Welcome to another edition of Slush Pile Warrior. This feature focuses on the trials and tribulations of pursuing publication for both the novice, and experienced writer alike. This month, it is my pleasure to feature the talented, Michael Sullivan.
One thing I didn’t realize when I set out to be a writer, is how little time I’d have to actually write. After I received my first contract, I began learning about the business end of writing and it was a real eye opener. I needed to spend a lot of time setting up the promotional aspects of my writing career. After all, nobody will be able to buy my books if they don’t know that they’re out there
My first endeavor was creating my website. I needed to get some name recognition and begin building my brand as a writer. I remember tinkering with the settings on my web editing software for what seemed like forever. Finally, I came up with a design I liked that would be fairly easy to maintain and update.
My second project was my blog which I launched last year in anticipation of my book releases. I designed the blog, put all my various links and widgets in it, joined a virtual book tour group, and started promoting. The only problem was that my book releases were taking longer than I thought, so there was nothing to promote. I took a leave of absence from the virtual book tour group and will probably have to do a complete overhaul of my links before I become active again. Also, I’m going need some fresh interview material, book information and some press kits as well. I should have started on some of this stuff already, but I’ve been sidetracked by my latest project…online games.
I decided that I needed to have something for kids besides my books. My website www.kevinmcnamee.com is not very kid friendly. Mostly, it introduces me as an author and has background information geared to adults who would like to find out more about me. Frankly, I know that kids could care less, so I wanted to have a site dedicated to entertaining them and have games, coloring pages, and other activities based on my books. The website is www.kevschildrensbooks.com but don’t bother going there. I haven’t loaded any pages yet. I’ll post an announcement when this website is ready to launch.
I started by teaching myself different computer languages. Building my website gave me a working knowledge of what code is supposed to do, so I took it to the next level. I taught myself Java and wound up developing a decent interactive coloring page. The problem with Java is that there it is an older technology and some people turn it off entirely because of security problems. I asked a few people to test my coloring page on their computers and a few of them couldn’t see my page at all. I decided to scrap Java in favor of Flash technology.
Flash games will run on any flash player. Just about everyone already had one loaded on their computer, plus flash doesn’t have the security problems that Java has, so it seemed like a good choice for game programming.
It was a steep learning curve, but with the help of two “dummies” books and some online tutorials, I was able to come up with a jigsaw puzzle based on the Sister Exchange that didn’t crash and burn every time I tried to run it.
I still need to design a web page for this puzzle. When I’m done I’ll post a link for it, feedback will be appreciated. I’m still trying to put together an online coloring book and a drawing pad for kids. I think I’m OK with the drawing pad although I’d like to add some more bells and whistles to it. The coloring book is giving me some problems but I’m still plugging away at it.
I’ve sort of been out of the loop lately, but I just wanted to let everyone know what I’ve been up to. I figure that as soon as I wrap up this tech stuff, I’ll be able to get back to get back to the business at hand, which if I remember correctly … was writing.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I was included in a poetry anthology but all the details weren’t worked out yet. It looks like everything has been finalized and we got the green light from the publisher to promote it all we want, so here it goes.
First a little background.
The members of my poetry critique group got together and decided to write a poetry anthology. We decided that the theme would be “Spooky”, probably because Halloween had just passed and a few of us wrote Halloween themed poems. We wrote and critiqued “Spooky” poems until our eyes crossed. The monumental job of assembling Project Spooky went to fellow members, Laura Wynkoop and Jennifer Judd, who then edited the project until their eyes crossed. They were also the ones who researched the markets and sent out queries, and I can’t thank them enough for their efforts. Marshall Cavendish read the sample poems and asked to see the entire thing. A few months of nail biting passed, then lo and behold…a contract. (insert sound of cheering and thunderous applause here)
Marshall Cavendish edited a few poems out and asked for some additional material. It was a tight schedule but we were able to come up with some more “Spooky” poems. I actually had about half a day to come up with a complete rework of one of my poems. But it was worth it. They took the final revisions and gave us a release date. Project Spooky is now titled…(drum roll please)
Eyeball in my Garden and Other Spine Tingling Poems.
This is coming out on Marshall Cavendish’s Fall list and will be available on July 15, 2010. I have two poems in it, Our Neighborhood and The Gargoyle.
When I get a copy of the cover I’ll post it here.
Just a quick update, I received an email from my publisher the other day with the cover art for The Sister Exchange. So without further adieu, here it is. I haven't seen the rest of the illustrations, but I really like what I've seen so far. I think Kit Grady did a great job.
