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By: Lee Wind, M.Ed.,
on 7/29/2016
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Moderated by Emma Dryden (standing, far left), the panel shares three books that they acquired (and why):
Seated, from Left to Right:Stacey Barney, Senior Editor (G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin)
Kat Brzozowski, Associate Editor (St. Martin's)
Alvina Ling, V.P. and Editor in Chief (Little, Brown)
Melissa Manlove, Editor (Chronicle)
Neal Porter, Publisher (Neal Porter Books)
Matt Ringler, Senior Editor (Scholastic)
Sara Sargent, Executive Edtior (Harper Collins)
Reka Simonsen, Executive Editor (Atheneum)
Kate Sullivan, Senior Editor (Delacorte)
By
Emma Drydenfor
Cynthia Leitich Smith's
CynsationsAn Editor Tries on Her Writer Hat I’ve been a children’s book editor for over thirty years. Editing’s in my blood. Little else brings me as much joy or satisfaction as coaxing, guiding, and encouraging authors and illustrators to dig deeply and express their truest passions and richest stories.
Over the course of my career, I’ve edited well over 1,000 books, which means I’ve played some small or large part in the creative process for well over 1,000 people.
Throughout the journey, I’ve been asked many times if I ever wanted to write. The long and short answer to that question is “Yes.” But that’s easier said than done.
Being a life-long editor for others comes with a significant downside: I have an aggressive, impatient editor living inside me. She’s tough.
So much so that when serendipitous events occurred and stars aligned for me to co-write a picture book last year, I had to have it out with my internal editor and it wasn’t pretty. I started out nicely, pleadingly, but soon began to rant and swear, begging her to shut up and leave me alone so I could just put down on the page whatever I wanted, without limitation, without question, without suggestion. It’s an understatement to say my internal editor had a hard time turning off. But finally, finally she did shut up and I could start to write.
Maybe it was the looming deadline and my co-author expecting to hear from me that boosted the confidence in the writer part of me to strap my internal editor into the time-out chair. Or maybe it was exhaustion and the writer part of me just didn’t care anymore what those first sentences looked or felt like, as long as there was something on the page. Or maybe it was my trust in the writing process (goodness knows I’ve told hundreds of writers over the years to trust the process!) that eventually forced my internal editor to just darn well wait her turn.
I suspect it was all of these combined that finally allowed me to write with creative adrenaline the words and phrases that would eventually become the score for
What Does It Mean to Be An Entrepreneur? (Little Pickle, 2016).
Most artists are not professional editors, but artists are always contending with some sort of internal editor—that nagging, probing questioner; that voice saying something isn’t good enough; that self-doubter.
Writing is a courageous, delicate, and precious act. Creating art of any kind is a courageous, delicate, and precious act.
Editing, eventually, is critical to the process, but not during those early moments of creativity, when the words and the sketches are barely formed and just emerging from the craftsperson’s imagination.
Through the experience of quieting down my internal editor to write What Does It Mean to Be An Entrepreneur?, I received two great gifts. One was that I was reminded of the obligation I have as an editor: To be patient, supportive, and empathetic to the myriad of feelings (euphoria and despair and everything in between!) an author or illustrator is going to be feeling during their creative process.
And the second gift I received is seeing my name in the byline of a book that springs from my own experiences starting a company and of which I couldn’t be more proud. I was in a position not only to co-write the book, but to edit it and assist in design and art direction—it was the best of all possible worlds for me creatively and professionally.
And now I know, when it comes time for me to write some more, exactly where my internal editor’s time-out chair is waiting!
Cynsational NotesEmma D. Dryden is the founder of
drydenbks, a premier children’s editorial and publishing consultancy firm which she established after twenty-five years as a highly regarded children’s book editor and publisher. She works with authors, illustrators, start-ups, publishers, and app developers.
Emma has edited over a thousand books for children and young readers and during her tenure with Atheneum and McElderry Books, many of her titles hit bestseller lists in USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, and other national publications, and have received numerous awards and medals, including the Newbery Medal, Newbery Honor, and Caldecott Honor. Emma’s on the Advisory Board of
SCBWI and speaks around the world on craft, the digital landscape, and reinvention.
