Thursday, May 31, 2012

Current Scratch: Messages, Magazines, Queries, News

Howdy folks, summer is starting. Do you have a goal? I hope you carve out some time for your work over the next few months.  

Our next Schmooze will fall on  6-27-2012  at the College Station Barnes and Noble.  Bring copies (up to 5) for gentle critique at 9:30 a.m.  Our program begins at 10 a.m. and the discussion topic will be: Children‘s Magazine Publishing. 

Local Author Sherry Garland is teaching a week long session at the Writers' Academy at West Texas A&M University on June 20-24, 2012. Sherry is an award-winning and best-selling author of thirty books for children, teens and adults and will teach Writing for Children and Young Adults. Using lectures and writing exercises, this course will cover a survey of children's literature; components of a picture book; components of a MG/YA novel including characterization, plot, dialog and voice; query letters and submitting manuscripts; working with editors and agents; marketing your book and promoting yourself; critique sessions. Here is the link to learn more and register for this event.  

Messages

Many authors feel they want insert a message into their work. This goes against the age old advice, "don't preach."  Here is an article by author Patrica C. Wrede that offers a unique perspective.

Laura Backes also offers a useful perspective on whether you should insert teaching into you current work. Here is an article at Children's Fiction Factory.

Magazines

Here is a link to many writer's guidelines for children's magazines at Freelancewriting.com.

Here is a listing of children's magazines at Yahoo.

Here is a link for non-fiction writers to help the build professional submissions for the magazine market, courtesy of the talented Fiona Bayrock.

Queries

Here is some solid advice on how to write a query letter to a magazine at AskAllison.

Here are some sample query letters from Margot Finke that worked at The Purple Crayon.

Children's author Cynthia Liu offers advice on how to create a professional query letter.

News

Houghton Mifflin-Harcourt filed for bankruptcy. Read about it in Businessweek.com  http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-05-21/houghton-mifflin-harcourt-publishing-files-for-bankruptcy

Random House book designer Chip Kidd gave a TED talk called “Designing books is no laughing matter. OK, it is.” This offers some insight into the marketing of books.  You may find this of some interest.

A new children's/YA imprint from World Wisdom for the philosophically inclined. Read about at PW.

The views expressed here are my own, and not necessarily those of the SCBWI

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