Links Galore
May 21, 2013 § Leave a Comment
Links help us through Tuesday:
- Forget book-shaming.
- Even though last week I had to stop hating Amy, I can still get on board with loathing some of these characters who are not technically villains but are still hate-worthy.
- How booksellers plan their inventory, aka returns are my new nightmare.
- Sad to lose Bernard Waber; I remember being seven, reading Ira Sleeps Over and thinking “Yes, that’s just what it’s like.”
- How to survive BEA. (Hint: comfy shoes are key!)
- And if you’re in tired of the BEA events, SLJ has some suggestions for more general New York fun.
- I want to see a yarn bomb!
- Virginia Woolf sounds pretty much like I thought she would, which makes me unreasonably happy.
- Thoughtful response to Maureen Johnson’s call for cover flips.
- Guys. You can bid for first editions of novels with personal annotations from their authors. Like JK Rowling. GUYS.
Em Dashes, Fact Checks, and Timelines: Fun with Copyedits
May 17, 2013 § 10 Comments
I love getting mail with this letterhead.
One step closer to publication–copyedits!
Copyedits are different than the editorial letters you may get from your editor. These all deal with the nitty-gritty of your manuscript–consistent spelling, where the commas should be, if your character is supposed to be going to the moon on a Tuesday or Wednesday, etc. Basically, copyeditors are like Nancy Drews for the book world.
This week I received my copy-edited manuscript from Candlewick and, thankfully, it was a pretty painless process. This is probably helped by the fact that I a) have worked in publishing, so I’m familiar with the process/terms and b) I’m a huge grammar nerd at heart. I feel like copyediting is basically a game in which you have to find all the secret, hidden mistakes. Get all the points with correct grammar!
A few things my copyeditor caught:
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The manuscript!
When I switched the spelling of one minor character’s last name and then switched it back.
- Missing words in quotes by Amelia Earhart (which is probably why I shouldn’t try to type while holding a book open).
- That if Halloween is on a Sunday, Christmas shouldn’t fall on a Tuesday.
- Missing commas (a comma fan like I am was only too happy to put them in).
- When I try to use words that almost sound like the one I actually meant to use.
I’m so happy that someone went through my manuscript and was able to pick out all these little errors that would have looked so horrific in print. And I’m even more psyched that this means we’ve taken another big step in the editorial process!
Links Galore
April 17, 2013 § 5 Comments
A few links for today:
- I wonder how many pounds are equivalent to a galleon: estimating the cost of Hogwarts.
- Cthulu does exist. Sort of.
- I need about a dozen cats so I can give them all literary pet names.
- March madness continues into April with Poetry Madness.
- Stephanie rounds up the most beautiful bookshelf inspiration. Can I live in all of these homes?
- I couldn’t be a member of a book club with so many rules, but I’m kind of sad to see this one go.
- I’m going to hang onto “whom” as long as possible.
- Maggie Stiefvater tells it like it is about publishing.
Power Through the Slush
March 26, 2013 § 1 Comment
In recent book news, the New Yorker unknowingly rejected a story it had previously published. In fact, so did lots of other well-regarded literary journals. What submitter David Cameron learned from this experiment:
“Slush sucks. It’s as simple, and as unhelpful, as that…A part of me really wanted to be outed, to have some vigilant editor write back and say, “Nice try. Consider yourself blacklisted.” Or even to put me in the horribly awkward position of an acceptance!* That would mean there’s hope, that open submissions weren’t just, in so many cases, empty gestures.”
Okay, the slush pile does suck. It’s way easier for editors to overlook a slush gem than it is for them to pass on solicited story #54 by Famous Writer. Otherwise, my reaction to the experiment:
Submissions are all kind of a crap shoot, no matter how you look at it. Maybe the submitted story originally hit the New Yorker on a day when the exact right editor was reading and had the right amount of coffee and was really thinking about the story, not about her next meeting. Maybe when it was resubmitted, it was a really bad morning for that editor and she didn’t get captured quickly enough to counterbalance the lack of coffee. Or maybe it was read by an intern who is quick to hit reject on pretty much everything. Maybe it’s a story about dogs, and it was read by an editor who’s more of a cat person.
