Dave Horowitz's Blog, page 5
March 5, 2012
To the Moon.
I'm a big fan of the moon. I spend a lot of time there.
Here are two cool moon facts.
1) If the crescent appears to make the letter "D", the moon is waxing (growing). If it makes a "C", it is waning (shrinking). It's true. Check it out.
A good mnemonic: C for Cowering. D for Daring.
2) If you see a halo around the moon at night, there will be precipitation withing 24 hours. I guarantee it!
Here are two cool moon facts.
1) If the crescent appears to make the letter "D", the moon is waxing (growing). If it makes a "C", it is waning (shrinking). It's true. Check it out.
A good mnemonic: C for Cowering. D for Daring.
2) If you see a halo around the moon at night, there will be precipitation withing 24 hours. I guarantee it!
February 29, 2012
Weather or Not
Weatherman says there's going to be 3-10" of snow today. Gee, that's quite a spread.
Must be nice.
I don't want to judge, but dang, weather-person has to be the easiest job in the world. Like when they say, 50% chance of rain. What the hell is that? Do they flip a weather coin?
If only I could be so wishy-washy as a writer. Quick, get my publisher on the phone; I'd like to pitch a book about a a dog, a duck, or a cow, who learns to share, makes a sandwich, or goes to a party. It'll be really poignant, or sad, or funny.
Contract, please!
Must be nice.
I don't want to judge, but dang, weather-person has to be the easiest job in the world. Like when they say, 50% chance of rain. What the hell is that? Do they flip a weather coin?
If only I could be so wishy-washy as a writer. Quick, get my publisher on the phone; I'd like to pitch a book about a a dog, a duck, or a cow, who learns to share, makes a sandwich, or goes to a party. It'll be really poignant, or sad, or funny.
Contract, please!
February 23, 2012
Illustration Tip #253
Anyone who has looked at more than five of my books, knows that I don't stick with any one medium for too long. I like to stay challenged. I like letting the limitations of materials push my work to new places.
I did a few with cut paper. I did some with a pencil and a computer (never again), and recently I've been pushing around a paintbrush.
Presently I'm back to using cut construction paper and charcoal. I'm doing final illustrations for a "companion book" to go with a book I did a few years ago.
It took a while to get up and running, but the muscle memory is all there.
So here's the Pro Tip: The first rule of cut-paper: Never give up, except sometimes.
Unlike painting or drawing—where I can simply draw or paint whatever I see in my head—arranging a few shapes of limited color around, is much more of a wrestling match.
I get my "parts" assembled just fine, but when I start to arrange them, each composition seems to be terrible, terrible terrible; totally not working; heading for the trash. Then suddenly—like a guitar string coming in to tune—it's all just right. The whole thing is there. Harmony. The process seems to be that each page is a victory snatched from the jaws of defeat.*
*Except for the pages that really are crap. There seems to be a high percentage of failure to victory in cut-paper (but it beats "Sorry. Start-up disk full", any day).
I did a few with cut paper. I did some with a pencil and a computer (never again), and recently I've been pushing around a paintbrush.
Presently I'm back to using cut construction paper and charcoal. I'm doing final illustrations for a "companion book" to go with a book I did a few years ago.
It took a while to get up and running, but the muscle memory is all there.
So here's the Pro Tip: The first rule of cut-paper: Never give up, except sometimes.
Unlike painting or drawing—where I can simply draw or paint whatever I see in my head—arranging a few shapes of limited color around, is much more of a wrestling match.
I get my "parts" assembled just fine, but when I start to arrange them, each composition seems to be terrible, terrible terrible; totally not working; heading for the trash. Then suddenly—like a guitar string coming in to tune—it's all just right. The whole thing is there. Harmony. The process seems to be that each page is a victory snatched from the jaws of defeat.*
*Except for the pages that really are crap. There seems to be a high percentage of failure to victory in cut-paper (but it beats "Sorry. Start-up disk full", any day).
February 13, 2012
What was I thinking?
Hey, look, I tried.
Or I should say, I'm trying to make books that are not just inane, shiny objects; but holy cow is it an uphill battle.
