BUZZ WORDS – INTERVIEW WITH DIANNE (DI) BATES
This interview was conducted by Edel Wignell who asked Dianne (Di) Bates about an online magazine, Buzz Words for those in the children's book industry which she founded in 2006 and which is published twice a month ten years later.
Tell us the genesis of Buzz Words: when and how the idea arose, and why the time was right for the launch of an e-journal. Working as a writer and living in regional Australia means that I don’t always have access to conferences and courses. As a result I have always been pro-active in generating means by which I can become involved: for example, in the past I’ve founded CBCA and FAW regional branches. More recently I’ve used emails to maintain networking contacts in the children’s book industry. I founded a weekly networking newsletter, CAINON, for children’s authors and illustrators which has since evolved into Pass It On, compiled by a young writer whom I mentored early in her career. Buzz Words (All the Buzz about Children’s Books) is another phase of my personal need to network and to share my knowledge of what is happening in the children’s book industry.
At first I was thwarted because my computing skills are limited, but I’ve been fortunate to have the help of Sandy Fussell, a new children’s author whom I mentored at the time. It’s largely due to Sandy’s computing assistance that I’ve felt confident about launching a more ambitious project than a short newsletter.
Originally I offered a free monthly newsletter to those who had supported my manuscript assessment service: this developed into the monthly e-zine Buzz Words which I officially launched in July 2006.
Outline the kinds of information that you pass on to readers and your strategies in discovering it.Like most other magazines, Buzz Words has regular features, some of which I commission, but most of which I compile. First of all is general information about the children’s book industry which I cull from many sources including the net, newspapers, magazines, e-zines and writers’ newsletters. I also list new publications which come from publicity releases sent to me by book publishers.
There are markets, competitions and opportunities, mainly of interest to writers: much of this material I’ve gathered over my 25 years of working in the children’s book industry. I troll the net for information about festivals, conferences, courses and workshops: I also belong to many writers’ organisations and take information from their publications.
Every month there are interviews with children’s authors and/or illustrators and others in the children’s book industry. For these guest profiles I ask people who are prominent and/or pro-active in children’s books. To date I’ve interviewed CBCA volunteers, publishers, publicists, librarians, magazine editors, literary agents et al. There are often people who’ve been working for decades in children’s books who have high profiles but whose personal circumstances are not generally well-known. One example is December Buzz Word guest, Margaret Hamilton, former librarian, bookseller, editor, publisher and CBCA volunteer and fund-raiser whom I’ve known for many years but until I interviewed her, I didn’t have an overview of her remarkable career in children’s books.
The January 2007 issue will feature interviews with Peter Bishop, Creative Director of Varuna Writers’ Centre and Jonathan Shaw who was editor of the NSW School Magazine for 12 years. Nobody seems to be interviewing people who devote so many faithful years in the industry. Every month, too, I offer a profile of a children’s publishing house, outlining the company’s specific publishing outcomes.
An important section of Buzz Words is the children’s book review blog (http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com). In the past two months for example, over 70 reviews have appeared: currently there are 20 voluntary reviewers. For me personally, two of the most interesting features of Buzz Words are The Inside Scoop and A Foot in the Door where commercially and self-published authors write about their experiences of publication.
In addition, there are sections titled Useful Books/Webs Sites, Letters to the Editor and Classifieds. Finally, Buzz Words offers three or four articles every month. I write some, but I also pay specialists for articles pertaining to children’s books or to writing for children. In the next issue, for example, there’s an article called Afternoon Tea with Robin Klein, another article on the American children’s poet Jack Prelutsky, an article on reviewing books for young people, and I’ve been promised another article about a children’s author working in schools.
Not only does the journal provide a huge amount of information, but it has interactive elements, too. You encourage participation and award prizes. A feature of each issue has been the Kathleen Julia Bates Memorial Writing Competition. Describe it, and responses to it. (What is the inspiration for the establishment of the competition? Don't answer this Di, if you'd prefer to be silent.)Children’s book publishers have been generous in supplying me with review copies and giveaways for Buzz Words, so I’ve been able to offer monthly writing competitions – and giveaways - for subscribers. In searching for annual competitions for children’s writers, I found there were very few on offer and none whatsoever in some areas, such as children’s poetry, non-fiction or book reviews. Not one to wait for other people to take the initiative, I decide to organise regular competitions myself and have done this to honour the memory of my daughter, Kathleen Julia, who passed away at the age of two. So far I’ve run thirteen competitions, more recently a children's poem competition.
The response to the first picture book competition more than covered the judge’s fee and prize-money but I was out of pocket for the poetry competition. I suspect this is because the outlet for children’s poetry in Australia is extremely limited with the result that, unlike the situation in the UK, not many of our writers take up their pens in the cause of children’s poetry.
