With beautiful art by award-winning illustrator Shennen Bersani, At Home In The Cave tells the story of Baby Bat, who falls from his perch and is befriended by another cave dweller, Pluribus the Packrat. Together they explore the cave and Baby Bat meets all the other animals that rely on bats and realizes the part he plays in helping preserve the other cave dwellers. This story of love, friendship and community has such heart and warmth. A must for any young, inquisitive reader.
In these days of standards-based education and accountability, the pressure is on administrators and teachers to make sure everything they do helps their students reach academic benchmarks. Sometimes it must feel as if the creative spirit that led educators to the profession in the first place is struggling to survive.
Anything we can do as authors to refresh the creative spirit of both teachers and students will be doubly welcome if we address those all-important academic standards along the way. And who better to talk to kids about writing than a published author?
Here are some sample California writing standards for students from kindergarten through sixth grade:
TO THINK ABOUT:
1) What are your state’s educational standards for writing? Find the standards specific to your state by googling “(your state) academic standards” or “(your state) educational standards.”
2) How can you address your state’s writing standards in your school visit workshops and presentations? For each of your published children’s books and/or works in progress, find at least one state writing standard around which you could develop a workshop or program element.
3) For those of you with experience in school visits, have you used a writing activity in a school presentation or workshop that worked especially well? What was it? Share with us!
Today we remember them.
Today we thank them.
And today we pray, for those who continue to serve in the most dangerous of places, a safe journey home.
The Hanging Off Jefferson's Nose
Super Blog Tour Master List
Welcome to the one-stop list for all the blogs hosting this incredible BOOK BLOG TOUR, including interviews with Tina Nichols Coury, her editor, agent and illustrator, plus amazing raffle prizes for commenters!
All comment raffles will be open until 10:00 pm (PST) on Tuesday May 15th. Only one comment per Blog Tour stop. The winners will be listed here and the on the hosting blog on Wednesday, May 16th.
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Blog Tour schedule:
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Monday May 7th - Hanging Off Jefferson's Nose Book Trailer Debut at Darcy Pattison's site http://www.darcypattison.com/authors/hanging-off-jeffersons-nose/
Today's comment raffle prize: One free book trailer from Tina's Trailers. WINNER - MARTHA BENNETT STILES
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Tuesday May 8th - Interview with Tina Nichols Coury at Barbara Bietz's blog, Jewish Books for Children with Author Barbara Bietz
barbarabbookblog.blogspot.com
Today's comment raffle prize: A Kindle. WINNER - GAIL GAUTHIER
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Wednesday May 9th -Interview with Tina's agent Mark McVeigh at Greg Pincus's blog, gottabook.blogspot.com
Today's comment raffle prize: a 15 minute phone critique on 10 pages of a manuscript with Mark McVeigh. WINNER CSTWMAXE (NO EMAIL? CONTACT ME.)
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Thursday May 10th - Interview with Illustrator Sally Wern Comport at Elizabeth Dulemba's Blog, dulemba.blogspot.com
Today's comment raffle prize: a Nook and a piece of original art from Hanging Off Jefferson's Nose.WINNER - MAGGIE SWANSON
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Friday May 11th - Joint interview with Dutton Editor Steve Meltzer and Tina at Cynsations, Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog, cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com
Today's comment raffle prize: Five first-page critiques by Steve Meltzer. WINNERS: SUSAN BERK KOCH, KELLY ANDREWS, JOANNE COOKE, ROSIE POVA, CATHY MEALEY.
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Hooray for Highlights!
Did you love Highlights Magazine as a kid as much as I did? Yesterday I received my regularly scheduled email newsletter from Kent Brown at the Highlights Foundation and was thrilled to find my name in it! The focus of this month's edition was "We believe in picture books." I'm so glad someone still does--enough that they've asked me to lead a workshop in September called "Writing for Little Eyes and Little Ears: Read-Alouds for Early Learners."
I love picture books because they are the perfect synthesis of sound, sight and sense (or in some cases, nonsense!). I especially love the "sound" part.
More than any other single factor, hearing poetry and stories read aloud to me made me the writer I am. I was lucky enough to grow up in a home where regular field trips to the library, bookish birthday and Christmas gifts and--yes--a subscription to Highlights Magazine were a wonderful part of life. In the beginning, my parents read to me and my six siblings, and after I learned to read, I in turn became the designated reader for my three younger brothers. I absorbed the structure and the rhythms of language, and when I started to write, I did so hearing voices in my head! Not an unusual experience for writers, but an important one--especially for those of us who write for children.Here is my interview with Chloe Reich-Golio, as told to Susanna Reich.
