What’s in a Name?

Yesterday, I changed the title of my blog. I also changed the domain name of my blog. And lastly, but most importantly, I changed my name. Why, you ask?  Age bias.

My given name is Lois. My mom just always liked that name. Since I started writing seriously, I set up a Google Alert and receive an email every time Lois Hoffman is mentioned on the web. The problem lies in the fact that nearly every week I get an email with an obituary for Lois Hoffman. Lois is an old fashioned name and I’m not old.

Publishers and agents are looking for writers that have their careers ahead of them. If you are not famous now when writing your first book, the people in charge of your fate as an author want to make sure you have the time and the energy to promote your book and write that next one. When they open up my manuscript, do they look at the name Lois Hoffman and trash it? Has a judgement already been handed down before my work has ever been read?

So, as a person who looks at life as a glass half full, I have made a choice. It’s an experiment really. While I can’t erase all existence of Lois without starting from scratch, my writer self can become someone else. I thought about J.K. Hoffman, but ultimately decided against it. Instead, I’ve become Emily (my middle name) – the younger, more vibrant, most definitely alive Emily Hoffman.

It’s going to take some work. I still have to change my bio, my twitter account, and who knows what else. Will it be worth it? Only time will tell. Look for me soon @emilyhoffmanDE on Twitter.

What does your name say about you? Do you think you are prejudged by your name in this fiercely competitive business?

Know the Writing Market

I met with my new critique group last month. There was lots of lively conversation, inspired critiquing, and snacks. I shared a couple of things with the group about an editor moving to another publisher or an agent that was looking something specific. It was met with, “How do you know this stuff?”  I told them I would share what I read about the writing market.  I’ll share it with you, too.

Before I do, it’s important to know why you should read these publications.

• If an editor moves to a different publisher, they are likely going to be looking for new manuscripts.
• Editors and agents may reveal what they are looking for.
• You know what is selling and what is struggling to sell.
• You don’t waste your time writing what has just been written.
• You’ll get an idea of how the marketing end of the business works.
• You’ll get valuable tips and techniques for writing the best manuscript you can.
• You get to know the players in the publishing industry. This is important to know when you rub elbows at a conference, send your manuscript, and want to market your published book.
• You don’t waste you stamps on publishers that have shuttered their doors.
• Agents and editors want to know that you not only can write, but understand the business of writing.

In no particular order, here are some publications that I read. I am a children’s writer. You’ll see some of those listed here, too.

• Writer’s Digest
• Publishers Weekly
• Writer’s Market Guides
• Publishers Lunch
• Children’s Book Insider
• Children’s Literature Newsletter
• The Writer
• SCBWI Magazine
• School Library Journal
• Poets and Writers

I also read tweets and blogs whenever I get the chance.  That’s for another post.

Don’t let all the reading get in the way of good writing. A great manuscript will always trump great market knowledge. But, set a little time aside for reading about writing and the business of writing. Don’t let lack of knowledge keep you from getting published.

What publications do you read to keep you informed?

Writing When It Counts

We’ve all been there. An issue nags us, tugs at us. We stay awake thinking about it or wake up brooding about it. Not sure of what to do, we turn to writing.

When the problems are small and personal, we write in our journals. It may just take a paragraph or a page, but it sometimes takes pages. After a while, we feel a little better. If not, we wake up the next day and write some more.

When the problems get bigger, the path is less clear. Our voices seem smaller and even feel mute. In your city or town or even on a larger scale, one little voice is hard to hear. As we found out in high school, we probably aren’t the only ones feeling like we do. That why it’s important to write.

Writing not only gives us a voice, it gives others permission to have a voice as well. A well placed letter to the editor will resonate with readers, evoking passions perhaps on both sides. This letter allows the more timid to speak up and the more vocal to focus. A letter to representatives, board members, or local leaders will solidify support for an issue or let them know your opposition.

There is a time to write because we love to and there is a time to write when it counts. Be active in your community, your schools, your neighborhoods. Lead with your actions and your words. Encourage others to use their voices, too. Dialogue can only happen when you are engaged.  Your message matters.  Speak up!

