Don’t Give Up – Not Now!

I met up with a friend yesterday who is writing for children. Her book is fantastic but she’s had a few rejections – perfectly normal state of affairs, even for fab books.

She’s been chipping away, trying to get published for eighteen months now. She’s been doing all the right things – going to Children’s Books Ireland talks on getting published, keeping her eye out for new children’s publishers and agents and submitting her book to them (jeepers, some of them take so long to get back to people – and some don’t even acknowledge that they have received a manuscript which is so tough on writers), reading award winning children’s books, writing new books . . .
but she’s starting to get disillusioned.

‘I feel like giving up, Sarah,’ she said. ‘Is there any point in going on?’

‘Don’t give up,’ I told her. ‘You’re nearly there. Do you have any idea how many people drop out of writing at this stage? You’re eighteen months ahead of those starting out, and if you keep going you’ll be even more ahead. You’re building up contacts, getting your name out there, finding out about the publishing business. Please, don’t give up, not now!’

She promised she’d keep going. And you know something, I have every confidence that she’ll get there. She has a lovely quirky writing voice, an equally lovely personality, a great sense of humour, and most importantly she’s willing to work hard. I have 100% faith in her.

I know how hard it can be to keep going when you have no idea if you’ll ever get published. So today I have some advice.

Here are the most useful things I can tell you writer to writer:

1/ Read – especially in the age group/area you are interested in writing for – read library/bookshop recommendations, award winners, bestsellers etc.
If you want to write crime, romance, thrillers – you must have good idea of the market and the conventions of the genre (before you smash the conventions apart if you want to!).

If you want to write for children – you must be aware of what modern children like – and what works in a children’s book. Also exactly what age you are writing for – the under 6s, early readers, confident readers, 8 to 10, 9 to 11, 11+, teen/YA. I have been asked to write more family stories/drama/romance for teens – so there must be a market for it. Publishers are also looking for good novels for girls of 8+. And adventure books with a twist are very strong at the moment – as is horror. Seek out Eoin Colfer, Darren Shan, Derek Landy, and Michael Scott.

2/ Write because you have something important to say – something you are passionate about – your book must have a message/say something to the reader
If you are writing for children – write remembering just how it felt to be 4 or 7 or 9 or 13.
Dig deep – use your memory – emotions don’t change – yes, kids now have bebo, facebook, mobiles – but they are just different ways of communicating – there has always been bullying, now it just comes in different forms.

3/ Connect with readers online – you must have a good blog or website – you can always write about books/bees/cookery if you don’t want to get personal.

4/ Take constructive criticism on your work – and not from your mother. You might find a librarian or teacher who will read your work – take on board what they say.
When you are a published writer, editors have strong opinions (and may not always like everything about your book) – get used to taking advice and rewriting early in your writing career!

5/ Write from the heart – put lots of emotion on the page – don’t be afraid of strong emotion – and use your own emotions to write – if a sad scene – dig deep to a time you felt sad (think of it like acting on the page).

6/ Be optimistic and have a strong constitution – don’t get knocked back by the rejections – there will be many nos along the line – approach every writing day with as much energy and enthusiasm as you can – write with joy as Patrick Ness always says. I say – write with all your heart. Give 100% every time you sit down at your desk.

7/ Don’t give up – Think of Beckett – Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again, fail better!

8/ Here’s the thing – if your writing is good enough, and your ideas strong and original enough, you will get published, simple as that. Publishers need good books. Make yours one of them.
You only need 1 editor to like your book (along with the marketing team of course) –you only need 1 yes – so stick to your guns and aim for that one almighty YES.

Yours in writing,

Sarah X

PS there is a getting published seminar on 11th Sept for adults interested in writing for children – check out www.childrensbooksireland.ie for details.

Piece I wrote for the Guide to Evening Classes – no harm in repeating the tips! SarahX

Want to Finally Write that Novel?
6 Things That Just Might Help

So you want to finally write that book you’ve been talking about for years. You know the one, the story about an office/ad agency/warehouse/school, featuring quirky characters worthy of Marian Keyes, dialogue as cracking as Roddy Doyle’s, the wit of Oscar Wilde, the warmth of Maeve Binchy.

But here’s the thing, the ideas are all there, but every time you sit down at your computer to actually write the great Irish novel, you can’t get past page two. It’s a common problem. Luckily there are many things to can do to get over your writer’s hump.

1/ Read
The great thing about reading is that you learn so much, it’s like a ‘how to write’ workshop right there in your hands – how to create characters who are so real they hop off the page, how to structure a plot, how to hold a reader’s attention . . . everything.

