Debut Author of the Month: Debbie Reed Fischer...

Debut YA novelist Debbie Reed Fischer originally planned to write screenplays, but instead she fell into the business side of the industry, becoming a talent agent for TV and film. "It's probably just as well," she says, being that her first screen play—"about sorority girls who were perky Susie Chapsticks by day and axe-wielding serial killers my night"—wasn't exactly Oscar-worthy. "Now I would let my neighbor's dog use it as a chew toy if I could find it."

Fischer moved from talent agenting to model brokering in Miami, an experience that offered her a treasure trove of characters and the backdrop for her debut Braless in Wonderland released in April by Dutton. She eventually left the world of modeling behind, got married, went back to college and became an English teacher. After five years of teaching, she quit to "have two babies and focus on writing." She got involved in SCBWI, found a mentor, and started attending conferences—which all helped lead her to her first book contract. Here's her story.

Do you have an agent? How did you get your book contract with Dutton for Braless in Wonderland?
I was fortunate enough to meet my agent Steven Chudney at a Florida SCBWI conference. Within five minutes of my “pitch,” he kindly told me I talked too much, which shows he is a very perceptive man. We hit it off immediately. Steven really ‘gets’ my humor and what I’m going for. He sent out Braless in Wonderland to a handful of editors, and we received some positive responses within a few weeks, but it was Dutton who responded first. It was another several weeks of nervous waiting as it went up the editorial ladder until I got The Phone Call that an official offer had been made. The date was June 14, 2006, one of the happiest days of my life. My kids and I released a gaggle of balloons in the sky and I told them they could be anything they wanted. We celebrate June 14th every year now as our own wacky “dream day” holiday.

Your website refers to Braless in Wonderland as “a funny, honest peek at the crazy and glamorous world of professional modeling.” Tell us more about your debut novel.
Braless in Wonderland is about a small-town girl named Allee who falls into the world of modeling. She considers herself a brainiac and a feminist, but definitely not model material. She leaves that to pretty people like her little sister (a.k.a. “The Fluff”). That’s why it’s a complete shock when Allee, not her sister, is the one spotted by modeling scouts at the mall and signed by a major modeling agency in Miami. The book gets inside the mind a new model, especially her insecurities and her misconceptions about what the modeling industry is like. It’s also about holding on to the core of who you are, but being willing to grow and change.

You worked as a model booking agent for years—at the time did it occur to you that that world would make a great backdrop for a YA novel? Did anything in particular spark your idea?
It occurred to me from my very first day on the job, as I videotaped teen models dancing in prom dresses for a casting. The environment is so surreal, you really feel like you’re in a kind of modern Wonderland, which is one of the reasons elements of Alice in Wonderland are woven throughout the story. Many scenes in the book are based on my experiences as a booker. I repped a model who always carried a stuffed animal she called Jupiter. She made us talk to it. That weirdness made it into the book. The agency provided lots of inspiration.

I was especially intrigued by the fact that so many stereotypes I’d held dear were wrong, namely the “models are shallow and dumb” belief. That is definitely untrue. It’s just that models often have to choose between college or their career, which leaves them uneducated. Some manage to do both, but for most, the demands of the modeling industry and the travel required make it a tough call. That issue is addressed in Braless, as is the issue of stereotyping.

I was also fascinated by the transformation that took place after a new model arrived in South Beach. Every season there was some shy, quiet Susie from Osh Kosh who would suddenly become confident, loud Suzette by season’s end. That screamed, “YA novel!” to me. The teen years are a time of self-discovery, and the modeling industry is a world where you get to “try on different shoes,” both literally and figuratively speaking.

At one point, you decided to quit teaching and get and serious about writing. How long did it take you to get from that point to being a published YA novelist? What did you do along the way to learn about the world of books for young readers?
It took me about four years. The first year I attempted to write a novel without taking workshops or joining a critique group, because I just didn’t know any better. Plus, since I’d studied screenwriting, I actually thought I was ready to be published. HAHAHAHAHA! Never have I been so painfully wrong. That manuscript is now where it belongs. Six feet under. Just kidding, it’s in my closet. But I should probably bury it.

After about a year of toiling away, I realized A) that I was stuck, and B) it was terrible, so I took a workshop at a local library led by a YA author. It was then that I realized how much I still had to learn. I joined a wonderful critique group, started attending conferences, met fellow YA writers and really dedicated myself to my goal. As far as learning about the world of books for young readers, I’ve been an avid reader of middle grade and young adult fiction since I was a middle grader myself. I’ve never stopped reading books for kids. That’s actually why I had kids, to give me an excuse to read children’s books.

