Lately I’ve been feeling like a hamster on a little spinning wheel. Why? The Internet. The emails come without pause, like the tide. I answer one and three more pop up. As of four days ago I had almost 800 unanswered emails in my Inbox. And that doesn’t even count all of the others that I’ve squirreled away in other files, so I won’t see them constantly piling up. What began as a great way to stay connected has lately become nothing but a headache. A very big one. That’s right, I have an I-graine.

Recently, I took a deep breath and realized that there was no end in sight to this constant barrage of emails. I’m an author. The publishing industry communicates via email. It’s how I talk to my editor. It’s how I talk to my agent. It’s how teachers and librarians contact me to invite me to do school and Skype visits. It’s how I relate to other authors and find out about all the events that go on in my world – from writing conferences to book festivals. It’s all on the web.

And because it’s all there, I’ve found it’s where I spend the vast majority of my day. I turn it on as soon as I wake up, I check it before and after breakfast, during my daily tasks, before and after lunch, before and after dinner and often late into the night – not because I am addicted – but because if I do not constantly stem that tide of emails it becomes absolutely unmanageable. I receive over 100 a day. If I get behind, I never catch up. Thus, the 800 emails languishing in my Inbox.

Perhaps you can feel my pain: I am constantly running – mentally, emotionally and physically – to keep up with all these electronic tugs for my attention. I am constantly being called upon to respond, respond, respond. And I haven’t even mentioned the time and energy it takes to keep up with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, my blog and the many other writing sites that I frequent. It’s like I have a computer screen glued between my eyes. I swear I think it’s on the verge of becoming part of my anatomy.

Realizing all this last week, I began to despair. I longed for a break, but saw nothing remotely resembling one in my future. The treadmill just keeps on turning. So I have decided to jump off. Not forever. Just for a while. As part of my Lenten observance this year, starting tomorrow and going all the way until Easter – I am “fasting” from the Internet. Including email.

That’s right. I am unplugging completely. It has taken quite a bit of preparation. In the past four days I have scrambled to take care of all of those 800 emails. And I actually have done it. So beginning tomorrow and going all the way until April 4th, if you email me, you will be greeted with a polite note saying that your email will be deleted, destroyed, pounded into submission, made magically invisible and caused to disappear!

I will be free!

Oh, don’t feel so bad. It’s not that I don’t want to be in contact with you. I do want contact. Really! I just don’t want the contact to be electronic anymore. At least for a while. My intent is not to cut off communication with my friends, family and colleagues. Actually, I am hoping that this little experiment of mine will enhance my relationships in all those spheres. So along with my note saying that your email will be deleted, I’ll also be giving out my contact information so that anyone who wants to can reach me.

Honestly, I have no idea how this whole thing will go. Maybe I’ll lose book sales and get fewer school visits as a result. Maybe I’ll become a has-been, forgotten in the dusty recesses of cyber space. On the other hand, maybe I'm on my way to becoming a mystic, a prophet, or just a little more relaxed. In any case, it will be an adventure. And as I go along I’ll be journaling

Add a Comment

The Mid-Atlantic Region of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the Virginia Festival of the Book are presenting a fabulous lineup of authors this year. The Virginia Festival of the Book is a five-day annual event held in Charlottesville, Virginia, in conjunction with the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. The panels aimed at children's authors and children's book lovers are clustered on Saturday, March 20, 2010, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The event is free to the public.

After a day of attending these fantastic free panels, definitely make plans to attend the Festival’s Author Reception at 6:00pm at the Paramount Theatre, which, like the Omni, is located on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. It is a great opportunity to wind down, get something to eat, and have a drink with your favorite author. The author reception costs $35.00 and it is recommended that you purchase your ticket(s) online in advance at: http://authorsreception2010.eventbrite.com/. If you and your group do not wish to attend the author reception, there are many delicious restaurants within walking distance of the Festival venue on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall.