2/ Write
It may sound obvious, but you learn to write by actually writing. Write as often as you can. The more practice you put in, the better you will be. Work those writing muscles! Try not to worry about what you are writing when you start out, the act of writing is the important thing and you can always go back and edit later.

Some people find it comforting to plan out their book carefully before they start writing, others jot down a lose plan and create character sketches, others just jump straight in the deep end. If you plan your life, and if asked could put your hand on your passport right now this second, you may also need to plan your book!

3/ Be Yourself When You’re Writing
It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s vitally important. Everyone has their own unique way of viewing the world, and their own unique writing voice. Use it.

4/ Start with a Bang
Good books draw you in from the very first sentence. Try to start your own book or story in a fun, exciting way so your reader won’t be able to put it down. It’s vitally important that you catch your reader’s attention from the very first sentence.

Here’s an example from one of my own books:
‘Boys!’ Clover taps her pink gel pen against her top teeth, making a hollow rattling noise. ‘They never change.’
From Ask Amy Green: Boy Trouble.

5/ Never Give Up
It took me a long time to get my first book published. But I kept trying. If being a writer is your dream, never give up. And stick that bum to the seat, bum glue, that’s the real secret to getting published!

6/ Find a Writing Course That Suits You – and Sept is a great time to get motivated – think of it as your own personal back to school!
Sometimes all you need is a wee push in the right direction to get you started. Luckily there are some great writing courses right across Ireland to help you achieve your dream. I’ve taught creative writing for many years now with Inkwell Writers, and I’m delighted to say many of the writers passing through the Inkwell doors are now published. It works! Good luck finding a course that is right for you.

Yours in writing, SarahX

According to my Oxford Concise a manifesto is ‘a public declaration of a policy and aims’.

I’m currently planning a tour in October for 3 teen/tween writers – 3 days, 3 cities, 3 remarkable writers – title yet to be decided, but we have some pretty nifty names already. The writers involved are Judi Curtin, writer of the fab Alice and Megan series, Sophia Bennett, writer of the equally fab Threads series set in the London fashion world, and moi!

And I came up with a tongue in cheek manifesto:

No vampires
No werewolves
No boys that go bump in the night

Real girls
Real drama
Really amazing stories straight from the heart
Prepare to be pinked!

We all write books for age 9/10+ with characters who are in their early teens. We all deal with real life issues – family drama, friendship problems, bullying – hence the no vampires, no werewolves bit.

So it got me thinking – maybe I should have my own writing manifesto, a Sarah Webb Manifesto. A ‘public declaration’ of my writing intentions.

So here goes:

I guess my most important aim is to entertain.

First commandment of popular fiction of any kind is (as the lovely Claudia Carroll once said): Thou shalt not bore. Quite right too.

Second aim – to say something.

I know this sounds a little vague but sometimes I read books that don’t actually say anything. They just potter along, telling a nice story, but not really going anywhere. I think books should have something solid rooted at the heart of them – a theme if you like.
Sometimes that theme doesn’t make itself fully known until you finish the 1st or 2nd or even the 3rd draft, but it’s often bubbling away under the surface of your words, slowly rising to the surface.
For example in the first Amy Green book I wanted to tell readers it’s OK to be yourself. In fact it’s pretty darn cool to be yourself. It’s a theme that runs through all the Amy Green books.

My third aim is to write with passion and with confidence.

I’ve been writing for many years now and I’ve started to understand what both these things really mean and how important they are. Write without passion and you’re doomed. The confidence bit – that can be learned over time. But if you write with both passion and confidence – then you might just have a pretty good book on your hands.

So there you have it – three aims for my own personal manifesto.

What are your aims when you write?

Do you have a writing manifesto?

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Sitting at my desk, looking out at the dark, listening to Jose’s Heartbeats and Bon Iver and thinking about two emails I got today from lovely, hard working, decent women, B and L. Both have a dream – to be published writers. One is writing funny, sweet stuff for younger readers, the other, popular fiction.

Both have been rejected soundly over and over again and are looking for some advice. And it’s so hard to know what to say. The publishing world can be hard, hard, hard. And you need a strong constitution to survive, you literally have to be writing fit, willing to sit at your desk until the early hours of the morning if that’s what it takes. Willing to chose writing over everything. Willing to give up things you hold dear. Willing to switch off the telly, cut friends and family short during phone calls, ban your mother from visiting while you’re trying to work, shoo the kids away when you’re working. And it’s tough.

