This n' That

Here are two events I'd like to share with you, one in Charlotte and one on-line.

The first is Bibliofeast, an evening of dinner, conversation, and hob-nobbing with authors.  The dinner is at Maggiano's (one of our favorite restaurants) and the authors are:

• Charlotte mystery writer Mark deCastrique, whose latest novel is "The 13th Target."

• Emily Colin of Wilmington, whose debut novel is the "The Memory Thief."

• S.C. novelist Mary Glickman, author of "One More River" and "Home in the Morning."

• Charlotte's Judy Goldman, a novelist and poet whose new memoir is "Losing My Sister."

• Brooklyn novelist Shira Nayman, author of "A Mind of Winter."

• Elena Passarello, whose essay collection, "Let Me Clear My Throat," explores memorable moments in the history of the human voice.

• Wendy Welch, author of "The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap," a memoir of owning a book store in Big Stone Gap, Va.

You can buy tickets, $45 for WNBA members and $55 for nonmembers, at Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road, or online at www.WNBA-Charlotte.org. More information: susan.walker.books@gmail.com, 704-439-4596 or 612-382-5868.

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Second, for all of you who are writers and illustrators, Kathy Temean is hosting a "First Pages" contest on her blog. Illustrators are also encouraged to submit their work. Enter your writing or illustration and tell Kathy I sent you!

Read more here: http://readinglifeobs.blogspot.com/2012/10/dinner-books-conversation-its-bibilofest.html#storylink=cpy

Insights into Editing: A Conversation with Carin Siegfried Part V

·       In this week's blog, Carin Siegfried, an independent editor in Charlotte, discusses the disadvantages of including too much description in your narrative. Take it away, Carin!

     

     I have found that sometimes writers use too much description– it bogs down the narrative if it isn’t germane to the story.  It is a fine balance as you don’t want too little description, to be sure. But you do want to leave some things to the readers’ imagination, as well as get on with the dialogue and action. Sometimes descriptions feel as if, since you did the research, you must include it. That theory serves the writer, not the reader. Only include necessary details, not every detail uncovered in your research. Research is good – you will have those details at hand when needed – but don’t let it overwhelm your story. 

     Another potential pitfall of over-describing everything and everyone is that your readers lose perspective. Readers get clues about who will be important, who will return to the narrative, and who will be a crucial person as opposed to an ancillary, fleeting, insignificant character, largely by the length, weight, and detail of the description of that character. When the author gives all characters a long, detailed, specific description, the reader no longer knows who will and will not be important. So now the reader has to remember everyone in case they come up again later. And that’s exhausting for the reader, as well as frustrating when those characters do not return.

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     Please come back next week when Carin shares nine reasons writers should get a literary agent.

     Hear are the previous installments of this series:

• Part I: Carin's insights into the different types of editing. 
• Part II: Common editorial problems
• Part III: More editorial problems. 
• Part IV: Show, Don't Tell

     

     These blog posts are from Carin's presentation to my Writing Fiction class at CPCC. I met Carin through the Charlotte chapter of the Women's National Book Association which she founded three years ago. You don't have to be a woman to join, all you need is to love books. I am a new member of the board and encourage any of you who live near Charlotte to check out our Facebook page for updates on this year's events. They are fun, informative, and help you connect with readers, writers, and members of the local book industry. 

    
     On September 15, Carin along with Betsy Thorpe, are giving a workshop entitled, "Finding the Right Path to Publication: Traditional Publishing vs. Self Publishing."  You can find more information on their Facebook page. 

From Book Idea to the Book Shelf: The Process & Business of Publishing

From left to right: (standing) Susan Walker, Quinlan Lee, MaryBeth Whalen, Carin Siegfried
Angela Harwood, Amanda Phillips, Nancy Clare Morgan, (standing) Sally Brewster
photo courtesy of Daniel Coston
www.danielcostonphotography.com

Recently the Charlotte chapter of the WNBA hosted a soup-to-nuts panel on the publishing industry. The panel was moderated by chapter president, Susan Walker. 

Quinlan Lee, an agent with Adams Literary, serves the children’s and young adult market. She defined her job as a matchmaker. “I dig for gold all day long,” she said. She finds authors and illustrators and matches them with editors. Despite the fact that the agency receives 7000 manuscripts a year, and each agent only signs about ten new clients a year, she encourages writers to “beat the odds!” In her spare time, Lee goes into the local Barnes and Noble store and re-shelves Adams Literary books so that their covers are facing out.

Marybeth Whalen, author of She Makes it Look Easy and The Mailbox, advised writers to “work on your hook!” In her book, the mailbox was an inanimate object that drew people together; an idea which editors latched on to. When asked how much an author can estimate to earn she said, “Authors can figure they get about a $1 a book. For me, it’s either this or WalMart. I feel blessed to be writing from home rather than taking on a part time job.” 

