The Slush Pile Chronicles

Twelve Things Every Children's Writer Should Do - #8 Do Your Homework

2010-04-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Unlike this poor boy who looks like he's having to do ancient Chinese or Hebrew, your homework won't be as difficult, but it is is as important.

When it comes to sending your work out, it is important to understand their needs. Publishing houses' needs are quite different from magazines. And educational houses needs are different from trade houses. And so on. Research several places to see where you want to send your work. Then, go to their website, see what their requirements are. What do they want - one page summary? The first two chapters? A chapter and a summary? Does the house say it wants modern fantasy and you've written a historical novel? Then move on and find the house that loves historical novels. Is your historical novel about 16th century France a little too close to a house's historical novel about 16th century France? Then perhaps that's not the perfect fit either. Move on and see who is looking for historical novels, but has nothing about 16th century France. Nothing will make a greater impact than following their instructions.

Want to get a little extra credit? Do a little more research and find out what books or stories the particular editor may have worked on, or profuses to love. It may not necessarily get you published, but it may lead to a hand-written note from the editor instead of a form rejection, and may make the editor more open to accepting more of your work.

Twelve Things Every Children's Book Writers Should Do - #9 Don't be in a Rush to be Published

2010-03-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

I am going to be completely honest with you here. I am completely guilty of this sin. Yes, gentle readers, we have all been guilty of certain sins, and this one is mine.

Over five years ago, I completed my first novel. Now, this wasn't really the first novel I had ever written, but this was the first novel that I actually thought was good enough for publishing. I worked on it day after day, writing furiously, and then printing it out and editing it. I then even gave it to a friend and she edited it with me. We discussed certain parts of the novel, and I changed a few parts based on these discussions. In my mind, I was ready.

Boy was I wrong!!!!

Satisfied with the novel, I decided to send it out. I purchased a book on how to submit to agents and publishing houses, and sent, sent, sent. If I even got a reply, I was lucky. Most of the time, I got form rejections. Only once I got a written rejection. It said, "This didn't do it for me." It was really tough and the rejections sent me into some soul searching. What was I doing wrong? Why didn't they love my novel as much as I did? Did I really have what it took to be a writer?

Well now that I have the luxury of hindsight, I can see my sin. I was in a rush to get published. I had written, edited, and "critiqued" my novel in one year. Perhaps if I were a more experienced writer, then yes, this could have been feasible. But I was a young novice (still am). I hadn't really taken the time needed to develop myself and my skills as a writer.

Also, perhaps my friend wasn't the best person to critique and edit my novel. She was a good friend and I appreciate her help, but what I needed was a group of people who specialized in this sort of thing. Several skilled eyes help catch things that one set of eyes do not.

So what have I done since then? I took a couple of writing classes, have had the novel critiqued several times, and have even re-written the novel. Three times. It took me four years since I wrote the first novel to the point of the third revision of the novel. It has been critiqued, polished, and edited. And for now, it has been put away.

Why? I still don't feel it is ready. After polishing it, I put it away and began a new novel. I am now at complete peace of mind. As I embark on the new novel, I do not feel the rush I once felt. I will keep working and working and working on the new novel until I feel it is truly ready. And knowing that I will work on it to my best has actually helped me gain more insight on the writing process and makes me feel more confident in my abilities. I feel far more secure that this time, when I am ready, I will receive more favorable responses.

Twelve Things Every Children's Book Writers Should Do - #10 Be Professional

2010-03-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

You have your manuscript ready to send to a publisher. That's fantastic! But now what do you do? Whenever you are prepared to send your manuscript, you must prepare for it as you would for a job interview.

When you are looking for a job, you don't apply to just anything? Of course not. You look for companies that interest you, openings that match your skills, and so on. This is the same when you send out your manuscript. Look at the company. What kinds of books do they publish? How about the editor? What does look for? What past books has he published. This takes some research, but the payoff is worth it.

Okay, you've found what you think is a good match. Now, take a look at that particular editor's or publishing house's submission guidelines. What do they want? A chapter and novel synopsis? How do they want it - by email? By mail? Follow the instructions carefully.

Remember, presentation is everything. You don't have the opportunity to put on your best suit and present yourself in person, so you have to let everything you send do the talking for you. You wouldn't send in your resume on pink paper, so now isn't the time for that either (yes, I had this happen quite often). Plain white paper and typed (please!) is best.

Just as you must always send a cover letter with your resume, you must always send a letter with your manuscript (or summary, or whatever the house or editor has asked for). This letter should always try to establish some of the following:

Establish the book's setting
Give a plot summary
Convey a sense of the characters and why the editor should care about them
Demonstrate your writing ability
Explain how the book differs from all the other books in its genre (this should be done in summary)
Show an understanding of the house and editor

These basic points should always be covered in your letter. In addition, you must always be sure that:

It is typed 12 pt double-spaced
It is no longer than one page
You have a good, clear letterhead with several means on contact
You are formal and polite in the letter
You formally close thanking the editor for her time and consideration
You have read and edited the letter making sure there are no errors

This is your chance to be seen and heard, so be as professional as possible.

There are many good websites that give a lot of information on how to write a good query letter. The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) offers a lot of help on formatting manuscripts and how to write a good query letter. However, it also helps to look at what NOT to do.

