2010 Trends and Industry Predictions by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Ally Carter from Jennifer. Peek: "High concept historical fiction might be poised to make a move if, like paranormal, it has a mix of commercial elements. From crime-fighting flappers to Austenian assassins, historical might be a very interesting place to be in 2011 and beyond."I Got the Call! Um, Now What? by Jennifer Laughran from Jennifer Represents. Peek: "Let the other agents who are considering your work know that you have an offer. Give them a few days or a week to read and respond."
Should You Post Your Writing Online? by Mary Kole from Kidlit.com. Peek: "Even though most editors and agents don’t like to work with previously published material, whether posted online or self-published, a short sample on your blog may not be enough to put them off your project. (Careful, though, as individual policies here do vary greatly.)"
Listen. Listen. by Jane Lebak from QueryTracker.net Blog. Peek: "For Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate, give yourself the gift of believing you have something important to say."
Triaging Rejection Pain by Laurie Halse Anderson from The Debutante Ball. Peek: "Maybe you say prayers, or light candles, or visit shrines like Mark Twain’s house and leave small offerings of cigars and pots of ink. And then you wait."
Interview with Robin Wasserman by Debbi Michiko Florence from One Writer's Journey. Peek: "...you just have to keep reminding yourself that you have no control over how a book is received by the world. The only part of the publishing process that writers actually have control over is the writing. And I've found that focusing on that makes for a much saner Robin."Dealing with Rejection by Mary Kole from Kidlit.com. Peek: "...cast off your unsuccessful projects and work on something else. Focus on your craft. Plod along toward mastery."
A Case for Villains by Danyelle from QueryTracker.net Blog. Peek: "No villain=no conflict=no plot=no point."
Developing Your Writer's Intuition by Angela Ackerman from Adventures in Children's Publishing. Peek: "Trust your intuition and if you think there's a problem, get some fresh eyes and opinions. You only get one chance to impress, so send out your best."
Bibliography of 2011 Children's-YA Books By/About People of Color from Color Online.
Mini Writing Conference -- 6 1/2 Lists of Advice from Editors, Agents, Authors and a Really Cool Kid from Donna Gephart at Wild About Words.SCBWI Team Blog Interview with Art Directory Lucy Ruth Cummins by Jaime from CocoaStomp. Peek: "Often if I'm totally 'in the zone' working on a book, I'll have a hard time checking out the moment the whistle blows. Really flowing with a project is such a wonderful feeling, and squandering that flow is something I try never to do."
Writers Links: Promotion: a round-up of ideas, tips, and resources from Children's & YA Lit Resources.
New Blessed Interview & Giveaway
Chatting with Cynthia Leitich Smith & Blessed ARC Giveaway by Chris Eboch from The Spectacle. The full scoop on my YA Gothic fantasy series, how Stephen King scared me, the challenges of writing speculative fiction, connecting with a publisher, reaching readers, the sci-fi/fantasy world I'd want to live in, my favorite actors, and my feelings about Aquaman.
Comment for a chance to win an ARC of Blessed (Candlewick, Jan. 25, 2011)!
See also the Blessed media kit (PDF). See also Chris's blog Write Like a Pro! A Free Online Writing Workshop.
Cat Calls: Free E-book Release
Cat Calls by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, 2010) is now available for free as an e-book from Amazon.com!As additional online retailers make the e-book available, I'll update you with that information.
"Cat Calls" was originally published as a short story in Sideshow: Ten Original Tales of Freaks, Illusionists and Other Matters Odd and Magical, edited by Deborah Noyes (Candlewick, 2009).
More Personally
Link of the Week: One of the Many Reasons I Love My Agent, Ginger Knowlton by Debbie Ridpath Ohi from Inkygirl.com: Daily Diversions for Writers. Note: Ginger is my agent too.
I'm spending this holiday in deadline mode, but here's a peek at the tree.
And here's my before-Christmas present from Santa Claus AKA my Candlewick editor, Deborah Wayshak--my first author's copy of Blessed (Candlewick, Jan. 25, 2011).Giveaway Reminder
Enter to win a illustrator-autographed copy of Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Daniel Jennewein (Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins, 2011)! The book will include a customized drawing--the winner can pick the buffalo's pose!To enter, email me (scroll and click envelope) and type "Buffalo" in the subject line. Facebook, JacketFlap, MySpace, and Twitter readers are welcome to just privately message or comment me with the name in the header/post; I'll write you for contact information, if you win. Deadline: Dec. 31. Sponsored by the illustrator; world-wide entries.
Spooky Events
Jessica Lee Anderson will speak on seven things she's learned through her publishing journey...using songs at the Austin SCBWI monthly meeting at 11 a.m. Jan. 15 at BookPeople in Austin. Read an interview with Jessica and P.J. Hoover.
Save the Date! Joint Launch Party: Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick) and Night School by Mari Mancusi (Berkley) book party and signing at 2 p.m. Jan. 29 at BookPeople in Austin. Read a guest post by Mari on Kids Don't Read Like They Used To...And That's a Good Thing (on connecting books to technology). Don't miss the Night School blog tour!A Cacophony of Conference Contests from Austin SCBWI in conjunction with Books, Boots, and Buckskin, the chapter's regional conference on Feb. 18 and Feb. 19. Note: includes drawings for saved seats and both author/manuscript and illustrator/portfolio critiques.
