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  • Category: publishing

    • Seth Fishman on “How to Write YA”

      Posted at 2:34 pm by Laura, on February 28, 2014

      Young Adult author Seth Fishman (The Well’s End, a superbly eerie, dystopian fantasy novel with viruses and quarantines) whips up a fantastic article for writers diving into the YA division. In “How to Write YA,” featured in Publishers Weekly, Fisherman makes six solid points that make me simultaneously nod professionally and jump up and down like an enthusiastic fan of YA (and want to high-five him multiple times for publishing this and finally make people realize…well, read on).

      1. Confront your failures.
      2. Don’t write down. “‘Young Adult’ does not mean stupid. It doesn’t mean ignorant.” *internally screams with joy* 
      3. Be timeless when timeless is called for.
      4. Remember what you felt, not what you remember.
      5. Be confident.
      6. Have a teenager help you edit. (Yes, this, it’s so important, especially for dialogue or dramatic moments!)

       

      Just read it like any good YA reader should! Fishman nails it.

      Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: young adult, news, publishing
    • Advance Excitement at a Glance II

      Posted at 5:24 pm by Laura, on February 4, 2014

      arc posts

      This year, in an effort to blog more, to become more involved with the blogging community, and to keep up with the latest publications, I thought I’d create a monthly post about the ARCs I’ve received. These ARCs will be read and reviewed a month prior to the publishing date. The Advance Excitement at a Glance posts will feature one or two (or more, depending on what happens this year) books to look forward to, and it will motivate me to keep my to-read list on track.

      Last month I read Tyringham Park (review to come soon) and The Daring Ladies of Lowell (currently reading).

      Panic_HC_JKT_des4.inddPanic by Lauren Oliver
      (HarperCollins, March 4)

      Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it.

      Panic, a game played by seniors, started in the small town of Carp, where there’s nothing to do and nowhere to go. Heather is surprised she’ll be participating in it, and is even more stunned to find that she has something to fight for. Dodge thinks his secret will make him win, but he soon discovers everyone has a reason to compete to the end. Panic forges new alliances and unexpected journeys, and these two are about to realize they’ll need to face their fears in order to strengthen their resolve.

      I’ll be honest, I genuinely don’t know what this is about. It looks and sounds like a dystopia, but it also sounds like my high school senior game, Assassin. Except those were with water guns and even the police force got involved. This sounds like…Hunger Games meets the Maze from Harry Potter meets psychological drama meets a whole bunch of other things. What I do know is that I love Oliver’s writing, and I’m looking forward to what’s in store for this book.

       

      17987214Savage Girl by Jean Zimmerman
      (Viking Adult, March 6)

      Bronwyn hits the highly mannered world of Edith Wharton-era Manhattan like a bomb. A series of suitors, both young and old, find her irresistible, but the willful girl’s illicit lovers begin to turn up murdered.

      Rough, intelligent eighteen-year-old Bronwyn is plucked from Nevada and adopted by the Delegates, a wealthy Manhattan couple, in 1875. They train her in the art of civilization: etiquette, manners, accomplishments. As she’s introduced to society, men fall head over heels for her — but somehow, they all end up murdered. Told from Hugo Delegate’s perspective, the wealthy son, locked in a prison cell and fully prepared to defend Bronwyn.

      A big thank you to Goodreads and Viking for providing this book for a First Reads ARC review! My first thought upon reading the summary: Wuthering Heights Catherine meets Edith Wharton. I can’t even begin to explain how excited I am to read this. It sounds thrilling, romantic, haunting, and mysterious. I’m getting chills.

      What ARCs are you reading? What books are you looking forward to in March?

      Posted in Advance Excitement, books, publishing | 7 Comments | Tagged advance excitement at a glance, advance reading copy, ARC, books
    • ALA Midwinter’s Youth Media Awards

      Posted at 3:27 pm by Laura, on January 27, 2014

      Little publishing nerd and bookworm freaked out this morning when the ALAYMA awards — Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, and several others — were announced. I did my best to tone down the fangirl when I posted the information over on my graduate program’s publishing blog, so if you want to see just the facts, hop over there. If you’re in for the fangirling, read on.

      HOLLY BLACK. YES.

      RAINBOW ROWELL. OMGOMGOMG YES.

      KATE DICAMILLO. AGAIN. YES.