Buzz Words has wide appeal, not only to writers and illustrators of children's books, but increasingly, to teachers, librarians and parents. How did this come about?Buzz Words centres on children’s books, so it’s only natural it would be of interest to librarians, teachers and parents. A number of my subscribers work in publishing, but the majority are pro-active children’s authors.
To the 'nuts and bolts' of organization: all journals are prepared ahead. How do you cope with the need to keep the journal fresh with current news, and to constantly prepare for later editions? Perhaps be specific by outlining what you are doing right now.I have templates for issues 12 months ahead so whenever I see anything that’s planned for the future, such as a writers’ festival or a competition, I immediately go to the month in question and make a note of that event. I pencil in suggested authors, illustrators, special guest and publishing house profiles for forthcoming issues and brainstorm ideas for possible articles. For the most part, I try to do all I can to accommodate those who support Buzz Words: many of my subscribers are people whom I interview, for example. I also do what I can to promote writer-subscribers’ forthcoming titles. I believe in supporting those who support me.
Looking at future issues, I see that I’m considering an interview with a manuscript assessor and my publisher boss who is launching a new children’s magazine at Easter (I’m his story editor): I’m also preparing articles about Nutcote, Bologna Children’s Book Fair and Performance Sharing (an alternative to Readers’ Theatre). Now and again I receive proposals for articles for Buzz Words, but I’m not interested unless they pertain to children’s books and are of general interest to my subscribers.
Mentoring has long been one of your special interests, and many successful creators say that you first recognized and generously encouraged their talents. The creation of Buzz Words brings you great pleasure. Is this part of your talent and passion for sharing?I’ve mentored many new writers over the years as a means of giving back to my industry. I’ve given my time freely, but more recently, when I needed income, I offered paid mentorships. Since I recently took up a job as a children’s magazine editor, I’ve ceased both paid mentorships and manuscript assessments. At the moment I am only informally mentoring a handful of new writers, some of whom have become friends: I love to see them having their manuscripts accepted for publication! What I’m creating with Buzz Words is an e-zine which has been missing in the industry and which I think is sorely needed. I just wish more people knew about it and took out subscriptions!
Please provide subscription detailsBuzz Words (All the Buzz about Children’s Books) is available for $48 per annum ($2.00 per issue). Payment can be made by money order or cheque (payable to Di Bates) or online. For more information, contact Di Bates c% http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com Sample issues are available.
Tell us the genesis of Buzz Words: when and how the idea arose, and why the time was right for the launch of an e-journal. Working as a writer and living in regional Australia means that I don’t always have access to conferences and courses. As a result I have always been pro-active in generating means by which I can become involved: for example, in the past I’ve founded CBCA and FAW regional branches. More recently I’ve used emails to maintain networking contacts in the children’s book industry. I founded a weekly networking newsletter, CAINON, for children’s authors and illustrators which has since evolved into Pass It On, compiled by a young writer whom I mentored early in her career. Buzz Words (All the Buzz about Children’s Books) is another phase of my personal need to network and to share my knowledge of what is happening in the children’s book industry.
At first I was thwarted because my computing skills are limited, but I’ve been fortunate to have the help of Sandy Fussell, a new children’s author whom I mentored at the time. It’s largely due to Sandy’s computing assistance that I’ve felt confident about launching a more ambitious project than a short newsletter.
Originally I offered a free monthly newsletter to those who had supported my manuscript assessment service: this developed into the monthly e-zine Buzz Words which I officially launched in July 2006.
Outline the kinds of information that you pass on to readers and your strategies in discovering it.Like most other magazines, Buzz Words has regular features, some of which I commission, but most of which I compile. First of all is general information about the children’s book industry which I cull from many sources including the net, newspapers, magazines, e-zines and writers’ newsletters. I also list new publications which come from publicity releases sent to me by book publishers.
There are markets, competitions and opportunities, mainly of interest to writers: much of this material I’ve gathered over my 25 years of working in the children’s book industry. I troll the net for information about festivals, conferences, courses and workshops: I also belong to many writers’ organisations and take information from their publications.
Every month there are interviews with children’s authors and/or illustrators and others in the children’s book industry. For these guest profiles I ask people who are prominent and/or pro-active in children’s books. To date I’ve interviewed CBCA volunteers, publishers, publicists, librarians, magazine editors, literary agents et al. There are often people who’ve been working for decades in children’s books who have high profiles but whose personal circumstances are not generally well-known. One example is December Buzz Word guest, Margaret Hamilton, former librarian, bookseller, editor, publisher and CBCA volunteer and fund-raiser whom I’ve known for many years but until I interviewed her, I didn’t have an overview of her remarkable career in children’s books.