With that in mind, I offer two fantastic sites. The first offered by Cheryl Klein, a wonderful editor at Arthur A. Levine whom I have had the pleasure to meet, presents a humorous look at the Annotated Query Letter from Hell. I've read it several times and still enjoy reading it over (and yes, we have all been guilty of one sin or the other, so don't worry if you recognize something you've done. As she says, acknowledge the sin and then sin no more.) Next is a wonderful website dedicated to YA query letters called Query Shark. Every week, the shark (a literary agent) sinks her teeth into query letters explaining what works and doesn't work with them. You can even submit your own query letter and let the bloodletting begin!

Although you should be professional, also remember to be yourself, and have fun.

Twelve Things Children's Book Writers Should Do - #11 Work on Getting Published

2010-03-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

This is rather like the old adage - to get a job, you have to have experience, but to have experience, you must have a job. Writing is kind of the same, too. If getting your novel published is the equivalent of having a job, then getting published is the equivalent of having experience.

Sound confusing?

It really isn't. Don't forget, while having a book to your name is wonderful, there are other smaller venues - and they count too! While you are shopping around your novel, or still in the middle of writing it, you can submit to other places. Consider journals, magazines, small newsletters, or even on-line websites.

Having said that, do not think just because the length is small that the standards at most places are not. My writing group and I have tried ( to get published in Highlights. We all have submitted to date at least two stories or short histories to the magazine, only to be turned down. But we do not give up. Right now, I am mostly published on these blog pages (with the exception of the odd piece I write for work).

But I don't give up.Think how much better it would look when I submit my query letter to an editor to list the various places I have been published than to have nothing at all. A list of stories published would be the experience I need to land my job.

Twelve Things Children's Book Writers Should Do - #12 Be Patient

2010-02-25T13:18:00.001-08:00

Okay, okay, we all know that it's a virtue, but it's so darn hard!

The first time I had finished my story, I squirmed with impatience. I wanted it published and I wanted it NOW.

Many children's book editors tell me that they get unsolicited manuscripts with letters asking for the book to be published in a month or for Christmas or for their birthday. The editors have a good laugh at these letters.

The truth that no one wants to really admit is that writing (and then becoming published) takes a lot of time. If you are serious, you know then the time and effort it takes to first finish the story, edit it, and edit it some more. This in itself can take years. Then it can take longer sending it off, being diligent and persistent, and perhaps taking another look at your manuscript when your results don't yeild quite what you hoped for. Good writing is a challenge. Most people give up because it honestly isn't as easy or fast as people hope. Good writing isn't a burst of inspiration, writing it down, and instantly getting published to fame and accolades (as much as we all wish it were).

When I used to teach English in Connecticut, I used to pass by a poster of Winston Churchill. The caption underneath said, "Never, never, never give up." I liked it, but never really gave it much thought until a student wrote about it in her essay. She was an older student, coming back to school after having a family and a job. She was worried about keeping up with the work and her duties at home and school. But she wrote in her essay that when she passed that poster of Churchill, it inspired her to persevere. Not only did she finish the course, but she was one of my top students in the class.

That poster of Churchill took on a completely new light to me. Just as that student didn't give up, neither should I. Her struggle was going back to class after a long time. My struggle is to become a published author. But Churchill didn't quit, neither did my student, and neither should I.

Writing is very hard, but it is also a lot of fun. I now enjoy just the craft of writing and set far more realistic expectations about how long it will take.

More UK vs. US Covers

2010-02-17T13:51:00.001-08:00

I have been recently reading a wonderful series, The Chronicles of Chretomaci by Diana Wynne Jones, which I have highly recommended on my other blog, After Potter. While looking for an image to put on the blog, I discovered the British cover of the book, which I discovered to be very different from the American version I saw in the library. This is what led me to ponder why there are such differences between US and British covers as you read in last weeks blog.

This week, I wanted to specifically look at the four books from the Chrestomanci series. I am going to place the covers side by side. Can you guess which are the US covers and which are the UK covers?

Those familiar with Amazon.com have already probably guessed that the ones just underneath are the US editions while the ones on the top are the British editions.

So why the difference? I wish I knew. Quite honestly, I think the US editions are terrible. To me, their dull and muddied covers do not at all depict the story at all. I mean, first of all, if you look at these dull covers, you would think the stories are probably dull as well, which is far from the truth. Also, you might conclude that they are set in the medieval period. Again, this would be a very wrong conclusion. The British covers, on the other hand, really display the vivid and imaginative stories contained within. They have a bit of a Victorian Gothic look, which is closer to the truth (as most of the stories are set in a near Edwardian time with the exception of Witch Week). The UK Witch Week really conveys the forboding of the academy and urgency of the situation into which the Chrestomanci comes.

My favorite is The Lives of Christopher Chant. This one really shows the different worlds Christopher can travel to, and gives a nod to the goddess, who becomes his friend. The US edition seems to indicate that he can do a bit of magic, but that is a very small slice of the book (and honestly, the least important part - it is far more important that he can travel between worlds).

I love the lettering, the colors and the design of all the UK editions. The only one that confuses me a little is the one for The Magicians of Caprona. In this case, they should have depicted some of the characters. I don't recall an elephant being at all important in the story. But then again, the US edition betrays nothing of the story, so I still like the UK version better.

