Operation Teen Book Drop Is April 15th...


If you associate April 15th with (ick) filing your taxes, here's a better alternative--think of it as a fantastic day for teen lit. On April 15th Operation Teen Book Drop will deliver 10,000 new books to teens on Native Reservations and Tribal Lands, more than 100 top young adult authors will leave their books in public places for young readers to discover, and members of the public can buy books online and have them shipped to tribal libraries.

For this event, which coordinates with YALSA's Support Teen Literature Day, publishers donated the books, valued at more than $175,000.

“These publishers have shown astounding vision and generosity by supporting Operation Teen Book Drop,” says readergirlz co-founder and award-winning novelist Dia Calhoun. “Now underserved teens can benefit from the current explosion of high quality YA books. These teens can see their own experience, their tragedies and their triumphs in these books, books that become shining doorways to the young human spirit.”

The donations are especially significant to Native teens. “In their lives, they really don’t have new books,” says Mary Nickless, the librarian at Ojo Encino Day School, one of 44 institutions that will benefit from Operation TBD.

In its third year, Operation TBD is part of a massive effort by librarians, young adult authors, and avid readers to spur reading on a nationwide scale. The day aims to encourage teens to read for the fun of it.

The effort is coordinated by readergirlz, the Young Adult Library Services Association, GuysLitWire, and a new partner, If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything, a national reading club for Native children.

Kudos to participating publishers! They include: Abrams Books; Bloomsbury/Walker Books/Candlewick Press; Chronicle Books; Hachette Book Group; Boyds Mills Press; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Milkweed; Mirrorstone Books; Orca Book Publishers; Scholastic; Simon & Shuster Children's Publishing; Tor/Forge/Starscape/Tor Teen/ Roaring Brook Press, an Imprint of the Macmillans Children's Publishing Group; and Better World Books.

For more information, visit www.readergirlz.com and http://readergirlz.blogspot.com, or contact readergirlzdivas@gmail.com

Debut Author of the Month:
Kristina Springer...

"I probably always knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to be a writer," Kristina Springer says in the long version of her bio on kristinaspringer.com. "But, it didn’t hit me really hard until about 10 years ago." After years of reading and writing (technical, TV, and a little bad poetry), Kristina began writing young adult fiction in earnest. Her debut novel THE ESPRESSOLOGIST was published by FSG in October 2009.

"The publishing process for THE ESPRESSOLOGIST was so great-- every step along the way was fun from the first line edits through getting the final cover. I finally found exactly what I want to do and it's an awesome, awesome thing."

Tell my readers about your debut book THE ESPRESSOLOGIST.

THE ESPRESSOLOGIST is about Jane, a 17-yr old part-time coffee barista at a Chicago coffee house. Jane has a notebook where she's been recording what type of drinks people order and she notices a trend--the same type of people always order the same type of drinks. One day she tries to match up a customer whose favorite drink is an iced vanilla latte with another whose drink is a dry cappuccino and they're a hit. She tries it a couple more times, with success, and then her boss finds out what she's been doing and turns her into the store's holiday promotion, causing a love and latte craze.


You wrote the entire manuscript for your book from the same table at your local Starbucks. Is the Starbucks culture conducive to writing non-coffee-themed books, too?

Oh yeah. I'm on book #8 now and I've written all of them in coffee shops. Though, I have been fancying Caribou lately--I can't lie.

You had offers of representation from two agents and then your first book went to auction. How did you get to that point?

Mostly just let rejections roll of my back and kept on going! I was inching toward the 100 agents queried mark with my first YA book (I've since buried that book. RIP Book #1) while writing THE ESPRESSOLOGIST. I felt really good about THE ESPRESSOLOGIST and was so excited to start querying it. Once I did, things happened really fast. Suddenly there were a number of agents reading it, two offered, and then maybe a week or so after I signed with one of the agents the first offer from a publisher came in. There were more interested publishers so my agent set up an auction. It was all very exciting!

You have four kids under 7. How do you juggle life and writing life (and don’t say lots of coffee).

