"Break Up With Your X" - Can you do it without hurting your #kidlit career? Brian Kirby has receipts (a.k.a., the stats.)

So I spent years growing a following on Twitter (now X). In the beginning it was really cool, and I could connect with so many other #kidlit folks about our shared enthusiasm, about writing, about inspirations, about a career in children's books...

But about three years ago I left. It felt like an unsafe space, more about heat than light, and made me actively anxious and unhappy every time I logged in. 

I do not believe it's gotten better since becoming X. Most of the conversations I've had about leaving that platform involve some response like "but everyone's there!" and "how can I leave if all the agents and KidLit gatekeepers are still there?"

Since its new ownership and rebranding, there's been quite the exodus from X. And in the last few months, folks have been leaving (or vastly curtailing what they post on) Instagram -- particularly illustrators. The Andrea Brown Literary agency announced on Jun 13:

Due to Meta's AI policies, the ABLA instagrams have been cleared until we can fully assess how best to support and protect our artists and creators here moving forward! In the meantime, head on over to our website and find us on BlueSky.

I'm not an illustrator, and still on Instagram (and Facebook, both of which are owned by Meta), but I have been spending more time on BlueSky (where there are a LOT of illustrators) and it reminds me of those early days on twitter, where you could follow a hashtag and be in a KidLit community not mediated by algorithms. (I basically just look at the KidLit Mega Feed.) 

Back to the numbers... Brian Kirby did this amazing analysis: "Break Up With Your X" looking at what you'd actually be missing if you left X. 

Just one amazing example:

A publishing company has 236,000 followers on X. A recent book announcement post of theirs got zero retweets, 2 likes, and reached 897 accounts.

My favorite line of Brian's analysis:

Posting on X is "getting the sort of response a flyer on a coffee shop bulletin board would get, if soulless robots drank coffee."

Read Brian's full post here.

...so maybe we'll see you on Bluesky! 

(If you're heading over to Bluesky, first thing to do is follow Debbie Ridpath Ohi who is leading our #kidlit community there (Debbie has 21,000 followers on Bluesky. People are there. KidLit people. Brian has been posting about these stats there as well.)

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Social Media Tips that Stand the Test of Time

 Last week, I talked about having a marketing plan and setting goals. This week, I thought I’d talk about social media, since that’s obviously closely linked. I do a talk at writers’ conferences on the subject, and the room is always filled with creatives who are almost afraid of social media. And that can’t be the point.

            The best way to look at social media platforms is this: they are a tool to help you reach individual readers. That’s it. You’re talking to one reader at a time.

You don’t have to dance on Tiktok if that’s not your thing.

 

1.     Set Social Media Goals

A good place to start is to make a list of social media platforms and see what they do. Facebook is for friends and fans, X (formerly Twitter) is for quick bites of information, Instagram for photos and short videos, Tiktok for spontaneous videos. Think about what you’re comfortable sharing. Readers, librarians and teachers love a behind-the-scenes look at your workspace, your inspiration, and your process.

            If you’re new to social media, set smaller goals until you feel more comfortable. If short form sharing doesn’t speak to you, consider starting a newsletter. Much like this blog, it allows you to write longer pieces and reach readers directly in their email inbox.

            The key is to build a habit and share regularly. That way, your readers and fans know when they can expect to hear from you. Start with weekly goals and a checklist, so you can walk away (and get back to writing!) when you’re done.

This is my virtual author visit setup (complete with ravens)

2.     Create a Social Media Calendar

Using your big-picture goals, set a social media calendar. What are you going to share, and when will you share it? Each platform has a best time to share as well (you can Google this) so plan around that. You can even use a social media scheduling tool.

A word of caution: all these platforms only work if you engage with fans. Comment on and share other people’s posts—it’s called social media for a reason: you must be social.

           

3.     Focus on Individual Connections & Do Nice Things for Others

If it feels like you’re screaming into a void, you’re probably not approaching social media right. Even if only one person comments or shares your post, that’s okay: you still made a connection. People who have massive followings and engagement tend to be bigger name authors and illustrators, so don’t compare yourself to those people. It takes years to develop this kind of following. It’s better to look at growing your number of followers as a long term goal but not as something you can control.

