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Any chance you'll share the query for the book that didn't sell? :)

Even if not, do you think there is anything to be learned there, or do you think the query had nothing to do with the result? This one is so good, and knowing something about how you write and your experience, I just have to believe that the adult novel query was pretty fricking good, too.

hey nathan....thanks for this post, and all the posts this week. super informative, as usual. great stuff.

question: are you nervous? how do you feel? will you be watching how much your book sells once it launches? how many books would you like to sell? just curious how you're feeling and what your expectations sa the big day looms....

livia-

I knew pretty much what was going to be in the agreement because I was familiar with Penguin's boilerplate, so there weren't any dealbreakers for me.

anon-

Thanks for your confidence! I won't be sharing that query because I have a thing about sharing projects before they're fully baked. That novel was based on an ambitious idea but I wasn't skilled enough to pull it off.

Mark-

No, not nervous! Sort of dazed, busy and excited. I have been strenuously avoiding expectations of any kind. I'll be keeping tabs on things but I'm not living and dying by how it does. Just having it out there is reward enough.

Hey I've got a question:

How do you track sales, anyway? Do publishers provide numbers? How often?

I have a published play, and I get a statement every six months. That's the only way I know how it's doing.

domino-

Publishers will sometimes provide sales numbers, but for the most part you know official sales from royalty statements. Nowadays though Amazon offers Bookscan numbers through Author Central, which doesn't rack all sales but gives a partial snapshot.

You might have time to be a self-published author, just not a good one, or likely a very successful one. (Well, you might do better than most. This blog gives you a lot of name recognition.)

But I can understand your reasoning, as many of your reasons are mine as well (and, I suspect, this hold true for many of your other readers).

Has your book sold in any other countries? That alone would seem a good reason to have an agent handle your career.

kristin-

It has! It should be published in Spain in the fall.

JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE INTERSTELLAR TIME WARP? Good, but JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE INTERSTELLAR TIME WARP AND THE VACATIONING ALIENS FROM ANOTHER PLANET WITH ADDED SPACE MONKEYS would be better. If the cover is big enough.

Publishers eating books!? Rice paper perhaps? Yet another argument against e-books. Just try eating a Kindle.

I'm not so sure about publisher recognition. Some readers may think your books are published by a Batman villain.

Anyone who's figured out who Gordon is can have more fun guessing what Mira's first question was.

Seriously, Nathan, many thanks for this excellent series of posts.

Your reasons are all great for why to go with traditional publishing. I also have a full time job and blog. Like you, I wouldn't have the time to market and design a self published book.

Just got my copy of your book in the mail. Can't wait to start it as soon as I finish what I'm reading.

Nathan, you cite have a professional editor as a reason to traditionally publish ... and you seem to imply that self-published authors can't have that. Well, they sure can ... from the ranks of many fine editors who have been laid off from publishing houses in recent years precisely because many choose not to pay for top-tier editing any longer. I have many friends who have hooked up with Big Six refugees for developmental and copy editing, for very reasonable prices, and get quality work that's every bit the equal of what you say you're getting. Not all the best editors work for publishing houses.

Yes to every single one of these, plus the insight and wisdom of the art dept., publicity, and all those behind-the-scenes people I know nothing about.

I can't imagine doing this alone. My work would be ridiculous without the prodding and encouragement of my editor. And then getting the story out into the world without backing? No thanks.

What backing? Two weeks of co-op placement (maybe) before your book is remaindered and pulped? Before the book is closed on you and your sales potential ... and thus your future in traditional publishing?

Really, all we're talking about is a difference in how professionals are paid. In self-publishing, authors hire out all these services themselves. In traditional publishing, the publisher arranges for these services ... and then recoups the cost, plus the cost of your advance, before the earn-out threshold is reached and any royalties paid.

It really all boils down to paying now ... or paying later.

I respect your reasons for going with traditional publishing and maybe in the world of children's books it is best. But I'm hearing a lot about how publishers are leary of taking a chance on a 1st time author. I know the process can take an awfully long time as well. An advance for a newbie is very small, too. I have the free time to devote to self publishing and would like to see my book in print within a year of beginning to write it. You're right about the fact that it may be a toss-up as to which route will yield the most income. Good luck with your new book and hope sales are high!

Self-publishing needs to be a collaborative process too, Nathan. The sad part is, it's up the author to decide that...often to their detriment. Most Indie authors don't know what they don't know, including the business they are really in: which is to connect their books to readers, not just to write and publish books.

More on this in my blogpost: http://www.bookdoula.biz/hobble-ins-welcome-write-to-relate

Not until recently did I even consider self-publishing. I used to work in publishing, so I'm partial to the traditional route.

That said, as someone who likes the whole process of book-making, I'm so tempted to try self-publishing, especially now with all the new and exciting 'toys.'

I'm torn, though. It would be so great to have the pub dream in my head fulfilled...

Thanks Nathan for blogging about your experiences. Sharing your excitement is inspiring!

I'm with you!!

Another point to consider is that writing is a solitary endeavor. Yes, you have your crit buddies, possibly a writers group to hang with, but a traditional publisher comes with a team of pros who are all there to support you and cheer you on.

I was published by a small press years ago and I now have the best agent in the world (yes, I'm biased) who got me an awesome 2-book deal with a very big publisher. My agent works with my editor who works with me, and there's a marketing department, and an assistant, and it's like a big family. They give me those "atta girls" and rain praise on me and encourage me to keep up the good work. If I self-published, I wouldn't have that unless I hired people to do it. I don't have that kind of time or money. And Nathan is right about the advance. It's money in the bank.

The traditional publishing world is a whole different ball game. There's stress and deadlines, sure, but you're not alone. You're part of a team and it's awesome. I didn't have an "in" with anyone in the industry, I was just a hardworking writer writing the best book I could and taking my rejection lumps along the way. It all paid off and it's awesome! I wouldn't want it any other way.

I'd like to give a shout-out to my traditional publisher, Soho. They are a large indie with an extensive backlist and a 25 year history. They've done an awesome job supporting my book(s), which goes way beyond "two weeks co-op, then pulp." I do think they handle things somewhat differently than a lot of Big Six imprints -- they publish fewer titles and support each one, which seems to be a somewhat rare, but very sensible business philosophy. They really get what their market is and how to promote within it.

Didn't you choose a traditional publisher because you could? Let's face it -- most of us would accept an offer from Penguin if we got one!

Nathan, Amen.

But could you have self-published? As a lit agent, you had to go the traditional route, no? Not sure you had a choice.

You had me at Penguin, and I pretty much stopped reading at "third."
Kinda of no brainer here. How much further up the book publishing ladder could you hope to go? It takes most writers years to get that, or only on the heels or reprint of some previous break away success. What if none of the big 6 were interested? what if your offers were only coming from small presses, mid sized independent publishers, with small budgets and no advances? Retorical now, I know. But would you have chosen one or not published at all?
"Why I chose Penguin?" -doesn't sound like much of a choice to me lol.

These are my thoughts exactly. When the time comes for me to query my ms and quite possibly the years slip by it really is some of these key elements that will keep me hanging on to traditional publishing.

Plus, I have an e-reader and still prefer a tried and true crispy paged book over it any day.

Someone here got their copy of your book in the mail today? Where's mine? I pre-ordered months ago! Anyway, the reasons you listed here are exactly why I want to go the traditional publishing route...with an agent of course. :)

The great thing is there are choices today that weren't available even a year ago. I decided to epublish my MG on my own and am loving the process. But you're right...it's not for everyone. You really have to have a DIY attitude and spirit.

For those of you who think indie authors don't have what it takes to make it traditionally, I encourage you to buy an indie book in your genre...a good number are available for $.99 on Smashwords. There's some quality work out there by indie authors who have decided to go it alone for a variety of reasons. These authors usually explain their decision on their blogs, much like Nathan has explained his reasoning here.

Nathan, I'm looking forward to reading your book!

Hey, congratulations on your third book! That's wonderful news.

I am just way too tired to navigate such a controversial topic. All I know are three things, in order of importance:

a. Congratulations on your third book deal! That's wonderful. :)

b. I really like this week and this opportunity to learn more about you. It's interesting and lovely to hear about what goes into your thinking and choices.

c. There are many factors that go into choices, and what may be right for one writer, a worthwhile trade-off, may not be right for someone else, and that's okay.

d. I really don't like math. I think if you multiple 25 by 15 percent, that makes 3.75, which means you get 21.25 percent of every e-book?

e. I still wish that when I bought your book, you got 100% of the profit.

One more week! I can't wait!!! I don't care how much is going on for me, classes and work can wait, I'll have a book to read.

mira-

Say an e-book is $10. In the agency model, the publisher gets 70%, so $7.00. The author gets 25% of that gross, or $1.75 (17.5%). Agent gets 15% of that, ($0.26), so the author ends up with about $1.50, or 15%.

Nathan,

Lol, I still got it wrong.

Thank you. I appreciate your patience with my math disability. That's nice of you. So basically the author gets 15% of the e-book.

got it. :)

This is all really helpful. Thank you!

I plan to pursue traditional publication mostly because I believe that if I can't find an agent and a publisher, I'm probably not good enough to be published at all.

Don't get me wrong. There are a number of exceptional self-published titles out there. But the number of good ones is a tiny percentage.

If no one wants to publish my book, I'd rather just take the hint and find something else to do with my time.

Penguin. Cool! Congrats!
I remember Puffin books, too, from when I was a kid.

Congratulations, Nathan, on the upcoming publication of your first book and for signing contracts for two more books in the series! That’s fantastic!

I think it’s wonderful when writers get published by traditional publishers. I also think it’s wonderful that there are so many alternative ways to get published today, and that opportunities arise in every type of publishing. This week, my indie publisher announced in a press release that the Executive Producer of THE LORD OF THE RINGS movies will be selecting books from among our publications for possible movie and TV show contracts, including possible shows on the SyFy channel. The Executive Producer has formed his own company to produce movies, through which traditionally-published Judy Blume currently has a movie based on one of her novels in production, scheduled for release later this year. Who knows where all this will lead, but it’s a wonderful time to be a writer. :)

Do you think the rise in popularity of self-publishing has altered the odds of getting an agent? I mean, I wonder if agents are being queried less than say 10 years ago...

Congratulations on the third title!

Though I'm not quite to the point where I need to worry about how to get my book published yet (still plowing through those revisions!) I had gone back and forth on the idea of if I wanted to do traditional or self-publishing.

I'm a bit of a control freak so the idea that I could design everything myself sounded tempting, but I'm starting to lean more towards letting professionals handle things. After all, that's why they're the professionals, and like you mentioned in your post, with the crazy schedule of my day job, I don't know where I'd find the time and energy to devote to designing every aspect about a book. Getting the words inside as close to perfect as possible is challenging enough!

