The Future of Libraries - And Some Inspiration For Those Of Us Writing/Illustrating Works Set In the Future

Search engines that let you search by smell?

The end of the keyboard era?

Our product-based economy transitioning to an experience-based economy?

This article by Thomas Frey of the DaVinci Institute, "The Future Of Libraries" was fascinating reading.

Check it out, and see if it inspires your vision of the future – in your current work-in-progress, or just in your library-going life.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Are You Using Night Time Logic or Day Time Logic in Your Work-In-Progress?

Author Kelly Link speaks in this "All Things Considered" Interview about her latest collection of short stories, "Get In Trouble." In the interview, the concept of Day Time Logic versus Night Time Logic is shared...

Daytime logic is the world as we know it. Clocks turn clockwise. The sun always rises from the east and sets in the west.

But Night Time logic is different. As Kelly says,

"Night time logic it's much more like dream logic. Except that, you know, when you wake up from a dream, you think, well, that didn't make sense. And I think night time logic in stories you think, I don't understand why that made sense but I feel there was kind of an emotional truth to it."

Maybe that's why classics like "Where the Wild Things Are" are so resonant... they play with Night Time logic.

Consider what's the logic underpinning your current work in progress. Are you writing in Day Time or Night Time logic?

And could it be that it's not an either/or choice, but that perhaps some opposite logic could add something powerful to your craft?

Kelly's book is "Get In Trouble"

and you can find out more about her at her website here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Wendy Ulmer and Sandy Crabtree's MY TWELVE MAINE CHRISTMAS DAYS – The Spark Award Interviews & a Chance to Win This Award-Winning Book!

Wendy Ulmer wrote and Sandy Crabtree illustrated THE TWELVE MAINE CHRISTMAS DAYS, one of three books that won SCBWI's 2014 Spark Awards!

Here's our interview, and see below for your chance to win a copy... 

Lee: Congratulations on winning the 2014 SCBWI SPARK Award!

Wendy: Thank you. I would like to express my gratitude to SCBWI for recognizing the work of independent and non-traditional publishing. 

Sandy: Thank you to everyone for this amazing recognition. 

Lee: Please tell us about My Twelve Maine Christmas Days.

Wendy: I was a music and English teacher and those two passions tend to merge in my writing. I was doing a book signing with my previous books in a Maine based store during the holidays. A familiar carol began to play in the background and as I looked around I saw a stuffed moose, blueberry jam, a sand dollar wreath, etc. That was the beginning – I wrote the first draft during the signing. From the very beginning, watercolor illustrations seemed the only choice and Sandy’s watercolors were perfect to illustrate the gifts of Maine. 

Sandy: I have always loved the original song and enjoyed creating the new images and having them reflect places and traditions that are such a wonderful part of Maine life. My family has always loved the outdoors and collected shells, picked blueberries as well as appreciated such an unspoiled place to live in. Winslow Homer's quote "The sun will not rise nor set without my notice nor my thanks." has always given me inspiration to love the gift of each day. Also being able to use some of my family members as subjects in the pictures was a lot of fun. 

Lee: The SPARK Award is to recognize excellence in children’s books published through a non-traditional publishing route. Tell us about the journey to getting your book published.

Wendy: I published three books through traditional publishing and am very happy with them. I had a vision for this book that entailed the verses, watercolor illustrations, and specific back matter. I felt the only way to fulfill that vision was to publish it myself. My editor from my previous books opened Book Bridge Press to help authors publish children’s picture books. I met with her and decided it was the right place to fulfill my vision for the book. 

Lee: Did doing this picture book outside of traditional publishing allow the process to be more collaborative between you as author and illustrator?

Wendy: Interestingly, Sandy and I were requested not to talk with each other during the production process. Although it was difficult to not talk about it when we saw each other, not discussing the illustrations definitely resulted in a better book. I saw all the stages of the art work, but didn’t talk directly with Sandy about any changes or questions. 

Sandy: I don't know how traditional publishing works but I loved the interchange of ideas thru e-mail between the author, art director, editor, and me. I felt my input was valued and sometimes very humorously corrected and that Wendy and I followed the rule of not talking to each other for three months to keep our friendship free from critiques we might not have agreed with but actually didn't know whose input it was. We are dear friends and still are thanks to this kind of think tank approach. 

Lee: Did the book have a designer and/or editor and/or other experts involved, or was it just the two of you doing everything?

Wendy: We worked with Book Bridge Press in Minneapolis, MN. We had an editor, art director, copy editor and print manager. Because all of the folks at Book Bridge worked in traditional children’s publishing for many years, we received excellent advice throughout the entire process. 

