Know someone between the ages of 9 and 16 who likes to write–or who just loves to read about ghosts? Our own Linda Joy Singleton (Dead Girl series), together with authors Chris Eboch (Haunted series) and Marley Gibson (Ghost Huntress series), is hosting a short story contest. Each entrant must write a story about his/her real or imaginary ghost encounter in 400 words or less. The winner will receive autographed copies of books by the three hosting authors.
The 2009 Cybils are now open for nominations. Anyone can nominate any children’s book published between October 2008 and the end of this year. So far, science fiction and fantasy nominations include books like R. J. Anderson’s Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter and Kate DiCamillo’s The Magician’s Elephant. Get your nomination in by October 15.
Team Jacob fans now may soon have a new onscreen werewolf to admire: Unique Features has acquired film rights to Shiver, Maggie Steifvater’s bestselling novel about a girl who falls in love with a boy who turns into wolf during winter. A screenwriter has not yet been set.
Six authors give the buzz on banned books here, answering questions like, “Is there a silver lining in having your book challenged in terms of increased publicity?”
Literary agent Sara Crowe is calling for new YA manuscript submissions. On her blog, she spells the reasons she took on some of her clients, including Lisa Schroeder, author of the paranormal novel-in-verse, I Heart You, You Haunt Me.
You’ve heard about the necessity of a press kit for an author. But what about a blogger kit? Austin Kleon of The Book Design Review discusses the importance of “spreadability–images and videos that are easy to embed, post, disseminate on the web.” Find out what your blogger kit needs here.
Author Cynthia Leitich Smith’s interviews Booklist editor Daniel Kraus about reviewing book trailers. His best tip on creating a good book trailer: Stop doing the same old images+text thing and “create something wholly new. It could be an animation, it could be you talking to the camera, it could be a video diary entry from a character in the book–the point is that it is something that didn’t exist before you created it (kind of like your book).”
Need help tackling a new draft of your manuscript? Shari Green has compiled revision tips from ten different authors, including the above-mentioned Maggie Steifvater, Kelly Para (author of Invisible Touch), and more.
For those in need of a laugh, especially you editors and agents who have slush pile sickness–Jim C. Hines (author of Goblin Quest) presents “Slush Reading, Seuss Style.” Here’s a sample:
I do not want your D & D.
I do not like your elf PC.
I cannot stand your purple prose.
I want to punch you in the nose!
Finally, don’t forget to enter our October contest: Wow us with the opening of a story and win a giftcard to Powell’s online bookstore plus a copy of Dead Girl in Love by our own Linda Joy Singleton.
Parker Peevyhouse is having fun reading your story openings
Ooh, fabulous news! Looking forward to all those Cybils SFF nominations; I’m on the nominee board this year, and we’re up to 85 books already! I don’t know how we’ll whittle that down to ten!
That sounds like a tough job.
Lots of great links — thanks! I’m off to check out the Seuss-style slush and the blogger kit.
Thanks for including the link to my revision tips collection!