About your point on time. J.A. Konrath, Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and Barry Eisler, all multipublished traditional authors who have gone to self publishing, have said that self publishing actually takes less of a writer's time than traditional publishing. It's counterintuitive and I don't quite understand it -- I think it has to do with all the back and forth and the general inefficiencies introduced when adding more people to the book production and marketing process, but enough people are saying so that it's worth investigating.

I decided to seek a publisher after 10 years of (very part-time) work on a regional nonfiction book; was advised by a NYC agent to find a regional publisher. Got a nibble, but they pay 4% royalties. So if my book retails for $25 (about right for a coffee-table book with lots of text and pix), I get a dollar. Wow. I wanted a publisher because I've done two self-published books and know the costs, in time and money, and the risk, and I'd appreciate the team effort--but 4%???? Back to Plan A. Self publish. Question: Can diacritical marks and picture books work on eReaders?

Given what Victoria Mixon wrote recently about who actually owns the big houses, the publisher you went with is the only one of them I'd want to put something out there with my name on it...so that pretty much means if I'm ever going to be published it's going to likely be me doing it! Even if I did manage to attract an agent I doubt they'd take kindly to my saying "But only if Penguin wants it!"

Thanks for this series of posts- and congratulations on the third Wonderbar installment!

~bru

I think it is most generous of you to devote your time helping people with writing problems and showing them that self-publishing is not the last resort.

Thomas.

I have been sending, for the past year, all my sci-fi fantasy books to Baen e-book publishing. The response time is 12-18 months. My editing was not as polished as it is now and I wonder what their reaction will be. Should I ask them to delete my recent admissions and send them anew? Which means waiting another 18 months for a response.

How exciting! Really chuffed for you. Looking forward to seeing that Query Letter :o)

I'm going to buy a copy.

Great Photo - had me wondering at first if that was the paint job on Jacob's flying saucer.

Things are 'ramping up' for Jacob and for you - CONGRATS on a job well done!

Thanks for the promise of sharing your inside tips. I'm looking forward to getting your perspective on the process (especially on how you do edits).

PS - you should do a book signing in Vancouver, you know. (Hint Hint) -- there's a fall conference here that many well known authors and agents attend (SIWC). Just sayin'.

Exciting times Nathan. CONGRATS!

Very nice, Nathan. Congrats!

Is the book hardback? (That's how it looks in the photo.) If so, double congrats.

Great cover art looks infinitely more amazing on an actual cover.

Congratulations! Good times ahead!

My nephews are getting a copy, from me, 'cause I'm a great auntie.

Looking forward to hearing of your adventures as an author.

Congratulations!

Congrats again, Nathan. And it's gunna do GREAT!

The original WONDERBAR QUERY LETTER?! *faints* In other news, congrats!

Congratulations, Nathan! :) I know you must be totally stoked. Ahh if it were me I know it would not feel real at all...I'd feel like I was walking on clouds. xD

Can't wait to go check it out in stores!

~TRA

http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com

Yay! I'm happy for you! Can't wait for your book to rocket to success!! I'm surrounded by kids who read MG so I know I'll be responsible for passing out several copies. Will you offer bookplates if we cover postage? The Avery velum labels work great.

Congrats... looking forward to the wonderbarness.

So exciting. Can't wait to read it.

So glad you're going to talk about how you write and edit next week. And can't wait to read the query letter for Jacob Wonderbar!

Congrats! I have it pre-ordered and can't wait for my son to read it. :)

Wonderful! I've been hearing so much about you here in Texas and throughout the blogosphere. I look forward to reading more of your work. Congratulations!

Congratulations, Nathan! I expect you're experiencing a rather wide range of emotions right now. Excitement? Relief? Nerves? Well, you've made it this far--no one can stop you now!

So excited! It feels like I get to see a bunch of friends introduced to the world...

Congratulations! Enjoy every moment!

Congrats to you!!! I can't wait for next week's posts.

Congrats! Hoping the winning's international :)

Congrats! There's nothing like holding your own books in your hands. ; )

Good for you, Nathan...I wish you great success!

So wonderful - that must be an amazing feeling holding your book in your hands.

Major congratulations, Nathan!

Am very much looking forward to your posts, too. And contests - very fun.

Sounds like you're totally busy, but I hope you get some time to really enjoy this. You only release your very first book once! :)

Ordered mine! Can't wait!

Congrats! I would love a pile of my books. You should build a small castle out of them and then post pictures.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! How totally awesome! I assume there will be corn dogs at the launch?

CONGRATS!!! I really can't wait to pick up a copy.

Thank you for offering to share your experience with us. I can't wait to hear about it.

YAAAY! So cool to see that huge pile of JACOB WONDERBAR spilling all over the place.

Best of luck to you with this and all future writerly endeavors, Nathan!

Congrats again and how exciting! I'm looking forward to the posts.

So exited to watch all your activities for your book launch and learn from the expert. Can't wait for my pre-ordered copy of the book to come.

Congratulations, Nathan!! Seeing your photo of the finished copies made my heart go all a'flutter. You must be so pumped. Looking forward to your posts!

Congratulations, Nathan! This is so exciting. Can't wait to read about your process.

Congratulations on the imminent release. You and Jacob deserve to do well. Excited, too, about the up-coming blog events. You really give value for money on this blog, Nathan. :)

Yes, Yes, Yes, and sorry, broke as broke gets without starving on the last one. Sorry! But, yes, yes, and yes on the others. Good luck.

Oh Gawd, how awesome! A pile of your books. Squeeeeeal! Congrats, and have a blast (off) at your launch party!

congratulations! How fun to see the final product. Sure makes e-books seem less cool.

Congratulations! Thanks for letting us all peek into this exciting process with you - I can't wait to by the book for my son (he will love planets that smell like burps!!)

Wonders never cease! Are them really HARCOVERS I spy in your pic, Nathan? Given your espousal of e-books I thought the only other WONDERBAR format would be direct retina beaming.

Anyway The Ever-Controversial Online Retailer Named After A Certain South American River currently offers the hardcover for $9.40 and the Kindle e-book for $10.49. The significance of which merits a whole Bransforums thread, I'm sure.

But seriously, congratulations Nathan, and I await your posts about writing WONDERBAR 1 and its query letter with bated (but non-burbing) breath!

The perfect Moms' Day gift!

Congrats, Nathan! Did I mention before how much I love the cover? It definitely stands out!

Sprach Zarathustra!

OMG, that is the BEST book trailer eva!!!! No hyperbole necessary-too cool. I can't wait!

Looks amazing, Nathan. Congratulations. I can't wait to read it.

This trailer makes ME want to read it! So awesome!

50 years and we're not on Mars or the moon yet. Hmmm, what's taking them so long?

That's a great book trailer with my favorite music - Star Wars. Really well done. Might cause a rise in corn dog sales.

I'm sure all parents that liked the Star Wars series will buy it for their kids. Sublimimal buying urge planted with music -- good idea.

Question Nathan - Did you get to choose who did your book trailer or was that something your publisher arranged?

Congrats.

I usually can't stand book trailers, coming from a film background (insert more snooty artsy claims here). I have to admit, though, it looks fun.

I think Also sprach Zarathustra - Sunrise could benefit any video whatsoever. Especially a space-themed one.

Congrats!

@Munk: I see you know the source of the Star Wars theme. I discovered that when I worked in a music library on campus.

This is fantastic! And it makes me want to read it - which is the point. Nice work.

d.g.-

Brent and I arranged it.

That is the best book trailer I've seen. Love the integration of music with words and graphics. Very clever!

Um, actually I think it's the theme from 2001, which is even funnier, because it's so portentous. Lol. :)

But the layout is Star Wars all the way!

So creative. That corndog floating in space is so funny.

O-M-G, I love it. Hahahaha!

Best trailer I've seen. You posting this on you-tube?

That was pure awesome. I'm pretty sure it's one of the best book trailers I've seen. As if I could want to read your book any more...

Cosmically Kapowish!

But Laika the dog got there first! Woof! Woof! Mind you, she didn't survive her moment of glory, but America's space monkeys did.

Speaking of monkeys, I bet the furry primates in 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY would have much preferred a corn-dog to that dry old bone. And history's first murder might have been averted. Though Laika would presumably have preferred the bone...

D. G. Hudson, the Star Wars music may be operatic, but the theme is not THAT much like THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSTRA! Richard Wagner is pirouetting with horror in his grave. And John Williams is still very much alive. I agree about the slowness of space exploration. Even 2001's sequel 2010 was last year.

Excellent trailer, Nathan. I haven't looked forward to a kid's book so much since...well, since I was a kid!

Wow! Looks like 2001:Space odyssey

OMG I'm so excided for you! The video is really awesome and makes me want to buy and read the book. It look really great!

@JT Shea - and @Mira. I've been suitably corrected. Many thanks.

Maybe all my sci-fi knowledge is melding together. I'll blame Jacob for blurring the universe.

Richard Wagner probably is dust by now, but his music lives on. Sorry, Richard.

What a great, funny-fun trailer! Eat your heart out I.L.M...

With the background musical score the message in this is quite clear...Jacob Wonderbar is going to be as profound as a monkey touching the space monolith. :)

What a great, funny-fun trailer! Eat your heart out I.L.M...

If the book is half as fun as the trailer, you've got a winner. Congratulations!

FABULOUS trailer! I am not a reader of YA or MG, but I am sending the link for this to all my friends who are. You've convinced me that trailers can be brilliant marketing.

D.G. - no biggie. It's all fun. :)

Great timing against the soundtrack. I'm eager to read this. Maybe I'm just immature (well, I truly am immature, no maybes about that, so I guess it's a moot point) but it looks like it will be a fun story!

Fantastic trailer! Just the right touch of grandeur, offset by an inkling of humor. ;~) Lots of fun.

Congratulations, Nathan. Well done.

Why is there a hard boiled egg on top of Jake's ship? Is that part of the food metaphor?

Seriously though? Very well done. I especially enjoyed the music syncing up with the words blasting onto the front cover. Great choice of a date to reveal the trailer, too.

Cool trailer. Always on the look out for books that will capture the attention of boys. Looking forward to reading it.

Sheryl

Wow, Nathan, that is a wonderful trailer! I just love the music too.

It would be way cool if maybe you dedicated a blog-post to your experience with working with a book trailer artist and even featuring other writers' experiences.

Among the best things about your website, blog, and forums are the resources it pools.

Nicely done. I did a trailer, too, with the help of a terrific designer friend. Check out vampirekittycat.com for a smile and a little music from the Grateful Dead.

Good luck with Wonderbar! Sounds wonderful.

Ray

Any book trailer that has a corn dog floating through space is a good one. Loved the trailer! I can't wait until the book comes out.

that was BRILLIANT.

OMG

Cool! And congratulations on the upcoming publication of JACOB WONDERBAR!

Amazing! Can't wait to read it. :)

Cooler than cool! I love it... especially the freakin' corn dog!

I loved your book trailer! The flying corndog was hysterical. Good job!

Here's what The Trailer Guys did for my book, Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys. http://tinyurl.com/3uvcsy9

Congrats, Nathan!

