Michelle Houts's Blog, page 5

Destiny. Heart. Perseverance.

David Shannon was destined to become a picture book author and illustrator. Literally. Destined. He wrote his Caldecott Honor book No, David when he just five years old. Well, a rough draft at least.  Destiny. After several years of editorial illustration, producing work that was usually serious and sometimes dark, David returned to the drawings […]

Awed and Inspired – Mazza Summer Day 2

Lynne Avril never intended to become a picture book illustrator, even though a very insightful sixth grade teacher helped her to see herself as an artist. Even after she obtained an art degree, Lynne still found that her work was eclectic, and she found it difficult to nail down a style. But that’s not too […]

Red lemon, yellow lemon, red lemon, yellow lemon…

Mazza’s artist are all talented. They’re all brilliant. They amaze, entertain, and dazzle us with their stories. But they don’t always agree with one another. Take, for example, today’s keynote artists.  Laura Vaccaro Seeger and Bob Staake just couldn’t find common ground. Well, at least not on this one issue. But it’s okay. They agreed […]

Here I Am, Stuck in the Middle with You

Oh, geez. Here I go.

I don’t love being in the middle of anything.

But I tend to get myself there somehow anyway.

I grew up there, after all. The middle of three girls. Middle kid, middle class.

Teetering on the middle of the fence is where I often find myself, arms out, balancing my own feelings and thoughts and ideas along with those of others.

Well, I feel myself tipping to one side. I don’t know if I’m falling, jumping, or being pushed.

But, I’m guessing it’s time to get off the fence. And a recent post by author/illustrator Peter Brown triggered this early-morning contemplation. (My husband: Why exactly are you up at the crack of dawn? He usually owns this hour, not me.) If you haven’t read Peter’s post, you should go read it now. Just click the link above.

Go on. I’ll wait.

Back already? Did you read the comments and Peter’s careful responses to each one? No?

Well, that’s where the good stuff is, you know. Go back. I’ll wait again.

Mind-boggling, isn’t it?

If you haven’t caught wind of the recent dispute between two corporate book-world giants, Amazon and Hachette, you’ve probably been biking, swimming, hiking, reading to your kids, climbing trees, baking pastries, or building something. You know, living  your life.

That would be me. The things in life that are bigger than me just happen. Electricity happens. My car moves when I need it to. Planes take off and land. Booksellers sell my books. All these things happen without me having to devote too much thought, time or energy to them.

But lately, my vehicle has been in the shop for repairs three times!

And booksellers are dropping like flies all around me. (Well, not actually the booksellers themselves, thank heaven. They are alive and well and doing something other than selling books. It’s their businesses, their stores, that are disappearing.)

Canalside Bookstore, along the Miami-Erie Canal, with cats Agatha and Maya and bookseller Cheri Lyn was crowded and quaint and smelled like old books and new books. I remember I met the most enthusiastic kiddo there who asked me to sign a book he’d made about race cars.

It closed a year later.

Stately Raven, perhaps the most architecturally fascinating bookstore, in old church with Mike and his crew was located in a college town up north. I remember the night before I signed there, they had hosted a late-night Twilight movie party and hundreds of Twilight fans had shown up in costume.

It’s gone now, too.

Beehive Books, in another college town, had a mosaic mural, Linda, and a coffee bar (because Barnes and Noble wasn’t the first to discover that books and coffee were meant to be married). It was standing room only when I read from The Beef Princess of Practical County.

Yep, you guessed. Gone as of last January.

I wrote a blog post about this a couple of years ago. When my first book was published, a local bookseller handled all of my school and library events. Now five years and four books later, I’m on my third bookseller and each one is located further from my home.

Granted, I live in a rural area. Rural, but not remote. A person can find just about any other specialty shop within a 30-mile radius. There’s a bike shop uptown. Coffee shops on every corner. Jewelers, boutiques, repurposed furniture. Four auto parts stores, for goodness sake! Four!

But no bookstores. So, Amazon is popular here. Why drive one hour to a city with a brick and mortar bookstore, where they likely won’t have the book you want in stock, have them order it and ship it - free, if you want to drive back to the store in two days to pick up, but with shipping charges if you want it sent to your home - when you can use 1-click in your pajamas while you drink your tea and the birds chirp outside your patio door? Folks just don’t see it, and I understand why.

But Peter Brown suggests that consumers are forced to choose between what he so aptly refers to as “book culture” and convenience. Book culture is real.  It was Cherie Lyn, Mike, and Linda and their staffs. It was cats and coffee bars and murals and musty used books. It was my Maggie, curled up in a chair in a retail establishment, shoes kicked off, reading, oblivious to anyone or anything around her.

