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This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the 2010 SCBWI Florida Mid-Year Workshop. It was FABULOUS. Did I say it was FABULOUS?! Hands down best conference I’ve been to this year.

Attendees posted live tweets throughout the conference, so if you missed any of them, you can go to the Twitter #scbwifl thread to get the highlights.

The Novel Intensive was also AMAZING. I think with the smaller number of attendees (limited to 25) and of course having the dynamic trio of author Kathleen Duey and editors Alvina Ling (Little, Brown) and Stephanie Lurie (Disney/Hyperion) for the whole day dropping gems of knowledge also made it a great experience.

Okay, let me just take a brief moment to talk about Kathleen Duey. I’ve written on my blog about how phenomenal and down-to-earth she is — but ya’ll I’m telling you this writer shares so much great information and life experience from an artist’s perspective — and she has a gift of looking at a first page and/or query and making it better. I was very impressed with her suggestions — it was something to see. So if you have a chance to see this author present a workshop or critique pages at a conference, please try your best to do so. I’m just saying.

I also met some great writers in person that I’ve met either here on the blog or via Twitter like Sylvia, Harley, Medeia, and Larissa. It was great to meet them in person! So if you don’t already follow them on Twitter or read their blog you really should start. They are talented writers to watch.

Overall the conference was everything I hoped it would be. I also had a MAJOR epiphany at the conference so my summer revision is already kicked up a notch and I’m fired up to implement this new strategy to my WIP.

Here are some highlights of some of the great things I learned this past weekend from the authors and editors:

When you think of voice, think of voice per book not necessarily a voice per author - Kathleen Duey

A good entertaining story is always what editors are looking for - Stephanie Lurie (Disney/Hyperion)

Character is voice, beliefs, and experiences - Alvina Ling (Little, Brown)

Don’t stress about the query letter. Focus on the novel - Brian Farrey (Flux)

You have to decide whether you want to put art before commerce. As a writer this is a choice you have to make - Kathleen Duey

You have to know your character before you can introduce them to others - Stephanie Lurie (Disney/Hyperion)

Make a list of things most people have done and then a list of things most people haven’t done. This can be a starting point for your character - Alvina Ling (Little, Brown)

The most important relationship you’ll ever have as a writer is the relationship with your editor - Brian Farrey

The rest of the week I’ll continue to share highlights from the conference. On Wednesday, I’ll share information about query letters and then on Friday, I’ll share what the authors and editors said about the First Page critiques — hopefully they will be as helpful to you as they were for me.

Stay tuned!

5 Comments on 2010 SCBWI FL Mid-Year Workshop: Highlights, last added: 6/7/2010

Earlier this year, I was given the opportunity to interview Holly Schindler about her debut novel, A Blue So Dark. The final, edited version of interview was then included in the back of the book as a bonus feature. Now, it's time to give you blog readers a bonus: Here is the full, unedited version of the interview. Let's lead in with a little backstory:

A Blue So Dark studies the life of a girl who, as she turns from 15 to 16, watches her once lively mother lose her grasp on reality as she is overwhelmed by schizophrenia. Recently published by Flux, this is Holly Schindler's debut novel.

Little Willow: What prompted you to write about schizophrenia? How much research did you do into the condition before or while writing the book?

Holly Schindler: I hate math. I'm talking serious hatred. And science. Computers. Any class that involved definite right or wrong answers was not my favorite, either in high school or college. I preferred the courses that required more than just memorization and multiple-choice tests: Art. Literature. Creative writing. And I've always loved music to the point of obsession. (I didn't take any music classes in school - was never in choir or band - but I did race out of elementary school every Monday afternoon to get to my weekly piano lesson, and I spent Saturdays as a teenager driving all the way across town so that I could take guitar lessons from a member of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.) Basically, if it involved creativity, I was there.

I've also always been interested in what makes a person creative. Why one person can write an entire volume of poetry while another just stares at the blue lines on a blank piece of notebook paper, unable to come up with a single rhyme. My interest in creativity really exploded in grad school...I taught a few courses while working on my master's, and I was amazed by the way some of my students could go on for half a class period about the meaning in a poem I'd bring in for discussion, while others would just read the literal surface-meaning, not probing any deeper, not really making any connections or seeing metaphors. But why is that? Why do some people look at everything literally, while others constantly see something more?

A Blue So Dark isn't autobiographical in that I didn't grow up with a mentally ill mother. But while I don't have any personal experience with schizophrenia, I didn't have to probe very deep into the subject of creativity to find out that many of our "great" artists - playwrights, poets, novelists, painters, sculptors, musicians - were in some way affected by mental illness - schizophrenia as well as depression or bipolar disorder...The idea of the "mad genius" is so pervasive, there's even a Wikipedia entry for "Creativity and Mental Illness!"

With this novel, I got a chance to explore the idea that creative thought and mental illness are linked. And, yes, I did have to do some research into schizophrenia - symptoms, treatment, etc. But I was writing fiction - so of course, my characters and their experiences had to drive the book, not descriptions of the condition. I internalized everything I read, then put it all away. When I drafted (and revised) the novel, I focused on character development, plot, the mother-daughter relationship between Aura and Grace.

