The Night Gift

While it's true that I've always been a night owl who stays up till two or three a.m. reading, surfing the net, and eating figs on water crackers.  I now have a legitimate, literary, career related excuse for being up that late every night. You see, Betsy Bird doesn't post her daily Fuse #8 blog until the wee hours, and I can't go to bed until I've read her latest.

This is especially true when she writes a bang-up entry like this one about old children's books that NEED to be brought back into print.

And then there was today's piece about "books that might be able to earn an entirely new audience and appreciation if they just acquired a new look."

can see her point about this book needing a new cover illustration. But I think I can trump CHANGELING SEA when it comes to naming The Patricia A. McKillip Book Most Needed Back in Print -- Minus the Offputting Illustrations.I give you THE NIGHT GIFT.

Patrica A. McKillip was one of several amazing YA authors who debuted in the 1970s with a novel set in Great Britain. In addition to McKillip's THE HOUSE ON PARCHMENT STREET, there was William Sleator's BLACKBRIAR, Nancy Bond's A STRING IN THE HARP, and several others. Unsuspecting readers probably assumed these were old school British authors whose work was finally being published in the U.S. But it turns out that McKillip and the rest were all young American writers, so confident in their talent that they set their first novels in the traditional world of English and Welsh fantasy. Patricia McKillip would go on to write a number of highly-regarded fantasy and science fiction books whose titles I can't pronounce, including THE THROME OF THE ERRIL OF SHERILL, SONG FOR THE BASILISK, and THE BOOK OF ATRIX WOLFE.

But the McKillip book I like best is one of her least known -- a realistic problem novel set in California -- published early in her career (1976) and now long out-of-print.

THE NIGHT GIFT concerns a trio of high school freshman -- narrator Joslyn and her friends Barbara and Claudia -- who decide to create a unique gift for Barbara's older brother Joe.

Last fall, just after school started, [Joe] had been standing in front of a window in his room, just looking out at the rain. Mrs. Takaota had asked him if he had any dirty laundry. For a moment he hadn't said anything. Then he said, "It's so ugly," and pushed his hands through the glass. Since then he had been in a hospital, and Barbara had only seen him once.

Now, with Joe about to return home, the girls discover a local abandoned house and enlist the aid of a couple boys (which also leads to some awkward romantic situations) in turning one of the house's empty rooms into a special place for Joe -- "a place for him, just for him, where he could go when he was depressed, that was so beautiful, that just being in it would make him happy." It's an engaging premise, and one that leads to moments of growth and self-discovery for the trio of friends as they sneak out night after night to clean the dirty, abandoned house and decorate it with wind chimes, seashells, murals, plants, banners, and books. What makes the book so memorable are its well-rounded characterizations, its realistic depiction of mental illness and depression, and its uncompromising, yet still slightly hopeful, conclusion.

The only thing wrong with this novel are its primitive, almost amateurish illustrations. It should be noted that the illustrator is named Kathy McKillip -- almost surely a relative of Patricia -- and while her contributions may have had great personal meaning to the author, they ultimately drag down the overall quality of the volume.

Both the general style of the drawings, not to mention the styles depicted within the drawings (check out those bellbottoms!) are now dated.

And notice how one character is turned away? We see so many backs-of-heads in these illustrations that one wonders if the artist simply had trouble drawing faces:


Here's one with more averted/covered faces, as well as Those Jeans again:


The purpose of this blog isn't to slam the artwork. There are probably other 1970s books with illustrations of similar average quality. But times have changed and we are used to a more sophisticated style these days. In fact, it would be very rare for a contemporary book about high school freshmen to include any illustrations at all.

THE NIGHT GIFT gets my vote as a book that deserves to be back in print, either with updated artwork or no illustrations whatsoever. Like the abandoned house its characters renovate after dark...or Fuse #8's blog which appears online long past midnight...this quietly-affecting Patricia McKillip novel is a gift to readers that's worth staying up late at night to read.



Source  :
http://collectingchildrensbooks.blogspot.com

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Children's Books Need Find Own Illustrator

 So you've written a children's book and you're wondering, What about the pictures? This question often comes up a lot and it's one of the most common questions asked by a new children's writer-- "Do I need to find an illustrator for my picture book?" The answer is no. Unless you are a professional-quality illustrator, do not submit illustrations with your manuscript. You'll clearly come off as an amateur, and the publisher may shy-away from you because of it. Instead, sit back and concentrate on your writing. It's hard enough to get your writing publishedimagine selling your writing AND pictures!

