Indie-Debut 2010

How to Avoid the Feeling of Isolation by Conducting Author Visits

2011-01-12T13:52:00.000-08:00

"How to Avoid the Feeling of Isolation by Conducting Author Visits"
by Donna M. McDine

Your writing career is moving at a steady pace, but from time-to-time, the feeling of isolation overwhelms you. What is a writer to do to get one’s self out into the world of the living, but not neglect your writing goals? One of the best ways to get yourself known locally as a serious writer would be to participate in author visits to elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools in your area - depending on what genre you write for. Also check out your local library and bookstores – they too may be interested in having you conduct an event. Presenting your short story or non-fiction article for children’s magazines can be fun way to present the creative writing process to children of all ages without overwhelming them. And since you are writing for children, why not spend time with them?

It can be daunting to research school visits, considering the Internet comes up with over 2 million hits when typing in “School Author Visits.” Why not check out the following resources:

1. Musing Our Children – A fellow writer informed me of this group and it has been a wonderful resource of information regarding school visits. The group is comprised of talented and inspiring women writers who are actively promoting school visits. The group shares a wealth of information pertaining to school visits to assist you in having a successful event and to help children understand the benefits of reading and writing. The group also provides handouts that you may use during your visits. Once you join the group, active participation and input are appreciated. For more information visit: http://musingourchildren.tripod.com/.

2. Local Schools –Contact an elementary school in your area and find out whom you need to present your school visit request to. The school secretaries are happy to point you in the right direction, whether it is the principal, PTA or program coordinator of the school. IMPORTANT: Keep in mind you don’t necessarily need to have a published book to conduct a school visit. You may be able to present a published short story or non-fiction article to the class. In addition, let the school know that you can meet with respective teachers and conform the event to coincide with their ELA State Assessment Guidelines.
3. Your network of fellow writers – We are all cheering for one another and I’m sure your network would be happy to discuss their ideas of school visits. If you are just starting out, the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators – http://www.scbwi.org/, has a wealth of information on all topics for writing for children.
4. Local Librarian – I have had wonderful success in becoming “buddies” with my local librarian. They are a chock full of information when it comes to conducting events for children. You never know, they may be so impressed with your initiative that they may request that you conduct a visit at their library. What better way to keep children inspired to read by meeting a local writer living in their midst?

5. Local Bookstores – Approach the manager or owner to see if they would be interested in having you conduct an author visit. If they are, obtain their guidelines for conducting such a visit and tell them that you will get back to them with your proposal / school visit kit. Be sure to leave your business card with them.
Put yourself out there…it will not only be fun for the children but for yourself!

Indie Debut Writer Danika Dinsmore on Writer's Block

2010-12-24T14:10:00.000-08:00

Over at The Accidental Novelist this week, Indie Debuter Danika Dinsmore talks about Lou Reed, writer's block, collage art, and staying cool:

Backing Into the Flow

Overwhelmed...Don't have time to write and post your media releases.

2010-12-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

Overwhelmed? Don't have time to write and post your media releases. Let the panic settle and don't fret any longer. Let Donna take the pressure off. Writing a media release requires a certain technique and online media distribution can be quite time consuming. Coupled with her marketing experience at the National Writing for Children Center and Stories for Children Magazine, Donna is uniquely positioned to help provide you with a top notch media release.

You’ll discuss your good news and happenings to get a clear indication of your direction. Your valuable information will then be written into a dynamic media release. Even if you don't have publishing credits under your belt, announcing guest interviews or your topic of choice will help draw traffic and recognition to you and your writing blog.

Don't wait. Let Donna take the pressure off you today.

Contact information:

Donna McDine

http://www.donnamcdine.com/dynamicmediareleases.html

donna@donnamcdine.com

845-359-6646

July 12, 2010

"If you are too busy to write and distribute a press release about your book, or simply aren't sure how to go about it, I can whole-heartedly recommend Donna McDine's publicity service. She writes excellent press releases. Best of all, she's fast!"
Mayra Calvani ~ http://www.mayracalvani.com/

June 6, 2010

"As a new author, I was unsure of how to publicize the blog tour for my first book. I knew a press release would help, but had no idea what to include or how to write it up. Donna came to my rescue! She asked for the appropriate details, composed an attention-grabbing press release then posted it all over cyberspace.
Donna provided her service in a timely, professional manner and allowed me to give approval on the final press release. If you have qualms about handling your own media release, contact Donna – she’s an expert!"

Beth Bence Reinke, author ~ http://www.bethbencereinke.com/

January 14, 2010

Dear Donna:

"I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your work on my press release. Creating a new organization involves so many details; it was such a relief to turn a task over to someone else. And you did a wonderful job! I love the energy you created with just a few lines. You're a true writer. I am going to recommend you to anyone who needs help with media releases.

Thanks again for making my life a lot easier."

Sincerely,
Amy Cook
Founder, Indie-Debut2010
http://indie-debut2010.blogspot.com/

December 9, 2009

"Working with Donna McDine was simply terrific! She was very knowledgeable and knew just the right questions to ask to present the most efficient and effective press release. Never having written a press release myself, I appreciated this very much. She kept me informed every step of the way and allowed me final approval of the press release prior to submitting it. Her price is extremely reasonable and easily affordable, even in this economic climate. She made the process seamlessly easy for me by also submitting the press releases to several different marketing services. As a result of her hard work, I have seen a significant jump in the traffic this week to my website. I highly recommend her services for anyone looking for an inexpensive and knowledgeable person to draft their press releases. I will definitely work with Donna again in the future."

Jennifer Swanson
Award-winning Children's author of the Penny and Rio series
http://www.pennyandrio.com/

November 20, 2009

“Donna McDine knows her craft very well. I am extremely pleased with the media release she wrote to help promote my new blog. What really stood out is her ability to write a very succinct media release covering all the pertinent information. Her media release is an attention grabber. If you are looking for quality work, I highly recommend Donna McDine. If you have any questions feel free to email me at: lumiereleclaire@yahoo.com. I will be more than happy to answer any questions.”
Nicole Weaver
Children's Author

http://outskirtpress.com/nicoleweaver
http://www.authorsden.com/nicoleweaver
http://www.jacketflap.com/basket

Creating a Booklife

2010-11-18T18:39:00.000-08:00

BookLife by Jeff Vandermeer

You’re reading this right now, so you must be able to navigate your way onto a website. But what if that’s the extent of your technical abilities? Does the idea of having to become social media savvy make your brain hurt? Does there seem to be too much to learn and not enough time to do it and work on your novel at the same time?

We’ve all heard that as debut authors, we have to become part of the social networking / new media environment, and every agent and publisher will expect it. To some, this is an exciting frontier . . . and to others, it’s a frightening abyss. I’m pretty savvy myself, but I have had many, many moments of complete overwhelm.

If you feel dizzy just thinking about it, you’re not alone.

There are plenty of resources online for the soon-to-be-published author who needs tips and advice. But, for those of us who like the comfort of a book in our hands, BookLife: Strategies and Survival Tips for the 21^st Century Writer by Jeff Vandermeer is a great companion guide.

Jeff is not only a social media expert, he’s also a writer of many genres, including fiction, so he can sympathize.

For those of us who do go into overwhelm, he’s got a section in Chapter One called “How Am I Possibly Going to Keep Up With All of This?!” That’s what I kept asking myself! One thing I learned, with immediate relief, is that I don’t have to do it all. I seriously thought I was behind the times if I wasn’t on MySpace. But MySpace has never appealed to me, so I avoided it. Now, I don't even worry about it. There are PLENTY of other avenues. I can pick and choose the ones best suited to me and my personality.

“Sometimes an opportunity is an opportunity – and sometimes it’s just a distraction or even a trap.”

Jeff’s book covers:

Creating and Managing Your Goals
Choosing Your Platforms
Effective and Ineffective Approaches to Blogging
Managing Your Involvement
Networking
Dealing with Agents and Publishers
Understanding Creative PR, PR Tools, and PR Planning
Leveraging Your Ideas
Maintaining Your Booklife
Life Balance
Living Your Booklife (finding inspiration, work schedule, habit vs. process, etc)
Protecting Your Booklife (rejection, despair, envy, etc)

And Much More.

As you can see, the book is not just about social media, it’s about how to make your public and private booklives connect, so that the process feels organic, rather than like swimming upstream (or against a sea of virtual voices). What you create OUT THERE can be an extension of yourself. Your personality, your strengths, may be used and can be communicated so that your readers hear YOUR voice and not something inauthentic or forced.

The book offers not only tips, but questions you can ask yourself to get clear, ways to get more focused on your PR so you can take practical steps to creating your booklife, self-checks to make sure you’re staying in balance, resources and examples.

I highly recommend this book to any writer who is nervous about navigating the virtual landscape.

And if you'd like more information about Jeff and/or his work, you can find him ONLINE. Of course.

“VanderMeer has struck a new sort of balance with the Internet: charming his dedicated fan base on the web, creating multimedia promotional tools for his books, and actively seeking out new readers like me in the digital crowds. One of my favorite writers.” —The Publishing Spot

Guardian Angel Kids Ezine Announces New Editor-in-Chief, Donna McDine

2010-11-13T06:41:00.000-08:00

M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna McDine, Editor-in-Chief, Guardian Angel Kids Ezine
Email: submissions@guardian-angel-kids.com

Website: http://guardian-angel-kids.com/

For Immediate Release

Guardian Angel Kids Ezine Announces New Editor-in-Chief, Donna McDine

Jennifer Reed, original Editor-in-Chief is stepping down from Guardian Angel Kids and will be replaced by award-winning children’s author, Donna McDine effective immediately.

Ms. McDine comes to Guardian Angel Kids with 20 plus years of administrative and web design expertise in both Fortune 500 companies and as a virtual assistant. Along with her experience in the children’s publishing industry as a published author, National Writing for Children Center Publicist Intern, and former Stories for Children Magazine marketing manager McDine brings to the forefront her business, writing, and marketing know how to propel Guardian Angel Kids to further success in 2011 and beyond.

Please join, Lynda Burch of Guardian Angel Publishing, Kevin McNamee, Guardian Angel Kids Technical Director, and MarySue Roberts, Guardian Angel Kids Cover Art Director in welcoming Donna McDine to the family.

Please visit Guardian Angel Kids and become familiar with all we have to offer the young muses in your life at http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/.

Thank you for your time and interest.

###

The Brick and Hopefully Crumbling Wall of Parenting and Writing

2010-11-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Brick and Hopefully Crumbling Wall of Parenting and Writing
by Donna M. McDine

You dream of the days of no commute to a 9-5 job and you finally give your writing aspirations the chance that they deserve. You have stocked your office or any small writing space that you designate in your home with all the essentials; computer, paper, pens, pencils, books and research resources, etc. However, the responsibilities of mother seem to intrude every moment of the day.
Now that you are home, everyone thinks that you are accessible all day long. The kids feel that since you are home that you aren’t “really working”. You’re not sure when it happened, but responsibilities that were normally delegated, somehow have become all your responsibility. A writer’s life can easily become frustrated when the creative juices are without fail interrupted by the most mundane questions or needs. You know how that goes. Cleaning the sticky keyboard. Mom where are my soccer cleats? What is there to eat? Can you put the movie in for me? The list is endless. When did my family become so helpless?
We all love our families, but how does one carve out that special and much desired writing time without the feeling of neglect on the family? It is important to reset boundaries as quickly as they disappear. Let your family know that writing is indeed work, but also a passion that you want to achieve. Teach your children the importance of uninterrupted writing time and that they will get your undivided attention once your writing session is completed. Hopefully they will come to understand that what is important to you should be respected. Just as you respect what is important to them.
Although there will be times and sometimes it will feel like many, where interruptions are a necessity. Such as, when the school nurse calls to say that you need to pick up your child that has a fever. Like any mother, we quickly grab our car keys and head to the school. If you attempt to balance your writing and the care of your sick little one it will tend to leave you both feeling frustrated and neglected. At this point, you are much better accepting the fact that your child needs you and that your writing can wait for another time. Even if that deadline is on the horizon, you will not do your best work, just leave it.
Grab any time thrown your way, especially when the little ones are asleep. When the house and telephone are quiet it tends to be a great time for creativity. These little pockets of time may not feel like much, but the time over a week to a month will accumulate and you can get quite a bit accomplished.
Keep a handy pocket notebook with you at all times, you never know when your next inspiration will come to mind. It could happen anywhere, such as that crowded doctors office you just brought your sick child to. Like anything in this life, this too shall pass, but we hope not too fast, since they do grow up quickly.

To learn more about Donna's writing career visit her at http://www.donnamcdine.com/

BREAKING NEWS: The Bug plagues the blogosphere

2010-11-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

Breaking News: The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade is now plaguing the blogosphere.

Nov. 5, 2010--From the west to east coast, The Bug is on the loose and cannot be stopped! Reports state that the brand new picture book by award-winning author Lori Calabrese broke out of its bookends, sneaked out of the bookstore after hours and is now buzzing by various children's literature blogs. It's goal--to make its way into people's homes.

The first incident occurred at Mayra's Secret Bookcase, located at http://mayrassecretbookcase.blogspot.com/2010/11/review-of-bug-that-plagued-entire-third.html, at around 12 p.m. Tuesday. One witness said, "All of a sudden, out of nowhere, this Bug comes flying and buzzing in the air. It was big."

"The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade all started because my son caught one of those vicious stomach bugs," says Lori Calabrese, the author. "Now it's gotten loose and it has its bright emerald green eyes set on plaguing the blogosphere. I never thought it would get to this point!"

No one has been hurt, but there's more to this bizarre tale about a bug on the brink of extinction. People report that all incidents with The Bug have been positive...

"A bug-tastic treat," says Ingrid Sundberg of Ingrid's notes.

"What I really enjoyed about this story is the way the author skillfully combines verse and a complete plot with a clear beginning, middle and end," says Mayra Calvani of Mayra's Secret Bookcase.

"This is a wonderful story which should find a home in every grade one through three classroom," says Penny Ehrenkranz of One Writer's Journey.

"Readers will enjoy the building tension that takes place centered on the interplay between the two types of ‘bugs’ in the story," says Chris Singer of BookDads.

To ensure public safety, officials recommend heading into protected areas such as a bookstore and getting your own copy of The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade.

"Let's cut it off at the path," says Sergeant Hines Emerald. "If it's already in your house, it won't be able to sneak its way in and plague members of your household."

To keep up to date on the status of The Bug, be sure to follow along some of the blogs in The Bug's crosshairs...

November 2
Mayra's Secret Bookcase

November 3
Ingrid's Notes

November 4
Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz's One Writer's Journey

November 5
Book Dads

November 8
Brimful Curiosities
The Children's Book Review

November 9
Mrs.Hill's Book Blog

November 10
Miss O's Library Land

November 11
Tara Lazar's Writing for Children (While Raising Them)

November 12
N.A. Sharpe's Realms of Thought

November 15
Beverly S. McClure's The Story of a Writer

November 16
Elysabeth's Stories

November 17
Raising Itty Bitty Bookworms

November 18
There's a Book

November 19
The Iron Bodkin

November 30
Into the Wardrobe

What The Bug can't stand the most are comments! So leave as many as you can at these "targets" and be entered to win a The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade Prize Pack that includes...

-a tote bag
-t-shirt
-Make your own bug jar craft kit
-Make your own bug magnifying glass craft kit
-Calendar magnet
-pen
-bookmark
-and an autographed HARDCOVER copy of The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade

(Contest open to U.S. Only/ Winner will be announced December 1st)...

According to state blogosphere officials, the escape has sparked nationwide buzz over The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade. Chaos has ensued and they want everyone to stay well-informed, and be prepared or at least have a plan as The Bug continues to plague the blogosphere!

Do you need a publicist to market your book?

2010-11-04T04:51:00.000-07:00

As most writers know, it's not just about writing the book, it's also about marketing it. Marketing can be a daunting task for a big or small press author, especially if you don't have any experience or little time. Perhaps, you've considered reaching out to a publicist to help, but just aren't sure of the benefits and whether or not it's for you. That's why today we're talking to Rebecca Grose.

Rebecca Grose is the president of SoCal Public Relations (www.SoCalPR.net), a freelance publicity firm specializing in children’s and young adult books. With almost 20 years in literary p.r., she offers full-service promotional campaigns for clients in all genres (YA, picture books, historical fiction, middle grade, etc). Originally from Michigan, she lived in New York for eight years, working in children’s publicity at several major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, DK Publishing), and now resides in San Diego, where it’s always sunny and warm (well…95% of the time).

Rebecca not only tells us about how she got started, but also offers some advice on how to get the word out about your book...

Tell us a little about your background and how you became a public relations specialist who focuses on children's and young adult books.

Years ago, I worked in publicity for Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (HBJ), here in San Diego, but on the adult side of the business. In fact, I had the great honor of being involved in promoting The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Of course, at that time, I was only an assistant, so I handled making her travel arrangements, creating her itinerary, that sort of thing. As my career progressed, I loved the challenge of a campaign, working with great authors, and meeting new people.

In 1995, I moved to New York – the hub of the publishing industry, and worked for several major publishers, including Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and DK Publishing. But my career took a different path and I was hired by the children’s publicity departments, which I liked so much better! I handled p.r. campaigns for award-winning literary giants like Walter Dean Myers, E.L. Konigsburg, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, and was totally hooked! The looks on the faces of kids when they met one of these amazing luminaries was so rewarding and inspiring. And the camaraderie within the children’s publishing industry was quite different than when I worked on adult titles – in children’s, everyone understands the importance of early learning and reading for kids, and although there is still competition between publishers, it felt like one big extended family. I had an opportunity to attend amazing book launch parties and major events (the stories I could tell…), plus accompany my authors on multi-city tours and to national media appearances. It was an incredible experience! (P.S. one of the last books I worked on in New York was a picture book, Langston Hughes: American Poet…by Alice Walker; in a way, I felt like I’d come full circle in my career.)

In 2003, I moved back to San Diego to start my own freelance literary public relations firm, and have since had an opportunity to work with numerous authors at various stages of their careers, including helping many first-time authors launch their books and start building their brand. It has been very rewarding on so many levels, especially when I have clients who hire me time and again – whenever they have a new book they’d like to give an extra push.

What are some of the services you offer your clients?
Everyone’s needs are different, so I work closely with my clients to determine our best plan of attack. We brainstorm together to design a tailored campaign that will generate the most impact for their book and achieve their goals, whether it’s an author tour, online media coverage, niche market research, local appearances, radio blitz, or any combination. My services include creating press materials (press release, author bio, Q&A, praise sheet, etc), which are approved by the author. I also work with bookstores, libraries, and festivals/trade shows to schedule appearances, signings, panel discussions, presentations, and provide written confirmations to all involved while working with the venue to maximize publicity for the event. Of course, I also pitch media contacts for features, interviews, reviews, round-ups, chats/guest blogs, and more.

Consultation is a key part of most projects for my clients throughout our campaign (and beyond), answering their questions re how best to interact with the publisher, giving suggestions about creating promotional materials or how to update their website, etc. Working together, we become a team, and it’s helpful for authors to have an experienced publishing insider to bounce ideas off and ask advice.

You can find out more about the services I offer by visiting my website: www.SoCalPR.net

What do some of your clients say is their biggest challenge?
I talk to a lot of authors, and what I hear over and over again is that they really aren’t comfortable with promoting themselves to booksellers, libraries, or media. They don’t enjoy the business end of the industry, they’d rather be immersed in their writing! It can be difficult for an author to know the best way to pitch an appearance or an interview, which is where someone with experience can certainly help. But also, most of these contacts prefer an objective approach; it’s easier for them to deal with a third-party than directly with the author.

You've created buzz for many books--in what specific area have you found the best success (online sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or media kits, etc...?)
The online community is definitely the best way to build a buzz, especially if you can achieve a domino effect with multiple bloggers…each having followers/readers who then spread the word to their friends/family, and so on.

What’s most important in this realm is for the author to become actively involved in their own success. These sites are comprised essentially of readers who thrive on direct communication with the author, either through an interview or guest blog, or when the author is a member and leaves a comment or chats with others on the site. It’s much more genuine (and effective) when this type of grassroots buzz is generated, than when a publicist or marketing person tries to post info about a new book to any of these sites.

My role in this is to facilitate and fuel this interaction for the author…set up chats and blog tours, help them identify the sites that would be the best fit for them to join, etc. In addition, I work with a lot of other online media to secure reviews and author interviews to feed into the buzz we’re building.

What's your best advice for a small press author to build a buzz for their new book?
An author’s best resources are the contacts they already have…friends, family, teachers they know, the clerk or manager at their local bookseller, etc. (see #4, below)

With that in mind, here are a few helpful tips:

1) accept the fact that you will need to roll up your sleeves and do a lot of marketing/promoting yourself (and possibly hire someone to help you)

2) create a website at least 2-6mos before pub date (even if you start with just one page), include it on everything (promotional materials, press materials, letters), ask the publisher to list it with your bio on the jacket flap (if possible)

3) use an email signature which includes your book title, pub date, website (don’t make it too lengthy), and include it on every communication!

