On Agents Selling a First Novel Manuscript by Jennifer Laughran from Ask the Agent. Peek: “The people who tend to get lots of sales are the people who are flexible, who stay positive, who are always coming up with more material, and who are happy to revise/reimagine/put something away for a while.”
Author Samantha Mabry on her Debut Novel, a Student’s Shrug, and Straddling Two Cultures from Latin@s in Kidlit. Peek: “I want there to be something deep in that shrug because I am critical by nature and like for things like shrugs to mean something, to be symbolic, to say something about what it means to be a Mexican-American young woman living in Texas right this minute.”
Inside Look at the Illustrator-Publisher Collaboration from The World of Peachtree Publishers. Peek: “…although the editor typically gets the search for an illustrator underway, the author and production team often propose other illustrators for consideration; after much discussion, the team chooses two or three top candidates, who might be someone whose specialty lines up with the story, someone with experience of the book’s subject matter, or someone who has just the right sense of humor.”
To TK or Not to TK? by Tracy Hahn-Burkett from Writer Unboxed. Peek: “Almost every word from this point on will be new material. There will probably be TKs on every page, because I’ll be doing the research concurrent with the writing.” See also The Importance of Research by K. Imani Tennyson from Rich In Color.
“I Just Don’t Identify with the Character” by Delacorte Editor Kate Sullivan from CBC Diversity. Peek: “I believe that ‘I didn’t connect to the character/voice’ is unacceptable when it comes to diverse perspectives. If most editors are white and straight and middle or upper class, of course they won’t ‘identify’ or ‘connect’ with a diverse perspective.”
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| Christopher Award Book |
Walter Grant Submission Guidelines from We Need Diverse Books. Peek: “There will be five winners of the Walter Grant, and the grant amount will be $2000 each.”
Invisible Minority: Serving LGBTQIA Kids and Families from ALSC Blog. Peek: “The most important step a library can take to create a safe space for LGBTQIA patrons is to train staff to be LGBTQIA allies and hold staff accountable.”
The Christopher Awards: “created in 1949 to celebrate writers, producers, directors, authors and illustrators whose work ‘affirms the highest values of the human spirit.'” Note: Congrats to Allison McGhee and Don Tate! See also Meg Wiviott on Telling the Toughest Stories from Cynsations.
Diversity 102: Five Things to Consider When Putting Together a Diversity Panel by Hannah Ehrlich from Lee & Low. Peek: “In order for real change to occur, people must leave panels inspired to take action.”
Pro Tips for Science Fiction/Fantasy Writers Interested in “Native” Themes from Daniel Heath Justice. Peek: “A few suggestions for more responsible representations of Indigenous peoples in speculative fiction….”
This Week at Cynsations
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| Annie Won |
- Lori Mortensen on Hooking Readers
- Alan Cumyn on Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend
- Il Sung Na on The Opposite Zoo
- SCBWI Bologna Illustrator Interview: Dorothia Rohner
- SCBWI Bologna Illustrator Interview: Annie Won
More Personally
Howdy, readers! It’s been a while since I answered your questions. Feel free to ask them in the comments or by emailing me directly.
Congratulations to Lee Bennett Hopkins on receiving the Regina Medal Award! Peek: “…established in 1959 and sponsored by the Catholic Library Association, is administered by the Children’s Library Services Section through the Regina Medal Committee at the will of the Catholic Library Association Executive Board. The only criterion for the award is that of excellence.”
Sale! Things I’ll Never Say: Stories of Our Secret Selves, edited by Ann Angel (Candlewick) is available on E-Volt for readers in the U.S. and Canada for $2.99 for the month of April. Note: the anthology includes my short story, “Cupid’s Beaux,” set in the Tantalize-Feral ‘verse.
Link of the Week: Happy 100th Birthday, Beverly Cleary!
Personal Links
Do You Live In A Bubble?
Why Poor Families Pay More for Everyday Items
Science Says: Complaining Is Terrible for You
PTSD in YA Lit
Write Toward Your Unspecified Anxieties
Ethics in Nonfiction for Kids
Picture Books Featuring Modern Native American Families
NAJA Calls for Ethical, Informed AICWA Reporting
Why Photojournalism Still Matters to Newspapers (and Vise Versa)
Girls, Sex & the Importance of Talking to Young Women
Video: Michelle and Barack Obama Read Where The Wild Things Are