Monday, March 5, 2018

Birthing A Book: Raising Your Book Right

We're taking a break to recharge! Fairday's Riddles and Lizzy's Book Review will be back next week. Here's advice for writers interested in publishing a book...

Seeking A Story Home
By Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson

— You’ve cultivated your story seed and delivered a book. The next phase in a writer's journey is the metamorphosis from manuscript to published work, and there are many paths to take as you step further into the literary forest.


If your decision is to turn toward traditional publishing, be sure you understand which side of the mushroom you’re eating.

Will you shrink or grow?


 Brick & Mortar Binding 
(PATH TO PUBLICATION: PART 1)

Tips to help find the right publisher for your work:

1. To really understand the publishing world, it’s essential to attend writers’ conferences, book fairs, and events. By networking with professionals in the industry, you’ll learn about the book buisiness and be inspired by people who have the same goals. The hardest part is going, but once you’re there, the scene is motivating. You’ll connect with agents and editors who will give you key tips on how to have your manuscript received and read by publishers.

Book events we found beneficial:
2. Your words are going to be sliced and diced by editors once a publisher acquires your manuscript, BUT that does not mean you should wait to edit and revise. When you’re ready to seek a home for your book, your manuscript should be clean and concise. Hiring an editor to review your work or joining a critique group prior to submission is recommended. Once you’re satisfied with your words, it’s time to develop an AMAZING query letter and find a literary agent. In traditional publishing, this step can’t be missed. It’s rare a publisher will pick up an author who isn’t represented by a reputable literary agency. Developing a good query letter is not an easy task, but it's a challenge that will help you grow as a writer. The most important thing to remember about writing a query letter is this  you’re trying to peak someone’s interest enough so that they want to read more of your words. 👀

Now, pretend you’re an agent receiving thousands of letters from writers who'd like you to represent their work. 😧

Exactly. Whew! Just thinking about all those inquiries is dizzying. You’d learn to skim the pile until one sparked your interest. The query letter is a great tool for both writer and agent because it precedes the relationship, establishing a level of professionalism. An agent will be able to tell right away if they’re a good fit to sell your book. If you didn’t follow the agency’s submission guidelines (typically listed on their websites) or you’ve reached out to an agent that doesn’t represent your genre, it will be obvious and your letter will be tossed aside, unread.

Resources we found useful:
Freelance Editor Referrals: Betsy ThorpeNicole Ayers
Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson with their agent Gina Panettieri from Talcott Notch Literary at B&N in Milford
3. Once you’ve found an agent who LOVES your book, (and this is the highest priority- they must be over the top, thrilled, excited, can’t wait to dive in and sell your words, in love), they will take on the next step of querying editors at publishing houses. This is a good time to develop your reader platform and keep up with your writing craft. No matter what anyone tells you, growing an online presence takes time and diligence. It does not happen overnight, and there’s a lot to learn. If you taylor your platform to inspire your writing, it's good practice and the work will be fulfilling

*For example, on this book blog, we write as our main characters, Fairday and Lizzy. Fairday writes riddles on Monday to clue readers in on the theme for the week, which is decided by Lizzy's book review on Friday. Jess loves writing rhyming poems, Stephanie is a media specialist, and has read pretty much every book out there, so the overall flow of the blog helps keep our writing skills sharp. We also interview authors, which is a great way to network, plus it's cool to find out the story behind the books we love to share with our readers. 

Traditional publishers may help sell your book, but don’t count on it. Be prepared to generate your own marketing strategies, schedule book events, and spread the book buzz with friends, family, and authors you network with. Set up a budget. Marketing materials, like bookmarks, posters, mailings, and fliers, are expensive.


If you've signed on with a good agent, they will walk you through the details and negotiate with the publisher. We would advise having your own attorney look over the information before you proceed with the deal. It seems glamourous to be listed with a notable publisher, but it's not all roses in that book garden. Publishing contract terms and conditions vary, so it's important to understand what's involved. 

Things to consider if this is the route you want take:

PROS:
1) No worries about cost or production of book
2) Book distribution is handled
3) Your book will receive trade reviews 

CONS:
1) You lose creative control of your project
2) Waiting to hear from agents, editors
3) Managing deadlines set by the publisher

*You'll receive a monetary advance, which is paid back by a percentage of your book sales. If your title doesn't satisfy the advance, you don't have to pay off the remaining balance, but you won't receive any payments for your book. If your book does pay out the advance, you keep a small percentage of the sales, called royalties- this can be a PRO, but it's also a CON. Our advice is to carefully consider the deal. Make sure you're committed to your characters and be prepared to carry on if this relationship doesn't work out for the long run.

