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Planning to attend a writing conference? Read these five tips to ensure an experience you’ll savor long after you’ve left the hotel lobby.
1. Choose sessions you find interesting
It’s no secret you need to know how to write a sparkling query, but you’re intrigued to find out how journaling can release your creative muse. Go for the muse. Hundreds of websites will be waiting at home to tell you how to write a query letter. Whenever you attend a lecture or reading, you never know what you’ll take away. That’s the beauty of being open to whatever information the speaker decides to bring.
2. Resist taking copious notes.
You’ll retain more when you are focused on listening, not rushing to take down every word leaving the speaker’s mouth. If your type-A personality insists, jot down inspiring bullet points you can hang above your desk. If you waste time taking a ton of notes, more likely you’ll miss the most important things being said and lose an opportunity to engage in the moment.
3. Mingle.
Walk around and talk with people between sessions. Find out what other writers are working on and get inspired by their imagination. During mea
Just one more sleep!
2 days ago ago by katswhiskers. Spam? Tags: twitter, writing, Karen Collum, chat, Picture Books, Children’s Authors, #pblitchat, #KIDLITCHAT
Sometimes it amazes me how quickly things happen.
Last Wednesday, during #kidlitchat on Twitter, the lovely Karen Collum asked if any picture book authors would be interested in a Twitter chat for picture books only. I was… (she knew that) others were… (we hoped so) and now it’s happening (amazing!) - tomorrow! (If you want a job done, get Karen on board. She is ‘D’ynamite.)
I was delighted when Karen asked if I would co-host the #pblitchat with her. It’s something we’re both passionate about. And it’s also a natural extension of our growing communication about kidlit, picture books and life in general. (It’s really NOT just another excuse to tweet and email. Honest!)
If you’re a picture book author or illustrator, you are invited to join us. It gets a bit tricky advertising the times (because the chat is world wide) but check out the Picture Books Only web page for more specific times around the globe – and coming discussion topics.
One hour of chatter about picture books – the craft, the market, the passion… Count me in!
Just one more sleep…
Tuesdays at midday Queensland-time. On Monday for those in USA.
#pblitchat
     
This is a great email that I subscribe to: Writing and Illustrating
| Tilbury House PublisherPosted: 18 Feb 2010 09:04 PM PST |
Sometimes in our quest to get publish we forget about the smaller publishers out their accepting unsolicited manuscripts and unagented manuscripts. Tilbury House is one of those small publishers. You can go to: http://tilburyhouse.com/books-childrens.htm to look at the books they have published. It looks like they do picture books, biographies, and young middle grade stories with a strong educational focus. See below:
Children’s Books
They are primarily interested in children’s picture books (for ages 7-12) that:
Deal with issues of cultural diversity (global), nature, or the environment (they don’t publish “general” children’s books about animals, fables, or fantasy).
Appeal to children and parents and offer enough learning content so thatyour book will also appeal to the educational market.
Will sell to the national (not just regional) market
Offer possibilities for developing a separate teacher’s guide (written by an educator) that will expand the focus of the book, offer additional information, and suggest learning activities and approaches.
Be sure to check out Kathy Temean’s site and finish reading her post on Tilbury Press.
     
ABC-ABA Potential Merger Update
   
    
Kathy Temean’s suggestions for dealing with rejections. Kathy’s site is a great resource for writers. Be sure and check out the rest of the article.
http://kathytemean.wordpress.com
Excerpt:
Yesterday, I listed Agent Janet Reid’s honest numbers on the amount of manuscripts she rejected in the last six months of 2009. Today, I realized that viewing those numbers could be a real bummer for you. It would be easy to get depressed and want to give up, especially, if you were one of those she rejected. Heck, even if you weren’t, I’m sure you are sending out submissions and I know how hard it is to open up a letter and read, “You have written a very good book, but it isn’t right for me.”
Jerry Spinelli says he could have wallpapered his whole house with his rejections.
Not me, I threw all of them away, when I was in one of those rejection blues mood.
So what do we do? How do we stay positive and focused and not end up yelling into the phone like the woman in the picture? Here is what I came up with:
- Use the Susan O’Keeffe method. In case you don’t know Susan, she is a very successful author. One day she shared what she tells herself. “I may not be the best writer in the world, but I know I am going to be the most persistent writer in the world.” These are words that have really paid off for her. I think they could pay off for you, too.
- You make it happen. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Make a plan to work on the weaknesses or decide how to work around them. Then use the Susan O’Keeffe method and keep submitting.
     
