I'm back from my Arvon course, and want to go on another one right away! But this is probably not feasible.
A write-up will be in order when it all settles down in my head. Today's task is to familiarise myself with the briefs left by the outgoing HarperCollins editor whose job I'm inheriting for a few weeks.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Barbie the Librarian hits the shelves
Fear! Terror! Inadequacy! Blog neglect! Yes, all these are the signs and sigils of The Greater Spotted Deadline. That and trying to do a week’s charity work in conjunction with the deadline. But the charity work was arranged before the deadline was.
And now I have a whole hour to myself before launching on next week’s course, which will probably be intense too, but in a different way. I get to wallow in literary merit!
The one other booky thing I did this week was to pick up a title which I edited two years ago, and which is finally in print. It is Barbie the Librarianand it has a special place in my heart.
Of course, the book is not actually called Barbie the Librarian, but The Snow Palace, and it’s a Christmas Special addition to the Barbie Story Library series. The set-up is that Krista, aka Barbie, finds an unhappy snow kitten on her windowsill, and it tells her that it is from Snowland, where everything is going wrong because of the Ice Queen. Barbie then goes off to sort things out, accompanied by cute animals and aided by magical happenstance as is brand appropriate.
The series author had written up the story in a suitable style, but for some reason I now forget the beginning and end weren’t working for Barbie licensor Mattel, so I had to change them. Standard editorial duties, of course – only on the day I was doing this I apparently took leave of my senses. I don’t know what I was thinking (probably something like “argh wibble I have fifty books to edit,”) but I decided that a great solution to the narrative difficulties would be to have Barbie living alone in a tower full of books and reading one to find out how to get to Snowland. Then at the end she scarpers home “to curl up with a book”.
So I fixed up the MS accordingly and emailed it off to Mattel, then showed it to the designer on the project, who said almost immediately, “Oh my god, you turned Barbie into a librarian!”
At which time my brain kicked in, and I wondered if a nifty retraction might be in order, since the duties of an editor on a branded series emphatically do not include remaking the brand in your own image.
However! It turned out that Mattel liked what I had done. They said it was certainly unusual for Barbie, but as this was a one-off book they would give it a try. The MS was passed, and in due course illustrated with suitable pictures of bookcases, etc, alongside the more familiar Barbie symbols.
So that is how I turned Barbie into a librarian. I don’t suppose the career choice will stick, but perhaps there's a little girl or two out there who never felt that her friends' Barbie DVDs about fairies and dresses were quite her. And then she reads that Krista lives in “a tower filled with wondrous books”…
Just maybe, that could be of value to someone.
And now I have a whole hour to myself before launching on next week’s course, which will probably be intense too, but in a different way. I get to wallow in literary merit!
The one other booky thing I did this week was to pick up a title which I edited two years ago, and which is finally in print. It is Barbie the Librarianand it has a special place in my heart.
Of course, the book is not actually called Barbie the Librarian, but The Snow Palace, and it’s a Christmas Special addition to the Barbie Story Library series. The set-up is that Krista, aka Barbie, finds an unhappy snow kitten on her windowsill, and it tells her that it is from Snowland, where everything is going wrong because of the Ice Queen. Barbie then goes off to sort things out, accompanied by cute animals and aided by magical happenstance as is brand appropriate.
The series author had written up the story in a suitable style, but for some reason I now forget the beginning and end weren’t working for Barbie licensor Mattel, so I had to change them. Standard editorial duties, of course – only on the day I was doing this I apparently took leave of my senses. I don’t know what I was thinking (probably something like “argh wibble I have fifty books to edit,”) but I decided that a great solution to the narrative difficulties would be to have Barbie living alone in a tower full of books and reading one to find out how to get to Snowland. Then at the end she scarpers home “to curl up with a book”.
So I fixed up the MS accordingly and emailed it off to Mattel, then showed it to the designer on the project, who said almost immediately, “Oh my god, you turned Barbie into a librarian!”