On your website bio, you mention a mentor. Can you tell me about that person?
With pleasure. Her name is Joyce Sweeney and she’s an award-winning YA author, a teacher, and a tremendous source of strength and guidance for many writers in South Florida. It was her workshop that inspired me to go after my dream. Under her mentorship, many local writers have become published. She also worked with my agent Steven many years ago when he was a publicist. I’m a big believer in synchronicity. People definitely come into your life for a reason.

On your site, you give ten tips for writers. Your #1 tip: “Be fearless.” Are there any fears you had to overcome as you embarked on a writing career? Any fears you’re still working on?
My fears mostly deal with revealing truth in my writing. Even though I write humor, I also draw from my own personal mistakes, my insecurity and awkwardness; all of that takes courage. I really try not to pull punches when it comes to depicting the under belly of high school politics, family relationships, or in the case of Braless, the modeling industry. Someone who read my book said to me, “Why do you have to write about models who take diet pills?” I answered that while it’s true that not all models pop pills, it would be dishonest to write a book about the modeling industry and not include a model who takes appetite suppressants. There are models in my book who starve themselves, models who eat healthfully, as well as some who eat tons of pizza and fast food, yet remain wasp-waisted goddesses. All types exist in the modeling world. The truth is the truth.

A scene in Swimming with the Sharks, involves a first-time make-out session that goes horribly wrong. It’s based on an experience I had in high school, and it was incredibly difficult (read embarrassing) to write, and even more difficult to read to my critique group. But it was a turning point for me as a writer. Every single person in the group recounted an experience similar to the one I’d written. It was clear I’d struck a chord, and now I’m glad I wrote that scene. But that’s where the fear comes in, those pesky thoughts of "What will my mother-in-law or my son’s teacher think?" It takes bravery to be honest and I’m a total chicken about most things. But I really can’t write any other way.

I love that you’ve got a dream cast picked out for a movie version of Braless in Wonderland—that’s something I do a lot when I read novels. Has the book been optioned? Maybe it could turn into the next big CW show. (Gossip Girl will be cancelled eventually, although I hope not any time soon.)
CW, Lifetime, the big screen, the Weather Channel, bring it! It hasn’t been optioned . . . yet. Would you like to join me in a little visualization exercise so we can make this happen? That whole law of attraction thing? Come on . . . concentrate . . .

I also love that you’re giving away accessories (hoop earring like ones your main character wears, for instance) along with books as you promote Braless. What else have you been doing to create buzz?
Fun interviews like this one! The most rewarding thing I’ve done to promote is join the author class of 2k8. It’s a wonderful network and I’ve learned so much from other members. I also love communicating with readers via the Internet. I’m active on Myspace, Facebook, and I have a blog. Write to me! My video trailer is my favorite part of promotion so far. It feeds that whole “movie option” fantasy . . .

In a blog post you expressed some frustration in regards to promotion—the MySpacing, Facebooking, blogging, Listserving, chatrooming, etc.—in that it takes time away from writing. As a debut author, how do you reconcile that?
I’m getting all tough love now with my promo activities. Ultimately, time for writing has to be a priority. Everything else has to come second. If it means I have to neglect my blog for a few days to finish a chapter, then so be it.

Tell me more about your second novel, Swimming with the Sharks which comes out in September from Flux.
The main character is Peyton, who has finally earned a coveted spot on the varsity cheerleading squad. For her, it’s the end of standing on the social sidelines and the beginning of being in the Alpha Clique. The problems start when Lexie, the charismatic and powerful squad captain, orders Peyton and her team mates to drive another girl off the squad by bullying her. As the cruel hazing spirals out of control, Peyton is torn by her conscience, yet seduced by the chance to have everything she wants.

What’s your advice for aspiring YA novelists, particularly anyone thinking about giving writing full time a go?
My motto is: “Write what blows your skirt up!” Write whatever it is that you like to write. Enjoy yourself. Don’t get caught up in the angst, the neigh-sayers, the statistic-quoters. Just write. Find your own voice. Most of all, take workshops, join writing organizations, and make friends with other writers. It can change the trajectory of your life. Trust me. Oh, and check out my website for more writing tips at www.debbiereedfischer.com.

National Children's Choice Book Awards Announced...