(Tomorrow's blog tour stop is at The Fourth Musketeer http://fourthmusketeer.blogspot.com/ - interview with Susanna)
How long have you been helping Susanna write her books?
I'd rather not reveal my age. However, I have been watching Susanna type since I was a kitten. I do occasionally walk across the keyboard and step on a key here and there. My contributions are always the best part of her books.
What do you think of Susanna's new book, Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat?What do you mean, Susanna's new book? I thought it was my new book. It says so right on the dedication page.
Describe your creative process.
I do my best work while I'm asleep. The trick is to follow the sun. In the morning, I snooze on Susanna's desk. Afternoons, I’m on the floor by the bookcase, right underneath the children's books. If Susanna leaves the room, I sit on her chair and infuse it with some good strong cat vibes. How else do you think she could claim to write that book about Minette?
Have you always been an only-cat?
I used to have a sister named Fluffy. She was a bit of a bully. Now that she's gone, it's much more peaceful around here. I can finally hear myself purr.
Minette's Feast is about a cat who lives with a gourmet cook. Are you a picky eater?
I am very discriminating. Lately, however, I've developed a fondness for sauteed chicken livers.
What do you do for entertainment?
I come from a family of readers, so when I'm feeling frisky, I climb the bookshelves. But I have to give that Julia Child woman some credit. A Brussels sprout tied to a string is not a bad idea.
What advice would you give author’s kitties on getting published?
Sit on top of the printer, the manuscript, or an envelope until your author submits your book for publication.
What are you and Susanna working on next?
Susanna is always working hard on something new, poor thing. I’m basking in my accomplishments and waiting for the royalty checks to pour in.
Where is your favorite hidey hole in the house and why?
There’s a sliver of space between the back of Susanna’s desk and the wall. I’m completely invisible there, except for my beautiful white paws.
Do you think dogs should get a shot at being authors too?
Are you kidding?
"...the step-by-step (it was a long process) descriptions of planning and dynamiting are fascinating, and Comport’s realistic illustrations of the various bridges and slings built all along the famous sculptures are eye-opening and reveal the project’s dizzying scope. Perfect for history units, this is a great piece of work about a great piece of work."
from the collected notes of Barbara Jean Hicks
It was a pleasure hearing one of my favorite early reader authors, Laura McGee Kvasnosky, speak at the annual children’s literature conference at Western Washington University in early 2012. Laura writes the delightful Zelda and Ivy stories, a gentle chapter book series about two fox sisters who find adventure in the everyday. It turns out Laura draws (literally!) from her own childhood for these adventures, and she led us in a really great exercise to help us access memories from our childhood lives to inspire and inform our writing.
As an author-illustrator, Laura might have an advantage in the “drawing-to-writing” process she uses to come up with ideas, but she says you don’t have to be an artist to make this work for you. Here’s the exercise:
Take about ten minutes to draw a map of the place you grew up. You can map your house, your yard, or the entire neighborhood. Memories fraught with emotion—happiness, anger, sadness, fear, pain--will start to flow as you draw; quickly jot down notes on your map as those memories come to you.
That’s it. After ten minutes I ended up with a map of my house and yard and the yard of the boy next door—and a good half dozen story ideas. Try it!
Once you have an idea, Laura says, go where it leads. Write about what was important to you as a child. Don’t talk down. Understand that children recognize important stories and connect with them on an emotional level. Reading stories about animal characters that stand in for the child helps children process their emotions and even deal with pain.
Laura left us with a gentle admonition to “follow the flow.” Setting up conditions to nurture flow can include mining your memories for challenging raw material, reading the newspaper with an eye for ideas and simply “recognizing the stories you are swimming in.” Her childhood mapping exercise had me doing the back stroke to get to shore!
from the collected notes of Barbara Jean Hicks
I’ve rarely heard a writer speak with such heart and deep-down truth as Gary D. Schmidt (http://www.hmhbooks.com/schmidt/) did at the annual children’s literature conference at Western Washington University in early 2012. Gary is the author of two Newberry Honor middle grade novels, The Wednesday Wars and Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, as well as several other middle grade books. His thoughtful commentary left a deep impression.
It is Schmidt’s contention that our culture actively discourages kids from growing up, that it works hard to keep them at an adolescent stage because adolescents make good consumers. In opposition to this consumer culture, Schmidt writes coming-of-age stories, focused on a time in his characters’ lives when they are turning from childhood toward adulthood. The world is a messy place, he says, complex, painted in shades of gray, difficult to understand, and he doesn’t hide that from his readers.
