We Need Diverse Books

I love the We Need Diverse Books movement. It's making me want to get back on Twitter but given that I'm at NESCBWI this weekend, it's not really the best time for me to attempt to remember my password.

So, I will blog about it.

We NEED diverse books. Why? It hardly seems necessary to explain—don't we all want diverse books? Aren't the merits more than obvious?—well, I suppose I should add my reasons.

We need diverse books because the stories we tell have power. They can both reflect and reshape our world. Yes, I truly believe they can. The stories I grew up with certainly had an irreversible impact on how I live my life—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

The stories we tell must represent varying viewpoints, varying realities, varying moral choices and decisions, varying emotional and physical landscapes. The stories we consume must give us new perspectives, new skins to inhabit, new lives to live.

Stories not only tell us who we are and who we could be, they tell us what matters. Diversity matters. Different experiences and perspectives matter. And all stories must be told, all voices heard (some in print, some to family...stories are how we understand and express the world around us and inside us).

I'm at this conference and I love it, but I also worry. There are so many women. So many white woman. So many white middle class women. Conferences cost money, let me tell you. That's why I haven't attended many. I didn't shell out for an extra critique. I tell myself, not everyone can afford this, both the time and the expense. Surely, I think, surely those people can also be published.

And maybe they can. But networking is important, in every industry. I worry that it's not the consumer that is the problem, it's the old, familiar path to publishing. The money that buys the keys that gets you next to that agent or editor or in that life-changing workshop on craft that sends your writing in a new and thrilling trajectory. How do we close the gap? How do we make these resources accessible to all socioeconomic groups.

I don't know the answer, Reader, but I want us all to keep asking the question. And the follow up: HOW CAN I HELP? That's what I'll be thinking the rest of this weekend, and in the future.

Images from Sirens 2011

I just wanted to share some of my photos from Sirens this year. I'll get to the book reviews soon...possibly today. Yes, today. Definitely...

Pretty berries...never did I see a cluster of berries I could resist. I have many MANY photos of berries...but these have SNOW!

Here's a shot of some of my clever, creative companions walking through Vail Village:
 

Here I am, feeling up a bear statue in Vail. Look, there was a lot of boob talk at Sirens. Basically I don't like it when the woman with ample boobs always have it easy while the flat chested girls have all the personality. Growing up, I had big boobs and yet I was not the Homecoming Queen or the most popular girl in school or confident and comfortable with my body. So, it's one of my pet peeves.

Naturally, this led to me feeling up a bear statue.

Don't worry, she was totally cool with it.

Creepy, eerie early morning walk with snow. Yes, I DID turn back because it was just a tad too creepy for me. And also slippery.

 And finally, the mountains with snow and gold:

 More pics to come...of monstrous women in costume! Don't miss it.

Tadaa!

Check it out, Reader: I'm BACK! My computer refused to turn on for a few weeks and I thought I was going to have to throw myself off a cliff because what is the point of living if I can't watch Charlie the Unicorn, Lobster Magnet, and Alex Wong's Hip Hop performance with Twitch from Season 7 of SYTYCD whenever I feel like it???

And, of course, I couldn't blog. Yes, I missed you. I hope you missed me too. I noticed a distinct LACK of handwritten notes asking after my health and spiritual well being, unlike when my cleavage post

was late and you were all sending me lavender-scented death threats or, sometimes, simply a letter pressed card that said "Boobs!"

Ah, it's good to be back.

And yes I do realize I owe you a shit ton of book reviews. I just finished A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin as well as Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor, so add those to the list as well.

I love talking about books but when it comes to a Review, I find it tiring. Why can't you all just come over to my house for coffee and Ginger Jack cookies? Why, Reader?

Tragically, this is the last time you will hear from me this week, because tomorrow—in the middle of the night, no less—I'll be leaving for Colorado to attend Sirens again this year! Here's a link to posts from last year on the subject. They are not particularly organized. I should be better with my labels.

Sirens (that link takes you to their site) is a conference for women in Fantasy lit. This year's guest authors are Laini Taylor, Nnedi Okorafor, and Justine Larbalestier. Last year I had the life-changing experience of meeting Terri Windling. I also got to share an elevator with Delia Sherman and have dinner with Malinda Lo and Cindy Pon and talk to Holly Black and meet Sara Rees Brennan and...HEAD EXPLOSION.

(Faye, Me, and Juliet at Sirens 2010)

And in addition to all THAT, I got to see the hammered gold trees of Vail, relax in a hot tub, dress like a twilight faerie, and make some very awesome friends. AND on top of that, get my head buzzing with incredibly thoughtful discussions on women characters in Fantasy literature.

(Pretty leaves from Sirens 2010)

I can't WAIT to see what happens this year, and to share it with all of you. I'll be back next week with plenty to say. Until then, be kind to yourselves.

