What Courage Looks Like: Maggie Tokuda-Hall Calls Out Scholastic's Offer To License Her Picture Book "Love in the Library" But Only If Maggie Would Edit Out the Reference to Racism in the Author's Note

Maggie Tokuda-Hall, photo by Red Scott

So here's the scoop: Maggie Tokuda-Hall wrote a picture book (published in 2022 by Candlewick) telling the story of her grandparents meeting and falling in love while imprisoned in the US Internment Camps during WWII -- Love in the Library is beautifully told, and the author's note puts it in the context of America's historic and current racism.

This month, Maggie got an offer that Scholastic wanted to license her book for their educational division, but the offer was contingent on Maggie editing out the references to racism in her author's note.

Maggie said no, and even more powerfully, went public on April 11, 2023 with what happened in a blog post, Scholastic, and a Faustian Bargain.

In that piece, Maggie explained:

“They wanted to take this book and repackage it so that it was just a simple love story. Nothing more. Not anything that might offend those book banners in what they called this “politically sensitive” moment. The irony of curating a collection tentatively titled Rising Voices: Amplifying AANHPI Narratives with one hand while demanding that I strangle my own voice with the other was, to me, the perfect encapsulation of what publishing, our dubious white ally, does so often to marginalized creators. They want the credibility of our identities, want to market our biographies. They want to sell our suffering, smoothed down and made palatable to the white readers they prioritize. To assuage white guilt with stories that promise to make them better people, while never threatening them, not even with discomfort. They have no investment in our voices. Always, our voices are  the first sacrifice at the altar of marketability.”

What happened got a lot of traction on social media, and an article in Publishers Weekly, and three days after being publicly called out on their cowardice, Scholastic President and CEO Peter Warwick issued this apology.

I want to acknowledge the incredible courage it took for Maggie to say no, and to speak up. To raise her voice and say with such eloquence that this isn't okay. Read her full account of what happened, and the risk she felt speaking up, here.

This is how change happens, when people take the risk to call out injustice. 

I'm inspired, and I hope Love in the Library sells a million more copies -- with Maggie's author's note intact.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Innovations In Book Marketing: Bill Konigsberg's Free Short Story That Bridges His Novel and Its Sequel

I thought this was a really cool approach, so I reached out to Bill to learn more.

Lee: Your novel “Openly Straight” published a few years ago to a lot of acclaim. Now you have a sequel coming out March 28, “Honestly Ben.” Tell us about the short story you wrote that bridges the novels.

Bill: "Openly, Honestly" was my editor's idea, but as soon as she said it, I thought it was brilliant. The basic concept was to bridge "Openly Straight," which is told in Rafe's point of view, to "Honestly Ben," which is told from the point of view of his love interest, Ben. She gave me free reign to figure out what the story was, and I immediately knew I wanted it to be multi-perspective--alternating between Rafe and Ben. Then I had the idea that I wanted whatever Rafe was doing in Boulder, Colorado, to relate in an odd way to what Ben is doing at his home in New Hampshire over Christmas break. My first idea was that Rafe and his friend would dress a soldier statue as a goat, while, on the very same day, Ben and his brother would be dressing a pet goat on their farm as a soldier. That didn't pan out, but something that satisfied my desire to have them feel psychically connected as they pine for each other did.

Lee: Was it conceptualized as a marketing idea - something to give away for free that would spark interest in both novels?

Bill: It was, I suppose. It's been four years since "Openly Straight" came out, and while the book has lots of huge fans, there are just as many if not more people who read it and liked it but don't remember it that well anymore. And more who simply don't know the book. This was a way to get new fans acclimated to Rafe, and old fans ready to hear from Ben.

Lee: Did it go through an editing process like the books?

Bill: It did. Scholastic (my publisher) is nothing if not super-professional. I'm pleased with how it came together for sure. It's funny and there are touching moments. It was so much fun to write in Rafe's voice again. He's so funny, and in a totally different way than Ben is.

Lee: How does this differ from offering a free excerpt of a novel (which I see you’ll also be doing with “Honestly Ben”)?

Bill: It's pretty similar, I suppose. For me as an author, it's far more work intensive, but it was truly a labor of love. I truly love these characters. In fact, who knows? Maybe if this book is as successful as the first, we'll make it a trilogy!

Lee: Any lessons you’ve learned from getting word out about your books that you can share with SCBWI members and readers?

Bill: I never want to sound negative, but I will say that it's incredibly challenging to get people's attention. To do any sort of campaign that "moves the dial" in any significant way has been tricky if not impossible. The thing I've done that has worked the best is to write a book in "Openly Straight" that creates word of mouth. It's four years after its release, and it is still selling because fans are telling their friends. And I don't say this to toot my own horn; my novels "The Porcupine of Truth" and "Out of the Pocket" have failed to get this level of attention, and I think in part that's because they don't have the same kind of great elevator pitch that "Openly Straight" has. And a good, catchy title. That helps, too.

Thanks so much, Bill and congrats on the new book!