Schmidt poses questions for his characters that resonate with his middle grade readers: What does it mean to grow up? How do I make the right choices? How do I live a life that’s authentic for me? How do I live side by side with someone who doesn’t look like me?
I was moved by Schmidt’s comments on the role of the writer in the world. Is it our job to create something beautiful? Absolutely. To impart wisdom and understanding? Yes. To help readers grow? Yes again. But writers who begin with these questions and answers are wrong, Schmidt says. The first question must be this: “Does the writing serve? Does it come from a place of love?”
A writer must take on the role of a servant and write out of love, Schmidt closed, and left us with a quote from Wordsworth: “What we love, others will love, and we will show them how.”
What we do as writers for children and adolescents matters. It was good to be reminded.
1) Buy your domain name as soon as you have a title for your book. You can get domain names for as little as $8.95. Tip: When buying a domain always try to get a .com and stay away from hyphens, i.e. penny-sansevieri.com - surfers rarely remember to insert hyphens.
2) Head on over to Blogger.com or Wordpress.com and start your very own blog (you can add it to your Web site later).
3) Set up an event at your neighborhood bookstore. Do an event and not a signing, book signings are boring!
4) Write a few articles on your topic and submit them onto the Internet for syndication. You can submit them to sites like ezinearticles.com and articlecity.com.
5) Check out your competition online and see if you can do some networking.
6) Do some radio research and pitch yourself to at least five new stations this week.
7) Ready to get some business cards? Head on over to Vistaprint.com. The cards are free if you let them put their logo on the back, if you don't they're still really inexpensive.
8) Put together your marketing plan. Seriously, do this. If you don't know where you're going, any destination will do.
9) Plan a contest or giveaway. Contests are a great way to promote your book.
10) Google some topic-related online groups to see if you can network with them.
11) Send thank you notes to people who have been helpful to you.
12) Send your book out to at least ten book reviewers this week.
13) Do a quick Internet search for local writers’ conferences or book festivals you can attend.
14) Create an email signature for every email you send; email signatures are a great way to promote your book and message.
15) Put the contents of your Web site: book description, bio, Q&A, and interviews on CD to have on hand when the media comes calling!
16) Submit your Web site to the top five directories: Google, MSN, Alexa, Yahoo, and DMOZ.
17) Write a great press release and submit it to free online press release sites like: PR4 - http://www.prlog.org/ , http://www.1888pressrelease.com/, http://i-newswire.com/, http://www.prfocus.com/
18) Write your bio and have someone who can be objective critique it; you’ll need it when you start pitching yourself to the media.
19) Schedule your first book event!
20) Start your own email newsletter; it’s a great way to keep readers, friends and family updated and informed on your success.
21) Start a Twitter account and begin tweeting. If you don't think Twitter is significant, think again; it's been a major part of our marketing strategy for over 2 years now (before anyone even knew what Twitter was).
22) Develop a set of questions or discussion topics that book clubs can use for your book, and post them on your Web site for handy downloads.
23) Add your book info or URL to your answering machine message.
24) Start a Facebook Fan page. Fan Pages are much better than groups because they're searchable in Google.
25) See if you can get your friends to host a “book party” in their home. You come in and discuss your book and voila, a captive audience!
26) Find some catalogs you think your book would be perfect for and then submit your packet to them for consideration. If you're unsure of what catalogs might work for you, head on over to http://www.catalogs.com/ and peruse their list.
27) Go around to your local retailers and see if they’ll carry your book; even if it’s on consignment, it might be worth it!
28) Add your book to Google Book Search.
29) Research some authors with similar subjects and then offer to exchange links with them.
30) Start a Squidoo page and make sure it's linked to your Twitter Account and Facebook Fan page.
31) Make sure your blog is connected to Amazon via their Amazon connect program (yes, it's free).
32) Ask friends and family to email five people they know and tell them about your book.
33) Leave your business card, bookmark, or book flyer wherever you go.
34) Subscribe to Google Alerts and make sure that you are getting alerts under your name as well as your book title(s), brand, and keywords.
35) Pitch yourself to your local television stations.
36) Pitch yourself to your local print media.
37) Work on the Q&A for your press kit. You’ll need it when you start booking media interviews!
38) Pitch Oprah. Go ahead, you know you want to.
39) Is the topic of your book in the news? Check your local paper, and write a letter to the editor to share your expertise (and promote your book!).
40) Stop by your local library and see if you can set up an event. They love local authors.