Fun! I'm getting it on my kindle.

NYT best seller list, here you come!

Nathan, this couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
Many happen Kapows from this day forward!

LOVE it! I was laughing out loud. Can't wait for my kids to read your books!

Loved it. Very cute and full of kid appeal. Congrats.

Looks exciting - I'm sure my 7 year old will love this one. Awesome trailer!

Well done, Nathan! Can't wait to read it...

That is one of the most brilliant things I've seen in a long time!

How awesome! And HUGE LOL - I went to the page2screen website only to discover that is the same company / artist who did the wonderful trailer for a book I illustrated - How To Build Your Own Country, from the Cititzen Kid series! So... now I know!

Awesome. You had me from the first note. And never let go. Congratulations.

Judy

Seriously the best book trailer I've ever seen. It looked like professional animation. Congrats and best wishes for many more books.

I see a kid's morning cartoon show coming our way like a corn-dog. (Actually, I'm Australian, so I've absolutely no idea what a corn-dog is, but I'm willing to run with it.)

Truly, if I showed that trailer to my kids, they'd be looking for the cartoon adaption.

What age range is the book aimed at? And will it be available downunder?

This was so awesome I laughed until I had tears in my eyes. Wonderful and I can't wait!

This book trailer was REALLY good. I can't wait to read the story with my kids! Too bad it won't be out before Easter, would love to add it to the Easter basket.

Congratulations!

This book is totally up my alley. And the trailer? Show me a corn dog flying across the sky, and you have a faithful reader for life.

Awesome! Can't wait to get my hands on a copy...maybe I'll even share it with my daughter.

I'm excited for you Nathan. You have helped so many of us over the years, I just hope for nothing but success. Great trailer, btw.

ADORABLE! My favorite part... the flying corn dog :)

Terrific trailer! I love the humorous syncing of music and images. Very well done! Can't wait to read!

That is just perfect!

I love how the "Cosmic Space Kapow" words come on with the music. Cute. :)

Um, the book trailer was basically brilliant. This looks like it's going to be one awesome book, Nathan. And I have always loved children's books, I know I'm going to order me a copy. xD An early congratulations is in order!

~TRA

http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com

Congrats! Awesome trailer! And I learned something about the Star Wars theme from reading the comments.

That was one of the best book trailers I have ever seen. Totally fit the genre, and I think kids are going to love it!

my son's smile spread from ear to ear when i showed him this! he's sooooo excited!

That was a fun trailer. Though I gotta say, the spaceship needs a new set of shocks to smooth out the ride.

Cute as heck, clever, and well done. Best of luck with the book.

I hated it.

(Of course, I'm only saying that because I though you might appreciate a little variety in your comments.)

Of course it was adorable! It had a corndog floating in space.

That was AWESOME!! My ten year old son watched with me and insisted that we buy the book immediately! So, you're hitting your demographic (and then some ;-)). Congratulations!!

Apologies for naming the composer as Richard Wagner. It was Richard Strauss.

OMG. I could drown in the awesome. Is that a MONKEY at the upper right corner?

Wow, Nathan. It looks so amazing! Congratulations.

Power tie.

This cover is fantastic :-) I love covers like this over stock photography.

I love the Jacob Wonderbar font. It's a ridiculous notion, but I can't help but judge covers by their font.

Hilarious Fun...Your posts and progress brighten the day of sooo many writers. Congratulations on being so clever! ;D

I love it. And the title too.

Wait...what do you do after kapowing the universe? (Hint: It's not Disneyland)Run for president! =)

Looks great!

The cover looks great, Nathan! And I love the title - it sounds like a really fun read. (And so appropriate for the times!)

sheer awesomeness. :)

Congratulations! Love the cover!

I especially like the guy in gray who doesn't know what to think about et all.

Oh yes, and the space monkey =)

Cheers!..to some major success.

So excited to see what adventures zap the crew in Wonderbar II!

Wow. That is a perfect cover for kids. Chris Jennings is very talented and has just the right touch for MG.

Congratulations! This is very exciting. Can't wait to read your books, Nathan!

Awesome cover, Nathan. Congratulations!

Wow, that is one awesome cover! Love the power tie. And the monkey. Gotta love space monkees.

Congrats!

Very cool! Congrats.

Congratulations! LOVE the cover and the space monkey!

Congratulations! I feel like I know exactly the tone of the book from seeing the cover. Would that all covers worked so well!

Is he still running on the corndog ticket, or did he change his platform to quantum bananas to increase popularity with the space monkeys?

Looks like you got a great illustrator, Nathan. Congrats.

Hooray for space monkeys!

Translation: 'Tis a wonderful cover, Nathan.

Congrats,that's a perfect cover. Doesn't every young boy want to be president of the universe?

Makes me wonder what's left for Jacob to conquer after that? (hope he doesn't go for an empire next. . . a la Star Wars)

Best wishes for your success as an author, Nathan.

Awesome!!

Very cool, congrats Nathan!

Monkey!

Love the cover. This is the first I'd heard of your sequel. Congrats!

Congrats, Nathan! This looks like a great read! (Already looking forward to snuggling up with my grandchildren over it, showing them what wonderful worlds the written word can create) Forgive the alliteration.

Wow! I love forward thought. I only wanted to be Queen of the World

How wonderful for you! How long have you known?

Just curious, Nathan...with all you know about electronic publishing, why you didn't do this book "yourself" rather than wait for it to debut a year from now?

Josin: Is it bad of me to say that I'd totally vote for a guy running on the Corndog Ticket?

Cool! Congratulations!

What a fun cover! Very nice. Congrats on book 2.

Rebecca-

Lots of reasons, but I'll plan to blog about that at some point.

Congrats, it looks fun - though I wunder, is the universe ready for a German president?

Congrats. :D

It is a great cover!

Great cover! Congrats!

So cool! I also love the unenthusiastic guy in grey!

Looks awesome! I was thinking the same thing as Rebecca. Going to be a long wait to hit shelves, but you know what they say...good things come to those who waitress.

I can't believe you have a space monkey on the cover of your book...you really can't get much cooler than that. Congrats--it's awesome!

LOL despite being what I think is way too old to read these books and having no kids, I'm going to buy them just out of principle. Good job Nathan and your cover artist rocks.

President of the universe has always been my dream. Excellent work my friend.

Awesome cover. I'm waiting for the first one to come out so I can read it.

Oh cool. Anything with space monkeys is definitely worthy.

So. Awesome. :) Can't wait for #1!

Congrats, Nathan! The cover looks terrific. Of course, anything involving a space monkey gets my vote. :-)

love the cover and title!! I can't wait for Jacob Wonderbar #1. :)

Congratulations!

The experience of seeing a new cover never gets old. :-)

Nathan,
Can't wait to get the book for my grandson, he's 4.

Congratulations!

Hugs,
Tambra

Okay. Because I like you I'll withdraw my candidate, Richard Moberly, the hero of my soon-to-be-epublished "Mouse Hole." I'll nominate him for president of the parallel universe instead. Good going!

Awesome. Jacob has my vote :)

Completely awesome, Nathan! Congrats! I have a nephew in mind for this!

Congratulations! Wonderful cover. So glad you were able to work in a space monkey! Made me laugh! :D

Yippee!

What a FUN cover! Congrats :)

Congratulations!! So excited there's a monkey!

Congratulations, Nathan!

Welcome to the universe, Jacob Wonderbar book two!

OMG he's gonna try to unseat Zaphod!!! Wonderbar in 2012!

:~D

I dunno people, I hear there's already a controversy about hanging chads in Alpha Centauri, and allegations that Jacob was really born in an alternate Universe.

Congrats, Nathan! Can't wait to check both of them out!

"(And yes, that's a space monkey in the top right corner)"

And the circle is complete.

Great new cover Nathan!

How exciting! I just pre-ordered Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow for my youngest!

Congrats!!

So this story has everything even SPACE MONKEYS? There's something rather Nathan Bransford about Jacob Wonderbar.

Adam Heine: LOL!

Congratulations!

I love it!

Yes Wendy. Nathan Bransford for President of the Universe!

Congrats on number two! I love love love the cover art. And cant wait to read number one!

I think a book with a happy, stable kid and happy stable parents could work...if the protagonist is a neurotic schnauzer.

WORD VERIFICATION: heron. It's a bird. Look it up.

I can see both sides here. On one hand, it would be nice to see kids learning how to grow up in less tragic or too-obviously-freeing circumstances, just to have a more rounded ouvre of books for kids to identify with -- and I think there probably are a good number that portray functional, involved families even though there's a surprising number of the other variety. On the other hand, part of being a good storyteller is choosing or creating a narrative occasion, a good reason to bother with the story in the first place. Dead and absent parents, whether they're central to character development or just convenient for the young protagonist, help to shape the impetus for a story.

Theoretically, there are probably a gaggle of stories not told because the character gets confronted with an exciting, tension-filled change, but her parents ground her and forbid her to traipse off through the wilderness for weeks on end. I'm just saying... That's not a very interesting story unless it becomes a story about something else.

You could do it "Fablehaven" style and have the parents be on vacation. =)

Didn't the kids in the Time Warp Trio series have parents? It's been awhile since I read them or that my kids did but I seem to recll them going on some interesting adventures and also having parents.

The problem I have with absent parents is when they're put into a situation where the outcome is absolutely unrealistic. What I mean by that is (and this is a big exaggeration) say the kid ends up blowing up half the house, the absent parent(s) (the way they're portrayed sometimes in literature) wouldn't even notice. It's like, I get getting them out of the way, but I don't get when the child does something that ANY sort of parent (except maybe the really drunk, unconscious, and dead ones) would notice--but in the story, they don't, and we're just supposed to buy that. They don't even provide good excuses in those cases, and THAT is when I think the writer is just being lazy.

If the parent is out of town or dead or somewhere else where they can't notice that magical creatures are shacking up in their house, then, yes, I can buy that. But if the parents are there and they don't notice AND there is no excuse provided for why they don't notice, then I get really irked because the writer is being lazy, the writer is COMPLETELY overlooking the parents' existence AND they're asking us to buy this nonsense or to even make up a reason for why they wouldn't notice what is completely noticeable.

Aside from those times, though, I'm fine with the parents being out of the picture. Oh, and I agree with this article.

Young adult novels are usually about growing up. Without parents, children are thrust into adulthood much sooner, propelling the story on and invoking change in the character. Plus, you'd be surprised at home many children have lost their parents young. It's a huge fear for children, and a reality for many. Why wouldn't it be worth writing about?

Technically, James' parents didn't get run over by the rhinoceros. They got eaten by it, which I always found both slightly disturbing and fascinating to imagine as a kid. Only Dahl could get away with starting a kids book by explaining how the boy's parents got eaten by a runaway rhinocerous.

I think we as parents are far more worried about things like this than our kids. They go, "Yep, parents got eaten. What's next?" Which is what makes it so fun to write for them.

scott-

Ha- good memory!

I agree there's something to be said for children's books to focus on children who have to fend for themselves.

