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I want to know your opinion for my next project. I'm designing and submitting a proposal for a new coloring book, but I can't decide which theme to go with. This would be for adults, and I know I want to include all things with wings, but how??

Halos I adore all things pattern, and placing the circles behind a lovely lady are representative of her personality and purpose. The halo is the radiating circles behind her. When I first heard this concept of patterned halos it was through a Mucha exhibit, where he himself called them halos. It forever changed how I saw them and the stories they tell.

Enchanted Gardens A narrative starting with the garden gate, entering into a world full of florals, landscapes, fairies, angels, and the songs of nature around them. A story unfolds as you wander through the pages, helping to create the mood through your choice of colors.

Will you help me? Vote!


My Pixie Fairy Coloring Book has be so much fun to share and create, I want to do more, with more pattern and detail. Something I truly love doing.


What's your favorite subject to color?
Answer in the comments below. :)

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Polls about religion have become regular features in modern media. They cast arguments about God and the Bible and about spirituality and participation in congregations very differently from the ones of preachers and prophets earlier in our nation's history. They invite readers and viewers to assume that because a poll was done, it was done accurately.

The post Can we trust religious polls? appeared first on OUPblog.

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I've been getting more people asking me for advice about how to get an agent, so in addition to updating my FAQ post about "Any advice on how to get an agent? How did YOU get your agent?", I've also posted a new survey.

If you're a children's/YA author or illustrator currently working with an agent, I'd very much appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to answer this quickie (multiple choice) anonymous poll about how you got your agent.

Results will be included in a future Inkygirl post.

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In prep for my workshop at CANSCAIP's Packaging Your Imagination, I asked literary agents, editors and art directors a few questions about whether they research potential clients, authors and illustrators online and what they look for. 18 editors (some of whom also look for picture book illustrators), 8 agents and 2 art directors responded.

Here's what they said:

QUESTION: When you are considering taking on a new client/author/illustrator, do you ever research them online?

77% of respondents said that when they are considering taking on a new client, author and illustrator, they ALWAYS research them online. The rest said they sometimes do.

QUESTION: If you do online research before signing on a client/author/illustrator, has your research ever made you decide NOT to sign them on?

62% said that YES, they have decided to reject someone after researching them online. Some said that while they hadn't yet rejected someone after online research, they would definitely think twice about signing with someone who posts a lot of negativity (see below) or posts "with cringe-inducing syntax."

 

OTHER COMMENTS:

In this section, I invited respondents to volunteer additional comments, including turn-ons and turn-offs, what they look for during online research.

The following respondents gave me permission to use their names.

Christie Harkin, Consultant Publisher at Clockwise Press:

"I have been turned off by authors/illustrators who bad-mouth their editors/publishers/agents. It is amazing to me when I see this on Facebook. Even if you don't mention your editor/publisher by name, it is usually very obvious to whom you are referring. I would definitely think twice about taking on someone who did this. Also, I look for authors/illustrators who are generous in sharing news about others in the community. People who only post promo about their own books (BUY MY BOOK! LOOK AT MY STUFF!) are not generally as well-received or connected with the larger community. If you are a new or emerging creator, you need to be engaging with others who are also plugged in to the kidlit world."

Andrew Karre, Editorial Director at Carolrhoda Books:

"An extent online presence is not a necessity. It's gravy. But . . . I place a certain amount of value on a social media presence that seems human and natural and interesting. A Twitter stream that is full of interesting engaged conversations on a variety of topics--even topics other than books--is somewhat more interesting to me than one that is all review links and retweets. I don't much care how many followers. (Unless, of course, it's a huge number, because I am not an idiot about what that means.)"

Carol Hinz, Editorial Director at Millbrook Press:

"I'm not necessarily looking for something in particular when I look up an author or illustrator. I simply want to find out if the person has a web presence and, if so, what it is. It's also helpful to get a sense of what else they've done, how they present themselves, whether they do school visits, and what helpful connections they may have (whether it's with other writers, educators, booksellers, etc.) when it comes to book promotion." 