41) Do you want to get your book into your local library system? Try dropping off a copy to your main library; if they stock it chances are the other branches will too.
42) Go to Chase’s Calendar of Events (www.Chases.com.) and find out how to create your own holiday!
43) Going on vacation? Use your away-from-home time to schedule a book event or two.
44) If your book is appropriate, go to local schools to see if you can do a reading.
45) Got a book that could be sold in bulk? Start with your local companies first and see if they’re interested in buying some promotional copies to give away at company events.
46) Don’t forget to add reviews to your Web site. Remember that what someone else has to say is one thousand times more effective than anything you could say!
47) Trying to meet the press? Search the Net for Press Clubs in your area, they meet once a month and are a great place to meet the media.
48) Want a celebrity endorsement? Find celebs in your market with an interest in your topic and then go for it. Remember all they can say is no. Check out the Actors Guild for a list of celeb representatives.
49) Ready to get some magazine exposure? Why not pitch some regional and national magazines with your topic or submit a freelance article for reprint consideration?
50) Work on your next book. Sometimes the best way to sell your first book is by promoting your second.
from the collected notes of children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks
As children’s writers, our stories need to appeal to several audiences. We’ve already looked at the needs of the Child Audience. Last week and this week we’re looking at the needs of the Publisher Audience.
A manuscript that appeals to children’s book editors tells a compelling story, has a distinct vision, has emotional impact and uses language effectively.
Consider the following questions that address the final four characteristics publishers are dying to see in a manuscript. How does your work in progress meet these needs? The quotes come directly from ediotrs at a variety of houses. Again, a reminder: the answers to these questions make an excellent basis for a query letter!
5. Is my plot compelling? Why will my readers want to turn the page?
6. Does my story have a distinct vision? What is it about beyond the plot? Why does it matter? Why will parents love it?
7. Does my story have emotional impact? How will the reader respond to my story?
8. Do I use language effectively in my storytelling? How does my story read?
How does your work in progress hold up in light of these characteristics and questions? If you’ve been unsure what kinds of revisions to make on your next draft, analyzing your manuscript for these qualities is a great place to start. Make an editor happy. Know what she wants and give it to her!
Next Week: What Buyers Want in a Children’s Book: The Parent/Librarian/Teacher Perspective
from the collected notes of children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks
As children’s writers, our stories need to appeal to several audiences. The last two Fridays we looked at the needs of the Child Audience. This week and next we’ll look at the needs of the Publisher Audience.
Over the years I’ve been writing for children, I’ve heard many editors speak about what publishing houses are looking for in a children’s book. The bottom line, of course, is that houses want books that will make them money! What kind of book does that? After analyzing the comments from a slew of editors from seven major houses, I’ve come up with eight characteristics editors are looking for to take a book to market. Following are the first four; check in again next Friday for the final four.
A manuscript that appeals to children’s editors and publishers is child-accessible, shows originality, has an unforgettable hero and has a unique narrative voice.
Here are those first four characteristics, with questions to ask yourself about your work in progress and direct quotes from editors relating to the characteristic. BTW, the answers to the questions make an excellent basis for a query letter…
1. Is my story child-accessible? Why will children love it?
2. Does my story show originality? What’s unique about it?
3. Does my story have an unforgettable hero? What’s special about him/her?
4. Does my story have a unique narrative voice? What’s different about the way I tell my story?
How does your work in progress hold up in light of these characteristics and questions?
Check back next Friday for four additional qualities editors want in a children’s book.
from the collected notes of children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks
As children’s writers, our stories need to appeal to several audiences. We’ve looked at the needs of the Child Audience and the Publisher Audience over the last four weeks. Today we look at the needs of the parents and librarians who purchase our books. Thanks to the staff at The Secret Garden Children’s Bookstore in Ballard (Seattle), Washington; Amy Walter, Selection Librarian, Children's and YA Materials, Seattle Public Library; and Kevin Wood, ELL Teacher, Seattle Public Schools, for their input.
A book that appeals to parents:A book that appeals to librarians:
A book that appeals to teachers:
Some of these characteristics go beyond the scope of what an author can do for her book—unless she’s acting as her own publisher. If that’s the case for you, consider this post a “to-do” list for getting your book to market after the manuscript is finished!
The bottom line is that in order to garner the praise and reviews you need to help your book appeal to the market, you need to write the very best possible book you can write. Do your homework. Take classes. Join a critique group. Revise. Edit. Repeat!
