Dianne Bates's Blog, page 2

50 Best Tips and Information for New Writers

1. Invest time and money in your career: this means subscribing to industry newsletters, magazines (such as www.buzzwordsmagazine.com), and journals, as well as joining relevant organizations (for example, your state’s writers’ centre, the Fellowship of Australian Writers, the Australian Society of Authors, The Arts Law Centre of Australia).
2. Always act professionally in your dealings with fellow writers, publishers, and others in your industry. Acting professionally is essential when it comes to signing contracts. Do not sign a contract just to get signed. You can always negotiate clauses (publishers expect you to!), and if you don’t know anything about writing contracts, employ a professional to do so (eg Arts Law Society, ASA, or a solicitor who specializes in arts’ contracts.)
3. Create your own resources. This includes creating a manuscript dispatches’ file or tracker, index cards (or computer generated file) for each manuscript submission, a list of relevant addresses, contact details for publishers, and a library of relevant books and magazines. 
4. Attend writing workshops, conferences, and book fairs (see #1. to find out where and when).
5. Your own writing space is essential. Organise it so you know where everything is and make others respect it. Put a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door (and in your head!)
6. Call yourself a writer. Believe it! Make it happen by writing regularly and submitting frequently. Create a signature on your emails which declares you are a writer, for example:Yours sincerely,Sally SmithWriter
My signature isDianne (Di) Bates29 CreekrunCordeaux HeightsNSW 2526 Australia
02 42716168dibates@outlook.com
When I wish to promote a book, its details are included on the signature, eg(Crossing the Line, Ford Street).
7. Set yourself writing goals and deadlines. Write them down. Keep to them. Goals can be both short-term (I will complete my short story by 20 March) or long-term (By 30 December 2019, I will have finished the first draft of my novel.)
8. Never, ever hassle publishers. After you submit and record date and place of submission, move on to your next writing project. If your publisher has not responded after 8 – 12 weeks, then send a brief, polite email or letter of enquiry. If the publisher ignores your correspondence, then send your manuscript elsewhere, and cross them off your list of would-be publishers.
9. Make and write down decisions about what you expect and will tolerate as a writer. This will help you formulate how professional you will be in your dealings with publishers and the public in general.
10. If you are writing for a market (especially for young people), read as many of the recently published, best selling and old favourites books as there are in that genre. Note who the publishers are: their addresses, if the book is recent, are always available to you on the book’s information (also called imprint) page.
11. Get a business card with your name and contact details on it. You can buy sheets of make-it-yourself business cards from a stationers’ and create the card yourself with your computer (go to Labels, located under Tools on the Menu bar).
12.  Network! The more people you know in the industry, the more resources you have available. At conferences, fairs, etc don’t be nervous about approaching people – even the speakers – and giving out your business card. If anyone gives you their business card it’s a good idea to follow-up with an email. If they respond, keep in touch. You never know what it can lead to!
13. Share! So many writers keep markets to themselves for fear others will get published. If your work is good enough, your work will be accepted. Competition is inevitable. If you are generous, then other generous people will reciprocate; you will also be creating goodwill among contemporaries, and potential readers!
14. It is wise not to consider editors, art directors, publicists, market directors and literary agents as personal friends. Be friendly but crossing the fine line can create problems further down the line.
15. (This should probably be #1!) Learn and practice how to self-edit! So many new writers learn about writing but neglect the skill that makes the difference between a good manuscript and a GREAT manuscript. Editing is not just spelling, grammar and punctuation: looking at every single word and sentence, and the overall structure of your work is what editing is about. Not many teach it, but you can find books to help you self-edit.
16. Never, ever submit a manuscript which is less than the very best you can do. This means re-reading it many times for errors. Don’t rely on a computer spell-check.
16. Self-publishing is possible, but the most difficult aspect is distribution. If you use a distributor to get your books into Australian bookshops, be aware that they charge upwards of 60% discount, and not many will handle one-off titles. If you intend to self-distribute, you need great promotional abilities and lots of time and energy.
17. If you donate materials relating to Australian children’s books, such as letters from publishers, manuscripts, proof pages and so on, you might be eligible for the Government's Cultural Gifts Program, a scheme by which your collection is valued (no charge to you) by independent assessors, and a certificate issued to you which will enable you to obtain tax relief. For more information, or to donate a collection, contact the Field Officer of the Archives division of your state library or the National Library of Australia. Keep all of those letters, royalty statements and stuff you might otherwise throw out!
18. Remember that the Australian book industry is a small one and many people know one another: be discrete when talking of others!
19. It is okay for you to thank an editor or publisher or others on the publishing team if they produce a book for you which you think is great, or if a magazine has chosen a great illustrator to go with your story. A nice gesture is a card, a bunch or flowers, bottle of wine, chocolates – but bribes are not a good way to go!
20. If you are lucky enough to get a mentor whom you don’t have to pay, try to do something for him or her. Perhaps you could offer to undertake some research on the internet…
21. Keep all your receipts which you can claim as tax deductions against your writing income – even if you don’t make very much. I can legitimately – and honestly – claim deductions in the tens of thousands of dollars so get a good accountant or seek the advice of someone who makes writing expenses’ claims.
22. Spend more time writing than you do going to workshops and conferences!
23. Keep a time-sheet is a terrific way of seeing just how much time you really “work”. My husband and I are full-time freelancers, who each spend an average 40 hours a week at our writing desks.
24. If you are asked to speak as a writer, do not do it gratis (unless it is your child’s school); your time is valuable, so value it yourself. I charge per child per hour, with a minimum charge per hour.
25. If you intend to publicise your book/s, then undertake a speaking course. Toastmaster International is a great organisation, which will teach you how to make butterflies fly in formation, and to speak impromptu to an audience. (Deduct the cost of joining and meetings against your writing income.)
26. Set small achievable goals and try to write undisturbed regularly. Give yourself an allotted time where writing is your only priority.
27. Keep a despatches’ book or spreadsheet which shows when and where you send out manuscripts.
28. Keep a record of each manuscript’s history: record how long the piece is, when you finished it, places to which it has been sent and if it has been accepted or rejected.
29. Do not sit beside the phone or hang out at the mail box when you submit a manuscript: get to work on the next one!
30. Do not take it personally when your work is rejected by a publisher. There are many reasons why work is returned. Quality of writing is not the only factor: it could be that the publisher has only the day before accepted a similar piece to that which you’ve submitted.
My highest number of consecutive manuscript rejections is 47! One of my published books was rejected by 15 publishers over a six-year period, but when it came out, it was not only very popular, but was accepted for overseas’ translation.
31. Do not be fearful of submitting a manuscript: there are only one or two (usually anonymous) people who will read it, and you will never know who they are. The worst that can happen is that your work is returned. Also, don’t worry about © copyright: it’s rare than anyone in a publishing house will “steal” your idea.
32. Recycle: when your manuscript is rejected, re-submit it the same day to another publisher. If it is your 6th or 7th rejection, then the chances are it’s not the best writing in the world.
33. Most authors worry about multiple submissions or sending the same manuscript to two or more publishers at the same time. My usual approach is to multiply submit as book publishers are notorious for taking a long time to respond to unsolicited submissions. However, it is a courtesy to let the publisher know that they are not the only company looking at your work. Someone once said, what to do if you get two or more publishers wishing to publish your work, is to celebrate. The advantage of competing publishers for one work is that you have leverage regarding contract negotiations.
34. If you prefer to submit a manuscript to one publisher at a time, it is a sound policy to set a deadline. Tell the publisher that they have exclusive rights to read your work until… then name a date, say 6-8 weeks hence. If you have had no response by the date, wait 2-3 days, then make a polite phone call or send an email or card, asking if there is any interest. If there is no response, immediately send your work on to the next publisher.
34. Never expect a publisher to write a report on why they have rejected your work. It is not their job.
35. If a publishing house rejects your work and says why, then your work obviously had some merit: most rejected manuscripts are not commented on. Feel encouraged but work even harder to improve your work!
36. If your manuscript is rejected with notes from the publisher, it is quite okay for you to re-write, using the publisher’s suggestions, and then to re-submit. The second time around address it to the editor who sent you the letter and remind him/her that you have re-worked your manuscript based on their earlier comments.
Even if you did exactly what the publisher suggested, they are not legally bound to accept your re-submission.
37. How do you know which publisher is right for you? This is where your market research comes into play. Look at who is publishing what and see if you like the standard of their book design and the quality of the work they publish. Read your trade magazines; ask published writers about publishers and what they would recommend.
38. The best way to get on side with a published author is to read his/her work and let them know if you enjoy it. You will find most writers – especially children’s writers – friendly and approachable.
39. If you meet someone in the publishing business – such as an author - do not ask them to read your manuscript, even if you paid once upon a time for a course they conducted. Pay for a manuscript assessment.
40. If a manuscript assessor writes a favourable report on your work, then it is okay (in fact a good idea) to submit a copy of the report with your manuscript when you submit it to a publisher.
41. It is not good policy to sign an option clause on a contract, even though it sounds good. The option clause says that the publisher has first right of refusal on your next work. If you sign it, you can be in for trouble in future. If you want to, you can always approach your existing publisher with a new manuscript.
42. Study publishers’ catalogues: quite often you can get a good idea of what they are likely to accept, and sometimes you can see a “gap” in their range. This is particularly the case with educational publishers.
43. If you want to write a non-fiction book, you are advised to create a proposal before you write the book. The proposal will report on matters such as your book concept, your expertise in the intended subject and/or your qualifications, the book’s target market, competing books, reasons why your book will sell well, an outline of the books’ contents and a sample chapter. An interested publisher will likely talk to you about your ideas and even offer a contract before you proceed.
44. Never, ever, ever miss a deadline! Professionals will work around the clock rather than miss one. I once worked with a new illustrator who missed important deadlines, which held up the publisher's schedule. It was her first and last job as an illustrator: news travels in the publishing world.
45. Many writers want to know how long a story, or a book should be. It depends on who you are writing for, and what kind of book. If you don’t know, go to the people who do know, or check out submission guidelines on the internet.
46. If you don’t have a computer, you should forget about being a writer. Learn to back up work-in-progress constantly. Most publishers these days require a hard copy of your work as well as a soft copy.