The January 2007 issue will feature interviews with Peter Bishop, Creative Director of Varuna Writers’ Centre and Jonathan Shaw who was editor of the NSW School Magazine for 12 years. Nobody seems to be interviewing people who devote so many faithful years in the industry. Every month, too, I offer a profile of a children’s publishing house, outlining the company’s specific publishing outcomes.
An important section of Buzz Words is the children’s book review blog (http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com). In the past two months for example, over 70 reviews have appeared: currently there are 20 voluntary reviewers. For me personally, two of the most interesting features of Buzz Words are The Inside Scoop and A Foot in the Door where commercially and self-published authors write about their experiences of publication.
In addition, there are sections titled Useful Books/Webs Sites, Letters to the Editor and Classifieds. Finally, Buzz Words offers three or four articles every month. I write some, but I also pay specialists for articles pertaining to children’s books or to writing for children. In the next issue, for example, there’s an article called Afternoon Tea with Robin Klein, another article on the American children’s poet Jack Prelutsky, an article on reviewing books for young people, and I’ve been promised another article about a children’s author working in schools.
Not only does the journal provide a huge amount of information, but it has interactive elements, too. You encourage participation and award prizes. A feature of each issue has been the Kathleen Julia Bates Memorial Writing Competition. Describe it, and responses to it. (What is the inspiration for the establishment of the competition? Don't answer this Di, if you'd prefer to be silent.)Children’s book publishers have been generous in supplying me with review copies and giveaways for Buzz Words, so I’ve been able to offer monthly writing competitions – and giveaways - for subscribers. In searching for annual competitions for children’s writers, I found there were very few on offer and none whatsoever in some areas, such as children’s poetry, non-fiction or book reviews. Not one to wait for other people to take the initiative, I decide to organise regular competitions myself and have done this to honour the memory of my daughter, Kathleen Julia, who passed away at the age of two. So far I’ve run thirteen competitions, more recently a children's poem competition.
The response to the first picture book competition more than covered the judge’s fee and prize-money but I was out of pocket for the poetry competition. I suspect this is because the outlet for children’s poetry in Australia is extremely limited with the result that, unlike the situation in the UK, not many of our writers take up their pens in the cause of children’s poetry.
Buzz Words has wide appeal, not only to writers and illustrators of children's books, but increasingly, to teachers, librarians and parents. How did this come about?Buzz Words centres on children’s books, so it’s only natural it would be of interest to librarians, teachers and parents. A number of my subscribers work in publishing, but the majority are pro-active children’s authors.
To the 'nuts and bolts' of organization: all journals are prepared ahead. How do you cope with the need to keep the journal fresh with current news, and to constantly prepare for later editions? Perhaps be specific by outlining what you are doing right now.I have templates for issues 12 months ahead so whenever I see anything that’s planned for the future, such as a writers’ festival or a competition, I immediately go to the month in question and make a note of that event. I pencil in suggested authors, illustrators, special guest and publishing house profiles for forthcoming issues and brainstorm ideas for possible articles. For the most part, I try to do all I can to accommodate those who support Buzz Words: many of my subscribers are people whom I interview, for example. I also do what I can to promote writer-subscribers’ forthcoming titles. I believe in supporting those who support me.
Looking at future issues, I see that I’m considering an interview with a manuscript assessor and my publisher boss who is launching a new children’s magazine at Easter (I’m his story editor): I’m also preparing articles about Nutcote, Bologna Children’s Book Fair and Performance Sharing (an alternative to Readers’ Theatre). Now and again I receive proposals for articles for Buzz Words, but I’m not interested unless they pertain to children’s books and are of general interest to my subscribers.
Mentoring has long been one of your special interests, and many successful creators say that you first recognized and generously encouraged their talents. The creation of Buzz Words brings you great pleasure. Is this part of your talent and passion for sharing?I’ve mentored many new writers over the years as a means of giving back to my industry. I’ve given my time freely, but more recently, when I needed income, I offered paid mentorships. Since I recently took up a job as a children’s magazine editor, I’ve ceased both paid mentorships and manuscript assessments. At the moment I am only informally mentoring a handful of new writers, some of whom have become friends: I love to see them having their manuscripts accepted for publication! What I’m creating with Buzz Words is an e-zine which has been missing in the industry and which I think is sorely needed. I just wish more people knew about it and took out subscriptions!
Please provide subscription detailsBuzz Words (All the Buzz about Children’s Books) is available for $48 per annum ($2.00 per issue). Payment can be made by money order or cheque (payable to Di Bates) or online. For more information, contact Di Bates c% http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com Sample issues are available.
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