Writers talk about submitting manuscripts and waiting for replies a lot. You hear encouraging stories of manuscripts being accepted by the first publisher who reads it. You hear ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ stories, most famously from JK Rowling, who was accepted by a publisher at the eleventh hour and has gone on to be massively successful. But less often you hear about writers who are plagued by rejection letters, who spend years trying to get off the starting block.
I got my first rejection three weeks ago. It’s taken me this long to write about it - mostly because I wanted to wait it out and see how it affected things (mostly my own outlook). Three weeks on, here is where I’m at:
A rejection comes from a subjective reading. Each publishing house has a different ethos and each reading editor is different. (Just as every potential reader is different.) If one editor, or ten, rejects a manuscript you should take on board their suggestions, maybe redraft, before trying again with a different reader. But not stop trying.
This is all easier said than done. One (now highly accredited) writer I spoke to recently said he has one wall of his office covered completely by rejection letters and prides himself on the collection he acquired when he was starting out. This was meant to encourage me - I think - to keep going.
Yvonne, looking forward to reading that book, posted last week about panicking before she sent out a synopsis. I’m panicking about getting the responses. (That said the letter I did receive was friendly, honest and encouraging.)
So, back on the horse. Anyone have Penguin’s number?
Image © (the brilliant) Andre Jordan
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Those very clever clogs on the Vulpes Libris blog are playing host to a children’s books week. (It started on Saturday with a post on Keith Gray’s Ostrich Boys.)
As part of the week, Rosy of Mock Duck fame, has an insightful and extensive (so extensive it comes in two parts) interview with Julia Donaldson. (Part two is up on Wednesday)
There is very little room for manoeuvre in picture book writing - set amount of pages, text on a page, etc. What is the most important aspect to get into this narrow brief? And how do you decide what’s needed?
The editors and designers are brilliant at working on the pagination and design, and it’s amazing in fact how even quite a long story can be told in only 12 or 14 double-page spreads. Picture books are incredibly versatile, which is one of the things I love about them. But I think that the writer does need to be aware (subconsciously anyway) of the format, and to some extent to think in terms of those double-page spreads, and the mini cliff-hangers which you can sometimes have before a page turn.
Read more over on Vulpes Libris.
Alan Moore was on RTE last thursday (the Dave Fanning drivetime show - presented by Eoin Sweeney)
Discussing Lost Girls, his other graphic work, magic and his new novel. Genius (and the only person I know, or well, don’t know really but have seen pictures of, with more beard than Eli Mordino)
Click to listen.
Spotted via Bookslut. An incredibly honest interview/conversation with Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
I ask him how much happens on the page and how much happens in the planning.
‘Planning, planning, planning,’ he deadpans…
…I don’t know how much is planned and how much isn’t, really, and nor do you and this isn’t the sort of question that one writer should ask another writer because we both know it doesn’t work like that. I can’t explain why one invents a character who is quite interesting but not particularly important, or writes in a little event that, towards the end of the book, turns out to be exactly the right thing, exactly the right person required yet at first you didn’t know why you’d invented them.
I was concerned that I’d find myself talking to a Terry who was less sharp, less smart, than the friend I’d known for quarter of a century, and was relieved to find him as bright as ever. I asked about the Alzheimer’s.
I type badly, worse than I ever did, and that’s a big drawback, as you and many journalists will appreciate, because the process of typing is the process of thinking: one activity drives the other, so I find myself hunting and pecking and that makes the thinking and the flow jerky.
More on the Waterstones website. Terry has a standalone book for children, Nation, due out in September.
Teeth is the kind of B-movie horror that I wish I was brought up on. (Instead I got Batfink, Magnum PI and **MASH**, which is a different kind of horror). It is a train wreck movie while at the same time managing to be gut wrenchingly funny. And to make things even better I bumped (very briefly) into Suzy afterward, which made me smile because she knew who I was.
If you haven’t already - get yourself over to movies.ie and register for the Dark Knight Screening Competition on 22 July!! (A whole two days before everyone else)
And just because of her sheer genius in interwebology, RP has the first five minutes of the movie. Go see!
Only managing to write about Monday’s event with Kate Thompson (KT) and Keith Gray (KG) now. As promised the talk was lively and interesting - graciously led by the nicest man on earth, Robert Dunbar (I’m paraphrasing Roberts questions here. He delivered them much more eloquently on Monday than I can reproduce).
Both Keith and Kate’s books are tagged with ‘Not Suitable for Younger Readers‘ on the back cover. Do you have a say on whether or not that appears on the cover?