Recently I was at a 40th birthday party and they were serving delicious looking champagne cocktails. I was on 7UP. A woman asked me why I was on the dry and I told her the truth – that I couldn’t drink and write the next day, that alcohol makes my mind muzzy, so I wasn’t drinking.

She looked at me sideways and said ‘You’re joking?’

I shook my head and explained that I had a book to finish and I had a certain amount of writing days to do it in, and that if a sacrificed a writing day the book ran the risk of being delivered late, which would have a knock on effect, meaning it might not get published and I would disappoint my readers. And that if I didn’t get my 2,000 words done a day I felt a failure.

She looked very disappointed. ‘I thought writing was supposed to be fun, Sarah. You make it all sound like such hard work and a very stressy. You must be doing something wrong.’

I just smiled to myself. ‘Maybe,’ I said and excused myself.

I’m not very good at parties anymore. I seem to have lost my small talk app. I’m very comfortable with close friends and family, but stick me in a non book atmosphere or a pub and I’m like a plant without water. I don’t do sport, find most people don’t do politics anymore, and the only subject I want to talk about anyway is writing. Or books, especially children’s books. I’m obsessed. With books and writing.

But here’s the thing – that’s pretty much how you have to be if you want to write books of any kind. OBSESSED. You have to have a compelling, addictive urge to get what you want to say down on paper. And it’s not pretty, it’s not sociable, and it’s certainly not healthy. But you know, sad as it may sound, writing makes me happier than anything.

So what I would say to the two lovely women is this: If you really, really want to get published, keep writing. Write as much as you can, as often as you can. If your first book doesn’t make it, write a second. If that one doesn’t make it, write another. Write because you can’t not write.

I write therefore I am. I am therefore I write. Keep the writing faith!

Sarah X

This piece will run in Inis Children’s Book Magazine – but here’s a sneak peek. Hope it’s useful, SarahXXX

So You Want to Write for Children?
Some Advice for Unpublished Writers by Sarah Webb

Recently I spoke to thirty six-year-olds about my new Panda book, Emma the Penguin at the Dublin Book Festival. It was my first foray into the world of the jitter bugs that are 1st classers, and as I watched fellow Panda-person, Gillian Perdue round up her herd of cowboys and teach them how to line dance, I realised just how much I still have to learn about entertaining younger children. But I’d like to share what I have learned with you, in the hope it will prove useful to other writers, especially to those starting out.

Firstly the bad news, it is no longer enough to write an amazing book. There are over 8,000 children’s books published annually, many of which are also amazing. Some of these amazing books will have a lot of money behind them, some of them will be ‘written’ by pop stars or models. Some of them will be written by authors with a long standing track record.

But do not despair. There is a lot you can do to build your profile or ‘platform’ (as the market-eers like to call it) as a children’s writer before your book is published or even accepted for publication.

I’ll start with some general points. It goes without saying that you should put most of your time and energy into your writing. Write for the child inside you, write remembering just how it feels to be 4 or 7 or 9. Dig deep and use your memory. In a recent edition of Inis (Spring 2010) Sophie McKenzie says ‘I remember exactly what it was like being a teenager . . . (I) can vividly remember the years between 13 and 15.’

Yes, modern children now have You Tube, Facebook, mobiles – but they are just different ways of communicating, but emotions don’t change. After all, your parents may not have had televisions or telephones growing up!

If you want to write for children or teens, talk to children or teens, ask them what music they like, what actors, what books, what telly shows. The average 6th class girl’s favourite show is Desperate Housewives – who would have guessed?

Take constructive criticism on your work from people who read a lot of children’s books. Teens make good critics, but younger children generally want to please. You might find an experienced librarian or teacher who will read your work – take on board what they say.

Write from the heart and don’t be afraid of strong emotion. In Jacqueline Wilson’s books siblings jump out of high towers, killing themselves (My Sister Jodie), mums have nervous breakdowns and take emulsion paint baths (The Illustrated Mum). Oliver Jeffers’s latest picture book, The Heart and the Bottle, features a girl whose father has just died. She does not know how to cope with the grief so she takes her heart out and places it in a bottle for safe keeping. Strong stuff!

If you want to write commercial children’s fiction, you must have an eye to the market. Read children’s books – especially in the age group/area you are interested in writing for – library/bookshop recommendations, modern classics, bestsellers and award winners. There are many good guides out there to help you pick fantastic books to read, my favourites being the Ultimate Book Guide series published by A & C Black, a must for anyone serious about writing for children or teens.