Bill Konigsberg is the award-winning author of three novels. The Porcupine of Truth won the PEN Center USA Literary Award and the Stonewall Book Award in 2016. Openly Straight won the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor in 2014, and Out of the Pocket won the Lambda Literary Award in 2009. When not writing, Bill teaches in the Your Novel Year online certificate program at the Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University. He lives in Chandler with his husband, Chuck, and their dogs, Mabel and Buford.

What Kids Want In Books... Scholastic's 2015 Reading Report Teaser

The Kids & Family Reading Report is a national survey of children ages 6–17 and their parents exploring attitudes and behaviors around reading books for fun.

All the numbers are really interesting, but what stunned me was:

73% of kids ages 6-17 say "I would read more if I could find more books that I like."

There's opportunity there, for librarians, teachers, parents, bloggers, and yes, especially for those of us who illustrate and writer works for children and teens!

You can read more about the study's methodology here. And Thanks to Darcy Pattison for sharing the infographic.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

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.

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Editors & Agents on Interacting With Them

 

SCBWI's Annual Winter Conference in New York is just few days away! I fly to York today to attend Digital Book World previous to the SCBWI event. Look for my tweets with the #DBW hashtag. And, starting Friday, follow the conference live via SCBWI TEAM BLOG's post on The Official SCBWI Conference Blog and on twitter via #NY11SCBWI. 

 

Since I've finished over-packing, I have time to bring you one last pre-conference interview roundup with a group of editors and agents.

 

Today's topic: INTERACTING

Editors KRISTA MARINO (Delacorte), FRANCESCO SEDITA (Penguin), and KATE SULLIVAN (Little, Brown); and agents KERRY SPARKS (Levine/Greenberg) and MARY KOLE (Andrea Brown) are participating in the Writers' Intensive that kicks off the weekend of conferencing.

I asked this group to offer some advice on interacting with them in a conference setting. We've all heard stories about manuscripts being thrust under bathroom stalls and other inappropriate behavior. Below, our publishing professionals talk about what makes a good impression--including being yourself, not being too aggressive, and being memorable (in a good way). I also asked them why they attend conferences.

What's your advice on interacting with editors and agents during a conference?

KRISTA MARINO: Conferences can be overwhelming for everyone, even editors. At this conference we’re here prepared to critique not acquire. Cornering an editor and pitching your book idea will only make them less eager to work with you. They can’t lug home manuscripts and they can’t really have a spur-of-the-moment conversation about your work with you.

FRANCESCO SEDITA: When you go on "Wheel of Fortune," you are super-psyched to meet Pat and Vanna. You want to make the most of your letter choices. But Pat and Vanna have nothing to do with whether or not there's an "L" in the puzzle. Think of the editors like Pat and Ms. White. Yes, they may love your project, they may help you with it, they may even want to publish it someday but that doesn't mean you're going to say "L" when that's what their publishing puzzle requires. You spin the wheel and you hope for the best...I'll take a D, Pat. (P.S. My friends and I are obsessed with the BEFORE AND AFTER puzzles. We text them to one another all the time. Please stop me if you see me and give me a few good ones. Tina Turner Movie Classics. White House Music All Night Long. Jimmy Cagney and Lacey. Facts of Life Cereal.)

KATE SULLIVAN: Be memorable. But of course, be memorable for a good thing. You want an editor, if they ever see your stuff down the line, to say, “Oh, that’s the woman who had everyone cracking up at her honesty” or “I remember this guy. He gave the most thoughtful and constructive comments.” Obviously, this can backfire if we remember you for forgetting your please and thank yous, dressing in a costume made of foam, or sending increasingly large giftbaskets every time you ask for a status update on your submission.

KERRY SPARKS: Be your natural self--we are just people like everyone else! And remember that we really want your work to be great and we need writers in order to do our jobs. So it’s not an Us against Them sort of situation. Don’t bombard us with your pitch, but rather kindly ask is we are open to receiving submissions.

MARY KOLE: Be relaxed and try to smile when you're approaching an agent or just seeing one in the elevator. Don't come and aggressively start pitching. Read the situation. If people are hanging out and chatting, go with the flow of the situation and make normal conversation with an agent or editor. If the moment feels right, you can pitch (keep it really brief, though), or you can just make a strong connection and offer to send the agent a writing sample and query later. Not every agent encounter at a conference has to be a pitch...it's often enough to have a great conversation and then remind the agent later that you met them!

>>> For a little more on the topic, check out this helpful post from Dystel & Goderich VP/Agent Michael Bourret, who offered some advice after attending an SCBWI regional conference. 

What do you get out of attending conferences? 

KRISTA: At this particular conference I not only get to see new work, but I get to actually meet the author and see how he/she accepts criticism. Editorial direction and criticism is such an big part of the publishing process and it’s invaluable to an editor to actually get to participate in it in person. Aggressive, abrasive behavior will turn me away from even the most promising manuscript.

FRANCESCO: Laughs. A good time. And a chance to like go to a high school reunion sorta, without all those pesky gym class memories. And, really, a chance to bat my eyelashes at Lin. Love that lady. Steve's pretty cute, too.

