Favorite Writing Advice from the Inkers.

From July 2010
Everyone probably has one or two bits of favorite writing advice. Here are some of ours.

Sue

 Writing on Both Sides of the Brain by Henriette Anne Klauser

“When you first began to write, you had someone standing over you (for your own good) correcting your form, grammar, and spelling…..Today when you sit down to write, chances are that your teacher is still with you, standing over your left shoulder, correcting, critiquing, circling uppercase letters with her red pencil, and in other subtle and not so subtle ways discouraging your from writing, generally stemming the flow of words.” (Right on!! Greg Dean, a stand up comedy teacher, came up with a solution for this: Never criticize your self in your performing space. Get yourself a cheap bath rug. When you feel yourself getting ready to criticize your output, leave your performing space. Stand on the rug and critique yourself. Then return to your performing space. This really helped me. It also gets you to stand up from your computer on a frequent basis.)  Libba Bray at 2010 Writers Day suggested naming your critic. I love that one.

And from NanoWriMo: Give yourself a gift: a deadline

Hilde

Jane Yolen on Writing

There is no such thing as the time fairy dropping bits of time for aspiring writers to trip over or find. If you want to be a writer, you find or make or grab or take time from whatever else is going on. Otherwise you really don’t want to be a writer, you just want to have written.

First rule of writing- B I C- Butt in chair

Second rule or writing- follow rule one.

Kris











From the Medicated and Motivated School of Writing and Anne Taintor, Ms. Dish recommends the following:

1) “Why yes, I am that kind of girl – thank you.” - Write what you know.

2) “Old enough to know better, too old to give a rat’s ass.” - Learn the rules, then break them.

3) “…And then Fairy Godmother said, ‘Mojitos for everyone!’….”  -Get it all out. Overwrite first, you can always clean up later.

4) “A true friend would help hide the body.” - Get someone to edit your work in an objective manner.

Lupe 

  







"Always start with a fresh tablet."  Hammurabi, King of Babylon

"And the Lord said, 'smite the Adverbs, for they are a blight upon thy manuscript.'"

3:14 Book of Grammar

"A little sacrifice goes a long way."

Tezcatlipoca, Aztec Sun God

"Sharpen thy quill, scribble on thy parchment and heed not the call of naysayers."

St. Ernesto, Patron Saint of Unpublished Writers

 "Find the gold in your landscape."

Hernando Cortez, Spanish Conquistador

"Fear not to cut, cut and cut."

Jack The Ripper

"Every period is a revolution."

Pancho Villa, Mexican Revolutionary

"Ahhhh....write some 'em about rabbits."

Bugs Bunny

"Whadda I look like, Pablo Neruda?"

Joe the Cook, Good Grub Diner

What was the advice that stuck with you?

It’s NaNoWriMo Time Quotes To Keep You Writing

November 10, 2014

It's Nano Time. Quotes to keep you writing

By Susan J. Berger

It's NaNoWriMo time again.   I am following Dawn Knobbe's lead  and using this years' NaNo to make last years novel into a readable 2nd/3rd draft.
She also did a post on inspirational quotes for NaNoWriMo.
If you've never tried National Novel Month, it's a great way to get a first draft. Deadline is everything . You have thirty days to do it.

 

 

This isn't about being perfect. It's about getting the words out. If you get the words out, the story will come. I guarantee there will be lots of surprises.

"Here's the bottom line; writers write. Sometimes words flow easily. Sometimes it's like sloughing through mud. Either way a professional writer keeps writing." 

P.C.Cast 

 

 "A word after a word after a word is power." - Margaret Atwood

Dory and I have so much in common. I often stop to Google.

“Don't worry about what you're writing or whether it's good or even whether it makes sense.”  

Lauren Oliver

“Remember: Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.”
Ray Bradbury.

 

Advice from a Hollywood NaNoWriMo coordinator.

"When all else fails, throw in a Zombie."

Will you revise after NaNoWriMo? Of course, but right now the trick is meeting the deadline.

 

"There's an old folk saying that goes: whenever you delete a sentence from your NaNoWriMo novel, a NaNoWriMo angel loses its wings and plummets, screaming, to the ground. Where it will likely require medical attention.”
Chris Baty

 

“You can't edit a blank page”

Nora Roberts

 

Happy writing.

Andrea J Loney on Preparing for Publication

By Susan J Berger and Andrea J Loney

Meet Andrea J Loney, whose first picture book Bunnybear will hit the shelves January 31st.
Blurb:
Although Bunnybear was born a bear, he feels more like a bunny. He prefers bouncing in the thicket to tramping in the forest, and in his heart he's fluffy and tiny, like a rabbit, instead of burly and loud, like a bear. The other bears don't understand him, and neither do the bunnies. Will Bunnybear ever find a friend who likes him just the way he is?