As a writer of picture books, your job is to imagine the illustrations in your head as you're writing the story. By doing this, it's easy to become attached to the illustrations in your mind and when you land that book contract, you feel compelled to convey your vision. However, a publisher is the one who knows what will sell a book and their job is to match an illustrator with a manuscript. Publishers have illustrators they like to work with and will pick the illustrator they think has the best style for your manuscript.

When you're lucky enough to land your contract, discuss your thoughts of the illustrations with your editor, but leave it up to them to do their job and find the perfect illustrator. If it's not what you had in mind, you have to decide if you want to turn down that offer and find another editor who has the same ideas as you. Be confident that an illustrator will take your story and put his or her edge on it. That's the magic of a picture book.

One of the hardest things for an author to do is to find the right publisher for their book. It takes researching publishers' catalogs to find the place that your book will fit in. That includes looking at the illustrations and style of each publishing house. If you think the illustration style for a certain house is amateur and not up to your standards, don't send your manuscript to that publisher.

I've heard of authors who have no contact whatsoever with their illustrator and I've heard of authors who have some say in the design. It depends on the editor, your experience, and the illustrator. However, the main rule of thumb is do not describe how you see the illustrations, except in cases where the illustration is required for the story, and not indicated in the text. Only experienced authors with many published works can put a clause in their contract to approve or oversee the illustration process.

If you're one of the few who has the talent to write and illustrate, then go for it! Why split your royalties in half when you don't have to? It's a no brainer! Put together a dummy book with your text and illustrations and submit with 2 or 3 completed illustrations. Be sure to emphasize in your cover letter whether or not you want the text and illustrations to be considered separately. There's the chance an editor might like your story, but not your illustrations. Are you willing to search around for that publisher who wants both or are you willing to sacrifice one for a contract? You have to decide.

Lori Calabrese is a freelance writer who specializes in parenting and children in both her personal and professional life. Lori's publishing credits include Boys' Life, Odyssey, Appleseeds, Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., Stories for Children Magazine, and The Institute of Children's Literature's Rx for Writers. Lori is a graduate of The Institute of Children's Literature and a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.


To learn more, please visit http://www.loricalabrese.com

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Select Literary Agent

Are you having trouble finding a good agent you like working with? If so, join the club. This is one of the most common complaints of writers, including long-time professional writers. Even writers who have an agent may be looking for another one, or have different types of writing projects better handled by another agent. This article will help you find and select an agent.

Some considerations to keep in mind when choosing the agent that's best for you are:

- Types of books handled. Most agents handle multiple types of books, but some agents specialize. It can be useful to choose an agent who handles several types of books if you have different types of writing projects. Or you may prefer to divide up different types of books with different agents, if the agents agree. In some cases, agents will handle other types of projects for clients, but only when they are representing the client for their primary area of emphasis. (Most commonly this occurs when the agent represents you for non-fiction and additionally takes on fiction, children's books, or scripts). Check on what types of manuscripts the agent handles to decide what's best for you.

- Film and TV rights. Most agents handle film and TV rights for projects they represent - generally through a rep in L.A. or elsewhere on the West Coast, though some handle the rights themselves. If you want an agent who specializes in film and TV rights, look for one who is a member of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), since many producers, production companies, and studios will only deal with WGA agents. You can find these agents listed on the WGA Web site, and the Hollywood Creative Directory also has a directory which comes out twice a year which features agents and managers.

- Foreign reps and rights. Most agents handle foreign rights, generally through a subagent or group of subagents, although some handle these rights themselves. Should you want to know the foreign reps which different agents use, the listings for many agents are in the Literary Marketplace, which is available in a hard copy which comes out annually and online.

- Location. Decide if you prefer an agent who is near you or who is near the publishers, if you live out of the major publishing centers. These are in New York City (especially for mainstream commercial books), Los Angeles (especially for film and TV projects), and the San Francisco Bay Area (especially for more targeted smaller audience and independent books). Generally, it is best to get an agent in the major centers, especially in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. on the East Coast or in California on the West Coast. Within these states, it is best to have an agent who is close to the major publishing centers. Still, many agents do extensive traveling and some have relocated from these centers, so they may still be well connected. Then, too, if you like having face-to-face contact with your agent, you may prefer one in your area.