In fact, as I tightened up the novel, and Aura became a stronger, more fully fleshed out character, I actually felt like schizophrenia fell somewhat into the background. I know that probably sounds a little absurd for anyone who's just read the novel. But the first few drafts were almost completely about Aura and her mother. I found out that for Aura to be a real person, she had to be more than just an artist. More than just a girl struggling with her family's history with mental illness. She also had to have a best friend, a crush, a life at school...

But getting a little overwhelmed by background information is probably a danger

1. Relax mentally. Your mindset is very important. If you fear that the pain will be more agonizing than what it actually will be, it'll hurt even worse. If you know you might get punched, accept that you will get punched so that you can prepare yourself mentally for it.
   
   The same thing goes with querying. Relax! It’s not as bad as you think it’s going to be. There will be rejections. Accept that. Prepare for it. But don’t focus on it.
    
2. Keep your vision. When confronted with a threat, it's very easy to make that the center of your universe. Avoid this natural tendency and try to maintain peripheral vision and awareness of your surroundings, especially other assailants. There may be something that can help you in the ensuing fight, your assailant may have a weapon, or there maybe someone else attempting to jump you from behind.
   
   When querying, don’t make the rejections the center of your universe. Keep honing your craft and working on other projects.
    
3. Practice. In order to learn relax, and not panic, you really need to experience the sensation of having punches thrown at you. You will obviously want to do this in a controlled environment that safely simulates a real world scenario as best as possible.
   
   Keep practicing! The only real way to prepare yourself and your work for querying is to join a critique group. Sure, hearing about your shortcomings can feel like a jab in the gut, but discovering your weaknesses and improving upon them will only make you a better writer.
    
4. Try to "roll with the punch". If you can't avoid getting hit, move your body away from the hit. This decreases both the momentum and the time of the impact, effectively reducing the impulse and forcing the assailant to inadvertently "pull his punches."
    
5. You might feel angry receiving a form rejection for the manuscript you’ve poured your heart and soul into. But shake it off! Writing the agent/editor back to proclaim their mental shortcomings is the worst thing you can do. Roll with the punch and move on.
    
6. Keep your
   Buffy Andrews said, on 5/12/2010 6:54:00 AM
   

   Awesome post. Both of my sons have black belts so I totally got it. Great job. And I so needed to hear this. My gut is hurting, bro, but I'm rollin'. *Smiles*

   Tory said, on 5/12/2010 7:39:00 AM
   

   I absolutely love the Wow Wednesday series! Please keep 'em coming.
   
   Cole Gibsen's advice on rejection is exactly what I needed to read this morning.
   
   Uncertainty is a bummer, but if we keep the creative juices flowing, something awesome is sure to come from it!
   
   I'm already looking forward to next week's post. Have a great Humpday! Tory

   Anonymous said, on 5/12/2010 7:52:00 AM
   

   Thanks for the pep talk <3 Def need it.

   Susan Kaye Quinn said, on 5/12/2010 7:52:00 AM
   

   Thanks for the great, inspiring post! I'm about to jump in the ring for another bout, and I need to hear this today!
   
   Thanks!

   T. Anne said, on 5/12/2010 8:13:00 AM
   

   GREAT and helpful tips! I'll have to remember this the next time I get punched in the gut. ;)

   Natalie Aguirre said, on 5/12/2010 9:23:00 AM
   

   Great advice. I'm getting ready to query and need all the advice I can get to not take it too personally.

   Shaun Hutchinson said, on 5/12/2010 9:49:00 AM
   

   Cole is a total inspiration! Great article.

   Kenda said, on 5/12/2010 10:20:00 AM
   

   Fantastic post! Relax, practice, roll, shake it off, keep a sense of balance--all tips to lift us up when we're down in this business. Thanks so much for the boost :-)
   
   Glad to have found you. Great stuff.

   Shannon O'Donnell said, on 5/12/2010 10:24:00 AM
   

   I love this - every word of it! And the book sounds fun, fun, fun! :-)

   KatieO said, on 5/12/2010 10:29:00 AM
   

   Great advice, great post... very helpful.
   Rejection still sucks, but it's a business, not personal. That's the part that's hard to remember sometimes...

   joe said, on 5/12/2010 10:49:00 AM
   

   Awesome advice! This is a "print and post" post.

   Angela said, on 5/12/2010 10:56:00 AM
   

   I love hearing what writers do to move past the bad. Achieving this ability is critical to continuing down the writing path.
   
   Much luck with your book--it sounds like a great premise!

   Candyland said, on 5/12/2010 11:30:00 AM
   

   Wow. *light bulb*
   "If you don't wanna be hit, don't get in a fight."

   Helena Carlo said, on 5/12/2010 11:43:00 AM
   

   I love, love, love this post. Very inspirational - thank you. This applies to varying facets in life, and the advice is on point.
   Something we all need to be reminded of every now and then: Don't give up.
   Thanks!

   Laura Marcella said, on 5/12/2010 11:54:00 AM
   

   Awesome post! Last Wednesday I blogged on what gymnastics teaches me about writing. It's amazing how much sports relate to a lot of what we go through in the writing life.
   
   Thanks for sharing!

   MBW aka Olleymae said, on 5/12/2010 12:10:00 PM
   

   lol. Awesome and so true. I might have to reread this article once a day as I begin the query quest.