Nothing Like A Little Spring in October

Oh, Reader. Can you smell Spring in the air today? It's sunny and warm and everything is so alive. In fact, it's like everything is desperately alive today, all the ladybugs and squirmy, wriggling things and the yellow jackets sunning themselves on the porch. It's like they know somehow that by tomorrow morning we might get a frost and they will all be dead.

I feel remiss in my blogging lately. For this I blame my revisions. I've been tunneling back into them and it requires a lot of concentration.

Since I'm at a loss for words, I thought I'd show you some photos of my faerie costume, which I cobbled together for Sirens. I went as a twilight faerie. I envision a twilight faerie as a creature of half light, moths, moss, a handful of stars, and mist. Want to see?

Step 1: Go to T.J. Maxx and find an appropriately fairy like, cheap dress. It never ceases to amaze me, but I always find what I need at T.J. Maxx/ Marshall's. I'm convinced that if I go with an idea in mind, the store will provide me with what I need. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the dress before I started tinkering with it.

Step 2: Sew gray velour accents to the back of the dress.
Step 3: Sew a pouf of gray tulle to the front. I added more velour on the front as well but neglected to take pics of every single step.
Step 4: Sew on the accents! Leaves from a craft store,leaves cut out of mossy green felt, and more gray velour. (Somewhat wrinkled as I didn't think to photograph the details until I was wearing the dress.) Add some glitter glue for sparkle. I also added a butterfly pin my mom gave me. I couldn't find anything with moths. Why no love for moths, craft stores?
Add some sparkly tights and glittery purple wings and there you have it!Me with Faye as a fantastic steampunk faerie (note the gears, googles, and boots!) and Juliet as a gypsy faerie.

Here's another picture of me and my friend Kelsey, which offers a close up view of my costume.I love it because you can see Holly Black sitting in the background. Doesn't she look like a little, thoughtful devil on my shoulder (the Devil is traditionally depicted on the left shoulder)? I bet Holly could come up with all sorts of devilish ideas. Her coolness cannot be over exaggerated. No, it cannot.

Sirens Hangover

Hello, Reader! I'm currently in pajama pants (laundry is way overdue), eating candy corn (who can resist that sugary wax as it coats your teeth?), and trying to wake up. I've been trying to wake up ever since I returned from Sirens.

Between the constant buzzing of my brain during every moment of the conference, and complete lack of sleep, I'm exhausted. My husband and I have been leapfrogging each other in travel, too, which doesn't help. Everything in my life--inside my head and out--feels cluttered.

I'm still processing everything from the conference. Most importantly, it was awesome. It was awe inspiring. Let me just list a few amazing moments that keep flashing through my mind:

- Ellen Kushner grabbing my purse--which my twin sister made--and telling me how much she loved it. I really liked Ellen. She was so blunt and down-to-earth. I always feel more relaxed with people who speak their mind because they can't be anything but themselves.

- Discovering part way through the shuttle ride to the hotel that not only was Cindy Pon, author of Silver Phoenix, sitting behind me (I recognized her at least) but so was Malinda Lo, author of Ash, and Holly Freaking Black!!! And they were so smart and normal and real. Like you and me. Just riding a bus. Chatting.

Revelation: authors are REAL PEOPLE, you guys. For some reason, this always shocks me. Maybe it's because authors are so important to me. They are the ones who unlock the doors, who write the passports that let us enter new worlds.

Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo were incredibly humble. It was clear I considered them bigger book stars than they did. I finished Cindy's first book Silver Phoenix on the plane ride over and really liked her main character Ai Ling. Lo's book Ash generated a lot of buzz and is another book on my To Read List. Both are YA and as you know I've been trying to seek out more adult Urban Fantasy but it's hard to avoid all the fantastic stories in YA right now.

- Delia Sherman. Just Delia. Everything about her is lovable. She has such a light touch with everything from guiding a panel, to handling people, to the thoughtful way she speaks. You can tell she cares very much about stories and about the people in her life. I'm so very glad she was a part of the conference. Now I have to read all of her books (somehow I haven't read her work before)!

- Terri Windling...Where do I begin? Hearing her key note talk was amazing. I actually had to hide a couple tears and I know another woman who excused herself because it was so emotional. Her talk really resonated with everyone in the room. I don't know if I can write about Terri yet without exalting her as a Priestess of Imagination, and Shepherdess of Stories. But she is so humble and thoughtful, that I don't think she would be comfortable with these roles. She will have to be a post unto herself.

- Hanging out in the hot tub with Juliet on the last day of the conference while the world was still waking up. It was so great to talk about publishing with her and just revel in the hot water. Of course the water set off my super sensitive skin so I ended up looking like a demon but Juliet was nice and didn't mention it.

- Walking by myself every morning of the conference. So many thoughts were running through my head that I couldn't chase them all. It was nice to walk in silence, soaking in the yellow leaves and white birch bark. I couldn't get the song "Silver and Gold" out of my head. Colorado really is starkly beautiful.So much more to say about the conference, but I will stop for now. I'm still struggling to get my regular life back together and of course, I'm anxious to return to my revisions.