Bart King can write a funny book about almost anything. When his publishing house sent me his new book, Cute: A Guide to All Things Adorable, I wondered how he could make such a girly thing funny. He didn't disappoint. My family thought it was a scream, the boys and girls alike. From puppies to babies, Bart King found the humor in it all. The back cover copy asks: Is being cute a super-power? Why are bullfrogs cute? Is pink actually a boy's color? Where is the world capital of cuteness? What animals are in the Cuteness Hall of Fame? Buy the book and find out!
from the teaching files of children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks
In preparation for a workshop I once offered at a writer’s conference, I interviewed a private practice child psychologist who uses bibliotherapy in her practice. Here’s her take on what characteristics a book must have to appeal to kids on a deep psychological level and draw them to a story over and over again. Notice the similarities to Bruno Bettelheim’s list of essential qualities a story must have in order to both hold a child’s attention and enrich her life. (Check out last Friday’s post if you missed it.)
An effective children’s story:1) has a central character the child identifies with.
2) matches the child’s experience and emotional and cognitive development.
3) uses language that matches the child’s emotional and cognitive development.
4) takes the child’s experience seriously.
5) expresses a wide range of emotions.
6) creates tension that leads to resolution.
7) expresses both the child’s inner and outer life by presenting a mixture of realistic and fanciful elements.
8) introduces concepts that pull the child toward further development, creating feelings of security and familiarity along with the excitement of novel experience.
9) depicts experience without passing judgment, allowing the child to project, interpret, and personalize the story to his or her own life.
10) instills confidence and/or expands the range of what’s possible as the child identifies with a central character handling a difficult situation, allowing the child to practice in thought what she or he may not yet feel able to do.
Wow! A lot to aspire to! Think about the books you were drawn to as a child and the books the children in your life are drawn to now. Did they/do they serve children in these ways? Do your stories serve children in these ways?
On a surface level, what kids want in a book varies as much as children vary, but I think that looking at our works in progress from the perspective of a child’s psychological needs can only deepen our stories—and that’s a very good thing.
Next Friday, tune in for What Publishers Want in a Book: An Editorial Perspective, with insights from editors at Knopf, Dial, Dutton, Little-Brown, Farrar Strauss Giroux, Hutchinson Children’s Books and Henry Holt.
from the teaching files of children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks
As children’s writers, our stories need to appeal to several audiences: children, first and foremost; publishers, who can get our stories to market and hope to make a profit by doing so; and parents and librarians, who have purchasing power and can get our stories into the hands of readers. Let’s start today with the Child Audience, which seems to me the most important!
I’ve always been intrigued with the work of Bruno Bettelheim (1903-1990), and started with him in my search to understand what it is, from a psychological perspective, that kids want from a book.
Bettelheim, a well respected and influential child psychologist, taught at the University of Chicago from 1944 to 1973 and wrote a number of works on both normal and abnormal child psychology, the most celebrated being his 1976 book The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. In this book, Bettelheim suggests that children are attracted to and respond to the dark themes and symbolism of fairy tales at a deep psychological level.
In the Introduction to his classic work, Bettelheim writes that for a story to hold a child’s attention it must do two things:
But to enrich his life as well, it must do several other things:
I wonder: Could it be the archetypal characters and themes of traditional fairy tales that keep children fascinated by these stories generation after generation? Is it the archetypal characters and themes of classic picture books like Where the Wild Things Are and beloved children’s series like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games that draw readers to them? Is a deep understanding of human needs and human nature part of what makes a good book great?
Next Friday, tune in for Part 2 of this post, the result of an interview with a private practice children’s psychiatrist who uses bibliotherapy with her young clients. More good stuff!
from the collected notes of Barbara Jean Hicks
To agent or not to agent? Sometimes it feels like harder work finding an agent than finding a publisher, so my temptation has been to submit without an agent. In the current market, however, with fewer and fewer publishers accepting submissions over the transom, an agent seems more and more necessary to publishing success.
When I first heard agent Marcia Wernick speak at an SCBWI conference in Seattle in 2004, she was associated with the Sheldon Fogelman Agency in New York City. In January 2011, she founded the Wernick and Pratt Agency with long-time colleague Linda Pratt.
She has 20+ years in the children’s book industry with experience in rights and licensing as well as agenting. Such children’s book luminaries as Peggy Rathmann, Nikki Grimes, Elizabeth Cody Kimmel and Mo Willems are among her clients.Nuggets from Marcia Wernick:
• An agent’s job is to make the best possible match between an author/illustrator and an editor and publishing house.
• Good agents know the quirks and preferences of editors and what houses print well and sell well.
