In the News This Week

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.

Wednesday Tweet Roundup: All #kidlitcon Edition

It's humpday which means it's time for me to share some of my favorite tweets of the last week from the many writers, illustrators, editors, agents, and publishers who are out there sharing information and joining in the conversation on Twitter.

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 articles or blog posts these tweeters recommend.

Remember--whether you're signed up with Twitter or not, you can read tweets and click links to find helpful blog posts, useful articles, and timely news bits (like the ones below).

This week's picks (and a few links) are all from Kidlit Con 2010 which I attended last weekend in Minneapolis so enjoy, bloggers! (It was fun to attend a conference where the word "platform" meant Blogger or WordPress.) A lot are my own tweets (because tweeting is a great way to take conference notes) and it's heavy on a handful of other users who joined me in the #kidlitcon tweet-o-rama!

You'll find Greg Pincus' transcript of all the #kidlitcon tweets here. Below I've pulled out some gems  and categorized them (on blogging, blog tours, virtual school visits, kidlitosphere, and more) so they're easier to follow for those of you who didn't attend.

After you read my post, promise you'll start including "sciency fiction" and SNAPping in your vocabulary. And don't miss the Periodic Table of Cupcakes.

MAGGIE STIEFVATER ON BLOGGING TWEETS

@teacher6th: Maggie Stiefvater keynote speaker BLOG writing since 2006 “blog years are like dog years”

@alicepope: Maggie Stiefvater: first thing she learned about blogging: the world doesn’t need another blog.

@JensBookPage: Having a voice of your own really helps when blogging says @mstiefvater

@alicepope: Maggie S: Boring people offline are boring people online and sometimes interesting people offline are boring people online.

@alicepope: Says @mstiefvater: blogging is a conversation–answer your comments

@mosylu: Maggie sez: online me is 10% of me. You don’t need to share everything

@alicepope: Says @mstiefvater: You make a personal connection when you blog. People will know your cat’s name.

@mosylu: Maggie sez: Blog readers are real people. They have an offline life #kidlitcon

@alicepope: Ten years ago, my career arc would not have been possible, says @mstiefvater. Blogging made it happen.

@alicepope: Don’t blog when you’re sick, tired, or drunk, says @mstiefvater (same goes for tweeting, I say)

BLOG PLATFORM PROS & CONS TWEETS

@teacher6th: Cons of Blogger: basic designs-not unique, limited plug-in/add on, doesn’t support threaded comments out of the box

@teacher6th: Pros of Wordpress: ease of proven tech, upgrades/ backup is taken care of, supported threads and servers, lg community

@teacher6th: Con to Wordpress: premium costs, no custom themes or option , cannot upload plug-ins, supported by ads U cannot control,

@teacher6th: Pro wordpress.org cn run multiple sites on same software install, complete control publish 2 Facebook & twttr, ultimate freedom

@teacher6th: Wordpress.org cons: need your own hosting provider, need more technical knowledge to set up & run, need 2 do own updates

@teacher6th: Posterous Pro: easy 2 use, micro blogging platform, mobile blogging, several document types used

@teacher6th: Tumblr Pro: micro blogging, easy to use, supports most media, bookmarklet tool, can reblog (embedding on other sites),

@teacher6th: Squarespace Pro: custom, seamless blog importing, handles most everything, design & themes good

@teacher6th: Squarespace Con: $$ 13-40 month average is $20

@teacher6th: Livejournal cons: hard to customize, more of a gated community/not as open, ad supported in free accounts

@CERodriguez: Gave props to @Squarespace, my web hosting platform, at #KidlitCon session for best blogging practices. I hope more writers will use it.

ADVICE ON HOSTING BLOG TOURS TWEETS

@alicepope: Michelle Corriel: When answering blog tour questions, don’t cut and paste answers from blog to blog.

@alicepope: Corriel: Come up w/ interesting questions for authors interviewed on your blog. ‘Did you always want to be a writer’ is not one

@thepageturn: Good blog interview question for authors: What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

@thepageturn: Corriel: Another quality (and fun) question to ask authors on a blog tour: Are you a plotter or plunger?

ADVICE ON PLANNING YOUR OWN BLOG TOURS TWEETS

@lovelyleann: Authors talking about blog touring. “Self promotion is a necessary evil for authors” and blog tours is a great way to do this.

@alicepope: Swati Avasthi: To authors embarking on blog tours–the one that it’s most hard on is you. Make it as easy on everyone else

@alicepope: Avasthi: When planning a blog tour, reach out to lot of different types of bloggers.

@alicepope: Avasthi: Don’t have too many blog tour stops (26 is too many; 10 or 12 is better).

@alicepope: Avasthi: Have a media page on your website for bloggers with info, bio, etc.

