Paying It Foward: Day 2

20. October 2009 by colleen.

More info from Rutgers One on One. Remember to check editors submission requirements.

Stacey Barney is an Editor at Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. Stacey primarily acquires MG and YA. She had edited The Best Bad Luck I Ever had by Kristin Levine, Surf Mules by G. Neri, Donut Days by Lara Zielin, and Black Angels by Linda Beatrice Brown, as well as the forthcoming Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosiland Wiseman, the New York Times bestselling author of Queen Bees and Wannabees, which is the book that inspired Mean Girls. She is particularly interested in high concept MG and YA fiction; projects with an exciting subject or hook that allow for a commercial foothold. Generally speaking, Stacey is probably not the best match for high fantasy.

Courtney Bongiolatti is an Associate Editor at Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. Courtney edits everything from PBs to YA novels though her main interest lies in MG boy fiction. She has edited such books as the Erec Rex series by Kaza Kingsley, the New York Times best-selling The 7 Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey, What’s Under the Bed by Joe Fenton, Long Shot by Chris Paul, and the upcoming memoir of Kelle James, Smile for the Camera: Dirty Things Good Girls Hear. She is interested in acquiring MG boy fiction with series potential and YA.

Jennifer Bonnell is a Senior Editor at Puffin Books, Penguin Young Readers Group. Jennifer works on MG and YA fiction and non-fiction and has edited Three Cups of Tea: Young Readers Edition; Cindy Ella and Geek Charming by Robin Palmer; Kieran Scott’s Geek Magnet; Let it Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle and Maureen Johnson; Puffin Graphics graphic novel adaptations of the classics. She’s looking for books that would be a good fit in original paperback—specifically books with great hooks and concepts and very strong voices, and would love to find a killer MG novel for guys. She loves humor, romance, witty voices, historical fiction with modern appeal, and does not work on high fantasy or sci-fi.

Michele Burke is an Associate Editor of Knopf and Crown Books for Young Readers. Michele has worked at Knopf and Crown for the past six and a half years. She enjoys working on many different genres and is open to all kinds of stories with fully-realized characters and emotionally resonant voices. Among the many talented authors she has worked with at Knopf are Jeanne Birdsall, Wendelin Van Draanen, Juliet Marillier, and Jarrett J. Krosoczka. She is the editor of the YA novels Knights of the Hill Country and National Book Award finalist The Spectacular Now, both by Tim Tharp. She is also the editor of PB book Matilda’s Humdinger by Lynn Downey with illustrations by Tim Bowers, and MG novels Fortune’s Fool by Kathleen Karr, Leo and the Lesser Lion by Sandra Forrester, and Rocky Road by Rose Kent (Summer 2010). She is the U.S. editor for the Pure Dead series by Debi Gliori, Space Dogs by Justin Ball and Evan Croker, Runner by Robert Newton, and Will by Maria Boyd (Summer 2010).

Stacey Cantor is an Editor at Walker Books for Young Readers. At Walker, Stacey has had the pleasure to work on fabulous books that span many genres, with a personal fondness for funny or strong read-aloud PBs, coming-of-age MG, and YA that’s both literary and commercial—as evidenced by some of her current projects: the hilarious read-aloud PB Desert Rose and her Highfalutin Hog, gorgeously written and heartfelt MG Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning, contemporary and literary Breathless, and tongue-in-cheek paranormal romance Demon Princes: Reign or Shine. She is also looking for edgy and hard-hitting YA, MG with a strong commercial hook, and anything with a romance at its heart.

Mary Kate Castellani is an Associate Editor at Walker Books for Young Readers. Mary Kate acquires books for all age levels, and especially likes quirky, kooky PBs that celebrate personality, and MG fiction with a light-hearted, honest approach like her current MG project The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. She is also looking to find new YA voices for the Walker list, especially ones that have a more literary feel, but also likes issue-driven stories, such as her upcoming project Dirty Little Secrets, a story that explores the effects of compulsive hoarding on a family. Her acquisitions wish list includes historical fiction with a strong hook, coming of age stories handled with humor, and explorations of spiritual or cultural identity.

