (with intensive workshops available for an additional fee on Monday, August 3rd). Once again I'll be critiquing manuscripts submitted by conference attendees who've paid extra for written and face-to-face critiques.
Esther and I come at conferences from two very different perspectives. Basically, She jumps into the fray carrying a bunch of balloons; I get overwhelmed by more than 10 people at a party.
So, here are three things I've learned about conferences (how they affect me and how I cope) in the 24 years I've attended SCBWI in Los Angeles:
1) Be kind to yourself. This conference can be overwhelming. No--I take that back: this conference is overwhelming. This summer 1000 people are attending from around the world.
A few of the attendees at this year's SCBWI Conference (from morguefile.com)
We crowd into a posh hotel over a long summer weekend. The excited, anxious, ecstatic, frightened, enthusiastic, vibrating energy of 1000 friendly/shy/talkative/mute children's book professionals and pre-professionals (thanks for that term, Carla!) can be paralyzing. The air in any hotel over that many days with that many people gets used up. And so do I.
2) Take breaks. I usually stand in the back because there's simply TOO MUCH SITTING! That's one way I've learned to give my body a break. I've also learned (to my astonishment) that it's okay not to attend every single session. I can actually go outside and gulp fresh air...sit on the grass with my eyes closed for a few minutes. It's amazing how so simple an action as breathing can change my body chemistry. Ahhhhhh....
No--not me. (from morguefile.com)
3) And I've learned that some years I just need to be VELCRO®.
from morguefile.com
Although there have been many years I couldn't wait to sign up for the conference, couldn't wait to bond with new peeps, couldn't wait to find out what everyone was doing and share what I was up to, there have been other years, too.
Years when I couldn't figure out how to write that book--the one that was going to put me on the map, years when no one had invited me to submit a poem since the Ice Age, years when I was raw, raw, raw from rejection, Those are the years when I did NOT want to attend that stupid conference. Nope. Not gonna do it. And you can't make me.
It's about the shame, of course. I'm judging my insides against everyone else's outsides. It's like that false fog which hovers over FaceBook where I see those sparkling photos and know that every one of my FB friends are completely fulfilled, are always at goal weight, and have (just yesterday) signed a three-book deal. (It's true--they have, you know.)
That's when I've learned I need to VELCRO® myself to real-life friends at the conference. Hang with them. Go into the hall with them. Choose whatever breakout session they choose--it doesn't matter. They're my peeps. My buds. The ones who believe in me...and I believe in them. They save me from the darkness every time.
So, if you're coming to the SCBWI conference, please come up and say hello!We can VELCRO® together for awhile.
And Campers--if you are going to any gathering this summer that makes you a teensy bit uneasy, a little bit insecure, maybe the following quote will help. It's helped me.
Just for today, be open to the possibility that there is nothing wrong with you.
In her room at the prow of the house Where light breaks, and the windows are tossed with linden, My daughter is writing a story. I pause in the stairwell, hearing From her shut door a commotion of typewriter-keys Like a chain hauled over a gunwale. Young as she is, the stuff Of her life is a great cargo, and some of it heavy: I wish her a lucky passage. click here for the rest of this poem
The poetry gods and goddesses bring Poetry Friday to Keri Recommends today. Thanks for hosting, Keri!
posted live from the floor of SCBWI's National Conference in living color and with love by April Halprin Wayland
0 Comments on 3 things I've learned About Conferences & Me as of 7/31/2015 6:09:00 AM
I'm pleased to announce that I'll be presenting at this year's Kidlitosphere Conference (KidLitCon #7) in Austin, TX. Sarah Stevenson and I are hosting a session on Blogger Burnout: Suggestions for Getting Your Groove Back.
Here's the overview that Sarah and I submitted:
Anyone who has been blogging for a while has experienced occasional bouts of blogger burnout. Many of us put in an inordinate amount of time on our blogs, for which we are largely unpaid. And sometimes, we lose focus, or start to question what we're doing. In this presentation, we'll share our own recent experiences with blog burnout, and the suggestions that other bloggers made to help us to get our respective grooves back. We'll also seek other suggestions from the audience.