Sandy: Actually four of us were involved and although it might have taken longer to get all the sketches approved, we all had a say with Wendy being the final vote. 

Lee: What do you see as the biggest challenge of publishing independently?

Wendy: The biggest challenge for me has been the marketing. In addition to social media, it is face to face marketing that gets a book placed in book stores and gift shops. It helps to think about other possible venues, like museum shops, toy stores, etc. Another challenge is learning the business side of publishing – bookkeeping, inventory control, etc. Both the marketing and business work take time from writing. That is difficult to deal with at times! 

Sandy: For me, as the artist, the time to get all the sketches okayed left me with only two and a half months to do twelve paintings and that was the most difficult part. 

Lee: What’s been the best thing about publishing this way?

Wendy: The best thing about independent publishing is being involved in every aspect of the book. From the original vision through to holding the book in your hand, there is hard work, great joy and a deep sense of accomplishment. 

Sandy: Wonderful people, amazing ideas and challenges. 

Lee: How long have each of you been involved with SCBWI, and has that helped you on your professional journey?

Wendy: I have been a member of SCBWI for over 20 years. The regional conferences provide a wealth of information and inspiration as well as giving authors a chance to network and learn from each other. I encourage anyone interested in writing for children to join SCBWI! 

Sandy: I have only joined this year, thanks to Wendy. 

Lee: Anything else you’d like to share about the adventure so far?

Wendy: I couldn’t be happier with the adventure, so far, and I’m ready for the next chapter. 

Sandy: Having the backstory on each subject and including actual approximate locations has been really appreciated by people. Some have been inspired to go there and in the case of three blue lobsters/Fort Popham have been surprised by the lighthouse in the painting that does not exist there... I've had many discussions about my "artistic license" as a result. 

Lee: Thanks so much, Wendy and Sandy! And once again, Congratulations!

Wendy: Our thanks, again to SCBWI and the Spark Committee for recognizing independent publishing. 

Sandy: Thanks again for this wonderful honor. 

Leave a comment below for your chance to win a copy of MY TWELVE MAINE CHRISTMAS DAYS. We'll randomly choose our winner from the comments in one week. 

Illustrate and Write On, 
Lee

It's The 2015 Crystal Kite Award Winners!

The SCBWI is excited to announce the winners of the 2015 Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards for our fifteen regional divisions:

Atlantic (Pennsylvania/Delaware/New Jersey/Wash DC/Virginia/West Virginia/Maryland)

Yvonne Ventresca –

Pandemic (Sky Pony Press)

Australia/New Zealand

Karen Blair, written by Raewyn Caisley –

Hello From Nowhere (Penguin Books Australia)

California/Hawaii

Connie Goldsmith –

Bombs Over Bikini: The World’s First Nuclear Disaster (Lerner Publishing Group/Twenty-First Century Books)

Canada

Karen Krossing –

Bog (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

International Other

Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Floyd Cooper –

A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina’s Dream (Philomel Books)

Mid-South (Kansas/Louisiana/Arkansas/Tennessee/Kentucky/Missouri/Mississippi)

Courtney Stevens –

Faking Normal (HarperTeen)

and Laura Roach Dragon –

Hurricane Boy (Pelican Publishing)

Middle East/India/Asia

Arundhati Venkatesh –

Petu Pumpkin: Tooth Troubles (Duckbill Books)

Midwest (Minnesota/Iowa/Nebraska/Wisconsin/Illinois/Michigan/Indiana/Ohio)

Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Gus Gordon –

I am Cow, Hear Me Moo (Dial Books)

New England (Maine/Vermont/New Hampshire/Connecticut/Massachusetts/Rhode Island)

Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Sarah Brannen –

Feathers: Not Just for Flying (Charlesbridge)

New York

Nancy Castaldo –

Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (And Their Noses) are Saving The World (HMH)

Southeast (Florida/Georgia/South Carolina/North Carolina/Alabama)

Kerry Cerra, illustrated by Katy Betz –

Just a Drop of Water (Sky Pony Press)

Southwest (Nevada/Arizona/Utah/Colorado/Wyoming/New Mexico)

Tara Dairman –

All Four Stars (Puffin Books)

Texas/Oklahoma

Varsha Bajaj –

Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood (Albert Whitman & Company)

UK/Ireland

Claire Furniss –

The Year of the Rat (Margaret K. McElderry Books)

West (Washington/Oregon/Alaska/Idaho/Montana/North Dakota/South Dakota)

Laurie Ann Thompson –

Be a Change Maker: How to Start Something That Matters (Simon Pulse)

Congratulations to all the winners!

