what? it's wednesday???

Where did the week go?  IDK.  So, I have a few Indie-Debut announcements. 

First, very exciting to me and of no interest to you guys at all is that I finally received my copy of Brigitta of the White Forest by fellow Indie-Debut 2010 member Danika Dinsmore.  I barely started the first chapter yesterday when a chaos of chaos started and I had to put it down.  But today, I have lunch plans with Brigitta!

Second, a two-fer for Indie-Debut 2010 members.  Scott Heydt has posted an interview with Beth Reinke, author of In My Bath (you should remember her since she was recently here) on his blog.  And, there's a GIVEAWAY!  Check it out here!

Next, a monsterous congratulations to Indie-Debut 2011 member Terry Lynn Johnson who signed with agent Caren Wiseman of Andrea Brown Literary last week.  If you aren't a follower of Terry Lynn's, you should definitely check her out!!

Things

Squash Blossom

1.  Yesterday, we drove up into the mountains and picked about six pounds of morels.  Last night, we had some sauteed in olive oil and garlic.  OMG, were they good!

2.  The Boy and his friend picked their own bag and will be selling morels today at their stand, which is called: 

Bob's Ultra Mart

From lemonade to wax statues -- we sell it all

Today we have:  Morrells!

3.  I read Dust of 100 Dogs this weekend, by AS King.  I very much enjoyed it.  Ms. King gives an interview at the end.  She said she wrote seven books over fifteen years before she sold one.  That gives me hope;  I hope it does you too.

4.  I have a lot of architecture to get done this week, so I may not be around much. 

Happy Monday, Everyone!

FRIDAY FAVORITE: THE WINNER!!

The winner of Beth Reinke's In My Bath and rubber duckie set is....

Nancy Sharpe

Congratulations Nancy.  Please email your mailing address and if you want the book signed to anyone in particular. 

Thanks to everyone who played!  It was very enlightening to hear about all the bath scents there are.  Coffee?? 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sensory Thursday

The four triplets climb Camel's Back

If you haven't entered our Beth Reinke book&duckie giveaway, do it RIGHT NOW!!  :)  The contest ends at 6 eastern time TONIGHT!

I thought we'd play a little game today.  Here's the deal:  just describe what you smell, right now, wherever you are.  Maybe this will be fun.  If not, we won't do it again.  Here we go...

This morning, my house is filled with the scent of toast.  There's something atavistically comforting about the smell of toast. It brings to mind images of golden bread with barely-browned edges, of moms in aprons and backpacks and milk.  The scent lingers at the top of your throat leaving you with a longing for butter seeping into toasty crevasses and a kiss on the top of your head.

Now your turn!  What do you smell today?

Changes, Bath Bubbles and Victory!

1.  YAY TEAM USA!!!  Landon Donovan rocks!  For you non-soccer fans, (what's wrong with you?  ;)  just kidding) this win means the US advances to next round of the World Cup.  It's like making the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

2.  Check out the newest installment of Harold Underdown's "Who's Moving Where".  He has great info on staff changes at various publishing houses and agencies. 

3.  Don't forget to enter our giveaway!  Indie-Debut Author Beth Reinke and I are giving away a copy of her debut picture book, In My Bath, along with a set of genuine rubber duckies!  Check out the contest info here...but be ready to share some personal info to enter.  ;)

4.  VR Barkowski very sweetly awarded me the "You are my Sunshine Supportive Comments Award".   Awww....I'm humbled at the idea that I can be supportive.  If you haven't checked out VR's blog, dedicated solely to her writing, click over.  I'm not good about passing on awards, but if you're a regular commenter on my blog, consider yourself tagged.  I've been through some rough patches on this road of writing and have gotten wonderful advice, support and (just say it) counseling from you guys.  You mean the world to me.

Interview with Indie-Debut 2010 Author BETH REINKE

I'm excited to have Indie-Debut 2010 member and new picture book author Beth Reinke visiting today!  Settle in, pull up some snacks and hear about her new book, In My Bath.

1. What is your favorite snack? I'm having coconut cupcakes and Mt. Dew.

Hmm, let's see. I love fresh fruit - berries, mango, pineapple. For crunch, I like thin pretzels, especially with cheddar cheese or dark chocolate chips. Popcorn, dried cranberries and almonds, chips and homemade salsa. My favorite drink is tea - hot or iced.

2. Your book, In My Bath, is a picture book. Do you typically write for this age group?

Most of my published writing has been magazine articles for adults. But I started out doing children's stories and love to keep a few picture book manuscripts on the back burner. Then when I have a break in article assignments, I pull them out and work on them. It takes me a long time to produce a picture book manuscript from start to finish, with reworking and editing and polishing, but I love doing it.