Her blog “Our Stories, Ourselves” explores the intertwined themes of life and writing. She can be followed online at Twitter
@drydenbks,
Facebook, and
Pinterest.
Cynsational GiveawayEnter to win one of three signed copies of
What Does It Mean to Be An Entrepreneur? by
Rana DiOrio and Emma D. Dryden, and illustrated by
Ken Min (Little Pickle, 2016). Author sponsored. U.S. only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 11/2/2015
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Remember the Egyptian Revolution of 2011? For two weeks and three days, the whole world watched as millions of protestors across Tunisia and Egypt demanded reform, ultimately toppling two powerful regimes. While other regional issues certainly followed, it doesn't minimize the enormous change that the internet helped bring about. The people had connected, and used the internet to show the world a new wave of revolution, ending a 31-year state of emergency.
On a much, much, much smaller scale, though just as fervent, the internet has certainly changed my world. I’m a Luddite by nature. I write manuscripts in longhand, use postnotes to organize everything, and write grocery lists on the back of envelopes. I prefer real books to ebooks. And yea, I still use snail mail. Only recently have I let go of my beloved stickshift, a relationship that lasted 200,000 miles. In its place is an automatic complete with all the computerized bells and whistles of modern convenience. This is me, rolling my eyes as I turn on the radio to listen to tried-and-true NPR. Not even the Tardis is this decked out. And this new car isn’t even high end!
Still, once upon a time I had spent hours in the university’s basement archives. Now, all of history is just a click away because of the internet. Remember my discussion on the
Library of Congress?
Of course, the most powerful connections have been about people.
It's always about the people. And these connections I’ve made by way of the internet have been at the very least life affirming, and at its best, life-saving.
In the two and some decades since I entered the business of writing for children, I’ve met some phenomenal people. Some had been my heroes and have now become close friends. (
I’m talking about youuu, Eric Guru!) Some had begun as friends and have now become my heroes. (
Thinking of you, Monica!)
And through all the good and the bad, and sometimes the very bad, that comes with the writing business, these connections have made the journey more than just bearable. They’ve made the journey worthwhile. (
Always ever grateful, dear Karen!)
I’ve included below some of my favorite connections and favorite people I’ve gathered along the way. This is by no means a complete list. But, in celebrating Internet Day, it's always nice to remember the people on the other end of the wire.
The amazing
Emma Dryden, otherwise known as Dumbledore, is a legend in the business, sharing her wisdom on life and writing in her blog,
Our Stories, Ourselves.
Award-winning writer and teacher,
Marion Dane Bauer is a national treasure. She shares her insights on life and writing on her blog, which includes a special section for educator’s at
Educator’s Endnotes.
A mainstay in the business is editor
Harold Underdown and his website,
Purple Crayon.
Yvonne Ventresca, author of the amazing young adult novel
Pandemic, always offers some interesting research and tidbits about a variety of topics.
Joanna Marple, long known for her wonderful explorations of children’s literature at
Miss Marple’s Musings, recently went on an inspirational life-affirming cross-country journey, and shared her adventures on her
blog.
Brainpickings is a wondrous exploration into all things art and human!
Bruce Black’s blog
Wordswimmer meditates on the art of life and writing, using the metaphor of swimming. Calming, serene, wise and inspirational.
Recently I chanced upon
Elaine Kiely Kearns and
Sylvia Liu at
KidLit411, and discovered a treasure trove of all of my favorite writing sources.
A group of ten writers after my own heart share their love of historical fiction, their insights and experiences about the genre on their group blog,
Mad about MG History.
Another favorite group blog is
From the Mixed Up Files, in which thirty authors write about all things middle-grade. A great resource for teachers, librarians, parents and everyone with a passion for children’s literature.
I could go on, but I don't want to hog the conversation. Who or what are some of your favorite connections that you've made because of the internet? Feel free to share them in the comments!Of course, the worse thing about the internet is the ever-so-easy access to online bookstores. New books just a click away!
O no!!
~ Bobbi Miller
(p.s. All photos courtesy of morguefile!)