Sample Editorial Reviews:
"Despite the lighthearted tone, Loney's story has important things to say about identity and acceptance, and is valuable both as entertainment and a conversation-starter." Publishers Weekly, November 7, 2016

"A sweet story of friendship and acceptance…the message of being true to one's nature is one many children need to hear." Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2016

Susan's review. Funny, charming, An implied message we all need right now. I plan to buy a copy for each of my grandchildren. I loved it.

Andrea's first ever Book signing is at Children's Book World this Saturday, Feb 4th, 2:30-4:00 PM
There will be puppets and sweet things and games.
address: 10580 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles 90064
More book signings at the end of this post.

Bunnybear is not actually her first book accepted by a publisher. Andrea won the 2014 Lee & Low New Voices Award for her biographical picture book, Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee. It's illustrated by Keith Mallett ( http://www.keithmallett.com/ ) and will make it's way onto the shelves in May, 2017. 

 In other news. Andrea will be inducted as a Brown Bookshelf Honoree on February 1st.

And this just in from Publisher's Weekly:
Erin Clarke at Knopf has bought world rights to Andrea J. Loney's Double Bass Blues, illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez, a picture book celebrating music and family in which a black boy shoulders his beloved double bass from his suburban school to his city neighborhood. Publication is slated for spring 2019. Jill Corcoran at Corcoran Literary Agency represented the author and the artist represented himself. I couldn't be happier for Andrea, and for her agent, Jill Corocran

I asked Andrea how she prepared for her book launch. here's her answer.

Preparing for Publication

One of the things I did not know when I first started writing picture books is how long it actually takes to get them out in the world. It can take a long time. Three years from sale to publication is not unheard of, and it can take years to get a book ready for sale. I’ve heard this process described as “hurry up and wait."

 

But once a book is sold and printed and about to hit the shelves, things can speed up at a dizzying rate. I’ve heard this phase described as “wait and hurry up.” So as soon as I sold my first book, TAKE A PICTURE OF ME, JAMES VANDERZEE!, I started searching for information on how to publicize my book. Most places mentioned getting a website, staying active on social media, connecting with bloggers, and things like that. Then I found this 15-tab book marketing preparation spreadsheet  It took me a few days to even read through it, but there were so many of great ideas for promoting a book online and offline, and through various forms of media. I downloaded this spreadsheet. It's incredible. A great author tool.

 

Also as a book gets closer to publication, the publisher’s publicity department sends out an author questionnaire. This multipage list asks questions about the author’s publishing contacts, local magazines and newspapers, organizations that might be interested in the book, and more. Then the publicity department combines the author's information with their own contact information to circulate advance reading copies of the book-to-be-published. So far I’ve filled out these forms for two publishers since both books will be published in the next five months.

 

Bookstore visits and signings are also very important for promoting a new book. Luckily, my publisher connected me with Tracie, the publicist, and she booked me to read BUNNYBEAR at three local bookstores and a children’s museum. There are lots of things that Tracie is doing behind the scenes, which is great because then I can focus on promoting my book by writing blog posts, engaging potential readers on social media, and inviting everyone I know to my book events.

Thank you, Andrea. I'm definitely going to the Children's Book World signing, bar flooding or famine. You are one of the most creative teachers I know and I can't wait to see what you have planned.

Andrea other events so far:

 

The Zimmerman Museum
Thursday, February 16 at 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM6505 Wilshire Blvd. #100, Los Angeles, CA 90048

 

Vroman's Bookstore
Saturday, February 18 at 10:30 PM - 11:30 AM
695 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, California 91101

 

Pages Bookstore Monday, February 20 at 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (President’s Day)904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

 

Getting It Out There

You've written you book. And re-written it a number of times. You've sent it through critique groups, re-edited and sent it back to the critique group and repeated the process till you and your group decide you've written your story in the best possible way..
No it's time to submit it. What do you do? Look for an Agent to do it for you?
Send directly to publishers? Both of the above.
Rules have changed. In the age of eBook and self-publishing, very few publishers claim the right to exclusively sit on your manuscript while they take six or seven months to decide if they wish to see more of your work.

The Right Agent.

Method one: You can put together a list of recent books that you admire or that you think are similar to your work. Then, find out who represents those authors.. Many authors list their agents on the acknowledgments page in the front or back of their books. If you can’t find the agents this way, contact the publishing companies of the books on your list and ask their publicity departments who agented the books you are interested in.

