Harry Potter book 7 Cover...

In case you haven't seen it yet and you're interested in a sneak peak.

Postage on those SASEs...

I just found out that postage is increasing starting May 14, so keep that in mind if you're sending out submissions with self-addressed, stamped envelopes. Time to head to the post office for some one-cent stamps.

BEA/WDB Writer's Conference...

Hello! I've been away from my blog for a bit of a stretch, spending my days enraptured in the big fun of e-mailing, faxing and updating my database. (I do it all for you, gentle readers.) Thought I 'd take some time out to tell you about the BookExpo America/Writer's Digest Books Writers Conference.

This event takes place the Wednesday before BookExpo America (May 30) and will be held at the Javitz Center in NYC. Our fifth annual event will be great fun and the event hall will be bursting with editors, authors (including K.L Going), and agents (such as Emily Sylvan Kim, Regina Brooks, Jennie Dunham, and Jennifer Weltz). The agents will take part in the afternoon Pitch Slam, during which writers have three minutes to talk to agents about their manuscripts. (Hint: there are generally not a ton of children's writers in attendances. In the past, everyone with projects for young readers has gotten a chance to talk to every single appropriate agent or editor.)

We'll also offer a host of great sessions (like an Ask the Editors panel featuring yours truly). There are so many good ones that I already can't decide which sessions to check out. Visit the conference website for more info and to register. If you decide to attend, find me and say hi.

P.S. I'll be blogging from the conference and throughout the BookExpo event--and I'll be posting lost of pictures.

No Agent, No Connections?...

Someone has given us at Writer's Digest Books the following challenge:

"Identify an author who has had two novels published on his or her own without connections or agent or publications besides his or her two novels."

Do you or any of your writer friends qualify? E-mail me at alice.pope@fwpubs.com or leave a comment.

Teens & Book Buying: Some Good News...

Apparently teenagers are buying more books than ever. Here's a link to the article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Since I Last Blogged: An Update...

It's been a busy and at somewhat eventful 11 days since I last posted. Here's what I've been up to:

• Friday 3/2: Off work. Not particularly busy or eventful. Slept late, hung out with mom. Getting over an annoying head cold. (If you're keeping score of Alice's ailments in 2007--stomach flu, regular flu, pink eye, hives, head cold.)
  
• Saturday 3/3: My birthday. I am now 39. (I just typed I am not 39. Freudian slip, anyone?) Husband gave me a full schedule of spa, shopping, dinner. A lot of activity in one day for a woman my age.
• Sunday 3/4: Recover from birthday.
• Monday 3/5: Working on "First Books." Writing is hard, oh so hard. Brain tired. Pinkie finger on right hand sore from hitting shift key. I need a pinkie massage specialist.
• Tuesday 3/6: Working on "First Books." Writing is fun, oh so fun! It just flowed out of me like I opened a vein. I love days when that happens.
• Wednesday 3/7: Working on "First Books." Writing still fun!
• Thursday 3/8: I bet writing would have been fun today, but no one let me. Meetings most of the day. Spent the afternoon sending emails to publishers who have not yet verified their listings. (You know who you are--I've emailed you all like five times already. Throw me a bone, people.) Tedious yet effective. I have missed "First Books" deadline, but that's OK. One fun meeting--market books covers are approved. 2008 CWIM is two-tone purple. With a fish on it. Sounds odd, but it looks really cool. I love it. Great job, Josh the co-op!
  
• Friday 3/9: Off work. Belated birthday fun with best pal Suzanne. Lunch, shoe shopping, facial (so I don't look 39. Wow are my pores clean!) Evening was yoga class and a What Not to Wear marathon.
  
• Saturday 3/10: Lunch with my third cousin once removed, Elizabeth, who I'd not met until today. We had lunch at my favorite very vegetarian-friendly restaurant near the college. She is an aspiring writer and illustrator. Saw her portfolio. Lots of potential--I really liked her style. (It's always a tense moment when someone is pulling out her portfolio. I'm always afraid I'll hate it and I won't know what to say. But hers was good. Some nice work in pastels with interesting perspectives. Really dug it.) Went to moveis. Review: Don't spend 9 bucks to see Music and Lyrics even if you like the idea of Hugh Grant in tight pants. Really bad movie.
  
• Sunday 3/11: It was sunny! Wore flip flops. Visited my brother. Murray wouldn't nap and did not seem to care that I wanted to nap. Watched several episodes of Pee Wee's Playhouse. (I think my husband has a crush on Miss Yvonne.) Everyone is grumpy from the early springing forward business.
• Today: Still grumpy (and sleep deprived) from the early springing forward business. Hope writing will be fun today, but I'm not hopeful. I'll probably continue with the tedious-yet-effective email campaign instead. I shouldn't write when I'm grumpy. It is supposed to be in the mid 60s and sunny today, but it was 33 degrees this morning. Left the house in my new really cute wedge sandals and went right back inside to put on boots. Grumpy with cold feet is not the way to go on a Monday.
  

More Scrotum Press...

Here's a link to Susan Patron's op-ed piece in a recent issue of the Los Angeles Times.

More Scrotum Talk: Susan Patron on NPR...

I left work a little early yesterday to go to the gym, and when I started my car, the radio came on, and guess the first word I heard? That's right: scrotum--from the mouth of NPR Talk of the Nation host Neal Conan. That word is enjoying a lot of big press these days--after the Higher Power of Lucky scrotum scandal broke, the story appeared on the front page of The New York Times. Below the fold, but, still--the front page! (It'd link to it, but it's $4.95 to read the full article. If I remember correctly, one librarian interviewed for the piece likened Susan Patron to Howard Stern, going for "shock value." Whoa.)

If you didn't happen to listen to Talk of the Nation yesterday, click here to hear Patron, Conan, and number of callers weigh in on what's appropriate in children's books, censorship, and our friend the scrotum. (I think Patron was pretty awesome in this interview.)