7 Books in 21 Years: Lee's Tips on Getting Published

This week's tips are on Getting Published – things I wish I'd known back when I was starting out, and that I'm happy to pass along to you now.

1) Know your goals and what success is to you.

Is it financial? 

Is it awards?

Is it impact on a single reader?

Is it the most readers?

Is it seeing your book on a bookstore or library shelf?

Is it even about you, or is it more about the stories and/or ideas you want to share?

Being clear on your goals can help you determine the path you want to take with getting published. 

I author-published (a.k.a. self-published) my first YA novel, and while I liked having control (like selecting and hiring the team of professionals who helped me make it awesome) I ultimately wanted that book (Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill) to reach more readers, to empower more young people.

That influenced my decision to not publish myself again, but instead to be published by traditional publishing houses that have full sales team distribution. Accordingly, I've been published by a bunch of independent publishers: Lerner/Zest Books (No Way, They Were Gay? and The Gender Binary is a Big Lie), Levine Querido (Red and Green and Blue and White), Chicago Review Press/Interlude/Duet (A Different Kind of Brave), Reycraft (Love of the Half-Eaten Peach), and now Cardinal Rule Press (Like That Eleanor).

If you want to explore the many different paths to getting published, check out this free resource from IBPA, the Publishing MAP (Models and Author Pathways).

2) Don't "submit" your work. "Offer" it.

Author and poet Lesléa Newman gets the credit for this shift in mental models. I also don't want to "submit" and give up my power. I would much rather "offer" the work to a publisher to see if they want to partner with me on getting that book published and out in the world and into the hands of readers.

For me having a book out on "offer" has been a very healthy switch in how I think about getting my work out into the world.

3) The Big Five are not the only path. There are Indie Presses. And Self-Publishing (or Author-Publishing).

At this point, the general public does not care who published a book. If it is beautifully done and the quality is there and it is professional published, it doesn't matter to them who published it. They are not studying the copyright page.

This is an amazing opportunity.

Librarians and bookstores do care still who published something, so if you're going the smaller indie publisher or author-publisher path, there's a lot more vetting you'll need to do so your book is considered.

4) Publishing yourself is not a short-cut.

Impatience is not a good reason to author-publish (self-publish.) 

Being a publisher is a completely different role from being a writer, and even being a published author. A publisher has so much else to consider and deal with, and while there's a lot of control, you have to control it all...

Be sure it's what you really want to do. And if you do it, do it in the most professional way.

5) Publishing is subjective. Incredibly subjective.

...Meaning it's not a 'failure' if a project hasn't found its publishing home yet.

Case in point: recently, a book project of mine went on offer to an editor at an imprint of a publishing house. They asked for revisions. I revised, and they loved the new proposal/sample chapters. "We're going to acquisitions!" 

Then the musical chairs of publishing stopped the music—as often happens in this industry—and there was a different person who was the new editor of that imprint. 

Same book project. Same imprint. But now my book didn't fit their vision of what they wanted to publish. So that book didn't go to acquisitions after all. 

And now my agent and I need to figure out what would be the right publishing home for that project, and put it out on offer again.

It is all subjective. Don't beat yourself up if the answer is 'no.' Sometimes, it takes a lot of 'no's to get to the right 'yes.'

6) Email etiquette and compassion.

Email sucks.

A few years ago, when agents started saying that they would only respond to pitches when they were interested, there was quite an uproar. It felt unfair, that we were being told to careful craft our pitches and tailor them specifically for a specific agent, and then we might not even hear back! 

Many of us wondered, How was that professional? 

I view that with a LOT more compassion now. In my day job (as Chief Content Officer for the Independent Book Publishers Association) I get between 150-200 emails a day. That is so much to respond to! I do my best, but sometimes it's a few weeks before I respond, rather than a few days. And there are emails that get by me! 

I'm doing my best, but email is an incredibly inefficient means of communication (I also dislike how tone doesn't come through) and it's a lot -- especially when juggling all the other parts of my job.

So I've come to view agents (who get many, many more emails than I) with more compassion about the email situation. They have to prioritize their current clients, the things that are most pressing, and they're squeezing in reviewing offers for representation...