Is that book culture already gone? For me, I think it is. I no longer face a decision between supporting a local, independent bookseller or a corporate giant. My day-to-day choice is between two corporate giants. One online and one an hour from my home.

Perhaps in some areas, libraries are the only places left to carry the book culture torch. Some schools do it well, too. But fewer and fewer bookstores remain where story hours attract dozens of children eager to hear a book read aloud and a bookseller hands a great find to a customer whose tastes he knows well.

I’ve met some wonderful booksellers at big city chain bookstores. (After all, a bookish sort is going to find a job somewhere when their local bookseller closes, so why not a bigger bookstore?) But the hour-long drive to the closest big city chain bookstore that looks and smells like every other big city chain bookstore isn’t always the best use of my time. And that darn 1-click is just so easy. And cheap. But as, Peter’s post points out, that’s because of the soap and batteries.

You didn’t read it, did you?

Go on. Here it is again. I’ll wait. Again.

See? Now you know what I mean about soap and batteries.

Are there other options? Yes, I believe there are. Independent booksellers can be quaint, but they are far from archaic. They do know what computers are. I can order from one of the many fantastic booksellers not in my town. It’s no different than ordering from that big chain bookseller not in my town. And, there are other online booksellers besides Amazon. And, publishers sell directly from their websites.

What will it cost me? Likely a few dollars plus shipping. Maybe a day or two wait time for delivery. Is it worth giving up some convenience to stand against a large corporation who thinks it is fair to hold books hostage?

You still aren’t sure what I’m talking about? You didn’t read it, did you?

Oh, for crying out loud. Go read Peter’s post. Here it is. Again.

This time, though, I’m not waiting. I’m going to wrap this thing up and go make more coffee.

So, my question to you is: Is your book-buying a battle between culture and convenience? How far do you have to drive to get to a brick and mortar bookstore, independent or chain?

I’d love to hear your comments, but unlike the undaunted Peter Brown, I’m skipping town to avoid having to respond to comments (okay, not really, but I am leaving on a writer’s retreat, where I will be RETREATING and will not be able to allow this debate to continue to wake me early in the  morning. Unfortunately, the sun will do that at 4:51 AM because days begin ridiculously early in Maine in June. )

Two notes in the interest of full disclosure: My publishers (two big players in the publishing world and two smaller presses) are not part of the Hachette group. And, I did place a 1-click,  Amazon Prime order just three days ago. I will give it more thought next time, though.

Virtual School Visits – Yea or Nay?

Ever since the invention of webcams, there’s been a lot of discussion among authors, teachers and librarians about the pros and cons of Virtual School Visits. You know, when an author magically appears before students via Skype or Facetime or some other means of technological wizardry.

Let’s face it, there are plenty of GOOD reasons for schools to embrace the idea of Virtual Visits.

* It’s cost-effective. After all, who has $1500+ to shell out on an author visit?

* It’s quick and easy. No worrying about booking the auditorium, where the author will stay, what to feed the author, and no one has to decorate the halls!

* Schools could do several virtual visits a year, exposing student to many authors and their books.

 

And, there are some reasons why authors might embrace Virtual Visits:

* No airport sprints, security lines, taxis, or maps needed.

* We can Skype in our pajama pants – stay seated in front of the computer and no one will know!

* We can expose many more young readers to our books without leaving the comforts of home.

* We may have more time to write.

 

But before emailing your favorite author to set up that Virtual Visit, keep in mind some DRAWBACKS for students and teachers.

* Virtual visits are NOT whole-school events. They work best for ONE classroom.  The students need to be able to see the author and vice versa.

* Virtual visits can never replace the connection an author can make with a student via eye contact, calling on specific students, answering questions that aren’t pre-written.

* Students aren’t often as excited about a Virtual Visitor as they are an in-person visit. The anticipation of someone important coming to their school often just  isn’t  there.

* Students get a lot out of preparing for a guest. That artwork in the hallway was a process for them. The stories they wrote for the “Lunch with the Author” contest mattered to them.

* Virtual Visits are often one-sided by nature. The author shares with students, but the students’ ability to share with the author is limited by the computer and camera. No one can take the author by the hand and lead him down the hall to look at the art or to the cafeteria to listen to the whole school sing a “Katie Parody” called “Chore.”

NK Chore (Click to see video)

 

And, there are DRAWBACKS for authors, too.

* Obviously, there financial ramifications. Many authors see greater income from speaking fees than royalty checks. If authors charge at all for Virtual Visits (and some do and some don’t), they will realize less income from a virtual visit than an in-person visit.

