OK, here's my question - yes YA is hot now, but what are the forecasts for next year (with the thought that if I'm working on my YA now, it gets bought, and then takes 12-18 months to pub, will I have missed the boat)? I didn't see the end of chick lit until it was too late. Your thoughts, o wise one?
Hey Mia! For those of you who don't know the fabulous Mia King, who sent in this question, check out her wonderful blog. Of course, she's in Hawaii, so it's probably a lot easier to be fabulous and wonderful out there than it is anywhere else!
Oh geez, if I could answer this question, I'd have the million-dollar book deal, right? I think it's basically impossible to predict because, I mean, who can say what might resonate with the public. Did anyone foresee that a boy wizard become a worldwide phenomenon a few years ago? Probably not. Did anyone anticipate that paranormal vampires would recently take a bite out of the market? (Hey, give me the bad pun already!) I doubt it.
So..man...I dunno. I'm hoping that the trend toward commercial women's fiction continues - you know, women who want smart characters but still lively and diverting plots, and I have to believe that since there are so many intelligent, well-read women in our country, that this will always be a staple in the publishing industry. But the next big thing? I have no idea! (Of course, Mia, I know you were asking this hypothetically and would never write in anticipation of a trend, but it goes without saying that what you should do is write a good book - the best book you can, regardless of "what's hot," and then the rest will follow.)
But I wanted to post this because I bet that A LOT of readers have better ideas than I do! So what say you, oh wise readers? What's the next big thing?
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
I'm Booked on Book Keeping!
I'm super-excited...today, I'm the featured new article on MediaBistro. (Okay, I'M not the article, but the article is all about moi.) Check it out in Book Keeping. I can't remember the entire interview exactly (and haven't yet seen the completed piece), but the general gist is my road to publication...and the interviewer asked a lot of questions, so I'm sure that there are more details there than I might have noted here.
Also, our dog, Pedro, is finally famous! We knew he had it in him. In fact, my husband, who is mildly (and perhaps clinically) nuts, has conceived an entire movie series around him in which Pedro becomes a dog vampire at night. (He calls it Count Barkula. Don't ask. I love him or else I'd flee.) But that's neither here nor there. The point is that GalleyCat will be using Pufro's (that's what my son calls him) picture to promote the Book Keeping article later today. Check it out!
So, does anyone else's beloved spouse do equally inane things...or is it just me? :)
Also, our dog, Pedro, is finally famous! We knew he had it in him. In fact, my husband, who is mildly (and perhaps clinically) nuts, has conceived an entire movie series around him in which Pedro becomes a dog vampire at night. (He calls it Count Barkula. Don't ask. I love him or else I'd flee.) But that's neither here nor there. The point is that GalleyCat will be using Pufro's (that's what my son calls him) picture to promote the Book Keeping article later today. Check it out!
So, does anyone else's beloved spouse do equally inane things...or is it just me? :)
Monday, July 30, 2007
A Little Reflection...
So the lovely Larramie, of Seize A Daisy, tagged me two weeks ago, and handed me a Blogger Reflection Award, which basically means, she named the blog as one of the five blogs that brighten her day, infuse her brain and generally make her say hmmm. Here's a direct quote: "Five Bloggers who when you reflect on them you get a sense of pride and joy… of knowing them and being blessed by them.” I'm so honored! I adore Larr, and for those of you who haven't checked out her blog, you should. Hers is a cool blend of writing discussion and every day rumination. She's a smarty, that one. (And I don't say that often!)
Okay, so, here is my list, in no order whatsoever. Larr's would have made it, but alas, as I understand the rules, I can't tag back the person who tagged me. Or else these awards would end up being pretty self-congratulatory, no? :)
1) The Debutante Ball. Duh. I adore these sassy gals - I was nearly one of them until I realized that my commitments were about to boil over like a pot left unattended, and I threw my hat over to Anna David. These lovely ladies opine on just about every subject under the sun, and since they've all written novels to great acclaim (seriously, I've seen incredible promotion for every last one of them), you know that what they have to say will be packed with fabulous prose.
2) Karen Lynch's Discussing Breast Cancer. No! Don't flee at the mention of "cancer." Instead, peruse Karen's fabulous blog (and I'm not saying that simply because she's currently reading my book) to hear about her personal experience with the disease. If you've ever been touched by cancer in any way, you'll be amazed at how her insights resonate.