This reading will also help you be aware of what modern children like and are interested in – and what works in a book. And also it’s fun; some of the best books out there are children’s books. It will also help you work out what age group you are writing for: early reader, confident reader, teen reader. This is vital. Children’s books are categorised in most shops and libraries by age. Young readers are aspirational – they like to read about children older than they are. If your character is 11, your readers will probably be 7/8 to 11.

Are there any gaps in the market? In a word, yes. At a recent Irish Pen event called ‘New Kids on the Block’ event, Svetlana Pironko, Director of the Author Rights Agency, Siobhan Parkinson, Children’s Editor at Little Island (New Island’s imprint for children and teens), and Paddy O’Doherty, Children’s Editor at Puffin Ireland, explained what they were looking for.

Paddy would like to see fiction for the 7 to 9 age group, but especially 8 to 12 fiction.
She says ‘read Puffin books’ and see where the gaps in the list are – and try to fill the gaps! She is very interested in good animal and child stories like Charlotte’s Webb, humour for girls – Louise Rennison type books (she kindly mentioned my own Amy Green books as the type of thing she is looking for), and Fantasy.
She said the books must be ‘well written, original ideas and voice, with a real sense of control’. She wants to feel that the author knows what she (or he) is doing, they have a sense of authority. And overall she is very keen on reading more manuscripts from new authors – all good news!

Siobhan Parkinson is looking for novels for age 9+ and teens. She is personally not a huge fan of fantasy, she prefers realistic novels and she, like Paddy is looking for ‘originality, a strong voice, someone who is in control of their writing’.

Svetlana, however is a big fantasy fan and finds this sells best to international publishers. She also likes teenage/crossover fiction and says universal stories are vital; she is interested in books that can travel.
In the UK, the publishers are veering towards ‘brand’ authors, authors they can work with over a number of books. And this goes for the picture books as well as novels. Oliver Jeffers for example has just signed a four book deal with Harper Collins for his new picture book series, The Hueys. Cathy Cassidy’s new book, Cherry Crush, will be the first book in a new series for girls.

Once you have written your book, what next? While awaiting publication (or your manuscript to find a home), there are many things you can do to start building your profile. Of course, you must start working on your next book, that goes without saying. But you can also begin creating an on-line presence. A website, a blog or both. A Facebook, My Space or Bebo page. Down the line, your readers should be able to find out more about you online and contact you – it’s part of the job of a modern children’s writer.

Blog about what interests you – whether it be books, writing, music, fashion, the universe – as long as it’s interesting! Decide your blogging market – are you targeting parents, teachers, librarians, or children themselves? For blogging inspiration, check out David Maybury’s blog, the children’s literature blog of record.

Reviewing children’s books for Inis magazine is a good way of keeping in touch with current books and also getting your name out there. And it goes without saying, do join CBI and attend some of the wonderful events and workshops. Attend author events and hear other children’s authors speak about their work. Immerse yourself in the children’s book world and you will have a better chance of spreading the word about your book to the right people when it is published.

Start reading your work to children right now. Think about what you have to offer as a performer. If you want to write for children, these days you have to connect with them LIVE. Find your own special way of doing events – standing in front of children and reading is not enough. The first and only commandment of doing events is: Thou Shalt Not Bore.

I use a lot of show and tell during my talks. I show the audience photos, toys, books and clothes from my childhood and talk about what I was like as a child and teen. Then I use these stories to explain how I became a writer.

Finally, be optimistic and have a strong constitution. You will probably be rejected many, many times before you make it. Even after fifteen years and twenty-seven books some of my ideas are still turned down. Write because you can’t not write. Multi-award winning writer Patrick Ness says write with joy. I would go further, I would say write as if it’s your last day on this earth. Give 100% every time you sit down at your desk. And hopefully your joy, passion and dogged hope will translate onto the page. Good luck and keep the writing faith!

For marketing and publicity tips for published writers, see another of my articles on the CBI website – CBI Info section – www.childrensbooksireland.ie

I did a talk recently for Irish Pen on writing for children – and I thought I’d pass on some of the notes from the event.

The most useful things I can tell you writer to writer:

1/ Read children’s books – especially in the age group/area you are interested in writing for – library/bookshop recommendations, award winners etc.
There are a lot of good guides out there to help you pick fab books – esp the ultimate book guide/teen book guide

It will also help you be aware of what modern children like reading – and what works in a book. And also – it’s fun – some of the best books out there are children’s books. I read very few adult books these days. If a young reader does not like the first few pages of a book, they won’t read on. So books for young people have to catch the imagination from the very first lines, making them darn good reads.

