Janet Fox's Blog, page 35

Marketing & Publicity for Authors: Part 3

Note: Inthe past week I've discovered the Pinterest site. Like Glogster, you createyour own poster boards, but with a cleaner look, and you can pull things from around the internet. I see this as a fun way tocreate visual "likes" and connect with readers and other authors. I'm thinking of ways to create boards for each of my novels - pictures of places, foods, etc. 


Now on totoday's post.
Tocontinue with my series on marketing and promotion, I asked a few of mycolleagues to share their own tips. Here they are in no particular order:
From Judith Graves (UNDER MY SKIN, SECOND SKIN):
Whenpromoting with social media in particular, it's difficult to find a balancebetween blatant self-promotion and genuine interactions with followers. I tryto keep the following three E's in mind: 
·      Encourage - be a cheerleaderfor others. For each self-promo or "product" update, promote threeother authors, aspiring writers, bloggers, or friends of literacy.·      Educate - share your knowledgewith others. And don't be afraid to share your mistakes along road topublication - so your followers can avoid similar pitfalls.·      Engage - invite your followersto share their knowledge, opinions, tips, tricks and concerns about theindustry. Allow discussion, but insist on respect for opposing viewpoints.
Ifyou base your social media usage around the E's you'll ENSURE your posts arerelevant, informative and gracious. This kind of profile will EARN loyalfollowers and build solid connections with your intended audience. It's as EASYas E, E, E! ;)
FromHolly Cupala (TELL ME A SECRET, DON'T BREATHE A WORD):
·      Puta Google Alert on your name, your book name, your name + book name (spellingvariations, etc., since if you are like me you will run into a fair number ofmisspellings). Watch for bloggers waiting for your book—you can always politelycontact them about interviews, guests posts, etc.·      Youcan't always send review copies (and most of the time publishers don't give youthat many), but you can respond to requests and see if they'd like to do aninterview or guest post. As a side note, setting up blog tours can be verytime-consuming, but there are a couple of blog sites out there that may want toorganize one for you.·      Ifyou have an ARC to spare, check out some ARC tour blogs—they usually sign up~10 bloggers who will mail one galley among themselves and review.·      Ifyou can get to a major conference (BEA, ALA, etc.), it's great for exposure—seeif your publisher can sponsor you and/or schedule you for a signing.·      And…paceyourself, because marketing can be consuming and exhausting! You can always domore, but I think it's good to do what you can do well and what is fun for you.
From Linda Oatman High (TENTH AVENUE COWBOY, PLANET PREGNANCY):
My tip would be that I multi-task:  if I'm goingsomewhere for journalism, teaching, etc., I try to incorporate book marketingwith whatever else I'm doing.  (I'd like to add that this is one tip Ineed to incorporate more. Take advantage of those expensive trips by visiting bookstores!)
From Joy Preble (DREAMING ANASTASIA, HAUNTED): Don't forget to mine organizations you belong to. WhenDREAMING ANASTASIA released in '09, I reached out to the alum groups of mycollege sorority. Not only did they come out to support my Chicago areasignings, but I reconnected to people I hadn't seen in a while and ultimatelyit has led to speaking engagements here in Houston with various alum chaptersand also some nice support from colleagues.
My question for readers this week:
Do you think blog tours work? If you've arranged your owntour, how did you get started? How did it go?
In two weeks I'll be back with some out-of-the-boxthoughts.

Marketing & Publicity for Authors, Part 2

A caveat I should have mentioned in Part 1 of this series: I hope that having a familiarity with marketing and publicity will help you get your books into the hands of your audience; but nothing can replace the time and energy you should put into writing the best book you can write in the first place.

Before I continue with a few more online marketing tools, I want to address a couple of relevant questions that emerged this week.

1. You can cross-post from Facebook to Twitter and vice versa. Check the settings menu for each site, and you'll find instructions for setting up this link. With one post you can now double your coverage (if you exceed Twitter's length limit with a Facebook post Twitter will turn the "leftovers" into a link.)
Clever shorthand guide to social media by Douglas Wray, who posted via Instagram
2. A reader mentioned the press room on my website. This is a wonderful idea I borrowed from other writers. It's set up so that someone wanting my head shot, cover jpeg, and/or book information can access these easily, with jpegs at different resolutions for different purposes. Newbies: don't forget your ISBN. My first 1000 bookmarks were missing this vital information.