 Method two: Go to AgentQuery.com, The internet's largest free database of literary agents. There you will find all kinds of wonderful tools to help you come up with a list of agents to query. Put in the keyword "Juvenile" and it will bring up another list.  I choose this method.

Method three: Go to Manuscript Wish List. This is the twitter link/site. Search the tags for your type of book.

Here's a link to the FAQ sheet for Manuscript Wish List.com

Bypass the Agent. Go to the Publisher

Submit directly to a publisher. SCBWI publishes The Book with a list of publishers. Author's Publishing is a free magazine which tells who is accepting manuscripts. I know there are other methods. I use these.

However you choose to do it, get it done. I know how hard it is to submit. I sent one out yesterday. Good luck to all of us.

 

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 by Susan J Berger

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

I wish you a day of remembering the good things in your life. A day free from worrying about all the things that may be making you fearful about your future. About our future.

I plan to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, go see Fantastic Beasts and maybe top off the evening with pumpkin pie and Miracle on 34th Street.

I will not be watching the news.

 

There are so many thanksgiving books for children to choose from, Here are a few. You will note I've decided to emphasize turkeys. That word has been coming up a lot in my head.

I am grateful for so many things. My children and grandchildren, the rain currently falling outside my warm and safe house, the turkey reposing in my refrigerator, the current book I'm reading and the pile of books waiting for me to read. And for the books I will be adding to my TBR pile, some of them not yet published.

I am grateful for family and friends and laughter. For the wonderful acting jobs I've had this year and the ones yet to come.

I could go on for a long time.

I am truly grateful for indoor plumbing and warm blankets and a comfy armchair. For the glass of wine I plan to have when I finish this post. And for the washing machine in which I am about to immerse my laundry.

I am grateful for the times I manage to sit down at the computer and get words on paper. I am REALLY grateful for my computer. If I had to hand-write this stuff, it would never see the light of day. And I am so grateful for my critique groups.

 

I emailed Hilde and Lupe and asked for three things they were grateful for. I didn't want t o overwhelm them. Hilde replied. My health. My husband. My kids.

And my dog, Buddy.

Lupe replied My wife. My step-daughters. My cats.

Right at this moment, what are you grateful for?

PS if you have a favorite Thanksgiving book, please mention that in comments too. I have grandchildren to collect for.

 

 

 

Submission and reviewing sources.

By Susan J Berger
I have three sets of links for you:

Submitting

 Manuscript Wishlist http://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/  This is a great place to find what agents and editors are looking for. Also be sure and visit  their twitter regularly. Search the hash tag #MSWL
@ManuscriptWList

Casey McCormick and Natalie Aguirre host Literary Rambles which is a treasure trove of agent interviews. You can sort the agents by the type of books they represent.

Sue Ganz Schmidt recommended this website to me Authors Publish.com It's free and she says sometimes they send you very useful information. I subscribed last night and got some very useful links. http://www.authorspublish.com/the-top-20-publishers-for-new-authors/

Reviewing

I got a request for a list I previously posted about: getting reviews. I had been researching the sites for Picture Book reviewers, but these sites also review Middle Grade and YA

I want to add Middle Grade Mania, which had a list of bloggers who review Middle grade.



Here is a list of reviewers I wanted to contact:

The Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/get_rev.htm Reviewing print books/CDs/DVDs is always free of charge. They charge a 50.00 Reader Fee for eBooks
I now have my books, so I will be sending one.

The Picture Book Reviews
https://thepicturebookreview.com/review-policy-disclosures/

If you’d like to contact me, please send me an email at:thepicturebookreview@gmail.com.

Review Policy: Hello! As of January 1, 2015:  I happily accept picture books for review.  If we love the book, I’ll write a review about it.   I accept physical copies only — ARCs, galleys, etc. are fine — it just needs to be something I can sit down and read with my family.Thank you so much for thinking of me.  I’m flattered that you’d like your book reviewed on my site. Also, good luck with your book!  Picture book authors and illustrators

I will be contacting her. 

Readers Favorites.Com

https://readersfavorite.com/book-reviews.htm  All reviews are free. They post on their Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You CAN pay for more stuff. I didn't want to. I submitted an ARC PDF for review on 9/25. The review was up 4 days later.