We've started making lists of:
Reasons that kidLit bloggers experience burnout (putting out content and not receiving any response, for example); and
Things that bloggers have done that have helped to pull them out of a bout of burnout (refocusing on the reasons you started your blog in the first place, for instance).
If you have any suggestions for us for either of these lists (or on this topic in general), please share (and we will of course attribute your input in our presentation). Or, if you're coming to KidLitCon in Austin, we hope that you'll share your thoughts during the presentation.
Still undecided about attending KidLitCon? The deadline for registration is this Thursday, October 24th. Here are three recent posts on other blogs that may help encourage you to attend:
Charlotte from Charlotte's Library is organizing a panel with Melissa Fox (Book Nut) and Katy Manck (BooksYALove) on blogging middle grade books. They'll be looking at things like "who are the various audiences for middle grade blogs, and how we can keep our blogs growing, extending their reach and their depth?". See this post for details.
Leila from Bookshelves of Doom admits in this post to having been nervous about attending KidLitCon for the first time last year. But now she says, "It was like... the internet allowed me to Find My People and to get to know them, but it was at KidLitCon that they really became MY FRIENDS. There's just something about meeting face-to-face that makes the relationships more REAL, somehow." I know exactly what she means, and I can't wait to finally meet Leila in person. Do read the whole post!
Greg Pincus from GottaBook will, sadly, not be able to attend this year. He says: "You should go! Seriously - hanging out with blogging pals is the best."
Still need more? Well, a partial list of attendees has been posted. Click through to see some of the great blogs that will be represented. Have you always wanted to meet Kelly Jensen of STACKED or Maureen Kearney of Confessions of a Bibliovore? Now is your chance! Click through to see more names and blogs.
We're finalizing a couple of details with the agenda, and will have that published shortly. But honestly, the reason to attend is to hang out with people who love blogging and talking about children's and young adult books. To find your peeps, and make them your real-life friends. Don't wait! Register now for the 7th Annual Kidlitosphere Conference, KidLitCon 2013.
The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. is a middle grade novel about math and poetry. But what it's really about is finding a way to do what you love. In a sneaky, humorous sort of way, by which you are surprised to be a tiny bit teary-eyed by the end of the book. I think that it's wonderful, and hope that it's going to do well. It releases this coming Tuesday.
I should tell you that I'm not completely objective about The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. The book's author, Greg Pincus, is a friend of mine (a blog friend, sure, but we've enjoyed face-to-face time at various Kidlitcons, and share certain views about the kidlitosphere). I remember quite clearly when Greg came up with six-line, Fibonacci-series-based poems, called them Fibs, and launched a poetry craze (there are 400+ comments on the original post). I remember when Greg shared the news that he was writing a book featuring Fibs, and that Arthur Levine would be publishing it. And now here it is!
As a person who was always pretty good at math, and who studied engineering in college, but whose true love is words, the concept of the Fib has always appealed to me. I would love to see a huge craze of elementary school kids all writing Fibs, and thus integrating math and poetry. I think that the book will help. But I'm not completely objective, so you should take my words in that context.
The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. is about a sixth grader who is a secret poet stuck smack dab in the middle of a family of math geniuses. When Gregory looks to be in danger of failing math, his parents are baffled and concerned. It's only with the help of a truly great math teacher that Gregory K. is able to fit things together. But not without a lot of chaos along the way. Realistic middle grade chaos, with the faintest flavor of Gary Paulsen's Liar, Liar series.
Gregory's travails with math are set against a backdrop of his relationship with his life-long best friend, Kelly. And no, this isn't one of those books about the boy-girl friendship getting weird in sixth grade. This is a book about a true friendship based on two people who "get" each other, though not without a few bumps along the way. And it's about pie. A lot of pie. (Kelly's mom owns a pie shop, and there is pie in pretty much every chapter.)