By: JOANNA MARPLE,
on 9/28/2015
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Title: breath to breath Written by: Craig Lew Edited by: Emma D. Dryden Published by: Relish Media. Expected date- November, 2015 Themes/Topics: child sexual exploitation, empathy, parental addiction, memory suppression, football hazing, secrets Suitable for ages: 14+ Reviewed from an ARC won through a Goodreads … Continue reading →
Joining me and legendary editor Emma Dryden, best-Selling author Ellen Hopkins, art director and debut YA author Laurent Linn, and agent Danielle Smith, about 30 writers and illustrators (including conference attendee and Sid Fleischman and Lambda Literary Award-winning author Bill Konigsberg!) gathered in a large circle to share our questions about and discuss our projects that include Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning characters and themes.
 |
| We started out in a circle |
As always, it was a safe space with lots of shared encouragement and mutual support.
Some highlights:
"Write bravely because it's going to matter to somebody. ...We have kids who need these books. Still!"
- Ellen Hopkins
"There is a need and a want" for these books with LGBTQ characters and themes, in publishing houses, "and readers who need these books."
- Laurent Linn
"The biggest tool against generalization is characterization. ...We are all more than our gender identification... Gender is not enough. Sexuality is not enough. Go deeper..."
- Arthur A. Levine
on why Ellen's books are successful... "These books are dealing with how kids would really feel in these situations. But if it's not on the page, kids are going to think you're lying to them."
"The question is not
what hasn't been done, but
what haven't I done?"
- Bill Konigsberg
Both Arthur and Danielle spoke of how in today's publishing environment, having LGBTQ characters and themes are something they cite as a positive about a project, something that helps them in selling/publishing a project.
 |
| And spent time meeting and greeting each other |
And we'll let Arthur have the final word for this post:
"There's never been a more receptive environment for publishing LGBTQ characters and issues."
- Arthur A. Levine
 |
| The room filling up to hear Emma Dryden (right) talk with Rana DiOrio (center) and Alison Weiss (left) |
Legendary editor
Emma Dryden is the founder of drydenbks, a premier children’s editorial and publishing consultancy firm. Calling herself a "big advocate of exploring your publishing options," she introduces Rana DiOrio, the publisher of Little Pickle Press and Alison Weiss, an editor at Sky Pony Press.
Some highlights of the sessionOn success,
Alison cites a fascinating perception difference: If a book is expected to sell 100,000 copies but only sells 20,000 copies, versus a book that's expected to sell 10,000 copies and sells 20,000. Both books sold the same number of copies, but the perception of success is completely different.
Emma asks Alison and Rana what arguments they'd use to convince an author whose work might be being considered by both their small press and a major house.
For Alison, the benefits of a smaller house include:• The degree of accessibility. Being able to reach and talk to almost anyone at the small press, versus how at big houses you often don't even know who's touching your book.
• She cautions how at a big house, if you're very very lucky, your book is chosen as the big book they're going to feature and push. But, sometimes (most of the time) your book won't be chosen. A book can sort of get lost... At a smaller house, it's a lot easier to stand out and shine.
• Smaller presses have "a lot more room for experimentation."
For Rana, the argument for Little Pickle starts with:• "Together, the author and Little Pickle become parents of your child, your work. It's that important. The success of your book is so important to us." She describes it as "intimate."
• Rana cites the process being much more collaborative than at a major house. For example, picture book authors get to weigh in on who the illustrator is, and get input on the art direction. "It's an amazing process and you're being a participant."
• "We work much more quickly." A picture book can happen in a year. (Versus three years at a big press.)
• Opportunity to serve a social mission - not just Little Pickle's, but yours. (They have a lot of cross-marketing relationships.)
• Flexibility in business models, where contracted relationships can look more like joint ventures. She sites one of her authors whose deal was no advance and 30% of revenue, versus a traditional publishing deal of an advance with a royalty rate of between 5-7%.
Additionally, both Alison and Rana describe the acquisitions process at their small presses. They discuss marketing, trade shows, publicity and marketing, their business models (advances, royalties, profit sharing versus revenue sharing) and so much more.
