The Official SCBWI Blog

Twitter Archeology: Layers and Layers of #NY12SCBWI

2012-01-31T06:01:00.000-05:00

Twitter gives a fascinating window into the three days (intensive Friday + Saturday and Sunday) of the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City.

A few tweets were re-tweeted more than 100 times, spreading the information to literally tens of thousands of ‘followers’ – the name for groups of people sharing brief tweets (messages under 140 characters.) The most re-tweeted of the conference:

@cuppajolie “You ban those books, you ban those kids.” Chris Crutcher #ny12scbwi

There were some great quotes independently tweeted by lots of people, like:

@Emberchyld #NY12SCBWI Sunday in three tweets 3) “There’s an agent on this earth whose divine assignment is to represent you.” – Regina Brooks #inspiring

(That line by Regina was also tweeted by @kitgrindstaff, @bananas, @mbrockenbrough, myself - @leewind, and re-tweeted a lot!)

Another conference moment that spread widely across the twitter-sphere:

@VLeeMahoney IMPORTANT tip → @scbwi If you can’t sum up your work in two sentences, you probably need to revise –Ginger Knowlton #NY12SCBWI

Twitter is also a great way to follow the people talking about your interests… so I highly recommend “following” SCBWI Team Blog members @leewind @jaimetem @mbrockenbrough @cuppajolie @suzanne_young as well as the scbwi twitter feed @scbwi and other conference attendees who shared tweets that resonate for you.

You can also search twitter by subject, and the conference has its own hashtag: #NY12SCBWI

By searching on that, you can work your way through the levels and days of mini-posts like an archeologist, finding people, information and inspiration that reveal a unique view of the conference.

Here are some layers of twitter I uncovered (and it’s backwards, because just like an archeological dig, you have to start at the top and work your way down through the layers to discover the civilization beneath…)

@jeniw “I love books that can potentially change a reader’s life. I’m also a big sucker for books that make me cry.” @planetalvina #NY12SCBWI

@mimicross: “The Heart wants what the heart wants” @literaticat at LGBTQ&A meet up with @leewind & @planetalvina #ny12scbwi

@KimSabatini Nurture every connection. It’s a small community, play nice.—Ginger Knowlton #NY12SCBWI

@storyconnection “Think about making books w global reach. Middle grade is the new YA.” Regina Brooks, Serendipity Literary Agency @serendipitylit #NY12SCBWI

@atlanticmoira After a welcome home hug, my son said, “You smell like New York” #ny12scbwi

@DebtheWise Incredible conference. Incredible information. Incredible people. #ny12scbwi. See you next year!

@airliebird #ny12scbwi was so inspiring! I’m going to make a greenhouse around my ideas, FOCUS, and keep putting my stories out there!

@jeni2 “An engaged author with a platform is one of the best things a book can have.” –Editor Tara Weikum #NY12SCBWI

@illustratorsam So sad it’s over :*{ #NY12SCBWI

@loishoffman Things that make you go hmmmm… “The moon is always full when you’re on it.” - @ChrisRichman (Upstart Crow Literary) #ny12scbwi

@SamuelWalters74 Home from #NY12SCBWI – my “to do” list is now about as long as my … my novel! So many ideas … to the revision cave!

@illustratorsam I can hardly wait to get back home and go to the library. I have a HUGE list of Children’s books to read (and re-read!) #NY12SCBWI

@annelieseArt I’m already missing #NY12SCBWI and all of the amazing people that I met this weekend! But I’m so excited to go and make art now!!!

@zlikeinzorro @literaticat Great LGBTQ panel. #NY12scbwi needs more of those!

@natashasinel I won the door prize – tuition to LA conf! Feel like I won the mega millions! And now life is good. #NY12SCBWI

@SaraFujimura Mission accomplished! Got @cassieclare to sign bks for my teen #GirlScouts (& me too!). #NY12SCBWI #yalit

@kim_bak Great conference! Hung out w/friends, saw @saraagent, met my editor, learned/got inspired, set up @scbwiwwa speakers… *nap* #NY12SCBWI

@MLCillustration Also got John Rocco’s autographs!! We hit a goldmine of illustrators here at #NY12SCBWI. Great weekend…But I miss my bed!

@bananas Hear hear! @leewind: Standing Ovation for Lin, Steve, Sara and all the SCBWI staff for pulling off #NY12SCBWI

@leewind: “So go out there, and go create.” Kathryn Erskine’s Keynote Finale at NY12SCBWI

@SamRVamos #FF: @leewind & @jaimetem @mbrockenbrough & @cuppajolie Great writing/editing tips fr SCBWI Team Blog @ SCBWI 13th Annual Winter Conference in NY. #NY12scbwi

@RodriguezCindyL Just fell in love with Kathryn Erskine at #ny12scbwi

@mbrockenbrough Kathryn Erskine: “Talent isn’t enough. You’ve gotta have grit. Talent + determination.” #NY12scbwi

@mbrockenbrough Kathryn Erskine on research: “If you want to know what a Scotsman wears under his kilt, find one who’s willing to show you.” #NY12scbwi

@mbrockenbrough Kathryn Erskin is giving us an Oprah moment, almost: She has sandalwood-scented tea light candles for us. Awww! #NY12scbwi

@NeelySSimpson #NY12SCBWI To be creative you have to take care of yourself – Kathryn Erskine

@JustAGirl_LJ #NY12SCBWI Did Kathryn Erskine read my private journal? self doubt, guilt are regular visitors in my soul

@mbrockenbrough: Kathryn Erskine: “If you ever think about hanging it up, think about the one kid out there who needs you.” #NY12scbwi

@cameron_crane “I like the idea that my best books are yet to come.” – Peter Brown #NY12SCBWI

@bananas OH: my brain can’t hold any more brilliant information! #NY12SCBWI #WritingConferenceProblems

@JustAGirl_LJ At my first conference in 2007, ebooks were a “joke”. This year, “transmedia” is a common phrase. Publishing is changing so fast. #NY12SCBWI

@ktubb @kim_bak: Hallelujah. RT @leewind “Middle Grade isthe new YA.” Regina Brooks at #NY12SCBWI” :)

@scbwi Take away from the agent panel: work on those firstpages, lots don’t read synopsis. Not hooked by writing = won’t read the rest#NY12SCBWI

@KimSabatini My job is to come up with ways to position abook. Regina Brooks #NY12SCBWI

And that's barely back to the agent's panel on Sunday! See how much fun it is? And those are just the tweets that resonated for me.

Go do your own twitter search now, and uncover a twitter archeologist's view of the craft, business, inspiration and community that was the #NY12SCBWI experience!

The Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference Starts Tomorrow!

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

In keeping with the celebratory spirit of a whole weekend packed with kit lit business, craft, inspiration and community, here's "The Joy Of Books"

I found this amazing stop-motion video here, via author Terri Farley. Thanks, Terri!

And as you travel and prepare for the conference, make sure to catch up on all the pre-conference faculty interviews at the Official SCBWI Conference Blog.

Here's a cool tip for conference attendees:

If you have a smartphone or tablet, you can download the free mobile guide to the 13th Annual Winter Conference. You'll be able to plan your day with a personalized schedule, get schedule and room information and read speaker bios. You can also browse maps of the event space at the Hyatt, share pictures and follow the #NY12SCBWI Twitter feed direct directly from the app.

To get the guide, choose one of the methods below:
Download 'Guidebook' from the Apple App Store or the Android Marketplace
Visit http://guidebookapp.com/get from your phone's browser
Once you have the Guidebook App search "SCBWI" under "download guides" and download "SCBWI Winter Conference".

The app is compatible with iPhones, iPads, tablets, and Android devices.

Whether you're attending or not, you can follow along at both the Conference Blog and with our twitter hashtag, #NY12SCBWI

Illustrate and Write and Conference ON!
Lee

Staying Current - What are you going to read from 2011?

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Linda Sue Park spoke at the 2007 SCBWI Summer Conference about how you really need to immerse yourself in reading the kinds of books you want to write.

If you want to write picture books, she said, then you need to read 1,000 picture books. She lowered the number for novels (I believe it was to 500) but her point was loud and clear: How can you successfully write it if you don't understand the format in your bones?

And it's true for illustrators as well - you'll become a better illustrator if you've studied 1,000 illustrated books!

Yet with all the Children's and Teen books (including self- and vanity- and print-on-demand) coming out every year, how do we decide what we're going to read?

There are three main ways: Best sellers. Awards. And word of mouth.

Best sellers.

Publishers Marketplace recently published a list of the 15 top selling print books as tracked by Nielsen BookScan in the outlets they cover for juvenile titles.

2011's Top 15: Juvenile Books
1 THE HUNGER GAMES*, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic; trade paperback; 9780439023528) 1,578,000
2 DIARY OF A WIMPY KID 6: CABIN FEVER, Jeff Kinney (Amulet; hardcover; 9781419702235) 1,563,000
3 CATCHING FIRE*, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic; hardcover; 9780439023498) 985,000
4 INHERITANCE, Christopher Paolini (Knopf Children's; hardcover; 9780375856112) 900,000
5 MOCKINGJAY*, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic; hardcover; 9780439023511) 853,000
6 THE SON OF NEPTUNE, Rick Riordan (Hyperion; hardcover; 9781423140597) 699,000
7 THE THRONE OF FIRE, Rick Riordan (Hyperion; hardcover; 9781423140566) 535,000
8 DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE UGLY TRUTH*, Jeff Kinney (Amulet; hardcover; 9780810984912) 524,000
9 ELF ON THE SHELF*, Carol Aebersold (CCA&B; hardcover; 9780976990703) 500,000
10 THE WIMPY KID DO-IT-YOURSELF BOOK*, Jeff Kinney (Amulet; 9780810989955; hardcover) 488,000
11 DIARY OF A WIMPY KID 2: RODRICK RULES*, Jeff Kinney (Amulet; hardcover; 9780810994737) 338,000
12 GOODNIGHT MOON*, Margaret Wise Brown (Harper Festival; 9780694003617) 329,000
13 DIARY OF A WIMPY KID*, Jeff Kinney (Amulet; hardcover; 9780810993136) 309,000
14 THE LOST HERO*, Rick Riordan (Hyperion; hardcover; 9781423113393) 294,000
15 DIARY OF A WIMPY KID 3: THE LAST STRAW*, Jeff Kinney (Amulet; hardcover; 9780810970687) 289,000

*These editions were first published prior to 2010

And of course, the NY Times, USA Today, and many other publications have their own best-seller lists to consult.

Awards.

You can also look at the Award winners, which tend to come out the following year (so in 2012 we'll find out which books won for 2011.)

Just yesterday the ALA announced the top 2012 awards in children’s and young adult literature as the finale of their ALA Midwinter Meeting!

There are LOTS of authors and illustrators you'll recognize and cheer on - and some of them you can even congratulate in person at #NY12SCBWI!

Like John Rocco, whose "Blackout" was named a Caldecott Honor Book! And Peter Brown, whose book "Children Make Terrible Pets" was made into the Andrew Carnegie Medal-winning best children's video!

Little, Brown, HarperCollins, Henry Holt, Delacorte Press/Random House, Scholastic, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Lee and Low and Macmillian are all well-represented among this year's winners... and among our #NY12SCBWI faculty!

The Cybils nominations for 2011 are out as well (these are the book blogger awards.)And here are some past award lists to explore:

SCBWI's 2011 Golden Kite Awards

SCBWI's 2011 Crystal Kite Winners

The 2011 Newbery Winner and Honors Books

The Other 2011 Association for Library Service to Children Award Winners

And there are also diversity-focused lists and awards, like the 2011 Rainbow Books (for GLBTQ kid lit), the Coretta Scott King Book Award Recipients (awards given to African American authors and illustrators for outstanding contributions to literature for children and young adults) and the Sydney Taylor Book Award (books for children and teens that portray the Jewish experience.)

Word Of Mouth.

Talk to others and get their recommendations. Booksellers. Librarians. Friends. Read kid lit blogs and book reviews.

For those of us creating content for children, it can also be fascinating to focus on a single editor's output by looking at the lists of published books that accompany their conference bios, and also the "edited by" document at scbwi.org. (Here's how to find it: sign in at scbwi.org, go to the resource library, just getting started, SCBWI publication guide online, getting started: preparing and submitting your work, click on "Edited By: A House-by-House Listing of Editorial Credits" and it will download as a pdf. file to your computer. An excellent resource!)

So this year, let's heed Linda Sue Park's advice - and read broadly and deeply in our genre and age category!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

SCBWI members working to ensure that every child in America has access to an effective school library program

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Many members of the Kid Lit Community are taking action via this petition at whitehouse.gov, that states:

Every child in America deserves access to an effective school library program. We ask that the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provide dedicated funding to help support effective school library programs. Such action will ensure more students have access to the resources and tools that constitute a 21st century learning environment. Reductions in school library programs are creating an ‘access gap’ between schools in wealthier communities versus those where there are high levels of poverty. All students should have an equal opportunity to acquire the skills necessary to learn, to participate, and to compete in today’s world.

"The fight for school libraries continues" is how Erica Silverman, SCBWI member, author and librarian put it.

My thanks to Erica and Martha Brockenbrough, SCBWI Team Blog member and author, for sharing this information with me so I can share it with you.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Technology in Publishing: Embedded Videos in E-books!

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

A QR code... think of the possibilities!

From the world of nonfiction publishing, this is really interesting:

As reported in publishers lunch and The Hollywood Reporter

Rachel Ray is moving to Atria. After nine books with Clarkson Potter,Ray tells the WSJ she wants to make her new cookbooks "exciting for people using their Nooks or iPads" and says she was attracted by a Tom Watson golf book Atria published last year that used QR codes editorially to link to instructional videos.

Atria says they will use QR codes in Ray's THE BOOK OF BURGER, due in June, to link to instructional videos as well.

Here's the info on the Tom Watson golf book, that sells it with this twist on the technology:

Special Bonus for this multimedia eBook edition: Each chapter includes an embedded, instantly viewable video of Tom Watson teaching key lessons.

Of course, this twist on the technology makes me wonder what we kid lit authors could do with this in our nonfiction... and fiction!

Ask yourself: What might YOU create?

Exciting times we live (and write and illustrate) in!

Enjoy the adventure,
Lee

Community: Announcing Three New Social Events at #NY12SCBWI (and the answer to the question: Just how much fun are these conferences?)

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the scoop on three community-building and networking events happening at the upcoming Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference on the Saturday night (January 28, 2012) after the Gala Dinner:

Find the LGBTQ in SCBWI
7:45pm-8:45pm Saturday January 28, 2012
Room: Broadway

Started at SCBWI's 2008 Summer Conference in Los Angeles and held at every conference since, a group of editors, agents, art directors, authors and illustrators will meet informally to discuss LGBTQ publishing, the submission process, who is interested and what kinds of stories they are interested in.

Maybe you've written a book about or for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, queer or questioning youth; maybe you're interested in doing so, and you're not sure where to begin; maybe you are just curious to learn more about this vital corner of the market for young readers. Whatever your interest in the subject matter, all are welcome. Bring a friend and any questions you may have.

Hosted by SCBWI Team Blog's Lee Wind, our special guests for this event will be Editorial Director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Alvina Ling and agent Jennifer Laughran

Alvina Ling is Editorial Director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers where she has worked since 1999. She edits award-winning children's books for all ages, from picture books to young adult novels, with some nonfiction mixed in. Some of the books she has edited include Newbery Honor winner Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin, a young adult series by Libby Bray (The Diviners), as well as the middle grade novel The Land of Stories among many others. She contributes to the children's book blog Blue Rose Girls at http://www.bluerosegirls.blogspot.com

Jennifer Laughran joined Andrea Brown Literary Agency in 2007. Her clients include Daniel Pinkwater, Calef Brown, Matt Faulkner, Jackie Dolamore, Ilsa J. Bick, Eric A. Kimmel, L.K. Madigan, Adam Selzer, Tara Kelly and Kate Messner, and many excellent debut authors. She is always on the lookout for YA and middle grade fiction with unusual, unforgettable characters and vivid settings. You can find her online at http://literaticat.blogspot.com

Illustrator Social
7:45pm – 8:45pm Saturday January 28, 2012
Room: Salon II

Please come join us for this unique and fun opportunity to meet with your fellow illustrator conference attendees, as well as your SCBWI Board Illustrator Committee members!It’ll be a time for networking, sharing of wisdom, thoughts and tips from conference veterans, reviewing what was gleaned from the Winter Conference thus far, and voicing your suggestions for future illustrator Intensives!Just bring yourself and a few of your business/promotional cards for our networking exchange opportunity.

International Gathering
7:45pm-8:45pm Saturday January 28, 2012
Room: Alvin

Gather with other internationals attending Winter SCBWI conference!

There are over 50 international SCBWI members attending the Winter conference this January so after the Gala Dinner head to the ALVIN room and meet your fellow international attendees from Canada, Australia, England, Spain, Germany, Mexico, UK, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Hong Kong, France, and the Netherlands.

Christopher Cheng (Co-Chair SCBWI Advisory Board and Co-Regional Advisor Australia and New Zealand) will also advise you about the latest developments for the upcoming SCBWI Bologna gathering and about the Asian Festival of Children's Content (afcc.com.sg) gathering held in Singapore each year. These are two conferences that need to be on your radar and in your planning.

And we also want to know about your region too, so come prepared to share your tales, ask questions, and wave your flag!

The Answer To The Question of just how much fun is the conference...

There's so much vital information, and incredible opportunities to advance your career at these conferences. There's craft and business and inspiration, lots of networking, and let's be honest - fun - to be had as well. Imagine hanging out with your tribe for a whole weekend!

How much fun are we talking about? Check out this video that members of the Pen and Ink blog put together at this past SCBWI Summer Conference. (Clearly, they were in a pirate mood...)

And There's One More great Kid Lit Community Event the weekend of the conference -

The New York Kid Lit Drink Night!

Organized by Chrstina McTighe (@LaFabuliste on twitter) and other fabulous New York Kid Lit folk (including @newsboyhat, @Aunt_Feather, and Mackenzie Reide) to overlap with #NY12SCBWI so all us out-of-towners can attend, it will be held Friday January 27, 2012, at 8pm at Public House on 41st and Lexington. Right around the corner from the Hyatt!

So now you have great social/networking/community stuff to do both Friday and Saturday night!

Community. It's such a big part of attending the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference.

And you know, just by reading this, you're part of our community.

We hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Walter Dean Myers is the latest National Ambassador For Young People's Literature!

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

"I think that what we need to do is say reading is going to really affect your life"

-Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers is the new national ambassador for young people’s literature!

The New York Times says:

"the choice of Mr. Myers represents a departure from his predecessors* and is likely to be seen as a bold statement. His books chronicle the lives of many urban teenagers, especially young, poor African-Americans. While his body of work includes poetry, nonfiction and the occasional cheerful picture book for children, its standout books offer themes aimed at young-adult readers: stories of teenagers in violent gangs, soldiers headed to Iraq and juvenile offenders imprisoned for their crimes. While many young-adult authors shy away from such risky subject material, Mr. Myers has used his books to confront the darkness and despair that fill so many children’s lives."

* Previous National Ambassadors for Young People's Literature have been Katherine Paterson and Jon Scieszka

Walter (with 90 books published so far!) has won the Coretta Scott King Award, the Michael L. Printz Award, and has been a National Book Award finalist.

And I love his grasp of how vitally important books can be for kids and teens:

He will receive a medal at the Library of Congress next Tuesday. One of the first things he expects to say is that reading is not a Victorian pastime.
“People still try to sell books that way — as ‘books can take you to foreign lands,’ ” he said. “We’ve given children this idea that reading and books are a nice option, if you want that kind of thing. I hope we can get over that idea.”

Congratulations, Walter!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The Fourth Annual Comment Challenge Starts Today!

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Want more traffic on your blog?

Want to raise your profile in the world of children's literature?

Want more readers?

Want to be a vital member of the children's literature community?

Okay, I know that sounds like you're being spammed or perhaps mistakenly Tivo-ed some infomercial, but hold on, because Today is the start of the fourth annual Comment Challenge!

Cooked up by MotherReader and myself back in 2008, the idea is that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. And the habit that does all of those things above (more traffic, higher profile, more readers, greater sense of belonging to the kid lit community) is to comment on other kid lit community blogs.

The challenge is to comment on FIVE kid lit blogs a day for 21 days. Any five. You choose. (The members of SCBWI Team Blog (Lee, Martha, Jolie, Jaime and Suzanne), as well as the lists at the kidlitosphere site are both good places to start.)

So in those 21 days you're aiming for 100 comments (and yes, you get one day off for good behavior.)

Just five a day for a healthier, happier YOU.

You can sign in over at MotherReaders and we'll be doing weekly Wednesday check-ins at my home blog, "I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read?"

MotherReader and I will have some fun give-aways for randomly chosen participants, but the real prize is creating an awesome new habit of engaging more fully with our community.

So how about it?

Are you up for The Comment Challenge?

Sign up now!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

A New Year, and a Fresh Take on First Lines

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 2012!

