Gate Keepers And Their Shiny New Keys...

The Gate Keepers jobs are changing.

The big news in the writing blogosphere this week is Agents Becoming Publishers. From a few testing out the brave new world of ebook publishing (see a previous blog post of mine) a couple of months ago, this week more agents are jumping into the publishing water. 

What does this mean for writers? 

Unscrupulous agents can take their 15% as agent and pass you on to their publishing arm which may take 50% as the publisher.  A few agents are renting their services out for flat fees. A writer must weigh up very carefully the pros and cons of traditional agent services and ‘new’ agent services....

Anne R Allen has written an excellent blog post looking at the new moves from the agents and weighing up the advantages for the writer. Writer Beware has a blog post examining the ethical issues surrounding the ‘new agency’ model. Elisabeth S Craig has a good post on why she is still keeping her agent under the traditional model. 

If you are in the market for an agent or thinking it may be a good idea in the future, read these and be aware of how agencies are changing in this brave new world.

Another big move this week was the launch of Pottermore, JK Rowling’s new website, ebook publisher, storefront and fan club all rolled into one site. Phyllis Miller comments upon the changes that the launch of Pottermore might have on the ebook marketplace...especially the ditching of DRM (Digital Rights Management) on the Potter ebooks. Publishers Weekly is taking a ho hum approach while commenting on how rare it is that a writer still has ebook rights...

If you have a successful brand, and J K Rowling does, why not look at what merchandising opportunities you can get out of it. You are a business after all. You have created the characters and the world etc etc...a range of clothing, mugs and stationary can be sold exclusively from your website. One of my favourite authors Jasper Fforde (NYT describes him as Harry Potter for grown ups) is doing it and if it is Ok for an Adult Writer to do it...surely a Children’s Writer can do it.

Joe Konrath has a great post on how to make your ebooks another storefront for your work. Put the blurb on the front cover...such simple advice.... Anne Allen has a post on the new trend of using ebooks as queries, and the reverse, Agents looking to rep successful ebook writers...sticky sticky.

In the craft corner,

The League Of Extraordinary Writers has a great post on Dystopian Rites of Passage.

Bob Mayer has taken a good look at great plot. You must get Primal!

Over on Craicerplus (My Amplify Page) I have links to articles on

5 Things More Important Than Talent- this is a great post...lots of comment on this.

Ten Terrifying Questions For Authors...how do the great and the good do it?

The Art Of Being Different-Justine Musk. Justine writes a wonderful blog and this article is a great self affirming read...because all of us writers are quirky and interesting, aren’t we?  

To finish,

I was having an email chat with Dylan Owen of The National Library of New Zealand (Children’s Collection) about being on a panel addressing the topic of whether storytelling was dead.(upcoming AGM of WCBA) 

In the conversation I referred to a problem I have been mulling over lately, the fact that traditional gate keepers seem to be reluctant to get involved in children’s ebook reviewing. Dylan was able to give me some hot off the press news. School Library Journal has started a new review blog looking at apps for children and Dylan was about to extend the School Library Service, Create Readers blog that reviews books to include ebooks...

So the Gate Keepers have some new hats to try on and some new shiny keys to play with...

maureen

pic The gates of Graceland.

Promote Inspiration....

This week the FaBo team were thrilled when we received an email from an ecstatic teacher telling us how the first week’s challenge had inspired the whole school.

All the senior classes and most of the middle school are doing it for writing now and hopefully they will all enter.  My breaktime FaBo group has stopped because they are all doing it in class.  Teachers have been using what they wrote in the in staff meeting as models for their children...  A couple of classes have been planning menus for your hamburger competition.  When I was on lunch duty today I could hear kids talking about Sher Lock while they were eating and a group of kids were in the library redrafting their stories at lunchtime.  I have put together a group of gifted and talented senior children to work with and have been given 90minutes release time a fortnight to do it.  I have never seen the staff so excited about writing! 

It is great to receive such positive feedback and to know that in our small way we have made an impact. 

Actually all the FaBo team did a happy dance and we have silly grin’s on our faces. Any author will tell you that an enthusiastic response from a reader (especially kids coz they are tough critics) is worth the sleepless nights and the hair pulling when we were crafting the story.

FaBo is an interesting experiment for us all. It is a chance to directly engage with the kids who read our books and stretch ourselves at the same time. We are learning about group blogging and marketing and the ‘keep at it, the rewards will come’ style of putting something new out there. (it’s a bit like writing really. It gets better.)  It is inspiring and challenging and fabbo. (sorry team couldn’t resist.)

Elizabeth Spann Craig has a guest post on Spunk On A Stick about promotion traditional and 21st century style. There are some good tips here so take a look.

How many books should you have written before you think of indie publishing? What kind of benchmarks do you need? Bob Mayer has written another thought provoking post which has generated much comment in the writing blogosphere.

Seth Godin’s Domino project has had a lot of attention in the past few months but this link is in the Holy Wow category. Seth links to Jenny Blake’s Spreadsheet for Book Promotion. It is a jaw dropping one stop shop from planning the cover to the book tour and everything in between. Click on the links and be amazed.

Jody Hedlund has taken the 'steady as she goes,' way to work out how much time you should spend  marketing your book.

Justine Musk has a brilliant post on the necessity to market yourself and how to keep your brand consistent. Are there lines and logos that you regularly use? (Hmm spot mine which I didn’t realise until I read Justine’s Post.)

In the craft corner,

What can Star Trek teach us about great writing. This is a comprehensive look at storytelling in the J J Abrams style.

Following on from last week... here is a link to creating QR Codes.

Over on Craicerplus (My Amplify Page) I have links to articles about

When Women Write Male Charaters

Would You Apply For This Job?.....( great job, pity about the pay.)

Thinking About Publishing On A Kindle....

On a new job note...The wonderful Storytime bookshop is for sale! (if you always wanted a specialist children’s bookshop...) We all hope the new owner will be just as great as Malcolm.

Chris Guillebeau writes one of the most inspiring blogs out there. I am a regular reader. This week he has written a great post about making money online. Many of his thousands of followers think it will rank in the all time top ten...what do you think?  

To finish,

When you get bunches of Children’s Writers and Illustrators together something wonderful always happens...From FaBo and the wacky writing challenge to our Inspiring Colleagues promoting this great message in the following video.

It Get’s Better!

enjoy,

maureen