Of course, I purchased the Chronicles of Chrestomanci at a used bookstore. This is actually the cover I have. I quite like this version also, though it doesn't speak much to the story either, but it is still pretty to look at and doesn't embarrass me when I read it on an airplane. It reminds me of an older The Lives of Christopher Chant cover I saw on the Amazon.co.UK site (on the right). The British version is cute, but in this case, I prefer the US one.

Speaking of Covers....

2010-02-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

I lived in Japan and Singapore during the time when Harry Potter books four and five came out. My friends and I were excited to get the new books, and wanted to purchase some of the older books. When we did, we noticed that the covers were completely unfamiliar to us. This was when I realized that the same books in other countries had different covers.

For the record, authors have very little say in the covers of their own books. Covers are meticulously designed and crafted by the publishing companies themselves. Apparently, the publishers feel that different covers would appeal to their home audiences. Let's take a look at some of these covers.

First, we'll start with the US Harry Potter covers.

Personally, I was never really enamoured with these. I never really felt that they portrayed what was inside (in terms of style of writing, not so much story). The only one I really liked was for the fourth book The Goblet of Fire. I can't really say why other than I feel it portrays the mood of the story best. I especially dislike the cover for the seventh book, The Deathly Hallows. I always thought it made it look like Harry was standing in the Roman Colosseum at twilight. Was Harry about to become a magical Roman gladiator? Well now having read the story, I know this is just the Great Hall and it's enchanted ceiling. In this case, I didn't feel it portrayed the mood of the book adequately.

Now let's take a look at the UK covers of the same books.

As you can see, these are very different. I actually own 1 through five (though my five cover is different - it is apparently the adult cover from the same book). I get double-takes when I tote these versions around the US. Each cover, unlike the US versions, was illustrated by a different person. I personally like 1 through four. I think they make the story look exciting and even a bit mysterious. By five and six I think they just ran out of ideas. And in my personal opinion, seven is just the worst cover I've ever seen. Even this larger image doesn't do justice as to how ugly it is.

It does ask the question, though. Why are these covers not suitable for the US market? Personally, I can't fathom it. The look less "kiddish" than the US covers, which would probably attract more readers. Of course, I still can't understand why they had to change "Philosopher" to "Sorcerer". Do they think we wouldn't understand?

Now, how about this? Here are the Japanese covers for books one through five.

It makes me wonder, are Japanese audiences that different that they would have such very different covers? With the exception of The Chamber of Secrets, which I think is probably the worst cover hands down out of all of them, I rather like them. The problem is, they strike me more of "this is Halloween Town" rather than Harry Potter. Yes, there are spooky elements to the books, but I don't think these quite capture the sense of fun and adventure of the stories - though I have to admit, The Prisoner of Azkaban cover is quite striking, isn't it? I wonder what The Goblet of Fire cover is supposed to convey - house elves at a table? Judges reading the names from the goblet of fire? I'm not too sure.

What do you think? Which covers do you like better? Do you think it makes a difference which ones they use?

Huzzah! Complaining Works!

2010-02-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

I just caught this at Library Journal. It seems that the constant blogs, Tweets, and other forms of reader protest have paid off! In this case, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has decided to change the covers of The Mysterious Benedict Society to better reflect the characters within. Morale of the story: we are heard. If there is something you don't like, complain. Your voice does get heard. In the meantime, for those with older covers, I suggest breaking out the crayons. That's what I plan to do.

Here is the article in full:

Little, Brown in Sticky Situation Over 'Whitewashed' Book Covers

By Rocco Staino -- School Library Journal, 1/26/2010

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is changing the covers on Trenton Lee Stewart’s "Mysterious Benedict Society" series, following complaints that the character Sticky Washington, described as having light brown skin, appears on all three covers as white.

“We are adjusting the covers of all three titles immediately as they reprint in order to offer a more faithful rendering as soon as possible,” Melanie Chang, Little, Brown’s executive director of publicity and communications, told School Library Journal.

The novels—The Mysterious Benedict Society (2007), The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Perilous Journey (2008), and The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Prisoner’s Dilemma (2009)—are about four gifted children who come together to solve a series of challenging and creative tasks.

Librarian bloggers and those on Twitter have long discussed the misrepresentation of Sticky Washington in the books’ illustrations.

More recently, the irreverent Maine book blogger Leila Roy, of bookshelves of doom, rekindled the discussion with a post.

“Poor Sticky has been bleached on these book covers since 2007—clearly readers have not made it clear to Little, Brown that this is a problem,” she wrote.

Roy told SLJ that she remembered noticing the discrepancy when she read the second book, but “assumed that it was a mistake or a strange oversight.”

The move comes on the heels of Bloomsbury USA agreeing to change the cover of Jaclyn Dolamore's debut young adult novel Magic Under Glass (Bloomsbury, 2010), which features the cover photo of a Caucasian woman when the novel describes her as “dark and foreign.”

Bloomsbury was faced with a similar controversy last summer when it was forced to change the cover of Justine Larbalestier’s Liar (Bloomsbury, 2009), which used a photograph of a white model to show the protagonist, described as an “African-American tomboy.”

Unlike the Bloomsbury covers, the "Mysterious Benedict Society" controversy had been simmering for years. SLJ blogger Betsy Bird, a children's librarian with the New York Public Library’s Children's Center, was one of the first to spot the discrepancy in a December 11, 2007 review of the first book in the series.