It will also make you aware of the different age groups – picture books, early readers (age 4/5 to 7/8 depending on the child), confident readers age 9+, readers 11+, YA/Teen readers. You must know what age you are writing for – every publisher will expect you to know – if you don’t know, how are they supposed to know? Be very clear about what age group you are writing for. This is often the first mistake people make when writing for children. No book is for 5 to 16 year olds – think about it. OK, maybe Harry Potter, I’ll give you that one. But unless you are JK Rowling you give yourself more chance of getting published if you do the leg work – starting with reading in the age group you would like to write for.

More to come (12 points in total in fact) . . .

SarahXXX

I just got my hands on the new Inkwell flyer (thank you, Vanessa) and it’s full of interesting courses and stuff for writers.
Writing for Children with me and Oisin McGann – Sat 20th March – will be fab of course
But also Getting Published with Sheila Crowley, agent at Curtis Brown, UK and Paula Campbell from Poolbeg Press. Ideal place to hand them your manuscript methinks! Or at least say hello.

They also have a critique service and a free newsletter full of juicy book trade goss.

For more see www.inkwellwriters.ie

Sarah XXX

The Best Books on Writing I’ve Ever Read

I’ve been rubbish at writing decent blogs recently, so I thought I’d knuckle down and do a useful one for all you keen writers out there. So here’s a list of some of my favourite books on writing and why I like them.

Now and again most writers need a bit of a kick up the bum, some ‘just-get-on-with-it’ encouragement, and a good writing book does just that. It can also inspire or simply give you time out and make you think.

Currently I’m bang smack in the middle of a big rewrite of Amy Green book 3. I know where I’m going – which is brilliant – but it’s taking a little while to get there! I am enjoying it, but it’s bloody hard work at the moment and I need to get it finished by the end of Jan, so I can write Amy 4.

Writing to deadlines is tricky but I guess after 10 years or so I’m used to it. And if you really need more time, editors are usually pretty nice about it. I’ve had to delay books before – mainly due to the birth of Amy and Jago! But I don’t like doing it. I guess I’m my own worst enemy.

But back to the writing books.

Number 1 on my list is the wonderful Julia Cameron and her The Right to Write. First published in 1998, I’ve read this book about four or five times now, and dip into it a lot. I find it calming, sensible, inspiring.
Julia talks about making time to write, being honest on the page and loneliness (I get very lonely some days – I’m a sociable kind of person and I find being alone all day tough – shame I love writing so much!); and her book is full of great advice.
I’d highly recommend it to any writer – no matter how far along the writing journey you are. She writes beautifully and it’s a joy to read.
‘Just as a good writing day clears the air, a good writing day clears the psyche.’
9 ½ out of 10

Number 2 is a newish book: The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner. Billed as ‘An Editor’s Advice to Writers’, if you want to know what your average editor is thinking, this is a fascinating book, full of interesting information, and a real eye opener. An excellent book for writers who are on the road to publication and want some insight into how the book business works, albeit in America.
Betsy writes very well and touches on a lot of really interesting subjects, from writers’ egos to being fearless on the page. Great stuff!
I bought it in Chicago so you may need to get it on Amazon.
8 out of 10

Number 3 – Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. Another classic. Sub title is Freeing the Writer Within. A little more new agey than Julia Cameron’s book, but great for dipping into if you’re feeling a bit low writing wise.
Natalie deals with all kinds of things, from verbs to editors, and the importance of being specific. Great for writers just starting out and looking for some inspiration and ideas. But not as good as Julia’s book.
8 out of 10

Number 4 – Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. I love this one mainly for it’s story about her brother. He was trying to do a whole project on birds in one night and was freaking out. His father told him ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’ Which is how we should approach every writing day – word by word.
Another quote I like is ‘That thing that you had to force yourself to do – the actual act of writing – turns out to be the best part . . . The act of writing turns out to be its own reward.’ So true.
It’s not a writing guide as such, more a writing memoir so best for those just wanting some time out and some empathy from a fellow writer.
Another American gem.
8 ½ out of ten

And finally a newish book which I think will become a classic for new writers and especially young writers – Juicy Writing by Brigid Lowry. Now, it’s not for everyone, it’s very jaunty and practical and positive, but I wish I’d read it when I was starting out. It has a very ‘you can do it’ attitude and is full of practical advice, writing exercises, and ideas on what to write about. Written for teenagers, it’s a fab book for any age and highly recommended for writers starting out or writers who would like some solid, practical advice.
9 out of 10

Hope this is useful!

Yours in writing,

SarahX

Just back from Clare so I owe you a blog but have to edit this evening – so here are some excellent writing tips c/o Paula, thanks, Paula!