If you’re unsure of what to do, do something nice for someone else. Post a review, share a new release (called a bookbirthday), and celebrate good news a friend has. It’ll earn you some goodwill points and with some luck, they’ll share your good news when it’s your turn.

 

Extra tip: try out two platforms if possible. The consensus used to be that you should pick your favorite platform and focus there, but with the recent uncertainty in platforms (Twitter’s demise and transformation into X, Tiktok on the brink of being banned, etc.), don’t put all your social media eggs in one basket. Try to be active on at least two platforms.

You can Google examples of social media calendars, though I urge you to find your own process. Everyone shares in their own way. That’s what makes social media interesting.

How about you? How do you manage your social media?

About Fleur:

Fleur Bradley has loved mysteries ever since she first picked up an Agatha Christie book at the age of eleven. She’s the author of middle-grade mysteries Daybreak on Raven Island and Midnight at the Barclay Hotel (Viking/PRH), the Double Vision trilogy (HarperCollins), as well as numerous short stories, one of which was recently chosen for the annual Best Mystery Stories of the Year anthology. Fleur’s work has been nominated for the Agatha and Anthony Award and has won the Colorado Book Award, among others.

A reluctant reader herself, Fleur is also a literacy advocate and speaks at events on how to reach reluctant readers. Originally from the Netherlands, she now lives in a small cottage in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies.

You can find Fleur online at fleurbradley.com.

The Hunt for a Twitter Replacement

 The recent acquirement of Twitter by Elon Musk has set off a chain of chaos and uncertainty for the platform, leaving many scrambling for ways to maintain their industry connections and bases online without it. In the past few years, Twitter has become a center for communities in publishing, comics, and other creative fields. It’s been a place for writers and artists to get their work in front of editors and agents outside of conventions, for collaborators to meet, and for creators to share their art. It’s also been home to numerous pitching events, many of which specifically aim to spotlight diverse creators and bring diverse voices into publishing, such as #DVPit, PitMad, #LatinxPitch, and APIpit. The uncertainty in the past few weeks has threatened all of that work and community.

To be clear, it’s unlikely that Twitter is going anywhere in the very near future. Sites like MySpace are still around, despite no longer being the dominant online space, and it’s likely that even if Twitter falls off it’ll continue to persist in some fashion for a while yet. Hopefully that helps relieve some related anxiety!

That said, creators have been looking for alternatives to reconnect and establish bases in the event of a Twitter shutdown. Discord has been used by many long before this to host and join communities. You can join and create private servers with invites from friends, or you can look for and join public servers. You can find some semi-public servers as well, as some professionals in comics and art have created servers to host industry chatter. Some pitching events such as APIpit already have their own discord servers. It doesn’t have the discoverability of Twitter or the equivalent of events, but it can be a good way to keep up with industry friends and share resources.

Tumblr has also seen a resurgence in the uncertainty surrounding Twitter. Tumblr downloads were up as high as 60% last week. Tumblr benefits from being a preexisting website and large social media platform, as well as having a robust tagging system, but it’s historically been a predominantly fandom driven site. There have been writers and artists that have gotten their starts and been discovered on Tumblr in its hey-day, but it remains to be seen if the industry will follow users back as well. 

Two recent contenders that have proposed as Twitter alternatives have been Mastodon and Hive Social. Mastodon is a network of serves that is meant to look and function similar to Twitter. It’s seen hundreds of thousands of users sign up in the last few weeks, but its decentralized format has led to some confusion (users sign up for a single server, but then can interact with other users through Mastodon). There are frequently boosted posts to explain how the app works. 

Hive Social is another app that’s been around since 2019, but has also seen an incredible boost the last few weeks, reaching a million users a few days ago. It’s formatted similarly to Twitter and appears relatively intuitive, but it currently doesn’t have a web app, and has experienced some crashes with its sudden influx of users. 