The New Year feels like a great time to share with you this great resource from Darcy Pattison, OPENING LINES: 12 Ways To Start a Novel.

Darcy has taken the ten major ways you can start your novel and illustrated them with the “100 Best Lines from Novels,” as chosen by the editors of the American Book Review. She's also added two additional categories of ways to start that didn't show up in the 100, but are used, often in more innovate formats and graphic novels.

The first line of "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville (the #1 Best Line in the American Book Review's 100) is an "I AM" opening, where you're meeting a character and the first-person narrator is giving a summary or a judgment about themselves.

The 100 best lines is fascinating reading on its own, but Darcy's breaking it down into categories in this way reveals patterns that are inspirational for writers and illustrators as well. - How are you going to start to tell the story you want to tell? Viewpoint on Life, Mid-Action, Set Up, Let's Meet Jack or Jill, I am... (and that's only five of them!)

What I love most about Darcy's article is the challenge built into it:

Can you take your current first line of your work in progress, and re-work it in ALL twelve of these ways?

What a powerful tool to give us 12 new first lines for our novels!

It's the beginning of a story full of possibility... and a new year full of possibility as well!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

p.s. Darcy will be on faculty at the upcoming #NY12SCBWI, and you can find out more about SCBWI's Winter Conference in New York City, January 27-29, 2012 here.

Two New Year's Resolutions To Add To Your List: Get a Mentor. Be a Mentor.

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Carrie A. Pearson is a writer who has a wonderful series on her blog, Mentorship Monday.

Carrie shares the impact of her own mentorship, that moment when Newbery Award winner, Lynne Rae Perkins,

"validated that I had a story worth telling and that she, a gifted author who won the highest honor in the industry, enjoyed reading it. She helped me recognize the value of my words on paper. Could there be a better gift?"

And I think Carrie is right. From my own experience being formally mentored by Emma Dryden in the SCBWI Nevada Mentor Program, to the many, many wonderful professionals in our industry who guide and cheer me on me today, being mentored is a turning point.

And equally powerful is that moment where you mentor someone else. Someone at an earlier stage in the journey. It's amazing how much you can learn when you try to teach... And I've been very fortunate, especially in my Speaker Visits to schools and libraries over the past year and a half, to do that as well.

So perhaps, as we all contemplate the New Year 2012 ahead of us, we can reflect on the power of mentorship in our own lives, and set out to both:

find a mentor to take us to the next level professionally,

and

be a mentor to someone else.

Being both a mentee and a mentor will strengthen our own art. And those bonds will strengthen our community.

And that is a beautiful thing.

Here's to an amazing (and mentorship-filled) 2012!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Symbolism. What do the greats have to say?

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

"I would never consciously place symbolism in my writing. That would be a self-conscious exercise and self-consciousness is defeating to any creative act. Better to let the subconscious do the work for you, and get out of the way."
-Ray Bradbury


Ray Bradbury's answer to the questionnaire on symbolism sent to him by a 16 year old in 1963

So this 16 year old, Bruce McAllister, back in 1963, sent out 150 mimeographed surveys to famous authors to find out what they thought about symbolism in their work.

The amazing thing is that HALF of the authors replied.

This article in The Paris Review goes into depth on many of their answers, and it's fascinating reading.

Jack Kerouac. Norman Mailer. Ayn Rand. John Updike. Isaac Asimov.

I love Asimov's answer to did he plant symbolism in his work?

“Consciously? Heavens, no! Unconsciously? How can one avoid it?”

Bruce grew up to become a published author himself and a professor of literature and writing. And yet, this project he did as a teenager still has such power to make us think: How do I handle symbolism?

How do you handle symbolism in your writing? And what about in your illustrations?

Delicious food for thought!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

ps- My thanks to Suzanne for the heads-up about this great article!

Mark Twain on assembling a critique group

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

This is brilliant!

Mark Twain's words are performed by John Lithgow, and the illustrated animations are by NYPL artist in residence Flash Rosenberg.

Happy Holidays!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Give Yourself The Present of Attending The SCBWI Winter Conference

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's a season of candles and songs and gifts for everyone else...

We've even wrapped it for you!

...and we humbly suggest you consider giving yourself the gift of coming to The Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, January 27-29, 2012.

It's a gift that will super-charge your illustrating and writing career journey.

A gift that will let you dive into intensive - and essential - days on marketing, and in the writers roundtable intensive, a chance to get immediate feedback from agents and editors!

A gift that will educate you about the business of children's publishing from experts at the top of the field.

A gift of spending a weekend surrounded by - and knowing that you are a member of - your Children's Literature community. Your (and my) SCBWI tribe.

And it is a gift of inspiration that will resonate with you long after you return home.

Attending the SCBWI Winter Conference is a gift you can give yourself. And there's no wrapping paper to buy! (Kudos to Sarah Baker for the gift image above!)

Here are some of our pre-conference looks at the Friday Intensives and SCBWI Team Blog interviews with the conference faculty:

Jean Feiwel, Senior Vice President & Publishing Director, MacMillian

Ginger Knowlton, Agent at Curtis Brown Ltd.

Lin Oliver, SCBWI's Executive Director, on the Writers Intensives (The Roundtable Intensive for Writers and the Marketing for Professional Writers Intensive)

Lin Oliver, SCBWI's Executive Director, on the Illustrator's Marketing Intensive

Darcy Pattison, Author and creator of the Random Acts of Publicity Day

Nancy Paulsen, President and Publisher of her own imprint at Penguin Young Readers Books.

Rubin Pfeffer, Agent at East-West Literary

You can check in at The Official SCBWI Conference Blog for more up-to-the-minute pre-conference interviews as the holidays roll into the new year, and to get a taste of past conferences.

Registration is open, and you can explore the schedule and full list of faculty and events (like the portfolio showcase and the Gala Dinner) here. We hope to see you in New York!

Happy Holidays!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Rethinking the Book Tour

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

There's an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal about how authors today need to reconceptualize their whole approach to a book tour. To rethink standing there and reading three chapters, and doing a Q&A. That maybe, in the current climate, that's no longer enough.

The article includes some anecdotal reports from bookstores all over the country, and quotes from authors, including:

• Rainy Day Books, an independent bookstore in Kansas City, Kansas will only sponsor author events that feature a conversation or mini-lecture, a PowerPoint or slide show and maybe reading one or two paragraphs at the most from the book to illustrate a point. The owner Vivien Jennings says,

"I tell publicists 'it's no longer a reading,'"

• In lieu of readings, Roxanne Coady, the owner of R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, Conn., will sometimes conduct an interview with an author. "Audiences feel they're getting something unusual and intimate, and sales of the book go up," she said.

• Brad Meltzer, the best-selling author of thrillers like "The Book of Fate" and "The Book of Lies," stopped doing readings two books ago. "Jim Dale," he said, referring to the voice of the "Harry Potter" audio books, "and all the audio-book stars made most of us authors look like a bunch of misfits. We can't compete."

I asked Bruce Coville, the award-winning and best-selling author of over 100 books for children, and a master storyteller, if it's enough to just read from your book and do a Q&A. Here's his response:

"Being a writer in these times requires a certain degree of professional schizophrenia. In order to write, you need to be able to work in isolation. Yet as soon as you're at all successful at it, people want you to come out and talk about it. So a writer needs to be able to deal with extended periods of solitude, and also with being asked to stand in front of crowds and speak. But in the end, it's all about communication, and that is, at heart, what we need to be: communicators. I think writers can reap great benefits from learning storytelling, from taking acting lessons, from getting voice training - all things that give you tools that will help you be effective in presenting your work to a live audience."

What's your take? When have a book event, how do you approach it?

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Craft, Business, Inspiration and Community

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy to share with you the latest...

Craft

• For writers, check out best-selling author, SCBWI board member and Regional Advisor for Nevada Ellen Hopkins' advice for writers online. It's like having a sage mentor sit down with you and lay it out about writing, writing poetry, craft, publishing and agents. Ellen's a marvel, and it's well worth reading.

• For illustrators, take a look at Dan Santat's book trailer page at his website. He not only explains how he makes the trailers (including technical stuff and how much time he devotes to each one) you can watch how he uses his illustrations, combined with text and music, to blow viewer's socks off. And those viewers become readers! Watch his trailer for his graphic novel "Sidekicks." Wow! (And Dan's on faculty at the upcoming Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, January 27-29!)

Business

• The New York Times reports that European E-Books are taxed at a rate much higher than print books. (In some countries at 25%!) One e-book author from Britain, Damien Seaman, said that the value-added tax gap

“discourages traditional publishers from innovating by effectively subsidizing them not to.”

• Love your independent bookstore but read e-books? The American Booksellers Association announces that:

"Book lovers who purchase their e-books from independent booksellers online now have their own device-based reading application – The IndieBound Reader..."

In the words of the ABA's Technology Director Matt Supko,

“A year after the launch of Google eBooks, indies have become a vital and fast-growing part of the e-book market, thanks to their creativity, marketing savvy, and knack for matching the customer with the best book for them — print or digital. The IndieBound Reader app gives independent bookstores a home on the most popular mobile devices, making it easier than ever for customers to shop local when they shop digital.”

Right now it's available on the Android operating system, and they say it will soon be available on the iOS systems as well. I found out about this through Darcy Pattison's Fiction Notes newsletter. (Darcy's also on faculty at the upcoming Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, January 27-29!)

• Do e-books burn? Not sure about that, but I am excited to learn that "Fahrenheit 451" by the remarkable Ray Bradbury has been released as an e-book.

• More titles, more pages, more roundups... here's an interesting article about how the New York Times is changing its approach to covering and reviewing Children's books under Pamela Paul (their fifth Children's Books Editor).

• Neil Gaiman shares a cautionary tale about an author whose novel's audiobook didn't achieve what it might have. It's interesting to note that the remarkable children's book author Bruce Coville also runs an audio book business, Full Cast Audio. Famous authors helping other authors get great audio books of their novels? That's pretty fascinating.

• Amazon Enters Children's Book Market! Publisher's Lunch reported this week that Amazon announced a deal to acquire Marshall Cavendish Children's Book's US trade publishing list, comprising more than 450 children's books. The company says in the announcement

"the acquisition creates the foundation for Amazon Publishing to further expand into picture books, chapter books and YA novels."

Inspiration

Just one of the gems I discovered through the Booklist's Quick Tips newsletter

• For a great font of inspiration for both illustrators and writers, sign up for Booklist's Quick Tips newsletter, put out by the American Library Association. In their latest issue, just one section highlighted six different virtual field trips you can take to world class museums around the USA. Did you know The Art Institute of Chicago had among their online offerings "Cleopatra: A Multimedia Guide to Ancient Art," with fully bilingual English and Spanish text, video clips, time lines, and lesson plans for grades 4–12 in five subject areas? While the newsletter's focus may be on teachers and librarians, there's lots of great information here for those of us who create children's and teen literature.

Community

• It's the holidays, and sometimes, the best gifts are the ones you give. Here in Los Angeles, our local SCBWI chapter joined in an industry-wide Kid Lit Drink Night Holiday Party this past weekend, with librarians, illustrators, agents and writers from all over Southern California joining in. Everyone brought books to donate to two needy Los Angeles schools - The Knox Elementary School in South Central Los Angeles (which has a library but no librarian and no new books) and the 29 classroom Continuation High School of our Los Angeles public school district (for at-risk youth, with no centralized library and just shelves of books in each classroom that the teachers provide.) We collected 5 boxes of picture books through middle grade titles for the elementary school kids and three overflowing bags of YA titles for the students in the Continuation High School.

Seeing how excited Ms. Ward, the Principal of Knox Elementary, was at receiving the books for her students made me feel like I was the one who got the gift.

Me being silly with the giant piles of donated books!

Our SCBWI and Kid Lit community, reaching out to our larger community? That's an awesome thing.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

ps - The book pile photo is by Rita Crayon Huang.

The MeeGenius contest - have you voted for your favorite text for a children's e-book?

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

In yet another example of innovative ways to "break in" to Children's Publishing, specifically e-books for children, check out the MeeGenius Author Challenge 2011!

The chance to enter a story has passed for this year, and now it's time to vote for your favorites (from now until December 18, 2011.) And every vote counts, as the number one book as of writing this post ("The Treehouse in Your Sock Drawer" by Nicholas Wilmoth) is ahead by only 119 votes.

Here's details on how the contest works.

Kudos to Heather Harris-Brady, a SCBWI member in Michigan, USA, who contacted me and asked if I could let our readers know about the contest, because there might be other SCBWI members hoping for people to read, love and vote for their stories as well. That's how to appropriately self-promote and use all these social media tools. And that's why I chose Heather's story, "The Berry Jam," for the screen shot above. Oh, and that link to her story.

And if you've got a story in the running, add a link to your story's MeeGenius page here in comments.

Good luck to our SCBWI competitors!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Will Your Book Be Considered For the 2012 Golden Kite Award?

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Awards can give your book buzz. It can raise your cache. It can boost sales. (Interestingly, Publisher's Lunch is reporting that Bloomsbury upped its reprint order for National Book Award fiction winner SALVAGE THE BONES by Jesmyn Ward to 50,000 copies.)

Being a member of SCBWI makes you eligible for the Golden Kite Awards.

The Golden Kite Statuette

Here's the scoop from the SCBWI website:

Presented by the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators the Golden Kite Awards, given annually to recognize excellence in children’s literature, grant cash prizes of $2,500 to author and illustrator winners in four categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Picture Book Text, and Picture Book Illustration. Authors and illustrators will also receive an expense-paid trip to Los Angeles to attend the award ceremony at the Golden Kite Luncheon at SCBWI’s Summer Conference in August and a lifetime membership in SCBWI.

Here's Rukhsana Khan giving her Golden Kite Award acceptance speech - she won for picture book text for "Big Red Lollipop":

Rukhsana brought down the house at #LA11SCBWI

A commemorative poster with the winners will be created and distributed to, among others, various schools, libraries and publishers.

Last year's winners are featured in the debut poster beautifully illustrated by John Parra, 2010 Golden Kite winner for picture book illustration:

In addition to the four Golden Kite Award winners, four honor book recipients will also be named by the panel of judges which consists of children’s book writers and illustrators.

Instituted in 1973, the Golden Kite Awards are the only children’s literary award judged by a jury of peers. More than 1,000 books are entered each year. Eligible books must be written or illustrated by SCBWI members, and submitted either by publishers or individuals.

Sara Rutenberg, SCBWI's Golden Kite Award Coordinator, lays out these five steps for

How can you make sure your book is a contender for the 2012 Golden Kite Awards?

1. Go to www.scbwi.org and click on awards to familiarize yourself with the guidelines for the Golden Kite Awards.

2. Make sure that your SCBWI membership is current!

Only current members of SCBWI are elligible for the Golden Kite Awards. Not sure when your membership expires? Log in at SCBWI.org and click on "Membership Renewal." Your member expiration date will be shown at the top of that page.

3. Log in at scbwi.org and update your publication information!

Click on "Manage Profile" and be sure to enter the name and publication date of your most recent book. Then, choose your publisher from one of the drop-down menus. If you have any trouble updating your profile, feel free to call the SCBWI offices at 323-782-1010 during business hours (9 AM - 5:30 PM, Pacific, Monday - Friday) and someone will be happy to assist you.

4. Check with your publisher to see if they've sent us your book.

Most publishers have their publicity departments handle awards submissions, but a quick email to your editor to make sure that someone is submitting your book for the Golden Kite Award is a good idea.

5. If you're an individual submitting your own book, be sure to follow the guidelines for individual submissions carefully.

So what are you waiting for? Don't you want the chance of getting one of these

for the book you illustrated and/or wrote? Make sure your book is considered for a Golden Kite Award!

Good Luck,
Lee

credits: The Golden Kite statuette photo is by Stephen Mooser. The photo of Rukhsana Khan accepting her Golden Kite award is by Rita Crayon Huang. The Golden Kite Poster was designed by John Parra. The Golden Kite seal was designed by Don Freeman.

No query? No pitch? No Problem! The Young Adult Novel Discovery Contest

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Regina Brooks, Founder and President at Serendipity Literary Agency, who'll be on faculty at our upcoming Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York, January 27-29, 2012, let us know about this contest for YA writers.

How do you enter?

You submit an "enticing" title and the first 250 words of your YA manuscript. No query. No pitch. Just an opportunity to let the work speak for itself.

It's a chance to break through, but there's not much time left - the contest ends tomorrow, November 30, 2011! You can get more details here.

Also, if you want to do your homework on Regina Brooks, check out her Agent Spotlight page on Literary Rambles, where Casey McCormick and Natalie Aguirre have compiled wonderful profiles on 109 (and counting!) kid lit literary agents from a multitude of online sources.

Good luck!
Lee

Life Cycle of a Book - a very cool resource

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Life Cycle of a Book is a free online site that shares 11 different four-to-seven-minute-long video interviews with experts - who are doing that job - describing each developmental stage in the life of a book:

Writer

Editorial

Agent

Production

Design

Marketing

Publicity

Sales

Book Buyer

Distribution

and

Author Publicity

It's an excellent resource, and I like how it comes full circle back to the author. So go watch these great videos, and get a bigger-picture understanding of the Life Cycle of a Book.

I found this resource via twitter (a tweet by @syntactics - Rachel Stark, an Assistant Marketing Manager at Bloomsbury Children's Books), which linked to a blog post on Rachel's blog, which linked to a website (the Publishing Trendsetter newsletter), which linked to Publishing Trendsetter's Life Cycle of a Book site. Which is a very cool example of how all this social media stuff works to get the word out - and now I get to share it with you!

And for our readers in the U.S.A., Happy Thanksgiving!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Craft, Business, Inspiration and Community

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Continuing sharing the best of SCBWI: Craft, Business, Inspiration, and Community:

Craft

For writers:

Darcy Pattison has a great exercise called "The Shrunken Manuscript" that is very cool. Basically, you do exactly that, shrink your work-in-progress down so you can see the whole thing on 30 or so pages, lay them out of the floor, and with a highlighter you can mark your strongest scenes. Stand back and look - are your strongest scenes spread out, or do you have "the dreaded Sagging Middle?" Step-by-step instructions for the exercise and how it can tell you so much more are here on Darcy's website! Darcy Pattison will be on faculty at the upcoming #NY12SCBWI conference talking about "Creating Book Trailers and Other Random Acts of Promotion." You can check out her pre-conference interview with Martha Brockenbrough of SCBWI Team Blog here.

For illustrators:

Are you in the know about Illustrators Friday? It's a weekly challenge to illustrate to a theme, where you enter your own piece (linking back to your blog) and it's all compiled in a giant list. According to Marsha Riti (in the third video on a post on Mark Mitchell's blog), it's a great way to drive traffic to your illustrator blog. In fact, Marsha suggests that the earlier in the week you get your piece in there, the more visitors you'll get. A way to flex your craft muscles and build your following? Sounds great. Going through the weekly archives, you can browse by medium or style (including 'children's art'.) And it's pretty fascinating to see how over 650 artists all approach illustrating "silent" or "stripes."

Business

Do you mind ads while you read? Publisher's Lunch reports that

Within the next two to three weeks, Kobo will match Amazon's ad-bearing ereaders with their own "Kobo Touch with Offers" with "valuable offers and sponsored screens in discreet places outside of the reading experience." The ad-driven model will sell for just under $100, a $40 discount over the ad-free model."

As Newspapers continue to figure out how they can fit into the new world of technology, The Los Angeles Times has become an e-book publisher. They're planning to release 8-10 titles a year.

The Authors Guild has weighed in on Amazon's new e-book lending program for it's premium members, and they're not too pleased about it. They also give some advice of what to do if YOUR book is in the program.

E-book-reading adults, when it comes to books for their youngest children, are choosing print books - according to this article in the New York Times. Among the reasons?

“When we go to bed and he knows it’s reading time, he says, ‘Let’s play Angry Birds a little bit,’ ” Mr. Thomson [one of the parents interviewed] said. “If he’s going to pick up the iPad, he’s not going to read, he’s going to want to play a game. So reading concentration goes out the window.”

Inspiration

You've got a story to tell, right? Well so did debut author Thanhha Lai, who just won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature for her novel, Inside Out & Back Again (HarperCollins.) A debut author winning the National Book Award? Now that's inspiring!

Jimmy Fallon, as Jim Morrison, sings "The Reading Rainbow" theme song. It's brilliant.

Thanks to the awesome Alice Pope, who posted this on facebook.

Community

This story, also from the New York Times, might have been filed under "business," but it spoke to something very powerful about the community of people who love books. Ann Patchett, the best-selling novelist, is opening up a new independent bookstore, Parnassus Books, in Nashville, Tennessee.

“I have no interest in retail; I have no interest in opening a bookstore,” Ms. Patchett said, serenely sipping tea during a recent interview at her spacious pink brick house here. “But I also have no interest in living in a city without a bookstore.”

While the news for independent bookstores may seem dire (in the USA we're down to 1,900 who are members of The American Booksellers Association) there's a counter-trend of "a small band of bookstore owners who have found patches of old-fashioned success in recent years, competing where Amazon cannot: by being small and sleek, with personal service, intimate author events and a carefully chosen rotation of books."