“Sticky has dark skin in the book,” she writes. “Now look on the cover. It took me a while to figure out why I wasn’t seeing Sticky there. I was, but they’ve bleached him out. In short, they made Sticky white.”

At the time, says Bird, there was little response to her post and the illustrated covers on books two and three continued to show a white Sticky.

A few days ago, elementary school librarian Travis Jonker, who blogs at 100 Scope Notes, wrote: “No, it wasn’t enough to make him white, they made him albino with rosy cheeks. Seeing as how this has happened three times, I’m wondering why it has barely made a ripple.”

All three books—the first of which was illustrated by Carson Ellis and the second and third of which were illustrated by Diana Sudyka—describe Sticky as having “light brown skin.” He appears in inside illustrations with darker skin but as fair-skinned on all three covers.

“'The Mysterious Benedict Society' is a project I worked on over a year ago,” Sudyka told SLJ. “I don't recall any distinction being made between Sticky’s skin tone in cover art and interior illustrations.” Sudyka added that art directors are the ones who make the call on how final images look, not the illustrator.

“The recent feedback regarding the accuracy of Sticky Washington’s likeness on the covers of "The Mysterious Benedict Society" series is both appreciated and understood,” says Little, Brown’s Chang. “The character’s skin color is accurately reflected in the interior, black-and-white illustrations in all the books. While Sticky’s complexion is different relative to the other characters on the covers, the difference is subtle and therefore the jacket illustrations do indeed seem misleading.”

Tweets on the subject are calling the covers “whitewashed” and “puzzling.”

Chang went on to say, “In our over-80-year history, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has published a multitude of acclaimed multicultural titles for children, and certainly no deception was intended in how this character’s skin color is represented. We are in the process of addressing the inaccuracies and look forward to offering readers a more faithful rendering of this character in our popular series in the near future.”

More on Race in Children's Literature

2010-02-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

As I have been reading more into the issue of publishers whitewashing their covers, the more I've discovered how insidious the problem really is. From one site to another I have come across blog after excellent blog ruminating on the subject. I have collected these various articles and offer their links here.

Original Cover / Revised Cover

Check out Justine Larbalestier's comments on the situation of the cover of her own book here:
ht tp://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2009/07/23/aint-that-a-shame/#more-5432

and her interview at Racebender.com
http://www.racebending.com/v3/interviews/justine-larbalestier-ya-author/

Apparently her book was not the first to feature someone of African origin (I do not say African-American since Larbalistier 's character is Australian). This is a common occurrence for characters of African origin.

Check out the conversation here:
http://jacketwhys.wordpress.com/2009/07/19/too-many-white-girls/

And whitewashing doesn't stop there. Check out this interesting and insightful blog that brings up the problem with Asian characters and their representation on covers.

http://theyayayas.wordpres s.com/2009/07/27/asian-americans-on-ya-fiction-covers/

A few thoughts on native Americans and one particular cover:
http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2010/01/conversation-about-book-covers-and-race.html

And thoughts of the problem from an Indian-American author.

http://www.mitaliblog.com/2010/01/brown-faces-dont-sell-books-poll-for.html

And finally, excellent ruminations on what to do about the problem of whitewashing, which asks the question: "Should I boycott the book or not?":
http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/2010/01/next-step-what-are-we-going-to-do-to.html

Race in Middle-Grade Books

2010-01-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that we're told not to, we all judge a book by its cover. We pick up the book and if the cover is appealing, then take a closer look at the story inside. These covers are carefully picked over, edited, and designed to entice the reader. But do the covers always reflect what is in the book?

If you haven't heard, there was a terrible (and deserved) flap over the US cover for Justine Larbalestier's novel Liar. Although the main character is black, Bloomsbury saw it fit to use a white model on the cover. Protests ensued and people complained to Bloomsbury asking why they used a white model for a black character. Relenting to the pressure, Bloomsbury changed the cover.

Now Ms. Larbalestier's book was YA, which I do not tend to focus on, but this idea of whitewashing covers got me thinking. Is this a more common thing than we may even notice? Sadly, it is common, even in middle-grade, as in case of the next story.

The book-review blog Bookshelves of Doom brought to attention this puzzling and alarming problem that has affected a middle-grade book, specifically The Mysterious Benedict Society. I bring their observations to you here.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Puzzling Change of Skin Color.

From page 21 of The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey:

To Reynie's surprise, Sticky looked exactly as he'd looked a year ago: a skinny boy with light brown skin, anxious eyes (though perhaps the anxiety came from not yet having recovered his breath), and a completely bald head.

On the inside of the book, the illustrations depict that description. This one is from page 17:

But take a look at the front cover:

Erm, WHAT? Let's look a little closer:

Um, yeah. Not so good. I mean, WHY? Did his SKIN TONE affect the COLOR SCHEME?

Book Three. Same deal.

From page 9 of The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma:

Sticky looked to have suffered even worse. His sweat-soaked clothes clung like a wet suit to his skinny frame; his light brown skin had gone a sickly shade of gray; and behind his wire-rimmed spectacles, which sat askew on his nose, his eyes seemed dazed and glassy.