Once in a while a book I'm proud of catches on (the Ugly Pumpkin, Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again) and manages to find fans and stay in print.
But if I make a book that dares tell a true-truth (as opposed to a feel-good-we-wish-it-were-true truth), the indifference from my publisher's marketing team is deafening. After all we live in age where everyone gets an award for showing up; teachers can't use red pens for fear of upsetting students; and pee-wee soccer teams are no longer allowed to win by more than 5 points (for real!).
The reason for my rant, is to mark my frustration with the death of my 2010 book, Buy My Hats!.
Now that the book is dead, I can tell you it was about the ills of consumerism; it was about "needing" things versus "wanting" things. What was I thinking?!? How Un-American!
Yet, according to the counter on my website, people are interested in the book. After all it was a Junior Library Guild pick and a Book of the Month selection.
But recently I received an email from the Economics Education Coordinator of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, wondering why the book is out of print; they had built a lesson plan around it, but couldn't put it out there, if the book is gone.
I checked with my publisher, and except for the Nook eBook version, they have no plans to reprint.
So sorry, readers. The bottom line is the bottom line. It's all about giving the market want the marketers say. Go learn somewhere else.
Oh, and P.S. Check out HarperCollins latest contribution to the end of creative publishing: http://www.fictioncircus.com/news.php...
Buy My Hats
The Ugly Pumpkin
Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again
Or I should say, I'm trying to make books that are not just inane, shiny objects; but holy cow is it an uphill battle.
Once in a while a book I'm proud of catches on (the Ugly Pumpkin, Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again) and manages to find fans and stay in print.
But if I make a book that dares tell a true-truth (as opposed to a feel-good-we-wish-it-were-true truth), the indifference from my publisher's marketing team is deafening. After all we live in age where everyone gets an award for showing up; teachers can't use red pens for fear of upsetting students; and pee-wee soccer teams are no longer allowed to win by more than 5 points (for real!).
The reason for my rant, is to mark my frustration with the death of my 2010 book, Buy My Hats!.
Now that the book is dead, I can tell you it was about the ills of consumerism; it was about "needing" things versus "wanting" things. What was I thinking?!? How Un-American!
Yet, according to the counter on my website, people are interested in the book. After all it was a Junior Library Guild pick and a Book of the Month selection.
But recently I received an email from the Economics Education Coordinator of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, wondering why the book is out of print; they had built a lesson plan around it, but couldn't put it out there, if the book is gone.
I checked with my publisher, and except for the Nook eBook version, they have no plans to reprint.
So sorry, readers. The bottom line is the bottom line. It's all about giving the market want the marketers say. Go learn somewhere else.
Oh, and P.S. Check out HarperCollins latest contribution to the end of creative publishing: http://www.fictioncircus.com/news.php...
Buy My Hats
The Ugly Pumpkin
Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again
January 28, 2012
Do I want this job?
My very first job out of college was at a direct marketing company. (read: junk mail maker). I recall looking down the hall, at the boss—a little man in a huge office—and thinking, if I work really hard, one day, I can be that guy.
Problem was, I didn't at all, want to be that guy... with his overstuffed chairs, big belly, and cheesy giraffe statues beside his desk. I quit two weeks later. This became my rule of thumb for all subsequent jobs: Do I want to be the boss of this?
(Note: I didn't hold many jobs, for very long).
Flash forward to today, where I make kids books. The other day I looked down the metaphorical hallway, to one of the kings of the business: Maurice Sendack. He was plugging his newest book, Bumble-Ardy, on the Colbert show.
Do I want to become that guy? Let's see: Cranky, outspoken, a little mad, and still doing what he wants well into his 80s.
Sure. I could do that!
Problem was, I didn't at all, want to be that guy... with his overstuffed chairs, big belly, and cheesy giraffe statues beside his desk. I quit two weeks later. This became my rule of thumb for all subsequent jobs: Do I want to be the boss of this?
(Note: I didn't hold many jobs, for very long).
Flash forward to today, where I make kids books. The other day I looked down the metaphorical hallway, to one of the kings of the business: Maurice Sendack. He was plugging his newest book, Bumble-Ardy, on the Colbert show.
