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Video courtesy of DisneyHyperion: Trevor Jones has been preparing for the start of seventh grade his entire summer. But he is NOT ready for the news his best friend, Libby, drops on him at the bus stop: he needs to branch out and make new friends. Oh, and he must ask a girl to the fall dance. By the end of the day. Trevor decides that he would rather squirt hot sauce in his eyes than attend the dance. Everything changes, though, when he meets mysterious new student Molly. Trevor starts to think that going to the dance maybe wouldn’t be the worst thing ever. But with detention-wielding teachers, school gossips, and, worst of all, eighth graders conspiring against him, Trevor will have to do the one thing he wasn’t prepared to do: be epic.
When I first joined From the Mixed-Up Files...of Middle-Grade Authors, I knew I loved chatting about everything middle grade, but I didn't realize how much I'd enjoy posting interviews. I've met so many wonderful authors and have had fun coming up with questions I think our readers will love, and give them a chance to get to know the authors and their incredible book/s better.
I was surprised to read something on Facebook the other day that said someone sent interview questions to an author, and clearly hadn't read any of her books. There's so much you can learn from an interview, I can't imagine why an interviewer would miss the chance to try to share some kind of unique information. There are a few things that I do frequently ask, like favorite books (because I think that anyone who loves the author's books will probably discover some new books to read, or rediscover ones that haven't been read in a while), and I like asking if the author has a writing and/or illustrating exercise to share (I've added a few gems to my revision techniques through the responses to this one). It's also fun to hold giveaways and allow readers the chance to win a signed book or other cool prize.
What do love about interviews, and what do you wish some people would do differently when coming up with interview questions?
My latest interview is up on the Mixed-Up Files site. It's with Robin Mellom, author of THE CLASSROOM: The Epic Documentary of a Not-Yet Epic Kid, the first book in her seriesfor middle grade readers and DITCHED: A Love Story, a teen romantic comedy. Robin shares the differences between writing MG and YA, her favorite and least favorite middle school memories, and how a chat with the editor of her debut novel helped turn the first manuscript she wrote into an amazing middle grade series. One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of THE CLASSROOM! Check out this amazing trailer: Hop on over to the Mixed-Up Files site and leave a comment to enter. You have until 10:00 pm EST tonight.
I never posted the link from my Mixed-Up Files interview with Jonathan Auxier, author of Peter Nimble & His Fantastic Eyes, the tale of a small, blind, orphan who also happens to be the greatest thief who ever lived. He shares a fantastic writing exercise, what surprised him the most while writing his debut novel, and how he ended up creating an illustration for each chapter. Check out Jonathan's interview here.
Late next week, I have another interview coming up on the Mixed-Up Files site...and this one is with an agent who will offer one giveaway of an MG that has made several bestseller lists, as well as a critique of up to 20 pages of a middle grade novel (and there will be a link for a second way to enter a critique giveaway that will be open for manuscripts ranging from picture book through young adult novels)! I'll post a link here when my interview is up.
There are so many wonderful people with books coming out this year. Another one of my friends celebrated her debut release with a signing in Santa Monica at Diesel, A Book Store. Not to be confused with Diesel, the clothing store. Trust me, I now know the difference since I showed up at the clothing store first. *head palm* Ugh.
Fortunately, I was close to being on time for a change, so we made the 3-mile trek to the right Diesel with plenty of time to hug, listen to and have a book signed by the wonderful Robin Mellom. Her YA novel, DITCHED, came out on January 10 and believe it or not, she has another book, a middle grade novel, coming out in June. Talk about a banner year!
As for me, I just got back more edits so my nose will be buried deep in revisions while I wrestle with the last act of my story. But I can't sign off without mentioning a great list I found on Mediabistro. There has been a lot of uproar in the last few weeks about one-star reviews and whether or not people who rate books on Goodreads or Amazon can really call themselves reviewers.
My answer? It doesn't matter whether you're reviewing for the New York Times or your own personal blog. Reviews make people aware of a book but it doesn't mean they're going to buy it. And the list I found on Mediabistro kind of proves the point. Look at this list of books and how many one-star reviews they had on Amazon. I've read some of those titles. I know they're awesome.
One-Star Reviews for Bestselling Books 1. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (669 one-star reviews) 2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (396 one-star reviews) 3. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (344 one-star reviews) 4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (169 one-star reviews) 5. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (157 one-star reviews) 6. Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich (119 one-star reviews) 7. Inheritanceby Christopher Paolini (118 one
13 Comments on DITCHED and One-Star Reviews, last added: 1/28/2012
I think sometimes the stronger reaction a book creates in both directions sometimes results in stronger sales. That's what seems to happen. Not always. Sometimes a book is just plain awesome and well written and receives almost all 4 and 5 stars. So jealous you got to hear her speak! I loved Ditched!