• Good agents know their clients: what kind of books their authors and artists want to write or illustrate, how long they take to complete a project, what their writing voice or artistic style is like, their publishing history.
• In order to find and nurture the synergistic “magical match” between an author and/or illustrator and a house and editor, good agents nag, push and prod, follow up, and keep momentum going.
• Good agents know what is happening in the market and act as counselors to their clients.
• An agent’s dream find is an author or illustrator with a fresh, original approach; a project that fits the parameters of the market; story, vocabulary and artwork appropriate to the age level; and a story that begs to be read over and over again.
• Good agents work doggedly to promote their clients and build their clients’ careers, but even the very best agent cannot work miracles. The miracles happen when the writer or artist creates something wonderful out of nothing but an idea.
Wernick says on the Wernick and Pratt website that while they are dedicated to their established list of clients, they are always looking to find new talent to nurture. Of particular interest are works by author/illustrators, humorous chapter books and middle grade/YA novels. Find the agency’s submission policies and guidelines here.
Look for the heart of your story. Readers want to connect with emotion. They want to feel something when they read your book. I seldom remember characters' names or plot details, even in books I've loved. But I always remember the way a good book made me feel.
I've heard more than one editor say, "Make me laugh or make me cry and you've got me hooked!" So ask yourself, "What is the emotional core of my story?" Then direct your edits to polish that heart of gold (or greed, fear, faith, loss, or love -- whatever the essential emotion is.)
Here are a few more nuggets from “Marketing for Authors,” a roundtable moderated by Kelly Milner Halls and Esther Hershenhorn at my first ever SCBWI Summer Conference…
From Kelly: Contact your local newspaper’s “Features” editor and help him fill a gap by writing an article about your book.
From Esther: Use an e-mail footer under your signature that lists all your books and all the things you do.
From Michelle Parker-Rock: Offer to write a short, simple column for an SCBWI region’s website and/or newsletter. Give yourself a nice, meaty byline and “About the Author” profile.
From Joan Bransfield Graham: Post a notice of your new book’s publication in your college alumni magazine.
Black & White is the true story of two men on different sides of the segregation issue during the Civil Rights movement. What inspired you to write it?
The simple answer is that the Civil Rights era fascinates me. I was a kid at the time and only vaguely recall news reports of the racial violence and tension in the South. I was busy being a kid. Researching Black & White was a way for me to inform myself about events that had sailed right by me in my youth. More specifically, Black & White grew out of a previous book I did for Calkins Creek, Birmingham Sunday.
That book was about the Ku Klux Klan bombing of a black congregation in Birmingham one Sunday morning that resulted in the deaths of four children. Two other children—young boys—were also killed that day in the violence that erupted after the morning blast—one of those a death at the hands of KKK youth who were fired up after a Klan rally and the other the result of a police shooting. I realized that one man, Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth, stood out as the leader of Birmingham’s black community. His nemesis, Eugene “Bull” Connor, was the well reported commissioner of Public Safety who controlled the police and fire departments, and who vowed to keep blacks in their place. It truly was a case of David versus Goliath, good versus evil—the Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth versus Eugene “Bull” Connor. Nothing had been written about these two men for young readers, and the more I researched and came to understand the dynamic of their relationship, the more I felt a need to tell their story. Shuttlesworth, whom I met in 2010, goaded Connor, a staunch segregationist, into reacting by making demands for black representation on the police force, desegregated seating on the city’s buses, and a voice at the voting booth. While Connor used Shuttlesworth’s attempts to erase segregation to get elected to office time and again, Shuttlesworth used Connor’s violent reactions to his demands to coalesce Birmingham’s black community behind him. Shuttlesworth had a sense that eventually Connor would do something to turn the tide of public opinion, which, of course, he did when he called out the police dogs and turned fire hoses on young demonstrators. Shuttlesworth was the Civil Rights movement in Birmingham and had he not laid the groundwork, Martin Luther King, Jr., would never have come to that city in 1963. King received the Nobel Peace Prize largely for the work he and Shuttlesworth did in that city, but Shuttlesworth actually did the lion’s share of the work. I felt it was important for young people to know about this courageous, but little known, crusader for social justice and his impact on the Civil Rights movement. As I began writing, I realized I couldn’t tell Shuttlesworth’s story without delving into Connor’s motivations. The result is Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene “Bull” Connor.Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth risked his life to desegregate the south. What lessons do you think students today can learn from his actions?