The book is finished but won’t be released for another five or six months. But another book of mine, If I Could Be Anything, should be coming out before that. So it looks like two of my books will be out before the end of the year. (Insert a “yippee” and the sound of clicking heels here) To check out my publisher’s upcoming releases, go to
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/comingsoon.htm
Slush Pile Warrior - Charlene Haukom
Welcome to another edition of Slush Pile Warrior. This feature strives to highlight the trials and tribulations of pursuing publication. This month, I am delighted to present Charlene Haukom.
Charlene, please tell us a little a little about yourself:
I was lucky enough to have a great teacher in high school that encouraged me to take an advanced writing course. I’ve been writing ever since. I had another great English teacher in college who told me she’d see my name in print some day – she was right. Soon after she made that comment, I was published in the school newspaper and then the literary magazine. Fueled by my early publishing success, I majored in Mass Communications with a Concentration in Journalism (not knowing of any other kind of “writing” degree), though I preferred writing literary fiction over news reports. Over time I was drawn more and more to children’s writing, and here I am 9 ½ years later still trying to break in!
How many submissions do you have out there now?
Hehehe. Believe it or not, I only have two picture book manuscripts out right now. After a recent round of rejection, rejection, rejection, I started putting everything back in the file cabinet rather than sending them out again. While I’ve definitely developed a thicker skin, it still hurts to get the famous “not right for us” letters. When I find myself hitting a wall over and over again, it’s time for a change of pace. Right now I’m sitting on my rejected picture book ms’ and focusing on a mid-grade novel. It’s baseball season, after all, and that’s when Jake (the MC) likes to come out to play.
How do you research where to send your manuscripts?
I like to target where I send my manuscripts (to cut down on those letters mentioned above). I start with the basics, CWIM, the online version of Writer’s Market, the book and magazine market books that ICL puts out, etc. When I find editors or agents that I think might be a good fit, I search the net for anything and everything I can find on those people and rule out those that I think aren’t the best matches. At this point, my head is usually spinning, so I stop searching and just monitor some of the major boards (blue, of course)/blogs/interviews and bide my time. Sooner or later, someone I’m interested in will show up at a conference nearby. Then I beg and plead my family to let me go, which of course they always do because they’re super-supportive and wonderful. Even so, conferences are expensive, so I don’t get to go all that often. If I’m lucky, more than one of the people I’m interested will be speaking at the conference I’ve chosen. If I’m luckier, one of them will spark enough interest to pursue. Once upon a time, I was great at rationalizing and twisting and doing whatever was necessary to convince myself that so and so was a great fit. Eventually I realized that all that did was waste their time, my time, and earn me one of those dreaded letters! Now I only send to people that I’m convinced are a good match, and I usually send it exclusively out of respect - is it any wonder I only have two subs out right now?
What was your biggest submission goof? What did you learn from it?
Hahaha! LOL. Oh, dare I say? My very first submission broke every rule in the book, I think. Let me
I mentioned awhile back that I was included in a poetry anthology due out in 2010. I found out that another poem I submitted was accepted, so I'm pretty excited about that. Although I have a few rhyming picture books under contract, this will be my first poetry anthology. So, I really feel validated as a poet. I'll post more info about this once the revisions are finalized
Also, I heard from Kit Grady about my book, The Sister Exchange. She posted a sketch of one of the illustrations. It's a cute character and I'm psyched to see the rest of the illustrations. To take a sneek peek of The Sister Exchange, go to Kit's blog at
http://www.kit-grady.blogspot.com/
I've already seen sketches for If I Could Be Anything which is being illustrated by Marina Movshina, so I already have a decent idea of what the final copy of the book will look like. The only books that are still a mystery to me are Lightning Strikes and The Soggy Town of Hilltop. These are being illustrated by Eugene Ruble and I haven't heard anything about them yet. But I've seen Eugene's work and he's a talented guy. I'm sure he'll do my books justice.
I took a leave from the Virtual Book Tour group that I belong to. The illustrator for my first book, The Sister Exchange, crashed her computer and won’t have the artwork ready until July. Three of my other books are assigned to illustrators, but my publisher can’t give me a release date for any of them until she’s received the finished artwork. Originally, when I joined this group, I thought my book would be out by now. But with the unforeseen delays, it doesn’t make sense to be on a virtual book tour with no book to promote. So I’m going to sit out a few tours until I have a better idea of what’s going on. The moderator of the group, was very understanding of the whole situation and granted me the leave as long as I check in with her and let her know that I’m still interested in being a member. That definitely works for me. I found this group following last years Muse Online conference and I have definitely learned a lot since joining.
The authors there are serious and professional, and the group is still looking for new ways to promote its authors. So I definitely like the knowledge and the energy that I’ve found there and would hate to have to go looking for a new group once my books are out. I know that all groups are not created equal, so I want to stay with what works for me.