   Adventures in Children's Publishing said, on 5/12/2010 2:08:00 PM
   

   Cole, thanks for posting this piece of inspiration for everyone to share. The comparison of martial arts and querying is so appropriate. I love that you refer to it as "an epic battle" and that "victory has never gone to to the weak." This will motivate me to keep pushing on, despite rejections. Congratulations on your book deal. Even more, congratulations on taking the hits and getting right back up! It paid off :)
   
   Marissa

   Lindsay (a.k.a Isabella) said, on 5/12/2010 2:28:00 PM
   

   Wow, great advice. I'm going to remember this and read it during the low times. :)

   Matthew Rush said, on 5/12/2010 3:06:00 PM
   

   Great analogy. You rock Cole!
   
   Thanks for posting AICP.

   Michelle McLean said, on 5/12/2010 5:55:00 PM
   

   wonderful post, Cole!

   Jemi Fraser said, on 5/12/2010 6:29:00 PM
   

   Super analogy! I love the first one - relax is the very best advice. As a once-upon-a-time-very-average gymnast, I had to learn to relax and roll with the punches too. You're right - it's very similar. The first thing you need to learn to do is fall :)

   JayceeKaycee said, on 5/12/2010 6:31:00 PM
   

   I'm still too afraid to send out my query letter. So, to give myself courage, I am going to print out Cole Gibsen's last paragraph and tape it to my computer:
   
   "If you don’t want to be hit, don’t get into a fight. Likewise, if you don’t want a rejection, don’t query. But if you’re determined, and don’t mind taking a couple of hooks and jabs along the way, get in there and fight for what you want. If you do, victory will be yours!"

   gtrine said, on 5/12/2010 7:09:00 PM
   

   I've had days where I couldn't write on the day a rejection came in. Dang, where was your blog when I needed it? Thanks for the nudge in the right direction.

   Ann Marie Wraight said, on 5/13/2010 2:59:00 AM
   

   ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE ANALOGY!
   
   Both of my boys are involved in martial arts...
   
   A wonderful post with really meaty advice. I made an in depth comment a while ago but it flew off into cyber space....so that's all I'll say for now..
   
   THANK YOU!

   Elana Johnson said, on 5/13/2010 9:35:00 AM
   

   Cole is a great inspiration for all of us. Great interview. :)

   Add a Comment

Editor Interview: Andrew Karre on His First Year at Carolrhoda...

I last caught up with Andrew Karre in October 2008 shortly after he moved from Flux to become editorial director at Lerner Imprint Carolrhoda Books so I thought it was about time I check in with Andrew to see how things are going...

You’ve have just more than a full-year under your belt as editorial director at Carolrhoda Books. How did year one go?

It went very well. I work with an amazing group of colleagues and being able to work with them on the books that were in process when I arrived was a pleasure and an education. And what a great batch of books my predecessor left. It’s an impressive act to follow. Sally Walker’s Written in Bone and Vaunda Nelson and Greg Christie’s Bad News for Outlaws have been critical highlights (six stars between them), but there are so many more I could name.

I’m also very excited about what we’ve been able to acquire for 2010. I think the fall 2010 list is going to be very exciting—a great mix of new names and veteran authors and illustrators.

Has the economic climate had an effect on your line? What’s your advice to new writers on breaking in at this point?

The economy effects everything, of course, but I don’t feel like we’ve let it affect the books, either in quantity or quality. It just means your publishing decisions need to be that much smarter.

Your company has a good online presence. Do you encourage your authors to use the Internet (Twitter, facebook, blogs, site) for promotion as well?

I don’t see how an author can start out now without some sort of online presence, so yes, I encourage. But I don’t think publishers help anyone when they simply say “go forth and do online promotion.” It’s not enough to say get on Twitter and Facebook and start a blog. There needs to be strategy and a reasonably deep understanding of how these technologies can advance an author’s career and sell the publisher’s books. It’s more work to do this author by author, but at least it has a chance of bearing fruit.

What kinds of things do you discuss on the Carolrhoda blog?

For the moment, the blog is mostly my thoughtful spot. I dump a lot of unrefined thoughts about publishing and editing and writing and whatever there. It’s also where I post submissions information.

Tell me about some Carolrhoda projects you’re excited about.

I’m excited about so many things in fall 2010, but before that, in spring, there’s a piece of narrative nonfiction for YAs that I think will get a lot of attention. It’s called An Unspeakable Crime and it’s by Edgar-award-winning novelist Elaine Marie Alphin. Basically, it’s th

In December, 2007 and again in April, 2009 I did some guest blogging at ForeWord Magazine's ShelfSpace Blog. While ForeWord Magazine is going strong, they have discontinued doing that guest blogging. So, I am going to rerun those posts here at Tea Cozy. Any edits to remove confusion about things like dates is in brackets.

ARCs: Just like the Hardcover, only Free!

Part Two: What's the big deal?

Last week, I wrote about what an ARC is: an advance version of a book, printed to create buzz, reviews, and sales.

Let's talk about what an ARC isn't: the final published version of the book.

Once again, I spoke with Brian Farrey, a Flux Acquisitions Editor; Andrew Karre, Editorial Director for Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group; Sheila Ruth, Publisher, Imaginator Press; and fantasy author Sarah Prineas.