Example: Mary Smith

Best Book Ever Written (April 2011)

www.marysmith.com

4) put the word out to friends, family, anyone you can think of, and ask for their help in spreading the news about your new book; these are people who want to help you, so let them!

5) if not already a member of book sites, blogs, etc, join a few that interest you and become very active; comment on other books, author interviews, etc. (remember to include your email signature, see #3)

What do you like best about your job?
Working with people…authors, publishers, booksellers, librarians, media contacts, etc. I truly believe it all comes down to relationships, and I continue to enjoy my ongoing friendships in every segment of our industry. It’s especially rewarding to bring others together, such as introducing an author to a key librarian who has amazing outreach in their community, or putting a bookseller in touch with several authors for an upcoming special event, etc.

Bottom line – it’s all about bringing people together, in one way or another, and I’m happy to do my part.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer a few questions for your members and readers!

For more information:

Rebecca Grose

SoCal Public Relations

www.SoCalPR.net

socalpublicrelations@yahoo.com

619.460.2179

The Last Day of The Golden Pathway Virtual Book Tour

2010-10-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you to one and all for your never ending support before and during The Golden Pathway virtual book tour.

The two month tour has flown by and today is the last day and celebration.

I'm hosted with two UNIQUE interviews at:

The Story Ideas Virtuoso is thrilled to be part of The Golden Pathway's virtual book tour at http://tinyurl.com/2fpr3p4

Donna McDine has come full circle with The Golden Pathway’s virtual book tour by VS Grenier at http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com/

If you are ever interested in being interviewed for my blog, please feel free to contact me privately at: donna@donnamcdine.com.

Thank you!

Happy Halloween!

The Golden Pathway Virtual Book Tour Reaches the Homestretch

2010-10-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that The Golden Pathway virtual book tour coordinated by Pump Up Your Book Promotion reaches the homestretch. The adventure of introducing David and Jenkins to the literary world has been a wonderful opportunity to meet so many advid readers I may have never met otherwise. Even though this portion of the journey will end on October 29, I'm anxious to keep their story swirling through cyberspace and into classrooms, libraries, and bookstores. So don't forget to check back for updates on appearances both vritually and in person.

Thank you to one and all for your never ending support and please follow along on the last stops, for when one's journey ends, another adventure awaits.

Monday, October 25

Book spotlighted at Book Tours and More

http://booktoursandmore.blogspot.com/

Thursday, October 28

Book reviewed at Thoughts in Progress
http://masoncanyon.blogspot.com/

Friday, October 29
Book reviewed at Book Reviews by Molly
http://reviewsbymolly.blogspot.com/

Guest blogging at SFC Blog: Families Matter
http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com/

Thank you for your time and interest!

What Can Goodreads do for you?

2010-10-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

There's this wonderful community that I'm only just beginning to participate in-- it's the Goodreads community. I've often seen people talk about how they are addicted to Facebook and Goodreads. Which I just couldn't understand. What is so great about Goodreads?

A lot, apparently. Goodreads promotes their authors. Besides the fact that a quick skim of updates lets me know who added what book and who liked what, there are FREE services for Goodreads authors.

Are you aware of what Goodreads can do for you? Here are a few things.

1) A blog. What's great about this blog is I don't actually have to write a new blog every time. I just linked my Goodreads account to my Blogger account, and everytime I post a blog, presto! It goes live on Goodreads. Do I actually have any followers? No. And I never have comments. But hey! Maybe someday!

2) Giveaways. I just discovered this recently. Many of us offer free books during our blog tours, with the intention of garnering interest in our books. Well, Goodreads also has this service. They 'request' that if you enter a giveaway, you also put the book into your 'to-read' list. (Not everyone does this. I know because right now I have 399 people in my giveaway contest, but my book is on only 95 'to-read' lists.) But, that is 399 people who have heard of my book now that probably hadn't heard of it before. How neat is that??

3) Author Q&A. Few things can make a person feel like a celebrity than having a bunch of strangers discuss you. Goodreads provides the place for that discussion. The author simply chooses a time period--like for two weeks--starts the discussion with a question or two, and then let's it roll. I haven't done this yet. I want to get my name out there a little more. But again, what a neat way to garner interest.

So, if you haven't checked out Goodreads, you need to. See you on there!

You're Invited to a Virtual Book Launch Party

2010-10-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

Have I announced that Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. has released my debut picture book, The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade in hardcover, paperback, and e-book?

Well, the release of a book is cause for celebration!! That's why you're invited to a Virtual Book Launch Party. Please come and help make this a fun event. We will be giving away free autographed copies of The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade as well as bookmarks, postcards, magnets, tote bags, t-shirts and more!

Where: http://thebugbooklaunch.blogspot.com
When: Monday, Oct. 18^th- Friday, Oct. 22nd

The party's online (you don't have to go anywhere!) and it's taking place all week!! So feel free to pop in all day, every day for an entire week, or just pop in for a minute to let me know you stopped by!

Whatever you do, make sure you stop by because you won't want to miss the party!

Hope to see you all there,

Are You Marketing Just Your Book or Yourself Too?

2010-10-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

"Are You Marketing Just Your Book or Yourself Too?"

By Donna M. McDine

Since signing my first book contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, February 2008, I have read time and time again that the marketing of your book begins well before publication. Profound statement and right on the mark. Don’t miss another important aspect. You need to pair your book marketing with marketing YOU the author. Do not become a wall flower and only peel yourself from the wall when you want to position and sell your book.

Active membership in a writing community is essential, both online and in-person. Start out slow and don’t give in to joining too many groups. Being an active participant in one or two communities is much better than joining five plus and the members hardly or never hear from you. Start out by introducing yourself and then respond to fellow members posts constructively. Never attack or bash. Remember what mom always said, “Treat others how you want to be treated.” With respect, correct?

When a fellow member seeks advice on a particular topic and you have experience to offer, share what worked for you and what didn’t. The conversation ease is set from the get-go when fellow members sense you are not here just for your book, but to partake in an exchange of information. A trust naturally develops over time as you converse, cheer members successes, and encouraging even louder when a rejection is received. Relationships forged in this manner are usually a win-win outcome for all involved. Over time you will begin to wonder how you made through it the publishing roller coaster ride without them.

Go ahead put yourself out there and connect with fellow writers. You were brave enough to submit your manuscript to the publishing Gods so this should be a snap. Most of all have fun and make new friends.

Indie-Friendly Awards by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

2010-10-06T11:09:00.001-07:00

On September 25, Donna McDine, Lori Calabrese, and I did a presentation on publishing with a small press for the Lower Fairfield SCBWI group. At that presentation, we met Lyn Miller-Lachmann, author of the young adult novel Gringolandia. Lyn has done a guest post for us about awards that are open to books published by small presses, and we're pleased to share that with you. You can learn more about Lyn and her books at http://web.mac.com/lynml/Site/Home.html. Thanks, Lyn!

Indie-Friendly Book Reviews and Awards

When my small press published adult novel, Dirt Cheap, appeared in 2006, it received few reviews and no awards. Sales were disappointing.

My publisher, Curbstone Press, gave me a second chance. This usually doesn’t happen with a major publisher. If you don’t make sales expectations, your publisher drops you, your agent fires you, and you have to write under a pseudonym, try a small press, or self-publish. However, my editor, the late Alexander “Sandy” Taylor, said he always judged each new project on its merits, not on how the author’s last book sold. And he loved my next novel, the young adult/adult crossover Gringolandia, the story of a refugee teen from Chile living with the aftermath of his father’s imprisonment and torture under the Pinochet dictatorship.

I was grateful for my editor’s support and vowed to make a more concerted effort to help get Gringolandia reviewed in the important trade journals and considered for awards. These trade journals—Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Horn Book, and Voice of Youth Advocates—are particularly important because a library needs at least two positive reviews in order to add a book to its collection and school and public library sales are especially important for children’s books. Also important are awards, which help a book stand out in a crowded field and can lead to course adoptions or a place on a school’s summer reading list. For commercial books published by major houses, positive reviews and awards don’t necessarily translate into sales, nor do negative reviews hurt sales, as shown by the success of the Twilight series. For small press published books, however, reviews and awards convey credibility and create an appealing narrative of “the little book that could.”

Of the six major reviewers, Gringolandia received five positive reviews. Only Publishers Weekly, the most commercially oriented of the six, declined to review it. One of the lessons I learned from the failure of Dirt Cheap was the importance of getting advance reading copies (ARCs) of the books in by each review journal’s deadline, which can run from two months in advance of publication to six. A second lesson was the importance of blurbs, endorsements from well-known and respected authors. A blurb by the award-winning Canadian author Deborah Ellis, who has written extensively about refugees and children of combatants around the world, attracted notice from reviewers. Several prominent bloggers known to be open to small press children’s books supported Gringolandia and brought it to the attention of awards committees. These included (thank you/mil gracias!) Liz Burns at A Chair, A Fireplace, A Tea Cozy, Shelley at Semicolon, Kim Bacciella at Young Adult Books Central, Ari at Reading in Color, and Ed Spicer at SpicyReads. As a result of their efforts, Gringolandia was named to the American Library Association’s Best Books for Young Adults list, the Bank Street Best Children’s Books list, and the list of ForeWord Book of the Year finalists. It received an IPPY Gold Medal from the Independent Publishers Association in the Children’s Multicultural Fiction category and the Américas Award Honorable Mention from the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs.

Since small press books often don’t get a “look in” from major reviewers and awards committees, the blurbs take on an outsized importance, as does early support from bloggers. (A friend of mine owes AmazonEncore’s republication of her self-published book to a review and strong support from Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray and Bookslut Kids, another good blogger to approach.) At the same time, you should also pursue reviewers who openly solicit small press books, as well as awards that are “indie friendly.” Among the indie friendly print reviewers, Midwest Book Review and ForeWord Magazine are the best known. If your book addresses diversity issues, MultiCultural Review, Teaching Tolerance, and Skipping Stones are good places to send review copies. Skipping Stones also reviews environmental and nature books.

Indie friendly awards help libraries, schools, and individual buyers to know that your book is well written, an outstanding work of its genre, and, in the case of nonfiction and historical/multicultural fiction, an accurate and authentic treatment of its subject. For small presses that can’t afford ARCs or missed the reviewers’ deadlines, indie friendly awards offer a second chance at recognition, because only finished books can be entered.

If your book is published by a small press, you should check with your publisher to see who is supposed to nominate the book—the publisher or the author—and to make sure your book doesn’t slip between the cracks because you think your publisher is nominating, and they think you are. Most of these awards charge fees of $50 to $100, but some, like Skipping Stones, will waive the fees for publishers that can’t afford them. The Skipping Stones Honor Awards, are given to children’s and young adult books in two categories—Multicultural/International and Nature/Ecology. Both nonfiction and fiction are eligible. Although major houses also submit their books, at least half the Honor Awards each year go to small press titles.

The ForeWord Book of the Year Awards and the IPPYs are the largest source of general small press book awards. Each of these features dozens of categories, but they don’t always overlap. For instance, my publisher entered Gringolandia in the Young Adult Fiction category for the ForeWord BOTY awards and the Children’s Multicultural Fiction category for the IPPYs. If you have a picture book, various parenting magazines bestow awards that are frequently won by small press titles. These include the prestigious Parents’ Choice awards. You should also consider specialized awards, such as the Americas Award for books set in Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latino communities in the United States; the Children’s Africana Book Award for books set on the African continent; the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award for books about peace and international understanding; or the Horace Mann Upstanders Award for picture books that present children making a difference in their world. Small press titles have won a significant share of all these awards.

Although most of the awards have deadlines after January 1, 2011 for 2010 titles, it’s never too early to start researching these awards and getting your entries in. Some have early bird discounts on the nomination fees, and you don’t want to lose out because you’ve missed your deadline by one day. So get those review copies and award entries in, and keep your fingers crossed!

The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade blog tour is on like donkey kong!

2010-10-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

Join me today at Jo Ramsey's blog for the kick-off to my first blog tour for The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade!

Hope you can join us for 9 days of reviews, giveaways, interviews, and more!

Find more details here!

How Can the Underground Railroad be a Golden Pathway, the Virtual Book Tour Continues September 27 – October 8, 2010

2010-09-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna M. McDine
Children’s Author
Email: dmcdine@optonline.net
Phone: 845-721-7802

For Immediate Release

How Can the Underground Railroad be a Golden Pathway, the Virtual Book Tour Continues September 27 – October 8, 2010

The fun continues with The Golden Pathway (Guardian Angel Publishing) virtual book tour.

Title: The Golden Pathway

Written by: Donna McDine

Illustrated by: K.C. Snider

Ages: 8-12

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

Hardcover: ISBN: 978-1-61633-081-1; 1616330813

Soft cover: ISBN: 978-1-61633-088-0; 1616330880

eBook: ISBN: 978-1-61633-082-8; 1616330821

Published: August 2010

Synopsis:

Be transported through time to the Underground Railroad, where high-pitched screams echo each night. David’s cruel Pa always chooses the same victim. Despite the circumstances during slavery, David uncovers the courage to defy his Pa. Raised in a hostile environment where abuse occurs daily, David attempts to break the mold and befriends the slave, Jenkins, owned by his Pa. Fighting against extraordinary times and beliefs, David attempts to lead Jenkins to freedom with no regard for his own safety and possible consequences dealt out by his Pa.

Virtual Book Tour stops the week of September 27-October 8, 2010:

Monday, September 27

Book reviewed at The Story of a Writer – http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com/

Book reviewed at Lori Calabrese’s Blog - http://loricalabrese.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, September 28

Interviewed at Lori Calabrese’s Blog - http://loricalabrese.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, September 29

Book reviewed at The Crypto-Capers Review – http://cryptocaperseries.blogspot.com/

Thursday, September 30

Book reviewed at My Favorite Things – http://edna-myfavoritethings.blogspot.com/

Monday, October 4

Interviewed at Beyond the Books – http://beyondthebooks.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, October 5

Book reviewed at 4 the Love of Books – http://myheartbelongs2books.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, October 6

Guest blogging at Writing Daze – http://rebeccasnotebook.blogspot.com/

Thursday, October 7

Book reviewed at Just One More Paragraph – http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/

Friday, October 8

Book reviewed at Debbie’s Book Bag – http://debsbookbag.blogspot.com/

Donna will check in throughout the day at each location to interact with the visitors to field any comments and/or questions. Take this wonderful opportunity to show your support and ask your questions.

Each stop is UNIQUE so please check-in daily through October 29, 2010 at http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/ to see where Ms. McDine will pop up next.

Thank you in advance for your interest and support.

###

Full Media Kit, Headshot, Book Cover Art and more are available upon request.

"Marketing Burnout" - One Author's Solution

2010-09-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

As a writer, you love to write. You are happiest sitting at your computer or with a notebook and pen, typing or scribbling as the words flow from your brain to your fingertips. You thrive on being alone for a large chunk of the day, writing and reading, researching and e-mailing.

Then it happens. You get an acceptance! Some time passes and soon you hold your published book your hands. Yay, now you can sit back and watch the sales roll in, right? Uh, no.

Many wannabe writers don't realize that when your book is published by a small publisher, most of the marketing will fall to you, the author. There is an unbelievable amount of work involved in getting your book into the hands of folks who will enjoy reading it. In fact, it's so much work that sometimes authors burn out.

Any writer will tell you that having your published books to market is a tremendous blessing. But sometimes you may need to take a step back and slow down. Taking a break from marketing can revive your strength and renew your enthusiasm for the task.

Read what author Katie Hines has to say about "marketing burnout" and taking a break: http://katiehines.blogspot.com/2010/09/have-you-had-it-with-marketing.html

Writing Compelling Characters

2010-09-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

How well do we know our characters?

People aren't static. Everything we do changes us. Everything we witness, everything that happens to us.

Yet often times in books, it seems that the characters are static. Flat. They don't change. As readers we anticipate a change. We watch the cause on one screen and turn to the next screen to see the effect. If there is none, we feel a huge let-down.

The relationship between your characters is changing, evolving. Have you noticed? How well do you really know your characters?

My characters have a huge back story. Most of it is never revealed in the book. At one point it was revealed, but most of those scenes have been deleted. And it doesn't matter. My characters still react to things in context of their histories. The little reveals add depth to the novel, they add mystery and intrigue. Just like our relationships with our friends in real life. When we meet someone, they don't hand us a pamphlet with their back story (though heaven knows, sometimes it would be nice). We get to know them little by little. We discover their eccentricities and what makes them tick, and sometimes we never quite find out what it is about brown socks and rabbits that sends them into a tizzy every time, but we know it does.

With our characters, we get to be parents. Gods. Procreaters. Again and again and again. When I created Jayne for my book Inevitable, I had so much fun making her features, designing her personality, and thinking up her favorite things to do. But just like with parenting, an interesting thing happened: as I wrote about Jayne, some things really fit--and others didn't. How?? I made her! But Jayne took on her own life. She is who she is, not who I want her to be.

It's okay to mess with your characters. Do something crazy, just for fun. Write a scene where one of your characters breaks a personal moral standard. What does that do to your character? How does it affect the relationships with the other characters? Write a scene where the character witnesses a crime. Loses a sibling. Gets a scholarship.

Get to know your characters again. It's amazing how dynamic they are.

On another note, my book release has been changed to Nov.16 instead of Nov. 1. Almost here!

Calling All 2011 Debut Small Press Authors

2010-09-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

Are you a debut children's author and have a book coming out in 2011? If your press is not listed in The Children's Writers & Illustrators Market, you won't be eligible for online marketing groups like Class of 2K11 or Authors Now! Many small presses aren't listed. Ours weren't.

That's why we put together a group for debut authors in this situation and we'd like to carry on the tradition. The group is called Indie-Debut and it's open to any children's- YA author who has a book coming out in 2011 with a small or CWIM-unlisted press.

To be eligible, your publisher just needs to be a member of Independent Book Publishers of America, Small Publishers Association of North America or listed in the Small Press section on SCBWI's PAL application form. (Sorry, self-publishers and vanity presses are not eligible)

We hope to gather about twenty authors to help each other with publicity through a group blog, blog tours, virtual book launches, tweets, Facebooks posts, etc. Plus, it never hurts to have new author friends!!

If you're interested, please contact Abigail Beal at abigailwrites (at) gmail (dot) com. You can also use the contact form above--be sure to let us know your name, publisher, title, release date, and website (if you have one).

We'll send you an invitation to the group if availability is still open and your publisher meets the criteria listed above.

Thanks so much for your interest!

Publishing with a Small Press panel this Saturday

2010-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder for everyone, 3 authors of Indie Debut 2010 will be participating in a panel titled, Publishing with a Small Press, starting at 11 AM Eastern at The Ferguson Library, Harry Bennett Branch in Stamford, CT this Saturday, September 25th.

3 Indie-Debut Authors bring children’s book and YA writers much-needed, seldom-offered advice on what it’s like to publish with a small press.

Indie-Debut authors are aware that not all small presses are created equal, which is why they caution authors to do their homework and sift through publishers to find the one right for them.

The panel on September 25 will offer attendees a unique opportunity to hear first-hand the three authors’ experiences publishing their books through a small press. At the same time, the three authors will share their perspectives on small presses in general during their discussions and help writers decide if this is the right step in their goal to publication.

On the panel are children's authors, Lori Calabrese, Donna McDine and YA author, Jo Ramsey. Hope to see you there!

The Ferguson Library
Harry Bennett Branch
115 Vine Road, Stamford
fergusonlibrary.org

Sponsored by the Friends of the Harry Bennett Library and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators of Lower Fairfield (a subgroup of NE-SCBWI)

The Bug plagues Indie Debut blogs

2010-09-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to announce that I will be embarking on an Indie-Debut Blog Tour for The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade, starting Friday, October 1st.

The Bug will be buzzing by fellow Indie-Debut member's blogs, checking out their book reviews, interviews with the author (yep, that's me!), guest posts, and giveaways--what other than autographed copies of The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade!

So I hope you all get the chance to stop by each one of The Bug's stops and check out what all the buzz is about!