I Hear The Siren Call...

Tomorrow (very very very early), I leave for Colorado! I'm going to the Sirens Conference!!! Excitement! Exclamation points!!!!

I'm so tired from making myself sick with nervousness all week. I can't explain this, it's just typical me. However, I'm sure I'll return with lots of happy happy tales of all my adventures. I wish I could take you all in my suitcase!

I shall return on Monday. Until then, Dear Reader, be well!

BreadLoaf 2010: The Upper Crust

At long last, a list of the lessons I found most useful at The Bread Load Writers' Conference this year. I will credit specific instructors whenever I can (Margot Livesey figures prominently since she was my workshop leader. Also because she's a fantastic teacher and writer).

1. Be aware of how you write on the computer. Unlike when you flip open a notebook, when you open a Word document, you always find yourself at the very beginning. You may therefore be more likely to rewrite the beginning over and over again, when what you should really do is move the story forward and make revisions later. (Margot Livesey)

--This advice was a big wake up call for me. I'm guilty of this all the time and constantly rewriting your opening does not equal a fantastic opening necessarily (I know this from experience).

2. When receiving feedback from a reader, listen for the problem, not the suggested solution. Sometimes the reader is pointing you to a problem but isn't expressing it accurately. (Margot Livesey)

--Again, I found this so incredibly useful. Many times I've had a reader say, "This is just a little nitpicky comment, but..." I always try to listen for what the underlying problem might be. Oh, they don't understand this exchange between characters because I didn't successfully get across the main character's distress over recent events in the previous scene like I thought I had.

3. When you revise, ask yourself WHY you are telling the story at this TIME.

--This sounds like such simple, obvious advice but it's so easy to forget. As the writer, you know why you're telling the story and why you care about it: because you made it up. It's been birthed by your imagination and doesn't require validation anymore than a parent needs to explain why they love their newborn baby. However, as you revise you must ask yourself these questions because a reader won't instantly love your novel like you do.

4. The First Sentence:

It's very effective for an opening sentence to include some mention of a human being.

Don't make it too clever--it's distracting and makes the reader think about the person who crafted the sentence rather than the person the sentence is about.

(gleaned from a first sentence workshop by Lori Ostlund. By the way, her writing is insightful and hilarious. I highly recommend her story collection The Bigness of the World.)



5. The basic tools for writing an effective violent/action scene and a romantic/sexual scene are the same. (Matt Bondurant)

--I know this isn't advice exactly, but I think it's worth mentioning as a way to consider both types of scenes. The strategies you may automatically apply to one type of scene can be used to great effect on the other and vice versa.


All right, now it's time for me to apply all of this wonderful advice and get back to my own revisions. If I think of more lessons from Bread Loaf that I want to share, I'll post them soon!

Bread Loaf 2010: Day 8

Hello, Reader. I'm fading right now. Definitely hitting yet another wall. I think I squandered my optimism yesterday and now I've run out. I accidentally missed a panel with a literary agent and I've chosen readings over other publishing panels since I got here.

Two questions: 1. Why am I supporting people by attending their readings when these people have a. never heard of Neil Gaiman, b. don't even know what I mean when I say speculative fiction and who shudder in horror at the word fantasy (Gabriel Gaarcia Marwhatever is the only author that's okay in their book, synonymous with Magical Realism. Yeah, that's right. I'm not even going to bother googling to confirm his full name, which I can't come up with right now.)

2. I forget what two was going to be. I think two was something about whether or not I want to hear any more about agents and what they want and how it all works. My brain is choking on it all and I feel like nothing is really true and all you can do is write brilliantly and then everything will fall into place(ha).

I'm not literary--in the most common sense of the word, which I define as "contemporary fiction" and whose special club includes Hemmingway, Woolf, Kafka, Chabon, Atwood but not Gaiman or de Lint. Kelly Link and Aimee Bender seem to be the only common ground I can find here at this conference.

However, neither am I necessarily "genre." My writing isn't as fantastical as some--certainly not as racy or thrilling as the current urban fantasy out there.

I don't know where I fit in. One agent pointed out that this is a strength, but it feels like a curse. I think I'm waiting for some agent/editor/well known author to take me under their wing, sweep me around the dinner party and introducing me to all the influential people as, "my incredibly talented friend Jennifer. I ADORE her and so will you."

There is no one to smooth my introductions, stroke my ego. No party, even, to attend.

Maybe there never is a party. Maybe you're thinking that I need to stop making excuses, and stop apologizing for how and what I write. Stop looking for some mentor to pull me up to those heights which are so desperately out of reach.

It's easier said than done, with writing and so many other pursuits in life.