3. Katie Davis has recently published this guide to marketing - "How To Promote Your Children's Book" - that I found useful and that goes into much greater depth than I can here.

4. In case you have doubts about the need for activity in the spheres of blogging and social networking, check out this excellent post by Joanna Penn on the subject.

Okay, on to some slightly more out-of-the-box internet tools.

1. Google+ : Yes, I have joined this social networking site. No, I have not become immersed. What I like is the ability to create different groups (circles) so that I can target my information. What I don't like is that it's just one more social site I have no time to visit. On the other hand, here's a unique way to use Google+ - as a work motivator, with members of a social circle all writing "together" as if they were in a coffee shop or at a writing retreat.

2. Tumblr : I also have a Tumblr account, but for the same reason my Google+ is underused, my Tumblr is quiet. However, there are advantages to Tumblr. It's basically a cross between a blog and Facebook, in my view, where you can repost a blog, but also link directly to Twitter, video, photo, or articles. If you are just starting out and feeling underwhelmed, this is one site to explore.

3. Klout : Well, okay, everyone wants clout. And this site offers a way for you to track your social media metrics - which basically means your industry "clout". Is it useful? Yes, mainly because you will have a more realistic view of how your marketing is impacting the world at large. It is not a social networking site, so don't expect to connect with readers. But it will allow you to measure the effectiveness of your marketing by tracking the number of times you are tweeted, retweeted, mentioned, etc.

4. Glogster : Here's one I haven't really explored but after only a few minutes' peeking I am salivating. As I'm a visual person, this is my kind of site. You can create a "poster" of anything - your work, your life - and connect with teens who are obviously drawn to this site. As are teachers, who have begun to use it as an extension for self-expression in the classroom. Will it help with marketing? Hmmm. Remains to be seen.

Next time - some really out-of-the-box ways to market your books and generate publicity.

Marketing & Publicity for Authors: Part 1

The time is long past when authors – with the exception ofmegastars – can rely on their publishers to help with marketing and publicity.Most authors I know do a significant amount of marketing; I know I do. For thenext several weeks I'm going to share a few things I've learned since thepublication of my first book, and I invite you all to chime in and share yourown experiences.
In particular I'd like to talk about the advantages ofonline tools, including some of the newer venues (like Klout and Tumblr). Fromthe social networking sites to contact media like Skype, it's easy to feeloverwhelmed by the sheer number of ways you could spend your time. Let's see ifwe can demystify even a few of the options available today.
For this week: what are the must-have or maybe-have onlinetools for every author?
1.     Awebsite. This is truly the only absolute in publishing today. I do believe apersonal website is essential to every author. I'd go so far as to suggest thateven before your first sale, you should secure a domain name and hosting.GoDaddy offers both for reasonable fees. The most versatile platform is acontent management system like the one offered by Wordpress, which allows eventhe most non-web-savvy user to update and edit their content. Note: editors andagents are saying it frequently – they look for an author's web presence(website) before ever signing a contract. Your website doesn't have to befancy, but it needs to be easy to find (your name as URL, for example) and easyto read. my Facebook Author page2.     Facebook.Love it or leave it, Facebook is an important place for you to connect with youraudience and other authors, with publishers and editors. I have created anauthor page that is separate from my personal page, which allows me to separatecontent for those two audiences (anyone can "like" your author page – theydon't have to be a friend.) I post on my author page maybe three times a week,and on my personal page maybe once a week – but I often find links, learn news,or discover valuable information by scanning Facebook. You can configure yourauthor page to feed directly to Twitter and your personal page, or vice versa.3.     Twitter.Easy-peasy and actually fun, I tweet a couple of times a day and try tore-tweet and/or reply when I find tweets that grab me in some way. I like acombination of personal and professional, though my personal tweets I hopenever stray into the negative, ugly, or icky.4.     Ablog. Really, a blog is nothing more than a platform for you to discuss issuesyou find meaningful or important – and gather an audience along the way. It'snot essential; but it is kind of fun. Here are the important things to note: beregular (I try to blog once a week); be generous (try to host others on yourblog, and comment on/visit fellow author blogs); know your audience (are youblogging to teachers? teen readers? fellow authors? it's hard to do it all);find your own voice (stay inside your comfort zone.) Blogger is an easyplatform, and Wordpress has the advantage of a combined blog/website platform (caution: Wordpress.org is the website platform; Wordpress.com is the blogging platform.)
Now, some basic tips.
1.     SEO.This means "search engine optimization." Links, keywords, blog titles, METAtags, hyperlinks – all of these lead to search engines finding you, yourwebsite, and your books. And, baby, it's all about getting readers to find yourbook when they google keywords. As an example, my first novel is set inYellowstone National Park in 1904. My keywords might include Yellowstone,American history, geysers, bears, plus newer keys like Kindle young adult fiction or Nook young adult fiction. 2.     Branding.Basically this means...be yourself. Find out who you are and let your readersknow about you. Really, they want to connect with you. By connecting with you,they connect with a "real author". In addition, you can play off something keyto you – for example, I used my name by creating a fox logo and plastering iteverywhere. 3.     Benice. Your mom was right. Once you're out there, people do see you.

