Casey McCormick has done a great Agent Spotlight on Stephen Fraser at Literary Rambles that encompasses most of the great stuff you can find about Stephen Fraser online, but I wanted to add Mr. Fraser to the Monster List since he represents picture books and sounds like a great agent to work with. I found a few recent and interesting posts that you also won't want to miss.
There's a current, in depth interview with Mr. Fraser at Humor Me. I would highly recommend reading it if you're interested in querying Mr. Fraser. He says he adores picture books!
Stephanie Theban shared some conference notes at Stories. Read 'em. Write'em.
There's also a good interview at Joyce Shor Johnson's blog.
You can find submission guidelines for Stephen Fraser at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency.
This post is part of the Monster List of Picture Book Agents. If you have any changes that you think should be made to this listing, please contact me or leave them in the comments. Thanks!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
I Wrote a Book, Now What? (#2) --Market Research
I did post #1 in I Wrote a Book, Now What? about critiques and revising. But, if you're looking to get published there's a lot more to it than that. You've got to learn about the market, what it wants, and how to approach it.
There are some really good books on writing for children (and writing in general) and reading a stack or two of them will open your eyes to a lot of things. If you aren't sure where to get started I recommend The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Harold Underdown. He's really knowledgeable about the children's publishing industry and his book covers all the basics. Harold's website is a great place to learn too.
There are some really good books on writing for children (and writing in general) and reading a stack or two of them will open your eyes to a lot of things. If you aren't sure where to get started I recommend The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Harold Underdown. He's really knowledgeable about the children's publishing industry and his book covers all the basics. Harold's website is a great place to learn too.
Cynthea Liu has a crash course for writers at her site writingforchildrenandteens.com.
And I would definitely recommend you join Verla Kay's Blue Board. It's a great place to learn, keep up to date, and "hang out" with writers.
The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators offers lots of opportunities for learning about writing and the market. They have conferences and a monthly magazine plus lots on online info on how to go about all sorts of things that children's writers need to know. You can find them at http://www.scbwi.org.
Get educated on what the market is publishing by reading tons of newer books in the genre you are writing. Learn how to approach the market (Harold Underdown's book covers this nicely.) Learn the standard way to format a manuscript (Cynthea Liu's site will show you how.) Little steps like these will help you make a good presentation when you're ready to submit a manuscript.
Okay, so maybe all of this talk of research sounds dry. Lucky for us children's book writers, research is fun! For my research today I read a bunch of TumbleBooks at my library's website. I could do that type of research all day!
Okay, so maybe all of this talk of research sounds dry. Lucky for us children's book writers, research is fun! For my research today I read a bunch of TumbleBooks at my library's website. I could do that type of research all day!
Monday, May 9, 2011
My First Critique Week Giveaway!
I've been wanting to do this for a while so I'm just going to go for it--Critique Week. I'm going to give away a picture book critique! Come all my fellow picture book writers and enter!
As for this week's contest, here are a few guidelines:
Just put a comment on this post to enter. Entries are open up through May 16th. I'll announce the winner in the comment section of this post on Tuesday, May 17. Extras are fun, so one extra entry for each. (Please let me know in your comment):
(As a side note, I've been thinking of how I can have a giveaway that includes all of my writer friends and all of the many genres they write in. So, the next giveaway will be for a query critique. When? When I have time, of course! I'll let you know around the net.)
As for this week's contest, here are a few guidelines:
- Up to 1000 words (but 700 or less is preferable, just like for most publishers)
- No rhyming (it's not my cup of tea a.k.a. I'm not good at it)
- Fiction or nonfiction is okay
- The winner should email me the manuscript within 3 days
- I will finish the critique as soon as I possibly can, but I cannot foresee my future from day to day so be a little patient with me
Just put a comment on this post to enter. Entries are open up through May 16th. I'll announce the winner in the comment section of this post on Tuesday, May 17. Extras are fun, so one extra entry for each. (Please let me know in your comment):
- follow my blog
- tweet
- blog
- share it some other way--maybe there are social networking sites I don't even know about...maybe. :)
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Bee Books!