For more information about other Festival programs (there are many!), directions, and logistics, please check the Festival website at http://www.vabook.org



Mid-Atlantic SCBWI is hosting the following three panels at the VFB:

Terrific Kids’ Novels Adults Will Love Too (10 a.m.)
Moderated by SCBWI member and author Barbara Kanninen
If you are writing for middle graders, this is the panel for you! Operation Yes is a finalist for the Cybil Award; When the Whistle Blows and The Last Newspaper Boy in America were in numerous Mock Newbery programs around the country; and Mockingbird and Leaving Gee’s Bend are getting great buzz prior to their upcoming releases. Come listen to these authors read from their works, discuss publication, and talk about all things middle grade writers need to know!

Fran Cannon Slayton (WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS)
Kathy Erskine (MOCKINGBIRD)
Sara Lewis Holmes (OPERATION YES!)
Sue Corbett (THE LAST NEWSPAPER BOY IN AMERICA)
Irene Latham (LEAVING GEE’S BEND)

Getting Published: Picture Books to Young Adult (12 p.m.)
Moderated by SCBWI member and author Fran Cannon Slayton (yours truly!)
Want to get published in the children’s market? This is the panel for you! Deborah Heiligman was a 2009 National Book Award finalist and the winner of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, Laura Rennert is both an author and a ch

Add a Comment

I want to invite you all to join me at my first book signing in New York City!  Here are the details:

Where:  

Books of Wonder, Manhattan  

http://www.booksofwonder.com/nycstorelocandhours.asp

Who:

Ellen Hopkins - Tricks, Identical, Crank (Simon and Schuster) (YA) http://www.ellenhopkins.com/
J.T. Dutton - Freaked, Stranded (Harper Teen) (YA) http://www.jtdutton.com/home.html
Lisa Greenwald - My Life in Pink and Green (Amulet Books) (MG) http://www.lisagreenwald.com/books.html
Sydney Salter - My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters, Jungle Crossing http://www.sydneysalter.com/
Ann Haywood Leal - Also Known as Harper (Henry Holt) (MG) http://www.annhaywoodleal.com/Ann_Haywood_Leal/Welcome.html
Fran Cannon Slayton - When the Whistle Blows (Philomel/Penguin) (MG) http://www.francannonslayton.com

I am hoping some of you might be in NYC for the SCBWI Conference and will be able to join us - it's going to be great fun - a panel discussion about our books and writing!

Here is your "official" invitation:  please RSVP if you can make it!  (And please tweet, blog or facebook about it if you don't mind!  We are hoping lots of people will come!)

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=264346959027&ref=mf

Hope to see you there!
Fran

Add a Comment

Lookie what Santa brought me for my Christmas tree this year! What a good guy!












I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year. We are coming up on the New Year and I am starting to think about what my resolutions might be. I always look at New Years as a fresh start; a new beginning; a time to create new routines that energize me and help me make the best use of each day. In the next couple of days I'll be working on a plan that will take me through the first quarter of the year. I'll let you know what I come up with.

How about you - do you have any New Year's resolutions yet?

Add a Comment

I recently spent a wonderful, whirlwind day in New York City watching When the Whistle Blows be recorded as an audio book. It was a fantastic experience!

Tim Ditlow, who brought my book to Brilliance Audio was there and it was a pleasure to finally meet him face to face.




Tim and I met at Grand Central Station (which I was extremely proud to have gotten to, by myself, in one piece!), and we immediately went to the recording studio where we met the studio engineer (who was so technologically proficient it made my head spin so fast I've forgotten his name), Peter Berkrot, the actor from the movie Caddyshack who reads When the Whistle Blows in the recording, and May Wuthrich, the incredible director of the audio version of my book (and I wish I had a picture of her, but I don't! Ack!). But here is a picture of Peter, me and Tim:




The whole day was exciting, as I got to hear Peter make my characters - especially Jimmy - come alive in sound. As an author, having someone else read my work is always exciting. But it is monumentally exciting when they read it out loud to me by a professional actor! Wow. I was in heaven watching and listening and taking the whole experience in.