Bookstores are more than just a way to acquire a book. They can be a vital hub of the community. Do you have a bookstore in your town? In Ann's words, “If you like this thing, it’s your responsibility to keep this thing alive.”

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The SCBWI Bulletin

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

One of the amazing benefits of membership in the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators is the bimonthly publication, The Bulletin.

Here's the cover of the latest issue, November/December 2011, by Dan Santat

SCBWI President and Bulletin Editor Stephen Mooser says of The Bulletin,

"My goal has always been to make it practical. To let people know how to advance their careers. We focus in on articles of practical interest for the professional member and we like to mix in, whenever possible, some inspiration and humor."

And it's chock-full of great stuff. Like what? you'd like to know? Well, let's take a look at eleven great things about the current issue, Nov/Dec 2011:

1. The cover by Dan Santat is hysterical, and there's an interview with him inside (A regular feature called "Illustrator Profile: About the Cover") where Dan explains about his creative process - from drawing over 1000 pages for his 200+ page graphic novel "Sidekicks," to the media and supplies he uses, to his inspiration for the cover.

"I remember feeling totally worried during my first art critique that my work wasn't good enough while some art director or editor evaluated what I'd done. You can see that same nervousness in everyone who goes through the process. Everyone in the SCBWI can relate to this moment at least once in their life."

2. "Trailers, For Sale or Rent" - The latest installment of an ongoing series "What the Tech?" by Mark London Williams shares his journey to release his entire "Danger Boy" time travel series - a number of which have been traditionally published - as ebooks. This article goes into the nitty gritty of how he put together his first book trailer. Where did he get his images? The free (and license-free) music he used? Mark shares lots of great tips and links.

3. Alexis O'Neill also does an ongoing column, "The Truth About School Visits" - it's indispensable, and I've read and re-read her advice many times. This issue's topic is "Book Festivals: Are They Worth It?" and Alexis goes into depth on how authors are chosen, how you can make the most of festivals, and the pros and cons of both large and small book festivals. She shares her personal experience and insights, and even gives a roundup of websites where you can find lists of festivals in Australia, Canada and the USA. Like I said - indispensable!

4. There's an "Art Tips" series where Alison Davis Lyne edits the advice of different experts and illustrators - this issue the tips (by Tina Nichols Coury and Monica Carnesi) are about blogging, and how for illustrators, they can lead to publishing opportunities.

5. There a wonderful "Illustrator's Perspective" column by Anne Sibley O'Brien. "The Assembly of Book Projects" focuses on how she manages her life as a self-employed artist. She asks, "when the only authority demanding results is me - and I'm not getting paid - how is it that I keep things moving forward? How do I continue developing these ideas until they're fully formed enough to possibly generate a contract?" And her answers were inspiring. Anne's columns are always thought-provoking, and I particularly loved her two part column "White Mind" in past Bulletins pointing out and challenging how many of us in our culture - writers and illustrators - make our characters white by default.

6. Writer/Illustrator Agy Wilson also challenges us, but this time it's to play with language to keep it lively in her article, "Children's Writers make Bralls and Widges." Agy writes, "Great stories are meant to be told. But it's in the telling whether they take flight or exist through time." How we use language (including nonsense words, playing with structure and even rhyme) become tools to make not just walls or bridges, but Bralls and Widges.

7. "Speed Dating: How to make up titles for stories" - this exercise by Hazel Edwards was fast and challenging fun, and it did get me to come up with a new title for a work-in-progress that is a vast improvement.

8. "A Report from KidLitCon 2011: Building community through the kidlitosphere" by the fabulous Alice Pope is a great rundown of the September 16-17 weekend when more than 100 kid lit bloggers came together in Seattle for the 5th annual KidLitCon. I attended that conference as well, and Alice does a great job of sharing the highlights and passing along some of the wonderful tips from the various presenters.

9. "Legally Speaking" is a column by SCBWI Chief Operating Officer and lawyer Sara Rutenberg. Sara goes into depth in her columns, and this issue's focus is "Piracy Protection." She walks authors through what to do if you discover your copyrighted material has been posted without your authorization. She explains the "takedown provisions" statue of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and share the five steps you need to take to file a takedown notice.

10. "Game Your Way To Success" - the "To Market" column by Susan Salzman Raab explores what we can learn about book marketing from entertainment and gaming. Using examples like Jeopardy and Farmville, Susan shares tips and resources to re-think and calibrate your marketing plan. There are even a number of links to sites that can help you set up games as part of your author school visits.

11. And the wonderful "An Open Letter To The Industry," where SCBWI speaks out for writers on the no-response-means-a-rejection controversy, which I reported on earlier this week.

There's still more in this issue - poems and illustrations, an article on "International Bloggers: What they can do for your book," another on "IRS Changes Mileage Deduction Rates for 2011," and still others on opening lines, targeting your publisher, and inspiration - that one's called "Swing! by Nisha Coker. There's a book review of Scott McCloud's "Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels," news and notes, the People pages packed with members' good publishing news, a master regional events calendar, a notice for SCBWI members who want to present and showcase their work at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, and Publisher's Corner by Connie C. Epstein with Award, Publishing News and Submission Information updates for the kid lit industry!

You can join SCBWI here, and among the many, many great things that gives you (information and support, networking, insider publishing information, access to SCBWI awards and grants, member discounts on conferences and local events, Craft, Business, Inspiration and Community) you'll get your own subscription to the Bulletin. And it's awesome.

In addition to the physical copy that can arrive in your mailbox, members can also sign in and download the current issue (and past issues all the way back to 2005!) of The Bulletin here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

SCBWI's Open Letter to the Kid Lit Industry About No-Response-Means-A-Rejection Policies

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

One of the powerful things about SCBWI is that it functions as a collective voice for authors and illustrators.

There's quite a controversy going on since this summer, as the "If you don't hear back from us in x amount of time, it means we're not interested" policy of some publishing houses has been increasingly adopted by agents.

Agent Jill Corcoran of the Herman Agency wrote a post on her blog explaining "Why I don't send rejection letters" that talked about the negative karma of sending out rejections. (One of the commenters quipped "first time I've heard of an agent's karma running over a writer's dogma.") Jill was so swamped with negative reaction that she actually changed her query policy. She's still open to unsolicited queries, but says if the no-response-within-a-month-means-no policy doesn't work for an author, they should query a different agent.

Agent Rachel Gardner with Word Serve Literary Group also wrote about her agency's "If you don't hear back within 60 days it's a no" policy, saying "Cutting out the step of responding means I can read and consider twice as many in a given hour." (Rachel is also closed to queries at the current time.)

Agent Janet Reid of Fine Print Literary had a different take, in her post "No, you're wrong, and here's why," where she explained her system for sending rejections, and mused it might even give her a competitive advantage over agents who don't respond. (Janet's open to queries)

Former agent Nathan Bransford chimed in with his take on responding as well. He personally did respond, but agreed with Janet that he felt responding gave him an kindness edge. He also said, "I know it's frustrating as an author to send queries into the ether, but agents have every right to set their own submission policy, and if an authors doesn't agree with it they are more than welcome to query someone whose policy they prefer."

And agent Jennifer Laughran at the Andrea Brown agency explained the reason why they have both a no-response-means-no policy and an auto-responder to let authors know their queries were received. And yet she admits "But... I really do try to respond to things, at least with a one-line form rejection, despite the fact that our official policy is "No Response Means No." It is just a personal quirk of mine, I truly hate leaving loose ends."

The impassioned comments to these and other posts (hundreds and hundreds of comments) and many different conversation threads on kid lit listserves cried out for a reasoned, collective voice for authors to speak out.

Here's the Open Letter to the Industry SCBWI has published in response to all this:

THERE HAS BEEN much controversy of late about whether or not writers are entitled to expect a response from agents and editors to their unsolicited submissions. Many publishing houses have adopted the policy that no response constitutes a rejection of the project. More recently, some agents have begun to adopt this policy. If there is no response in a given period of time, which ranges from three to six months, it is assumed that the project was rejected and writers are free to submit their work elsewhere.

We at the SCBWI understand and are sympathetic to the rigors involved in responding to each submission. The last thing we want to espouse is additional unnecessary paperwork for editors and agents, whose time is best spent developing worthy book projects. However, a writer's time is also valuable, and the no-response system steals months or even years from our marketing efforts. The fact that a writer will never hear back about the fate of his or her manuscript leaves us hanging in limbo, never being sure that the manuscript arrived, was looked at, or was ever under consideration.

From the writer's point of view, never hearing back encourages us to undertake multiple submissions so as not to waste time waiting for an answer that may never come. This is clearly bad for the industry; more multiple submissions will further clog an already overcrowded pipeline. The SCBWI discourages mass submissions. We teach our members, and provide them with the tools, to target their submissions specifically to agents or publishers who have demonstrated an interest in a particular type of work. However, if our members never hear back, even in a form rejection or an auto-response email, how can they be expected NOT to mass submit?

There must be some way to accommodate the two sides of this issue by providing writers with the feedback we need without unnecessarily consuming an agent's or editor's valuable time. As an organization, we encourage both publishers and agents to find a cost-effective and efficient way to let writers know that they are free to submit elsewhere. Surely in this age of auto-response and other electronically sophisticated means, a quick and easy response click is readily available and would mean a great deal to writers who are trying to conduct their careers in a businesslike way.

Respectfully,
Stephen Mooser, President
Lin Oliver, Executive Director

***

As published in the SCBWI Bulletin, November/December 2011 Edition

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The Writers Intensives at the Upcoming 2012 SCBWI Winter Conference

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

I recently sat down with Lin Oliver, Executive Director of SCBWI, to find out more about the Writers Intensives on Friday January 27, 2012.

There are two different full-day writers intensives this year:

The Roundtable Intensive for Writers, where you get a chance to share your work with (and get immediate feedback from) editors and agents. (This sells out every year.)

And new for this conference, a Marketing For Professional Writers Intensive. In our video, Lin explains the what and why of this amazing new opportunity for authors.

You can see the full Roundtable Intensive for Writers and Marketing For Professional Writers Intensive schedules here.

Register for the intensive that's right for you, and the whole Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference here.

We hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Inspiration, Craft, Business and Community

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

SCBWI offers writers and illustrators information on the craft and business of writing and illustrating for children and teens, loads of inspiration, and most importantly, community.

In that spirit, here's some Inspiration, Craft, Business and Community for you...

Inspiration:

I followed the whole #YASaves kurfuffle this summer, when the Wall Street Journal published a piece by Meghan Cox Gurdon on how contemporary YA books were too dark. Among the many passionate and well-reasoned responses in the #YASaves movement (#YASaves is actually a twitter hashtag that you can follow here even if you're not on twitter) this response by Sherman Alexie was inspiring:

"And now I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don’t write to protect them. It’s far too late for that. I write to give them weapons–in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed." -Sherman Alexie

(A side-note: I found this inspiring quote and link in "Expression Online" The SCBWI international online newsletter. It's a great resource, and SCBWI members can sign up for it by emailing Beaulah at bpteditor (at) yahoo (dot) com. Be sure to use the email address you're using with your online
account at www.scbwi.org so that we can find you when we click on the Search Members button.)

Sara Zarr blew me away when she gave her Keynote address at the #NY11SCBWI Winter Conference, talking about sustaining the creative life. Here, in this guest post at Nova Ren Suma's blog, Sara talks about what inspires her, and the answer is pretty surprising. It's failure.

"In a way, “failure” is just another word for “the journey,” for not being there yet but on the way. It’s the road we walk on to get wherever it is we’re trying to go."

And even though it's about failure, it's not a downer of an article. It's actually... Inspiring. You can read it here.

Craft:

For writers, Emma Dryden has a great article at her blog on the definition of "voice" - and how to have one:

"Editors talk frequently about the necessity of an author staying true to their own voice in expressing the voice of their main character; a definition of "voice" in this instance encompasses the word choice, sentence structure, cadence, vernacular, slang, idioms, quirks, and the poetry of speech that help to identify a character within a setting. To my mind "voice" also encompasses that which lies beneath the actual words a character expresses—namely, the emotions, motivations, doubts, desires, fears, hopes, and internal trajectory of the character. These are the elements of a "character" that will turn an "anyone" into a "someone"—a distinct individual with whom readers might identify and in whom readers will believe."

Read the whole article here.

And here's some words on Craft for illustrators, from the multiple Caldecott-honored Marla Frazee, on putting together your portfolio:

Q: Should I have only one style in my portfolio?
A: Borrowing the word that authors use to describe their writing, the best portfolios are unified by the illustrator's "voice." If every piece in your portfolio speaks clearly in your own unique voice, then it won't matter if you sometimes use watercolor, sometimes work digitally, and sometimes are into collage or whatever.

Q: What should an illustrator for children be sure to include in a portfolio?
A: Anything that the illustrator loves so much that they seem as if they totally get the essence of whatever it is they are portraying. We are beyond the days of saying you need to have b/w, children, pets, everyday scenes. If you are into wombats, and that's all you care about, then by all means, have a wombat-driven portfolio.

Essential reading, and there's much more at Marla's"Portfolio Tips" on the "Studio" page at her website. And those tips are from a more in-depth article she wrote for Kite Tales, the quarterly Southern California Tri-Regions SCBWI newsletter. (The regional newsletters are a great benefit of SCBWI membership.)

Business:

Subscription & member-supported access to children's books is an innovative business model in the news.

Here's a physical bookstore trying it:

Point Reyes Books in Point Reyes, CA is experimenting with a member-supported model they dub "CSB", for Community Supported Bookstore. The CSB, which launched last month, "allows customers to deposit anywhere from $150 to $500 into a bookstore account, draw purchases from that balance and receive a 5 percent discount on all items." Owner Steve Costa tells the Point Reyes Light the store hopes to enroll at least 200 customers in the CSB by the end of 2011 and to have at least 500 members within 12 months.

You can find out more and even become a Point Reyes Books Community Supported Bookstore Member at the store's website here.

Amazon just announced that they're going to be in the business of lending out e-books (one book a month, and according to Publisher's Lunch, mostly back-list titles) to their Amazon Prime members. They're starting with 5,000 titles, but for now, as the Wall Street Journal notes,

"None of the six largest publishers in the U.S. is participating."

And in an interesting twist, Publishers Lunch reports in their article, "Kindle-Lent, Without Consent" that some of the publishers/rights owners/authors of books on that list of 5,000 didn't agree to the deal with Amazon... for those, it would seem,

"Amazon pays the publisher the wholesale price each time a qualified Prime member "borrows" the ebook. Those will count as sales, because, well, they are sales..."

And uTales is a new e-book subscription business for picture books that launched this month. As their founder Nils von Heijne says:

"Our aim is simply to build something good; good for talented storytellers, good for parents, and good for kids. uTales is a new way to enjoy modern picture books, and in doing so also making the world a little better for kids, one story at a time."

uTales also supports the non-profit Pencils of Promise to help build new schools in developing countries. That's another trend of note, creating new business models that are "as focused on giving back as they are on turning a profit."

As you get deeper into the world of Children's Literature you find that, indeed, It's A Small World After All (thank you, Disney!) Here, I can prove it: Who's the head of the editorial panel ensuring the quality of the books included in the uTales e-book library? The remarkable Emma Dryden. See? Small world. Fascinating innovations.

Community:

There's a fun celebration of picture books (the physical kind) going on all November, organized by SCBWI member Diane De Las Casas - with 30 days of picture book champions (like Peter Brown, Anastasia Suen and Jane Yolen) sharing their takes on "Why picture books are important." Dan Yaccarino's essay had this gem:

"Picture books are important because they are with us for life. They are the most important books we’ll ever read because they’re our first. No matter how many books we’ve read since, they will always have a place in our hearts."

Lin Oliver often refers to those of us writing and illustrating and creating children's books as a tribe. And SCBWI is a tribe - I felt it at my first Summer Conference. That these were my people. Our people.

One of the easiest ways for you to plug into the community is to join the conversation. Comment here. Follow us on twitter. Like our SCBWI Fan page on facebook. Check out the offerings of your local SCBWI chapter. And consider joining us at the upcoming Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York, January 27-29, 2012.

However you connect, know that just by reading this, you're part of our tribe.

And we welcome you.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The Marketing Intensive for Illustrators at the 2012 SCBWI Winter Conference: What You Need To Know

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

I sat down with Lin Oliver, SCBWI's Executive Director, to find out more about the upcoming full-day intensive program, Marketing For Illustrators, on Friday January 27, 2012.

You can see the full Marketing For Illustrators Intensive day's schedule here, and register for that and the whole Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference here.

What an amazing - and essential- opportunity!

We hope to see you there.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Kid Lit Industry Catch-Up

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

A lot's been going on lately, and as we head into November, I wanted to make sure you knew about these stories:

Lauren Myracle is a National Book Award Finalist. Err, wait. She’s not.

Evidently "Shine" sounds a lot like "Chime." And "Lauren Myracle" sounds a lot like "Franny Billingsley." Hold on there...

Here are three angles on the story:

The Publishers Lunch version

Libba Bray pulls no punches in her backstage pass assessment of the situation (her husband, Barry Goldblatt, is Lauren Myracle’s literary agent.) It’s funny and passionate, but if f-bombs offend, read the other two links instead. Here's Libba's blog post.

Vanity Fair has an interview with the remarkably gracious Lauren Myracle, here.

Amazon's exclusive digital rights deal with DC comics, and what happened next

The new deal means that hundreds of DC’s popular graphic novels (think Superman, Batman, Watchmen...) will only be available on Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablet. Barnes & Nobel and Books-a-Million responded by pulling all the physical volumes of those titles from their shelves, saying they wouldn’t carry any book it they’re denied the right to sell the digital version. The New York Times story is here.

Sales Data Sharing With Authors

And there was more news featuring Amazon, this on Amazon driving changes in how publishers do business – since Amazon announced they would share some sales data with their authors, Simon & Schuster (and now Random House and Hachette Book Group) will do similarly. It’s an interesting article in Publishers Lunch.

New Radio Book Club for Kids

“Prisoners of NPR” (kids in the back seat forced to listen to ‘All Things Considered’ because their parents are listening) are getting their own Back Seat Book Club. Here's the story at Publishers Weekly.

Traditional Publishing's path of Print first, digital second gets flipped

Ruckus Media is teaming up with Scholastic to publish digital first, and print second. You can read more about it here.

Is a book ever finished, or just published?

For the 40th anniversary edition of the best-selling horror classic, "The Exorcist," author William Peter Blatty not only polished, but revised and added a whole new character. You can hear the interview (and read the article) from NPR's Weekend Edition here.

And finally,

If you won the Newbery Medal, would you want that gold sticker on the cover?

On the right, the old cover, Newbery Medal flashing. On the left, the new cover

Turns out this isn't a mistake. It's the strategy for attracting adult readers.

Find out more about the new cover without the Newbery Medal for Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book" at this Media Bistro post.

And interestingly, "The Graveyard Book" will be the inaugural title for the new NPR Back Seat Book Club. Fun how that came full circle, isn't it?

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

I've Got The Torch... And Here We Go!

2011-10-27T15:15:00.001-04:00

Lee Wind, mid-air

I am honored and thrilled to be the new official SCBWI blogger and Captain of Team Blog!

Look for updates here on things going on in our kid lit industry and inside looks at the many SCBWI offerings of information, networking, publications, grants & awards, being a collective voice for authors and illustrators, and of course our amazing SCBWI Annual Conferences!

Your SCBWI Team Bloggers will be diving into pre-conference interviews to give you the scoop on what you can look forward to at our upcoming Lucky 13th Annual Winter Conference in New York City, Jan 27-29, 2012. I mean, have you checked out the lineup of speakers? The break-out workshops? The number of agents and editors on faculty? The gala dinner, a new mingling and networking event for Saturday night? The portfolio showcase? And the Friday day of intensive sessions on marketing for writers, marketing for illustrators, and writers roundtables? There's so much great stuff!

But the conference blogging by Team Blog couldn't happen without our amazing team:

Martha Brockenbrough, one of the funniest people I've ever met. And she can write funny, too. Her book on grammar had me laughing out loud (yes, grammar and laughing) and I can't wait to read her upcoming titles from Arthur A. Levine books ("Devine Intervention" sounds amazing!) Martha is deep and insightful and snort-milk-out-of-your-nose funny. She's also a wonderful blogger, both at her own blog, and for our SCBWI Team!

Jolie Stekley is awesome. A YA writer bursting with creativity and energy, she imbues everything she does with heart and insight. I love re-reading her conference posts (like this one), because they are personal and universal at the same time - and with all the photos and quotes the whole feel of the conference comes back to me in a wonderful rush! She's a great blogger at her own blog, Cuppa Jolie (check out her fabulous weekly writing prompts!) and for our SCBWI Team!