Once again, the inside of the book looks right. From page 41:

But, again -- close the book and look at the cover:

EXTREME CLOSE UP:

As Travis over at 100 Scope Notes said, "it wasn’t enough to make him white, they made him albino with rosy cheeks". ___________________________________________________________________

Let Little, Brown Books for Young Readers how you feel about this. You can contact them at:

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publicity Department
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
publicity@lbchildrens.com

___________________________________________________________________

So why on earth did Little, Brown and co. feel the need to whitewash the character? Ms. Larbierster offers eye-opening insight as to why the Powers That Be at Bloomsbury made their decision.

"Editors have told me that their sales departments say black covers don’t sell. Sales reps have told me that many of their accounts won’t take books with black covers. Booksellers have told me that they can’t give away YAs with black covers. Authors have told me that their books with black covers are frequently not shelved in the same part of the library as other YA—they’re exiled to the Urban Fiction section—and many bookshops simply don’t stock them at all. How welcome is a black teen going to feel in the YA section when all the covers are white? Why would she pick up Liar when it has a cover that so explicitly excludes her?”
– Ain’t That a Shame, justinelarbalestier.com

So is that the reasoning behind why Little, Brown should make their light brown skinned character so white on the cover? It makes very little sense, particularly on a cover that features several different characters - most of whom are white.

How common is this practice? Apparently, in YA, quite a lot

Jacket Whys looked at a totaly of 775 young adult novels, and found that:

80% of them had people on them. A full 25% of all book covers had white girls pictured on them, and 10% had white boys. Only 2% of the titles I looked at had African American boys or girls pictured on the covers – a sad state of affairs.”

Wow. How shameful.

The next time you pick up a book, take a look at the cover and see if it fits the characters inside. And if it doesn't, let your indignation get heard!

The Princess and the Frog Review

2010-01-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

I finally saw The Princess and the Frog last week and have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. In some ways, it is typical Disney fare (though in the good category). The story followed the typical boy meets girl style, added a few silly sidekicks (though I usually love the sidekicks), one bad guy, beautiful animation, great toe-tapping songs, and, of course, a happy ending. The result is a lot of fun.

But this blog always looks at things in terms of writing. Can we extrapolate parts of a movie and put them towards a book? Absolutely! A story is a story. It has plot and characters, just like any other story. When I watch something, I always look at it in terms of writing.

I would like to focus on the main character, Tiana, for she was the one I liked the best. I liked the fact that she was determined, smart, and hard working. One of the things that really irks me in most movies is when the hardworking person is always told by her/his friends to lighten up. Now, could some uptight, type A people learn to relax? Of course. But is it by learning meditation, how to paint, or just hanging out more with good friends and family? No, it's almost always how to party more. Great way to achieve your goals. Tiana knows that you don't achieve your dreams by wishing on stars or waiting for your prince to come; she knows it comes through hard work. But every character should have a fatal flaw - in her case, she works so hard for her dreams that she misses what's really important - love, in this case, not really from her prince, but from her family. She had worked so hard to achiever her and her late father's dream of owning a restaurant that she forgot how devoted her father was to the people he loved. A quality she doesn't lack, but has put aside for other things. To really achieve her dreams, she must learn what she needs, not just what she wants.

What I liked best was that it is not Tiana's looks that get her Prince Naveen (in fact, she doesn't even want him at first), but it is her smarts and determination that make the prince fall in love with her (after all, they both spend much of the film as frogs). It is the prince who must change to get the girl - he must learn that life cannot be one big party and that you can just toss people aside like used handkerchiefs. Life is about balance, and being nicer to people. Only after he learns this does Tiana start to fall in love with him.

Overall, the movie is sweet, full of heart, and fun. It's very nice to see a movie that doesn't resort to bawdy jokes, edginess, and hipness. It's nice to see a movie that is, well, nice.

The Princess and the Frog

2009-12-22T14:50:00.001-08:00

I am very excited to see Disney's latest movie The Princess and the Frog for a number of reasons. First, I have always loved Disney's ability to re-tell a traditional fairy tale. When I was growing up, Disney's movies were considered cannon - they were the ultimate authority for fairy tails. But now that I am older, what I really like is Disney's ability to re-tell a story (that is, take a traditional tale, but some sort of spin on it). In this case, set the familiar story in 1920's New Orleans. What an interesting way to re-tell an old, familiar story.

But that isn't the main reason I'm excited to see it.

I am also very excited because it is the first Disney movie to feature an African-American heroine (I refrain from saying princess as I so dislike that term. Princess, to me, denotes royalty, but little else. Heroine, on the other hand, can be anyone from a princess to a poor girl on the streets - it is her pluck that drives the story - but I digress). When Beauty and the Beast came out, I was very excited because it finally featured a heroine with brown hair and brown eyes - finally, a heroine who looked like me! Before that time, it seemed that only blonde, redheads, or girls with snow white skin and black hair were the standards of beauty. But what I felt cannot even compare to how hundreds of little girls (and their mothers) must feel right now.

But that also isn't the main reason why I'm excited to see it.

The main reason I'm excited is because of what I refer to as

It's the Story, Stupid!