Next week - some of the more obscure platforms. Please do chime in and add your own discoveries!

Debut Authors of the Class of 2k12: Megan Bostic

I'm pleased today to bring you a second interview with a debut author from my sister class of 2k12. Megan Bostic's novel, Never Eighteen, sounds like a really wonderful and important read, and I'm very excited to introduce you to Megan. I know you'll enjoy her thoughtful answers.
Congratulations on the publication of your novel, Never Eighteen. Canyou tell us a bit about the story and what inspired it?
Never Eighteen is a story about love, loss,and letting go.  The protagonist, Austin, is facing an uncertain future.  Somany people around him are plagued by abuse, addiction, or loss that they'vequit living life, their one shot at existence.  Austin decides that heneeds to go on a crusade to try to fix the things that have broken and makethose people realize that their one chance to live should not be wasted. While on the journey Austin realizes that his own life isn't exactly inorder and that maybe he should also tie up his own loose ends before it's toolate.As for inspiration, it goes back to November of 2001, when my mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer.  By the time they found it, it was all overher body.  In March of 2002 I closed down my day care and my husband and Itook her into our home to do hospice rather than have her put into a nursinghome.  So I was witness, first hand, at how a cancer patient is affectedby chemo, and medications such as morphine, and how fast the disease cantake you when not treated.  When my mother-in-law was no longer conscious,the hospice nurse explained how her body was shutting down from the cancer. She was in our home less than three weeks.


My husband actually came up withthe idea for the book, and I ran with it.  I think people take life forgranted, thinking it will always be there until we're old.  But what if itisn't?  What if you knew you only had a short time left?  What wouldyou do?  Where would you go? Who would you see?  Whose life would youtry and touch before your time was up? 

This story is twofold though.  Notonly was I a witness to my mother-in-law's cancer, but after she passed, Ididn't go back, to work.  I was grieving with loads of time on my handsand needed a distraction.  That's when I wrote my first novel.
What a beautiful story, and what a great inspiration. And how terrific that you turned your grief into art. How long have you been writing for children/teens? Have you writtenother books or is this your first effort? 
I have a total of about seven novels finished, though not edited. My first effort was a series of middle grade novels about a teenage super hero. I finished that first book about four years ago, unfortunately agents andpublishers weren't as excited about it as I was. I complete three books in that seriesand I have three YA manuscripts finished, one of them being my debut, NeverEighteen.
Can you describe your path to the publication of Never Eighteen?
I wrote Never Eighteen back in 2008.  It began life as a NaNoWriMonovel titled Mending Fences.  After numerous, extensive revisions (13 tobe exact, but who's counting, right?) I started querying it out to agents. I'd queried about twenty five, with no luck, so was about to give up, when afriend gave me another agent's name.  I told myself last one, once I'mrejected more revisions.  But this agent wanted to see ten pages, thenfifty, then the full manuscript.  Then she wanted to sign me.  Ithought I was in some cruel nightmare and I was going to wake up at any second. But no, it was real.  She sent it out to five publishers and two weeksafter I signed with her, I had a book deal.  I know mine is a bit of aCinderella story, things don't usually happen that fast in this business, but Ididn't work outside the home at the time so I could edit full time, and myagent obviously knows the editors she works with well.    
It's the perfect story! Actually, your persistence is what got you to that place. Do you have any advice for beginning writers?
I would tell beginning writers to never stop trying to improve theircraft and take criticism gracefully.  As writers, we will never be perfectand there is always room for improvement.  If you surround yourself withother writers, you will probably be able to find people willing to give youfeedback. Also, learn patience.  This is a very slow business, in allaspects.  Agents take a while to get back to you, same with publishers. Even if you get a deal, things happen at a very slow-almost-to-a-stop pace.  Justto give you an idea, I was offered my deal in April, and I wasn't slated todebut until Fall 2011(changed to early 2012). Lastly I would tell beginning writers to never give upon their dreams.  Even if it seems impossible, it's not.  I'm livingproof.
Can you tell us something about your personal life – inspirations, plansfor the future, goals, etc.?
I have many inspirations.  The people that surround me inspire allthe time, my children, my writing friends, my non-writing friends.  Andlife inspires me every day.   I would say life itself is my muse andI often draw from real life experiences and emotions when I write.
Plans for the future are not as clear cut for me.  Here is what Iknow: I want to continue writing, to be a good mother, sister, daughter, andfriend.  I want to make good choices, but also mistakes so I can continuelearning and growing as a human being.  Mostly I want to live life to itsfull potential so I don't have too many regrets.  You only have one chanceat life, and I want to make the most of it.
That's such a lovely sentiment. Do you have any new writing ventures underway?
I ALWAYS have new writing ventures underway, and old ones that need editing,lol.  My current favorite projects however, are two YA novels, one titledWithered about issues that arise around eating disorders, and the other iscalled Taking Zoey, which will be a very introspective story from the viewpointof a kidnapping victim.  I also have an adult dystopic project I'm veryexcited about.
Do you have a website where readers can learn more about Never Eighteen?  
Coming to a server near you: www.meganbosticbooks.com 