I won't say coffee (but it helps!). It is a bit of a struggle. OK, it can be a lot of a struggle some days but I manage to pull it off. Basically, the kids can get loud and cranky so I always attend to their needs first. But if there is a moment that I can sneak to the laptop and post a blog here and there I'll take it. If an idea for a chapter I'm working on hits me I'll write it down anywhere I can. Of course then my notes end up in e-mail drafts and on post-its/receipts/mail/kids' homework/you name it. I do all business calls between 1 and 2 PM (a.k.a. naptime at the Springer house). And I write after the kids go to bed. Usually my husband will get home from work at this time and I can make a dash for the coffeeshop to write. I do promotional type stuff (signings, panels etc.) primarily on the weekends when my husband can take over with the kids.

THE ESPRESSOLOGIST has been out for several months. What have you done in the way of promotion? Online presence? How is it going?

I do as much as I can! Online I blog/tweet/facebook a lot. I'm at kristinaspringer.blogspot.com and I also blog with a great group of writers at author2author.blogspot.com. Our group posts five days a week so we're very active.

I've tried a couple of ads on various sites and I've done lots of giveaways. It's especially nice to group up with other authors for giveaways too, Like Kristin Walker (A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL) and Rhonda Stapleton (STUPID CUPID) and I did a fun one for Valentine's Day. We asked people to write us a poem and we picked a random winner to receive an autographed copy of each of our books, candy, and handmade Valentine cards.

In person I go to as many events as I can. I've done a number of signings, a YA panel, the yearly Anderson's Children's literature breakfast, an author fair, and a school visit so far. I have a teacher's appreciation luncheon coming up this weekend and another author fair right after that so I try to keep busy on the weekends.

I don’t drink coffee. Does it make sense that I’d marry a Jewish psychologist who’s a java junkie?

No. That makes no sense whatsoever. Um, maybe it's an opposites attract thing? Perhaps you've yet to succumb to the delicious addiction and you'll eventually pick it up? I wouldn't eat salad until I was like 18 and now I love it. Maybe you'll come around.

How many reviewers have called your book “frothy”?

Too many to count! I've seen lots of "cute," "sweet," "frothy" and lots of people talking about reading it while getting cozy by fireplaces/christmas trees/with a blanket/whatever else you like to get cozy by or with. I totally love that people get that from the book because that's what I was going for--the warm fuzzies.

Tell us about your second novel that will be published by FGS later this year.

I am insanely excited about my new book! It's called MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS. It's about two 7th grade BFFs who each think each other's "boyfriend" is a fake. It becomes competitive (like if one says her boyfriend sent her carnations the other says her boyfriend sent her roses) and hilarious. It will be out in the August 31st.

Finally, can you offer some advice to other debut authors? To those pursuing publication?

To other debut authors: Don't read the reviews! Ok, I know you'll read some of the reviews-- especially from the bigger reviewers. But don't read ALL of the reviews. Like all the goodreads and Amazon and random reviews that pop up online everyday. People's opinions vary so widely and if you start reading everything you might let it affect your thinking and possibly your writing. One person may say OMG, this is the BEST BOOK EVER!! Um, no it's not. And another might say OMG, this is the worst thing ever written! Again, not. It's better to not obsess over what everyone is saying and just work on your next book.

To those pursuing publication: Don't give up! You'll be rejected. A LOT. But you can't let it stop you! You need to believe in your work and keep on trying.

A Catching Up Post...

Hopefully you've missed me, dear readers. My blog has been quiet for a bit as I was home in bed for a week taking Vicodin and watching Law & Order reruns with frozen edamame in my pants. And one should not post in that state.

But I'm back at work now, almost all better and pretty much caught up on my work. Now to catch you up...

• My birthday was a week ago Wednesday, but I rescheduled it due to the situation described above. (So if you asked me, I'll tell you I'm still 41.) I've decided it will officially occur on March 20th, at which time I will be in New York to catch the end of the NYC Teen Author Festival. Click here for the event schedule posted on the readergirlz blog. There's all kinds of stuff going on all over the city, including the World's Biggest Book Signing in the World! at Books of Wonder (where they also sell cupcakes). Look for tweets from me during the events and a post or two when I get back.