I had the wonderful opportunity to sit right next to May to watch her direct the audiobook as Peter read. It was amazing to me how she could pick up on little things that went wrong - from the wrong emphasis on, or mispronunciation of, a word to the sound of spit in Peter's mouth - truly! And did you know there is a remedy for the sound of spit in the audio business? Yes, there is. Granny Smith apples - no lie! When the actor's "mouth noises" get in the way, he or she can chomp a bite or two of Granny Smith apple and viola! No more mouth noise. And actually, I had a couple of bites of Granny Smith apple myself that day because . . .

May invited me to step into the recording book myself to read the Dedication of the book and its Foreword!! Yes, my voice will actually be on the recorded version of the book! Talk about exciting!









The interesting thing - at least for me, and probably for other authors out there - is that May mentioned that she knew that I could read well because she'd gone on my website and saw my video trailer, in which I read a few excerpts from the book. So if you are on the fence about whether to do a video trailer for your book - I can tell you from experience that sometimes they come in handy. If May hadn't seen it, maybe I wouldn't have had that wonderful opportunity. I'm so glad and appreciative that she took the time to watch my video and let me try. It was one of those experiences I'll remember for my entire life.
<

Add a Comment

Lin Oliver of SCBWI has had recent surgery. For those of you who would like to send her a card, here is the information from SCBWI:

[Lin] suffered chest pains on Friday and had a double bypass & valve replacement operation. She's doing well but she'll have to take things easy for the next few months. If you wish to send a card (no
calls or visits, please), send it to the SCBWI office at:

Lin Oliver
SCBWI
8271 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Our prayers are with you, Lin!

Add a Comment

Well, the gall bladder surgery I had on November 19th went very well and I am recovering quite nicely. Thanks to all my Facebook friends for all the good wishes. I'm still sore, but that's to be expected, and actually makes for some required relaxation for the rest of the year - always a silver lining!

I had to share this get well card from my friend and fellow author Patricia Murphy. Patty and I met at The Book Stall in Winnetka, IL this past summer during my book tour when she graciously included me in the writing camp she was hosting at the store. Patty is very funny, and I almost burst out of my stitches when I read her card tonight:

Add a Comment

 I had the wonderful opportunity to visit DC Everest Middle School in Wisconsin today, and I was able to do it in the comfort of my own office!  That's right, I had my first Skype visit, and it could not have been easier (or more fun!)

Yes, I'd heard of Skpying before, but truth be known, I really didn't know anything about it.  It seems scary.  Technological.  Something I needed special equipment for.  Wow, was I wrong!  All it took was an easy one-step download and a one practice phone call and I was in business.  When Beth Martin called me from DC Everest I had my Skype application open and my computer rang.  I answered and clicked on the video icon and there was a live video stream of Beth Martin talking to me from her school auditorium in Wisconsin!  There was a small picture of me in the bottom left hand corner of the screen as well, which Beth projected onto a video screen in the auditorium so all 70+ students could see me as I answered their questions.

It was an absolute blast!  Fortunately, my Skype visit was picked up by the local news in a wonderful story about Beth's innovative program at DC Everest, and so you can just click on the link below to see how it worked in the auditorium.

http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/69321492.html

Pretty amazing!  There are many wonderful things about authors Skyping with schools.  First, it is less expensive for the schools.  Second, it is less time intensive and draining for the author.  It literally only took one half hour of my time.  It was fun.  It was easy.  The kids were great.  And I STILL got to eat dinner at home with my own family.  It doesn't get much better than that!

Count me in 100% as a new Skype fan!  I'm ready for my next school visit anywhere in the country!

Add a Comment

Today I'm happy to introduce my guest - Susan VanHecke.  Susan is a columnist for Authorlink.com and author of not one, but TWO, newly released books:  Rock 'N' Roll Soldier and An Apple Pie for Dinner.

