Upgrade Your Kindle- Trade It For a Zine?

File this one under I-don't-know-what-the-&*@#-to-think-of-this.

Microcosm publishing in Oregon is offering to accept your used Kindle in exchange for it's worth in new and used books from their store. Check here for details. It appears that the big catch is that they are a publishing collective focusing on zines, so you have to be down with their works to make this deal worth it, but it's an interesting idea.

What are they going to do with the Kindles?

Check Out Old Stuff for a New Year's Worth of Inspiration for Weird and Unusual Stuff, Stories and Characters- Don't Kill Your TV!!

When it comes to sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk, etc., (or any story type, I suppose) sometimes you can see it, sometimes you can't. You know the protagonist, the issues she or he faces and where you want to go with a scene, but what does the stuff around him or her look like? The chair your main character inherited from her lost pirate grandfather? Or the bathtub that the illiterate floor refinisher died in while holding a copy of Of Mice and Men? Could be the chest where the murderer hid the birthday present ribbon she used to strangle the oppressive sister. Maybe you are an illustrator and it's a whole room, where the artsy-fartsy boho vibe should ooze from the surroundings like smoke from a caterpillar's hookah. Whatever it is that eludes you visually about the stuff surrounding the scene, check out my latest finds for inspiration.

One is a show on the Discovery Channel called Auction Kings. It follows the daily business of an auction house, it's owner, the pickers, etc. But the coolest thing is the STUFF. I'm sure many a vampire enthusiast luuurved the episode recently that included an antique vampire hunting kit that pre-dates the release of Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Oddities, another Discovery Channel show (swear to the powers that be that I am not on their payroll), "dives into the weird world of strange and extraordinary science artifacts through the eyes of the proprietors of Manhattan's Obscura Antiques & Oddities. Think odd taxidermy (tree sloth, or two-bodied single-headed duck, anyone?) creepy antique medical stuff, etc.

And professional decorator dealers websites and catalogs. One I like to lurk is Coup D'Etat Gallery in San Francisco. They have an on-line showing of all of their unique antique pieces that scream that same enigmatic mad scientist/man of the world/odd character sort of feel.

Of course, these sources are also awesome for story-line and character inspiration. Duh. Come to think of it, I have new inspiration for a picture book right now. Gotta go!

Fake Sci-Fi Picture Books- More Seuss Style, More Star Wars, and...More

Merry Christmas: check 'em out here on icanhascheezburger.com

Teachers Turn the (Digital) Page and Seussical Star Wars

Sales of graphic novels have been down for a while now.

57% of Kids ages 9-17 are interested in reading books on a digital device (from the 2010 reading report done by Scholastic).

Educators are showing increasing interest in reaching and teaching kids using graphic formats and electronic formats. This isn't an aberration. There are now multiple books available for teachers and librarians on choosing and using graphic materials in education.

Get out your purple crayon and draw the lines.

And a perfect start point would be with cartoonist's Adam Watson's Star Wars in Seuss style.

Joelle Anthony's List of Overused Things in YA Fiction Updated

If your character's red-haired best friend (who is a scholarship student at a ritzy private school and is obsessed with retro music, Jane Austin and her green eyed, long-lashed lab partner) looked in a mirror, what would she see?

A whole lot of other book characters just like her.

I loved the original list that Joelle Anthony did a few years back on overused things in YA fiction. I laughed out loud. I scowled when I realized I had done at least one of those things (!). But most of all, I was happy that I had a list of things to avoid and watch for. If you wanna stand out in the crowd and pass the test for being publishable, you have to be different. And not "different" like everyone else. You rarely get the answers before the test, and here's someone giving them to you for free. Look here on her blog for the list.

The list seems like a lot of things that a middle aged writer projects from his or her life into the manuscript. Of course writers use what they know, but I agree with Anthony in her mission to get writers to think beyond the common things and what they know, to what is true for experiences for the current YA generation. Give up the retro music and get to know the present. Give up the Jane Austin celebration - girl's got enough buddies - what about Marie Curie or some other figure? Not all cheerleaders are mean. Not all nerds are nice. Ditch the SAT vocab and make up your own lingo. I honestly don't believe that a YA writer has to have a manuscript full of totally current, in the now references - it just means your work is dated before you even submit it. But, you don't want characters who are shallow imitations of the author or his or her past, either.

Yep, it's not easy. That's why they call it work. And you want to be a working writer, right?

Go for it, challenge yourself, and be glad that Joelle Anthony is out there compiling, updating and sharing the list.

Rev-Up Your Editorial Engines To Be In The First 5000 Across the Finish Line

A different route to go to get a publishing contract for your YA novel with Penguin: the Amazon/Penguin novel competition which opens in January. Go to Amazon.com/abna , but be quick - it's limited to 5,000 entries!!

Do Your Own Homework

So I say it a lot to fellow writers- if you wanna sell a book, do your own homework. It would be nice to have someone who knows your work intimately and knows enough about the marketplace, what's selling off bookstore shelves now (ie, what was being bought by agents/editors a few years back), and what agent/editor might be a good fit. But the reality is that there are a lot of things to research, and a lot of "what do I want?" personal choices that go into this decision, as well as plenty of market volatility and shifting to make anyone who does embark on the market quest go nuts.