WRITERS ON WRITING; Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hooptedoodle
By ELMORE LEONARD
Published: Monday, July 16, 2001
These are rules I’ve picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I’m writing a book, to help me show rather than tell what’s taking place in the story. If you have a facility for language and imagery and the sound of your voice pleases you, invisibility is not what you are after, and you can skip the rules. Still, you might look them over.
1. Never open a book with weather.
If it’s only to create atmosphere, and not a character’s reaction to the weather, you don’t want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead looking for people. There are exceptions. If you happen to be Barry Lopez, who has more ways to describe ice and snow than an Eskimo, you can do all the weather reporting you want.
2. Avoid prologues.
They can be annoying, especially a prologue following an introduction that comes after a foreword. But these are ordinarily found in nonfiction. A prologue in a novel is backstory, and you can drop it in anywhere you want.
There is a prologue in John Steinbeck’s ”Sweet Thursday,” but it’s O.K. because a character in the book makes the point of what my rules are all about. He says: ”I like a lot of talk in a book and I don’t like to have nobody tell me what the guy that’s talking looks like. I want to figure out what he looks like from the way he talks. . . . figure out what the guy’s thinking from what he says. I like some description but not too much of that. . . . Sometimes I want a book to break loose with a bunch of hooptedoodle. . . . Spin up some pretty words maybe or sing a little song with language. That’s nice. But I wish it was set aside so I don’t have to read it. I don’t want hooptedoodle to get mixed up with the story.”
3. Never use a verb other than ”said” to carry dialogue.
The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But said is far less intrusive than grumbled, gasped, cautioned, lied. I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with ”she asseverated,” and had to stop reading to get the dictionary.
4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb ”said” . . .
. . . he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange. I have a character in one of my books tell how she used to write historical romances ”full of rape and adverbs.”
5. Keep your exclamation points under control.
You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. If you have the knack of playing with exclaimers the way Tom Wolfe does, you can throw them in by the handful.
6. Never use the words ”suddenly” or ”all hell broke loose.”
This rule doesn’t require an explanation. I have noticed that writers who use ”suddenly” tend to exercise less control in the application of exclamation points.
7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
Once you start spelling words in dialogue phonetically and loading the page with apostrophes, you won’t be able to stop. Notice the way Annie Proulx captures the flavor of Wyoming voices in her book of short stories ”Close Range.”
8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
Which Steinbeck covered. In Ernest Hemingway’s ”Hills Like White Elephants” what do the ”American and the girl with him” look like? ”She had taken off her hat and put it on the table.” That’s the only reference to a physical description in the story, and yet we see the couple and know them by their tones of voice, with not one adverb in sight.
9. Don’t go into great detail describing places and things.
Unless you’re Margaret Atwood and can paint scenes with language or write landscapes in the style of Jim Harrison. But even if you’re good at it, you don’t want descriptions that bring the action, the flow of the story, to a standstill.
And finally:
10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.
A rule that came to mind in 1983. Think of what you skip reading a novel: thick paragraphs of prose you can see have too many words in them. What the writer is doing, he’s writing, perpetrating hooptedoodle, perhaps taking another shot at the weather, or has gone into the character’s head, and the reader either knows what the guy’s thinking or doesn’t care. I’ll bet you don’t skip dialogue.
My most important rule is one that sums up the 10.
If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.
Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can’t allow what we learned in English composition to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative. It’s my attempt to remain invisible, not distract the reader from the story with obvious writing. (Joseph Conrad said something about words getting in the way of what you want to say.)
If I write in scenes and always from the point of view of a particular character — the one whose view best brings the scene to life — I’m able to concentrate on the voices of the characters telling you who they are and how they feel about what they see and what’s going on, and I’m nowhere in sight.
What Steinbeck did in ”Sweet Thursday” was title his chapters as an indication, though obscure, of what they cover. ”Whom the Gods Love They Drive Nuts” is one, ”Lousy Wednesday” another. The third chapter is titled ”Hooptedoodle 1” and the 38th chapter ”Hooptedoodle 2” as warnings to the reader, as if Steinbeck is saying: ”Here’s where you’ll see me taking flights of fancy with my writing, and it won’t get in the way of the story. Skip them if you want.”
”Sweet Thursday” came out in 1954, when I was just beginning to be published, and I’ve never forgotten that prologue.
Did I read the hooptedoodle chapters? Every word.

Paths to Publication
September 2009

How to promote and market you newly published book

These are the notes from a talk I gave at the Paths to Publication Conference run by Children’s Books Ireland in association with the Society of Children’s Authors and Illustrators, Sept 2009.