Separation is another option, but dead has a particular poignancy.

I think it would be interesting to see how this trend varies across cultures. In a Western individualistic society, the idea of growing up is almost synonymous with idea of cutting ties with your parents and becoming your own person. Therefore, in order to grow up, or to have a coming of age story, you have to get rid of the parents, either figuratively or literally. In a more collectivist society (often associated with Asian cultures), growing up is associated with taking your place and responsibilities in the community. I wonder then, if Eastern coming of age stories have parents that are more around. Unfortunately, I'm not all that up to date with Eastern young adult literature. The only example I can think of is Mulan, where she takes her father's place in the Army. She goes out, fights the battle, wins honors, and when offered an official's post, she says she just wants a camel to go back home. Interesting, huh? There is a translation of the poem here.

I think it's also interesting to consider the kind of environment young people live in now. Even just in the mid-80s, when I grew up, my parents knew everyone on my block, and I was allowed to run around for hours until dinner time without supervision. I didn't have video games or anything to distract me or keep me inside. I didn't have a nanny. I didn't have absent parents either, not until they divorced in the 90s, which made for a different kind of freedom but didn't change the fact that I had freedom.

The point is that, when I was young, I had a lot of free time. I wasn't afraid of the world or distracted by technology, and my parents let me be a kid and have that space. I don't know what it's like to grow up now, if kids have the same freedom of imagination afforded them, but it wasn't hard at all then to imagine kids going on adventures without parental interference.

Maybe today, with all the attention to divorce rates and family dysfunction, on top of the ways people often "occupy" their children's minds with TV and video games to keep them safe inside, it might be harder to buy that kids can have an adventurous life without having to kill off the parents. But I also think dead and absent parents, as well as negligent or abusive parents, are as much an emotional response to our present culture as they are a convenience for the writer.

As someone who recently lost a parent, I can say that the loss makes the child become the parent. The child must then own his or her own authority -- carry the torch, if you will. But it's a heavy torch to carry, indeed, when you're young.

I don't see it as much of a crutch as a trope. You don't need it. I'm writing a YA adventure that has excited lots of publishing folk, and the parents are very much alive, present and inadvertent catalysts.

It never seemed at all strange when I was a child reading about children adventuring alone.
Reading from a parent's perspective - it's a different story!
As a writer .. well ..

I think many stories for children "rub out" the parents to keep the content appropriate for the age group. If parents are around, they either fix problems (therefore working against the plot), or they don't. If they don't fix the problems their children face, there is often a complicated reason that is tough to treat in a child-friendly way. For example, if Cinderella's stepmother is mistreating her while her father is present, suddenly her dad isn't such a nice guy either and Cinderella's relationship with him is more complicated. If he's dead or away, he (and the author) are absolved of responsibility for the abuse. Historically writing for children has dealt mainly in the business of distinguishing good from evil, and dispensing with parents makes the distinction all the more clear. Alive, present, flawed parents are a messy gray area.

I was never bothered by the main characters of children's books having adventures on their own (like many of the other people commenting). In fact I seem to recollect that at times I fantasized that my parents weren't actually my parents (which doesn't make them dead or absent), but suggests that kids do want to experience life in the way that a lot of kids in books do.

Wonderful post. I've noticed this also and even commented on it as a popular cliche on a blog post earlier today.

I think the orphan is also an outsider protag who is instantly sympathetic to readers, and there's the "chosen one" aspect for Fantasy and paranormal.

Love the Disney list earlier in the comments. I think Sleeping Beauty is one of the only Disney movies where the protag has two parents.

In literature, kids are supposed to be the ones that solve the problems. They can't go running to their parents and get them to solve the problem. Kids want to spread their wings and fly away. How many kids dream of running away and joining the circus? It's like that.

I've never seen it as lazy writing, but simply a necessity to make the character achieve their goal on their own.

Look at Treasure Island - Jim Hawkins had to rely on himself and no one else. And the same with Huck Finn and The Outsiders. Or, as with Hatchet and Ender's Game, the parents are too far away to help.

Personally, I'd be concerned about dead children in children's literature, particularly if they'd been murdered by parents so absent, they couldn't possibly have been murdered.

Nightmare.

There are potential positive and negative lessons in every aspect of life, including the stories we read to our children. As those who guide children, we must recognize that a child cannot always distinguish the difference from fantasy and reality. Although children have the most vivid imaginations and that is something that should be encouraged, they should not be deceived about the truth of things. The positive use of stories can stimulate courage, inspire nobility of heart, modeling the honor in the truth and give hope for better things to come. It’s our responsibility as parents and educators to the help children differentiate between what is reasonable and what is absurd. Evil witches, wicked stepmothers, ugly stepsisters, and fairies are all popular characters in fairy tales, but stepmothers aren't always wicked, stepsisters aren't always ugly and fairies aren‘t real. The same truth applies that princes aren't always charming and peasants aren’t always courageous and heroic. Fairy Tales make too extreme of examples for children and they have a “two-edged sword” sort of approach when teaching a moral because it seems to always leave an unrealistic example of “every dream that you wish, will come true” Should we choose to read fairy tales and stumble across a lesson of a moral, we must show the reality of the situation and then explain the importance of the lesson if we choose to adopt it. We must also explain the unrealistic nature of the tale as a whole. The lessons can be reasonable and the stories can be fantastically magical and inspiring with the proper guidance.

You have to get mom and dad out of the way somehow, otherwise there's no way the kids in those books could do half the things they need to do to advance the plot.

If they had parents who allowed it, said parents would be in jail.

Parents are the first great antagonist in most kids' lives (or so they think), but since most stories involve far more extraordinary conflicts, they are antagonists who usually need to be put to bed early.

Interesting timing on the subject. Some time ago, I resolved that, because the anti-hero of my story was 14, I wanted no interaction with (and limited mention of) adults throughout the work. I felt if I could pull it off, it would emphasize the exaggerated sense of self-reliance most 14 year old boys act upon. Ultimately, however, it required compromising the story's integrity. That would not do.
So, from one extreme to another, now the very first word of the MC's narrative reference's his dad.

There's a teen character in my latest novel, and the first thing I realised was that the parents had to go. You can't save the galaxy when Mum and Dad are hovering around vetting your friends and packing your lunches.

A lot of these books are written for children who want to go off on their own adventures, as you said, but most importantly, are beginning to master their worlds on their own, whether this involves saving the world or surviving a harsh situation or simply becoming an adult. Parents, in most cases, would impose limits on the kids in these stories, and that would make them boring and stunt the kind of growth (or other development) the author wants to portray.

Can you imagine if Karana's mother had held her back from jumping over the side of the boat in ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS, or at least been the one to jump over herself? And yet this is likely what would happen in reality (except not, I guess, since that book is based on a historical account, although the details are disputed). LORD OF THE FLIES might not count since for all we know, the boys' parents are alive somewhere, but if they had been present on the island, they would have been supervising all the children, who wouldn't have devolved the way they did.

If a parent's there, they're going to be making all the decisions. Not the kid. The kid, in most cases, is going to obey, or suffer some sort of consequence for not doing so. And not only does that kill half your plots before they start, it would probably also bore all the kids who want to read about people their own age having adventures.

I remember reading the Famous Five series when I was a kid and wondering how the children could have had so many adventures without the adults stepping in to save the day. Now reading this post, I think that's because the adults were mostly absent or too busy to notice what the kids were up to.

On the one hand, I enjoyed reading about the five's adventures because it allowed me to dream of being a hero in my own little imagined adventures. On the other hand, I knew they were quite unrealistic because the adults in my life would never let me go off on my own for so long.

I'm with many of you. It is all about the freedom to make decisions without having to ask permission first (or being forced to).
"Mom, can I go look for the Sorcerer's stone and fight a two faced Quirrel in the basement of Hogwarts? Pleeeaassse, Can I, can I Pleeease?"

In my earlier comment, I should have pointed out the flak that Hit Girl's dad caught in the film Kick Ass. His presence and support (in fact enabling) of his daughter's heroic actions in the film was enough to polarize many people against it. They felt it was grossly irresponsible.

It was grossly irresponsible, but how else could an involved parent be portrayed in such a story?

Parents (adults) always say no. To everything.
So... you have to dunk the parents, otherwise there would never be adventure, risk taking or fun.
Parents never knew a quarter of what we did as children, thank G, and AS a parent I always said, what I don't know won't hurt me (or at least won't stand up in Juvi court:)
Bambi's mother was killed on screen, he was an orphan and what worked for mega millionaire Disney is good enough for me.
It's fantasy and children know it, if the adults do not. We so underestimate kids.
We have, in the past 30 years, wrapped them in a cocoon, thinking they are weak and feeble minded. Not able to make decisions, nor take care of themselves, yet less then 100 years ago, they worked full days, sometimes into the night, to help support their families.
Just view Lewis Hine's photos, on line, of "Child Labour in America" for 08 to 12 to see what children are really capable of.
I think they can handle a little fiction!

There's another reason why kids might like to read stories with other children that feature absent/dead parents ---

maybe they don't like you anyway.

That is, it's a guilty pleasure for a child to experience the world vicariously without parents because if not for the fact that parents gave birth to them, they wouldn't be very interested in sharing their lives with them anyway. They love parents out of necessity for survival, not by choice. Maybe they want to live with Bobby's parents down the street instead.

Y'know, somehow, I just kinda get this feeling that all happy families are alike, but that each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Maybe it's just me.

I did a serial story based very consciously on Horatio Alger, in which the father was missing. The boy carried on, helped to support his family and, at the end, we left readers with the news that the father had returned and was seeking his family. We then asked kids to write the next chapter.

I was stunned by the number of kids who, instead of expressing relief that Dad had returned, were furious with him and wanted an explanation of just where in the hell he had been. We'd tapped into something a little more "real" than we'd been hoping for.

Mind you, they loved the story. It was quite an education!

Do you think that a child that was in a fictional neutral family would be able to accomplish the things that the ones in absent parents fiction can? I don't think that it is being lazy that the writer just offs a parent or has them absent. I think that it is realistic. If your Jacob had attentive involved parents and he went off into space don't you think that the subplot to the book would be his parents in tears looking for their missing son? To do it any other way would make the story too fictional. Sorry kids out there with attentive parents, you will never learn to fly on a broom, shoot fire from your hand, or fly in space before the age of twenty. Damn those attentive parents.

Very good points. It is a pretty widespread phenomenon and novels that take a different tack can be refreshing. I really enjoyed the mother/daughter relationship in WHEN YOU REACH ME, for example.

Another way to look at absent parents is that of increased stakes. If Darth Vader was just some dude in a helmet, the Star Wars trilogy would lose a lot of its emotional impact. Um...okay, bad example. As an author you want your protagonist to really be vulnerable, to be at risk and in danger, and you want their circumstances to be darkest before things begin to turn around. In addition to being a practical safety net, parents are an essential part of a young person's sense of self. Taking your protagonist's parents away--so long as it's not *just* a convenient plot device--is arguably the most dramatic way to wound them.