How has your writing been used to influence or persuade people?

World’s Bravest Bloggers

“You can live 4 months without food, 4 days without water, 4 minutes without air, but you can’t live 4 seconds without hope”

This quote was made by blogger and activist Dalia Ziada. Dalia was named one of the 17 Bravest Bloggers by the Daily Beast. She writes from and about Egypt during turbulent times in her home country.  She stood opposed to the ruling dictatorship and spoke openly to the people of Egypt and the world.   With so much to lose, she used her blog to illuminate the corruption and point to a different way of leading the country. She put herself on the line for the greater good.  Would you?

Dalia’s situation, along with the circumstances of all of the bloggers they highlighted, put them selves in danger. Real danger. Most of us do not. A majority of bloggers used their words to entertain, educate, or enlighten their readers. Some just rant on about mundane issues and use their blog space as a public diary. But all of us use our skills as writers to communicate…something.

While some bloggers have a large following, others are more modest. Would you risk losing your followers to stand up and really voice your opinion, even if it is not popular? Would you stand on the side of conscience even if it meant losing friends? Business? An election?

I find myself in such a situation. While the violence I might encounter would be equivalent to eggs being thrown at my house, the real damage might be more emotional. Speaking truth to power is a daunting task. Perhaps, in this case, a losing task.  In the next few weeks, I’ll stand on the side of conscience against powerful self-interest. I’ll stand up for the voiceless. And I’ll stand against my fear of losing friends and business. Because if I don’t speak, I’ll risk losing so much more: self respect.

I won’t be one of the world’s bravest blogger at the end of all of this. I won’t even be Delaware’s bravest blogger. But, I will use my voice as a writer to stand up for what I feel is right. And if all goes well, maybe my kids will vote for me as their bravest mother.

Using Pinterest for Inspiration

Just a week into using Pinterest, I’ve found it to be not only another way to suck time from busy day, but also to be a great source of inspiration for writing. Considering I’m a very visual thinker, Pinterest’s visual format is like coming home. Each picture has a story to tell. Listen closely and you’ll hear it, too.

Inspiration for Characters

From Leotine de Hollander

Inspiration for Scenes

From Nikoletaa Argirova

Obstacles for Characters

From Umah

Inspiration for Villains

From Marlene

Have you found inspiration using Pinterest? I love hearing comments.

Why Go To A Writer’s Conference?

Why spend the time, the money, and the energy to go to a writer’s conference? Is it really worth it? I believe the answer is yes. Here’s why.

Improve your writing

Writers at any level can improve their skills. While some conferences offer hands on classes, others talk about technique. But, simply listening to how different writers approach the writing process from brainstorming to outlining to revision can jar you loose from bad practices or just set you on a better course. Methods of building memorable characters or clarifying plot lines can move your manuscript from good to great. While there may be diminishing returns if you have been successfully published, the path to continue to get published is to keep growing in your craft.

Learn the business

Although writing is a craft, publishing is a business.  If you don’t know the game you are playing, you probably won’t win. At the recent SCBWI Conference, we were told that it is best sellers market. Over and over, the message was to put out the best possible work you can produce.  (See reason #1) But, the question is what is that exactly? The publishing industry is facing a time of immense change.  Find out the current trends, the open avenues, how to submit, what to submit, and how not to piss off an editor. Once you are published, even before you are published you need to learn how to market your work so that your book will do well. Fail at that and your next book might not get sold at all.

Network with others

It’s been said that you are 6 people away from the person you need to know in the publishing industry. It’s a little like the Kevin Bacon connection, but a lot more important. Your job at a conference is to meet people, talk with people, and suck up as much knowledge as you can. You will meet others in your genre or local area and have lunch. You’ll talk about writers you know, classes you know and they will tell you in return. Every contact at a conference is incredibly important to you as an author. You can’t afford to wait until you are published before you start making connections.

Energize yourself

The one things all conferences have in common is the energy you bring home.  You’ll have new tricks and technical knowledge that you’ll want to try on your own writing. You’ll have made connections you would like to foster.  But, maybe most importantly, you’ll have seen writers who have “made it.”  The ones that were once writers just like you. Now they are published authors, held on high with awards and accolades. You have dreams that it could be you someday. You are home and truly inspired.