Despite the language that appears on ARCs, some bookstores seem to think an ARC is the final book. Stories abound of people who order a book via an online bookstore, and discover that they've been sold an ARC.

Some libraries, likewise, seem to think that an ARC is "good enough" for their patrons.

Keep in mind, I am not talking about informal galley groups with patrons and students. Sarah Prineas sees positives in sharing ARCs with young readers, as long it's not a formal sharing. "I think it's great when teachers and librarians share ARCs with their most enthusiastic kid readers, and with each other. They're the ones who fall in love with books, and their excited comments after reading an ARC can, in turn, get others excited. That's what "buzz" is all about!"

I am talking about libraries that make ARCs part of their formal collection, complete with spine label.

Oh, some librarians I spoke to said "never!" But others told me of seeing ARCs in collections, or waiting to be processed, and educating both directors and technical staff of why ARCs shouldn't be on the shelf. Suzi Steffen of Oregon is an avid library user. She checked out a recent nonfiction book from her local public library. "I was shocked & pretty annoyed to see it's an ARC."

On a professional library listserv, a librarian justified adding ARCs to her permanent collection because low budgets meant fewer materials. I wonder – as budgets continue to fall, with other people adopt this "but I cannot afford the final book" attitude?

And really, what's the harm? It's just a few typos, right? Isn't putting books – even if they are ARCs – into the hands of customers the most important thing?

Brian Farrey explains that "in theory, there aren't many substantial changes between ARC and final copy. Most changes are to correct typos, clarify text (eliminate confusing or inconsistent plot points/character traits)."

Andrew Karre says that while "ideally, very few changes are made--mostly proofreading and adding details like bios, art, design tweaks, dedications, etc. In practice, a lot can change. I've seen covers change, major plot points change, and even titles."

Publishing is a business; and like any business, many factors go into the process and a tight timeline exists. An ARC is needed at a certain time, ready or not. Andrew explains, "Book publishing can be a bit like that famous I Love Lucy episode in the candy factory. The conveyor belt generally does not stop for anything."

Typos do matter. Sheila Ruth agrees, saying "even such minor errors reflect badly on a book, because they make the book look unprofessional."

I've read ARCs with grammar and spelling errors, knowing that those things would be corrected in the published book. But to read them in what is the final version of the book can take the reader away from the story and creates the impression that the writer and publisher are sloppy.
One young adult author I spoke with e

In December, 2007 and again in April, 2009 I did some guest blogging at ForeWord Magazine's ShelfSpace Blog. While ForeWord Magazine is going strong, they have discontinued doing that guest blogging. So, I am going to rerun those posts here at Tea Cozy. Any edits to remove confusion about things like dates is in brackets.

ARCs: Just like the Hardcover, only Free!

Part One: What is an ARC?

Lurk at a few book listservs or read some book blogs, and you begin to see one word over and over: ARC. Soon, you realize that people are reading books before the publication date by getting these things called "ARCs". What are they? And how come these people are getting them?

I asked several people to share their publishing wisdom about ARCs: Brian Farrey, a Flux Acquisitions Editor; Andrew Karre, Editorial Director for Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group; Sheila Ruth, Publisher, Imaginator Press; and fantasy author Sarah Prineas.

What, exactly, is an ARC?

At its most simple, an ARC is an Advance Reading Copy. Or Advanced Reader Copy. And it's also called a galley. Yes, even amongst the experts there are variations on this answer!

Andrew Karre explains that an ARC "is a promotional piece and a sales tool." Brian Farrey adds, "it's primarily a marketing/publicity tool aimed at generating advance interest and excitement for a forthcoming title."

Brian Farrey clarifies that technically speaking, a galley is a version of the book that is made up to six to twelve months before the book's release while the ARC appears four to six months prior to release. Farrey notes that many people use the terms ARC and galley interchangeably. "[Galleys] are for hot, hot, hot books where the publisher wants to generate buzz," Farrey says. "They're meant to get people talking about the book itself, not necessarily to generate reviews (although that does happen too)." With the recent cutbacks in publishing, Farrey speculates that we will start seeing fewer galleys and more ARCs; and that they will be done digitally, via PDF.

Brian Farrey says that both galley and ARC are "typically printed on low quality paper and materials (they're not meant to last; they're meant to be read once and tossed)." Galleys often do not have any cover art, while ARCs usually do.

Sheila Ruth, Publisher, Imaginator Press, notes that technology has also impacted the production of ARCs. Full color covers are the "result of improvements in technology reducing the cost and improving the quality of digitally printed color."

It's more than just appearances and quality of paper. Andrew Karre explains that "the text can be at various stages of editorial development," observing that "ideally it's a close-to-final manuscript that's only lacking proofreading." Farrey points outs, "there will be typos and other errors." The ARC is not meant to be the final book, but rather "give a feel for the final book."

Fantasy author Sarah Prineas illustrates how the difference between an ARC can be more than a misspelled word: "the ARC quite often is an earlier iteration of the book, so might contain a lot of sentence level and continuity errors and infelicities of prose that will be caught in a later copy edit. Another difference is that if a book has internal illustrations, these will often be either missing from the ARC or present only as rough sketches."