Only time will tell how Twitter will fare in these coming months, and if any of the proposed alternatives will be able to keep up the momentum and become a social media staple. What is sure, however, is that the publishing industry and community isn’t going anywhere fast.

 

Cindy Harris (she/they) is a Mexican American comics artist and illustrator that works in the publishing industry. She has worked as a letterer, editor, illustrator, and writer, and loves stories about identity, relationships, and growth.

www.cyngharris.com

Your Twitter and Facebook Headers - Are Using This Free Real-Estate In The Best Way Possible?

It's a question brought on by this roundup "Authors on Twitter: 55 Stunning Header Image Examples" by Diana Urban at BookBub.

Both Facebook and Twitter allow you to upload your own custom headers... are you making the most of that space?

Check out the examples in the article, and also consider who are your colleague authors - those whose books your readers love, too - and go to their pages on social media to see what they're doing with that space.

Be aspirational - check out what the best-sellers in your category are doing.

Be strategic - Diana's roundup gives some handy design categories these fall into, including:

Promote a single book

Promote a series

Display multiple books

Showcase art from a book or cover

Focus on author branding

Be creative - use a free tool like canva.com, or a more robust designer tool, or consider hiring an actual designer to help make you look like the professional you are.

Some inspiration:

Have fun with it, and know you can change it up over time!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The Secret Power Of The Hashtag

ILA. ALA. BEA. Digital Book World. Bologna. Frankfort. London. SCBWI Florida. SCBWI New England. SCBWI Western Washington. SCBWI Europolitan. SCBWI Summer Conference. SCBWI Winter Conference. And all the local book fairs and festivals and school librarian conferences and school counselor conferences and on and on and on...

Unless you own your own plane and have nothing but free time, its just not possible to attend every conference with a kid lit and teen lit focus that might be packed with great information, colleagues, and opportunities. So you choose the ones that make sense to attend, and the rest, you feel a bit wistful about missing out on, right?

BEA is happening in Chicago as I write this, and yup, I'm not there. I'm in Los Angeles.

But there's a secret way to get a taste of what's going on across the continent, or the world... Use the hashtag.

On twitter, #BEA16 reveals photos, great quotes, anecdotes, and some of the buzz and enthusiasm of the event.

It's a bit magical.

Only have 5 minutes free?

Drop in on the hashtag, and get that virtual taste... Here are five tweets that caught my eye from this morning:

It's no substitute for the full experience of attending, but it's an excellent "live" way to dip in to a conference that otherwise, you'd just be reading about afterwards.

It works across social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram...

Now you, too, have the secret power of the hashtag. Use it well.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

A Twitter View of #NY14SCBWI

Like a photo album of words (with some pictures, too), twitter lays out snapshot moments from the 2014 SCBWI Winter Conference.

Between twitter, the inspirational quotes on tumblr

and The Official Conference Blog,

you can triangulate and get a taste of the conference experience.  And for those of us fortunate enough to have attended #NY14SCBWI, it's a way to re-live the highlights.

Here are some of those twitter highlights:

Harold Underdown ‏@HUnderdown Feb 20 RT @scbwi: The lobby at the Grand Hyatt is getting Seuss-a-fied for #NY14SCBWI as linoliver looks on. http://instagram.com/p/kpSbF-NhkL/

Alexandra Penfold ‏@AgentPenfold Feb 21 Great morning @scbwi! Let's get the intensives party started! #NY14SCBWI

CeCe Yuan ‏@ceceyuan219 Feb 21 Day 1 #scbwi in NYC: Do trust your reader from the first line. Don't over explain. #kidslit #WritingTips pic.twitter.com/aWDIaCs3SJ

scbwi ‏@scbwi Feb 21 How does Tomie turn complicated subjects into gestures? Deep knowledge of his subject. #NY14SCBWI

SweetTooth ‏@OneSweetWriter Feb 21 Writing action and emotional plots. @scbwi

Susan Willett ‏@CompletelySusan Feb 21 Overheard at the #SCBWI conference. "Everybody here is serious." Darn right. #NY14SCBWI

Wendy Parris ‏@wlparri Feb 21 “@CompletelySusan: Heard at the SCBWI conference: "You have to earn your ghost." Love it! #NY14SCBWI @JillSantopolo” hey that was mine:)

Kim Piddington ‏@kim_pid Feb 21 Harold Underdown discussing revision mapping: condensed manuscripts, outlines, book maps, & grids, at the SCBWI Winter Conference

dee ardelean ‏@DeeArdelean Feb 22 @scbwi #NY14SCBWI Lin Oliver is hilarious!!! Love her!!