Welcome, Susan!!  You have a picture book and a young adult novel that have just come out within a month of each other - congratulations!  Tell us a little about them and the road to their publication.

Add a Comment

 

SAVE SHRINKING VIOLET!  Help Tere keep her voice! 

My wonderful Class of 2k9 friend, Danielle Joseph, has a cool book that is about to go on back order and in order for more copies to be printed, more people have to place orders. 

Here's how you can help:  Please tell anyone that you think might be interested to place an order now before it's too late. Guys, girls, grandmas. grandpas, you're never too old to read humorous teen fiction!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141659 6968 http://www.indiebound.org/book/97814165 96967 

Danielle is also running a contest on her blog for those that want to have some fun! There will be four winners, each receiving a $25 gift certificate to iTunes or the bookstore of their choice. So how can you win?

1. Post a review of Shrinking Violet on Amazon.com or B & N.com 2 points 

2. Blog, Tweet or Facebook about the Save Shrinking Violet Campaign 1 point for each mention 

3. Take a picture of yourself wearing a sweater and mimicking the book's cover (you must have the book in the photo too). 2 points 

Contest begins at 11pm on Thursday, September 24, 2009 and ends at 11pm on Thurday, October 15, 2009.

After you enter, you can either email Danielle at danielle(at)daniellejoseph(dot)com or leave a comment on her blog at http://daniellejoseph.livejournal.com/.

Thanks!!!

Add a Comment

Here's an exciting bit of news - my book was reviewed in the Washington Post last week!   I couldn't be more thrilled - it even uses the word "expertly" to describe my writing - woohoo!!!  (I raided our local Starbucks the day it came out so I'd have "enough" copies, which are now strewn all over the floor of my office awaiting their places of honor in my scrapbook!)

Here's a link to the article:  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/01/AR2009090103242.html

If you click the arrow where the "Barbarians" cover is, you'll reach my cover in a couple of clicks.  The headline calls it a "Creeping Thriller" in the online version, which is an enticing description.  (The print version did not have this same headline, interestingly enough).  So what do you think?  A "Creeping Thriller?!!"

If I'm brave enough, I might post on the whole idea of reviews in the next week or two.  It's a touchy subject for authors, and so I think probably bears some discussion!

Add a Comment

 
If you are a teacher or librarian who would like a chance to win 30 advance copies of When the Whistle Blows for your classroom or library, then sign up to receive my monthly Children's Book News Email here.  The winner will be chosen from a list of subscribers in December, 2009.

If you are not a teacher or librarian, you can still sign up to receive my Children's Book News Email - just sign up here.

Meanwhile, I hope you'll check out my latest Children's Book News Email at http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/272224/e0a6efbb65/TEST/TEST/

It's a one page summary of links to news articles related to children's books, children's literacy, book marketing, author interviews, conference information and more!  I hope you enjoy it!  Let me know what you think!

Add a Comment

 

My radio interview on kmsu.org airs this morning at 11:30 EST. If you want to listen, you can go to kmsu.org and click "listen live" ! (If you do listen, please leave a comment here and tell me what you think!!)

I hope to post more pictures from my summer book tour soon!

Fran

Add a Comment

 I'm now on my three week long book tour across the midwest, and it's been a great time so far! My first stop was on June 29th at the Kanawha County Public Library in Charleston, WV. I spoke to a crowd of about 20 people, including a number of librarians and Mary Kay Bond, the head of Read Aloud West Virginia. My dear Uncle Gene surprised me by driving an hour to come see me, too!! Many thanks to Amy Arey of the Kanawha County Library for inviting me! In Charleston I also had the great opportunity to have lunch with Susanna Holstein, aka Granny Sue, who is a librarian and storyteller. If you are interested in Appalachian history and lore and don't know Granny Sue's blog, you really should. It's a treasure. And so is Granny Sue! Here's her blog (be sure to click over to her "other" blog, which she updates daily): http://grannysue.blogspot.com/ Stop #2 was in Columbus, OH at Cover to Cover Bookstore. Owner Sally Oddi and her staff welcomed me with open arms. There were 10-15 people in the audience, including Penguin's wonderful regional rep, John Dennany! Here's a picture of the FANTASTIC display in Cover to Cover's window, including a train to hold my books!!

