Annie Cardi's Blog, page 66

Traditional and Self-Publishing: It’s All Okay, Guys

Fellow 2014 debut author and all-around awesome person Livia Blackburne has a great post up about why she chose the traditional publishing path instead of self-publishing. Her reasons for going the traditional route are pretty similar to mine–working with an established house and their team of talented editors/designers, etc; more potential to connect with readers without having to do all the legwork yourself; brand recognition. Livia also looks at why people might choose to self-publish, like having total control and a higher profit per book.

What I like most about Livia’s post is that she gives credence to both sides. So often, the discussion about traditional and self-publishing ends up being a shouting match between which path is better. Why do we need to divide into teams? Sometimes your career and book work better with what traditional publishing can provide. Some people benefit more from driving their own book path.

So far, I’m really happy with the traditional publishing experience. My editor is amazing and the depth of my work has grown based on her comments. And I’m really excited to work more with the other members of the team. But I think the book industry is opening up more toward self-publishing, and that’s going to continue to be a great option for writers.

Make sure to check out Livia’s full post. She lays it out way better than I could.

Keep Wondering and Feed the Fish

Love these Inspired by Mr. Rogers badges:

Great messages for all ages. Make sure to check out the whole set.

Has The Catcher in the Rye Already Come of Age?

What does it take for a book to connect with teen readers, and can you teach those books in the classroom? At Slate, Jessica Roake says: “Young readers need a new coming-of-age classic, a book that has yet to be discovered and co-opted by the culture,” because apparently JD Salinger’s classic The Catcher in the Rye just doesn’t do it for teen readers anymore.

I don’t want to argue that The Catcher in the Rye is still what Roake wishes it were–a novel that’s ‘cool,’ that gets passed from reader to reader and deeply affects students. But I think she forgets that English classes aren’t always about reading on your own and discovering books. Most teachers have to work from a syllabus, make students write essays, and analyze metaphors.

A heads up: this is not fun. This is not adventure reading.

Not to say English class can’t be an excellent place to discover literature. I remember diving into The Great Gatsby and being surprised at how awesome it was. But there’s also an aspect of work to it. You’re not allowed to discover the book in our own way because, most often, the teacher is working to make sure the entire class understands the text. It’s a totally different setting than discovering a thrilling and controversial book on your own.

My own Catcher in the Ryeexperience was a good one. I had a fantastic English teacher who didn’t shy away from the book’s racier aspects. (Our final essay was an analysis about the use of “fuck you” in the last few chapters.) I thought a lot about what it meant to save your essential innocence in a world determined to destroy it. I’m really glad I read it in a classroom setting that pushed me to analyze the book.

But I think Roake has a good point–The Catcher in the Rye isn’t a surprise in the same way it was when it was first published. We all know about Holden’s angst and the novel’s use of swears and sex (which are pretty tame compared to what you see on tv). And that’s okay. I don’t think you need to say “we should get rid of it in English classes because it’s not a secret powerful read anymore.” I think it’s still an enormously valuable text and can lead students to a lot of other books–especially YA novels like The Fault in Our Stars, Speak, Story of a Girl, etc. Roake’s suggestion of Black Swan Green sounds awesome, too.

Basically, we should open up syllabi to different and unexpected books. You never know what’s going to connect with students. But I don’t think that should come at the expense of rejecting older works because students already know about them. Students can find something in The Catcher in the Rye or Black Swan Green or Hamlet or Antigone.

Links Galore

A few more links for today:

Stacked is hosting Contemporary YA Week. Make sure to check out the blog this week for all that contemp goodness.
Speaking of contemporary YA, Abby the Librarian talks about the contemporary panel at the 2012 2012 YALSA YA Lit Symposium, complete with presentation and handouts.
These YA books about the immigration experience sound fascinating.
Batman can’t be dark and angsty all the time; sometimes he needs a good read.
Damnit, I need a secret passage bookshelf already.
The NYC Lovely Repair is possibly the cutest thing in the world. (H/T Design Mom)
Don’t forget to apply for SCBWI’s New On-The-Verge Emerging Voices Award!

Growing a Reader

At Looks and Books, Jill has a great post about what it means to grow up in a reading family:

“…if your family (siblings, parents, grandparents) belongs to the “avid readers” category, does that automatically mean that you will be more interested in reading and writing; and, conversely, if your family doesn’t spend a great deal of time reading, does that mean you won’t develop a love of books?”

It’s a case of literary nature vs. nurture. I’m sure there are lots of studies I could quote about how reading with your children helps develop their reading comprehension, confidence, and enjoyment. And of course having books in your house or going to the library helps kids see that books are something to regularly enjoy.

Like Jill, my family is big on reading. We went to the library regularly when I was young; my mom signed us up for the Book-of-the-Month Club; books are given as gifts on Christmas or birthdays. In four grade, when we were looking at a new school, the headmaster asked my parents what I liked to do in my free time and they said, “She reads a lot.” So I’d say my family certainly encouraged my love of reading. Still, I think I’m inclined to books anyway. Neither of my parents do creative writing and that’s always been something I was interested in. So part of it is also my own interests.

I also have friends who are very smart and love reading now, but weren’t big readers when they were young. The first time a friend told me this, I was so surprised. Apparently when she was a kid, she didn’t like to sit still with a book and would rather have been outside swinging from trees and playing games with the neighborhood kids. It took her a little time to find books, and I’m sure that’s the case with a lot of readers.

Did you grow up in a family of readers? Do you think that impacted your life as a reader?

(image: Andrew Griffith)

Gold Star! Way to Go! Smiley Face!

I need a few of these first novel encouragement stickers:

Although I honestly read “snickers” first, which might also be applicable. Check out the rest of Grant Snider’s hilarious Literary Consolation Prize cartoons here.

Friday Fifteen

Holy cow, another Friday Fifteen already? Let’s get the weekend started with these fifteen-word book reviews:

1. Midnight in the Dollhouse by Marjorie Stover

Dollhouse people are secretly alive and help solve a mystery. 9-year-old me loved this.

2. Evelina or the History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World by Frances Burney

A precursor to Austen without the witty heroines

3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Not my favorite, but some great stuff like creeptastic Umbridge and the Department of Mysteries.

4. An Octave Above Thunder by Carol Muske

Lovely collection. Discovered “China White” from a college prof who knew all the good stuff.

5. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Dragon-human political intrigue centered around a young musician. Hartman made cool, unexpected choices; great writing.

Links Galore

A few more links to round out the week:

What makes a good epilogue?
Wicked impressed by this pumpkin-decorating/carving skills.
Some bookstores are refusing to stock books by Amazon Publishing. I know it’s a huge financial struggle, but I feel badly for the authors who just want to get published.
The em-dash is one of my favorite punctuation marks.
Want to help raise money for the Red Cross Disaster Relief and get critiqued by some awesome 2014 authors? Now’s your chance to bid!

YA from Sea to Shining Sea

Remember that awesome project to find YA novels set in every state? Now it’s a full-on map!

I know it’s not the end of the year yet, but this would be the great basis for a New Year’s reading resolution. Major thanks to Epic Reads for putting this together!

Next up? Planet YA!

(image: Epic Reads)

Don’t Forget Your Glasses

Oh my lord, I love this Glass family tote bag by I Miss You Already:

Franny and Zooey > The Catcher in the Rye.

(image: I Miss You Already)(via Book Riot)