Category: Publishing

Links Galore

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A few fun (library love-heavy) links for today:

Advice from Debut Authors

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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

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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.

On TV, No One Revises and Book Contacts Aren’t Scary

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If you’re a writer, you might be used to your family and friends asking certain questions about the publishing process. Questions like, “Is your book out yet?” and “Why don’t you just send it to the publisher?” Generally, these questions aren’t intended to frustrate you or make you grit your teeth as you reply, “It takes a while.” Most people don’t know much about the writing or publishing process, and all they can base their assumptions on is what they see in movies.

YA Highway has a pretty great take-down of TV/Movie Publishing vs. Real Publishing, such as:

“1. Books Are Published Over Night
I noticed this one most recently on Gossip Girl when Dan, one of the main characters, ended up with a book deal. The means by which he got that deal were one thing – totally unrealistic is an understatement – but even more ridiculous was the timing.  The book was published just two or three months later.  In reality, books usually take closer to a year or even two to publish after being sold.”

I would say that books usually take closer to two or there years to publish after being sold. There’s stuff to do, guys! Editorial! Marketing! Sales! It takes times!

Another I’d add would be that in movies/on TV, the first draft of anything is pretty much perfect. You write your novel, submit it to your editor, and you’re good to go. In real life, the revision/editorial process takes a lot of time.

Also, a lot of the time I see people in publishing depicted as cold and only caring about the bottom line. Even though publishers obviously have to care about sales, the majority of people I’ve met in publishing have been people who actively care about books. They got into the job because they love books, not to make a ton of money. For the most part, everyone is hardworking and encouraging and thoughtful. It’s a great industry, really!

Make sure to check out the whole list. It’s especially helpful if you’re at home for Thanksgiving and need an explanation for why people can’t buy your book at Barnes and Noble yet.

Contemporary, with a Hook

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From this post about the state of the YA market by agent/author Mandy Hubbard:

Things that ARE working:

-Contemporary, MOST ESPECIALLY with a hook. Think: THIRTEEN REASONS WHY, anything By Ally Carter, etc. The usual “coming of age” or romance is tough, but if you can find a way to zero in on a big hook, you’re in GREAT shape.

Heck yeah, contemporary! A few years ago, you’d be way more likely to hear about how contemporary wasn’t selling in comparison to bigger concepts like dystopian or paranormal. I’m glad to see things shift back a little; stories about real life can be just as powerful as anything in a dystopian landscape.

That said, I think Mandy makes a good point that everything–whether or not the market’s ready for it–has to be done well. If you have a kickass vampire series that takes the genre somewhere new and exciting, that’s going to connect with readers. If you’ve got a cool sci-fi novel or a touching contemporary story, those will connect as well. It’s all about the story and the writing.

Traditional and Self-Publishing: It’s All Okay, Guys

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Fellow 2014 debut author and all-around awesome person Livia Blackburne has a great post up about why she chose the traditional publishing path instead of self-publishing. Her reasons for going the traditional route are pretty similar to mine–working with an established house and their team of talented editors/designers, etc; more potential to connect with readers without having to do all the legwork yourself; brand recognition. Livia also looks at why people might choose to self-publish, like having total control and a higher profit per book.

What I like most about Livia’s post is that she gives credence to both sides. So often, the discussion about traditional and self-publishing ends up being a shouting match between which path is better. Why do we need to divide into teams? Sometimes your career and book work better with what traditional publishing can provide. Some people benefit more from driving their own book path.

So far, I’m really happy with the traditional publishing experience. My editor is amazing and the depth of my work has grown based on her comments. And I’m really excited to work more with the other members of the team. But I think the book industry is opening up more toward self-publishing, and that’s going to continue to be a great option for writers.

Make sure to check out Livia’s full post. She lays it out way better than I could.

Links Galore

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A few more links to round out the week:

Overcoming Challenges Now and in a Dystopian Future: a Boston Book Festival Recap

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Confession: I’ve lived in Boston about six years now (holy cow!), and this is the first year I’ve had the opportunity to attend the Boston Book Festival.