* Book sales aren’t usually great at in-person school visits. They will be even less or nonexistent at Virtual Visits.

* There will be no hugs.

* There won’t be that magical moment when the first student to see you whispers loudly, “That’s HER! She’s HERE! I see the AUTHOR!”

* Because Virtual Visits are so affordable, you may be asked to do  a LOT of them. And you may have to set guidelines regarding how and when you’ll do them.

Discussing books I read when I was their age  – an in-person visit with Kindergartners in Glendale, CA.

Here are some things teachers and librarians might keep in mind when asking an author about Virtual Visits:

* Check the author’s website to see if he or she does Virtual Visits, how much he or she charges, and what is the preferred length of visit and audience?

*  If you schedule a Virtual Visit, keep the audience small, so everyone can get some camera time and be seen and heard.

*  Offer to send home a book order form. Authors can be shy about self-promotion, but getting their books into the hands of children is important for both the author and the young reader.

* Remember that authors may limit the number of Virtual Visits they do or they may only do them under certain circumstances. Keep in mind that this is their profession. You wouldn’t ask your dentist for a free teeth cleaning. Don’t expect all authors to do for free what other schools pay them to do just because it can now be done over the computer.

* Don’t allow finances to dictate whether you have an in-person visit or a Virtual Visit. There are creative funding sources available and some authors will reduce fees based upon a school’s circumstances. Often it’s worth saving and planning ahead for the “real thing.”

* So much of life is influenced by technology these days - in good ways and in not-so-good ways. Many children are “virtually” doing things they could be doing in “reality” – video games where they ride a bicycle, dissecting a frog on the interactive white board, the list goes on. Give consideration to an in-person school visit before deciding a Virtual Visit is the way to go.

A Virtual Visit can be the answer to prayers in some situations. Or it can be a poor substitute for what might have been a life-changing experience in others. In my newest book, The Practical County Drama Queen, (ebook now available, print edition May 1)  there is a character who stutters and is made fun of by others.  I’ve added to my school visit presentations a story about bullying and a boy I knew in second grade. I show a class photo and when I talk about Mark, the boy who was bullied, there is absolute silence in the room. You can hear the children breathing. It’s powerful and personal. And connections like that can’t be replicated on a computer screen.

I’d love to hear your comments! Pros and cons, the subject is open for discussion!

 

 

Some Things Just Can’t Wait

Over at Kirby’s Lane, the blog of the sweet and wonderful author Kirby Larson, there is a feature I’ve always loved called Friend Friday. On Fridays, Kirby features another author or illustrator or friend of the kid world. Once, Kirby even featured ME on her Friend Friday blog post. See it HERE.  (Aw, shucks! I still blush when I read all those nice things she said about me!)

A while ago, I borrowed a page from Kirby’s book (hee, hee… that was a pun!) and started posting a Friend Friday post on Facebook.  But today, I think this Friend Friday friend deserves more than a Facebook mention or a Twitter snippet. So, without further delay, let me introduce you to this fine author:

This is Theadora Gammans. Thea to most.

I met Thea a few years ago when I stumbled upon a small group of kid lit authors who meet annually in Maine. They say they are Mainely Writing, and that much is true. They take their week-long retreat very seriously. It’s a week of hardcore critique and learning from a master writer.  But, after spending the last few years getting to know these authors, I’d say we are Mainely Encouragers, Mainely Confidants, Mainely Friends.

And Thea is our matriarch.

When I first met “Thea from Nashville” (as I had come to know her through emails), she was just as I had imagined she would be. Until she opened her mouth to speak. Her Boston accent was unlike any Southern dialect I’d ever heard! Turns out Thea has called several places home, and her New England childhood remained engrained even as she retired to the Tennessee mountains.

Thea’s quick wit, wry humor, and masterful use of language flow directly from her persona into her writing. With no fewer than three incredible middle grade novels in her possession when I met her, Thea was more interested in creating than submitting. It took the prodding of others, but in the past few years, Thea got serious about sending out her work. Like every writer, she studied editors’ tastes, queried agents, and collected rejection letters. Patience is definitely one of Thea’s strong suits. But so is a no-nonsense view of life in general.  And at 80-something, Thea knew that exercising too much patience wouldn’t serve her purpose.

So, you can imagine how delighted I was to open an Amazon.com box this week and pull this out:

Story Stones by Thea Gammans

Story Stones is the first of three books Thea has decided to self-publish this year. At 85, with 10 children, 24 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren, and countless friends and fellow writers in her court, Thea’s fan base is well-established. But, with these books entering the world, countless young readers will join the ranks of Thea’s followers.