I also had the great chance to meet Barbara Kiefer who is the Charlotte Huck Professor of Children's Literature at Ohio State, as well as several teachers and librarians from the Columbus area. Above on the right is a picture of me and Barbara, holding Huck's Children's Literature, which is a staple text used in University programs across the country and which Barbara edits. The new edition mentions When the Whistle Blows!!! Talk about exciting!!

Here I am with Sally Oddi (owner of Cover to Cover) after signing her wall! (Can you see my signature at the top, above my head?!!)

On July 1st I had a signing at The Blue Marble Bookstore in Ft. Thomas, KY. What a treasure of a book store! It's located very close to the Ohio border very near Cincinnati. In fact, here was the view of the Cincinnati skyline from my hotel room across the river in Covington, KY:



The Blue Marble has a fantastic room for signing - right in "The Great Green Room" from Goodnight Moon! Here I am with a fellow "Cannon," who also has the B&O railroad in her family history. We're trying to figure out if we might be related, especially since many of her family members share the same names as the characters in When the Whistle Blows! Do you see a family resemblance?

Mucho thanks to Dave Richardson for inviting me to The Blue Marble (and for a fantastic lunch!)

Yesterday I had the privilege of signing at Kids Ink with fellow author Saundra Mitchell, author of Shadowed Summer which was just released in February of this year and is a Junior Library Guild selection! Saundra and I had a fantastic time with Shirley Mullin, who is the owner of Kids Ink, and her staff. What a great time we had! Here I am with one little girl who said it was her very first book signing!!! Exciting!

Add a Comment

Hi Everyone!

To celebrate my book launch week, I'm having a contest over at the Class of 2k9 blog.  Please head on over and check it out for a chance to win one of two advance copies!

Best,

Fran Cannon Slayton

When the Whistle Blows

“An unassuming masterpiece.”  - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Nostalgia done right.”  - School Library Journal, starred review

http://www.francannonslayton.com

http://franslayton.livejournal.com

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6660885.html

http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2009/06/09/whistle-blower-farfetched-dream-earns-slayton-rave-reviews/

 

 

Add a Comment

 Well, yesterday was the release day for my book!  Book release days can be tricky, actually.  They are the day that the book becomes available at bookstores, so it's exciting.  But sometimes the books are not actually available on that day, depending on a number of different factors, so release days can often be anticlimactic for authors.

But yesterday was great!  I went into New Dominion, my local indie and found a big stack of my books near the front of the store!  




My family took me out to lunch and then out again at dinner - to the C&O Restaurant, and as we arrived a diesel engine went by!  



Many of my 2k9 pals emailed to congratulate me, an article came out in a local paper called The Hook, and I received an email from a friend whose 11 year old son had already read the book and loved it, saying it was "like Tom Sawyer, only better!"  What could possibly be better than that?!!!

In addition, I found out that my book is mentioned on the Penguin website.  And just this month a wonderful interview came out in School Library Journal, which was absolutely thrilling!  

Tomorrow is the big launch party at New Dominion Bookshop on the downtown mall in Charlottesville, from 2-4:30.  If you're in the area, come on by, because it's a day I've been waiting for for a very long time.  It will be great to share it with friends and family!  

Add a Comment

Add a Comment

A big welcome to L. Diane Wolfe, an author who is a wiz at all things involving book marketing!

