kt literary

Another YA brouhaha

2008-07-22T12:51:04Z

There's another brohaha brewing on the interwebs about Margo Rabb's essay in The New York Times about her book being labeled as YA, and the assumed stigma that comes along with it, quoting a number of writers of both adult and children's books. Justine Larbalestier wrote about the "stigma", disagreeing with many of the points Rabb raised. I think it's telling that Rabb picked authors like James Patterson to quote, which seems an easy agreement to her point, especially since the Times has written before about Patterson's horror at the sales of his books when they were shelved only in the teen section.

There's also A.M. Holmes, who Rabb quotes as saying "Young people will find an adult book, but it doesn't work the other way." And excuse me for saying so, but doesn't that tell you something amazing about teens? They will go seek out the best books they can find, no matter where they're shelved, while adults apparently need seeing eye dogs like The New York Times to find their way to good books to read. Good on teens, I say!

The more telling interview, I think, is with Sherman Alexie, and while I know I've heard his words before, having been fortunate enough to hear him speak at BEA, they're words well worth repeating:

A lot of people have no idea that right now Y.A. is the Garden of Eden of literature.

YA writers, do feel free to go forth and multiply!

New York office once more

2008-07-21T12:45:51Z

I find myself once more in the New York office, with a strangely adorable cat named Mr. Pongo peering at my fingers as I type. This is the consequence of a stopover at famous author MJ's swank pied-a-terre. The famous MJ, I might add, who recently so perfectly captured our series of conversations about her deadlines on her blog. Read it yourself.

As for me, I'm off to my first meeting for the day, and a search for a New York bagel. Oh bagels, how I've missed you.

A Pre-Travel Potpourri

2008-07-16T14:51:23Z

I'm running around like a crazy Daphne this morning, trying to get stuff done before my flight to NYC. Contracts to mail, manuscripts to upload to my Kindle, emails to answer, and blogs to post! So please forgive this bare bones list of links, and I promise I'll be better soon.

Alyson Noel's Kiss And Blog is going back to press!
Ask Daphne is being reprinted in the Children's Book Insider, and will have a quarterly column as of October.
Registration for the 2nd Annual Kidlit Bloggers Conference in Portland, Oregon is now open. Rexroth and I will be there. Will you?
And... um... The first act of Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog is now up! Act II follows tomorrow, Act III on Saturday, and by Sunday it will be gone. Watch now!

Ok, that's all I have time for this morning. Keep those questions coming for Ask An Editor!

A couple of MJ reviews

2008-07-15T16:37:12Z

Some recent reviews for Miss MJ to post today. One from Sassymonkey, of Girl At Sea, and one from the official YALSA blog (the Young Adult Library Services Association) of Let It Snow, a fun new anthology featuring a story from Maureen coming out from Penguin this fall. Enjoy!

Ask An Editor!

2008-07-15T16:36:28Z

So I'm heading off to the New York office later this week, taking a couple of days off to be with the Unfeasible Clan, and then spending next week running around between meetings with editors and scouts. I've got tons of things to talk to them about, but in case the well runs dry, and to prove that I am nothing if not service-oriented, I'm throwing open the floor to questions.

I will take the three best questions left in the comments below from now until next Monday morning, and I will Ask An Editor (like this). I might not ask every editor I meet all three questions, but I'll do my best to ask each of them at least one, and I will get back to you with their answers.

So there you go! The comments are open!

How Not To Start a Story

2008-07-14T19:17:43Z

I feel like I'm over-blogging today, perhaps to make up for Friday, but there's so much exciting stuff on the intrawebs! Like this brilliant list I agree with 99.99%, from J.A. Konrath. Yes, it's personal, and your results may vary, but it's a fantastic place NOT to start your story/novel.

Evermore -- The Cover

2008-07-14T18:04:59Z

I was positively THRILLED this morning to open my inbox and find the cover design for the first book in Alyson Noel's forthcoming "Immortals" series, Evermore. It's drop dead gorgeous, if I do say so myself. Without further ado... meet Ever.

What do you think?

Ask Daphne! Double the Daphne!