Holly Cupala: Don't Breathe a Word

My friend Holly Cupala 's debut Tell Me a Secret is one of my favorite all-time reads. I'm really excited about her new release, Don't Breathe a Word . So when she asked me to be a part of a video that she put together on the power of words, I was thrilled.

Okay, so I feel a little embarrassed by my own serious take on the subject in the midst of such a clever batch of responses; but nonetheless feel that Holly's message is the important part of her vlog. Words do have power, and we girls need to empower our younger tribe, male and female, to use their words for good.

I'm super-proud to be in the company of these writers: Justina Chen, Melissa Walker, StephanieKuehnert, Sarah Stevenson, Denise Jaden, Lish McBride, Beth Kephart, Lisa Schroeder, Cynthia Jaynes, Tara Kelly,Joelle Anthony, Stasia Ward Kehoe, Tina Ferraro, and Janet LeeCarey.

Guest Post: "What's Wrong With Me? - Reflections of an Indie Pubber"

This week I'm hosting Daree Allen, who is self-publishing a book for teen girls on issues of self-esteem: What's Wrong With Me?. She's written a wonderful post about her process and the need for books like hers - and how indie publishing is, frankly, helping to fill a big hole in the book world.
There is a girl... she's trying to make sense of her life.She's ashamed of her looks (why am I so flat-chested?) and compares herself to other girls--especially the popular ones.She doesn't feel the love at home, doesn't see her value, and gets depressed because girls don't like her.She wants attention.She needs direction. She asks over and over again... What's wrong with me?
That girl was me, and it's millions of kids and teens all over this country who identify with those same issues. My debut memoir/self-help offering, "What's Wrong With Me?," launches on Valentine's Day 2012. But it's been a challenge publishing it myself, and I admit that I made the decision was made with a lot of forethought and reluctancy.
After months of struggling in 2009, I talked to a successful literary agent about my book's concept of self-esteem and self-help from a Christian perspective. She told me that no agent would touch it. She told me it's difficult to convince the houses to publish people with a decent platform and following. They want to have a guarantee of sales.
YA fiction is a big deal, but not non-fiction. And I let my progress stunt in the beginning of my book project by focusing on these kinds of underwhelming responses from literary agents and traditional publishing houses. 
Despite the overwhelming response I get from adults of the desperate need for self-esteem and empowerment resources for teens and young adults, I let this information depress me and doubt my ability to produce a book that could be used to not only share my story, but mentor teens through the problems and discouragements they face today. When girls finish reading my book, I want them to understand themselves better, feel more assertive, make better choices, and be on their way to discovering and living in their purposes and destinies. They will realize that they're not alone in the way they feel, that they don't need approval from others to validate their worth, and the importance of a personal relationship God.
It took me a long time to realize that my book sales would not be for publishing houses or large chain bookstores, but for organizations, companies, and my own speaking engagements. I started to build my confidence by thinking about the lives that would be touched, the parents I could help, and the girls for which I could become a source of hope. While still finishing "What's Wrong With Me?" the book, I also created and completed the "What's Wrong With Me? Reflections Journal," which is a hybrid journal/workbook that digs deeper into the reader's personal thoughts about the topics in the book.  
I created Kharacter Distinction Books in 2011 and began hiring my staff of editors, graphic designers, web developers, and a project manager. I found some of these contractors through referrals, and hired a few people from Elance. The experience of managing other people's work for my book project was very disheartening and frustrating for me. Self-discipline is one thing, but in dealing with a lack of accountability and responsibility in others is quite another. I've had several quitters (one proofreader, one designer, and one web developer), and a couple of flakes. I'm a self-described goal-getter and somewhat ambitious, but I know my limits. However, many people get in over their head with work tasks and didn't fill me in until it was too late.  I've learned a lot about time management, people management, and interpersonal communication, and I'm still learning.
But look--here I am, with not one, but two books ready to go. And I won't stop now.