Lucky for YA writers, Publisher's Weekly recently did a nice update on YA markets for free - so you have no excuse. Someone is giving you a start point- so go to it!

Start your homework here.

A Brief Fashion Interlude (or How to Waste Time During NaNoWriMo)

Some people love seashells, others collect stamps, and still others love to acquire ceramic Elvis figurines. I have a secret (well not anymore) passion for collecting things that carry things. I'd say "purses" but that wold be too limiting, as I also love totes and backpacks and even had a baby-carrier phase when QOE was small enough to be carried like an accessory.

My latest interest is this insanely cool handbag just made for writers with purse fetishes.

http://www.katespade.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10768526&cp=1863844.3744578

Thought I'd share. Now get back to your word count.

To Market, To Market, To Buy a Fat Hog...Holy Crap! Hogzilla!

So, we've eyeballed how much money a New York Times Best Selling author with 46 published books across five genres makes in posts from S.L.Viehl here and here.

Next question heard from many of my writing friends: how much time and effort does it take to really market your work these days?

From what I have read, seen and heard, the answer is the same answer I give and get to all the writerly questions ever posed: It depends.

Some authors do less, some do more. And what does "more" entail? Look at these cool efforts from a debut author on this post from Publishers Weekly. Go read it, I'll be right here.

So, it will be interesting to see what this author does- there are some intriguing marketing ideas in her campaign, yes? Like picking a pet, and deciding you want a cool trendy pot-bellied pig.

Part of me loves the biggest of the ideas that this author is trying -directly responding to fans as one of her characters on Facebook and having a professional actor filmed and put on YouTube in prequel material leading up to where the book starts. She gets to write more about and from her characters and stay in the creative process as a part of her marketing campaign. What writer wouldn't love that?

But part of me thinks to the future. What happens to that little piglet? Does she have to continue feeding it as she continues to write other books? At least if future books are in the same series they'll be related, and it would make sense to maintain the initial materials and marketing strategies. But if not, how long do you keep it up? Does it just fall away like so many other things these days- plenty of interaction and expectation while the product is new, then expectations slowly disappear as fans move on to other things? If you build a fan base this way, how loyal are they? Are they always going to be demanding interaction?

And what about new fans? Obviously, you want to keep selling a book, so you have to keep some material out there because (hopefully) new fans will keep coming. But to keep them interested, it means more of this great interaction. When do you write new material and projects? And when do you sleep?

I hope this totally works out in the long run- it seems like such a great thing. But I am curious to see how it plays out. What do you think will happen? Oink.

Best Reason to do NaNoWriMo This Year: Scrivener for Windows!! 50%-off Coupon!!

For anyone who has been trying to wrangle a large intricate work into an electronic format - all those pictures, clippings, post-its, outline, websites, etc. in one place - software program Scrivener has become the field standard. Hailed by critics EVERYWHERE as the best software for writers organizing any writing project that has all those little details, it has really only been used by a portion of the population because it is only for the Mac platform.

This year, if you "win" NaNoWriMo (see sidebar for link) you get a coupon for half off the software, which is already a veritable bargain at $45.00, but even better is that the developer is releasing a beta version for the Windows platform due out in 2011!

Woohoo!

Scratch-and-Sniff, Betty's in Middle Grade Novels, and More: New York Comic Con 2010

According to Brigid Alverson via Publishers Weekly, New York Comic Con was awash in children's titles, which attracted lots of attention. Some interesting developments: scratch-and sniff comic covers (relax, it isn't the Hulk's armpit), a Betty and Veronica middle grade novel series is in the works, and the first openly gay character added to the Archie universe will be getting his own mini-series. Read more here.

Not "Published and Listed"? You Still Rock

I hear writers complain about how elitist publishers are, and it makes me laugh, because we as writers can be too!

Last night at an SCBWI meeting I chatted with a person I'd met in a writing class a few years back. We talked about her current interest in screenwriting, and when she asked what I was working on, I responded about one of my YA novels in progress, and a completed short story I'm going to submit to a magazine. A few hours after the meeting, I realized I'd never even mentioned that I regularly get paid to write. For children!

And that got me thinking. Why am I such a snob? Why are literary and typical fiction pieces the first things that pop into my mind when talking about what I do? What's wrong with me? I get PAID to WRITE. FOR CHILDREN. It is not in typical book form, but it went through several layers of editors, involved revisions, etc.

It isn't just me. Teachers and librarians are touting graphic novels and comics as ways to get more kids engaged in reading and learning, but we don't even recognize those publishers via SCBWI (last I checked the market surveys). YALSA (The American Library Association's Young Adult Library Services Association) goes through an annual nomination process and creates a list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens, and every year a good number of those works are from traditional comics publishers. Yet, if you happen to be a writer or illustrator of a YA graphic novel by say, DC/Vertigo or Marvel, you still aren't a "published and listed" member of SCBWI.