3. You have a second book coming out very soon. How did you manage to get two books in print so quickly?

Yes, it's unusual to have two books releasing so close together. With picture books, once the manuscript is accepted, the illustrator takes over to bring the book to life. The timing had a lot to do with illustrator schedules. The publisher explained how it would work and offered to have the books come out back to back and I agreed. Pretty soon I'll be able to take TWO books to book events,which is great!

4. What's been the toughest thing for you in this writing/publication/marketing/sales business?

Selling the books is probably the hardest thing for me. I'm not a salesman and I don't like asking people to part with their hard-earned money. In high school we had to sell all kinds of stuff for marching band, like subs and pizza and candy. Oh, how I hated doing that! But I want kids to read my books, and the only way to do that is to sell them, so I am doing it with a smile. Seeing a child enjoy my book makes it all worth it!


Sometimes people don't understand the writing business. They think that authors get a zillion free copies of their books and should just give them out to all of their friends and family. The truth is, most authors from small publishers only receive a few free copies and we pay for the rest. So selling copies is our livelihood as well as the publisher's.

5. Do you get inspiration from other writers? What is your favorite picture book or who is your favorite writer?

My writer friends are a tremendous source of inspiration. We share information, encourage each other and pray for each other. I find that writers are some of the nicest people around. When a multi-published author takes time to send an e-mail or Facebook message to someone like me who is just starting out - that is inspiring!


I have lots of picture books that I like and numerous authors I enjoy reading, but don't really have a favorite of either one. Sounds weird, I know, but it's true. But it seems like every time I visit the children's section in the library, I find another good one. :)

6. If you could offer one piece of advice to new picture book writers, what would it be?

Read lots of picture books to get an idea of what is out there. Then find something that hasn't been done and write it yourself.


Great advice.  Thanks so much for visiting Beth!!  Take a moment to check out Beth's great blog here or buy her wonderful new book for the little kid in your life.  Now, for the giveaway part:

Please leave a comment below, telling us your favorite bath bubble scent.  The winner will get a set of rubber duckies and a copy of Beth's book, In My Bath.  Contest closes Thursday afternoon at 6:00 pm eastern time.  Winner to be chosed via random.org and posted this Friday.  Obviously, I can't win but I want you all to know my favorite bath bubble scent is honeysuckle.

WEEKEND IN PICTURES

Be sure to check in on Monday for a great author interview and a fun giveaway!!

FIVE FOR FRIDAY

If I could spend all weekend watching the sun set in the backyard, I would be happy.

1.  Dang!  I lost a follower!  Is my blog going downhill?  Are you all going to leave?  I'm feeling all self-concious.

2.  I saw an agent yesterday ask a question on twitter and then complain about the answers she received.  Hello dummy!  You're the one who asked!  I stopped following her.   She sometimes posted mean things about the queries she received, too. 

After I dumped her, I felt empowered.  That's right, I said to myself, just because you're a big agent and hold the strings to the publishing world does NOT mean I have to be your follower / friend / buddy  or even like you.  So there!

3.  Now though, I'm wondering if I lost my follower because I created a negative karmic balance in my social media force.  :)

4.  Fun weekend planned!  Tonight, volleyball with a bunch of friends.  Tomorrow, mushroom hunting in the mountains.  Sunday, soccer! 

Interview with Indie-Debut 2010 Author DANIKA DINSMORE

Hi folks!  Today I have a guest.  Please welcome Danika Dinsmore, Indie-Debut 2010 author of Brigitta of the White Forest. 

1. What's your favorite snack & beverage? I'm having chocolate training doughnuts and Mt. Dew.
.

First of all, what’s a training doughnut? Is it a small doughnut you eat to practice for larger doughnuts?

I like good old cheese and crackers. And popcorn. But I also have a major sweet tooth and a fondness for all things gummy (wine gums!). Coffee, tea, or fruit juice. I don’t really like soda.

(chocolate training doughnuts photo pasted above!)

2. Brigitta of the White Forest is a middle-grade fantasy book. What middle-grade fantasy books did you especially enjoy as a child? Are there any recent books that have particularly inspired you?

When I was a kid I loved The Chronicles of Narnia and all the Oz books. Hardly anyone ever mentions any of the series past The Wizard of Oz. The rest of the books are wonderful. I also adored The Phantom Tollbooth.

