New Author Pics!

I've posted a few photos from the shoot I did with Eliya of Eliya Photography on my Facebook, but there were actually a ton of great shots that came out of that session. So many that I'm having trouble deciding which ones to use for author-y things!

Right now, I mostly am using them for conference slide shows and bio stuff (like for contests I judge, or my blog). But I will eventually need a jacket photo and can't decide. So I figured I'd share the photos, and get input/votes from you all!

In no particular order, here are some of the photos that Eliya took.

You'll notice that the one in the stripey dress is the only serious one in the bunch--until you find out that I call that dress "The Dress That Grandma's Afghan Died For". But really, it would be useless to have a bunch of photos of me looking appropriately grave, since I have difficulty being serious for more than 3 seconds in real life. Eliya was really fun to work with, and tolerant of me cracking up at odd times.

We also took some pics using my crow mask, and I'd love to use this one for a book cover for Crow's Rest.

Isn't that cool? And just so this post isn't all about me-me-me (okay, so it will be 95% about me), I'll leave you with a tip for your own photo shoot.

I don't do much photography of people myself, but from watching other photographers with their models at Preston Castle photo shoots, I learned it's helpful to have several outfits to change into. So what I did was to wear a pair of basic black leggings, black boots, and a black camisole. Then I just had to pull off my dress and put on a different one, or really change it up with that purple sweater and/or black trenchcoat.

I wore the same jewelry for all, so it made for very quick costume changes. The layers also let me change clothes right in the parking lot; we got a few startled looks, but we didn't lose time to finding a bathroom to change in. So feel free to use that idea if you get your own pictures taken!

And don't forget that any photo can be cropped to make it Twitter or other thumbnail friendly; here's the one I've been using

I highly recommend Eliya Photography if you're in my area, but have fun no matter who takes your portraits--it will come across in the pics!

OA Today & A Shoutout for a Special Conference

It's my day on Operation Awesome, and I've posted about cons (conferences and conventions), so click on over and see!

I also wanted to use this space for a couple of reminders:

Firstly, there may still be spaces left in Adventures In YA Publishing's Agent-Judged Pitch+First Page Contest so if you have a finished MG or YA manuscript, maybe you want to enter! I'm one of the judges for the blogger round once again.

Also, our regional chapter (California: North/Central) of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators has a stellar lineup this year for the spring conference. Jay Asher! Nikki Grimes! Agent Tricia Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary Agency! And so much more. Last I heard, there were still around 40 spaces left, but it usually sells out well before the conference. If you're looking for an information-packed, one-day conference, this is a great choice!

Cover Reveal for Brigid Kemmerer's Latest Book in the Elemental Series: Sacrifice!

I'm happy to help spread the word about--and cover love for--Brigid Kemmerer's fifth book in the Elemental Series: Sacrifice!

To drag out the anticipation even longer, I'll post the blurb first:

One misstep and they lose it all. For the last time.

Michael Merrick is used to pressure.

He’s the only parent his three brothers have had for years. His power to control Earth could kill someone if he miscalculates. Now an Elemental Guide has it out for his family, and he’s all that stands in the way.

His girlfriend, Hannah, gets that. She’s got a kid of her own, and a job as a firefighter that could end her life without a moment’s notice.

But there are people who have had enough of Michael’s defiance, his family’s “bad luck.” Before he knows it, Michael’s enemies have turned into the Merricks’ enemies, and they’re armed for war.

They’re not interested in surrender. But Michael isn’t the white flag type anyway. There will be blood on the ground tonight…

Ooo, those eyes give me shivers! And here's a surprise bonus--the Australian cover!

So where can you get more info on Sacrifice, Brigid Kemmerer, the Elemental Series, or add it to Goodreads? Take your pick of the links below

Brigid Kemmerer website

Brigid on Facebook

Brigid on Twitter

Goodreads  

  

Amazon link to Elemental Series

Barnes & Noble link to Elemental Series

Book Depository

iBooks

IndieBound

OA Today

I'm over on Operation Awesome today, with a post on cons (as in conferences and conventions, not convicts or con artists)! Click over and check it out!

Crossroads

In case you missed the update on my One of Those "How I Got My Agent" Stories post, it now has an addendum:

I have since parted ways with this agent; although we like and respect each other, it turned out our business and communication styles did not match up. I sincerely wish him and his clients the best, and am leaving this (slightly edited) version of this post up because it represents an important part of my writing journey. Hopefully, other good news will follow this somewhat regretful news!

It was of course a difficult decision to make, and not one I'm going to rehash here. But what this experience did make me do, was to take a much harder look at what I want for myself and my book.


Do I want to try for another agent? I know several agented writers, and agents, and this experience has not made me anti-agent. But it has made me want to take the time to ponder the pros and cons of being in a contract with an agent.