The lesson I hope young readers will take away from this book is that a single individual can, and did, make a difference for change. I hope they will also understand that this was a truly dark and violent time in American history. As a writer who visits schools all across the United States, I’ve been a bit dismayed at how often I hear teachers gloss over the Civil Rights movement as if to say that we arrived at this place where we are today after Martin Luther King, Jr., called together a few friends to march and sing hymns in the streets. They might also incorrectly mention that Rosa Parks brought about an end to segregated bus seating following the Montgomery bus boycott. (The Supreme Court ruling that outlawed segregated bus seating came about as a result of the decision in Browder v. Gayle. Mrs. Parks’s conviction remained on the books until 2006.) The Civil Rights movement was so much more than King or Parks; it was hundreds, if not thousands, of workaday people standing up for what they believed and demanding change.
Many of these events happened over fifty years ago and we now have an African American president. Do you feel we are still fighting discrimination in this country?
We’ve made progress since the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but there is still much work to be done. On the surface, we appear to be a harmonious society where the races get along, but there is underlying tension. We are simply more subtle about how it gets expressed. We pass laws to secure our borders, but the only border lawmakers are thinking about is the southern one. Yet, the northern border is the only one through which a terrorist has passed. We pass laws requiring the police to verify citizenship, but I dare say my blond Canadian neighbor would never be asked to prove her citizenship. I read that following President Obama’s election, the KKK experienced a spike in membership. I have never documented whether that is true or not, but I suspect it might be. Personally, I sense that much of the hostility directed at the president has nothing to do with his policies or the economy he inherited. If this were not true, people would not STILL be bringing up the legitimacy of his U.S. citizenship. As for Birmingham, it is a more segregated city today than it was in 1963 because of white flight to the suburbs. As a people, we largely remain fearful and ignorant of anyone who is different from the person staring back at us in the mirror. The only way to overcome this, I believe, is for people to get to know people of other races and ethnicities and—yes—sexual orientations. It’s difficult to remain fearful and disrespectful of others when you realize all that we have in common.
I noticed that you dedicated this book to Newbery honor winner, Susan Campbell Bartoletti. How did she inspire you to write this story?
My friendship with Sue pre-dates her Newbery honor win. Her books have taught me not to be afraid to tackle difficult subjects. They have taught me that if a writer approaches a topic with honesty and integrity, something Sue does without fail, a book will find its readers and it will resonate with them. Mostly, I dedicated Black & White to her because she has always been there to answer my questions.
Bio: Larry Dane Brimner is the author of 157 books, both fiction and non-fiction. Among his popular titles are Country Bear’s Good Neighbor, The Littlest Wolf, Max and Felix, We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin, Birmingham Sunday, and Black & White. His books have won numerous awards and honors, including the Jane Addams Book Award, the Norman A. Sugarman Biography Award, The Eureka! Gold Award (California Reading Association), and the Orbis Pictus Honor Book Award. Additionally, Larry’s books have been featured on many notable and best books lists.
This week I dug back into notes from my very first SCBWI LA Summer Conference—in 2004! The nuggets I found at a roundtable called “Marketing for Authors,” moderated by Kelly Milner Halls and Esther Hershenhorn, are as relevant today as they were then. The moderators each brought a few good ideas to the table to get the ball rolling, and then the community of writers in attendance shared ideas of their own—too many to post all at once, but here are a few to begin, starting with Kelly and Esther. I’ll share more next week.
From Kelly: Give, give, give! Give workshops and encouragement whenever the opportunity presents itself.
From Esther: Write that bio—and make sure it puts your best foot forward—even before you need it. Your bio introduces you to the world.
From Rene Colato Lainez: Have a book shower, like a baby shower, when your new title is delivered. Instead of having your guests bring gifts, have them bring curriculum tie-ins or marketing ideas specific to your new “baby.”From Dotti Enderle: Put a stork sign in your front yard with the message, “It’s a book!”
From Dianne M. MacMillan: Create Fun Pages. Offer recipes, coloring pages or worksheets based on your book with teachers and booksellers to share with kids and parents.
From April Halprin Wayland: Create a 15 minute readers theatre script based on your book. Contact the closest high school to the conference or bookstore you’re scheduled to visit two months in advance and ask the drama teacher to look over the script and cast the parts. Meet with the teens for one to two hours the day you get into town and rehearse with them, and then have them perform during your presentation.
From Kathleen Duey: When a newspaper prints an article or interview, ask them to use your book jacket as the photo illustration instead of your picture. (Note: You need permission from your publisher for this.)
From Fiona Bayrock: Scatter your business cards like seeds. Leave them at your hairdresser’s or any other professional setting—even restaurant bathrooms—for better exposure.
