INSIDE THE LITERARY DELIVERY ROOM

   Ever wondered how books are printed and what a modern printing press looks like? For most of us writers, we've never even been inside our publisher's offices much less where the books are printed. So, here's a quick and fascinating peek at the birth of a children's book, UK author Helen Ward's Snutt the Ift from Little Pickle Press.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF SACAJAWEA BOOK

    My new picture book biography for Goosebottom Books, Sacajawea of the Shoshone, will be released in October 2012. I'm very excited to reveal a sneak preview of the cover.

   Check back here for announcements of my blog tour, book giveaways, discounts and more!

THINKING OF STARTING A BLOG TOUR?

   So, you have a book coming out? First of all, CONGRATULATIONS! That's a huge accomplishment. And you thought the hard work was done! It really is just beginning. Marketing and Promoting is not usually a writer's forte, but it's the reality in today's publishing climate. So, where do you start to get buzz? A blog tour is a good option. If you arrange one on your own, you can do it from your own home, and it's relatively inexpensive. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind:


1) Find blogs that mirror what you do. For example, I write children's books, so I'd look for blogs that blog about or review children's books.
2) Choose a schedule that works for you. Do you want to have a blog post every day for a month? That might entail finding 30 different bloggers to host you. Or maybe you just want to have a blog post twice a week.
3) Follow your targeted blogs for awhile to see if the posts/guest posts are in line with your expectations. Remember, anyone can set up a blog out there, so all blogs are not made equal. Do those blogs share the same philosophy? Goals? Are they well-written?Professional in tone or presentation (having a post on a sloppy, amateurish blog can reflect on your book and image as an author too)?
4) Offer something in exchange. A free signed copy of your book that the hosts can use for a giveaway. Promote their blogs on your social media sites and your website. Offer to guest blog for them or host them for any future book tours.


Here are some helpful sites I've found to get your blog tour started and for finding those bloggers:


The Quickest Blog Tour Guide Ever
The Book Publicity Blog
A Blogger's Books
KidLitoSphere Central
Dear Editor.com


Happy Blog Touring!

HOW EDITORS READ SUBMISSIONS

   As a writer, sometimes what happens on the editor or agent side of things is such a mystery. Why didn't your submission get accepted? Do they really read everything that comes through? What do they look for? Here's one editor's inside view. By the way, my friend Sandie Sing, posted this on Facebook, and it's a gem of a blog with interesting musings and tips from authors and editors. So, I'm happy to pass along for your reading pleasure: The Blue Rose Girls blog.

AHH...THE ELUSIVE CONTRACT FINALLY SIGNED!

   Yay! Finally inked my contract with Charlesbridge Publishing.We had done so much editing prior to acquisitions that there were only a few minor tweaks my editor Alyssa Pusey wanted to make. I'm currently working on some back matter (author's note etc.) and eagerly awaiting to see who the illustrator would be. The book is slated for a Jan. 2014 release.

BANANA PEELIN' MY WAY TO PUBLICATION

    I am a guest blogger on Elizabeth Stevens Omlor's blog Banana Peelin' today. It's about the trials and tribulations of getting Goldy Luck and the Three Chans through acquisitions to a signed contract (or contracts as it turned out to be). Publishing can be a long—very long—arduous road, but good things can come to those who wait. So, believe in your story, believe in yourself, keep working on your craft, and never give up!

REDWOOD WRITERS PLAYWRITING CONTEST

   For all you aspiring playwrights out there, the Redwood Writers Club (the Northern California branch of the California Writer's Club, one of the oldest writers' club in the nation), is having their 2nd Annual Playwriting contest. Submit a ten-minute play for a chance to see it produced and performed. It's short, it's fun, and there's nothing like seeing your words come to live on stage. My play "Offing the Witness" was one of 6 selected last year, and I am honored to say that I was asked to be one of the judges this year. Click here for rules and submission guidelines.
   Never written a ten-minute play before? Here are a few sites to get you started:
How to Write a 10-Minute Play
Ten Minute Play Structure
How to Write a Good Ten Minute Play

BOOK REVIEW—Stormin' Norman, a Soggy Doggy

        In Andy Allen’s Stormin’ Norman, the Soggy Doggy, a quiet walk on a warm summer day leads to near-disastrous results when Norman falls into a fast-moving creek while fetching a stick. Unable to swim back to shore, he is quickly swept downstream and his owner, Andy must dive in to save his best friend.

