Dianne Bates's Blog, page 5
November 5, 2016
Authors in Schools
Let’s say you want to get into the schools and have a captive audience for your brilliant work of literature. How do you do it?
1.) If you aren’t vivacious, quick on your feet, and a strong public speaker, it’s probably not a good idea to get into classrooms. Kids expect to be entertained as much as informed (usually entertained more). You need to bring your best attitude to work with kids—they deserve no less. Connect kids with what you know, what you’ve written, what they’re learning, and what they care about and be enthusiastic about all of it and you should be well received.
2.) Know who you’re contacting. Don’t do the ‘To Whom It May Concern’ thing because you can bet it won’t be of any concern to anyone then. Do some basic research. If you’re aiming to speak to the classes of a certain subject or grade level, know who to send your pitch to. Usually the best person to contact (in primary school) is the teacher-librarian; in high school, try the head of English department.
3.) Offer to tailor your presentation to the class’s needs, but also provide the teacher or staff member you’re pitching to with some examples of presentations you can do. Keep it simple for them.
4.) Make sure your materials (emails, pamphlets, flyers, whatever) are professional looking and free of typos. They are frequently your first impression, so make it a good one.5.) As above, if you plan to give a power point presentation, make it as visually attractive as possible. 6.) What you charge is up to you. At the moment most school’s presenters charge either Australian Society of Authors’ rates, or on average $3.50 per student per hour for performance/talk, with a minimum number of students. I charge $3 per student with a minimum of 90 students. For writing workshops I charge $5 per student for an hour with a maximum of 30 students.7.) Be clear about what you will and won’t do. For example, I only give writing workshops for students from Year 3 and up.8.) Arrive at least 30 minutes at the school before your first presentation. This gives you time to meet your school organiser, sign in at the front office and to set up. If there are technical hitches, say with your computer/power point presentation you won’t have children arriving in the middle of the crisis.9.) Some schools are kind enough to allow you to sell your books. What I do if given permission to sell is send copies of the books to the teacher-librarian. If it’s okay with the TL, I also send flyers with book covers, blurbs and prices to her, asking her to please give to the students. Some TLs are kind enough to save you the time and expense; they will put a notice on your behalf in the school newsletter. The best time to sell books is immediately after school when parents come to pick up their children.
Did you get the gig? Awesome! Touch base with the school and the teacher who is hosting you about a week before you go. If there are things they need to provide (ideally, all they need to provide is the space you’re presenting in), gently remind them of that. Ask if there’s anything specific they want you to reinforce. Check over the schedule and general expectations. Know where you need to check-in (closest cross-street and parking availability).
9.) Support what the teachers are teaching with your presentation. Make their lives easier and they’ll be more likely to bring you back and/or recommend you to other schools.© Dianne BatesDo you have a specific query about presenting in schools? If so, send it to dibates@outlook.com and there will be a reply in the next issue of Buzz Words (http://www/buzzwordsmagazine.com) Buzz Words is an online magazine for those in the children’s book industry which Di founded in 2006.
1.) If you aren’t vivacious, quick on your feet, and a strong public speaker, it’s probably not a good idea to get into classrooms. Kids expect to be entertained as much as informed (usually entertained more). You need to bring your best attitude to work with kids—they deserve no less. Connect kids with what you know, what you’ve written, what they’re learning, and what they care about and be enthusiastic about all of it and you should be well received.
2.) Know who you’re contacting. Don’t do the ‘To Whom It May Concern’ thing because you can bet it won’t be of any concern to anyone then. Do some basic research. If you’re aiming to speak to the classes of a certain subject or grade level, know who to send your pitch to. Usually the best person to contact (in primary school) is the teacher-librarian; in high school, try the head of English department.
3.) Offer to tailor your presentation to the class’s needs, but also provide the teacher or staff member you’re pitching to with some examples of presentations you can do. Keep it simple for them.
4.) Make sure your materials (emails, pamphlets, flyers, whatever) are professional looking and free of typos. They are frequently your first impression, so make it a good one.5.) As above, if you plan to give a power point presentation, make it as visually attractive as possible. 6.) What you charge is up to you. At the moment most school’s presenters charge either Australian Society of Authors’ rates, or on average $3.50 per student per hour for performance/talk, with a minimum number of students. I charge $3 per student with a minimum of 90 students. For writing workshops I charge $5 per student for an hour with a maximum of 30 students.7.) Be clear about what you will and won’t do. For example, I only give writing workshops for students from Year 3 and up.8.) Arrive at least 30 minutes at the school before your first presentation. This gives you time to meet your school organiser, sign in at the front office and to set up. If there are technical hitches, say with your computer/power point presentation you won’t have children arriving in the middle of the crisis.9.) Some schools are kind enough to allow you to sell your books. What I do if given permission to sell is send copies of the books to the teacher-librarian. If it’s okay with the TL, I also send flyers with book covers, blurbs and prices to her, asking her to please give to the students. Some TLs are kind enough to save you the time and expense; they will put a notice on your behalf in the school newsletter. The best time to sell books is immediately after school when parents come to pick up their children.
Did you get the gig? Awesome! Touch base with the school and the teacher who is hosting you about a week before you go. If there are things they need to provide (ideally, all they need to provide is the space you’re presenting in), gently remind them of that. Ask if there’s anything specific they want you to reinforce. Check over the schedule and general expectations. Know where you need to check-in (closest cross-street and parking availability).
9.) Support what the teachers are teaching with your presentation. Make their lives easier and they’ll be more likely to bring you back and/or recommend you to other schools.© Dianne BatesDo you have a specific query about presenting in schools? If so, send it to dibates@outlook.com and there will be a reply in the next issue of Buzz Words (http://www/buzzwordsmagazine.com) Buzz Words is an online magazine for those in the children’s book industry which Di founded in 2006.
November 2, 2016
APPROVAL OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Most people would define a picture-story as a unity of text and illustration. If that's so, writers and illustrators of children's books should collaborate, but it doesn't always happen. In Australia, collaboration is common in trade publishing, but less likely in education where authors regard themselves as fortunate if publishers send dummy roughs for approval.
Trade publishers, who usually work on one book at a time, are courteous, and see the author's input as vital. The problem is that education publishers usually work on large projects - ten, twenty or thirty titles in a series. If they are running late with their production schedules, it's easier to publish without consulting authors.
Dummy rough stage
At the dummy rough stage, the illustrator has made rough sketches of the story, omitting detail. If writers are given the opportunity to see these, they are able to correct mistakes and make suggestions.
Several of my education titles have inaccuracies which I would have detected if I had been shown the work at this stage. (See examples in the Side Bar list below.) Later, when I pointed them out, the publishers said, 'Sorry - we checked, but we didn't notice.'
Authors should check, for they pick up inaccuracies immediately. The author, the illustrator and the publisher should feel proud of a title. It is disconcerting when children in schools point out mistakes in a new book when you are on an author visit. I hate having to apologise. It's worse when you are too embarrassed to introduce a book to children.
Contract clause
I try to obviate the problem by requesting the insertion of a clause in my education contracts - for both picture-stories and titles with line illustrations. The publisher undertakes to commission illustrations for the Work, and the Author shall be given the opportunity to approve the illustrator's first dummy roughs and final presentation (including text).
At page proof stage, it is important to see the final text and illustrations together - hence 'including text'. In an illustrated non-fiction title, for example, a caption may be misplaced or inaccurate or contain print errors. When final text and illustrations are approved separately, mistakes may not be discovered until the book is released.
In practice
While the above clause is always acceptable to publishers, unfortunately it does not always solve the problem. In large publishing houses contracts are negotiated by a Contracts and Rights Officer. The publisher and editors may not see my requested extra clause. Therefore I try to keep informed on my projects by phoning the publishing house so that I know when my text has been sent to an illustrator. I talk to one of the editors rather than to the publisher, and ask the date of the dummy rough deadline. I request a copy for approval and, if there is some hesitation, I mention the extra clause in the contract.
Now the advance copy of a book is rarely a complete surprise for I have seen both dummy roughs and final page proofs. But occasionally one escapes. I was lucky recently. One zoomed through the system, circumventing my extra clause, but the illustrations are a delight!
Checking dummy roughs and page proofs
Authors need to approve illustrations twice during production: at dummy rough and page proof stages. Here are a few examples from my experience of the kinds of mistakes which may slip by when the author is not consulted.