In truth, I found parts of the first couple of chapters, in which Gregory's quirky family is wallowing in math, a bit cringe-inducing. Like this:
"I'd be the best superhero ever," his nine-year-old sister, Kay, said as Gregory entered the dining room, "because I'd use the power of the hypotenuse! By taking the correct angle, I'd always be a step or two ahead of the bad guy." (Chapter 1)
I'm guessing this was intentional - Gregory was finding it cringe-worthy, too. But once Gregory's teacher, Mr. Davis, set him to writing about math, instead of doing math, I was hooked, and didn't stop reading until I had finished. I loved the Fibs at the start of every chapter (though the average reader won't know that they are Fibs until mid-way through the book). I adored Gregory's friendship with Kelly. And I liked Greg's mildly snarky voice. Like this:
"The next day at school, the test met all of Gregory's expectations. Unfortunately, that was the only positive about it." (Chapter 3)
And:
"... Fibonacci's not just a sequence but a real person..."
"So is there like a Bob Algebra or a Joe Multiplication?" (Chapter 8)
And here's an example of a Fib, from the start of Chapter 6:
"I
Find
Problems.
Other times,
The problems find me.
The latter is always far worse."
Fun, but with a core of truth. And that pretty much sums up the book. Gregory is a regular kid, who struggles to pay attention to things that he can't connect with, but dives headlong into the pursuits that he loves. He feels alien in his family, but at home with his best friend. In short, while uniquely himself, he is someone any kid can relate to. Which is why his eventual growth has such emotional impact.
Teachers and librarians will want to scoop this one up. It has nice Common Core opportunities, too. There's also a theme song for the book, a trailer, and a positive review from Kirkus. I'm expecting big things from The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. Don't miss it!
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (@Scholastic)
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher
FTC Required Disclosure:
This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).
Whew! What a weekend! September 28-29 was the sixth KidLitCon and what a whirlwind it was. Kidlit bloggers from all around the country flocked to NYC, my old stomping grounds, eager to share their love of children's books.
The fun began on Friday with visits to publishing houses to partake in previews of their spring lists. That morning I went to Holiday House, a delightful old-school publisher, and saw previews of so many enticing books my notebook quickly filled with my scribbles. The husband-wife team of Ted and Betsy Lewin made a special appearance, showing us their upcoming books. Betsy has a charming easy reader featuring a determined alligator called You Can Do It! and Ted's book Look! showcases amazing watercolors of African and rainforest animals he photographed over years of traveling.
After a quick lunch, I hightailed it downtown to Penguin's offices, where bloggers were treated to an informative session in which editorial members of the various imprints introduced a multitude of upcoming middle grade and YA novels.
I left Penguin bogged down with so many ARCs I could barely make it to the next venue--dinner at IchiUmi. Ensconced in our own private room, conference goers feasted on an endless buffet of Japanese food and compared notes. Then the supremely talented Grace Lin, herself a longtime blogger, gave an engaging talk about her artistic career. While she powerpointed away, her husband kept their adorable baby daughter entertained.
Saturday the conference shifted to the NYC's Public Library on 42nd Street. Of the many session being offered, I attended Shelia Ruth's "Who's in Charge" and Greg Pincus' "Avoiding the Echo Chamber: Bringing the World of Children's Literature to the World." Ruth, of Wands and Worldsfame, is an amazing multi-tasker who sure knows her social media. In her talk she explained the ins and outs of social networking. I learned scads of useful information. Did you know that the worst time to tweet is Fridays after 4? Now you'll never catch me tweeting during that dead zone.
Pincus, of Gotta Book, charmed the socks off his audience. The thrust of his presentation resonated--book lovers spend much of their time preaching to the choir. Pincus made the valid point that we also need to cast our net further afield. I, for one, will definitely be taking his advice. Just not this post.
After lunch, we regrouped in the auditorium and listened to a panel made up of some of the shining stars of the kidlitosphere discuss the burning question "How Nice Is Too Nice: Critical Book Reviewing in the Age of Twitter". While no consensus was reached, the panel (Elizabeth Bird, Liz Burns, Monica Edinger, Marjorie Ingall, Sheila Barry of Groundwood Books, and expertly moderated by Jennifer Hubert-Swan) suggested several useful rules, top among them: "The author shalt never upon pain of death contact the blogger."