From Joan Bransfield Graham: Be seen. Go to conferences and workshops. Volunteer to help out.
Have a great marketing/promotional idea of your own to share? Post it here--we’re all in this together!
Over at My Time In Juvie an interview with Tamara Pierce. We recently had the privilege of interviewing Tamora Pierce and thought it might be appropriate for the event. The link is http://www.ourtimeinjuvie.com/author-spotlight/author-spotlight-interview-with-tamora-pierce
On Balance in the Writer’s Life
Author Caroline Hatton posted a great comment on the SCBWI listserve for the California Central Coast chapter last month that I think deserves wider circulation. It’s about balancing a professional non-writing life and a professional writing life, and was written in response to another writer’s concern that a new employer might discover her online writing presence and worry that she was not fully committed to her “day job.” I particularly like the third point Caroline makes; it made me stop to think about my own reasons both for writing and for teaching. What is the common thread that underlies the work I choose to do?
Caroline's post:
I have three suggestions:
1. Be proud of everything you do because it will move others to respect you for it and to respect everything you do.
2. Be highly professional both as a writer and as a corporate employee.3. If possible, figure out a way to describe your two quests to show that they emanate from a common force in your life, as two expressions of the same mission. Help people see that your two careers make sense together, as opposed to your being a jack of all trades and master of none. For example: "Both as a [insert day job] and a children's writer, I want to help people of all ages find the best path for them to navigate through life."
What each employer or publisher primarily cares about is whether you can do the job they need and whether they'll get their money's worth. Do your best to exceed their expectations, and don't give them any reason to feel that they're getting gypped because you're distracted or overcommitted.
I'm a scientist, translator, and children's writer. I do each of these part-time. I do feel like I am the best person for each job I get, and I do my best—as good as or better than anyone else could do. And I receive professional recognition.
After being a scientist all my adult life, at age 39 I began studying children's writing. I didn't want to hide a secret life, but I fretted about what it would do to my reputation and career, so at first I felt defiant ("I'm gonna write for children, so there! Take it or leave it!"). I received all smiles and enchanted looks in return.
Look at other writers who have dual careers: Cris Peterson authors photo-illustrated non-fiction books about dairy cows and other agricultural or food production subjects, and she is a dairy farmer in the Midwest. Marty Crump is a university ecology professor and author of a photo-illustrated non-fiction book about the scientific research process and Komodo dragons.
On the light side, when I googled "authors with day jobs" I found a list of strange day jobs famous authors had before they became famous, including John Steinbeck, who ran a fish hatchery at Lake Tahoe!
Many thanks to Caroline for giving permission to re-post her thoughts here. As proof that her advice to maintain a proud and professional attitude works, as opposed to just being wishful thinking, it's interesting to note that she has been invited as a scientist to give talks at several national and international scientific conferences, and the hosts who introduced her spontaneously mentioned her children's books as deserving of a "Wow!" In addition, a medical foundation recently gave Caroline a Special Recognition Award for her work as a scientist AND children's author AND science career advocate for youth--in other words, for everything she is and does.
Do you have a favorite love poem, or favorite lines about love? Give us some food for thought!
A new guest TeachingAuthor interview posted on our blog today with a book give away! http://www.teachingauthors.com/2012/02/celebrating-childrens.html
Because Amazon and Barnes and Noble provide free e-reader apps for the iPad, iPhone and Android powered devices, these instructions can be used to make your out-of-print novel available as an e-book on pretty much any electronic reading device, including PC’s and Macs. I’ve published two of my out of print novellas as e-books using these instructions. I recognize this was a year ago, however; if anyone has updated instructions, please comment below!
Scroll down for my interview with author June Sobel.
Maeve Tynan an interviewed Children's Illustrator AnnMarie McCarthy for Interview Wednesday http://yellowbrickreads.blogspot.com/2012/01/interview-with-illustrator-annmarie.html.
GETTING UNSTUCK
MAKE IT WORK! The admonition of Project Runway’s Tim Gunn resonates anytime my work in progress has hit an insurmountable wall, a hopeless dead end that sends me in search of chocolate and cake batter.
Before I started writing children’s books, I wrote romance novels and novellas. (I know, what a switch!) The rights to one of those novellas, a Christmas romance called "Tea for Two," had reverted to me. What if I could figure out how to format it as an e-book and offer it for free to anyone who wanted to download it to their computer or reading device?
I’m always up for the challenge of learning something new, so the idea was just my cup of tea--so to speak.