I think I was pulling for Thea’s success in the world of traditional publishing as much or more than anyone else. Ultimately, she chose a different route, and I believe there are a couple of things writers can learn from Thea’s journey.

First, there is nothing wrong with self-publishing. In many circumstances, it is the right thing to do. Is it the way to go for someone who dreams of making writing a career? Likely not. Is it the gateway to getting a contract with a Big Five publisher? Not usually. But, for some… like Thea… it is the perfect solution.

And, second… and I hope the writers who ask me often for advice are listening, ’cause it doesn’t get any better than this … You’ve got to embrace the process of creating! Oh, that more of us could be  like Thea – more interested in the art of crafting the story than in submitting it. So many of us rush the process. We feel the urgency to get it out to as many publishers as we can as fast as we can so that we can see our book in print as soon as possible. Slow down. If anyone has the right to “feel the urgency” it’s a writer in her mid-80s. Work that story over and over and over. Give it time. If you’re not 85 yet, chances are you’ve got time. Don’t rush the process. Thea didn’t.

In June, I’ll get to see Thea again. We’ll put our butts in chairs at the kitchen table in the cottage in Maine where we’ll be Mainely Writing, but this year, I think we’ll be Mainely Celebrating Thea’s books. And, I can’t wait to get my copy signed!

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Ann Mack, Thea Gammans, and Nancy Roe Pimm

Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover Reveal!

Cover reveals are so much fun! Before I was published I never knew how much time, thought, energy, imagination, fuss, and general WORK went into a book cover.  And, the most amazing part is: almost none of that involves the author! When I tell this to children at school and library visits, they are usually surprised to the point of being offended. What? You wrote the book and someone else decided what the cover would look like? *Sheesh!* *Eyes roll*

Artists, book designers, editors, marketing folks, publicists, maybe the spouses of half of those folks are involved. But rarely the author.

Why?

Well, because the truth is:  We DO judge books by their covers. After all, the cover is the hook. We get one chance – one picture, one brief set of cover copy – to grab our potential reader or else… they will put in back on the shelf and keep browsing. It’s kind of our Blind Audition moment. A few seconds to show our best and get the reader to turn their chair around and say “I WANT YOU, Book!” I want to read more of YOU.

And, since all this happens in a matter of seconds, it’s okay with me – the author – to leave the details in the hands of the folks who’ve done this hundreds of times. They’ve studied the eye of the middle-grade reader who has to be attracted to the cover. And they know the mind of the middle-aged mother who’s going pay for the book. They’ve given thought to the children’s librarian who will decide if to suggest the book to young readers. And they never forget the bookseller who has to decide how many copies to order for their shelves.

Put it that way, and I’m glad I’m NOT the one making these decisions.

Still, I’ll admit, it’s with a bit of trepidation that I wait for that cover to be revealed. And when it comes and it’s even more lovely and brilliant and magical than I could have ever imagined, it’s worth every bit of trust an author places in those who know what they’re doing.

And, so…. (DRUMROLL)

the cover of Winterfrost (Candlewick Press, September 9, 2014) is revealed.

 

Isn’t it incredible? *Sigh*

Artist Sarah Marino has truly captured the magic and mystery of Bettina’s adventure. I am so excited about this cover. I think many a reader’s chair will turn after seeing it, and they’ll say, “I WANT YOU, Book!”

So, now we wait for September. And, even though I’m anxious for Winterfrost to be released, it’s probably a good thing it’s not happening right now. After this incredibly LONG, snowy, cold season, I doubt anyone would pick up a book about WINTER right now.  Give me a good beach read. I’m ready!

 

Publishing With and Without a Literary Agent… My Guest Post on The Sub It Club’s Blog

One of the best things about children’s writers is that we SHARE!

We share ideas with one another. We swap manuscripts to critique one another’s work.

We share leads and submission information.

We help each other every chance we get. We’re non-turfy, friendly types.

We play well with others.

So, it was lots of fun when I was recently invited to come over and play on a friend’s blog!  Thank you, Heather Ayers Burnell, for inviting me to visit the Sub It Club’s Blog page!

Here’s the link!  Enjoy, my friends!

Need a Little Drama in Your Day?

I was up late last evening, so it was easy to sleep past 7:30 this morning. I never heard a peep outside the bedroom door. When I did come to life, and I saw what time it was, I felt a little guilty. My teenage daughter had already left for school. I like to pretend she NEEDS me in the mornings, but the truth is, she’s pretty independent. And, her farmer father is way more of a morning person than this chick.