3) The Renegade Writer. Okay, confession time: Diana and Linda are two pals of mine, but hey, in this case, I say that I'm happy to be defined by the company I keep. These two industry-savvy pros dish out more writing goodness than should be allowed, and they do so with humor and down-to-earthiness (yeah, I made that up) that appeals to every level of writer.
4) Jennsylvania by Jen Lancaster. This is where I head when I need some spit-coffee through my nose humor for the day. You all know Jen from her snark-worthy books, the most recent being Bright Lights, Big Ass, and I know Jen from those too, as well as through her biting emails that occasionally land in my in-box and never cease to crack me up. Jen's blog is up there in my to-check list, along with Dlisted and Just Jared.
5) Conversations With Famous Writers. Before I got published, I'd read these interviews with "famous writers" with revelry and awe. Now that I'm published, I read them to see what I can learn (well, I suppose I did that before too), as well as to check out what I have in common, in terms of the publishing experience, with from these fellow authors. I dunno, sometimes writers seem like friends whom you don't yet know, and Cindy, the blogger, has a way of assuring you that if you met these writers in person, indeed, you guys would be pals. And then there's the flip-side: sometimes these authors seem so unattainable/untouchable, and you're just totally psyched to be reading a Q/A with them in which they discuss something as mundane as changing their kid's diapers.
So...those are 5. BUT, you know, I feel weird doing this because I read so, so many more wonderful blogs out there, and I guess I had to choose, and based my decision on diversity, etc. (Ergo: I didn't want them all to be about writing life, etc!) Hey, I LOVE YOU ALL! (Can you tell I'd be a worse American Idol than Paula? Minus the booze, pills, etc...)
Okay, so, here is my list, in no order whatsoever. Larr's would have made it, but alas, as I understand the rules, I can't tag back the person who tagged me. Or else these awards would end up being pretty self-congratulatory, no? :)
1) The Debutante Ball. Duh. I adore these sassy gals - I was nearly one of them until I realized that my commitments were about to boil over like a pot left unattended, and I threw my hat over to Anna David. These lovely ladies opine on just about every subject under the sun, and since they've all written novels to great acclaim (seriously, I've seen incredible promotion for every last one of them), you know that what they have to say will be packed with fabulous prose.
2) Karen Lynch's Discussing Breast Cancer. No! Don't flee at the mention of "cancer." Instead, peruse Karen's fabulous blog (and I'm not saying that simply because she's currently reading my book) to hear about her personal experience with the disease. If you've ever been touched by cancer in any way, you'll be amazed at how her insights resonate.
3) The Renegade Writer. Okay, confession time: Diana and Linda are two pals of mine, but hey, in this case, I say that I'm happy to be defined by the company I keep. These two industry-savvy pros dish out more writing goodness than should be allowed, and they do so with humor and down-to-earthiness (yeah, I made that up) that appeals to every level of writer.
4) Jennsylvania by Jen Lancaster. This is where I head when I need some spit-coffee through my nose humor for the day. You all know Jen from her snark-worthy books, the most recent being Bright Lights, Big Ass, and I know Jen from those too, as well as through her biting emails that occasionally land in my in-box and never cease to crack me up. Jen's blog is up there in my to-check list, along with Dlisted and Just Jared.
5) Conversations With Famous Writers. Before I got published, I'd read these interviews with "famous writers" with revelry and awe. Now that I'm published, I read them to see what I can learn (well, I suppose I did that before too), as well as to check out what I have in common, in terms of the publishing experience, with from these fellow authors. I dunno, sometimes writers seem like friends whom you don't yet know, and Cindy, the blogger, has a way of assuring you that if you met these writers in person, indeed, you guys would be pals. And then there's the flip-side: sometimes these authors seem so unattainable/untouchable, and you're just totally psyched to be reading a Q/A with them in which they discuss something as mundane as changing their kid's diapers.
So...those are 5. BUT, you know, I feel weird doing this because I read so, so many more wonderful blogs out there, and I guess I had to choose, and based my decision on diversity, etc. (Ergo: I didn't want them all to be about writing life, etc!) Hey, I LOVE YOU ALL! (Can you tell I'd be a worse American Idol than Paula? Minus the booze, pills, etc...)
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