47. A writing buddy is very motivating, if you can find one. The idea is that you swap work-in-progress and motivate and encourage one another. If you don’t know any other writers, then advertise for a buddy. In most states there are writers’ centres which have newsletters. I have used the Public Notices’ pages of my local regional newspaper to find writers (and succeeded!) A writing group I founded about 20 years ago is still running, though I long ago left it.
48. If you can find like-minded writers, form a writers’ work shopping group which meets regularly. Six to eight members is ideal. The idea is to meet in someone’s home, or perhaps a public place such as the meeting room in the local library. Each person takes turns to read his or her work to the group, and then members of the group offer constructive criticism. In setting up a workshop group, it is advisable that members are of a similar writing level and write in the same genre, such as short stories or novels. You would also be advised as a group to decide on a list of criteria for assessment before the work shopping begins. A certain level of trust needs to exist for a workshop group to function effectively.
49. Most new writers desperately want an agent. Agents are not always what they are cracked up to be. I know of authors who regret having agents because they have become bound by agreements which they cannot escape. Your best tool for success is brilliant writing! There are loop-holes when it comes to publishers saying they will only take work from agented writers. (See my article, How to Get Both Feet Past Publishers’ Locked Doors. I have testimonials which state that lateral thinking and actions, as suggested by the article, does work.)
50. If you hear about a new market or opportunity, attend to it immediately. This is one of the main reasons why I get so much work published! I am constantly ferreting out markets. When I find a new one, I make contact that very moment. Often my work is the first submitted to a new publisher. Move quickly. Don’t leave deadlines to the last minute. It’s a trite but absolutely true saying, “The early bird gets the best (juiciest and sometimes only) worm.”
ALL THE VERY BEST OF LUCK WITH YOUR WRITING CAREER! (Remember, you can make your own luck…)
© Dianne Bates
Di offers a twice monthly online magazine for those in the Australian children’s industry. Go to www.buzzwordsmagazine.com to receive a free copy. If you decide to subscribe ($48 for 24 issues pa), Di will send you a copy of her article, 'How to Get Both Feet Past Publishers' Locked Doors.'

Writing Workshops

The great American writer Samuel Clements (Mark Twain) once wrote, “I like criticism, but it must be my way.”  Most people would agree with this sentiment, particularly new writers showing their work to others for the first time. When you have slaved, perhaps for months over a piece of writing and you cherish what you have written, it is difficult indeed to accept the criticism of a reader, even if such criticism is constructive and delivered with kindness and/or love. I well remember my first poetry-writing attempts as an unpublished adult: when my partner, a much-published poet, put red lines through my precious words I was aghast. If I was not in love with him, I might easily have wanted to wipe him off the face of the planet! He was, however, giving me my earliest editing lessons. They were valuable lessons that I treasure even now thirty years later when I’ve had over 100 books published.

Many writers, particularly beginners, find it difficult to be critical about their own work. This is because they are too close to it and thus they cannot be objective. Frequently they do not see ambiguities in their work. The piece reads perfectly to them because they know it so well. However, what they have written may not communicate clearly to others. The outside, objective reader can only see what is written on the page before him or her, and perhaps it does not make sense.
Any reader who is asked to make critical comments of a written work has a difficult task: this is because people – especially those who are new to having their writing critiqued – are hurt by criticism (some more than others).  However, all writers need another “eye” to assess what they have written: this ensures that what they have written is accessible to others. The eye can be one, that of an editor. Or it can be the “eye” of a group.
As a beginner writer, you can help to improve the quality of your writing by using a workshop approach. My author husband Bill Condon and I take part in weekly writing workshop groups; we are always helped in them by the critical observations of our fellow writers who are both published and unpublished.
To workshop, a group should consist of about six people: (personally, I find that four is an ideal number). Every member must be prepared to share their work and to comment on the work of others. Decide how much time should be given to each writer for the reading of their work and the subsequent critiquing. A good time frame is twenty minutes to half an hour per person.
Workshopping requires tact and honesty. In making comments, group members should consider the written material, not the personality that produced it. To this end, it is more helpful to say, “The story needs a tighter ending,” rather than “You can’t write good endings.”  Always give the presenting writer the first opportunity to comment on their work once they’ve read it aloud – they may have heard problems they hadn’t seen earlier. Sometimes the way in which others in the group respond will signal to the writer what works and what doesn’t.
If you are critiquing, it is okay to make notes during the reading. These are points you might consider:·      Was the title effective, appropriate, a fair indicator of the     contents?·      Was the opening engaging?·      Was the writer able to sustain the tone from start to finish?·      Were there memorable phrases or unusual details, words that surprised you with their originality?·      Were there parts you didn’t understand?·      Was the tense consistent throughout?·      What was the major conflict?·      Did you care about the characters?·      Did the writer achieve his aim?It is as helpful to tell the writer what works for you in the story as it is to say what you have problems with.
If you are presenting, don’t make apologies for your work before reading it. Let the others decide if it works or it doesn’t.  Before you begin to read, don’t spend precious time talking about it, what inspired it, how long it took, what you are trying to say: let the writing speak for itself. 
When others are presenting their comments on your work, don’t become defensive. Listen respectfully to what they say. You may not agree with them: when all is said and done, you are the final judge of whether or not to accept their advice. However, if more than one group member is critical of the same point in your story, chances are that you have not communicated that point clearly enough.         Workshopping is a valuable means for all writers, even the most experienced, to learn how to self edit and to improve story elements such as structure, characterisation, style and so on. When you workshop long enough you will very likely become a far better editor than you can ever become by reading books on the writing and editing processes. However, books on editing are invaluable. Wishing to help new writers who today work in a hugely competitive market is one reason why I wrote How to Self Edit (To Improve Writing Skills, Five Senses Education) which contains 500 editing exercises (and suggestion revisions). Not all of us have access to lovers who are ruthless editors, nor to other writers who wish to workshop with us!
© Dianne Bates
Dianne (Di) Bates is the author of over 130 books for young people. She produces the fortnightly online magazine, Buzz Words (www.buzzwordsmagazine.com) for people in the children’s book industry.