* The text of a picture-story was in correct sequence, but the illustration for the second double page spread (pages 4-5) were placed first in the book, followed by those for pages 2-3.
* The text of a picture-story about King Beast, a boasting lion (called King Boast behind his back by the other animals), had a twist at the end. Courageously, the animals sang 'Happy Birthday King Boast'. A twist was lost when the illustrator put the words into a speech balloon, with 'Beast' instead of 'Boast'.
* In a picture-story about three children, aged 4, 6 and 8 years, the eight-year-old was variously represented in appearance as 8, 10 or 12 years of age.
* On one occasion, page proofs for a non-fiction book with line drawings and photographs were sent, but did not include captions to the illustrations. Errors discovered on publication included: misplacement of two captions, three grammatical errors in captions, and several spelling mistakes, one being: 'A penguin's leg is branded...'
* And now for a lucky picture-story in which a beetle and a spider were two of the characters in a cumulative tale. The illustrator had depicted the beetle with four legs and two body parts, and the spider with six legs and three body parts. Luckily the sketches were sent to me at dummy rough stage. Saved!
© Edel Wignell
Note: This article was first published in the SCBWI Bulletin in 1996, and then in New Writer Magazine (Australia) in 2002.
Trade publishers, who usually work on one book at a time, are courteous, and see the author's input as vital. The problem is that education publishers usually work on large projects - ten, twenty or thirty titles in a series. If they are running late with their production schedules, it's easier to publish without consulting authors.
Dummy rough stage
At the dummy rough stage, the illustrator has made rough sketches of the story, omitting detail. If writers are given the opportunity to see these, they are able to correct mistakes and make suggestions.
Several of my education titles have inaccuracies which I would have detected if I had been shown the work at this stage. (See examples in the Side Bar list below.) Later, when I pointed them out, the publishers said, 'Sorry - we checked, but we didn't notice.'
Authors should check, for they pick up inaccuracies immediately. The author, the illustrator and the publisher should feel proud of a title. It is disconcerting when children in schools point out mistakes in a new book when you are on an author visit. I hate having to apologise. It's worse when you are too embarrassed to introduce a book to children.
Contract clause
I try to obviate the problem by requesting the insertion of a clause in my education contracts - for both picture-stories and titles with line illustrations. The publisher undertakes to commission illustrations for the Work, and the Author shall be given the opportunity to approve the illustrator's first dummy roughs and final presentation (including text).
At page proof stage, it is important to see the final text and illustrations together - hence 'including text'. In an illustrated non-fiction title, for example, a caption may be misplaced or inaccurate or contain print errors. When final text and illustrations are approved separately, mistakes may not be discovered until the book is released.
In practice
While the above clause is always acceptable to publishers, unfortunately it does not always solve the problem. In large publishing houses contracts are negotiated by a Contracts and Rights Officer. The publisher and editors may not see my requested extra clause. Therefore I try to keep informed on my projects by phoning the publishing house so that I know when my text has been sent to an illustrator. I talk to one of the editors rather than to the publisher, and ask the date of the dummy rough deadline. I request a copy for approval and, if there is some hesitation, I mention the extra clause in the contract.
Now the advance copy of a book is rarely a complete surprise for I have seen both dummy roughs and final page proofs. But occasionally one escapes. I was lucky recently. One zoomed through the system, circumventing my extra clause, but the illustrations are a delight!
Checking dummy roughs and page proofs
Authors need to approve illustrations twice during production: at dummy rough and page proof stages. Here are a few examples from my experience of the kinds of mistakes which may slip by when the author is not consulted.
* The text of a picture-story was in correct sequence, but the illustration for the second double page spread (pages 4-5) were placed first in the book, followed by those for pages 2-3.
* The text of a picture-story about King Beast, a boasting lion (called King Boast behind his back by the other animals), had a twist at the end. Courageously, the animals sang 'Happy Birthday King Boast'. A twist was lost when the illustrator put the words into a speech balloon, with 'Beast' instead of 'Boast'.
* In a picture-story about three children, aged 4, 6 and 8 years, the eight-year-old was variously represented in appearance as 8, 10 or 12 years of age.
* On one occasion, page proofs for a non-fiction book with line drawings and photographs were sent, but did not include captions to the illustrations. Errors discovered on publication included: misplacement of two captions, three grammatical errors in captions, and several spelling mistakes, one being: 'A penguin's leg is branded...'
* And now for a lucky picture-story in which a beetle and a spider were two of the characters in a cumulative tale. The illustrator had depicted the beetle with four legs and two body parts, and the spider with six legs and three body parts. Luckily the sketches were sent to me at dummy rough stage. Saved!
© Edel Wignell
Note: This article was first published in the SCBWI Bulletin in 1996, and then in New Writer Magazine (Australia) in 2002.
October 29, 2016
7 SIGNS THAT YOU'RE DESTINED TO BE A WRITER
1. You Were Born With a Pen in Your HandWell, not literally of course... but close! If you remember eagerly uncapping your pen at school to write about 'What I Did in the Holidays' or 'My Big Adventure', then you probably had no chance from the start - a writer you were destined to be! (No doubt your idea of a fun school vacation was to sit in a room and write stories all day, too...)
2. You Were Always Lost in a Fictional World
Did people have to come right up to you and shake you to get your attention when you were reading?
Did you ever pull a book out of your bag and wander to school with your eyes fixed on the pages (dodging death from skateboarders and cyclists because you simply didn't see or hear them?)
Did you often stay up so late reading that you went to school with a headache or bleary eyes?
If you say 'yes' to all three, no writer will be a bit surprised. It's more than likely that even today you always have a book or three by the bed, and panic at the thought of running out of reading matter...
3. You Find That All the World's a Stage
Sometimes it seems like the world is filled with characters just for you to draw on for your novels. You can't sit in a coffee lounge without wondering about those around you, and a snippet of overheard conversation is enough to have you busily giving them all stories and backgrounds that would probably amaze them if they only knew. And as for relatives - well, they know by now that their lives provide you with a fertile source for your novels.
4. You Keep Notebooks Everywhere to Grab Those Fleeting Ideas
Never let it be said that you let a good idea go to waste. You scribble down interesting news stories, scraps of conversation, plots prompted by the latest celebrity scandal - and yes, you even have pages of illegible scrawl from fragments of dreams that you record in the dark at 3 am. And where DID you put that TV magazine with that amazing idea scribbled in the margin...?
5. You're a Writing Resource Junkie
You can't help it. Your shelves are groaning with Writing "How To" books; you've signed up for dozens of workshops and short courses, and you can't resist nifty software that helps you to brainstorm ideas and to organise your plots. You have a house full of books, hardware, software and manuals - even video tuition - but you can't get enough. Every birthday is a great reason to spend up on more to feed your habit: a new laptop computer or a ticket to a writer's retreat. All perfectly understandable...
6. You've Given Up Writing at Least a Dozen Times
... but you keep coming back for more: writing is like a drug to you. You just can't NOT write! It's frustrating, heartbreaking, exhausting, and you think you must be crazy to keep going back to the computer - but you do anyway. It's in your blood and there's absolutely no cure. None.
7. You Are Secretly Convinced That You Can Write As Well as...?
J.K. Rowling, Patricia Cornwell, Maeve Binchy, Jennifer Crusie, Janet Evanovich, Jack Higgins, Kathryn Fox, Jeffrey Archer... YOU fill in the blanks! You 'know' that they have just been lucky; they came along at the perfect moment. If you can only catch a break, it will be your name in the best-seller lists, right next to theirs.
And that might well be true. Not that they've 'just been lucky' (how often have you heard the saying: "The harder I work, the luckier I get"?) but it's quite possible that you can write just as well. All editors know that there are many, many talented writers out there who simply gave up too soon.
So right here and now, resolve that you won't be one of them. If you recognise most of these '7 signs' (and yeah, okay, they ARE a bit tongue-in-cheek!) then... there's nothing for it but to take a deep breath and get to work.
No use fighting it. You're destined to be a writer. The computer's waiting for you... so off you go.
© Marg McAlister McAlister and Writing For Success
Marg McAlister's writing sites and ezines are full of up-to-date, practical advice for writers. Get timely tips to ensure writing success both online and in print: http://www.Writing4SuccessClub.com
http://www.writing4success.com
http://www.EsssentialGuidetoGhostwriting.com
2. You Were Always Lost in a Fictional World
Did people have to come right up to you and shake you to get your attention when you were reading?