You may have spied the Children's Choice Awards widget on the right side of my blog. Well the results are in for the award, announced last night at a Children's Book Council dinner in NYC hosted by Jon Scieszka. Here they are (in non-widget form), reinforcing for all of us that kids dig scary stuff, precocious pigs and boy wizards (drumroll please...):

• Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year: Frankie Stein written by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Kevan Atteberry (Cavendish). I'm posting the cover of this one, because I really dig Kevan and his book. (Murray loves it too, but he's too young to vote.)
• Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year: Big Cats by Elaine Landau (Enslow)
• Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year: Encyclopedia Horrifica by Joshua Gee (Scholastic)
• Illustrator of the Year Award: Ian Falconer, Olivia Helps with Christmas (Simon & Schuster)
• Author of the Year Award: J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Scholastic)

Oh My--Self-Published Picture Book Down with the P-O-T...

Take a look at this disturbingly hilarious (hilariously disturbing?) post on Galley Cat about a self-published picture book called It's Just a Plant (which I'm not linking to. OK yes I am--because you can click through and read this fine piece of literature ***), "an illustrated children's book about marijuana" that is "a book for parents who want to educate their children about the complexities of pot in a thoughtful, fact-oriented manner."

The commentary about the book from the former publisher of High Time magazine is, well, commentary from the former publisher of High Times. Dude.

*** in English, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish or Thai. I kid you not. And don't miss the reviews (one of which calls the author "the Dr. Seuss of pot") from the likes of Entertainment Weekly, Bill O'Reilly, and David Crosby.

New Edition of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books...

Harold Underdown has just come out with a revised and updated version of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books. Harold reports that the latest edition of this very helpful and info-packed guide has updated chapters, a new chapter on finding a good writing how-to, a new chapter on self-publishing, and a revised and reorganized marketing and promotion section, as well as revisions and added material throughout. TCIGtPCB is a great companion book to CWIM (although the initials don't exactly roll off the tongue).

And if you haven't been to Harold's website, The Purple Crayon, in a while, stop in. He's recently updated his Guide to Children's Book Agents and Artist's Representatives page.

Registration for SCBWI LA Is Open...


Today is the first day to register for the 37th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference in L.A.! So beat the crowd and click over to www.scbwi.org to sign up. You can also check out the faculty and read about the sessions. And guess who's presenting? It's your favorite CWIM editor! (Finally, I won't have to crash the after party.)

(Speaking of parties, the theme for the annual Saturday poolside is Paint the Town Red. I've got to start planning my outfit.)

Here are all the presenters in random order (it's quite a list):

Katherine Applegate
Sid Fleischman
Krista Marino
Namrata Tripathi
Jay Asher
David Gale
Mark McVeigh
Lisa Yee
Bonnie Bader
Melanie Hope Greenberg
Stephen Mooser
Paula Yoo
Tracy Barrett
Judy Goldschmidt
Yuyi Morales
Cecilia Yung
Ann Bausum
Margaret Peterson Haddix
Diane Muldrow
Linda Zuckerman
Michael Bourret
Dianne Hess
Lin Oliver
Brenda Bowen
Gretchen Hirsch
Susan Patron
Donna Bray
Mac McCool (aka Christian Hill)
Ann Whitford Paul
Christopher Cheng
Allyn Johnston
Sara Pennypacker
Rachel Cohn
Alan Katz
Alice Pope
Nancy Conescu
David LaRochelle
Laura Rennert
Bruce Coville
Elizabeth Law
Adam Rex
Suzanne Cruise
Arthur A. Levine
John Rocco
Debra Dorfman
Laurent Linn
Abigail Samoun
Amalia Ellison
Dorothy Love
Michael Stearns
Connie C. Epstein
Steven Malk
Julie Strauss-Gabel
Dilys Evans
Leonard Marcus
Mark Teague

Hey--How About Signing Up for My Newsletter?...

In case you haven't seen it mentioned here before, I send a (pretty much) monthly CWIM email newsletter. Each edition features my Debut Author of the Month. Other recurring features include exclusive interviews with authors and agents, updates of market listings, conference news, book mentions, and other things I feel like talking about.

Many of the short features in my newsletters link to full stories here on my blog. So if you read my blog, why sign up? Because (1) all the newsletter info doesn't make it to my blog and (2) the CWIM newsletter will be a nice and not-frequent-enough-to-bug you reminder to visit my blog (when there's really good stuff here) just in case you forget.

Click here to subscribe. I've got a newsletter going out next week that includes an interview with a new agent along with my DAotM, conference news and more. And I have some exciting (at least to me) stuff planned for upcoming editions. Plus there are always lots of picture and links.