The last ten minutes of the session Emma opens the floor to questions from the attendees (some of whom didn't get a chair and are sitting on the floor and standing against the back wall!)
Visit their websites at these links to find out more about
Little Pickle Press and
Sky Pony Press.
By: JOANNA MARPLE,
on 6/22/2015
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I have known Sarah Towle since my early days of writing. Back before I moved from Nice to New York and she moved from Paris to London. One day we may actually end up living in the same city! We … Continue reading →
By: Lee Wind, M.Ed.,
on 2/7/2015
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With conference faculty guest agent Tina Wexler, agent Jennifer Laughran, Art Director and Author Laurent Linn, Best-Selling and Award-Winning Author Jane Yolen, editor Emma Dryden and editor and publisher Arthur A. Levine, our group of more than forty attendees gathered to share and talk about writing and illustrating LGBTQ characters and themes in works for children and teens.
In moments ranging from hilarious to somber, topics covered included picture book art notes (dos and don'ts), gender non-conformity, gender challenges in the English language, and the urgent need for more books with LGBTQ diversity.
At one point, an ally voiced a concern about writing from a queer perspective, and the consensus was to not hold back about writing from other points of view (outside your own.) To do your homework, to run it by people who are members of that community...
Arthur: "I urge you to not be self-conscious"
Jane: "In terms of getting it right. In terms of getting the feelings right."
It was a great conversation and the room was filled with a sense of warmth and community. We sat in a circle, each person sharing their name and what they're working on, with our conference faculty (and myself) chiming in with thoughts, advice and insights.
Once the session ended, many participants stayed to exchange contact information and mingle. The pictures are from that part of the evening:
I was honored to host - my thanks and appreciation to the panel and all the attendees!
Lee
If you live long enough, life becomes more about letting go than of gathering.
It is inevitable, this letting go.Sometimes we have to let go of our favorite things: our favorite pair of shorts worn to the fray. Our favorite book with its tattered pages. Even our car, with its 200,000 miles of memories.
Sometimes we let go of clutter, and wonder why it took us so long to throw them out. You know what I speak of: The box full of old research gathered for stories that probably won’t ever be written. Those uncomfortable shoes with pointy toes and impossibly high heels that you never, ever wore, but dang they look sparklie. Those skinny jeans that felt more like a bone corset then denim. Those old love letters, although the guy went on to marry someone else. Those laser disks (what?). Those eight-tracks (what?). That rotary phone (what?). Those old ideas that no longer serve a purpose in our lives.
Sometimes the letting go is more profound, as we say good-bye to our special friends, the four-legged as well as the two-legged sort. And those with wings. And we say goodbye to family. To colleagues and heroes and inspirations.
Of course, the key phrase in all of this,
If You Live. And perhaps, along the way of living our lives, we gather some understanding of it all. We become, hopefully, wise. It’s an elusive concept to grasp. Through the ages, religious leaders, philosophers, even politicians have debated on what is wisdom.
According to Dr. Vivian Clayton, wisdom consists of three elements: cognition, reflection, compassion. Wisdom happens when we take the time to gain insights and perspectives from one’s cognitive knowledge , what she calls the reflective dimension. Then we can use those insights to understand and help others, what she calls the compassionate dimension.
Of course, if it were that easy, with just three ingredients, there wouldn’t be all this debating about what it means. That’s why I like hanging out with poets. They know about such things.
Marion Dane Bauer inspired me in her recent post, “Because receiving is another way of giving. The giver grows in the giving. And that’s a truth we all need to hold close at any time of life!”
And her wisdom resonated with me. I am not the poet like my fellow Teaching Authors. Did you see Carmela’s
Thanks-Giving Thanku?
I am just a storyteller. Begging your indulgence, I was reminded of an old English folktale (Source: Lindsay, Maud. The Storyteller. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard; 1915). It went something like this:
There once was an old woman who lived in the woods. One day, she decided to bake apple dumplings. These dumplings were her favorite. She had everything she needed to bake the dumplings, except for the apples. She had plenty of plums, however. She filled a basket with these plums, covering them in her finest white linen. Then she dressed in her finest clothes and set out to trade these plums for some apples.
 |
| Morguefile |
By and by, she came across a young woman. The old woman asked the younger if she had apples to trade for her plums.