We could all use a bit more compassion when it comes to emails. And if you want some email etiquette tips from a publisher I admire, Brooke Warner rounds some up here.

7) Publishing has two speeds: Glacial and Panic.

You only control what you control, so try to focus on that. 

And while your work is out on offer, or you're waiting for notes back from your editor, or otherwise publishing is making you wait, work on something else. Don't just sit around waiting. 

Put your energies into what you control.

**

I hope these tips have been helpful!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Make Your Book Indistinguishable In Quality to One Published By the Big Five Publishers: A Free Resource

Hello, SCBWI friends!

The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) has a free PDF checklist called The IBPA Industry Standards Checklist for a Professionally Published Book.

It's very helpful two page PDF that can help you make sure that when you publish your own work it is professionally put together and presented--both for industry folks (librarians, booksellers, agents, trade outlets, etc...) and the reading public.

The good news is the reading public doesn't care who published a book. So if you make sure your book is professionally done, you're giving that book the best chance to succeed.

Note: The term "self-publishing" tricks a lot of people into thinking that they just need to learn how to do it all themselves. This is the wrong approach. You need to hire professionals to do a lot of the elements that you can't do at a professional level. (Think about it: If no one is going to pay me to design the cover of their book, then I have no business designing the cover of my book.)

A better term for a creator publishing their own work is "author publisher" - because as a publisher, you're the final say on how professionally put together the book is. You hire the team, you oversee the project, and you're the one who signs off on the version that goes out into the world.

So if you are or want to be an author publisher, this IBPA Checklist for a Professionally Published Book is an excellent resource.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Don't Be An April Fool... Sandra Beckwith Shares "Six Signs to Watch for So You Don’t Become the Victim of a Publishing Predator"

Unfortunately, there are some bad actors in publishing, and they seem to particularly target folks who have published their own books. 

This article by Sandra Beckwith over at Build Book Buzz offers insight and analysis of what a questionable solicitation can look like, and the list at the bottom of Six Signs to Watch for So You Don’t Become the Victim of a Publishing Predator is particularly worth noting.

If you're in doubt, and as Sandra advises, it's always good to check ALLi's self-publishing services rating chart. And ask for some references! Stay safe out there, friends.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

SCBWI Highlights Self-Published Member Titles in July

Each month, SCBWI features books written and illustrated by members. And every month “highlights a new theme that will foster discussions, activities, and enjoyment!” July's focus is self published titles in these categories:

Anthologies
Early/Leveled Readers
Nonfiction
Bilingual/Spanish
Graphic Novels
Picture Books
Chapter Books
Middle Grade
and Young Adult

Check out all the lists here.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Listen to the Latest SCBWI Podcast: A Conversation with Jennifer Vassel

Self-Published Author and Entrepreneur Jennifer Vassel speaks with Theo Baker about her own career journey, and the lessons she learned in her first self-publishing venture that have catapulted her Children’s books to become a self-love and empowerment brand.

Listen to the episode trailer here.

Current SCBWI members can listen to the full episode here (log in first).

Illustrate and Write On,

Lee

26 Authors Share Self-Publishing Wisdom, compiled by BookBub

There's lots of gems in this image-friendly selection of quotes and advice, How to Self-Publish a Book: Tips from Indie Authors, including:

ON SETTING A TARGET AUDIENCE...
"Write the book for one person...Hit a home run with one person and there will be thousands more just like them who will also love your work." —Ernest Dempsey, The Napoleon Affair.

ON PUBLISHING POLISHED WORK
"The absolute best advice I ever received was not to rush to publication, hire top-of-the-line editors, and get more than one proofreader. We have one chance to hook readers, and presentation matters as much as content." —Melissa Foster, This is Love

ON PUBLISHING PRINT EDITIONS
"My tip is to make the editions look like one published by the big five traditional publishers." —Ty Patterson, The Warrior Series

The full post is well-worth reading.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Michelle Morgan wins the 2017 SCBWI Spark Award (Older Readers) for "Flying Through Clouds"

The Award-Winning Book:

The Author:

The Interview:

Lee: Please tell us about Flying Through Clouds.