Firstly I gave a brief introduction – detailing my work as a writer and a children’s bookseller (15 years and counting!).

Then I continued . . .

All successful children’s writers work extremely hard and are passionate about their books and about their writing career. If they intend to stay writing, they will do whatever it takes. If that means doing publicity, even if it means telling people what they had for breakfast, they will do it.

The good news is that every writer can do a lot to market and promote their own book.

The secret – and yes, there is a secret – but like most things it’s this – hard work, being organised and determined – a lot of work can be done behind the scenes months before your book reaches the bookshop shelves.

When I started out in books, I had no experience in marketing or publicity – I just used my head – so what I did, you can do too.

But before that some general points.

First things first – don’t worry about any of this unless you have written a book worth promoting. Put your time and energy into the writing first and foremost.

Also – publicity and marketing are 2 different things. Now, I don’t have any marketing qualifications so these points are in my own words and probably not very ‘scientific’.

The way I see it, marketing means promoting your book to the market and in the marketplace – ie the shops. It means getting information about your book to the relevant children’s buyers and booksellers, backing up that information with display material – such as posters and bookmarks. And keeping the bookshops informed of any publicity you have lined up for the book.

In general, your publisher should be on top of the marketing – but if they don’t intend to do posters or bookmarks – say for example they are small, your book is self published or published in England (this is directed at Irish authors of course!) – and few books get much marketing spend – think about doing it yourself. And dropping postcards/posters/bookmarks in yourself to your local libraries, bookshops and schools.

Think of investing in business cards, stickers, thank you cards – useful things are good – keyrings maybe?

Yes, it costs money. But think of it as money invested in your future as a writer.

The more booksellers know about your book the better chance it has of being recommended, restocked, put on a table, put in promotions. But there is a fine line between being pushy and helpful. Never be pushy, never be arrogant. Treat booksellers like royalty – they are the ones who put your books on the shelves and into parents and childrens’ hands.

If your book is not on the shelf, it is nothing personal. See it as your problem. Send them some information on your book – or even a copy of the book with a friendly covering note saying you are a local author and would be delighted to see your book on their shelves.

Always check with your publishers before calling into bookshops and talking to booksellers. They may like to ask your sales rep to go along and intro you. They may like to use it as a sales opportunity. Work with your publisher.

But remember – no one cares as much about your book as you do. Be passionate and talk about your book with enthusiasm – and as Patrick Ness would say, joy!

And no bookseller wants to hear you grumble about how little your publisher does to promote you – get on with it yourself (and over yourself) – take control.

But one thing I’ll come back to time and time again – be prepared to work hard and do things yourself. Do not leave everything to your publisher. They have a lot of books to market and promote. Your book is your baby. Once your book is published, your journey is just beginning.

There are over 8,000 children’s books published every year. If you want to make your book stand out, and especially if you want to be a career writer – someone who earns their living from writing or part of their living from writing, then you must do all you can to promote your book.

The reality is it is not enough to just write a book and sit back and see what happens. You also have to connect with children, with booksellers, with librarians, with teachers, with parents – with anyone who buys books. You need to make them aware that your book is a/ in the shops now and b/worth buying.

Looks do not matter – you don not have to be a supermodel – but personality and professionalism do.

Above all, be yourself. Maybe a glittery, happy version of yourself – but still yourself. I call it being on – be the person you’d be at a party, or at a job interview. And think about the image you are projecting – if you write horror, don’t look like an accountan.
Some good black shirts are a good investment. You could go so far as having a signature style – Terry Prachett has his hats, Jackie Wilson has her silver jewellery.
Think about what you are wearing when visiting bookshops/schools/going to children’s book conferences – I’m looking around this room and I don’t see anyone here that screams out interesting science fiction writer; quirky, fun teen romance writer; playful, arty illustrator.

And get involved with your own publicity – but keep your publisher informed of what you intend to do. It can be daunting at the beginning – but having a plan makes everything easier.

Publishers are only too delighted to have help – well organised, professional, well planned help – talk to them about how you can help.

Publicity – means using the media to tell people about your book – print, radio, telly.

4 to 6 months before your book is published – set up a meeting with the publicity person in the publishing house (if possible) and bring a list of possible publicity angles – I’ll talk about angles in a few minutes – and any media contacts you might have.

Think of it like planning a wedding.

In a moment I’m going to fly through the different stages of an ideal publicity plan.

But first – my first book – for my first book I started local. Everyone can do this!

Kids Can Cook – I had no profile at all

I rang Southside news and wrote a piece on cooking with children for them.