Back in the 1990s, the Walt Disney company made what I consider to be their biggest blunder of all time - they decided to lay off all their traditional animators and focus solely on computer animation. I do not know the full reasons for this idiocy. I suspect it came at the time when Pixar was king of the box office, while Disney movies were lagging far, far behind. Among this hoopla for the new computer animation, Disney must have thought that traditional hand-drawn animation was as dead as the dodo and sacked all their traditional animators. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I am a fan of animation. I have always enjoyed its ability to tell stories and take us places that we may not otherwise be able to go. But I enjoy it as an art form. I love the beauty of traditional art to capture human movements and expressions in a way that computer animation still cannot (notice I do say human - computer animation has always been great at depicting non-human things, but when it comes to humans, the people always seem to me more like bubbles than humans. It could never make that leap in the way traditional animation always could.) Just look at this frame. It is so much more beautiful than anything a computer animated movie could do. To me, this looks like a work of art and to me, that was what animated shows could be - moving works of art.

But having said that, if the story is great, it could be told using popcicle sticks. It's the story that is most important - more than great animation or computer wizardry. If the story is weak, then everything else falls apart (though Hollywood seems to constantly forget that). Let me go back to the time when Disney sacked it's animators. Pixar was creating movies such as Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Finding Nemo. Disney, as I recall, was doing Lilo and Stitch, Atlantis, and Treasure Planet. Hmmm, not exactly the most memorable of movies. Why did Pixar succeed where Disney failed? Because Pixar has great stories! This is as true then as it was now. Disney had forgotten then what were it's great stories and went with the trend of the day. I don't know about you, but the thought of a traditional fairy tale done in computer animation seems about as appealing as Mickey Mouse rapping. Just because things look good doesn't mean they hold up (take a look at most of the movies made by Dreamworks and other such companies). In the end, it is the story that people come back to.

I have not seen The Princess and the Frog, but intend to soon. I will give my review next week.

Greetings After a Long Hiatus

2009-12-16T13:33:00.001-08:00

Over a year has passed since my last blog post. Much has changed during that time including two deaths in my family, one birth, and a move from the east to the west coast. I hope my fans (two goldfish, a cat, and a golf ball!) can forgive my lax postings because of these major interruptions. I plan to not only keep up with this blog, but to post much more regularly as well. I plan to keep the focus on children's literature and writing, but will expand my focus to areas that I am interested in as well, just to keep things interesting. I hope that you'll enjoy this more expanded Slush Pile Chronicles and hopefully I'll be able to garner more fans (three goldfish!)

#3 Too Long

2008-05-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

MORE IS LESS!!!

One of the biggest problems I find with a large number of picture book manuscripts is that they are too long. The average I see is 1,000 to 2,000 words. For modern picture books, that's just too many words. It's no longer a picture book, but a short novel.

The average picture book these days is :500 to 700 WORDS!
Yep, that's it. Yes, you can go down to the bookstore and find many books that, but if you are a unknown, unpublished author, I would highly recommend sticking within those guidelines.

TRUST YOUR ILLUSTRATOR

Because you're a writer with pictures in your head and only black words on white paper, you may be tended to use descriptions. Resist this temptation! A good place to shave off excess words is in the descriptions. This is where you have to trust the illustrator. Your illustrator is a professional who will be using pictures instead of words to convey an image; beautiful pictues that will make your descriptions null and void. Unless it is absolutely, one hundred percent needed for the story, leave the descriptions out.

THINK OF A PICTURE BOOK LIKE A POEM: MAKE EVERY WORD COUNT.

#4 Rhyme

2008-05-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

We all love Dr. Suess. He set the standard for children's literature. His timeless classics are still loved and cherished by young and old alike. He set the bar very high for picture book writers.

And he also ruined it.

Most people today think that if they are to write a picture book, they have to do it in rhyme.

PLEASE, DON'T!

About 90% of the children's picture book manuscripts I look at are in rhyme. The worst part is, 99.99% aren't very good rhymes. They are usually off in beats or meter or are strained to make the words fit, at the sake of the story.

Do most editors take rhyming stories anymore?

Sure. We like rhymes. But we like good rhymes, and as I just said above, most of what we get are not good rhymes.

Does that mean you should never do a rhyming story?

Of course not. Go ahead. But I would highly suggest that unless you are a poet (a real poet) and know what you're doing in terms of beat and meter, then by all means, tell a rhyme. But if you're not sure, remember this simple rule:

IF YOU CAN TELL THE STORY IN ANY OTHER WAY THAN RHYME, PLEASE DO SO.

#5 Illustrating It Yourself

2008-05-12T10:22:00.001-07:00

Or Your Friend, or your child, or your spouse, illustrate it.

Unless you (or your friend, etc.) are an accomplished artist, I would never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never recommend that you try to illustrate your own picture book.

WHY?

1. Because publishers already have a great pool of talent at their fingertips. There are artists out there just yearning to be called and asked to help illustrate a picture book. Publishers must have hundreds of them, so they really don't need your drawings.

2. When an editor reads a picture book manuscript, we like to see the images in our head. Sometimes we may have very different ideas of what we might think the pictures should look like than you do.

3. It's a pain photocopying the artwork in full color anyway.

4. Realize that the pictures you thought were masterpieces look like this:

compared to professional artists that look like this:

BUT WHAT IF YOU ARE AN ARTIST?

Then go ahead and submit your pictures. However, be prepared for a few things:

1. That the editors may feel that while your pictures are good, they may not express depth or motion that they feel the story needs.