Michelle: Flying Through Clouds is about a teenage boy's dream of becoming an aviator amid the pressures and hardships of growing up in Australia during the Depression. Themes such as adolescence, survival, loss, family, friendship, truth and gambling resonate with readers. With a compelling mix of drama, adventure and humour, Flying Through Clouds appeals to teens and the young at heart.

Lee: How is this book non-traditionally published, and can you share the decision process behind taking this path?

Michelle: I am the author and publisher of Flying Through Clouds, and managed the entire publishing process myself. After attending a weekend workshop on self-publishing at the NSW Writers’ Centre in 2016, I was so impressed by the speakers and their clear practical advice that I came away determined to publish Flying through Clouds. The day after the workshop I developed a publishing plan and bought ISBNs.

Because my first novel, Racing the Moon, was traditionally published I wanted Flying Through Clouds to be of comparable quality. I engaged a structural editor, copyeditor, and proofreader at different stages of the publishing process and commissioned a cover designer to design the cover and layout of the book. I obtained quotes for printing and negotiated with a distributor to distribute Flying Through Clouds in Australia. I did all the publicity and marketing myself, which involved a book tour, blog tour, social media engagement, seeking reviews, writing articles, doing interviews, sending numerous emails, running writing workshops and participating in other literary events. I published the eBook of Flying Through Clouds simultaneously on Amazon Kindle and three months later made it available in other eBook formats. I also published Flying Through Clouds in paperback on Amazon to facilitate distribution to international readers.

Lee: What was (or is) the biggest challenge of publishing in this non-traditional way?

Michelle: The biggest challenges were the time-consuming tasks of editing and marketing /publicity. Editing a manuscript is challenging whatever route you take to publishing. So I guess my biggest challenge of publishing independently was the enormous task of marketing and publicity. Prior to proofreading and the final printing of Flying Through Clouds, I had one hundred plain cover review copies printed to send to potential reviewers, distributors, and selected bookshops. I also sent copies to other authors who write in a similar genre and whose work and opinions I value. I was fortunate in obtaining two endorsements that I included on the cover and front page of Flying Through Clouds. To launch Flying Through Clouds, I arranged a book tour with events in bookshops, libraries, an art gallery, and a museum. I also prepared the content for a blog tour, which involved articles and interviews posted on a series of kids’ lit and author blogs. More articles, media interviews, and literary events followed, and I also entered Flying Through Clouds in award contests such as the SCBWI Spark Award.

Lee: What’s the greatest benefit?

Michelle: The greatest benefit of independent publishing has been the immense satisfaction and level of control over the publishing process. It was very satisfying to have direct contact with all editors and be able to choose the cover design myself from the four concepts presented by the cover and layout artist. I have learnt a lot about publishing and marketing, much more than I did with my first book, which was traditionally published. To date, I have earned enough from sales of Flying Through Clouds to cover publishing costs. It is gratifying to find so many people and organisations willing to help you publish your book – Writers’ Centres, professional organisations such as SCBWI, self-publishing websites such as the Creative Penn, Createspace, Amazon, Smashwords as well as bloggers and other authors. I’m really glad I had the courage to publish my book as well as write it.

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

Michelle: I’d recommend independent publishing of print books for authors who have the time to devote themselves full-time to the publishing process and who can afford the up-front costs of professional editing, cover art, layout and printing to produce a quality book.

Lee: Thank you, Michelle, and again—Congratulations!

Michelle: Thank you so much for the opportunity.

You can learn more about Michelle and Flying Through Clouds at her website here.

Have you self-published a children's or YA book? Hannah Holt is collecting survey data!

Once again, Hannah Holt is putting some real-world numbers to this writing and illustrating for children and teen career thing we're all doing. Her previous results were fascinating, and now, she's collecting data on self-published authors of children's and teen books.

You can take the anonymous survey here.

Thanks for participating, and thanks to Hannah for doing this work to help us all calibrate our vision of our career with the reality of what's happening for our peers. Why is this important? I strongly believe that:

An informed creator is an empowered creator.