Karen Chaplin is an Editor at Puffin/Speak Books, Penguin Young Readers Group. Karen acquires MG and YA fiction. Some of the projects she has worked on include Students Across the Seven Seas series, Zombie Queen of Newberry High by Amanda Ashby, Exclusively Chloe by J. A. Yang, and the Specialists series by Shannon Greenland. Karen is looking for fun, original series fiction as well as stand alone fiction for the MG and YA markets. While science fiction/fantasy is not her cup of tea, the genres she is looking for include chick lit, fun action/adventure series (boy and girl), mysteries, horror/paranormal, romance, stories with strong female characters (including topics such as sisters and friendships), anything boy-centric, and commercial literary and edgy fiction.

Ariel Colletti is a Publishing Associate at Simon and Schuster Children’s Books. Ariel is currently part of the editorial team working on Cynthia Rylant’s new Brownie and Pearl series at Beach lane Books, and has assisted on projects such as Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s acclaimed Alice series and the upcoming Narco Boy by Evan Coleman. She is also the paperback coordinator for the Children’s Trade Division. Ariel is open to a wide variety of projects but is first and foremost interested in looking for strong MG voices and young, fun, interactive PBs.

More tomorrow : )

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I’m back. Time for “Paying it Forward”

19. October 2009 by colleen.

This Saturday I attended the Rutgers One on One Conference in New Brunswick, NJ.
The last time I went to this conference I posted a ton of information I received in a post called “Paying it Forward”. I’m prepared to do it again. It may take a few days, so let’s start:

*The following is a list of editors and agents bio info and genre preferences. Not all accept unsolicited queries, so check their submission requirements.

Caroline Abbey is an Associate Editor at Bloomsbury Children’s Books. Caroline acquires and edits at all age levels with a focus on middle grade and YA fiction. Her current projects include Jen Nadol’s paranormal debut, The Mark, the zany middle grade adventure, Pickle Impossible, by Eli Stitz, and the middle grade mythology-inspired Pandora series by Carolyn Hennesy. Her recent acquisitions include The Kid Table, a contemporary YA novel about teenage cousins still sitting at the infamous kid table, by Andrea Seigel and Melissa Walker’s Small Town Sinners, a YA novel about a teen girl’s experience starring in a Hell House and questioning her own faith. Caroline was previously with Simon Pulse before joining the Bloomsbury team.

Jenne Abramowitz is an Editor at Scholastic Trade Paperback/Club Originals. Jenne Primarily works on commercial chapter books and middle grade series fiction, as well as a small selection of PB’s, easy readers, and nonfiction for the school market. She has worked with authors Natasha Wing, Seymour Simon, and True Kelley. Some of the upcoming books she edited include the My First Biography picture book series by Marion Dane Bauer, the chapter book Cornelia and the great Snake Escape by Pam Munoz Ryon, and Hiro’s Quest, a fast-paced ninja series by Tracey West. Jenne is most interested in clever, funny series fiction with unique premises and quirky characters, and is a sucker for a good mystery. She is probably not the right editor for historical or high concept novels, or anything too dark and edgy for the school market.

Kaylan Adair is an Associate Editor for Candlewick Press. Kaylan is the editor of the Golden Kite Award-winning novel Down Sand Mountain by Steve Watkins, as well as the humorous YA novel Swim the Fly by Don Calame and the picture books The Missing Chick, written and illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev, and And Then Comes Halloween, written by Tom Brenner and illustrated by Holly Meade. She is also the American editor of the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness, which includes The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer. While Kaylan works on all genres and age ranges, she is most interested in adding middle-grade and YA novels to her list. She is looking for fresh, compelling stories and powerful new voices.

Eve Adler is an Associate Editor at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. Eve works on a variety of formats from baby to YA, and is looking for manuscripts for all ages: PBs, MG novels, and YA. She has worked with award-winning authors and illustrators such as Kimberly Willis Holt, Elise Broach, and Janet Tashjian. She enjoys manuscripts with a fresh voice and exceptional writing; for MG and YA projects, she likes historical, contemporary, edgy, coming-of-age, and humorous stories, and for PBs, she’s most interested in texts that have curriculum tie-in or educational hook.
Heather Alexander is an Editorial Assistant for Dial Books for Young Readers. Heather is interested in acquiring books for all age ranges, from PBs to YA, especially character driven stories with a unique voice or hook. She loves raucous PBs (especially ones written in prose and that are without an obvious lesson), funny, unique MG, and smart contemplative YA. She is not mad for high fantasy, but can get down with contemporary or urban fantasy and almost anything post-apocalyptic with a literary bent. She is not necessarily the go-to gal for non-fiction or vampires. She co-edited the upcoming Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse by Rebecca Janni. Recently, Heather has been working on a hilarious PB of etiquette, and co-editing a NG novel for boys, doing research for the just-published The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and assisting on countless other titles.