Unfortunately, I missed the final session and the keynote speech by YA author Maureen Johnson due to a tummy bug. I bid adieu and took off to recuperate. In doing so I missed the event I most wanted to attend, Kidlit Drink Night at the Houndstooth Pub. Oh well, I'll just have to wait till next year's conference to raise an elbow with my fellow scribes. Cheers!
0 Comments on A Toast to KidLitCon 2012 as of 10/2/2012 7:18:00 PM
Greg Pincus, of The Happy Accident, invited me to write a post about book trailers. Here it is: Librarians and Teachers Love Book Trailers. Come read it and please leave a comment!
Greg Pincus is a poet, author and social media guru who, through the wonders of social media (and his talent as a writer) got into the New York Times and landed a two book deal with Arthur A. Levine.
Alice Pope is the official blogger for SCBWI, Team Captain for SCBWI's Team Blog, and the former editor of the Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market Guide.
Here's a taste of their words of wisdom:
Greg: There's no one way - each person can follow their own path.
Alice: Just like getting published - it's the same with social networking.
Greg: Recognize that it's not always linear, but a good thing is a good thing. In advertising there's a rule of 7 times of being exposed to something before people buy it. If they see you 6 times via social media, and the 7th time they see your book is in a bookstore... that's good!
the effects are cumulative
You are what you say and do - think of ebay, if someone has a 99% rating, then we trust that seller. Similarly we are all building our reputations online.
Be careful not to hurt yourself - be smart. Greg quoted Jenn Bailey who said that "to get something off the internet is like getting pee out of a swimming pool."
Alice reminded us that in all our interactions we want to ADD VALUE - how can you help? how can you further the conversation?
They've started to share examples of how authors and illustrators have been using social media to further their careers, including:
Readergirlz, five authors who created a safe online community for teenage girls - they're offering virtual author visits and a place for girls to talk books.
Lisa Yee's blog has helped her success and the character of Peepy has become a fun funny extension of her personality.
There are so many examples, great points and insights being offered.
Here's an amazing one!
Mitali Perkin's blog, where she talks about multicultural books for kids, even includes a post where she talks about and how through twitter she sold five of her books to India!
They're speaking about blog book tours now... Alice is sharing about author Holly Cupala's book blog tour that she recently hosted one stop for on her SCBWI Blog.
Someone asked how you get Twitter followers, and Alice gave this great advice:
If you participate, people will notice you.
In answering a question about Facebook Fan Pages versus Personal Facebook Pages, Greg says: Everything you say and do online is PUBLIC. And stay active - people want to connect.
Another example of someone doing it right is Cynthea Liu's recent book launch, where she raised money for a local school and adding that selfless focus was very successful for her.
As Greg says about his own 30 poets 30 days project, which highlighted poems of other people on his own poetry blog, you don't want to just talk about yourself al
0 Comments on Alice Pope and Greg Pincus: Moving Your Career Forward With Social Networking & Blogging as of 1/1/1900
Remember when that rascal, Greg Pincus, scared us with his paprikash last month? He is back today to make amends with another foodie poem. This time, there is not one hint of fear, no hesitation, not one bit of mystery or trepidation -- fondue au chocolat hides nothing, and Greg has finally bared his soul: "I have eaten here in L.A. at a restaurant where every course was fondue, and have always loved any dessert involving skewers!" Friends, you heard it here first!
Before I call out the St. Bernards, may I ask you a personal question? "Do you fondue?"
Oh, Fondue! I'm so fond of you. You nice warm pot of chocolate goo. You change bananas to a treat. You make all berries fun to eat. A cookie dipped in you turns better; Pound cake gets improved (and wetter). Oh, Fondue! I'm fond of you . . . I hope we never say adieu.
Though I liked Greg before, now I like him even MORE. Clearly, he's a man who knows where to dip his fork. ☺
His poem brought back fond memories of the best fondue I've ever eaten -- at a restaurant in the Austrian ski resort town of St. Anton. We were there with Len's brother and wife -- the three of them skied all day while I shopped. After a long, chilly day, we treated ourselves to quite a feast: Fondue Bourguignonne (cooking beef in hot oil before dipping in cheese and sauces), as well as traditional Cheese Fondue. Divine, simply divine.