Jaime Temairik, our resident illustrator on the team, changes things up for all of us by stretching the form and having fun with it all. Like her commercial breaks and zombie sock puppet sketches, Jaime is wacky in the most wonderful of ways! When I first met her, I thought she was Yoda-like, as in still-waters-run-deep. What I discovered is that Jaime is deep - and she's quieter than me because she's busy planning all this amazing stuff while I'm chattering away! She's a treasure of a blogger at her own blog, Cocoastomp, and for our SCBWI Team!

Suzanne Young is zany, charming, and prolific - with three YA titles out (her latest is the supernatural romance,"A Need So Beautiful!)" and more books coming soon... Suzanne is also really innovative in her marketing efforts, and I recently saw her speak with Novel Novice's Sara Gundell about their super-fun and well-received do-it-yourself campaigns for her books. Suzanne is a bright light and a super blogger, both at her own blog and for our SCBWI Team!

What all these amazing bloggers share is a huge sense of heart and passion. (And twitter accounts: follow them at
@mbrockenbrough
@cuppajolie
@jaimetem
@suzanne_young)
I'm beyond grateful for their friendship and support - and so glad to continue Team Blogging the SCBWI Annual Conferences with them!

And I have to take this opportunity to offer my heartfelt thanks to Alice Pope, who not only had the vision to create Team Blog with Aaron Hartzler (and bring me on board) but for believing in me and now passing me the torch. Thank you, Alice!

So I'll raise the flame high and run with you all, as we explore the grandeur and endorphin-rush of our passion - writing and illustrating and editing and agenting and art-directing and publishing and blogging and bookselling and teaching and librarian-ing (!) and marketing and innovating... as we create and celebrate creative content for children and teens.

Run with me!
Lee

ps: You're welcome to follow me on my home blog, "I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read?" and on twitter at @leewind
pps: My photo above was taken by the wonderful writer and photographer Rita Crayon Huang.

Passing the Torch: My Final SCBWI Blog Post

2011-10-25T09:07:00.000-04:00

Dear Readers,

Today, in a swirl of mixed emotions, I offer this post announcing that I will no longer be blogging for SCBWI.

I happily started this gig in May of 2010, a month after leaving my position as the long-time editor of Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. I was so grateful and excited that SCBWI gave me the opportunity to continue to communicate via the blogosphere with the amazing community I'd come to know and love throughout my 18 plus years at Writer's Digest Books.

While I was an editor at WD, I attended countless SCBWI events all over the country. Without a doubt, my favorite event has always been the Annual Summer Conference in Los Angeles. I learned so much, made so many terrific contacts, saw success stories unfold, and, most importantly, became lifelong friends with some tremendous people.

So of course I was beyond thrilled with the formation of SCBWI TEAM BLOG in 2009. The brainchild of former SCBWI Director of Communications Aaron Hartzler, the team--including me, Jaime Temairik, Martha Brockenbrough, Jolie Stekly, Suzanne Young and Lee Wind--brought you pre-conference interviews with conference faculty and exhaustive as-it-happens coverage of the LA and NYC conferences. We blogged and social networked our fingers to the bone, with joy.

I'm thrilled to announce that the SCBWI blog and TEAM BLOG will survive--and thrive--under new the leadership of Lee Wind.

Lee, always an enthusiastic and energetic TEAM BLOG member and award-winning blogger at I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read, is taking over as the official SCBWI blogger and is the new captain of TEAM BLOG! (He's being fitted for his SCBWI cape as I type.)

Lee will will begin posting here in a few days (at which time the blog will get a bit of a makeover), and he'll tell you a little more about himself. So please be sure to visit the blog often to read Lee's posts and watch as he clues you in on the pre-conference fun and offers his terrific faculty interviews as the date for the SCBWI Annual Winter Conference in New York draws nearer. (I'll be popping in frequently here and at the Official SCBWI Conference Blog to enjoy things from the other side.)

So I bid you farewell, but not goodbye. (We can keep in touch on Facebook and Twitter afterall.) Thank you for reading both the SCBWI blogs. Thank you Lin and Steve for allowing me to be a part of them. Thank you Jaime, Martha, Jolie, Suzanne and Lee for all your hard work and for your friendship. I love you guys.

Now I leave you the same way I greeted you...

Every Poster Has a Story: The Scoop on the First-Ever Golden Kite Awards Poster

2011-10-20T17:54:00.000-04:00

SCBWI recently unveiled its first-ever poster featuring winners of the organization's coveted annual Golden Kite Awards. The debut poster was beautifully illustrated by John Parra, 2010 Golden Kite winner for picture book illustration.

"We asked John to illustrate the poster for two reasons—one, because we knew his style would be absolutely perfect for the poster art. Second, because we hoped to start a tradition that the winner of the Picture Book Illustration category of the Golden Kite Award would illustrate the poster to commemorate the following year's winners," says Sarah Baker, SCBWI's Manager of Illustration and Design.

"John needed very little in the way of suggestions or notes. We just told him the poster was to celebrate the next year of Golden Kite winners, the dimensions of the poster of course, and that it should feature the kite somewhere. He took it upon himself to add an image representing each winning book, a really great touch!"

"Working on the Golden Kite Poster was a wonderful and great thrill for me," says John Parra. "The concept comes from when I received my Golden Kite Award from SCBWI in 2010 for the book, GRACIAS/THANKS, and how I felt a soaring emotion like the bird in the poster. The child characters in the image represent us all taking that wonderful journey into literature and art that we collectively celebrate and cherish. Many of the other icons and imagery that surround these main characters are sample images representing each of this year's 2011 Golden Kite winners. I always enjoy seeing the final print when type is added and I was honored to have it presented at this year's SCBWI 40th Annual Summer Conference in Los Angeles."

"I absolutely fell in love with John's art from the moment I saw the first sketch, and finding typefaces and designing the poster around his art was so much fun. It was thrilling when his painting arrived in the mail, and thrilling once again to see the finished printed poster," says Sarah. "Presenting it in front of the 1,300 attendees at the Golden Kite Award Luncheon was more terrifying than anything, but so much fun to see how much everyone else loved the poster as much as we did. This was a great start to an annual tradition of Golden Kite Award celebration posters, and I can't wait to work on next year's!"

SCBWI Executive Director Lin Oliver adds: “We hope this beautiful poster will not only honor the outstanding books that have won the SCBWI Golden Kite Award, but will go a long way to expanding the public visibility and sales of these deserving books. We want to see their names highly visible to the reading public.”

Winter Conference Regisation Opens Monday!

2011-10-15T18:19:00.002-04:00

Registration for the SCBWI 2012 Winter Conference begins Monday, October 17th, 2011 at 10AM PDT.

Click here for registration.

The Annual Winter Conference features a huge line-up of stars and decision-makers from the world of children's book publishing. Whether you're an illustrator or a writer, whether your genre is picture books, middle grade, or young adult, you can't afford to miss this spectacular chance to meet and network with the major players in publishing for young readers!

Plus we've added a third pre-conference intensive on January 27th-Marketing for Professional Writers--and that, along with our Writers' Roundtable Intensive and Marketing for Illustrators Intensive are sure to fill up fast. We have also added a Gala Cocktail party on January 28th so people can mingle with publishing professionals, regional advisors and other attendees, as well as enjoying a free drink and food.

The conference will take place from January 27th-29th at the Hyatt Regency Grand Central in New York City.

And be sure to watch the official conference blog (and this blog) for exciting interviews with faculty members and other 2012 Winter Conference news from SCBWI's terrific TEAM BLOG.

The Deadline Is Approaching: It's Time to Submit Books for SCBWI's 2012 Golden Kite Awards!

2011-09-28T18:00:00.000-04:00

The deadline to submit book for this year's Golden Kite Awards is December 16th--that's less than two month away. If you had a book published in 2011, here are a few great reasons to act now and get your book in the running...

Started in 1973, SCBWI offers the Golden Kites annually to recognize excellence in children’s book in for categories (Fiction, Nonfiction, Picture Book Text and Picture Book Illustration).

Each winner receives $2,500 as well as an expense-paid trip to Los Angeles to attend the award ceremony at the Golden Kite Luncheon at SCBWI’s Summer Conference in August. (Word has it, the luncheon chicken is terrific.)

And (this is new!) Golden Kite winners also become lifetime members of SCBWI.

There are also four honor book recipients will also be named by the panel of judges which consists of children’s book writers and illustrators. Books can be nominated by individual or by publishers.

Pretty awesome, huh?

But there's more. This year for the first time, a commemorative poster with the winners was created and is being distributed to schools, libraries, bookstores and publishers. The poster for the 2011 Golden Kite Awards, below, features original art by last year’s winner, John Parra, and features cover images of the four 2011 Golden Kite winning books. Isn't it a beauty?

Click here for submission guidelines as well as lists of past winners.

SCBWI's 2011 Sue Alexander Award Goes To...

2011-09-21T16:03:00.000-04:00

Sue Alexander

Each year, SCBWI offers the Sue Alexander Award to the manuscript deemed most promising for publication, selected from the SCBWI Annual Summer Conference critique pool.

Industry professionals (editors, agents, authors) who critique the manuscript determine the finalists. Until her sudden death in July, 2008, Sue Alexander made the final selection. Now, a three-member panel from Sue’s writing group of 20 years decide on the winner.

This year's Sue Alexandar Award-winner is Marilyn Hilton for her middle-grade manuscript HOVER OVER ME.

In Hilton’s lovely, well-written manuscript, a girl who longs to believe in angels, “being in vital need of their assistance” endures bullying, wonders about her birth parents, makes an unexpected friend and tries to solve the mystery of the crime for which her missing brother has been falsely accused. Along the way, she learns something about the nature of angels. A sensitive voice, evocative detail, a rich sense of place, strong tension, intriguing characters with compelling problems and a satisfying theme all combine to make author Hilton’s manuscript a promising novel for middle-grade readers.

Award Winner Marilyn Hilto

Two runners-up were also named:

Pati Hailey for FINDING TRU
Karen Bonner for WITCHING MOON.

Congratulations to Marilyn, Pati and Karen for their terrific work!

To learn more about the award and see a list of past winners, visit SCBWI.org.

Contest for Picture Book Writers: The MeeGenius! Author Challenge 2011

2011-09-15T11:30:00.000-04:00

The folks at MeeGenius!--a e-picture book app for young readers for iPhone, iPad, iTouch, Google TV, and the web--have just kicked off a contest.

Open to both aspiring and published authors, the MeeGenius! Author Challenge 2011 will award one winner $1500 and a publishing contract as well as offering a MeeGenius! library to the school of the winner's choice. Three runners-up will win $500 and publishing contract.

Submissions will be posted on the MeeGenius! website where visitors can vote on their favorites. The most popular picks become finalists.

The deadline for entry is November 1st and winners will be announced in March. For complete rules and guidelines, visit MeeGenius.com.

In the News This Week

2011-09-11T18:34:00.000-04:00

On Fridays I've been sharing snippets of and links to news I've read during the last week that I found interesting, helpful, and/or fun.   Going forward, I'm moving this feature to the weekend to work better with my now-more-full schedule.

This week's news includes a new Scholastic/Ruckus imprint, a children's publishing newsletter launch, iPad 3 news, an editorial against agent-publishers, online/app safety for kids, a new property for Penguin, and more.

Scholastic, Ruckus Media Form New Digital/Print Imprint (PW)
Children's digital developer Ruckus Media is joining with Scholastic to create the Scholastic Ruckus imprint, a joint venture that will publish a wide range of children's and teen content across all platforms, from interactive content and transmedia projects to e-books, enhanced e-books and print. The first titles from the Scholastic Ruckus imprint will be released in 2012.

Publishing Perspectives Launches Children’s Publishing Newsletter (GalleyCat)
Publishing Perspectives, the online industry news journal, has launched its first newsletter focused on children’s publishing.

When Will Your Local Borders Close? (GalleyCat)
Wondering when your local Borders will close?
Borders Group entered liquidation this summer, closing its remaining 399 stores and cutting around 10,700 employees. On the bookseller’s Facebook page, you can now see a list of the closure dates for your local Borders bookstore.

iPad 3 Rumored To Be Lighter And Pricier (eBookNewser)
As Amazon is gearing up to announce a new tablet, Apple is already hard at work on the iPad 3. According to a report from Apple Insider, the third generation iPad will be slimmer and lighter, and possibly more expensive.

Apps, social networks pose new threat to kids (USA Today)
The Federal Trade Commission last month announced a $50,000 settlement with app maker W3 Innovations for collecting and dispersing information of kids under 13 in violation of the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act, or COPPA.

Links Shared On Twitter Last Half As Long As YouTube (AllTwitter)
The folks at bit.ly, the popular URL shortener service, asked themselves just how long a link shared on a social network “lives”. And they found out that links shared on Twitter lasted only half as long as links shared on YouTube.

An Argument Against Agent-Publishers (PubPerspectives)
Nearly two thousand years ago, Plutarch wrote of a great ship that bore Theseus home from Crete. As its planks decayed, the plucky Athenians preserved it by replacing each rotting board in turn, until eventually nothing was left of the original vessel. Was it then the same ship? Plutarch asked. Or was it something wholly new?

Small Potatoes for Penguin (PW)
Penguin USA has acquired the license for Little Airplane Productions’ Small Potatoes, a preschool-targeted series of animated musical shorts. The series has taken off on Facebook and debuted on U.S. television September 6, on Disney Channel’s Disney Junior block. Penguin Young Readers Group’s Grosset & Dunlap division will publish a series of at least 10 books starting in early 2013, with Little Airplane handling the writing and design. The launch list will include a sticker book, an 8x8 and a board book.

Autumn: A Great Time for ConferenceTravel!

2011-09-06T18:19:00.000-04:00

While the SCBWI Annual Summer and Winter Conferences are consistently fabulous, I must admit I always long for an equally awesome autumn event. I adore traveling this time of year. No sweaty luggage lugging. No stuffing winter coats in the overhead bin. Just bordering-on-brisk, leaves-ready-to-change, settling-into-your-airplane-seat-wrapped-in-a-cozy-sweater loveliness.

Fortunately I'm headed northwest next week, off to the KidLitosphere's 5th Annual KidLitCon held this year in Seattle September 16-17. Most of SCBWI TEAM BLOG will be there. And Scott Westerfeld. And lots of talk about promotion and blogging and social media and marketing and all sorts of useful things. If you aren't headed that way, I'll clue you into the action via my blog, Twitter (etc.).

If you've also got the fall travel bug, be sure to check out all the terrific upcoming regional SCBWI events. Some may involve a short drive and some a short plane ride. Either way, you can squeeze in a little writing/illustrating/publishing-related jaunt before the holidays:

Are you attending a fall conference or event (SCBWI or otherwise)? Share your destination in a comment and clue in others would-be travelers.

In the News This Week

2011-08-26T17:16:00.000-04:00

Fridays on the SCBWI blog, I share snippets of and links to some of the publishing/media-related news I've read during the last week that I found interesting, helpful, and/or fun.  
This week's news includes a new YA imprint at Whitman, essays on boys reading and diet books for little girls, new words in Webster and the OED, a favorite piece on Steve Jobs (who, you may have heard, is stepping down), KidLit Con and Borders-related charity, and more.

Albert Whitman Takes on Teens with New Imprint (PW)
Founded in 1919, Albert Whitman publishes a range of children’s books, including board books, picture books, and middle-grade fiction, notably Gertrude Chandler Warner’s The Boxcar Children Mysteries and The Boxcar Children Graphic Novels. With last month’s launch of Albert Whitman Teen, the Chicagoland publisher has expanded its offerings to include young-adult books. The inaugural releases are Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera, a novel set six months after 9/11 that centers on a teen who finds himself incarcerated as an “enemy combatant”; and Michael Ford’s The Poisoned House, a ghost story that takes place in Victorian London. Guantanamo Boy was selected for the ABA’s summer 2011 Kids’ Indie Next List.

Children's Store to Open in Katonah, N.Y. (PW)
Borders’s loss is proving to be indies’ gain. With the closing of a Borders in Mt. Kisco, Jennifer Cook, owner of NoKa Joe’s in Katonah, N.Y., has decided to take the plunge and turn the 650 sq. ft. second floor into a children’s specialty bookstore in October.

Was Steve Jobs really Apple’s editor-in-chief? (The Cutline)
For those who've followed Apple, casually or compulsively, Steve Job's resignation as chief executive on Wednesday was not unexpected. But the announcement was nonetheless met with a mixture of shock and sadness.

Boys and Reading: Is There Any Hope? (NY Times)
At an American Library Association conference in 2007, HarperCollins dressed five of its male young adult authors in blue baseball jerseys with our names on the back and sent us up to bat in a panel entitled “In the Clubhouse.” We were meant to demystify to the overwhelmingly female audience the testosterone code that would get teenage boys reading. Whereas boys used to lag behind girls in reading in the early grades, statistics show, they soon caught up. Not anymore.

Do Little Girls Need Diet Books? (Salon)
It's the kind of aspirational image familiar from women's magazines and yogurt ads--a frumpy girl standing before the mirror, holding up the outfit she longs to fit into, dreaming of the smiling, slim version of herself waiting on the other side. But this isn't some Slim-Fast pitch or another Bikini Body by Friday! morning show segment. It's the cover of a children's book.

GoodReads Launches New iPad App (eBook Newser)
The online book community GoodReads has just made it a little easier for you to share your book interests with other fans. GoodReads uploaded a new version of its app to iTunes a few days ago and it finally supports the iPad.

New Words in Merriam-Webster Dictionary Include 'Tweet,' 'Fist Bump' (CNS News)
Merriam-Webster Inc. has added dozens of entries to the latest edition of its Collegiate Dictionary. Here are some, along with the year in which Merriam-Webster researchers first found them used in an English-language publication, and their meanings:

Retweet & Sexting Are Now Words In Oxford English Dictionary (Mashable)
The Concise Oxford English Dictionary has added 400 words to its dictionary, including retweet, woot, sexting and cyberbullying. The 12th edition of the dictionary is a recognition that modern technology and social media have greatly impacted the English language. Retweet, the act of resharing a message on Twitter, is our favorite addition, though sexting and woot are a close second and third.

new Study Reveals Kids Who Read More are Better Readers (eBook Newser)
he UK based National Literacy Trust has recently released a the results of a study. After testing over 18 thousand children in the UK, the Trust concluded that the ones who read more books each month were also better readers.

KidLit Con Partners with RIF (GalleyCat)
KidLit Con has launched a fundraising partnership with Reading is Fundamental (RIF).
Earlier this year, we reported that the federal budget for RIF has been reduced. With the new partnership, readers can donate to the childhood literacy program in the name of KidLit Con. Follow this link for more details about how to make a donation.

Mementos of Borders, for Charity (Shelf Awareness) [scroll down]
Just in case you had a particular bond with your local branch of Borders, here's an opportunity to gain a souvenir of the fast-fading bookstore chain and do some good, too.

In the News This Week

2011-08-19T16:42:00.001-04:00

Fridays on the SCBWI blog, I share snippets of and links to some of the publishing/media-related news I've read during the last week that I found interesting, helpful, and/or fun.  

This week's news includes PW's coverage of SCBWI 40th Annual Summer Conference (which is technically last week's news, but I didn't want you to miss it); Little, Brown and Holiday house entering the leveled reader realm; magazine editors reaching out to the young and wired; syncing posts on multiple social networks; some e-reader-related news; Twitter contest tips; indie bookstore coverage including some fun from The Daily Show's John Hodgman; and more.

SCBWI Conference Celebrates 40th Anniversary with Record Turnout (PW)
A surprise guest appearance by Judy Blume at the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators annual summer conference in Los Angeles made the 40th anniversary of the organization even more meaningful to the record-breaking number of attendees, which included writers, illustrators, publishers, editors, and agents. Nearly 1,350 people were on hand for the conference, which was held August 4-8 at the Century Plaza Hotel.

Two Leveled Reader Programs Debut This Fall (PW)
A phone call from a librarian friend at the Boston Public Library allegedly prompted Ursula Nordstrom in the mid-1950s to launch Harper & Row’s I Can Read! line of beginning readers. After the librarian told the legendary editor that there was a dearth of simple books that new readers were able to tackle on their own, Nordstrom set out to fill that void. The first I Can Read! title, Else Holmelund Minarik’s Little Bear, illustrated by Maurice Sendak, was released in 1957. That same year, Random House debuted Beginner Books with Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat. In subsequent years, many other early reader programs entered the marketplace, including Random House’s Step into Reading, Scholastic Readers, HMH Books’ Green Light Readers, and most recently Square Fish’s My Readers, which launched this spring. This fall, two new leveled reader lines join their ranks: Little, Brown’s Passport to Reading and I Like to Read Books from Holiday House.

 Liberty Buys Barnes & Noble Stake (MCN)
Liberty Media said it has agreed to purchase $204 million of Barnes & Noble preferred stock, a deal which would eventually give it a 16.6 % stake and trumps a $1 billion bid the media giant had made for the troubled book retailer in May.

iPad Killer: Amazon Goes Razor Blades On Tablet Landscape (PWxyz)
This October is likely going to be a defining moment for tablets. That’s if, as expected, Amazon drops its tablet into the increasingly crowded fray, which at the moment is only slightly more organized than the Wild West. Many are expecting Amazon to set things straight, eliminating the pretenders and giving us a better idea of what exactly buyers want out of a tablet. But before we get to what might happen, let’s get caught up on what already has happened.