This gentle story about a boy’s bond with his beloved dog is complemented by vibrant, eye-catching illustrations by Brian Barber. Effective picture books are marriages between the text and illustrations, and some of the artwork in this book reveals why. When Andy grabs what he thinks is a stick in the water, the picture shows what the text doesn’t say, that the stick is attached to a big log under the surface, and as the log floats away from shore, its weight carries the hapless pooch with it. Children with pets at home will certainly relate to the tale of Andy’s heroic efforts to rescue his dog and recognize the loyalty that is borne out of unconditional love. 

  Although rhymes can be fun to read for little ones, and if done well, kids get caught up in the musical cadence, it is an extremely difficult thing to accomplish. Rhymed verses and poems are a different ball of wax altogether. But trying to fit an entire story into rhyming meter takes tremendous skill and a highly attuned ear. Few writers can make it sound natural. Dr. Seuss and, more recently, Alice Schertle (her rhyming book, Little Blue Truck, is a big favorite in our house) are two that come to mind when I think of great rhyming books.

There are moments when the rhyming in Stormin’ Norman rolls off the tongue, “But this day was sunny, the weather was grand. Andy called Norm with a leash in his hand.” The next two, though, illustrates the unevenness of the rhyming that can occur when you try to force the rhyme to fit the story: “Then Andy set off with his dog by his side, And his puppy excitement, Norm just could not hide.” and shouldn’t it really be “Then Andy sets off...?” to make the verb match the personal pronoun?

The story also begins with a man (we presume it’s an older Andy) telling a young boy a story; the ending would have been a little more satisfying if it had ended with (or “come back to the beginning”) the man wrapping up the story for the boy. As it is, readers are left wondering who that little boy was in the beginning and what happened to him?

Apart from the distraction of the uneven rhyming, the book’s humor will appeal to kids, from Norman’s tug-of-war with the stick to a fish donning the glasses Andy lost in his rescue attempt.  And what kid who’s ever owned a dog, can’t take a big sigh of relief when Norman is safe on dry land, and back with his loving owner Andy?

Book Reviewer for BookPleasures.com

WINNER OF THE CIXI, THE DRAGON EMPRESS CHINESE NEW YEAR GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCED!

     Congratulations to Ryan Keith of Kirksville, Missouri who was one of 685 people who entered the GoodReads Cixi, The Dragon Empress Chinese New Year giveaway. Ryan will be receiving a free signed copy of the book.

BOOK REVIEW—A Lesson My Cat Taught Me

     I am now reviewing books for BookPleasures.com. This week's book review is Saul Weber's book, A Lesson My Cat Taught Me.

     A Lesson my Cat Taught Me is a chapter book for early readers by Saul Weber. This is the author’s brief summary of the book: Jennifer and her mother find a friendly, abandoned cat.  They soon discover it only has one eye. Jennifer calls the cat Uno, and learns that despite its disability, Uno is capable of doing more things than her other cat, Mr. Tickles. When Hillary, who is in a wheelchair, joins her class, Jennifer sees her as a friend rather than a girl with a disability because of what Uno has taught her.

     The black and white sketches by Nancy Lepri lends the book a sweet, simple feel that harkens back to books we grew up with 30 years ago. The message the author is trying to convey—that kids with disabilities are no different than other kids, and Jennifer learns this lesson through observing her “disabled” cat—has great appeal, and it is a lesson of tolerance and friendship we hope that kids of all ages will take to heart.

     This is a self-published book, and while there may be many talented self-published authors in the book world, the lack of editorial oversight is often a problem. In A Lesson My Cat Taught Me, punctuation errors, typos, missing words only serve to pull the reader out of the story and provide distractions I’m sure Mr. Weber did not intend.