So right now I’m going to keep writing and be patient. Hopefully things will start moving along soon.
As promised, here is more information om Harry's book, Poetic Musings of an Old, Fat Man.
Title: Poetic Musings of an Old, Fat Man
Author: Harry E. Gilleland, Jr.
Date of Publication: 26 March 2008
Publisher: Lulu Press
ISBN: 978-1-435712423 (1-435712420)
Pages: 172 pages, paperback, 6” x 9”
Price: $12.98
From Publisher: http://www.lulu.com/content/2057931
From Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Poetic-Musings-Old-Fat-Man/dp/1435712420/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210286150&sr=1-4
From Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=poetic+musings+of+an+old%2C+fat+man
Poetic Musings of an Old, Fat Man is the third published collection of poetry written by poet Harry E. Gilleland, Jr. This new collection of 81 storoems and poems will engage its readers by making them think about life and leaving them pondering their emotions and beliefs. It will also bring smiles and maybe a tear or two.
Contained within this collection are forty-seven rhyming poems and "storoems", a format coined by Gilleland. A storoem is a hybrid between a story and a poem, i.e. a story told with poetic techniques. The collection also contains twenty-eight free-verse poems, four acrostic poems, and two limericks.
These writings are poetry for the thinking person, be he/she someone who is a poetry lover or someone who normally does not read poetry. This poetry is easily readable and accessible to all -- poetry for the poet and the common man alike. A wide variety of subjects are addressed, including everyday life events, observations of nature, tales of fantasy, expressions of love, and much more. This wonderful collection will surprise and delight all readers.
EXCERPTS from REVIEWS:
“Thoughtful, funny, & full of wisdom …I thoroughly enjoyed "Poetic Musings of an Old, Fat Man" from start to end. I was a little surprised at my reaction to this book, because while I enjoy poems, I am usually not as enthusiastic about books of poetry as I was about this compilation. The third collection by this author is definitely one not to miss reading. Harry Gilleland is a very talented writer, … The collection of poems includes stories about every aspect of life. Some of the poems left me with tears in my eyes, while others had me laughing about life's lighter side. … I applaud Gilleland on creating such a well written, thought provoking book. It is one that I will definitely read again. I highly recommend "Poetic Musing of an Old, Fat Man" to anyone who is looking for an enjoyable book to read this summer or for someone who is looking for a gift to buy for that person who has everything.” By Cherie Fisher for Reader Views
“One of the true purposes of poetry for a reader is not just to discover what the poet was intending to convey, but to find how you relate to the poem. Gilleland does a superb job of presenting an array of poems that are easy to understand and will certainly capture the attention, and the heart, of every reader. …. Verse after verse, this poet is to be commended for his true talent with words.” By Shannon L. Yarbrough
“Harry Gilleland often uses his storoe
For his month's Virtual Book Tour, I am please to be hosting poet Harry Gilleland.
Harry E. Gilleland, Jr. is a 64-year-old southerner. Born and raised in Macon, Georgia, he earned a B.S. (1966) and a M.S. (1968) in Microbiology from the University of Georgia in Athens. Following three years of service in the U.S. Army as a captain, including a tour of duty in Vietnam, he returned to earn a Ph.D. in Microbiology from UGA in 1973. He then headed north to complete a two-year fellowship at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada. In July of 1975 he joined the faculty of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. After twenty-nine years of teaching microbiology to medical and graduate students and performing vaccine research, Harry retired in July of 2004. Today Harry lives in Shreveport with his wonderful wife Linda. Harry enjoys being able to engage in his passion for writing full-time.
Lets get to know a little more about Harry.
Harry, can you describe the time you realized you were indeed a “real” writer?Actually, this happened the first time while I was a graduate student studying for my Ph.D. A journal article I had written for the Journal of Bacteriology, a highly prestigious journal, was accepted with minor changes required. I knew then I could write scientific material well.
It happened again when I started writing poetry. After learning more of the craft required, I knew I was a real poet when I started getting readers on Internet poetry forums telling me I needed to publish my work since it was good enough to be published.
What is going on with your writing these days?I write poems as they come to me, not as often as in the past. I have an action-adventure novel in the starting phase.
What are your future goals for your writing?To get better and better as a poet and to get my novel finished within the next year.
Can you describe a typical writing day for you?Since I am retired, I write in spurts throughout the day. I will write whenever the mood hits me during the day from early morning until late at night after midnight. I write for several hours, then have to move around to loosen my arthritic joints and back. Essentially, I have no set schedule or output requirements for each day. I write as I am driven to write.
