Weekly Scratch: Local, Sci/Fan, Revolution, Fun

Howdy, Brazos Valley Children's Writers and Illustrators!   I hope you have had a good work week.  First up, fun news for two local writers. Kathy Whitehead received a nice mention for ART FROM YOUR HEART. Janet Fox's FORGIVEN is a Junior Library Guild selection.

We have meeting tomorrow, February 23, 2011 at Barnes & Noble, 711 Texas Ave, College Station at 10 a.m.. Be there or be square. :)  Andy Sherrod will help us ferret out clumsy writing. Yay!

We have a cool upcoming opportunity: Kimberly Willis Holt will attend the Children's Literature Book Club Thursday for the discussion of her award-winning novel, WHEN ZACHARY BEAVER CAME TO TOWN.  Ms. Holt will appear via Skype for 30-40 minutes of the meeting which begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Arts Council of Brazos Valley, 2275 Dartmouth Street in College Station.
Remember that SCBWI WIP GRANT applications are currently open.   Don't forget to vote for the Crystal Kite, all by March 15th!

INTERESTED IN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY?

The Highlights Foundation has a Whole Novel Worshop for Fantasy Writers, May 1-8th.  Click here for more information.

The 2011 SFWA Nebula Award short list is out. Here are the YA  titles.

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy

• Ship Breaker, Paolo Bacigalupi (Little, Brown)
• White Cat, Holly Black (McElderry)
• Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press; Scholastic UK)
• Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, Barry Deutsch (Amulet)
• The Boy from Ilysies, Pearl North (Tor Teen)
• I Shall Wear Midnight, Terry Pratchett (Gollancz; Harper)
• A Conspiracy of Kings, Megan Whalen Turner (Greenwillow)
• Behemoth, Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse; Simon & Schuster UK)

MORE ON THE E REVOLUTION

The price point of book content is falling. It happened to the music industry first but that is now flooding into book industry. The information age is changing publishing forever.  Be aware.  Here is article that may interest you about price cuts from DC Comics.  Where will teens read books in the future? Here is an interesting PW article teens jumping on the e-wagon.

SOME ODDS AND ENDS FOR FUN

Hunger Games, part of YA series by Suzanne Collins, has spawned a slew of homemade movie trailers on Youtube.  Oh, the things that our books will do.  Want to read a good book?  The PW Fall Sneak Peek is out. I like to get books on the list early. I hope you do too...

Weekly Scratch: Opportunities, Deals, Best of, Revolution, and Passages.

Hi folks, hope you are having a great writing week. This weekend is the AUSTIN SCBWI Conference! Have fun if you are going. :) The Writers' League of Texas has an upcoming conference for YA authors that you may wish to check out. The SCBWI Work-in-progress Grant season is open.  Read about it here.

CONNECTING
Have you heard of WRITEONCON? This website offers monthly live events with children's agents and editors. This month will be an hour of Q and A with Literary Agent Suzie Townsend, with FinePrint Literary and Editor Maria Gomez, with Harper Collins Childrens. Both will volunteer their time online on 2/28/2011 at 9PST to answer your burning publishing questions.  Write on Con has monthly events. Check it out.

WHAT A DEAL
Wonder who buys what? ...from GalleyCat: Disney-"Hyperion has acquired two books from children’s series author Ally Carter." and "Editorial director Stephanie Lurie negotiated the deal with literary agent Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency. Senior editor Catherine Onder will edit the books." Yep, it's already been optioned by Warner Brothers. Nice.

Here's another one!  ...from GalleyCat:   Random House Children's Books. A Trilogy deal for Mark Frost for a YA series. Editorial director Jim Thomas negotiated the deal with literary agents Sophie Hicks and Ed Victor from Ed Victor Ltd. Super.

THE REVOLUTION
Yes, children's publishing is changing.  Digital media is a game changer.  Lots to think about.   Here is one. YA author AMANDA HOCKING's blog. You WILL find it interesting.  Ebooks changed her life. She's not worring about getting an agent or publishing house's interest. She's trying to satisfy her hundreds of thousands fans.  Something to think about. Brilliant.

BEST OF
The Kidlitosphere (Children and Young Adult Bloggers) --their annual awards have been announced: 2010 Cybils Award winners.

PASSAGE
This week famed children's editor Margert K. MeElderry dies at the age of 98. May we all bring such magic to children's books. Read more here.

Come back next week for more weekly scratch!

Weekly Scratch: Local, Bestsellers, Market News, Passage

Hi folks: I hope your manuscripts are humming.  Be sure to be working on your SCBWI WIP Grant applications, the submitting window is about to open. 