Did you ever pull a book out of your bag and wander to school with your eyes fixed on the pages (dodging death from skateboarders and cyclists because you simply didn't see or hear them?)
Did you often stay up so late reading that you went to school with a headache or bleary eyes?
If you say 'yes' to all three, no writer will be a bit surprised. It's more than likely that even today you always have a book or three by the bed, and panic at the thought of running out of reading matter...
3. You Find That All the World's a Stage
Sometimes it seems like the world is filled with characters just for you to draw on for your novels. You can't sit in a coffee lounge without wondering about those around you, and a snippet of overheard conversation is enough to have you busily giving them all stories and backgrounds that would probably amaze them if they only knew. And as for relatives - well, they know by now that their lives provide you with a fertile source for your novels.
4. You Keep Notebooks Everywhere to Grab Those Fleeting Ideas
Never let it be said that you let a good idea go to waste. You scribble down interesting news stories, scraps of conversation, plots prompted by the latest celebrity scandal - and yes, you even have pages of illegible scrawl from fragments of dreams that you record in the dark at 3 am. And where DID you put that TV magazine with that amazing idea scribbled in the margin...?
5. You're a Writing Resource Junkie
You can't help it. Your shelves are groaning with Writing "How To" books; you've signed up for dozens of workshops and short courses, and you can't resist nifty software that helps you to brainstorm ideas and to organise your plots. You have a house full of books, hardware, software and manuals - even video tuition - but you can't get enough. Every birthday is a great reason to spend up on more to feed your habit: a new laptop computer or a ticket to a writer's retreat. All perfectly understandable...
6. You've Given Up Writing at Least a Dozen Times
... but you keep coming back for more: writing is like a drug to you. You just can't NOT write! It's frustrating, heartbreaking, exhausting, and you think you must be crazy to keep going back to the computer - but you do anyway. It's in your blood and there's absolutely no cure. None.
7. You Are Secretly Convinced That You Can Write As Well as...?
J.K. Rowling, Patricia Cornwell, Maeve Binchy, Jennifer Crusie, Janet Evanovich, Jack Higgins, Kathryn Fox, Jeffrey Archer... YOU fill in the blanks! You 'know' that they have just been lucky; they came along at the perfect moment. If you can only catch a break, it will be your name in the best-seller lists, right next to theirs.
And that might well be true. Not that they've 'just been lucky' (how often have you heard the saying: "The harder I work, the luckier I get"?) but it's quite possible that you can write just as well. All editors know that there are many, many talented writers out there who simply gave up too soon.
So right here and now, resolve that you won't be one of them. If you recognise most of these '7 signs' (and yeah, okay, they ARE a bit tongue-in-cheek!) then... there's nothing for it but to take a deep breath and get to work.
No use fighting it. You're destined to be a writer. The computer's waiting for you... so off you go.
© Marg McAlister McAlister and Writing For Success
Marg McAlister's writing sites and ezines are full of up-to-date, practical advice for writers. Get timely tips to ensure writing success both online and in print: http://www.Writing4SuccessClub.com
http://www.writing4success.com
http://www.EsssentialGuidetoGhostwriting.com
October 27, 2016
10 Ways Get Rejections (and how to prevent it)
Everyone has heard the saying, "I could paper my walls in rejection slips." If that’s your decorating plan, it’s easy to do. Or, you could do the opposite and paper it with acceptance letters.
1. Dash off a quick query letter. Make sure that in your letter you beg the editor to read your article, bribe them with bikkies squeezed into the envelope, and let them know that your mum loves the story idea. (Alternative: Create an enticing, exciting, well-thought out query that makes the editor want to see your article or book. Let your writing, idea, and credentials speak for themselves).
2. Start with the A’s. Don’t research for the best publisher, just keep sending your manuscript or query out to everyone under A, then move on to B name publishers. (Alternative: Spend time researching the market for your type of idea, article, story, or book. Study similar pieces and learn the name of the editor).
3. Your story or article is great the way it is and you don’t want anyone telling you to change anything. Never let anyone read your work before you mail it out. (Alternative: Join a critique group. Be open to suggestions from other writer’s and listen, consider, and rewrite).
4. Assume that you know best what the magazine wants. You’ve been a reader for a long time, so make sure and send in your completed article whether it’s what they usually buy or not. Let the editor know you think they need a change and your piece is just what they need. (Alternative: Be flexible and send a query first. Maybe the editor will like your idea, but not your slant. Maybe she will want different experts or require them if you haven’t suggested using them in your piece. A flexible writer is one an editor comes back to again and again.)
5. Send an epic when they want a skit. The magazine may say they want stories from 1000-1500 words, but they just don’t know how wonderful your 6,000 word story is unless they read it. After all, their guidelines aren’t written in stone, are they? (Alternative: Believe that editors mean what they say. Don’t send a manuscript if they want a query. Keep to word counts. Always send a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope. Make an editor’s life easy and they’ll remember you.)
6. Guess your facts. Who will know? You are pretty sure you heard somewhere that all dogs are color blind, but you can’t remember if it’s a myth or a fact. But since lots of people say so, it’s probably true so just put it in that way. If it’s wrong, an editor will fix it. (Alternative: Talk to experts when you are stating facts or statistics. Keep records and contact information. Your editor will probably check up on these things and will know if it’s been guesswork on your part.)
7. Make sure you work stands out. How about a cool looking font? If you print in 8 point you can get more on a page, or in 16 point your editor can read it really well. What about a colored envelope or cute drawings on the corner of your query letter? Getting noticed is your first line of attack. (Alternative: Keep everything professional. Use 12 point, Courier or Times New Roman, and stay away from the hot pink and eye-popping purple stationary and envelopes. Your ideas and writing should be what stands out.)
8. Bug the editor. Check every week on the status of your work. Gosh, if it’s online, they should be faster, so email them every day in case they forget you. (Serious alternative: Never harass an editor. If your idea has been on their desk for a lengthy period of time, perhaps 2-4 weeks beyond their listed response time, send a polite letter or email, then give them another 2-4 weeks to answer. When you decide to withdraw your manuscript, be tactful and don’t burn your bridges.)
9. Send your first draft. After all, it’s straight from your heart. If they like your idea, then it’s time to dash out the manuscript and send it in immediately. (Alternative: Look over any ideas they might have mentioned for changes in your original query. Think about the best way to set up, research, and write down your article. Keep your promises. If you promise 101 Ways, don’t give 85. Let your writing cool and take a fresh look at it before dropping it in the mail or hitting that send button.)
10. Send out dozens of copies of your story or article to every magazine you can think of at once. You’re not getting any younger and you can’t afford to wait 3 months to hear back. (Alternative: Keep accurate records of when and where you’ve sent your writing. Unless it’s time sensitive, give the editors a chance to get to, read, discuss, and consider your piece. Don’t be afraid to follow-up, and then send your piece elsewhere if you get no response. Instead of shooting one manuscript 20 places, try working on another while the first is being considered. And another, and another, and another.)
Your office doesn’t have to be papered in rejection slips. Think of the alternative instead. And find some soothing wallpaper for the office.
1. Dash off a quick query letter. Make sure that in your letter you beg the editor to read your article, bribe them with bikkies squeezed into the envelope, and let them know that your mum loves the story idea. (Alternative: Create an enticing, exciting, well-thought out query that makes the editor want to see your article or book. Let your writing, idea, and credentials speak for themselves).
2. Start with the A’s. Don’t research for the best publisher, just keep sending your manuscript or query out to everyone under A, then move on to B name publishers. (Alternative: Spend time researching the market for your type of idea, article, story, or book. Study similar pieces and learn the name of the editor).
3. Your story or article is great the way it is and you don’t want anyone telling you to change anything. Never let anyone read your work before you mail it out. (Alternative: Join a critique group. Be open to suggestions from other writer’s and listen, consider, and rewrite).
4. Assume that you know best what the magazine wants. You’ve been a reader for a long time, so make sure and send in your completed article whether it’s what they usually buy or not. Let the editor know you think they need a change and your piece is just what they need. (Alternative: Be flexible and send a query first. Maybe the editor will like your idea, but not your slant. Maybe she will want different experts or require them if you haven’t suggested using them in your piece. A flexible writer is one an editor comes back to again and again.)