KATE: Reconnecting with the beginning of the process, more than anything: It gives me perspective. I’ve also made great friends, and often learned something from those I’m there to teach.

KERRY: Hopefully, I get some new talented clients with great projects! And I also get to see editors and meet new editors which is a big part of my job.

MARY:  I love interacting with writers, hearing ideas, and getting a chance to give a talk or address a crowd on a panel. I'm a teacher at heart, so I really do enjoy being helpful, whether it's with feedback on a pitch or answering a question during Q&A. Conferences are also great places to interact with SCBWI RA's and volunteers, authors, other agents, and editors. Not only do we meet writers, but we can network and have lots of fun with the faculty! Some of my best friendships, with writers and other kidlit professionals, have been forged at conferences!

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Advice on Critiques From Editors & Agents

SCBWI's Annual Winter Conference in New York is just eleven days away! If you're attending, you may be planning your outfits and your evening activities in the city (which you certainly should), but you should also be thinking about how to make the most of the event. So I checked in with a few of the editors and agents participating in the conference to ask for some advice to pass on to you.

Today's topic: CRITIQUES

Editors Krista Marino (Delacorte), Franceso Sedita (Penguin) and Jennifer Rees (Scholastic) and agents Kerry Sparks (Levine/Greenberg) and Kary Kole (Andrea Brown) are participating in the Writers' Intensive that kicks off the weekend of conferencing. At this day-long event, writers have the opportunity to get feedback on a manuscript from a several editors and agents, and writers offer feedback to one another.  

Intensives have limited space for writers and this year's Writers' Intensive (as usual) sold out super fast. But even if you aren't attending it, you probably have been or will be in a critique situation, whether at a conference with an editor or agent, one-on-one with a critique partner, or in a critique group setting. Here are some things to keep in mind offered by our group of industry insiders.

What's your best advice for writers regarding making the most of a manuscript critique?

KRISTA MARINO: I think that sometimes writers use critique time to “defend” their work or pitch their idea instead of to hear what people took away when they read the piece. Writers need to remember that they won’t be standing next to a reader as their book is being read to defend a decision. And we don’t need you to tell us the market or how your work has a readership. It’s our job to know these things. Always keep in mind that editors and agents want to work with writers who are open to suggestions, not writers who think their work is already done. Act appropriately.

FRANCESCO SEDITA: Do it because you love it. Go in with an open mind and just take it all in. Don't worry about what is said; it's all for you to take in and digest. It's very hard to hear criticism when the pressure is high. It's hard to keep the "Wait, I didn't win the Oscar face?" on when some bonehead is telling you that your project isn't right for whatever reason. Breathe.

JENNIFER REES: I encourage writers to really listen to what everyone is saying--whether you agree with it or not. For a moment, set aside what you think you know about your story and listen to what others tell you. And take lots of notes! Then you can go home, sort through everything with an open mind, and choose what you want to listen to and what is best to dismiss.

KERRY SPARKS: I think coming prepared to hear criticism is key and being open to really hear what people are saying. But also being strong enough in your work to knowwhat you can and can’t change.

MARY KOLE: Try not to be overwhelmed or respond emotionally. If you're in a critique situation, take the feedback that's being offered to you and make sure to ask specific questions or for clarification. Critiques often feel like they fly by...don't pass up a chance to really nail down your personal feedback with the person who read your sample. You should also ask for ideas on next steps: What should you do next? How can you grow and evolve from this point forward?


What's your best advice for writers regarding offering criticism of other writers' work?

KRISTA: Always remember to treat people the way you would like to be treated. If you have criticism, offer a compliment as well. And make your criticism constructive. “That’s horrible” or “I hate horses” isn’t helpful to anyone.

FRANCESCO: Don't speak because everyone else has. Um, that's sort of my advice in life. But it's really important here because then you just say something dumb and dumb sometimes leads to inadvertent mean and mean leads to someone crying and crying just brings everyone down, people.   Nobody needs that. Speak from your heart--as a reader, a writer, and a person who is just as crazy about and committed to their craft as the person you're addressing.

JENNIFER: My advice is to speak up! Some writers clam up because there is an editor sitting there and they don’t want to look foolish, but if you can be generous enough to share your insights into another writer’s work with the whole group, then chances are that they’ll do the same for you when your time arrives!

 

KERRY: Offer criticism by first finding a way to compliment the work. There is almost always at least a few good aspects to any work, so starting off with that and then leading into what might not quite work will soften the blow. Also, really offering a solid suggestion of an action step the writer can take to improve it is really helpful.

MARY: It is crucial to learn how to critique the work of others. That keen editorial eye that you develop when you're critiquing will, one day, filter down to how you look at your own work. When you're critiquing, avoid emotional and unhelpful reactions to material, like "I didn't like it" or "that sucked." If you have something like this on the tip of your tongue, try and think why you may be having an issue with the piece. It's much more helpful for a fellow writer to hear something like, "The pacing of this scene is slow, so I found myself skimming. Maybe there's too much description going on between dialogue exchanges," or whatever. Also, you can throw out ideas and suggestions, but don't take the wheel and prescribe what a writer should do. Just give them feedback. Addressing it is their job.