TIP: It’s best to keep hold on the reins of your story, even when someone else sits in the saddle. They can jump off any time. If you let go, it’s going to be much harder to hop back on that pony and get it under control. 
If you’d rather stay in the saddle and gallop off on your own, then the Indie path is for you. Print on demand has created a changing wave in the publishing industry, and the floodgates are open. If you can ride like the elves in Rivendell, the river poses no threat. This part of the literary forest is untamed, and anything’s possible! 



Stay tuned for PART 2 of Raising A Book RightIndie Writers on the Storm

DMS CASE FILE #1: The Begonia House


The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow
Publish date: 12/1/15
Publisher: Delacorte/ Random House
Illustrator: Roman Muradov
Ages: 8 and up
Grade Level: 3-6
Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book, Library Bound

Read the reviews
Preview a chapter

FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED.



The Begonia House keeps its secrets. Everyone knows that. Everyone, that is, except for clever eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow, whose family has just moved in. Being the Senior Investigator in the Detective Mystery Squad, more commonly known as the DMS, she’s ready to uncover the mysteries hidden within the strange manor. As the investigation gears up and the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, the DMS enters into a world where anything is possible, and the danger is most definitely real. Can they piece together the puzzle before it's too late? Or will whatever's causing trouble find Fairday and her friends first?


Catch our feature articles on...

BIRTHING A BOOK

Cultivating story ideas

Plotting the scenes of your story

&

WRITING MYSTERIES

Critique, Editing your MS

Working with editors, Collaborating using Google Docs

Skeleton's poetic interpretation on formatting a book

VIDEO SERIES

Stephanie & Jess sit down at the Plumb Memorial Library and discuss tools they use to craft stories. 

"There's no better place to get a clue than the library!"

FAIRDAYSFILES.COM

Friday, March 2, 2018

Margo's Musings: Bartholomew and the Oobleck

"The least you could do is say the simple words, I'm sorry." ~Bartholomew Cubbins, Bartholomew and the Oobleck

I love when Read Across America Day arrives because I know that spring is around the corner. Plus, it's awesome to get to celebrate Dr. Seuss and his fantastical books. This year, I was excited to share some of my favorites with my little sister, Margo. With so many books to choose from, we were able to enjoy lots of stories. She loves the funny rhymes and creatures that are in Dr. Seuss’s books. But this year, her choice is Bartholomew and the Oobleck. It’s hard to resist a book that's followed up with making a slimy, interesting mix that will entertain for hours!


In this book, King Derwin of Didd is tired of rain, sun, fog and snow. He wants something different and asks the royal magicians to make the sky shower something exciting upon them. The next morning, a young page, Bartholomew Cubbins, wakes up to find that the oobleck the king wanted is indeed falling. The king declares a holiday and wants everyone outside. It is green, unique, and exciting- at first. But, after a bit, there’s no doubt it’s messy. The oobleck won’t stop showering the kingdom, and creatures are getting stuck. How can they stop it? Can anything be done? What are the magic words? This entertaining story has an important message in its pages.


If Margo loves one thing, it’s a mess. That made this Dr. Seuss book perfect! Her giggles as we watched the green goop sticking to things throughout the book made me laugh too. She kept pointing and saying, “Bleck, bleck, bleck”. After we finished reading, it was time to make some of our own. The ingredients are so easy (we made it with and without the food coloring, and it’s fun either way). I know we’ll be revisiting this Seuss classic again!

Ingredients:
2 cups cornstarch
1 cup water
1-2 drops food coloring (optional)
Mix in a bowl. Add water to cornstarch sl-ow-ly! (easier to mix)

Has anyone else read Bartholomew and the Oobleck? What’s your favorite book by Dr. Seuss? Have you ever made oobleck? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!

~ F

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Answer to Monday's Riddle: Great Gobs of Goo!