I think there's a sympathy for the main character too. It makes the character more real and deep to have life issues like missing or dead parents. Especially with how the family structure has shifted since even I was a child as opposed to being a teacher there are a lot more kids out there living that situation.

Don't forget Nancy Drew! She didn't have a mother. I think it's because the child protag has to be the centre of the action and solve his/her problem without adult interference. My mystery series novels have two parents, but one is often on sabatical or less dominant in the story.

There's a line in Kate Kaynak's ADVERSARY that covers it:

"I knew if my mom understood what we planned to do, she’d try to stop us. That was what mothers did—a big chunk of their job description involved keeping their kids from doing dangerous things. Breaking into walled compounds filled with murderous fanatics and their sociopathic leader definitely fell into that category." p.178

In my opinion, when it comes to YA books, I think parentless characters are more interesting. It's also more realistic. Teenagers naturally stray away from their parents at this era, so why wouldn't the character?

Absolutely.

When I was a boy, the stories that made me think and empathize and try to understand the most were those of people surviving in the basic three themes: Man vs Man, Man vs Nature, and Man vs Himself.
I've mentioned before one of my favorite books from the time I was 8 or 9 was "The Hound of the Baskervilles," after which I was enamored of Sherlock Holmes and had no regard for the age or experience of either he or Watson as "too old" for me.

There weren't actually "Young Adult" books at that time, unless you count "Catcher in the Rye" or "Our Town."

By high school, after Ross MacDonald's excellent "Lew Archer" series, I began reading the Nick Adams stories, and I saw in them reflections of some of my experiences growing up in Wisconsin.

I think that, unlike in many stories, many children now from elementary school on (though, perhaps less than we think) are not alone--they don't walk to school alone, they don't meet in parks alone, their lives and "play dates" and walking and transportation are all highly and strictly regulated.

My childhood was largely spent in the company of my friends, or by myself, not controlled and watched over or even that much outwardly worried over constantly by my parents.

Mary Pope Osborne has written an excellent series, that my 8-year-old loves, in which a brother and sister spend what appears to be days in a tree-house going on adventures with the help of magical books. No need to dispose of the parents. They are at the main house, the property on which sits the tree-house, where the children return, without much time having elapsed in reality at all.

Perhaps the key theme isn't so much dead or absent parents as much as escape, and learning, and self-reliance.

Of course, when I was 12, living in India, our teacher took it upon herself in English class to read The Lord of the Flies with us...a "children's book," or "young adult" novel?

Is it the characters, the subject, or the plot that makes a book "suitable" to pre-teen through teens?

It just took some explaining about what happened to James' parents, and honest reading of what his aunts were like, to have my son declare if he were James, he'd have done the exact same thing...

Other favorites from my childhood:
"The Call of the Wild"
"White Fang"
Poems by Robert Service
"Little Sandy Sleighfoot (my mother sympathized with my big feet)"
"The Littlest Tailor"
"The Story of Ping."
"Winnie the Pooh,"
and
"Dr. Doolittle" (the series).

Last year, my son was interested in (because he loves trains) The Boxcar Kids series.

Another series where children are forced to survive without adults, until they find their grandfather (or he finds them, it was never that clear).

He was confused by it. He didn't get why the kids' parents weren't with them...

This topic depresses me, but it also gives me a lot to say. Instead of filling up your comment box, I'll just go make a post of my own about it...

http://bloodcrossed.blogspot.com/2010/09/orphans.html

~Tara

I thought this was a great post.

A beta reader once told me my book had a Mr. Kim problem (after the Mr. Kim in Gilmore Girls who is repeatedly referenced but never seen). She meant that a character obviously had a biological father, but despite many important events in her life occurring, he never got mentioned, even to explain why he wasn't there.

Some time, some day, I'm sure, a shrink will explain to me why so much of my work involves kids with one (or fewer) parents in residence. Until that day, it's nice to know I'm part of a literary tradition. (Thanks for throwing in Aladdin. Would've missed him, myself.)

Sales indicates that it's better to have an absent parent than a dead parent. In fact, that's her solution to the whole issue.

But what difference does it make? Either way you're trying to give the child plenty of challenges and individuality.

I just don't buy the whole "it's not realistic" argument. Yes, there are a lot of orphans in fiction. There are also a lot of vampires and heroes that save the world because they are the "chosen" ones.

We're writing about what we think is interesting. What's so great about being realistic? My husband has many fine qualities but he hasn't slayed any dragons--or orcs--lately and no one wants to read about his passion for gardening. Just sayin'.

****

You know, Nathan, you may have just hit upon something.

I had completely normal parents until about the age of ten when they discover the joys of alcohol. That was about the time I dove into books and almost didn't come out. The search for fantasy parents like in a Wrinkle in Time soon took over and I read almost endlessly.

If I could give that gift to a child someday, that would justify all my craziness about writing.

Maybe you just save me thousands of dollars on a shrink.

Thank you.

***

Ahh very eenteresting. Two of my favorite childhood books—My Side of the Mountain and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory—were full of parents. Although in the case of Mountain, the parents sort of allowed the kid to go on his own adventure.

I wonder how much criticism authors are sidestepping by getting rid of the parental figures; after all, "helicopter parenting" is en vogue these days. YA fiction featuring parents who let their kids go live in a hollow tree for a winter, or for that matter go into the unexplored lair of a weird and mysterious candymaker, doesn't seem like it would fly among the helicopter set.

Dead parents in stories are not - probably - an issue for most kids unless they happen to actually have a dead parent. That's when it becomes problematic.

My daughter's father died when she was three. I had to really police her books, movies and tv for a while after.

Call this lazy reading, but I couldn't sift through all 71 comments before me to see if this has been mentioned. I don't even know if you'll get to comment 72, but I'm doing it anyway. :)

I recently had a friend submit a book that was rejected by the agent because of the lack of parents in the MC's life. The purpose of Harry Potter having no parents, and then systematically losing all parental figures throughout the series was so, at the end, he could face the enemy alone. How exciting could the book be if Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin and Lily and James were all at Harry's back? Sometimes the character has to be utterly on their own in order to grow and learn and experience.

Someone said at a writer's conference once that, to kids, having to step up and be the one in charge is what scares/thrills them--which is why it's such a prevalent theme in children's literature. Whereas it's not so prevalent in adult literature, since that's what we do every day. Kids fear having the ultimate say. Adults fear having that taken away.

I think this depends on the age range of the intended reader. Younger readers are not unhappy to see mom and dad step in to savethe day. But as they get older and begin to both crave independence and recognize the perils that come with it, well, it's like getting on a roller coaster to simulate danger. The book becomes a way for them to experience independence and retain the safety net of patrents in their day to day lives.

By coincidence I had this discussion earlier today with a crit partner whowrites Middle grade, and her protagonist's parents are alive, involved hi his life, and the kind of wonderful people any kid would love. Her hero is in a situation where just one sentence to these good people would solve all problems and end the book. Her dilemma is finding a good reason for him not to say that sentence. Yes, things would be so much easier without those pesky good parents, but sometimes authors do give it a try.

Fern had both parents in Charlotte's Web; her challenge was to keep her parents out of her barnyard business. I think that in some ways the "secret-life-kept-from-parents" theme is more exhilarating for kids (probably more so for those who do have both of their parents), because getting around the parents' watchful eyes provides a greater challenge, and requires a savvier protagonist. That said, the protagonist who has lost a parent is automatically wiser for having experienced one of life's most profound emotions and events: loss and death. Regardless of their parents' presence or absence, young protagonists must make us care about them because of how they REACT to what life deals them (rather, what we authors deal them), more so than simply what life deals them.

Your post brough to mind Marshal from the TV sitcom,'How I met your mother'. When Lily is away and Marshal wishes to have a solitary fondle and fatasy, he needs to imagine Lily is killed off first so he doesn't feel like he's cheating. By doing this he gives himself free reign to fatasize about the wildest romps possible. Strange coomparison I know, but it's kind of the same(and besides its fun to be cheeky). The kid is freer to have wild adventures if the parents are killed off first and then there is no need for the child to feel the need to obey, or feel the guilt of breaking the rules of childhood'.

I think that your analysis is spot on. The alternative to absent parents is conflict with parents, which is a more post-1960s, angsty kind of book. Before the 1960s, all good parents were dead or far, far away. Think A Little Princess. Think boarding-school books. Think Ballet Shoes. There were very good reasons for this, as you have pointed out: with parents absent, kids can have adventures, or are forced to grow up, or both.

For an annotated list of my 25 favorite "orphan" children's books see my list on Amazon: I can't post a link here apparently, but the list is called "Imaginary Orphans." I also have a 16-page-long annotated bibliography of children's & YA books starring orphans, from the 19th century up to about 2004, should anybody here want such a thing. I was a bit obsessed with orphans for a while.... (I adopted a bunch of them!) Anybody who's actually interested can find me via librarything -- I'm "annamorphic" there.

It's not easy to have parents in the stories when every "Writing for Children" course at Uni or elsewhere tells us not to have them around because: the children must solve the problems on their own.

Nathan, I think you are spot on (and I'm almost a psychologist). However, I also want to point out the realism of non-existent parents. I happen to have grown up in a very stable household with two wonderful parents (plus or minus seven siblings, but that's not the point). When I think back on my teenage years, I almost never think of anything related to my parents. For me, my teenage years were about discovering myself and my freedom--literally. I was actually spending much more time away from my house and my family, hardly spending quality time at home. My parents often joked about the fact that as soon as me and my siblings reached high school, they never saw us any more. We treated our house as "home base" to come back to in between the rest of the activities that encompassed our lives. It was a place to eat, sleep, and gain other necessities, but not a place we spent much time.

So, for me, my parents weren't dead and I didn't live in a broken home, but my parents were nearly as non-existent as the parents in many of these stories. Even for teenagers who did spend a lot of time at home, that emotional distance which is often present can easily be related to the characters.

In addition to giving children the freedom to have grand adventures, dead parents lend young protagonists a certain, and arguably necessary, degree of tragedy. We love to root for the underdog. And who's more of an underdog than a kid who's alone in the world?

I agree.

When I was in college, I learned that good theatre is about ordinary people in extraordinary situations, and I think the same can be said for literature. Normal and stable is not very interesting, and it doesn`t really give us anything new. It`s the other stuff, the extraordinary things like having your parents get run over by a rhinoceros, that are worth writing and reading about.

Also: there is something very empowering to a child in reading about kids their age who figure out how to make it on their own.

I don't think I ever really registered the absence of the parents when I read as a kid. As others have mentioned, it was just something I took at face value and then plowed into the story.

I think what every kid can relate to about the missing parent scenario is the feeling of loneliness, and I loved reading about kids overcoming that. I was shy (shocker!), and to me it was all about the friendships that came about as a result of the adventures. I remember wanting a sidekick SO BAD. So when I read BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, it tore my heart out.