5. Send an epic when they want a skit. The magazine may say they want stories from 1000-1500 words, but they just don’t know how wonderful your 6,000 word story is unless they read it. After all, their guidelines aren’t written in stone, are they? (Alternative: Believe that editors mean what they say. Don’t send a manuscript if they want a query. Keep to word counts. Always send a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope. Make an editor’s life easy and they’ll remember you.)
6. Guess your facts. Who will know? You are pretty sure you heard somewhere that all dogs are color blind, but you can’t remember if it’s a myth or a fact. But since lots of people say so, it’s probably true so just put it in that way. If it’s wrong, an editor will fix it. (Alternative: Talk to experts when you are stating facts or statistics. Keep records and contact information. Your editor will probably check up on these things and will know if it’s been guesswork on your part.)
7. Make sure you work stands out. How about a cool looking font? If you print in 8 point you can get more on a page, or in 16 point your editor can read it really well. What about a colored envelope or cute drawings on the corner of your query letter? Getting noticed is your first line of attack. (Alternative: Keep everything professional. Use 12 point, Courier or Times New Roman, and stay away from the hot pink and eye-popping purple stationary and envelopes. Your ideas and writing should be what stands out.)
8. Bug the editor. Check every week on the status of your work. Gosh, if it’s online, they should be faster, so email them every day in case they forget you. (Serious alternative: Never harass an editor. If your idea has been on their desk for a lengthy period of time, perhaps 2-4 weeks beyond their listed response time, send a polite letter or email, then give them another 2-4 weeks to answer. When you decide to withdraw your manuscript, be tactful and don’t burn your bridges.)
9. Send your first draft. After all, it’s straight from your heart. If they like your idea, then it’s time to dash out the manuscript and send it in immediately. (Alternative: Look over any ideas they might have mentioned for changes in your original query. Think about the best way to set up, research, and write down your article. Keep your promises. If you promise 101 Ways, don’t give 85. Let your writing cool and take a fresh look at it before dropping it in the mail or hitting that send button.)
10. Send out dozens of copies of your story or article to every magazine you can think of at once. You’re not getting any younger and you can’t afford to wait 3 months to hear back. (Alternative: Keep accurate records of when and where you’ve sent your writing. Unless it’s time sensitive, give the editors a chance to get to, read, discuss, and consider your piece. Don’t be afraid to follow-up, and then send your piece elsewhere if you get no response. Instead of shooting one manuscript 20 places, try working on another while the first is being considered. And another, and another, and another.)
Your office doesn’t have to be papered in rejection slips. Think of the alternative instead. And find some soothing wallpaper for the office.
October 25, 2016
A Publisher’s Perspective
As most readers will know, I have a children’s book imprint, About Kids Books (http://www.aboutkidsbooks.com ). I recently published the first title (All of Us Together by Bill Condon), an exceptional family story for readers aged 8 to 12 years set in Australians set during the 1930’s Great Depression. This novel is so good that it pre-sold almost 3,000 copies to book clubs and I have entered it in a number of literary awards. Bill’s previous junior novel, The Simple Things (A&U), was CBCA short-
listed in 2015. I am a huge fan of his multi-prizewinning novels for both children and young adults.
Recently I received an email from a newish children’s author. Below find her question -- and my answer.
I was wondering if it okay for me to ask you something as a publisher, please? If you don't mind sharing, what is it about the manuscripts you've received thus far, that hasn't appealed to you? What should I avoid?
Most of the stories I receive don't have a vivid, memorable voice. Often the language used is pedestrian, the storytelling not at all compelling. Often there is a lot of telling rather than showing. And opening paragraphs are lack-lustre and don’t grab one’s attention. Too often, as well, the punctuation – particularly paragraphing and dialogue -- is appalling!
Today, a children’s author friend sent me the first three chapters of her new novel today and eight hours later I am still thinking about it. That's the sort of story I want! The setting of her story is unusual (in a graveyard), the narrator is a boy ghost who meets a very eccentric girl (not sure if she's human, yet). My friend’s last manuscript, which I'm sure she'll get published, features, in an Australian country setting, a girl with synaesthesia who has a relationship with her family’s Japanese exchange student: both are keen on the history of the girl’s town.
What most attracts me is a story such as Maya Angelou said: 'The idea is to write it so people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.'
I want to be moved by a story, whether it is deep and meaningful or full of imagination and fun (like Will Mabbitt's Mabel Jones books). One of the best books I read this year is by Linda Coggin. That Dog, Ray tells of how a girl gets 'inside' a dog; she tells the story from a girl's point of view, but as the story progresses the dog takes over the human in thinking and feeling. An amazing read! Another graveyard book, for older readers, which impressed me, is Magritt by Lee Battersby (Walker Books Australia).
So what I want is some -- or preferably all -- of the following -- a main character who totally engages the imagination and is memorable, prose that is rich and succinct, storytelling that sweeps the reader along, a setting that is unusual. It can be a story about anything! Originality is the key. Oh, and the book must be child-friendly (some authors focus too much attention on parents in stories).
An Australian debut author's book I'd have greedily grabbed with both hands is Figgy in the World by Tamsin Janu (Omnibus Books). Set in Africa about a small girl who goes with her goat looking for America so she can get medicine for her ailing grandmother (but the child has no idea where America is, only that the country has specialist doctor.) I am also a big fan of junior novels by Ursula Dubosarsky and Glenda Millard.
I’m still seeking a seeking a second manuscript to publish (after receiving and rejecting 160 manuscript submissions) and yes, I would take a debut book: I have one at the moment which interests me and I am now getting a second -- and maybe a third -- opinion. It is set in Rome, has a third person narrative, and is from the point of view of a dancing cat which saves the day. It’s written by a debut author but the story is different from any other I've read. The author has absolutely no social media presence: until I asked her to do so, she didn't even have her own email address!
Finally, two other manuscripts which interested me: one was a legend and far too short: I asked the (well-known) author for another story of the same size but she didn't have one. The other very interesting and well-written story, by someone who has published and is well known as an editor, was set in medieval England, but it needed a glossary: this turned out to be 135 words, far too long. She says she is 'dumbing it (her story) down' which sounds sad, but I'll take another look if she resubmits. There was a third book by someone whose books I love, but this writer is in grieving and she just couldn't manage to re-write: maybe one day she'll get back to her humorous junior novel.
As a reader, my preference is for social realism books but anything that's terrific is of interest.
Note: When the writer asked which of my own books I thought was worth a read, I told her A Game of Keeps (Celapene Press). It’s a book I think worthy of the About Kids Books imprint! Go to http://www.celapenepress.com.au and scroll down the page. You will see also that Celapene published Nobody’s Boy, a junior verse novel and CBCA Notable.by Dianne Bates
listed in 2015. I am a huge fan of his multi-prizewinning novels for both children and young adults.Recently I received an email from a newish children’s author. Below find her question -- and my answer.
I was wondering if it okay for me to ask you something as a publisher, please? If you don't mind sharing, what is it about the manuscripts you've received thus far, that hasn't appealed to you? What should I avoid?
Most of the stories I receive don't have a vivid, memorable voice. Often the language used is pedestrian, the storytelling not at all compelling. Often there is a lot of telling rather than showing. And opening paragraphs are lack-lustre and don’t grab one’s attention. Too often, as well, the punctuation – particularly paragraphing and dialogue -- is appalling!
Today, a children’s author friend sent me the first three chapters of her new novel today and eight hours later I am still thinking about it. That's the sort of story I want! The setting of her story is unusual (in a graveyard), the narrator is a boy ghost who meets a very eccentric girl (not sure if she's human, yet). My friend’s last manuscript, which I'm sure she'll get published, features, in an Australian country setting, a girl with synaesthesia who has a relationship with her family’s Japanese exchange student: both are keen on the history of the girl’s town.
What most attracts me is a story such as Maya Angelou said: 'The idea is to write it so people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.'
I want to be moved by a story, whether it is deep and meaningful or full of imagination and fun (like Will Mabbitt's Mabel Jones books). One of the best books I read this year is by Linda Coggin. That Dog, Ray tells of how a girl gets 'inside' a dog; she tells the story from a girl's point of view, but as the story progresses the dog takes over the human in thinking and feeling. An amazing read! Another graveyard book, for older readers, which impressed me, is Magritt by Lee Battersby (Walker Books Australia).