How do you tell the ARC from the finished book? As Karre says, "All ARCs have some variation on a banner that says "Not for Sale: Advance Uncorrected Proof."" If that's not evidence enough, "instead of reader-focused backcover and flap copy, it … has details of release date and promotional plans as well as copy more akin to catalog copy, where the audience is librarians and buyers, rather than readers."

As explained

Contact: Courtney Kish
Flux Publicity
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 651-312-8452

For Immediate Attention

Sarcasm and Pop Culture Fill the Pages of Flux's First Hybrid Novel
Brother-sister duo create the rise and fall of a punk rock band born at a Jewish day school

"A rollicking, witty, and ultra-contemporary book that drums on the funny bone and reverberates through the heart." - Booklist (starred review)

"Heavy on the Jewish humor, the Ostows successfully balance culture and teen experience with pitch-perfect dialogue paired seamlessly with David Ostow's black-and-white panels." - Kirkus Reviews

ST. PAUL, MINN. - Quirky, fresh and loaded with humor, So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) is an irreverent take on the theme of religious and personal identity. It is a tale of adolescent angst, romance, and coming-of-age, set to the strains of turn-of-the-twenty-first-century indie rock.

Fusing the techniques of a traditional novel with the highly popular graphic novel art form, So Punk Rock, tells the story of Ari Abramson and his perfect plan to get in with Sari, the girl of his dreams: he’s going to start his own punk rock band. This involves drafting his super-popular and super-conceited best friend, Jonas, an overly kosher drummer, Yossi, and his sassy lead-singing sister, Reena. Together they shoot to the heights of local fame but risk undoing everything when egos (and the Sabbath) get in the way.

Micol Ostow has written more than thirty-five published works for children and young adults. So Punk Rock was inspired by the thirteen years of Jewish day school that she and her brother David experienced. Micol is currently pursuing an MFA in writing through Vermont College of Fine Arts and teaching YA writing up and down the Eastern seaboard. The author resides in New York City.

Illustrator David Ostow was trained as an architect. He currently works at a large design firm in New York City and also illustrates on a freelance basis. So Punk Rock is his first literary endeavor. The author resides in New Jersey.

For more information, visit their website at: www.KosherPunkRock.com

"Ostow's cutting-edge prose-graphic hybrid is smart, laugh-out-loud witty, and a quirky affirmation of faith and self. Read it, and you'll want to be in a Jewish indie rock band, too!" - Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of Tantalize

So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) by Micol Ostow; art by David Ostow

US $9.95 CAN $11.50 | Paperback Original | ISBN: 978-0-7387-1471-4

PUB DATE: July 2009 | Flux Books | Ages 12 & up

For more information, please visit www.fluxnow.com and www.KosherPunkRock.com

Review Copies and Interview Opportunities

To request a review copy or arrange an interview with the author, please contact:

Courtney Kish, Flux Publicity
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 651-312-8452

Read my previous post about So Punk Rock for even more info. Rock on!

This week the Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit welcomes Lucienne Diver, fellow Fluxian, LJer (varkat ), and author of Vamped (Flux, May 1 2009).

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Rule #1:  Do not get so loaded at the after prom party that you accidentally-on-purpose end up in the broom closet with the surprise hottie of the evening, say the class chess champ who’s somewhere lost his bottle-cap lenses and undergone an extreme makeover, especially if that makeover has anything  to do with becoming one of the undead.  

Gina Covello has a problem. Waking up a dead is just the beginning.  There's very little she can't put up with for the sake of eternal youth and beauty.  Blood-sucking and pointy stick phobias seem a small price to pay.  But she draws the line when local vampire vixen Mellisande gets designs on her hot new boyfriend with his prophecied powers and hatches a plot to turn all of Gina’s fellow students into an undead army to be used to overthrow the vampire council.  

"VAMPED is a total delight!  Diver delivers a delightful cast of undead characters and a fresh, fast take on the vampire mythos.  Next installment, please!"   — Rachel Caine, New York Times bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires series.

"I really sunk my teeth into Lucienne Diver's VAMPED.  A fun, frothy, teenage romp with lots of action, a little shopping, and a cute vampire guy.  Who could ask for more?"  — Marley Gibson, author of Ghost Huntress: The Awakening.

“This book rollicked along, full of humor, romance, and action.  Gina is a smart-aleck heroine worth reading about, a sort of teenage Besty Taylor (Undead and Unwed) with a lot of Cher Horowitz (Clueless) thrown in.  Fans of Katie Maxwell will devour VAMPED.  — Rosemary Clement-Moore, author of the Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series 

Some nice things have been happening over at the home of my forthcoming books. Publisher’s Weekly just ran a story on how well Flux is doing, with sales up 30% over last year and publicists are “fielding calls recently from Hollywood agents and producers looking to tap into popular teen reading trends by adapting Flux titles for television shows.” In this sh**y economy, I’d call that more than a ray of sunshine. That’s full-on sunspot action.