I got out of bed, found my glasses (a very important first step of any day) and made my way toward the kitchen.  I stopped before I got there. It seems the highway department had installed some new signage in our office/library/rec room.  Lolland, Denmark?  Practical County, Indiana?  Gar Hollow, Kentucky?  Wait. These are all settings of books I’ve written.

And I figured that out all by myself.  And it was even BEFORE this:

When I got into the kitchen, more surprises awaited.

The cupboards had streamers and photos of the cover of The Practical County Drama Queen. And the big kitchen window looked like this:

My sweet teenager!  She was probably hoping and praying I WOULDN’T wake up before she left for school. She’s such a drama queen!

So, all in all, I think it’s going to be a very good day. I’ve had my coffee. I’ll go to yoga. I’ll do some writing this afternoon.

We might even get a little (MORE) snow today! (Snowballs thrown by angry readers are hitting me in the face even as we speak!)

What can I say? I happen to be loving this wild Ohio winter we’re having. In the words of a friend, “I like a little snow drama!”

It’s one of those rare days writers wait for. A launch day only comes after hundreds of writing days, submitting days, waiting days, editing days, waiting days, editing days, and more waiting days.

May your day ahead bring you a little of what you love, too. Coffee, snow, a bit of good drama? And, if you need a book to take you away to a farm in Practical County (where it happens to be SUMMER, by the way!), here’s how you can find The Practical County Drama Queen as of … today!

Nook Readers, check out Barnes and Noble.com

Kindle readers, use Amazon.com (on Kindle devices or using the Kindle app on your iPad)

MuseItUp Publishing and Smashwords have it available in all formats as well.

I’ve Been Tagged in an Author’s Blog Hop!

 

Here’s how this this whole HOP thing started:

The wonderful Nancy Viau tagged me to answer 4 questions about my writing. She answered on her own blog, and I have to answer the same 4 questions here.

Nancy Viau is the author of LOOK WHAT I CAN DO! (Picture Book/Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2013), STORM SONG (Picture Book/Amazon Children’s Publishing/formerly Marshall Cavendish Children’s, 2013), and SAMANTHA HANSEN HAS ROCKS IN HER HEAD (Middle-Grade Novel/Amulet Books, 2008).  She is a member of  The KidLit Authors Club—a regional marketing group she started that consists of published authors who bring interactive book parties to bookstores, libraries, festivals, and conferences.

You can read how Nancy answered the Blog Hop questions at http://nancyviau.blogspot.com/.

 

So now, it’s my turn to answer the Blog Hop questions:

What are you working on now? After finishing final edits on three new books this year, I am in that wonderful place where I am picking a project to focus on next. Usually, it is either setting or character that speak to me when I’m getting started. So, I’m listening carefully just now. Can’t wait to see what voice calls the loudest!

How does it differ from other works in the genre? One of the projects I’m considering is a middle grade novel, my 4th, which right now is in verse. Most middle grade novels are not written in verse, but for some reason, the main character’s voice came to me in very short, very deliberate phrases, which seemed to fit well into verse.

Why do you do what you do? I write because when I’m not writing, I’m usually thinking about what I could be writing.

What is the hardest part about writing? The hardest part of writing is being patient. A writer must be patient enough to know that a first draft is never a great draft. And tenth drafts don’t come without writing the first nine.  A writer must be patient enough not to submit too soon. A writer must be patient enough to wait for agents and editors to respond. And, then, after a sale is made, an writer must be patient enough to get through edits and production. But the good news is:  While a writer is doing all that writing, she can  - WRITE!

So now it’s time to hop. Hop on over to visit my friends Debra McArthur and Natasha Yim to see how they answer the questions!

 

 

Debra McArthur grew up in Springfield, Missouri, where her high school experience included church activities, choir, drum and bugle corps, and the kind of drama and angst that make a person really glad to grow up.  She earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University.  These days, Debra lives with her husband in Kansas City, Missouri. She teaches college along the bluffs of the Missouri River, and she is still collecting nouns that describe her: student, teacher, wife, mother, reader, writer, Irish dancer, marathon runner.

 

Visit her at www.debramcarthur.com.

Natasha Yim is the author of 4 picture books: Otto’s Rainy Day (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2000); Cixi, The Dragon Empress (Goosebottom Books, 2011), Sacajawea of the Shoshone (Goosebottom Books, 2012) and Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2014). She is currently working on another picture book and a young adult novel.

Visit her at http://www.natashayim.blogspot.com.

Thanks for hopping with us! I hope your hops take you to some interesting places.