Be sure to visit my blog next week for some good newsletter-related posts.

SCBWI Summer Conference Grant Opportunity...

If you're interested in attending the awesome yet pricey SCBWI Annual Summer Conference in LA this August 1-4 and could use a little extra cash (and who couldn't?) Fairy Godsisters, Ink./Shrinking Violet Promotions is offering a $1,000 grant to use for attending the event. Applicants must write a 250-word essay describing their goals for the conference and submit it to fairygodsistersink@yahoo.com. Visit Shrinking Violet Promotions for more information or contact mlhershey@aol.com with questions. The deadline is May 15th. (If you go, be sure to say his to me--I'll be there and I'll be blogging.)

According to their blog:

"Fairy Godsisters, Ink. is a small, benevolent squadron of children’s book authors who believe in the magic of passing forward lucky breaks, bounty and beneficence, as so many have done for us. We are Thalia Chaltas, Mary Hershey, Valerie Hobbs, R. L. La Fevers and Lee Wardlaw."

A New Blog from Jane Friedman...

Writer's Digest Books Editorial Director Jane Friedman launched a brand new blog yesterday, There Are No Rules.

Jane, who oversees the publication of more than 50 nonfiction titles a year and speaks at a bazillion writer's conferences on myriad publishing-related topics (and is my boss) says her goal is "to deliver valuable advice to aspiring and established authors through frank commentary on publishing trends, live reports from conferences/events, and brief interviews with agents/editors/authors."

So check it out. Bookmark it. You will likely learn something or come away with a provocative thought about the ever-changing publishing landscape. Leave a comment while you're there. (Feel free to say something nice about me.)

There Are No Rules is part of the new-and-improved WritersDigest.com.

April 23rd: Celebrate World Book and Copyright Day...

My IT professional brother emailed me this morning to tell me that today is World Book and Copyright Day according to UNESCO, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (Maybe I should have brought cupcakes to work. Every celebration need cupcakes.)

The UNESCO website says that on this date in 1616, Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. April 23rd is also the birthday or death date of other noted authors like Maurice Druon, K. Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.

The purpose of World Book and Copyright Day, says UNESCO, is "to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright." Sound good to this editor.


P.S. The theme of Bob Dylan's radio show today: birds--all songs about birds.

P.P.S. My brother just emailed me again to say that it's also National Jelly Bean Day and National Cherry Cheesecake Day. (When is National Cupcake Day?) Apparently my brother is not very busy at work.

Mad Anthony Writers Conference & Book Festival...

This Saturday, April 26th, I'll be offering a session at the Mad Anthony Writers Conference & Book Festival in Hamilton, Ohio (between Dayton and Cincinnati).
During my session, "For Children’s Writers: 2 Dozen Tips to Help You Get Published" (or Publlished as it says on the event's website), I'll talk about children's publishing, offer advice, and answer questions.

This event is not children's writing and publishing specific, but there will be a lot a good sessions on an array of topics. For instance my editorial director Jane Friedman is doing a session called "Marketing is Not a Dirty Word." (But don't go to that one, because it's at the same time as mine.) There are also sessions on "Revision, Revision, Revision," "Writing & Publishing Your First Novel," "Picture Book Manuscripts: What Works, What Doesn't," and two sessions on "A Writer's Website," one for beginners, one for intermediate. The event's keynote speaker is mystery writer Hallie Ephron. Here's a link to the conference schedule.

Concurrent with the writers conference is a book festival featuring hours of signings by authors of various genres.

If you live close (or close-ish) you should come to the event and see me.

P.S. That's General "Mad" Anthony Wayne above. He was Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army under George Washington. And he had a reputation as a snappy dresser.

Bob Dylan--Picture Book Author?...

I'm not much of a Bob Dylan fan. While I dig some of his lyrics quite a bit, the sound of his voice just bugs me. It's nails on a chalkboard through the speakers.

My husband talked me into seeing the critically acclaimed based-on-Bob-Dylan movie I'm Not There which I found slightly painful. Said husband also religiously listens to Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour on XM Radio. A few weeks ago, he anounced, "Today Bob Dylan shared his meatball recipe!" I've tried to listen to the show, but only lasted a few minutes because I really couldn't understand a word Bob Dylan was saying.

I just read an article in the Sunday New York Times about Bob Dylan winning a Pulitzer Prize for “profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.” Hmmm.