When you look at their list, it’s hard to believe that Flux is just three years old. The much respected Andrew Karre is responsible for those first great years and now Brian Farrey, the new acquisitions editor (and former senior publicist at Flux), is adding his own flavah. I’ve really enjoyed working with him so far—he’s the perfect blend of smart and irreverent. One of the things he’s changing up is the blog, which is moving in the direction of podcasting. Check out the newly redesigned Flux blog for details. Brian is a big fan of musicals and I’m hoping he brings that love to a few of his podcasts. Can you see it? The stage is dark, the audience is hushed, Brian sits alone in a chair framed only by the gilded proscenium. Then a small, soft light floods his face as he delivers the latest news, a cappella, about Flux books and authors. Quiet at first, then…wait for it…wait for it—there it is! He hits the money note!

(To be clear, there was no mention of these podcasts becoming musicals, but one can hope.)

And lastly, the bitchin’ Flux covers are not going unnoticed— Publisher’s Weekly Shelftalker columnist Alison Morris even went so far as to award a gold star in this article. Can't wait to see what they do with my covers.

Yay Flux! You make me proud to be in your stable.

Blogger of the Week:
Christy Raedeke...


Oregon-based YA author Christy Raedeke is a self-proclaimed "compulsive blogger." Here she talks about starting out, why she blogs, and offers some advice to those just dipping their toes into the blogosphere. Click here to visit her blog Juvenescence (I love the name!)

Why did you start blogging?

I really started blogging about five years ago with a blog unknown to even my husband! I think blogging is a really interesting way to get your writing gears moving every morning. A year ago I started the blog Juvenescence, which gave my blogging a bit of focus. Wait, what’s less than a bit? A smidge? Okay, it’s more like a smidge of focus.

What do you blog about?

I started this blog to connect with other writers, not as a marketing tool. I try to include anecdotal information about the publishing process as I go through it and I’ve started doing interviews with debut authors, but a lot of the time I post about things that are happening in my life. Vignettes, I guess.

What advice would you offer new bloggers?

If anyone is thinking of starting a blog, I’d say go for it! It’s free and it’s incredibly easy to figure out. (It takes literally less than five minutes to set up a blog.) Blogging will quickly become a natural part of your daily writing practice. And there’s something magical about the “Publish Post” button that you click to get a new post on your blog; think of it as your daily commitment to publishing. I had no readers the first month, a handful the second, and then the growth was exponential. Stick with it. Post often, even if it’s a short one. Make friends with other bloggers—there are people I know through blogging whom I would hug like long-lost kin if I met them in person, that’s how much I love them.

Tell me about your upcoming titles with Flux.

This was my deal report from Publishers Marketplace:

Christy Raedeke’s PROPHECY OF DAYS, pitched as a YA Da Vinci Code relating to the Mayan calendar which mysteriously ends in 2012, in which a teen, with the help of a gorgeous Scottish lad, must figure out her role in a cryptic prophecy while trying to outwit a secret society that will stop at nothing to control her, to Andrew Karre at Flux, in a two-book deal, for publication in Summer 2010, by Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (North America).

Shoup, Barbara. 2008. Everything You Want.

Everything You Want is a coming-of-age story where it's okay to not be okay. On the surface, our narrator, Emma, has everything she 'needs' to be happy. She's got a loving and supporting family. It's her freshman year of college. She has a more-than-decent roommate to share her dorm. But everything feels wrong, feels off to Emma. And this 'offness' is only magnified when her family wins the lottery and becomes millionaires. Money can't buy happiness for Emma, or for her parents who begin to drift apart, or for her older sister. Money isn't the answer it seems on how to make her life feel right. Emma is clueless as to just what to do to "fix" her life. She's unsure of what she wants, uncertain of what she needs. She's uncomfortable in her own skin, but doesn't know how to 'fix' that. No matter where she goes, who she's with, she can't run away from herself, from her struggle to just be...to be content.

I liked this one. Loved it in a few places even. But as a whole, I can't say that I loved it. Emma's problems are all-too-real no matter your age. There are times in life when you're just not feeling it, where no matter what you do you can't seem to be the person you think you want to be or need to be. So I could relate to Emma. But I wasn't so in love with the lottery elements of the plot. Still, I'd feed comfortable recommending this one.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

For all you wonderful readers, my editor told me today that sales have been good and they'd like to see a proposal for a sequel! Thank you, thank you, thank you for telling me how much you enjoyed SLEEPLESS and would like to see more of Trinity. I definitely feel she has more story to tell and you're helping to make that happen. Keep your fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted.

And, I sold another book! HOLLYWEIRD will be coming out with Flux in the Spring/Summer of '10 under the name Tess Clark. It's about two teen girls who won a trip to the set of their favorite TV show only to learn the hunky hero is actually the son of Satan and the only person who can keep them safe is a fallen angel working undercover as his personal assistant. This story was inspired by my obsession for the TV show Supernatural. What's so hysterical is I wrote this proposal BEFORE the current story arc with the angels. I'm telling you, I have this weird, woo-woo affinity with the show's writers. They should really have me write with them!

Thanks again for your friendship and support. :)

Have you ever seen a John Wayne movie? I hadn't - until I read Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones.

The Girl in question is a high school freshman named Liliana. Lili's not looking for someone to save her, but rather someone to listen to her. Aside from her cat, Muffin, she really doesn't have anyone. Her parents aren't together. She only sees her day on Sundays (and that's about all she can deal with) and her mom, who hasn't had the best romantic track record, is now dating a guy who's pretty creepy. Meanwhile, her older sister, Jessica, in also in a bad relationship, and her best friend, Nicole, isn't so nice anymore.