Basically, the submissions process is totally subjective. It depends entirely on one particular reading by one particular person at one particular moment. It doesn’t matter if this story is perfect or not. It could be the ideal story for that journal or publishing house or agency, and it could still get rejected. I’ve been on the reading side of the slush pile, and I’m sure I bypassed a lot of great stuff.
That said, it doesn’t mean that there’s no hope. You just have to wait for that moment the right editor at the right place will read your story at the right time. Does that suck? Kind of. But it’s the writing business. Literary journals and publishing houses aren’t putting together a puzzle and need one particular piece to fill their spaces. Anything can be rejected at any time. But that can also mean that this could be the moment that the right person reads your story.
The New Yorker experiment didn’t change any of my views about writing or publishing or submissions. Maybe it means I was cynical to begin with, or that I’m ridiculously optimistic. Either way, I’m powering on.
Links Galore
February 26, 2013 § Leave a Comment
A few links for today:
- Superellipsis…now….please. And other punctuation marks we wished we had.
- Some of these classic novels told through emojis are really hard to guess but make total sense when you see the answer.
- Somehow this list of the scariest books ever written does not include What to Expect When You’re Expecting.
- It can feel frustrating, but agents have reasons for not explaining their rejections.
- And yet someone didn’t pass on these books. Not even a title change, guys?
- Fairy tale retellings are some of my favorite books. The Hub has some great suggestions that straddle that line between YA and adult readers.
- Response to stress: taking deep breaths and looking at these beautiful bookstore/library photos.
- Why are owls so popular in children’s lit? Just look at ‘em!
Start off with a Bang
February 25, 2013 § 8 Comments
The cold, hard truth of submitting your work: your opening better be kick-ass. At the Ploughshares blog, Sarah Martin Banse shares her thoughts on why you need a great opening:
“If you want to get out of the slush pile, one of the worst things you can do is write a lackluster first paragraph. Don’t make the mistake of thinking: the really fine writing starts on page three of my story, and I’m sure they’ll appreciate it when they get there. By page three, I’m frustrated. If you want out of the slush pile, you must prove it from the first paragraph, from the first line.”
I think this is great advice no matter what you’re writing or who you’re submitting to. Editors and agents only have so much time in the day, and if you can’t hook them right away, there’s no way they’re going to keep reading to get to the really exciting part later on.
That doesn’t mean your first page has to be all explosions at the unicorn factory. (Although if anyone has that opening, I want to see it.) It can be quiet, but it has to challenge the reader in some way–an interesting image, the suggestion that today is going to be significant for the main character, a hint that this world is different from the one we know, etc.
I’ve been on the reading side of the slush pile for both literary fiction and YA/children’s, and if a story didn’t grab me within the first few pages, chances are that I’d end up scanning the rest without much interest. Maybe some agents and editors are much more forgiving readers, but why take that chance? Make sure your first pages are irresistible.
The Glamorous Movie Life of Editoral Assistants
February 20, 2013 § 2 Comments
From the Onion, the movie version of publishing:
“After being offered her dream job as an editorial assistant at a high-powered, nationally syndicated magazine last week, area film character Eleanor “Eddie” Edison moved into a beautiful brownstone home in the heart of Brooklyn, sources confirmed. “This place is perfect!” said the attractive, if naively hopeful, protagonist, who graduated with a degree in English/Creative Writing from a well-known northeastern university and now lives in a 5,000-square-foot waterfront property overlooking lower Manhattan.”
Change that around to “writer” and you’d have the same movie scenario, too. For anyone who wants to get into publishing/writing for the money, Amy Poehler has a suggestion:
Okay, so those of us in the book world may not have perfect brownstones, but we sure do love literature!
Links Galore
February 19, 2013 § 1 Comment
A few fun (library love-heavy) links for today:
- Have libraries had their day? No way!
- Famous writers agree that libraries rock.