2. They look too commericial. (A word thrown around a lot. What this means is that they look too slick, like Strawberry Shortcake, or Spongebob Squarepants.)

3. They just don't match what the editor had in mind for the story.

So if you are an artist and a writer, be prepared for the possibility that the editor may like your drawings, but not your story, or s/he may like your story, but not your drawings. What you decide to do in that situation is always your call, but remember that it helps to be flexible. If you're unwilling to compromise, it may end any possible relationship you might have with the house and limit your options in the future.

A Tribute to Calvin and Hobbes

2008-04-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

The Name Game

2008-02-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

Giving birth to a new character is like having a new baby. You want to care for it, nurture it, but most importantly, you want to give your character a good name. You obviously want to give a good name to your bouncing baby girl or boy. You think very carefully, think of the characteristics of your child, even consult family and friends, and in the end, make the choice that you like and feel will suit the baby.

The same goes for your characters.

What Doesn't Work?

If your main character is a penguin or a peacock, please do not give the name Petunia, Pearl, Petal, Patty, Patrice, Patricia, Paul or Paula, or even Penelope.
Likewise, if your character is an owl, steer clear of Olivia, Oscar, Opal, Opie, or Otto.
If your character is a jellyfish, don't even think of Jerry, Jelli, Jene, Janet, or Jane.

Do you see where this is going? Paula the Peacock, Patty the Penguin, Otto the Owl, or even Jerry the Jellyfish don't inspire much in the way of creative thinking.

Whether your charcter is an animal or a human, it's most important to think of what you want to say with a name. Just as our names say something about ourselves, your character's name will say something about him or her.

So What Does Work?

Obviously, that's a harder question to answer. That's up to you and your character. What characteristics does your character possess? What do you want to project about her or him? And what names do you like? J.K. Rowling chose the name Harry because it was one of her favorite names for boys. But what does it also say about him? It's a rather common name, not very distinguishing. But that's good for Harry. He believes he's a common boy until he gets his letter to Hogwarts. Readers are able to relate to Harry because we feel that he's one of us (except that he gets to go to a magical school). Can you imagine what the books would be like if Rowling decided to name her main character Draco, for example? Not the same, is it?

On the other hand, the name Artemis Fowl really stands out. This, again, is on purpose. Artemis is supposed to stand out. He's not one of us, he's a mastermind criminal.

I recommend purchasing a baby name book with lots of names from traditional American to Zulu and everything in between, preferably with meanings to the names. You can also use the internet to search names. Choose them carefully and wisely and you'll really see your character come to life!

The Bad Beginning

2008-01-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

There's nothing more important to any story than its first sentence. It sets the tone for the rest of what will happen, and, in many cases, it is what catches the editor's eyes. But what distinguishes a good sentence from a bad sentence?

Let's first take a look at some bad first sentences.

- Once there were two little penguins who were best friends.
This is the classic telling, not showing. Why not instead put the two penguins in a situation so that we can see that they are best friends?

-Once upon a time, in an enchanted forest, unicorns ran freely, trolls and elves played leapfrog over toadstools.
Not only is this sentence grammatically incorrect, but it gives no sense of where the story is going. Is the setting more important than the characters?

-This is the story of a peacock named Percy.
Why do we need to be told whom the story is about? Why not tell us the story?

-Oscar the owl lives in a forest along with his friends Ronald the robin and Oscar's mate Opal.
Just tell me the story! I don't need to know where he or his friends live and definitely not in one big sentence.

-Maryanne likes to play with her new hamster whose name is Harold.
This one is close to good as it tells us something about Maryanne, but the aside telling us her hamster's name diminishes the sentence.

These first sentences show not only a lack of creativity, but a small understanding of the dynamics of storytelling. We all can fall prey to a bad sentence, no one is immune. That is why good revision is always important. You can always change what you wrote later.

So what makes a good first sentence? One that catches your eye and leads directly into the story. Look at some of your favorite books. How do they start? What makes them effective in your opinion? Why do others not work?

Here are some good ones:

"If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of the year for it."
-The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck.
Not only is this line funny, but it sets up the rest of the story involving the young narrator.

"Emma-Jean Lazarus knew very well that a few of the seventh-grade girls at William Gladstone Middle School were criers."
-Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis.
This not only tells us who the main character is, but it gives us a sense of her character and a hint of how the story will unfold.

"My lady and I are being shut up in a tower for seven years."
-The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale.
That says it all right there, doesn't it?

Should I Copyright My Manuscript?

2007-12-21T14:32:00.000-08:00

NO!

There are two reasons why people copyright their manuscripts:
1. To show that they are serious writers.
2. To prevent their hard work from being stolen.

Why shouldn't I get my work Copyrighted then?

1. If you are trying to show that you are a serious writer, do it with your professional cover letter and manuscript. That's all you need.

2. We all know that you worked very had and don't want your work to be stolen. First, a self-respecting professional publishing house will never, never, never, never steal your work. But to prevent this from happening, be sure to save all your drafts of your manuscript on the computer. When you do this, the computer automatically stores it with a date. When you have a major revision to make, create a new file. This is great for two reasons. The first is that it allows you to look over the creative process of your work, but it also shows the development over time of your ideas so that if they should ever be stolen, you'll have a good body of evidence to back up your claim. However, this is really unlikely.