Why do you write?Writing is pure pleasure to me. Using words well so that I deliver my message precisely as intended gives me such a feeling of satisfaction on those occasions when I feel I have accomplished this.I have so much I want to say that I have to write. It fulfills a need deep inside me. Plus, I want to leave behind something to represent who I was for posterity. I want my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be able to know what sort of man I was once they reach adulthood. Even if I am dead by then, my writing will be their window into my mind.
What writer most inspires you? Why?Poe (and Tennyson) I have loved their rhyming poetry since high school English classes. They are my idea of great poets.
How do you define your writing?I see myself primarily as a poet whose storoems and poems address everyday topics in a w
My publisher, Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. (GAP) has branched out into the ever evolving world of publishing and now has its first GAP picture book available for Apple's iPhone technology. One of the many things I love about this publisher (besides the fact that they'll publish my books) is that they're willing to take chances and to distribute books in whatever format that people may want. I'm very happy to be associated with a publisher who's willing to make that extra effort to get our books out to a viewing audience. Please see the press release below.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2009
Contact: Lynda S. Burch
(314) 276- 8482
Guardian Angel Publishing Licenses and Releases its first Picture Book to iKids PlayT which provides an alternative to gaming by introducing educational opportunities for children with books on the go.
St. Louis, MO, USA: Publisher, Lynda S. Burch has licensed and launched Guardian Angel Publishing's first picture book, Maybe We Are Flamingos to iKids PlayT for its iPhone application, which allows kids to color, paint, rub and read along on touch screen technology.
"We are excited with our newest venture," said GAP President and Publisher Lynda Burch. "Licensing our picture books with iKids PlayT will allow for worldwide English distribution by Apple iTunes Applications of our books on the newest technology to hit the market."
The users can order print book copies directly from their phones. Children can interact with the stories and artwork and entertain themselves while waiting with parents in countless situations. These applications provide an alternative to gaming by introducing educational opportunities for children with books on the go for busy lifestyles.
"Keeping up with rapidly changing book marketplace has been a rewarding experience and we look forward to successful launches of many more GAP books in other new applications for iPhones and iPods with iKids ReadT and iKids StoryT, too." Burch continued.
Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. was launched in late 2004 featuring a unique series of musical eBook download books-Angelic Harmony. Their books expanded from picture books to storybooks, fiction and nonfiction, and chapter books for older beginning readers.
Guardian Angel publishes exceptional and educational books for children 0-12 years of age. They expanded with Academic Wings- with a wealth of teaching aids for teachers. Angel to Angel where kids write and illustrate for kids, Littlest Angels, Guardian Angel Animals and Pets, Guardian Angel Chapbooks for Tweens and Wings of Faith-faith- based stories, which are available as eBook downloads, CDs, print paperback, and video books for TV or mobiles.
More information on Guardian Angel Publishing can be found at http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/
I have about eight different projects which are in various stages of completion (translation: they still need a lot of work).
Now I’m not counting the random thoughts, the first paragraph or stanza of an idea that I’ve had and then abandoned. I have too many of those to mention. But I keep them around in case the idea bears fruit one day. I’m talking about work that actually has taken on form and substance and could actually see the light of day… not today, but one day. Here they are…
• The shortest of them is a poem that I originally was trying to turn into a rhyming picture book. But I decided that there’s not enough of an idea there to support an entire story, so it’s staying a poem. I just can’t come up with the last stanza though. I’m trying to wrap it up and I’m just not happy with anything I come up with. So occasionally, I open the file, blow the dust off it, and try to come up with an ending. I’ve been doing this for about a year.
• Two middle readers. These are more ambitious projects for me. Until now, I’ve been mainly focusing on picture books. So I’m stepping out of my comfort zone here, but I think that as a writer, I owe that to myself. If I don’t challenge myself, there’s no way I can improve. I have the stories framed out and I think I know where I want to go with these. I just have to fill it out. I think I might be working on these next. I think that these books will serve as good creative outlets for me.
• A coming of age piece that I’ve been discussing with an old friend of mine, he want to write a book about our exploits growing up. This book will be turned into a movie, but the book needs to be written first. This will be a challenge since I’ve never tried writing a collaborative piece before. I’m curious to see how our different styles will mesh and how this will eventually come together.
• The first rhymer I’ve ever written. It was a cute idea with one major flaw. It lacked any kind of plot whatsoever. I’ve spent quite some time trying to surgically insert one into it.
• Another rhymer that is full of stanzas and random lines serving as markers showing where I want the story to go. Now if I could only connect the dots.
• A prose story that needs major revision and restructuring. It’s something that could work, but it would be the literary equivalent of raising a house off of its foundation. I need to brace myself before I take on this project.