Daree Allen is an authorpreneur, young adult esteem advocate, speaker, and goal-getter in Atlanta, GA. She has published articles on a variety of topics as a freelance writer and blogger, and is the author of the new teen mentoring book entitled, "What's Wrong With Me?" in which she discusses her own childhood dealing with self-esteem, premarital sex, family and personal relationships. Find out more about her work at www.dareesinsights.wordpress.com and www.DareeAllen.com.

Debut Writers of the Class of 2k12: Caroline Starr Rose

Welcome to 2012! 
I'm delighted to be able to introduce readers to authors from my sister Class of 2k12, just as I did for previous 2k classes. I continue to be impressed by how many of our class members have crafted novels that have won awards, garnered fabulous reviews, and won devoted readers to their great books.
That is certainly true of the first of the 2k12 novels, MAY B. Rave reviews have accompanied the launch of this wonderful story. I'm so pleased that Caroline Starr Rose is here today.
Congratulationson the publication of your novel, MAY B. Can you tell us a bit about the storyand what inspired it?
MAY B. isthe story of twelve-year-old May Betterly, who must survive a blizzard -- alone-- on the Kansas frontier.
I've alwayshad an interest in the women of the frontier, stemming from my love for TheLittle House on the Prairie collection. As a child, I'd talk about Laura as ifshe were someone I personally knew. I'd devote a lot of time wondering abouther world: how she'd never seen a town until she was five, how she didn't go toschool until she was seven, how a penny in her Christmas stocking was such abig deal.
Lookingback, it seems inevitable I'd develop my own strong prairie girl.
How longhave you been writing for children/teens? Have you written other books or isthis your first effort?
I startedwriting in 1998, during summer vacation (I was teaching at the time). By thetime MAY B. sold, I'd written four novels and seven picture books.
Four novels! That just shows the importance of experience. Can youdescribe your path to the publication of MAY B?
I made thecrazy decision to stop teaching at the end of the 2008-2009 school year andwrite full time (crazy because I had no agent, no book offer, and no realprospects). MAY B. had just won first place for a novel excerpt at a localwriting conference, and I decided it was the time to take a chance.
I queriedfrantically and signed with my agent, Michelle Humphrey of ICM, at the end ofSeptember 2009. MAY B. sold at auction in March 2010. Lest this journey soundseasy, here are my stats:
200+ directrejections from editors over 11 years75+ agentrejections10 or somore rejections once on submission with my agent3 bids1 sale
I love those stats, because they show the value of persistence. Do you haveany advice for beginning writers?
Readbroadly, remember you have something unique to say, be willing to fail.
Can you tellus something about your personal life – inspirations, plans for the future,goals, etc.?
I've just started running again after many injuries in thelast few years. I'm not fast, and I can't cover more than a few miles, but itfeels so wonderful to be able to come back to something I love. Hopefully Ihave a race or two in my future.
Since Caroline sent me her interview answers, she added this: "I've runthree half marathons since then -- slow and steady, but my gosh, 13.1 miles isnothing to sneeze at."  Clearly Caroline knows about persistence.
My family has just moved back to my hometown, Albuquerque,NM, so my husband can start a new Presbyterian Church (PCA). I'd love to seethis beautiful city loved on and bolstered by this future congregation.
Do you haveany new writing ventures underway?
My picturebook, OVER IN THE WETLANDS, focuses on the animals and plants of SouthernLouisiana. If it sells, I'd like to donate a portion of sales to wetlandsrestoration.
I'm in theprocess of researching for an eventual verse novel about a Gitano (SpanishGypsy) girl.
Do you havea website where readers can learn more about MAY B? 
Yes! Please stop by!www.carolinestarrrose
Thanks, Caroline!

