Espresso Patronum at Starbucks in Toronto

Came across this sign outside a Starbucks on Yonge St., just west of Eglinton W. in Toronto.

No, I didn't have time to order an Espresso Patronum. But I love the illustration and the idea! :-D

Have you ever been asked to write or illustrate "for GREAT EXPOSURE" instead of cash?

I've lost count of the number of times that I've been asked to write or draw something for free but reassured that my work would get great exposure.

As the video above points out, exposure doesn't pay the bills.

Thanks to Hazel Mitchell for the link.

This week on MiGwriters: meet our agents from Transatlantic, Curtis Brown, Jennifer DeChiara and Jennifer Lyons

Today's MiGwriters blog interview is with Andrea Cascardi of Translatlantic Literary Agency.

Tomorrow: my agent, Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown!

Comic: The Edible Library Restaurant

I'm posting some of my older comics here as I catalog and tag them in prep for a print book compilation. You can find my comics for writers on Inkygirl (http://inkygirl.com), Tumblr (http://inkygirl.tumblr.com) and Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/inkyelbows/comics-for-writers-inkygirl-com)

Comic: The Misplaced Apostrophe

I'm posting some of my older comics here as I catalog and tag them in prep for a print book compilation. You can also find my comics for writers on Tumblr and Pinterest.

Jane Friedman: Should You Focus On Your Writing Or Your Platform?

Writer Unboxed has many excellent posts about the craft and business of fiction, but I especially enjoyed Jane Friedman's most recent post for writers which asks, how much time should you spend on writing versus platform building?

I posted a comment today but am going to post an edited version of it below as well:

 I still think it’s possible for a new writer to get plucked out of the slush pile without a platform; I know at least one writer who got her first book contract with a major publisher this way. BUT I also believe that these days, it’s the exception rather than the norm.

I went about things in the reverse order from most writers: I created my platform long before I had something to promote. I couldn’t help myself, though — I’ve been a fan of online communities years before the term became popular.

I agree with one of Jane’s comments above, that there is no One Right Way. What works for one writer might not work for another. I even think that if a writer who is not suited for social media (and forces herself into that venue despite hating it), her so-called platform could end up hurting her chances of publication rather than helping.

Hm, and this discussion has given me a great idea for a new comic for Writer Unboxed on Saturday. :-)

For writers who want to find out more about building a platform for themselves, I encourage you to check out the posts and comments in Robert Lee Brewer's April Platform Challenge.

Capstone Launches Capstone Young Readers

Launching in August, "will include board books; chapter books; fiction, including early and middle grade series; graphic novels; and nonfiction titles, including paper novelty and craft books."

URL: http://capstoneyoungreaders.com/

(site still under construction)

BookMentors.org To Launch This Fall

Scheduled to launch in Fall 2012, BookMentors.org is a non-profit that intends to use "micro patronage" to supply teachers, students, and librarian in high-needs schools with books.

BookMentors.org is a place where you can give and receive books, as well as ideas. Teachers and librarians request, receive, and recommend books. Donors recommend and buy books for teachers. Students benefit from all the shared books and thoughts. Everyone gets to write tributes to their favorite children's and YA books.

Not only does this sound like a good cause but it also seems like another opportunity for children's and YA authors and publishers to promote books.

I've signed up for their mailing list to be kept informed about the upcoming launch.

URL:  http://bookmentors.org/

Twitter: @bookmentors

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookMentors

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113752556044546203488/posts

Regnery To Launch New Children's Imprint: Little Patriot Press

 Conservative publisher Regnery Publishing plans to launch Little Patriot Press, a new children's imprint whose titles will be aimed at "teaching and inspiring children through stories about American history and government." The imprint will launch seven picture books this year.

Managing editor: Diane Reeves. Creative director: Cheryl Barnes.

URL (not yet launched): littlepatriotpress.com

On Twitter, you can find Regnery Publishing at @Regnery. Doesn't seem to be a Twitter feed for the new imprint yet.

(via Publisher's Weekly)

Bloomsbury editor on new imprint, Bloomsbury Circus

New on Tales From The Reading Room:

Bloomsbury editor Alexandra Pringle discusses the publisher's new literary imprint, Bloomsbury Circus. An excerpt:

When we look back in a year’s time I hope we will have a prize shortlist or two under our belts, a sense of having broken some established authors out of the ‘midlist’ as well as having launched some exciting new talent into the world.  What more could a publisher wish for?

You can follow Bloomsbury Circus on Twitter at @circusbooks as well as on Facebook. Here's the official announcement about the new imprint.