So what I want is some -- or preferably all -- of the following -- a main character who totally engages the imagination and is memorable, prose that is rich and succinct, storytelling that sweeps the reader along, a setting that is unusual. It can be a story about anything! Originality is the key. Oh, and the book must be child-friendly (some authors focus too much attention on parents in stories).
An Australian debut author's book I'd have greedily grabbed with both hands is Figgy in the World by Tamsin Janu (Omnibus Books). Set in Africa about a small girl who goes with her goat looking for America so she can get medicine for her ailing grandmother (but the child has no idea where America is, only that the country has specialist doctor.) I am also a big fan of junior novels by Ursula Dubosarsky and Glenda Millard.
I’m still seeking a seeking a second manuscript to publish (after receiving and rejecting 160 manuscript submissions) and yes, I would take a debut book: I have one at the moment which interests me and I am now getting a second -- and maybe a third -- opinion. It is set in Rome, has a third person narrative, and is from the point of view of a dancing cat which saves the day. It’s written by a debut author but the story is different from any other I've read. The author has absolutely no social media presence: until I asked her to do so, she didn't even have her own email address!
Finally, two other manuscripts which interested me: one was a legend and far too short: I asked the (well-known) author for another story of the same size but she didn't have one. The other very interesting and well-written story, by someone who has published and is well known as an editor, was set in medieval England, but it needed a glossary: this turned out to be 135 words, far too long. She says she is 'dumbing it (her story) down' which sounds sad, but I'll take another look if she resubmits. There was a third book by someone whose books I love, but this writer is in grieving and she just couldn't manage to re-write: maybe one day she'll get back to her humorous junior novel.
As a reader, my preference is for social realism books but anything that's terrific is of interest.
Note: When the writer asked which of my own books I thought was worth a read, I told her A Game of Keeps (Celapene Press). It’s a book I think worthy of the About Kids Books imprint! Go to http://www.celapenepress.com.au and scroll down the page. You will see also that Celapene published Nobody’s Boy, a junior verse novel and CBCA Notable.by Dianne Bates
October 24, 2016
WRITING FOR THE VERY YOUNG
I once worked as editor of the first national literary magazine in Australia for the very young. Little Ears was geared for the three to six-year-old market and published stories, poems and plays to be read by adults to children in their care.
In the first few months I received over 650 unsolicited manuscripts. We published about 16 contributions every month, so the majority of manuscripts were obviously rejected for publication. In assessing a manuscript’s suitability for publication I asked a few questions of myself: is the length appropriate; is the subject matter and language appropriate, are sentences short and simple, will the young reader understand what is being said.
Quite often in their submitted manuscripts, the writer’s choice of subject matter was a problem. Generally speaking young children want to hear about subjects which are within their immediate sphere of life. Topics such as my mum and dad, my family, my toys, my friends, my bath-time, my loose tooth and so on have more appeal to pre-schoolers than stories I received about elderly neighbours, hungry snails, rampaging bunyips, rainbows or dining with dinosaurs. Similarly, young children do not want to be alarmed by monsters under the bed, bloody accidents, death and losing one’s nose – which also featured in some stories submitted to Little Ears. To sum up, the ideal subject matter for the very young deals with what is familiar: going for a walk, helping mum in the kitchen, playing on the beach, dressing up in old clothes, discovering that caterpillars have legs but worms don’t.
In an article on writing for the very young, American Jan Weeks wrote, “Generally speaking, the younger your audience, the more concrete your (writing) must be. Young children have such a limited range of experience that they cannot make connections between the sun and a golden disk because they have no point of reference for "a golden disk." When dealing with young toddlers, they have difficulty grasping comparisons at all. To a toddler, dogs are so much like cats, that if you compare them, the child may have difficulty understanding that they are really different things at all.”
Writing in a “concrete” manner where young children know what is being described is imperative when presenting a story, play or poem for them. Pre-school children cannot grasp abstract concepts and it is folly to think that they will “learn” as a result of hearing your too complex story or poem. As a writer you can use play on sounds, but using a complex simile in your writing will most likely go over your young reader’s head. A writer can help the young reader stretch his boundaries slightly – perhaps by using animals instead of people as protagonists – but not too much since we’re still dealing with baby-friendly ideas like cuddling mum, my own bed is for sleeping or night-time is dark.
Rhyme, rhythm and repetition are important to very young children. Poetry for this group usually has simple meter (and may mimic nursery rhyme metres) and exact rhymes. Short sentences and simple sentence constructions are also imperative. A story about friends at a park should, for example, use simple action verbs on each page to show common park fun: they swing…they climb…they ride. A variant might come at the end when the story sums up all that togetherness by announcing that friends are good.
It is acceptable to show in a poem or story that one thing is like another, but again simplicity is the key. The moon, for example, might be compared to a white button in the sky, or the sun to an egg yolk, a playful cat to a lion. Stories and poems can also be active and challenge a small child to imagine something out of the ordinary. Grandma being a clown in a circus, Mum bringing home a pet kangaroo or a friend who wears a silly hat can be topics are within their level of understand and help to create a sense of fun for the young reader. Stories and poems can also challenge a child to do something, such as climb to the top of a slippery dip, pat a new, friendly dog or go for a dip in the beach for the first time. There can be funny stories or poems about manners or comparing being bundled up in winter clothes to being a chubby polar bear or playing in the bath to being pirates at sea.
Summing up, it is important if you want to get stories or poems for the very young published, you need to remember that your work must have connection to common experience and learning, repetition, humour, action, and – in poetry – exact rhymes and simple metres. Most importantly, remember to keep your story-line and your language simple!by Dianne Bates
Dianne (Di) Bates has published over 130 books for young people and has also worked on the editorial team of three national children’s magazines. Her website is http://www.enterprisingwords.com.au
In the first few months I received over 650 unsolicited manuscripts. We published about 16 contributions every month, so the majority of manuscripts were obviously rejected for publication. In assessing a manuscript’s suitability for publication I asked a few questions of myself: is the length appropriate; is the subject matter and language appropriate, are sentences short and simple, will the young reader understand what is being said.
Quite often in their submitted manuscripts, the writer’s choice of subject matter was a problem. Generally speaking young children want to hear about subjects which are within their immediate sphere of life. Topics such as my mum and dad, my family, my toys, my friends, my bath-time, my loose tooth and so on have more appeal to pre-schoolers than stories I received about elderly neighbours, hungry snails, rampaging bunyips, rainbows or dining with dinosaurs. Similarly, young children do not want to be alarmed by monsters under the bed, bloody accidents, death and losing one’s nose – which also featured in some stories submitted to Little Ears. To sum up, the ideal subject matter for the very young deals with what is familiar: going for a walk, helping mum in the kitchen, playing on the beach, dressing up in old clothes, discovering that caterpillars have legs but worms don’t.
In an article on writing for the very young, American Jan Weeks wrote, “Generally speaking, the younger your audience, the more concrete your (writing) must be. Young children have such a limited range of experience that they cannot make connections between the sun and a golden disk because they have no point of reference for "a golden disk." When dealing with young toddlers, they have difficulty grasping comparisons at all. To a toddler, dogs are so much like cats, that if you compare them, the child may have difficulty understanding that they are really different things at all.”
Writing in a “concrete” manner where young children know what is being described is imperative when presenting a story, play or poem for them. Pre-school children cannot grasp abstract concepts and it is folly to think that they will “learn” as a result of hearing your too complex story or poem. As a writer you can use play on sounds, but using a complex simile in your writing will most likely go over your young reader’s head. A writer can help the young reader stretch his boundaries slightly – perhaps by using animals instead of people as protagonists – but not too much since we’re still dealing with baby-friendly ideas like cuddling mum, my own bed is for sleeping or night-time is dark.
Rhyme, rhythm and repetition are important to very young children. Poetry for this group usually has simple meter (and may mimic nursery rhyme metres) and exact rhymes. Short sentences and simple sentence constructions are also imperative. A story about friends at a park should, for example, use simple action verbs on each page to show common park fun: they swing…they climb…they ride. A variant might come at the end when the story sums up all that togetherness by announcing that friends are good.