• The last one is a prose story that could probably be publisher ready with a minimal amount of effort. The problem here … I just can’t bring myself to work on it. I’m not excited about it any more. So I’m letting this one stew for awhile. If I’m not into it, I’m sure that it will show. I’m not about to become lazy with my writing just so I can complete a story.
So I thought that in coming up with this literary “To Do List” I would be inspired to start working on one of these projects. Fat chance, I think my Muse is on vacation. All I’ve accomplished is opening some files that I haven’t looked at in a while. (Well that, and I got a decent blog entry out of this ) I’m not giving any excuses here. Writing has always been a cyclical process for me and if I’m not actually writing, there’s always some writing related business to attend to. That should keep me busy until my Muse gets back from the Bahamas.
Slush Pile Warriors is a new feature which showcases both unpublished writers, established authors, and everyone in between. It focuses on the struggles of pursuing publication, and the things that different writers have learned in trying to make their way out of the slush pile. I am happy to begin this feature by introducing a very talented writer and poet, Slush Pile Warrior, Susie Sawyer.
Please tell us a little a little about yourself.
I grew up in northern Wisconsin surrounded by a family that loved words and music. I have no doubt my desire to write was influenced by daily exposure to song and written word. I attended college in southwestern Wisconsin, where I met my husband, started a career as a legal secretary and started our family. In 2003, we moved back to northern Wisconsin and have since expanded our family to five.
That's when I decided to seriously pursue my interest in writing for children. I spent much of the first year or so learning the business and reading stacks of "how to" books. I found web sites like SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators), Write4Kids and JacketFlap extremely helpful. I also found a slew of information and support at the sites of Harold Underdown and Verla Kay. But it was my involvement in two amazing critique groups that benefited my writing the most: The Poets' Garage and The Prose Shop. Of course Kevin, you are well aware of these groups. The in-depth critiques and advice I get from these groups continues to be an invaluable part of my writing process.
How many submissions do you have out there now?
According to my submission tracker, I have four manuscripts (a couple are submitted at more than one house), and at least six contest entries being considered.
How do you research where to send your manuscripts?
Every year I buy the CWIM (Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market) and rely mostly on that to begin my research. Beyond that, I use JacketFlap, Harold Underdown's site, Write4Kids and SCBWI, not to mention the information shared with me by fellow writers. Of course, my final research takes place at the web site of the targeted publisher. With the industry changing so fast and frequently, you have to make the publisher's site your final stop before submitting.
What was your biggest submission goof? What did you learn from it?
As I look back at my early subs, I can see that my manuscripts were not nearly polished enough, or well targeted. I made the mistake of sending out my work too early, and to every possible publishing house. The onslaught of rejections was a clear indication that I was doing something wrong. Eventually I learned the art of carefully making a list of potential publishers and organizing it into those that were the best fit, the next-best fit, and the last resort.
Why do you want to be a writer?
What a great question. I really had to think about my answer. I guess I have always been the creative type, so it's certainly an outlet for me that way. But mostly, I think it's the thrill of having a chance to get inside the heads of all those wonderful, amazing kids out there - and being able to plant an idea that makes them smile or say "Wow!" … or just feel something they would not have otherwise. It's a huge responsibility, writing for children, and I don't take it lightly. I want children and the people who read to
I’ve been digging out from the virtual book tour and other assorted matters, but here’s what’s been going on with me lately.
I received the artists’ agreement for two of my picture books, Lightning Strikes and The Soggy Town of Hilltop. Eugene Ruble will illustrate these books. Lightning Strikes is a counting book and Eugene has experience with illustrating his own counting book. Also, The Soggy Town of Hilltop has a certain wackiness factor and Eugene does wacky well. So I’m excited to see what he comes up with.
Also, I’ve seen the draft sketches for If I Could Be Anything. Marina Movshina is illustrating this and I really like the illustrations she came up with. I look forward to seeing the finished artwork. I think it will compliment the text nicely.
I haven’t heard anything about The Sister Exchange lately. That book was originally slated to be my first release. I’ll have to check to see if that’s still the case.
I’ve got some more good news to report. A poem of mine called “Welcome to My Neighborhood” is going to be included in a poetry anthology being published by Marshall Cavendish. The anthology is due out in the fall of 2010. The project is still in the editing phase and is currently being expanded. I submitted another poem to be considered for the anthology. I’ll have to see if it makes the grade. I’ll talk about this a little more when I have some details.
So things are humming along nicely, no finished products or release dates yet. But I’m getting there. I definitely feel like I have some accomplishments that I can be proud of.
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