Carin Siegfried is a freelance editor with Carin Siegfried Editorial who also has worked at St. Martin’s Press. She shared how many professional readers and editors, as well as members of the marketing and sales departments, weigh in on manuscripts.  Books are often shopped around to several publishers before acquired. Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber made the publishing rounds for four years before being purchased by Carin at St. Martin's. It went on to become a NY Times bestselling book and a television film starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Joey Lawrence. 

Nancy Clare Morgan brought her expertise as the former Publicity Manager with Random House, Inc. to the panel. As a publicist she always thinks about how to get free media attention for a book. A publicist asks the editor, “What make this book stand out?” She asks the author:

• What inspired your book? What are its talking points?
• What pre-marketing work have you done?
• What is your media profile?
• Who are your contacts?
• Do you know any bookstore owners?
• Do you have an Internet/social network presence?
• Who should get the galleys and review the book?

Morgan advised authors to be involved, respond to all fan mail, and be ready to create a “Media fire storm” the week your book comes out. 

Angela Harwood, the VP of Sales and Marketing at John F. Blair Publisher spoke about marketing. Her days consist of working on databases and Excel worksheets; she typically works on a book six to twelve months before it is scheduled for release. “We have hoops to jump through to make a book available; we want to make sure that it’s for sale everywhere there’s a potential audience.” She works with the author to develop a marketing plan and agreed with Morgan about the importance of an online presence, a significant fan base, and potential readership before a book comes out. 

Amanda Phillips is the MarComm Manager at wholesaler Baker and Taylor. This well-known distributor buys books from publishers and resells them to schools, stores, and libraries. “This streamlines the ordering process for the buyer,” Phillips said. “We also offer collection development service, e-commerce solutions, as well as additional advertising.” The company also generates preorders, which helps publishers decide how many books to print. Distributors such as Baker and Taylor also foster relationships with niche stories such as Michael’s or other specialty markets. 


Independent bookseller, Sally Brewster, hosted the event at Park Road Books. “Book publishing is the weirdest industry in the world—but we do it because we love it,” she said. She encouraged writers in the group to keep writing and to remember that publishers don’t want to publish just one book; have at least two or three ideas ready. Her store is one of the few in the country that carries self-published books. “I want to give writers a chance.” Although she agreed with other presenters that traditional book tours might be dead, an author who takes the time to talk to a bookseller will find that her books will be more likely to be recommended and sold. 


The next meeting of the Charlotte WNBA chapter is on April 9 and will feature SCBWI Crystal Kite winner, Monika Schroeder.

The Rise of the Young Adult Novel- YA Literature Panel Discussion

Tracey Adams, Beth Revis, Snow Wildsmith, Lois Moss, Carrie Ryan

Hosted by the newly formed chapter of the Women's National Book Association, last week's YA Literature panel packed in a lively group of young adult and middle grade writers. The panel was ably moderated by Snow Wildsmith, former teen librarian, writer, and book reviewer; her questions about writing and the business of writing kept the panelists busy. Here are some highlights of the evening:

• How important are social networking sites? Panelists agreed that there are pro's and con's of maintaining a web presence. Tracey Adams of Adams Literary commented that when a new author contacts her, she is interested in seeing who they are friends with on Facebook. But ultimately, "All that matters is having a good book," she said. Carrie Ryan, author of  the trilogy, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Dead Tossed Waves, and The Dark and Hollow Places acknowledged that there were occasions when she spent too much time on social networking sites. "The best thing to do is to write your next book," she advised writers. But, the panelists agreed that teens enjoy connecting with their favorite authors and getting to know them through their blogs and websites.
• What are agents and publishers looking for? Although historical fiction (my favorite genre!) was not at the top of the Teens Top 10 Trends in 2010, I was encouraged to hear that "a good book finds its home--no matter what." Dystopian fiction, which secured the number one spot in 2010, apparently is now declining on publishers' wish lists.
• Why do you write for kids? Carrie Ryan eloquently answered this with, "Someone out there is now a reader because he liked my book."
• What is the best book jacket idea to hit area bookstores? Beth Revis's publisher (Penguin) had the ingenious idea of making Across the Universe's book jacket reversible. One side appeals to girls (you have one guess to figure out what was depicted) and one to boys.
• Must a book be polished before you submit it to an agent? Tracey Adams said, "Agents are looking for more polished manuscripts than they used to but don't make a change to your manuscript unless it rings true."
• What are kids in North Carolina reading? Check out the NC School Library Media Association YA Book Award which is selected by middle and high school students.

While I was waiting for the panelists to gather for a group shot, photographer and book blogger, Lois Moss, was busy clicking away at candid shots. Check out her blog for great examples of her photography and a book review of  Exposed by Kimberly Marcus which Tracey recommended reading.

• What did you learn, Carol? Writing trumps blogging. And future blogs will be directed to my future audience-- young readers looking for compelling historical fiction. And maybe I'll convince a publisher that Half-Truths needs a reversible book jacket. Hey, it's worth a try.

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