- Still not convinced? Here’s a giant list of things kids will miss without a school librarian.
- The good, the bad, and the ugly in Pride and Prejudice covers.
- Excellent post on writing from the transgender perspective–would love to see more books on this list.
- I want to print out this post by fellow 2014 debut author Michelle Krys and hand it to anyone who says, “Your book isn’t out yet?”
Advice from Debut Authors
December 18, 2012 § 1 Comment
At YA Muses, debut authors share the best writing advice they ever got. Lots of great suggestions to take into the new year. A couple of my favorites:
“Don’t be easy on your characters. If there’s no conflict, there’s no action, and without action, your characters go nowhere.” – Laura Ellen, author of BLIND SPOT
“What is the worst thing possible that could happen to your character? Make it happen.” – Robin Bridges, author of THE GATHERING STORM and THE UNFAILING LIGHT
I think all writers can benefit by pushing their characters more. If your characters aren’t facing significant challenges (note–significant can be really small and personal, too), the reader won’t care about their journeys. And if the conflicts are easily resolved, the readers will be able to guess the outcome before they read it. You want to keep your characters and your reader surprised.
I also like:
“”It’s okay that it’s taking you so long to write your book. Books take time.” -Mike Jung, author of GEEKS, GIRLS and SECRET IDENTITIES”
Writing a book takes time. You write the first draft, you revise, you critique it, you revise again, you try something else, you revise again, etc. It’s a long process, and that’s okay. That’s not to say you should let your draft lag. You should be working on it–but don’t be frustrated if your first draft isn’t your final draft. This is art, guys; it takes a lot of work.
My own debut advice? Writing is always work. You think “If I could only get an agent!” or “If I could only get published!” but those things don’t change the fact that writing is about you sitting down and getting the work done. But it should also be fun. When I’m frustrated with a draft, I try to remember how I’d write (really bad) novels when I was in middle/high school and how much fun it was. You get to create worlds and investigate interesting people. It may be work, but it’s also the crazy coolest work out there.
Make sure to check out the full advice post, and feel free to share your own best ever writing advice in the comments.
Debuts, Awards, and the Continually Changing Landscape of Publishing
December 11, 2012 § Leave a Comment
With the Morris Award finalists announced, two of my favorite YA blogs–Stacked and A Chair, a Fireplace, & a Tea Cozy--are tackling what it means to be a debut novelist.
First the basics: “The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, first awarded in 2009, honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.” I love the idea of this, and I think it’s a great way for first-time authors to get recognition. At Stacked, Kelly lists the rules that apply to the Morris Award.
The problem mostly comes in with Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, as Hartman had previously self-published a graphic novel about the fantasy world used in Seraphina. Does that count as a previously published work and disqualify Hartman? The Morris committee doesn’t seem to think so, and Kelly and Liz raise good points about what the rules actually say and what that means for writers.
One part in Kelly’s post that struck me:
“I’m not convinced that self-publishing a book is not, in fact, publishing a title. An author does it for any number of reasons: they can’t find a traditional outlet, they prefer not to go through a traditional outlet, and so on and so forth. It doesn’t really matter why they chose not to go that route. What it comes down to is wanting to put a book out there and share their works. “
With more and more people looking to the self-publishing route, I think it’s going to have to be seen as a more viable option by award committees. Like Kelly says, an author is choosing to share their work with the public by self-publishing, just as they would by going the traditional route.
Not that I think this means Seraphina should be disqualified. As Liz notes, the rule regarding self-published books currently seems to treat them as separate entities than previously published books from a traditional publisher–which means that Hartman’s previously published graphic novel doesn’t count toward her Morris eligibility. And Seraphina is an awesome book, and I’m really excited about it being recognized for such a high-profile award.
But I also wouldn’t be surprised if the situation were different in ten years. Again, I think as more people look at self-publishing as an option, I think the committee will have to wrestle further with how that affects eligibility and what constitutes a debut.
If anything, I think this situation has started a really interesting conversation about the line between traditional and self-publishing with regard to awards, and how that line gets fuzzier every year.