At which time my brain kicked in, and I wondered if a nifty retraction might be in order, since the duties of an editor on a branded series emphatically do not include remaking the brand in your own image.
However! It turned out that Mattel liked what I had done. They said it was certainly unusual for Barbie, but as this was a one-off book they would give it a try. The MS was passed, and in due course illustrated with suitable pictures of bookcases, etc, alongside the more familiar Barbie symbols.
So that is how I turned Barbie into a librarian. I don’t suppose the career choice will stick, but perhaps there's a little girl or two out there who never felt that her friends' Barbie DVDs about fairies and dresses were quite her. And then she reads that Krista lives in “a tower filled with wondrous books”…
Just maybe, that could be of value to someone.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Back to school for a week
I’m doing three interesting new things in the next three weeks. Week one, I’m helping my boyfriend and his parents with their annual week of charity work. Week two, I’m going on an Arvon course. And week three, I’m starting a temporary job as a senior editor at HarperCollins, filling in until they can find someone who wants to work full-time.
I’m looking forward to all of it, but I hesitated over week two. The same bit of me that was suspicious of the SCBWI worried about going on a general-access course. Wouldn’t it be more professional to make out I already know everything? Oh well, I was never convinced by ‘professionalism’; I prefer to just be good at things.
I might have spent huge tracts of my life writing or dissecting one thing or another, but spending a whole week acknowledging writing with a bunch of real people, that’s different. It’s a luxury (as the price tag makes clear).
Almost all my creative skills are self-taught or developed on the job, in spite of having an English degree. At Oxford, student writing was completely ignored You crafted your essays about the masters, but if you dared to imitate them that was your business. I got on the sole available extra-curricular writing course, but it was the wrong form of writing for me long-term.
I don’t regret this, as I’ve managed to get plenty practice in elsewhere. But talking to other writers about writing (as opposed to demanding that they send me 500 words on Thomas the Tank Engine by yesterday) – how exotic and delectable. Want!
Still, note to inner editor– you are on holiday; do not try to commission Melvin Burgess to write Barbie books.
Anyway, Arvon courses are repeatedly proven to be good for you – I know Candy Gourlay enjoyed this same course in the summer, and she’s just got her longed-for book deal. Congratulations to her, and I could do with one of those when I’ve got my material together – but most of all, I want her enthusiasm! If Arvon can animate me even a quarter that much, it will be money well spent.
I’m looking forward to all of it, but I hesitated over week two. The same bit of me that was suspicious of the SCBWI worried about going on a general-access course. Wouldn’t it be more professional to make out I already know everything? Oh well, I was never convinced by ‘professionalism’; I prefer to just be good at things.
I might have spent huge tracts of my life writing or dissecting one thing or another, but spending a whole week acknowledging writing with a bunch of real people, that’s different. It’s a luxury (as the price tag makes clear).
Almost all my creative skills are self-taught or developed on the job, in spite of having an English degree. At Oxford, student writing was completely ignored You crafted your essays about the masters, but if you dared to imitate them that was your business. I got on the sole available extra-curricular writing course, but it was the wrong form of writing for me long-term.
I don’t regret this, as I’ve managed to get plenty practice in elsewhere. But talking to other writers about writing (as opposed to demanding that they send me 500 words on Thomas the Tank Engine by yesterday) – how exotic and delectable. Want!
Still, note to inner editor– you are on holiday; do not try to commission Melvin Burgess to write Barbie books.
Anyway, Arvon courses are repeatedly proven to be good for you – I know Candy Gourlay enjoyed this same course in the summer, and she’s just got her longed-for book deal. Congratulations to her, and I could do with one of those when I’ve got my material together – but most of all, I want her enthusiasm! If Arvon can animate me even a quarter that much, it will be money well spent.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Trying the SCBWI
This week, I went to a SCBWI social. That’s the word ‘I’ and the word ‘social’ in the same sentence, which is usually the sort of thing that causes my boyfriend to protest: “Who are you and what have you done with Anna?”