 

Other Comments:

NOTE: Most of the respondents answered anonymously but to avoid the awkward he/she decision, I decided to use "he" or "she" randomly.

One agent said she decided not to request material from previously published authors who got combative with reviewers. Another respondent said that while he hadn't yet rejected a project based on online research, he may make a note to discuss proper online etiquette with that particular author or illustrator. "But I believe the day is coming where my online research will make me answer 'no' when I question, 'Do I love this book enough to want to deal with THIS'?"

Another respondent said that online research sometimes makes her ask more questions, change the direction or focus of the conversation, dig deeper ("and not always in a negative way"), sometimes for the benefit of both of them and sometimes in ways that lead to more meaningful partnerships.

"Biggest turn-off: Writers who get argumentative and/or rude with reviewers and bloggers online. I also look at blog and social media posts that see how the writer comes across in their daily interactions. I'm wary when a writer acts rude, cynical, prejudiced, or pessimistic on social media. That's not to say that people can't have down moments, but if their overall feeds are full complaints and abuse toward others, it's an immediate "no." I've been lucky, though, to have found clients who are all positive, dedicated writers open to criticism and growing in their craft."

"I'm usually just looking for more information and/or to confirm my initial impression. I do notice if someone writes extensively about the writing and publication process ("got another rejection today!") or if he/she does a lot of self-publishing. Neither of these are deal-breakers at all, but they present unique challenges. I actually do most of my sleuthing with agents and agencies, and in that case I do judge if I see a lot of awful self-published covers (but again, may still work with them). Also, I assume writers and agents research me online but the less I'm reminded of that, the better—like don't start every email to me by mentioning something I've posted on Facebook. I don't like the feeling of someone friending me on social media in order to 'gain access.'"

"I look for obviously divisive posts, things that I see that I think would turn off a readership. Professionalism online is important, and also gives me an idea of what you'd be like to work with. I also look to see how you interact with others on your blog/twitter/site whether or not you acknowledge people who leave comments or tweet with you."

"Turn offs= being unprofessional/rude/inappropriate in a public online setting. Why would I want someone with that type of behavior linked to me as an agent and the agency as a whole?"

"When researching someone online, I'm generally just looking to flesh out my knowledge of that person in advance of a possible acquisition. I'm not actually looking for trouble spots, just maybe things to discuss at an IRL meeting with colleagues (sales points) or with the author themselves (small talk). When it's an illustrator, particularly; I do a lot of triage online before anyone's necessarily aware that I'm looking - I use online portfolios to identify leads. I'd advise artists to have as much art available to view online as possible. Use places like deviantart if you don't have a well-maintained personal site or an illustration agent with a good easily searchable site. Probably use deviantart even if you do. The easier your work is to find, the more work you'll pick up. I've been involved in acquisitions where a Google search turned up a certain amount of Internet Drama. It never really influenced the decision - we signed people up each time. I could imagine scenarios in which it would be a deal-breaker - for example, if we discovered that an author was a Neo-Nazi, that wouldn't play well - but none of them has so far come to pass. Incidentally, I think the situation in which duly diligent research is crucial is if you are an author or illustrator being offered work by a publisher or agent. You need to check out the bona fides of the person or company asking to contract with you, because there are an awful lot of sharks out there." - @iucounu on Twitter

"Turn ons - lots of work with the same energy and talent that brought the illustrator to my attention in the first place. Turn offs - samples that look dated, have styles that are very different and less appealing to me than the first sample I saw, very few samples."