2008-07-14T16:55:10Z

Friday hit me like a ton of bricks, and I apologize for not getting a blog post out. To make it up to you: Double the Daphne! First question. Erin asks

I was wondering, if an author has written a manuscript which they plan to write a sequel to, when is a good time to tell the agent they're querying that they plan for the book to have a companion? Should this be stated in their query letter?

I wouldn't, Erin, and here's why. You have to sell this book first, or else what good is the sequel? Now, you may have the sequel all sketched out in your mind, but unless you mean to trick your readers with an unfinished book one, you still need to have a conclusion. And that's the book you have to pitch me on in the query, sell me on in your opening chapters, and reel me in with the complete manuscript. Once I love that, then we'll have a phone conversation and ask what else you're working on, and THEN you can tell me about the brilliant sequel you've plotted out. D'accord?

Next question! Kris writes

I'm a fashion writer/blogger, was featured in VOGUE.fr and WWD, and mentioned in NYTimes.com and Forbes.com, and I'm moving into fiction. When I mentioned this to a friend in TV (which may explain his advice), he said I should get an agent as soon as possible. What do you think? Is it premature to find an agent to submit fiction to glossies like Esquire, or I should find a great rep right away? I'm also working on my first novel. And I'm also really hot and young. And, almost as importantly, I'm very talented. Check out some of my writing. There's a photo of me in the header.

Wow. So you're hot AND young? Let me just rush to sign you as a client!!

Sorry, Kris, but literary agents don't work the same way Hollywood agents do, and you're right to mistrust your friend's advice. Most agents want to see your completed novel before they consider signing you on, and most (I know I'm generalizing, but if any of my agent friends work otherwise, please let me know!) don't represent magazine submissions until you're a published novelist. Even then, unless you're Tom Wolfe, they may leave the magazine submissions to you.

So, bully for you for being young and hot, but until your novel is hot, then just keep writing.

How A-muse-ing

2008-07-10T18:40:40Z

Maureen Johnson blogged earlier this week about muses, and how, despite classical literary evidence to the contrary, they're not so helpful when you're on deadline. Justine Larbalestier picked up the baton and added some thoughts of her own on the subject.

So what about you? Where do you stand in the debate?

While I do believe some ideas can come to a writer in a muse-like flash of inspiration, that's the easy part. Writing them down, perfecting the words, polishing the story -- that's the tough work, and our flighty little Greek goddesses usually aren't around for that.

Something Inspirational

2008-07-09T20:56:21Z

No funny pictures, just a fascinating article in The New York Times on child brides in Yemen asking for and getting divorces.

One morning last month, Arwa Abdu Muhammad Ali walked out of her husband's house here and ran to a local hospital, where she complained that he had been beating and sexually abusing her for eight months.
That alone would be surprising in Yemen, a deeply conservative Arab society where family disputes tend to be solved privately. What made it even more unusual was that Arwa was 9 years old.

I first came across this when a friend linked to a website talking about the article, which has some very interesting discussion going in the comments. For my part, while the custom is barbaric, I can't help but read this and beam with delight. If young girls can do this, what can't they do?

Something to remember when you're writing books for them.

Some more Love for Band Geek!

2008-07-09T20:41:15Z

A five-star review over at Teens Read Too for Band Geek Love by Josie Bloss, as well as a very nice print review in the July issue of KLIATT, which reads, in part:

Ellie is obsessive, high-strung, and sometimes rather horrible. She's touchy and domineering, and cares too much about what people think about her. Somehow, though, her behaivor and attitude come off as refreshingly real and honest. Ellie is indecisive and makes mistakes, just like many teenagers. Her strong personality is nicely offset by Conner's kindness, and their relationship, with all its twists and turns, is interesting to watch unfold. The unusual setting of marching band, a microcosm of high school not often seen in YA novels, helps this stand out.

I'm so thrilled for Josie, and really looking forward to reading the sequel, Band Geeked Out, which will be available next summer.

Another Seventeen Beach Read!