But reader, I went.
I joined the SCBWI a couple of months ago, and I must confess the move was preceded by a certain amount of hesitation. I googled widely before stumping up for membership, and came across a body of opinion to the effect that the organisation is simply in the business of extracting an entrance fee from newbies then providing little more than an opportunity to experience shared cluelessness with people in the same boat.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Certainly there is a total lack of people handing me MSS in green ink as soon as I utter the word ‘editor’. One of the organisers – who has a tasty events schedule formulated for next year judging by the quick rundown I heard her give last month – remarked that, while some of the criticism might originally have had some grain of truth in it, the make-up of the organisation is diversifying as members get published and stay in the society. People don’t think: “Behold, I am published, I shall depart wreathed in the effulgence of my glory!” – they stick around because it’s a fun and supportive environment.
My main regret now is that I don't have an active project that's suitable for mulling over in a SCBWI context. At the moment my time is split between writing for fee and in-house editing; I'm hoping SCBWI will keep my appetite whetted for when I have some serious original fiction time.
During my brief membership to date, I’ve spoken to some people who knew a lot about publishing and some people who were just starting out, but they all seemed to be united by a good attitude and a work ethic. This reminds me – or rather sets itself up in opposition to – the experiences of a midlist crimewriter friend, who opines that her professional association dinners are all about eyeballing the next person along and wondering if and why their sales are much better than yours.
Perhaps it’s just that amateurs/aspirants can afford to be nice, while being professional hardens you, if not in one way then in another. One unexpected but predictable-in-hindsight effect that meeting some ‘scoobies’ did produce was to make me suddenly reflect that 10 years in commercial publishing has turned me into an evil old prune. There’s all these people talking about books being ‘good’ while my approach – spoken and thought – revolves around ‘marketing spend’ and ‘skew’ and other such jargon. Show me a ‘good’ idea and my immediate response is to bash it repeatedly with the marketability stick to see if it survives. I have to be careful not to go playing the ‘I’m an editor so I know best, nyah!!’ card and shouting people down – just because I know some corners of the business well, doesn’t make me oracular about everything.
Most of this is inevitable, I suppose – developing a strong market instinct is part of a modern editor’s job, and those scoobies who become successful authors probably start thinking the same way, or at least understand the logic behind the commercial approach.
But I also never want to forget why I like good books! All the more reason, then, to hang out with aspiring, craft-loving authors.
But reader, I went.
I joined the SCBWI a couple of months ago, and I must confess the move was preceded by a certain amount of hesitation. I googled widely before stumping up for membership, and came across a body of opinion to the effect that the organisation is simply in the business of extracting an entrance fee from newbies then providing little more than an opportunity to experience shared cluelessness with people in the same boat.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Certainly there is a total lack of people handing me MSS in green ink as soon as I utter the word ‘editor’. One of the organisers – who has a tasty events schedule formulated for next year judging by the quick rundown I heard her give last month – remarked that, while some of the criticism might originally have had some grain of truth in it, the make-up of the organisation is diversifying as members get published and stay in the society. People don’t think: “Behold, I am published, I shall depart wreathed in the effulgence of my glory!” – they stick around because it’s a fun and supportive environment.
My main regret now is that I don't have an active project that's suitable for mulling over in a SCBWI context. At the moment my time is split between writing for fee and in-house editing; I'm hoping SCBWI will keep my appetite whetted for when I have some serious original fiction time.
During my brief membership to date, I’ve spoken to some people who knew a lot about publishing and some people who were just starting out, but they all seemed to be united by a good attitude and a work ethic. This reminds me – or rather sets itself up in opposition to – the experiences of a midlist crimewriter friend, who opines that her professional association dinners are all about eyeballing the next person along and wondering if and why their sales are much better than yours.