Kim Piddington ‏@kim_pid Feb 22 Some statistics:1,085 attendees from 47 states and 20 countries at the SCBWI Winter Conference.

Kim Piddington ‏@kim_pid Feb 22 Go SCBWI team blog led by Lee Wind #NY14SCBWI

SCBWI INW ‏@SCBWI_INW Feb 22 MT @omrinavot: "A strong character will carry a weak plot, but a strong plot will not carry a weak character." Jack Gantos #NY14SCBWI

Michelle Parker-Rock ‏@MichlParkerRock Feb 22 Jack Gantos (DEAD END IN NORVELT) delivered humor & great writing advice this a.m. A treat for SCBWI Conference attendees. #NY14SCBWI

michelle lopez ‏@MamaFrenchie Feb 22 Just heard @AbbiGlines speak at #SCBWI conference. Very inspiring for newbie writers/authors, social media is key!

Noemi Gamel ‏@GeekyWriterGirl Feb 22 “@scbwi: What do you do if your book gets banned? http://www.scbwi.org/banned-books/ #NY14SCBWI” -- TY. The novel I'm writing may very well be at risk.

Martha Mihalick ‏@MarthaMihalick 6h Tip for illustrators for next year's @SCBWI portfolio showcase. ALWAYS have a postcard for us to take away. & postcard > business card.

Kate Messner ‏@KateMessner Feb 21 Jane Yolen's one rule in writing: figure out your own way, and when it doesn't work, REINVENT. #NY14SCBWI pic.twitter.com/FdgeZ9ucKI

Daniel Lazar ‏@DanLazarAgent Feb 22 Well, I can finally say I made it to Carnegie Hall. Har, har! #NY14SCBWI @scbwi pic.twitter.com/BRzlQMEEKE

Mark Mattson ‏@mattsonStudio Feb 22 @LaurentLinn Thanks so much for such a great breakout session at SCBWI! (And I liked the visual effects, incidentally)

scbwi ‏@scbwi Feb 22 Historical fiction tip #7 Make Connections: relate story to experiences kids are having now. Kendra Levin, Editor @VikingChildrens

scbwi ‏@scbwi Feb 22 Your job doesn't end when you put the last period on your manuscript. You have to research the best home for it. Marisa Polansky, Scholastic

Toby Emert ‏@ProfEmert Feb 22 The cumulative effects of professional courtesy are immeasurable, @EWein2412, YA author, says in her talk at #SCBWI 14. #NY14SCBWI

Rebecca Cassity ‏@RACassity Feb 22 Heard many inspirational speeches today at the SCBWI Winter Conference! #NY14SCBWI pic.twitter.com/i02TUaVD0l

Juris P. Prudence ‏@JpPrudence Feb 22 I learned a ton today during Dan Lazar and Sara Shandler's SCBWI workshops. @DanLazarAgent @sarashandler @scbwi #NY14SCBWI #kidsbooks

Susan Willett ‏@CompletelySusan Feb 23 I just sang happy birthday to @JaneYolen @scbwi #NY14SCBWI

H Knight Richard ‏@hknightrichard Feb 23 Take your vitamins people. - Tomie's words of wisdom. @scbwi #ny14scbwi

SCBWI Metro NY ‏@SCBWIMetroNY Feb 22 #NY14SCBWI Write bravely. Write honestly. That is your job. - Ellen Hopkins on censorship.