     While the story is a sweet one and the characters are likeable, the pacing is somewhat slow because of lengthy passages of dialogue where much of the exchange is between Jennifer and her mother about feeding the cat or changing its litter. Uno’s disability is that it only has one eye, hence the name. I had expected that Uno would somehow overcome the challenge of seeing with one eye, and that the “lesson” she teaches Jennifer is about how she adapted to the disability of her impaired vision. However, the tricks Uno performs with Jennifer’s patient coaxing has to do with selecting which hand Jennifer is hiding the treats or begging for a treat. For me, this diluted the “lesson” of Uno dealing with its handicap.

     The relationship between Jennifer and Hilary, the new girl in school with a wheelchair, has the potential for encouraging kindness, tolerance, and acceptance of others different from ourselves. It’s a little too quickly glossed over, and I would have liked to see the author spend more time on developing this friendship and on how Hilary either triumphs over her disability or not let it impede her, and less time on Uno’s tricks and eating habits.

     A Lesson My Cat Taught Me could have benefitted from some tight editing, but overall, the book’s message is well-needed, and it truly is a sweet story.

Reviewer for BookPleasures.com

YEAR OF THE DRAGON

    Kung Hei Fat Choi! The Year of the Dragon. Cixi, the last empress of China was nicknamed "The Dragon Empress" because of her supposed greed, lust for power, and notorious bad temper. However, this term was probably coined by Western journalists as Dragons in Chinese folklore are not the fierce, fire-breathing beasts of Western literature. Rather, they're benevolent creatures—rulers of the Heavens and Oceans. They're water symbols and are considered good luck because they can bring the rain and good harvest.
   If you're born in the Year of the Dragon, you're passionate, brave, enterprising, tactless, conceited and quick-tempered. Find out more about the Chinese horoscope here.
   Some Chinese New Year rituals of note: clean your house from top to bottom, resolve old arguments and pay off any debts before the New Year to start the year off with a clean slate. But do not sweep your floor on New Year's Day lest you sweep your good luck away. 
   Luck and wealth are significant New Year themes. Common gifts on this holiday are "lucky" red envelopes given by married people and the older generation to children and unmarried people. It's a wish for a prosperous year, but the act of giving red envelopes is also supposed to bring the giver and receiver good luck. Potted peach blossoms make beautiful adornments for the home, but also symbolize fertility. The more blooms on Chinese New Year, the better. Tangerines because of their round shape and orange color resemble gold coins, so signify wealth.
   The Chinese New Year feast consists of foods that represent certain prized qualities either based on the sound of the Chinese character for that food (for example the word for fish sounds like the word for abundance and so represents prosperity when eaten) or on their appearance (noodles or sea moss symbolize longevity because of their length). Dumplings like pot stickers look like the old Chinese yen, so symbolize wealth. My favorite Chinese New Year food item is turnip cakes. Actually made from daikon radish, and not turnips, they symbolize "rising fortune" or "good omen". Here is a great turnip cake recipe I use.

Turnip cake batter—rice flour, chinese sausage
green onions, dried shrimp and cilantro

Turnip cakes after steaming

Yum! Fried in oil and ready to eat!

Home made potstickers

Pot stickers in the pan

    

THE ELEPHANT QUEEN

   My article on Lek Chailert, known around the world as the Elephant Queen, has been published in the January issue of Faces magazine. The article profiles Lek's great love and compassion for the endangered Asian elephant, and her commitment to saving them from abuse, returning them to their natural surroundings, and preserving their dwindling habitat. To this end, Lek and her husband, Adam, founded Elephant Nature Park in 1995 as an elephant sanctuary. Once numbering around 400,000 in Thailand alone, there are less than 30 - 40,000 Asian elephants on the planet!
   These gentle giants need all the help they can get if they are to survive. They can eat up to 650 lbs. of food a day which is the equivalent of about 2,600 hamburgers! The upkeep can be pretty costly, especially since many of them have been abused and enter the sanctuary with injuries. There are vet bills, medicines, equipment etc. If you're interested in saving the Asian Elephant from extinction, please visit The Elephant Nature Park website for more information, and how you can help.