Remember Leigh, the boy who wrote letters to his favorite author in Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary? If you like epistolary novels (stories told through letters) like that, then you'll like Girl, Hero. Rather than sharing her thoughts and feelings with someone she knows, Lili writes letters to John Wayne. She thinks the world of Mr. Wayne. She watches his movies over and over and wishes that he were her father.

As a fellow actor, I respected John Wayne's body of work and his lengthy career, but I had never sat down and watched one of his films. You see, I'm not really a fan of westerns. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and things of that nature, I'll watch, but not so much the shoot-'em-ups or saloon brawls. After reading Girl, Hero, I watched the movie True Grit - just for you, Carrie!

With the help of some new friends, Lili summons up the nerve to audition for the school musical. Though I'm not particularly a fan of South Pacific, I'm always happy to read stories which feature productions*, and I cheered Lili on as she found her voice and her footing.

Throughout the book, Carrie Jones does a great job of making Lili really sound like a freshman. Not overly naïve and never striving to be sophisticated, Liliana is simply a girl in her early teens trying to quietly deal with everything and everyone around her.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Each of us has the potential to be a hero, even as we're looking for someone else to save us. I truly believe that you can be your own hero, and I'm glad that Lili learned this, too.

Read my review of Girl, Hero at SparkLife!

* Looking for more stories about performances, practices, and prestige? Check out my booklists called But I Don't Want To Be Famous! and But I DO Want to Be Famous!

Editor Interview:
Andrew Karre...

Just a few weeks ago Andrew Karre moved from his position as acquisitions editor at YA-only Flux to assume the role of editorial director at Lerner Imprint Carolrhoda Books. Here Andrew talks a bit about his transition and his new job and offers advice to authors whose editors relocate.

Why the move from Flux to Carolrhoda? How is your new position different from your old one?
First off, it was not an easy decision. Working for Flux has been a joy and an adventure at nearly every turn. I am enormously proud of those books. Flux has some limitations for a children’s book editor, though, namely in the focus on YA fiction. I adore YA novels, but I honestly could not see myself acquiring them exclusively for the next decade. It just seemed unbalanced. My hope was that one day we’d be able to grow and branch out to the full spectrum of children’s literature, but when the opportunity came to step into a directorial role at an imprint that already had what I wanted (and that was part of an established children’s publisher a few miles from my home) . . . well, it was not an opportunity I could pass up.

Was it tough to leave Flux and particularly your Flux authors?
Agonizing. Absolutely horrible. There’s never a good time to leave a list in progress. The day before I gave my notice, we got that awesome notice on PW’s ShelfTalker blog. I knew there would be books that I was dying to edit that I would not be able to. There were books that were about to come out that I was convinced would be thrillingly successful. And of course it is such an amazing group of authors. They made almost every day interesting.

What's your advice to authors whose editors relocate?
In general, I would say this is where you really want your agent to be watching out for you. If you don’t have an agent, I would firmly but politely make sure I got as much information about The Plan of Succession, assuming there is one, as possible. At a minimum, get some other phone numbers and email addresses of other people in the house who might be able to answer questions. It isn’t necessarily a cause for panic, though. I have now happily inherited lovely lists of books twice in my career. I re-signed and had ongoing, productive relationships with several authors that Megan Atwood left me at Flux and I expect to have the same here at Carolrhoda.

In Flux’s particular case, my only concern is that authors will like Brian better than they liked me. Once they finally hired Brian Farrey to take the spot, I ceased to be concerned. The authors at Flux are in good hands.

What can you tell us about the Carolrhoda line? What types of books do you publish? Will you be making any changes as editorial director?
Carolrhoda is one of Lerner’s trade imprints. We do a couple dozen books a year and they range from picture books to YA, fiction and nonfiction. The emphasis is on books of extremely high quality that have a general trade audience. Recent successes include Sally Walker’s Sibert-award-winning Secrets of a Civil War Submarine and Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and illustrated by Colin Bootman, which won a CSK Illustrator honor. Carolrhoda has won awards and starred reviews at every level of children’s publishing.

Carolrhoda has a long tradition and I won’t make changes lightly, but I do have my own style and my own ideas (especially about YA) and those won’t go away. I like being online and part of the broader conversations about books, so that will inevitably be part of what I do here.

Are you open to submissions from authors? What are you looking for?
Lerner does not consider unsolicited submissions. From time to time, we’ll make specific requests for certain kinds of books.

You blogged while at Flux. Is there a Carolrhoda blog?
At the moment, I’m blogging here. Any news relating to me and Carolrhoda will be there until we get a Carolrhoda blog going.

As an educator (named Teacher of the Year her first year!), a modeling agent, a writer, and a mother, it's safe to say that Debbie Reed Fischer has had a direct effect on others.  Her debut novel for teens, Braless in Wonderland, followed a young woman into the topsy-turvy world of modeling. Her second YA novel, Swimming with the Sharks (due out in September), considers the reasons why teen girls might become emotional bullies - and why students aware of the taunting might opt to fit in than speak up. I spoke to Debbie at length about the pursuit of fame, the pursuit of popularity, and the pursuit of publishing.

