| janfields |
April 25th, Night Forum
Begins in five minutes. This is an open forum so all writing
questions are good -- what do you need to know tonight. Ask in five
minutes.
|
| janfields |
April 25th, Night Open
Forum begins in two minutes. Come play stump the Jan with your
writing questions in two minutes.
|
| janfields |
Welcome to Night Open
Forum -- I'm Jan Fields, moderator and ICL web editor, hoping for
some good questions tonight. Is there anything you want to
know?
|
| pjhausman |
Ok. I actually have a
question tonight. What do you know about Moose Hide
Books?
|
| janfields |
I've never heard of
them...so, um, I dunno. They aren't one of the folks sending me
review copies. Is it a publisher you're interested
in?
|
| janfields |
Oh, it looks like they
produce plays.
|
| janfields |
They're at
http://www.moosehidebooks.com/
|
| janfields |
If they were a book
publisher, I would say I find the website
underwhelming
|
| janfields |
But play publishers are
often really tiny presses since they produce such small print
runs.
|
| pjhausman |
It's a small Canadian
publisher. Found 'em in Book Markets for Children's
Publishers.
|
| janfields |
It's probably because
they do plays for children's productions. I would have to spend some
time on the side
|
| janfields |
site
|
| janfields |
but it's clear they're
really small
|
| janfields |
Without seeing their
terms, I probably don't have much to offer.
|
| janfields |
Sometimes the tiny
presses are super, as long as you don't expect many sales (sales in
the low hundreds) and sometimes they can be a nightmare of
non-payment
|
| janfields |
and poor record
keeping
|
| janfields |
and dreadful
contracts.
|
| janfields |
Personally, I think
proceeding with caution at each step is good.
|
| janfields |
And understand, small
press AUTOMATICALLY and completely means small
sales
|
| janfields |
If you're good with
that, then there are other questions to ask to make sure you get the
best possible tiny press...but there is not overcoming the first
bit...with a micro press, you'll count your sales in the low
hundreds
|
| janfields |
Now, that I've visited
Moose Hide's site, I see they are expanding into regular books,
they're still kind of new at that -- so I would proceed carefully
and maybe not consider them a first choice.
|
| janfields |
I want to take a moment
to mention something else...the topic of "caution" reminded
me.
|
| janfields |
Harold Underdown has
created an amazing info source about getting an agent
safely.
|
| janfields |
You can find it on
http://www.underdown.org
|
| janfields |
It's the biggest
project he's added to the site in a long while and should be an
invaluable resource for writers looking for agents.
|
| janfields |
So do check it
out.
|
| coloradokate |
On various writers' email
lists, it seems everyone goes on forever about marketing your books
and branding and all that. Is it really that
important?
|
| janfields |
It's something that's
becoming increasingly essential in adult book
writing...
|
| janfields |
and since children's
books (and especially in YA) we get a real trickle down
effect
|
| janfields |
we should see it
becoming more and more important in kid lit.
|
| janfields |
If it's like all the
other trends
|
| janfields |
It'll become important
in YA first -- and it is.
|
| janfields |
It's still not 'vital'
but if you have "platform" it definitely helps.
|
| janfields |
I expect we'll see more
and more of YA authors making a real effort to be "present"
online
|
| janfields |
because teens are
spending huge amounts of time online.
|
| janfields |
So you see YA authors
doing things like John Green's YouTube Brotherhood stuff which had
to help his book sales A LOT
|
| janfields |
Even though that isn't
why he started it
|
| janfields |
but it's been a great
way for him to get a platform that teens are paying attention
to.
|
| janfields |
And blogs with a solid
teen approach like Maureen Johnson -- another great "platform"
because she's not addressig other writers as much as her actual
target audience.
|
| janfields |
Many of us still spend
most of our online time connecting with other
writers.
|
| janfields |
Platform is about
connecting with readers.
|
| janfields |
But it's not even begun
to trickle down to kidlit
|
| janfields |
unless you count the
abysmal celebrity picture book thing
|
| janfields |
But celebs and books
have always been around.
|
| coloradokate |
It seems that an awful
lot of unpublished ("pre-published?") writers have writing
websites... it strikes me as a little, I dunno, pretentious
sometimes. But maybe I'm naive.
|
| janfields |
Some folks just like to
talk about the process of their journey
|
| janfields |
And some are passing
along what they've learned.
|
| janfields |
But sometimes folks who
are "prepublished" aren't good...gatekeepers...of what they pass
along.
|
| janfields |
Not everytime but
sometimes
|
| janfields |
So they pass along
writing myths or truisms that just aren't accurate.
|
| janfields |
And it's not the best
way to get "platform" really.
|
| janfields |
The best way would be
to come up with a topic that your target audience is hungry to read
about
|
| janfields |
and make it the focus
of your blog.
|
| janfields |
So you're talking to
readers or buyers.
|
| janfields |
If you're a picture
book pre-published writer -- targeting teachers and parents is
ultimately more a way to build "platform" than writing to
writers.
|
| janfields |
But, of course, the
fellowship of writers is fun.
|
| janfields |
My blog doesn't
increase my platform a speck...but it's fun.
|
| janfields |
My "platform" sticks
out in the wrong direction :-)
|
| coloradokate |
I can't see
nine-year-olds reading blogs. But who knows?
|
| janfields |
And many nine year olds
don't get to buy their own books
|
| janfields |
so if you're writing
for younger kids -- I would really try to connect my blog to
something librarians are interested in
|
| janfields |
or
teachers
|
| janfields |
or
parents.
|
| janfields |
And you don't have to
be rigid about your topic, but that's the group that ultimately
you'll be marketing too
|
| janfields |
to
|
| janfields |
so it's nice if they
pre "like" you.
|
| janfields |
Okay let me close out
the transcript -- definitely a light night.
|
| janfields |
I hope everyone is
having spring in the air
|
| janfields |
And I'll see you
Tuesday afternoon for the next Open Forum
|
| janfields |
Thanks for sitting in
with
me.
|