      LOOK AT ALL THE PRETTY CALDECOTTS!

      HOW MANY MORE BOOKS MUST I ADD TO MY TO-READ LIST?!

       

      Posted in Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged ALA Midwinter, awards, books, personal, publishing, Youth Media Awards
    • Latest Penguin Random House Merger

      Posted at 4:52 pm by Laura, on January 15, 2014

      Last summer, Penguin and Random House merged their companies and gave themselves a generic name (why not Random Penguin? Or Penguin House? Where’s the sense of humor? Kidding. Kind of). In an announcement made this morning, the UK Penguin and Random House publishers decide to merge their children’s divisions into one entity.

      “We passionately believe in children’s publishing and plan to invest significantly in this area over the next few years. We are determined to capture the readers of tomorrow. We believe that having one really brilliant and dynamic children’s division will allow us to compete even more effectively on behalf of all our authors, illustrators and licensing partners for the attention of young readers in an environment which now offers them an unlimited choice of entertainment and information.”

      For more information, head over to Book2Book.

      When do you think this will happen to the US division (if it happens)?

      Posted in Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged news, publishing
    • Advance Excitement at a Glance I

      Posted at 11:30 am by Laura, on January 12, 2014

      arc postsThis year, in an effort to blog more, to become more involved with the blogging community, and to keep up with the latest publications, I thought I’d create a monthly post about the ARCs I’ve received. These ARCs will be read and reviewed a month prior to the publishing date. The Advance Excitement at a Glance posts will feature one or two (or more, depending on what happens this year) books to look forward to, and it will motivate me to keep my to-read list on track.

      17801422Tyringham Park by Rosemary McLoughlin
      (Atria Books, February 25)

      Tyringham Park is the Blackshaws’ magnificent country house in the south of Ireland. It is a haven of wealth and privilege until its peace is shattered by a devastating event which reveals the chaos of jealousy and deceit beneath its surface.

      Charlotte is eight years old when her younger sister Victoria vanishes. She grieves alone, without the support of her harsh mother and terrible nanny. Instead, she finds some solitude with the servants as she grows, learning to cope with being the “lesser loved” daughter and attempting to move on with life. But the mystery of Victoria’s disappearance continues to haunt Tyringham Park.

      I should preface with the disclaimer that although I’m a Downton Abbey fan I typically do not read books with blurbs stating it’s perfect for DA fans. The Edwardian period and the whole upstairs/downstairs concept does not appeal to my bookish side. But this book screams perfection for Kate Morton fans. It even seems to have a hint of The Thirteenth Tale going on. For these reasons, I’m anxious to begin and see how Charlotte fares!

      17974995The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott
      (Doubleday, February 25)

      The warm-hearted and enthralling saga of a bold young woman caught between two worlds — the vibrant camaraderie of factory life and the opulence that a budding romance with the mill owner’s son affords — as the murder of her best friend sends shock waves throughout the town.

      Alice Barrow joins legions of young women seeking independence and worth by becoming a Mill Girl, working in a fabrics factory. But the working conditions are extremely poor and Alice finds herself an emissary for these women. The mill owner, Fiske, invites her to his home to discuss her case — and it is there she meets his eldest son Samuel Fiske. As the romance blossoms, Alice’s best friend is strangled in a field, creating a rift between the lovers and their respective classes.

      I enjoyed Alcott’s The Dressmaker, and am excited that she’s publishing another class divide romance with factories and fashion in the background. Her writing style is engaging, and I fully expect to enjoy this one too.

      What ARCs are you reading? What books are you looking forward to in February?

      Posted in Advance Excitement, books, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged advance excitement at a glance, advance reading copy, ARC, books
    • End of Year Publishing Thoughts

      Posted at 7:05 pm by Laura, on December 7, 2013

      Now the school year has come to a close, I’ve been able to catch up on articles I found and thought I’d share some of the most recent ones with you.

      Why are Middle Grade books so successful? Author R.J. Palacio, the one who wrote the hit Wonder, found that even though she meant for her book to be for young readers, adults latched onto it anyway. The theory a “good book is a good book” rings true for many middle grade (and young adult, for that matter) novels. And what has contributed to the success of middle grade novels? Adult readers — particularly of the Harry Potter fan variety.