Easily And Automatically Sync Posts Between Twitter, Google+ And Facebook (AllTwitter)
We’ve written before about how to tweet your Google+ posts to Twitter, and now we’ve got an even more robust way to sync up your various social media profiles.

4 Things To Remember When Running A Twitter Contest (AllTwitter)
Twitter is a fantastic place to host a contest. You have a direct line to your customers and fans, you can easily set a time limit, and you can even use a hashtag to track it easily. However, there are some things you’ve got to consider when setting up your Twitter contest, or else the scammers, hackers, and otherwise deceptive people will start coming out of the woodwork and ruin all your best intentions.

HARRY POTTER CHAINED to new Sony reader (Register)
Sony will bundle its next generation e-reader with the entire series of Harry Potter stories from November, The Register has learnt. The bespectacled wizard debuts in digital format in October – the same time as the Sony-sponsored Pottermore "online reading experience" goes live – according to well-placed sources in the vendor's retail channel.

Editors Face Teen Angst (WWD)
Magazine newsstand sales were revealed last week by the Audit Bureau of Circulations and the numbers were bleak. Editors are desperate to engage the younger generation — those tweeters, Facebookers, text messagers and Web surfers who will ensure that titles have a future beyond the Baby Boomers. But what do they have to offer this prized demographic? More pictures of Lady Gaga or Kim Kardashian?

Independent bookstores add a new chapter (WaPo)

The brick-and-mortar bookstore is, like most of the economy, dead or close to it. See: Amazon, growth of. See: Borders, tanking of. Everybody knows this. So here’s Eileen McGervey, owner of One More Page bookstore in Arlington, standing next to her gourmet chocolates and a nice little wine selection, right across from the food and travel section, and she . . . opened in January of this year?

John Hodgman Shares Tips for Indie Bookstores (GalleyCat)
Author John Hodgman poked fun at the demise of Borders in a Daily Show appearance (video embedded above) this week, urging booksellers to “replace their old-fashioned bookshelves with beautiful, well-appointed downloading pods.”

Wednesday Tweet Round-Up: 40th Annual Summer Conference Edition #LA11SCBWI

2011-08-17T10:01:00.001-04:00

My tweet roundup temporarily comes out of retirement today to bring you some great tweets from the recent--and fabulous--SCBWI Annual Summer Conference.

I've included links to a number of conference-goers post-event posts so you can see some varying perspectives. (Everyone's experience is different, after all.) You'll find plenty of photos, highlights and inspiration.

Click on the Twitter handles (@name) to find each tweeter's page should you wish to follow them or read more of what they're saying. Follow the included links to read the blog posts or view the photos offered in these tweets. To peruse the conference conversation on Twitter, search #LA11SCBWI. And be sure to check out SCBWI TEAM BLOG's in-depth coverage on the Official SCBWI Conference Blog. (Lots of great info here--don't miss it.)

WRAP-UPS & RECAPS

@HUnderdown Good, long article from @PWKidsBookshelf summarizing the #LA11SCBWI conference: http://ow.ly/61iBJ

@angelamatteson My brief conference wrap-up post: bit.ly/roA7Rb

@kimmiepoppins bit.ly/pFiKra SCBWI LA 40th Anniversary Conference-Part 4 Libba followed by Laurie...priceless!

@DeeWhiteauthor Dee White My LA Adventure part one - inspiring Bruce Coville and more wp.me/ppiTq-NA

@StephanieRuble My notes from the #LA11SCBWI conference - http://t.co/PaHLUiE

@Ani_Lou Notes from the awesome #LA11SCBWI conference - bit.ly/oE12L5

@karensandlerYA #LA11SCBWI - The Wisdom of Agents - Panel Discussion wp.me/p1bmGE-9V

@DiandraMae Finally posted about #LA11SCBWI diandramae.blogspot.com/2011/08/la11sc… There's probably nothing you haven't seen yet, but if you're interested... ;)

@LPP_Media For all of you who followed #LA11SCBWI, check out this fresh wrap of the event: bit.ly/qgu0cm And share your thoughts!

HIGHLIGHTS & TAKE-AWAYS

@timmccanna Tim's Top 10 Takeaways from #LA11SCBWI timmccanna.com/2011/08/tims-t…

@leewind 5 highlights of my #LA11SCBWI experience - w/quotes & @judyblume ! bit.ly/qET7yu

@mravenbrown: Kill the Baby: A Recap of My Experience at #LA11SCBWI http://ow.ly/603pN with 13 bon mots from the conference.

@novaren In which I blog the Surreal Moments at the SCBWI LA Conference and Beyond. wp.me/pM1Z-1xK

@ingridsundberg: 14 Fun & Fabulous Take-Away's from 2011 SCBWI LA Conference: http://tinyurl.com/3dyhe8l

PHOTOS

@LisaYee1 Look at all the big name authors at the SCBWI conference! (Some behaved better than others.) lisayee.livejournal.com/171721.html

@LisaYee1 More photos of super famous/super nice KitLit authors and illustrators conferencing & making mischief -- lisayee.livejournal.com/171951.html

@jayasherguy: Pics from #LA11SCBWI, including me rockin' a pink bunny suit: bit.ly/q6V83r

@inkyelbows Summary (w/ takeaways & photos) of the amazing Illustrators Intensive at #LA11SCBWI : bit.ly/nOvffl

@alansilberberg: Finally found the time to write about my weekend at #LA11SCBWI. The most amazing 4 days. Thank you all! bit.ly/nhsdtI

POST CON ADVICE

@gregpincus: Here are six social media steps to take after any conference or big event (like #la11scbwi): http://bit.ly/qyFvR5

FAVORITE QUOTES TWEETED BY ME

@alicepope: Norton Juster: For an encoure, I'm going to take out my own appendix while whistling an aria from La Bohème.

@alicepope: Gary Paulsen: When a story goes well the hair stands up on the back of my neck. It's like wolf blood.

@alicepope: David Small: Life is a shit storm. When it rains on you sometimes art is your only umbrella.

@alicepope: Bruce Coville: Writers can reach hundreds of thousands of children. Our work ripples. We have impact.

@alicepope: I don't think about my legacy. I just want a little tombstone that says: Are you there, God? It's me, Judy.

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Jamie Weiss Chilton

2011-08-03T15:13:00.000-04:00

Wrapping up our terrific SCBWI TEAM BLOG conference faculty interviews is my chat with former SCBWI staffer turned agent, Jamie Weiss Chilton. Jamie represents children's books exclusively as part of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency team, specializing in teen novels and picture books. (See her bio on the agency website and her interview below for more info on what she's looking for.)

Before agenting and working at SCBWI, Jamie interned at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, and held editorial positions at both Bantam Delacorte Dell and Knopf & Crown Books for Young Readers. Here she talks about nonfiction, Lady Gaga, critiques and more.

All you conference-goers will see her in LA this weekend at the 40th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference! (Don't forget to visit the conference blog for the play-by-play.)

At the Annual Summer Conference you're offering a session called "The Current Marketplace for Nonfiction." Why did you choose this topic? What will conference-goers learn from this session?

Nonfiction is a wonderful genre, one that can have all the power of fiction with the added kick of "I can't believe that really happened!" It's inspiring, shocking, riveting, touching, and entertaining. I'm excited to be presenting a general survey of the nonfiction market, from picture books through YA.

Your bio on andreabrownlit.com says you're looking for "the Lady Gaga of YA fiction." I'm assuming that doesn't mean you'll be on the lookout for the most outrageous outfit at the poolside pajama party. Would you explain this for my readers?

I love the way Lady Gaga has captured the imaginations of and inspired a huge number of people of all ages. To me she exemplifies a new, unique voice taking artistic risks, who has attracted a broad and dedicated fan base. She has reinvented the pop star genre, and I'm looking for writers who do the same in their respective genres.

Are you open to taking on new clients? Is there any particular area you're most interested in currently?

Yes, I am looking to take on new clients, especially of the Lady Gaga sort. I'm open to all genres and am particularly looking for YA at the moment.

You're offering manuscript critiques at the conference. What's you advice on getting the most out of a critique meeting.

I love the way the critiques are run at this conference; I think the setup helps writers and illustrators get the most out of their one-on-one meetings. For those new to critique, I recommend Linda Sue Park's great article The Give and Take of Critique, which is available to members on the SCBWI website.

To get the most out of your summer conference critique, come prepared to listen to your critiquer's advice. That doesn't mean you have to agree with everything, or make all the suggested changes (or even any of them!) but you will get the most out of your session if you approach it with an open mind.

You're a former SCBWI staff member. What was it like attending the Summer Conference for the first time as an agent instead of the conference director?

It was a strange feeling! I had the overwhelming urge to help and had to keep reminding myself that wasn't my job anymore. It's such a pleasure to attend the conference as a faculty member. The SCBWI staffers, TEAM BLOG, all the RA's and the bookstore staffers do a ton of work behind the scenes to make sure the conference runs smoothly. For me, being at the conference from the other side of the desk is kind of like a vacation, albeit a working vacation. : )

Would you please offer some advice (or do's and don'ts) for writers and illustrators interacting with agents in a conference setting?

Do introduce yourself and tell the agent (or editor) about your manuscript. We're at the conference to meet you! Don't hand the agent or editor any materials. We have a lot to keep track of and pack, and most of us prefer electronic submissions (ABLA is an all-electronic agency, as far as submissions are concerned.) And remember that we have a lot of people to meet and talk with, so please be understanding when we need to move along and meet other people. For that reason, have your short, concise pitch at the ready (and it can be really, really simple, like "My YA is The Omen meets The Pink Panther." (I have no idea what kind of book this would be--a strange one--just throwing it out there as an example.)

In the News This Week

2011-07-29T11:23:00.001-04:00

Fridays on the SCBWI blog, I share snippets of and links to some of the publishing/media-related news I've read during the last week that I found interesting, helpful, and/or fun.

This weeks news includes PW's coverage of Comic-Con (with plenty of pics), children's book on stage, more on Google+ (including a list of writers you can add your name to), a handy list of stores selling e-readers, a YouTube plan for Banned Books Week, a relocating NYT staffer on moving print books (or not), and more.

Kids, Comics, and Comic-Con International 2011 (PW)
Comics aren’t just for adults at Comic-Con International. Big announcements for children’s comics share time with blockbuster movies and roaming hordes of costumed fans. This year there were announcements about new books for Raina Telgemeier and Kazu Kibuishi, and Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman plans a book collecting his first kids' series, Super Dinosaur.

San Diego Comic-Con 2011: Kids' Books at the Show (PW)
The 42nd annual Comic-Con International took place this past weekend, with more than 130,000 fans flocking to the San Diego Convention Center for a peek at what's new and next in the worlds of comics, books, and movies. As in years past, the presence of children's book publishers at the show continued to grow—read on for our round-up of photos from the show.

Children's Musicals Find a Happy Home in New York (ABC)
The crowd attending a hit musical recently on the Upper East Side weren't shy about loudly offering their thoughts. "What are they doing?" asked one. "I want to dance," said another. And, most worrisome for producers, one patron was heard offering this critique: "I want to go home." She was, it turned out, in the minority. She was also about 4.

10 Brick-and-Mortar Stores That Sell eReaders (GalleyCat)
This week Toys”R”Us announced that they will begin selling Amazon’s Kindle and OfficeMax announced that they will begin selling Barnes & Noble’s Nook.

Writers on Google+ (GalleyCat)
After our first couple weeks on Google+, we’ve met a whole new crew of online friends. We want to help writers with similar interests connect on this rapidly growing social network. If you want to meet other writers or readers on Google+, add your name to our new directory. In the comments section below, just share your name, a description of your writing and a link to your Google+ profile. Unlike our Twitter directories, you must opt-in to this new list.

Banned Books Week Features YouTube Read-Out (PW)
For Banned Books Week (Sept. 24-Oct. 1) this year, booksellers and their customers can proclaim their support for free speech on the Internet by joining a worldwide read-out of banned and challenged books. For many years, Banned Books Week has featured readings from challenged titles in bookstores and libraries. This year people can participate no matter where they are–in bookstores, libraries and their own homes–by posting a video of themselves reading their favorite banned book on a special YouTube channel.

Sophomore Slump? One Month In, Google+ Sees A Traffic Minus (TechCrunch)
Tomorrow, it will be exactly a month since Google+ was first unveiled. In that short amount of time, they’ve managed to sign up well north of 10 million users, which is amazing. Of course, the easiest path to tens of million of users is to start with hundreds of millions of users. Just ask Buzz or Wave. Still, kudos to Google—phase one of G+ was clearly a success.

Nook iPad App Will Sell Magazines & Children’s Books (GalleyCat)
After Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo cut iPad app links to outside eBook stores to comply with new Apple App Store rules, some content is beginning to return. Barnes & Noble will sell magazines and children’s books within the Nook iPad app very soon.

HOW TO Connect Your LinkedIn Profile With Twitter For Better Networking (AllTwitter)Both Twitter and LinkedIn are great for networking with professionals, co-workers and business associates. But rather than flipping between the two networks, they’ve made it easy to connect to one another in order to leverage both at the same time. Here’s how.

Print Books: Should They Stay or Should They Go? (NYT)
At the end of the week, I’ll be moving west and writing about technology from The New York Times’s San Francisco bureau. I’ve lived in New York City for 15 years, and over that time have amassed a lot of stuff. My personal belongings are strewn about the city, piled up in my apartment, stuffed into drawers at my office and stacked in a storage space in Brooklyn.

The 40th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference ...There's an App for That!

2011-07-27T16:28:00.000-04:00

Here's some exciting news for conference-goers--the Summer Conference has gone mobile!

Attendees can now download Guidebook for free. This app allows you to quickly and easily keep track of the conference schedule and create your own personal schedule plus it gives you quick access to conference tweets (#LA11SCBWI), maps and more!

The app is compatible with the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android devices.

There are three ways get Guidebook:

Download it from the Apple App Store or the Android Marketplace.
Visit http://guidebookapp.com/getit from your phone's browser.
Look for an email from SCBWI HQ with an image to scan with your mobile phone.

The SCBWI 40th Annual Summer Conference guide is listed under the "Download Guides" section of the app. I've already been playing around with it on my iPhone, and it's cool and easy to use. If you're attending the event--get the app! It's sure to enhance your experience.

In the News This Week

2011-07-22T17:25:00.000-04:00

Fridays on the SCBWI blog, I share snippets of and links to some of the publishing/media-related news I've read during the last week that I found interesting, helpful, and/or fun. (I missed last week because I was on vacation.) Click titles to get to the full articles.

Today's news bits include collections of stories and posts related to just three topics: Google+ (you'll find helpful guides and tips), Borders (don't miss the going-out-of-business sale), and Harry Potter (who, surprisingly, is still not quite as popular as Jesus--at least on Facebook).

Google+: The Complete Guide (Mashable)
Google+: It’s the hot social network on the block. In just three weeks, Google’s competitor to Facebook and Twitter has amassed more than 10 million users, and its users are sharing more than 1 billion pieces of content daily. It’s become a hotbed for early adopters, tech luminaries, marketers and businesses around the world.

How Is Google+ Like Twitter And Facebook? [INFOGRAPHIC] (AllTwitter)
Google+ is the newest social network on the block, and it’s gaining a lot of momentum. But it’s very much an unknown quantity for a lot of people, as many of its features are still being explored.

HOW TO Tweet Your Google+ Posts Automatically To Twitter (AllTwitter)
A big Twitter management app has just added connectivity to Google+ for those of you who want to integrate your two accounts. Learn how below. ManageFlitter allows Twitter users to monitor which of their followers is active and which isn’t, in order to choose who is worth a follow back and who isn’t. And now they’ve added Google+ functionality, too.

How To Use Google+ Hangouts (eBookNewser)
Ever wish your writing group or book club could include readers from around the world? Last night we experimented with the Hangouts section of the new Google+ social network, coming up with some simple tips for using Google+ Hangouts to connect with readers and writers online. Using Google+ Hangouts, writers can quickly assemble spontaneous but private conversations in “live multi-person video” chatrooms.

Borders Sale Approved (PW)

In the end, Borders went the way of other large retailers like Circuit City and Linens 'n Things. At Thursday's hearing, Judge Martin Glenn said that he will enter the sales order for Borders's liquidation and going-out-of-business sales starting Friday. "This is a very bittersweet day in the history of this company," said Borders attorney Andrew Glenn. "We obviously didn’t get to where we wanted it to be, a full going-concern sale. Let’s just hope that people are reading books after this."

How Bookstores Can Survive in a Post-Borders World (GalleyCat)

Is the Borders’ liquidation the beginning of the end for independent booksellers? The American Booksellers Association (ABA) doesn’t think so.

Google’s Getting Harry Potter, But The Kindle Will Too (TechCrunch)

This morning Google made an announcement of magical significance: the Harry Potter eBooks, which are being released for the first time this October, will be available via its Google Books platform. That sounds like it should be a given, but in the case of Potter it isn’t — author J.K. Rowling is selling the books exclusively through Pottermore, a site that she launched with much fanfare last month.

JK Rowling 'writing hard' on new work (Guardian)

Start all the clocks and plug the telephone back in: JK Rowling has provided a shred of comfort to the millions of mourners lamenting the release of the final Harry Potter movie with the revelation that she has written "quite a lot" of new material and has plans to publish it.

Harry Potter Publisher Leaving Bloomsbury Children’s for New Venture (PW)

The news that Sarah Odedina is to leave Bloomsbury Children's Books after 14 years came as a shock on Monday, as London publishing was winding down for the summer. Odedina, who has published all of the Harry Potter titles, will take the reins as managing director and publisher of a to-be-named children’s fiction list at Bonnier, the privately owned Swedish media group whose U.K. operation already includes the illustrated children’s publishers Templar and Autumn. Odedina’s start date has not yet been announced and she has agreed to stay on at Bloomsbury until a successor has been named.

Jesus Daily Beats ‘Harry Potter’ For Most Engaging Page (AllFacebook)

Jesus Daily fans rejoice as they tackle their toughest competition yet to hold on as Facebook’s most engaging page: Harry Potter shattered box office records, but the noise on the film’s social networking home could not successfully outshine the long-standing number one contender.

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Brenda Bowen

2011-07-21T09:10:00.000-04:00

Brenda Bowen

With 25-plus years in children’s publishing--as editorial director of Henry Holt & Books for Young Readers, Scholastic Press, Disney/Hyperion, and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing--Brenda Bowen began agenting at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates in 2009.

She reps a slew of talented writers and illustrators of picture books, graphic novels, and middle-grade and teen fiction (as well as a few authors who write books for grown-ups). Plus she's written a number of award-winning picture books under the name Margaret McNamara (and is herself repped by Greenburger).

With her wealth of experience and perspectives, who better to serve as faculty at the 40th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference? Here Brenda clues us in on a session she's presenting, offers advice on critique meetings, and gives some helpful Dos and Don'ts.

To learn more about Brenda Bowen, visit her website.

At the SCBWI Summer Conference you're doing a session called "The Art of the Deal: A Publisher and An Agent Take It to the Mattress." Sounds exciting! Please explain what we're in for. (I'm assuming it's in no way a tie-in to the poolside pajama party.)

Alessandra Balzer and I are taking it the mattresses in the metaphorical, or Godfatherly, sense. We're going to duke it out over an acquisition: she'll be the gracious-yet-determined acquiring editor, and I'll be the rapacious-yet-equitable agent. We've come up with one fabricated acquisition and we'll take our audience through the process from submission letter to winning bid. Along the way there'll be a few hiccups, just to keep it interesting and informative. This is a session for people who want to know exactly what it takes to sell and buy a book.

You have decades of editorial experience and are a writer yourself. How does your background effect your agenting style?

Decades! Yes, I suppose it's true. The editorial experience allows me help the author to get her book into shape to show a publisher. I like to make the book as strong as possible without wringing every drop of creativity from the author so that there's something left to give when the editor asks for more changes. Having been an editor for so long also enables me to interpret what publishers are saying (e.g., "Fish on the table!"). Being a writer myself allows me to see things solely from the author's point of view. I can sympathize with their emotions--from torrents of unchecked rage (as a result of, say, a bad review), to childish elation--"They like me! They really like me!" (as a result of a good one).

Are you open to taking on new clients? If so, what areas interest you most? (I read conference notes on someone's blog that said you're not big into YA--true?)

Yes, I am open to new clients, especially in middle-grade and YA. I am big into YA and always have been, what I'm not so into is YA paranormal.

You're doing manuscript critiques during the conference. Can you offer some advice to writers on getting the most from a critique meeting?

Honestly, I think writers should use the time to get whatever they want out of the critique. If you, dear Writers, only want to hear about the good things in your manuscript--say so. If you want brutal honesty, gird your loins. If you want to hear about the market, go ahead and ask. If you want to know what the editor is looking for, lead with that question.

Finally, please offer some Dos and Don'ts for interacting with agents in a conference environment.