TIPS ON VIRTUAL VISITS TWEETS

@teacher6th: social media is opening up author visits and creating its own booking agendas

@teacher6th: social media has changed authors mindset on sharing and connecting to readers

@alicepope: Preparation is key for both authors and schools when it comes to school visits says @TeachingBooks

@alicepope: If your school visit not is a public event, you’re not allowed to take pictures of kids and post them online

@alicepope: Before a Skype visit, do a pre-check. See how you and your setting look onscreen

@MaryLeeHahn: But authors shouldn’t be expected to offer Skype visits for free.  

@teacher6th: charge for a skype vist? Personally I never pay for Skype because my school can’t pay…students do buy their books….

CYBILS & KILITOSPHERE TWEETS

@MaryLeeHahn: Kidlitosphere is about COMMUNITY.

@alicepope: The @cybils honor "the organic chicken nuggets of children's books," says Jen Robinson of @JensBookPage

@thepageturn: More than 1000 eligible nominations for Cybils this year! Crazy!

@thepageturn: 200 ppl applied for 100 slots as Cybils judges. Wow.

@mosylu: ways to support: donate, spread the word, buy bling, buy nominated titles thru the #cybils blog

@susan_marie: @MotherReader talking about http://www.kidlitosphere.org/

@mosylu: Maureen Kearney don't forget the carnival of children's literature: http://bit.ly/drD0Hv

@mosylu: blogging as a group also builds community within the group. We’ve found that in the kidlitosphere too!

@BookMoot: “Cynsations is THE place to start for authors in the Kidlitospere.” Liz Burns

KIDLITCON ADVICE TO AUTHORS TWEETS

@JensBookPage: “I never want to see an author trying to be a good writer but spending all their time online”

@mosylu: authors who interact should be passionate/energetic/engaged because otherwise it’s a waste

@JensBookPage: “I never want to see an author trying to be a good writer but spending all their time online

@alicepope: Laura Lutz from Harper Publicity says don’t embark in social networking and blogging if you can’t fully embrace it.

@teacher6th: mg & ya authors need to reach out to the mommybloggers, teachers & librarians

NOTEWORTHY MISC. KITLITCON TWEETS

@thepageturn: Blog I haven’t heard of before: Children’s War. All kids books about WWII. Fascinating!

@mudmamba: Thinking about how blogging the backlist/out of print books will tie in well with the rise of e-books.

@mudmamba: Amen! “If you don’t want it public, don’t put it online.” Big old period right there.

@alicepope: Janet Fox: play to your strengths when it comes to social media and participate.

@lovelyleann: Periodic Table of Cupcakes at book launch of Reininvention of Edison Thomas. Awesome! http://plixi.com/p/52414778

@alicepope: Llewellyn has a SNAP Committee–Social Networking and Publicity. That must catch on! And be verb-ified. Authors, get SNAPping.

@LizB: Libraries need professional reviews to inform buying decisions & also to provide backup for book challenges.

@thepageturn: Robinson: We all want to get paid to blog…but as soon as we’re paid, it becomes work. Difficult to keep it fun.

@alicepope: Houtman: wants to get a new genre term adopted–‘sciency fiction.’ Who’s on board?

@mudmamba: I think I’m only 1 at #kidlitcon matching all 3 of these criteria (a) not female (b) not an organizer (c) not named Steve.

@mosylu: major thanks to the organizers: Andrew Karre, Ben Barnhart, and Brian Farrey

A Report on Kidlit Con 2010

It's no secret that the key to successful blogging is community. But mostly that community communicates from their keyboards--posting, commenting, and emailing from the privacy of their own home offices or neighborhood coffee shops.

So it was a rare treat that 80 or so bloggers (myself included) emerged from behind their keyboards to converge on Open Book in Minneapolis for the annual Kidlit Con.

Here are a few key points I learned (or was reminded of) throughout the weekend:


1) An online presence truly can make a career.

The weekend started off with a terrific Friday night panel by the Merry Sisters of Fate (Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tessa Gratton) during which they discussed their tremendous critique trio relationship (mostly done via Google chat), an illustration of how online communication of can impact the career of an author.

Maggie underscored this idea in her Saturday morning keynote, describing how blogging helped her career as an artist and writer living in middle-of-nowhere Virginia. "Blogging can be good for you professionally and good for the soul," said the New York Times bestselling author who's toured the likes of Lithuania recently. "Ten years ago, my career arc would not have been possible. Blogging made it happen." (Note: I'd rather be reading Maggie's book LINGER than blogging right now. It's calling to me from my nightstand.) An example: Instead of sending her on tour during fall when school visits would precede bookstore event--and bring in teen readers--her publisher sent her out during the summer, banking on her blog presence to bring in fans. It's worked beautifully.

2) Community means participation.

The kidlitosphere is a community and you can't be part of a community if you're a hermit. You've got to read other people's blogs if you want them to read yours. You've got to leave comments. You've got to tweet and facebook links to other posts you like by other bloggers. You cannot blog in a void. You've got to make friends.

3) There's strength in numbers and 3b) There are voids to be filled.

Elissa Cruz and Kurtis Scalleta offered a great session on the birth of their ginormous group blog From the Mixes Up Files...of Middle Grade Authors.