Fondue did not become popular in this country until the mid 60's. These days, people are wild for anything dipped in chocolate, even pretzels and ice cream balls, and chocolate fountains are common fixtures in restaurant buffets. Personally, I don't care for the fountains, preferring to dip my goodies in a caquelon the old fashioned way. After all, the fondue experience is at best an intimate sharing, something even the host can enjoy because everything is prepared ahead of time. As soon as the guests arrive, just sit down and dip!&nb
As explained at Gotta Book, "very day in April, I'll be posting a previously unpublished poem by a different poet."
Gotta Book is the blog of Greg Pincus. Pincus, as you may remember, is the King of Using Social Media to Promote Awesome Things. Seriously -- even if you care nothing about poets, check out how Pincus is organizing and promoting 30 Poets/ 30 Days. Especially how the promotion is not about him -- it is about the poets, and poetry, and the whole kidlitosphere book blogging community.
That, my friends, is how to use social media.
And for Pincus I have two words. Ge.Nius.
OK. That's one word.
But it IS genius. Anyone who has been involved in this type of blogging event knows that it is a heckuva lot of work. What does Pincus say about that? It's "a project of fun and joy not of stress and deadlines." May we all remember the fun and joy in blogging.
Thank you, GottaBook -- 30 Poets/ 30 Days has been amazing so far and I cannot wait to read the rest of the poems.
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
Aww, you're too kind. I shall do the only appropriate thing - send this link to my mom!
The project is a lot of work, but I do love it - I get to spread poetry, ya know? And so many people throughout the Kidlitosphere do so many wonderful projects that it's nice to be able to do the heavier lifting every now and then.
And, well, this project IS fun - as in, I've already seen the poems that are still to come and they're also amazing! What could be better than that?
Remember Greg Pincus from the vlog last week talking about Twitter?
Well he just spilled the beans that over at The Happy Accident, he's giving away a free social media consultation (to celebrate his fourth blogoversary at GottaBook).
Your blog is always full of great information. I've got an award waiting for you at my blog http://justifiedlunacy.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-awards.html
I got to meet Greg and see him in action last weekend at a writer's retreat. He's awesome, but don't bother entering the contest because I am going to win ;)
I'm so happy for you. Send me your email and I will put you in touch with Marietta for your query or 1 chapter critique as well as a 30 minute phone call!!!!
To others, don't get discouraged! We have 2 more agent critiques to giveaway by the end of the week. Just be sure to Follow and Comment.
Important Reminders:
Follow Elana and me by 12PST/3 ET time tonight and automatically be entered into the Follower Drawing which will include a query critique from the amazing (and hilarious) Jennifer Laughren at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
Comment today for a chance to win the last Daily Prize listed below.
Today is the last clue for the Scavenger Hunt. Go back and make sure you have collected all four clues (one in each post this week) and come back tomorrow to fill out the Grand Prize Drawing Form. Winners will be announced Monday.
You can still get extra points for the Grand prize Drawing. Click here to see what you can do.
The Grand PUBA prizes which include an Agented package that includes free marketing and an Unagented package that includes a query/3 chapter critique by my agent, Alyssa Henkin/Trident Media.
Effective Social Media - Blogging and Tweeting the Right way!
Today, I wanted to get you some information on Bogging and Tweeting (Twitter).
The last Daily Prize Drawing will be tonight. It will be a copy of Lee's ebook on The Zen of Blogging and a copy of the book Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz. So be sure to Follow and Comment today!
Now presenting......
Lee Wind, avid blogger and author of the ebookThe Zen of Blogging.
Today, he tells us the top 3 reasons why blogging is awesome for authors. (To purchase a copy of Lee's ebook, go to his site.) You can also follow him on Twitter.
Reaching Your Target Audience Online: A Guest Post by Greg Pincus...