I definitely don’t limit my reading to fantasy or middle grade literature, and I also read poetry and quite a bit of non-fiction as well. In terms of fiction, I’ve most recently enjoyed The Hunger Games & Catching Fire, Robin Hobb’s Liveship Trader series, and Water for Elephants. All “couldn’t put them down” books for me.


I am also a huge fan of Geek Love, The Time Traveler’s Wife, the His Dark Materials trilogy, and almost anything by Neil Gaiman.

3. Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

You’re going to make me pick favourites? That’s like picking your favourite child!


Strangely enough, one of my favourite characters is a fairly minor character in Book One - Ondelle, the High Priestess. Her story isn’t really revealed until Book Three. But I know things about her that my readers don’t. And knowing the depth of her pain and loneliness makes me sympathize with her a great deal, because she must maintain such an emotional distance from the other faeries.


Don’t you find it interesting that we writers often speak about our characters as if they are real? I honestly feel things for and through my characters. I suppose that itself is real.

4. Being a pre-published author definitely has its downs. Which part was most difficult for you to bear (rejection letters, finding time to write, etc) and how did you deal with it?

I’ve been in so many workshops and pitched my work in so many environments that “rejection letters” don’t have much affect on me any more. There were a few close calls that fell through and there’s always disappointment when that happens, but I tend not to dwell on it. I think the most difficult things are a) trusting my own work and voice and b) balancing everything in life: family, friends, career, creative life.


It was important for me to surround myself with like-minded and supportive creative people. I “let go” of people whose energy dragged me down. I also put myself out there for critique. A lot of people read Brigitta and gave me feedback along the way. All of it helped create a better book and therefore more confidence on my part.


As far as balance, well, I’m still figuring that one out. It takes discipline, and then forgiveness, and then more discipline.

5. What projects to you have bouncing around in your head that you'll tackle next?

If I never generated another idea I’d still have too many to complete in my lifetime!


In addition to editing the next book in the White Forest Series (there are 7 books total), I’m developing a web series, editing two feature film scripts (a romantic comedy and an animated adventure), and have been outlining several non-fiction books on writing and teaching writing for the past 5 years.


All I need now is a benefactor so that I can focus all my time on writing.  :)

Thanks so much for dropping by, Danika!  I am really looking forward to getting my copy of Brigitta of the White Forest!  (I mean, look at that gorgeous COVER!!!)  For those of you who haven't yet ordered, you can do so here.

Also, if you haven't stopped by the Indie-Debut website recently, you might want to check it out!  We add new articles, news and interviews several times a week.

Silly Hair Day & more

1.  Today, The Boy's camp is having silly hair day.  He created this hairstyle himself.  After a lot of wrangling, he agreed I could photograph the hair, but not him. 

2.  We put the badminton net up in the backyard.  However, there will be no badminton today because it's only 58 FREAKING DEGREES!!!  Stupid, stupid weather!!

3.  I am so excited for my cyber-buddy Steph who just signed a deal with Marshall Cavendish to publish her middle-grade novel, titled The Marble Queen.  I've followed her blog for years and my heart fell last year when she decided to give writing a rest for a while.  I know exactly how she felt.  I've been through periods when I wanted to dump all my manuscripts into the computer trash.  I'm so glad Steph didn't give up.  And I love her blog.  If you're not a follower, check her out.

Twofer Tuesday

Wii Mii

Writerly links:

1.  I'm the featured guest blogger over at Karin Beery's There Has To Be A Beginning.  A post wherein I tell a funny story and create from it a bit of good, friendly advice.  Stop by and say "Hi"!

2.  On the Indie-Debut website, Danika Dinsmore (author of Brigitta of the White Forest) offers a chaos of  alternatives to the traditional book signing.  How will you avoid sitting at a table alone in an empy book store?  Read this!

OH MY...

Is Monday over already?  I didn't have time to post!  Ok well--I'll just give you two important tidbits:

1.  I'm going to be the featured guest over at Karin Beery's There Has To Be A Beginning tomorrow.  Check in for a funny story and some random advice. 

2.  I used a word in a new way today.  'Chaos' as a unit of measure.  As in, beer has a chaos of calories.

FRIDAY FAVORITE (or at least something interesting)

www.epubbud.com

Epubbud is a new website where you can digitally self-publish your manuscript for free.  If you have a hard copy book, you can send it to them and they will scan it and create a digital copy...again, for free.  You can also import books others have shared to your iPad...yep, for free. 

I had trouble figuring out how to download (maybe you can only download to an iPad and not a PC) but it does seem like an interesting site.  Thanks to Jon Bard at the CBI Clubhouse for bringing it to everyone's attention.