Kate Angelella is an Assistant Editor for Aladdin/Simon and Schuster. Kate works primarily MG and tween fiction. She has edited the Canterwood Crest series by Jessica Burkhart, Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma, The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon and the upcoming Magic Repair Shop books by Amanda Marrone. Kate is particularly interested in commercial, high concept MG and tween fiction. She loves sassy, chick-lit-y tween novels; paranormal or magical realism; and novels with strong, angsty female protagonists. Generally speaking, Kate is not a great match for picture books.

Jennifer Arena is and Executive Editor for Random House Children’s Books. Jennifer is the line manager of the Stepping Stones series of early chapter books, which include the Junie B. Jones and Magic Tree House Series. She is looking specifically for early chapter books with strong plots and interesting characters of around 8,000 to 11,000 words, both stand-alones titles and series, as well as easy-to-reads. Recent titles she has edited for the Stepping Stones series include Marion Dane Bauer’s The Green Ghost, Ilene Cooper’s Look at Lucy, and Lynne Jonell’s upcoming Hamster Magic.

More tomorrow…

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Hello August

14. August 2009 by colleen.

I’ve been working hard, and I’m afraid I’ve ignored you–my little blog.Received an acceptance letter to the Rutgers One on One Mentoring Conference. Yay. It takes place in October. I’ll be sure to post a slew of info afterwards. Read this interesting interview. Take a peek.

DEAD GIRL WALKING: 20 YEARS TO PUBLICATION

By Linda Joy Singleton (in celebration of the release of DEAD GIRL IN LOVE)

 

Would you stick with a book if you knew it would take 20 years from idea to publication?  In 1988 I wrote TURN LEFT AT THE MILKY WAY. Every few years I would rewrite and submit again. In 2007, I changed the title to DEAD GIRL WALKING. Here are author-editor emails that followed:

 

June 22, 2007 (8:30AM): Emailing my Flux editor, Andrew Karre, on another project, I added:

 

I also recently reworked my YA suicide/switched body story, DEAD GIRL WALKING, if you wanted to look at it.

 

June 22, 2007 (10:30AM): From my editor:

 If you d like to send DEAD GIRL WALKING (email, please), I d have a look, of course.

 

July 3, 2007 (2PM): From my editor:

Are you going to around on Thursday or Friday? If you are, I’d like to chat with you about this project. Let me know when you’ll have some time.

 

July 3, 2007 (3:07PM) To my editor:

 I’d love to talk with you on Thursday.

 

July 5, 2007 (1:47PM) From my editor:

 It was good to talk, as always. I’m attaching my markup of the ms (notes in the right margin), but it’s mostly what I said on the phone. I m excited to see how this develops. I m sure you’ll surprise me.

 

July 5, 2007: (2:03PM) To my editor:

 I’ve been thinking it over and see the arc of at least 3 books, following her as she tries to go back to her own body. I’ll work on it more and send you a basic description of the three books.

I’m playing with titles and have these ideas so far:

DEAD GIRL DANCING and DEAD GIRL IN LOVE

I think the DANCING one could stem from her desire to be an entertainment agent. I’m seeing Amber as someone who can’t figure out who she is and envies others, wishing she could have their life because it seems easier or more glamorous. Getting lost, finding herself…themes I’m working on. 

 

July 9, 2007 (10:47AM): To my editor:

 I expect to send you revised chapters and a new synopsis later this week. I am very excited about your idea of a possible short DEAD GIRL series.

 

July 11, 2007 (10:40AM) From my editor:

I read your new draft, and I think it is much improved. This is much closer to what I was picturing, and I feel like you’ve started out on the right foot with your protagonist. I like this Amber a lot more, and I want to know what happens to her. Of course, I have comments and I’ll pass them along in a bit, but in the main this is what I was hoping you d do. Bravo!