Elissa had the idea to start a blog by MG authors focusing on MG books, posted her idea on a message board, and was overwhelmed by the response. There are currently 30 writers and illustrators participating in Mixed Up Files. A group blog such as this offers plenty of bloggers to share the workload, a big talent pool to draw on, and lots of varied expertise within the group.

And In middle grade, Elissa found a hole that needed filling in the world of kid lit blogs. Mixed Up Files got great traffic right out of the box and is likely to become the go-to spot online for the MG gatekeepers--teachers, librarians, and parents--for reading lists, interviews, and all things MG.

4) Book review bloggers are a powerful and far-reaching bunch.

During Kidlit Con, I was thrilled to have the chance to chat with with Pam Coughlin of Mother Reader, Jen Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page, Sarah Stevenson of Finding Wonderland, and Liz Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace and A Tea Cozy also heard them participate in a panel about the Cybil Awards (given to books in a number of categories and judged solely by kidlit bloggers).

This year their call for potential judges yielded 200 volunteers for 100 open spots. (Yours truly is a second round YA fiction judge!) During the book nomination period, an unnamed publisher wanted to nominate their entire list. Authors like Jane Yolen and Lee Bennett Hopkins were talking about the Cybils on facebook.

Beyond the popularity of their award, they hold an annual blog book tour, and publishers seem happy to offer them review copies (based on a panel of marketing folks from Lerner, Flux, and Harper). These reviewers are reaching the gatekeepers, and publishers are aware of that.

5) Skype is cool.

During a panel on virtual school visits, Kidlit Con was joined via Skype by Nick Glass of TeachingBooks.net. (I likened this virtual panelist to The Giant Benevolent Wizard of Oz with headphones.) With a laptop and a projector (and no IT or AV professionals), Nick was able to fully participate in the panel, offering information and answering questions. Authors should really consider using this technology for virtual visits.


I've got lots more to share, but not today, dear readers. In the meantime, if you'd like more on Kidlit Con 2010 check out this stuff:

• Greg Pincus (who did not attend the event), has created a full transcript of #kidlitcon tweets. (Thanks, Greg!)
• Conference co-coordinator Andrew Karre continues to update the Kidlit Con blog with links to conference-goers' recaps. (Click here, and here for particularly good ones.) Conference PowerPoints will follow.
• You can check out the official Kidlit Con 2010 Flikr page (and add photos if you have them).

Kidlit Con 2011 will be held in Seattle.

Kidlit Con 2012 will be held in New York City.

If you're a blogger, you should come!

Hey Bloggers: Tomorrow I Leave for Kidlit Con 2010 in Minneapolis

Tomorrow I'm off to Minneapolis for Kidlit Con 2010! Kidlit Con is a conference just for the community of children's and young adult book bloggers. The 2010 event will be held at Open Book in Minneapolis on Saturday, October 23 and is hosted by three kidlit editors--Andrew Karre (Carolrhoda), Ben Barnhart (Milkweed), and Brian Farrey (Flux). Blogger and New York Times Bestselling Author Maggie Stiefvater is the keynote speaker for the event, which includes a full day of innovative and informative sessions.
 
Gathering at Kidlit Con allows bloggers who deal in kidlit (including editors, writers, librarians, teachers, reviewers) to instruct and learn from one another. It's also a great excuse to get out from behind our computers and meet one another in the flesh! During the Friday night and Saturday events well be discussing things like best practices, blog tours, YA and MG blogging, publicity, school visits via social media, and more.

I'll be offering my takeaway from the event in this space, so please tune in next week. I'll also be tweeting throughout so check out my Twitter feed and search for #kidlitcon.

In the meantime, is there anything you'd like me to ask? Any blogging-specific questions you'd like answers to? Please let me know via comments.

Hey Bloggers! KidLit Con 2010 Is Set for October

Attention all you bloggers out there... have you heard about Kidlit Con 2010?

Kidlit Con is a conference just for the community of children's and young adult book bloggers. The 2010 event will be held at Open Book in Minneapolis on Saturday, October 23 and is hosted by three kidlit editors--Andrew Karre (Carolrhoda), Ben Barnhart (Milkweed), and Brian Farrey (Flux). Blogger and New York Times Bestselling Author Maggie Stiefvater is the keynote speaker for the event, which will include a full day of innovative and informative sessions.

Says Carolrhoda Publisher Andrew Karre:

Blogging and social media are increasingly important to every facet of book promotion in trade and library markets. Everyone knows this. It’s more than promotion though. I think these tools will play a role in shaping the artistic future of the genre. The uniquely collegial and cooperative community of kidlit authors and reviewers does itself a big favor when it supports events like these. I hope our Kidlitosphere has something for everyone from bloggers to authors to librarians trying to facilitate teen reading groups. Most of all, I hope it provides a forum for lots of unexpected conversations.

Click here for a helpful post on who should attend and why.

For updates about the event as well as registration and hotel informaion, visit the Kidlit Con blog. You can also follow Kidlit Con 2010 on Twitter.