Hi Diane, I'm glad you could stop by today!  I first heard you speak about book marketing at the Book ‘Em literacy event in Waynesboro, VA.  I remember learning an incredible number of things from your talk about online marketing.  Could you tell us a little about your background and how you came to know so much about book marketing?

 

I had to learn marketing quickly when I self-published several years ago. I devoured every book on the subject, researched the Internet, and signed up for every marketing tips newsletter I could locate. I began getting a lot of questions from other authors and writers, so when another author suggested I put together a seminar, I compiled the basics into one three-hour presentation. I’ve taught that seminar for over two years now and continue to add and refine it every few months. I probably should write a book on the subject…

You must know where your target audience hangs out.

You must have a website and/or blog.

You must be involved in 1-3 social sites.

You must be willing to contribute several articles a month to other sites, newsletters and online magazines.

You must search for new opportunities for exposure every single day – and network, network, network!

 

These all seem fairly simple, but it amazes me how many authors fail to do any of those things. And online efforts must be matched with physical promotions as well.

Setting it up yourself is best! You need to be very active with blogging and on a couple social sites as well. Seek out other blogs and websites that cater to your specific audience and ask if they will post an interview or guest article. Reviews and book giveaways are fun, too! This needs to be done several months in advance, and a good tour will have around 15-20 stops over the course of a month.

I once heard that authors really make their money through speaking engagements – and guess what? it’s true!

 

Start small, such as speaking to a local book club or writer’s group. Speak at libraries, to civic groups – anyplace someone will have you! Develop a specific topic(s) on which you speak and start building a platform for yourself. That is what will take you beyond “I’m an author and here’s my book.” A non-fiction book on that subject will really add to your credibility, because it establishes you as an expert. In the beginning, speak for free – paid speaking engagements come once you’ve established yourself.

 

I’ve been speaking for many years now and enjoy it even more that being an author. The opportunity to inspire crowd to believe in themselves is so fulfilling! A separate website now showcases me as a speaker – www.spunkonastick.net - and I am a member of the National Speakers Association. It’s just amazing the opportunities that arise now. In May, I am speaking at a health event outside of DC with keynote speaker, Michelle Obama!

I like to say that I balance the chaos! I have always been a sporadic writer – I write every day, but not at a specific time or place. So, it’s been fairly simple to integrate that into my schedule, although I still wish I had more time to do so!

Newsletters are vital in that they keep your fans updated on events and releases. They can’t be all promotion though, or you’ll lose people. I’m still tweaking my newsletter, but from day one I featured another author in every issue. I am going to add another section soon with uplifting quotes & articles, which ties in with the spirit of my YA series. Just as with a blog, readers are seeking either information or entertainment, and as authors we must give them one or the other. (Both if you can pull it off!) 

I am probably moving to Constant Contact here soon, as mine’s just through my own email system. (And that gets fun trying to send out over 1000 newsletters over the course of a day!)

 

My subscribers come from two places – those that sign up on my website and those that sign up at my events. That’s why a newsletter sign-up sheet is so important! 

Book II of The Circle of Friends comes out May 5^th– Cinco de Mayo!  Described as “encouragement personified”, my five-book, Southern-based series portrays love and friendship overcoming all obstacles. Aimed at YA, Book II follows Sarah:

 

The Circle of Friends, Book II…Sarah

May 5, 2009, ISBN 9780981621012

from Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

No awards for second best…

A student at Georgia Tech, Sarah Martin is bold, intelligent, and appears destined for a career in biochemistry. But her poor self-image has been masked by behavior unbecoming to a young lady brought up in an affluent Southern family. Estranged from her father, envious of her best friend’s perfect life, Sarah feels inadequate and unable to measure up to expectations.

When a friendship suddenly turns romantic, Sarah questions herself even more. A future NFL receiver, Matt’s joyful spirit and social status appear beyond her reach. Yet beneath his eager smile and playboy antics lies a young man hiding in shadows and desperate to trust again.

Faced with challenges, they must help each other come to terms with past disappointments before insecurities and doubt threaten to sabotage their future.