• SCBWI announced their 2010 Golden Kite Award recipients. Their award for fiction went to SEA OF THE DEAD by Julia Durango; nonfiction to ASHLEY BRYAN: WORDS TO MY LIFE'S SONG by Ashley Bryan; picture book text to THE LONGEST NIGHT by Marion Dane Bauer (illustrated by Ted Lewin); picture book illustration to GRACIAS THANKS illustrated by John Parra (written by Pat Mora). Honor award recipients were also announced. The winners will be honored at the Golden Kite Luncheon at the SCBWI Annual Summer Conference in LA (July 30-August 2) which will be covered by SCBWI TEAM BLOG.

• This weekend is our first WD Editors' Intensive of 2010. If you can't make it to this one, mark your calendar for September 11-12 when we'll be offering another weekend of information and critiquing featuring yours truly as well as a raft of other awesome WD editors.
  

That's it for now. I'm off to do some interviewing, editing and WRITING (all my favorite fun work stuff).

Five Things I Learned from Heather Brewer's Book Signing...

I attend a lot of author events because, well, I love to meet authors. Most recently I saw Heather Brewer, author of the best-selling Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, doing a signing at my local B&N to support the release of book #4 in the series, ELEVENTH GRADE BURNS. This was a particularly fun author event for me (more on that below) and Heather did a terrific job addressing her young (and not so young) audience about her writing career and her books and her characters. Here are a few things we learned:

1) Give yourself permission to write.
Not to get all Nike on you, but if you want a career as a writer, it's not going to happen unless you just do it. Although it was something Heather longed for for years, she was told by parents and even her beloved librarians that being an author wasn't really an option and she'd need a "real job." Finally, she said, after her youngest child started school, she discussed her career options with her spouse. What would you do, he asked her, if money didn't matter and you could do whatever you wanted? I want to be an author, she told him. Then do it, he said. (She proceeded to write, find an agent, get a book contract, and hit high on the New York Times Bestseller List.) It's OK to give yourself permission to follow your dream. But if it takes a supportive, encouraging significant other, that's OK too.

2) Goal setting is important.
Heather's Brewer's formula: butt + chair = writing. Even when she's on tour she writes 1,000 words a day. Books don't write themselves, after all. So, again, just do it.

3) Mine the painful stuff for material.
Heather told the bookstore audience about growing up in a small town where she felt like an outcast and was bullied. (Except when she spent time in the library. "Bullies don't know there is a library," she said.) She calls upon these experiences as she writes her main character, Vladimir Tod. Because, really, who's more of an outcast than a vampire in junior high?

Heather Brewer's Chronicles of Vladimir Tod books.

4) Boys read.
And they come to author events. There were a lot of them and they were excited. I sat next to kid named Nick who talked my arm off about the books and characters he loved. (I asked him what grade he was in. "Sixth," he told me. Then he looked at me, paused, and said," You're not in any grade, are you?") Another boy raised his hand during the Q&A and when called on he was so nervous he couldn't remember his question. (He did later, then asked several more.) Another boy who seemed kind of shy was in front of me in the singing line. With his head slightly lowered he spent several minutes giving Heather a synopsis of the story he wants to get published (which sounded really cool). These boys love books.

5) Authors are rock stars.
OMG. The kids LOVE Heather. Love love love. A heard a few of them say they'd been there for hours because they wanted good seats. A couple of girls with hair dyed unnatural colors said they wanted to high five Heather and never wash their hands again. Four girls drove in from Michigan. (That's far.) One girl took a photo with the author, ran next door to Kinkos and got an 8x10 printed and came back to get it signed. And they were asking questions, thoughtful ones that could have only come from devoted fans. Tons of them wore vampire smiley face apparel. It was the best, most enthusiastic bunch of slightly awkward, slightly pimply, hoodie-wearing tween fans I'd ever seen. I wanted to take them all home with me. But I bet they all wanted to go home with Heather Brewer.

Heather Brewer at the signing table.

Crawling Out From Under Snowpocalypse & Being Lost in a Good Book...

If you don't live around here, I'm sure you've all seen the news of the recent enormous snowfall dumping on hunks of the country. In case you missed them on my Facebook page, here are a few pictures I took through the windows of my warm house, most likely while wearing a Snuggie.