"Online turn-offs: people who tweet way too often, people who only speak and don't engage others in conversation, people who are far too self-promotey, people who share way too much of their personal lives, people who are far too neurotic (tweeting constantly about writing woes and insecurities), people who are far, far, far too negative about anything and everything, and the biggest of all: people who feel the need to insult other writers/houses/editors/agents. Oh, and also, writers who quote themselves online. Online turn-ons: people who engage in meaningful discussion (without hitting me on the head with a hammer), people who find that balance between an online persona and being who they really are, people more interested in building a community than shilling their work, people who are endlessly supportive of fellow writers (without being obnoxious about it). What I really want to learn when I research a writer online is what they're after. Did they write the book to jump on the gravy train, hoping it would be the quick path to fame and fortune? Did they write the book because they scoff at the genre they just wrote and wanted to prove anyone could do it? Or is this someone who is serious about building a writing career and not just receiving the adulation of thousands of strangers? THAT'S the writer I want to work with. Someone dedicated to their craft and not their number of Facebook friends or Twitter followers."

(On whether they have rejected someone after online research) "Not if I really, really love the book, but if an author has exhibited abrasive or unpleasant behavior online, it definitely makes me think twice about signing them. When I sign someone, I'm not just signing up the project--I'm going to have to work with the author for a long time, and I prefer not to invite a headache into my life. While a great web presence is a definite plus, I'd never turn someone down for a lackluster web presence. But if I discover combative, difficult behavior, etc, I have to decide if this person is worth the unpleasantness they'll likely bring to my life. Because people are usually consistent--ie, if they're unpleasant to some people, they'll probably be unpleasant to me too if and when any difficulties in our working relationship arise."

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Curious about my other publishing industry surveys? Feel free to browse current and past Inkygirl Surveys online.

 

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First of all, I had a “wow, the banner i created in 2007 using my minimal Photoshop skills is kind of terrible-looking” moment this morning. Is that just me, or…?

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The other thing is that I’ve been looking through one of my many lists of books to read, and it’s kind of overwhelming. So, regular readers of this blog, what’s the one book you feel like I should have reviewed, but haven’t?

Tagged: poll, rqhousekeeping, stuff

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Dear Pro Illustrators: How Much Do You Earn Per Hour?

Typo corrected! Quel honte! Thanks!

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Hello everyone! Here are the current results of the audience poll I posted last week. Results are still trickling in, but it’s been pretty consistently the same the past few days. Now you know who reads the blog with you every day! :)

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Sorry for the lame image here, but the actual poll doesn’t show up in the Tumblr dashboard because whatever, so I quickly scribbled a little JPG up there. Click to see the poll!

Dear Drawn! Readers: which best describes you?

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I’m working on a book review, but I don’t have much else to say today. So, I thought I’d make today’s post a bit interactive!

 

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Filed under: Me Being Me Tagged: POLL

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A few days ago I asked readers to submit their ideas for our theme for the 2012 Book Battle.  The ideas are in and now it's time for everyone to vote on their favorites.  Thank you to everyone who submitted ideas!

For those of you who are new to the battle, here's an introduction post I wrote in it's first year.  But basically, it's a bracket-style elmination competition for books.  I organize the event, but I don't have any hand in the judging or determining the winner.  Judges are selected from volunteer book bloggers, YA lit enthusiasts, and blog readers.  Each bracket is judged by a new set of volunteers, who choose which book will move on, and which book does not.  This is the 3rd battle at The Shady Glade, and each year has had a different theme. 

So, with that quick intro out of the way, it's time to detail out the options for this year's battle.  There's a form at the bottom of this post (or you can find it here).  Please fill it out to pick your favorite ideas.  It's really short, only takes a minute, and I count on as much participation as possible to do this!  Voting will remain open until Saturday, April 15th at midnight PDT (or earlier if particpation slacks off). 
The winning ideas determines how many volunteers we will need, and the other organizations I have to set up behind the scenes, so once we know our winner I will be sending out a call for volunteers. 

Here are descriptions of each option detailed in the poll.  You can pick no more than 2 favorites (since we have several new suggestions this year).  If you have any questions, please ask. 

Let the games begin!

Best Debut Author Title of 2011 - This would mark the return of 2010's theme for another year.  This battle features books by authors whose first book was published during 2011. 

Mythology retellings - With the surge of books that are based on fairy tales, legends, and various mythology, this battle will pit these types of books against each other to determine an ultimate winner.