Friday, October 1
Jo Ramsey
Interview

Monday, October 4
Write What Inspires You (Donna M. McDine)
(Guest Post: Sailing the Rough Seas of the Picture Book Market)

Tuesday, October 5
Write What Inspires You (Donna M. McDine)
Book Review

Wednesday, October 6
Dancing With Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes (Miriam S. Forster)
(Guest Post: POD Publishing and Why It's Helping Small Presses Thrive)

Thursday, October 7:
Writing and Reading with Carla Mooney
Interview

Friday, October 8:
Beth's Book Basket (Beth Bence Reinke)
Interview + Giveaway

Monday, October 11
The White Forest (Danika Dinsmore)
Interview

Tuesday, October 12:
Chasing Dreams (Tamara Hart Heiner)

Wednesday, October 13
Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes (Miriam S. Forster)
Interview + Giveaway

The Golden Pathway Lights up Cyberspace through a Virtual Book Tour

2010-09-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna M. McDine

Children’s Author

Email: dmcdine@optonline.net

Phone: 845-721-7802

For Immediate Release

The Golden Pathway Lights up Cyberspace through a Virtual Book Tour

Join Donna McDine, author of the historical fiction story book, The Golden Pathway (Guardian Angel Publishing), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in September and October on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

Title: The Golden Pathway

Written by: Donna McDine

Illustrated by: K.C. Snider

Ages: 8-12

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

Hardcover: ISBN: 978-1-61633-081-1; 1616330813

Soft cover: ISBN: 978-1-61633-088-0; 1616330880

eBook: ISBN: 978-1-61633-082-8; 1616330821

Published: August 2010

Synopsis:

Be transported through time to the Underground Railroad, where high-pitched screams echo each night. David’s cruel Pa always chooses the same victim. Despite the circumstances during slavery, David uncovers the courage to defy his Pa. Raised in a hostile environment where abuse occurs daily, David attempts to break the mold and befriends the slave, Jenkins, owned by his Pa. Fighting against extraordinary times and beliefs, David attempts to lead Jenkins to freedom with no regard for his own safety and possible consequences dealt out by his Pa.

Virtual Book Tour stops the week of September 5, 2010:
Tuesday, September 7:

Thoughts in Progress

http://masoncanyon.blogspot.com/

Guest Post – “Where Does One Begin in Creating a Media Kit?”

Wednesday, September 8:

The Children and Teen’s Book Connection

http://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com/

Book Review

Thursday, September 9:

The Hot Author Report

http://www.thehotauthorreport.com/

Guest Post – “Five Things You Didn’t Know About Donna McDine”

Friday, September 10:

Lori’s Reading Corner

http://www.lorisreadingcorner.com/

Guest Post: “Writing for Children Tips”

Donna will check in throughout the day at each location to interact with the visitors to field any comments and/or questions. Take this wonderful opportunity to show your support and ask your questions.

Each stop is UNIQUE so please check-in daily through October 29, 2010 at http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/ to see where Ms. McDine will pop up next.

Thank you in advance for your interest and support.

###

Full Media Kit, Headshot, Book Cover Art and more are available upon request.

Some Buzz About the Bug

2010-09-02T08:02:00.001-07:00

Check out one of the first reviews for The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade over at BlogCritics by Nicole Weaver!

Weaver says, "Reading the story will surely bring a huge smile to your face, just like it did me, because it reminded me so much of similar adventures my three children and their friends experienced during their elementary years in school. Every elementary school should have a copy of this precious book in their school library."

But that's not all...

Award-winning author of The Golden Pathway, Donna McDine says, "Will Matt succeed and convince his teacher that he truly captured an unusual bug for real or will he be sent home because he caught the cold bug? Find out while you read the hilarious tale of The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade told in perfect rhyme."

Not Sure If Publishing With a Small Press is Right For You?

2010-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited because today I have a guest post over at Cheryl Rainfield's blog titled, Publishing With a Small Press.

The road to publication for many is often a bumpy one, and it’s ultimately up to you the writer, to decide which way you want to steer. Should you turn that wheel and head toward the bright lights of New York City, gleaming skyscrapers and huge corporations? Or should you turn that wheel toward the cottages and bed & breakfasts that line rural America? Unfortunately, there isn't a road map or GPS guiding an author to their destiny, so in this post, I talk about some of the advantages of publishing with a small press.

Hope you can stop by and leave a comment!

A little about Cheryl:
Cheryl Rainfield's first novel, a hi-lo (high interest, low vocabulary) teen medieval fantasy came out in Sept 2009–Dragon Speaker: The Last Dragon–from HIP Books, and another teen fantasy comes out from HIP Books in 2010.

Her second, an edgy realistic YA novel, Scars, was released in the Spring of 2010 from Westside Books. It’s an amazing book and I highly recommend it! You can read my review at Examiner.com.

September Banned Book Challenge!

2010-08-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

As many of my older blog readers know, last September was all about books for me.I blogged about books, talked about books, slept with books under my pillow, etc.

This year, we're doing something a little different. I'll still be posting reviews, and talking about books of all kinds, but I have a new twist. Introducing....

The Banned Book Challenge!

Here's how it goes. I challenge you, our loyal and wonderful readers to read at least one banned or challenged book this September. And not only read it, but review it on your blogs, webpages or Goodreads.

And to help you out, I've set up a new site: http://readabannedbook.weebly.com. You can sign up for the challenge, and leave links to the reviews when they're up. I will collect the links and post them on the site.

The site even has lists of banned and challenged books to assist you in choosing one to read. If you want to sign up, go HERE. And if you want to help spread the word, I've made a handy-dandy invitation that anyone can copy and post on their blog.

So that's the Banned Book Challenge. Who's in?

Character is destiny, part 4: Who gets to be the catalyst?

2010-08-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

This is reposted from a six-part character series that I did on my blog, Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes. I'll be posting the other bits of the series over the next week or two. Enjoy!
__________

Catalyst: a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected.

Some of you right now are reading the title of this post and scratching your heads. Why am I talking about catalysts in a post about characters? Aren't catalysts, or inciting incidents, as some people call them, part of the plot?

Well, yes.

But in fiction, as in real life, incidents don't just HAPPEN. People make them happen. Sometimes a lot of people make something happen, sometimes it only takes one. And even when an incident can be classified as an Act of God, the effect of the incident depends on the people involved.

To use a recent example: An earthquake in a desperately poor country like Haiti will have a different effect than one that strikes New York or LA, because the people and culture involved are different.
__________

Remember in the first post of the series when I asked you "Who has the power?" Well, figuring out which of your characters is the catalyst is a good way to find out who has the power. Or to give power to a character that needs it.

You can have more than one catalyst in a story, in fact, most stories have at least two. In the movie, The Mummy, the catalyst for the main conflict is when Evelyn reads from the Book of the Dead and releases the mummy. But the catalyst, or inciting incident for the story itself, is when Johnathon, (her brother, and the Trickster character in the story) gives her a puzzle box he stole off a drunk.

Johnathan is mostly comic relief for the rest of the story, but the fact that HE was the one who started the whole thing off gives his character substance. And since it was Evie who awoke the Mummy, it gives her an incentive to face off against an ancient evil instead of running away. (Evie needs that piece of motivation to be plausible because she is a somewhat clumsy Intellectual character and not a person of action.)
__________

In many good vs. evil stories, the catalysts are shared between the protagonist and the antagonist. In The Lord of the Rings, Sauron's rise to power is a catalyst in and of itself. But Bilbo Baggins's accidental finding of a magic ring in The Hobbit, and later giving it to Frodo, is also a catalyst. And one that will ultimately prove to be Sauron's undoing.

This dynamic is extremely common with murder mysteries, and suspense. Because the antagonist gets the first catalyst (usually a murder or explosion), they're instantly set up as powerful characters. The protagonist's decision to chase the enemy is the catalyst that draws us into the conflict.
__________

Finding those catalyst moments can also be a good way to solve the problem of passive or helpless characters.

In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo gets a catalyst moment, when the council decides that the only way to destroy the ring is to drop it in the fires of Mordor. The members fall to arguing over who will take the ring, and Frodo, the least powerful character in the group, stands up and volunteers.

This is a character who has spent most of the first part of the movie running away, and much of the latter part being protected by others. But because he's the one who volunteered at that critical moment, he retains his power, and when he decides to go off on his own at the end of the movie, we believe it.
__________

Any thoughts? Can you think of other uses for characters and catalysts?

BOOK REVIEW: Brigitta of the White Forest

2010-08-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

Brigitta of the White Forest is a middle grade fantasy novel written by Indie-Debut author Danika Dinsmore. Cover design by Tod McCoy. Copyright 2010.

In a world where it is sometimes hard to tell friend from foe, two sisters race against time to save their beloved White Forest and all the faeries they love. As they journey beyond the faerie realm, Brigitta and Himalette persevere through adversity and learn to match wits against giant caterpillars, rock dragons and munshmins.

Before I opened Brigitta of the White Forest, the gorgeous cover with an ethereal blue moon caught my eye, setting the tone for the story. As I read, the White Forest came to life in my imagination as a blend of The Shire and Rivendell, yet with a delightful, whimsical personality all its own. Dinsmore's faerie world is amazingly detailed, steeped in history and tradtions that bring depth to the tale.

I especially love the relationship between Brigitta and her little sister, Himalette. Their loyalty, bravery and even a few sisterly squabbles made for credible, endearing characters.

I recommend this book for middle graders and up. Girls will especially relate to Brigitta, but don't count out the boys - there is plenty of suspense and adventure! Bring on The Ruins of Noe, book #2 in the White Forest series.

Reviewed by Indie-Debut author Beth Bence Reinke.

It's official!! The Golden Pathway is NOW available

2010-08-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

It's official!! The Golden Pathway is NOW available:

Title: The Golden Pathway

Written by: Donna McDine

Illustrated by: K.C. Snider

Ages: 8-12

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

Hardcover: ISBN: 978-1-61633-081-1; 1616330813

Soft cover: ISBN: 978-1-61633-088-0; 1616330880

eBook: ISBN: 978-1-61633-082-8; 1616330821

Published: August 2010

Synopsis:

Raised in a hostile environment where abuse occurs daily, David attempts to break the mold and befriends the slave, Jenkins, owned by his Pa. Fighting against extraordinary times and beliefs, David leads Jenkins to freedom with no regard for his own safety and possible consequences dealt out by his Pa.

Author: Donna McDine http://www.donnamcdine.com/

Artist: K. C. Snider http://www.kcsniderart.com/

Ordering information:

Guardian Angel Publishing: http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Pathway-Donna-M-McDIne/dp/1616330880/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282836673&sr=1-1

Join Indie-Debut at Harry Bennett Library

2010-08-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

3 Indie-Debut Authors bring children’s book and YA writers much-needed, seldom-offered advice on what it’s like to publish with a small press.

Indie-Debut authors are aware that not all small presses are created equal, which is why they caution authors to do their homework and sift through publishers to find the one right for them.

The panel on September 25 will offer attendees a unique opportunity to hear first-hand the three authors’ experiences publishing their books through a small press. At the same time, the three authors will share their perspectives on small presses in general during their discussions and help writers decide if this is the right step in their goal to publication.

Where: Harry Bennett Library, Stamford CT

When: Saturday, September 25th 11am- 1pm

BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AND BOOK SIGNING AFTER EVENT

Sponsored by the Friends of the Harry Bennett Library and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators of Lower Fairfield (a subgroup of NE-SCBWI).

Click here to enlarge flyer.

Shelf Unbound Brings Small Press Coverage to the iPad

2010-08-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check out this article in PublishersWeekly.com, "Shelf Unbound Brings Small Press Coverage to the iPad."

It's fascinating to learn that not just books are going digital, but so are magazines!
Shelf Unbound, a new publication set to launch in September comes in a digital-only format and will be available through your computer, iPad, and other devices.

But the great thing about Shelf Unbound is that it will cover small press books, authors, presses and trends, bringing the rich world of small, independent and university presses—many of which are only now making their books available digitally—to tech savvy readers.

Margaret Brown, the founder and publisher of Shelf, told PW that “The idea for Shelf was the convergence of a few things: my lifelong love of and career in magazines, an awareness of the breadth and depth and quality of books that do not make it onto the shelf of the big chain stores, and the delightful discovery of how mind-blowingly beautiful and exciting magazines are on the iPad.”

Shelf is offering a free copy of its first issue to the first 10,000 who friend Shelf Mag on Facebook or email info@shelfmediagroup.com.

Indie-Debut 2010 Interview Feature with C. Lee McKenzie, The Write Game

2010-08-19T04:20:00.000-07:00

M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna M. McDine

Children’s Author

Email: dmcdine@optonline.net

Phone: 845-721-7802

For Immediate Release

Indie-Debut 2010 Interview Feature with C. Lee McKenzie, The Write Game

The Write Game http://writegame.blogspot.com/ hosted by C. Lee McKenzie is your one stop place to learn about up and coming debut writers in various genres. McKenzie is quite the accomplished author with several middle grade and young adult books to her credit, coupled with her experience teaching inter-cultural English and studies in American Language at San Jose State University. This makes for the perfect visit for the authors of Indie-Debut 2010 http://indiedebut2010.blogspot.com/.

Come along for this intriguing interview on Thursday, August 19 at http://writegame.blogspot.com/ and meet:

Lori Calabrese, The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade

Danika Dinsmore, Brigitta of the White Forest

Donna McDine, The Golden Pathway

Jo Ramsey, Connection

Beth Reinke, In My Bath

Be sure to leave a comment and or question, each author will check in throughout the day to field your comments and questions. Visitors participating in the contest point system please see further details within the Indie-debut 2010 interview. Don’t miss out on the chance to win a special giveaway tote bag with special treats.

Thank you in advance for your interest.

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Get a Writing Workout Each Friday

2010-08-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

Every Friday at The Accidental Novelist Danika Dinsmore pulls a creative writing exercise from her vault and shares it with her readers.

Could be a poetry assignment, prose exercise, character-development exploration . . . you just never know. (She likes to keep people on their toes.)

Readers are encouraged to share the results of the exercise in comments or with links. Danika enjoys reading work inspired by her exercises, so don't by shy.

If you'd like a warm-up or a muse-boost, stop by each Friday for a new workout.

Last week's workout: The 10 Defining Moments of My Life

Character is destiny, part 3: Character Store, cont.

2010-08-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

This is reposted from a six-part character series that I did on my blog, Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes. I'll be posting the other bits of the series over the next week or two. Enjoy!
__________

As I've mentioned before, I asked my blog readers to tell me their favorite kinds of characters, and this is part two of the list that they came up with.

It's not all the list though, because several people listed certain types of villains as their favorites, and villains are another post entirely.

Ready to meet more characters! Here we go!
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The Adventurer/Survivalist: This is one of the most popular characters in action/adventure, and horror fiction. The Adventurer is generally clever, athletic and inventive and good with weapons and/or fists. They're often running off to exotic locations, fighting evil villains, or locating hidden treasure.

Adventurers may not have the most intricate character development or the best conversational abilities, but they're famous for their knack for getting out of impossible situations and overcoming any odds to save the day. (The Survivalist may or may not be any of these things, but they are almost always inventive, which is how they survive the apocalypse/horror movie in the first place.)

Movies with Adventurer/Survivalists: Indiana Jones, The Mummy, G.I. Joe, I am Legend
___

The Super-Competent: At first glace, the Super-Competent character is very much like the Adventurer, but there are several distinct differences. To begin with, while the Adventurer can be a bumbling character in real life (i.e. Indiana Jones), the Super-Competent character is almost always in total control of his/her situation. They possess a high level of skill in their chosen field, like the fast-draw heroes of early cowboy movies.

The other main difference is that the Super-Competent character's skill in work is almost always matched by a corresponding lack of skill in personal relationships. Modern-day Super-Competents are often divorced, or permanently unattached because of some personal loss, like a beloved husband or wife. They don't show emotion easily and have a hard time getting close to people.

Examples: The Super-Competent has fallen out of favor in movies since the golden age of the cowboy film, but some excellent TV examples are Cal Lightman on Lie to Me and Jethro Gibbs on NCIS.
___

The Intellectual: Intellectuals are the "bookish characters" of the fiction world. They are, of course, very intelligent, and are thinkers rather than doers. These are the computer geniuses, the science experts, the artists, the dreamers, and sometimes even the masterminds. Intellectuals can have a wide range of character traits, but almost all of them are more comfortable with ideas than with people.

Movies and TV with Intellectuals: Anne of Green Gables, Evelyn in The Mummy, Die Hard 4, Bones, Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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The Ruler-Of-All-They-Survey: This character is the king or queen of their domain. They are the star athlete in their high school, the famous actor, the millionaire businessman. They're confident, charismatic, and often ruthless (though not always) When the Ruler character is a primary character, their development arc usually involves becoming a better person, often through the love of someone else. Ruler characters make excellent antagonists, and they can also be used as catalysts for the plot, because these are characters who make things happen.

Movies with Ruler characters: Sabrina, She's All That, Mean Girls, Notting Hill, Chicago
__________

While all of these character types can be fun, the real fun comes when you combine them. For example, Temperance Brennen in the TV show Bones is both an Intellectual and a Super-Competent character, while the FBI agent she works with is an Adventurer type with a bit of Trickster in him.

What do you think? Which character types do you like? Do you think any others go well together?

Character is destiny, part 2: The Character Store

2010-08-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

This is reposted from a six-part character series that I did on my blog, Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes. I'll be posting the other bits of the series over the next week or two. Enjoy!
__________

So, now that we've talked about WHICH character should tell the story, we have another problem.

What kind of characters should we have in our stories?

To help you out, I asked my readers to tell me their favorite characters, and I threw in a few of my own as well. (There were a lot, so it will take two posts.) I've also given movie examples of these characters, so you can see how they work.
__________

The Trickster: The trickster has a wide range of manifestations, such as the good-at-heart con-artist or the thief with a sense of honor. Tricksters are identified by their practical skills, exceptional intelligence, good powers of observation, and the ability to plan and execute elaborate schemes. Tricksters occasionally try to go straight, but are usually prevented by the need to protect family or enact revenge. Subsets can include the spy or the super-hacker.

Movies with Tricksters: The Sting, Ocean's Eleven, Gone in Sixty Seconds, The Bourne Identity

Strong and Tortured: This character is generally tall, dark, handsome and mysterious. They are experts at brooding and hint often at dreadful secrets in their past. The Tortured character is usually wrestling with their past or their future. They're often in love with someone that they try to stay away from, or they may give up love for the greater good. Immortality is a frequent attribute, but isn't necessary.

Movies with Tortured characters: Twilight, Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings.

Coming-of-Age or Coming-into-Power: This character usually starts out as an insecure, doubting person, who sees themselves as ordinary. As the events of the story unfold, they grow in confidence. In fantasy lit, this character often turns out to be possessed of unusual powers, or someone with a great destiny. In current day novels, this character is usually a teenager, or a twenty-something finding their place in the world. Coming-of-Age characters are usually taught by the Wise Mentor.

Movies with Coming-into-Power: Shopgirl, Garden State, Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, Frodo from Lord of the Rings

The Screw-Up: This character has messed up beyond all recognition, whether through addictions, misunderstandings, or selfishness. They have a tendency to ignore signs of disaster, and often believe what they want to believe despite the evidence. The story here is a redemptive one, the characters, once confronted with the truth, are generally forced to make amends in some way. At the end, they usually achieve a sort of peace.

Movies with Screw-Ups: My Best Friend's Wedding. Twenty-Eight Days,

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That's all for now. Questions? Comments? Snide Remarks?

Character is destiny, part 1: The Edward/Bella dilemma

2010-08-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

This is reposted from a six-part character series that I did on my blog, Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes. I'll be posting the other bits of the series over the next week or two. Enjoy!
__________

A while back, I did something I wasn't sure I'd ever do, something I was a little embarrassed to tell people about.

I read the excerpt of Midnight Sun.

For those of you who don't know, Midnight Sun was supposed to be the fifth book in the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. It tells the events of Twilight from Edward's perspective instead of Bella's.

The book was partially written when someone leaked the work-in-progress to the Internet. Ms. Meyer was so upset by this that she has put the project aside for an indefinite period, and put the leaked draft on her website for her fans to read.

I am not so much a S. Meyer fan, though I have respect for her storytelling abilities. But a friend heard me grumble about how much I disliked Edward as a character, and suggested I read the partial draft.

I was amazed. Being inside Edward's head was a completely different experience from being inside Bella's head, and for me, a much more interesting one. Instead of the Bella's dilemma "Why is this guy ignoring me and what's his dangerous secret?" the central question is "What can I do to avoid killing this girl, and how can I keep my family from killing her?" I found myself more involved in the story that I was originally, and wishing that the entire series was written from Edward's perspective.

This got me thinking about character.
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The Greek writer Heraclitus said that character is destiny, and whether or not that's true in life, it's certainly true in your novel. Your choice of point-of-view character determines everything. What are the tensions in the story? Who is your supporting cast? What does the voice and tone sound like?

All of these decisions are affected by who tells the story.

But choosing a point-of-view character is a tricky business. How do you know whose story it is? And to complicate things further, your main character and your point-of-view character may not be the same person. Many classic mysteries, for example, have the sidekick tell the story. That way the detective can save the final reveal for the very end, astonishing everyone, including the sidekick.

So how do you decide whose head to stay in?
__________

It depends of course, a lot on the kind of book that you're writing. But here are three questions I ask myself:

1.) Who has the power? Powerless or passive characters can be very hard to engage with. (I would classify Bella as one of these, but that's just my opinion.)