You can find out more about SCBWI's annual Crystal Kite Awards here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

W. Nikola-Lisa's THE MEN WHO MADE THE YANKEES -- The Spark Award Interviews & a Chance To Win This Award-Winning Book!

W. Nikola-Lisa, who goes by Nikola, wrote and independently published THE MEN WHO MADE THE YANKEES -- and it's one of three books that won SCBWI's 2014 Spark Awards!

Here's our interview, and see below for a chance to win a copy...


Lee: Congratulations on winning the 2014 SCBWI SPARK Award!

Nikola: Yes, thank you. It is quite an honor and I'm very appreciative of it.

Lee: Please tell us about The Men Who Made the Yankees. I read that it was inspired by research on a fiction novel you were working on?

Nikola: The Men Who Made the Yankees has been a labor of love for many years. I spent most of my childhood summers at my grandmother's beach house on Staten Island and occasionally my uncle would grab a couple of tickets to Yankee Stadium and off we'd go, just the two of us. So, I grew up a Yankees' fan from the get-go. 

I had been struggling with a story about the Yankees years ago when I landed upon an idea for a piece of historical fiction set in 1918 when Babe Ruth pitched for the Red Sox. I published that piece in 2011, under the title Dear Frank: Babe Ruth, the Red Sox, and the Great War, and as I worked on it I became curious as to why it took two years for the American League to place a team in the New York market. That question or curiosity was the genesis of The Men Who Made the Yankees. 

Lee: The SPARK Award is to recognize excellence in children’s books published through a non-traditional publishing route. You’ve had a number of books traditionally published - Tell us about the choice and journey to publish this through your own independent publishing company, Gyroscope Books.

Nikola: A bit of luck, chance, and daring. Before the Crash of 2008 I had published 21 trade children's books over a 25 year period. And then the crash happened and everything stood still. You know how it is for mid-career authors; they're not always first in line: they often have to stand in line behind new talent, marquee authors, and celebrities. 

Well, I've never been too good at standing in line, so I looked around and at the same time the market was falling, the digital publishing world was rising; So, I jumped on board. The Men Who Made the Yankees is my fifth independently published book, and the second one to win a national award. 

Lee: Did doing this book outside of traditional publishing change the process of creating this nonfiction book?

Nikola: I don't really think so, other than I had to attend to more parts of the production process. After I finished my second independently published book I kind of got hooked: I realized I really like being in charge of the entire process. As an author of mostly illustrated books, I'm often kicked out of the production process early on with the editor, book designer, and illustrator completing most of the process. As an independent author/publisher, I keep a steady hand on the production process from start to finish--and I've found I really like that. 

Lee: Did the book have a designer and/or editor and/or other experts involved, or was it just you doing everything?

Nikola: I work with a terrific graphic artist who is trained in medieval bookmaking and calligraphy. He has quite an eye for design, and we go back and forth quite a bit hammering out our ideas. I make a physical book first. That's a must because I'm still in love with the physicality of books. I love holding them, looking at them, smelling them. A book is like a bouquet of flowers to me. In my home office, I surround myself with quite a few of them, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves surround me. In terms of editing, I do everything. Oops, that's a no-no, right? Well, I have a Ph.D. in education and spent 25 years editing over 400 graduate theses. So, I guess you could say I have the requisite skill set to write, edit, and proof-read a manuscript. The latter are actually my strong suit. 

Lee: What do you see as the biggest challenge of publishing independently?

Nikola: Ideas are my thing, so I have to pick and choose what I'm going to publish with some thought. In other words, I could easily produce 3-4 books a year, because I get so excited about making them. My biggest challenge is slowing down and choosing a good, solid, meaningful project. Actually, being an independent publisher has really made me look at manuscripts in a very different way; I don't toss them into the world quite as quickly and thoughtlessly. 

Lee: That's fascinating. What’s been the best thing about publishing this way?

Nikola: It enables me to live in a unique parallel universe. It may seem weird, but publishing independently allows me to live outside of the traditional publishing world and in my own fantasy world, which has always been a gratifying place to be. I'm not in it for the money, don't have to be at this point in my life; I'm in it because I love making books. I consider myself a "book artisan" the way other people consider themselves potters, musicians, painters, or what have you. I live in Chicago and hand sell many of my books at street fairs and odd book events, and usually I show up on my bicycle with my bike trailer laden with a few suitcases filled with books. I could have easily been a magician; it just happens I make books.

Lee: How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and has that helped you on your professional journey?