Happy New Year readers! I've been away from my office for weeks, I've trudged through the snow, I'm back at my desk, and I'm starting off 2010 with a guest post by Greg Pincus.
Read on–and please leave comments yourself if you can offer advice about reaching an audience of young readers online...
If you’re an author or illustrator who’s blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking or using other social networks to build your platform, you need to think strategically about who you’re going to reach online and how you’re going to do it.
Some choices are easy–you’re not likely to use LinkedIn to appeal to the kids who read your picture books. But if you write YA, in particular, you often have to make some more complex choices since your potential readership is actually online…and in large numbers.
Teens, however, don’t use the web the way adults do. As a result, most author/illustrator blogs and websites don’t attract teenage readers unless the author is already known to them. Twitter connections follow a similar pattern.
This means that if you’re offering up a “this is my journey” or writing advice or book review blog or just tweeting as as yourself, you should focus on appealing to the gatekeepers rather than teen readers. If you want to reach your core readership, you need to consider building a community around a central idea or offering up interactivity that your potential readers want and can’t replicate elsewhere. Some examples:
Author P.J. Haarsma built a game which attracted a huge audience that became the core supporters of his books. The game community helped test storylines and championed the books to their friends, too.
The women behind Readergirlz have built a community around authors, books, and reading. The site is a destination offering interactivity, changing content, and projects that involve offline participation, as well. While the site is not directly about the Readergirlz “divas” themselves, the connection to the readers still exists for them individually as well as collectively.
Finding underserved, pre-existing communities can be an effective path to having a teen readership, as Lee Wind has done with his blog I’m Here. I’m Qu
So let's get practical...if you aren't published yet (me, hi!) then is it best for your blog to appeal to other writers...but then when you DO get published (me, someday?) shift the focus to a teen readership?? Or perhaps have TWO blogs? One for fellow writers and one for readers? This has always perplexed me.
Thanks, Alice, for having me over to your place. It's much appreciated. And jmartin - you're welcome!
Robin - most likely, even after you're published, your blog will attract some fans but won't likely grow that fandom... unless you're offering something that your target audience wants. So instead of worrying about that, ask yourself a series of questions: why am I online? who am I hoping to appeal to...and why? Can I offer something unique... and how will that help me?
There is no "best" group to appeal to by default. Who will help you accomplish your goals? That's the best group for you. Sometimes it's just a number. Sometimes it's writers or teens or librarians or agents or or or. The key is to spend your time productively, and for that you need to have clear goals that are reachable based on what you're going to do... and who that could possibly appeal to.
Does that make sense? (And I look forward to when you drop the "someday?"!)
Here is a sneaky question. What would you think about deliberately preplacing key words, or phrases, into a text, as part of the story line. These could then be drawn to as part of the marketing strategy for a specific market segment. Ever tried anything like this?
Thanks, Carmela. I'd tell you the time to start establishing a presence is "NOW!" but I know you're already doing that!
And writingisdevine - I'm not exactly sure what you're driving at. Putting keywords in a manuscript won't help if it's not online... and "keywords" are only effective if the people looking for them are gonna be happy when they find you. Strong, well-targeted keywords on a site can certainly help, but in a text, I don't see what they'd do. Besides, if you've written a strong text, there will naturally be the right-for-you keywords in it already, without sneakiness!
Knowing your audience is so important. I am feel much more connected to blogs and forums in which the blogger(s) or leader(s) have a genuine interest in viewer/reader feedback and creating a community.
Recommended Superhero Comics for Kids by 
List NSTA: Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12: 2014 
10 Diverse YA Historicals About Girls In honor of Women's History Month 
How Sweet It Is: The 50th Anniversary of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' 
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Aww, you're too kind. I shall do the only appropriate thing - send this link to my mom!
The project is a lot of work, but I do love it - I get to spread poetry, ya know? And so many people throughout the Kidlitosphere do so many wonderful projects that it's nice to be able to do the heavier lifting every now and then.
And, well, this project IS fun - as in, I've already seen the poems that are still to come and they're also amazing! What could be better than that?
Thanks for the links and support!