Since my family is keeping bees the kids and I have, of course, been reading picture books about bees. You can learn a lot about bees from picture books! Here are a few of our favorites:
THE BEEMAN is about a boy and his grandfather who keeps bees. It's a really great introduction to beekeeping as it goes through the entire process from the smoker used to calm the bees to the different types of bees in the hive to the honey on the table. There's also a great nonfiction section at the end.
BUSY BUZZY BEE is interesting because it shows closeup photos of the inside of a hive and how the grubs grow into bees. My kids liked being able to see all the details so closely.
ARE YOU A BEE? does a nice job of showing how bees grow and live in the hive as well as how they collect pollen and what they do with it. The illustrations are really nice and it's a good read aloud.
As with all MAGIC SCHOOL BUS books, there is tons of fun stuff to read in INSIDE A BEEHIVE!
Check out one or all of these books and you're sure to know a little more about the world of bees, even if you're a grownup.
THE BEEMAN is about a boy and his grandfather who keeps bees. It's a really great introduction to beekeeping as it goes through the entire process from the smoker used to calm the bees to the different types of bees in the hive to the honey on the table. There's also a great nonfiction section at the end.
BUSY BUZZY BEE is interesting because it shows closeup photos of the inside of a hive and how the grubs grow into bees. My kids liked being able to see all the details so closely.
ARE YOU A BEE? does a nice job of showing how bees grow and live in the hive as well as how they collect pollen and what they do with it. The illustrations are really nice and it's a good read aloud.
As with all MAGIC SCHOOL BUS books, there is tons of fun stuff to read in INSIDE A BEEHIVE!
Check out one or all of these books and you're sure to know a little more about the world of bees, even if you're a grownup.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Beekeeping!
This winter my family decided that we wanted to keep bees. The world needs bees and they are disappearing at alarming rates due to pesticides and such. It's really quite scary to think about a world without bees. I don't even want to think about it, really. But I read about it because we started the project like we start most projects--by checking out lots of books and reading up!
We studied and ordered supplies and built hives from some blueprints that we found. The kids painted the hives and helped put together the honey frames. They were especially excited. Then we waited for the spring shipment of bees to arrive from California. It was a long wait, especially for the excited people in the family.
Another beekeeper in our area picked up the bees and drove them five hours to meet us. We met at the park and exchanged packages. The thing is, they'd already stopped and set their bees up, and a few had "gotten away" and were clinging onto the outside of the boxes. We had to drive eight long miles with them inside our car. We were a little worried, but needn't have been. The bees were totally mellow. They just wanted to stick together, and I have to admit, I felt kind of sad for the few that got left behind at the park. They no longer had a hive. My poor little pets!
While the bees settled down into their hives my husband actually scooped some clumps of stragglers off the ground with his bare hand and put them on their hive. Why? He didn't want them to get left behind. And he's brave--very, very brave. After about fifteen minutes the bees had burrowed down into the frames so we put the lids on, filled their feeders with sugar water, and talked about how the workers look so different from the drones and how amazing it was that no one got stung and how long it would take before they would make honey; cool beekeeping stuff like that.
If you didn't notice, I'm not in any of the pictures. Like I said, I'm the helper and, well, there just wasn't much to help with. I guess pictures are helpful and hey, I was working! I mean, there's got to be a picture book story in here somewhere.
This was our favorite book that we found on beekeeping.
We studied and ordered supplies and built hives from some blueprints that we found. The kids painted the hives and helped put together the honey frames. They were especially excited. Then we waited for the spring shipment of bees to arrive from California. It was a long wait, especially for the excited people in the family.