Editors Note, a couple hours later: I sound a bit bitter about attending readings of people who have never ever heard of Neil Gaiman or Charles de Lint (come on, it's weird RIGHT!?) but I want to clarify that I love supporting other writers. I love reading new work, of any style and subject. So if I came off sounding like a cranky jerk, please blame it on the fact that coffee is not allowed in the computer lab, so I was forced to dump mine in the grass outside the door.

Time for a reading and then I'll be doing some reading of my own work! I selected an excerpt from a short story about a middle aged woman who is being haunted by her mother. It's the least speculative thing I've got. Wish me luck!

Bread Loaf 2010: The First Dance

So I promised a recap of the Bread Load Barn Dance. I'm short on sleep and it's late but I will attempt to satiate your curiosity over this very special event.

As expected, it did begin with about five people dancing while everyone else fueled up with alcohol and watched. Yes, watched. Creepy. Also--just my opinion--but if you can't party without alcohol, then you don't deserve to party at all. It's the same way I feel about taking shots. If you need a chaser to cover up the taste of what you just swallowed, if you aren't going to savor that liquid fire swirling in your chest, then order up a Shirley Temple and hand that shot glass over to me.

I AM SO HARDCORE.

Anyway, after everyone had downed a couple drinks, dancing starting to seem like a much better idea. My workshop instructor Margot Livesey was totally breaking it down--albeit in a sweet, classy way. Also joining in the fun was Linda Gregerson, who read her poems on the first night and simply took my breath away.

To see such accomplished and talented writers dancing right beside everyone else was such a wonderful visual for me. We all dance. We all write. We are all in this together.

Kumbaya.

That sort of thing.

Of course, then one woman--I'm going to assume she writes nonfiction because that group is pretty unpredictable--spun around in her short black dress and apparently wanted me to know that she had matched her underwear to her outfit.

The waitstaff (also writers attending the conference) arrived with a cheer, forced themselves into the center of the floor as though we were merely saving their space for them, and did their best dirty dancing impression.

Huh. Okay.

The smokers clustered on the deck just outside the door to the barn. This is when I was reminded that smoking can be an ingenious social strategy. Perhaps even more so now that smoking is less mainstream. They can sneak off and pretend to be "bad" together.

When the college kids and recent college grads (easy to spot at the dance in horrifyingly skinny jeans and short skirts), started confiding their conference crushes to me, I knew it was time to go.

I probably didn't stay long enough for the really wild stuff. But I didn't catch any great stories today so maybe not.

There's always the farewell dance on Friday. Scandal could be just around the corner!

Bread Loaf 2010: If You Find Yourself in A Room Full of Writers

...be forewarned. They love to talk. Love it. What, you thought they'd be reticent and taciturn? What does "reticent" mean again exactly? They like using those types of words.

Beware of the wild-eyed crusader writers, who have achieved a modicum of success and have now made it their holy quest to hand sell a copy of their book to every heathen they meet.

Most of all, beware the poet. She spends her days whittling down words but if you let her get started on a story about her many travels around the world (this is merely an example), which you realize she is bragging about like one might brag about an achievement despite the fact that anyone can purchase a ticket to a cruise if they have the time and money to go. IF you let her begin, she may never stop, and you will have to excuse yourself before you get your carrot cake (and you really like carrot cake), just to be rid of her.

Or stick it out, memorize every overstuffed word, and then write it all down.

Bread Loaf 2010: Day 5

Until I went to college, my twin sis and I played in the pit orchestra for our town's summer musical as well as for the town next door, where my private trumpet teacher taught. We spent every night of the week rehearsing and watching the theater kids flirt with each other. The first few weeks would be a haze of happiness and hormones. New music! Out sort of late with boys (and girls, but most importantly, boys) our age, who were sometimes cute! Big dance numbers!

We would be convinced that Anything Goes/ Once Upon a Mattress/ Oliver (okay, maybe not Oliver. Do you have ANY IDEA how many measures of rest the brass section has to count out in that musical!?!?!) was the best musical ever written. Not only that, but our performance would be the most perfect ever performed.

About a month into rehearsals, we would hate everything about the musical. We would hate the cheerful female lead, whom everyone had a crush on. We would hate that horribly written Entre Act. We would hate the director. And the boys--who paid no attention to the pit girls. We never wanted to look at the sheet music again.

Then, a strange shift occurred about a month or three weeks before the performances. Not only did we stop hating the musical and everyone in it, we loved it. We loved them. And it was more than that: we had no idea how we could possibly go on living once the musical ended. It was oddly euphoric, almost manic. I could never decide if we had simply developed a deep appreciation for this massive spectacle, or if this was simply a trick our minds played, to protect our fragile psyches from the horror of playing the same songs for hours every single night of our summer.

Reader, I may be in the euphoric state of the conference. I hope I can ride it out until the end on Friday. Today I had a wonderful conversation with a couple writers, who said my novel sounded fascinating! And then I had a meeting with an agent, which wasn't entirely successful but began with him saying, "What can I do for you." Do you know how gratifying it was to hear an agent say that??? I went to dinner and sat with people! I had a craft class with a hot instructor (win!) and learned something too.