 

July 11, 2007 (11:05AM): To my editor:

I’ll start plotting the additional books and get this to you within a few days. By the way, I love your ideas about other people being like Amber–very cool! My brain wheels are churning.

 

July 16, 2007 (3:38PM) From my editor:

I will be pitching the series to the committee on Thursday, so expect to hear from me on Thursday or more likely Friday.

 

July 16, 2007 (4:00PM) To my editor:

Great! Thursday I’ll be home but Friday I’ll be camping.

 

Thursday, July 19, 2007: From Linda Joy Singleton’s journal:

At 9AM the phone rang. Editor Andrew…

I sucked in deep breaths and kind of stammered something like “Hi…gasp.” He chuckled and said he had good news. Then he offered me a 3-book contract with DEAD GIRL WALKING; DEAD GIRL DANCING and DEAD GIRL IN LOVE. YAY!!!!!

 

DEAD GIRL IN LOVE is now available — completing the trilogy about love, loss, best friends and body-swapping.

Cool, huh! Coll 

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friday news

31. July 2009 by colleen.

Literary agency news:

Chris Richman, along with Danielle Chiotti have left Firebrand and joined Upstart Crow Literary founded by Michael Sterns

Helpful research links:

http://www.archetypewriting.com/index.html    (this site will help you with understanding psychology. Deals with disorders, therapy techniques, jargon, and info about therapy sessions)

http://www.hodrw.com/cop2.htm   (this site discusses police body language and behavior.
How the police enter a building, how they approach a possible criminal, etc)

That all for today.

Coll

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writing Challenge Tuesday

30. July 2009 by colleen.

I finished the first two chapters of my book, and sent them to my agent. I’m sure I’ll need to revise. Just waiting for the notes. Worked a bit on my YA paranormal. I need to pay more attention to my scenes, and make sure they have a beginning, middle, and end.                                                                                                                                                                                In other news, instead of curling up on the end of the couch and typing on my laptop, I’m buying myself a desk today. Hopefully, sitting in a good chair at a desk will help my back stay healthy (had a very bad back problem that resulted in an operation a few years ago).I’ll post a picture of my new “office” once I have it all set up.                                                                                                                                                                                                     Coll

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Wednesday: Interview with author Aimee Friedman

29. July 2009 by colleen.

SEA CHANGE by Aimee Friedman

                                          

16-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science…and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she’s happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother’s estate.

There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can’t make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship…and reality.

Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined?

 

How long have you been writing?

Ever since I COULD write! Seriously. I have very vivid memories of writing my first stories around the ages of 5 and 6, and feeling even then that this was something that gave me a lot of joy and fulfillment. I basically haven’t stopped since.

Do you have formal writing training?

I took several creative writing classes in college, which were really helpful and challenging–it was in those classes that I began to see writing as a craft, as hard, painstaking work–more than just a hobby. I think it’s good for writers to take at least one writing class, but it’s certainly not necessary. I still believe that the best writing is the kind that isn’t over-thought or over-structured.

What was your agent search like?

I actually don’t have an agent! I’m one of those rare exceptions, but that’s only because I work in publishing, and got my start as an author that way. I’m actually in the process of signing with an agent right now, and the best advice I can give to new authors on this is to go with someone you have a good gut feeling about, someone whom you trust and sense will be as invested in your creativity and career as you are!

Was there a particular incident that inspired you to write SEA CHANGE?

I’ve always loved mermaid stories–from the classic Andersen fairy tale to the movie “Splash.”  I got the idea for Sea Change while I was riding a ferry to Governor’s Island, a small island off the tip of Manhattan. I was looking down into the foamy water, thinking about all the ocean mythologies, and I wondered about reversing the traditional gender roles: what if the girl was the human, and the boy the sea-creature? From that Sea Change was born.

Did Sea Change go through many revisions? Outline? Yes or no?

I usually outline all my books, and Sea Change had a rough outline, but overall, its beginning and ending went through the most changes. Originally, I had the story open in New York City, with Miranda hearing the news of her grandmother’s death, but my editor very wisely suggested I start the story with Miranda en route to Selkie Island. And the ending I’d had planned originally was less ambiguous than the current ending, but the current ending felt more right to me as I was in the midst of writing.