Writing Verse Novels

The verse-novel is not really a new writing form. Yevgeny Onegin by Aleksander Pushkin, a famous verse-novel, was first published in 1833. Some verse-novels became popular during the Victorian era, as well. But the contemporary verse-novel truly gained literary attention in 1998 when Karen Hesse won a Newbery Medal for her verse-novel, Out of the Dust. A score of verse-novels have made their way into the hearts of readers – especially young readers – all over the world.This contemporary genre combines the power of narrative with the rich, evocative language of verse. Of course, some verse novels contain ordinary verse and little plot, but the best free verse novels are beautifully crafted, convincing reading experiences with a strong sense of voice.

Although the narrative structure of a verse novel is similar to a prose novel, the organisation of story is usually in a series of short sections, often with changing perspectives. The writing style is very personal, straight-forward and often told in first-person. The chapters are commonly short vignettes, at times told from multiple perspectives. The use of multiple narrators provides readers with a cinematic view into the inner workings of characters’ minds. Most verse novels employ an informal, colloquial register. Tackling subjects for today’s young adults, these books are easy to read, yet often strike to the heart of difficult topics.

There are many advantages to writing your story in verse. The very nature of writing in verse allows for more condensed language. Every word is needed and important. This type of form forces the author to think deeply on what is necessary and what is not. You also leave more “space” for the reader to participate in the story-telling. This “space” draws the reader’s imagination into the story filling in their own details where the story leaves it open to do so.
If you are drawn to the idea of writing a story in verse but don’t know how to get started, try reading some contemporary verse-novels to familiarise yourself with the tone and style of the form. Whether you prefer structured verse as in The Golden Gate by Vikram Seth, or free-verse, as in Crank by US YA author Ellen Hopkins, read as much as you can get your hands on. With regular doses of the verse-novel in your daily diet, you will begin to hear the subtle undertones of rhythm and lyrical style evident in the various authors’ voices.  Once you’ve found the style that appeals to you most as a reader and while that wonderful feeling you get from reading that style is fresh in your psyche, try writing your first line of verse-story. Then stop. Read it aloud. How does it sound? Is it smooth or awkward? Refine your first line until you love it. Then, move on to the next line. You’re on your way to writing your first verse-novel.
If you have a YA story just waiting to unfold and find that you enjoy reading this form of story writing then this may be the springboard you’ve needed to turn that white page, once again, into literary art.
One of Australia’s best known and prize-winning verse novelists for young people is Steven Herrick who spoke to Di Bates about his writings:
Steven, how would you define a verse novel?A narrative written in verse! Is that a bit too glib? But really, that's it. My favourite verse-novels tell a story in the first-person through multiple perspectives. "Cold Skin" has eight narrators, for example.
What verse novel do you wish you'd written, and why?Frenchtown summer by Robert Cormier – is probably the shortest, but definitely most poetic verse-novel I've ever read. It’s about a boy and his father - a subject I've written thousands of pages on - and Robert Cormier does it all in 105 pages.
Which are you most conscious of while writing a verse novel - voice, language or storyline?I'm conscious of all those things, but really all I want to do is write characters that the reader would like to spend some time with. I don't focus that much on the storyline when I'm writing - I just want to get close to the characters. The story (such as it is) comes later. 
How much editing do you need to do?I have found it easy to write verse novels, I must say, although, I'm trying to wean myself off them at present. My latest book is a prose fiction called Rhyming Boy for children (UQP) and I’ll probably follow this with a book of short stories. I'm keeping black painted fingernails in reserve for a year or two. Some books are heavily edited (or rewritten, or more precisely, have lots of poems added) - By the River and Naked Bunyip Dancing were both much shorter when first sent to my editor: she just loved the characters and encouraged me to write more - which in both cases I willingly did! Some other books didn't need as much editing. I'm a lazy writer, I reckon: I send a manuscript off before it's ready and do the extra work afterwards.
Dorothy Porter, the award-winning Australia poet and author who writes for adults, has the following to say about verse novels:
“A good verse novel is an impossible juggling act of narrative and poetry. They both must work. They both must pull together. You can’t have a successful verse novel where the story drags, and the characters are tepidly drawn. The same rule of narrative enchantment applies to verse novels as applies to prose novels. There are plenty of boring, unreadable novels around. I have no desire to add to their number. But there is no point in writing a verse novel at all if the poetry is dead doggerel or suffocating obscurity.
The quality of the poetry gives the verse novel its true distinction and luminous intensity. Poetry burns for longer than prose. There is nothing hotter than a terrific verse novel. There is no better read. A wonderful and enduring example is Alexander Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” which changed the course of Russian prose fiction. Pushkin’s verse novel set a very high bar indeed. And it continues to do so.

The verse novel is a highly unpredictable literary form. Unlike prose novels, where most read in terms of their structure and language pretty much the same, every verse novel is different.

Whether good or bad each one is a unique reflection of the poet who wrote it and the struggles the poet had in trying to weld poetry and narrative together. Even though a verse novel claims to be fictional no literary form is more revealing of the thrashing cries of the author behind it.

I am never more myself than when creating the characters of my verse novels. To give them authentic voice is like writing intensely personal operatic arias. I have to find a new pitch and a greater stretch and courage in myself.”
© Dianne Bates
Dianne (Di) Bates is the author of over 130 books for young people including the verse novel, Nobody's Boy (Celapene Press). She produces the fortnightly online magazine, Buzz Words (www.buzzwordsmagazine.com) for people in the children’s book industry.

Where to Sell Your Books

Not so long ago an American picture book author wrote an article about places where she managed to sell her books. She provided a long list which got me thinking about places I’d sold my own remainders and other children’s and adult books over the past 35 years. This does not include where my books have been sold through the regular outlets, such as bookshops (specialist and general), and discount stores such as Target and Kmart and department stores such as David Jones and Myer.

It is a fact that the same diversity of selling venues that are possible with adult books is equally available for children’s picture books and novels. It’s all about knowing your niche, creating a quality product, and marketing, marketing, marketing.

Once, just to check whether it was possible, I stood in the street down near Circular Quay where people were streaming by on their way to an event at the Opera House, held up copies of my remaindered book and tried busking (I only sold three copies), so I have gone to extremes! Many of my books – thousands of them -- I have sold in schools through book fairs I’ve organised (with extra stock bought directly at discount from publishers and from remainder warehouses). Over a two year period I held about 15 book fairs, but found it difficult to get most school librarians to commit as they were already brainwashed into running book fairs for the multi-national Scholastic Australia company. However, overall I made a substantial profit and eventually, when I decided to go out of business, I sold all remaining stock to a discount bookseller.

When my author husband, Bill Condon and I worked as schools’ entertainers, Bill would perform in the infants’ department while I was performing in the primary department: at lunch-time we would team up together and frantically sell hundreds of our remainders from tables set up in the school library or playground. Generally, the children’s parents would have received a flyer from us noting the titles (and brief descriptions) of books we were offering, as well as their prices. Most of the younger children would present us with envelopes with the books requested written on the front and the correct change inside.