- Size of Agency. While many agents are independent or work in small agencies, others are part of large agencies or affiliations of agents, such as William Morris, International Creative Management, and Writers House. While a big name affiliation can help new agents gain clout, many independent agents or agents in smaller agencies have excellent reputations and have sold big books. While you can initially query more than one agent in an agency, since not all agents will be interested in the same project, if more than one expresses interest, you have to decide which one to follow-up with additional material. To explain why you contacted more than one agent in the same agency, you can say that you weren't sure who to contact. This multiple contact approach works better when you are sending e-mails, since this is a more informal type of initial contact. If you are sending a query by regular mail, it is better to pick one agent in an agency to query first. Then, if you have no response from that agent in a couple of weeks, try a second agent at that agency.

- Affiliations and Listings. An agent's affiliations and listings in directories of agents can help you decide whom to contact, too. The agents who are listed in Literary Marketplace and/or are members of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR) generally have fairly solid credentials, although the AAR list provides little information other than whether an agent handles nonfiction, fiction, children's books, or dramatic works. A number of popular directories include more detailed information on some of these agents. But many of the bigger and more established agents aren't listed in these directories or don't provide much information, since they get most of their new clients by referrals or through industry sources, like panel discussions of agents for writers groups. Still you can often break through to a big agent with a well-written query about a compelling project. The PublishersAndAgents Agent Assessment and Location Service also provides some detailed information on agent affiliations.

- Areas of Specialization. Besides the broad areas of specialization - Nonfiction (N), Fiction (F), Scripts/Screenplays (S), and Children's Books (which range from juveniles to young adults) (C) - many agents and agencies describe their interests in various sources. Where these descriptions are available, you can find agents or agencies with particular interests (i.e. "business" if you have a business book; "self-help" or "relationships" if you have a personal improvement book). However, don't overlook the agents who don't provide such information, since many agents who haven't listed the particular subject area of your book or haven't listed any specialties may still be interested, especially if your book is a general trade or commercial nonfiction or fiction book.

- Reputation. A big concern of writers is whether an agent is truly reputable. Generally, you can trust agents you learn about through a personal referral, an appearance on industry panels, or a referral by other writers who have been published or are members of professional writers' organizations. Another good source for reputable agents is Publishers Marketplace, which lists the agents involved in making deals each week. A good way to eliminate agents who might be a problem is to not contact agents who charge reading fees or promote editing services (unless they do this on a limited basis for new, unpublished writers, and also represent established writers at no charge).

However, many agents do charge fees for copying manuscripts, foreign calls, messengers, and postage, and some ask for an advance retainer of about $50-200 to cover such costs, so this isn't necessarily a warning sign. This request for fees is most common for agents on the West Coast and outside of the main publishing centers, because they have higher postage and phone expenses.

Gini Graham Scott, PhD, is the author of over 50 books, specializing in work relationships, professional and personal development, popular culture, and social trends. She has recently written books on how to write, publish, market, and promote one's books including SELL YOUR BOOK, SCRIPT, OR COLUMN and USING LINKEDIN TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS OR YOURSELF. She is the host/producer of the radio show CHANGEMAKERS and a script writer/film producer, with several projects in development and post-production. She writes books and scripts for others, and consults with writers on how to write, publish, and promote their own books.

Her Websites are at http://www.ginigrahamscott.com and http://www.changemakersproductions.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gini_Graham_Scott

READ MORE - Select Literary Agent

My Book Managing Expectations

A big part of dealing with this business of publishing is managing your expectations. If your expectations are out of whack to begin with, your publishing journey will disappointing My Book Managing Expectations.

I realize there is so much information and misinformation out there that it's hard to know what realistic expectations are. And when you first make the leap from "being a writer" to "learning about the publishing industry," many of your expectations are immediately dashed. (Sorry about that!)

But there are many writers who hold on to unrealistic expectations long after reality should be setting in. This is an ongoing concern for agents, editors, and publicists who constantly find themselves not living up to writers' expectations. In many cases (and yes, there are plenty of exceptions), the writer's hopes and beliefs were simply too idealistic to begin with.

I don't want to sound like publishing professionals are all perfect. We're not! We make mistakes, we sometimes let things fall through the cracks, we sometimes don't do the best possible job on some aspect of a book. But what I'm talking about here is the more common scenario: the publisher/agent/editor/publicist did the appropriate amount of work on a book, but the author thinks much more should have or could have been done.