You'll hear from this generous group of editors and agents again soon. In the meantime, you can still register for the Annual Winter Conference. Click here for information.

And remember, check out the Official SCBWI Conference Blog for live coverage of the event by SCBWI TEAM BLOG.

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.

This week's news includes two in-case-you-live-under-a-rock stories---one on Amazon's removal of a pedophile guide (they listened to the Twitter uproar), and another on a career shift for agent Nathan Bransford. Also a few best books lists, ebook in New York Times, NYT on interactive books (minus the E), a new publisher at Scholastic, two ebook devices aimed at kids, and more. Also a count/counterpoint pieces on NaNoWriMo--which are slightly over a week old, but I gave you no news last week during my vacation, so enjoy them now, and keep at it, NaNo-ers!


'Pedophile's Guide' Removed from Amazon (GalleyCat)

The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure, a controversial title that generated boycott threats on Amazon yesterday, has been removed. The old link now opens the image embedded above. The Today Show covered the story this morning. The author, Phillip R Greaves 2nd, spoke to reporters during the segment, adding: "Everytime you see them on television, they're either rapists or kidnappers. It's not accurate of that particular sexuality." BNet and TechCrunch have both written about the removal.

PW's Best Children's Books 2010 (PW)
Shark vs. Train
Chris Barton, illus. by Tom Lichtenheld (Little, Brown)
This is one of those elementally brilliant ideas that evokes a "Why didn't I think of that?" response. By pitting a cartoon train and shark against each other in a series of increasingly ludicrous challenges (the train's heft is a liability in a hot air balloon race, but very effective on a seesaw), Barton and Lichtenheld tap into kids' innate ability to turn anything, anything into a competition.

Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2010 (NYT)

Annually since 1952, the Book Review has asked a panel of judges to select 10 winners from among the several thousand children’s books published during the year. The judges this time around were Robert Sabuda, a co-creator of the best-selling “Encyclopedia Prehistorica” series and twice the recipient of a Times Best Illustrated award; Elizabeth Bird, a children’s librarian with the New York Public Library, whose first picture book, “Giant Dance Party,” is due out next year; and David Barringer, a novelist and designer who is the author of “There’s Nothing Funny About Design.” —The Editors

Interactive Books (‘E’ Not Included) (NYT)
Years ago, I was a supporter of a new literary movement, one that uprooted the traditional tenets of narrative in modern fiction: Choose Your Own Adventure. The books in that series, which first appeared in 1979, did so much more than simply tell a tale: by offering the reader choices at critical junctures, each one gave a rapt fourth grader like me the opportunity to shape the story. (If you decide to use turbo boost, turn to Page 48. If you decide to use shields, turn to Page 50.)

Benton Named Scholastic Trade Publisher (PW)
Lori Benton, whose career in children’s publishing includes a long run at Harcourt’s children’s division where she rose to v-p and publisher, has been named v-p and publisher for the Scholastic Trade Publishing division. In her new role, which begins January 3, Benton will oversee direction of the publishing program for all imprints. She succeeds Suzanne Murphy, who moved to Disney Publishing in June, and will report to Ellie Berger, president of Scholastic Trade Publishing.

Public Libraries by Design: Creating teen-friendly spaces with a gaming area (SLJ)
Library design and services frequently include welcoming spaces for teens. Why should a designated place for teens be considered? According to Kimberly Bolan, author of Teen Spaces: The Step-by-Step Library Makeover (American Library Association, 2009), it builds positive, safe environments for studying, socializing, and leisure activities; encourages community involvement and library appreciation; expands the library’s customer base; and is an effective way to market the library and draw teens to other services the library offers.

Social Books Hopes to Make E-Reading Communal (NYT)
Outside of a book club, reading a book is a pretty solitary affair. Two entrepreneurs, Jason Johnson and Jason Illian, are trying to change that with a new mobile application called Social Books. "Short-form content on the Web is very interactive, very dynamic," Mr. Johnson said. “You can see which of your friends read the same article and what they thought of it. It made us ask, 'Can this be applied to long-form content? Can we take the advent of social media and apply it to the way we read books on tablets?'"

E-Books to Join The New York Times Best-Seller List – NYTimes.com (WIRED)
he New York Times will begin reporting the best selling e-books in new fiction and non-fiction lists early next year, the newspaper reports. The Times has published best-seller lists since 1935 and they have been a significant driver of book sales for decades. Bricks-and-mortar stores post the list and, space permitting, section off these titles outside the fiction and non-fictions aisles as close to the cash registers as is humanly possible. The same has become true with advent of e-book stores, where lists and search are key entry points, and browsing is somewhat more problematic. So expect these lists to be a boon to e-book merchants on day one.
 
eBook Sales To Grow To $2.8 Billion In 2015 (eBook Newser)
eBook sales in the U.S. will grow from just less than $1 billion in 2010 to more than $2.8 billion in 2015, according to a new report from Forrester Research. The study found that the digital publishing category has more than doubled from 3.7 million users in the US at year-end 2009 to more than 10.3 million a year later.