“No,” said the young woman, as she looked with such longing at the plums. “I have plenty of chickens, and not much else.”
The old woman traded her basket of plums for a bag of feathers. The old woman thought it was a good trade. The bag of feathers was much lighter to carry.
By and by, the old woman came to a garden, one of the loveliest gardens she had ever seen. She stopped a moment to smell the roses when she heard a couple arguing. The couple saw her, too.
“Tell us, old woman," said the woman. "Do you agree that cotton is best for making a cushion on our bed?”
“No,” said the old woman.
“See, the old woman agrees with me,” said the man. “Straw is best for our bed!”
“Never straw!” said the old woman, as she held up her bag of feathers. “But a bed made of feathers is fit for a king!”
The old woman traded the bag of feathers for a bouquet of roses. She thought it was a good trade.
By and by, the old woman met a young prince who looked as sad as a rainy day.
“I go to meet my lady love,” said the young prince. “But I have no gift to show her how I truly value her.”
“Give you lady love these roses,” said the old woman. “And she will know.”
She traded the bouquet of roses for a gold farthing. What a good trade! At last she had enough money to buy her apples!
You may think the story might end here, for it seems like a happy ending. But it does not.
By and by, the old woman came to a young mother and her child, who stood with a big and furry dog. They were all frail from hunger.
How can I eat apply dumplings when my neighbors cannot eat at all? thought the old woman. And she said to the young mother,” I have need for a companion, and would ask for your help. May I trade this gold coin for your handsome dog?”
The young mother agreed. The old woman worried now, for how could she take care of a big and furry dog? Where would he sleep? What would he eat? Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice where she was walking.
“That’s one fine dog,” someone said. She looked up to see an old man rocking on his porch. His house sat in the shade of an old apple tree.
“That’s a fine apple tree,” she said.
 |
| Morguefile |
“Apple trees are poor company to an old man who cannot bake,” he said. “But I’d trade all the apples you want for that fine fellow!”
The old woman traded the big and furry dog for a barrel of apples. She baked apple dumplings for her and her new friend. And that night, she enjoyed one of the finest apple dumplings she had ever baked.
Not The End.My list of grateful things:
My daughter, who stands above any list.For the wisdom of my friends. For working in a field where my heroes have become my friends. Including Eric and Marion, Monica and Emma, and Karen, and far too many that I do not have space enough to list. Thank you.
For the compassion, and love of my kindred spirits, like Cynthia, Carmela and The Teaching Authors, Rebecca and the Collective, Brian and the Snuggies; for soul sisters Jo and guiding lights Bonny and Bette. And many more. Thank you.
For apple dumplings.
If you like this tale, you might be interested in my book, One Fine Trade, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand (Holiday House, 2009).
You also might be interesting in this: Phyllis Korkki. “
The Science of Older and Wiser,” New York Times , March 2014.
Don’t forget about the
CWIM giveaway!
Bobbi Miller
Emma Dryden has edited over a thousand books for children and young readers and many of her titles hit bestseller lists in USA Today, the New York Times, Washington Post, and Publishers Weekly. Books published under Emma’s guidance have received numerous awards and medals, including but not limited to, the Newbery Medal, Newbery Honor, and Caldecott Honor.
Team Blogger Jolie Stekly chatted with Emma to get the scoop on the
World Building Writer's Intensive at the upcoming 2015 SCBWI Winter Conference, Feb 6-8!
It's a great discussion, and I'm more excited than ever to attend...
We hope you join us. You
can find out all the intensive and conference information, and register, here.
Illustrate and Write On,
Lee
By:
Tara Lazar,
on 5/24/2012
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Writing is a solitary profession. Sitting on our bed, laptop balanced on a pillow, wearing mismatched jammies all day (well, that’s how I work, anyway), we don’t gab at an office water cooler or take swanky lunches with colleagues. We’re alone with our characters—who can drive us nuts! We’re alone with our ideas, our words, and a vat of java.