If your story is about a prince rescuing a princess and the princess spends almost the entire book locked in a tower crying, you may want to try telling it from the point of view of the prince. Or a servant who secretly helps the princess by smuggling her food, and eventually assisting in her escape.

2.) Who changes the most?

Terry Brooks says that without change, nothing happens. The process of changing and adapting to new circumstances creates an automatic story tension. In the Twilight story, it isn't Bella, but Edward who changes the most. His internal struggle gives the story weight.

3.) Who keeps the secrets?

This is largely applicable to mysteries or thrillers. If a character has a secret the reader absolutely cannot know until near the end, try telling it from a different perspective. But be careful here. Sometimes keeping a secret from your readers isn't necessary. I preferred watching Edward try to keep his identity secret, as opposed to watching Bella try to ferret it out.
__________

Any thoughts? How do you decide which character tells the story?

Margaret Fieland Announces Guest Author, Donna McDine at Poetry and Prose

2010-08-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna McDine, children’s author

Email: dmcdine@optonline.net

Blog: http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/

For Immediate Release

Margaret Fieland Announces Guest Author, Donna McDine at Poetry and Prose

Margaret Fieland, an accomplished piccolo and flute player and the daughter of a successful painter is a published author in a number of poetry and short story anthologies. Through her blog Poetry and Prose, Ms. Fieland is proud to showcase authors through her insightful and intriguing interviewing style.

Stop by Wednesday, August 11 and visit with Margaret at http://www.margaretfieland.com/blog1 and guest, Donna McDine, author of the soon to be released children’s story book, The Golden Pathway. Donna will be on hand throughout the day to chat and field any questions you may have.

Thank you in advance for your interest.

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Awe Inpsiring Interview: K.C. Snider, Illustrator

2010-08-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

When I was bestowed the honor of becoming an “angel” at Guardian Angel Publishing and reached the stage of studying the portfolios of the GAP illustrators I immediately felt a connection to the artistic abilities of K.C. Snider. Not to say it was an easy task since all the illustrators at GAP are quite talented in their own right. Come along on this awe inspiring interview of the prolific works of K.C. Snider.

DMc: K.C., you have quite the accomplished illustrating career. How do you balance your many different projects?

KC: Well, my publicist makes me take a ‘fine arts’ break now and then. We sometimes get inspired to do a particular work to enter into a special show or contest. Usually when I’m working on a book, I work on one at a time. But sometimes two at a time especially if one is particularly complicated and needs a lot of research, doing a fun one interspersed helps to keep my inspiration piqued.

DMc: Are you normally hired by the publishing house or author for your illustrating talents?

KC: Actually, the first book I illustrated was “The Christmas Angel,” for my good friend, Mary Jean Kelso. She had written this story many years ago and couldn’t get it published so she thought that if it was illustrated, it might have a better chance at publication. Unbeknownst to me, she sent it to Lynda Burch at Guardian Angel Publishing who did accept it. I was still busy doing my Western fine arts and hadn’t really thought about pursuing more illustration jobs, but Lynda liked my work and approached me to illustrate Mayra Calvani’s “The Magic Violin.” I was thrilled to have another project for GAP. From there, it has just snowballed with GAP. I do not accept any other projects at this time except from GAP.

DMc: Please share with us your break through moment of your career.

KC: Keep in mind that I’ve had a long career in fine arts prior to illustration. So I would say my biggest break through moment involves my fine art. I was in my first large juried show in Aspen, Colorado when I sold my first $1000 original painting. I had been doing small local shows up until then. Then I started doing lithographs and they sold for as much as my originals did in the beginning.

DMc: Do you conduct school visits? If yes, how is a typical visit structured?

KC: Yes, I do. Here in Redmond, the fourth grade students write and illustrate a book as part of their regular curriculum. As I got known as an illustrator, I was asked to give demonstrations to various classes. My publicist assists me. We use the flip books and I bring samples of the materials I work with. I show them how I work and then they ask lots and lots of questions. One of the students we spoke with last year won the Angel to Angel writing contest with GAP.

DMc: Do you have a favorite medium or style?

KC: I don’t have a favorite medium for my fine arts, but the illustrations are in gouache with some ink. Gouache is an opaque watercolor. My style is generally realism, but I also do cartooning.

DMc: Please name a couple of your favorite children’s illustrators. What intrigues you about them?

KC: No really ‘famous’ children’s illustrators come to mind, but I like Kit Grady, Samantha Bell and Kevin Collier, along with the other GAP artists. Kit’s work is really cute, Samantha’s is quite realistic and Kevin’s is nicely cartoonish.

My mentor for illustrating was Norman Rockwell, my all-time favorite.

DMc: How long does it take for you to illustrate a book?

KC: Generally, a month depending on have often my dog, Pooper Jack, interrupts me. Mayra Calvani’s Frederico, the Mouse Violinst, took two months. I now have 15 books in publication with GAP, six pending publication and contracts signed for 11 more. I’m quite proud of my accomplishments with GAP.

DMc: A signature request I like to ask every author, illustrator, editor, etc., I interview is for the individual to share with us a tidbit from their lives that the reader will find either humorous or surprising. K.C., can you please share one with us?

KC: Probably one of the most memorable events in my art career was the day that my husband, Fred, put a knife through one of my canvases that I had just sold! Fred was tying the painting to an easel so that it would not blow over. He had a knife to cut the string and the knife slipped. He was absolutely mortified and devastated. So I lost a $2000 sale. The gallery I was with was not happy. But Fred has been so supportive of me that I really can’t complain. He does all my framing, helps pack and unpack at shows and does so much that I couldn’t do it without him.

Visit K.C. Snider today at:

http://www.kcsniderart.com/
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/

http://andyandthealbinohorse.blogspot.com/

http://www.cafepress.com/KCSniderart

http://blog.kcsniderart.com/

So, you want to take your show on the road, or at least into the classroom. . .

2010-07-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

School visits may seem like a no-brainer for a children's book author, but what if you've never stepped foot in a classroom other than as a student or a parent?

How do you set up such visits and what do you charge for the service?

How do you go about creating and providing an engaging visit, one students and teachers talk about for days?
I am fortunate not only to have a teaching credential and experience, but to have taught in public, private, and alternative settings as an artist-in-the-schools. I had been teaching for 18 years before my book was published, so I was jazzed about getting back into the classroom.

Recently a friend asked me how much I was going to charge for my visits and I blanked. Okay, so perhaps I have loads of teaching experience and am not afraid to pick up the phone and present my curriculum, but I don't really have a breakdown of my fees or a way to manage the visits. I realized I still had work to do.

There's so much to learn about classroom visits as a debut author that it can be a bit overwhelming. Lucky for us, there's a brand new blog called School Visit Experts, which was created by, well, a school visit expert named Alexis O'Neill.

Alexis has an M.S. in Instructional Technology and a Ph.D. in Teacher Education. She's the author of 4 award-winning picture books and has written fiction and nonfiction for Cricket, Spider, Cobblestone, Calliope, Faces, Odyssey and Writer’s Digest. She's also a former elementary school teacher, teaches writing for the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and is a Regional Advisor for SCBWI California.

I'm assuming it's because she's been called a slacker that she put together this useful site, which is billed as "a place for published and soon-to-be-published authors & illustrators to find and share advice on how to create and deliver quality programs for kids, teachers and librarians."

Its purpose is to help you deliver beneficial presentations and manage them professionally. I haven't seen any other sites quite like it.

There are only a few posts up so far, but they all contain practical information. I am looking forward to seeing how the School Visit Experts community develops.

Author Jan Markley on Blogging, Anthropology, and the Road to Publication

2010-07-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

When twin sisters Cyd and Jane are propelled into an international plot involving evil scientists and giant genetically stretched frogs, the girls are in a suspenseful and hilarious race to save the frog kingdom.

Dead Frog on the Porch by Jan Markley
ISBN: 9781926691060
Gumboot Books

Have you ever wandered onto someone’s blog and felt immediately drawn in? That’s what happened when I clicked over to debut author Jan Markley’s blog. Both her website and her blog are light and welcoming and amusing. Her personality shines through, and I think that’s what makes people gravitate towards her work.

Since she recently launched her debut middle grade mystery Dead Frog on a Porch, I figured I’d invite her to tell us about what she's learned from her journey.

DD: Before we get to your fabulous blog, I have to say that I love all the images on your website pages. Where did they come from?

JM: I purchased them off the web. I did a search on writing images and found them. They are all done by Soizick Meister, an artist from Vancouver. There were many more but I had to limit myself. I loved the colours and the images of the pens and the words flying in the air. I also loved images of the imagination taking flight, the writer curled up in her home or flying through the air.

DD: They're such fun and definitely representational of a writer's life.

JM: I think they represent the dual life of a writer. You're either at home curled up in your sasquatch writing cave with your cat and a cup of tea or you're out in the world speaking, presenting, meeting people, and being interviewed. I think writers have to be extroverted introverts - if you know what I mean. So I loved the images of being grounded at home while flying in the larger world.

Finding the illustrations was the result of a long process of soul searching about what image I wanted to present to the world, and getting feedback from creative people. I must have looked at hundreds of writers' websites before I figured out what I wanted. I wanted a site that was creative, professional and accessible to readers, teachers, librarians, writers, parents and children. Funny, I haven't thought about all of this for a year since I put up the site.

DD: I don't know how many people put that much thought into the images on their websites, but I think it paid off.

These days, just having a static website won't cut it. Having a blog as a debut author is a must. Your blog is a wonderful combination of commentary on the writing life, advice for emerging writers, and humour. Lots of humour. With visuals!

I imagine that your books are as light and fun to read as your blog. Did blogging come naturally to you? Did you do any kind of research or practice to find the right blogging style and voice?

JM: When I knew I was close to getting an offer to publish (as highlighted in a series of posts labeled 'published'). I started doing research about social media and marketing. I regularly listened to Spark - a CBC radio program about computers and new media, and read all I could about book marketing and publishing from some of the more established blogs.

I had also read enough blogs to know that a blog has to be about something - a blog about taking the garbage out and other everyday minutia is not of interest to anyone. A blog has to offer something for the reader - information, advice, insight, a few laughs, so they will come back. It can't all be about the writer. So I decided that my blog would be about where life meets writing or where writing meets life. I take incidents from my life and make analogies to elements of writing. I also share what I've learned about the writing and publishing process, and share the writing events in my life like school visits and what I learn at writing conferences.

Since I like to think I'm funny ;-j I use humour to get my point across. I think people like humour. I use a lot of images to break up the text. People are reading off computer screens all day at work, and the internet is a visual medium so I use a lot of images. It's funny because people think of me as a neo-luddite when it comes to computers, but since having a blog I've become the Empress of the Embedded link.

DD: A social-media savvy friend of mine, who is definitely not tech savvy, once said that just because someone is techno-literate doesn't make them a good social media strategist. Social media has nothing to do with knowing how to program anything, it has to do with communication, marketing and community building. And I can see that you are aces at that.

JM: Thanks Danika. That is so true. I have a vision of being part of a community of writers, readers and people who are excited about children's literature and having a blog has certainly helped to create that community, as well as being a member of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators which is an international organization. Having a blog has increased my cyber ability and computer literacy ten fold. Blogs are also great for developing your own voice. I find myself thinking - I want to talk about this issue - how can I do that in a funny, quirky, unique way that informs and is true to the voice of the blog?

DD: The funny pays off. I found myself laughing out loud while reading your blog. It made me want to buy your book. (well, it's either your humour or you've discovered some kind of social media hypnosis)

JM: You are getting sleepier ... no social media hypnosis but that's a good idea! It's good to hear that my blog gives readers a glimpse of my writing style and piques interest in the book. My debut novel Dead Frog on the Porch (and subsequent books in the Megabyte Mystery series) is funny - as well, the plot is fast paced, the voice of the protagonists is strong and unique, and the culprits are super quirky characters.

But the books also play on serious themes like our interconnectedness to the environment, navigating the many shades of right and wrong, and social and ethical issues. (Plus, I like to throw a little anthropology in since I hold a masters in cultural anthropology.) So, in the same way that humour can be mirrored with serious issues, my blog uses humour to convey some helpful tips, knowledge and insights into writing and the writing life. So I hope that's what people are getting out of it.

DD: Speaking of your MA in cultural anthropology (!), I was going to ask you about that. I can see that as being a fabulous background for a writer, although I wouldn’t expect one to become a children’s mystery book writer. How does that influence your work or writing life?

JM: Good question. I asked that question of one of my professors before I started the program and she said that it changes the way you look at life. I agree with that, you look at life through a lens of curiosity and understanding, and you want to know everything about someone and their culture. It makes you wonder what motivates people - which is a good question for a writer to ask. I think at heart I was always a writer and an anthropologist because I love to travel and experience other cultures. I started this book long before I did my degree.

In my professional life I've worked as a journalist and worked a lot in the Aboriginal community as well. I hope to weave the anthropology more into future books in this series. As well, I've been working on a manuscript for a long time based loosely on the life of my late grandmother who came to Canada from Ukraine back in the beginning of the last century. That book has gone through many iterations from time travel to y/a and I'm still working on telling that story.

DD: You could try telling it as a graphic novel!

BTW, I love that a reviewer called your book "Nancy Drew for the iPod generation." I'm so jealous. How do I go about getting a nifty soundbite like that?

JM: I love that one as well. It's a back of the book cover quote that came from Shenaaz Nanji who was a Governor General Award Finalist in 2008 for her y/a novel Child of Dandelions which tells the story of two friends during the time when Idi Amin expelled the Indian Nationals from Uganda. Shenaaz is also a writer friend and we've been in the same critiquing group for over a decade. She had seen a couple of drafts of the story as it came to the group for feedback. I asked her for a quote and that's what she came up.

Dead Frog on the Porch is a new twist on the old favourite genre of mysteries - modern characters with attitude who use old fashioned curiosity, new technology, and draw on Nancy Drew for inspiration from time to time. Every now and then they have a 'what would Nancy Drew do' moment.

DD: Our audience probably wants to hear about your path to publication, and they can read a lot of great info on that in your blog. You write that your blog highlights the “three keys to getting published: rewriting, persistence, and stalking.” With that in mind, what do you think is the greatest piece of advice you can give our readers about this process? (no pressure here).

JM: I think the biggest mistake writers make (and we've all done this) is sending out a manuscript too soon. You do one draft, type 'The End' and then run for a manila envelope and search the junk drawer for stamps. That's the end of draft one and hurrah for you! - have a glass of vino - but you're not done.

DD: I’ve made that same mistake. It takes diligence and patience. Sometimes it’s difficult to know how much better it can be until you go through the process. What’s yours?

JM: For me, it goes through another couple of substantive re-writes, then to my writers' critiquing group and to my young readers group. Then it's back to me for another couple of re-writes. Then and only then does it see the inside of an envelope. I'm sure your readers are familiar with agent Janet Reid's blog. Janet goes further. She suggests writing and polishing at least two books before you start the query process: “After you've written your first novel; you wait, write a second, revise, then query.”

DD: What's something you learned along the way that you wish you had known before?

JM: I suggest writers learn about the industry that they hope to be a part of. With Nathan Bransford's and Janet Reid's blogs, just to name a couple, it is so much easier to learn about the publishing industry today than it was even five years ago.

I hate to get all anthropological on you, but in any society there is tension between tradition and innovation (i.e., keeping things the same and change) the publishing industry is no different. Learn about the industry, trends, changes in technology, understand copyright and distribution etc., I'm not saying become an expert, just learn enough to understand the industry and the changes going on in it.

Also, learn as much as you can about the submission process (writing cover letters and synopsis) so that when you do start submitting you are taking the best shot you can. I'm a big fan of writers doing their homework.

DD: Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like working with Gumboot? I know they are a independent publisher with a small staff, but I also know they put out quality books. Our Indie Debut focus is on small / indie presses and the positive aspects of working with them.

JM: I've enjoyed my experience with Gumboot from the beginning. The publisher Crystal Stranaghan (who is a big Nancy Drew fan btw) has been great from the beginning. She has a vision for her publishing company and a passion for publishing, and she's probably the busiest woman on the planet.

The beauty of working with her as a small publisher is that she's been very consultative along the way. She asked me for my ideas for a cover way back when and I didn't take her seriously because of all I had heard about writers not having a say in cover design. And she was like, 'no really, I want your great ideas'. So I consulted with my young readers and friends with great esthetics and gave her my feedback. She showed me a number of different sketches the artist Mike Linton did before the cover was finalized.

Working with Senior Editor Jared Hunt was a breeze and consultative, and his suggestions made the manuscript stronger which is exactly what you want an editor to do. Melanie Jackson, who is a multi-published award winning author, was the copy editor and I had the opportunity to meet her at the launch last November. The good thing with working with an small independent is the access to the publisher and senior editor. There isn't a lot of bureaucracy which is great, and there is the nimbleness that you likely won't get with larger publishers.

Thanks so much, Jan, for taking time out to have this virtual conversation with me! Check out Jan's website, blog, or buy her debut novel Dead Frog on a Porch through Gumboot Books.

Summer Not Inspiring the Muse Yet?

2010-07-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

I was recently over at Fantasy / Sci-Fi Lovin' Giveaways and found a fabulous post by guest blogger Kelly Link (author of the well-received YA collection of stories Pretty Monsters).

Her post gives several brilliant ways to generate new ideas for stories from scratch. Out of the ether. I was so impressed that I sat down to try them out.

Are you aching for new ideas? Well look no further than this inspiring post. Your idea well guaranteed to fill up.

CLICK HERE

Do you like us? Do you really like us?

2010-07-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

We hope everybody gets the chance to pop over to Facebook and check out our new and improved page.

It was time to switch, so we could incorporate our blog feed, post links, and take part in some really great discussions with our readers.

The Facebook group is open to EVERYONE (readers, authors, parents, teachers, librarians, etc...) who supports small presses and would like to follow some authors along on their journey of publishing with a small press.

But hey! It's not just about us. (we're not that selfish!) If you're an author published with a small press, we invite you to introduce yourself and tell us a little about your book. We want this to be a place where we can share great books from small presses (did you check out our logo??), talk about our experiences working with small presses, share tips and ideas to market our books, and just plain have fun!

Hope you likee!

To Schedule or Not to Schedule

2010-07-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Phew…another summer upon us. With having school aged children (Nicole-15 / Hayley-12) I always welcome the end of the school year. Even though I remain on schedule with writing/marketing and my virtual assistant position I find it a calmer pace without the endless schoolwork deadlines, art classes, and sporting events. And it helps the girls are certainly at an age where they are quite independent. My best laid plans are to write/market in the morning before the rest of the house rises and then tackle my responsibilities of a virtual assistant.

I’d enjoy hearing from you as to what your summer plans are to keep up your writing momentum. I look forward to your visit.

Do your best to find out about their distribution

2010-07-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

I want to direct everyone to an interesting article at the Book Designer titled "What Does Distribution Really Mean for Self-Publishers?"

Yeah, the article is directed toward self-publishers, but I think there's a lot for a writer to learn regarding distribution, whether you're with a large press, small press, or decide to self-publish. The article provides some insight into the difference between distribution and having a listing in the Ingram catalog...

Joel Friedlander says, "A self-publisher these days, having read one too many websites, thinks that having their book printed at Lightning Source grants them “distribution.” You can go to different author-services companies and buy “distribution packages” which amount to about the same thing: a listing in the Ingram catalog.

According to this, distribution is equal to a catalog listing. It is simply made available for purchase.

But this is really closer to the definition of a wholesaler, not a true distributor. Even small-press distributors attempt to sell the books of their publishers. A large, traditional publisher doesn’t just have a listing in a catalog. They have a dedicated sales force."

If you're looking into publishing with a small press, do your best to find out about their distribution. Do they make your book available for purchase with a listing in Ingram or do they have a distributor and a dedicated sales force?

Beth Bence Reinke likes fast cars and splashy tub toys!

2010-07-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

What do a good diet, NASCAR, and tub toys have in common? They're part of Beth Bence Reinke's daily life.

Join me over at The White Forest for an interview with Indie Debut's own debut picture book author.

Balancing the Writer’s Life and Mama’s Life

2010-07-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna M. McDine
Children’s Author
Email: dmcdine@optonline.net
Phone: 845-721-7802

For Immediate Release

Balancing the Writer’s Life and Mama’s Life

Balance, balance, and some more balance. To find it at times with (as many fellow writers) the responsibilities of wife, mother, daughter, friend and my work as a virtual assistant can be quite daunting at times.

Visit with Donna McDine through her charismatic interview by freelance author, VS Grenier on Friday, July 2 at: http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com/.

Stop by for a spell and enjoy the chance to get to know this up and coming children’s author. Donna will be on hand throughout the day to field your questions and to respond to your comments.

Thank you for your interest.

###

I Never Thought Agony Could Feel So Good

2010-06-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to announce my manuscript entitled, The Hockey Agony as been accepted by Guardian Angel Publishing.