Barnes & Noble Pushing Nook Color To Kids In Test Stores (eBook Newswer)
Looking to reach families, Barnes & Noble is expanding the Toys & Games departments in its stores nationwide and is testing new children’s play spaces in five test stores. The playrooms will be a great gateway drug to get kids hooked on the upcoming Nook Color, as the playrooms will be stocked with the devices.

Fable maker to target youth e-book market (Boston Globe)

Amazon.com is making a fortune selling electronic books, presumably to adults. Now, Concord start-up company Isabella Products Inc. and Boston publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are planning to cash in on an untapped market: e-books for children. Next summer, Isabella will introduce the Fable, a combination tablet computer and e-book reader aimed at children. Unlike the black-and-white screen found on Amazon.com's popular Kindle e-reader, the Fable will feature a full-color, 7-inch touchscreen that can display the colorful illustrations found in most children’s titles.

Nathan Bransford Leaves Curtis Brown & Joins CNET (GalleyCat)
Curtis Brown agent Nathan Bransford told his online community today that he will no longer be a literary agent. He explained in a post: “I am leaving the world of publishing to work at the tech news/review site CNET, where I will be helping to coordinate social media strategy.”

Better yet, DON'T write that novel (Salon)
For me, the end of October is always slightly tinged with dread -- provoked not by Halloween spooks, not even by election season, but by the advent of something called NaNoWriMo. If those syllables are nothing but babble to you, then I salute you. They stand for National Novel Writing Month.

12 reasons to ignore the naysayers: Do NaNoWriMo (LAT)
If you want to write a novel in 30 days, don't let anyone stop you. Not even Salon's Laura Miller. Miller, who I usually find thoughtful and sweet, has written an anti-NaNoWriMo column -- "Better yet, DON'T write that novel" -- that is at best wrongheaded, and at worst, smallhearted. Miller would lay the blame for too many writers -- and not enough readers -- at the foot of NaNoWriMo, the project that challenges would-be authors to write a 50,000-word novel during the month of November.

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.

Among this week's news: Sterling's new YA imprint, social networks and marketing, Scholastic's own social network, the MySpace redesign, B&N's Nook plus color, kindergartners in a bookstore, a book seller in an elementary school, rearranging YA in B&N, raising boys who read, a PW interview with SCBWI board member Linda Sue Park, and more.


Sterling Publishing’s Splinter Imprint Opens with Colleen Houck Fantasy Series (GalleyCat)
Splinter, Sterling Publishing’s young-adult imprint, will launch with a three-part fantasy series by Colleen Houck. Breaking the tradition of publishing one book per year, the Tiger Saga will be available in its entirety by the end of 2011. Splinter will release Tiger’s Curse on January 11th, Tiger’s Quest on June 11th, and Tiger’s Voyage on November 11th. The books will be published in both hardcover and eBook formats.

B&N Divides Out Teen Fiction Genres (PW)

In a sign of just how popular teen fiction has become, Barnes & Noble is in the midst of rearranging its teen fiction section chain-wide this week in an effort to improve the shopping experience and boost sales. Already teen fiction is the biggest book growth category at Barnes & Noble, according to Mary Amicucci, v-p of children’s books. In terms of volume, it is the second largest subject, behind adult fiction.

It's All About the Social Network (PW)
Nearly 80 publishing professionals tuned in to a BISG-sponsored webcast, “Marketing ‘Books’ in a Digital World,” on Wednesday. The hour-long discussion covered a range of tactics publishers are taking to get their books into readers’ hands, but the topic that loomed largest was social networking.

Scholastic Launches Social Networking Site (PW)
Scholastic is releasing a new social networking site today, YouAreWhatYouRead.com, that lets people build a profile based on the five books that were most influential in their lives. Like GoodReads and other social networking sites for readers, users can find other people with shared literary interests, or “Bookprints,” as Scholastic calls them. Scholastic books don’t appear to get special billing on YouAreWhatYouRead.com, and nearly every book in print from any publisher is available for users to catalog on their profiles. There is a strong celebrity angle to the site, with visible profiles for more than 130 well-known personalities ranging from Bill Gates to Whoopi Goldberg.

B&N Intros Nookcolor Tablet, New Children's Titles (PW)
Approximately one year after introducing its first e-reading device, Barnes & Noble took a major step forward Tuesday with the introduction of the Nookcolor, a $249 tablet with a seven inch VividView Color Touchscreen. The addition of color to the e-reading device allowed B&N to officially announce Nook Kids, which in addition to 12,000 chapter books, will have 130 picture books at launch with that number expected to double by the end of the year. Some of the children’s books will be enhanced e-books, featuring video and audio. A third part of the launch was the announcement of Nookdeveloper that will allow creators to develop “reading-centric” apps that will be sold through the Nook app store. Since the Nook runs on the Android platform, apps from the Android Market can be ported to the Nook, but Android Market apps will not automatically be sold through the Nook since B&N want to curate the store, company CEO William Lynch said.

Amazon to Introduce Lending for Kindle (GalleyCat)
In keeping with a tradition of quietly releasing news on Fridays, Amazon revealed last week they will soon allow readers to loan Kindle books to other users–one crucial feature that many readers have sought.