Years ago, I published a coffee table book of poems and black and white photographs of the places in the NSW South Coast: I spent the following six months visiting every possible outlet and placing copies there. This included gift shops, museums, art galleries, newsagencies, tourist information centres and general stores as well as bookshops. I learnt a lot then about how books sell – or not. It was jolly hard work, let me tell you! Children’s books are a lot easier to sell than poetry and photography books.

Children’s authors I know sell books through venues which are directly related to the subject matter of their books. For example, Felicity Pullman sells her novel Ghost Boy at the store at Sydney’s Quarantine Station which is the setting of the book.
Goldie Alexander says, “I sell books off my website www.goldiealexander.com and all my books when I talk at senior and business clubs. I have sold my adult culinary murder mysteries at the site where those imaginary murders took place. Schools and libraries are great and I will be promoting two new books very heavily in the next few months: Lame Duck Protest, a story picture beautifully illustrated by Michele Gaudion, and my latest collection for older kids, My Horrible Cousins and Other Stories.  Later this year I will also be marketing the first of a series of mysteries for kids A~ZPIs: The Hedge-burner Case illustrated by Marjory Gardner. But I’m not up to selling at markets like some authors.’
Vashti Farrer says if you want to sell non-fiction books or books with specialist backgrounds, to approach niche markets. For example, she sells books via the tourist historical attraction Sovereign Hill for her book on Eureka Stockade and Port Arthur for the book on Point Puer. But, she says, ‘since most authors don't write about particular places and events, that won't be of much help, in other words, Sovereign Hill is not going to take books on dinosaurs or gardening!’ Recently, Vashti says, she sent out a flyer to lots of librarian contacts: although it cost her over $90 in postage, the first two orders covered that so I'm no longer in the red.
She adds, ‘I also keep my ears open for coming events that could be relevant, for example, I approached the State Library when I knew they were holding a Horse in Australia exhibition and managed to get my books Walers and Archer into the SL shop. 
Vashti’s advice is to decide where the topic would fit - if it's historical, then where did the event occur? Is there a gift shop or museum that would cover it? (Vashti’s Archer sells at the Racing Museum in Melbourne and Walers and Feathered Soldiers at the war memorials in both Melbourne and Canberra). 
‘If it's a gardening book - try nurseries with shops attached, or gift shops if it's a glossy book, or the Garden Show at Homebush,’ she says. 
‘I know one author who had a collection of short stories which included recipes that sells at her local coffee shop. 
‘Send flyers to relevant people or places. Send copies for review to relevant magazines. I have a friend with a thick tome on the horse in Australia and he got sales from a review in The Land newspaper.’
Finally, Vashti says, ‘The niche market approach is comparatively easy for niche topics, but general fiction is much harder to place.’ 
Pro-active author Hazel Edwards (www.hazeledwards.com) writes many books about subjects which lend themselves to specialist sales’ points (and to publicity in specialist magazines and newspapers). Hazel says, ‘The main hint is to find the issues within your book and link that.’ Cycling shops, for instance, are likely to sell Cycling Solo Ireland to Istanbul, co-written with her son, Trev. Hazel’s many books include Gang ‘O Kids(orienteering), Flight of the Bumblebee, Antarctic Dad and Outback Ferals. Think about where these titles might sell!
Here are other ways and places in which I’ve sold children’s (and adult) books:directly from my website Barnes and Noble.com various other on-line bookstoresto libraries via library suppliers at talks (community groups and so on)at book signings as fundraisers for non-profit organisations primary and high Schools/school visits gift storeshistorical museumsat writers’ conferences commercial and specialist trade magazinesvia librarians’ list-serversTrash and Treasure marketsat book launchesfrom a table outside local bookshopspost office agencynewsagencythrough writers’ centresthrough direct approach to people on my email databaseDepending on the type of book and the opportunities, here are some other places in which more competent and/or computer-savvy people can sell their books:·      Amazon·      directly to adoption agencies ·      kids Fairs ·      children’s educational product catalogues ·      science supplies catalogues ·      Library Association Conferences ·      children’s charity benefits ·      children’s Museums·      National and State Parks ·      aquariums ·      lighthouses ·      pet Stores How about you? Where have you sold your books lately? How has it worked out for you? Or are you waiting for your publisher – who has hundreds of other titles to market – to sell on your behalf? Or are you being (sensibly) proactive on your own behalf?

© Dianne Bates     
                                                                                           
Dianne (Di) Bates is the author of over 130 books, mostly for young people. She is also the founder compiler of Buzz Words, an online magazine for those in the Australian children’s book industry. To get a free copy, go to www.buzzwordsmagazine.com

The Buyer Behind the Book

Author/editor Dianne (Di) Bates interviews children’s book buyer, Terri Cornish

Can you give a brief description of your career in children's books?
After graduating with a Bachelor of Education (Honours) Degree in 1993 & finding casual teaching too difficult, I started my career in children’s books as the Secretary/Office Manager at the CBC NSW Branch. This was a part-time position, so at the same time I worked at Shearers Children’s Bookshop in Gordon. In 1995 I moved to the Australian Publishers Association (APA) as Personal Assistant to the Executive Director. Since my son born in 1996, I have worked for Dymocks Bookshop (Wollongong), as the National Sales Manager for library supplier, Holding Educational Aids, and as Bookshop Manager for Prodigy Bookshop & Brays Kids Shop in Balmain. I choose the stock for Prodigy and assisted with the layout of its store.   Currently I am the Educational Consultant for the Australian Council for Educational Research.
How did you decide which books to stock when you set up Prodigy children's bookstore?I researched other prominent children’s bookshops and their stock, studied publishers’ catalogues and read children’s literature magazines and journals to obtain the best mix possible. After studying children’s literature for five years, I also had my own knowledge from which to draw. I knew which classics would be essential and I was passionate about having as much Australian content as possible. 
How influential do you think reviews are when it comes to a customer deciding to buy a book?I don’t think your average customer has a lot of exposure to reviews; they rely on what their children have read before, what books they get from the school library and what their peers may be reading at the time. Teachers and librarians rely more on reviews, plus titles that have won awards are always popular and in demand. Books that were short-listed by the Children’s Book Council used to be automatically purchased, but this isn’t the case anymore.
How many books would you think are sold based on paid publicity as compared to word-of-mouth recommendation?It depends on the book and the publicity department behind them. With series like Deltora that have both paid publicity and word of mouth, the books simply walk out the door. However, in specialised bookshops I found that I didn’t sell a lot of mainstream titles like “Mary Kate & Ashley” even though their mass marketing approach was quite overwhelming.
In your opinion, how important are book launches?They are important for those who attend them, but in terms of authors’ appearance I think writing festivals and book events are probably more influential.
Who mostly buys books for young people?Generally young people themselves and their mothers. Teenage girls are far more likely to visit a children’s bookshop than their male counterparts. Grandparents are good customers as they are willing to listen to advice from bookshop staff. To be honest I didn’t see a lot of men except for our regular customers, fathers who came in with their children.
Can you describe your work as manager for a library supplier?I was National Sales Manager for Holding Educational Aids in the Library supply division. I chose books every month from most of the mainstream publishers as well as from educational publishers, like Heinemann Library and Era Publications. I had 22 library agents across Australia who sold the books to school libraries, both primary and high schools, and to public libraries. I produced marketing notes and a monthly newsletter to keep the agents informed and motivated. I attended conferences and travelled across Australia training agents and visiting schools.
What influenced your choice of book purchases as a distributor?It varied a lot; however, because of the library grant most schools would only buy titles that were Australian. Librarians also wanted fiction & non-fiction titles that could be slotted into their teachers’ units of work, such as themes in HSIE, SOSE or in Science. Novels and readers were less of a priority and weren’t in demand as much as non-fiction Australian titles. Educational publishers do publish with these units in mind, so it was quite easy to find material.
Do self-published authors approach and sell to educational distributors?No. I was sent manuscripts and the occasional book, but we never took them on. I was purchasing quantities of 150+ books and therefore needed a guarantee that titles would arrive, be packaged well and that supply would flow smoothly. I couldn’t risk that or take a chance on a self-published book, even if I wanted to.
Is there any advice you'd offer to authors wishing to promote their titles to booksellers and/or library suppliers?Booksellers are usually busy and don’t always have the time to see reps as well as individual authors. If you can get an appointment with a buyer don’t be too aggressive in your self-promotion. In the experiences I’ve had, it doesn’t go down too well. In terms of library suppliers, if you have teacher’s notes or classroom activities this may be influential if the book is relevant to schools’ needs.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?Just to give you an idea of what sells really well, I’ll break it down into age groups.0-5 yearsPicture books with Australian animals, such as Possum Magic, One Woolly Wombat & Wombat Stew were our most popular titles.5-8 yearsReaders obviously Aussie Nibbles, and Bites were very popular, but for some children the text was too difficult. What are needed are beginner readers (Reading Recovery level 1-10) that aren’t condescending. I had to recommend Ladybird a lot for this reading ability and would have preferred an alternative. Tashi by Anna Fienberg is another popular series that crosses over to the next age group.8-12 yearsDeltora Quest is a phenomenon and most readers of this age are starting to have an interest in fantasy. Joke book and crass titles are always popular too. Girls tend towards books on horses, fairies and very girly themes at this stage. Boys are still influenced by superheroes and books that have come from toys or movies.13-16 yearsA very tricky area that has been influenced a lot by fantasy and interest in Harry Potter. Cornelia Funke and Philip Pullman are very popular authors for both girls & boys. Girls tend towards realistic titles from authors like Melina Marchetta, Alyssa Brugman and Deborah Ellis.
Interviewer Dianne Bates offers a twice monthly online magazine for those in the Australian children’s industry. Go to www.buzzwordsmagazine.com to receive a free copy. If you decide to subscribe ($48 for 24 issues pa), Di will send you a copy of her article, 'How to Get Both Feet Past Publishers' Locked Doors.'