Most writers I know are hard on themselves. We are our worst critics–we’re very hard on ourselves. We can spend all day writing and feel as though we’ve accomplished nothing. It’s nice to hear someone say what we’ve written has potential, has vision, has made someone spit all over their keyboard in laughter (the highest compliment, I think).
So today I bring you the story of three kidlit friends who came together with one goal in mind—to take an author’s career to the next step. To provide an encouraging, supportive environment in which she can thrive. Folks, you gotta have friends. Luckily, the kidlit community includes some of the best people around.
Please welcome author Brenda Reeves Sturgis, consulting editor Emma Dryden, and agent Karen Grencik!
TL: Brenda, your debut picture book TEN TURKEYS IN THE ROAD was released by Marshall Cavendish last year and quickly earned both critical and commercial success. Most people think you publish one book and you’ve got it made. But you felt your career needed a boost. How did you come to this conclusion?
BRS: Thank you for this thoughtful blog post, and for interviewing the three of us.
I sold 10 TURKEYS IN THE ROAD in 2008 and at that time I was represented by another agent, but in 2010 we parted ways and I was left trying to navigate the children’s lit world, alone.
I queried for many months and got personal, kind rejections. After a long period of going it alone, I knew that I needed to find out what was holding me back from finding my perfect-for-me agent. I had heard of Emma Dryden for years, and had great respect for her. She was and is knowledgeable in all aspects of publishing. I was confident that by hiring Emma she would know what needed tweaking, and what I needed to do to progress in my quest. I contacted Emma and she agreed to consult, we set up a phone call, and I sent her my manuscripts.
TL: Emma, what was your reaction when you read Brenda’s work? What did you propose as the next step in her career?
ED: When Brenda first contacted me, she explained her situation—she was a new writer with one book under contract; she’d been with an agent and was currently seeking a new agent; she was “trying to do everything right,” but it didn’t seem to be paying off and she was starting to question how she could keep her dream of being a children’s book author alive. There’s nothing that concerns and upsets me more than to hear an author or artist is questioning their dream. Coming up with a strategy to find an agent would be the easy part; helping a distressed author regain their confidence and adjust their outlook was
Harold Underdown is the man behind The Purple Crayon website, one of the first online resources in children's literature. He posts great links and articles about things going on in this industry and also tweets.
Emma Dryden has a website describing her Drydenbks business, and is very active on twitter and facebook and she's even moving into google+ as well.
They are sharing a virtual handout with amazing resources to check out and a paper handout that reviews a large number of the social networks for readers that are out there.
The first thing they suggest to do is to get a website.
Think about your website as a living document - a forum for you as you grow, with new artwork, new sketches, but not everything - you want to give a sampling, a showcase of your writing, your illustration, your interests, your links, song lists, book titles. (But don't give away the store.)
Some great pieces of advice:
Think about who your audience is going to be. The audience for picture books are not going online. But if you write picture books, you could have resources for parents and teachers.
Don't put your unpublished manuscript on your website, but once it's published, put up a few chapters - people love to preview.
Do not post photos of your children: be careful of the presence that you have online - it's totally public. Keep your boundaries in mind from the very beginning.
Own your own domain name (and don't let it lapse.)
They're explaining and discussing the pros and pitfalls of facebook, twitter, and twitterchats, myspace, LinkedIn, and Google+, sharing strategies for how to manage the flow of information.
You can also have a blog as your website. Emma mentions the article Alice Pope wrote about starting a blog in the recent SCBWI Bulletin, and recommends it. You can also use your blog as your website. One way to take the pressure off is to be part of a group blog - a Glog - (like INK)
Some authors doing social media RIGHT that Emma and Harold suggest you look to as inspirations:
Ellen Hopkins
Laurie Halse Anderson
And another example of an author doing an excellent job with twitter is Maureen Johnson
There are even publishers and authors who are tweeting AS characters!
Of course, you can't do everything. (Emma likes twitterchats, Harold doesn't...)