Another beekeeper in our area picked up the bees and drove them five hours to meet us. We met at the park and exchanged packages. The thing is, they'd already stopped and set their bees up, and a few had "gotten away" and were clinging onto the outside of the boxes. We had to drive eight long miles with them inside our car. We were a little worried, but needn't have been. The bees were totally mellow. They just wanted to stick together, and I have to admit, I felt kind of sad for the few that got left behind at the park. They no longer had a hive. My poor little pets!
 |
| The bees came in this box. There are about 3,000 of them in there I'm told. I'm not going to count though. |
 |
| We set up the hives at an orchard in the valley since it's still so cold and flowerless up on our mountain. I find it amazing that the hives can be so close together yet the bees will only go to their own hive. Should be fun bringing the hives home in a month or so when it warms up. They're already reproducing. That means over 6,000 bees in the car. Eep! |
 |
| It was a little bit scary when the cage was opened up. That's a whole lot of bees! |
 |
| The queen is kept separate in a little teeny cage. She has to be removed first. Check out the man, no gloves or anything. Before the queen's cage can be placed in the hive a little cork has to be taken out and be replaced with a marshmallow so the bees can eat it and release the queen. With the first queen the cork was really tight and accidentally went inside the cage. It could have crushed the queen, but she escaped--onto my husbands hand! Amazingly, he removed the cork from the cage, got the queen back into the dinky hole (without being stung) and stuffed the marshmallow in. I still can scarcely believe that fantastic feat! |
 |
| The rest did not want to come out of the cage, silly bees! They actually had to be shaken and they plopped out in big clumps. We didn't even use smoke to calm them. I think they were tired out from their trip! |
While the bees settled down into their hives my husband actually scooped some clumps of stragglers off the ground with his bare hand and put them on their hive. Why? He didn't want them to get left behind. And he's brave--very, very brave. After about fifteen minutes the bees had burrowed down into the frames so we put the lids on, filled their feeders with sugar water, and talked about how the workers look so different from the drones and how amazing it was that no one got stung and how long it would take before they would make honey; cool beekeeping stuff like that.
If you didn't notice, I'm not in any of the pictures. Like I said, I'm the helper and, well, there just wasn't much to help with. I guess pictures are helpful and hey, I was working! I mean, there's got to be a picture book story in here somewhere.
This was our favorite book that we found on beekeeping.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Monster List of Picture Book Agents - Kendra Marcus, Bookstop Literary
5/22/16: Closed to submissions until 9/1/2016. Please check the agency's submission guidelines for updates.
Kendra Marcus is an agent who knows picture books! She's the founder of Bookstop Literary and she represents some amazing authors. There is lots of information about Ms. Marcus online so you can decide whether or not she might be the agent for you.
There is a great interview with Kendra Marcus at Cynsations where Kendra tells the story of how she decided to be an agent and open her own agency. She also talks about what she looks for in a picture book. In an interview at SCBWI Bologna Ms. Marcus talks about what qualities she thinks it takes to make a successful picture book.
Corey Rosen Schwartz, whose books The Three Ninja Pigs and Goldi Rocks are forthcoming from Putnam, is represented by Kenrda Marcus. You can read her How I Got My Agent post at Julie Hedlund's blog, Write Up My Life. You can also read the story of how Kristyn Crow came to be represented by Kendra Marcus at the Guide to Literary Agents blog.
D.L. King put together some interesting notes from a lecture Kendra Marcus gave at SCBWI Spokane. There's also a few good points from Kendra on Paul Greci's blog.
I really enjoyed this podcast at Just One More Book!! It was fun to hear straight from Kendra Marcus herself.
BookStop Literary has a Facebook page as well as a page at Publishers Marketplace.
Kendra Marcus accepts both mail and email submissions. You can learn more by reading Bookstop Literary's submission guidelines. Also be sure to check out the information page which gives a few tips on what Ms. Marcus is looking for.
Kendra Marcus represents:
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Megan McDonald
& Rebecca O'Connell
This post is part of the Monster List of Picture Book Agents. If you have any changes that you think should be made to this listing, please contact me or leave them in the comments. Thanks!