Also, the absent parent might be less about laziness and more about writers using their art to re-imagine a situation they had no control over at the time.

It's funny how I was reading this article in the Daily Mail recently and it talks about the absence of parents in most Disney films and TV shows. PURE EVIL:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1308584/Why-does-Disney-hate-parents-Ever-noticed-favourite-films-kill-Mum-Dad-.html

(PS: word verification ECULTH)

"Go ahead and cut this mom and dad. Script doesn't need them."

Aren't we forutnate? As writers we can create any scene, for any reason.

Ballet Shoes (orphans). Anne of Green Gables (orphans). Boxcar Children Series (orphans). Turn Homeward, Hannalee (separated from parents by war). Maniac Magee (orphan). Holes (separated from parents by incarceration).

I submit these to the list o' parentless excellence. Sometimes the lack of parental presence serves to deepen the emotion of the story and raise the survival stakes.

Plus, I have always loved the James and the Giant Peach line about the rhino--what a dreadful end for two such gentle parents.

I read part of the article in PW that you referred to. I think (and I could be wrong) the author of that article meant that there are too many similarities in the stories she has been reading. The list you mentioned includes animals (The Lion King,) a young boy (Tom Sawyer,) and a story with a little bit of everything (The Wizard of Oz.)
I wrote an animal story where I remove the parents as well; however, I never really thought about it. It just flowed that way. I wonder if my subconscious has been influenced by all my reading. I just graduated with Honors in English!

Great blog!

It never bothered me to not have parents around in the stories; however, I have taken a different approach with my own story. My protagonist is actually searching for his. He'd been told all his life they were dead and then he finds out after fifteen years it was all a lie. Now he has to come to terms with why those close to him, even his own parents, lied to him 'for his own good'. Through his fantastical journey, he learns the meaning of true sacrifice in order to achieve one's goals and to protect those we love. I think this is a concept kids, even teens and some adults, have difficulty wrapping their minds around. it is also a different perspective in that a teen is trying to find his parents, not run away from them.

In my book main character's mom is with her for about a quarter of the book and her dad is for another quarter... I don't think it took away from the book at all.

Hmm, never thought of it before but you're right. I was wracking by brain to think of a children's book with two "good" parents, and the only one I came up with was The Giver.

Which is kind of funny considering the whole point of that book is that societal perfection isn't perfect.

By the way, I just wanted to register that Sales' article (which I hope everyone clicked through to read because it's funny and clever) is more saying that it's not strictly necessary to kill the parents off even if they're not present in the book. I took the blog post a step further, but I hope people don't think that the linked article is advocating parents present in every book, because that's not what she was saying.

While I recognize that there are many examples of powerful stories told about orphans/young heroes with dead parents, I also agree with Sales that it can be a co-out. Especially in the hands of a less-than-masterful writer. Making a kid an orphan is a quick and easy way to define the character as someone who has suffered (and is overcoming) a huge loss early on. In some cases, I'd equate it to the writer taking an emotional shortcut.

On the other hand, as Cheri pointed out, the reason the orphan trend was and is so huge is because it feeds on one of the greatest fears a lot of kids have, which of course draws them in.

I'll take absent parents over the clueless ones that I see written all too often in young adult literature.

I have been thinking about this a lot recently and specifically remember that it was on my mind while reading The Hunger Games. The tradition is as old as people have been telling stories. I would rather have missing parents than stupid parents rendered in literature, but wouldn't more kids lit with richly rendered, present parents be great?

Children protagonists can have adventures - even with parents. There is nothing so adventurous as the imagination in the back yard or neighborhood.

When I started writing my book, I didn't even realize WHY I was killing off or leaving out parents. It hit me what a phenomenon the dead-parent thing was, and whether or not I was doing it because I was used to reading it, or if it was pertinent to my story. I even thought about changing it. I didnt. It just didn't work for me--or my character.
Which is why I was afraid this post was gonna be "DEAD PARENTS ARE OUT--PRESENT PARENTS ARE IN", which woulda started my doubting wheels to spin again. I'm glad it's not, but it still makes me think about what I can do next time.

Great, thought-provoking post!

it's easier to write a book if you don't have to figure out the main character's relationship with their parents.

Death ends a life, not a relationship.

Just because a child's parent is dead doesn't mean that parent is "out of the picture" and most certainly doesn't mean the dead parent isn't thought of when the child has an important choice to make, or when making goals for their future. It affects you more than if the parent were alive. The living parent is not necessarily viewed as wrong, either, but it's easier to argue with someone who is enforcing rules, aka someone who isn't buried. Often, the living parent is blamed for the other parent's death, which causes even more friction.

My husband lost his dad to suicide when he was only 12. Everything he then did as a teen was to either a) prove his dad wrong--life *is* worth living, or b) prove to the world that his dad's death could have been prevented. He was still a teenager, though, and still had to answer to his mother. Arguments were plentiful yet there was an underlying loyalty--"I'm not going to leave you too, Mom, so don't worry."

It's not lazy writing and it's not always about the kids wanting to be on their own. It's a real situation. MOST KIDS WHO HAVE A DEAD PARENT WOULD RATHER THEY DIDN'T. If we ignored this in our fiction then we'd be doing a great disservice to those kids who are in that situation through no fault of their own.

Lydia, author of teen lit that sometimes includes dead parents.

Long live dead parents! Wait...

You very eloquently stated your case and I enjoyed reading it. My own WIP features the loss of a father too.

However, I think it can be simpler than that. Humans, child and adult alike, crave conflict in their stories. Having both parents is common, mundane and therefore boring. There are few sources of conflict closer to a child and with as much of an emotional punch as being without a parent or parents.

Stated even simpler, it's interesting to children.

Thanks for this blog post Nathan! I read books to my nephews regularly and I've noticed the absent/horrible death fate of parents in stories. I've wondered about this and your theories make sense. The type of stories where children are somewhat on their own thrill the imaginations of young readers, firing them up with a spirit of excitement and danger (the idea of being without a primary caretaker). Perhaps they encourage a sense of independence in the young reader by planting the seed that they too can face peril, make choices, and emerge victorious in the end?

Parents, in real life, tend to have a bigger job in raising children other than embarking on a series of adventures with them. The adventurous kids can't save the world/travel in a peach/live with dwarves AND brush their teeth before bed, finish their homework, or consider their options for college. Where's the fun in that?

I just read my nephews The Golden Compass and both parents are alive but they are also dark, villainous, kidnapped, and shady. Neither of them reminds the little protaganist that she has a math test tomorrow.

How can a kid have an adventure if the parent is telling them, you can't cross the street, don't jump off the roof, don't slide down the bannister. Ha. Too funny.

I myself didn't have my dad growing up. Just me, my brother, and my mom. He was killed in an auto accident before I turned 2. I don't remember him. And really it's kind of nice to only have one parent to ask to do something. Go ask your dad or mom can get to be obnoxious. As I noticed it with my friends parents.

To each his own. Families are diverse and wonderful.

I remember reading something about how it forces the child to have to take on that role themselves. That the lack of the male or female parental figure, causes them to become that part of the family.

Boy hero? Lacks a father. They're the head of the family or the strength. They learned to be tough because of it.

Girl heroine? Lacks a mother. They're the tough yet sensible and loving matriarch of the family. She's the one who makes sure her siblings are in bed and her homework is done, that the father is fed or (in some cases) the abuse is taken all by her.

At least, that's how it was in the classically wonderful books. Now they've gone soft...

My main characters...Carmine has a stepdad and a mother. His father was a monster of a man and he's dead now. She's...detached...because she's afraid she'll have to kill him. Stephen's more than helpful, and goes with him on his quests.

Mikael...has a mother, but lost his father in a plague. So I guess that I followed the 'became the head of the family' thing there. He's tough, but he's loving. And then he goes on his quest.

I enjoyed this post a lot. And mostly because I know absolutely nothing about children's literature...or children for that matter.

Some of my favorite books have dead parents or one dead parent. It creates an emotion in the mc that immediately draws my sympathy. With any overdone element, it's really about the writing, not whether the parents are dead or alive.

To be honest, I'd like to see the author of a YA book challenge herself or himself by writing decent parents for the hero or heroine. Not dead parents. Dead parents is the classic Disney-esque plot device. Even C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has absent parents.
Yeah, it's magical for a teen to imagine being off on one's own, but as a parent, I take umbrage...umbrage I say!
On the other hand, it is a way to set up inner conflict and pain for your protagonist so...what the hay!

Dear Mr. Bransford:

This is a tough one. I agree children need their own adventures without
their parents, but I believe books can be written where the parents are
there, but minimal and still have a well-written book that will keep the
children's interest.

My children's book "An Adventure with Joshua and Hoppy Frog" available
through Amazaon.com, teaches children self-worth. As you know frogs are
not the cutest little creatures, but Joshua and Hoppy Frog learn that
beauty is all in the eyes of the beholder. Grammy (Joshua's grandmother)
teaches this graciously and beautifully in the story to Joshua and Hoppy
Frog. Grammy kisses the frog on his nose, he blushes. Joshua and Hoppy
Frog become best friends.

At one of my booksignings, a teacher from Canada purchased my book and
later called to tell me how my children's book affected an autistic
student. She gave me the greatest compliment, she said for the first time
this student sat through a book calmly and was intrigued. Interesting,
she expressed that this student liked Grammy.

I am currently finishing the final touches to my second children's book,
"An Adventure with Josuah and Rocky the Otter" this book teaches courage.
And Joshua's parents are in this book.

I look forward to reading your book.

Sincerely,

The parents of the kids in my MG book THE BOY WHO HOWLED are very much alive! :)

I think that the abundance of dead parents is very similar to what we are seeing now with the abundance of dystopian novels for teens.

If your world has no over-riding parental force, you have the ability to make decisions for yourself and make changes to your life.

Similarly, when the bureaucracy & laid-out life plans that kids today see themselves buried under are completely destroyed, teens become able to change their society as a whole.

Post-apocalypse is to society what a dead parent is to a family.

(And my two favorite examples of authors who deal amazingly well with parental relationships are Dana Reinhardt in all her books and E Lockhart in her Ruby Oliver series.)

I think the people who point out that a dead parent (or parents) gives a child protagonist an immediate sympathy are missing what's obvious in their words — it's an UNEARNED sympathy. Characters should earn our sympathy through their deeds or the development of their character, not through contrived circumstance. In that, Leila Sales is absolutely right — it's a cop-out.

The children's and YA books I loved best had children who persevered in spite of the presence of their clueless-at-best, antagonistic-at-worst parents — it gave the conflicts not only an element of realism but of rich complexity. I understand that crafting these complex conflicts it's not easy, but writing quality fiction isn't, either. It's not right to reward shortcuts around that.