Locally, Brazos Writers is offering MOVIE BOOT CAMP on Feb 19.  Scroll down the page to find the info.

What's the most popular book?

From Publisher's Lunch (2/3/2010):
The New York Times Unveils Their E-Book Bestseller Lists --The NYT's first-ever e-book bestseller lists will appear in print on February 13 and online on February 11 (reflecting rankings for the week ending January 30), as the paper previewed for publishing people at an event this morning. Not only will the paper publish a separate e-book list, but there will also be a hybrid print and e-book bestseller list. A spokesperson said the paper "wanted to provide more comprehensive lists of which books are selling. Here's a link to the NY TIMES BESTSELLER LISTS.

Who is buying books and why?

Check out this new study from a joint consumer study with Bowker and ABC (now a part of the ABA) in PW, Have you had questions about how the digital media is reshaping children's publishing? This might shed some light on the subject. Here's another acticle from Feb 2011 in the NY Times about how E-Book sales for kids are on the rise.

Some interesting children's market tidbits.

D4EO Literary Agency has promoted Kristin Miller to associate agent. A co-founder of the young adult blog YA Highway, she will work on building the agency's young adult and middle grade client list.

from Publisher's Lunch

Beth Fleisher has left BG Literary to found her own agency, Clear Sailing Creatives, and as of Janurary, Michael Stearns is only accepting queries by conference submission and referral.

from Thursday Spotlight with Casey McCormick.

Passage

Brian Jacques the author of the REDWALL series has died.  -- from NPR.

You will not be dissappointed if you go.

Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua, the deadline for having applications in the mail is Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011.  . It takes place July 16-23, 2011, in western New York at the Chautauqua Institution.  For an application, and for more information, please contact Jo Lloyd, e-mail:
jo.lloyd@highlightsfoundation.org, or phone, toll-free, 877-512-8365.

For the Team Unicorn folks, here's a new book...

Do you remember this oldie but goodie from the '60s? Peter S. Beagle's LAST UNICORN is a graphic novel!  In September 2010, S&S published ZOMBIES VS UNICORNS, watch the trailer here if you have no clue.  The epic battle continues to rage Go Unicorns!

Come back next week for more Scratch!

Weekly Scratch -- Quiet Books, Agents, Trends, a Kite, and more

Hi folks, brrr, it is freezing here in the Brazos Valley; I hope that makes you want to curl up with a good and work.

First up, thanks to ARA Jacqueline Gramann for her great talk about "who are we writing for."  Here is a link to self-publishing option she mentioned...Fastpencil.

So you want to write a picture book?  Here is a two-minute master class from Kevin Henkes on how to achieve your goal.

Next, Santa Claus is coming to town... Wonderful William Joyce is coming out with a new Childhood Guardians series.  This series will delve into the history of such childhood superheroes as Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and the Easter Bunny. Here's the link to PW article.

Do you like quiet books?  Here's a great blog post from Shannon Hitchcock's chat with Literary Agent Erin Murphy and her client Audrey Vernick. Gives a list of ways to make a quiet book louder.  Enjoy. 

The SCBWI Winter Conference -- sign -- I wish could have been a fly on the wall. Don't forget to check out the SCBWI Winter Conference Blog.  Notes from a few attendees: Karen Strong, K.M. Walton, Kathryn Freeman, Amy K. Nichols, Nina Mata.

Do you need an agent?  Links!

Here is one author's story of how she got an agent from Galley Cat.  
Sarah Dessen's agent  Leigh Feldman has joined Writer's House.
The Nelson Agency has posted some stand out query letters and pitches. You might want to check them out.
Casey McCormick's blog is an awesome place for agent research. Check it out.

This has been out there for a little while but is nevertheless an interesting blog entry from Ally Carter about TRENDS in children's publishing.

SCBWI members, vote for your CRYSTAL KITE award book -- it's like our own WGA awards.  Log in and go to your homepage. Don't cry because you can only pick one book.  

Hope you found helpful stuff here. Come back next week for more scratch...

Weekly Scratch -- News, Deals, Opportunites

Lots of stuff to report on this week.  

First check your calendars. We have a SCHMOOZE tomorrow at the College Station Barnes and Noble. Check the calender on your left for more information about our monthly meeting for SCBWI Brazos Valley.

You might want to check out this round table discussion about writing for children with your Regional Advisor Liz Mertz, your Assistant Regional Advisor Jacqueline  Gramann and your Scratchpad editor Molly Blaisdell on OUR VOICES, OURSELVES.