A bit of the journey...this ms was critiqued in the early stages by Suzanne Lieurance (CWCC) and my online critique groups (thanks Lori Calabrese!!) and placed as Honorable Mention in the Writer's Digest 78th Writing Competition, then edited after the competition by Lea Schizas to assist in expanding the story since it was no longer under a word constraint from the contest.

The ink is barely dry on the contract and I'm over the moon!

Thank you to all who had a direct hand in making this dream come true!

Best wishes to you all!

Author Danika Dinsmore featured today at Beth's Book Basket

2010-06-25T06:12:00.000-07:00

Indie-Debut author Danika Dinsmore is my guest today at Beth's Book Basket. We'll be discussing Danika's middle grade fantasy novel, Brigitta of the White Forest, which released this month from en theos press. Pop over and visit with us!

Does Perseverance pay in the End for Children’s Authors?

2010-06-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna M. McDine

Children’s Author

Email: dmcdine@optonline.net

Phone: 845-721-7802

For Immediate Release

Does Perseverance pay in the End for Children’s Authors?

An author’s dream is to impact their readers in positive thought provoking words, whether writing for adults or children. When children’s author, Donna McDine, first embarked on her writing career in 2007 she dreamed of the day a child would feel the wow factor through her storytelling. And much to her delight she received those encouraging words from several young muses early in the writing stages of The Golden Pathway.

Visit with Donna McDine through her charismatic interview by freelance author, Nancy Sanders on Friday, June 18 at:

http://nancyisanders.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/author-interview-donna-m-mcdine/.

Stop by for a spell and enjoy the chance to get to know this up and coming children’s author. Donna will be on hand throughout the day to field your questions and to respond to your comments.

Thank you for your interest.

###

Small Press Authors: Consider Alternative Book Tours!

2010-06-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

Let’s face it, before we get published we all have fantasies about the hundreds of fans standing in line to get their books signed by us at some major bookstore.

The reality, however, is that unless you are already a literary superstar, or famous for some other reason, when you step out into the world as a debut author, strangers aren’t going to know who you are. There’s a lot of competition vying for their attention. “If you build it, they will come,” does not apply in this industry.

But, I am an optimistic realist and believe that a little thinking outside the box can go a long way.

If you are a small press author, your publisher probably isn’t spending thousands and thousands of dollars marketing and touring you. (Heck, larger publishers won’t do that either if you’re an unknown.)

Do yourself and your publisher a favour and consider an “alternative” book tour.

I have walked into a store to buy nothing and ended up purchasing an item simply because I enjoyed the person selling it. A writer once said that we read to connect ourselves with others. So, an intimate event, or an event in a community-driven environment might be the best place to have those connections. Give someone the chance to enjoy your work after they’ve had a chance to enjoy you as a person.

Let’s forget the big box bookstores for a moment and think about where else we can make appearances?

Have you been to the Indie Bound website and found some great indie bookstores? Local indie book stores can be much appreciative of visits by pro-active authors. They also tend to be involved in a community, sometimes being connected to libraries and schools. Indie Bound also lists other retail spaces. Consider doing a reading in a space that’s not a bookstore at all, but might cater to your demographic.

Check to see if the city you are visiting has a literary space. In Seattle, there’s Richard Hugo House. In Vancouver, BC we have Christianne’s Lyceum. In San Francisco they have Youth Speaks. Why not hold a themed book party, workshop, or panel in a literary space? Invite 2 or 3 local authors to read with you, perhaps. These places have their own audiences and each author brings some as well. Throw in some snacks and beverages and people will get comfortable and hang out.

Consider doing readings in small towns rather than a large city. There’s far more competition in a city. One of the best poetry readings I ever gave was in Tiffin, OH. I hadn’t even heard of Tiffin, but had met someone from there. I read at a local café to a “standing room only” crowd. They treated me like a star. To this day it was one of my favourite readings because everyone was so genuinely glad I was there.

In a small town or neighbourhood, how about getting space at a Farmer’s Market or another local fair of some kind? This is a great way to talk with a lot of different people.

And finally, here’s a radical idea: do events in people’s homes! I read about an author who did an entire book tour out of fans’ homes. He said each audience was different. He also said the hosts were dutiful in getting audiences, because no one likes to throw a party to an empty house. He would read from his book and then engage the group in a discussion. Sometimes they all bought books, sometimes none bought books, but you can bet they remembered the experience.

Of course, school and library visits are terrific, but are there other appropriate educational environments that might work well for your book? A zoo? An aquarium? A science center? A planetarium?

Remember, as a debut author, it’s your job to put yourself out there. Virtually and physically. Make connections anywhere you can. Don’t limit yourself to the obvious. Remember - an enthusiastic individual in a small town coffee shop might turn out to be your best ally.

Totally Tea Time

2010-06-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

It’s on like Donkey Kong! Indie-Debut 2010 member, Lori Calabrese, is all set to be a guest on Dellani’s Tea Time, this Monday!

The online radio program hosted by Dellani Oakes takes place at 4:00 pm (Eastern Time) on Red River Radio/ BlogTalkRadio. You’re welcome to call in or visit the chatroom and I’d be happy to chat or answer any questions you might have.

To set a reminder for the show or to listen in, visit:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rrradio/2010/06/14/dellanis-tea-time

I look forward to talking about my latest picture book, THE BUG THAT PLAGUED THE ENTIRE THIRD GRADE, the whole writing process and everything in between!

Don’t miss it!

eReader - To Have or Not to Have that is the Question

2010-06-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

I remember fondly my elementary school days wherne the book mobile would come to visit our school. What is a book mobile you may ask? It's a trailer home setup as a libary. My classmates and I would squeeze into line and anxiously await for the class before us to descend the metal steps so we could enter. The smell of new books would fill your nose the moment you reached the top step. Choices abound and excitement swirled in the air.

Much of these wonderful memories came back to life on Christmas morning when my family gave me a Kindle. I love technology! The ease of downloading my latest choice is a snap, it's lightweight and compact, and fits in my purse. I bring it everywhere I go and read much more now. I especially like the built in dictionary, it has proven quite helpful. Learning is an everyday experience is it not, even if it is just one new word.

Do you have an eReader? If yes, which one? What's your favorite feature?

Looking forward to chatting with you.

Come Discover What or Whom is Splish-Splashing through Cyberspace

2010-06-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Beth Bence Reinke, Author and Registered Dietitian

Email: rdwriter@hotmail.com

Website: http://www.bethbencereinke.com/

For Immediate Release

Come Discover What or Whom is Splish-Splashing through Cyberspace

Take a moment to listen for splish-splashing sounds taking over cyberspace. Don’t worry, it won’t damage your computer. What is the source, you may ask? It’s a children’s book entitled, In My Bath by author Beth Bence Reinke.

Join in the virtual book tour introducing an imaginative little boy and all kinds of water-loving animals. Is there room for all in the tub? Find out for yourself through their adventures in cyberspace:

June 8 – Jo Ramsey http://www.joramsey.com/?page_id=9

June 9 – Donna McDine http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/

June 21 – Amy Allgeyer Cook http://lux-st-clare.blogspot.com/

June 23 – Rena Jones http://renajjones.blogspot.com/

June 25 – Nancy Sharpe http://cybrarianbookreviews.blogspot.com/ (book review) and
http://nasharpe.blogspot.com/ (interview)

June 28 – Lori Calabrese http://loricalabrese.com/blog

June 30 - Beverly Stowe McClure http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com/ (book review & interview)

July 1 - Scott Heydt http://scotthbooks.blogspot.com/

http://blog.scotthbooks.com/

July 5 – Danika Dinsmore http://www.theaccidentalnovelist.wordpress.com/

July 7 – Miriam Forster http://msforster.blogspot.com/

July 9 – Carla Mooney http://carlamooney.livejournal.com/

Be sure to post your comments and/or questions for Ms. Reinke. She will be on hand each day to interact with you.

Beth Bence Reinke is an author and registered dietitian. She writes children’s books, devotional books and articles about food and nutrition. Beth’s professional affiliations include The American Dietetic Association and The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She is also a member of Indie-Debut 2010, a group of first-time authors who help promote each other’s books that hail from independent publishers. In My Bath is Beth’s first children’s book.

Author: Beth Bence Reinke

Website: http://www.bethbencereinke.com/

Food and Faith blog: http://www.bethbencereinke.com/foodandfaith

Beth’s Book Basket blog: http://bethbencereinke.com/bethsbookbasket

E-mail: rdwriter@hotmail.com

Illustrator: Ginger Nielson

Website: http://www.gingernielson.com/

Blog: http://www.gingerpixels.blogspot.com/

Publisher: 4RV Publishing http://www.4rvpublishingllc.com/

Thank you in advance for your interest.

###

Form Rejections Aren't All Bad

2010-06-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

Form rejections are part of the business for writers. If you're like me, your instinct will be to chuck the ugly thing in the trash. Instead, take a minute and read through it with a careful eye. There are usually some positives wrapped in these big, fat NOs. I've pasted one of my very own form rejection letters below and highlighted a few inspiring points at the bottom.

Dear Writer:

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to consider your manuscript.

I'm sorry to say that I do not see a place for your manuscript at XYZ. We receive a very large number of book proposals and manuscript submissions, including many of considerable merit, and of these we are able to publish very few. I regret that this volume also prevents me from replying with individual editorial comments.

Publishing decisions are, of course, influenced by a publishing houses's style and an editor's opinion. Although your work isn't right for XYZ, perhaps it will have a place at another company. I wish you every success in your publishing endeavors.

Sincerely,

Editor ABC

Positive things of note in this letter:

1. You got a response! Many houses don't even bother anymore if they're not interested, so this is something to be happy about. You can confidently mark this submission 'closed' and not wonder if it got lost in the mail.

2. This publishing house receives "a very large number of...submissions". Sometimes these numbers are in the tens of thousands per year. If your submission was in the top 1%, that would put your manuscript in the top 100...which is great-- unless the company only publishes fifty books a year. Being rejected doesn't mean your book sucks.

3. The point the editor makes about decisions being influenced by a house's style and an editor's opinion is exactly right. Another house and another editor may feel completely different, so get that manuscript out again.*

4. You rock for putting your work out there! It takes time and effort and stainless steel guts to create a query, compile the submission and send it off to be critiqued. And most likely you'll do this many more times than you'd like before finding a home for your book. So give yourself a cookie and be happy knowing you've knocked down one of the rejections on your way to fame, fortune and publishing success.

*I'm a huge advocate of submitting. As I've often quoted, "100% of shots not taken, don't score" so a book that sits in a drawer has zero chance of being published. However, a book that's not ready to send out has the same chances. So does a middle-grade novel sent to Flux, since Flux only publishes YA. So, send out your work, but make sure it's ready first and do your homework to make sure you're sending it to appropriate people. The Children's Writers and Illustrators Market is invaluable for that.

Discussion: How Do You Motivate?

2010-06-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

Let's face it. The life of a writer can sometimes be very solitary. There's no one looking over your shoulder, asking when your latest project is going to be done. (Unless you're on deadline for a work-for-hire project!) In my opinion, an important quality for writers to have is the ability to self-motivate and get those ideas out of your head and onto paper.

So how do you motivate yourself to write and revise when there is no deadline looming in front of you? Personally, if a project is open ended, I'm more likely to let to flounder, lonely from lack of attention. To combat this, I've found it good to set a series of small writing goals for myself. It might be a write a certain word count or revise a set number of pages each day or week. Other tips I've found that work for me are:

1. Taking an online class - the routine and "deadlines" keep me focused and on track.

2. Aim for submitting to a contest or a submission window. This gives me a date to work towards.

3. Setting my own personal deadline - then working backwards and creating daily/weekly goals to meet that deadline.

What about you? Join the conversation and let us know what tips you have to self-motivate!

Author Carla Mooney visits “Beth’s Book Basket” blog

2010-05-28T04:34:00.000-07:00

I'm honored that my blog is the latest stop on the virtual book tour for Carla Mooney's book, Owen and the Dragon. A multi-talented author, Carla has written numerous nonfiction books for various ages and genres. Her first picture book, Samson's Story, will debut in fall 2010 along with a craft book, Great George Washington Projects You Can Build Yourself.

To read the review of Owen and the Dragon and an interview with Carla, visit Beth's Book Basket.

Interview with Tod McCoy of en theos press

2010-05-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

An Author and a Publisher Take a Risk Together

The publishing industry is changing, and as my Brigitta of the White Forest novel manuscript was being shopped around, there was an air of caution and uncertainty in the traditional publishing realm. I felt like I was getting nowhere with unreachable people whose distribution models were out-dated, and wasteful (financially and environmentally).

After a while, I decided to take things into my own hands. I wanted a relationship with someone who was as excited about my book as I was and wanted to publish it now and in a more progressive manner.

So I contacted Tod McCoy at en theos press and asked him if we could talk about the possibility of his publishing my novel. En theos press is a boutique press that has primarily published poetry. Tod had published a few of my poetry books and also published a few anthologies I had edited. He had expressed an interest in publishing other material, and hadn’t decided what, so it was good timing for us both. His interest in sci-fi and fantasy adventure was also a huge plus for me.

The book will be released the first week of June. It took us one year and we both learned a lot.

Below is an interview I conducted with Tod recently.

En theos press was originally started in order to publish small runs of poetry. What inspired you to do that?

In the late 90s in Seattle, I was spending a lot of time in the poetry community, taking classes, attending readings, writing poetry, and getting to know a lot of poets. It seemed to me that there were only a handful of really good small presses that published local poetry. I knew some talented poets who I thought needed to have books so that their fans (including me) could buy them at poetry readings. I had the skills and resources to put the books together. Thus, the press was born.

What was your publishing background before you launched your press?

Earlier in my career I worked as a journalist and then there was a period of time I worked as a script editor for Rain City Projects, an organization that supports playwrights in Seattle and published the plays of local playwrights.

I don’t know if you’d call it publishing, but I have done a lot of website content development and I was a technical publications editor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

After that I worked for the e-book company Publishing Online. It was a small, start-up company, so we all wore many hats. I handled the website, had some editing duties, and worked on certain aspects of production. I think the company started before its time. E-books hadn’t caught on yet.

So, you’re a writer as well?

I have an educational background in journalism and English lit. I’m a big fan of poetry. I also write plays and screenplays and short stories and have a sci-fi novel in progress. I’ve always been drawn to theatre, playwrighting – but I also love to write fiction. And screenwriting. Lol.

Why the change from en theos publishing poetry to fiction?

It's not so much a change, as it is an expansion. While the poetry side of the publishing house is on hiatus for now, it will resurface. But in terms of publishing, I’ve always known I was going to branch off into fiction. It was simply a question of timing and the right project coming along.

Why did you choose science fiction and fantasy as your first line of fiction?

I have had a love affair with science fiction since I was a kid. I was always drawn to the fantastical elements of a story. It's been a dream to write it; it seems natural to publish it as well.

What are your goals for en theos press?

The goal is to put talented writers into print! With luck (and perseverance), the press will grow and in a few years the stable will be full of great writers.

What do you look for in the authors you work with?

Good storytelling, above all. And there is no story without solid, well-rounded characters who keep the reader interested. Focus on developing your characters and the story will follow.

Carla Mooney's Virtual Book Tour

2010-05-25T05:49:00.000-07:00

Carla Mooney is the author of several books for young readers, a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. As long as she can remember, she has been in love with reading and writing. She is thrilled to see Owen and Phineas come alive in Owen and the Dragon and hopes readers will enjoy their adventure as much as she has. Carla lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband, Tom, and three children. When not reading and writing, Carla volunteers as the Pittsburgh Chapter Director for Flashes of Hope, a nonprofit organization that photographs children with cancer and other life-threatening conditions.

I had the fortunate opportunity to be a stop on Carla Mooney’s virtual book tour and learn more about her inspiration for Owen and the Dragon.

Please visit Lori Calabrese Writes! to read the interview and be sure to check out more of the Indie-Debut 2010 stops on Carla's virtual book tour. . .

Mice Don’t Taste Like Chicken
Danika Dinsmore’s The White Forest
Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes
The Invisible Sister

EBooks for Indie and Small Pub'd Books

2010-05-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Good news for authors with books from small and indie publishers whose work might not be available in eForm. Barnes & Noble has created PubIt!, a digital publishing and distribution platform.

Hightlights:

Competitive royalties
Easy to use. Just upload your file.
The book will be available to users of Kindle, nook, iPad, PC, Mac, iPhone, Blackberry, etc.
The work will be protected by B&N's digital rights management tech.

The program is set to debut this summer, though they are taking early applications. For more information, please see the press release here.

And the Winner of Reading Magic by Mem Fox

2010-05-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Our discussion of What Works for You In Marketing was a hit. Valuable information was exchanged through numerous channels. The chat is still available and please take the time to review all coments and add in yours.

Without further ado, we are pleased to announce the winner of Reading Magic ~ Why Reading Aloud ot Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox is Elysabeth Eldering.

Congratulations Elysabeth...please forward Donna your snail mail address at: dmcdine@optonline.net.

Indie Debuter Danika Dinsmore interviewed on Book Bites for Kids

2010-05-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

Suzanne Lieurance interviews Danika about her debut novel Brigitta of the White Forest, her journey from screenwriter to novelist and the launch of her Imaginary Worlds Tour.

LISTEN HERE

Discussion: What Works for You in Book Marketing?

2010-05-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

As authors, whether first timers or seasoned, what have you found to be the most effective tool in your marketing plan?

Since my debut book, The Golden Pathway (http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com/), is not yet published I am in the midst of developing my marketing kit which includes an informational flyer on The Golden Pathway, bio, PDF files (for my hard copy kit) and links (for my virtual kit) of past interviews, and Indie-Debut 2010 Book Catalogue.

I have also hired Pump Up Your Book Promotion (http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/) for my virtual book tour. With the expert guidance of my Tour Coordinator, Cheryl Malandrinos and the resources through Pump Up Your Book Promotion I am sure my virtual book tour will be a huge success. I’ve chosen their Gold Package and with the attention to focusing on 30 niche bloggers who draw interest for my books genre, media releases to create maximum publicity, a dedicated personalized tour page, and book trailer running is sure to be an exhilarating experience.

Publication and Virtual Book Tour date to be announced in the coming months.

ADDED BONUS…leave a comment and your email address regarding this subject and be automatically entered to win a FREE copy of Reading Magic ~ Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox. Winner announced Wed, May 19th.

Please join in the discussion as to what has worked for you, what hasn’t and why. I look forward to hearing from you.

Listen to Indie-Debut author Lori Calabrese today on Dellani's Tea Time

2010-05-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

You might be a caffeine addict if you’ve ever carried your coffee cup into the shower with you in the morning! Okay, I’ve never gone that far, but I do go to sleep just to wake up and smell the coffee. I’ve never been one to pass up caffeine, so I’m pleased to be a guest on Dellani’s Tea Time, today!

The online radio program hosted by Dellani Oakes takes place at 4:00 pm (Eastern Time) on Red River Radio/ BlogTalkRadio. You’re welcome to call in and I’d be happy to chat or answer any questions you might have.

I’m honored to be a guest alongside Jennifer Cervantes, author of “Tortilla Sun” which I just finished and LOVED! I’ll be sharing the review with you tomorrow on my blog as part of her official blog tour. I look forward to learning more about Jennifer’s inspiration for “Tortilla Sun” and sharing my own story behind “The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade.”

To set a reminder for the show or to listen in, visit:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rrradio/2010/05/10/dellanis-tea-time

Don’t miss it!

Listen to Red River Radio

***UPDATE***
I'm steamin' that technical problems kept me from doing the show today. But Dellani has been more than gracious to schedule me for a later date. I'll be sure to let ya' know when!

SPAN to create PIP designation

2010-05-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

What's it mean? SPAN (Small Publishers Association of North America) is working to create a certification program for indie publishers. The article, courtesy of this month's SPAN newsletter, is reprinted below with link to further information.

In the January 2010 issue of the SPAN Connection print newsletter, I announced SPAN's plans to create a certification program for publishers. (Read certification article here.) With a working designation of Professional Independent Publisher or PIP, the certification will be awarded to publishers who meet certain criteria with their publishing.
As mentioned in the article, the goal is to give excellent independent publishers the PIP designation and have the certification improve the access for PIP publishers to reviewers, distribution, and other industry services.The goal is daunting. I decided the time is right because the need is great. I believe, in time, the PIP Program will make a huge difference in increasing independent publishers' potential for success.

This is great news for writers! One difficulty with small or indie presses is that many of them haven't been around very long. They have no reputation, they have no track record, they might still be learning the ropes and some, let's face it, might not be on the level. With the PIP program, writers can be sure the indie presses to whom they're submitting meet a certain level of industry standard and are worthy of the investment of their manuscripts.

The program guidelines have not been established but Indie Debut will be following this story closely. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Interview with Soto Publishing Company

2010-05-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the May 2010 release of Owen and the Dragon with Soto Publishing Company, I decided to sit down with Pedro Soto of Soto Publishing and ask a few questions about his press.