It is acceptable to show in a poem or story that one thing is like another, but again simplicity is the key. The moon, for example, might be compared to a white button in the sky, or the sun to an egg yolk, a playful cat to a lion. Stories and poems can also be active and challenge a small child to imagine something out of the ordinary. Grandma being a clown in a circus, Mum bringing home a pet kangaroo or a friend who wears a silly hat can be topics are within their level of understand and help to create a sense of fun for the young reader. Stories and poems can also challenge a child to do something, such as climb to the top of a slippery dip, pat a new, friendly dog or go for a dip in the beach for the first time. There can be funny stories or poems about manners or comparing being bundled up in winter clothes to being a chubby polar bear or playing in the bath to being pirates at sea.
Summing up, it is important if you want to get stories or poems for the very young published, you need to remember that your work must have connection to common experience and learning, repetition, humour, action, and – in poetry – exact rhymes and simple metres. Most importantly, remember to keep your story-line and your language simple!by Dianne Bates
Dianne (Di) Bates has published over 130 books for young people and has also worked on the editorial team of three national children’s magazines. Her website is http://www.enterprisingwords.com.au
July 5, 2016
A Note to Publishers Part 2
LINKING WITH THE AUTHORWhat publishers can do to promote their authors is to first establish a relationship: find out what the author wants or is willing to do, for example:- school/ teacher talks- author tours- book fairs- promotional tour- sending press releases to local media- presenting at festivals and/or conferences- presenting at Staff development days, at Regional librarian meetings- talking to local organisations, for example VIEW clubs
The publicist can ask the author to write articles for industry magazines e.g. Scan, Magpies, The Literature Base, Practically Primary, and Buzz Words about aspects of their new book. The author can also write articles that link with special days, (for example, I wrote a number of articles for Mental Health Week, which linked with my book Crossing the Line). Arrange a 'connection' with an excursion destination (once again curriculum link is great). The best example I can think of here is a big one (but it doesn't need to be this scale): to promote her book, author Felicity Pulman organised a tour of the Sydney Quarantine Station, the setting of her children’s book Ghost Boy. Make sure books are available for sale where the author is presenting. Link up with another of your publishing house’s authors in the same education area/topic: this way you can provide a 'dual package' to schools, i.e. two authors on one school visit.
Target special interest groups e.g. English as a Second Language or Gifted and Talented Children. Be aware of any special focus or special projects the Department of Education is undertaking – check their websites all the time and make contact at any opportunity. Be part of initiatives by education-related groups such as PETA - once again, check their websites all the time and make contact at any opportunity.
AUTHOR KITSPublishers ought to prepare an author kit giving advice on where to go for publicity and how they can represent their book. One of the very best things publishers can do for an author is to arrange for him to speak briefly to their book reps. This gives the reps some anecdotal information and enthusiasm they can pass on to teacher-librarians. The reps can also give the TLs a sheet which provides information on how to contact the author for a school visit and where to look for teaching notes. On the day the author visits the publisher’s office to talk to the reps, it’s advisable to have the publicist and author sit together so that between the two of them they organise strategies for promoting the book. So often publicists work independently of authors: they usually don’t even get to meet those whose books they are paid to promote!
ONLINE NEWSLETTERSAllen & Unwin and Walker Books Australia send me great online newsletters every month with details of their new titles, as well as news such as author tours, author interviews, competitions and giveaways. I often order books as a result of reading these newsletters. Ford Street also sends out a very good online newsletter promoting its recent titles.
TEACHER-LIBRARIANSTeacher-librarians love to be signalled out for the work they do. Every region has a teacher-librarian network. In the Illawarra there is the Illawarra School Librarians Association with 120 members. It would be a worthwhile exercise once a term for a publishing house to offer a night highlighting: invite an author, illustrator or designer along to talk about their work. Offer refreshments and discounts. These nights can be held in bookshops and serve a double function, making the bookshop a profit and strengthening the bookseller/publisher bond.Publishers could have a ‘meet the children’s authors’ event. This is an excellent way for a publishing house to get their writers to meet the general public (including teacher librarians and book reviewers, as well as the publishing house’s staff, e.g. marketing and publicity people).
BOOK LAUNCHESIt is a good idea to support book launches in schools. Richard Harland’s launched the Wolf Kingdom series in a Wollongong school. Richard organised a bookseller for the day who in turn contacted the school and sent order forms. On the day of the launch, 350 copies of the book were sold. At a second launch, at another school, 300 additional copies were sold.If they are proactive, authors can sell a lot of books; therefore it seems sensible to allow them to do so, so make provision for this in their contracts. Give them the same discount as booksellers. When my author husband Bill Condon and I worked in schools as performers, Bill would speak in the morning to infants’ students, I’d speak to primary. At lunch-time we sold our remainders, usually for $3 or $5 each. It was not unusual to sell over $1,000 worth of books in the one hour lunch-time period.
FESTIVALS AND CONFERENCESPublishers, encourage your authors to attend functions such as literary lunches, festivals and conferences. Publisher Paul Collins writes to each of his Ford Street authors asking them for a few lines of biography and then sent them collectively to all writers’ festivals around Australia saying these authors are willing to appear at your festival. There are dozens of festivals and conferences and all of them have large audiences.
Publishers, make a list of all of your children’s authors, along with their Send this list out to CBCA regional branches, conference & festival organisers, and regional teacher librarian groups indicating that the authors are available for visits. When authors speak at conferences, provide bookmarks and promotional material. Give the author a list of local media (and contact details) when they are to appear at a festival, conference or literary lunch. The author can organise interviews – or, if you are accompanying author, you can organise them
AUTHORS’ EMAILS & WEBSITESWhen authors send emails, encourage them to have a signature on each email which includes not only contact information, but the name of their latest books. A website is an author’s best investment in PR as it is that author’s shop front. Hazel Edwards recommends that authors give added value. ‘Have ready on your web site well-labelled activities which relate to that book title. This can be sent to schools, libraries or bookshops which have newsletters or events to which the author is invited.’ Publishers, give teachers' notes or additional resources to the author to put on his website. Encourage the author to have a generic 'How to'' or “How this book was written”, a 1,000 word article for easy sending to interested parties. As well, have a hi-resolution author photo on your publishers’ web site so it can be down-loaded by festival organisers and save you e-mailing.
WHERE TO PRESENT YOUR AUTHORS:· School visits or writing camps (talking to children)· Staff development days· Regional librarian meetings· Conferences and festivals· Articles in teaching industry magazines· On your website
Will publishers implement many – or any – of these suggestions? Hard to tell. However, every author I’ve discussed these ideas with has been fully supportive, and a happy author ought to be one of the main aims of every publishing house.
July 2, 2016
A NOTE TO PUBLISHERS part 1
As an author, the most frequent complaint I hear from fellow authors about a publishing house is ‘nobody tells me anything’ so my first suggestion to any publisher is to send authors a list of where their book has been sent for review and what promotion has been planned for it.
The best, most proactive and communicative publisher I have ever worked with is Paul Collins (Ford Street) for my YA novel, Crossing the Line. We worked hard and productively as a team. First, Paul asked me to send my contracted but unpublished manuscript to two people who we hoped would give us quotes to help promote the book. I chose two high-profile authors whose work I admire – Margaret Clark, whose books are for the same demographic as mine, and Elizabeth Fensham because her Helicopter Man deals with mental illness, as does Crossing the Line. In the first few weeks that the book came out, thanks to publisher and author working as a pro-active team, I had at least 17 book reviews and 12 interviews/articles (radio and newspapers).
SUPPORT YOUR AUTHORBasically all PR comes from the author and so he/she must be motivated. Quite often an author, especially a new one, has no idea of how they can promote their latest title, so it behoves the marketing and publicity department to provide authors with a promotion pack. This could include the press release that is sent out to the media and a high resolution copy of the book cover. I use the press release Paul Collins prepared for my book again and again.