How to Make a Successful Submission

Exclusivity or multiple submission?
Re submissions: I used to observe the one publisher at a time "rule" but most publishers these days take months and months to respond to unsolicited manuscripts, even from writers in their "stables". For this reason, it has become necessary nowadays for writers to devise different submission strategies. Depending on the manuscript, and the publisher, this is my approach:
1. If the manuscript is likely to be awkward to place, (because there are only a few publishers for that genre), I submit to one publisher at a time, expressing an exclusivity period - that is, "You have exclusive rights to assess this manuscript for the next eight weeks, until 3 July, 2012, after which time I will submit it elsewhere if you have not expressed interest"
If the publisher has not responded by the date specified, then I phone (or email) them two or three days after the date and remind them their exclusive period has expired. Generally, they have a reply for you. If not, then politely let them know that you are now submitting elsewhere.
2. If I think the manuscript will be taken because it is "right" for the market in general, I submit simultaneously to up to 10 publishers, but advise each of them that it is a multiple submission. Some publishers - and Penguin is one - do not like this method. One such publisher held one of my submissions for nine months and when I rang to enquire, the commissioning editor replied, "Oh, I forgot to let you know that we're not interested".  Now, with that publisher, I offer a short (4-6 week) exclusivity period.
Re multiple submissions, if there are more than one publisher who want to contract, this is cause for celebration, and thus one can "auction" the work to the publisher offering the best contractual deal.
3. With regards to non-fiction, I never write the book then seek the publisher. What I do instead is to create a publishing proposal which supplies the reasons why the book (or series) will make lots of money. Publishers exist to make money, and books are their product, so if you can shine the light on their potential profits, they are sure to be interested. Generally, I submit proposals to 2-3 publishers at a time (basically because I don't want too many to know about my new book concept.)
Manuscript submission
The manuscript “musts”As a manuscript assessor, I have been surprised by the high number of writers who send manuscripts to me without observing many of the submission “musts”. First, all manuscript pages should be numbered. The manuscript itself should be typed in double-space with paragraphs indented (not left-aligned). All manuscripts should be prefaced with a title page. This page requires the following information: story title, number of words, author’s name (including © sign), the author's contact details, including postal address, phone number and email. If you have a website, include this as well.
The cover letterYour manuscript should be accompanied by a cover letter. This should be a simple introduction to the editor explaining what you are enclosing. If you have previously published, give brief details of what, where and when. (I include a separate sheet listing my 130+ book titles and publishing information.) If your work requires specialist information which you have, then disclose this (for example, you were a jockey and have written a book on horse racing.)
The publisher’s responseYou should never expect a publisher to tell you why your work is being rejected: that is not his job. If a publisher does go to the trouble of expressing some interest, or in commenting on your work, then you can be reasonably certain that there is some interest in it. You can either ignore the comments or submit elsewhere, or you can respond to the comments by re-writing and re-submitting. When you re-submit, address your envelope and letter to the editor whose comments you received and remind her that you have taken her comments on board and are re-submitting.
By the way, if you want comments on your work, pay for a professional manuscript assessment.
The précisSometimes publishers ask for a précis of the submitted novel. A précis is really an abbreviated version of what your book is about. For some reason, many writers find it difficult to write. The main thing is to keep your precise short and simple. Never write more than a page or two. Write it as though you are telling a friend what your book is generally about. You don’t need to go into details: tell who your main character is, what motivates him, why he can’t get what he wants or needs, how he acts in order to overcome the obstacle, and whether or not he succeeds.
Manuscript rejection                                                                                                    It will help you if you know that every writer – even the most famous – has had his or her work rejected at some time. For reasons which you have no control over, you can have written a simply brilliant novel and still have it rejected. You may have sent it to the wrong publishing house, it may have been returned unread, the reader might be incompetent, the publisher may be over-extended and unable to accept more manuscripts, and so on.
Did you target the wrong market?Did you submit a story that is the wrong length?Does your story need further polishing?Does the plot need work?Do the characters need work?Do you need to contact (or start) a writing group to help you work out what you might be doing wrong?Do you need feedback from a critique service?As a writer, your work is going to meet with rejection - from editors, agents, and sometimes from critics who pen negative reviews. You are going to hear things you don't like from those offering critiques. You are going to get a 'no' when you send in samples of your writing to secure a grant or a writer's residency. Rejection is going to teach you; it might even challenge your desire to continue to write. You might have to ask yourself if you have the resilience to bounce back after rejection - or if you would be happier with another hobby or job. Is your desire to write strong enough to withstand rejection? Are you willing to put in the time necessary to polish your craft and market your work?
Once, in my writing career, I had 47 consecutive rejections of submitted manuscripts. That same year, however, I had seven acceptances! And remember, I have now had over 130 books published, so I must be doing something right (yes, Di – it’s called persevering.)
© Dianne BatesDi offers a twice monthly online magazine for those in the Australian children’s industry. Go to www.buzzwordsmagazine.com to receive a free copy. If you decide to subscribe ($48 for 24 issues pa), Di will send you a copy of her article, 'How to Get Both Feet Past Publishers' Locked Doors.'