You can find Hannah at her website and also on twitter.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Hugh Howey's empassioned argument for Amazon and self-publishing

In this Digital Book World interview by Daniel Berkowitz, successful self-published author Hugh Howey makes some fascinating points talking up the pros of self-publishing, like

"There’s a good route here for a livable wage if you can write entertaining stories and really pour energy into doing it right." 

and the cons of traditional publishing, like

"Publishers need to rebrand from the ground up. Get rid of ancient imprints that readers don’t care about. Stop paying seven- and eight-figure advances to people who are already millionaires, and instead pay more up-and-coming authors a livable wage."

Here's a highlight of their exchange:

Daniel: There’s some talk lately about Amazon being a monopoly or monopsony and the negative effects its share of the market has on the flourishing of literature. In your opinion, how worried should we be?

Hugh: I think the motives here are no secret, and they have historical precedent. When those who can’t compete on the open market realize this, they appeal to the public for sympathy and to the courts for protection. There are two very strident campaigns going on here, and both are ethically bankrupt.

Amazon has vastly increased the access to books. They have also vastly increased every author’s access to the market. They are lowering prices for consumers and increasing pay to producers. They are able to do this by operating very efficiently and by pouring all their earnings back into their business divisions.

What’s really Orwellian about these monopoly complaints isn’t just that Amazon is doing the opposite of what they’re being accused of; it’s that major publishers are the ones who have enjoyed a collaborative monopoly for many years and have used the lack of competition to calcify the reading experience, overcharge for their wares and underpay for work.

For a very long time, most aspiring writers had no hope of expressing themselves and having access to consumers. Amazon almost single handedly changed that. For an equally long time, many lower income and small-town readers have not had access to enough affordable books. Amazon almost single-handedly changed that.

Even better, Amazon is now hurting the big-box brick and mortar stores that decimated indie bookshops. Indie bookstores are making a comeback, and it’s largely because Amazon cleared out the wolves that were winnowing their kind. Those bookstores offer a shopping experience Amazon.com can’t emulate, so the two can exist in harmony. But there’s no doubting the positive effect Amazon has had on their numbers. Shoppers are showing they will support both.

So Amazon has been great for readers, writers and small bookstores. That leaves noncompetitive middlemen and the authors who were enriched by their system to complain. To be simultaneously pro-books and anti-Amazon requires some truly impressive mental gymnastics from anyone else.

It's a thought-provoking interview and well worth reading.

Illustrate and Write On, 
Lee

Class Clown Academy: SCBWI's President Self-Publishes his latest book (after more than 60 traditionally published titles!)

Author Stephen Mooser

Stephen Mooser has written both stand-alone books (like his first published title, 101 Black Cats (Scholastic), Orphan Jeb at the Massacree (Knopf) and Shadows on the Graveyard Trail (Dell Yearling); series, including The Treasure Hounds (Troll), The Creepy Creature Club (Dell), The All-Star Meatballs (Dell) and Goofball Malone, Ace Detective (Penguin); and also nonfiction books about the weird and strange, including The Unknown: Nine Astounding Stories (Lippincott) and The Man Who Ate A Car and Tons of Other Weird True Stories (Dell).

A co-founder of the SCBWI, Steve has had over 60 books for children and young readers traditionally published.

His latest book is Class Clown Academy, and it's one that he chose to self-publish.

This news was so unexpected (and fascinating) that I had to find out more. Here's my interview with Stephen...

Lee: Hi Steve!

Steve: Hi back

Lee: So, you've traditionally published something over 60 books for young readers, and now, you're doing something different - self publishing?

Steve: Yes, the last book I wrote, Class Clown Academy, a Wayside School type format failed to sell for a number of reasons. Normally I would not have considered self publishing but I believed in this book and also believed it had certain aspects that lent itself to self publishing

Lee: Okay, so you have a book you really believe in that isn't getting traction the traditional route. What were the factors that made you decide to self-publish rather than continue to try the traditional publishers?

Steve: We had tried all the traditional publishers. 3 agents had tried. What made the book special was that it lent itself to becoming a virtual school. Over 3 years my team built the school www.classclownacademy. The school will drive people to the book, which is available in the student store.

Lee: So it's a website that's a virtual school, and in the school bookstore readers can buy your book?

Steve: Yes, and yes. They can also buy hats and bumper stickers and much more. Now my job-a huge one - is to drive people to the site!

