Book update for Two Constant Readers
02/22/09 11:22
Hi, Mom. Hi, Aunt Jo. This blog entry is for you.
I’m gearing up for publicity stuff for THE SKY ALWAYS HEARS ME--first conference call with my publicist and the publicity manager is this Thursday. It’s slightly nerve-wracking, because getting a book published is a looooong process (14-15 months or so), so I’ve sort of forgotten this stuff is coming up. But this baby is launching soon (though not in its final form). And publicity stuff happens before its official release, so it’s time.
Gulp.
But it’s fun to think about it again--what are the features of this book that we can emphasize to help it sell? The fact that it’s set in NE could be a plus or minus. Not many books are set in the Big Empty (at least not YA novels), so people may want to look in and see what it’s like. Or people will skip it because they think it’s boring. Who knows?? But it’s one aspect to sell. The lesbian/bisexual line is also a potential selling feature, as is Morgan’s irreverence. Then again, she’s just a bullshitting teenage girl, no different than any other one. What teenage girl *isn’t* irreverent, in one way or another? She’s just more overt about it.
Other book--out with my current editor. I’d love to work with him again, but there’s no track record for me yet, so he’s still gambling by buying it. Fair enough. I should know mid-March about that. If he doesn’t take it, it’s more edits with Agent Extraordinare Amy and off to more houses. This is a tough time to sell books--holy cats, is it--because the publishing industry is as stressed as every other one. But YA hasn’t shown a whole lot of evidence of slowing down, so I’m hopeful. Someone will love John Burrows and Gabe as much as I do.
Other than that, the writing life is rather scarce these days, because school is intense. Did I tell you I’m writing a book chapter? The book is a scholarly text on myth and identity, and the chapter’s about Harry Potter and how the colors red & green work in the story. I’ve got to get it done by May 15th, which is way closer than I think it is. I’ve also got a grown-up version (a short story) of the John/Gabe story going to a local literary journal this week. The switch into a grown-up voice was a challenge, but a good one. I’d feel very accomplished if I made it in---it would feel almost more accomplished than selling THE SKY ALWAYS HEARS ME. But what kind of whacked-out concept is that? That thought demonstrates I’ve internalized the social bias against children’s books. We who write them are “lesser” than grown-up writers. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Enough outta me. Homework is calling, laundry is calling, Mr. Peanut is calling, life is calling.
I love you guys. Thanks for reading. It’s nice to know I’m not yawping into nothingness.
Kirstin
I’m gearing up for publicity stuff for THE SKY ALWAYS HEARS ME--first conference call with my publicist and the publicity manager is this Thursday. It’s slightly nerve-wracking, because getting a book published is a looooong process (14-15 months or so), so I’ve sort of forgotten this stuff is coming up. But this baby is launching soon (though not in its final form). And publicity stuff happens before its official release, so it’s time.
Gulp.
But it’s fun to think about it again--what are the features of this book that we can emphasize to help it sell? The fact that it’s set in NE could be a plus or minus. Not many books are set in the Big Empty (at least not YA novels), so people may want to look in and see what it’s like. Or people will skip it because they think it’s boring. Who knows?? But it’s one aspect to sell. The lesbian/bisexual line is also a potential selling feature, as is Morgan’s irreverence. Then again, she’s just a bullshitting teenage girl, no different than any other one. What teenage girl *isn’t* irreverent, in one way or another? She’s just more overt about it.
Other book--out with my current editor. I’d love to work with him again, but there’s no track record for me yet, so he’s still gambling by buying it. Fair enough. I should know mid-March about that. If he doesn’t take it, it’s more edits with Agent Extraordinare Amy and off to more houses. This is a tough time to sell books--holy cats, is it--because the publishing industry is as stressed as every other one. But YA hasn’t shown a whole lot of evidence of slowing down, so I’m hopeful. Someone will love John Burrows and Gabe as much as I do.
Other than that, the writing life is rather scarce these days, because school is intense. Did I tell you I’m writing a book chapter? The book is a scholarly text on myth and identity, and the chapter’s about Harry Potter and how the colors red & green work in the story. I’ve got to get it done by May 15th, which is way closer than I think it is. I’ve also got a grown-up version (a short story) of the John/Gabe story going to a local literary journal this week. The switch into a grown-up voice was a challenge, but a good one. I’d feel very accomplished if I made it in---it would feel almost more accomplished than selling THE SKY ALWAYS HEARS ME. But what kind of whacked-out concept is that? That thought demonstrates I’ve internalized the social bias against children’s books. We who write them are “lesser” than grown-up writers. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Enough outta me. Homework is calling, laundry is calling, Mr. Peanut is calling, life is calling.
I love you guys. Thanks for reading. It’s nice to know I’m not yawping into nothingness.
Kirstin