And tonight there is a DANCE. Yes, a dance. Just like at summer camp or middle school. I anticipate awkwardness and bad dancing and groups huddled together, sweating. For reasons I can't entirely explain, I'm really looking forward to this event.

Also, sometime soon--probably at the end of the conference--I'm going to go through all my notes and make a list of the most useful lessons and insights I've gained from this experience. So keep reading!

I'll see YOU on the dance floor.

Bread Loaf 2010: Days 2 - Whatever Day It is Now

Hello, Reader! This post is coming to you straight from the Apple Cellar computer lab ON the Bread Loaf campus. I haven't been to a computer lab in several years and I feel ever so slightly self conscious.

I took yesterday afternoon off which I think is helping me today. I feel less overwhelmed and less resentful towards all the people who are breathing near me and forcing me to act friendly. In some ways, it's freshman year all over again except that as an auditor, I have no dorm room in which to hide, no Latin homework to distract me, and no cell phone reception with which to help me call the outside world.

To anyone suffering from tendonitis in the wrist, as I do: Avoid Computer labs, or bring your own wrist rest and prepare to be both envied and avoided.

Yesterday morning as I drove up the mountain, swerving and accelerating around a slow construction vehicle, I suddently slammed on the breaks. There was a basset hound in the middle of the road, in the middle of extensive construction, in the middle of a mountain! With his droopy eyes and front paws in a balletic first position, he regarded me stoicly. I waited anxiously until he had crossed the street before moving on.

Today I attended a somewhat rambling workshop on heroes, which I think will prove more insightful in hindsight. I also went to my second workshop and a lecture on how to read your work well in public. I thought I was good at this because I inherited my father and nana's nice reading voices, but there is more to it than I previously thought. Next up are several readings and dinner.

Today, I met my first poetry attendee. I was beginning to think they didn't exist, or moved, pack-like, with the idea that there is safety in numbers.

To be fair, I have heard some prose writers (fiction and otherwise) make somewhat disparaging remarks about poetry writers.

Now the pain in my wrist is becoming too much to ignore. I'm off in search of coffee and sunlight and a quiet place to read until the next event!

Bread Loaf 2010: Day 1

I drove up to the Bread Loaf campus tonight for the welcome talk and two readings. I've been so nervous about what this conference would be like and how, as an auditor and in general, I would fit in.

Also, I've been struggling to write lately, as I mentioned in my previous post. I've got a new Work In Progress underway with a lot of notebook pages written but it's been hard to sit down and immerse myself in this new story. I think it just boils down to fear and self doubt.

Sitting in the Little Theater during tonight's welcome event was like watching someone light a candle in a dark room. I felt so hopeful and alive and excited. The director of the program said something that I hurried to scribble down. He said that the conference should, "remind us why we are writers."

I think that's something I really need right now, something we all need once in a while.

I did feel a bit nervous sitting in a room full of LITERARY writers, though. I thought at any moment I might develop a mysterious case of confessional Tourette's, stand up, and shout, "I write Urban Fantasy!" (Note to self: Tell people you write Speculative Fiction--it sounds more literary).

The readings left me breathless. When they were finished and the lights came up, I remembered that I was me, one person, alone in my body.

Now time for bed. My first workshop with Margot Livesey is tomorrow!

PS I promise a Scotland post very soon. I took some special photos just for you, Reader!
~J

BEA Round Up: The Books

Here's my fantastic book booty from BEA 2010:

ADULT BOOKS:
Taroko Gorge:I liked the cover. Its so spacious and contemplative yet ominous. And since this is a thriller, I felt that boded well for the story. Also the title is simple and elegant.

Orion You Came and You Took All My Marbles: Again, the cover caught my attention. I've never noticed before how much a white cover can stand out in a sea of black, dark green, and navy blue. Also the staff really liked this one, though they seemed incapable of categorizing it.

I've read the first few pages and so far the story is obtuse and dryly humorous. The prose is lovely, too. However it's too soon to tell whether or not I'll get tired of wading through all the beautiful vagueness to find out what happens.

Collusion: I've been intrigued by Stuart Neville ever since I read on the blogosphere that he wrote The Ghosts of Belfast in secret (I can't even fathom how this must have affected his social life: "No I can't go out tonight...I'm very busy...with something) until it was published last year to much acclaim--lucky bastard! I don't usually read crime novels but I had to check this one out.

The Eden Hunter:I really have no reason for picking this up. Not to insult the book--it's just not the type of story I usually read (even less so than crime novels). I guess I got caught up in the thrill of the free book hunt.

The Primal Blueprint:I actually pimped this book--technically. All I had to do was stand there and point out the author Mark Sisson and the ladies flocked to the signing table. And seriously youshouldseethisguy. He is 57 and freaking hot. And, lest you think I'm attempting to pull a Jennifer here, check out his gorgeous, super fit wife Carrie, who just happens to be 53!