Dealing with Literary Agents

Many new writers are desperate to find an agent to represent their manuscripts to publishers. They believe that only via an agent can their work be ‘discovered’ and published. Getting published this way certainly results in success for some authors, but my experience might result in you changing your mind if you are desperately searching for an agent. Over a long, successful literary career in children’s books, I’ve had three agents; however, I have managed to place all my manuscripts – fiction and non-fiction – by myself.
It was easy enough to find my first agent (Ms X) and to have her represent my interests. Ours was a verbal contract; she was to place my work and to charge 10% of my income if successful. It didn’t take me long to discover that I knew more than she about the Australian children’s book market. In fact, I soon discovered that I was the first – and only – children’s author she represented. This was pre-computer days, so our communication was via phone and letter. However, Ms X was difficult to contact by phone, and she did not answer letters. One day, while I was attending a writers’ festival, I saw her and tried to engage her in conversation. At the time she was accompanying a highly regarded author; in passing, she promised to ring me ‘soon’. There was no phone call. Consequently, I wrote her a polite note letting her know I preferred to go my own way. I have no idea whether she ever sent off any of my manuscripts to publishers. The bottom line was that she did not sell anything I wrote.
For a long time after this, I continued to represent my own interests and was very successful, sometimes placing up to seven or eight book manuscripts a year (mostly to the educational market which was flourishing at the time). However, a time came when I was very ill and needed help. When I rang Mrs Y, a highly regarded agent, and told her I had four contracts that needed to be negotiated, she expressed surprise that I’d contacted her. ‘Di,’ she said, ‘you know more about publishers than most writers.’ When I explained why I needed her help, she agreed to represent me. Before long the four contracts were signed and delivered.
I then began sending manuscripts to her. A publisher was interested in a joke book I’d compiled but, because the jokes were culled from various sources and were not ‘original’, the company offered only a paltry royalty which I would not accept. Mrs Y was unable to change the publisher’s mind, so the manuscript was withdrawn. She submitted other manuscripts of mine, but without success, though I managed to place some manuscripts and she negotiated those contracts. Royalties and royalty statements began to come in via this agent. It was fortunate that I took the time to check the statements because there were mistakes in payments. Mrs Y had negotiated a rising royalty on contracts, which meant that after a certain number of books were sold, the royalty would rise from ten to twelve and a half percent of RRP. My sales on several books exceeded the ten percent number; however, the publisher had not paid the twelve percent. Mrs Y had not bothered to check my contract against the statements. It was then I realised that not only was she not thorough in handling my affairs, but she was over-worked with too many clients. As well, she had not managed to place any of my manuscripts. I decided to terminate our relationship, though she continued to handle royalties on those books she had negotiated contracts for.
Notwithstanding these two poor experiences with agents, I nevertheless decided, many published books later, to secure the services of an agent who might be able to sell my manuscripts overseas. Mrs Z had a good reputation and had even managed to negotiate film rights for a colleague, so I wrote and asked her to represent my overseas’ and local interests. No problem there. The problem, however, was Mrs Z’s lack of communication. She was very slow to respond to emails (when she did) and phone messages went unreturned. On the positive side, it seemed that she did have publishing contacts, especially in America, and, when she bothered to contact me, she did let me know where my manuscripts were sent, and how the overseas’ publishers had responded. Unfortunately, Mrs Z was unable – as I had been – to place any of my novels overseas. Meanwhile, in Australia I had managed to interest a publisher in one of my books; however, the publisher was dragging its heels with a contract. It was when I caught Mrs Z out in a lie about communicating with this publisher, I decided the time had come for us to part company; thus, I wrote her a short yet hopefully tactful letter terminating our verbal contract.
Not one of the three agents – all respectable and with many clients – managed to place one of my manuscripts. However, I have placed over 130 children’s books in the past 30+ years. Yes, it is more difficult these days to get publishers’ locked doors. But it can be done. I do it all the time, even when publishers’ websites indicate they don’t take unsolicited manuscripts and will only accept them through an agent.
Getting an agent is sometimes as difficult as getting a book acceptance. Agents can be, so I’m told, very helpful. Some are more proactive than others, but some, I think, represent too many clients and as a result are over-worked and not as effective as a writer can be who is talented and determined to have her books published.© Dianne Bates
Di offers a twice monthly online magazine for those in the Australian children’s industry. Go to www.buzzwordsmagazine.com to receive a free copy. If you decide to subscribe ($48 for 24 issues pa), Di will send you a copy of her article, 'How to Get Both Feet Past Publishers' Locked Doors.'

PUBLISHED AND PRO-ACTIVE: CHILDREN’S AUTHORS IN SCHOOLS

 “Are those your real teeth?” asked a small child sitting at the feet of the well-known children’s author who, after an hour talking about her books to a large audience, asked if there were any questions. “Did you write the Bible?” another asked an elderly author. “I thought you’d be prettier and not so fat,” commented another. Australian children’s authors who are pro-active in schools have many such anecdotes. “School visits vary from unbelievable hell to the fantastic,” recently commented one best-selling writer.

