Jan is Jan Fields, moderator of this interview with Kristy Dempsey, and Web Editor of the ICL Web Site. Green shows names or usernames of people and the questions they asked Kristy.

Jan: Welcome to SPECIAL GUEST CHAT: "Writing Outside the US" with Kristy Dempsey! Welcome to our Special Guest Chat. I know a lot of folks are excited about this chat because I get so many questions about how to be successful in children's writing if you're not in the US. So, welcome, Kristy -- this should be fun. I'm so glad you're here.

Kristy: Thanks so much for inviting me!

Jan: Now, can you tell our listeners a bit about your books...everyone loves to hear about books!

Kristy: Okay, let's see...I have a short picture book in rhyme called MINI-RACER that will be published by Bloomsbury. Then, short picture book in rhyme, ME WITH YOU, that will be published by Philomel. AND in sort of breaking news, I've just sold another short rhyming picture book called SURFER CHICK. It is in fact about a surfing chick.

Jan: I love that title...so are we talking about a cock-a-doodle-doo type chick?

Kristy: exactly

Jan: How wonderful, I bet the illustrator will have fun.

Kristy: It was one of those difficult books that gave me a fit. It took 11 drafts to finally reach a subbable manuscript. Mostly because the first draft started with a human main character. And it's not so smart to have a human child out in the water by herself... so once I changed it to a chicken and made a few more changes, it worked better. But then Harcourt wanted me to make it shorter. So I cut it from 630 words to 330 and they made an offer!

Jan: YEY! So what's the word count for each of your books?

Kristy: MINI-RACER has 176 words. ME WITH YOU has 304 words and SURFER CHICK has 330.

Jan: So, you're living proof of the short rhymers trend. Um...somehow that looks like a personal remark.

Kristy: You can sell rhyme. It just has to be tight and good...and I'm about 5 feet 8 inches tall, so not so short!

Jan: Definitely taller than me. Okay...the audience in eager to ask questions and we've got tons waiting from email. So I better start posting some before I get smacked for hogging the guest speaker. So, ready to type your fingers off?

Kristy: I'm ready!

Kristy: Hi, Raji. Yes, as a matter of fact, before I had an agent, I sent all my submissions to my mom via email and she sent them out for me. Just be sure to use enough postage for it to return overseas to you.

Kristy: Thank you! All website congrats go to my web designer, Martha Vaughan. (You can send her an email to inquire about her services by clicking on her name at the bottom of my site.) At this point, I do everything via the internet. But I do try to make contacts that will be productive when I am in the States and can do the occasional school visit. I will plan to do books signings as much as I can when there.

Jan: Forgive me if this is going to be a stupid question, but will your books be available in Brazil too?

Kristy: Well, so far none of the publishers have sold rights to Brazil. Since they're all pbs, the sale of those foreign rights is often dependent on finished illustrations too. But I am working on Portuguese translations to facilitate the process if needed!

Jan: So you're not likely to be doing a lot of school visits in Brazil?

Kristy: I really hope I will be able to. I have already done some school visits at my children's school. At one, I translated Katy Duffield's FARMER MCPEEPERS AND HIS MISSING MILK COWS into portuguese and read it to my son's preschool. They loved it!

Jan: Oh, that's great.

Kristy: Raji, most of the time I included both the Stateside address and my foreign address. I'm not sure this is completely appropriate for every publisher. But I still held onto the hope that I'd get "the phone call" and wanted to include my foreign phone number too. I think it would be good though to include both because if your foreign address is on the return envelope, you would also want it on the manuscript to keep it from getting lost.

Jan: Okay, so when you emailed stuff to your mom, she printed it out...and did the editor send the response to her or you? And then did she email you to let you know the response or actually mail it to you? Folks are wanting all the gory details.

Kristy: Okay...I emailed the manuscript to my mom, attached and already properly formatted. She would print it out (which included my name, her stateside address and my foreign address, as if I had two different addresses),she printed out the attached cover letter and printed up an envelope for the publisher to return everything to her address. We did use my foreign address a couple of times for the return envelope, but mail delivery here to brazil is notoriously slow. So in the end, we had most of them return to her. And she would let me know if I got a rejection or an acceptance letter from a magazine for instance. And of course, I made her scan them so I could agonize over every word! Did I leave anything out?

Jan: So, with magazines -- she sent the checks and contracts on to you?

Kristy: Exactly...usually she could scan the contracts and I could print and sign and send from here. But in cases when that wasn't possible, it is possible to send them through mail.

Jan: Nifty system...saves a lot on postage

Kristy: It cut down on the time I had to wait and on the worry of lost responses.

Jan: I know a number of our chatters (and transcript readers) are interested in magazine publication too. So can you tell me what magazines you've been in?