So that's my interesting friday thing.  Now, I'm going to eat those cookies. 

I think this is BS...

No, not that article...THIS article. The one that asks if a massive migration to eBooks will make the mid-list author extinct. To which I say, huh? The author's premise is that if readers aren't browsing in a brick and mortar store, they won't be drawn in by a compelling mid-list cover or enticed by the back cover copy of the book next to the bestseller they came to buy. And they won't be able to grab something off the 'staff favorite' shelf.


Seriously? All those practices, covers, back copy and staff picks, are marketing strategies. Those strategies would work just as well in an online store.
--Staff favorites could be featured or linked on the homepage.
--"If you like this, you might like..." tags could easily be added to each best-seller's page. Publishers could pay extra for that right, like they do for endcap displays.
--And covers? There will always be cover art created. eBooks need colorful images to jump off the screen just like hard copies need them to jump off the shelves.

The article goes on to talk about Amazon and how the review system breaks down with mid-list books (not enough unbiased reviewers).  Yeah, ok.  But Amazon isn't the only store selling eBooks.  Won't the same folks who prefer to shop at brick and mortar Indie stores opt for Indie E-stores for the same reasons--better customer service and support, establishing personal relationships, helping small businesses?  If so, Amazon's reviews won't be the 'be-all-end-all' the article makes them out to be.

Plus, whatever changes are coming down the pike, you can bet the farm that publishers will come up with savvy new e-Marketing strategies to push their books--all their books--not just ones from best-selling authors and celebrities. As Mr. Morris points out himself, mid-list books are the "workhorses of the industry." If that's true, we can be damn sure publishers won't send them off to the glue factory without a fight.

***LATER NOTE:  Nathan Bransford posted about eBooks and the future of publishing today as well.  Check his post out here.  I love this quote he posted: 

Clay Shirky, author of HERE COMES EVERYBODY, notes that we're moving from an era where we filtered and then published to one where we'll publish and then filter.

The idea being that authors will epublish all their books which will then be snapped up by publishers if they do well.  I see it as moving into performance-based publishing (based on the opinions of the masses) instead of merit-based publishing (based on the opinion of a handful of editors and agents). 

Wow.

Spinning a Rejection #4 -- Rejection on a Requested Full

Say what you will about the harsh impersonal nature of form requests.  I firmly maintain that rejections from an editor or agent who has requested your full manuscript are the most painful off all to receive.  Why?  Because you've gotten so very, very close, your hopes are way up and you wonder if you'll ever get this close again.  Rejections on fulls are the only ones I've ever cried over.  The great thing about these rejections, though, is they're chock full of pats on the back and tips on how to improve the piece. 

REJECTION ON A REQUESTED FULL:

Dear Ms. Cook,

Some time ago, you sent us a middle-grade novel called Pele Pumpkin Finds His Magic.  I thought it had promise, so I pulled it from the slush pile and asked our intern to read it and give me a report.  Unfortunately, she didn't do so, and I only discovered the ms on her desk after she left.  Hence, the long delay in responding.

There is a lot I really like about this project.  The writing style is smooth, and the tone is just right for the chapter book crowd.  Pele's misguided conviction about his mind-reading skills is funny, and his transformation into a weiner dog is hilarious.  I also like the universe you've created--the magic and the mundane living side by side--and the relationship between Pele and Grover.

The problem, for me, is that while the set up is terrific, the plot line feels very standard issue. There are many, many books about underdog kids dealing with bullies and nearly as many that feature evil or creepy cafeteria ladies. In these difficult economic times, a book really has to stand out from the crowd to compete, and I'm afraid this one doesn't do that completely, so I can't consider it for publication.  But if you are moved at all to come up with a new plot line for Pele and Grover and rewrite the ms, I would be glad to review it.

Sincerely,
XXX

Positive things to note in this letter:

1. The editor has pointed out everything she liked.  This is so helpful!  Not just because it makes me feel good, but because now I know what IS working.  Revisions are much easier when I know what not to cut.
2. Seeing those positive comments *does* make me feel good, and we all need that sometimes.  Cookies for the soul.
3. She tells me what is NOT working and she does it in a very clear way.  The plot line is over done and certain characters are stereotypical.  If an editor or agent has requested a full or partial of a manuscript, they've invested enough time in it to have a clear understanding of what they liked and what they didn't.  Thus, their comments are clear and specific instead of the generic "it didn't grab me" comments we see on forms.
4. She gave me the opportunity for revisions!  Armed with her editing notes, I can sit down with this manuscript, fix what bothered her and get a second chance to blow her socks off.  Of course, not all rejections on requested fulls come with revision requests, but some do.  Some come with a request to see other work.  Some come with a suggestion of somewhere else to send it.  Any of these are golden opportunities and each one deserves cookies.

ps--to follow up on the revision request...I worked my patooty off getting the manuscript revised per her notes.  It took about a month.  Just as I was getting ready to send it back, I received a postcard from the editor saying she'd been laid off and would not be able to review the new draft.  Such is the life of a children's writer.  I bet you all have stories like that. 