How to Raise Boys Who Read (WSJ)
When I was a young boy, America's elite schools and universities were almost entirely reserved for males. That seems incredible now, in an era when headlines suggest that boys are largely unfit for the classroom. In particular, they can't read. According to a recent report from the Center on Education Policy, for example, substantially more boys than girls score below the proficiency level on the annual National Assessment of Educational Progress reading test. This disparity goes back to 1992, and in some states the percentage of boys proficient in reading is now more than ten points below that of girls. The male-female reading gap is found in every socio-economic and ethnic category, including the children of white, college-educated parents. The good news is that influential people have noticed this problem. The bad news is that many of them have perfectly awful ideas for solving it.

Kindergartners and Commerce (Shelf Talker)
Every year the Shelburne Community School kindergartners come to the bookstore. They walk over, hand in hand, from the school down the road. They pile into the store, one class at a time and settle in the picture book section on our comfy rug. It’s a cozy tradition.

Corrupting the Youth (Genreville)
My alumni association loves me; every time they ask me whether I want to give a talk, I say yes. Today I went back to my elementary school to teach seven-year-olds about book reviewing. If you’ve ever wanted to get back to basics in your work or personal life, try explaining what you do to a very smart seven-year-old. I knew I was going to be facing a tough audience: perceptive but easily bored. Fortunately, I also knew that they were all interested in books and reading–and in having and sharing opinions.

9 Super Annoying Twitter Personality Type (Social Times)
I dip in and out of Twitter, and lately it’s been obvious to me that I’m looking at the same personality types no matter where I go. Here are 9 – Which one are you?

Survey Finds College Students Love Laptops But Not eReaders, Facebook But Not Twitter (ReadWriteWeb)
Want to know what the future workforce thinks of technology, how it uses search engines, social networking, and online collaborative tools? The recently released ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology gives some excellent insights into trends in college students' technology ownership, perceptions, skills, and habits. The 2010 report was recently released by EDUCAUSE, a non-profit organization that supports the advancement of technology in higher education. The report is based on a survey from the spring of 2010 of over 36,950 freshmen and seniors at 100 four-year institutions and students at 27 two-year institutions.

iPads Hit AT&T And Verizon Store (eBook Newer)
Apple’s iPad goes on sales today at AT&T Wireless and Verizon stores. The tablet is popping up in various retailers this holiday season, as Apple hopes to push the iPad as this year’s holiday gift. The iPad is already available in Target, Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club.

MySpace Unveils Major Redesign (MediaWeek)
MySpace on Wednesday (Oct. 27) will unveil a striking redesign that represents a culmination of the News Corp.-owned social network's attempt at reinventing itself as an entertainment hub. According to president Mike Jones, MySpace had long suffered from what he calls "design debt"—i.e. an accumulation of different looks and incompatible functionalities. For example, there had been 117 different styles for the MySpace logo alone. Therefore, rather than undertake a simple redesign, Jones and his team elected to completely rebuild the site "from the ground up," he said. "This is something we can now build upon."

Q & A with Linda Sue Park (PW)
Linda Sue Park is the Newbery-Award winning author of A Single Shard and other acclaimed novels and picture books. Her forthcoming book, The Long Walk to Water, profiles two young people in the Sudan—one based on a real Lost Boy, who was forced to flee his village, the other a fictional girl who collects the water for her village.

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.

Among this week's news: Laurie Halse Anderson's post that sparked #speakloudly, Elizabeth Bluemle's update of starred books, Scholastic's Q1, speculation on the next YA books adapted to movies, thoughts on THE HUNGER GAMES as the new TWILIGHT, the weird-headed Berenstain Bears coming to your iPad, a bus driver who loves his Kindle a little too much, Rachelle Gardner on why agents don't tell you more about why you're rejected, Katy Perry's duet with Elmo that you won't see on Sesame Street (below for your viewing--it's quite cute), and more.


This guy thinks SPEAK is pornography  (Laurie Halse Anderson)
Remember last September, when the book banners crawled out of their pits of nastiness to try to remove YA literature from classrooms and libraries? It is September again, my friends. Wesley Scroggins is an associate professor of management at Missouri State University. He was also a speaker at Reclaiming Missouri for Christ, a recent seminar whose purpose was to "To educate our pastors, legislators, educators, students, and all citizens as to the truth about America’s Christian Heritage and the role of fundamental, Biblical Christianity in the establishment and function of our legal, legislative, and educational system, and to work towards the successful reestablishment of these values in our society."

What young adult novel should Hollywood adapt next? (PopWatch)
Talk about a hot read: Yesterday, Variety reported that Mandalay Pictures had snagged the much-coveted rights to Sophie Jordan’s young adult novel Firelight, a book that has been picking up sizzle ever since its release…on Sept. 7. Yes, as in Sept. 7, 2010, just two weeks ago.