Publishers, ask your author to contact all of their local media with the press release and their contact details. Recently I contacted a number of other proactive children’s authors for their take on promotion in the educational market. Here is what they said:
Jan Latta (a highly successful self-published author) Today, for 5 hours, I have been emailing every principal, or librarian, about my books for my next visit to Hong Kong. If the timing is too tight for the school to book me for a presentation, I send a set of books for their approval. I've only had one book returned! In HK I never charge a speaker's fee as I have great success with book sales. Usually over 1,000 books sold a week.Hazel Edwards: Offering discussion notes is a way of value adding to your book and publicising it long term by word of mouth.Edel Wignell: One of her strategies is to write articles for a whole range of magazines in Australia and overseas that in some way link with her current publication.Susanne Gervay, Tristan Bancks, Paul Collins (and numerous others): They make themselves available and actively promote themselves as being available for writers’ conferences and festivals all over Australia.Sandy Fussell: For her Samurai series (Walker Books) she has created an interactive website. She offers competitions and continually updates the site. Her launch party, which she organised, was the best I’ve ever been to. She sold over 80 books on the night.Patricia Bernard and DC Green: Both of them travel extensively around Australia offering author talks and writing workshops, and both sell many thousands of dollars worth of their self-published books during their travels. Patricia once paid to have an advertisement placed on Sydney buses!
PUBLISHERS’ WEBSITESOn looking at some publishers’ websites nowhere did I see links to their authors’ and illustrators’ websites. Nor did I find any indication whether or not their book creators are available for school visits, festivals, etc. However, one publishing house which does this very well is Allen & Unwin: their website is very easy to navigate.I would advise publishers’ marketing departments to make a clear distinction between their adult and the children’s authors. Teachers and teacher librarians don’t have the time to work their way through publishers’ websites: they want the information at their fingertips.BOOK AS MARKETING TOOLOne way in which any book itself can be a marketing tool is for the publisher to print on the back inside pages website details where teachers can find teacher notes, or print the teacher notes in the book itself as well as printing the author’s website address and the publisher’s website address. DC Green of Barrel Books makes full use of his books to show the above details.If the book’s content is linked in any way to the school curriculum, it is a good idea for publishers to provide teaching resources that are appropriate for immediate classroom use (e.g. web quest, worksheets, word searches). This can even go on the blank pages at the end of the book!WHAT TEACHER-LIBRARIANS WANTWhen I asked a group of primary teacher-librarians about how to make children’s books school-friendly, they said:1. Publish portrait books, not landscape. (The latter stick out from the library shelf and are difficult to shelve)2. Publish books that link with the HSIE3. Offer free author talks to schools4. Arrange pre-publication talks
One teacher-librarian wrote to me: “The thing that stands out for me above all others is someone who knows their books and knows (enough) about education to make connections and answer intelligent questions. If I get an email or flier that just has the publishers’ blurb about the product and the price, then the consultant rings and says “Hi did you receive….do you want to buy…” I always say NO. It’s been filed in the recycling long ago. I need to be able to TALK and LOOK and TOUCH (failing this, to return if unsuitable). There is a limited library budget and we need to take care that what we get is great not just OK or even good, for our educational purposes.”
The best, most proactive and communicative publisher I have ever worked with is Paul Collins (Ford Street) for my YA novel, Crossing the Line. We worked hard and productively as a team. First, Paul asked me to send my contracted but unpublished manuscript to two people who we hoped would give us quotes to help promote the book. I chose two high-profile authors whose work I admire – Margaret Clark, whose books are for the same demographic as mine, and Elizabeth Fensham because her Helicopter Man deals with mental illness, as does Crossing the Line. In the first few weeks that the book came out, thanks to publisher and author working as a pro-active team, I had at least 17 book reviews and 12 interviews/articles (radio and newspapers).
SUPPORT YOUR AUTHORBasically all PR comes from the author and so he/she must be motivated. Quite often an author, especially a new one, has no idea of how they can promote their latest title, so it behoves the marketing and publicity department to provide authors with a promotion pack. This could include the press release that is sent out to the media and a high resolution copy of the book cover. I use the press release Paul Collins prepared for my book again and again.
Publishers, ask your author to contact all of their local media with the press release and their contact details. Recently I contacted a number of other proactive children’s authors for their take on promotion in the educational market. Here is what they said:
Jan Latta (a highly successful self-published author) Today, for 5 hours, I have been emailing every principal, or librarian, about my books for my next visit to Hong Kong. If the timing is too tight for the school to book me for a presentation, I send a set of books for their approval. I've only had one book returned! In HK I never charge a speaker's fee as I have great success with book sales. Usually over 1,000 books sold a week.Hazel Edwards: Offering discussion notes is a way of value adding to your book and publicising it long term by word of mouth.Edel Wignell: One of her strategies is to write articles for a whole range of magazines in Australia and overseas that in some way link with her current publication.Susanne Gervay, Tristan Bancks, Paul Collins (and numerous others): They make themselves available and actively promote themselves as being available for writers’ conferences and festivals all over Australia.Sandy Fussell: For her Samurai series (Walker Books) she has created an interactive website. She offers competitions and continually updates the site. Her launch party, which she organised, was the best I’ve ever been to. She sold over 80 books on the night.Patricia Bernard and DC Green: Both of them travel extensively around Australia offering author talks and writing workshops, and both sell many thousands of dollars worth of their self-published books during their travels. Patricia once paid to have an advertisement placed on Sydney buses!
PUBLISHERS’ WEBSITESOn looking at some publishers’ websites nowhere did I see links to their authors’ and illustrators’ websites. Nor did I find any indication whether or not their book creators are available for school visits, festivals, etc. However, one publishing house which does this very well is Allen & Unwin: their website is very easy to navigate.I would advise publishers’ marketing departments to make a clear distinction between their adult and the children’s authors. Teachers and teacher librarians don’t have the time to work their way through publishers’ websites: they want the information at their fingertips.BOOK AS MARKETING TOOLOne way in which any book itself can be a marketing tool is for the publisher to print on the back inside pages website details where teachers can find teacher notes, or print the teacher notes in the book itself as well as printing the author’s website address and the publisher’s website address. DC Green of Barrel Books makes full use of his books to show the above details.If the book’s content is linked in any way to the school curriculum, it is a good idea for publishers to provide teaching resources that are appropriate for immediate classroom use (e.g. web quest, worksheets, word searches). This can even go on the blank pages at the end of the book!WHAT TEACHER-LIBRARIANS WANTWhen I asked a group of primary teacher-librarians about how to make children’s books school-friendly, they said:1. Publish portrait books, not landscape. (The latter stick out from the library shelf and are difficult to shelve)2. Publish books that link with the HSIE3. Offer free author talks to schools4. Arrange pre-publication talks
One teacher-librarian wrote to me: “The thing that stands out for me above all others is someone who knows their books and knows (enough) about education to make connections and answer intelligent questions. If I get an email or flier that just has the publishers’ blurb about the product and the price, then the consultant rings and says “Hi did you receive….do you want to buy…” I always say NO. It’s been filed in the recycling long ago. I need to be able to TALK and LOOK and TOUCH (failing this, to return if unsuitable). There is a limited library budget and we need to take care that what we get is great not just OK or even good, for our educational purposes.”
June 30, 2016
A Publisher’s Perspective
As most readers will know, I have a children’s book imprint, About Kids Books (http://www.aboutkidsbooks.com ). I am still seeking a first manuscript to publish (after receiving and rejecting 130 manuscript submissions). Recently I received an email from a newish children’s author. Below find her question -- and my answer.
I was wondering if it okay for me to ask you something as a publisher, please? If you don't mind sharing, what is it about the manuscripts you've received thus far, that hasn't appealed to you? What should I avoid?Most of the stories I receive don't have a vivid, memorable voice. Often the language used is pedestrian, the storytelling not at all compelling. Often there is a lot of telling rather than showing. And opening paragraphs are lack-lustre and don’t grab one’s attention. Too often, as well, the punctuation – particularly paragraphing and dialogue -- is appalling!
Today, a children’s author friend sent me the first three chapters of her new novel today and eight hours later I am still thinking about it. That's the sort of story I want! The setting of her story is unusual (in a graveyard), the narrator is a boy ghost who meets a very eccentric girl (not sure if she's human, yet). My friend’s last manuscript, which I'm sure she'll get published, features, in an Australian country setting, a girl with synaesthesia who has a relationship with her family’s Japanese exchange student: both are keen on the history of the girl’s town.
What most attracts me is a story such as Maya Angelou said: 'The idea is to write it so people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.'