  




   

WIN A FREE, SIGNED COPY OF CIXI, THE DRAGON EMPRESS

   Chinese New Year is Jan. 23 this year, the year of the Water Dragon. Want to win a free, signed copy of Cixi, The Dragon Empress? Enter the Goodreads.com giveaway:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Cixi the Dragon Empress

by Natasha Yim

Giveaway ends January 24, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

And while you're at it, try your hand at this fun Cixi, The Dragon Empress quiz.

A QUICK RECAP

   Wow! I can't believe it"s been awhile since I've entered a post. Life has been extremely busy, and for awhile so was the promotion for the book. It'll take me forever to catch up on everythiing that's gone on in the last 3 months, so here's a quick recap, and then on to my New Year's resolution to set a consistent blogging schedule. This year, I also plan to post more reviews of books, particularly children's books, as I am now reviewing books for BookPleasures.com, and also posting various writing wisdoms that I have gathered from around the blogosphere.
   Following on the heels of Goosebottom Books' successful launch at the Book Passage in Corte Madera, we held a launch party in Ukiah where Gretchen Maurer (Mary Tudor, Bloody Mary), Shirin Yim Bridges (Agrippina and the publisher of Goosebottom Books), and I were the authors present. We had a fantastic turn out! It was truly wonderful to see all our friends and families, writing and literature friends in the audience. We presented our dames, signed books, held a raffle where the proceeds went to our public library, and generally, had a very good time.

Setting up for the event

What a great turn out!

Presenting Cixi, The Dragon Empress

Gretchen Maurer (L), Shirin Yim Bridges (C) and me (R) with our
Dastardly Dames' books.

      In November, Gretchen and I did a blog tour with World of Ink Tours, which included an interview on Blogtalkradio.

Listen to internet radio with WorldOfInkNetwork on Blog Talk Radio

Then in early December, I finally received the offer of terms from Charlesbridge Publishing for Goldy Luck and the Three Chans which my agent, Karen Grencik, is still negotiating. Sheesh! It takes forever, but looking at all the language requests she's made of Charlesbridge, half of which I don't understand, I'm so glad I have an agent to wade through the legalese.

THE THINKING GIRL'S TREASURY OF DASTARDLY DAMES OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES AT THE BOOK PASSAGE, CORTE MADERA!

A good turn out at the Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA.

   The Dastardly Dames book launch in Corte Madera was finally here! I'd been practicing my spiel on Cixi for the last few days. Public speaking is not my thing, although I'm getting better at it.  Naturally I was nervous, but I was glad to have the other Dastardly Dame authors to share this with. 
   Our event began with a major glitch—it's Fleet Week in San Francisco, and Shirin Bridges (publisher of Goosebottom Books and author of Agrippina), and Janie Havemeyer (author of Catherine de'Medici) were stuck in heavy traffic south of the Golden Gate Bridge. The venue at the Book Passage in Corte Madera was nicely set up with signing tables for the Dames authors, and a table for coffee, juice, milk, and food. Unfortunately, the food was with Shirin in traffic. There were already people milling around, and Goosebottom Books' assistant, Ann Edwards, and the other authors were there, so we made the best of things, and kept in touch with Shirin by phone. 
   My first public speaking attempt was at 4:15 pm., 15 mins. after the event was to start, to announce to the crowd that we were off to a late start because two of our authors were not here yet. Janie finally made it through and arrived about 20 or 25 mins. after the event was about to begin, but we were still hoping that Shirin would get here for the start of the presentations. After speaking with the bookstore event coordinator, however, we decided we had to begin as they had another event afterwards, and we didn't want to make people wait too long. 


All the authors did a fantastic job on their presentations.  It was so much fun listening to their dames' stories, and to be a part of this fabulous team of authors.  Cixi, The Dragon Empress being the last woman in the chronological timeline was last, and Shirin did make it towards the end of my presentation to talk about 

From L. to R.: Goosebottom Books editorial assistant,
Ann Edwards; my friend, Richard Loo; my brother,
 Jason Yim and his girlfriend, Sylvia Rodriguez. 