"Social Media is not something you HAVE to do, but maybe you can find one part of it that does work for you." - Harold Underdown
And the attendees of this session are now armed with loads of practical information to help them figure that out!
 |
| Emma Dryden |
If a career had a backlist, Emma Dryden's would be huge. She's edited more than 500 books and, as publisher of Atheneum Books for Young Readers and Margaret K. McElderry Books, oversaw the publication of 100 more.
She's also got quite a bit going on in her current career list, so to speak. Since March of 2010, she's run her own editorial consulting firm,
Drydenbks, working with people in every publishing discipline--including ebook and app producers. (Oh, and she even writes her own poetry and fiction and blogs at
emmadryden.blogspot.com.)
She gave a keynote address on the digital future of publishing and started by talking about the most important aspect of the business:
"What I've learned first and foremost ... is that story matters most." And no matter what the platform, "I want to identify with the story, relate to something in that story, and have that story resonate long after I've finished it."
"The road we're on together has always in one way or another taken us into uncharted lands," she said. Today's digital upheaval is just one more example of this.
Children know the digital landscape intrinsically, she said. Adults re-educate and retool themselves--but kids have nothing to unlearn as they travel the digital landscape.
"I don't think we need fear for the survival of the book," she said. "Not in our lifetime. But the digital world is reshaping the very foundations of the book business and the book business has to adapt to survive."
Her keynote offered a comprehensive overview of the digital landscape, from platforms to pricing to piracy. A few of the many observations she shared:
How did we get here? The landscape is ever-shifting. Among other things: the iPhone and the Kindle, launched in 2007, spelled big changes. Then the economic recession hit publishing hard. In 2011, start-ups nosed in. There was also that big debate over pricing between Amazon and Macmillan. (Emma said we have to pay close attention to the debate about e-book pricing because more than 50 percent goes to the publisher.)
The iPad is a major development (and Apple is insisting that all book apps sell through its own bookstore). And there continue to be additional developments: better screen resolution, the ability to use it as a credit card... the list goes on.
What's the digital market look like? Ebook sales are up 170 percent in the first quarter of this year, and they're expected to go up 140 percent further later in the year.
For enhanced ebooks (the ones with video, etc.), the ones working best are cookbooks, craft books, and language books. Ebooks and apps are different, Emma said. Apps are little programs designed to entertain and be useful. They have more features than books.
Finally, the digital platform can possibly supplement the picture book market (and not replace it).
Ebook royalties: The industry standard is 25 percent of net receipts published through traditional houses. Some pay more. For self published, it's 60 to 80 percent. It's critical for publishers, agents, and authors to work together the fundamental issues related to ebooks: rights, royalties, pricing, distribution, marketing and sales, she said.
Out-of-print titles/self publishing: Some agencies are
Yes, yes I can never resist a good pun. This weekend ... NV SCBWI mentor programme and conference in Virgina City. I have been looking forward to getting here, and it is so much more than I hoped for. First ... the location. Never dreamed I would be out in the Wild West. And Virginia City has more than enough charm and authenticity left. It's a little rough a round the edges, but so much the better. It was worth the 3 plane hop to get here. It was even worth the anti-English abuse from a lady of the 'Southern' persuasion, who informed me on the plane in Los Angeles that 'You will find in THIS country we do things a little differently', (This because I was already in the aisle of the plane disembarking, and hadn't immediately thrown a cloak in front of me so she could join the queue. Not at all sure why she chose to berate me in particular when about 1,000 Americans had already walked past her. Perhaps a grudge from the revolutionary war?)
This is a special weekend, and one I will remember for a long time during the cold winter months to come in Maine. On Friday the group of 30 mentees gathered in an historic old hospital, (now an arts center) and met with our mentors. Great energy ... laughter, sharing, it is totally like coming home. The faculty is wonderful - Harold Underdown, Priscilla Burris, Emma Dryden, Terri Sloat, Emma Hopkins, amongst others.
Such fun to just sit at the big old kitchen table and chat with aspiring and published authors and those with such a knowledge of children's books. For me this feels like a home coming. I have been to several conferences this year, and all have been inspiring. But this is truely like being with family and I know that there will be friendships forged here that will last for a lifetime.