KG: Unfortunately I don’t. On my first book Warehouse was one of the first books that carried the label and the publisher hoped that it would make the book look more dangerous and appealing.
KT: ‘Not suitable’ isn’t quite the same as age branding. I feel that the content in both books [Ostrich Boys and Creature of the Night] need a certain understanding.
‘Are there any taboos left in teen writing?’
KT: There shouldn’t be. That may not be the case, but there shouldn’t be. It is really more about how it is dealt with.
The talk also gave some insight into how each writer works. For instance, Kate doesn’t think about her readership as she is writing - admitting that she writes mostly for herself - while Keith is mindful of his audience as he writes.
Another difference between the two: Ostrich Boys took Keith 3 years to complete whereas Kate often drafts her books in one long all night writing spree.
That Very Hungry Caterpillar was there too and has some ideas from the night.
Just in case you missed it - Kate Thompson and Keith Gray will be in the National Library from half six to talk about writing for teenagers and being in exile. The night will be presided over by Robert Dunbar - which means no easy questions!!
Tickets are free but booking is essential - over on the CBI website.
News is out - The Irish Times is going free from tomorrow (crumbling to the might of the Jazz Biscuit Paywall campaign?) Eoin and Damien posted about it yesterday with some reactions in the comments.
Another small piece of newspaper news appeared in yesterdays guardian (via Cedar Lounge) - Dunnes Stores across Ireland will no longer be stocking the Guardian or the Observer newspapers following a dispute over ‘commercial terms’.
And just so the Independent doesn’t feel left out (and because it’s a blog about Childrens’ Books) Alison Walsh has a generic ‘what’s out for young readers this summer’ list that covers pretty much every taste.
Cineworld in Dublin have a classic movie series - once a month they are resurrecting old favourites and playing airing them out on the silver screen. This month’s movie is Blade Runner: The Final Cut.
I’ve never (no, never) seen the movie and I’ve been haunted by quotes and late night, drunken discussions about it… No better chance to see it so!
And if that wasn’t enough Blade Runner swag, check out the one-of-a-kind LEGO ‘Spinner‘. (from Boing Boing)
Congratulations to Philip Reeve and Emily Gravett on winning the prestigious Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals.
The books shortlisted in the Carnegie were all brilliant and I was sure it would go to Meg Rossoff - really glad to be proven wrong and I’m looking forward to reading Here Lies Arthur. Emily had two books (TWO!) shortlisted - who else could the award go to? That said - I’m really glad I didn’t have to decide who won, all of the shortlisted picture books are favourites.
Achockablog has more on the awards, go read his bigger and better post.
> Full Carnegie and Kate Greenaway shortlist
RTE are looking for an audience for their Eye 2 Eye programme. Darren Shan, Ruth Gilligan and John Boyne will be in studio to answer a few questions and they want 12 - 16 year old ‘bookworms’ to go on and ask a few questions. I’m sure they’ll let fame chasing non-bookworms on too.
Damn growing up, otherwise I’d be there! More info over on rte.ie.
So Mo Willems was in town last week!?! I missed it - but that Very Hungry Caterpillar was on the ball. While he was around Mo was interviewed by Ryan Tubridy (podcast is here, about 15 mins from the end )
On his blog Mo writes that his liver:
would not like to thank pal and funnyman Eoin Colfer for a night on the town in Dublin. “Eoin” is pronounced “Bob” by the way…
And then I saw this:
Can you tell I’m having a slow blog day?
Derek Landy’s Skullduggery Pleasant won the Bolton Book Awards over the weekend (he wasn’t able to make the ceremony but the omni-present Bookwitch did.)
The shortlist was Colin Bateman, Titanic 2020; Will Gatti, The Geek, the Greek and the Pimpernel; F E Higgins, Black Book of Secrets; Jill Hucklesby, Deeper Than Blue; Derek Landy, Skulduggery Pleasant; Jenny Valentine, Finding Violet Park and Cat Weatherill, Wild Magic. More over on the witches site.
And Chicken Spaghetti has some news on the Boston Globe Horn Book Awards - Shaun Tan’s The Arrival won itself a special commendation. If you haven’t read it yet - get yerself to the bookshop posthaste!
I’m heading back under the duvet for the day to fight off whatever has me feeling lousy. Here’s what I managed to miss over the weekend:
> Spencer Tunick had a few hundred people strip down and stand in the water. And then again in an apartment.
> The Dublin Pride Parade went off with a glow - despite the rain!
> Belfast was Barcamped.
> The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian was premiered.
> The Fringe Festival started looking for volunteers.
> Vulpe Libris gave away some books - I managed to win one!
And I caught something that has me craving the solace of my warm bed.