Martha Brockenbrough ‏@mbrockenbrough Feb 22 "Reading is a safe way to explore the world. If you're concerned, read with your child." --Joan Berlin #NY14SCBWI

scbwi ‏@scbwi Feb 23 First takeaway from The Art of the Picture Book panel: you have to be willing to throw everything away if it's not working. #NY14SCBWI

Ilene W. ‏@IWGregorio Feb 23 The inimitable, amazing @KateMessner brings the house down while imparting a great lesson to #writers #NY14SCBWI pic.twitter.com/NhKCbNGzbc

Cindy Schrauben ‏@CindySchrauben 2h From the NYC-SCBWI conf: @KateMessner said: Lesson #1 Be Brave! But it's okay to be afraid. If you're not nervous, it's not worth doing.

Kathleen Bradshaw ‏@KathleenBradsha Feb 23 Hey @SCBWI_SoBreeze ! Our own Lori Nichols wins NY14SCBWI Portfolio award! Congratulations Lori!

Jessixa Bagley ‏@MeatfaceSays Feb 23 GIGANTIC congrats to my crazy talented friend @BrookeBHughes for getting runner up at the NY SCBWI portfolio showcase!!! #NY14SCBWI

Margaret Peot ‏@MargaretPeot 22h Kate Messner quotes J. Shedd at the SCBWI conference, "A ship in harbor is safe. But that is not what ships were built for"#NY14SCBWI

CAtkinson ‏@word_working Feb 23 #NY14SCBWI Nikki Grime: "Young readers deserve great books....and the key to that is patience." #amwriting #writing #kidlit @scbwi

Martha Brockenbrough ‏@mbrockenbrough Feb 23 And scene. Thank you @scbwi people. That was a great conference! Go here for a bit of inspiration: http://scbwiblog.tumblr.com/

Mike Curato ‏@MikeCurato 6h Went on a mad shopping spree in @SCBWI bookstore. Realizing I have no more shelves to put them on! #NY14SCBWI #needprivatelibrary

Raƒe ℙosey ‏@ponyonabalcony 6h @omrinavot @drydenbks Seconded -- what a way to be introduced to SCBWI! *basks in awesomeness of conference*

Katie Kath ‏@kathk_me 6h Waiting for my flight back home from NY, with beautiful SCBWI memories to take back with me #NY14SCBWI #CityLife

Kim Piddington ‏@kim_pid 8h #NY14SCBWI heading home with renewed enthusiasm, oodles of new ideas & a passel of new friends-thank you SCBWI for exceeding my expectations

Richard Due ‏@RichardDue 17h Back from SCBWI in NYC. Great workshops; fantastic panel discussions; very successful intensives. Best conference yet! #SCBWI

Kimberly Marcus ‏@kmarcuswrites 9h Up and writing. .@SCBWIMetroNY .@scbwi #amwriting #inspiration #NY14SCBWI

Happy Idiot ‏@happyidiots 4h @scbwi Thank you for all the amazing work and dedication in creating what is the event I look forward to every year! #takeabow #NY14SCBWI

lily malcom ‏@lil_design 17h Big thanks to the crew behind #NY14SCBWI. So happy to have been a part of it and had a such great time! @scbwi

John Brush ‏@johndbrush 20h Met so many great people this weekend. The @scbwi conference was incredible. Excited to meet more of my @SCBWIMetroNY members soon!

H Knight Richard ‏@hknightrichard Feb 23 so much to love about @scbwi. not only are children's book writers amazing people, they have big hearts. Go to an SCBWI conference!

Ame Dyckman ‏@AmeDyckman 19h Had THE BEST time at #NY14SCBWI! Learned, laughed, loved-hugged EVERYBODY!-& had SO much fun! THX, @scbwi, for another AWESOME Conference!

