Career Achievers: Cynthia Leitich Smith on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children’s-YA Author

Career Achievers: Cynthia Leitich Smith on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children’s-YA Author

Shelley Ann Jackson, Chris Barton, Jennifer Ziegler, Cyn & P.J. Hoover

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Writers put so much emphasis on that first children’s-YA book sale, the debut launch—but maintaining an active publishing career is arguably a much bigger challenge than breaking into the business.

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Guest Post: Lindsey Lane on Marketing & Paperback Release of Evidence of Things Not Seen

Guest Post: Lindsey Lane on Marketing & Paperback Release of Evidence of Things Not Seen

By Lindsey Lane

What are you supposed to do when your debut novel releases in paperback?

a) Nothing

b) Heave a sigh of relief

c) Let everyone know

d) All of the above

Ahhh, the conundrums of marketing.

Guess what? There is no prescribed method for marketing our books.

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Author Interview: Cynthia Leitich Smith on Writing, Speculative Fiction, Community & Growing Into Herself

Author Interview: Cynthia Leitich Smith on Writing, Speculative Fiction, Community & Growing Into Herself

Wherein Belle and I discuss books and gender empowerment.

By Ambelin Kwaymullina

The fourth of a four-installment dialogue with Ambelin and Cynthia.  

Our focus is on the creative life and process,
speculative fiction, diversity, privilege, indigenous literature, and books for young readers.

Don’t miss Ambelin on Ethics,

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Writing Across Identity Elements: Why Kayla, Not Eartha & Other Stuff I Think About

Writing Across Identity Elements: Why Kayla, Not Eartha & Other Stuff I Think About

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

The third of a four-installment dialogue with Ambelin and Cynthia.

Our focus is on the creative life and process, speculative fiction, diversity, privilege, indigenous literature, and books for young readers.

Don’t miss Ambelin on Ethics, the Writing Process & Own Voices or an Interview with Ambelin on Justice,

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Scholastic Book Club to Offer Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Scholastic Book Club to Offer Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Excerpt

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Scholastic Book Club will soon be offering my debut tween novel, Rain Is Not My Indian Name, as a diversity selection through book clubs.

Rain Is Not My Indian Name (HarperCollins and Listening Library, 2001)(ages 10-up). Available as an unabridged audio download.

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Cynsations Readers Interview Cynthia Leitich Smith

Cynsations Readers Interview Cynthia Leitich Smith

By Cynsations Readers

Over the past couple of weeks, children’s-YA author Cynthia Leitich Smith put out a call for questions from readers on Cynsations and Twitter. Here are those she elected to tackle and her responses. A few questions were condensed for space and/or clarity.

See also a previous Cynsations reader-interview post from November 2010.

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Cynsations Call for Interviews, Guest Posts, Giveaways, Book Trailers & More

Cynsations Call for Interviews, Guest Posts, Giveaways, Book Trailers & More

2016 Holiday

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Happy New Year!

Cynsations will officially return from winter hiatus in late January.

In the meantime, consider this an invitation to query me about potential future interviews, guest posts, giveaways, book trailers, and more.

Cynsations was launched in 2004 and is considered one of the flagship blogs of the children’s-YA literature industry and community.

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Giveaway: Feral Pride Releases: All Tantalize-Feral Universe Novels Now Available

Giveaway: Feral Pride Releases: All Tantalize-Feral Universe Novels Now Available

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Today’s release of Feral Pride means all of my TantalizeFeral universe novels are available from Candlewick Press.

While all the books can stand alone, there’s likely best appreciated in concert.

This finale unites protagonists of the two series and brings back a number of other fan-fave characters.

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