Are you ready to go? Here are 2 writers conferences for children’s writers:

MD/WV/DE SCBWI Spring Conference March 31, 2012
Conference Website

NJ SCBWI Annual Conference – June 3, 4, 5, 2012
Conference Website

What do you think? Have been to one or more? Is it worth it?

You Can’t Judge a Book by it’s Cover

The Cover Letter Guy

We’ve all been told not to judge a book by it’s cover.  I agree that not everything is as it appears. Take for instance the stunning dress that turns a plastic mannequin into a supermodel, but makes you look like a guest on the Richard Simmons Show.

I absolutely judge an actual book by its cover.  Why wouldn’t you? If it’s got a bloody dagger on it, I’m guessing it’s not a comedy.  If it’s got curly-Q font with bunnies on it, my dad won’t like it.  If it has a couple embracing wearing period costumes, I’m guessing I’ll gag.

I have excluded lots of books simply because I don’t like the cover.  What have I missed?

Editors and agents judge a book by its cover letter. It must be short, to the point, and captivate the reader enough to to make him/her want to read the actual manuscript you spent half your life writing. If it does not dazzle, it follows that your story will not either.

While there are many resources for formatting your cover letter like The Purple Crayon or Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript by Cynthia Laufenberg, a few basics are in order.

• Include your name and contact info
• Include the actual name of the editor/agent – do your homework
• Include a compelling “hook” – a one sentence description that grabs the reader
• Include a brief engaging description of the story – 1-2 paragraphs
• Include genre, word count, and target audience
• Define how your manuscript will stand out in the marketplace
• Include your bio, if relevant, membership in writing associations, and any publishing credits – leave out that your kids loved your story
• Thank the reader for their time.
• Fit it all on one page

While there is some debate over whether some editors and agents actually read the cover letter, there is no question that it should be as good as the manuscript it proceeds.

Author Interview with Carol Larese Millward

Carol Larese Millward is the author of the YA novel Star in the Middle published by WestSide Books. Just after the birth of her son, Star tries to cope with her new reality as a teenage single parent.  Told in alternating points of view between Star and the father, Wil, each try and reconcile choices made and build a road for the future.

What lead you to write this story?

I worked with teen parents through two of Maryland Family Support Centers. I loved working with young families, but I was also struck by the impact an unplanned pregnancy can have on young lives. I wrote Star in the Middle to raise awareness about the difficulties teen parents face and the importance of teen pregnancy prevention programs.

Did alternating points of view make it more or less difficult to write?

Actually, it made it easier to write. Dual voices helped me focus on both parents and how each was dealing with the birth of their baby, how it changed their feelings for each other, and about themselves—and, of course, how they related to the baby in such different ways.

How has the novel been received?

I am so pleased when I visit teen book clubs and classrooms and hear the dialogue the book inspires! It was important to me to start a conversation about the issues my fictional characters face with young adults. I have heard good things from teen readers, educators and people working with teens, and adult readers. For reviews and comments from readers, please visit my website at www.carollaresemillward.com

What are the most important things you learned about marketing your book?

It’s important to get the word out early, long before the book is published. It’s an on-going process and it all takes time and energy. I love getting out there and talking about my book. It’s very important to me on so many levels!

Is there anything you wished you had known before you started writing this novel?

What an interesting question. I think Star in the Middle was the novel I was supposed to write. It felt right from the very beginning. I cared so deeply about the young families I worked with, and I continue to be committed to talking to teens about taking care of themselves and their dreams. That said, I wish I had known earlier that my character sketch of Star had the potential to be a novel!

Do you have an agent?  How did you find your publisher?

I don’t have an agent. I attended a SCBWI conference and had a manuscript critiqued by author, Beckie Weinheimer (Converting Kate). When information about WestSide Books crossed her computer screen, she encouraged me to send my manuscript. Star in the Middle was actually the second manuscript I submitted to WestSide Books. I am still revising the first!

What are you working on now?