Lauren(BStBibliop..) ‏@BStBibliophile 18h Gantos made us laugh, @KateMessner made us cry. @JaneYolen was a lyricist Grimes' poems made us sigh. Thank you so much @scbwi! #NY14SCBWI

and the final tweet goes to:

Kimberly Sabatini ‏@KimSabatini Feb 23 Oh yes, 1000+ writers and illustrators are signing Aretha's RESPECT with @KateMessner That's how we roll at @scbwi

A Twitter View Of #LA13SCBWI

The tweets from the 2013 SCBWI Summer Conference are a time capsule of the last four days.  Below I've shared some tweets that jumped out at me.

Even if you're not on twitter, you can check out the the full #la13scbwi stream here, and of course, visit The Official SCBWI Conference Blog for videos, photos, and all the reports from the conference keynotes and sessions!

scbwi @scbwi
Laurie Halse Anderson on the difficulty of writing: "All you have to do is be brave today" @halseanderson #LA13SCBWI

scbwi ‏@scbwi
Gill Evans assures all us storytellers that we will always be needed, regardless of the digital earthquakes in publishing. #LA13SCBWI

Alexandra Little ‏@alex_writing
"Be nice to assistants. They'll hold your career in their hands sooner than you think." - @stevenmalk #LA13SCBWI

Suzanne Del Rizzo ‏@SuzanneDelRizzo
Totally pumped after attending a fantastic talk by @LaurentLinn. I can see why @debbieohi raves about him. #LA13SCBWI

K A T ‏@fKatUsedCharm
#PeterLarangis "middle grade is forever" #LA13SCBWI #writers #author

ann malaspina ‏@writerann
Amazing talk on "setting" by Deborah Halverson.#LA13SCBWI

SCBWI INW ‏@SCBWI_INW
RT @LindaJoySinglet Kirby Lawson advises: "Screw up your courage and tell the story you were meant to tell. #LA13SCBWI

Rana DiOrio ‏@ranadiorio
@826_Valencia is a high-end pirate boutique in the front and a tutoring center in the back. ~ @macburnett #LA13SCBWI

Cynthia ‏@CynthiaSociety
A favorite quote came from Laurie Halse Anderson's keynote: "We are the antidote to the disappointing grown-ups of the world." #LA13SCBWI

Julia Shahin Collard ‏@JuliaCollard
Unexpectedly finding a moment of quiet in the middle of #LA13SCBWI conference's crazy Saturday = priceless. But then I had to tweet abt it.

Martha Brockenbrough ‏@mbrockenbrough
"My goal as a writer is to show moments of grace and dignity of people growing up on the wrong side of the tracks." @mattdelapena #LA13SCBWI

Holly Tucker ‏@history_geek
“@ktubb: "As soon as you start a story, you've started the ending." Editor Melissa Manlove #LA13SCBWI”

Courtney C Stevens ‏@Quartland
"A good writer leaves a question unanswered (at the end) without undoing the story."--Krista Marino on Plot #LA13SCBWI

Christine Alemshah ‏@C_Alemshah
Brainstorming one of my PB's in the lobby at #LA13SCBWI after feeling inspired by @macbarnett and @Jon_Scieszka. And yes there is a battle!

Kathryn Holmes ‏@Kathryn_Holmes
After a breakout session on plot, I am sitting on the hotel balcony looking out over LA, outlining the beats of my novel. Woohoo! #LA13SCBWI

Ginger Clark ‏@Ginger_Clark
SO MANY PENGUINS at the gala tonight! I kept trying to ask them how the merger was going. #la13scbwi

Claudia Pearson ‏@pearsoncrz
#LA13SCBWI Agent panel: We got into this because we love books, not because we thought we would make a lot of money doing this.

 Jessica Love ‏@_JessicaLove
Henry Winkler says, "If you will it, it is not a dream." I LOVE this! #LA13SCBWI

Mandi J. Reed ‏@reed_mandi
Such an amazing experience for a student writer (and anyone else)! Thank you SCBWI! #LA13SCBWI

Kris Anne ‏@KrisAnne74
Lin Oliver signed my books for me earlier. She is so warm and friendly. Thanks Lin! #la13scbwi

Jodi Kendall ‏@Jodi_Kendall
leaving #LA13SCBWI armed with inspiration to create, knowledge on craft, friendships new & old, and the motivation to push forward.