Our parent organization SCBWI has several new board members! Congratulations to Emma Dryden, Chris Cheng, Bonnie Bader, and Melissa Stewart.  

New Agent Opportunites

New agency from veteran agents Wernick & Pratt,  PUBLISHERS WEEKLY reports that Marcia Wernick and Linda Pratt have left the Sheldon Fogelman Agency to start their own firm, Wernick & Pratt.
<<http://www.wernickpratt.com/>>

New agency from International SCBWI veteran, writer, literary scout, editorial consultant Erzsi Deak. Check out the website for more info:  Hen & Ink Literary Studio .
Recent Childern's Deals

To give you an idea of what is selling in the children's market. Here are some tidbits from PW's Deals.

Warner Brothers has optioned  Veronica Rossi's debut, a dystopian YA romance trilogy called Under the Never Sky, sold to HarperCollins in September 2010 in a major deal.

Bestselling picture book author Eric Carle will publish his first new picture book in more than four years in October. The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse.

A story of two self-published picture book authors who found their into mainstream publishing houses.

In E-BOOK News

The Apple iPad has over taken the Kindle. Read about this growing print industry in PW.

A Few More Days

You have till the end of January to enter the Highlights Fiction Contest. Follow the link for more info.

"90-Second Newbery" Video Contest

Announcing the "90-Second Newbery" Video Contest! The challenge: make a video that compresses the story of a Newbery award-winning book into 90 seconds or less. Anyone can enter. Here is the first video: Madeleine L'Engle's 1963 Newbery winner, "A Wrinkle in Time"! A star-studded 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is planned in the fall at the New York Public Library in Fall of 2011.
For more details, go to 90secondnewbery.com !

Weekly Scratch: Book Club, Judy Blume Fans, WIP SCBWI, What's hot in YA...

Hi Folks! 

Here is some news from the Brazos Valley's own Children's Literature Book Club...

Howdy CLBC,

The first CLBC meeting of 2011 is important as we will select the next few books to read for discussion. The January meeting will be led by Debra Booth, a SCBWI member. The book is The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. I have read the book and it is an "easy read" if you have not read it, yet. Please urge anyone you know who enjoys literature for the young-at-heart to come and visit the book club on the 27th of this month.

The Children's Literature Book Club will meet for book discussion at the Arts Council of Brazos Valley, 2275 Dartmouth Street in College Station, from 4:30 PM to 6 PM, on the last Thursday of the month.

Spread the word to join the yahoo group for book club reminders:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChildLitbookclub/

Jacqueline Gramann, ARA SCBWI Brazos Valley

Are you feeling like a winner?   Is your YA novel awesome?  Perhaps you should try this contest...

Contest:
"Amazon.com, along with Penguin Group (USA) and CreateSpace, is pleased to announce the fourth annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, the international competition seeking the next popular novel.

The competion features an award for Young Adult Fiction. The winner will receive a publishing contract with Penguin, which
includes a $15,000 advance." Read the detailed terms/conditions at the site.

Deadline: January 24-February 6, 2011

Details: You must register at  www.CreateSpace.com/abna to enter the Contest.

As always, we pass this stuff along for informational purposes only. Do your own research.

Want to know what is hot in YA?  Give this article in PW about Today's YA Market a read: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/45333-today-s-ya-scene-.html?page=1.    

Remember that SCBWI grant season is gearing up. Follow this link for more info:   http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/WIP-Grant(1).

Are you a Judy Blume fan?  This fandom contest might be for you...http://www.judyblumecontest.com/.

Are you searching for an agent?  Aspiring author Casey L. McCormick offers a great website to help you on that journey: http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/search/label/Agent%20Spotlight. 

Hope something here helps you on your journey!

Weekly Scratch: Newbery, Caldecott, and sifting through the news

Hi folks, this is big time award season and here are the some of this year's big winners at ALA this year follow:  

2011 Newbery Medal winner is Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm, published by Random House Children's Books, a div. of Random House, Inc.

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, published by Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams.

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.


Caldecott Medal A Sick Day for Amos McGee illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead, a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing

Caldecott Honor Books

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave  illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill, published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Interrupting Chicken  illustrated and written by David Ezra Stein, published by Candlewick Press
The rest of the awards are listed here.

The rest of the awards are listed here. 

Here are SLJ blogging librarian Elizabeth Bird's thoughts on the award winners.  She's always entertaining.

Here is some inspiration to keep revising.:) From Darcy Pattison: "2013 Newbery Awards".

There are sooo many books listed here, pick the ones the interest you and give them a look.  :) 

See you next week with more scratch. :)