Because of the snowiness, I was pretty much stuck in the house for FOUR SOLID DAYS. Me, Katkin, the boy, the elderly cat, and a dwindling supply of cereal and canned goods. But instead of watching the Olympics, I engaged in a few glorious days of all-in reading.

A friend recommended Kathryn Stockett's debut novel THE HELP (note: a book for grown-ups) and once I got into it, I was gone. I neglected my family. I ate very little. I wore pajamas. There was no showering. I read chapters out loud and copied down my favorite lines. And when I finally finished it at 3:15 AM on Monday I sat weeping on my sofa. Sigh.

Several times a year I'm completely consumed by a book this way. Nothing exists but me, the characters and their world. And when I read the last page and close the cover, it's as if I'm leaving a lover after a secret weekend in a hotel room. There has been very little sleeping. Scenes linger in my thoughts for weeks. And I wish I could go back and experience it anew.

I am now clean, well-rested and back at my desk. I've loaned the book to another friend and ordered her to start reading so we can discuss. And I'm looking forward to the next snowstorm or airplane ride or day when I suddenly have a few hours and a gem. (Your recommendations are welcome.)

Some Monday Fun: Author Erin Dealey Raps on Writing...

Check out Erin Dealey's Writer's Rap featuring a guest appearance by SCBWI and a cameo by the 2010 CWIM. And remember: Ya gotta have a hook.

DBW, SCBWI, My Webinar & WD Intensives...

I've been gone for more than a week, so I've got so much to talk about!

DBW & SCBWI
I got back from New York last night after attending both Digital Book World and the SCBWI Annual Winter conference. I hope you all were following the tweets (#dbw, #scbwiny10) and the SCBWI Conference Blog. (Mega kudos for my amazing TEAM BLOGgers Jaime, Jolie, Lee and Suzanne.)

TEAM BLOG, l to r: Lee Wind, Suzanne Young, Jaime Temairik, me, Jolie Stekly

One of the sessions I attended at DBW was on Digital Content and Marketing for the Born-Digital Generation. I wrote about it for DBW so click over to read about the cool and successful things Simon & Schuster, Harper and Scholastic are doing to reach out to their young, tech-savvy audience. Agent Holly Root of Waxman Literary also participated in the panel. She offered this advice to writers: "Reach readers, navigate the changing review landscape, use social media to its fullest."

UPCOMING EVENTS
If all the DBW and SCBWI conference coverage has you in the mood for an informative event (and you'd like some tips that can help you better follow Holly Root's advice), I've got a couple things coming up that might interest you.

First, I'm presenting an hour-long webinar focused on children's publishing called Get Your Children's Writing Published. I gave a similar webinar last year and I was thrilled to see a tweet about it the other day (YAY!):

@lkblackburne Last year, w/ no blog, no twitter account, and no clue, I took @alicepope 's Children's writing seminar. So worth it.

You can get more information and register here.

If you've got more than an hour to devote to learning, the Writer's Digest staff is offering one of our popular Editors' Intensives March 13-14. This event offers a day of programming, a one-on-one manuscript critique, and a some solid WD swag. Plus we can only fit a limited number of people in the WD HQ so there's an intimate feel and plenty of opportunity for interaction with WD staff. (You'll get all your questions answered!)

You can get more information and register here.

A side note: Thanks to everyone for your input on Twitter and Facebook throughout my week of conferencing. I so appreciate your comments, responses and retweets.

Alice Has Left the Nati--Follow Me Online...



As soon as I post this, I'm leaving the office and heading to the airport to got to New York for Digital Book World and the SCBWI Annual Winter Conference.

But, never fear--you don't have to miss me...

Watch my Twitter feed on Tuesday and Wednesday for tweets from DBW (#dbw) and check the DBW blog for daily reports on the event. You can also follow DBW on Twitter.

For as-it-happens conference action, stay glued to the Official SCBWI Conference Blog where I and the rest of SCBWI TEAM BLOG will cover the event live. (If you can't join the fun, we'll bring it right to your computer screen!)