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! This week, we're slinging slime. Friday, we'll dive into a story for National Read Across America Day, so stay tuned! See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F

Here's a recipe for fun! Mix three ingredients into one: 
First, thicken the pot with maize; a substance that stirs up a craze. 
Then, drop two H's and an O; the concoction's almost ready to go. 
Lastly, spill color into the brew, whichever you'd like- red, green or blue! 
A Newtonian rebel you shall be, breaking rules of viscosity.

What am I referring to? Answer: Oobleck

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations
Available in all e-book formats

Monday, February 26, 2018

Monday's Riddle: A Viscous Rebel...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? This is always a fun week, especially if you love sticky rhymes. ; ) ~ F

Here's a recipe for fun! Mix three ingredients into one: 
First, thicken the pot with maize; a substance that stirs up a craze. 
Then, drop two H's and an O; the concoction's almost ready to go. 
Lastly, spill color into the brew, whichever you'd like- red, green or blue! 
A Newtonian rebel you shall be, breaking rules of viscosity.

What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer.

I gave you a clue!

Friday, February 23, 2018

The Mighty Miss Malone

“…some people have kindness and gentleness wrapped around them like a blanket and there’s no doubting who they are.” ~Christopher Paul Curtis, The Mighty Miss Malone

Deza Malone is the smartest girl at her school in Gary, Indiana. She loves everything about school and checks out books from her local library regularly. Deza’s older brother, Jimmie, excels at singing and has a voice like an angel. Sadly, he hasn’t grown since he was twelve, and now people think he's her younger brother. Unfortunately, the Great Depression has hit the Malone family hard and they don’t have the money to take Jimmie to a special doctor to find out what’s going on. Mr. Malone has been out of work and Mrs. Malone works as a housekeeper, but this barely keeps a roof over their heads and a small amount of food on the table. After a tragic accident, Father seems different, until the big fight between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling is about to take place. Deza doesn’t understand it, but there’s hope everywhere. She thinks the fight is stupid until her father explains it to her and how important it is that there is an arena in which the color of skin doesn’t matter. Everyone is certain they know how the fight will end, and after it is over Mr. Malone decides he needs to leave Gary and look for a job in Flint, Michigan. It isn’t long after when their landlord kicks the rest of the Malones out of their house. Leaving behind her school, her best friend, and the only life she has ever known is painful for Deza. Still, she moves with her mother to a Hooverville in Flint hoping to find her father and be united as a family again. Will they ever find Deza’s father? Is it possible to survive without money for food or shelter? Does Deza have enough hope and perseverance to continue on? Don’t miss this trip back in history, because you won’t be able to put it down!


I read Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis and fell in love with it. I couldn’t wait to read The Mighty Miss Malone and I was not disappointed. Deza is an inspirational character because she keeps trying and does her best to stay positive no matter what. Whenever I read about the Great Depression I am amazed that people survived, especially with so many struggles. My heart went out to Deza and her family and all that they went though. Reading about the Malones was so much fun because of their relationship with each other. Seeing how hard life was for Deza made me think about all the things I take for granted and how lucky I am to have food, shelter, clothes, and even frivolous items. Sadly, there were people in the book who were prejudiced against Deza and her family because of their skin color, and when they said things to her like, “You are a credit to your race” they didn’t realize they were letting Deza know they were someone judgmental who couldn’t be trusted. I especially like how the author showed us that we often misjudge people or situations because we think we know what's going on, but really we bring our own bias with us. Reading the “Afterward” I was surprised at the information I learned and how I had misjudged a situation in the book. It’s awesome when you can read a book, fall into another time and place, and learn an important lesson. I would recommend this book to people in grades four and up who like historical fiction and characters with heart. I will certainly read anything by this author! 

Has anyone else read The Mighty Miss Malone? Or have you read another book by Christopher Paul Curtis? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Answer to Monday's Riddle: Seeing Sides...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! This week we'll catch two sides of the story. Friday, Lizzy's review will broaden our perspective, so stay tuned. See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F

A six or nine depends who's who- to see it clear, switch a shoe. This or that, tit for tat; think it's round or is it flat? Tales are tricky, like telephone; when words mix, scenes are known. At one point it seems right, but from another it'll cause a fight. Observation lassos the matter; an open mind prevents the latter. Good and bad are changing tides; think for yourself, and see all sides.

What am I referring to?
Answer: Two sides to the story/ different perspectives.


Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations
Available in all e-book formats