Allee and I share a love of Alice in Wonderland. Which came first, your character's personality or her name?

First, let me say hi and thanks for having me. It’s an honor to be here.

My books are character-driven, so her personality definitely came first. Her name is a shout-out to both Lewis Carroll’s Alice as well as my close friend Allee, who is a booker at a modeling agency in Miami.  

Allee is a self-declared feminist who pursues modeling to earn money for her future, for college, with little to no interest in fame and flashy objects. It's known from the start of the book that she makes a name for herself, but without giving away the ending of the book, do you feel that future success would spoil her? What might she do for a living ten years from now?

I think Allee is by nature a sensible, disciplined and cautious person (nothing like me - eek), so I really don’t think making a name for herself in the modeling industry, or any industry for that matter, would spoil her. Plus, since she’s been accepted into an excellent college, the road to achieving her long-term goals will always be open. The question is, should every young adult with a great educational opportunity race down the academic road right away . . . or take some time for personal growth and new experiences beforehand?

As far as where she’ll be in ten years, who knows where any of us will be in ten years? Quick story: I took a year off before college and went to Israel to travel and work on a kibbutz (a cooperative farm). There were a few university courses I took as well, but really, it was about adventure and figuring out who I was. There was another teen there, picking melons with me on the kibbutz, and years later, he became CNN’s top white house correspondent, David Shuster. I would never have guessed where he would end up when he was picking melons with me and a bunch of other college-bound kids taking a year off (by the way, David was extremely quiet back then, almost mute, and now he’s an Emmy-award-winning broadcaster; it is beyond ironic).The point is, new experiences don’t present limitations; they present opportunities. Allee comes to see modeling as a way to explore a new side of herself, rather than just a means to make money for Yale.  

I crave [Dad's] approval like junk food. It's an emptiness that never gets filled. No matter how I try to fill it, load it, stuff it, cram it, it doesn't feel full.

It's a feeling of perpetual . . . nothing. ¹

When novels, TV shows, or films feature characters with eating disorders, those characters tend to be female. In real life, at least one million men and boys are currently suffering from some kind of eating disorder. Approximately ten out of eleven people suffering from eating disorders are female - which means the other one is male. One out of every four people suffering from anorexia is a male; one out of every eight people suffering from bulimia is a male. ²

Nothing, a fictional story by Robin Friedman, is related in first-person by two characters, one girl and one boy. While Parker shares his thoughts in straightforward prose, his younger sister Danielle uses verse. Danielle wishes she got a fraction of the attention Parker gets from their family and classmates, not realizing that very attention has pushed Parker to hurt himself.

On the outside, Parker seems to have everything going for him: he's wealthy, he's attractive, he's a track star, he's a journalist, he's active in his community, and he's a good student. However, Parker doesn't like everything that he's doing, and he doesn't like how he looks on the outside. He keeps his emotions locked up inside, where no one can see them. His father wants him to become "a nice Jewish doctor," but that's not Parker's dream. Although his parents have made him see a college consultant regularly since he was a freshman, he's still not sure what he wants to do after high school. When the pressure (from his overbearing father, from his coaches, from his friends, from himself) gets to be too much, he turns to food. After going on shopping sprees at the grocery store, he eats until he's uncomfortably full, then throws up.

Binging and purging takes a toll on both his body and his mind. He feels tired all of the time. He loses weight. He loses muscle. He loses strength. He stops hanging out with his friends. He argues with the girl he likes. Though he tries his best to hide what he's doing, his sister begins to suspect something is wrong. She wonders if she should speak up, then wonders who will listen to her. As other matters at home complicate things, Danielle's narrative offers additional insight into Parker's character as well as their family life.

"Nothing's wrong. Why does everyone keep asking me that?" ³

It is completely possible for someone to be popular or well-liked and for that person to seem "okay" when he or she is really anything but. I have known Parkers, both female or male, as teens or as adults, who have eating disorders or other habits that shocked those who thought they knew them well.

It's okay to speak up. It's okay to reach out. It's okay to ask for help.

If you think someone you know has an eating disorder, you might be hesitant to bring it up, worried that the person will "hate" you. If you aren't comfortable talking directly to the person about it, confide to someone else that you trust, someone else that cares. If you are worried about your own eating habits, please tell someone who will look out for you, someone who can help you help yourself. If you or the person you're worried about is a kid or a teenager, talk to an adult that you trust, such as your parent, a teacher, or a counselor, or call the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Toll-Free Information and Referral Helpline: (800) 931-2237

¹ Quote from the book - Parker's POV
² Quote from the author's note at the close of the book
³ Quote from the book - Parker's POV

Read and Reach Out

I say it time and time again: Sometimes, it's easier to read about something than talk about it. Check out my Tough Issues for Teens Booklist for more books about eating disorders and other topics which you may find difficult to discuss. Please read and reach out.

Learn more about National Eating Disorder Awareness Month, then extend that awareness beyond February.

Contact The National Eating Disorder Association
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
603 Stewart St.
Suite 803
Seattle, WA 98101
Business Office: (206) 382-3587
Toll-Free Helpline: (800) 931-2237
[email protected]