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A couple of weeks ago, I talked about how I wanted to hold on to the printed book, but after seeing the video of an Alice in Wonderland video of an ebook, I was more open to what they bring to the table.  Yesterday Donna Taylor pointed out the article titled, eBooks Have Resurected the Printed Book by Jennifer Havenner from the Huffington Post on May21st.  Thank you Donna for passing this on.  Here is an excerpt:

Books are not going anywhere. Neither is publishing. Since Gutenberg made his epic contribution to the human race, publishing has secured a place as one of the largest and most profitable industries in history. In that time, publishing has adapted to major technological changes, survived economic meltdowns, persisted through political censorship, and made it to the other side of catastrophic price wars. The likes of Simon & Schuster and Random House are not going to lay down simply because more than 25% of their potential customers bought electronic version of books instead of much more expensive, hard to warehouse, and returnable physical books. If the mainstream publishing world’s enthusiastic embrace of eReaders is not evidence enough that they are doing fine, than their stable sales through the largest economic disaster in our nation since the Great Depression should be.

Small publishers need not worry either. They are vanguards in this new trend, innovating and competing in ways the big boys can’t catch up with. Like the music and movie industries have experienced, independent book publishers are on the cusp of transitioning into the very lucrative mainstream market.

If anyone should be concerned, it is the bookstore. Amazon’s healthy five-year trend indicates that the flight from brick and mortar is not subsiding anytime soon. Couple that with the middleman-eliminating eReaders than bookstores have a great deal to worry about. And their 15 point drop last year is only the beginning. It is the bookstores that need to break into the market with a bullhorn explaining the value of the printed book, not the publishers.  Read more…

Today I rented a room for our after the conference dinner that I talked about on May 14th on this blog.  We are going to the Salt Creek Grille at the Forreststal Village in Princeton, NJ.

We are starting out with hors d’oevures, followed by a four course dinner and drinks.

There are a few spot left.  Let me know if you would like a spot with the editors and agents.

If you are signed up for the Historical Intensive on June 4th with Carolyn Yoder and have not e-mailed your first page to Laurie, you are going to miss that opportunity.  You are already late.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Now that it is official, I can let you know that Emily Van Beek has left Pippin Properties to join Folio Literary Management and help them build their children’s book division. 

Pippin Properties is still alive and doing great with Holly McGhee at the helm, so this just gives all of us more opportunities in the industry. 

Here is what Emily says she is looking for:

I am exclusively interested in acquiring projects for young and teen readers, from picture books by author / artists, to authentic and fresh middle-grade fiction, to lyrical and daring YA.

I am especially interested in representing young adult novelists. I’m looking for voices that won’t be ignored. I am open to considering all sorts of YA from dystopian fiction to paranormal, mysteries to well-written chick lit, coming-of-age, “I’m not dead, but I’m not alive either”, the lyrical, the literary, and the laughable.

I believe it was Ursula Nordstrom who once wrote (of the process of considering a manuscript) something along the lines of: “If you can resist it, do.” A tough love sort of approach to the process, but it’s a litmus test I often use to help me decide if I am the right agent to represent a particular project and to help an author achieve his or her publishing goals.

Emily officially starts on May 24th. 

If you don’t know Emily, she is a highly respected agent in the children’s book industry.  Anyone who lands her to represent them has done something very good for themselves. 

Good luck,

Kathy

What a day!  Emily Van Beek cancelled.  She really wants to come, but something came up in her family that will keep her from attending the June Conference.  She’s unhappy.  I am unhappy and I know everyone reading this will be unhappy.  Tune in tomorrow to see what I come up with.  For everyone who sent me e-mails about wanting Emily, just stay on the roller coaster with me a little while longer.

David Caruba has been working hard talking to not only the editors and agents attending the conference, but others in the publishing industry, so he can share the results of the marketing survey with you at the conference in June.

Now for all of you who are not attending the conference and looking for information, below are editors who have gotten promoted.  If you have a copy of the Children’s Writers and Illustrator’s Market, you should go to the Random House page and make notes on the people listed.  Yesterday, I had Simon & Schuster, so you should do they same with those promotions.  You will never remember and when then you may forget where you saw the changes.  It just easier if you note them in the book.

At Random House Children’s, Geof Smith has been promoted to executive editor; Christy Webster has been promoted to associate editor; and Chelsea Eberly has been promoted to assistant editor.

They want ghost stories. Any genre, any tone, any subject, whatever type of ghost story you can come up with.  The contest is open to published and unpublished writers alike.  All publication rights remain with the author. The ghost story must be 5,000 words or less. Entry must be postmarked no later than October 1, 2010.  Entries accepted beginning July 1, 2010. 

First prize, $1,000 and a trophy.
Second prize, $500 and a ribbon.
Third prize, $250 and a ribbon.

Entery fee $20 Click this link for entry form: http://www.clarklibraryfriends.com/dickensform.pdf

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Wish me luck.  Kathy