Perhaps it’s just that amateurs/aspirants can afford to be nice, while being professional hardens you, if not in one way then in another. One unexpected but predictable-in-hindsight effect that meeting some ‘scoobies’ did produce was to make me suddenly reflect that 10 years in commercial publishing has turned me into an evil old prune. There’s all these people talking about books being ‘good’ while my approach – spoken and thought – revolves around ‘marketing spend’ and ‘skew’ and other such jargon. Show me a ‘good’ idea and my immediate response is to bash it repeatedly with the marketability stick to see if it survives. I have to be careful not to go playing the ‘I’m an editor so I know best, nyah!!’ card and shouting people down – just because I know some corners of the business well, doesn’t make me oracular about everything.
Most of this is inevitable, I suppose – developing a strong market instinct is part of a modern editor’s job, and those scoobies who become successful authors probably start thinking the same way, or at least understand the logic behind the commercial approach.
But I also never want to forget why I like good books! All the more reason, then, to hang out with aspiring, craft-loving authors.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Yay work - aaargh?
It’s a balancing act, trying to be a freelance editor and a writer. I just got a call from a publisher wanting me to do a few weeks’ covering for an outgoing Senior Editor in one of their children’s divisions while they interview to find her replacement.
My immediate simultaneous reaction: YAY, interesting work! NOOO December was my original projects writing time!
Particularly as I haven’t been freelance for all that long, the ‘YAY work’ impulse wins out – you have to take care to keep your skills current and build contacts. And while I certainly hope my original projects will eventually result in payment, I need to build up a bit of a portfolio first.
On the other hand a little part of me insists that if I was sufficiently devoted to writing I’d drop everything and dedicate myself to my craft, and reap the rewards afterwards. I don’t know why this part hasn’t shut up after 10 years’ involvement in commercial publishing, but it seems to be congenital. It must have got used to me ignoring it by now. I’m the terminally sensible type.
Which would explain why my glamorous Friday night is about to consist of a few hours’ writing-to-order, then an editorial night shift in Whitehall.
My immediate simultaneous reaction: YAY, interesting work! NOOO December was my original projects writing time!
Particularly as I haven’t been freelance for all that long, the ‘YAY work’ impulse wins out – you have to take care to keep your skills current and build contacts. And while I certainly hope my original projects will eventually result in payment, I need to build up a bit of a portfolio first.
On the other hand a little part of me insists that if I was sufficiently devoted to writing I’d drop everything and dedicate myself to my craft, and reap the rewards afterwards. I don’t know why this part hasn’t shut up after 10 years’ involvement in commercial publishing, but it seems to be congenital. It must have got used to me ignoring it by now. I’m the terminally sensible type.
Which would explain why my glamorous Friday night is about to consist of a few hours’ writing-to-order, then an editorial night shift in Whitehall.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
All medalled up and nowhere to pass it
Keren David has kindly bestowed a Superior Scribbler award upon me.
With honour come great responsibilities, and these are they:
*Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass the award on to five most deserving bloggy friends.
*Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author and the name of the blog from whom s/he has received the award.
*Each Superior Scribbler must display the award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains the award.
*Each blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr Linky List. That way, they'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives this prestigious honour.
*Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.
Most of these are easy. My trouble is with passing on to five friends. Really, to date I have mostly been posting and following the big writing blogs and not made any friends! So I am not going to try to pass judgement on blogs that I don’t really know yet, or go poking someone with a high profile who’s quite busy enough. Maybe if I get a similar meme in future, I will be able to do it justice.
(So, nobody cares about novelty books? Yet I laugh in the face of indifference. Twitter cares! Yes, two bots picked up my last post, goodness knows why, gifting me a sudden huge readership spike consisting entirely of people who wandered straight off again.)
With honour come great responsibilities, and these are they:
*Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass the award on to five most deserving bloggy friends.
*Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author and the name of the blog from whom s/he has received the award.
*Each Superior Scribbler must display the award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains the award.
*Each blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr Linky List. That way, they'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives this prestigious honour.
*Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.
Most of these are easy. My trouble is with passing on to five friends. Really, to date I have mostly been posting and following the big writing blogs and not made any friends! So I am not going to try to pass judgement on blogs that I don’t really know yet, or go poking someone with a high profile who’s quite busy enough. Maybe if I get a similar meme in future, I will be able to do it justice.
(So, nobody cares about novelty books? Yet I laugh in the face of indifference. Twitter cares! Yes, two bots picked up my last post, goodness knows why, gifting me a sudden huge readership spike consisting entirely of people who wandered straight off again.)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The mystery of novelties
I recently told someone I thought they should give up on a project (here, in the comments) and gave them a detailed run-down of why. Fortunately they took it well, and in this case the recipient is obviously a talented illustrator so clearly all hope is not lost for a fine career.
But I wondered about whether taking the ‘definitive bullet-pointed list of why this is economically unviable’ approach in a public thread was the kind thing to do. Of course, plenty of people rubbish work that is posted for critique on writing forums, but that’s slightly different from explaining why a project is inherently doomed for (as far as possible) objective economic reasons. That sort of thing could squelch a dream as easily as spur it on in new, more fruitful, directions.
On the other hand, the technical and stylistic considerations that you need to take into account before pitching a novelty book are simple enough when you know them, and yet the information is apparently hard to come by. In the example above, a talented illustrator tried to approach a children’s project without really understanding the format she was going for.
Working in brand tie-in books as much as I have, I’ve been largely shielded from slush pile duties, but I wonder what proportion of the average agent’s pile consists of novelty projects which are doomed from the outset because of lack of format knowledge? (If any agents read this, please do tell.) There’s a lot of advice out there on writing and illustrating, but I don’t in fact think I’ve ever seen any about novelties. Possibly because it’s a notoriously hard market to break into, so the advice is usually ‘don’t try’.
Admittedly, my rational advice would be ‘don’t try’ too. Every novelty I’ve edited, I wrote myself because there was just no money for the text, it was all going on those paper bells and whistles. Still, a publisher probably isn’t going to turn down a one-in-a-thousand killer idea.
I guess it’s time for a ‘how novelties are published’ post, if anyone is interested. Any takers?
But I wondered about whether taking the ‘definitive bullet-pointed list of why this is economically unviable’ approach in a public thread was the kind thing to do. Of course, plenty of people rubbish work that is posted for critique on writing forums, but that’s slightly different from explaining why a project is inherently doomed for (as far as possible) objective economic reasons. That sort of thing could squelch a dream as easily as spur it on in new, more fruitful, directions.
On the other hand, the technical and stylistic considerations that you need to take into account before pitching a novelty book are simple enough when you know them, and yet the information is apparently hard to come by. In the example above, a talented illustrator tried to approach a children’s project without really understanding the format she was going for.
Working in brand tie-in books as much as I have, I’ve been largely shielded from slush pile duties, but I wonder what proportion of the average agent’s pile consists of novelty projects which are doomed from the outset because of lack of format knowledge? (If any agents read this, please do tell.) There’s a lot of advice out there on writing and illustrating, but I don’t in fact think I’ve ever seen any about novelties. Possibly because it’s a notoriously hard market to break into, so the advice is usually ‘don’t try’.
Admittedly, my rational advice would be ‘don’t try’ too. Every novelty I’ve edited, I wrote myself because there was just no money for the text, it was all going on those paper bells and whistles. Still, a publisher probably isn’t going to turn down a one-in-a-thousand killer idea.
I guess it’s time for a ‘how novelties are published’ post, if anyone is interested. Any takers?
Monday, November 2, 2009
test
Blogger doesn't seem to let you delete posts, which strikes me as somewhat stupid if it's true!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)