I WANT CAKE!!

Check out these darling stories, written by authors, read by kids.  This particular one was written by my friend and high school pal, Rebecca Colby.  I adore both the story and the reader!!

By the way, Rebecca's story is in second place for number of views right now.  If you could click over and up her views, that would be awesome! 

THINGS!

1.  This is my friend Jacqueline and me.  She's moving to the Netherlands this weekend and I'm very sad to see her go.

2.  This is a link to a great article on how eBooks might cause lots of people (even big name, established authors) to start self publishing.  Very interesting, my dear Watson.

3.  This is a link to a great website called "The Plotwhisperer".  God knows if anyone's ever needed a plot whisperer, it is me.  Er...it is I.  Um...I'm the one.  But you might like to check it out too.  It's written by Martha Alderson, who wrote a book I've been working with, Blockbuster Plots -- Pure & Simple.  Great book.  Great blog/site.

4.  This is the letter The Boy wrote to his teacher for next year.  He's funny, but apparently he knows that.

Dear Mrs. E,
 Here are some things you should know about me.  I don't usually raise my hand, but I am listening.  I liked fourth grade a lot, but I'm still looking.  I can be strange at times.  My desk is hardly ever clean.  I like to read and am funny.  This is what you should expect in fifth grade.

I love my strange, funny boy.  Happy Monday everyone!

FRIDAY FAVORITE: The Middle-Grade Brain

Today, I sent The Boy off to his last day of fourth grade.  I've really loved this year--watching him grow steadily taller, watching his quirky sense of humor develop, seeing glimpses of the man he'll someday be.  This age highlights the dichotomy between child and adult so well.  One day he explained electrical circuitry to me--much better than I'll ever understand it.  The next day, this arrived in the mail. 

Oh to have a brain that understands the reality of science but still believes a letter sent to the address in the Percy Jackson books might actually reach The Gods.  That is the magic of a middle-grade brain.

Spinning a Rejection #3 -- The Personal Rejection

Welcome to the third of four posts designed to locate the good in rejection letters. (Click here for the first post on form rejects or the second post on personalized forms.)  Today, we're looking at...

THE PERSONAL REJECTION:

Dear Betty,



This story is wonderful! I love your writing... but... unfortunately we already have a very similar fantasy story under contract with a missing father and a shrunken little sister. Other than that the stories are very different, but just too close to come out from the same small publisher.


I am so sorry. Your sample was one of the better ones I've read this week. Best of luck with this. Have you tried ABC Publishers or XYZ Books?

Do you have anything else to send us?


Sincerely,
Very Cool Editor Girl

Positive things to note in this letter:

1. The obvious.  The editor thought enough of your submission to sit down and type an actual letter just to you!! 
2. On top of that, the letter has great information about your manuscript.  The story is good; the writing is solid.  BUT --  they already have something similar under contract. 
3. She asks to see other work.  That means she likes your writing, not just the story.  If you get a request from an editor or agent to see some of your other manuscripts, it means you're doing a lot of things right.  It's just a matter of time before the right agent/editor snaps you up and loves you forever.  Seriously.
4. She recommends other presses who might be interested.  Get online and check these out immediately...right after you send this editor a thank you note.  This is important.  Thank you notes are not necessary for form rejections.  In fact, I know editors who won't even open letters or emails after a rejection has been sent--in case they're full of angry, stupid comments.  But an editor who sends a personal rejection has taken an interest and invested some of their precious minutes in you.  A short, sweet 'thank you' will let them know you appreciate the effort and that you're a polite and wonderful person they'd be lucky to represent. 

Catching Up

I was in the woods all weekend and now I'm trying to get Saturday and Sunday's chores done, along with Monday's work stuff and all the things I should have done today.  No time for a proper post, but here are some pics of the camping trip.  It was cloudy, windy and chilly with spots of rain. 

Chow line

Princess Z.

Amy-the-Dog

The Boy's Pit Trap (there's a 3' deep hole under the sticks)

The Boy "sleeping"