DO remember that agents can't read manuscripts on the spot.
DO listen: If an agent says, I am just too worn out to hear your pitch right now, don't pitch right now.
DO bear in mind that agents are as open as possible at Conference, but may be less accessible when they're back at their desks, so if an agent says, Go ahead, talk to me, then...
DO take advantage of the fact that at SCBWI you can have a real conversation, in person.

DON'T think that one agent's opinion is every agent's opinion. Publishing is extremely subjective.
DON'T only ask about ebook royalties.
DON'T post photos of agents dancing in their pajamas. Please.
DON'T forget that we need you as much as you need us.

Blog Tour Stop Guest Post: Deborah Halverson on Serving Up Subtext

2011-07-19T12:09:00.001-04:00

Deborah Halverson

I'm thrilled to host day two of Deborah Halverson's blog tour for WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES. Deborah is also the author of YA novels HONK IT YOU HATE ME and BIG MOUTH. She was as an editor at Harcourt for a decade before leaving to write full-time and now maintains DearEditor.com, an advice website for writers, and works as a freelance editor. For more about Deborah, visit her website or follow her on Twitter.

Below is Deborah's craft-oriented guest post offering a remedy for flat fiction. Find similar helpful instruction in WYAFFD.

SERVING UP SUBTEXT, by Deborah Halverson

Alright, you’ve done your due diligence and shown your manuscript to your critique group, your trusted colleague, or your hired editorial gun for feedback on its strengths and weakness. You sincerely want to hear what they say, good or bad, because you’re committed to doing whatever is necessary to make your story great. You’ve put on your thickest skin, you’ve picked up your favorite pen, you’re waiting for the feedback, totally ready to revise . . . and then somebody goes and calls your manuscript “flat.”

Huh?

What in the world does “flat” mean?

And how in the world do you go about, er, unflattening it?

FIRST, THE TRANSLATION

A “flat” manuscript has characters who say and do things in a wholly expected, straightforward manner. They don’t surprise readers, they don’t keep readers guessing about their sincerity or their plans or their motives. And their behavior and actions are equally straightforward, supporting exactly what the character just said. What you see is what you get with these folks, and a manuscript filled with characters saying and doing what seems like the logical thing to do without doing it in a way that intrigues anybody lacks subtly, richness, pizazz. It feels “flat.”

NOW, A SOLUTION

A great solution for “flat” is subtext. Subtext refers to what’s going on behind the spoken words. When your narrative beat (the bit of exposition that separates two snippets of dialogue) offers action that directly undermines or contradicts what’s being said in the dialogue, the reality behind the words is the subtext. For example,

“So that’s it, then,” Trish said. “I’ll run for class president, and you’ll be my campaign manager. That’s our play.”

“I knew you’d love it!” Beth flipped open her notebook and started writing wildly. “We’ll get posters made, and buttons. Gotta have buttons. Oh, and stickers. People love stickers. I’m telling you, you’ll be on that student council with Tom in no time.” She ripped a blank page out of her notebook and gave it to Trish along with a pen, and then went back to her list. “Campaign speech, slogan, t-shirts…. I’m so glad I came up with this! It’ll be a lot of work, but if we stay focused we’ll pull it off.”

“Oh, we’re focused,” Trish said, rubbing the side of her pencil lead on the paper to pick up the texture of the bumpy tile table beneath it. “We’re totally focused.”

The subtext here is their relationship and Trish’s letting Beth be the workhorse while she herself gets the glory. Her random doodling demonstrates her lack of commitment to the work despite her verbal pledge that she’s up to it. At this point, readers can guess at Trish’s motives: She may be oblivious to the mismatch of her words and actions, or she may not be willing to face the truth behind that mismatch (it does make her a rotten friend, after all), or perhaps she’s deliberately encouraging Beth’s misperception of their relationship because it works in her favor. Regardless of Trish’s awareness or motives, she is implying one thing with her words and implying something else entirely through her actions, and readers will pick up on that.

Creating a subtext is a rich and deliciously teasing way to tell a story. It puts readers “in the know” while leaving characters clueless. And I ask you, What young person doesn’t love knowing more than everyone else? Subtext is a great way to give your young adult fiction depth. When kids clue in to those contradictions, they start

questioning, which means they are interacting with the text. Good
realizing, which means they’re probably feeling pretty darned clever. Great.
anticipating, which means they’re acting on that extra knowledge of theirs to guess at the next plot development . . . which is further interaction with the story.

When you can get a young reader to interact with your story, you’ve hooked her. Score!

CREATING CONTRADICTIONS

Here are three ways to create subtext in your story:

1. Contradict spoken words with body language or behavior

See the Trish and Beth example above.

2. Contradict a character’s perception of a setting with the realities of that setting

Consider two teens cruising down the highway in peppy electric car on a road trip to the national high school band competition:

“Wait, what did that sign say?
“Compton, next exit.”
“I’ve heard of Compton.” Kelly turned on her blinker and started to change lanes. “So it must be a big town. There’s bound to be a Starbucks. Let’s turn off here and get a latte. I totally need a caffeine hit.”

Kelly’s ignorance of Compton’s notoriety conflicts with the reality of that city’s ranking by the FBI as the 8th most dangerous city in the United States. Readers will know why Compton’s name strikes a bell thanks to popular music, news, and the story description on the back of the book. Peppy, preppy Kelly, on the other hand, has no idea.

3. Contradict one more obvious meaning with a second less obvious—and wholly different—one

This exchange seems to be about a boy driving his car too fast to show off for his girlfriend. But when we know that in other scenes he’s tried to push the girlfriend into having sex with him, there’s rich subtext:

“Stop the car,” she said. “Now.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to go so fast, that’s why.”
“You’re such a chicken.”
“I’m not a chicken.”
“You are, too,” he said. “You always make me pull over when it starts getting fun. Where’s your sense of adventure? Where’s your joy in life? There’s a totally wild turn up there. Trust me, you’ll love it. Just a little further—”
“No.”
“C’mon.”
“I said no!”

Contradictions throw motives into question, inject undertones of secretiveness and deceit or fear and hesitation, help flaw main characters, expose relationship histories, and lay the groundwork for rewarding revelations. The end result is a young adult story with more depth—both emotional and intellectual—and a plot with more complexity.

There ain’t nothin’ “flat” about that.

More TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interviews. Plus: REGISTRATION CLOSES TODAY!

2011-07-18T15:07:00.001-04:00

I just got back from a week-long vaca with the fam and it seems I've missed lots of action.

SCBWI TEAM BLOG has been busy bringing you more interviews with fab conference faculty.

Suzanne Young talked with agent Steven Malk and editors Alessandra Balzer and Julie Strauss-Gabel. Here is a bit of conference-related insight from each of them. Click on their names below to read the complete interviews.

Steven Malk on the conference mind-set: I think the key to making the most of the conference experience is to go in with an enthusiastic but relaxed attitude and not to put too much pressure on yourself.
Alessandra Balzer on her conference session: I’m going to debunk some myths that authors have probably heard about the publishing process and be very honest about the process that editors go through in-house for acquisition, and what my particular imprint (Balzer + Bray) is looking for.
Julie Strauss-Gabel on picking conference sessions: I think it’s important to mix in some attention to craft, not just focus on selling.

Martha Brockenbrough chatted with author Bruce Hale. Here's a bit from their interview. Click his name to read it in full:

Bruce Hale on taking your writing to a new level: Get in touch with your passions, your hopes and fears from childhood. Chances are, what moved you then will move you now. Write about these things, not teen dystopia or vampires or whatever's currently trendy.

Last but certainly not least, Jolie Stekly had a conversation with Laurie Halse Anderson. Here's a snippet. Click her name to read the entire post:

Laurie Halse Anderson on challenged books: The first couple of dozen times my books were challenged, I took it very personally. I bawled like a baby and wasted untold days paralyzed by the thought that anyone would think I'd ever seek to harm a child. Then I got over myself.

Finally...it's now or never time. Conference registration CLOSES TODAY at 5PM Pacific time. If you'd like to hear Steve, Alessandra, Julie, Bruce, Laurie and the other tremendous faculty at the 40th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference, click here to register. (Tomorrow it will be too late.)

And whether you attend or not, don't forget to visit the SCBWI Conference Blog for play by play through the event from my super-awesome TEAM BLOG.

In the News This Week

2011-07-08T15:16:00.002-04:00

Fridays on the SCBWI blog, I share snippets of and links to some of the publishing/media-related news I've read during the last week that I found interesting, helpful, and/or fun. Click titles to get to the full articles.

Today's news bits include virtual book clubs (or critique groups?) made easy, more on the WSJ YA story, e-readers print habits, some love for publishers, a digital deal for Harper, and more.

Host A Virtual Book Club Using Facebook, Skype Or Google (eBookNewser)
Having a virtual book club has never been easier thanks to new tools from Facebook, Skype and Google. Today Facebook announced new updates that make it easier to chat with multiple people and to hold one-on-one video calls.

YA Author Apologizes To 'Wall Street Journal' Critic (NPR)
Debates over what material is appropriate for teen readers have been raging ever since the young adult--or "YA"--genre first emerged.But the argument took on new life in June, when Wall Street Journal children's book critic Meghan Cox Gurdon suggested that teen fiction had gone from dark to lurid.

Comics And Kids Book Apps Lead Top Grossing iPad Book Apps (eBookNewser)
To prepare for Mediabistro’s upcoming Publishing App Expo on December 7-8, we will be spotlighting the top grossing book apps every week–helping our readers discover and analyze successful content.

Twitter Tip: Don’t Auto-Connect Your Facebook And Twitter Accounts (AllTwitter)

Twitter has made it deceptively easy to connect your Twitter account to your Facebook account, but don’t be fooled. It’s usually not a good idea.

Why You Should Own Your Domain Name (GalleyCat)
Having an online presence is critical for writers to market their work. In a recent blog post, author John Scalzi urged writers to purchase their own domain name online.

Tablet, E-reader Owners Also Print Junkies (MediaPost)
People who are heavy print magazine and newspaper readers might seem like the last ones to embrace gadgets like tablets and e-readers. But new research from Gfk MRI shows tablet owners are 66% more likely than the average U.S. adult to be big print magazine consumers and 54% more likely to be heavy print newspaper readers. Similarly, e-reader owners are 23% more likely to be print magazine enthusiasts and 63% more likely to get newsprint on their hands.

Cherish the Book Publishers—You'll Miss Them When They're Gone (WSJ)
The Klondikers of digital publishing are rushing to stake their claims, inspired by tales of the gold to be found in the Kindle hills. A few pioneering prospectors have indeed struck it rich with light entertainments, most famously Amanda Hocking, who is a sort of Tolkien for our times (if Tolkien had been an avid fan of "Star Wars" instead of an eminent scholar of "Beowulf"). Her self-published e-books racked up so many sales over the past year that St. Martin's Press recently signed her for some $2 million.

Harper Children's Books Debuts Digital 'I Can Read' Series (PW)
HarperCollins Children’s Books is teaming with both the Apple iBookstore and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Bookstore to launch digital editions of its popular I Can Read early reader picture book series. Harper will set up I Can Read digital boutiques at each online store, launching with 80 titles with plans for more to come.

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Barry Goldblatt

2011-07-07T10:00:00.001-04:00

Barry Goldblatt

A chat with agent Barry Goldbaltt kicks off my SCBWI TEAM BLOG interviews with 40th Annual Summer Conference faculty!

After years working in the rights and contracts departments at Penguin, Putnam, and Orchard, Barry opened Barry Goldblatt Literary in 2000, and set out to find writers whose work made him laugh, cry, scream and jump up and down. He's has been gleefully signing authors ever since--among them award-winners and bestsellers.

To learn more about him, visit his website or follow him on Twitter. Oh--and you can also come hear him speak at the SCBWI Annual Summer Conference! Click here to register.

You've been agenting for more than a decade now. How have the changes in the publishing industry effected your day-to-day work life?

I don't know that changes in the industry have had an impact on my daily routine, but the growth of the agency itself certainly has! Back when I first started, with just a handful of clients, I spent the majority of my time every day just reading--client manuscripts, sure, but also submissions and lots and lots of actual published books, usually as galleys. I needed that to get my feet solidly on the ground, to really know what was out there, what was selling (and to whom) in order to become a good, knowledgeable agent who could actually offer something to writers.

Now of course I spend a lot more time dealing with contract negotiations, royalty statements, and lots of other paperwork, and the reading time is a lot more difficult to come by. I also now have another agent working with me, and a full time assistant as well, so there's a lot more interaction with others on a daily basis as well.

Probably the one significant impact of industry changes on my daily work is the amount of it. The fact is, children's publishing over the last ten years has gotten bigger and for the most part better, and it's meant there are more terrific writers to discover, and more great books to sell and champion!

You're active on Twitter. How does participating in that community benefit you as an agent? Do you think it's a worthwhile for writers to tweet?

I find Twitter oddly entertaining. I tried the whole blogging thing as an agent, and it just wasn't for me. I angsted all the time over what to post, how often to post, was what I was saying of any relevance. But 140 characters? I can manage that, and if no one cares about a particular tweet, they'll just ignore it. But the Twitter community overall, especially as it relates to writing/agenting/publishing is both informative and useful, at least for me.

Is it useful for writers? It is, if you like doing it. I see some writers who are clearly uncomfortable with Twitter (or blogging or Facebook), but feel somehow obligated to do it. It's a tool, just like any other, and if it suits your personality, it's a helpful one. But it is by no means an absolute must. Many of my clients use it, to varying degrees: Cassandra Clare (@cassieclare) practically lives there, Jo Knowles (@joknowles) uses it to complement her blogging quite well, and Robin Wasserman (@robinwasserman) gets to satisfy a lot of her cultural interests and share her idiosyncrasies too (plus it led to her meeting Judy Blume!).

You've got an impressive list of clients (including Libba Bray, Holly Black, Angela Johnson and Lauren Myracle to name a few). Are you open to new clients? If so, what's the best way to approach you?

I am always open to new clients. I don't want to rest on my laurels, nor do I want to feel stagnant, and the best way to deal with that is to keep finding new writers to champion. My website clearly lists my guidelines, which are an emailed query with first five pages included in the body of the email.

You're doing manuscript critiques at the Summer Conference. Could you offer some advice to writers on getting the most out of a critique meeting?

I think the best advice I have for a writer in those meetings is to go in with an open mind and willing to listen. Do NOT go in expecting to hear "I totally want to represent you" as that's extremely unlikely, and will negate any useful information the agent/editor/writer you're meeting with might have to share. Also, remember as always, it's one person's opinion, and is not the be all, end all of the universe.

You're participating in a panel called "Four Agents View the Current State of Children's Books," as well as a breakout session called "What My Agency Does and How We Do It." Can you give us a taste of what you'll cover?

I imagine there will be a lot of discussion about ebooks and the future of print, because that's one of those hot button topics right now. In my breakout, I plan to give a snapshot into my agency's working philosophy, how we go about choosing what we want to represent, and then what we do to make sure those clients have the best careers possible.

Would you offer some general advice (or do's and don't) for writers on interacting with agents in a conference setting?

Remember that we're not scary, and we're not going to bite your head off if you come up and say hello. However, none of us want to be pitched, unless we're in an actual pitch session, and certainly none of us want to be handed a manuscript.

A Sort-of Guest Post: The Boy Interviews Illustrator Loren Long

2011-07-06T10:51:00.001-04:00

Loren Long

By the end of the school year, my son was pretty much over Kindergarten.

"What happened at school today?" I would ask as he'd saunter in from the bus.

"Nothing," he'd say. "Just like every day. School is always the same"

[Sigh.]

But on one particular day in May, Murray ran in from the bus, very excited.

"Loren Long was at school today. He taught us what art is!"

Before he met him in person, the boy was well acquainted with Loren's work--we have a stack of his picture books--OTIS, THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD, TOY BOAT, Golden Kite winner I DREAM OF TRAINS--and they are favorites in our house. And not too long ago, the Long family moved to my neighborhood (yay!), so it was convenient for the busy illustrator/author to spend some time at Madeira Elementary.

After Murray told me all about what he learned from his school's visitor, I asked if he'd be interested in interviewing Loren for my blog and he was enthusiastically game--as was his interviewee. Their conversation is below.

To learn more about Loren Long and his exquisite work, visit his website, www.lorenlong.com.

How old were you when you first started drawing? What was your favorite thing to draw? And how did you not need help when you were drawing on your own?

Legend has it that I started drawing when I was about four. That is to say drawing with the purpose of making a drawing look like something. My first favorite thing to draw was Snoopy. I suppose I would have needed help if the result mattered but as a little boy it was only for fun.

What is your favorite book you drew? Why do you like it the best?

It is hard to name my favorite book that I've done. They all mean a lot to me. I really like Otis because he is so much fun to draw and he is such a good friend.

The boy reads OTIS.

My favorite book is OTIS and my favorite character is Otis and it's a very nice story. Do you have a favorite character in your books?

Thank you! Otis is one of my favorite characters to be sure and I'm awfully fond of THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD as well. The Little Blue Engine is such a strong-minded, determined little train. I still think of her when the going gets tough.

I usually use crayons. What type of drawing supplies do you use to draw your books?

For art supplies I start with pencil and then do my final art usually with acrylic paints.

I like to draw ancient things like Egyptian stuff. How do you get to do drawing as a job?

I drew a lot for fun as a kid. When I grew up and decided that I wanted to be an artist for a job I got a little more serious and practiced more and more and tried to get better and better. I went to college and then to art school to help me get a job as an artist.

When you were at my school, you said you illustrated a book for Barack Obama and you went to the White House and your sons wore ties. Can you tell me more about that?

Doing the art for OF THEE I SING was an honor and something I'll always be proud of. President Obama invited my two sons and me to visit him at The White House. President Obama was friendly to me and my boys. He asked them questions and told us how proud he is of our book which was written in the form of as a letter to his daughters. We met the President in the Oval Office and it was an experience I'll never forget!

Tell everyone that the new OTIS AND THE TORNADO book is out soon.

My newest book, OTIS AND THE TORNADO, is out soon--this September 6th, 2011.

Thank you for coming to my school, showing us how to draw Otis, and answering my questions.

Thank you Murray. I enjoyed visiting your school, Madeira Elementary. What a great school! And thanks for the questions!

In the News This Week

2011-07-01T18:44:00.001-04:00

Happy holiday weekend, friends. Before you don red, white and blue, view parades, and marvel at fireworks, check out some of this week's news stories. Fridays on the SCBWI blog, I share snippets of and links to some of the publishing/media-related news I've read during the last week that I found interesting, helpful, and/or fun. Click titles to get to the full articles.

This week's tidbits include dwindling library budgets, tons and tons of tweeting, John Green signing and signing and signing, a literary agency repping self-pubbed authors, ALA in pictures, eReader stats, THE GIVER on the big screen, census news on your future audience, a psychologists weighing in on GO THE F**K TO SLEEP, and more.

In Lean Times, Schools Squeeze Out Librarians (NYT)
Budget belt-tightening threatens to send school librarians the way of the card catalog. Students at all six high schools at the Martin Luther King Jr. campus in Manhattan must share the resources of one library. The schools superintendent in Lancaster, Pa., said he had to eliminate 15 of the district’s 20 librarians to save full-day kindergarten classes.In the Salem-Keizer school district in Oregon, all 48 elementary and middle school librarians would lose their jobs under a budget proposal that faces a vote next week.

200 million Tweets per day (twitter blog)
Halfway through 2011, users on Twitter are now sending 200 million Tweets per day. For context on the speed of Twitter’s growth, in January of 2009, users sent two million Tweets a day, and one year ago they posted 65 million a day.

YA Author John Green to Sign All Preorders of Next Novel (PW)
After revealing Tuesday on a YouTube video that the title of his next novel is The Fault in Our Stars, YA author John Green made a second announcement that has some of his 1,140,780 Twitter followers, 61,714 Facebook friends, 525,676 YouTube subscribers, and other fans buzzing today. Not only buzzing, but also rushing to preorder The Fault in Our Stars, even though its tentative pub date isn't until May 2012, and the cover art hasn’t designed yet. Within hours of the announcement, the book shot to #1 on Amazon.com and bn.com, where it remains on both sites as of press time.

ALA 2011: Photos from the Show (PW)
The Big Easy played host to librarians, publishers, and writers who ventured to New Orleans June 23-28 for the ALA's annual conference. Library Journal reported that attendance was down this year, with 20,186 attendees and vendors at the show, but there was no shortage of excitement for children's books. The Newbery-Caldecott banquet bestowed top honors on Clare Vanderpool, winner of the Newbery Medal for Moon Over Manifest, and Erin Stead, who was awarded the Caldecott for A Sick Day for Amos McGee.

For the iPad, Books That Respond to a Child’s Touch (NYT)
There may never come a day when book apps, as interactive books for tablet computers are known, are more appealing to children than games. But the apps are getting more engaging. The latest book apps to appear on my iPad include The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore ($5), Angelina Ballerina’s New Ballet Teacher ($1), The Wrong Side of the Bed in 3-D ($3), Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! ($4) and Cars 2 Storybook Deluxe ($6).