Here's a rundown of our exclusive pre-conference interviews with SCBWI Winter Conference speakers (as swiped from Jaime's blog):

• Jolie Stekly featured blogger Jenn Bailey
• Lee Wind featured Art Director Laurent Linn and agent Eddie Gamarra and author Jacqueline Woodson
• Suzanne Young featured publisher Ben Schrank
• Jaime Temairik featured publisher Allyn Johnston and illustrator Peter Sis
• I interviewed agent Tina Wexler and conference tips from conference-goer Jane Makuch

Debut Author of the Month:
Libby Schmais

Je suis heureux de vous informer that starting today, I'm reviving le Debut Author du mois feature on mon blog. (Those of you who contacted me for First Books: You may be hearing from in months to come.)

January's DAotM is Libby Schmais, whose YA debut is The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein, released from Delacorte en Décembre. Says Kirkus: "readers of any age will savor Lotus’s panache...Chick lit par excellence." You can read a délicieuse excerpt here.

Describe your debut YA novel, The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein.

The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein is a diary book by a teenager living in Brooklyn who is obsessed with all things French. Lotus feels stifled by her life in Park Slope, Brooklyn and fancies herself an existentialist, although her real knowledge of that philosophy and actual French words is a little sketchy. She and her best friend Joni end up both liking the same guy, another Sartre aficionado, and things come to a head during a school trip to Montreal, challenging both her friendship and her freethinking ideas.

You’d published a couple of books for adults—what made you write for a YA audience?

I didn’t consciously set out to write a YA book. The character of Lotus appeared to me one day, and the voice was a teenage one, so I just kind of went with it. I think if I had decided to write a modern-day YA novel from the beginning, I would have been intimidated, because it was out of my comfort zone.

Why did you choose diary format? Have you kept journals at some point?

Well, Lotus is studying The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagan in school, a famous Japanese diary book so that’s part of the reason I chose the diary format. The other reason is that I’ve always wanted to write a diary book. So many of my favorite books are diary books, like I Capture the Castle, Bridget Jones’ Diary, The Diary of Adrian Mole, etc. And in answer to your question, I have tried to write in many journals over the years and have a stack of half-filled notebooks that are impossible to read because my handwriting is so terrible.

Like your title character Brooklynite Lotus Lowenstein, are you a Francophile and/or an existentialist?

I’m definitely a Francophile. I love French food, speaking French badly, and I have recurring fantasy about moving to the South of France, preferably near a field of lavender and an outdoor café. I’m also a bit of an existentialist, particularly on Mondays, when life seems très meaningless.

How did you end up at Delacorte? Do you have an agent?

I do have an agent—the fabulous Stephen Barbara of Foundry Media, who hooked me up with Delacorte. I actually have a two-book deal, so I will have another YA book coming out in approximately a year or so, with a totally different character, although equally quirky and misguided.

You’ve recently completed the My-Life-Is-Merde-but-Have-a-Bonnes-Fêtes-Anyway Blog Tourapalooza, you’ve got a fan page on facebook, and you blog and tweet as your main character. Did I miss anything? How are your book promotion efforts going?

Wow, it sounds so exhausting when you put it like that. Yes, that covers it, except for maybe Goodreads, which is a great site for authors. I have to say all the YA bloggers are a very encouraging and enthusiastic bunch, and they’ve been very positive about the book, so I’d say the online promotion is going well, although I always feel that I could be doing more.

Can you offer some advice to first-time YA authors?

Advice. Hmmm. Probably the same advice I give myself—try not to be too influenced by what everyone else is doing and write the story that you need to write. And don’t be so hard on yourself. Writing is not easy.

ALA Award Winners Announced...

Here are the highlights:

The 2010 John Newbery Medal for most outstanding contribution to children’s literature went to When You Reach Me, written by Rebecca Stead.


The 2010 Randolph Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book for children went to The Lion & the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney.


The 2010 Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults went to Going Bovine, written by Libba Bray.



For a complete list of ALA medalists, click here.

Congratulations to all the outstanding authors and illustrators who were recognized!

NOTE: Printz Award winner Libba Bray is the opening keynote speaker for the SCBWI Annual Winter Conference next week in New York City. Click here to register for the event.