The problem of unearned sympathy is actually far worse in adult suspense/thriller novels. Think of all the "supermarket suspense" novelists out there — Tami Hoag, Sandra Brown, Alison Brennan, Karin Slaughter, Lisa Gardner, Lisa Jackson, Rick Mofina, Kevin O'Brien, etc. Every single one imbues the protagonist with a built-in tragedy. Either the hero or heroine saw her parents/siblings/children/best friend killed, or was the lone survivor of a torture-rape serial killer, or is dealing with cancer, or some such contrivance. In every case, the sympathy is unearned, just assumed. And worse, that assumed sympathy gives the protagonist an unfettered license to behave irritably, petulantly and anti-socially because their victimization, I guess, gives them the right to run roughshod over everyone. By virtue of their tragedy, they've earned the moral high ground wherever they are.

I find this unbelievably cheap. Because what have such characters really earned from us as readers? Nothing, as far as I can see. Same with kids. Kids aren't likable because they're tragic. They're likable for what they do and likable because what they do makes them what they are — brave, strong, forthright, perseverant etc.

I agree with Sales' overall point, and I appreciate Nathan clarifying that: That you don't have to get rid of the parents. But how the parents were gotten rid of has to fit naturally into the story and fuel the growth of character within the character as its own living subtext. Just saying: "This kids parent's were tragically killed, therefore you must love him or her and excuse everything he or she does" just doesn't cut it. THAT is lazy writing.

I think the people who point out that a dead parent (or parents) gives a child protagonist an immediate sympathy are missing what's obvious in their words — it's an UNEARNED sympathy. Characters should earn our sympathy through their deeds or the development of their character, not through contrived circumstance. In that, Leila Sales is absolutely right — it's a cop-out.

The children's and YA books I loved best had children who persevered in spite of the presence of their clueless-at-best, antagonistic-at-worst parents — it gave the conflicts not only an element of realism but of rich complexity. I understand that crafting these complex conflicts it's not easy, but writing quality fiction isn't, either. It's not right to reward shortcuts around that.

The problem of unearned sympathy is actually far worse in adult suspense/thriller novels. Think of all the "supermarket suspense" novelists out there — Tami Hoag, Sandra Brown, Alison Brennan, Karin Slaughter, Lisa Gardner, Lisa Jackson, Rick Mofina, Kevin O'Brien, etc. Every single one imbues the protagonist with a built-in tragedy. Either the hero or heroine saw her parents/siblings/children/best friend killed, or was the lone survivor of a torture-rape serial killer, or is dealing with cancer, or some such contrivance. In every case, the sympathy is unearned, just assumed. And worse, that assumed sympathy gives the protagonist an unfettered license to behave irritably, petulantly and anti-socially because their victimization, I guess, gives them the right to run roughshod over everyone. By virtue of their tragedy, they've earned the moral high ground wherever they are.

I find this unbelievably cheap. Because what have such characters really earned from us as readers? Nothing, as far as I can see. Same with kids. Kids aren't likable because they're tragic. They're likable for what they do and likable because what they do makes them what they are — brave, strong, forthright, perseverant etc.

I agree with Sales' overall point, and I appreciate Nathan clarifying that: That you don't have to get rid of the parents. But how the parents were gotten rid of has to fit naturally into the story and fuel the growth of character within the character as its own living subtext. Just saying: "This kids parent's were tragically killed, therefore you must love him and excuse everything he or she does" just doesn't cut it. THAT is lazy writing.

And don't forget the lovely "max and ruby" series, (books and tv show). Watching two young bunnies that can't be more than 9 and 3 live alone and do mundane things like, take the bus across town by themselves, or, cook on the gas stove, is always fun. hehe

I admittedly got a little eye-twitchy over some of the implications lately that having dead/absent parents is "lazy writing" because the author doesn't have to develop a parent/child relationship. I feel like it implies that the only reason writers choose to give parents the axe is because we just don't wanna write in another character.

To which I say bullocks. That attitude completely ignores 1.) the nuances of the psychological break of kids moving away from their parents and doing things on their own, and 2.) the fact that every kid DOESN'T grow up in a traditional two-parent household. I didn't. So, what, I'm supposed to always include a healthy nuclear family or else I'm being lazy? Please.

I absolutely agree that it's important and valuable to have fiction that shows all the nuances of parent-child relationships, including the good and healthy ones. But there are real, valid reasons for an author to choose absent parents as part of their narrative.

Here's a little trick you can play if you've omitted the parents:

If you pick your spot (usually nearer to the end of the story) then you can bring the parents in, temporarily, and for some reason, I have no idea why, it will often be a magical moment.

Remember that scene in Catcher In The Rye when Holden was in Phoebe's bedroom, and suddenly she jumped up in bed from having heard the parents coming in. Temporarily, the parents were in the story - it was a fleeting moment (and note how it happened near the end of the story), but that scene was charged with electricity. What made that scene particularly engaging, I think, was that Salinger kept the parents on the periphery - we never actually saw them.

It can be a very powerful trick to play - you avoid having to deal with the whole parent/child relationship nonsense, while simultaneously putting the kid back in his place: doing this serves to remind the reader that the 'adventure' is only temporary, and that normalcy will have to return.

Even something as simple as a phone call home can temporarily shatter the bubble in which you've placed your kid.

But inevitably, I think it's really just about getting away from the parents - why? - because they can drive you crazy.

Plus, kids don't want to read about parents! Parents are boring characters in a YA book. Kids want to read about interesting KIDS, doing cool, save-the-day kinds of things.

Even Charles Schultz made all adults (teachers/parents) monotone and/or invisible!

If Mr. Wonderbar Snr had been living at home with young Jacob, the kid might have got a healthy sensible upbringing, never been tempted to trade a nutritious food item for a dodgy spaceship he had no qualifications to drive, and there would be no Cosmic Space Kapow.

The book would then be titled JACOB WONDERBAR AND YET ANOTHER PRODUCTIVE DAY AT SCHOOL WITH NO FUNNY BUSINESS. JWAYAPDASWNFB for short. Very catchy...

You parents were only RELATIVELY normal, Nathan? Relative to whom? Why am I getting visions of a rhino rampaging through rice paddies?

BTW, I'm a former twelve-year-old too. What a coincidence!

Maine Character, in TREASURE ISLAND Jim Hawkins does not really have to rely on himself and no one else. He joins a crew of treasure hunters and must at times rely on them, ill-assorted though they are. At other times they must rely on him. Some of them, at least, become a sort of second family to him. Jim is also the only teenage character in the novel.

The teenage protagonist of my YA series has two parents, both alive and well, and well balanced. They even embark (literally) on an expedition with him, along with a kid brother. Then things get complicated...

I appreciate what you shared here. Congrats on your cover, wow!! Exciting!

It's a great cover. But I agree that next time, they've gotta make your name bigger.

You've described it perfectly--that high you get when you see your first cover or hold your own book in your hands for the first time. Other people are now coming into your lonely writer's universe. It's a kind of terrifying joy.

Ahh, love it! It's so cool and fun! Congrats!

Awesome title, awesome cover. Congrats, Nathan.

That is an awesome cover, Nathan, and definitely a timely posting for anyone else about to see their cover for the first time, too.

Congrats! The cover looks great.

Love the cover. It would have made my kids want to read it.

I am having a bad book cover experience. We are now on to version three. The first two had characters on the front that were wrong. One was totally the wrong age. With only 2 weeks to release day I'm not stressed that my book is still naked.

I'm glad you love yours.

Aaaahhh, love the cover!!! I'm such a cover junkie. I'll buy a book I already own if it has a new cover. It's that bad. Congrats, btw! I hope to one day feel what you must be feeling right now :) It just seems so freakin' exciting! I bet the next best part is when you hold the book in your hands and stroke the cover lovingly.

Awesome cover!! Congrats Nathan! I can't wait to know what that must feel like :)

I am a ceramics artist, (and teacher) so let me tell you that your use of ceramics as an analogy really is not off at all. Many times you don't know exactly how your ceramic work will turn out when it comes out of the kiln, and many times it turns out quite different than what you thought. It's especially true for the uncounted numbers of Middle Schooler I've had over the past twenty years.

Great cover! Congrats!

Congrats on the cover and the "real" step!

And yeah - though I have only read what you've shared on this site, that's not how I pictured the cover either. I didn't expect it to be quite so comicbook-y.

Looks good though, great attention grabber!

How fun is that?!

Like all "babies", their made up of a collective gene pool. What we get is what we need, and the we just love it.

Cheers!

The experience of seeing my book cover for the first time was frawesome! (hybrid of fricken&awesome). I was really happy with the cover for my debut middle grade novel Dead Frog on the Porch. Your cover looks great!

Congratulations, Nathan. The cover looks terrific.

Congratulations. The cover looks great. I love your explanation of how the cover is so symbolic of this really not being yours and only yours anymore. Now it will belong to many others to enjoy, and that must be super exciting.

God, I hate to admit this, but I actually teared up a bit when I clicked on it and enlarged it. I can only imagine what it must feel like, given all it takes to actually create, write, revise and ultimately publish a novel.

Congratulations, Nathan. Nicely done.

Oooh, nice. Congrats.

I can't imagine any author not getting excited about their covers.

But you certainly have a lot to get very excited about. That's a great cover!!

Well, all I hope for is red with gold lettering on the inside cover under the dust jacket of the hardbound edition. So anything past that would be a wonderful blessing.

(That's if I get a hardbound edition. My luck I go straight to paperback. XD)

I like that a lot. I really enjoy the Percy Jackson series and I'm curious if this is along the same targeted age-range, etc. Just wondering. I don't mean to ask you to compare yourself (which must be annoying).
If it is kind of along that wavelength, I'll buy it.

Congrats, Nathan. It's a fun cover and will stand out on the shelf (and will appeal to boys and reluctant readers, which is fantastic!).

Ooh, what an awesome cover! I can't wait to read your book when it comes out!

I don't know if it works as a metaphor but your question reminded me of how people wonder, when they're young, what their future spouse will look like, and how they're completely oblivious to the fact that they've just met that person when it finally happens.

Congratulations Nathan and how exciting!

i asked my eight-year old MG loving son if the cover looked like a book he would want to read. he immediately said, "yes!" so, i'm guessing that's a good sign as far as design goes. :)
i think it looks like a fun book!

Nathan, it's wonderful!

My editor just sent me ideas for my cover. It's so amazing to realize people are responding to my work. Can't wait to see how those ideas are handled by the illustrator.

Nathan, it's wonderful!

My editor just sent me ideas for my cover. It's so amazing to realize people are responding to my work. Can't wait to see how those ideas are handled by the illustrator.

Great cover! Congrats!

Ah Nathan, you are almost a poet! This is so great and I am very happy for you. You deserve every success. What is the release date for Jacob Wonderbar

Thanks so much, everyone! anon, yes, it's a middle grade adventure so somewhat similar age range as Percy Jackson, though a different style. Joanna, it comes out next May.

Way cool cover, Nathan. Congratamalations! Definitely makes me want to pick up the book and give it a read.

Congratulations, and I know what you mean by the feeling of "realness" on seeing the book cover for the first time.