Promoting their own titles, meeting their readers, exciting kids to read, helping to develop literacy and writing skills, boosting their income: these are the main reasons why authors visit schools. The reasons schools invite authors (and illustrators) to visit range from wanting students to meet “a real, live author”, to letting students quiz the author of a book they are studying, to hoping that the author will impart “tricks” of the writing trade (sometimes via writing workshops), and as an alternative to an out-of-school excursion. Naturally, expectations on both sides of the author-visit fence differ.
Over the past decade, it has become increasingly more difficult for authors to expect their publishers to promote their titles: there are fewer publicists, more titles in the marketplace and less promotional money. Nowadays, most children’s authors realise that being published means that one has to be pro-active in self-promotion, and happily, most publishers are only too pleased to have authors taking the initiative.
It is not easy for creators – who often lead solitary lives - to walk into schools and entertain hundreds of children with whom they have no history and no relationship, no knowledge of what level of enthusiasm there is for the visit, even who the trouble-makers are. For some authors, their school visits experiences are not happy. This is especially so where the author has no teaching background or public speaking experience; more so when students are not adequately prepared, supervised, and/or are unruly. One author of YA novels expressed his experiences thus: “I’m not a natural speaker. I work at it. And I’ve been told by others that I’m a very good speaker. But my enthusiasm for going to schools has ground down into a knot of resistance.”
Like other authors interviewed for this article, he reported on bugbears many have - that students have not read any of their books leading up to the visit, on presentation day authors are given far more students than initially agreed upon, there are last minute changes of venue or presentation times, and they are often expected to introduce themselves. Other complaints include visiting authors having to move a venue full of furniture by themselves pre-performance, and having to find essential equipment (such as a microphone and electrical extension chord). Some have been asked, five minutes before the presentation, “What is this visit all about? What did you say your name is? What books have you written?”
One of Australia’s leading, award-winning children’s authors mentions a time when her talk was interrupted by carpet-layers – three days early – who proceeded to cut up carpet on which her audience was sitting! Try speaking to 200 infants’ children with a lawn mower or a jack hammer just outside the open windows; workmen replacing blinds in the same room, or frequent amplified voice-overs from the office! These things have – and do – happen!
Teachers sometimes leave students – often large groups – alone with authors who may be inexperienced at crowd control. “The moment you deal with a discipline problem,” a children’s author explains, “you’ve crossed the line. You are no longer a visitor; you are one of ‘the enemy’.” He related that in a city school as he walked from the car park to find the office, a group of kids once started flinging spit balls at him. “They (the teachers) then took me into a double classroom that stretched a long way back and was packed to the rafters with over 150 kids. No microphone.”
The worst story reported was of a children’s illustrator in Darwin on tour who, ill with flu, literally collapsed after her third consecutive hour-long session. The organisers insisted she continue her gig 15 minutes later – with another group of hundreds of children.
Happily, the vast majority of schools’ organisers – teachers, librarians and English co-ordinators – are enthusiastic and courteous. Many have already introduced their students to the visiting authors’ books; often they have created fabulous displays of students’ author projects – wall murals, dioramas, photographs, reviews, book cover replicas. Such enthusiasm means that the audience is buzzing as the author enters, the presentation primed for success!
A Tasmanian public high school teacher summed up the “best” author visits as those which are planned, organised and entertaining, where the author is flexible in accommodating a school’s needs and where he or she not only spreads the word about their own books, but acknowledges that other authors exist. She also suggested that authors should know to project their voices and how to manage poor student behaviour. “The important thing,” she said, “is that students see that authors are human with their own idiosyncrasies and foibles, and that they are approachable.”
Another teacher-librarian who has organised author visits for decades suggests that authors should expect misbehaviour and “have a strategy for silly behaviour or dopey questions.”  She offers further valuable advice: “Very few groups of kids are capable of listening for more than twenty minutes. They need to do or look at something or to talk about things.” An English co-ordinator for a private boys’ secondary college recommends that authors, “Get kids talking about themselves as writers and readers. Make them laugh. Be sincere.” She describes the various authors whom she has invited to her school as “exceptionally funny,” “incredibly empathetic and supportive during workshops”, “exciting and unpredictable,” “boring”, and “enthralling.”
As a children’s author who once made most of her annual income from school visits, I always referred to myself as an author “performer”. My background as a primary school teacher was invaluable, as was my study of marketing practices and of watching children’s performers in action, as well as years with Toastmasters International practising at how to speak in public. Unlike many pro-active authors, I never used a booking agent: for me, nothing beats direct contact with organisers as it ensures that all contingencies are covered. Many authors charge an hourly fee for a school visit (often in line with the ASA’s recommended fee of $450 for a 180 minutes’ presentation.) However, I found that charging a per-head fee with a minimum number of students meant that when teachers tried to admit more students than originally agreed, I was adequately renumerated. Prior to all engagements, I verified - orally and via mail - that the organiser and I were agreed about the location of the presentation, the session times and duration, the grades and number of students involved, and the cost per student and minimum hourly cost. My flyer also listed what my performance involved and additional services I offered (such as writing workshops, sales of my remaindered books and teacher in-service and/or parent courses.) Most of my bookings were the result of word-of-mouth recommendation or of teachers having seen me in action at conferences.
Knowing that first impressions count, my entrance into a school playground meant I was dressed appropriately (in my brilliantly coloured performers’ jacket and diamante-encrusted cap and shoes). A typical author performance in front of 200 fourth graders might go thus:Di: Well, hello (name of school)! Today, I'm going to tell you the BIGGEST secret in the world. (Pause). It's a secret about me. And all authors... And teachers too! But it’s … (confidential whisper) … rude!          (Long pause, as, with wicked grin, I surveyed the audience.)Di: Do you want me to tell you?Kids: Yes!Di: Do you really want to hear? It's really, really rude. (Sideways glance at teachers…)Kids: (shouting) Yes!Di: Okay then, but you have to promise not to tell a single solitary soul in the whole wide world because it is really, really embarrassing and very, very rude..." (By this time kids are hysterical.)Di: All right then. I’ll tell you this very, very personal secret about me – and your principal, Mr Twistburger, and your librarian, Ms Goodfellow … and all the teachers in your school… and all the authors in Australia…(The secret – that I have holes in my underpants - was then revealed and created great mirth, even more mirth when I asked how underpants can possibly be put on without holes in them?)
Not all my introductions started like this, but this was typical. Sometimes there was a series of jokes or verse (usually vile, but tame enough to pass the principal’s inspection). By the time I had introduced myself, the kids knew that their “show” was going to be a treat, that maybe my books would be as funny as I was. It was rare for a child to misbehave: they were all engaged in the performance.
Talking to an audience of kids is like writing the first sentence of a novel: one needs a mighty good “hook”. Not everyone writes humour and is willing (or able) to be exuberant in front of hundreds of pairs of critical eyes. But “hooking” from the start is essential, as is having a program which is marketed to suit the ages and interests of one’s audience, (at the same time fulfilling one’s purpose, which is to get one’s book into as many hands as possible.)
It is true – as teachers know - that students love being amused and entertained; they love anecdotes (especially family secrets, the grottier the better), and they need to be actively involved in their own learning. Successful visiting authors take this on board and use audio and/or visual props. Students can easily be encouraged to participate in dramatisation of an author’s writing. In short play adaptations of his books, my children’s author husband, Bill Condon, frequently involved good-natured teachers who hammed it up in their roles of “babies” or “starry-eyed lovers”, much to the hilarity of their students. On one memorable occasion, Bill’s trick of sprinkling “African itching ants” (tea leaves) to attract his “lost (plastic) spider”, created mass hysteria among his infants’ audience and all 150 of them bolted from the school hall!
A smart visiting author, having presented a pacy, involving and visually interesting session, will always allow for questions. The best questions are generally from the school rascals: “Who will get the royalties from your books after you die? Can you take your teeth out? “Were you good at school?” “Are you gay?” “Did you ever get put in a mental hospital?” The top ten most-asked questions don’t change much from school to school:1.    How much money do you get?2.    How old are you?3.    Where do you get your ideas?4.    How long does it take to write a book?5.    What is your favourite book?6. Where do you get your titles from?7.    Do you write about real people?8.    How long does it take to write a book? (This question is always repeated)9.    What’s your next book about?10. Please, will you write about me?
Publishers and booksellers can be an authors’ godsend, if they are supportive and pro-active. Publishers can – and sometimes do – provide publicists to accompany their authors on tour and to arrange media interviews on the way. Availability of authors for school visits and conferences listed on publishers’ websites are helpful, as is practical help such as cab-vouchers or car-park passes, lists of contacts for forthcoming festivals and/or conferences, teachers’ notes, press releases, publicity material, and media contact details. Publishers often throw out materials such as over-supplied proof-sheets and book jackets which authors can either display in talks, or donate to schools. Pro-active authors are in an excellent position – and usually only too happy - to publicise not only their own books but those of other creators in their publisher’s stable with give-aways, such as newsletters, pencils, bookmarks, even company promotional flyers.
In the past, most publicists asked authors to inform them of the dates of their tours, school visits, conferences and festivals a term in advance so that they could alert booksellers in the appropriate regions to stock the author’s books. More lately, judging from the many I’ve spoken to, this does not appear to be the case.  One children’s author says, “Even if your publisher does not inform bookshops (of a local school visit), at least they can see that you are pro-active. A bonus of visits is that after you have visited a region, shops may stock your books.”
Booksellers can indeed benefit from an author’s visit to their region, if they are prepared to put in the effort. After ordering in relevant titles and mounting a window display, they can publicise and arrange for the author to talk after school (or in the evening) at a local venue and/or to an interested group, such as librarians or parent groups.  Book signings at the school itself and/or in their store are also do-able. Country booksellers have reported to me that even a year after I have toured their region, customers still ask for and order my books.
No official statistics exist to prove that school visits by authors generate more readership or income for their books. However, the large numbers of visiting authors “at the chalk-face” would seem to be testimony to their belief that the publicity generated speaks volumes.
© Dianne Bates
Dianne (Di) is the author of over 130 books, mostly for children. She’s been in the children’s book industry for 35+ years and compiles (since 2006), a twice monthly magazine, Buzz Words, for those in the industry. Check it out on www.buzzwordsmagazine.com

Motivating Yourself to Write

‘Superglue’, that’s the answer I give when people ask how I motivate myself to write day after day. ‘Apply it to the seat of your pants and face the screen.’ It’s a glib answer, but basically this is the surest way to achievement.
There's nothing like the feeling of starting to write a brand new story. You’ve probably been thinking about it for days or weeks before you actually sit down at your computer and start tapping away. The characters are real in your head; the plot sounds promising, and you are motivated. This is going to be The One, the great international best-selling novel.
Your initial feeling of excitement can last for weeks. It's rewarding to see the word count increase as days pass. It's a joy to open your laptop and spend hours in your fictional world, forgetting all your everyday chores.
Comes the day, though, when you turn on your computer and instead of having fun writing the next scene, you stare at the screen and find yourself thinking about anything other than your story. Visitors are coming for tea, your carpets need vacuuming and your garden is neglected.  You type a few sentences, but when you read them through they sound about as interesting as last week's shopping list. Is it worth pursuing, you ask yourself. Perhaps it’s just one of those days. You write in your diary, make a cuppa and bring in the washing. All the time you’re thinking about how difficult it is to write, how nobody said you ‘have to’ write, that getting published is almost impossible given bookshops are closing. Doubts and negative thoughts crowd your head.
Before too long, this becomes the pattern of your days. Sometimes you manage to write a description - even finish a chapter - but more and more, you find reasons not to write. You moan to your family and colleagues about how you’re procrastinating and you ask yourself ‘how can I get over this writer’s block?’
Here is the cold, hard truth: motivating yourself to do anything that’s hard work, like losing weight, doing your taxes, exercising daily – and yes, writing -- is not possible.You cannot motivate yourself to write. What you can do, is put a plan into action. Work out a system to get what you want.
First, know that the rewards have to be greater than the pain, or you won't do it. We spend our lives trying to avoid pain and to seek out that which is pleasurable. Yes, it’s true! The good news is that once you realise this, you've just taken a giant step towards your ultimate goal - getting your book finished and then getting it published.