For those who want to find out more about Alexandra Pringle, here's the bio from the Bloomsbury UK site:

Editor-in-Chief of Bloomsbury Adult Books. She began her career in publishing at Virago Press in 1978 where she edited the famous Virago Modern Classics series. In 1984 she was made Editorial Director, later becoming part of the management team to steer Virago through their management buy-out from Cape, Chatto & Bodley Head. In 1990 she joined Hamish Hamilton as Editorial Director and four years later left publishing to become a literary agent with Toby Eady Associates. She joined Bloomsbury in 1999. Her list of authors includes Donna Tartt, Barbara Trapido, Richard Ford, Esther Freud, William Boyd, Ronan Bennett and Susanna Clarke. She is a Director of the Management Board, Bloomsbury Book Publishing Company Limited which also includes the Plc Directors.

Rex Pickett's SIDEWAYS was rejected 70-80 times

A bunch of my "successful writers who got rejected" posts got trashed during the Big Move After Being Hacked some years ago, but I'm starting up the series again. I'll be reposting some old rejection stories as well as new ones. 

Rex Pickett's SIDEWAYS was rejected 70-80 times before finally being accepted. The book was later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film.

You can hear an interview with Rex on OterhPeoplePod.com.

(via GalleyCat)

Writer/illustrator conferences, good news and a new Pixel Shavings post

If I could give one piece of advice to my young writer/illustrator self, I would have said this: START ATTENDING CONFERENCES. And join organizations like the SCBWI and CANSCAIP.

I have learned so much, been incredibly inspired and met many creative kindred spirits because of these events. Not to mention three children's book contracts! (I'M BORED plus two more recently, yay!!). Speaking of good things happening at conferences...

Here's my post about Pixel Shavings friends Russ Cox and Hazel Mitchell, with their good news from the New England SCBWI Conference.

Just signed up for the Story A Day May Challenge!

I know, I know -- writing an entire story every day sounds crazy. But according to the rules of the challenge, it doesn't have to be a super-long story. I'm going to use this challenge as motivation to come up with SOME story plot every day: each with a beginning, middle and end. Some of these might be turned into picture books, middle grade novels or YA novels.

May is the first month in a while where I won't be doing any traveling, so I actually have a chance of completing this challenge. You can do the challenge on your own, of course, but there's also the opportunity of commiserating with others via the StoryADay.org online community. I've joined the Kid Lit group, for example.

Story A Day is the brainchild of freelance writer Julie Duffy. "Sick of starting and never finishing writing projects, in April 2010 I announced that I was challenging myself to write a story a day in May." She opened the challenge to others and was surprised at the response. "The enthusiasm for the project amazed me. It spoke of a hunger to write, no, a hunger for permission to write that I never dreamed was so widespread."

After May, I'll take the best plots and put them in my Rainy Day Story Folder to inspire me when I'm looking for new book ideas.

For more info about the challenge, visit StoryADay.org and follow the #storyaday hashtag on Twitter.

So who's with me?

Comic: The Frog Editor

I'm posting some of my older comics here as I catalog and tag them in prep for a print book compilation. You can also find my comics for writers on Tumblr and Pinterest.

Comic: Slow Writer

I'm posting some of my older comics here as I catalog and tag them in prep for a print book compilation. You can also find my comics for writers on Tumblr and Pinterest.

Coming up on MiGwriters: Interviews With Our Agents From Transatlantic, Curtis Brown, JenniferDeChiara and Jennifer Lyons

One of my MiGwriter critique partners, Christina Farley, came up with a great idea: to interview our literary agents for our blog. So starting next Monday, we'll be posting info and interviews with our agents from Transatlantic, Curtis Brown, JenniferDeChiara and Jennifer Lyons literary agencies.

See the MiGwriters blog and please do "Like" the MiGwriters Facebook Page for updates.

Comic: Hamster Writers

Comic: Cat and Dog Editors

Comic: Perseverance In A Shoe

You can also find my comics for writers on Tumblr and Pinterest.

My interview on Raychelle Writes | The Writer's Block

Thanks to Raychelle Muhammed for interviewing me on her blog today as part of her Writer's Block interview series.

In this interview, I answer the questions:

1) Tell us a bit about who you are, and where you live and work.

2) Describe your journey to becoming an author/ illustrator.

3) Describe your body of work. Which have been some of your most meaningful projects?

4) Tell us about your upcoming release, I’M BORED.

5) What is Inkspot? How did you develop the concept for it?

6) Who are your favorite authors? What is on your reading list right now?

7) How do you promote your work? What methods have worked best for you?

8) How has music played a role in your life?

9) How have your professional associations enhanced your career?

10) What are your upcoming plans for 2012?

11) What advice would you offer to aspiring author/illustrators?

Fun questions to answer. Thanks for the interview, Raychelle!