Welcome to Guest Doris Fisher

To kick off the New Year I invited picture book author and puzzle mistress Doris Fisher to write a guest post, and she has chosen to talk about humor - which we all know is the best way to engage readers, especially beginning readers - most especially when those books attempt to teach concepts, which as you can see is Doris's special gift.
I love humor in picture books for beginning readers.Learning to read is hard work. There are twenty-six letters in the alphabet torecognize. And each one makes a different sound Now throw in punctuation marks to know…periods, commas, colons,apostrophes, question marks and exclamation marks! Not to mention the dreaded semi-colonthat stops readers in their tracks, scratching their heads. What the heck doesthat dot and comma mean? Really, it should be outlawed. Just create twosentences.
Humor encourages the new reader and promises a few laughs alongthe way. Like Mary Poppins sang, "Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicinego down." If I can amuse a child and sneak in a bit of information in the text,I think my writing is worthwhile. In HappyBirthday to Whooo??? the animal birth announcements I created relay all kindsof details about baby animals, each written with a touch of wordplay to attractthe reader.
Likewise I call my other three picture books, math with alaugh. One Odd Day , My Even Day, and My Half Day allintroduce number concepts, but in a way that engrosses the reader. Along withgreat illustrations by Karen Lee, these books contain a "seek and find" elementfor the number concept detailed in each book.
A puzzle creator to the max, my word puzzles, mazes and codes also contain humor,tongue-in cheek references and funny clip art to decorate the pages. I wasfortunate enough to speak about creating work for magazines at the BrazosValley SCBWI Conference in November. I had a great time remembering all mymagazine articles and puzzles to include in a power point presentation.
My website has puzzles on it to print and solve. And Ialways have a monthly book giveaway on my website. So click on over, enter andbecome a winner of one of my books in paperback. And remember, laughter is thebest medicine, so they say.
Doris Fisher www.abcdoris.com

Happy Holidays!!

To all my friends, fans, and readers...

From our "house" to yours...the happiest wishes of the season!

Voices You Should Hear: Leda Schubert

In all fairness, I should say up front that not only is Leda Schubert one of my most favorite people on the planet, but she also was my mentor for my second novel, Forgiven, when she was my last advisor (creative thesis semester) at Vermont College of Fine Arts. So any gushing you may sense from me is warranted. Even more so because Leda is supremely smart, funny, and talented, and hey - she loves dogs. I was thrilled that she agreed to answer questions for me so that I can bring you her answers.