So far I've been part of short story anthologies, so the book covers do not reflect my story...but the day I have my own book, I can imagine feeling what you felt about the interpretation of your work in a way you as the author had never imagined.

Congrats!!

it's true! Even having had input into my first two book covers, I was surprised at the effect of actually puttign a cover on the book. With my next one, the publisher has full control of the art, and I'm both nervous and thrilled to see what will happen :) Congrats on your gorgeous cover - definitely eye ctaching!

Congratulations, Nathan! That's terrific!

I have to say, even self-publishing and deciding on my own book covers, it is still exciting seeing your title, and your name, however large or small, on your "baby," and, as with children, your job is to encourage and teach it to live beyond you...:)

A major difference, of course, with self-publishing is you actually have far more control over what your cover looks like. I feel advantaged being able to create my own covers, just as I do being able to write what I want and how I want, without having to make any compromises or changes.

Though, I realize, without near the sales backing or distribution efforts of a "traditionally" published book. Or automatic reader reception...

But heart-felt and hearty congratulations on getting where we all long to be--having an idea accepted, a book written and now being able to see it as others will...

And, as with birthdays, let me be one of the first to suggest..."and many more..."

That's so true it's not even funny. I hope I can experience that one day. Glad you got to experience it with your work. It looks really cool, great design and, got to say it seems like it'll be funny. I should hope it gives a marvelous impression of the book as a whole.

Congratulations on the great cover! To me seeing the cover for the first time is like talking to someone over the phone for years and then finally getting to meet them in person.

My 7 year old daughter was looking over my shoulder as your cover was on the screen and she is now very excited to read the book. Jacob Wonderbar!

Got stuck on you. Like it, your casual but informative (and mildly authoritative) style.

QUESTION: In round numbers so as to not give away trade secrets, what can we self publisher hopefuls count on as the cost of a first rate cover? Rules of thumb?

I can't completely understand the feeling that you are describing. I do have two beautiful children, which I feel in love with instantaneously, and that is something that I can put into perspective, but I haven't made it too far into the publishing process and have a long road ahead. One thing that I have noticed about myself is that I do imagine cover art. As I write I catch myself day dreaming and often I have found myself picturing exactly what I want the cover to look like even though I realize that could be considered putting the wagon before the horse. However, if I don’t dream it then it will never happen.

Anyway, congratulations on your success and I look forward to reading a copy with my eight year old son and my six year old daughter, who are two of the cutest children alive, not that I’m partial.

Congratulations, Nathan! What a fun cover! I can't wait until I'm in your position, so for now, I'm glad we all get to live vicariously through you. Thanks for sharing. :)

Interesting thoughts as always. The challenge is in the cover reflecting what you meant to convey in a manner which will appeal to readers. They are the guys who decide the fortunes of your book.

The cover is the first adaptation of your story by someone else. The first of many, since every reader will use your novel as a script for the movie he or she makes in his or her own head.

Wow, congrats! That's so exciting! I get a little nauseous (in a good way) reading this because I'll be seeing my first covers in the next few months. (Ahhh!)

I totally hear ya about feeling a loss of control sending your work out into the reading public. I always worry that my racy romances will carry too much of my politics over. Now I worry that the message will be totally mis-interpreted. Bui that's the sign of good writing, yeah? That everyone sees it in their own way.

I don't envy cover artists. What responsibility!

Congrats again. Yay you!!

Congrats, Nanthan. The cover looks enticing enough for a kid to pick it up and pull on Mom's sleeve. "I want this one, Mom. Please?"

And yep, there's nothing like a story born onto paper that came out of your own brain and fingertips. It's a unique thrill. Then the pain of publishing suddenly takes a back seat.

I'm going to buy it for myself. Enjoy the champagne!

This doesn't really apply to those who design their own cover and do character sketches. But interesting anyway.

Congrats on the cover Nathan! I hope you soon get to enjoy holding the book in your hands for the first time!

What a pleasure it is to share through your own happy experience the potential pleasure of seeing someone else's visual reaction to one's own writing.

Your cover is like a visual query for potential readers. It doesn't have to be a perfect representation - all it has to do is entice someone to open the book.

I'd open yours because the design makes me think of nifty shows like ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE and FUTURAMA. And I like the kids' expressions, irrepressible with a healthy dash of mischief.

Then there's the fact that your illustrator used a li'l NB orange. Bonus.

Big congratulations, Nathan! You're proof positive that putting good things out there in the world can come back in the best possible ways.

It's "Real", Jacob should be proud of you.

Wow! I really like the cover. I hope this doesn't sound too cheesy...but FAR OUT =)

That cover is so cool. And the title is orange! I bet you were happy about that (whenever you learned anyway.)

Congratz, Nathan. I love that cover.

I can only imagine how it feels to see your own cover (although the feeling you described is somewhat what I expected), but I love the cover! It looks great and seems to capture what you have told us about the book.

The cover has a lot of fun and energy about it. And has already enticed potential readers by the sound of it. My first cover for Tail Of The Sea Witch, done by Ardy Scott, was such a thrill - it was everything I could have imagined for a children's fantasy set around the Sapphire Sea.

Word Verification: enchmang

Great cover!

And if seeing the cover of your novel reminds you that your novel isn't just "yours" anymore, just imagine how it would be if it were a picture book. :-0

Congratulations! Your book sounded fun to begin with, and the cover magnifies that. I`m looking forward to it!

Congrats, Nathan!
Actually, it looks just like I imagine you: oozing energy, irresistibly inviting and most of all happy. I'd say the illustrator and designer not only captured the essence of the book, but the soul of the author as well.

I remember when my publisher told me one of the top Dutch illustrators - Philip Hopman - had been asked to illustrate my first one - Deedee's Revenge - I was in total awe. Philip did what these two guys did: capture every essence of the book. Even after 5 years it still makes me happy just looking at it.

This looks like fun.

Congratulations.

How exciting! I think it's a brilliant cover and an even better title! If every boy in the library/book shop doesn't pick it up I'll be amazed!

Remember us when you're rich and famous ! :-)

Years ago a friend of mine with a fantastic voice sang with a really good band. I wrote music back then, both lyrics and melody.
To hear one of my songs, sung beautifully by her, accompanied by all those musicians and then to hear the exclamation point of applause...ah...I know exactly how you feel.

It is one of those moments you will always remember. Ain't life grand?

That's a very cool cover. It definitely makes your book look like a fun read.

Bravo! You've put into words the very essence of what a good story is; something different for everybody. I always felt that an amazing writer is one that can make the majority picture the same or similar scenes. But even that cannot be etched in stone.
Congrats on your cover. It is a cool one!

Based on my 10-year-old son's taste in book covers, I think you've got a winner on your hands. (And I like it, too.)

Price of covers...

Windmill, somewhere on J.A. Konrath's blog is the name and email addy of his cover artist.
Take a look at the style, see if it suits you... I believe, Konrath initially stated his cover cost $300, no doubt they've gone up now.

You might visit sites like Deviant Art or Concept Art... (artist's styles and contact info is given) be prepared, you're gonna see some "out there" stuff, but some of these folks might be interested in doing a cover for you. Working digitally, you can always "tune" things down, or up, for that matter. You might google book cover designers, I'd stick with digital art, all you get is a thumbnail which is a simple upload, and resolution/size requirements can be obtained by inquiry - just a thought.

Good Luck,

Haste yee back ;-)

Great cover! I'm so glad it turned out to your liking. Can't wait to read it :)

Congratulations! That's so exciting! I can't even imagine how it must feel to see your cover for the first time...goosebumps! Just goosebumps :) I agree with anon 9:31 p.m. - very well said.
The cover itself is so cute and fun - it will definitely appeal to kids. Heck, I'd want to read it and I'm in my 30s.

A great cover, Nathan. Congratulations! You mentioned that the reality of seeing your book cover is that it's "a reminder that a book isn't all yours anymore. It will soon belong to readers." Writing seems so personal. The novel as baby metaphor really resonated with me. My manuscript is yet unpublished, I suppose it's still in the womb, and I can't wait to see how it will eventually turn out! But, your remark was totally on-point. I teach college and often my class of freshman will get hung up wondering what an author meant. Authorial intent, as we know, can only get us so far. It is the readers' job to interpret and make meaning from the words.

Your cover looks great! Congrats!!!!

My first cover, from the publisher I pulled the book from for other (but related) reasons, was clearly made by an intern with a (small) Getty Images budget. It was truly depressing and awful. It would have been embarrassing if it had come out with that.

Great cover for Jacob Wonderbar!

I saw my cover for the first time this week, and it was so different from anything I'd imagined that it took me an hour to realize I love it!

Cool cover, Nathan! I'm looking forward to seeing the cover art of one of my books when I get to that point :-)

Your cover looks great and most importantly, I'm glad you love it. When my husband and I took the plunge and "merged" our books (blech ereaders...I love our library!!) I was taken aback by how awful the cover was for his version of Narcissus And Goldmund and insisted we give his away and keep mine for the library. I'm the exact same way with coffee mugs. They have to have the right artwork and texture/feel for me to really enjoy my cup of coffee.

Huge congrats on the cover. I know how you feel, a cover makes it all that much more real. It is like your baby and something you worked on. Enjoy the happy feeling...

Congratulations, Nathan, on the 'coming out' of your book. Looks great, and it's visually appealing for the MG level.

I'm looking forward to that same feeling of pride and awe one of these days.

Are you going to frame one of the covers - since it's your first? (kind of like Scrooge McDuck's first dime)

No matter how many times this happens, it's still new and wonderful. Enjoy every moment!

Congratulations on the cool cover!

I can't wait to read it. And thanks for sharing your experience.

Congratulations on the cover!

But this post re-opens the e-book vs. real book debate. Seeing your e-book on your e-reader can't begin to match the experience of holding your own book in your hands, feeling its weight.

Groovy!

I just want to state for the record that Pottery may be a more apt metaphor than you knew. True glazes change from chalky nothingness to popping color in the kiln, and they also move around on the surface in surprising ways. You don't, in fact, know what they look like until it's back in your hands.

It looks fantastic, Nathan. Congrats!

I assume it sets the tone for the book--that and the title. I like it. It reminds me vaguely of the cover art for the Captain Underpants books.

Super cool cover, Nathan! :) Looks like a neat book, hehe. Congratulations, I'm so happy for you.

~TRA

htp://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com

Congratulations! It is a rare and marvelous feeling -- even cooler when the cover is your own photograph as mine is! :)

Wishing you tremendous sales and a spot on Oprah's couch!

Congratulations. I love the cover; it is cute.

Where do you find time to be an agent, blog, manage a forum for writers, and write a book?

Kinda adorable, Nathan! =) Congratulations!

Love the cover!

You describe the feeling perfectly. It's probably the first time you realize that the book is no longer just "yours." Part of it now belongs to the illustrator, just like soon it will belong to the readers.

It is a bit like parenting. We bring them into the world, but once they are here, they have lives of their own, no matter how much we love them.

Good luck and congratulations!