My church newsletter – I wrote a piece for them.
I also did a piece for my sailing club newsletter.

The Evening Herald did a piece on me – the first cookbook for children in Ireland – I friend of mine worked in the herald and she set this up. I had an angle – Dublin single mum gets kids cooking.

I did a lot of school events – during the children’s book festival – that my publisher set up and that I set up – I also did some CBI events – I basically told them what I did – cookery sessions with children- and they booked me in to schools.
Because it was something different, they really liked this. And I did several special needs schools also. Also library events

That book is still in print 10 years on and has sold thousands of copies. And it’s still selling.

If I was bringing out a first book now I would certainly use the internet to reach readers – see below for details.

For Amy Green, my latest children’s book, the publicity plans were a lot more elaborate – Walker Books made a special Amy Green website, and did some super posters and hand outs, but I still did some of the publicity myself.

Here is a what I call the ideal publicity plan – with all bases covered. If you can do some of this – great! I hope it will make you think and consider the possibilities. It is not meant to scare you, just to point out what can be done . . .

4 months before publication

Meet the pr person in your publishing house
Draw up your pr plan with the pr person

Set up your website – I would advise every children’s writer to get a website – and put the details of the website in your book so readers can contact you and also teachers and librarians can contact you.

Consider setting up a Facebook page, or a Bebo page, or Twitter or My Space – whatever suits you and your book best.

If you do not want people to know too much about you, invent a writing persona – and invent things to tell your readers – but be consistent.
But you must connect with people online these days. Especially if you want an international career.

3 months before publication

Submit feature ideas to magazines
Now this many take months, years to get anything taken – but keep at it – once you have one piece published, it is so much easier.
Are there any specialist magazines you subscribe to – try submitting an article to them – a great place to start. Or internet magazines/newsletters – again, good experience.

You could offer to review for Inis magazine (specialist Irish children’s book mag) – which is how I started reviewing – for free of course – but I got a/ experience and b/ some lovely books!

2 months before publication

Submit feature ideas to the magazines of newspapers

Set up your book launch if you would like to have one (organise your own in a local bookshop or venue – and yes, you may have to pay for the wine!)

Set up some school and library events – use your contacts – your child’s school etc
But make the events interesting – don’t just expect to go in and read to them. I spend about 3 weeks a year working on content for talks, workshops and readings and making it fresh and exciting. Work at it! Practice! Watch other authors in action and pick up ideas.
Once these events are fixed – send the details to the listings of the newspapers and also local newspapers.

And on that subject – network – go to children’s book events, join CBI, join the Society of Children’s Writers and Ilustrators.

Read Mag from CBI’s the hungry caterpillar blog; read David Maybury’s blog – full of good info. And UK and Americian blogs.

1 month before publication

Submit ideas to the features pages of newspapers – yes, you need to come up with these ideas yourself – depending on you and your life/book

Think of column ideas for guest columns (Realistically – this will be down the line when you have some experience of writing articles etc)

Write your press release (your publisher will probably do this for you – ask them for advice)

3 weeks before publication

Send out the invites to the launch

2 weeks before publication

Send out review copies of your book to relevant newspapers and magazines – eg Inis, Book Fest etc (your publisher may do this – check with them), the irish indo, the irish times.

Set up radio interviews – using your press release (again, your pr person may do this)
Don’t forget local radio – a great place to start – east coast for eg. Send a book and a press release and then ring them politely – with the blessing of your publishers of course. Local radio stations love local authors! You could do a competition and give away copies of your book.

After Publication

Start your school events and library events

Send out press release to newspapers (your pr person may do this – check with them)

If you have any news stories – this is the time to use them – advances, film deals, winning competitions, your dog winning a dog show (for the local papers!)

Angles

An ‘Angle’ – something that makes you stand out as a person for pr purposes.

Some of the ones I’ve used:

Single mum
Parent of teens and toddlers at the same time
Partner of a hopeful Olympic sailor

Other people’s angles:
Teacher – Eoin Colfer
Librarian – Patricia Scanlan
Movie geek and ex screen writer – Derek Landy

Anything that makes you different is good – and that you are prepared to talk about!

Everyone has something -
Do you keep bees?
Can you shoe a horse?
Do you dive? Travel a lot?
If so, you can write about it

Finally, I hope I’ve given you some ideas to think about.
You put 100% into writing your book – so why not put 100% into doing the best you can to promote that book? It deserves it. Writing for children, getting published and visiting and meeting young readers are rewarding and joyful experiences – and worth fighting lions and sweating blood for. I wish you all the best of luck with your own journey to publication.

Good luck!

Sarah XXX