 

Of the five books, this one is definitely the most personal, because I was very much a Sarah! In reading her story, I hope that young people will realize they possess value and worth and do not have to suffer from a low self-image. We are all special!

 

To find out more about this series, visitwww.thecircleoffriends.net

 

Thanks for all the great tips today, Diane!  Best wishes for Book II of The Circle of Friends! To learn more about L. Diane Wolfe (aka "Spunk on a Stick"), check out Diane's websites:

 

www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com

Add a Comment

 Here it is!  Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!  

Add a Comment

 CONTEST ALERT!!

You could win 4 Class of 2k9 ARCS by heading over to the Class of 2k9's Blog.  All you have to do is leave a comment telling 2k9 what kind of info you'd like to read about on its blog!  It is that easy.  Plus, one of the books is mine!!
Good luck!

Add a Comment

 

Get this widget   Check out the new Class of 2k9 Widget!!  If you'd like one for your blog, just let me know in a comment and I'll send it to you!  This is just a copy of it, but the real one will load to a different 2k9 book each time the blog is opened!  You can also put your own Indiebound or Amazon affiliate ID in the code and make money for any book that is sold when someone uses your widget!  Cool!  And many thanks to Tracy Grand at JacketFlap for helping make this happen!

Add a Comment

Diane Chen, ALA Executive Board member and blogger at School Library Journal posted the most wonderful review of my book today!  Here is the link, please take a peek!

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/830000283/post/1210040721.html

I am thrilled on so many levels.  

First, a librarian has read my book!!  Woohoo!!!!!

Second, I have found it very difficult to write about my own book.  Writing the book itself was great fun, but writing about it -- as in "tell me what this book is about, Fran?"   Super hard.  But Diane has written about it in a way that lets me know that some of what I meant to say in the book actually got out of my heart and brain and onto the paper -- and that someone else can actually read it and know what I meant to say!  This has got to be the most exciting thing in the world for an author.  That what we hold in our hearts can actually be communicated with some success to the hearts of others.  Nirvana.

Okay third reason - it is a really awesome review!!!  

Fourth reason - when I read it to my husband on the phone today, he cried he was so happy!  And of course I cried too.  And then he wanted to take me out to lunch to celebrate!  More Nirvana.

If that doesn't make for a pretty awesome day, I don't know what does.

Add a Comment

I've decided to do a short post on Candlewick Press today.  Candlewick is a publisher I admire greatly, and not just because of the myriad of award winners it has brought forth since its inception in 1991.  I also like their company business model - they actually participate in profit sharing with their employees, authors and illustrators, which is a rarity in the publishing world these days.  Heck, it's more and more a rarity in the entire business world in these contracting economic times.  In my view they are a shining beacon of how a company can do right by its employees and still be extraordinarily successful.  Wall Street and the rest of the publishing world would do well to take note of such a company.  

Besides all this, Candlewick's list of authors could not be more impressive, including the likes of Kate DiCamillo, M.T. Anderson, Megan McDonald, Martin Waddell, Rosemary Wells and Cynthia Leitich Smith to name but a few.  Their extensive list of titles includes Can't You Sleep Little Bear, Guess How Much I Love You, Because of Winn Dixie, Feed, the Judy Moody series, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, Good Masters Sweet Ladies . . . you get the idea!

First, let me say something on a personal note.  The Ology books that Candlewick does are the number one hit of my daughter's kindergarten classroom, although I know they are designed for an older crowd.  She has brought home Pirateology, Wizardology,  Dragonology, Egyptology, and I just bought her a copy of Mythology when I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC for the recent SCBWI Conference.  It was thrilling for me to see how excited she was about receiving a book for a present.  The Egyptian hieroglyph stamp set I also got her even took a backseat to it.  Amazing.  Check out the Ology World website for titles and related games.