2008-07-08T17:16:11Z

Today's a short work day as I have to pick a friend up from the hospital this afternoon, and I'll be away from my lappy. That being said, here's some great news on an otherwise somewhat dreary day in the front range -- Alyson Noel's Cruel Summer is another one of Seventeen's Summer Beach Reads! Go Colby!

Ask Daphne! About Self-Publishing

2008-07-07T17:24:07Z

Good morning, readers! Hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend, enjoyed some fireworks, and got in some relaxation and/or reading. Rexroth and I certainly did, along with some great time spent with friends. But on to business! Handmade shoes for J.P., who writes:

What do you think about Self-Publishing venues like Createspace.com (Amazon's Self-Publishing branch)? Do you think they would hurt the chances for a prospective agent for a writer or help?

Well, J.P. I don't know Createspace personally, but I know other self-publishing venues like Xlibris pretty well, and I will tell you my impression of them -- they're a fallback. Can't get an agent or a publishing deal for the book you're certain is a bestseller? Self-publish it, and you can prove all those naysayers WRONG!

Except the thing is, a vast percentage of the books that are self-published never do end up proving anyone wrong. They sell a few copies to friends or family members, and take up space on your bookshelves with amateur-looking covers and design that will never truly hold a candle to a book published by a mainstream publisher.

But say you went the self-published route for some other reason other than as a last resort, and now you're submitted your book in its self-published form to agents and editors. Does it do you any good?

Again, no. It doesn't count as a publishing credit, because there's no editorial process involved in being self-published -- all it takes is money. And most agents don't want to receive a bound book to consider -- we want your first 5 chapters, or fifty pages, and if you send them to me as a book, I will tell you in all honesty that it will go to the very very bottom of my reading pile.

So, JP, there you are. If this publishing thing is just to get your words out there to a small group, and you're so sure they're perfect you can't imagine anyone could improve them, and you have the money to burn -- sure, go ahead and self-publish. But if you have greater aspirations for success as a writer, and know that you have a long road to travel, keep submitting your work the traditional way. And good luck.

Going through with it

2008-07-03T16:44:23Z

Over on her blog, Josie Bloss shares her top secret pub day plans for Band Geek Love: a tattoo!

I love this idea, and have seen it before on authors. What a fantastic way to celebrate the culmination of years of work! I even know another one of my authors has made a similar promise to herself.

So here's my question for you before the long holiday weekend: if your WIP or totally imaginary book's publication day was tomorrow, what would you do to celebrate?

I've thought in the past about a tattoo to celebrate a life's milestone, but I think I'm too indecisive when it comes to my personal appearance. I mean, I change my hair color with the seasons, and I have long hair precisely so I can wear it lots of different ways. And my clothes run the gamut from preppy to classic to trendy to stay-at-home (step)mom. I did have one idea for an image that has several meanings to me, but where would I put it?

No, too many decisions to live with for the rest of my life.

So I think I would go shopping. I like the idea of a small piece of jewelry that I could wear to remind myself of my accomplishment, that I could change if I wanted to wear something else. Something like a small diamond earring.

What about you?

In other news, I'm going to do my best to get through all my queries before the long holiday weekend, in case you're waiting on a response from me. I'm hoping to read partials over the weekend, so will have responses on those for some people next week.

Have a great Fourth of July!

Recent Reads

2008-07-02T16:27:02Z

My head needed a break yesterday from reading queries and partials, so after work yesterday, I sat out on our back deck and dove into Peter Walsh's It's All Too Much. I'm not sure if I've previously mentioned my addiction to TLC and HGTV, but Peter was one of the organizational gurus on TLC's Clean Sweep, and It's All Too Much is a guide to follow his steps to live clutter-free, happier lives.

Does it work? Let's just say that halfway through the book, I took a break to clean out our hall closet, packing heavy winter coats away in storage and finding boxes and bags to hold out hats, gloves, and scarves more neatly. After another chapter, I cleared off the top of our hutch, which still hosted some wedding gifts for which we hadn't yet found a permanent home. By the time I finished, late last night, I'd prepared a plan of attack to organize and de-clutter three more rooms -- my home office, our bedroom, and the master bathroom.

Highly recommend.