Lee: I spent some time on the site this morning, reading in the library about how to tell a joke... (and laughing at the movie "Farts and You" that was screening in the CCA Theater.) Did you envision the project being MORE than a book when you were originally going out to publishers, or was the expanded universe of the story something that came about as you plotted how to successfully self-publish the book?

Steve: I thought of the school early on, but I didn't envision so much the cost or the time. But I had a great team, a book editor and formatter, programmer and artist and once I started I wanted to finish.

Lee: so, really, you didn't so much as self-publish a book as become a self-producer of an online website and a book - you had to hire that team, right?

Steve: Yes. Here is the thing about self-publishing. First you have to have a good product and believe in it. Then you have to think about how to sell it. You are now a small business and basically on your own. It is a big risk, but doing it right gives you a chance to reach a readership.

Lee: It used to be that self-publishing was viewed as the realm of the impatient, the "easy" way to get published. You're not making it sound easy.

Steve: It is not easy but then selling a book to a traditional publisher is not easy either. There are thousands of talented people you are competing against. Amazon has something like 3 million unique titles on its site. How can anyone find your book. And then want to buy it? Most projects fail badly. Mine might too, but. And I say this often. Where Digital Books are going no one knows but wherever it is heading we are all in on the ground floor.

Lee: Now the perception of self-published books and the 'stigma' they might have had 10 years ago, that seems to have changed, hasn't it?

Steve: Yes, it has changed. More and more people are self-publishing. But, again, I can't emphasize enough you need to do a professional job and put out a book that can compete with traditionally published books. As an aside there are some areas where it makes sense to do a limited edition. Books, for instance on something like autism where there is a need and you can target the audience have had success

Lee: Sort of niche-self-publishing

Steve: Sure, I have talked to many people who did books because they saw a need and filled it. For the most part self-publishers should do Print on Demand so as to keep costs down and just print as orders come in

Lee: that way your car trunk (and/or garage) aren't filled with books you haven't sold yet!

Steve: Yes, don't carry inventory. Also, the people that will do large print runs are often rip-offs. Always look at Preditors and editors before giving anyone your money.

Lee: Good advice. So how do you set your expectations when you're self-publishing... How do you keep the stories of the Amanda Hockings and Christopher Paolinis and their superstar level of success from taking over?

Steve: Good question. There is nothing wrong with dreaming. It is why we are writers. But don't embark on self-publishing without setting a budget and believing the possibility of losing it all. Start before investing anything by thinking long and hard about "how will I sell this?"

Lee: Yeah, sending a notice out to all your facebook friends is a one-time thing, and not a marketing plan. No one wants to get two announcements that you have a new book out!

Steve: Right. Having someone with a million followers tweet your book will probably sell less than 50 books because that's not your audience. You have to be creative and, again, have a great product. As I said Amazon has millions of books. But I built a website. Well, there are now over a billion websites. It's a hard climb but there are steps along the way if you are willing to look for them

Lee: Well, I imagine a lot of those steps of being 'discovered' are the same dance, whether you are traditionally or self-published.

Steve: Exactly

Lee: Like pitching your book...

Steve: Of course. And when it comes to making the sales the marketing departments of traditional publishers are relying more and more on the authors anyway

Lee: Okay... So, pitch us "Class Clown Academy!"

Steve: If you are 6-10 years old, or have the mind of one--as I do-- then you will find lots to do at the Academy. At the end of the day you can go back to the principals office and print out your diploma, as I did, and become A Master of FineFarts. And if you like the school I promise you you will love the book

Lee: So that's really pitching the website... is your main strategy that playing there will lead to book sales?

Steve: Yes, I do visits and conferences and sell copies, but I'm counting on the website to bring notice. Also, putting out a book, or a website is opening yourself to many possibilities. Will some father in the film business look over his kid's shoulder and think that might be a good title for a film or animated series. Or would someone want to buy the site and add it to their own multi-game site. As I said dreaming is part of the fun of any project. And I know since I used to be a treasure hunter

Lee: Ha! I loved learning about your 'treasure hunter' past in your bio! So, for your next book, would you consider self-publishing again, or would you take it the traditional route? Or is it too soon to say?