If you don't collect some one-star reviews for you book, then you aren't being read widely enough! Personally, I'd trade my nineteen 4-5 star reviews on Amazon for a hundred and fifty reviews that included some 1-stars. Better to have the book read and have some people not like it than not be read at all!
And this is why I don't pay much attention to the reviews. If I like a blurb, I'll base my decision on that. Too often I've bought a book with lots of stars and didn't feel the same way about it. And other times I thought a book rocked, and many others didn't.
I can't remember ever giving out a single star. If it's that bad, I won't finish the book and I won't rate it.
That list is great - just shows that the world is a strange, strange place. And I will remind you when your fabulous book hits the shelves! But you won't need it. :)
I'm bookmarking this entry as a reminder to myself as I wade through writing my book. I'm at the beginning of the process. And I am new to your blog, relatively speaking.
But I imagine you'll be reminded of your words if anyone has the unmitigated gall to give you one star and it upsets you. I like what Dianne said about it all, as well!
Laura: One-star reviews make me curious about the book so I agree that it could result in stronger sales. And Robin is just the best. It was a long haul for her so I'm THRILLED with what's in store for her :)
Dianne: I like your point of view! I think a strong reaction either way is better than a lukewarm "who cares" type of response.
Stina: I agree that some highly rated books have not lived up to my expectations. And like you, if the book is that bad, I just don't bother to review it, much less finish it.
Katie: I will email you straight away! Can't wait to catch up :)
Susan: Just goes to show how subjective it is. There are books I've read that everyone in the world loved and I couldn't stand, so really, one opinion won't make or break a book.
Caroline: It's been great seeing all my friends with debut novels!
Jeannette: I need to remember it as well! Like Dianne, I don't think getting a one-star review is necessarily a bad thing :)
Shannon: That list made me laugh because every one of those people with huge amounts of one-star reviews has exponentially MORE people who love the book. So yeah, very important to remember.
Michelle: This list kind of proves that one-star books can be best sellers! I hope to reach that many readers some day :)
I will certainly remind you! :o) Reviewing is often too presumptuous, imo. I quit posting starred reviews because I felt I wanted to focus on the positive of a book, rather than the negative. Most of the time my review reflects what I liked about it. I figure, hey, books are like babies and there is always at least one nice things to say about someone's baby! lol
That last paragraph (before your reminder to self) is SO, so true.
As a reader, I always check a sampling of reviews, but I focus on the lower stars b/c they're much more helpful than "OMG I LOVE THIS BOOK!"
For example, "Everything else was great but I hate first person - 1 star" is helpful b/c I don't hate first person, so I know that won't bother me.
Star ratings are important b/c they help give a quick snapshot ("Is this book even worth considering?" Anything 3 stars and up probably is.) but ANY thoughtful, well-written review can be helpful, regardless of what # of stars go with it.
Here is Ditched by Robin Mellom coming your way Jan 10th! A book that made me laugh over the summer when I needed it most.
High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.
2 Comments on Bookanista Buzz - Ditched by Robin Mellom!, last added: 10/20/2011
Robin Mellom’s debut teen novel DITCHED—in which a girl finds herself lying in a ditch the morning after her prom with no memory of the last twelve hours, which includes a disappearing prom date, a Tinkerbell tattoo, and a dog-swapping escapade—will be published by Disney-Hyperion in March 2012.
I’m so excited to be over here today guest blogging! Except since I left my blog all alone I’m a little worried that it probably threw a raging party and there will be a big ol’ mess to clean up when I get back. Half-filled blog posts spilled everywhere…semi-dressed fonts running around…loopy comments that need a ride home. Naughty blog.
So I don’t consider myself an expert by any means on the topic of getting published, but I can speak about my experience. And the one piece of publishing advice I can offer is the same advice I learned about hair color…listen to the professionals.
Right after my son was born, I decided two things:
1.I want to be a middle grade writer.
2.I want to be blonde.
So I started writing during naptime and I paid a lot of money to get my hair dyed blonde. (Because Meg Ryan is so adorable, right?) But after a few years of that, I was suddenly confronted with a difficult situation: the opinion of a very passionate hair stylist.
“I can’t dye your hair blonde. I won’t do it.”
“Um…but I have money.”
“It’s not working. The color washes out your skin tone. And your eyes practically disappear! You are not a blonde.”
He literally refused to dye my hair. Didn’t he know about my dream to be blonde? My dream of having Meg Ryan hair!? I left the salon sad, wondering who I was if I wasn’t a blonde. I finally gave in and did it…I went dark. Like, Angelina Jolie dark. And remarkably my skin tone perked up and my eyes reappeared. And I started adopting babies! (Kidding.) But what I realized was: I am really a brunette! But a professional had to tell me that.Because I was too interested in being Meg Ryan, not me.
The same thing happened with my writing. I wrote middle grade novels for many years (I’ve written four of them, actually), and fortunately one of them landed me my agent, Jill Corcoran. We shopped a couple of my middle grades around, but no sale. There were some similar responses: love the voice, but it sounds older.