How long has Soto Publishing Company been in operation?

We incorporated in late 2008, and published our first book, a picture book, in early 2009. Though still quite young, we’re quickly gaining name recognition.

Why did you decide to go into publishing?

I had an opportunity (medical leave of absence) to reflect on where my career was taking me. It was not as fulfilling as I originally hoped. I’ve always loved reading and often considered writing a book. As a scientist I was always thrilled when my research papers (manuscripts) were published in scientific journals for others to read and build upon. Over the years, I gained valuable experience working with design software, particularly Adobe’s. I was an avid photographer and often used Photoshop, illustrator...and InDesign – technical tools that would prove useful in my publishing endeavor. And as a father of two wonderful kids, I found it particularly appealing to publish children’s books. I knew from the get go that I wanted to publish in the traditional sense, largely due to the stigma that has been bestowed on self-publishing and the perception of quality for Print-on-Demand (POD) titles, although the latter has changed considerably in a positive direction. I also knew I wanted to provide talented, yet unknown, writers an opportunity to be published. I would invest in the writer and they would entrust the fruits of their talent to me. So far, It’s been a very rewarding experience and one that I hope will never end.

What types of books do you publish?

Children and young adult books: picture books, chapter books and novels (all genres, mostly fiction).

What are some of the challenges and advantages of running a small press?

Excellent question.
• Advantages: flexibility – quick to adjust to industry trends; intimacy with the authors; better quality control.
• Challenges: Small staff – multi-tasking and time management issues; name recognition (gaining a foothold on the market); budget limitations (thank God for cooperative marketing)

Where can Soto's books be purchased?

Both print (p-books) and electronic copies (e-books) are/will be available for purchase directly from Soto Publishing’s website (http://www.sotopublishingcompany.com/). P-books are available for purchase pretty much anywhere there’s a bookstore (brick-and-mortar or online). If it’s not available, it just a matter of requesting a copy at the register or service desk. The retailer can have it delivered to its store for pickup or to your home address, usually within three days. E-books, beginning end of May/early June, will be available for download from most online-retailers, including Amazon, B&N, BAM...Apple iBookstore.

Is Soto Publishing accepting submissions and what exactly are you looking for?

Due to an overwhelming number of high quality submissions, we’re currently not accepting new manuscripts. Nonetheless, we continue to receive unsolicited manuscripts, which we archive for future consideration. We’re looking towards offering more young adult novels, including chapter books for early to middle grade readers.

Five Tips to Give Helpful Manuscript Critiques

2010-04-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

The numero uno, very best thing you can do for your writing is to find a good critique group. There are many ways to go about that, but that's a post for another day. Let's assume for now, you already have a critique group. Needless to say, they are phenomenal human beings who give you wonderful advice and suggestions on your many writing projects. Obviously, (superfluous adverb there for my editor) you'll want to return the favor. Here are five tips on how to give helpful comments and avoid hurt feelings or (shudder) tears.

1. Don't say, "I don't like this." Your job, as critiquer extraordinaire, is to comment on the craft of the piece. Chances are, you haven't enjoyed every book you've read, and the books you hated are probably someone else's favorites. You aren't going to enjoy every piece that comes through your group. Ignore the fact that you hate stories about horses and focus on how well the words flow. Does the writer 'tell' too much? Would the story benefit from a different point of view? Is "Fluffy Bunnypie" not a good name for a horse? Try to help the writer make his/her story the best it can be...even if you never want to read it again.

2. Be specific. I had an agent once who's revision request included 'making the main character stronger', and that 'the dialogue seemed forced in some places'. I stared at that letter for days. Whose dialogue? Which places? Forced in what way? And...make the M.C. stronger how? Stronger in voice? Stronger emotionally? Strong enough to lift tall buildings in a single...oh, wait. I messed that up didn't I? Anyway, the point remains. The advice was so vague it was useless. If you're reviewing a piece in dialect and the phoenetic spelling is tripping you up, don't say, "The voice isn't working." Say, "The dialect makes this very hard for me to read." If the writer gets the same comment from everyone, s/he will know exactly what to work on.

3. Be kind. Just because someone has written something truly dreadful does not mean they deserve to be drawn and quartered. It's not a crime to write bad first drafts. That's the whole reason for critiques. Try to state whatever criticism you have in the gentlest terms possible. You're a writer, after all, a master of words. You can figure out a nice way to say, "This is dryer than Mr. Norell's undergarments."

4. It's the opposite of ironing. When you iron a shirt, you start with the collar, then the cuffs. You work your way from small parts to large, so the front and back are the last parts ironed and don't get mussed up. It's the opposite with writing. If you're critiquing a piece by a fairly new author, you may crit something with LOTS of stuff wrong. If you mark every single thing (comma placement, adverbs, apostrophe's, word overuse, etc), you'll hand back something covered in red and most likely demoralize the writer. Instead, focus on the things that will change the story the most: is the plot too advanced (or too simple) for the targeted age? should the character be a boy instead of a girl? would the book be better set in contemporary times instead of the dynasty of Cleopatra? Once the big elements are fixed, you can always go back and rearrange the apostrophes.

5. Balance. Yes, you're offering suggestions for improvements, but don't forget to comment on the postive too. It's just as important for us writers to know what we've done right. If you're a person who tends to focus on the negative, orgainze your comments like this. Begin with something positive. Then, mention a couple ways you think the manuscript might be improved. And always, always finish with something positive. Think of it as a criticism sandwich...with really nice bread.

And remember, a good critique is a true gift. The more you give, the more you'll get back on your own pieces.

Indie Debut to create list of Indie Publishers for its Readers!

2010-04-28T14:24:00.001-07:00

You may have noticed a new TAB at the top of the page called Indie Press List. This page will feature a valuable list for our readers to assist them in their search for an independent publisher.

Small presses are on the rise and there are many advantages to going with one of them including catering to niche markets, freedom to create their own economic models, and a longer book life for authors.

Coming soon, this list will include established legitimate indie publishers of children's books with information of types of books published and links to their submission guidelines. Our hope is that you will save valuable research time, and sink that time into writing your book!

This list will not include vanity presses. They will all have submission guidelines and a vetting process. If you are ever unsure of whether a press is legitimate, Children's Book Insider has a great CHECKLIST of things to look out for. In addition, a legitimate publisher NEVER asks you for money for editing or publishing or marketing. Publishers get paid via your book sales. If they ask for any kind of fees, this is a sure red flag.

There are some great resources for those authors who would like to self-publish. This would mean all the costs are the authors responsibility, but all the creative control and profits would be too. Some authors prefer to go this route.

If there is a particular indie publisher you would like us to list, please send the information to info@danikadinsmore.com and we will check into it.

Hartford Writing Examiner interviews Indie-Debut author Lori Calabrese

2010-04-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by the Hartford, CT Writing Examiner–Michael Aloisi. Michael is an author himself and has an awesome page at Examiner.com where he shares tons of writing tips.

Having taught writing for years, he found it’s very helpful for students of the craft to talk to actual writers. Hearing about how a writer makes up a particular story, and what their techniques, routines and thoughts are on the craft are invaluable learning tools. With that in mind, he thought bringing other writers into his articles, interviewing them and discussing the craft would bring a lot of insight and help to many of his readers. And guess what? I get to be the very first one and talk about my newest book, THE BUG THAT PLAGUED THE ENTIRE THIRD GRADE–I mean, really…How cool is that??

Hope you can stop by and leave a comment!

Read Part One of my interview with the Hartford Writing Examiner
Read Part Two of my interview with the Hartford Writing Examiner

You can accidentally become a novelist

2010-04-21T04:50:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to interview fellow Indie-Debut 2010 member, Danika Dinsmore for Examiner.com. I've interviewed a gazillion authors at my personal blog and at Examiner.com and find Danika's to be one of the most unique paths to publication I've ever heard of.

Not only is Danika's path to publication unique, but it was interesting to find out about her writing process, including the fact that she wrote a White Forest world book so she could navigate this amazing imagined world in Brigitta of the White Forest. Many writers will hear how you should interview your characters--know their likes and dislikes and what makes them tick. Well, Danika did just that and more, creating another world full of faerie adventures.

Hope you get the chance to hop over and read the interview, and while you're there, please check out my review of Brigitta of the White Forest.

The 2010 Indies Choice Book Awards

2010-04-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

The American Booksellers Association recently announced the winners of the 2010 Indies Choice Book Awards, reflecting the spirit of independent bookstores nationwide and the IndieBound movement.

This year's winners were chosen by the owners and staff at ABA member stores nationwide in more than four weeks of voting. Book of the Year winners and Honor Award recipients are all titles appearing on the 2009 Indie Next Lists. The Indie Next List, drawn from bookseller-recommended favorite handsells, epitomizes the heart and soul of passionate bookselling. Independent booksellers are and have always been discoverers of the next big thing, the next great read, the next bestseller, and the next undiscovered gem.

The 2010 Book of the Year winners are:

Young Adult: Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
Middle Reader: When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books)
New Picture Book: The Lion and the Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown)

Kate DiCamillo was voted Most Engaging Author both for being an in-store star and for having a strong sense of the importance of indie booksellers to their local communities.
ABA members also inducted three of their all-time favorites into the Indies Choice Book Awards Picture Book Hall of Fame:

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst and Ray Cruz (Atheneum)
Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans (Viking)
The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson (Viking)

"Our sincere congratulations go out to all of the 2010 winners," said ABA CEO Oren Teicher. "Every one of these authors has created a truly unique work that independent booksellers have enthusiastically supported and enjoyed handselling during the past year. We look forward to honoring each of them at the Celebration of Bookselling Lunch at BEA."

2009 Publishing Stats

2010-04-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

FACTS:

The Bowker Report for 2009 is out. Some of you may have seen bits and pieces posted around the networld. The link above will take you to the article. The highlights are...

Number of books published in 2009: 1,052,803 (up 87% over 2008)

Number of those books SELF or POD* published: 764,448 (72.6%)

Here's the wild part:

The number of traditionally published books (ie, not self or POD published) DROPPED 0.5%, from 289,729 in 2008 to 288,355 in 2009.

The number of traditionally published fiction books was down 15%.

On the plus side for Children's Writers:
Traditionally published kid's books (picture books thru YA) were up 8.4%.
AND
Kid's books are very close to becoming the majority of all books published! For years, fiction (adult) has been the category with the most books published. But in 2009, the gap closed with 45,181 fiction books published to 32,348 children's books published (including only books put out by traditional publishers).

Kid's books:
2008: 29,825 books
2009: 32,348 books
Adult Fiction:
2008: 53,058 books
2009: 45,181 books

If those trends continue, Children's Literature could claim the top spot in just a couple years.
_____________________________________________________
*POD Books include books put out by small presses that use publish-on-demand technology. Even though these presses may have similar submission guidelines and editing processes, they are lumped into the same group with self-published books. Bowker does not break out a percentage of books printed on demand through small presses, but it would be great to see a comparison from 2008 to 2009 for small or indie press books.

WEDNESDAY DISCUSSION

2010-04-01T05:07:00.000-07:00

From an author standpoint, what are the pros and cons of working with a small press? Give an example or two from your own experience.

Small Press Month Interview with Stacy Whitman of Tu Books

2010-03-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

Editor Stacy Whitman has recently made a huge career transition that started with taking a risk. And isn't that always the seed for success?

In early 2009 she found herself laid off from Wizards of the Coast's Mirrorstone Books, relocated to Utah, and building her freelance editing business. In the midst of this, she decided to start her own small press, Tu Publishing, which she called a "labor of love." She and a friend had come up with the idea while "watching anime and discussing the RaceFail controversy, thinking about the lack of diversity in children's and YA fantasy."

The purpose of starting Tu Publishing was to create a list that reflected a wide variety of cultures and genres for middle grade and young adult titles that would be a mix of contemporary, historical, and futuristic settings. And to reflect cultures whose folklore and fairy tales haven't really inspired many fantasy worlds in the U.S.

She raised over $10,000 through a KickStarter campaign and caught the attention of Lee & Low Publishing, an independent publisher focusing on diversity, who then offered to acquire Tu Publishing, which then became Tu Books.

Thanks for agreeing to the interview, Stacy. This success seems to have happened so quickly. Was it serendipity? Timing? Or are you just one of those Make Things Happen kind of people?

I’m pretty sure it was serendipity combined with timing, because I didn’t do anything to make it happen. :) I was quietly going about my business, working toward a goal, and it turns out that my goal was one that many other people believed in. They saw the need as I did, and supported us in achieving it.

Do you have to be a little bit crazy to start a small press or have advancements in technology and online communities made things easier for someone interested in doing so?

Ha—well, that’s a hard one. I didn’t feel a little bit crazy, though I did feel a bit scared to try to start a company in the middle of a recession. Yet it felt like the right thing to do, and the support of so many online communities did make a difference in getting the word out. I love how the internet makes it possible to connect with so many people with similar interests, despite geographic limitations. Also, a small company felt right--we could address a smaller niche using a smaller overhead, and success could be measured on a smaller scale than might be expected at a larger company.

In your ideal vision, what would Tu Books bring to the publishing world?

We didn’t set out to be big; we just wanted to make a little bit of a difference. If our books help contribute to diversifying fantasy, then my goal has been met. We want to make fantasy more welcoming to readers of color.

There are so many subgenres and genre-mixing happening in fiction these days. What are some of the most exciting new trends to you?

There’s actually not much new about that in YA. The cool thing about YA and books for younger readers is that the interstitial happens all the time, because the books are usually shelved all together in one spot in the bookstore or library. But if I had to pick one, I’d have to say that I love that steampunk seems to finally be coming into the mainstream. I’ve loved steampunk ever since I discovered it several years ago in anime and movies. It’s a combination of science fiction and alternate history, and there are so many ways it can play out. It's tougher to write, because it's such a visual genre, but those that do it well are just plain awesome. I’d LOVE to see an Asian steampunk, because so much of the genre is set in Victorian Great Britain.

This venture was started partly due to some pretty controversial discussions online, and the issues are complex. What would you say to an author who is tentative about writing characters from different cultures?

Yes, RaceFail and related conversations is what started the idea of Tu Publishing. RaceFail was a huge online discussion that started when readers of color talked about how a white author introduced problematic racial dynamics in a fantasy novel for adults. It’s a tough issue.

But I think it's also possible for writers to write well cross-culturally, because who wants books to be completely segregated by race or culture? The thing to remember when writing cross-culturally is research. Writers who do this successfully talk to people who are members of the group whose perspective they want to write from. They read a lot. They study human behavior, and reach for the universal as well as the specific--the things that tie us together as human, the idiosyncrasies that make each person unique, and the mores, practices, and beliefs of a culture. They become aware of privilege and power dynamics and work to avoid perpetuating stereotypes.

For a list of things to remember when writing cross-culturally, author Nisi Shawl has an excellent article on the subject over on the SFWA [Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America] site called Transracial Writing for the Sincere. (Nisi Shawl has written a number of articles and a whole book related to writing the “other” which I recommend that authors look up.)

What advice would you give to an author who is contemplating going with a small press rather than submitting to a larger house? What does he/she need to be aware of?

The choice to go with a small press is a personal one, with pros and cons depending on the author’s preferences and needs.

Small presses generally will not have the kind of publicity machine that a larger company might—we generally won’t have the funds for cross-country author tours and other huge events. However, nowadays, that gap is closing as publicity and marketing goes more and more online. Smaller presses can reach out to readers online just as easily as a larger press, and sometimes more effectively because of a focused niche.

Small presses usually offer a more personal touch, too. Authors are one of a smaller list—for example, our first two lists will be just three books each—compared to a much larger number for larger houses.

Smaller presses can be stronger at keeping their backlist in print than a larger publisher, which means that even with a smaller advance, the book will do better financially long-term because it will earn out its advance and keep earning over time. Remember, an advance is just that—an advance against royalties. While a larger advance might seem like a better option in the short run, if the smaller press has a strong backlist, you’ll be more likely to have a longer career if your books consistently earn out their advances.

What makes the *ideal* author to work with?

Someone who understands that the editing process is collaborative. The book belongs to the author, yes—and the editor is there to make sure that the author’s book is telling the best story possible. We make suggestions because when we see a problem, it needs to be fixed in some way, even if our suggested solution isn’t the one you wish to implement. The best authors are people who understand that we’re part of a team, and that we have the same goal: to make sure the book reaches readers in the best shape possible.

Additionally, the ideal author will dig into the publicity process and be willing to reach his or her readers via at least one or two steady methods. Whether that’s through a blog, Twitter, Facebook, or some other method, nowadays the internet makes the connection between author and reader more possible, and readers want that. (Though it should not be to the detriment of writing their next book!)

Can you talk about Tu Books' slate or is it still too early?

It’s still too early to discuss specifics, but I can tell you that I’m looking for diversity not only in the cultures that we feature in our list, but also in age range, author experience (published or not), and appeal to boys and girls. I’d like a nice mix of middle grade and YA titles, and a nice mix of titles that would draw in boy and girl readers. I’d like to publish new authors and authors who have been previously published. So I’m working on planning for that balance as I consider submissions. Keep an eye on our website as time goes on, because of course we’ll announce our acquisitions once we’re ready for that.

Thank you so much, Stacy! Fabulous information and congratulations again on your success.

Find out more about Stacy and her Tu Books adventure on her fabulous website: Stacy Whitman's Grimoire

Indie Debut Author Spotlight: Danika Dinsmore

2010-03-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

I feel so fortunate to have found a place at Indie Debut. Being a writer can be a lonely occupation. When rejection letters start piling up, your spouse feels neglected, and your friends get tired of hearing about your creative woes . . . a writing community is a great way to stay inspired. It's also a great way to share information and can help you keep up with the latest industry news. Whether it's a monthly critique group or an on-line discussion forum, I highly recommend surrounding yourself with people who can relate!

I've been writing in a variety of forms for many years, first as a poet, then as a screenwriter, and finally as a novelist. My novel was, in fact, originally a feature screenplay. I hadn't actually intended on becoming a novelist, but then found that the form allowed me many freedoms I never got from screenwriting.

(If this process interests you, I invite you to read an interview with me on Lindsey Carmichael's Ten Stories Up where I discuss the differences between writing a screenplay and a novel, as well as the differences between publishing a novel and producing a film.)

As I was adapting the screenplay, the imaginary world I had created demanded to be explored further, and so it turned into a series. Brigitta of the White Forest is the first book in the series, a fantasy adventure about a young faerie who must save her forest from a mysterious curse. Because there is no one in the forest left to help them, Brigitta must take her little sister along on her dangerous journey outside the faerie's protected realm.

The selection below is from the story when Brigitta and her little sister Himalette leave the White Forest for the first time.

~ ~ ~

Eventually, the vines became so dense that the girls could no longer fly without getting tangled in them. They pushed their way through the forest, passing occasional songless stone birds perched in the trees. Brigitta was long past humming and concentrated on a breathing rhythm to keep herself moving.

They were both so focused on putting one foot in front of the other that they were completely startled when the forest ended and they found themselves standing before an immense river of dry earth that stretched around the perimeter of the White Forest as far as their eyes could see. Ahead of them, across the shifting dirt moat, was the rest of the world, beginning with the edge of the Dark Forest.

“The Shift,” said Brigitta, holding Himalette back with one arm. They stood listening for a moment. There were no trees or plants or beasts of any kind across the large expanse of land. They could hear nothing but the strange sound of the slowly churning earth.

“Are you sure?” Himalette whispered.

Brigitta nodded and moved forward. There was nothing else it could have been. She had heard it described many times by the Air Faerie Perimeter Guards, but this was more endless and empty than she had ever imagined. There was nothing to protect them, and nowhere to hide.

“Is it safe?” asked Himalette.

Brigitta took a few tentative steps into The Shift. She could feel the dirt moving beneath her, carrying her along on its sluggish journey. She fluttered back over to her sister.

“Where’s the magic field?” asked Himalette.

“Wait here.” Brigitta picked up a small rock and stepped back into The Shift.

There was a light breeze, and a strange scent rode in on it.

“What’s that smell?” Himalette called, wrinkling her nose.

“The other side.” Brigitta threw the rock as hard as she could. Half-way across The Shift, it passed through a watery force-field and continued out the other side. It landed with a soft thud on the outskirts of the Dark Forest. Brigitta returned to Himalette, who quickly hid her hands behind her back.

“What’s that? What have you got?” Brigitta demanded.

“Nothing.”

Brigitta reached behind Himalette and grabbed her arm. Himalette opened her hand to reveal a stone bird.

“It’s just a bird,” admitted Himalette. “It was on the ground. It was lonely.”

“Himmy, you have to stop taking everything.” Brigitta grabbed the bird from Himalette and contemplated where to put it.

“I’ll keep it in my pocket,” Himalette pleaded. “You won’t even see it.” Her wide eyes softened Brigitta’s heart just a little.