      Speaking of Harry Potter, author J.K. Rowling is one of the first to be named Britain’s “Literacy Hero.”

      The campaign was set up by the National Literacy Trust in order to find those who are looked up to because of how much they have helped others or progressed themselves with reading and writing skills, whether famous or not.

      Book Marketing Predictions for 2014 — Sansevieri begins her predictions with observations from this year:

      So, what’s the biggest change I’ve seen in 2013? Well, pretty much all things traditional flew out the window. Reviews are still important, but reader reviews took precedence over that. Engagement is still key, but direct reader engagement is even more crucial. What does this mean for you in 2014?

      She goes on to predict that more books will be published faster (YA market has this down, with a book a year per series, little novellas from other characters, etc. Keep pushing content out, and sales increase), shorter will become popular (in that, instead of having a couple tomes every few years, authors will sell one large tome and several little books/novellas to keep people entertained), focused writing on specific topics will be desired (to fit the “I want to know everything right now in one sitting” instant gratification that seems to be happening these days), authors will need to be everywhere to interact with their readers (because readers are becoming more and more important), there will be a higher demand for presence on social media (a publisher or author may not be on every site, but whichever one they’re on they need to keep it up to date), and many more.

      I’ve gotta say…I agree with her predictions! I predict they will come true. I’d also add that the YA market has a good handle on this, and the YA authors are already way ahead of the game.

      Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged authors, books, genre: middle grade, marketing, news, publishing, reading
    • Book Covers: A Book Hoarder Confession

      Posted at 10:45 am by Laura, on October 17, 2013

      Because this blog is half-hiatus at the moment (all books read are for a children’s literature class, and I’m not reviewing them; any other books read for fun are ARCs that will be posted at the appropriate time), I decided to have a post slightly off from my usual to fill in the quiet.

      Many of my bookish friends either buy books because they love them, constantly use their library cards because they can’t get enough of them, download ebooks because they don’t have space, or just simply love reading. I have yet to meet another book hoarder in person.

      My idea of a book hoarder is someone who collects a specific book or specific kind of book, and can’t seem to stop themselves. For me, that’s just about every appealing edition of Pride & Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. I’m also slowly but surely collecting as many of the Harry Potter books as I can, and I’ve recently jumped into collecting Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy.

      Ukcovers

      This week I received Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Days of Blood and Starlight. I’m really looking forward to collecting the final Laini Taylor novel, Dreams of Gods and Monsters, in the UK and US covers (but mostly the UK cover). There’s just something about the UK design teams that appeal to me.

      What books do you like to collect and why? Have you noticed a trend in your collections — publisher, height, cover design, color?

      Posted in books, publishing, Update Post | 6 Comments | Tagged book hoarding, books, covers, design, personal
    • Penguin & Random House: Merge Complete

      Posted at 8:28 am by Laura, on July 1, 2013

      The new partnership Penguin Random House is complete as of today! Check out the new company’s website, Penguin Random House, and see the news bulletin from Publishers Weekly here.

      Posted in Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged news, publishing
    • Scholastic Reveals 3rd Potter Cover!

      Posted at 8:02 pm by Laura, on June 28, 2013

      Don’t mind me, I’ll just be hyperventilating in a bag for my favorite cover thus far for my favorite book of the series!

      Scholastic reveals the 3rd Harry Potter 15th Anniversary Edition cover!

      prisoner-of-azkaban-cover-630

       

      Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged art, authors, books, publishing
    • Hachette Acquires Hyperion Adult Imprint

      Posted at 12:04 pm by Laura, on June 28, 2013

      Hachette Book Group Acquires the Hyperion Adult Imprint — Publishers Weekly — Jim Milliot

      Disney is selling the majority of Hyperion titles to Hachette Book Group in a deal that is expected to close in mid-July. HBG will acquire more than 1,000 adult backlist titles plus another 25 books that it will release over the next few seasons. Disney will retain the most media-related titles such as its Castle series which ties into the ABC television show of the same name.

      Some Hyperion employees will be transferred to HBG or they will be opened to other positions at Disney. Disney felt the adult imprint did not fit with the company’s long-range plans, so this is not a matter of publishing demise but publishing goals and direction.

      Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged news, publishing
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    • Hello, I’m Laura!

      I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to knit, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm obsessed with popcorn. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!
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