Thursday, October 23, 2014
Deals and Demigods
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Being a Fan...
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Changing The Variables
enjoy,
maureen
Friday, March 6, 2009
Celebrating The Brilliance...
I have been contemplating publicity over the last couple of days...in the light of the NZ Post children’s book awards shortlist coming out.
First there was The DomPost, Wellington’s newspaper only printing the Wellington finalists...how parochial is that...we should be celebrating our collective national brilliance...then there was The Herald, Auckland’s newspaper making a right hash of the shortlist putting the wrong illustrators with the wrong books and leaving poor Melinda out completely.
I have passed several bookshops lately none of them have the list displayed in the window...ok they are chain stores but come on....celebrate the brilliance people!
So feeling a little disheartened about it all I started looking on the web at my usual link sites for some inspiration and to feel better as I broke my toe on Wednesday....
The lovely Madeleine of The Buried Editor came to my rescue with a brilliant post on author publicity from an editor and publishers perspective. She has her own little imprint at Blooming Tree Press called CBAY (Children’s Brain’s Are Yummy.) Here is a little snippet of what she has to say.
Besides, your book will never be as important to your publisher as it is to you, especially with your first book. Your book is most likely the only one you have coming out that year. Even at the smallest of presses, this is unlikely to be the case. With the big houses, you could be literally one book out of dozens being produced that month, much less over the year. And even at the small houses where your editor may have read the manuscript dozens of times, he/she still has not put in the kind of time, effort, or love that you have. And the house publicist may not have read the book at all. You are the best advocate for your book. You should take this responsibility seriously.
So, here are some things you can do to market your book:
Go and read the rest of her post Here.
This morning I heard our esteemed patron and all round good keen man, Jack Lasenby, speaking on National Radio, the interviewer asked him only question about his book, Old Drumble. I thought to myself ‘huh DomPost, I bet you want that interview I did for you on Jack now....’ They didn’t run it because they didn’t have space last June when Old Drumble came out. But it was an attempt to celebrate the brilliance...
I thought that I would post the book trailer that Brian Falkner has made for The Tomorrow Code because I think it is brilliant and he is shortlisted and really just to celebrate the brilliance...
maureen
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Honour and The Glory
The short list is out!....and to all those who made it WELL DONE...and wonderful how you managed to keep your lips sealed for three weeks....
The amount of Wellingtonians on this list is incredible! (so what were those muttering s last year about Wellington being overrepresented in the judging panel....Just look at the short list this year!- it would be cheaper to fly the finalists down to Wellington...than the huge bill to fly all the Wellington people north...)
For the Spinning Gold Conference Team....hats off to the two finalists!!! And look how many of our speakers there are on that great list...Not to mention our own dear Patron of the Wellington Children’s Book Association-Jack Lasenby.
Judging the winners is going to be a tough job!
Go Here to see the New Zealand Post Children's Book Award shortlist for 2009
Congratulations Melinda (waving madly over the blogosphere)
My fingers are wearing out from the congratulations emails that I have been sending....
New Zealand should be celebrating the brilliance!!!
maureen
Pic is the Rugby World Cup Trophy....the William Webb Ellis trophy...ah if only the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards were as well known.....
Sunday, August 10, 2008
'Dem Bones'
Author...mind blank...
Emily...got you back Em
John McIntyre and his amazing bookshop...
Trish...
Jack Lasenby...
Bones is launched!
It was a dark and stormy night...the rain turned into hail and back into rain again, unable to make up its mind, while inside The Children’s Bookshop, Kilbirnie, a sleepy little hamlet, an interesting group of people gathered to launch a small novel that was not a chapter book!
How’s that for an entry in the Bulwer Lytton contest for the worst opening line of a book.
Meanwhile the real report of the night goes as follows...
It was a dark and stormy night....
Wellington turned on its wild weather to launch Bones. The author wishes to thank all the people who ‘braved the elements’ (actually given the state of the weather outside the author is amazed and humbled that people would venture out in it to come and celebrate with her.)