But the biggest reason why you shouldn't get your manuscript copyrighted is because once you do, it is like setting it in stone. Once you have copyrighted your work, if you want to make any kind of revision, your must get a new copyright for it. And creating a manuscript involves quite a lot of revising. Even more, once a publisher does accept it, there is still more revising to do. If you have already copyrighted your first draft, that's a lot more copyrights you'll have to get. Save yourself the trouble. After all, it will be copyrighted when published and that is the only time you want it to be copyrighted.

SCBWI

2007-12-01T13:04:00.000-08:00

What Is SCBWI?

That long acronym stands for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. In the words of it's own website, "The SCBWI acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers and others involved with literature for young people. " In addition, they also hold two conferences a year, publish a bi-monthly newsletter with tips and news and information about publishing houses. It's a great place to meet like-minded friends and learn more about the craft of writing and the publishing world. However, you do have to pay to become a member.

Will Becoming a Member of SCBWI Improve my Chances of Getting Published?

No.

I am sorry to tell you that, but the answer is no. SCBWI isn't a magical society that opens doors for you. The only thing that will do that is your writing.

The problem is that because SCBWI has an open membership (that is, anyone who can pay the fee can be a member) I still see a lot of terrible writing. Ten years ago, being a member of SCBWI held a lot more clout. It was a more professional society. But today it's membership has grown so much that nearly every other submission I receive says that the hopeful author is a member of SCBWI. It's even worse when I receive something from an SCBWI member that reveals a demonstrated lack of knowledge about paragraphs! (This happens all the time!)

So Should I Become a Member or Not?

That is up to you. As I said, it is a very knowledgeable organization and not only you will be in the company of writers, authors and illustrators, but books publishers, editors, booksellers, and many other industry people, including the author of this blog.

If you are already a member of SCBWI, go ahead and still mention it in your letter. Some people write "SCBWI Submission" on the envelope. This doesn't help either, nor will it get you noticed faster from the multitudes of submissions that come in everyday. But a mention of it will help give you a nod in the direction of showing that you are knowledgeable about your craft and the industry.

For more information about SCBWI, here is a link to their homepage. Some information can be accessed without a membership, some cannot.

http://www.scbwi.org/

Presentation

2007-11-22T12:27:00.001-08:00

Let's talk a little about mailing. What to do and what not to do.

Paper:
Believe it or not, this is an important thing to consider when mailing. Because you want to look professional, your paper should show it. So what should you use?

PLAIN WHITE PAPER

That's it. Yes, it's plain, yes it's white, yes, everyone else will be mailing their manuscripts using plain white paper. But plain white paper shows that you're professional, but also that you're realistic. Why? Because most of the manuscripts that I read go straight into the recycling bin. So don't send out a cover letter on pretty stationery or illustrated papers. And please, don't send your manuscript on fluorescent pink paper in the hopes that it will stand out (yes, I really did have someone do that). That won't make you stand out at all (and in some cases, you may irritate the editor who will not even read your submission). The only thing that will make you stand out is good writing. Let me say that again.

THE ONLY THING THAT WILL MAKE YOU STAND OUT IS GOOD WRITING!

So save your money for the postage, not the paper.
And that brings us to our next topic,

Postage
I once read in a guide to publishing that a hopeful author should use professional stamps, such as a flag. Now I don't know about adult publishing, but I can tell you in children's publishing, a pretty and colorful stamp really makes me smile. No, it still won't improve your chances, but if you want to stick old Olivia, Superman, Darth Vader, or anything else that you like, go right ahead.

These are a lot more fun than just flags, don't you think?

Finally,

Envelopes

There are a lot to choose from and you can use any you like, but here's what I recommend:

A PLAIN MANILA ENVELOPE

These babies stand up very well to the pressures of the postal system, are cheap, and very easy for me to open. And in the end, guess where they go? Right into the recycling bin.
The fancier ones also hold up as well, but some I have to open with scissors and can't go into the recycling. So be easy on your wallet and the environment and just use a plain manila envelope.

Do You Enjoy Reading the Slush Pile?

2007-11-22T12:24:00.000-08:00

I LOVE IT!!! I am always looking for that diamond in the coal mine.

How Many do You Read a Day?

2007-11-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

I try to read a stack from the slush pile everyday. On a busy day, I read for about an hour (perhaps one hundred). On a less busy day, I read for several hours (several hundred). Currently, I have completed the slush from March 2007 and am delving into April. That gives you a clue about how far behind most houses are.

Who Reads the Slush Pile?

2007-11-17T15:57:00.000-08:00

Some editors have unsolicited manuscripts that come directly to them, but the bulk of the reading goes to editorial assistants and interns.

How Many Unsolicited Manuscripts Does a House Get?

2007-11-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

Thousands and thousands. Most editors offices look like this.

This is why it takes so long for a response (if the house even sends one at all). When an editor says she's six months behind in her unsolicited manuscripts, she usually means she's ten months behind.

What's a Slush Pile?

2007-11-17T15:41:00.000-08:00

The Slush Pile is the term (albeit not very nice) for unsolicited manuscripts. This means that the publishers did not ask for the manuscripts, but the authors mailed them to us anyway. Unpublished (though not always unpublished) authors send their manuscripts to a publishing house in the hopes of being discovered without the use of an agent.