Conference Tips (Especially for the Less Experienced Conference-Goer):
A Guest Post by Jane Makuch...

As a follow-up to my recent post on upcoming events, today I offer some tips for attending conferences. What follows are some lessons learned by a relatively new conference-goer Jane Makuch who I met at our Writer's Digest Editor's Intensive in September. Jane will also be attending the SCBWI Annual Winter Conference and the pre-conference Writers Intensive. She's currently revising a YA manuscript.


JANE'S CONFERENCE TIPS
So many of us spend lots of money and want to do the "right" thing at conferences, but we're so often on the outside looking in. I've spent countless hours looking for do's and don't and know I still have so much to learn. Some things I have learned that I think will be helpful are:

• Develop a 30-second pitch. Not just for agents and editors, but also the dozens of times other attendees ask, "What's your book about?"
• Develop a 2-minute pitch for one-on-ones. So many new conference goers seem to think they need to spend the 10 or 15 precious minutes talking instead of interacting, answering questions and listening.
• This might be elementary, but be presentable. Fit the part--show up showered and well dressed. I've been rather surprised by the lack of hygiene, sweatpants, and dirty toenails sticking out of the end of sandals...eewww! Clean and pressed doesn't have to mean expensive, but it does show professionalism.
• No answering cell phones during classes. (Turn them off, or at least mute them.)
  
• No talking to neighbors during a sessions because you're bored or scared or overwhelmed. They paid to be there also.
• Have calling/business cards. Vistaprints.com has very inexpensive cards with quick delivery. Put blog and twitter addresses on them and use a nice size, readable font.
• Ask people you meet at conference for their business cards. (Jot notes on the back so you can remember where/when you met them.)
  
• Research the speakers ahead of time. Do you know of an agent who would be great to meet? If you have a polished manuscript, be ready to ask if you could query them. Then mention in your query that you met them at the conference.
• Don't be bossy or rude. Never ambush an agent or editor. No knocking on bathroom stalls or hotel rooms!
• You can't go wrong with a more formal etiquette. Kindness and respect will most likely get you noticed when presenting yourself with confidence and professionalism.

What's your best advice for getting the most out of a conference? Leave a comment!

• Note that we have an Editors Intensive coming up in March at our WD HQ. Click here for info on the WD Editors Intensive. (Registration will be open soon.)
• And you can still register for the SCBWI Annual Winter Conference. Click here for the SCBWI registration page.

Upcoming Events (Where You'll Find Me!)...

I always think of January as being nothing but dull dull dull and cold cold cold. January 2010, however, is shaping up to rather exciting (and yet...still cold cold cold). Here's what's coming up:

WRITER'S DIGEST 90th ANNIVERSARY PARTY, January 20th
This takes place at the very cool Northside Tavern in Cincinnati. Join us for networking, give-aways, cake and various other anniversary fun. Here's my recent post about the party. No RSVP needed--just show up.

DIGITAL BOOK WORLD, January 26-27
This two-day industry event in New York City is a big ol discussion of current and future strategies, tools, and best practices for consumer publishers big and small in the age of eBook and e-readers. And pretty much everyone will be there. Registration for Digital Book World is still open. (I will be there tweeting and blogging.)
Click here to follow DBW on Twitter.

ALICE RESTS, January 28

SCBWI ANNUAL WINTER CONFERENCE, January 29-31
You can still register for the biggest and best event for children's writers and illustrators there is (besides the SCBWI Summer Conference). If you can't attend, don't fret--you can follow the conference as it happens on The Official SCBWI Conference Blog manned by SCBWI TEAM BLOG (Jaime, Jolie, Lee, Suzanne and me.)

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 affects everything, of course, but I don’t feel like we’ve let it affect the books in terms of 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 the story of the lynching of Leo Frank in 1914. It’s a shocking and seminal moment in post-Reconstruction/pre-Civil Rights history, and there’s very little written about it for YAs (and teens were a big part of the story).

In fall, I’ve got a new picture book illustrated by CSK winner Floyd Cooper, and I’ve got three absolutely brilliant YA novels, and a new work of nonfiction by Sally Walker.