   Goosebottom Books and Agrippina. She was amazingly smooth and unruffled in spite of the stress of dealing with the traffic and being late to the Goosebottom Books event! 

At my book signing table

More book signings!

   We also had a terrific time signing books afterwards and chatting with our friends and family. My parents came with Shirin, but fortunately, they were able to listen to a bit of my presentation and see me on the podium. My brother, Jason, and his girlfriend, Sylvia, brought her parents all the way up from L.A. What a treat! And a few of my writing friends from the Green Gulch retreat also came.
   All in all, we had a great turnout, and the Book Passage people were happy because many of the book titles were sold out!

Speaking about Cixi, The Dragon Empress with Shirin Yim Bridges 
looking amazingly unruffled after her fight with Fleet Week traffic

   
   

FINALLY! HAPPILY EVER AFTER FOR GOLDY LUCK?

   Woo Hoo!!!! My agent called me this morning with great news! And she worried she was calling too early. No, Karen [Grencik], you can call me at 2 am. with this kind of news!! Charlesbridge Publishing has decided to acquire Goldy Luck and the Three Chans!! What a long road it has been for this manuscript! Just a little recap: it was submitted to Tricycle Press in 2006. Three editors and three and a half years later, Tricycle offered me a contract, but Random House (which had fairly recently acquired Tricycle) decided to close down the imprint. The axe fell quickly. The sad news was released to editors and authors in November 2010, and the editors and staff were gone by the end of January. Out of 30 odd books that were under contract through 2012, Random House may have kept 2 or 3. Goldy Luck was not one of them.
   But onwards and forwards, as they say. So, I sent it to my former editor at Charlesbridge, Yolanda Scott, who reaffirmed that Charlesbridge does not publish a lot of fairy or folk tales, but she liked the multi-cultural theme. She passed the story along to editor Alyssa Pusey who contacted me in March 2011, and indicated she really liked the story. She wrote me a long editorial letter, and I made revisions based on her suggestions. However, after some deliberations at their acquisitions meeting, the Marketing Department was unsure whether Charlesbridge should take the leap into publishing a fractured fairy tale. But, they decided to not make a decision, and shelve it till the fall.
   In June, as luck would have it, Alyssa was going to be at the ALA convention, and we met up for lunch to review the manuscript once more. In the meantime, Karen submitted Goldy Luck to several publishers. Unfortunately, we had two rejections, and never heard back from any of the others.
   But I think Charlesbridge is meant to have this story. I really enjoyed working with them on Otto's Rainy Day, and they treat their authors very well, so I'm ecstatic! Alyssa will be getting the contract to Karen in a couple of weeks.
   This fairy tale may finally have it's Happily Ever After.


The moral? Don't give up. Perseverance is a writer's greatest tool.

"OFFING THE WITNESS" IS HEADING TO SINGAPORE!

   Just got an email today from the director of the Short+Sweet Festival Singapore that my ten-minute play, "Offing the Witness" has been selected for their 2011 festival. The festival runs the first two weekends in December, so unfortunately, I won't be able to see it. Besides, I was just in that part of the world, so even if I was available, probably wouldn't incur the expense to fly out there.
   However, I've passed it along to my family, and they in turn have passed it along to Singapore relatives/connections. It's also close enough to Kuala Lumpur that my Mom said she might head down to Singapore to see it. 
   I'm hoping that I'll get a taping of it so I can post it here. 
   I'll be posting updated show times when I get them. Stay tuned!

SONOMA BOOK FAIR

   Beautiful day at the Sonoma Book Fair today! Last year, it was blistering hot at this event. We had a good spot under a shady tree, but I felt sorry for those who appeared to be sweltering in the heat. This year, though, it was so cool and breezy that I had to keep my sweater on most of the day.

   Goosebottom Books shared a booth with K.O. Books, the publishing imprint of author/illustrator, Kathryn Otoshi, the author of the popular One and Zero books, and publisher of our very own goose, Liz Hockinson's (Marie Antoinette, Madame Deficit) first book, Marcello, The Movie Mouse. Dastardly Dame Goose, Mary Fisk Pack (Cleopatra, Serpent of the Nile) arrived in full Cleopatra garb and looked absolutely fab. Cleopatra was definitely our big seller today!