Nikola: I've been a member of the SCBWI since the early 1980s. In my early days I thought I would illustrate as well. I even entered the Don Freeman Award and was a runner-up for an early manuscript that I illustrated. The SCBWI has been a good, long-term friend of mine, and I'm glad to see that they are beginning to open the doors a bit--still more to go, I'm afraid--to independently published authors. 

Oh, and my claim to fame with the SCBWI. I have a few, but here's my favorite. Once I was at a local SCBWI chapter meeting that was organizing a children's literature event and they needed a driver for Tomie dePaola, who was the keynote speaker. No hand went up, except for mine, which went up like a bolt of lightning, and I spent one of the best weekends of my life driving Tomie around. 

Lee: Oh, Tomie's a gem! Anything else you’d like to share about the adventure so far?

Nikola: I once had an astrological chart reading. It was mesmerizing. I mean the guy (he was a computer programmer at a local university) nailed it on every level. When it came to writing, he said that I had all of the writer's destiny marks except one--contact with publishers! I mean, talk about the kiss of death. In many ways, however, it's been true. I've never kept a long-term relationship with an editor or with a publishing house. Then I published my first book independently. Bingo! The light went on. Hey, if I become my own editor/publisher, then I don't have to worry about that writer's destiny mark anymore. And that's what it feels like right now. 

Finally, for those of you who'd like know more about my independently published books, please visit my website at gyroscopebooks.com 

Thanks so much, Nikola!

Leave a comment below for your chance to win a copy of THE MEN WHO MADE THE YANKEES. We'll randomly choose our winner in one week.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Handling The Truth - A Book On Writing Memoir

National Book Award Finalist Beth Kephart is the author of five memoirs (in addition to writing poetry and short stories.) She teaches at the University of Pennsylvania, and wrote this book on the craft of writing memoir, "Handling The Truth."

In an interview with Barbra DeMarco-Barrett on the Writers and Writing podcast (around 19 minutes in) Beth says,

"I am not a fan...of the purely chronological retelling of a story. Of a life story. I think that you have the responsibility, as a memoirist, to carefully structure your story, your memoir, around the themes that you are working toward.  What are the questions you are trying to answer in your book? And that's going to dictate themes. And that's going to dictate tone and mood and voice, and it's going to break things open for you."

"The real suspense in reading memoir, I believe, should be not what happened, because often in a prologue or preface or because we've read the press we already know that somebody got down the mountain or whatever else happened, but how are the over-riding questions of this memoir going to be answered? How is this writer going to come to terms with the big themes? And that's the lovely suspense that we find in memoir."

Fascinating - and great advice.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#UnReadBook It Up - A Fantastic Bruno Mars Uptown Funk Parody: UnRead Book

Love the original song, love reading, and really love this parody version of Uptown Funk:

Enjoy,


Thanks to author/illustrator Elizabeth O. Dulemba for sharing this video in her newsletter, where I first saw it!

Illustrate and Write – and Read! – On,
Lee

A New (Monthly!) Opportunity For Illustrators

What will YOU draw?

Are you ready to BOUNCE?

(And that's only this month's prompt!)

Here's the news...

Calling All Illustrators!

We are excited to announce a great new feature for our illustrator members, Draw This!: a monthly art prompt that will be part of the new SCBWI Insider. Members will have the opportunity each month to show their artwork in the online gallery and two pieces will be featured in the email itself. The online gallery will be open to public viewing, so agents, art directors and editors have yet another way of finding our illustrators.

The June 2015 Draw This! prompt word is: Bounce 

Deadline for the June Draw This! is May 25

Tweet, Facebook and Instagram your submissions! Tag your art #scbwidrawthis

The Draw This! guidelines are different from our Bulletin art submission guidelines, so please read carefully.

 Guidelines:
 •You must be a current SCBWI member to submit to Draw This!
•Artwork must be inspired by the prompt word in some way
•Art may be black & white, grayscale or RGB color
•File resolution must be 72 dpi
•Jpegs only
•No image dimensions larger than 8.5 x 11 (or 11 x 8.5)
•Vignettes, line art and full bleed art are welcome
•File must be titled as follows: Prompt word_First name_Last name.jpg (Bounce_Sarah_Baker.jpg)
•Each member may only submit one entry per prompt word
•Put "Prompt word Draw This" in the subject line
•Email your file as an attachment, NOT in the body of the email, to: scbwidrawthis@scbwi.org

**Failure to follow these guidelines will result in exclusion from the online gallery. For questions, write to scbwidrawthis@scbwi.org.

Good luck, and Illustrate On!
Lee