Were you always interested in legend and lore?

Yes! I grew up with my mother telling me fairy tales every night before bed–not just your standard Disney fare, but elaborate Russian and Hungarian folk stories (my parents are both from Eastern Europe). I love learning about the legends and lore of specific places (such as the islands off the coast of Georgia, where I decided to set Sea Change)–it’s a rich, juicy, fascinating way of learning history.

I read that you were selected to go to a high school that specialized in science. It reminds me of your protagonist Miranda. Is there a lot of “you” in Miranda?

Yes, like Miranda, I went to Bronx Science for high school, but unlike Miranda, I was never an aspiring scientist, and I always preferred English and History to Math and Physics. In some ways, Miranda represents the way I often wish I could be: level-headed and rational. I tend to be much more of a drama queen than Miranda…in terms of characters, I’m much more like the character of Katie in my novel, THE YEAR MY SISTER GOT LUCKY, which came out last year!

The imagery used to describe Selkie Island seems so authentic. Did you often vacation at the beach as a child? Did you visit an island similiar to Selkie as part of your research?

I love the beach–must have to do with my being a Cancer. To do research for Sea Change, I took a wonderful trip out to Tybee Island, which is right near Savannah, and spent a lot of time soaking up the beach and the local flavor.

Do you feel mythical creatures are based on some sort of reality? Could they still exist? ie. Loch Ness, Bigfoot.

The tiny, tiny rational scientist voice in me says “no way.” But the much louder, writerly, what-if? voice in me says “I hope so!”

What can we look forward to reading next? Any new books coming out soon?

I’m currently working on a book for younger readers that’s a spooky story, which has been a lot of fun. I have a new YA novel in the planning stages, and a sequel to Sea Change in mind! Stay tuned!

 

For more information, visit Aimee at: www.aimeefriedmanbooks.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

       

 

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Thursday Industry News:

23. July 2009 by colleen.

Margaret Halton is returning to the agency side of the business after work on an interim basis as adult rights director for Pan Macmillan. She is joining Rogers, Coleridge and White part-time, providing maternity cover for Laurence Laluyaux, the Bookseller reports. Previously Halton was foreign rights director at ICM’s UK office.

 

Nancy Yost is leaving Lowenstein-Yost Associates Inc. to start up her own literary agency. She may be reached at nancy@nyliterary.com.

 

Literary agents Serafina Clarke and Brie Burkeman have combined their two companies to establish Brie Burkeman & Serafina Clarke Ltd., specializing in high quality commercial writing across all mediums.

 

Bleak House founder Benjamin Leroy and his colleague there Alison Janssen are leaving the crime and literary fiction publisher to start a new house, Tyrus Books. Leroy is the publisher, and Janssen is senior editor (and Donna Bagdasarian’s recent new literary management agency Publication Riot Group is handling rights.)

 

Ruth Katcher has joined Egmont USA as editor-at-large. Most recently she was an executive editor at Harper Children’s.

 

 

This is so sad:

 

Portland, OR-area bookseller Stephanie Griffin closed her store Twenty-third Avenue Books in January and then became homeless. “Startled neighbors discovered this in June” as “Griffin had started panhandling outside her old store,” Willamette Week writes. Neighbors have set up a relief fund:

 

Donations can be made to Stephanie Griffin Fund, c/o Glenda Magistrale, Consolidated Federal Credit Union, 2021 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland, OR 97232

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Whatever Wednesday…

23. July 2009 by colleen.

Spent the morning at the hospital with my son. More docs. More tests.

Utilized 2 hr wait to formulate questions for my blog’s first author interview!

Came home. Baked an Irish Pound Cake (why is Irish in the title? Might have something to do with the whiskey required for the recipe).

Industry news tomorrow.    

 Coll 

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Tuesday writing challenge…

21. July 2009 by colleen.

My writing challenge is to attempt to give my characters more depth. I tend to gloss over characterization, and go for the action. Now, after letting my novel sit for about a month, I plan to dive back in with this new objective. —–also, for my current book, I will be baking fifteen cakes this week. So far, four winners!

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Whatever Wednesday…

15. July 2009 by colleen.

My very first interview decribing me as a writer is here: http://www.querytracker.net/colleenk.php

Exciting!

Coll

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