Kristy: Well, I have a poem in this month's LADYBUG MAGAZINE!

Jan: Hey, that's great -- I'll look for it.

Kristy: It's called "My Reflection" and the art is adorable.

Kristy: I've also had work accepted by Highlights for Children, Fun for Kidz, and Hopscotch for Girls. I think that's it!

Jan: Do they want you just to write about culturally specific things? Or do you have to "Americanize" it?

Kristy: Well, I think all magazine publishers would be interested in working with foreign authors. Of course, the language skills would have to be up to the high standard for children's lit, but the range of topics available to the foreign writer is vast. There's something a little more honest about a person who lives in the Andes Mountains writing about the Andes. They can give a up close perspective more so than someone who just researched the Andes Mountains. But I don't think there is a specific set of guidelines a magazine would have for a foreign writer. There might be issues with payment. But that would depend on the individual magazine. I know Highlights uses a lot of foreign writers and they have paid in foreign currency before.

Jan: Wow, I didn't know that -- how cool.

Kristy: (That's according to Chris Clark. I just asked her that very question today!)

Jan: Okay, I have another questioner that's very similar to what you just said.

Kristy: I think the most important thing is to write a good story that touches on universal experiences or emotions. That said, I do think you are in a unique situation, Maj-Brit, to convey a sense of place in your stories or to share interesting details in your non-fiction, that the average English reader wouldn't know.

Kristy: Google relentlessly. Keep track of new releases, google them to find excerpts; study author sites, study excerpts of their work; google editors' names with the word 'interview' to track down editor interviews. It is amazing how much information you can find out if you google. Word count of books, excerpts that give you a taste of the style of a certain book, and every time I'm near an English bookstore or in the States, I live at the library and the bookstore!

Kristy: I started in the USA, because English is my first language and I felt most comfortable trying to get published in the US market.

Kristy: You know, actually that is one of the reasons I got back into writing. I was learning Portuguese and realizing that some of the words I was learning were more descriptive and didn't have an English "equal". It made me interested in words and their use and I started writing poetry again. In general, I think it's easiest to write in your native language. You know the nuances and the rhythm of the language. But if you want to write in English, try writing what you can in English and when there is a word you like better in Spanish insert it. And then go back later and try to find the English word that fits. One problem is that translations from foreign languages to English can be too flowery if we're not careful. I would study as many books and magazines in English as I could if I wanted to publish in the English market. Not just to study the language but to see the format of the stories which is often different between countries. Portuguese books for children are A LOT wordier than English books. There are times when I even insert a Portuguese word in something I'm writing because it fits better I don't leave it there! I just use it to hold the place and later go back and find the English word that is closest in meaning.

Kristy: Buy postage from usps.org, have it sent to your foreign address and then write and request a sample magazine every so often and include a self addresses stamped envelope with enough postage for it to reach you. Most magazines will sell you sample issues or sometimes they'll send one just for a SASE.

Kristy: It would depend on the laws of the country you live in, but in general, since writing is such a global market, I would think that there would be ways to comply with the law and still sell in another country. You just need to keep good records and report everything appropriately to the country in which you pay taxes. Some publishers would require that you have what is called a ITIN. It's a number that the American Internal Revenue Service gives to non-residents of the States who don't hold green cards. I don't know all the details on this so I don't want to speak as an expert, but I am under the impression that for magazine sales, you would not generally need an ITIN number. A book publisher might require you to have one to ensure that you are reporting your earnings or your Tax exemption status as a foreign author appropriately.

Jan: I wonder if something like the ITIN might be the answer for the next question...

Kristy: Yes, Megan, I believe you want to check into the ITIN, especially if you file a federal tax return in the US as a resident. It is specifically for those that do not have green cards. When I looked up the answer to this question, it said you could walk into any IRS office and apply. But again, I don't think you have to have an ITIN for magazine sales, unless you sell a significant amount. But you would still be responsible to report those earnings. And please check for sure with the IRS. I am not an expert!

Kristy: Bears, I say try both places! I have two critique partners who live in Canada and both are published in the US. One is also published in Canada. To me, there is no advantage to being published one place first.

Jan: Ahhh...one of our chatters says it used to be that you needed an ITIN for any payment over $600 -- just an FYI. Okay...I KNOW you have a great resource to recommend to this next chatter!!

Kristy: Hi, Lauren! I haven't taken the ICL course though I know many excellent and successful writers who have. I am a member of two online critique groups and the first real world experience I had was at the 2005 Highlights Conference at Chautauqua, which I absolutely highly recommend. You can see the details at my Website - www.kristydempsey.com Look under "Interviews" and then click on "Kent Brown." Another resource that was really helpful to me is Anastasia Suen's book, PICTURE WRITING. It covers every genre and really shows you how to make your writing come alive... and there is no substitute for a good critique group. I would still be twiddling my writing fingers if it hadn't been for the two groups I'm in.