Now, I'm a sucker for workout promotions on TV. I will sit and watch them for hours, wondering if I too could change my body in only 60 days or something like that. And Mark seemed so happy (and looked SO fit) that I had to check this out. I love it! Curt and I are already giving it a try.

YOUNG ADULT:

Nightshade:First of all, the lavender cover really stood out. Second, how could I resist a cover design featuring the faerie-like glitter of Carrie Jones' Need and Captivate, and the implied blood popularized by the Twilight book covers (all that red)? The combination of glitter and blood just screams tragically romantic teen angst.

Ballad: Speaking of romantically tragic teen angst, I couldn't resist picking up a copy of this book by Maggie Stiefvater, the author of Shiver.

Ballad and its companion novel Lament were actually published before Shiver so the publisher Flux wasn't giving out free copies. But I was waxing poetic about how much I love Flux (I really really do!) and so she let me choose a novel to take home!I've already started it, as evidenced by the bookmark you can see in the photo.

I Am Number Four: I actually won this book in a drawing. It's even signed (with the author's pen name, but still!). I won something. Me. Take a moment to digest that and get back to me.

COMICS:
Grimm Fairy Tales, Volume One:They weren't giving this book away, but I was chatting with some of the employees and they handed it to me. I read it in the airport on my way home. Pass on this one. The stories seem to target young women but the art and some of the subject matter seems specifically designed for lonely teen boys.

Neverland:This comic isn't out yet, so what I got was sort of like an extended movie trailer in comic book form. Interesting premise and pretty art, but too short for me to pass judgment.

Farscape Uncharted Tales: D'Argo's Lament: As I was walking by, a man asked if wanted this. He turned out to be the artist. Of course I said yes--that takes guts! He proudly signed it for me and we chatted for a while about how comics have become a new venue for cult favorites (Farscape, Buffy) that no longer have a big enough audience for TV but still have a strong, devoted fan base willing to continue the story in another format.

Janet Evanovich Preview:I also got a sneak peek of the forthcoming graphic novel for Janet Evanovich's Alex Barnaby series! They weren't giving out copies but they let me take a photo.I think the art looks great!

CHILDRENS BOOKS:

Judy Moody, Girl Detective, Book 9: I took this because it's published by Candlewick Press and I love them. However, I'm not entirely sure why it has to specify that she's a GIRL detective. It's not as if "detective" is a gender specific word, or profession. (grumble grumble)

On The Blue Comet: I took this book because it's by Rosemary Wells and I LOVE her (see list of favorite authors in the margin). That is all.

BEA Round Up: So Behind

All right, I admit it: I'm way behind on my BEA recap. I promise to share my spoils of BEA soon--with photos!--and just leave it at that. I have a strong suspicion that the people who read this blog regularly are friends and family who really don't care about my overall thoughts on the conference and the book industry.

In other news, it's been a rough week.

To my luck: any time you want to turn around, would be great. Just sayin'

BEA 2010 Round Up: Day 3

On the second day of BEA, your feet hurt. You have somehow, in the short span of hours between day one and day two, grown jaded and distrustful of free books. You develop a strong distaste and general pity for book pimps. Inexplicably, you still snatch every free tote bag you see.

I was faced with a moral dilemma on Wednesday: pimping a book I completely and entirely disagreed with. Of course it was about politics. I couldn't just abandon the book and author based on my personal opinions, could I? As a compromise, I told myself I could simply hold the book and maintain my book pimp pleasant smile--but say nothing. Luckily the book was so compelling (aka controversial) that it had a line well before the signing.

Bullet? Dodged. Morals? Intact.

Later on, a Ricky Gervais type character (short, British, witty) stopped to chat with me. This is something I love about BEA: anyone will talk to you about books. He was in audio books and could not understand why a publisher would have an author sign books and give them away for free.

It is a little odd. Here's my take on this time honored tradition: 1. Giving out free books (esp for debut authors) gets the books in circulation--in the hands of readers who will hopefully order the book for their store or library, blog about it, and tell their friends.

Having an author sign the book increases the book's perceived value more than anything else. It also strengthens the bond between reader and author. And it doesn't cost the publisher anything to have the author signing (plus promoting the signing is another way to get the author's name out there). I mean, maybe travel expenses, but my jaded little soul suspects that more authors would have to pay for their own travel anyway.

Other Wednesday fun included temporarily marching between two men in full stormtrooper gear. Yes, it was AWESOME. I also saw--from a distance--Tim Gunn. He looked just as lovable and charming and well dressed in person as he does on TV.

I ended the day with a couple college friends eating Greek takeout and watching a bootleg of the movie Kick Ass, which I loved (caveat: I have NOT read the comic).