Steve: I would not do this again unless I had a way to market it in advance. I am working on a sequel to the book Class Clown Academy Summer School, but will just fold it into the site

Lee: I hope you find treasure there! Thanks so much, Steve!

Steve: Thank you.

* * *

And that's our interview. You can check out the Class Clown Academy website here, and Steve's website here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

SCBWI's Newest Award Is For Independently Published Writers and Illustrators

The SPARK Award is a new annual award that will recognize "excellence in a children’s book published through a non-traditional publishing route."

One winner and one honor book will be chosen by a panel of industry professionals and will focus on quality of writing and concept, quality of illustrations (if applicable), professional presentation, and editing and design.

As the publishing industry evolves into the future, Lin and Steve believe that

"...it is time that SCBWI recognize that there are new models for publishing. The Spark Award is one way we can reward those authors and illustrators who are pursuing independent and self-publishing in a legitimate and high quality way." 

The prize is pretty sweet...

"The winner will receive a Spark seal to display on their book, a commemorative plaque, have their book featured in the SCBWI online bookstore and marketed on SCBWI social networking sites, and receive the opportunity to sell their book at the SCBWI Summer or Winter Conference in Los Angeles or New York."

For more details on the new SPARK Award, go here.

And make sure to check out all the amazing awards and grants SCBWI offers its members!

Illustrate and Write On (and apply for some of these amazing awards and grants!), 
Lee

Simon & Schuster Joins Other Major Trade Publishers Offering Self-Publishing Services

As Traditional publishers try to figure out the future, and more books are being self-published than ever before, comes this news as reported on Publisher's Lunch and in Publisher's Weekly:

"Simon & Schuster is joining other publishers such as Thomas Nelson and Harlequin in pairing with Author Solutions--now owned by Penguin/Pearson--to offer its own self-publishing service. (Now that Nelson is owned by HarperCollins, that connects ASI to three of the largest trade publishers.)

The service, operated by ASI under license, brings back the old Archway brand and will be known as Archway Publishing. (Archway was an S&S line of young adult paperbacks, which published lines including Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys.)

Like the other publisher co-branded ASI offerings, Archway Publishing offers self-published authors premium-priced packages that start at $1,999 (and $1,599 for children's book authors) and reach up to $25,000.  (Nelson's West Bow Press packages start at $999; Harlequin's Dellarte's services start at $599. Other publishing partners include Hay House, Writer's Digest, and Guideposts.) 

And in a nod to the ongoing clout of being Traditionally published:

"As with the other publisher-affiliated lines, Archway dangles the prospect that ASI "will alert Simon & Schuster to Archway Publishing titles that perform well in the market."

S&S CEO Carolyn Reidy said in the press release:

"Through Archway Publishing, Simon & Schuster is pleased to be part of the rapidly expanding self-publishing segment of our industry.... We're excited that we'll be able to help more authors find their own path to publication and at the same time create a more direct connection to those self-published authors ready to make the leap to traditional publishing."

Fascinating times we're writing and illustrating in!

Lee

Business: Agencies Helping Clients Self-Publish E-books

Via Publishers Lunch comes this news from Nelson Literary Agency, the latest literary agency coming up with "ways to help their clients self-publish" or, in the language of the agency, answering the question: "what is an agent to do if clients want assistance making backlist titles available in eFormat?"

Their Digital Liason Platform, according to Kristin Nelson, lets clients "self-publish their content within a supported environment." It differs from a publishing house model in that "our clients maintain full control of their titles. They are not granting them to us. They have full say on covers, editing, pricing, etc. The program is voluntary so if they want to participate on our DLP, they can, but they are also welcome to handle their backlist themselves."

NLA offers a full-service and distribution-only option, with authors asked to commit to a two-year term of license on the full-service model "since we undergo all the expense and that would be rather uncool for a client to let us do that and then pull the title a month later." In the full-service model, the agency handles the file conversions; connects clients with designers, copyeditors, publicists; distributes through all venues; and "uses our individual leverage with all the venues to promote."

Interesting to see how so many aspects of our kid lit industry are changing.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

In the News This Week

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.

In the News The 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.

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.”