I know. Somehow I was always out of town or busy that day. But this year I put it on my calendar and made sure I was free. And it was a beautiful fall Saturday–the perfect day to be downtown and among the literary crowd.

I attended two panels. The first was YA: Overcoming Adversity, with authors Jo Knowles, Kathryn Burak, and Barry Lyga (moderated by Simmons professor Amy Pattee). As someone who writes contemporary YA fiction, I really enjoyed the conversation about how essential YA novels are in a young reader’s exploration of adversity. Society tends to trivialize the emotions of young people, but young adulthood is a time when you feel emotions so intensely. YA is the first opportunity for readers to explore “controversial” topics–and possibly, the first time readers get to see that they’re not alone in their pain.

A couple of quotes I especially liked from the panel:

  • “I try to explain about contemporary YA novels–that they exist.”
  • [By reading about things feel turned inside-out] “…we feel a little less turned inside-out.”
  • “Adolescents move toward adulthood. Adults move toward death.” Hmm, that reminds me of a song.
  • “Print it, bitches!”
  • Barry Lyga shares his research on serial killers, including how you can mess with forensics scientists by smearing horseradish all over your crime scene and how there was a surge in serial killers in the ’80s (no, it wasn’t the hairspray).

Next up was YA: The Future is Now, with authors Rachel Cohn, Cory Doctorow, and Gabrielle Zevin (moderated by M.T. Anderson). All of the panelists were really funny and thoughtful, and it’s encouraging to see authors talk about dystopia not as a trend but as part of a concern young people have. Where is our world heading? Are we living in a dystopia or a utopia? Is it possible to make a change?

A few fun moments from this panel:

  • “The usual Boston welcome is when everyone stops talking and looks awkwardly away from each other’s eyes.”
  • “The Dickensian family drama is now!”
  • Gyms are a glimpse at a clone-driven dystopian society. (I also think they’re a good place to prepare for the zombie apocalypse.)
  • Cory Doctorow’s German student impression and first draft puppet show.
  • “Art is an aesthetic feeling you want to get into someone else’s head.”

I also got to get signed copies of See You at Harry’s (which is already making me have all the feelings) and The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party (which is one of my favorites).

All in all, a successful first Boston Book Festival. Thanks to all the literary people–the BBF team and volunteers, librarians, authors, publishers, etc.–who helped make this day so much fun!

Golden Boy is Coming!

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One reason I love children’s literature is that it introduces kids to very real problems in the world, many of which are far from readers’ everyday experiences. Rich, compelling characters can deeply connect a reader with global problems and injustices.

So I’m thrilled that Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan is about to hit the shelves in Spring 2013. Tara is a friend and critique group member, so I can totally vouch for the book’s awesomeness. The synopsis:

“A shocking human rights tragedy brought to light in a story of heartbreak and triumph.

Thirteen-year-old Habo has always been different— light eyes, yellow hair and white skin. Not the good brown skin his family has and not the white skin of tourists. Habo is strange and alone. His father, unable to accept Habo, abandons the family; his mother can scarcely look at him. His brothers are cruel and the other children never invite him to play. Only his sister Asu loves him well. But even Asu can’t take the sting away when the family is forced from their small Tanzanian village, and Habo knows he is to blame.

Seeking refuge in Mwanza, Habo and his family journey across the Serengeti. His aunt is glad to open her home until she sees Habo for the first time, and then she is only afraid. Suddenly, Habo has a new word for himself: Albino. But they hunt Albinos in Mwanza because Albino body parts are thought to bring good luck. And soon Habo is being hunted by a fearsome man with a machete. To survive, Habo must not only run but find a way to love and accept himself.”

This book makes me wish I had a middle school class so I could share the story with them. So good, guys.

If you’re intrigued, head over to IceyBooks for Golden Boy’s cover reveal and your chance to win an ARC!