   At noon, I headed to the Redwood Writer's Circle where I got to set up at a book-signing table. Not much in terms of sales there, but I had fun chatting with the two writers at the tables next to me. I did sell one Otto's Rainy Day though. Ah well. One is better than none.
   Mary and Liz did a reading of their books at the children's circle. It was very fun to listen to. Great job, Lady Geese!
   I think overall, Goosebottom Books had a decent day in sales, and we all had fun wallowing in the literary atmosphere.

GREEN GULCH FARM WRITER'S RETREAT

   This retreat is always such a "treat". Since March, when I stayed the extra Thursday night for the first time, I've decided to stay the three nights whenever I can. It makes a huge difference having that additional day to write uninterrupted, and it doesn't feel as rushed. It's hard to get much writing done on the first day because I'm trying to get settled in, and I'm tired from the drive. So, it's nice to get two whole days of writing time in. 
   This time I was scrambling trying to complete my picture book manuscript so I could send it to the SCBWI Fall conference for the manuscript critique. But I was really stuck. This is why writers need conferences, workshops, and retreats like Green Gulch—you get to connect with other writers. YA novelist Lisa Schulman (her new book, League of Strays, is coming out in fall 2012 from Amulet Books/Harry N. Abrams) was in the room next to mine. She read my manuscript and offered many great insights, and ideas which got me unstuck enough to complete the manuscript, at least to the point where I could send it off for the manuscript critique.
   Lisa also read Cixi, The Dragon Empress, and came up with really good ideas to use in book readings and school visits, such as having a "secret box", like the emperor of China, in which I can have kids put their names, then draw out the "emperor" at the end of the event, and playing "telephone" with the kids (if the group is small) as a precursor to a talk about the effects of spreading rumors. Thank you, Lisa, and keep the ideas coming! If anyone else has great ideas for school visits, please post them here. I'd love to hear about them.
   As usual, we had a collection of wonderful writers, both frequent attendees of Green Gulch and new ones. We were a particularly chatty group, and there were many informal social gatherings in the atrium living room. The meals, usually stellar, was disappointing at times (some dishes were way too salty), but as always, I'm appreciative anytime someone else gets to cook.
   I set out copies of Cixi, The Dragon Empress, and postcards and flyers for the Oct. 8 book launch in Corte Madera. Everyone took a postcard, and quite a few said they would come, so I'm hoping we will get a good turnout at our big event.
   The rest of the time I worked on my Sacajawea manuscript. I checked in with home every night on Skype. Love Skype! So, I don't have to trudge in the dark anymore to the spooky phone booth tucked behind the Green Gulch Farm office. Brian juggled all the soccer schedules like a champ. He's such a wonderful, supportive husband when it comes to giving me my writing time. But he's a terrible first reader. Ah well...that's what writing friends are for.

RANTING ABOUT REJECTIONS

   My agent recently sent me another rejection for my picture book manuscript, but no word yet from about 8 other editors we've sent it to. Well, I guess I can take solace in the fact that Charlesbridge Publishing hasn't outright rejected it yet. It's still sitting with them, and hopefully will go back to acquisitions in the fall for another round of discussions. 
   For all of you who've been in the same boat—the Black Hole of publishing, waiting for what seems like eternity for responses that may or may not come, collecting countless rejections, just remember that perseverance is the Name of the Game. And does reap rewards—sometimes big ones.
   Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help, received 60 rejections from agents before  agent Susan Ramer took her on, and sold it to a publisher three weeks later. Read her story here. It became a bestseller and now a movie.
   Here's another one of my favorite articles about famous writers who have been rejected: http://www.examiner.com/book-in-national/30-famous-authors-whose-works-were-rejected-repeatedly-and-sometimes-rudely-by-publishers.
   So don't despair, don't give up, believe in yourself, your story, and good things will come. Most importantly, keep writing!