In the morning, I took a cab (Okay, I made my friend hail it for me) to the airport and bid New York farewell. I was home and ready to reflect on the conference as well as pick through my book booty...

BEA 2010 Round Up: Day 2

Tuesday night I took the train into New York and met an old friend for dinner. Her name is Rebecca Milzoff and she writes for New York Magazine. She reviews ballets and interviews musicians--pretty much the perfect job for her. She also writes the Glee Recap! You can check out all her online posts here.

Rebecca took me to a fantastic little Venezuelan restaurant of which I cannot share the name. What I can do is share the photos I took of my amazing meal (Mmm fried plantains. And yes, I am aware that the part on the left looks a bit like dog food in the photo but it was in fact very delicious beef people food)

And the watermelon juice, which tasted like the sweetest, most perfect watermelon that ever existed. As I took the first sip, I felt spring ripen into summer.
Now that your mouth is watering, let's dive into Wednesday: my first day at BEA 2010!

I bumped into several people, who made me smile on Wednesday. First C, the younger sister of yet another old friend. Her mother is an author and illustrator, and now C works at a publishing house. What a relief to see a familiar face!

I also--and I can't help but brag here--met Moonrat of Editorial Ass! I know. I heartily encourage you to envy me. She was just as lovely in person as she is on her blog. And yes, I've been sworn to secrecy by threat of the loss of all my fingers, thereby rendering me incapable of typing, if I were ever to reveal her true identity.

And then guess who wandered by the booth where I was book pimping?!?!

CATHERYNNE M. VALENTE

Luckily I knew what she looked like from watching the video of her recent acceptance speech for winning the Andre Norton award for The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, which she posted on her blog.

(Ye gods, there are a lot of links in this post! And that was a terrible sentence. Moving on.)

This is what happened when I spotted her:

ME: Reprogram your genes to get the body you always...(spots CV) Catherynne Valente!!

CV: (turns and looks at me in confusion)

ME: (holds current pimped book in front of her in embarrassment) Fan Girl moment!

CV: (laughs) That's the coolest thing that's ever happened to me.

And then I told her that I was going to see the Steam Punk panel later that day, in which she was participating. She asked me where the stage was and I told her, because even though this was literally HOURS before the panel, I had already scoped it out so I'd know where to go when it started. I told you, I don't mess around with my author crushes.

Does this exchange not make you love Ms. Valente?? She seemed so normal and unimpressed with herself. But if you'd read any sentence this woman has written you would be Very Impressed.

So you want to know how the panel went? Well, the punk aspect of Steam Punk was very much on display. It seemed that none of the authors (Valente, Cherie Priest of Boneshaker fame, and the Brit author Felix Gilman) were too thrilled to be labeled in any way. Instead they rambled on about how they did not fit perfectly into Steam Punk, but loved it nonetheless in some shape or form. I suppose this is fitting. Punk should be on the fringe, unwilling to join the masses, right?

One interesting moment came when Cherie Priest stated that in her experience many people (British people? This was unspoken, yet somewhat implied) don't think America is a worthy setting for Steam Punk and that it should only be set in gaslight London. The very British Felix Gilman agreed with her on this point, saying that he preferred setting his Steam Punk in America. So much for a punked out mosh pit in the middle of the panel.

I especially liked that Catherynne Valente described Steam Punk as an aesthetic more than a genre. Brass, steam power, gears, goggles, and bustles all seem to fall under Steam Punk and were mentioned by all the panelists. She also felt that the definitive Steam Punk novel had not yet been written, since she believes that the genre can do so much more with the pseudo Victorian setting of a society on the brink of change.

It'll be interesting to see how Steam Punk evolves if (...when?) it becomes more mainstream.

Alas, even book pimps need to rest once in a while. I ended my day at a low key party for Midpoint Trade Books (my temporary employer). Pizza, beer, and book talk--needless to say, it was a great night!

BEA 2010 Round Up: Day 1

For my first post on BEA 2010, I thought I'd talk about what it's like--and what it takes--to be a book pimp.

book pimp n. & v. slang 1. A person who promotes books at a conference particularly during author signings; now, especially for debut or unknown authors who lack a strong platform (non fiction) or fan base (fiction); an intern or struggling writer willing to work for little to no pay in the hopes of gaining experience and useful publishing contacts.
The View of BEA from Midpoint Trade Books' Author Signing Stand

I've learned a lot since my first foray into book pimping last year at BEA 2009. Most notably, I learned not to feel ashamed for being a book pimp.

This year a man in a suit stopped to say, "You should tell other publishers how to sell their books." I agreed with him--well, insofar as books need to be SOLD. I'm not sure publishers need to hire me as some sort of book pimping consultant, though I'm fond of the idea. What's odd about publishing is that people often forget that it's a business. No matter how gorgeous and genius the writing is, no one's going to read it if you don't tell them it exists. And that requires you to sell it.