Let's start with your latest picture book, The Princessof Borscht (Bonnie Christensen, Illus.; Roaring Brook, 2011).Congratulations on all the terrific reviews (and they are terrific!!) I love the idea of food ascure-all (especially borscht) and as a centerpiece for the characterinteractions. Are you a cook? Do you think food holds "magic" properties?Please tell readers something about how this book came together for you.
Thanks, Janet! To answer this question, I have toorder my few remaining brain cells back almost ten years and visit some ancientcomputer files. Most of you know that picture books can take a very long time,but this one took even longer. The short version: I started it in 2003 when myhusband said offhandedly (I think) that someone should write a book aboutborscht. So I did. It went through many, many, many, many drafts. Many. Evensome VCFA faculty had things to say about it ("Start over." "No one in hisright mind wants to read a book about borscht." "What the heck is borscht?"Etc.)
Am I a cook? No. I hate to cook. I could live on bread,cheese, and salads, but I somehow suspect that is not an entirely healthfuldiet. So I do cook some things. About four. And I don't eat anything thathas/had four legs. (Once I thought chicken had four legs so I didn't eat it foryears. Maybe I am kidding.)
Does food have magic properties? Yes. It does. Somebodyshould bring me some; that's what I think. Chocolate especially has magicproperties. Especially dark chocolate with hazelnuts.
(Dark chocolate - we share another passion...) You also have an earlier fall 2011 release, Reading toPeanut (Amanda Haley, Illus., Holiday House). I happen to know you havestrong feelings about dogs (which I share). Who are the current dog-members ofyour family? What do they think about Peanut?
How much time do we have? I'll rein myself in. Thecurrent dog members are Pippa and Pogo. Both are mutts, but they are alsoso-called designer dogs, Goldendoodles. We did not pay goldendoodle prices foreither one, and they're both Vermont natives. Pogo is the sweetest person onthe planet; he is pure love. Pippa—well, she's a case. She's the mostindependent dog I've ever had, and I've had several. It's not that she dislikesus; she just has many things to do that don't involve us.
As for Peanut, they both believe that more dogs are always agood thing. I'm sure they'd love to have another dog (Bob, husband dear, areyou listening?)
You have six published picture books to your credit,including the multi-award winner Ballet of the Elephants (Robert AndrewParker, Illus.; Roaring Brook, 2006.) Have you thought about writing somethinglonger? What draws you to the picture book format? And...will the picture bookformat survive its current turmoil?
I've written a novel (actually I've written threenovels) that's set during McCarthyism and is about a girl growing up in aleftist family that's under suspicion. It's been roundly rejected, and I'm notsure I want to revise it any more. So it's lurking around somewhere. So are thetwo earlier novels. Instead, I'm working on a longer piece of nonfiction forkids.
As for the picture book, I'd like to believe it willsurvive, because I love picture books with all my heart and soul. I cannotimagine a world without Horton, Ferdinand, Madeline, Max, ---   in fact, maybe one of the reasonspicture books are in crisis is because characters as memorable as those aren'tbeing created as often.
You were a librarian for years and served on awardscommittees. How have these experiences colored your work?
Leda, hiding behind Pogo and snuggling with PippaIt's hard to describe the intensity of thoseexperiences. My Caldecott committee was one of the professional highlights ofmy life. The quality of discussion, the brilliance of the committee members,the respect for artists and authors, and the leadership provided by our chair changedmy life. I'm a better person for that experience, I hope. The Globe-Horn Bookaward committee has fewer guidelines and more books to read and I loved workingwith the other two women during that year.
For much longer periods of time I was on two of Vermont'schildren's choice awards committees: the Red Clover Award and the DorothyCanfield Award. During those years, I read hundreds and hundreds ofchildren's/YA books every year. What an incredible privilege—and what aneducation. So much of what is published disappoints; so much of what is gooddoesn't get "buzz" and disappears.
Most of my committee experience was before blogs gained thepower they have now. I believe that blogging is changing the whole world ofchildren's books in ways that are both good and bad. I worry.
I'm eternally grateful to have had you as one of my advisorswhile I was a student at Vermont College of Fine Arts. What is the best thingabout teaching? Can you share any fun stories about VCFA (trick question)?
The best thing about teaching, Janet, is theopportunity to work with students like you. I think all of us on the facultylearn as much, if not more, from our students as they learn from us. To read isone thing; to read and articulate responses is another; to read and articulateresponses in a way that might push a student to a place she didn't think shecould go is pretty darned amazing. Funny or fun stories about VCFA? Everything that happensthere is fun, right? Guessing what's for lunch, meeting all your friends in thecommunal bathrooms, waiting for the water to heat up, looking forcaffeine---but you probably mean something more. I laugh more during residencythan I do the whole rest of the year. And I suspect the students have even morefun than the faculty.  (We have a ton!)
Please tell us about the forthcoming Monsieur Marceau(Gerard DuBois, Illus., Roaring Brook, 2012).
Right after M. Marceau died, my agent, Steven Chudney,suggested I might think about writing a picture book biography. I rarely takesuggestions from someone else (though this long blog post points to two suchinstances, hmmm), but this one resonated, particularly when I became immersedin research and learned about Marceau's actions during WWII, which I had knownnothing about. The more I learned of Marceau's life, the more convinced I wasto tell the story. Oddly enough, I studied mime in my senior in college withJan Kessler, and a student of Marceau's, Rob Mermin, lives close by.
Neal Porter accepted the manuscript in 2008; it will bepublished next fall (2012). I've recently seen the proofs, and I was completelyoverwhelmed by the gorgeous art Gerard DuBois has created. He's French andlives in Montreal. Wait until you see it!
Want to share a favorite borscht recipe?
It's on the back of THE PRINCESS OF BORSCHT! Simple as couldbe. There are more complex recipes as well. They're all good. Beets are good.
What's the best way for readers to find out more about youand your work?
I do have a website which I maintain myself through theAuthors Guild. It's nothing fancy, but I update it frequently. www.ledaschubert.com
Janet, thanks so much for interviewing me. It's almost asgood as sitting in Noble Lounge at VCFA and talking with you.

Likewise. Almost. Sigh.