We all need to keep our expectations in check. If you're reading this blog, you're probably trying to keep up with the industry, so you're doing your part to learn what kind of expectations are realistic. Kudos! Here are a few unrealistic author-expectations I've dealt with lately:

"My book would be perfect in Wal-Mart." Yes, it might be. But Wal-Mart makes those decisions, and they only choose a very few books, a tiny fraction of the books actually published. So it's a long shot.

"I'll go with the publisher who will commit to putting my book on the front table of Barnes & Noble." I'm sorry to say that this is highly unlikely if you are a first-time author without a huge platform or marketing hook. Now, I've had clients whose books have been on the front table of B&N and other exciting places. But it's more the exception than the rule, so enjoy it if it happens, but don't expect it as a matter of course.

"I just know this book is going to spark an auction between publishing houses." Despite what you hear and read in the media, auctions are relatively rare, particularly amongst Christian publishers. Whether there is an auction or not isn't necessarily a good indication of how well your book is going to do.

"If I don't see tons of print ads and reviews for my book, and I don't get a multi-city booksigning tour, and I'm not on dozens of TV and radio shows, then my book didn't get proper marketing." The truth is that a good deal of the marketing and publicity budget for any given book is spent in places the author may never see—particularly, marketing to the trades (influencing retailers to stock your book and trade publications to review it). Another truth is that publisher marketing budgets are limited, and they usually know exactly how much they will spend at the time that they contract the book. There is not a lot anyone can do to change it. If publishers spent as much on marketing each book as the authors want them to, they'd be out of business in no time, because the ROI for book marketing is often not that great. This is why your own efforts are so important.

"If my book doesn't sell to a publisher, it's my agent's fault." I suppose this could be true in some cases, but agents have limited power. If they have a good reputation and good contacts in the business, then they can get your book in front of the right people, and follow up appropriately. But they can't force a publisher to buy your book. Sometimes the book isn't ready for the market, or the market isn't ready for the book.

Of course, I could go on all day addressing unrealistic expectations, but I won't. I don't want to be a discouragement, but I want you to understand that if your expectations are impractical, and you are unable to change them based on reality, your publishing journey won't bring you pleasure or fulfillment or excitement. It will instead be a disappointment at every turn and you will end up resentful and talking negatively about your publisher, your agent, and everyone you've ever met in publishing.

Many of us in the business have been on the receiving end of this, and it's not pleasant. So keep learning, and keep being optimistic and positive, while not allowing your expectations to get out of hand. A fine balance!

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Black Holes Powerful Attractive

What are your expectations toward agents who have submitted a manuscript to you? I didn’t have one for my country because authors approach the publishing houses directly but I now have an agent from an established firm. This agent is keen and enthusiastic for my work and always gives good advice. My agent works well with my editor here but, despite the book having received two award nominations, the response is quiet from America. Do you have agents contacting you for follow up or does that bug you. I trust my agent but I am curious cos if it were me, I’d be picking up the phone and going: have you read it yet? Look at this book – it’s fantastic!

Of course agents follow up to see whether I've read it yet
.
Black Holes Powerful Attractive, and Non-Responsive

But there are plenty of editors who simply ignore such proddings (the most well-known and highest-ranking editors are often among them).

Even the most talented agents can't make an editor respond if the editor just doesn't want to. Your agent ought to be able to tell you if she's sent your manuscript to one of the usual suspects, though.

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Phoenix Will Rise from Its Own Ashes

You might start thinking that publishers simply aren't listening to the strong reactions that recent instances of whitewashing have elicited from the community of readers / bloggers. You might even think that perhaps they're hoping that eventually we'll get tired of complaining about this, and they'll help us get tired by giving us some more instances.

But I don't think that's really what's going on. I think what publishers and chain bookstore buyers are really thinking to themselves is this:

"We're not racists; teenagers are racists."
Now, whether or not there are book-buying teens who are racist and will not buy this book because there is a Chinese girl on the cover, and whether or not there are enough of them to justify such a statement or make a meaningful difference to sales, letting someone else's perceived racism influence your behavior in the interest of making more money means:

You are racists. And you're whores.

Curiously, like racism! Except racism is more like the ugly, stupid, festering toad that you just can't squash no matter how many times you hit it with a shovel.

Was that clear enough?

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Erin Fry's Debut Fat Boy

ERIN FRY'S DEBUT FAT BOY TO MARSHALL CAVENDISH!