KidReads.com

Here's what their contact page says:

I am an author, publisher or publicity agent and I would like my book to be reviewed on Kidsreads.com. What do I do?
To submit a book for review on Kidsreads.com, please send it to:
The Book Report Network
250 West 57th Street
Suite 1228
New York, NY 10107
Although we cannot guarantee a review, we consider every book that comes into our office. Due to the volume of submissions that we receive, we cannot contact authors or publishers on the status of a book for review. Typically books are reviewed within 3 months of publication. We suggest you sign up for our newsletter, which will list the content that we are promoting.
Please note that at this time we do not review eBooks, POD Books and other self-published titles as we only offer books that are available with wide distribution offline as well as online.

Places I will not submit:

Kirkus Book reviews. HUGELY expensive. If your publisher is paying. Great.

The Children's Book Review

 $195 for a review. No thanks. They do have a place where you can giveaway a copy of your book. When I checked it out, they wanted me to pay them 65.00 for the privilege of giving away a book/

 Places to check out:

 Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

This is a collection of websites that TTLG has found interesting and/or useful. Because sites change so fast we cannot vouch for their content. If you have any comments or suggestions about this list please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be adding to these lists regularly so please keep checking this page for new doorways into the world of children's literature.

I have not checked them all out yet. Some are no longer active.  Some seem not to be reviewing sites at all.

Marketing

Planning your marketing campaign. Click the link for an amazing spreadsheet to help you plan marketing.
Incredible 15 tab excel spreadsheet for marketing Andrea Loney graciously shared this with me.
Start with the "About Tab" They sheet was authored by Jenny Blake and it's amazingly thorough, and perhaps more than you want. I would strongly suggest reading it. .
Jenny says Feeling Generous?
1) If you get value from this spreadsheet, please consider making a donation. I will be very grateful...we all know that authors only see royalty checks once in a blue moon (if ever)!
2) Spread the word -- please feel free to share this spreadsheet with your other author friends!
There is a link on the spreadsheet to where to send a donation.
Happy Writing.

Waiting for a Book Release

by Susan J Berger

I am so lucky. I have two picture books coming out. That's a wonderful feeling. But the wait for their actual publication can seem forever. The timing varies so much.

Mom, is There a Santa Claus had a long journey. I think I wrote the original in 2004. After many trips to the critique group, I sent it to Jennifer James at The Los Angeles Times in 2009 

I was unsure anyone would publish a story asking  if  Santa Claus was real. Those of us who cherish Santa Claus do everything in their power to keep Santa alive. But  one day most children ask the question.

Jennifer expressed an interest and asked me to cut it to 600 words. I did so and it was scheduled for publication. Then Jennifer James left and so did the column.

In 2014, I sent it to Lynda Burch at Guardian Angel Publishing. Lynda asked for changes. I made them and I signed a contract with GAP in June 2014. I knew there would be a wait because the awesome illustrator, K.C. Snider always has a huge list of books to illustrate. I got the cover picture from K.C. in July of this year.

 

I love the picture. And I'm more excited than ever to see the finished book which has  a planned debut day for the end of September.  Twenty seven months is really not a long wait. It just seems like it.

 

My other picture book  Log on Log is still in the pipeline at Beach Lane Books. I signed that contract in September 2011.  I spoke to Andrea Welsh at Conference this year. She said she would get back with me after talking to the illustrator. I have an illustrator? Happy dance!

  Greg Pincus waited eight years with Arthur Levine his delightful mid-grade book The 14 Fibs of Gregory K.  His sequel to 14 Fibs is coming out much quicker. The Homework Strike will be out January 3, 2017

 

 Andrea J.Loney had a different journey. Her delightful book, Bunny Bear will be out on December 2016. I know that both Greg and I were in the group at the Westside Schmooze which critiqued Bunny Bear in April 2014.  She had 17 rejections.  Her agent, Jill Corcoran sold the book Sept 4, 2015 and it will be out December 2016.

 

Her first book, Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee, which won the 2014 Lee and Low New Voices award in 2014 won't be out till 2017.

In end, the length of the journey doesn't matter. The joy of the journey does.

I got a lovely rejection from Melissa Manlove at Chronicle Books for Nat the Rat and Fat Cat. I need to send that one out again. Tasha the Magnificent has been on an agent's desk for two months. The miracle is that the agent asked for the full. Tasha has had thirty-five rejections so far.

Two questions: If you are published, how long did you wait between contract and publication?

If you are on the submission circuit, how many times have you submitted your ms?

Write on!

Almost forgot! If you are a local author, Burbank Public Library is doing a Local Author event on Saturday, October 14th at the Buena Vista Branch Library. Here's a link to the Event Page and Application form. http://www.burbank.lib.ca.us/news/calling-all-local-authors