Specific Media Buys Myspace, Timberlake Takes Stake (Online Media Daily)
Marking the end of a social era, ad network Specific Media on Wednesday announced the acquisition of Myspace. And in a strange twist, music star-cum-actor Justin Timberlake is also taking an undisclosed ownership stake in the company, and is expected to play a key role in re-imagining the MySpace brand.
While financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, multiple reports put it at about $35 million--far less than the $580 million News Corp. paid for the then-high-flying site back in 2005.

eReader Adoption Hits 12% In U.S. Says Pew Research (GalleyCat)
The share of adults in the United States who own an eReader doubled in May 2011 to 12 percent from 6 percent in November 2010, according to the Pew Internet Project. Tablets haven’t seen the same level of growth in recent months. In May 2011, 8 percent of adults report owning a tablet, up only 1 percent since and 3 percent since November 2010.

Bridges giving 'Giver' another shot (Variety)
Jeff Bridges and producer Nikki Silver are taking another stab at a bigscreen version of Lois Lowry's young adult novel "The Giver." They had been developing a feature version of the popular book for nearly a decade before it wound up at Warner Bros., which ponied up nearly $1 million to set up the tome with Red Wagon's Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher in 2007.

Twitter and Publishing: How the Industry is Faring (PW)
Last week, PW’s article “The Top Five Twitter Feeds for the Six Largest Publishing Houses” asked publishers to send us data regarding their Twitter feeds, and, on June 6, we ran an initial article featuring a small sampling of imprints on Twitter. While these previous articles were meant to show a basic overview of publishers' presence on Twitter, the table below is meant to be as an inclusive listing of publishers as possible of varying sizes and in a full range of categories.

A Gateway to Great Books on Your iPhone (NYT Gadgetwise)
Penguin Classics, that more-than-1,500-titles collection of English-language literary classics, has a new free app for iOS devices available on Tuesday. The paperback publisher, celebrating 65 years of the Classics collection this year, has created a catalog of its titles (which basically includes every author you have heard of, ever) and put it into an easily searchable database.

DGLM Elaborates on Plan to Rep Self-Published Authors (PW)
After announcing on its blog Tuesday that it would be working its clients through the digital self-publishing process, literary agency Dystel & Goderich has had publishing insiders buzzing. What did the announcement mean? How would the agency take commissions from authors who are self-publishing? Would the agency become a publisher itself?

Census estimates show minority babies now outnumber white babies, part of sweeping race change (WaPo)
For the first time, more than half of the children under age 2 in the U.S. are minorities, part of a sweeping race change and a growing age divide between mostly white, older Americans and fast-growing younger ethnic populations that could reshape government policies.

Why Has Go the F**k to Sleep Struck Such a Nerve With Parents? (HuffPo)
I admit, it's funny. And there's another thing I like about Adam Mansbach's Go the F**k to Sleep: It exposes the underbelly of parenting -- that dark, secret part of us that needs a little time to ourselves when we can do grown up things -- or maybe just crawl into our own bed for some desperately needed sleep.

Children's Authors & Illustrators Contribute to the It Gets Better Campaign

2011-06-28T14:11:00.000-04:00

An amazing group of authors and illustrators recently contributed to a video for the It Gets Better Campaign. (Thanks to Lisa Yee's blog for telling me about it). Check it out below and share it.

In the News The Week

2011-06-24T16:55:00.003-04:00

Fridays on the SCBWI blog, I share snippets of and links to some of the publishing/media-related news I've read during the last week that I found interesting, helpful, and/or fun. Click titles to get to the full articles.

This week's tidbits include an announcement of a new literary agency, stats on the best times to tweet, J.K. Rowling's Pottermore unveiled, a (possibly controversial or maybe just a little annoying) piece on writing YA, e-book price points, new words added to the OED, and a NY Times magazine feature on Amanda Hocking.

Red Fox Literary Opens for Business (PW)
This week agent Karen Grencik and editor Abigail Samoun officially launched their new venture, Red Fox Literary, an agency representing children’s book authors and illustrators and based out of Shell Beach, Calif. The agency currently represents more than 30 authors and illustrators, including Diane Browning, Adam Gustavson, Ginger Rue, Teri Sloat, and Jan Wahl.

Infographic Reveals The Best Times To Post To Twitter & Facebook (Social Times)
What is the best time to share content on social networks for maximum exposure? Should you post first thing in the morning? During lunch? At the end of the workday when people are getting ready to head home? And how do you account for the fact that you may have potential customers living in different time zones? A new infographic from KISSmetrics answers these questions and more with a new infographic called ‘The Science of Social Timing.’

Pottermore: Interesting But Not a Game Changer (PW)
When J.K. Rowling revealed Thursday that her previously announced Pottermore Web site would be a portal to get additional stories and information about the Harry Potter universe, as well as the sole place to buy heretofore unavailable e-book editions of the Potter titles, the media started churning out stories not only about Rowling’s marketing prowess but how her move might have larger ramifications for the publishing business. But many people who work in publishing think that as interesting as Pottermore is, the endeavor says less about the future of book publishing than about the singular status of a very wealthy author who has the inclination and means to build her own brand.

Ten iPad Apps Based On Classic Children’s Book (eBookNewser)
Kids are growing up reading on iPads today. In hopes that they’ll still read classic books, we’ve made a list of ten iPad books apps based on classic children’s books. This list is not comprehensive. Help us expand it by adding your favorite kids book apps in the comments.

Writing Young-Adult Fiction: It's better than going to the prom. (Slate)
Young-adult books are being sold to an audience that can't vote, yet they're being written by people commonly referred to on the Internet as "the olds." We should know. We're two of them. Both of us have made our living writing. One of us in journalism (Grady) and the other in literary fiction (Katie). But then Katie's publisher pitched her on doing a Y.A. series, mostly because she's somewhat immature and teenager-ish anyway, so why not turn that weakness into a strength?

Come Meet the Author, but Open Your Wallet (NY Times)
Independent bookstores, squeezed by competition from Internet retailers like Amazon, have long done something their online brethren cannot emulate: author events. And now many bookstores say they have no choice but to capitalize on this grand tradition. They are charging admission.

7 eBook Price Points Defended (GalleyCat)
How much should an eBook cost? To give publishers and authors some guidance, we’ve collected spirited defenses of seven different eBook prices–choose the price that works best for your writing. According to a new and unscientific poll, Nathan Bransford found that 51 percent of his readers thought eBooks should be priced between $5 and $9.99. What is your favorite price point?

Oxford English Dictionary Adds Auto-Complete, Brain Candy & Gender Reassignment (GalleyCat)
The Oxford English Dictionary has revealed 1,840 newly revised and updated words in its online edition.In all, the famous dictionary has added 98,000 revised and new entries since building an online edition in March 2000. The update added entries for everything from crystal methamphetamine to network neutrality.

Storyseller (NYT Mag)
Amanda Hocking, the star of self-publishing, was sitting in the front seat of her Ford Escape earlier this spring when she spotted a messenger delivering flowers to her home in Austin, Minn. She watched her best friend and roommate, Eric Goldman, get the door. “They’re probably from, like, my mom,” she said as she walked up to her porch. “Or my dad. He always sends flowers.” Inside, Goldman had set the assortment of gerbera daisies and roses on the coffee table. “Who are they from?” Hocking asked. “St. Martin’s Press,” Goldman said. “That’s your new publisher.” That morning, Hocking’s deal with St. Martin’s was announced: $2 million for her next four books, a series she’s calling “Watersong.”

SCWBI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: First-Time Attendee Patti Gabrielson

2011-06-23T20:19:00.000-04:00

I'm a conference veteran--the 40th Anniversary SCBWI Summer Conference will be something like the 17th one I've attended. I know the lay of land at the Century Plaza. I know how things work. Many of my fellow attendees are my friends.

But many, many years ago, as I prepared for my first conference, I was way nervous. I wouldn't know anyone. I didn't know what to expect. I was sure no one would talk to me and I'd get lost in the hotel. (Thankfully only one of those things came to pass).

If this year's summer conference will be your first, newcomer jitters are to be expected. But to help assuage that newbie nervousness, SCBWI TEAM BLOGger Jolie Stekly will be offering a First-Time Attendee Orientation. And Jolie is already checking in with first-time conference goers to hear about their fears and expectations. Her first first-timer interview is with illustrator Patti Gabrielson. Click here to read the post.

And if this year's conference will be your first, be sure to attend Jolie's orientation session.

There's still time to registers for the sure-to-be-a-sellout event. Click here to register.

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Mary Pope Osborne

2011-06-20T14:03:00.000-04:00

Mary Pope Osborne

SCBWI TEAM BLOGger Jolie Stekly offers our latest pre-conference interview with Summer Conference faculty. Her blog Cuppa Jolie features a conversation with Magic Tree House author Mary Pope Osborne (who is of no relation to me, and, as far as I know, Ozzy).

Here's a bit from Jolie's interview. Click here to read the full post.

I raised my hand high for the chance to interview the incomparable Mary Pope Osborne as part of our SCBWI Team Blog Exclusive interviews.

Mary Pope Osborne is the author of one of the most successful children's book series EVER: The Magic Tree House series. The first Magic Tree House book, Dinosaurs Before Dark, came out in 1992. Now both #46 and #47 are available for pre-order and are as popular as ever.

I first knew Mary Pope Osborne as a teacher. For my students, reading a Magic Tree House book meant they had reached a huge milestone. Once they had read one they could declare, "I'm a chapter book reader." So exciting. Although, not all young readers may know Mary Pope Osborne's name, they know her beloved characters: Jack and Annie. And they can rattle off title after title of her popular books.

It's not too late to register for 40th Anniversary Summer conference and hear Mary Pope Osborne and other luminaries in children's publishing, share their wisdom. Click here for the registration page.

In the News This Week

2011-06-17T14:06:00.000-04:00

Fridays on the SCBWI blog, I share snippets of and links to some of the publishing/media-related news I've read during the last week that I found interesting, helpful, and/or fun. Click titles to get to the full articles.

This week's tidbits include news J.K.'s mysterious website, tips for staying offline, a YA author (and SCBWI success story) in Entertainment Weekly, James Joyce on Twitter, thoughts on Apple's cloud, advice for creating a good Twitter bio, 6th graders with iPads and more.

J.K. Rowling's latest trick: the mysterious website Pottermore (LA Times)
J.K. Rowling isn't writing another Harry Potter book--is she? The mysterious website Pottermore, launched Thursday, seems to bear her signature. And the words "Pottermore," "coming soon" and two owls. Wait -- owls are messengers from Hogwarts, aren't they?

The Games We (Don’t) Play: How Authors Stay Offline (ShelfTalker)
If you’re reading this, you’re online — and quite possibly procrastinating. No judgment here; I’m the Internet version of the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie mouse, roaming from one tidbit to the next, from email to Google Maps to Google Earth to some new article about a space discovery to an audio clip of sounds from the stratosphere to the new David Cook single to—whoops, have I said too much?

Why teen-suicide novel 'Thirteen Reasons Why' is saving lives: An interview with Jay Asher (EW's Shelf Life)

Jay Asher‘s YA novel Thirteen Reasons Why, which comes out in paperback tomorrow, has grown into a major phenomenon over the last four years. In this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly we caught up with the author and got the story behind the book that some readers credit with changing—and even saving—their lives. You can read the story below.

James Joyce Fans Tweet Entire 700+ Page Ulysses For 24 Hours, 140 Characters At A Time (AllTwitter)
In perhaps one of the most ambitious literary projects Twitter has seen, 71 fans of the classic “Ulysses” are spending today tweeting out this 700+ page tome in an attempt to bridge old and new media and share this literary staple with the tweeting generation.

Reading in the Cloud (NYR Blog)
Last week, when Apple’s Steve Jobs took to the stage during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference and grandly announced its new iCloud service, he was putting the Apple logo on something most internet users have relied on eclectically for years. Gmail, Dropbox, Netflix, Hotmail, Flickr, Box.net, and Spotify, to name a few popular services, all rely on cloud computing, where data—documents, music, photos, and movies—are stored on shared servers in large data centers, rather than on your puny, personal hard drive. The benefits of cloud computing are obvious: one is not limited by the size of that drive, nor restricted to viewing that material on a single device. Once it is in “the cloud,” the only thing standing between you and your stuff is a (fast) internet connection.

Private School in Massachusetts Issues iPads to its 6th Grade Students (eBookNewser)
The Cambridge Friends School in Massachusetts has given iPads to both its 6th grade teachers and each of its sixth-grade students. This is an expansion of the pilot program that the teachers, Sandra Rojas and Brooke Chandler, had been running since February.

3 Key Items You Can’t Afford To Leave Out Of Your Twitter Bio (AllTwitter)
When people sign up for Twitter, the first thing on their mind is usually not their bio. They leave it blank, or hammer out a sentence or two about their love of their two dogs, and move on to the good stuff: tweeting, following, discovering what influence means, learning how to retweet. But if you leave your bio only half finished, you’re not optimizing your Twitter presence. Here are three things you can’t afford to leave out of your Twitter bio if you want to target the right audience, grow your follower count, and network with interesting people.

Best & Worst Book Trailers of the Year (GalleyCat)
A crew of book trailer fans gathered at the Powerhouse Arena in Brooklyn last night for the second annual Moby Awards. This GalleyCat editor helped judge the annual prizes, celebrating the best and worst book trailers of the year. Follow this link to watch all the finalists. We’ve listed all the winners below…

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interviews: Pat Cummings, Marla Frazee and Katie Davis. Plus Early Bird Registration Ends Friday

2011-06-14T12:59:00.000-04:00

SCBWI TEAM BLOG continues to offer exclusive interviews with the faculty of the upcoming 40th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference.

BLOGger Jaime Temairik has posted some goodies for all the illustrators out there. First she offers some scoop from Pat Cummings on the amazing Post-Conference Intensive for Illustrators. There are still a few spots--you can register by clicking here.

Here's a bit from Jaime's post. Click here to read it in full.

One thing I love about the SCBWI Int'l Illustrator Committee is that they are always having a ball. Always mixing it up—the Intensive this year is a new format. I asked Pat Cummings about the committee's decision to have seven of the world's best illustrators do live demos for attendees. And here's what the committee said:

Jaime also interviewed the awesome Martha Frazee. Below is a snippet from her post. Click here to read the full interview.

Marla Frazee's class at Portland State's Haystack Conference changed my illustrating life. And I know I'm one of a bunch that can say that about her and her classes. Whether at Haystack, Art Center College of Design, or SCBWI shindigs, if you are lucky enough to get a critique from Marla, you should know you are going to get some terrifically good advice. Advice that will stick with you forever, and most likely move your career to a new level.

BLOGger Lee Wind continues with his terrific video interviews, too. He talked with author/illustrators Katie Davis who's offering a conference Pro-Track session on podcasting. Click here to watch the interview and learn about Katie's session.

And if you haven't registered for the Annual Summer Conference, now is a great time because...EARLY REGISTRATION ENDS FRIDAY, JUNE 17th. After that, the conference tuition rate goes up, so do yourself and your career a favor and click here to register.

In the News This Week

2011-06-10T14:01:00.001-04:00

What's new? How about some news!

Starting today, I'm reviving my In the News This Week feature--so on Fridays on the SCBWI blog, I'll share snippets of and links to some of the publishing/media-related news I've read during the last week that I found interesting, helpful, and/or fun. Click titles to get to the full articles.

This week's tidbits include the controversial Wall Street Journal piece on YA fiction and some reactions to it. Plus iPad algebra (which sounds so much better than Miss Dugle's class), more Borders closing news, advice for Twitter addicts, a Glee star-truned-YA-novelist, some Kindle news, and a fond farewell to the creator of Mad Libs.

Darkness Too Visible (WSJ)
Amy Freeman, a 46-year-old mother of three, stood recently in the young-adult section of her local Barnes & Noble, in Bethesda, Md., feeling thwarted and disheartened. She had popped into the bookstore to pick up a welcome-home gift for her 13-year-old, who had been away. Hundreds of lurid and dramatic covers stood on the racks before her, and there was, she felt, "nothing, not a thing, that I could imagine giving my daughter. It was all vampires and suicide and self-mutilation, this dark, dark stuff." She left the store empty-handed.

Young Adult Fiction Is Not All Doom and Gloom (ShelfTalker)
This weekend the Internet, specifically Twitter and Facebook, have been seriously abuzz about an article in the Wall Street Journal Saturday written by Meghan Cox Gurdon. In the article "Darkness Too Visible," the writer has focused on a few admittedly dark novels and classified the whole genre as bleak and fairly unredemptive. As a bookseller, I was struck immediately by the first two paragraphs:

Are Teen Novels Dark and Depraved—or Saving Lives? (PW)
It’s been an interesting week in the teen-lit world. On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal published a story that said modern YA novels were "rife with depravity" and "so dark that kidnapping and pederasty and incest and brutal beatings are now just part of the run of things." The piece immediately set off an Internet frenzy. That night, 13 Little Blue Envelopes author Maureen Johnson started the #YAsaves hashtag with this tweet: "Did YA help you? Let the world know how! Tell your story with a #YAsaves tag. And copy the @wsj for good measure." Within hours, #YAsaves got 15,000 responses from regular readers and from such big-name writers as Judy Blume and Neil Gaiman. Bloggers—but also writers at major news outlets such as National Public Radio and New York magazine—weighed in.

Leonard B. Stern, Creator of Mad Libs, Dies at 88 (NYT)
Leonard B. Stern, an Emmy-winning writer, producer and director for television whose frantic search for an adjective one day led him and a colleague to create Mad Libs, the game that asks players to fill in blanks with designated parts of speech to yield comically ________[adj.] stories, died on Tuesday at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif. He was 88.

Suzanne Collins Becomes First Children’s Author To Sell 1 Million Kindle eBooks (GalleyCat)
Novelists Lee Child and Suzanne Collins joined the "Kindle Million Club" today, the fifth and sixth authors to sell more than one million eBooks through Amazon.

Citi Analyst: Kindle Will Be 10 Percent Of Amazon Sales In 2012 (TechCrunch)
As books goes digital, Amazon is managing the transition nicely with the Kindle. Amazon now sells more Kindle books than print books, and offers nearly a million ebook titles. In a research note that just went out this morning, citi analyst Mark Mahaney estimates that sales of Kindle devices and digital books will account for 10 percent of Amazon’s revenues in 2012.

New Jersey district plans iPad-only algebra course (eSchoolNews)
New Jersey’s Edison Township School District will be the first in the state to implement an entirely iPad-based Algebra 1 curriculum. The program will pilot the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) Fuse: Algebra 1 application with 60 students this fall, said Richard O’Malley, Edison Township School District’s superintendent.

Borders May Close Up to 51 More Stores to Avoid Defaulting On Latest Loans (Lunch)
As potential bidders emerge for more than 200 of Borders' superstores in a deal the company hopes will close in the next two to four weeks, the retailer may need to close an additional 51 stores and liquidate assets to avoid defaulting on their debtor-in-possession loan in the meantime. According to a motion filed in court Thursday morning, the move may result in worse terms for creditors, since the closed stores would not be available for sale to a bidder--and at least some of them are stores that "buyers have indicated that they also wish to purchase." Though Borders hasn't underscored the human cost of their business failure in the past, now that it serves their ends they also declare the additional closings would result in "a significant loss of jobs."

Are You Addicted To Twitter? Here’s How To Fight It (AllTwitter)
Shea wrote a fantastic piece about the five stages of "getting" Twitter last week, which included denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance. But for some of us, there's another stage that hits us after we've accepted and finally "got" Twitter–obsession.

Chris Colfer of 'Glee' gets a book deal. Fans get your jazz hands ready. (Shelf Life)
Gleeks, rejoice! Glee star Chris Colfer has just signed a two-book deal with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. The first will be an adventure novel that draws elements from the very, very in-vogue world of classic fairy tales.

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interviews: Jennifer L. Holm, Lisa Yee, Ellen Hopkins and Emma Dryden

2011-06-07T15:48:00.001-04:00

Ahh, summer... Flip flops. Popsicles. Lounging poolside. And of course the SCBWI Annual Summer Conference--which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year! I've taken a

Jennifer Holm

break from said lounging (there's a heat emergency here in the Nati--lounging is required) to clue you in on some terrific interviews with Summer Conference faculty brought to you by the also terrific SCBWI TEAM BLOG.

First, TEAM BLOGger Martha Brockenbrough talked with award-winning author Jennifer L. Holm, who will attend the summer conference to collect the Golden Kite Award for fiction as well as offer a session called It Takes a Family: Writing Historical Fiction Using Family History. Here's a snippet from Jenni's interview. To read the entire interview, click here.

If you think of excitement as a candy store (which it is), then you can understand instantly the many flavors of excitement. They're not all created equal. Lemon, for example. It's better than nothing. But still.

When I found out I got to do the pre-SCBWI LA conference with Jenni Holm, I was the very best flavor of excited (salted caramel). (Wait, what? You haven't registered? Do it here! August 5-8. Time of your life. Promise.)