If you'd like a little more background info on Candlewick, here is a fantastic interview with Candlewick Press President and Publisher Karen Lotz, including information about its profit-sharing, its -ology series, and it's first graphic novel, Beowulf.  If you'd like to hear a little about Candlewick's plans for how it's planning to weather these difficult economic times, check out this Publishers Weekly article from July 24, 2008, where Ms. Lotz discusses Candlewick's diversification of its revenue stream, including its partnership with British publisher Templar and its recent restructuring of its sales and marketing operations.

If you want some anecdotal evidence about how Candlewick's authors feel about their publisher, check out the high praise Newbery Award winner Laura Amy Schlitz gives Candlewick in her interview with Elizabeth Bird.  To get a view from both the authorial and editorial sides of Candlewick, check out Cynthia Leitich Smith's in-depth interview with Candlewick Author-Editor Deborah Noyes.  Moving towards the editorial side completely, here is an interview by Tina Nichols Coury with Candlewick editor Kate Fletcher.  And here is a very short interview with Candlewick editor Jen Yoon that comes from the Crowe's Nest blog.  Finally, back in October, 2008, Five Scribes had a lovely interview with Candlewick associate editor Kaylan Adair, who was the American editor of the Maisy books by Lucy Cousins.  If you are an author who'd like to know Kaylan's editorial preferences, be sure to check this one out.

Candlewick does not accept unsolicited author submissions, although many of their editors who speak at conferences have been known to allow conference attendees to submit for a short period of time following the conference.  However, Candlewick's current policy IS to allow unsolicited artwork submissions.  Check out their submissions policy here.  

If you'd like to see "A Handful of Highlights from Candlewick's 2009 Spring/Summer List" check out this article on Shelftalker:  A Children's Bookseller's Blog.

And if you want to keep up with Candlewick's "late-breaking books news and reviews, tour info and interviews" be sure to sign up for Candlewick's very own newsletter.

Add a Comment

Confession here, right up front:  I have stolen this shamelessly from Betsy Bird at Fuse #8.  But what the hey, this MUST go viral:

Check out children's book illustrator, Jarrett Krosoczka, of Lunch Lady fame.  He presented this star-studded video at the SCBWI Conference in New York last week and has just raised the bar on the whole video presentation thang at SCBWI conferences.  Thanks a lot, Jarrett.  But being left in your video dust is pretty much worth it:

Add a Comment

I have decided that I am going to do a video author interview to put on my website.  A friend and critique group member offered to help me make it happen, and it is an amazing opportunity I just can't pass up.  I'm really excited about it, because it is going to be done by a professional producer - one that has produced an author video for adult author Jan Karon - and the production company even has a teleprompter that I'll be using!  I've always wanted to use a teleprompter - hopefully it won't make me look like a politician!  So in about a month or so I'll be posting the video, and I'll be blogging all about the process that I'll be going through to make it happen.  

But what makes a good author video?  That's what I've got to figure out, because I'll be writing most of the script.  I want it to reflect my personality.  And I want to make sure I give potential readers a clear vision of what When the Whistle Blows is all about.  I'm thinking about asking the production company to use some pictures I have of Rowlesburg, West Virginia, where the story is set, and maybe even a picture of my dad when he was a kid, since my dad's stories about growing up in 1940's Rowlesburg were the inspiration for my book.  I think I also want to have a picture of my book somewhere in the video, so people will know what it looks like.  

If you care to comment, I'd love to know what you think makes a good author video.  How long do you think it should be?  Do you think it should be funny or completely serious?  I would love to know your thoughts so I can take your ideas into the production studio!

In preparation for making my video, I thought I'd put a couple examples of good author interviews below.  They are of two of my 2k9 sisters - Kathryn Fitzmaurice (The Year the Swallows Came Early, Bowen Press), and J.T. Dutton (Freaked, HarperTeen). They are very different from each other, but I think both are very effective.  And they've inspired me to do the best job I can to make my own author video!  Enjoy!

Add a Comment