I want to be moved by a story, whether it is deep and meaningful or full of imagination and fun (like Will Mabbitt's Mabel Jones books). One of the best books I read this year is by Linda Coggin. That Dog, Ray tells of how a girl gets 'inside' a dog; she tells the story from a girl's point of view, but as the story progresses the dog takes over the human in thinking and feeling. An amazing read! Another graveyard book, for older readers, which impressed me, is Magritt by Lee Battersby (Walker Books Australia).
So what I want is some -- or preferably all -- of the following -- a main character who totally engages the imagination and is memorable, prose that is rich and succinct, storytelling that sweeps the reader along, a setting that is unusual. It can be a story about anything! Originality is the key. Oh, and the book must be child-friendly (some authors focus too much attention on parents in stories).
An Australian debut author's book I'd have greedily grabbed with both hands is Figgy in the World by Tamsin Janu (Omnibus Books). Set in Africa about a small girl who goes with her goat looking for America so she can get medicine for her ailing grandmother (but the child has no idea where America is, only that the country has specialist doctors). I am a big fan of junior novels by Ursula Dubosarsky and Glenda Millard. I would also publish any junior book written by my husband Bill Condon whose latest junior novel, The Simple Things (A&U) was CBCA short-listed in 2015. I am a huge fan of his multi-prizewinning novels for both children and young adults.
Yes, I will take a debut book: I have one at the moment which interests me and I am now getting a second -- and maybe a third -- opinion. It is set in Rome, has a third person narrative, and is from the point of view of a dancing cat which saves the day. It’s written by a debut author but the story is different from any other I've read. The author has absolutely no social media presence: until I asked her to do so, she didn't even have her own email address!
Finally, two other books (of the 130 mss I've read so far) which interested me...
One was a legend and far too short: I asked the (well-known) author for another story of the same size but she didn't have one. The other very interesting and well-written story, by someone who has published and is well known as an editor, was set in medieval England, but it needed a glossary: this turned out to be 135 words, far too long. She says she is 'dumbing it (her story) down' which sounds sad, but I'll take another look if she resubmits. There was a third book by someone whose books I love, but this writer is in grieving and she just couldn't manage to re-write: maybe one day she'll get back to her humorous junior novel.
As a reader, my preference is for social realism books but anything that's terrific is of interest. Meantime, I have been reading an Australian historical novel All of Us Together which I'm sure to publish when it's finished (later this year).
Note: When the writer asked which of my own books I thought was worth a read, I told her A Game of Keeps (Celapene Press). It’s a book I think worthy of the About Kids Books imprint! Go to http://www.celapenepress.com.au and scroll down the page. You will see also that Celapene published Nobody’s Boy, a junior verse novel and CBCA Notable.
By Dianne Bates http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com.au
I was wondering if it okay for me to ask you something as a publisher, please? If you don't mind sharing, what is it about the manuscripts you've received thus far, that hasn't appealed to you? What should I avoid?Most of the stories I receive don't have a vivid, memorable voice. Often the language used is pedestrian, the storytelling not at all compelling. Often there is a lot of telling rather than showing. And opening paragraphs are lack-lustre and don’t grab one’s attention. Too often, as well, the punctuation – particularly paragraphing and dialogue -- is appalling!
Today, a children’s author friend sent me the first three chapters of her new novel today and eight hours later I am still thinking about it. That's the sort of story I want! The setting of her story is unusual (in a graveyard), the narrator is a boy ghost who meets a very eccentric girl (not sure if she's human, yet). My friend’s last manuscript, which I'm sure she'll get published, features, in an Australian country setting, a girl with synaesthesia who has a relationship with her family’s Japanese exchange student: both are keen on the history of the girl’s town.
What most attracts me is a story such as Maya Angelou said: 'The idea is to write it so people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.'
I want to be moved by a story, whether it is deep and meaningful or full of imagination and fun (like Will Mabbitt's Mabel Jones books). One of the best books I read this year is by Linda Coggin. That Dog, Ray tells of how a girl gets 'inside' a dog; she tells the story from a girl's point of view, but as the story progresses the dog takes over the human in thinking and feeling. An amazing read! Another graveyard book, for older readers, which impressed me, is Magritt by Lee Battersby (Walker Books Australia).
So what I want is some -- or preferably all -- of the following -- a main character who totally engages the imagination and is memorable, prose that is rich and succinct, storytelling that sweeps the reader along, a setting that is unusual. It can be a story about anything! Originality is the key. Oh, and the book must be child-friendly (some authors focus too much attention on parents in stories).
An Australian debut author's book I'd have greedily grabbed with both hands is Figgy in the World by Tamsin Janu (Omnibus Books). Set in Africa about a small girl who goes with her goat looking for America so she can get medicine for her ailing grandmother (but the child has no idea where America is, only that the country has specialist doctors). I am a big fan of junior novels by Ursula Dubosarsky and Glenda Millard. I would also publish any junior book written by my husband Bill Condon whose latest junior novel, The Simple Things (A&U) was CBCA short-listed in 2015. I am a huge fan of his multi-prizewinning novels for both children and young adults.
Yes, I will take a debut book: I have one at the moment which interests me and I am now getting a second -- and maybe a third -- opinion. It is set in Rome, has a third person narrative, and is from the point of view of a dancing cat which saves the day. It’s written by a debut author but the story is different from any other I've read. The author has absolutely no social media presence: until I asked her to do so, she didn't even have her own email address!
Finally, two other books (of the 130 mss I've read so far) which interested me...
One was a legend and far too short: I asked the (well-known) author for another story of the same size but she didn't have one. The other very interesting and well-written story, by someone who has published and is well known as an editor, was set in medieval England, but it needed a glossary: this turned out to be 135 words, far too long. She says she is 'dumbing it (her story) down' which sounds sad, but I'll take another look if she resubmits. There was a third book by someone whose books I love, but this writer is in grieving and she just couldn't manage to re-write: maybe one day she'll get back to her humorous junior novel.
As a reader, my preference is for social realism books but anything that's terrific is of interest. Meantime, I have been reading an Australian historical novel All of Us Together which I'm sure to publish when it's finished (later this year).
Note: When the writer asked which of my own books I thought was worth a read, I told her A Game of Keeps (Celapene Press). It’s a book I think worthy of the About Kids Books imprint! Go to http://www.celapenepress.com.au and scroll down the page. You will see also that Celapene published Nobody’s Boy, a junior verse novel and CBCA Notable.
By Dianne Bates http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com.au
June 27, 2016
Thoughts from a Publisher
‘The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.’ Maya Angelou
Often those submitting to my children’s book imprint, About Kids Books (http://www.aboutkidsbooks.com) do not read the website carefully. No, I don’t publish picture books. What I want and the book lengths are clearly spelled out on the submissions’ page. Most of all, I want quality books. Books which will be read again and again by children because they are so good. Books that are memorable. Which have characters who you care about.What I get are far too often are bland books which have no personality. What most gives a book its personality is the voice. How the book is told. The narrative voice. I want a narrative voice which is distinctive, quirky, eccentric. There should be a freshness in the writing. Word choice is the key. The writer ought to use words that sizzle on the page, and too, the story-telling ought to be fast-paced so you want to keep reading. But when you get to the end of the book you want to go back and re-read it. The sort of book we all love to read. Kids love that, too, though they might not articulate what it is that fascinates them so much.
Here are some opening sentences from children’s books which have compelled me to keep writing:· From a crack in the plaster, where the bottle has smashed, tomato sauce dribbles down the wall.
· There’s nothing quite as good as folding up into a book and shutting the world outside.
· One huge shiver trudging on to the oval, that’s us. First thing on a frostbite Monday morning.
· I was twelve years old the first time I walked on water.
· If I could tell you only one thing about my life it would be this: when I was seven years old the mailman ran over my head.
· The bedroom is strange. Unfamiliar. I don’t know where I am, how I came to be here. I don’t know how I’m going to get home.
· This story begins with a smile. It was a stupid-looking smile on a rather stupid-looking face.
· The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world.
· They say Maniac Magee was born in a dump. They say his stomach was a cereal box and his heart a sofa spring.
· 12th Day of September
I am commanded to write an account of my days: I am bit by fleas and plagued by family. That is all there is to say.· Miranda Tagliotti had been planning to kill Bridget Aldich for a long time.
· I will never forgive my mother for calling me Erica with a surname like Yurken.
· The day after my mother died, the priest and I wrapped her body in a grey shroud and carried her to the village church. Our burden was not great.