I'm thrilled to announce that Erin Fry has sold her debut Middle Grade novel FAT BOY to Marilyn Brigham at Marshall Cavendish!

FAT BOY, in which a 13-year old obese teenager, tired of his life of XXL t-shirts and unrequited crushes, and reeling from his father's recent stroke, joins the cross country team to find out if there's more to life than French fries.

And boy is there! FAT BOY is not only beautifully written with a fantastic plot, but it draws you into the main character's world from word one.

Here's another great publishing story---Erin sent FAT BOY to one and only one editor, Marilyn Brighham of Marshall Cavendish. She sent it a little before I signed her in late April and within a week of signing, Marilyn emailed that she loves the book and is sharing it with her team. Now we could have subbed out widely with FAT BOY and stirred the editor pot into a fury but Erin and I felt that finding the editor that LOVES your book is so very important, and Marshall Cavendish does an amazing job with all of their books, so....we sat tight and wa-la....the offer came soon after and in Fall 2012 FAT BOY will hit the shelves.

Erin Fry taught middle school history and English for nine wonderfully amusing but utterly exhausting years before turning to a career as an educational writer.  For six years, she wrote history curriculum and textbooks for Teachers’ Curriculum Institute (TCI). She’s been published by Scholastic, Great Source, and Zaner-Bloser, and currently reviews middle grade fiction for Publishers Weekly and occasionally, the L.A. Times.  In addition to being a writer and mom to three middle graders, she’s a cross country coach, competes in triathlons, heads up a local youth running group and teaches kickboxing.

CONGRATS ERIN and MARILYN!

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Anastasia Suen's Book Deal

ANASTASIA SUEN'S 4-BOOK DEAL TO KANE/MILLER

I am thrilled to announce the sale of Anastasia Suen's newest chapter book series to Kira Lynn at Kane/Miller in a a 4-book deal!

Anastasia Suen is one of those writers that not only writes books for Ronnie and me to sub (and yes, Ronnie just sold Anastasia's newest picture book to Viking!), but editors ask me if Anastasia can write them a book. With 115 published books under her belt and a teacher and mentor to many published authors, Anastasia constantly creates innovative, exciting new projects that editors and readers want to buy.

This newest chapter book series is hush-hush since Anastasia and Kira came up with a new concept that is not yet on the market and we know will be a huge hit with middle grade girls.

So how does a deal like this come about? Over lunch in sunny San Diego, Kira mentioned a concept for a chapter book that she'd love to publish and I immediately thought of Anastasia. After researching the topic we realized that a new series was in the works from another publisher so it was back to the drawing board for Kira and Anastasia. They met at IRA and brainstormed ideas until Kira's aha moment and Anastasia's extensive research proved they had stuck gold with a ultra-popular activity for middle grade girls and yet not a single chapter book with this subject on the market. I think this is what Donny Deutsch would call The Big Idea:)

A Series Proposal and three written chapters later, a new, fabulous chapter book series is born!

Anastasia Suen is the author of 115 books for children and adults, a literacy blogger, a children's literature consultant for several publishers, a former K,1,5, & 6 teacher who visits schools to teach the six traits of writing, and a workshop instructor for SMU and online who teaches adults how to write for children. http://www.asuen.com/

So has getting the sale always been a slam-dunk for Anastasia? Take heart, breaking in is tough for everyone. From her bio on the Herman Agency Website:

Children's books have always been a part of my life. My mother started reading to me when I was a baby and we went to the library every week. I wrote my first picture book when I was eleven and I've been writing books for children ever since. I wrote hundreds of manuscripts and collected rejection letters for years...and then it happened. On my fortieth birthday, the phone rang. After writing for twenty-nine years, I sold my first book! Today I've sold 115 books: board books, picture books, easy readers, and chapter books (including a book for adults about how to write children's books). I've also written articles, poems, and stories for textbooks, magazines, and the web.

In 1995 I began working as a children's literature consultant for Sadlier-Oxford. Later I joined the Rosen Publishing Group Reading Advisory Board and became a "Classroom Connections" reviewer for Book Links. Today I also work as a consultant for the Brown Books Publishing Group, Lee & Low Books and National Geographic School Publishing. I blogged for Scholastic Teacher on Nonfiction Monday (a day I created). I also write about children's books each week on six other blogs.

CONGRATS TO ANASTASIA AND KIRA!

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