So here are some pointers for the future book pimps out there:

1. Nail The Blurb: I find it helps to have 1 or 2 blurbs that you can say easily and in a short span of time. You have to catch people's attention as they hurry past you. I usually ask the author for a blurb and then chop it down from there.

Sometimes I sacrifice accuracy for a better pitch, depending on reading trends that might catch people's attention.

Last year I shamelessly promoted a YA paranormal as the next Twilight, only to discover later that it involved sex scenes and uncomfortable situations that would make Stephenie Meyer cringe.

This year I strove for more accuracy but it still doesn't hurt to bend the truth a little. What's important is getting the book into a reader's hands with enough incentive to read the first page. After that it's up to the author to get them to keep reading.

2. Don't Make Eye Contact: Book people--writers and readers--are often shy. They're attending a conference, not a carnival. I find that it's best to scope out potential targets as they approach. Then I stare off into the distance and say my blurb loud enough for people to hear. Sometimes the target will glance at me, and then visibly relax when they see I'm not looking straight at them.

I'm not guilting them or forcing them to meet a debut author and take a free, signed book. I just happen to be suggesting it--loudly--as they walk by.

If you stare directly at the target, you will often scare them off if for no other reason than people don't like to do things that they're forced or expected to do.

3. Pretend Not to Care: Everyone's ignoring you? The author has broken into a cold sweat and is scaring people with her mumbling? No one has taken a single free copy?

So what?

Book pimping is inherently awkward but if you let that show, then you'll just alienate people. Try to stay relaxed, smile pleasantly, stare off in the distance and just generally pretend to be confident about the book you're pimping. People can smell desperation and it will drive them away.

4. Snub the Suits: You've got to narrow down your targets or risk sounding like a babbling idiot, and earning the hate of anyone working in the adjacent booths. Make your best guess as to who (at a conference I focus most on gender) the book appeals to. Then gauge how your pitch is working and make changes if necessary. Alter the blurb, and target different people.

Within minutes you'll discover that the book on brain waves and sales appeals more to middle aged men and the health book attracts women in their 30s.

People (mostly women) who aren't dressed up are often librarians. Target them! I cannot stress how much I love librarians as a book pimp. They are friendly, curious, and willing to take a look at just about anything.

Ignore the stressed out men and women in suits. These are industry professionals, hardened and jaded, with absolutely no interest in your author. Don't waste your perfectly pleasant soft focus stare, casual smile, and polished pitch on these industry snobs.

5. Family First: A family member makes the best book pimp of all. They are endlessly loyal, sincerely proud of the author, and somehow people find them much more approachable than the actual author. At this BEA I had help from several family members.

One wife helped cement the author's relationship with a reader by chatting with the reader after he had met the author and taken a copy of the book. Another woman had help from her two daughters. Their style of book pimping was more along the lines of, "Hi. My mom wrote this book. Don't you want a copy??"

It didn't hurt that the daughters were barely legal, attractive, and shameless. Several older men found themselves in line for a book thanks to those two. Hey, whatever works.

6. The Cover is Everything: A beautiful, professional cover will sell itself. Contrary to popular belief, you HAVE to choose a book by it's cover, especially at a conference.

Authors: do not settle for a cheap cover. It may cost more, but a nice cover can legitimize the book and attract interest. One book I pimped was self published, but the designer did such a great job that the cover and interior made the book look like it came from a big publishing house. Honestly, all I had to do was hold it and people lined up to take it. Do not underestimate the power of a good cover.


And that, with a little practice, is what it takes to be a great book pimp!

BEA 2010 Round Up Week

Hey Everyone!

So I'm back in Vermont after a really fun and interesting BEA. Being an undercover introvert, I've been sleeping a lot and recovering from all the smiling and chatting that a big convention requires. But I wanted to give you a preview of what I'll be blogging about next week:

1. Big Book Pimpin': what it's like to be a book pimp, what it takes, and why authors often need them to help push their *free* books.

2. My BEA: authors I spotted (Catherynne effing Valente for one!!! I had a total fan girl moment), observations about the conference itself (a decided lack of bikini clad girls this year--for which I was grateful), random conversations I had, publishers I heart, etc etc

3. My New Books: the ones I took and the ones I took pictures of because I couldn't get a free one.

4. NYC: I survived and ate good food, of which there are a couple pictures!

5. Anything else you want me to talk about!

So check back tomorrow for the start of my BEA Round Up! I'll be blogging about it all week.

BEA Bound!

Hello, Reader. I'm sitting at my parents' computer feeling completely nervous and sick to my stomach. Later today I'm taking the train into New York City for Book Expo America 2010! I'll have to get a cab BY MYSELF (oh yes) and pimp the sh*t out of some books and maybe even force myself to chat with an agent or two.

Maybe.

I'm going to try to take risks and be brave because otherwise I will have nothing exciting and funny to tell you about. But first I'm going to try not to get lost.

Here goes nothing...