 Apparently, I am on the right track with my social networking process. This article by Harold Underdown cites Charlesbridge’s Donna Spurlock on social media networking potential. Be sure to check out the site and read the rest of this informative look at social media and how a writer can use it to promote their books.
http://www.underdown.org/social-networking.htm 
While preparing for the SCBWI professional retreat, “Thriving in a Changing Industry: Cyber-Promotion Tools for Authors and Illustrators,” I emailed my friend Donna Spurlock, who works in the marketing department at Charlesbridge. I wanted to confirm my general sense that although things have changed from the days when authors and illustrators were just expected to do school visits and answer letters, publishers don’t want people to spend all their time marketing. Here’s what she said, which is so interesting I am quoting it in full:
“You are right, expectations are a bit higher for authors to get out and about and do something themselves. Obviously, we (CB specifically, but publishers in general) are active in social networking as much as possible, promoting the company and each season of books and getting into as much nitty-gritty about specific books and personalities as we can, but the authors and illustrators really need to take the ball and run.
     
Thanks to a fellow writer on Twitter.com, I read an excellent article. Here is a little about Michael Stearns. I have no idea if he is accepting new clients or not but if you follow the link below it will help you find out the info you need.
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Michael Stearns is the founder of Upstart Crow Literary, and an agent specializing in children’s books. Formerly editorial director and foreign acquisitions manager for HarperCollins Children’s Books, before that he was Senior Editor, Director of Paperback Publishing for Harcourt Children’s Books. He has worked on hundreds of books for children and adults over the course of twenty years in the industry. |
http://upstartcrowliterary.com/blog/?p=921
Agenting Picture Books v. Agenting Novels: Part One of Two
Posted by Michael under On Writing
Some weeks back I was in Chicago to give a couple of talks at an SCBWI conference. While I was in fine form for much of the conference, I punted my final talk, to my chagrin. Part of the issue was an ill-advised, last-minute rejiggering of my notes and talking points into a confusing mess of arrows and write-ins (a poor idea, as it is all too easy to lose the thread of an argument while speaking); but more the issue was an inability to get my head around the topic.
     
Editors on the Move. @ CBI Clubhouse.com. This is just one of the many helpful articles, interviews, videos, etc, that can be found there. Be sure to check it out and become a fighting bookworm. It is well worth the small monetary investment you make. Follow this husband and wife team, Jon Bard and Laura Backles, on Twitter.com as well. A special thanks to them for all they do.
Editors on the Move: Latest Children’s Publishing News (Updated for November)
Nov 13th, 2009 | By Laura Backes | Category: Market & Submission Updates
From the ever-changing publishing world, the latest from Sourcebooks, Clarion, HarperCollins and more.
 We’ll update this list as information becomes available, with the most recent updates on top. Children’s book divisions are in bold italics, imprints of those divisions are in blue italics, and editors or imprints no longer with that publisher are in red.
This list will focus on changes to children’s book departments only.
November 2009:
>> Sourcebooks
Sourcebooks has added a new young adult imprint, Sourcebooks Fire, to debut in Spring 2010. Genres will include romance, humor, mystery and fantasy.
>> HarperCollins Children’s Books
Tara Weikum has been promoted to Editorial Director from Executive Editor.
>>Dog-Eared Publications
This publisher is not accepting submissions at this time.
>> Clarion Books
Daniel Nayeri will join Clarion as an Editor effective November 30.
>>Mary Jack Wald Associates
Literary agent Mary Jack Wald will be retiring and dissolving her agency later this year.
>>East/West Agency
Mary Grey James is a new agent with East/West Agency (1158 26th Street, Suite 462, Santa Monica, CA 90403). She will represent children’s and adult books, with a special emphasis on Southern writers.
________________________________________________________________
August 2009:
>> Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Fiona Simpson is the new Editorial Director of Aladdin. She had been an Executive Editor at Scholastic.
>> Egmont USA
Ruth Katcher is now on staff as Editor-At-Large. She had been an Executive Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books.
>> Penguin Young Readers Group
Jill Santopolo is the new Executive Editor of Philomel Books. She was formerly an Editor with the Balzer & Bray imprint of HarperCollins.
>> FamilyFun magazine is now called Disney FamilyFun.
>>Nickelodeon Magazine Group plans to fold its Nick and Nick Jr. magazines by the end of this year.
     
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I had a wonderful time at the SCBWI NJ conference, and hopefully will even sign a client or two. I was busy critiquing when David delivered his State of the Children’s Book Publishing Industry talk but now that Kathy has it up on her blog I wanted to share it all with you.
Dialogue usually is a major part of your story, so making sure your dialogue works is very important. Here are some things to consider when going through that first draft.
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