Good books with horrible covers - You know how you always hear "don't judge a book by it's cover"?  This battle gives those books that you would never think to pick up off the shelf a chance.  What gems are hidden beneath the horrendous cover art?  And which book is best of them all?   

Book Academy Awards - This takes the idea of the Academy Awards to the YA book market.  Several categories including best male character, best female character, best supporting character will battle it out for a winner, similiar to our Readers' Choice Awards this past year.  This will feature several "mini brackets" with several winners, one for each category.


Best of the Genre - In this battle, books will be broken up by genre to battle for the best of their kind in 2011. What was the best fantasy published last year? Best historical? Best parnormal? This will feature several "mini brackets" with several winners, one for each category.

Best sequel - Know of a book in a series that was better than the first?  Which recently published book outshines it's predessessor.  This theme will require judges to read 4 books, the original and the sequel for both sides of the bracket. 

Read-alike Versus Battles - This idea will sh

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Thank you all for responding to my little poll here. :o)

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Hello there,

I have a confession to make. There are times when I want to blog and don't know about what. Sometimes I feel like I'm running out of ideas. I know I'm busy with work and life but I love this blog and I love that you guys always visit. Honesty, I don't want to neglect it.

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Thanks to a very observant commenter, I realized this afternoon that I have neglected to post the final winners from the 2011 YA Blogger Debut Book Battle.  Whoops!  It was my intention to post these at the beginning of the month.  Unfortunately, with the delay last week I kind of forgot.  So today we have the winners of the Reader's Choice Awards and tomorrow will be the final battle winners.

Now, before I move on to the winners, I have a little disclaimer to go along with these.  In the end, not a lot of people ended up voting, so some of the categories were pretty cut and dry (Reader's Choice was almost unanimous) and some were a little more split.  So if you don't agree with the choices and you didn't vote, you should vote next time!  :)

Now without further ado, here's the winners of the Reader's Choice Awards!


Best Setting: Bellezza from City Of Masks by Mary Hoffman

The majority of all of the Stravangaza books takes place in Talia, and alternative version of our Renaissance Italy. But of all of the books from that series I've read, I have to agree that Bellezza is one of my favorites. Patterned after historical Venice, this would be a place I would love to visit. Except for the whole having to wear a mask thing. I think that would get old eventually...



Best Cover Art: Stork by Wendy Delsol

There's some great cover art in our group of finalists, but I have to agree that this is one of my favorites.  It really backs up the fairy tale feeling to the book, don't you think?  Blue isn't necessarily one of my favorite colors, but I think it works really well in this situation.

Honorable mention: Intrinsical by Lani Woodland (also a blue cover!)



Best Villian: Lord Daul from StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce

This category was no contest. Sadly, I still have not had the opportunity to read StarCrossed myself yet (it's on the top of my TBR list though), but this Lord Daul sounds like quite the nasty character. With over 40% of the vote in this category, this dude must be majorly ba

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Voting for the 2011 Book Battle Reader's Choice Awards ends tomorrow at midnight!  If you haven't already, please take a few minutes to submit your votes.  There's been few enough votes that things are really split right now, so more participation is badly needed!

Remember, you don't have to vote on all the awards.  Even if you haven't read any of the nominees, you can still vote on those such as Best Cover Art or Most Unique Premise, etc.  If anyone has any problems with the form, please email me at shadygladeATmailDOTcom to let me know.

So please, make sure you let your voice be heard!  This is the first year I've done Reader's Choice and I want them to be a success.  And, as I hinted yesterday, it might just pay off for you next month...

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Thanks to everyone who voted on the Reader's Choice Awards poll. The input has been tallied, and we now are ready to vote! As we wait with baited breath to see which of the two finalists win the final bracket in Series 5, it's time for YOU to play judge.