If we can't recognize ourselves, who will?

So, if you create content or do something in a non-traditional part of the market, I'm sayin' it: you still rock.

Off my soap box, I now return you to your regularly scheduled blogposts.

SCBWI WWa Fall Retreat Editors

It's that time of year again. If you are interested in attending the SCBWI Western Washington Fall Retreat, here are some links to editor-specific information on the editors who will be guiding the retreat.

Jill Santopolo, Executive Editor, Penguin's Philomel Books imprint
http://www.jillsantopolo.com/index.html
http://chavelaque.blogspot.com/2010/07/editorial-palavering-jill-santopolo.html
http://throwingupwords.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/kyra-interview-with-editor-and-author-jill-santopolo/
http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2008/08/author-editor-interview-jill-santopolo.html
http://community.livejournal.com/thru_the_booth/14716.html

Nancy Mercado, Executive Editor, Roaring Brook Press
http://twitter.com/editorgurl
http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/345003-nancy?shelf=some-books-ive-edited
http://www.jacketflap.com/persondetail.asp?person=115691
http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2008/04/editor-interview-nancy-mercado-on.html
http://www.cynthealiu.com/new-5-page-critique-from-executive-editor-nancy-mercado-roaring-brook-press/

Numbers in Book Titles Adding Up

Noticed today- the recent increase in kid lit titles that are about numbers or use numbers in their titles:

I am Number Four by Pitticus Lore (James Frey and co-author)

Zero by Kathryn Otashi

The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff

Thirteen Plus One by Lauren Myracle

Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff

Comics Are the Gateway Drug to Reading for Boys

School Library Journal posted an article on recent statements by the Canadian Council on Learning that comics should be supported as a tool to help boys read. See the full article here.

Gandalf, Chicken Nugget and Minions- Something for Every Kid Reader at Comic-Con in San Diego

PW reports that along with the Hollywood contingent, several kid lit people were at Comic-Con in San Diego this week. See the slideshow on the Publishers Weekly website.

Waterproofed Digital Camera is the New Note in a Bottle

A digital camera lost by a sergeant in the Royal Dutch Navy stationed in Aruba made it's way via the ocean to Florida where it was found by an American Coast Guard investigator. See AP for details (Later note: This link is broken- AP no longer shows the original article).

It is absolutely remarkable that the finder was able to track the owner down since none of the video footage or stills on the camera helped identify the owner.

But what is seriously cool is the fact that video footage found on the camera was shot by a sea turtle on accident as the camera traveled. Footage shot by a wild sea turtle!!! What a trip.

What is seriously NOT cool is that the viedo appears to have been created when the sea turtle tried to EAT the camera, accidentally turning it on. This is killing sea turtles- eating floating manmade debris that vaguely resembles a sea turtle snack of jellyfish. And now we have live wild footage of it. The good news is that the camera survived rather than entering the turtle's digestive system, so hopefully, the turtle is alive and well.

Sad environmental stuff aside, it is a pretty cool idea, and a great idea for a story- but it has been done- even before this event happened! Read David Weisner's Caldecott award winner, Flotsam. Or not so much read as get a look at it, since there are no words to read- who needs words when you illustrate like David Weisner?

And for a picture book on sea turtles eating bad stuff, try the QoE's favorite, The Adventures of Gary and Harry: a Tale of Two Turtles by Lisa Matsumoto and Michael Furuya.

Library = Borrow, Book Store = Buy

Confession time: I used to work for what was, at the time, one of the top three circulating library systems in the United States (I'm not a librarian - I belonged to the evil empire of administrative types), and it was not unusual for portions of the collection to disappear into various patrons' personal collections. To cope, sometimes we sent administrators with trucks to retrieve items from patrons who "forgot" to return (in one case) a few hundred books. Sometimes we took disciplinary action against employees who couldn't seem to find multiple things they had borrowed. And sometimes, we set up super short in-person on-site only viewings like for Madonna's book "Sex" so that everyone got time "read" the...reference text...in a small conference room alone, without the book leaving the building. Ew.

But this just goes too far. A smaller library losing 20% of it's children's collection to theft is just plain wrong. I have nothing funny to say because I am so horrified. Details at the Seattle Times.

More New York Times Realities

So, I forgot to follow-up on the realities of a New York Times bestseller by L Viehl (aka S.L. Viehl, and a number of other pen names, and author of 46 novels across five genres). Here it is:

http://www.genreality.net/more-on-the-reality-of-a-times-bestseller

Sadly, there will be no more posts as the writer retired from the genreality.net blog November of 2009. But she does have a blog of her own, which I happen to like: http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/

Kid Lit Big on the iPad - Sharpen Your, Uh, Mice?

Publisher's Weekly reported that since the launch of Apple's iPad last week, "children's stories held six of the top ten paid iPad book-app sales spots as of press time." Check it out here: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/455914-The_iPad_Meets_the_Children_s_Book.php?nid=2788&source=link&rid=18792588