Kendra Marcus is an agent who knows picture books! She's the founder of Bookstop Literary and she represents some amazing authors. There is lots of information about Ms. Marcus online so you can decide whether or not she might be the agent for you.
There is a great interview with Kendra Marcus at Cynsations where Kendra tells the story of how she decided to be an agent and open her own agency. She also talks about what she looks for in a picture book. In an interview at SCBWI Bologna Ms. Marcus talks about what qualities she thinks it takes to make a successful picture book.
Corey Rosen Schwartz, whose books The Three Ninja Pigs and Goldi Rocks are forthcoming from Putnam, is represented by Kenrda Marcus. You can read her How I Got My Agent post at Julie Hedlund's blog, Write Up My Life. You can also read the story of how Kristyn Crow came to be represented by Kendra Marcus at the Guide to Literary Agents blog.
D.L. King put together some interesting notes from a lecture Kendra Marcus gave at SCBWI Spokane. There's also a few good points from Kendra on Paul Greci's blog.
I really enjoyed this podcast at Just One More Book!! It was fun to hear straight from Kendra Marcus herself.
BookStop Literary has a Facebook page as well as a page at Publishers Marketplace.
Kendra Marcus accepts both mail and email submissions. You can learn more by reading Bookstop Literary's submission guidelines. Also be sure to check out the information page which gives a few tips on what Ms. Marcus is looking for.
Kendra Marcus represents:
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Megan McDonald
& Rebecca O'Connell
This post is part of the Monster List of Picture Book Agents. If you have any changes that you think should be made to this listing, please contact me or leave them in the comments. Thanks!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Book Signing!
I did a book signing over the weekend. It's actually the first straight book signing I've done for Bedtime Monster. My two other events have been library presentations, so people come expecting a book. This signing was at a Spring Bazaar that promotes women in business. I suspect that no one's ever seen an author signing books at one of those in my little town. But, it was actually pretty fun.
The day started out with me winning the prize for being the last participant to register. My being last is really no surprise, but I've never gotten a prize for being a procrastinator. Now that's more like it. Awesome!
Someone from the city got my book for her kids and told me that she'd actually heard about my book! From where she couldn't remember, but I was just excited to know that someone who didn't know me had heard about Bedtime Monster and remembered it! (I know, little things can get me overly excited.)
There was a lady who was so happy to meet me. She is certain that I am going to be famous. She hugged me AND GAVE ME A PIE! Blueberry!!!
My favorite part...a little boy of around two years old was walking by my table, hand in hand with his grandma. She was looking straight ahead, headed somewhere else, but when he saw Bedtime Monster, he ran his hand across it, and let out a squeal of delight. Grandma stopped and bought him the book (grandmas are awesome like that) and I got to meet the sweetest little boy who is going to be reading Bedtime Monster over and over from the looks of things.
So, all in all, I sold some books, made some friends, and had a good time. Not too bad for a Saturday morning!
The day started out with me winning the prize for being the last participant to register. My being last is really no surprise, but I've never gotten a prize for being a procrastinator. Now that's more like it. Awesome!
Someone from the city got my book for her kids and told me that she'd actually heard about my book! From where she couldn't remember, but I was just excited to know that someone who didn't know me had heard about Bedtime Monster and remembered it! (I know, little things can get me overly excited.)
There was a lady who was so happy to meet me. She is certain that I am going to be famous. She hugged me AND GAVE ME A PIE! Blueberry!!!
My favorite part...a little boy of around two years old was walking by my table, hand in hand with his grandma. She was looking straight ahead, headed somewhere else, but when he saw Bedtime Monster, he ran his hand across it, and let out a squeal of delight. Grandma stopped and bought him the book (grandmas are awesome like that) and I got to meet the sweetest little boy who is going to be reading Bedtime Monster over and over from the looks of things.
So, all in all, I sold some books, made some friends, and had a good time. Not too bad for a Saturday morning!
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