The city wraps you up in it's old charm, and good humor prevails. In between meetings and lectures we have wandered up and down the wooden-sidewalked streets, giggled at the shop window displays, popped into bars that have seen gunfughts and bawdy dancing (but none of that this weekend right!) ambled around the tombstones in the cemetry on the top of a hill, gazed over the ranges of sienna frosted mountains into the aquamarine distance. We have considered our dreams and desires for the future. In the morning the sun shoots up surprised and blazing and pierces the soul. It feels good to be alive and part of something that takes no account of money or position.
Today the conference begins proper with workshops and so forth. Portfolio showcase this afternoon, and tonight an evening of reading and music. After the last few weeks with nose to the grindstone it's nice to relax, be away from the computer and have a real good laugh!
Yesterday I had my first mentor session with Priscilla Burris. Really helpful. She is very intuitive and I feel she really understands were I am at right now. It is so amazing to have someone to talk to about all the niggly questions and fears. My main question at the moment was whether it is timely for me to seek an agent. With everything that I have going on right now, and after discussion, that's going to be my main coal when I get back to real life. Exciting!!
Also an informative and validating portfolio review with Terri Sloat. I put the pieces I most like in my portfolio and I think it showed. So I felt really validated with her critique and ready to stop worrying about my style amd have more confidence. I am going in the right direction. Just what I needed. Sometimes you just need to hear it from the mouths of others! Also great advice was to give myself a 'retreat' occasionally and create art just for me with no purpose other than exploration and to feed my soul. Thanks to both Priscilla and Terri.
So there we are, it's all about feeding the soul. Otherwise we all whither inside.
Did I tell you my good news? Email last week with the offer of a book to illustrate for a Boston publisher. Whee!! I am excited ab
Tonight’s chat was our busiest yet, thanks to the participation of super-editor Emma Dryden of drydenbks (@drydenbks) and a topic that hits a lot of buttons for #ScribeChat participants. It seems that we’re not only fascinated by flawed characters but passionate about them, too, and this can only bode well for the stories in gestation.
Participation [...]
Related posts:
- TOPIC: The Unique Appeal of Flawed Characters
- TRANSCRIPT: What Is The Source Of The Enduring Appeal Of Fantasy Literature?
The most memorable characters in literature are not the ones who never put a foot wrong, but the ones who often do. Following a flawed character through the pages of a well-told story presents a spectacle comparable to watching a car crash in slow motion. We are compelled to watch to the messy end to [...]
Related posts:
- TOPIC: What Is The Source Of The Enduring Appeal Of Fantasy Literature?
The most memorable characters in literature are not the ones who never put a foot wrong, but the ones who often do. Following a flawed character through the pages of a well-told story presents a spectacle comparable to watching a car crash in slow motion. We are compelled to watch to the messy end to [...]
Related posts:
- TOPIC: What Is The Source Of The Enduring Appeal Of Fantasy Literature?
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Inspiring and heartening to read this. Thanks, all of you, for sharing this with us.
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Informative and inspiring! Thanks for sharing this!
This is such an inspiring blog post! Like Brenda, I too have one picture book under my belt and feel I need the right agent to represent me and my work. Also, like Brenda, I need someone to guide my career in the right direction. And so, I was disappointed upon studying Red Fox Literary’s website to learn they only take submissions from conferences and references. Everything Karen said in this interview and her blog post resonated with me.
Oh! I loved this! I love that Brenda found Emma who helped her find Brenda, who seems to be the perfect “fit.” This is a great encouragement to those of us who are still looking! It was really nice hearing from all three parts of the equation.
Thanks so much everyone for this wonderfully inspiring post. Turkeys in the Road is a fun book!
I love this story, and have read it several times, initially at Emma’s recommendation as an example of exceptionally good rhyming. I find this post so heartening that at the heart of so much kidlit is strong collaborative, supportive relationships. I too enjoyed hearing the three different perspectives. How we need people who will encourage and advocate for us as authors and illustrators.
Thanks for a great interview, Tara.
Nice interview!
Such a great post – so inspiring!
Thank you for such an inspiring and informative post. Perseverance is powerful. I didn’t know you could “hire” editors, though.
Thank you all for this inspiring interview!