“No more, Himmy.” Brigitta handed the bird back to her. “Stay close to me and don’t touch anything else. Do you understand?”

Himalette nodded and put the bird back into her pocket.

“Will the magic field let us back in?” asked Himalette.

“Anything originally from the White Forest can get back across,” said Brigitta. “Anything that comes from the other side has to be escorted by a Perimeter Guard. Like this.”

Brigitta took Himalette’s hand and carefully led her over the rough earth river until they were half-way across. They hesitated in front of the force-field, a little bewildered to be standing still and moving at the same time. Brigitta took a deep breath and walked forward.

She felt streams of coldness, not completely unpleasant, like walking through an invisible waterfall. A moment later, they had passed through to the other side. They shivered and paused to look back at the White Forest. Himalette’s free hand went into her pocket.

Brigitta looked down at Himalette, whose face was contorted in horror. “What? What is it?”

Himalette pulled her hand out of her pocket and opened it. Instead of a stone bird, there was a pile of grey dust. She looked up with frightened eyes as the dust fell through her fingers.

~ ~ ~

Brigitta of the White Forest will be released in May 2010 by en theos press.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Beth Bence Reinke

2010-03-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Indie Debut author Beth Bence Reinke. My first children’s book, In My Bath, comes out in fall 2010 from 4RV Publishing. I’m also a registered dietitian who writes about health and nutrition. Today I share a health-related article geared toward writers to help you take care of your body in a specific way. Here goes:

DO YOU NEED A DRINK?

Being a writer can drive you to drink. No, not THAT kind of drink! I mean cool, refreshing water.

As writers, we spend hours a day sitting at our computers. While we’re “in the zone,” cranking out a first draft or concentrating on edits, it’s easy to forget to keep ourselves hydrated. Sometimes we even avoid having beverages around our computers to avoid spills.

You know that groggy, "I need a nap" feeling that sometimes hits in the afternoon? It could be a sign that you need to drink something. Everyone knows a dry, parched throat signals dehydration. But did you know that even mild thirst is a sign you're partly dehydrated. Yep. That's why it's a good idea to drink throughout the day, whether you're thirsty or not.

Water is an essential nutrient. It requires no digestion, just absorption. Just about every function that keeps us alive requires liquids. Blood transports oxygen that sustains us. Saliva and digestive enzymes break down our food. Water helps transport the nutrients from our digestive tracts to the cells that need them. The list goes on and on.

Our bodies are made up of one-half to three-quarters water. We lose water constantly – in the rest room, moisture we breathe out, evaporation off our skin, even tears. If we don’t replace fluid losses through food and drink, we'll become dehydrated. It’s hard to write when you’re dehydrated, because you may not think as clearly and may have a slight headache.

So what’s a writer to do? Have a glass of water first thing in the morning before you eat or get in the shower. It will be absorbed quickly and get your body processes off to a good start. To prevent that mid-afternoon slump, drink often throughout the morning - and the rest of the day, of course. Taking care of your hydration needs helps you be more alert which contributes to better writing.

Some days I get my water in by rewarding myself with a flavored drink. I tell myself, “If you drink two glasses of water, then you can have a bottle of vitamin water.” Weird, I know, but it works for me. Just remember to reach for your water bottle before you feel sluggish or thirsty. Your body, and your writing muse, will thank you.

© 2010 Beth Bence Reinke, MS, RD

WEDNESDAY DISCUSSION

2010-03-24T04:50:00.000-07:00

How do you think e-books are changing the face of publishing? In particular, do you think indie presses could benefit from e-books? Why or why not?

Small Press Month Interview with Do Life Right Inc.

2010-03-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

Do Life Right, Inc. is an independent publishing company located in Sahuarita, AZ, USA. Founded in 2005, Do Life Right, Inc. expanded into publishing in 2009. Do Life Right, Inc. is owned and operated by Lisa Bentley.

Lisa Cottrell-Bentley is no stranger to start-up companies, having worked for and/or owned five. So, when private investment made it possible for her to turn her small internet consulting company, Do Life Right, Inc., into an independent publishing house, she went for it and hasn’t looked back. With two published books under its belt, Wright on Time: Arizona: Book 1 (Volume 1), and Wright on Time: Utah: Book 2 (Volume 2), Do Life Right, Inc. is now accepting submissions for additional children’s books featuring homeschooled children.

Do Life Right, Inc. specializes in fictional books for all ages with themes often not present in modern fiction, e.g. homeschooling, strong family ties, and people without traumatic physical or emotional issues. Their stories, while intense and exciting, are guaranteed to have happy endings.

For small press month, we had the opportunity to ask Lisa Bentley about how she started Do Life Right, Inc., and the challenges and advantages of running a small press. . .

Tell us about your path to publication and how you started Do Life Right, Inc..

I spent over 8 years trying to break into the publishing world, only to be rejected based on content (rather than writing ability) over and over. When I mentioned this to fellow homeschoolers, they were shocked to find that traditional publishing companies considered the 2.2 million homeschooling families of today as much too small of a market to cater to. Using contacts I had, I found an angel investor who agreed with my vision and invested money in me. I already owned a consulting company, so I immediately put the money toward turning it into a publishing company. This was in April 2009. By August 2009, our first book was published. The second one was published in November 2009.

The Wright on Time(Registered Trademark) series of children's chapter books, written by myself, are Do Life Right, Inc.'s flagship books. Since I had not officially worked as a publisher previously, we used these as a testing ground to make sure that I (with help) could learn the necessary skills required to put out a high quality children's book series. With the first two books now a proven success, we are using the proceeds from them to take on more authors, editors, illustrators, and marketing teams. While backwards from how it is usually done, I felt it was important to prove to the world that I could publish books before I took on another author's work. My investors agreed.

I'm about to start a KickStarter campaign so that I can sign on even more authors this year. I'm really excited about this! Children's fiction with homeschooling characters is sorely lacking; I'm excited to be bringing more of it to the world. I've also written a non-fiction book about my publishing journey which will be published this coming summer.

What was the inspiration behind your stories of a 50 state RV homeschooling tour of the USA?
My children! :)

I had been a writer for a number of years (and my kids knew this). One day while we were out swimming, my older daughter started telling me about the books she'd been reading. While she loved to read, she was disappointed in how school-centric the books were, how the parents were always absentee parents or dead, and how the siblings and so-called friends were always calling each other names. So, I asked her what the perfect book would be...

This led to a series of many conversations with both of my daughters (and then later many other homeschooled children). We started with the characters, Aidan and Nadia and their parents and pet turtle, and wondered how they could live an interesting life. We put in some of our own dreams and desires, sprinkled in some science fiction (because who doesn't like a bit of that?), a whole bunch of hands-on research (and internet research), and out came the Wright on Time series.

How can homeschoolers use this series to educate and inspire their students?
In the Wright on Time series, the family explores at least one new educational topic per book. Each book is set in a different state, a different month (as the story progresses), and a different theme. There is an overall story arc, too, since the children age and grow and the family learns about life together.

A Journey Through Learning, a lapbook company, has made companion lapbooks for the first two books in
the Wright on Time series. As more are published, they will continue to make more. These were logical supplements for the books since each has an in-depth learning topic. Be sure to check out their website to learn more about lapbooks.

I've had many families tell me that the Wright's adventures have inspired their own family vacations. I'm even hoping to see a family travel company promote Wright on Time tours.

What are some of the challenges and advantages of running a small press?
IMO, the advantages far outweigh the challenges. :) Once the money for a project is there, we are able to move quickly from the completed manuscript stage to the published book-in-hand stage. Since we work with
private contractors for editing, copyediting, illustration, cover design, etc. the turn around time is quick.

The only two challenges that I've had are (1) getting the word out there about our books, and (2) wanting to grow faster than the money has allowed. I truly believe in word-of-mouth marketing and the money to grow is coming in! I encourage all people to do at least one thing daily in order to get to their goals. Anything is attainable if you keep at it! :)

Is your publishing company accepting submissions and what exactly are you looking for?
Yes, we are! We're currently accepting submissions (via e-mail only). We are looking for children's chapter books and YA (young adult) books that feature realistic (not caricatured) homeschoolers as the primary
characters. Beyond that requirement, we'll entertain any genre including science fiction, mystery, romance, futuristic... I'd be thrilled to find a Hannah West type of children's chapter book series with homeschooled
characters! I'd also really love a coming of age YA novel, or a science fiction mystery with a teen boy and/or teen girl as the main character.

To see more about Do Life Right Inc. and their books, check out:
http://www.DoLifeRightInc.com
http://www.WrightOnTimeBooks.com
http://www.RichAuthorPoorWriter.com

Author Spotlight on Lori Calabrese and Small Press Month Giveaway

2010-03-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

As an author who is eagerly awaiting the release of her first picture book “The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade,” I decided to begin the process of planning a book release party. After all, publication is a cause for celebration! Of course I've had visions of the Sex and the City episode where Carrie holds a lavish New York book launch party with champagne and chocolate flowing freely. But most of us don't have 25 g's lying around! But no need to fear...there are many ways to hold a book launch party, and whichever path you choose, the goal remains the same--to make your book release party fun!

So where does one begin? Do what you do when you give a party:
1. Start with a budget
2. Make a guest list/ invites/ press release
3. Pick a venue (it can be a restaurant, rented hall, museum, a bookstore, a library, or even your own home)
4. Plan the menu
5. Plan the color scheme, entertainment, the decor, etc.
6. Decide on a book sale or book giveaway
7. Offer fun games and activities
8. Be sure to thank everyone for coming/ send thank-yous

I'm a big fan of the new trend for online book release parties. Instead of a live party, or in addition to the live party, you can consider hosting a release party online. With the rise of social media sites, many of us have gathered a boat load of online friends. Having an online book release party allows you to celebrate with online friends who might live far away, and for those who live close, it lets them pop into the party whenever they're available. The party can be set-up and hosted on your website, blog, or social media site like Ning.com or Facebook. Be sure to have lots of information on where to purchase your books, as well as offer free give-aways to anyone leaving comments on your blog during the event.

Book Release Parties are a big thing for an author. Hopefully, it will facilitate the purchase of your book and get it in the hands of people where it might not otherwise make it. It's a chance to scream to the world, "MY BOOK IS OUT!", and even though it might seem a little weird to toot your own horn, it's a chance to celebrate a milestone in your life. Often, it’s hard to be so bold about your book because you don’t want to put people in an awkward situation of feeling like they must buy your book-which, of course, is true-they must! But inviting them to a party is different because even if they don’t make it, they will hopefully still go out and buy your book because you were thoughtful enough to invite them.

Keep an eye out for your invitation this Fall to a creepy, crawly and fun BUG LAUNCH PARTY! This buggy party will have everyone BUZZING!

INDIE-DEBUT SMALL PRESS GIVEAWAY!

If you’d like to win a prize pack of Indie-Debut 2010 items, please leave a comment below.
--If you're a writer, what kind of get-together have you had to celebrate the publication of your book?
--If you're a reader, what kind of book launch have you been to or would like to go to that you think would be a blast?

Details...
-For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section.
-For additional entries, become a follower of our blog and follow us on twitter. Let us know in the comments section about your additional entries!
-Contest is open to US and Canada only
-Contest ends on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.
-Winner will be chosen at random and notified on Friday, March 26, 2010.

Member Spotlight: Donna M. McDine

2010-03-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Winters always seem to be the longest season of the year, especially when an author is eagerly awaiting the release of their book. This is the position I find myself in. The publication of my first book can't come soon enough. Guardian Angel Blog Editor, Sandra Muncaster recently interviewed me about my road to publication and I'm thrilled to share with you today an excerpt of my interview.

CONGRATULATIONS TO: LINDSEY CARMICHAEL FOR WINNING THE RANDOM DRAWING FOR: FIRST CHAPTER CRITIQUE BY INDIE-DEBUT AUTHORS. Kindly please send Donna McDine an email at: dmcdine@optonline.net to set up this fantastic opportunity!

SANDRA MUNCASTER: Tell us a bit about yourself.

DONNA McDINE: I embarked on my writing career with my completion of the Institute of Children’s Literature Writing for Children and Teenagers Magazine Course in 2007. It has been a rollercoaster ride to say the least. Filtered between the many rejection letters I have had success publishing over 25 short stories and articles in both print and online publications. Thank goodness, for without those successes I would have thrown in the towel. I’m also proud to say I have been bestowed the honor of Honorable Mention in the 77th Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and twice in the 78th Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. The first resulting in my award-winning historical fiction manuscript The Golden Pathway, being accepted by Guardian Angel Publishing as a story book.

SM: Tell us about your upcoming book.

DMc: The Golden Pathway is with the illustrator now and I’m keeping my fingers for an early-Summer release. In the meantime, I’d like to share with your readers the synopsis:

Raised in a hostile environment where abuse occurs daily, David attempts to break the mold and befriends the slave, Jenkins, owned by his Pa. Fighting against extraordinary times and beliefs, David leads Jenkins to freedom with no regard for his own safety and possible consequences dealt out by his Pa.

SM: How was the publishing process for you?

DMc: The story of David started out as writing assignment with the Children’s Writers Coaching Club (CWCC) and after several revisions I submitted it to the 77th Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and it placed 12th with over 1,400 entries in the Children/Young Adult category. I’ve been told if you don’t place 1st it doesn’t really count. But I don’t feel that way. To me this accomplishment is a major feather in my cap.

Then after meeting Lynda Burch of Guardian Angel Publishing at the Muse Online Writer’s Conference I took the plunge (so to speak) and submitted my manuscript for consideration. Lynda responded back with suggestions for edits and instead of taking the chance and doing it on my own I hired professional editor, Lea Schizas. Together we went through several revisions and without the constraint of the word count from the contest the manuscript became more dynamic, resulting in an acceptance from Lynda. The book cover is complete with the expert illustration by K.C. Snider and the story illustrations will be completed in the coming months. I can hardly wait!

I'd be delighted for you to read the rest of my interview by Sandra Muncaster at: http://www.guardianangelfamily.blogspot.com/ DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED.

I look forward to chatting with you and thank you in advance for your interest.

WEDNESDAY DISCUSSION: What's your fave place to buy books?

2010-03-17T04:34:00.000-07:00

There are lots of places to buy books: online, independently owned bookstores or the big guys like Borders and Barnes & Noble. Where do you prefer to purchase books and why? Leave your comment to be entered to WIN a First Chapter Critique by Indie-Debut Authors.

Interview with Jupiter Gardens Press

2010-03-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

In honor of Small Press Month, I asked my publisher, Mary Wilson of Jupiter Gardens Press, a few questions.

How long has your publishing company been in operation?
Jupiter Gardens has been around since January 2008. We started publishing books in October under both our Jupiter Gardens Press and Pink Petal Books imprints and had our first paperbacks out by the end of 2008.

Why did you decide to go into publishing?
I'm an author and have always held a fascination for the business end of things. When I realized I could apply what I learned on the author-side to creating a dynamic, author-friendly publisher for specific genres, I jumped at the chance. I also love editing and the business side of the busienss, so this allows me to do that as well.

Do you publish exclusively YA and children’s books?
No, we publish metaphysical fiction and nonfiction, science fiction and fantasy, and romance novels. Any YA/children's works we publish would fall under those genres.

Do you plan on publishing more YA in the future?
I'd love to see more YA works, especially in the science fiction/fantasy genres. Alternate history is a particular love of mine.

How can authors get more information about your company (submission guidelines, etc.)?
Our website is http://www.jupitergardens.com and our submission guidelines can be found there.

Where can your company’s books be purchased?
We offer books on our website at http://www.jupitergardens.com and also offer paperbacks on Amazon.com, as well as ebooks through their Kindle store. You can also find us on other ebook distribution sites such as Omnilit, Books on Board, and Mobipocket.

WEEK TWO GIVEAWAY FROM INDIE DEBUT!

2010-03-15T23:33:00.000-07:00

QUESTION OF THE WEEK GIVEAWAY:

Do you feel small presses are the wave of the future?

Join in the discussion by leaving a comment and be automatically entered to win a First Chapter Critique by Indie-Debut Authors.

That's right! At least four Indie Debut authors will critique the first chapter of YOUR manuscript.

Winner will be announced on FRIDAY.

Jo Ramsey's here!

2010-03-15T03:29:00.000-07:00

Good Monday morning, all :) I'm Indie-Debut 2010 author Jo Ramsey, and I'm excited to be today's spotlight author!

My first YA novel, Connection, was released in January by Jupiter Gardens Press, a small metaphysical publisher based in Iowa. As part of this month's Small Press Month festivities, I'll share an interview with Mary Wilson of Jupiter Gardens tomorrow.

Connection is the first book in my ten-book series Reality Shift, and I'm thrilled to announce that Jupiter Gardens has contracted book two, Filtration System, with a tentative release date of October 2010!

I live in Massachusetts with my two daughters and my fiance; the wedding is planned for April 17, so right now I'm in the thick of writing deadlines (in addition to YA, I write romance under a pen name) and wedding plans, in addition to taking care of my kids, cleaning the house, and working part time for my father-in-law-to-be. Kind of hectic, but at least I get to write!

I'll be popping in again later today, after I've caffeinated myself a bit more and have done some of my self-assigned writing for the day. I hope wherever you are is nicer than here; we have high wind, rain, and overall weathery nastiness this morning.

Friday Giveaway and Author Spotlight - Carla Mooney

2010-03-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday everyone!

The winner of our Fabulous Follower Prize Pack is...

LISA MARIE MILES!

Thanks for following us, Lisa. Please use our contact form to send us your address and we'll get your gifts in the mail ASAP!

--------------------

Here's a sneak peek from Owen and the Dragon by author Carla Mooney available in May 2010 from Soto Publishing!

It’s not fair. I didn’t ask to move here.

Owen watched the yellow moving truck roll down the street. He ran to the end of the driveway and craned his neck until the truck disappeared around the corner. He took a deep breath and slowly let out the air from his mouth.

I wish Dad didn’t get a new job.

Owen turned and stared at the house behind him. His mom was so excited about this picture-perfect white colonial. Black shutters framed the windows, and a large porch with columns stretched across the entire front of the house. But Owen liked houses made of red bricks. Just like the one he’d lived in for his entire ten year old life. This new one didn’t have a steep hill for sledding in the winter. It didn’t have an old mulberry tree for climbing in the summer. And worst of all, it didn’t have his best friend next door.

Owen shuffled to the back porch and slumped onto the steps. Through the screen door, he could hear the rustle of boxes opening. His parents and sister couldn’t wait to unpack. But Owen didn’t want to unpack. He didn’t want to see his books and toys in a new room, even if it was bigger.

Owen stared across the backyard. Beyond the fence, there was a trail leading into the woods behind the house. It might be worth exploring tomorrow. Maybe he could find a good rock or even a fossil to cheer him up. Suddenly, something flickered deep in the trees. What was that? A few seconds of darkness, and then it flickered again. Owen struggled to see past the thick shadows under the trees. What had made those flashes?

“Hi! Whatcha doing?”

Owen jumped and looked around. A girl with brown, curly hair walked across the yard. As she got closer, he could see the splatter of freckles across her cheeks. Marching right up to the porch, she pushed a covered plate at him.

“Brownies,” the girl said. “My mom and I made them this morning. I thought you might want some.”

“Thanks.” Owen reached and took the plate. Too bad I don’t like chocolate.

“I’m Izzy,” the girl said. “I’m going to be in third grade this year.” She fiddled with the long necklace she wore. “Third grade is really cool because you get join the theater program and be in a play!” Izzy paused as if she expected Owen to say something.

“Umm. Sure, sounds good,” Owen muttered. Theater! You’ve got to be kidding me. He rolled his eyes, but Izzy didn’t seem to notice. She prattled on and on. Owen wasn’t sure if she even stopped to breathe.

“Isabelle! Dinner!” A loud voice rang out from the house next door.

Izzy’s face turned pink underneath her freckles. “Coming, Mom!” she yelled. She jogged across the lawn, then stopped and turned back to Owen. “Hey, what’s your name?”

“Owen,” he said.

“Owen,” Izzy tested the name. “Well, see you tomorrow!” She waved wildly and banged the door shut behind her.

Owen walked to the edge of his backyard and leaned on the split-rail fence. Four weeks before school. New town. No friends. A theater-loving, third grader next door. And a girl no less! He covered his face with his hands. Things were going from bad to worse in a hurry.

Mice Don't Taste Like Chicken Sneak Peek

2010-03-12T08:36:00.001-08:00

Readers:

Here's a special, sneak peek of Mice Don't Taste Like Chicken. Keep your eyes and ears posted as August approaches for more information regarding the release. Enjoy!

2
Pinkies, Fuzzies, & Hoppers

“Did you know mice are the most intelligent beings on Earth?” Drew asked. He pulled a bag of shavings from the cabinet and placed it on the countertop.

“Where’d you hear that crazy talk?” Jackson said. He popped the top from the white mice cage.