Scholastic Shrugs Off Lackluster First Quarter (PW)
First quarter sales for the period ended August 31 fell 7.8% at Scholastic, to $290.9 million, and the net loss increased to $35.2 million from $23.0 million in the comparable quarter in fiscal 2010. Despite the results, the company said it remained on track to meet its earlier forecast of total sales for fiscal 2011 of between $1.9 and $2.0 billion and earnings per share from continuing operations in the $1.95 to $2.20 range.

Smashwords Publishes 20,000th eBook (GalleyCat)
Self-publishing website Smashwords published its 20,000th eBook this week. This is up from 6,000 at the end of 2009 and only 140 at the end of 2008. The publisher predicts that it will have published 25,000 titles by the end of the year.

The Stars So Far – Updated Sept. 22, 2010 (Shelf Talker)
It’s time for another update of the starred reviews from Booklist, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, the Horn Book, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates).

Why 'The Hunger Games' Isn't the new 'Twilight' (Shelf Life)
It’s Twilight all over again. How many times have I heard that in the two years since The Hunger Games came out? Too many too count. And I have to say, it continues to baffle me: These novels could not be more different. Stephenie Meyer’s is more of a traditional romance (populated, I grant you, by some pretty untraditional characters); while Suzanne Collins’ is a tale of war and survival.

RIM Readies Its Answer to iPad (WSJ)
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. could unveil its new tablet computer—as well as the operating system that will power it—as early as next week at a developers' conference in San Francisco, said people familiar with RIM's plans.

Why, Oh Why, Did I Get Rejected? (Rants & Ramblings)
Yesterday's blog post asking writers what annoys them yielded lots of helpful comments, and a smattering of familiar complaints. Julie Geistfeld wrote that she wants a "reason" with her rejection letters. But, she says - she's not asking for much - just "one word, maybe two" of explanation at the end of a form rejection. A "simple category," she says. That's not asking too much, is it? Julie expanded her plea to agents in this blog post.

Farley Stepping Down as Head of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group  (PW)
In a memo to his staff this afternoon, Dan Farley, president and publisher of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, announced he will step down from those posts sometime in the next few months. Farley, who lives in San Diego and spends roughly two weeks per month in New York, cited his desire to base himself fulltime on the West Coast as the reason for his decision. After talking with Macmillan CEO John Sargent, Farley said, “We’ve determined that my new plans would not mesh with the business needs of the Group.” He said he will stay on at Macmillan at least through the end of the year

The Berenstain Bears come to iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch (PWxyz)
Today, Oceanhouse Media announced a partnership with the Christian publisher Zondervan, bringing three Berenstain Bears books to iOS devices as interactive e-books. Oceanhouse has already had great success with its Dr. Seuss e-book apps for iOS, and these new Berenstain Bears apps follow the same format. The first three titles released through the agreement are The Berenstain Bears Say Their Prayers, The Berenstain Bears Go To Sunday School and The Berenstain Bears And The Golden Rule. All three are available in the app store now for $2.99.

David Baldacci Joins Several Authors to Write the 2nd Wave of '39 Clues' Series (GalleyCat)
The highly successful 39 Clues series will have a second wave of books and the final title in that installment will be written by novelist David Baldacci. Vice-President and Editorial Director at Scholastic Press David Levithan cited the decision to publish the second wave: "The kids wanted it." Baldacci feels excited to take part in this project.

The fierce fight over the present tense (Salon)
It wouldn't be a Man Booker Prize shortlist without a controversy in the British press, but this year's furor -- launched by one-time Booker judge Philip Hensher -- may strike some readers as a bit wonkish. Hensher (author of the splendid novel, "The Northern Clemency") complained in the Telegraph newspaper that three of the six nominees for Britain's most celebrated literary prize are written in the present tense, a choice he regards as merely, and annoyingly, "fashionable."

New Yahoo! Mail to let you update Facebook and Twitter from your inbox (TNW)
Yahoo! has announced that it will be rolling out a new Yahoo! Mail Beta to its 281 million users worldwide over the next few weeks. On the Yahoo! Mail blog, the company promises a “faster, cleaner, and safer” experience.

Bus Driver Reads Kindle While Driving (GalleyCat)
Debating whether or not to get a Kindle? They can be kind of addicting, as you can see from the above video. This bus driver is so into his, that he can't even put it down when he is behind the wheel.
 
Katy Perry's Boobs Banned from 'Sesame Street' (Gawker)
Katy Perry was supposed to guest star on Sesame Street, but her boobs were too exposed. TMZ reports that 'Sesame Street' has decided not to run a clip featuring her and Elmo performing 'Hot N' Cold' in a low-cut top.

 

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-conference Interview: Jennifer Rees

I'm particularly excited about interviewing Scholastic Press editor and Annual Summer Conference speaker Jennifer Rees because she got her start in children’s books working as a children’s bookseller at my favorite hometown bookstore, Joseph-Beth Booksellers.

At Scholastic, she acquires and edits fiction and nonfiction picture books, middle grade fiction, and YA novels. Some of the recent titles she worked on  include SWIM! SWIM! by Lerch; FINALLY by Wendy Mass; WISH I MIGHT by Coleen Murtagh Paratore; AFTER EVER AFTER by Jordan Sonnenblick; EVERLASTING by Angie Frazier; SELLOUT by Ebony Wilkins; LIFE, AFTER by Sarah Darer Littman; FEVER CRUMB by Philip Reeve; and MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins. (You might have heard a little about that last one.)