There are 10 awards being given in the following categories: Reader's Choice, Best Cover Art, Most Likely To Re-Read, Most Overlooked, Most Unique, Best Main Character, Best Villain, Best Romance, Weirdest/Most Quirky Character, and Best Setting. You can choose any of the 24 final nominees from Round 2 as your votes. If you need a refresher about which books are eligible, cover art, plot, etc. they are all posted in our Goodreads Group bookshelf page.

To vote, fill out the Google form below (or follow this link). You are required to give your email address, but that's just to track duplicate entries and will be deleted as soon as the voting closes. Voting will be open until August 22nd at midnight.

Remember that even if you haven't read all (or even any) of the nominations, you can still vote for the awards. A vote is not required for every award, so you can pick and choose which ones to do. There's also a box for you to explain any of your choices if you wish to do so.

Questions? Let me know. Otherwise go vote! This is your chance to let your opinion be heard!

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Those of you who follow our Goodreads group for the battle have already heard about this, but it's time to share with everyone.

New to the battle this year, I've instituted the Reader's Choice Awards category.  To help fill the time between now and when the final winner is announced, I'm giving you the choice to have your say in choosing the top books from our battle finalists.

About a month ago I asked for suggestions from our Goodreads group members for categories they'd like to see for a series of Reader's Choice Awards.  Well, now it's time to vote on what awards will make the final cut.  Fill out the Google form below (or click the link) to pick the categories you'd like to give as awards this year. There's also a spot for you to pick your own.  Pick up to 5 categories.  Those with the most votes will become actual awards this year.

I'm tracking entries by email address, so you will need to enter that.  Don't worry though, they will be deleted as soon as entries are closed this Saturday at midnight.  So vote now while  you still have a chance!
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Can I have some feedback?

For the last, oh week or so, I've been trying to get feedback about my Etsy shop over on Facebook. I need more. Please take a moment and vote on the poll. 
go vote!

The reasons for the poll:
There are over a 100 items in my shop...a lot to shuffle through.

I like to get feedback from my followers and customers so that I may better serve you. I can't serve you efficiently and to the upmost best without knowing your thoughts and needs.

What is the poll about:
The poll is for me to decide if I should change out the sections. If you visit my Etsy Shop you would see a list of sections on the left navigation. I want to know if I categorize my items by subject matter that it would be easier for you to find what you're looking for.

So instead of shopping by item type (print, tin box, stickers, etc.) you would be shopping by subject (fairies, mermaids, angels, fairytales, biblical, etc.).

Please go vote!
if the link doesn't work, please visit http://www.facebook.com/sarabillustration and find the poll (it's only about two posts down).
*You must be logged into your FB account to vote in the poll. 

If you don't want to vote through FB please leave a comment here and vote!
A) YES section by fairies, mermaids, angels, etc.
B) EH I'm indifferent and it doesn't matter how the shop is arranged.
C) NO I like how the shop is arranged right now.


Thank You

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The votes have been tallied and it's time to announce the winner of our readers poll!  The winner, of course, will be our returning book for Series 4 that gets a final last chance at the final and winning spot.  So which book will it be?

The winner is StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce!

It will be moving on to Bracket 22, where it will go up against Stravaganza: City of Masks for one of the finalist spots in Series 5.

We're getting down to the end, and we have more results to announce later this week! Keep an eye out for the winners of Series 3 coming soon. And, for those who are curious, the second runners up for the poll were The Hollow Kingdom, John Belushi Is Dead, and Bloody Jack.

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There's been a slight update to the What Book Returns in Series 4 poll. Thanks to one of my sharp readers, it was brought to my attention that there is no way to NOT vote for a book in one of the series.  I've corrected the list, and now you have the option to choose "No vote for this series" as one of your votes.

I've sent an email to everyone who "chose" one of the default books on the list (Academy 7 for Series 1 and The Grimm Legacy for Series 2) as their vote to ensure that they meant to pick that book.  If you fall into that category and for some reason didn't get an email, go ahead and resubmit your corrected vote using the form on the original post.  Just put "Resubmission: (your email address)" in the Email address box so I know to delete your earlier vote.