Now I see in today's Publishers Lunch that Simon & Schuster is publishing a picture book based on Bob Dylan's 1974 song "Forever Young." A Bob Dylan picture book! Maybe next he'll delve into the fashion world a la Jerry Garcia's neckties or Carlos Santana's shoes.

I guess Bob Dylan is the new Elvis--he's everywhere.

Balzer, Bray to Launch New Imprint at HarperCollins...

In a press release today, HarperCollins Publishers announced that it has appointed Alessandra Balzer and Donna Bray to the newly created position of Co-Publishers of the new imprint Balzer & Bray. They will join HarperCollins on May 5, 2008, reporting to Kate Morgan Jackson, Senior Vice President and Associate Publisher of HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Alessandra Balzer began her career at HarperCollins Children’s Books, and was most recently an Executive Editor at Hyperion Books for Children. Donna Bray started her career at Henry Holt and Company, and was most recently the Editorial Director of Hyperion Books for Children.

Here's a link to the full story on the Publishers Weekly.

Authors and Illustrators for Children THIS I DREAM Campaign...


In 2004 authors Bruce Balan and April Halprin Wayland created Authors & Illustrators for children (AIC), with the goal of "using our collective energy to create a future where children can read all of our books in health, happiness, safety and peace." AIC supported the John Kerry for President campaign and more than 400 authors and illustrators lent their names to an advertisement which was placed in national publications targeted at teachers, as well as newspaper and periodical ads in swing states.

Now, in preparation for the 2008 Election, AIC has launched a new project: THIS I DREAM. Inspired by NPR's "This I Believe," each month AIC rolls out a new DREAM essay by noted authors and illustrators who were asked: “What do you dream for the next generation?” Says AIC: "They've shared their dreams and poured their souls onto the page for us. Now we need to share those dreams with the world."

A DREAM essay written by Viginia Euwer Wolff with art by Elsa Warnick is currently posted on the AIC homepage. You can also find an essay by George Ella Lyon with Art by Janie Bynum. There will be a new essay posted each month.

AIC encourages the printing and sharing of THIS I DREAM essays with teachers, principals, and librarians; bookstore owners and their employees; students; political representatives; and anyone else. "Let these people know that this isn't just another essay–it's the dream of a noted author and it expresses a future that we can make real."

If this you're interested in reading essays, learning more about AIC, or volunteering, visit www.aiforc.org . (You can even order a cute T-shirt.)

Robert's Poem-A-Day Challenge for National Poetry Month...

April is National Poetry Month and to celebrate Robert Brewer (poet, Writer's Market editor, and Poetic Asides blogger) challenged himself to write a poem every day of the month--and he wants other poet's out there you to join him.

Robert kicked of his Poem-A-Day Challenge yesterday. The goal is to simply get poems on paper without worrying so much about quality as just doing the writing. For those who'd like to join the PAD Challenge but need a little kickstart, Robert is offering a poetry prompt each day on his blog. For more inspiration, view the comments on Poetic Asides posts and read the poem's submitted by poets who are participating in the Poem-A-Day Challenge.

If you're not a poet you can still celebrate National Poetry Month by reading poems (kids love em!). Here's an Amazon list of children's poetry books to give you some ideas--heavy on the Prelutsky, of course.

readergirlz and YALSA's Operation Teen Book Drop...


If you' don't get readergirlz newslettter, you may not have heard about Operation Teen Book Drop. readergirlz (YA authors Dia Calhoun, Lorie Ann Grover, Justina Chen Headley and Mitali Perkinshave) have teamed with YALSA "to build awareness for April 17, 2008, Support Teen Literature Day" and organized Operation TBD: "a massive, coordinated release of 10,000 publisher-donated YA books into the top pediatric hospitals across the country."

readergirlz invites others to celebrate Support Teen Lit Day with them. Here are their suggestions:

• Download a readergirlz/YALSA bookplate for Operation TBD found on the readergirlz website.
• Blog and bulletin about Operation TBD and your upcoming participation, and place the "I Rock the Drop" icon on your site.
• Announce your participation by joining the readergirlz MySpace group forum and posting on the TBD threads.
• On April 17th, leave one copy of a YA novel in a teen gathering spot in your community. Place it where the book will be found, taken, and read (i.e. a coffee shop, the park, a community center, a bus stop.) And make sure you've placed an Operation TBD bookplate inside!
• Party with the readergirlz and YA authors on their online two-hour book bash hosted at the readergirlz MySpace forum on April 17th from 6-8pm PDT/9-11pm EDT. You can win books and prizes, chat with other book lovers, and celebrate literacy.