“I don’t know. I read it in a book I borrowed from Mr. Cross.” Drew unlatched the water bottle from within the cage, unscrewed the cap, and poured the contents into the sink. “Says in there mice created the Earth as an experiment.”

Jackson slid his hands into a pair of protective gloves. “You do realize it’s a fiction book, right Drew? Besides, if these things are so smart then why would they make themselves the main course?”

Drew refilled the bottle and fastened the cap. “I know it’s not real. I guess I don’t like thinking of them as food.”

“Then caring for the meals is the job for you. Can you believe we pulled mouse duty the first week? What a glamorous way to spend recess.” Jackson peered into the cage and prodded the rat droppings inside. “How do these cocktail weenies produce so much poop?”

“You’re a cocktail weenie. Besides, cut the pinkies some slack. They can’t even open their eyes yet.”

“I like fuzzies and hoppers better. At least they have fur and can move around.”

“You can have ‘em. I don’t need a runaway mouse on my conscience.”

Jackson furrowed his brow. “Do you think they know?” The mice darted around the cage to evade Jackson’s hand.

“Know what?”

“Gotcha!” Jackson lifted a hopper by its tail. It wriggled and lunged as it attempted to bite his finger. “That they’ll be mice-a-roni in a few days.”

Drew grimaced. “For their sake, I hope not.”

Jackson swung the hopper back and forth in front of Drew’s eyes. “What’s going through their little mouse brain before it happens?”

Drew swatted his hand away. “How should I know? I told you I don’t want to imagine them as food.”

“Bet they taste like chicken.” Jackson tilted his head back and held the hopper above his mouth.

“What makes you think that?”

“Dude, everything tastes like chicken.”

“You need serious mental help,” said Drew.

Jackson closed his mouth and swiveled his head. “What’s your problem?”

Drew pointed at the helpless mouse. “That. That’s my problem.”

“Everything needs to eat.” Jackson chomped his teeth.

“You’ll be eating rat poop if you hold it there any longer. Just put him down, or else...”

“Or else what?” Jackson opened his mouth and lowered the hopper.

“I said let him go!” Drew slapped Jackson’s hand. The mouse fell. Drew’s eyes widened as the mouse disappeared.

~Scott
"Live, Learn, Teach"
www.micedonttastelikechicken.com

AN INDIE BOOKSTORE OWNER TALKS ABOUT WORKING WITH SMALL PRESS BOOKS

2010-03-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I visited with the owner of an Independent Bookstore here in Boise. We talked about my book and the Indie-Debut 2010 Group. As I hoped, she had a lot of thoughts I hadn't thunk before.

1. She said working with Small or Micro-Press Authors has it's pros and cons. While she loves the passion and enthusiasm they bring with their book, she doesn't appreciate the ego that sometimes comes with it. Self-published authors especially have a hard time accepting 'no' for an answer if she decides not to carry their book.

Another problem is supply. Small presses work with distributors to ship their books. The ease with which a bookstore can order copies (and whether they can return unsold ones) depends on the distributor. If the distributor is POD, ordering can be difficult and returns not allowed. For the Pacific Northwest, she recommended Partners West Regional. They put out a catalogue listing all the books they distribute. That's a plus too, since she can look through one big catalogue instead of a multitude of small ones directly from the publishers.

2. I presented our Indie-Debut 2010 Catalogue and she said there was a lot of info missing. Really? Like what? Little things like how to order the books! What the trim size is!! PRICES!! In our defense, a lot of that info isn't available yet. For books coming out in December, price points haven't been determined & ISBN's haven't been assigned.

Her solution was simple. Don't call it a catalogue. She showed me a booklet Random House puts out called the Paperback Reader. It lists books available with a short summary, age range and sometimes a little about the author. That's what we have. So our Indie-Debut "2010 Catalogue" will now be titled "2010 Releases" and will be dressed up a little more.

3. She also suggested going to a tradeshow (like ALA, BEA, etc) which is an idea we've already been toying with. If you're a Pacific Northwest Author and you're considering attending tradeshows, she recommended the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association. This year, it'll be held October 7, 8 & 9 in Portland. Publishers, authors, booksellers and librarians all attend and it's a great way to get your book in front of people.

4. Lastly, we talked about my book. I gave her the pitch and told her a little of the book's publishing history. She agreed it sounded like something she'd be interested in so I will take her an ARC when they're available and keep my fingers crossed. And if she says no, I hope I'm graceful enough to say, "Thanks anyway."

PRIZE PACK GIVEAWAY!!

2010-03-09T11:35:00.000-08:00

Fabulous Follower Prize!!

Become a follower of our blog, twitter and/ or Facebook and be entered to win an Indie-Debut 2010 Prizepack:

The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade tote bag from author Lori Calabrese,

Amazing Africa Projects You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself series) by author Carla Mooney,

and Underground Railroad Books from Donna McDine, author of The Golden Pathway.

All it takes is a click! Winner will be announced on Friday, March 12th!

Interview with Stephen Mooser, Co-Founder of SCBWI

2010-03-08T13:44:00.000-08:00

Last week, I had the opportunity to interview Stephen Mooser, one of the co-founders (along with Lin Oliver) of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. Before we get started, I'd just like to say, if you're a writer or illustrator of children's books and you're NOT a member, you should seriously consider becoming one. SCBWI membership offers so much in the way of resources, information and opportunities, it really is invaluable. So go. Go now. Check it out here!
Mr. Mooser was incredibly kind answering my questions, which focus mainly on the place of SCBWI and small presses in the world of children's literature. I think you'll see from his answers how committed SCBWI is to helping writers and illustrators on their path to (and through!) publication.

Q: These days, SCBWI is *the* go-to organization for children's writers and illustrators. It provides countless resources and opportunities for the established and up-and-coming children's literature creators. How does that translate to the production side? What services or aid, if any, does SCBWI provide for publishers, editors and agents?

A: NOTHING DIRECTLY, BUT WE HOPE THAT THE INFORMATION WE GIVE TO OUR MEMBERS HELPS THEM BE BETTER, AND MORE PROFESSIONALLY PREPARED WHEN THEY DO APPROACH PUBLISHERS AND AGENTS. SO WE DO HOPE THAT OUR WORK MAKES THEIR WORK MORE EFFICIENT AND SENDS THEIR WAY AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS THEY WANT TO PUBLISH OR REPRESENT

Q: SCBWI recently debuted it's PAL (Published and Listed) program. What's the idea behind PAL? How does it benefit SCBWI members?

A: PAL WAS PUT IN PLACE TO IDENTIFY SCHOOL SPEAKERS AND BOOK EXHIBITORS AS PEOPLE PROFESSIONALLY PUBLISHED—THAT MEANS PEOPLE WHOSE WORK HAS BEEN PAID FOR RATHER THAN THE PUBLISHER BEING PAID, OR IF NOT PAID PERHAPS TAKEN AT NO CHARGE OR UPLOADED ONTO THE WEB—THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT SOME SELF PUBLISHED WORK IS NOT PROFESSIONAL WRITTEN AND PRODUCED, BUT, FOR NOW, WE NEEDED A WAY TO DISTINGUISH AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS WHO WOULD PROFESSSIONALLY REPRESENT THE SCBWI IF WE WERE RECOMMENDING THEM TO SCHOOLS, ETC.

Q: Not all presses are listed on PAL. Large, well-known houses were listed immediately (please verify if this is true). There is a 'small press list' but given the enormous number of small, indie and regional presses, is it safe to say listing all of them would be impossible?

A: EVERY DAY WE ADD NEW SMALL PRESSES. WHEN A MEMBER APPLIES FOR PAL LISTING AND THEIR PUBLISHER DOES NOT COME UP THEN A FORM IS GENERATED, WE LOOK AT THE PUBLISHER AND IF THEY MEET THE SIMPLE CRITERIA OF NOT ASKING FOR MONEY AND PUBLISHING MORE THAN BOOKS BY A SINGLE AUTHOR OR FAMILY THEN THEY ARE GENERALLY APPROVED AND ADDED.

Q: What can a small press do to increase their chances of getting listed in PAL?

A: JUST MEET THE CRITERIA—WE ALSO HAVE AN APPEAL PROCESS IF INITIALLY TURNED DOWN.

Friday Giveaway and Author Spotlight

2010-03-05T09:21:00.001-08:00

WELCOME TO THIS WEEK'S SMALL PRESS MONTH BLOGABRATION GIVEAWAY!

WIN A QUERY CRITIQUE WITH THE INDIE-DEBUT 2010 AUTHORS!!

Just post a comment below about your favorite small press book and you'll be entered to win a query critique with not one, not two, but five of the Indie-Debut Authors!

The winner will be selected by random.org

*For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section.
*Contest ends on Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.
*Winner will be chosen at random and notified on Monday, March 8, 2010.

THIS WEEK'S AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: AMY ALLGEYER COOK:
To celebrate our small press authors, every Friday and Monday we'll feature work from one of them--short stories, articles, book teasers, whatever they'd like to share. This week's author is Amy Allgeyer Cook, author of The Invisible Sister (PM Moon, July 2010). Below is her short story, Fostering Nina...

I hear the first whimper in my sleep and my brain tries to work it into a dream. It’s just a puppy, sleep on, sleep on. But the second cry is louder, more insistent. My eyes pop open, dry and bleary, searching for the red numbers on the VCR that will tell me how long it’s been since the last time she cried.
3:47 am.
It’s the third time tonight. She’s off her schedule; I shouldn’t have to get up until 5:00. Maybe she had a bad dream and she’ll doze off again. So I wait. I think about the Trigonometry homework I still have to finish. I remind myself to wear sweatpants tomorrow so I don’t have to change for PE. As I wait in the dark, listening for a sound I hope not to hear, I slip quietly, slowly, warmly back to sleep.
But she cries again and my eyes fly open. This time, I know it’s no use. She needs something; she’s hungry, maybe wet. I crawl out of my comforter cocoon and stagger down the hallway toward her room, guided by a bare-bulb night light. I used to sleep in the room with her, but her sounds--her airy breathing, the rattle of her wet mouth--kept me awake. Now I sleep on the couch…when she let’s me sleep.
“Nina?” she says.
“I’m hear, Grammy.” I kneel next to her bed, reaching in the dark for her hand. “What do you need?”
“It hurts.” She swallows and I can tell her mouth is dry.
I turn on the bedside lamp and check the chart on the nightstand. It’s only been three hours since her last pain pill. The hospice nurse says to keep her comfortable, so I shake another pill out of the bottle and fill a glass from the water pitcher.
“Sit up, Grammy.” I struggle to raise her while she winces against the pain. It’s the most help she can give me. I wedge a pillow behind her and she eases back, wheezing from the effort.
“I’m so much trouble,” she says.
I put on what passes for a smile these days. “Oh, whatever.”
“You’re a good girl,” she says. “I don’t know why you stay with me.”
“Don’t be silly. Besides, where else would I go?”
She takes a sip of water and hands me the glass. The wrinkles in her forehead deepen and I wish I hadn’t said that. We both know she won’t make it much longer, and I’m not old enough to live on my own. When they first diagnosed her, we thought she’d have years.
I was fifteen then. Her cancer has grown faster than anyone expected. In a year and a half, I’ll be eighteen, but she won’t last that long. Foster care looms large and bleak on my horizon, but I can’t think about it. I have too much to do taking care of myself and Grammy and the trailer and school.
Maybe foster care will be better. Less work, for sure. But I can’t imagine life without Grammy. She’s been my grandma, my mother, my only family. I watch as her eyelids fall once, twice. Another minute and she’s breathing softly through her open mouth. I coat her lips with Vaseline then creep back to the couch and snuggle into my blanket hoping sleep will take me fast. I don’t want to worry about tomorrow, or the next day. I also don’t want to think about the letter that arrived last week.
It’s still lying on the counter. If I opened my eyes, I could probably see it. But my eyes, just like the letter, remain firmly closed. I haven’t heard from my father in six years. I don’t want to hear from him now. Grammy would have opened it right away. She says me going to live with my dad would be the answer to her prayers. Her prayers, not mine. Dad’s not the salvation I need. He left my mom for a better job a long time ago, and I can’t forgive him for that. She was a mess, I know, but still…you don’t leave people when they need you.
I burrow deeper into the couch, pulling the comforter over my head. If only it could block out the thoughts whirling through my brain. Trig, Grammy, empty fridge, scholarships, Dad, foster care. Round and round, the thoughts chase each other. The foster care people, dressed like Grim Reapers, stand silently to the side while Grammy tries to answer a trig problem and Dad wrestles a giant refrigerator. I’m actually pulling for my Dad, which I think is odd, when something bangs against the side of the trailer.
I sit up fast, blinking in the pale morning light. With relief, I realize Grammy slept the rest of the night. That’ll be good for her. The heavy knocks come again at the door and I untangle myself from the covers. It’s time for the nurse to arrive, and for me to take a shower and get to school. I unlock the door, thinking again about sweatpants, but it’s not Nurse Grayson shivering outside the trailer.
“Dad?”
He looks older, saggier. There’s gray around his ears, but he has the same kind eyes, the same gentle smile. He looks deceptively nice for an abandoner.
“Nina?” His eyebrows meet over his too large nose. “Wow. You’re…so grown up.”
Kids do that when you’re not around for six years, I think. But I don’t say it. After a few seconds, I invite him in, mostly because all the heat in the trailer is going out the door.
“How’s your Grandma?”
“Not so great.” I cross my arms and stare at him. “What are you even doing here?”
His eyebrows scrunch again. “Bess wrote and asked me to come. Didn’t you get my letter?” He follows my eyes to the counter, where the letter lies unopened. “Ah.” He rubs his grizzled chin and I realize he must have driven all night to get here at seven in the morning. “I guess you have a right to be angry. I’m sorry, Nina. I never wanted to leave you.”
“Me?” I yell. “What about Mom. How could you leave her?”
“We were already divorced,” he says quietly. “It’s not like the job in Columbus broke up our marriage.”
“She needed you!”
Dad shakes his head. “She needed help. For years I tried to help her, but she didn’t want to change. She just wanted the drugs.” He turns away, staring out the frosty glass on the door.
I throw my hands in the air. “Who cares what she wanted? She needed you and you left her.”
He turns back to me and I see his eyes are full of tears. “I should have stayed, but not for your mom. I should have stayed for you. And if you want to be mad at me for something, be mad about that.”
“Forget it.” I turn my back on him and walk into the kitchen. “If you’re here to take me away, you can leave right now.”
“No, that’s not--”
“Just leave. I don’t need you.”
“Yes, you do,” says a soft, wheezy voice.
“Grammy!” I whirl around. She is just outside her bedroom, hanging heavily onto the door frame. I scoot past my father toward her. “You shouldn’t be up.”
For once, she doesn’t argue, and Dad helps me get her back to bed. She’s shivering, so I turn on her electric blanket and tuck her in tight. Dad watches as I shake our her breakfast: eight different pills and a strawberry Ensure. He watches as I write what I’ve given her on the chart. He’s still watching when I kiss Grammy’s head and turn to leave the room.
“Micheal,” she says.
I turn back. “What do you need? I can get it.”
She ignores me and my father steps around me to her bed. “What is it, Bess?” His voice is quiet, almost like in church.
“How long are you staying?” she asks.
He looks at me, first. He seems embarrassed. “I have two weeks off, but I can take sick leave if… I can stay as long as necessary.”
Grammy pats his hand. She heard what she wanted. All I heard was the ‘if’. If two weeks isn’t enough, he can take sick leave. If Grammy’s still alive in two weeks. If he can’t take me away by then.
“I’m not going to live in Columbus,” I say.
“Maybe I’ll move here.”
I wonder…would he really? Would he do that for me? I’m not sure. “I don’t need you.” I sound like a broken record.
“Maybe I need you,” he says.
Dorky as that sounds, he actually looks serious. Can I trust him? Would he really stay? I guess I’ve got at least two weeks to figure it out. He’s still staring at me so I roll my eyes. “Oh, whatever.”
Grammy smiles and closes her eyes.

Small Press Month Interview with Dragonfly Publishing Inc

2010-03-04T07:13:00.000-08:00

To celebrate Small Press Month, the Indie-Debut Authors have rounded up a series of interviews with small presses, agents and other super-interesting industry folks to talk about how they work (or don't work) with Independent and Small Presses. Today, I had the honor of interviewing my senior editor at Dragonfly Publishing, Inc., Pat Gaines.

Pat Gaines worked 22 years in the Lincoln County, Oklahoma courthouse, and retired in 2003 after running the County Election Board Office for many years. Pat and her husband Jerry have two grown children and three grandchildren. She is a member of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc., Web Writing Wonders, New England Ancestors, Daughters of the American Revolution, American Legion Auxiliary, and the Lincoln County Historical Society. She is the current Senior Editor for Dragonfly Publishing, Inc.

Her books include…

O. O. Octopus: Sheriff Of Blue Ribbon Sound
The Journal Of Amos Hannah

You're currently a senior editor at Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. which is owned by your daughter, Terri Branson. Can you share with us a little of how Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. came about?
Terri worked for an online publisher as an editor for several years in the early 1990’s and then decided to open her own publishing company.

When did Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. get started?
Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. was launched in 2001.

What's it's like working alongside your daughter?
It works out fine. We live about 60 miles apart and most of our work is done by electronic files. Sometimes we get together to work, but not often.

Do you think being an editor has improved your own writing--why or why not?
Yes, of course it has helped me. Terri had to teach me how she wanted her books edited. One of the hardest things for me to get straight in my head was “point of view.” She is a stickler about authors keeping point of view.

How many titles (adult and children's) does Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. publish each year?
Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. releases between 4-5 titles per year on average.

Each year, Dragonfly Publishing Inc. holds a picture book contest and you just recently announced the 2010 contest general rules. Why does Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. hold this contest?
The first contest we held was in 2008 for authors and illustrators of Children’s Color Picture Books. The response from authors was pretty good but we had few entries from illustrators. The contest was my idea because all submissions from authors come to me first. We have to keep our submissions closed most of the time because we get too many and we just can’t physically handle the volume. There are lots of good authors out there wanting to get their books published and so few opportunities unless you want to self-publish. Both Terri and I felt that this contest would give some of those aspiring authors an opportunity to get their books in print. Good illustrators are hard to find sometimes especially by small publishing companies because we can’t afford to pay big money for their work. This illustrator’s contest was a way to find new illustrators wanting to get into the Children’s Color Picture Book market.

What are some of the challenges of being a small press?
Small publishers have a very limited number of staff, which restricts the number of books they can publish in a year and the amount of marketing they can do.

With rising costs skyrocketing in publishing, many small presses have focused their business around a technology known as POD. What are some of the positives in working with POD?
The primary advantage of POD is twofold: cost and quality. Since POD books are printed as needed, from individual copies to short and large runs of hundreds to thousands of copies, publishers can control how many books are printed and when. This eliminates the print-run requirement to pre-order 500-1,500 copies minimum and then pay to have them warehoused.

Another thing to note is that in most instances POD copies ordered in short run bundles (i.e. 50-250 copies) meet or beat the per-copy price of the same books produced by offset-press. Also, with some exceptions, POD copies are printed on superior paper using laser inks that fade less over time.

Only six to eight major publishing houses now exist. However, Publishers Weekly estimates that more than 7,000 new publishers form each year, giving writers options for seeing their books in print. Do you see small presses as the wave of the future?
Yes, I see POD publishing as the wave of the future. In fact, few people outside of the bookselling industry realize that publishers of all sizes have been using POD either partially or exclusively for nearly ten years. The percentage of POD to off-set press books changes dramatically every year in favor of POD. In other words, customers do not know which books were printed POD as opposed to which were produced by offset press. Remember, POD is a "printing term."

Dragonfly Publishing Inc. announces 2010 Picture Book contest

2010-03-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

What a way to celebrate National Small Press month--Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. just announced their 2010 Picture Book contest!

Do you have a picture book manuscript ready for submission? Have you ever considered publishing with a small press? If you answered yes to these questions, then you should consider entering the 2010 DFP Picture Book contest.

Contest Prizes:
1st Place: $100.00 plus a trophy and a possible book contract
2nd Place: $50.00
3rd Place: $30.00

Be sure to check out the last few year’s winners to get an idea of the books Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. publishes:

2009: Best Children's Book Award:
The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade by Lori Calabrese
(Coming Fall 2010)

2008: Best Children’s Book Award:
Alley Loo: A Spooky Swamp Tale by C.E. Walz

2nd and 3rd place winners from 2008 were also published:
Al, The Spotted Zebra by Lori Z. Scott
Albert's Perfect Pet by Donna Zappala

Not sure if you want to enter a writing contest? Read:
My announcement after winning last year's contest
Should you enter a writing contest?
Read an interview with 2008 DFP winner C.E. Walz
How to find writing contests

Be sure to visit Indie-Debut 2010 tomorrow when I interview the Senior Editor of Dragonfly Publishing, Inc.: Pat Gaines.

Please visit Dragonfly Publishing, Inc.'s official website for contest rules and entry forms.