 Lou Ann Barnett ‏@LouannBarnett
 Just warm and glowing....something wonderful about being around people who write for kids! #LA13SCBWI

Laura Purdie Salas ‏@LauraPSalas
Thank you, @scbwi, for donating 500 copies of A LEAF CAN BE... to underserved readers through First Book. So grateful! #LA13SCBWI

Carissa Mina ‏@CarissaMina
#LA13SCBWI was so inspiring! I have a slew of great ideas and was also able to come up with an ending to my PB!

Jaime Temairik ‏@jaimetem
"Intensives are always my favorite part of the conference, I learn so much at them." -- hardest working man in #kidlit @dsantat

Marla Frazee ‏@MarlaFrazee
This world that is #LA13SCBWI is going to be very hard to leave. Favorited by Lisa Yee

Jen Shulman ‏@jenshulman
Leaving #LA13SCBWI with new friends, inspiration, ideas, techniques, tools, and pride.

charlotte huang ‏@charlottexhuang
#LA13SCBWI ended on a very high note. @mattdelapena's intensive was well worth it!

Tracy Bishop ‏@TracyBishopArt
@LauraZarrin I filled up the entire little sketchbook with #LA13SCBWI stuff!

K Sanders ‏@KeikoWrites
FINALLY home to my own bed after a fantastic #LA13SCBWI, can I say how excited I zzzzzz....

A Twitter View of #NY13SCBWI

So many moments are still resonating for me!

Whether you attended or not, there's lots to gain from looking back over the 14th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference through the lens of twitter.

The top re-tweeted tweets are..

Martha Brockenbrough ‏@mbrockenbrough "Always think of your audience. Never think for your audience." - Mo Willems #NY13SCBWI

Kit Grindstaff ‏@kitgrindstaff It's not about getting your book published. It's about what those books can DO ~ J Andrews & EW Hamilton. #whywewriteforkids TY.#ny13SCBWI

Lee Wind ‏@leewind "art is hard work... take the time and look at yourself and enjoy what you do." - Isabel Warren-Lynch at #ny13scbwi

Alex Brown ‏@gravity_fail09 "Overnight success usually means nine years of work beforehand." - Molly O'Neill on comparing other writers' stories to your own #NY13SCBWI

Leila Easa ‏@hypnagogica #NY13SCBWI @molly_oneill favorite advice: "Stop trying to write to the market. Write what's emotionally true to you.

Martha Brockenbrough ‏@mbrockenbrough Mary Brown: What parents will buy for kids is totally different than what schools will buy. @glenrockbooks #NY13SCBWI

Lee Wind ‏@leewind "When I was a teenager, I was exactly the right age to have my life changed by books." -Meg Rosoff #ny13scbwi

Brooks Sherman ‏@byobrooks "A robust independent bookselling community is absolutely crucial." --Jon Fine, dir. of author & publisher relations, Amazon #NY13SCBWI

margot miller ‏@margotmiller "It took me 8 years from the dummy to the time of publishing. Just hang in there. Be tenacious" - Barbara McClintock #NY13SCBWI

Cathy Nolan ‏@cnolanart #NY13SCBWI "Your deep style is the intersection of all the other styles you adopt" Illustrator Shaun Tan

But you can search the entire twitter stream for #ny13scbwi and find lots more wonderful gems, like these:

Jodi Kendall ‏@Jodi_Kendall Mo Willems on picture books: "We're trying to make stories that are going to be read a milliondy billiondy times." #NY13SCBWI

Mimi Cross ‏@mimicross Line for Shaun Tan is not a line but a spiral-- makes sense. #authorbooksigning #NY13SCBWI

 Claudia Pearson ‏@pearsoncrz #NY13SCBWI fabulous conference - can't wait to get home and start writing. Oh wait, I can start now

 Emily Jiang ‏@EmilyJiang I just spent almost 10 minutes fangirling about Julie Andrews to Shaun Tan. He is a very kind and patient listener. #ny13scbwi