Jan: Kristy's site is fun -- if you haven't visited, put it on your things to do list. Oh, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE PICTURE WRITING by Anastasia Suen.

Kristy: Mish knows the Canadian markets because she is published there AND in the States!

Jan: I've been very impressed to see the new magazines coming out in the Canadian markets, considering how many magazines have been flagging a bit in the US. Though, some of them don't buy from anyone out of Canada.

Kristy: Hmm. Have you profiled any of the Canadian ones yet and kidmagwriters.com, Jan?

Jan: I'm doing Crow Toes Quarterly in June...It's a literary magazine for kids. The editor is very nice. And they take some darker stories, spooky and creepy, which can be hard to sell to magazines even though kids love that kind of stuff. They don't PAY, you understand...but like a lot of new magazines they are dreaming of a lucrative future and pay.

Kristy: Looking forward to reading about it!

Kristy: I think it's rare that you're allowed final say on the proofs unless you're the illustrator. But you can ask for it before you sign the contract. You just might not get it.

Jan: Hmmm...she might actually be asking about editorial changes in your text. And generally, you do any revision...whether you're in the US or not...except with some *ack* magazines.

Kristy: Ahh, that also would be something to have in the contract.

Kristy: I do think you would receive galleys to check over and ideally your editor would approve any changes with you, but if you're really worried about it, it should go in the contract.

Jan: Some magazines edit substantially without asking for input from the writer. Basically, some rewrite your stuff and put your name on it. While magazines like Highlights and Cricket, etc, tell you what they would like and at least give you the illusion of doing the changes or okaying them. I mean...really, most of us don't quibble much.

Kristy: Yes, at least they "okay" it in advance and give you the chance to offer a more desirable change, usually.

Jan: Right...and generally, most substantive changes in books are a back and forth deal with writer and editor, right? I mean even with the packaged book I wrote, they kept coming back to me about any changes.

Kristy: In general, I think that's the case. I do know of a couple of instances where a change was made and the author wasn't notified in time to put up a fuss...but I think that's the exception...It might get dicey if there's a tight deadline and last minute changes need to be made for whatever reason...that's when the editor might make a change without notifying the author, but hopefully not. :)

Jan: At any rate, I don't think how much input you get is influenced by where you live, but by what publisher you're dealing with...don't you think?

Kristy: I agree, Jan. Email is so fast these days. The world is smaller because of email and internet phones. It's possible for me to email or call my editors or for them to call me and go back and forth of the wording of a phrase for instance. Which wouldn't have taken place if it were snail mail.

Kristy: The advantages are definitely that my world view is greatly expanded. I think I have a more natural feel for the things about story that are Universal, the same from person to person no matter what their culture. The disadvantages would be the difficulty in doing market research and the difficulty in getting good recent books. Although, like I said, that disadvantage in market research is relative these days, because there's so much info available via the Web.

Jan: Do you ever have any problem with payment? You said Highlights sometimes pays in foreign currency but I assume that's kind of rare...is there ever a problem with cashing your check?

Kristy: Well, in my case, since I am American and I have parents in the States, I just have my mom cash the check for me and deposit into my account. It's nice that I can trust her! (Although she did call me and tell me she was going shopping the day my first book advance check came...) So for me there isn't a problem.

Jan: But if they mailed it to you...and you had to cash in Brazil, does that do anything wonky to you? I mean are there service fees for that kind of currency conversion? Do you know?

Kristy: Yes, it would be wonky. I wouldn't be able to cash it here. I know you can cash foreign checks in some countries but here you can't. So if it comes here, I just send it right back to my mom in the States for her to deposit in my account. That type of thing would be completely dependent on the country you live in and the exchange rate. You'd have to decide if it was easier for you to be paid in dollars in a check and if you'd be able to cash it.

Jan: So, the moral of the story is...everyone, send your mom to the US to handle your money.

Kristy: The bottom line there though is that I have a US checking account into which my mom can deposit my money and then it is accessible here via my checkcard. So my system works for me but might not for anyone else. the business offices of each magazine should be able to work with foreign authors though to come up with a good solution. Most of them do sell to foreign authors so it would seem that they have some experience dealing with the difficulties.

Jan: Do you know if your agent could do that...clearly that doesn't happen with you, but do you know if it's an option?

Kristy: I do think it's possible, mish. As a matter of fact, I tried to ask my agent this very question today but she is in Italy at the Bologna Book Fair. Again, there might be some fee for the agent to "wire" the money, or for the exchange to the foreign currency but in the end, depending on the amount of money, it could be the best option. I can check with her and ask.