Do I want to become that guy? Let's see: Cranky, outspoken, a little mad, and still doing what he wants well into his 80s.
Sure. I could do that!
January 10, 2012
Fan art is the best art!
It's a funny thing these days about copyrights, piracy and file sharing. As an author I want to connect with people. But as a business, publishers don't seem to make this a priority.
The big companies (my own publishers included) will come down like a load of indifference on anyone inspired enough by my work to use it for some other purpose or in another form.
What do I mean?
A librarian who reads books and posts as YouTube videos for all to see, asked for permission to read a book of mine and my publisher's lawyers sent a blanket, NO! (Luckily, I own the copyright, so I overruled them, with a not so-blanket, YES!)
Why wouldn't I want my work to reach more people?
A theater school turned one of my books into a play: The highest form of flattery to an author of picture books, I think. I told my agent about it, and she was already typing a cease and desist letter. Say what?!?!? I told her to cease and desist.
What's this all about?
Duh... Money; same as always. Pretty sad how short sighted my colleagues can be. Don't they know a writer is nothing without readers?
So, what do I do?
Simple, I don't tell them about awesome things like THIS anymore.
*Note: I do believe there is such a thing as copyright infringement, but the above ain't it.
The big companies (my own publishers included) will come down like a load of indifference on anyone inspired enough by my work to use it for some other purpose or in another form.
What do I mean?
A librarian who reads books and posts as YouTube videos for all to see, asked for permission to read a book of mine and my publisher's lawyers sent a blanket, NO! (Luckily, I own the copyright, so I overruled them, with a not so-blanket, YES!)
Why wouldn't I want my work to reach more people?
A theater school turned one of my books into a play: The highest form of flattery to an author of picture books, I think. I told my agent about it, and she was already typing a cease and desist letter. Say what?!?!? I told her to cease and desist.
What's this all about?
Duh... Money; same as always. Pretty sad how short sighted my colleagues can be. Don't they know a writer is nothing without readers?
So, what do I do?
Simple, I don't tell them about awesome things like THIS anymore.
*Note: I do believe there is such a thing as copyright infringement, but the above ain't it.
January 7, 2012
What's so great about thumbs?
I had a few New Year's revelations (not to be confused with New Year's resolutions).
So here's one: They say what made primates such a big deal evolutionarily, was our thumbs. They say thumbs enabled us to use tools—which in turn encouraged our brains to get bigger. Could be ...
But flash forward a few tens of millions of years to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Now think about the "hands up/hands down" thing they created for approving or disagreeing with what's being said.
What's wrong with clapping?
Well, here's the revelation: OWS is a young person's movement. Also, social media is the domain of the young. Could it be the happy hands are an extension of the "like" button and the up/down votes on social media sites.
Could it be that the big deal about being a primate; the big deal with thumbs, may not be that they made us tool users... it's that thumbs are the perfect appendage for expressing our opinions. Thumbs up/thumbs down. It's been around since the gladiator times.
So here's one: They say what made primates such a big deal evolutionarily, was our thumbs. They say thumbs enabled us to use tools—which in turn encouraged our brains to get bigger. Could be ...
But flash forward a few tens of millions of years to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Now think about the "hands up/hands down" thing they created for approving or disagreeing with what's being said.
What's wrong with clapping?
Well, here's the revelation: OWS is a young person's movement. Also, social media is the domain of the young. Could it be the happy hands are an extension of the "like" button and the up/down votes on social media sites.
Could it be that the big deal about being a primate; the big deal with thumbs, may not be that they made us tool users... it's that thumbs are the perfect appendage for expressing our opinions. Thumbs up/thumbs down. It's been around since the gladiator times.
January 6, 2012
Kids eBooks?
Does anybody think eReaders will actually catch on for picture books? I can't see it. But then again, I'm old school.
I do think it's cool that I can easily make an out of print book available again to readers (as I just did with my debut book, A Monkey Among Us, now available for Kindles, iPads, etc.) but still, what is a picture book without pages to turn?
I do think it's cool that I can easily make an out of print book available again to readers (as I just did with my debut book, A Monkey Among Us, now available for Kindles, iPads, etc.) but still, what is a picture book without pages to turn?