I tried to get around everyone there to thank you personally but if I missed you in the crowd please pat yourself on the back... getting there was a mission!
Jack Lasenbys speech was amazing!
I have seen Jack launch two books before, both of them far more worthy than mine, and he has always left the author speechless. I was so glad that I had written a few notes because when I had to lift my head and face you all...my mind was a total blank...Thank goodness for two year old Ella who filled the silence with her own little speech so her mother could collect her scattered wits. I figured that Jacks speech would be short because the book is A SMALL NOVEL, (yes Jack that is imprinted now...it is NOT A CHAPTER BOOK) Jack took me by surprise when he drew so many parallels with the great children’s books...while he was speaking I kept thinking wow that author must be pretty good, I must buy it...and then something dropped in my head (not a penny, more like an anvil) as I realised that he was talking about me and my small novel.
I didn’t talk about the book, just thanked people really, but for those of you who don’t know the books history. I wrote it in 99. It was liked by a publisher but they felt that my characters needed to be more developed so I put it away and worked on something else, children, another novel etc.
I pulled it out last year and rewrote part of it and the word count climbed from 10.200 to 10,500 ish (more characterisation you understand.)and sent it out to Penguin. I didn’t hear anything for six months so I rang to say “I guess you don’t want it.”
“We want it,” came the reply, “but can you cut 2000 words out by next week.” So out came the characterisation and a few other things. It was accepted after my editor, Catherine O’Loughlin, who did a great job, cut out another 2000 words...
It is a great skill, being able to cut words out and have the author read it and say...”but I thought you were cutting out lots of words.” My husband has this skill...(so why didn’t I give it to him, amazing editor that he is!...I wanted to do it myself...stupid huh!)
I’ll put in my speech notes here...you can fill in the gestures and the rest of the ad libbing and other asides. A note for those who were there, The waiata, Emily, leader of my music group wanted me to sing, probably would have been nice and formal maybe in Latin or Maori and more suited to a BIG novel...so I will save it up for another time...(probably Emily is about to make me pay for it today at Mass.) I thought ‘Dem Bones’ was more appropriate.
Here is the speech and some pictures.
Book launch speech
A book launch is a bit like a wedding or a funeral there are so many people here from different facets of my life.
I’d like to Thank Jack Lasenby for officially launching the book. I was asked a few months ago why I love his work so much...I relive my childhood while reading his books. If you grew up in the country you saw drovers and mobs of sheep and cattle, and you certainly met some of Jacks characters...
I’d also like to Thank John and Ruth McIntyre...everybody has a story to tell of the first time they came into this shop.
My first time, I was looking for one good book to read to my class. John, consummate master of putting his hand on the right book, let me leave with only eight.
Ruth is definitely his match, all the committee meetings held in this shop, and just as you finish... Ruth says “have you seen the latest...
I’d like to Thank my family for putting up with me, especially my husband. He goes over my writing with a fine grammatical comb. He’s an expert at his job... rates reasonable.
There are lots of people in this room who have provided inspiration and encouragement over the years. They know who they are...(no you aren’t in this book but there are other books...)
I would particularly like to Thank the Wellington Children’s Book Association. It’s ten years since I joined the WCBA and the people I’ve met, the panels and visiting overseas authors make the business of being a writer so much more enjoyable. There have been quite a few people, over the years in the association, whose encouragement and friendship in writing have meant a lot to me. They are mostly still on the committee or past committee members. Those who can’t make it sent their congratulations through. Kate de Goldi, who said eight years ago, You be the convenor, you’ll have time...I was eight months pregnant at the time....is away celebrating her parents golden wedding anniversary. Fleur Beale and Janice Marriott both asked why I was having a launch when they were at other ends of the country and couldn’t be here.
Every writer has a mentor...who cheers you on ... tells you your writing is crap... gives you inspiration and listens to your moaning... I’ve dedicated this book to that person.
maureen