Here are a few tips on how to reach your writing and publishing goals. First of all, you need to get serious. This doesn’t mean enrolling in countless courses, networking, going to writers’ festivals or reading writing magazines: none of it will do any good if you don't get serious about the actual WRITING. To have finished pages mounting up, you have to write. To get a manuscript complete enough to submit to a publisher, you have to write. You have to write regardless of whether you’re in the mood; whether or not there are family dramas or you’ve got a head cold. Superglue time is the published writer’s bottom line!
What are some ways of getting out that tube of glue? As indicated above, you need to put writing first. Make it your daily priority. Give it at least an hour a day. One hour out of twenty-four is doable. If you can't spare just one hour a day for your writing, then you are simply not serious.
If the reason you can't spare an hour a day is due to a genuine emergency (a serious illness, for instance), then that's different. Give whatever the crisis is your full attention, then get back to being serious about your writing as soon as it’s passed. Set up a routine for your writing until it becomes a habit. Don't let anything get in the way. If something totally unexpected comes along to derail you and sabotage your writing time, then make that time up before the week is out.

Map out your road to publication. You need to go through a process to do this, so be businesslike and create a checklist. This might include necessary research, writing crucial scenes, finishing a chapter at a time, finishing the first draft, editing the draft, getting feedback (perhaps paying for a manuscript assessment), re-polishing the draft. Make checklists not only for characters, but also for setting, plot, completion dates for scenes (or chapters), editing and polishing your work. Also rough out deadlines for each list. Goal-setting – setting up systems -- needs to be a priority.
One of the best ways of motivating continuity on your writing project is to find support, either with a writing buddy or through a workshop group that meets regularly. It really helps to be accountable to someone, to have support in setting up good writing habits and maintaining discipline with the goals and deadlines you’ve set up, and to critique each other’s work. Your writing support can be a single person whose opinions you trust (perhaps someone else on the path to publication), or it can take the form of a writing course with set tasks, an online assessment/editing forum, or a reputable critique service. Beware, however, of ‘supporters’ who don’t take the writing as seriously as you do: some forums can generate into chatty emails that aren’t focused on achievement. 

If you want to be part of a writing workshop that meets regularly to critique works-in-progress, and you don’t know of one, then find one. This might involve putting a notice in your regional newspaper or library, contacting the nearest writers’ centre or asking your council’s community arts officer for local writers’ groups. A good size group is four to five. Meetings might be once a week, month or fortnight.

Ready to get serious? Then stop reading this article, and clear the decks - mentally, socially and physically. Arrange a quiet writing area that is yours alone. Commit your writing plan and time to paper. Find a writing buddy or writing critique group, then START!

Discipline and good habits will get your book written, and motivation will come from seeing the results. 
© Dianne Bates 
A former magazine and newspaper editor, Dianne (Di) Bates is author of over 130 

PICTURE BOOKS: TEXT AND ILLUSTRATION

A children's picture book needs to strike a balance between the written text and the illustrations. The text should be able to be divided up evenly, with an equal amount of text on each page. Each page - or each double page spread - has a sentence or two, or a paragraph. Each of these sentences or paragraphs must lend themselves to an illustration, and so the written text should provide a variety of scenes, characters, or actions. You could think of this as writing "captions" for the (not-yet-drawn) pictures. However, these "captions" must flow, as they should in any other well-written story, with an intriguing beginning, a rousing middle, and a good, satisfying ending.The problem with many picture book manuscripts submitted to publishers is that writers do not give sufficient thought to the role of illustrator as co-creator of the finished book. Publishing Manager of Penguin Books, Laura Harris, has said that one of the main reasons picture book texts get rejected is that “the writer doesn’t give the illustrator enough to work with.” A writer needs to read her text with the eye of an illustrator, looking at each and every paragraph to consider what pictorial images might complement them. If she cannot imagine illustrations for each paragraph, then she can be said to have failed the illustrator, and so she must re-write.
In her book Making Picture Books (Scholastic Australia2003), Libby Gleeson writes: “In the best picture books, the illustrations are absolutely necessary. They carry parts of the story or the narrative and in some cases the language is dropped, and pictures alone are all that is needed. The process is like a film where words and pictures work together but sometimes silence is a powerful way to tell part of a story.
A picture book is not the same as an illustrated short story: in the latter words alone could tell the story and the illustrations simply break up the words or decorate the text. Illustrations in a successful picture book not only complement written text; they can, as Gleeson says, take the place of text, interpreting and extending the meaning of what the writer is trying to say in a way that might never have occurred to the writer (or to her editor). Colour – or lines or shapes - in artwork, for example, might convey personalities of the book’s characters, be symbolic of a mood (doom or humour) that the writer wishes to capture, produce an illusion (say of movement and surprise) or convey greater level of meaning.
To provide an illustrative brief or to instead allow the illustrator total freedom to make his interpretation is a problem which often besets a picture book writer. Many editors do not like writers to provide illustrative briefs. Illustrators like Shaun Tan say, “Manuscripts that pre-suppose or suggest what the visuals might be in advance, or even the breakdown of text per page, are quite uninviting to me.” In most cases where a writer has provided an illustrative brief, illustrators have totally disregarded them and gone on with their own interpretation of the written text. In any case, what is sure is that it is the written text alone which an editor judges as acceptable or not. If a creator submits a poor text accompanied by brilliant illustrations, then no matter how impressive the illustrations, the editor will have no hesitation in rejecting the submission.
And what of a picture book text? Illustrator Ann James says, “To write a picture book the writer knows less is more, but that each word is potent and a cue for interpretation by the artist.” She knows that the successful picture book writer needs to provide a strong, rich and streamlined text. Author Alan Baillie adds to this: “A picture book can only be about five hundred words, which means that every word has to pull its weight. The tension, the atmosphere, the characters, the humour.”
In general, the picture book writer needs to remember that the text is short and some of the story is contained in the illustrations. She needs to keep the language simple and direct. Not to overuse adjectives and adverbs. Not to clutter up sentences. To use simple – (as opposed to complex) verbs that are also appropriate. And, too, the writer needs to forget about descriptive language – for description is the illustrator’s domain.
Finally, here is what some Australian illustrators say about picture book texts:Kerry Argent: “I like a text to move . . . minimal enough so that I can create extra layers and stories, visually.”Shaun Tan: “I accept manuscripts ... that give much room for me to play and to tell my own stories visually, (that have) a certain ambiguity . . . that resist being fully explained.”Ron Brooks: “To make a book, the words have to turn my heart around, make me go hollow in the belly, weak at the knees.”
 © Dianne BatesTo find out more about picture books and writing for children, go to www.buzzwordsmagazine.com