 Jessica Lanan ‏@jalanan "We don't write books to be read. We write books to be read a milliondy billiondy times." #MoWillems #NY13SCBWI

 Leila Easa ‏@hypnagogica Shaun Tan: "The action all takes place in the gaps between the pictures and the silence surrounding the page." #NY13SCBWI

 Elena Perez ‏@elenabooks first time attending as a published author is cool, but meeting people who know my work? Superthrill #ny13scbwi

 Martha Brockenbrough ‏@mbrockenbrough SCBWI member Bridget Zinn died two years ago. Her first novel, POISON, comes out next month: http://tinyurl.com/btv2lzr #poison #NY13SCBWI

 Kim Harrington ‏@Kim_Harrington I love this. RT @mbrockenbrough "Fail big if you have to, but go down trying." - Margaret Peterson Haddix #NY13SCBWI

 Genetta Adair ‏@GenettaAdair "Tell the story you've been afraid of." Margaret Peterson Haddix #ny13scbwi

 Stacy Mozer ‏@smozer Jane Yolen: The best thing you can do for your career is to join @scbwi #NY13SCBWI

 Lee Wind ‏@leewind "You won't get fame and fortune if you ignore the deadline." -Tomie dePaola #ny13scbwi

 Emily Jiang ‏@EmilyJiang Editor from Simon Pulse says there are very few books subbed with gay characters and they want more. #ny13scbwi

 Kris Dinnison ‏@krisdinnison "The truths I'm most interested in are the ones that can't be spoken about directly." -Shaun Tan @scbwi #NY13SCBWI Wow

As you can see, it's really easy to get carried away - there are hundreds of tweets, and it's a great resource to get a taste of what happened, remember wonderful moments, and be inspired...

How about you?  Have you blogged about YOUR conference take-aways or experience?  If so, leave us a comment and a link here in comments!

Some Excellent Advice for Kid Lit Writers and Illustrators On Where To Draw The Private/Public Line On Facebook, Twitter and in all Social Media

Jennifer Laughran, an Agent at Andrea Brown Literary, has a fantastic blog post at her "Jennifer Represents..." blog that you need to read: The Fine Art of Zipping it, or XYZ PDQ.  It's about what you should and probably shouldn't share in our new facebook/twitter/online world of social media.   Go read it and pop back so we can chat about it.

I'll wait.


Okay, now that you're back, let's do some self-examination.  Jennifer writes,

"...the tone of my social media reflects the tone of my work."

What's the tone of your facebook posts?  Your tweets?  Your blog?

What about the photos you post on facebook and your profile pictures across social media?  If a picture is worth 1,000 words, what does your profile pic say?

When I get a friend request from someone I don't know, if they're not wearing a shirt in their profile pic (guys or girls), I do not friend them back or accept the request.  No offense meant, but clearly, they're not there for the same reasons I am.

(An extension of this is that in places where you can, send a message with your friending request, explaining the connection, and showing your professional intent.  It's certainly something I appreciate.)

I'm online to be my public, professional self.  To have and contribute to great discussions about kid lit and diversity and ending bullying and GLBTQ equality ...and to gather with like-minded tribe members - writers, illustrators, agents, editors, publishers, art directors, librarians, teachers, parents and teens.

Why are you online?  Who's your audience?

As Jennifer writes with her inimitable wit,

...if you have a public account on which you are promoting your work for children, and you are friending/following readers, teachers, librarians and publishing professionals, use your dang noodle. And not THAT noodle, mister.

Think about it in terms of what Alexandra Penfold, Editor at Paula Wiseman Books at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, suggested in her panel at #NY12SCBWI:

"Google yourself and make sure it's what you want agents and editors to see with your submission."

Wise words.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Twitter Archeology: Layers and Layers of #NY12SCBWI

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 - who tweets as @serendipitylit - 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 is the new YA.” Regina Brooks at #NY12SCBWI” :)

@scbwi Take away from the agent panel: work on those first pages, 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 a book. 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!

In the News This Week

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.

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 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

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.

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 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.

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. 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.