For those of you who haven't voted, you have until midnight on the 18th (Monday).  Remember, ANYONE can vote, and your email address are only used to track multiple submissions and will be deleted after the poll is closed.  So don't forget to vote!

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By Elvin Lim

The Republican party has traditionally been a more ordered, hierarchical organization, one in which the norm of waiting for one’s turn has been entrenched through the decades. When there is no consensus on the available candidates in the field, the runner-up to the last nomination contest becomes, by default, the front-runner. Today, Palin, Pawlenty, Thune, Huckabee, Gingerich, and Santorum are all names being mentioned. Yet no name stands out the way Mitt Romney’s does.

This weekend, Romney topped a straw poll of New Hampshire Republican Party Committee members for the party’s nomination. He was the runner-up in 2008’s straw poll in New Hampshire, and won 32 percent of the actual primary vote, just behind John McCain’s 37 percent. Now, the poll may not tell us much; New Hampshire is a Romney stronghold because he is from neighboring Massachusetts and owns a home in the state. But history and the Republican primary calendar appear to be moving in Romney’s favor.

This is because by the time the South begins to vote to give victories to Romney’s rivals, he would have had three chances to set up a delegate-grabbing momentum. Romney is the front-runner to beat in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary on or around February 14, 2012. On February 18, he is likely to win again in the Nevada caucuses because of his Mormon base there. On February 28, Michigan, where Romney was born and remains a favorite son, holds its primary. As we know of the law of momentum in primary contests, the early bird catches the nomination. Fortune’s arrows are certainly unpredictable, but she has bequeathed to Romney three shots toward the Republican nomination in the first two weeks of the primary cycle in 2012.

The Tea Party movement is inadvertently helping Romney out too. While everyone else is actively courting the Tea Party, Romney isn’t (and some say, he couldn’t even if he tried, because of his hand in healthcare reform as Governor of Massachusetts). This sets Romney apart to win the more moderate Republicans voting in states like New Hampshire, which happens to have a semi-open primary, which means Independents who are not registered with either party can vote in the Republican primary. Romney’s less than cozy relationship with the Tea Party may actually help him because while Palin and Huckabee et al split the Tea Party vote, Romney would be on his way to a delegate lead.

Republican donors appear to be concurring. Almost every economic index other than unemployment is likely to favor an Obama re-election in 2012, so the Republican party could do well to put someone with Romney’s credentials as a former businessman and CEO at the top of their ticket. With 9/11 a decade behind us (the only reason why Rudy Giuliani was the front-runner at this time in the 2008 cycle), American politics will likely regress to the mean so that 2012, like 2010, will be about the economy. Accordingly, Romney’s PAC (Free and Strong America) has raised more money than that of any other contender, including Sarah Palin, whose PAC raised $5.4 million in 2010, compared to Romney’s $8.8 million. Palin gets the crowds out, but Romney gets their checkbooks out. Big difference; and we aren’t even yet talking about Romney’s personal wealth.

Obama’s approval numbers have gone up for now. But one thing he has always been weak on – and watch him try to address this weakness on Tuesday’s State of the Union address – is that likeable as he appears to be, he is al

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I'm trying to decide which drawing to develop into my next art print. Please give me your two cents and take my poll!

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As I mentioned before, I'm currently trying to decide how to celebrate my blogoversary this year, which is coming up on September 1st. And of course you can't have a blogoversary without prizes. I have some great books to give away, but I'm curious about what you think.

Do you like contests with lots of smaller prizes for lots of winners? One big prize for one winner? A huge pile of prizes and a few winners who get to choose from the list? Some other type of suggestion?

I've added a poll to the top of the right sidebar to let me know your thoughts. It'll close on August 29th, and I'll decide what I'm doing on the 1st from there. As always, ideas in the comments are appreciated!

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Everybody has opinions.  I personally have enough of them for several people, but today (for once) I'm more interested in yours.  I want to know what all you folks would most love to see on our blog, so I created a poll - take a peek in the sidebar!

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