At the Annual Summer Conference Jennifer will offer two sessions--YOUR VOICE IS YOUR VOICE: KEEPING IT REAL and WHAT'S HOT, WHAT'S NOT.

At the 2009 NYC SCBWI Annual Winter Conference you said that you're interested in risky writing. What do you mean by that?

I hear writers say a lot, "I have an idea for a story, but I don't think I could really do it justice" and I think what they mean is that they are afraid of charting new waters or exploring territory they are unsure of, so they think it's better to follow trends (which is why I have a zillion paranormal submissions right now) or some safe formula, rather than striking out on their own. I think they are afraid of their own ideas.

But I'm not looking to publish stories that have been written about in the same way a zillion times over; I'm looking for stories that delve into new terrain (emotional, psychological, genre, format, narratively, etc). So, by "risky," I guess I'm really talking about writing that is personally risky for a writer and which dares not to follow a trend. For one writer that might be taking on a subject that requires a lot of research, for another it might simply be writing about what they know (i.e., what they believe is boring, when of course it's probably fascinating to others).

A great story doesn't have to be a blockbuster or explosive or involve some new creature or new world (though those things certainly have potential). I'm reading THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE right now and I'm fascinated by it. The writing is beautiful, the characters are amazing, and while the story is about everyday things in the life of one girl, the author [Jacqueline Kelly] makes it so very compelling and delectable (and funny!). If that manuscript had crossed my desk, I would have been jumping up and down with excitement!

What wows you in a manuscript? 

That is a very hard question to answer! I think it’s difficult to predict what will wow me. A story is such an enormous fusion of multiple elements. Voice is up there on my list--if I really connect with a writer's voice I will go anywhere they take me. An interesting plot, too. But mostly I'm wowed by stories I can't stop thinking about and ones that I find myself wanting to tell everyone about. I can't tell you the number of manuscripts I read that are fairly decent, but which I've already forgotten about by the very next day. Of course, stories are subjective and what might wow me might bore someone else! That's the tricky part, I guess. But a great story, a truly great story, stays with me forever. That's what I want to publish.

You accept agented material only, correct? 

Yes, and from SCBWI members, though they may get a form rejection letter, and I'm sorry about that, I am, but I'm afraid that otherwise they'd never hear from me ever, ever again. It's a nice letter, I promise.

 
Before you became an editor at Scholastic Press you worked as a bookseller. Does that experience affect your editorial work? 

Yes! After two years of hand-selling books to readers at the wonderful Joseph-Beth Booksellers, I still rely on that experience. From writing flap copy, to working with the designer to come up with the perfect book jacket, to what I acquire, to sales presentations, my experience as a bookseller informs the way I think about and respond to books, and the way I present those books to our own sales teams. I want to acquire and edit books I love, but I also want them to sell. That's the goal. Being on the floor of a bookstore day in and day out, you see what kids pick up and what people come in asking for. And you get to look at all the books from all the publishers. I visit bookstores a lot now. Once in a while (okay, all the time), I will hand-sell my books to unsuspecting customers. They walk away happy! I miss those days!

Why do you participate in SCBWI events? What do you get out of them? 

I truly enjoy speaking to writers! It's not always easy for me to sit behind a desk. l like hearing the buzz and seeing what people are reading and talking about. It's why I miss my bookselling days, I guess. I also love to hear about what people are working on, and I'm always inspired by everyone's commitment and enthusiasm for what we all do every day. I also really, really hope that I will run into a writer who will send me something terrific that I will publish to great acclaim!

One of your conference sessions is called WHAT'S HOT, WHAT'S NOT Can you give us a teaser?

Very sneaky of you. Well, I can't make any promises, but you're not going to want to miss it, let me tell you!

Any words of wisdom/advice you can offer to those working toward publication? 

Do your research on publishers, agents, and editors, and of course, read, read, read!

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-conference Interview: Arthur Levine

I hope you've been enjoying our SCBWI TEAM BLOG pre-conference interviews--and they're getting you excited about our upcoming event! Our latest Summer Conference faculty interviewee is editor extraordinaire (and SCBWI board member) Arthur Levine who chatted with Jolie Stekly. Check out the full interview on Cuppa Jolie.

Arthur will be presenting Strong Emotions on the Page: A Master Class at the SCBWI LA event. Here's a bit from Jolie's interview:

"It was such a pleasure for me to interview one of my favorite people in the children's book world: Arthur Levine.

Arthur A. Levine is a Vice President at Scholastic Inc. and the Editorial Director of Arthur A. Levine Books, a literary, hardcover imprint of Scholastic. He is also an author and has a new book coming out (keep reading to find out more about it) in Spring 2011.

Let's jump right in..."

You can meet Arthur Levine in person (along with a ton of other terrific presenters) at the Annual Summer Conference in Los Angeles.
 
Click here to register for the event!