Jan: We'll add it to the transcript as soon as you let me know. Since we've skidded into agents...can you tell us how you got a US agent?

Kristy: Okay, here goes the whole story... I mostly write picture books, so to me it seemed unlikely that I would find an agent until I finished a novel, but over the course of a couple of years, I became increasingly frustrated with feeling so far away from the US market with almost no opportunity to attend conferences and meet editors....no way to get an "in" at a closed house. So I researched four agents who had stellar reps and incredible clients. One of them had clients that were too similar to the way I write. I didn't end up subbing to him because I felt like he already had several of me on his list. Two of the others I knew via reputation only, I hadn't read much of their clients work but I had heard a little about their personalities and thought we might click. The remaining agent: I had met one of her authors and had read most of the books of her clients. I just felt like I connected with her clients' work the best. Also, the remaining agent repped a lot of illustrators so I felt like she had a good picture book sensibility. So I subbed to all three but was really hoping for at least a "connection" with the third. And in the end, the other two weren't looking for picture books writers. And the remaining agent I had hoped for all along loved my work and wasn't afraid to try to sell picture books. And she sold THREE pbs for me in the first 8 months after I signed with her! I think the key to finding a good agent is to read the work fo their clients. See what kind of work they connect with. See what type of writer is missing from their list... My agent does have other pb writers of course. So it wasn't that she needed a pb writer... she just didn't have anyone on her list that had pbs in quite the same style that I write.

Jan: It sounds like you did a lot of "research" to learn about agents before trying to get one...can you tell us some of the places you learned about the different agents clients, preferences, etc...what are some directions folks should go in to begin their own search for an agent?

Kristy: I learned a lot by reading the agent threads and good news threads at the forum at www.verlakay.com Again, I also googled relentlessly. Finding an interview with an agent is like finding gold...by the way, you can find a lot of agent interviews at www.almafullerton.com. Study the agent section in the market guides...the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market Guide published by Writer's Digest books. Scour over cached articles in Publisher's Weekly that are online...a lot of times there will be little gems of info that reveal what is attractive to an agent...study agency websites... I actually learned which agents I didn't want to submit to by doing research too. I would just not have clicked with some of the agents I ran across...their personality comes through...which is fine, because they probably wouldn't have clicked with me either!

Kristy: Well, I'm far from consistent. But I try to write daily for an hour. Sometimes if things aren't going well, I use that time for research. But even if I've written for an hour that day, I still write in fits and spurts throughout the day while I'm waiting to pick up the kids, etc. I always have a pen and a piece of paper with me or my laptop. As far as researching markets, etc: This is something else I do in fits and spurts. Even though I have an agent, I still do an awful lot of market research and publisher research. I can always influence and give my agent my opinion! Plus, I like to know what's out there. But if I'm not careful, it can replace my writing time. So I'd say my best advice is to strive to write for a certain amount of time a day, or for a certain amount of pages. Do it first thing in the morning... and then do the rest in spurts throughout the day.. But again, this is advice for myself too because I'm not the most consistent writer I know.

Kristy: Write UR, I think there is a lot of value in having a "community" that you feel like supports your goal. To me, that's the main benefit of SCBWI. I don't have a local chapter in my region, so I'm not going to benefit from the local meetings or conferences. But I am on an email list with the region that I am from in the States. They share info and market tips with me. One of the most beneficial aspects of SCBWI for a foreign writer can be the online forum where you can post and aske questions. That in itself might be worth it. But there are other places that is available too. I honestly don't know how much benefit a writer gets from putting SCBWI on the envelop when they sub...An editor or agent would be able to speak better to that value than I could.

Jan: Okay, that wraps us up for tonight...before I gush all over Kristy I want to mention that next week, May 3, we'll be having another Guest Chat with author/illustrator Brian Lies on the amazing promotion he did for his book BATS ON THE BEACH, -- a book that ended up 14 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list for children's books. So...for folks with books coming out...be sure to tune in -- same bat time -- same bat channel.

Kristy: Ooo, I'll be back for that! I'd love to hear about the promotion he did. And I love BATS ON THE BEACH

Jan: He'll have great stuff to share, he said he learned a LOT during that promotional drive. And you had great stuff to share tonight. Thank you so much. The audience is yelling thank you thank you...you just can't hear them.

Kristy: Oh, thanks so much for having me! It was a definite privilege.

Jan: I learned stuff tonight...people ask me about writing from outside the country a lot, and I know nothing...nothing. Now I know some things, some things.

Kristy: Well, it's definitely possible to publish in the US from outside the US...just takes a little internet and mail savvy. :) And a friend or two Stateside (or a mom) doesn't hurt.

Jan: Thank you, also, to everyone who came tonight!! This is less fun without an audience.

Kristy: Thank you everyone! Bye!