My agent then said to me, “I think you’re a teen writer. You need to write funny teen. That’s who you are.”
I was resistant at first. I had dreamed of being a middle grade author. I used to be a middle school teacher, and I love middle school kids. Love ‘em! But I had decided I want to write for them, not teach
What a great point you learned from your experience. True, we must be ourselves. My problem is that I seem to be constantly searching for myself. LOL. You're blessed to have had someone there willing to be honest with you and guide you.
I love this Robin! I've had my blond years and my teacher years too, and finally feel settled in writing and YA (I think. LOL. I want to try my hand at MG too).
Robin I loved it! You are so funny (I laughed at the adopting kids line out loud). And you are so right. You have to try what's new and stretch yourself to really find what you are best at. Also, I love Jill Corcoran! She's awesome so you must be awesome too! I'm good at this deduction stuff, huh?
This was great! I felt inspired by the fact that you wrote 4 middle grade novels that you couldn't sell before hitting your stride. I need to be reminded that just because I couldn't sell my first mg novel, it doesn't mean my subsequent novels won't sell. Thanks--just the pep talk I needed.
Great post Robin, and again, I'm so happy for you!
I, too, had to write some books before I figured out what kind of books I should be writing - which ones use my skills the best. I think authors should be open to playing around with genres, with formats, etc. because sometimes it takes awhile to figure out where your strengths lie.
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I think sometimes the stronger reaction a book creates in both directions sometimes results in stronger sales. That's what seems to happen. Not always. Sometimes a book is just plain awesome and well written and receives almost all 4 and 5 stars. So jealous you got to hear her speak! I loved Ditched!
If you don't collect some one-star reviews for you book, then you aren't being read widely enough! Personally, I'd trade my nineteen 4-5 star reviews on Amazon for a hundred and fifty reviews that included some 1-stars. Better to have the book read and have some people not like it than not be read at all!
And this is why I don't pay much attention to the reviews. If I like a blurb, I'll base my decision on that. Too often I've bought a book with lots of stars and didn't feel the same way about it. And other times I thought a book rocked, and many others didn't.
I can't remember ever giving out a single star. If it's that bad, I won't finish the book and I won't rate it.
Sherrie!!!! Hi!!!!! I saw you in Robin's pics on Facebook and thought, "Oh I've missed Sherrie!" How are you? Email me at [email protected]
That list is great - just shows that the world is a strange, strange place. And I will remind you when your fabulous book hits the shelves! But you won't need it. :)
You're a launch party machine!
I'm bookmarking this entry as a reminder to myself as I wade through writing my book. I'm at the beginning of the process. And I am new to your blog, relatively speaking.
But I imagine you'll be reminded of your words if anyone has the unmitigated gall to give you one star and it upsets you. I like what Dianne said about it all, as well!
Oh, wow, what an important thing to remember. That list is surprising, isn't it? :-)
I think a book with one stars is a good-selling book! Obviously, it's reached a wide audience. And always, reviews are so subjective. :)
Laura: One-star reviews make me curious about the book so I agree that it could result in stronger sales. And Robin is just the best. It was a long haul for her so I'm THRILLED with what's in store for her :)
Dianne: I like your point of view! I think a strong reaction either way is better than a lukewarm "who cares" type of response.
Stina: I agree that some highly rated books have not lived up to my expectations. And like you, if the book is that bad, I just don't bother to review it, much less finish it.
Katie: I will email you straight away! Can't wait to catch up :)
Susan: Just goes to show how subjective it is. There are books I've read that everyone in the world loved and I couldn't stand, so really, one opinion won't make or break a book.
Caroline: It's been great seeing all my friends with debut novels!
Jeannette: I need to remember it as well! Like Dianne, I don't think getting a one-star review is necessarily a bad thing :)
Shannon: That list made me laugh because every one of those people with huge amounts of one-star reviews has exponentially MORE people who love the book. So yeah, very important to remember.
Michelle: This list kind of proves that one-star books can be best sellers! I hope to reach that many readers some day :)
I will certainly remind you! :o) Reviewing is often too presumptuous, imo. I quit posting starred reviews because I felt I wanted to focus on the positive of a book, rather than the negative. Most of the time my review reflects what I liked about it. I figure, hey, books are like babies and there is always at least one nice things to say about someone's baby! lol
That last paragraph (before your reminder to self) is SO, so true.
As a reader, I always check a sampling of reviews, but I focus on the lower stars b/c they're much more helpful than "OMG I LOVE THIS BOOK!"
For example, "Everything else was great but I hate first person - 1 star" is helpful b/c I don't hate first person, so I know that won't bother me.
Star ratings are important b/c they help give a quick snapshot ("Is this book even worth considering?" Anything 3 stars and up probably is.) but ANY thoughtful, well-written review can be helpful, regardless of what # of stars go with it.
I have got to reread this post when my book comes out and starts getting yucky reviews. You are so right!