According to your blog, at the end of September you cut off accepting unsolicited submissions. Will this change in the near future?

This is temporary. I’m just way, way behind. I imagine in a couple months I will turn on the fire hose again. When I do, the blog will be the place to find out. (And Twitter: @andrewkarre)

Find Andrew Karre and Carolrhoda online:

• Blog: carolrhoda.blogspot.com
• Twitter: @andrewkarre
• Also find Carolrhoda on Facebook
  
• Follow Lerner Publishing Group at The Lerner Books Blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter
  
• Visit lernerbooks.com for up-to-date details on their highly reviewed and award-winning titles for children and young adults.

Writer's Digest is Turning 90, We're Having a Party & You're Invited!...

Writer's Digest is hitting the big 9-0 so we're celebrating with a birthday bash at the ubercool Northside Tavern in the Nati on Wednesday, January 20th at 7 PM.

We'll be giving away lots of writerly swag and there will be cake (and a well-stocked bar).

“All of us on staff are honored and humbled to be a part of the Writer’s Digest legacy, and this anniversary gives us a moment to celebrate and give thanks to the writing community that supports us,” says Jane Friedman, our Publisher and WD Community Leader. “Anyone who’s ever worked with or for Writer’s Digest is encouraged to join us, as well as anyone who has read and appreciated the magazine over the years.”

If you are in the area--or even if you're not--come join the WD team in anniversary revelry.

Reaching Your Target Audience Online:
A Guest Post by Greg Pincus...

Happy New Year readers! I've been away from my office for weeks, I've trudged through the snow, I'm back at my desk, and I'm starting off 2010 with a guest post by Greg Pincus.

Greg's guest post was sparked by a comment he left on Jane Friedman's There are No Rules blog which I asked him to expand on. (Click here to read the post and the comments.)

Read on–and please leave comments yourself if you can offer advice about reaching an audience of young readers online...

If you’re an author or illustrator who’s blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking or using other social networks to build your platform, you need to think strategically about who you’re going to reach online and how you’re going to do it.

Some choices are easy–you’re not likely to use LinkedIn to appeal to the kids who read your picture books. But if you write YA, in particular, you often have to make some more complex choices since your potential readership is actually online…and in large numbers.

Teens, however, don’t use the web the way adults do. As a result, most author/illustrator blogs and websites don’t attract teenage readers unless the author is already known to them. Twitter connections follow a similar pattern.

This means that if you’re offering up a “this is my journey” or writing advice or book review blog or just tweeting as as yourself, you should focus on appealing to the gatekeepers rather than teen readers. If you want to reach your core readership, you need to consider building a community around a central idea or offering up interactivity that your potential readers want and can’t replicate elsewhere. Some examples:

• Author P.J. Haarsma built a game which attracted a huge audience that became the core supporters of his books. The game community helped test storylines and championed the books to their friends, too.

• The women behind Readergirlz have built a community around authors, books, and reading. The site is a destination offering interactivity, changing content, and projects that involve offline participation, as well. While the site is not directly about the Readergirlz “divas” themselves, the connection to the readers still exists for them individually as well as collectively.
  

• Finding underserved, pre-existing communities can be an effective path to having a teen readership, as Lee Wind has done with his blog I’m Here. I’m Queer. Now What the Hell Do I Read?. Again, the community here is not directly about Lee’s writing… and it’s a mix of gatekeepers and teens.

In all these cases, helping the community grow involves consistently creating content, understanding what your site’s readers want, and making sure your own career goals don’t come in conflict with the wants of your readers.

There are great success stories with authors connecting with their readers via social media. Ellen Hopkins’ use of MySpace and John Green’s use of videos and Twitter–where he has over 1,000,000 followers including members of his core audience–are two notable examples. For most of us, however, social media remains a difficult way to connect to a large network of teen (or younger) readers.

There are many good resources for learning how teens use the Internet. A good place to start is with the work of danah boyd and by looking at sites that already work.

Have you had success reaching your core readership online? Do you know other good ways to attract teen readers? I’d love to hear about them as, I suspect, would everyone else trying to reach them.

Find Greg Pincus online:

• The Happy Accident
• Gotta Book
• On Twitter