Not only am I in awe of her professionally--three Newbery Honors! Bestselling series! Beautiful, hilarious stories--I have been envious of her personally all year.

Lisa Yee

And today, Martha posted an interview with the always delightful Lisa Yee, who, in addition to being a popular author, witty blogger and friend of Peepy, serves on SCBWI's board of advisors. Lisa is presenting a Monday workshop on Creating Compelling Bad Guys and Bullies. Click here for more info. Below is a bit from Lisa's interview. To read the full interview, click here.

Being in a room during a Lisa Yee presentation is a bit like going to a lighting warehouse. The brightness! The heat! It's a thing to behold. But truly. I've attended a number of breakout sessions with her at L.A. conferences, and I always come away feeling inspired, informed, and newly recharged.

I also adore her books: The Millicent Min universe (with inspired companion titles featuring Emily Ebers, Stanford Wong, most recently Marley Sandesky, about a boy running away from bullies); the pitch-perfect Bobby books, which are illustrated by the unstoppable Dan Santat; and Absolutely Maybe, her first foray into YA. Lisa even has a couple of American Girl titles.

Lisa is seriously funny, but her stories have heart and depth. It's no wonder she was the second recipient of the Sid Fleischman Award (the dearly departed Sid won the inaugural award, which is given to acknowledge the often-overlooked funny books).

TEAM BLOGger Lee Wind has posted a pair of Summer Conference faculty interviews on his blog, too. Click here to check out his video interviews with Ellen Hopkins and Emma Dryden!

SCBWI TEAM BLOG will be offering as-it-happens coverage of the Summer Conference and we'll continue to bring you pre-conference interviews with the awesome faculty.

In the meantime, don't forget to register. Just click here. There's still room in some of the fantastic intensives, too!

Crystal Kite Winner Interview Week Three: Brian Lies, BATS AT THE BALLGAME

2011-06-04T12:05:00.001-04:00

Our three weeks of Crystal Kite winner interview wraps up with (last but not least) author/illustrator Brian Lies, whose book BATS AT THE BALLGAME received the award for the New England (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island) region. The learn more about our final winner and his work, visit his website.

And one more big HURRAY for all the Crystal Kite winners!

Please tell my readers a little about your winning book.

BATS AT THE BALLGAME is the third book I've written and illustrated about a group of bats experiencing different human activities with their very different point of view. It began with a bad pun rattling around in my head as I worked on the final illustrations for BATS AT THE LIBRARY: baseball bats. Baseball bats. Baseball bats. I thought it'd be fun to take a look at America's favorite pastime through the eyes of my bats. How would they play the game? Right-side-up? Or upside-down? I started messing around with words and drawings, and the story developed.

One big problem was that I wasn't raised as a baseball fan; my only personal experiences as a boy were a single Mets game at Shea Stadium (during which I was bewildered at the Mets fans booing one of their own players, until I was scornfully told that the fans were yelling "MOOO-kie," for their star, Mookie Wilson), and a season in Little League, which for a kid with no baseball skills was a classic primer in elementary school shame. So I had to do a lot of research for the book--reading writers on the game, watching countless games on tv with a note pad, and attending four live games.

One thing I learned was that baseball fans are sticklers for tiny details. Place the toes of the catcher in the wrong position in an illustration, and you're going to get tons of e-mails from eight-year-old readers telling you that you got the baseball wrong. So it was a real challenge--and so far, I've only had one student in schools I've visited raise a hand to tell me I got a detail wrong. But I consulted some experts after I got home, and it turns out the boy had HIS baseball wrong. Whew.

How does it feel to receive an award voted on by your peers? What does this award mean to you?

Having a book awarded the Crystal Kite, in its inaugural year, is a wonderful honor. There's something different about having peers vote for it; they're familiar with how a book goes together, and may have sharper eyes and ears than readers in general. They're attuned to the craft behind a story, and aren't just influenced by glitz or a fancy PR campaign. The New England region of SCBWI is also jam-packed with talented authors and illustrators, and the idea that some of them felt this book worthy of the award is beyond words. Thank you to anyone who voted for it!

How long have you been a member of SCBWI? How has your SCBWI membership been helpful to your career?

I can't even REMEMBER a time when I wasn't a member of SCBWI! It seems like it's been forever. SCBWI was there with me as I worked on my early books, and when I was learning about how the business of children's books worked. I'm certain it saved me from countless missteps and dead-end roads. Shared experiences--what to do, and what has failed miserably for someone—are invaluable in a business which, at its base, is a very solitary thing.

I've also enjoyed the experience of presenting at several SCBWI conferences--keynoting once at our wonderful New England annual conference, and also speaking at Mid-South and Southern Breeze. I've been helped so much by what I've heard at conferences that if my experiences can help other authors/illustrators, it only feels as though I'm working at paying it back. I hope I'll be able to do this more often in the future!

The newsletters have been a great source of information about what is happening at publishing houses, and a valuable window into other members' personal experiences with crafting children's stories and illustrations. And the conferences I've attended have been great. Not only have I had the chance to network with other children's book creators and with editors, but I've heard inspiring speakers whose talks about their professional experiences and techniques have changed how I think or work. And simply spending several days with other people who are all trying to make writing and illustration work is a very inspiring thing. After an SCBWI conference, I just want to go home and create.

What will we see from you next?

I'm finishing up illustrations for a book called MORE (by I.C. Springman, Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012), about a magpie with a hoarding problem. I'm trying some new things with the illustrations, and it's been fun to shake my style up a little bit!

Crystal Kite Winner Interview Week Three: Candy Gourlay, TALL STORY

2011-06-03T09:12:00.002-04:00

Our penultimate winner interview is with Candy Gourlay, whose book TALL STORY won the Crystal Kite Award for the UK/Europe region. To learn more about this winning author, visit her blog, follow her in Twitter, or like her on Facebook.

Please tell my readers a little about your winning book.

TALL STORY is about a boy named Bernardo who grows to eight feet tall in a small village in the Philippines where giants are believed to be the cause of frequent earthquakes as well as the means to stop them. When Bernardo suddenly gets a visa to join his mother and half sister Andi in London, the village will do anything to stop him from leaving. Meanwhile, tiny Andi thinks she has big problems--a new school and a country where her favourite sport basketball is nonexistent. Then she meets Bernardo...

How does it feel to receive an award voted on by your peers? What does this award mean to you?

I am so grateful to my fellow SCBWI members--especially because of the sheer quality of the shortlist for Europe's Crystal Kite Award included some amazing writers and friends like Ellen Renner (CASTLE OF SHADOWS) Jane Clarke (GILBERT THE HERO), Bridget Strevens (PETITE ESCARGOT), Theresa Breslin (PRISONER OF THE INQUISITION), Andrea Offerman (THE BONESHAKER) and Pat Walsh (THE CROWFIELD CURSE).

SCBWI has held my hand through the years, giving me encouragement, support and opportunity--from when I was a beginner author through to today. This prize truly makes me realize that I am not alone. Thank you.

How long have you been a member of SCBWI? How has your SCBWI membership been helpful to your career?

I've been a member of SCBWI since 2002, which was about the time I decided to become serious about trying to get published. I was a fledgling web designer at the time and so I volunteered to help with the website. My involvement branched out to include organizing our yearly conference in November, designing logos and the current SCBWI British Isles website, setting up our own social network on the Ning as well as on Facebook, and thinking up initiatives such as online critique groups, our conference's night-before critique meet, our mass book launch which takes place on the first night of the conference, and most recently, conceptualizing and building the soon-to-launch online magazine which will replace our print newsletter.

It sounds like a lot but SCBWI has given me a lot too. I was one of the winners of the first Undiscovered Voices anthology competition which led to my signing with an agent. And when my book was about to launch in the United States, SCBWI's Tribute Prize bought me a plane ticket to the conference in New York, where I met the American crew of my publisher, Random House.

Now that I'm a busy published author, I've had to resign from being our webmaster...but I've got lots of ideas and continue to contribute to our Steering Committee--always looking for ways to open up opportunities for our members whether they be published or unpublished.

What will we see from you next?

I am currently in the throes of finishing my second novel SHINE which will be published in the United Kingdom in early 2012, then in the United States later in the year.

Crystal Kite Winner Interview Week Three: Bonny Becker, A BEDTIME FOR BEAR

2011-06-02T13:05:00.000-04:00

As our Crystal Kite-athon nears its end, today we feature Bonny Becker whose book A BEDTIME FOR BEAR won the Crystal Kite Award for the Washington/
Oregon/Alaska/Idaho/Montana/North Dakota/South Dakota region. To learn more about today's winning author, visit her website or find her on Facebook.

Please tell my readers a little about your winning book.

A BEDTIME FOR BEAR is the third in a series featuring the fastidious, grumpy Bear and his friend, the ever-ebullient Mouse. In BEDTIME, Bear needs quiet, absolute quiet to sleep. But, Mouse is unfortunately not quite as a quiet as a … well, you know what.

How does it feel to receive an award voted on by your peers? What does this award mean to you?

It’s a wonderful feeling. I was truly surprised when I won because there were so many other great books and authors nominated from our area. I feel privileged that so many of my peers read the book and went to the trouble to vote for it. So I’d like to say "thank you!"

How long have you been a member of SCBWI? How has your SCBWI membership been helpful to your career?

I’ve been a member for over 20 years. I attend meetings and conferences and have spoken at a number of events.

SCBWI has been incredibly important in my career. When I first started out I was in awe at being in the same room as published authors. I was so jealous when they showed sample art for their books and complained about their editors and agents. I would have given my eye-teeth to complain about my agent! It offered so much information and support as a beginner and, now, as one of those published authors, it’s a place to connect with friends and fellow writers and for continuing support in this phase of my writing. It’s my number one recommendation to people who say they’d like to write for children.

Do you have an upcoming book you'd like me to mention?

My fourth Mouse and Bear book THE SNIFFLES FOR BEAR comes out this September. Bear has a cold and is, of course, the world’s worst patient. No one has ever been as sick as he. And Mouse is the world’s most annoyingly cheerful nurse.

Crystal Kite Winner Interview Week Three: Kristin O’Donnell Tubb, SELLING HOPE

2011-06-01T13:05:00.000-04:00

Our third and final week of winner interviews continues with Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, whose novel SELLING HOPE won the Crystal Kite Award for the Kansas/Louisiana/
Arkansas/Tennessee/Kentucky/Missouri region. To learn more about today's winning author, visit her website, check out her blog or follow her on Twitter.

Please tell my readers a little about your winning book.

It’s May 1910, and Halley’s Comet is due to pass thru the Earth’s atmosphere. And thirteen-year-old Hope McDaniels and her father are due to pass through their hometown of Chicago with their ragtag vaudeville troupe. Hope wants out of vaudeville, and longs for a “normal” life--or as normal as life can be without her mother, who died five years before. Hope sees an opportunity: She invents “anti-comet” pills to sell to the working-class customers desperate for protection. Soon, she’s joined by a fellow troupe member, young Buster Keaton, and the two of them start to make good money. And just when Hope thinks she has all the answers, she has to decide: What is family? Where is home?

How does it feel to receive an award voted on by your peers? What does this award mean to you?

When I tell my husband that my characters are acting impossible and just won't do what I want them to do, darnit, he looks at me like I might need to be medicated. (Sympathetic, yes, but nervously so.) When I call my dentist's office and apologize for missing my appointment because I was on deadline, the woman on the other end of the line says through gritted teeth, "When CAN you make it in?" When I tell my mom that I just wrote 100 good, possibly even keepable words, she nods, but her eyes betray her. (Only 100?!) When I tell a writer any of these things, they hand over the chocolate.

This award is special because writers understand exactly what goes into a story. Not just words, ideas, characters. Dreams and smiles and tears and frustration and hope go in, too. Having friends and peers--people whose work I love and admire--tell you that they liked your story is a compliment like none other.

How long have you been a member of SCBWI? How has your SCBWI membership been helpful to your career?

I’ve been a member of SCBWI since 2002. The Midsouth conference is my home one weekend every September (I haven’t missed one since I joined, knock wood!). I now volunteer by coordinating critique group sessions and by helping organize a book basket drive. (It’s called a “basket,” but it’s more like a carload. Last year, under the guidance of Patricia Wiles, Midsouth members donated over 570 books for Adolescent Day Treatment School and special education classes at West Broadway Elementary School in Madisonville, KY. See a photo here. All those books, now in the hands of readers!). I’ve also coordinated a Novel Revision Workshop with the fantastic Darcy Pattison, have manned the SCBWI booth at the Southern Festival of Books, and have spoken at an Historical Fiction Workshop. I encourage every member of SCBWI to find some way to get involved. It’s fun!

SCBWI has literally changed the course of my life. SELLING HOPE sold to Liz Szabla at Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan after she critiqued it at the 2008 Writer’s Intensive at the New York conference. Too, I contracted with my agent, Josh Adams of Adams Literary, after hearing his wife Tracey speak at that same conference. And my first middle-grade novel, Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different, sold to Wendy Loggia at Delacorte after I had the chance to meet her at an SCBWI conference in Nashville in 2006. I am forever grateful to the staff and volunteers who work so hard at making writer's dreams come true.

I don't mean to gush, but, well--yes I do! SCBWI has been the most meaningful association I've ever had the honor to join, and I've made friends for life through this society.

Do you have an upcoming book you'd like me to mention?

My next book, THE 13th SIGN, will be released from Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan in Fall of 2012. A sneak peek is available on my blog.

Crystal Kite Winner Interview Week Three: Maja Sereda, A KITE'S FLIGHT

2011-05-31T13:49:00.001-04:00

Did I say two weeks? Math has never been my strongsuit.

Welcome to week three of winner interviews featuring Maja Sereda whose book A KITE'S FLIGHT won the Crystal Kite award for the Africa region. To learn more about today's winning author/illustrator, check out her website, visit her blog or see her work on her agent's website.

Please tell my readers a little about your winning book.

A KITE'S FLIGHT tells a story about how Andile and his father make a kite. While flying the kite, its string breaks releasing the kite on an epic journey across Africa. The kite's flight takes the reader over some of the great landmarks of Africa: from the thundering Victoria Falls and the snow tops of Kilimanjaro, to the Sahara Desert and ancient Egyptian Pyramids.

The book illustrations were done with acrylic and gouache on board with some newspaper collage.

How does it feel to receive an award voted on by your peers? What does this award mean to you?

It's fantastic--I'm thrilled to receive the award! I'm always inspired and motivated by my peers and it's wonderful to receive their recognition of my work. The award helps me push myself a little harder, strive to achieve more and create better work. I really love what I do!

How long have you been a member of SCBWI? How has your SCBWI membership been helpful to your career?

I've been a member of the South African SCBWI since 2007 and I joined SCBWI.org at the beginning of 2010. I've taken part in an exhibition (South African SCBWI) in November 2009.

It's wonderful to stay connected to artists and writers abroad and to keep up-to-date with current news and trends. It helps me keep my work and ideas fresh. Through the South African SCBWI I was able to meet the publisher of my book A KITE'S FLIGHT (Jacana Media) for which I've now received the award!

What will we see from you next?

I'm currently working on a number of projects and one of them is my new book about a boy and his love for the sea. It's still early in the creative process but I'm hoping it will be published in 2012.

Crystal Kite Winner Interview Week Two: Kathryn Erskine, MOCKINGBIRD

2011-05-27T12:53:00.000-04:00

We wrap up week two of winner interviews with Kathryn Erskine, whose book MOCKINGBIRD won the 2011 Crystal Kite Award for the Pennsylvania/Delaware/New Jersey/Wash DC/Virginia/West Virginia/Maryland region. (Her book also won National Book Award for Young People's Literature.) To learn more about today's award-winning author, visit her website, check out her blog, follow her on Twitter, or find her on Facebook.

Please tell my readers a little about your winning book.

In MOCKINGBIRD, Caitlin seeks closure after the death of her brother, Devon, a process made more difficult by the fact that she has Asperger's, and Devon was key in helping her understand and navigate the world. I know, it sounds incredibly heavy and depressing, doesn't it? And yes, there are sad parts, but it's actually an uplifting book with a fair amount of humor. I write about heavy subjects but my goal is to write "hopeful." I don't care for depressing books, myself, so I work hard to ensure that, despite the tough topics, it's still an enjoyable read.

How does it feel to receive an award voted on by your peers? What does this award mean to you?

Since I think we as writers can be our own harshest critics, I feel particularly honored for my work to be recognized by my peers.

How long have you been a member of SCBWI? How has your SCBWI membership been helpful to your career?

Wow, I think I've been a member of SCBWI since 1997, when I took my first class in writing for children. I've attended so many wonderful SCBWI events I've lost count! I've volunteered at our mid-Atlantic conference and spoke at the event last fall. It's a wonderful, supportive organization.
The workshops and retreats I've attended have taught me much about craft, the online information and publications have taught me about the business side of writing, the conferences have given me access to editors, agents, and other professionals in the field, and the members have become my advisers and good friends.

What will we see from you next?

THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE (Philomel) comes out June 9, 2011. "When his genius father sends him to live with relatives and help with an engineering project, Mike, who has a math learning disability, discovers there's more to life than meeting his father's expectations." With wacky characters, MIKE is lighter and funnier than MOCKINGBIRD, but still addresses the need to accept people's differences--especially your own.

The Official SCBWI Blog

Twitter Archeology: Layers and Layers of #NY12SCBWI

The Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference Starts Tomorrow!

Staying Current - What are you going to read from 2011?

SCBWI members working to ensure that every child in America has access to an effective school library program

Technology in Publishing: Embedded Videos in E-books!

Community: Announcing Three New Social Events at #NY12SCBWI (and the answer to the question: Just how much fun are these conferences?)

Walter Dean Myers is the latest National Ambassador For Young People's Literature!

The Fourth Annual Comment Challenge Starts Today!

A New Year, and a Fresh Take on First Lines

Two New Year's Resolutions To Add To Your List: Get a Mentor. Be a Mentor.

Symbolism. What do the greats have to say?

Mark Twain on assembling a critique group

Give Yourself The Present of Attending The SCBWI Winter Conference

Rethinking the Book Tour

More blog readers. Check. Promoting a good cause. Check. Getting Books Into the Hands of Children. Check out this Teaching Authors' Holiday Project

Craft, Business, Inspiration and Community

The MeeGenius contest - have you voted for your favorite text for a children's e-book?

Will Your Book Be Considered For the 2012 Golden Kite Award?

No query? No pitch? No Problem! The Young Adult Novel Discovery Contest

Life Cycle of a Book - a very cool resource

Craft, Business, Inspiration and Community

The SCBWI Bulletin

SCBWI's Open Letter to the Kid Lit Industry About No-Response-Means-A-Rejection Policies

The Writers Intensives at the Upcoming 2012 SCBWI Winter Conference

Inspiration, Craft, Business and Community

The Marketing Intensive for Illustrators at the 2012 SCBWI Winter Conference: What You Need To Know

Kid Lit Industry Catch-Up

I've Got The Torch... And Here We Go!

Passing the Torch: My Final SCBWI Blog Post

Every Poster Has a Story: The Scoop on the First-Ever Golden Kite Awards Poster

Winter Conference Regisation Opens Monday!

The Deadline Is Approaching: It's Time to Submit Books for SCBWI's 2012 Golden Kite Awards!

SCBWI's 2011 Sue Alexander Award Goes To...

Contest for Picture Book Writers: The MeeGenius! Author Challenge 2011

In the News This Week

Autumn: A Great Time for ConferenceTravel!

In the News This Week

In the News This Week

Wednesday Tweet Round-Up: 40th Annual Summer Conference Edition #LA11SCBWI

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Jamie Weiss Chilton

In the News This Week

The 40th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference ...There's an App for That!

In the News This Week

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Brenda Bowen

Blog Tour Stop Guest Post: Deborah Halverson on Serving Up Subtext

More TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interviews. Plus: REGISTRATION CLOSES TODAY!

In the News This Week

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Barry Goldblatt

A Sort-of Guest Post: The Boy Interviews Illustrator Loren Long

In the News This Week

Children's Authors & Illustrators Contribute to the It Gets Better Campaign

In the News The Week

SCWBI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: First-Time Attendee Patti Gabrielson

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Mary Pope Osborne

In the News This Week

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interviews: Pat Cummings, Marla Frazee and Katie Davis. Plus Early Bird Registration Ends Friday

In the News This Week

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interviews: Jennifer L. Holm, Lisa Yee, Ellen Hopkins and Emma Dryden

Crystal Kite Winner Interview Week Three: Brian Lies, BATS AT THE BALLGAME

Crystal Kite Winner Interview Week Three: Candy Gourlay, TALL STORY

Crystal Kite Winner Interview Week Three: Bonny Becker, A BEDTIME FOR BEAR

Crystal Kite Winner Interview Week Three: Kristin O’Donnell Tubb, SELLING HOPE

Crystal Kite Winner Interview Week Three: Maja Sereda, A KITE'S FLIGHT

Crystal Kite Winner Interview Week Two: Kathryn Erskine, MOCKINGBIRD