I have several projects going. I’m still revising The Winged Moon, my first YA novel manuscript, and I’m writing another YA manuscript entitled Changing Colors. I have a Halloween picture book manuscript, Mrs. Shimmhog’s Broom, that I’m revising and hope to get in the mail in the next week or two.

Carol, thanks for taking the time to give us a peek behind the scenes.

This novel is a great way to create avenues for discussion about healthy lifestyle choices with the teens in your life. You can find out more about Carol and her debut novel, Star in the Middle at www.carollaresemillward.com.  Contact Carol about author visits and book club discussions. The book can be purchased on Amazon.com which, of course, you should do right now.

Are you a children’s or YA author?  Let’s tell the world about your hard work!  Leave a comment or send me an e-mail.

Just Breathe

With thunder rumbling overhead and rain pouring down, I feel like I’ve received a little gift from Mother Nature.  Games have been cancelled and errands delayed. The rush of spring has been put on hold, if only for a little while.  I guess I’ll  take this moment to breathe.

I’ve noticed that whenever I have taken a moment or stolen a moment, if necessary, the mind-clogging crapola of the day gets flushed out like a mental dose of Milk of Magnesia.  Bathroom metaphors aside, I feel more free to think and create when I take advantage of those few precious moments in the day, or month, to slow down and breathe.

While I’m not into Zen meditation, perhaps I can learn from the practice of stillness.  Of course, 5 minutes is my limit.  I’m in the perpetual state of ants-in-my-pants and I doubt that I could manage if I tried any longer.  Maybe that’s all I need.  Just 5 minutes to block out all the noise, both actual and emotional, that halt the creative process.  Just 5 minutes for a little sanity and clarity.

If you are into apps, there is a free one from Breathing Zone.  It is pretty no frills and for good reason.  Your goal is to concentrate on your breathing for 5 minutes and gradually slow down the rate of your breath.  While not nearly as much fun as Angry Birds, you may be more equipped to handled your children if they start acting like some.

The rain stopped and the thunder rumbled on to the east. My momentary respite is over.  I’m left with a lingering calm and a sink full of dishes.

Now it’s your turn. Breathe.

SCBWI Writers’ Conference Wisdom

I recently attended the SCBWI regional writers’ conference near Fredricksburg, Maryland.  There was a packed house of eager writers scribbling notes, hoping to absorb great wisdom from a few goddesses of the publishing world.  In case you didn’t make it, I scribbled a few notes myself.

Marilyn Brigham, editor from Marshall Cavendish, started the event.  Hardly a warm up act, her talk kept my pencil moving from the first utterance. I’ll highlight her tips, at least the ones I can read.

• Use powerful words and sentence structure.
• Repetition is bad. (You could feel the picture book authors gasping.  She later explained that she wasn’t talking about purposeful repetition.) Watch for words that keep creeping up in your language. (ie, though, just, so, really, etc.)
• Along the same lines, watch for echoes like unfair and unfairness or phrases like “of course”, “I was like,” and “I couldn’t help but wonder.”
• When fleshing out ideas for ideas for a story, mix it up and keep it fresh. Lots of stories or themes have been told over and over, but in a unique way.
• Don’t overstate the message in the story.
• Don’t use adult language in a children’s story.  Seems obvious, but she’s seen everything.
• Don’t use out of date language.
• Cliches – editors hate them – repeat – editors hate them.
• Cut out the clutter – adverbs are mostly unnecessary.  Watch for too many adjectives, too.
• Cut out unnecessary prepositions. “face up to the problem.”
• Cut out words that are implied. “tall skyscraper.”
• Use parallel sentence structure. “I came. I saw. I conquered.”
• Use active voice. “The letter was mailed by Dad.” vs. “Dad mailed the letter.”
• Look to the writers you admire.  Read. Read. Read.
• Writing is HARD WORK!

Thanks, Marilyn, for all of those great tips.

As tough as it is to give up the money and the time to go to a conference, it is part of how you become a writer – a better writer, that is.  One who can write a book, package it, sell it, and get it into the hands of readers, many of whom are writers. Thanks to Edie Hemingway and the rest of the SCBWI MD/DE/WV organizing team for putting on a such great conference.