Do I want to submit to publishers open to unagented writers? For this route, I'd definitely want an attorney on my side to handle the actual contract negotiation. One of the big reasons I'd wanted an agent was a lack of confidence that I knew the important parts of a contract to fight for. Meaning, I could fight for something that's actually relatively minor, and give up something that's actually more important for the long run. So by hiring an attorney, I'd be putting some money out, but also putting a lot of doubts to rest.

Do I want to take on the control myself and self-publish? Having control, and keeping a larger portion of the profits, are certainly attractive--but all the risk will also fall on my shoulders. There are so many options and sources of information out there, it's nearly a part-time job to sort through all of it. But I have to admit, my skillsets are genuinely suited to self-publishing, so the decision will ultimately rest on whether I could make a realistic return on my investment.

So, I obviously have some decisions in my future, at a crossroads in my publishing journey. I've been doing quite a bit of research online and here are some resources I'd like to share:


Joel Friedlander has a blog called The Book Designer with tons of information for the self-publisher: everything from the nitty gritty of formatting, to cover design, to promotion. The "Self-publishing: Carnival of the Indies" roundups he posts on Sundays are particularly helpful, since he highlights great resources across the web.


J.A. Konrath is a promoter of self-publishing versus traditional publishing, with an almost religious fervor for the subject. An interesting conversation about rights and traditional publishing started up last week with Konrath and an executive from Kensington publishing. The tone gets needlessly aggressive in places, but it's an excellent crash course in some contract clauses.


I also purchased a book called Deal Breakers 2013: Contract Terms Writers Should Avoid by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, which had a lot of helpful details, and the author maintains a website with the same kind of information.


I'm not going to link to arguments either for or against getting an agent, because there are just too many! A simple Google search will turn up plenty, if you're still looking for data to play a part in that decision. That's true of whether or not to self-publish, whether to try for a big publishing house or a small press, etc. But I wasn't intending to do an exhaustive post at this point, just to share a few places with information that fit where I am in my decision-making process this week.

So wish me luck that the next fork in the path gets me where I want to go!

Pens for Paws Auction Will Run July 14-19, 2014

This year, I won't be able to hold the Pens for Paws Auction in the spring, but I found a gap in my schedule for July. So it's on for July 14-19, yay! But I'm worried that people will already be committed for their charity activities if I wait until summer to send out requests, so I'll be sending them out over the next month or so during breaks in my WIP revisions.

If you'd like to donate, here is the info:

After raising over $2,200 dollars for Fat Kitty City in 2013, let's make 2014 even bigger for the Pens for Paws Auction! Items will be posted on the Pens for Paws blog from July 14 through the 18th, with bidding open for TWO days on each item.

Donations will be accepted through July 10, but the earlier you can let me know what you'd like to donate the better, so that I can get everything scheduled ahead of time. Please keep the following in mind as you consider what you would like to donate:

• The donor is responsible for postage/mailing their item to the winner. Please take that into consideration for the value of your item.
• Minimum bids will not be set on any items. This may mean that your item goes for less than you expected, but it also allows people (including kids) who may not have as much funds available to participate

So what kinds of items are we looking for?

• Books: signed editions, ARCs, swag (bookmarks, postcards, tie-ins), etc. In addition to individual writers stepping up, we've also had group bloggers, or writers from the same publisher, offer a collection of books and that's a lot of fun.
• Critiques or editorial services: these generate a lot of interest on their own, or you may want to donate a critique along with your book. Or, maybe you know your agent loves animals too and think they're more likely to say yes to offering a critique if one of their clients is asking, you can go in on a critique with them.
• Artwork: prints, jewelry, crochet, knitwork, custom art or web design. Remember you will likely be mailing it, so large items or fragile items may not be the best choice.
• Your item does not need to be cat- or pet-oriented--it's all good!

 If you'd like to donate something for the auction, please copy and paste the questions below, along with your answers, into an email to pensforpawsauction (at) yahoo (dot) com . You may also attach a photo of the item to use for the listing.

What is the item you'd like to donate? (short description for listing title)

Your name (as you wish it to appear in the listing)

Your contact info (email address is fine; if you need a tax letter, we will need a mailing address. No addresses are added to a list--they will be used strictly for correspondence regarding your item)

 Item description (for the actual listing--may include whether it's signed, a special edition, back copy of book, etc)

Ship to U.S. addresses only, or open internationally? (obviously not an issue with items that will be fulfilled electronically, but international postage can add up so some donors choose to limit the shipping domestically)

Attaching a photo? You may also include a link to the photo you'd like to use if it's already on the web.


Thank you!

OA Today

I'm over on Operation Awesome today, sharing my frustration with rewrites that go off track. Fly on over and check it out!