July 05, 2006

Back...with Tidbits

I am finally back in the blogging world for a bit, and wanted to put up a few links I've been collecting. I found out on the SCBWI discussion boards that former Scholastic and Harcourt editor Eileen Robinson has launched a venture called F1rstPages.com, which, for a small fee, will critique the all-important first few pages or first chapter of your manuscript. The first chapter is a hefty $100, but the first 2 pages is only $35. Not sure if the price is worth it, but after having my manuscript nixed several times, it makes one start considering...

According to Publishers Weekly (via the SCBWI newsletter), Flying Point Press is a book packager aiming at "tween boys," primarily through a series of war-themed novels at the moment, but planning to expand to true adventure and historical fiction. I feel a little strange about this, inasmuch as it seems to cater to a set of stereotypes I don't care for. But then, I'm married to a man whose parents didn't allow him to play with any realistically violent toys when he was a boy. Transformers were OK; guns and G.I. Joes were not.

On a lighter note, Actionopolis is a new fantasy/action/adventure press that publishes illustrated novels. There's a really cool feel to the ones I looked at--very reminiscent of chapter books that I loved as a child that contained both small, peripheral illustrations as well as full-page artwork. Plus, how can you go wrong with titles like Zombie Monkey Monster Jamboree?

The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards have been announced--read about the winners here. Notably, Kate DiCamillo's new book The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane won for Fiction and Poetry.

Poor Daniel Handler. Lemony Snicket may get mobbed with fans, but heaven forbid he should try to do a reading of adult work under his real name.

2 comments:

tanita✿davis said...

At least Mr. Handler isn't feeling sorry for himself... I think the fame for his adult stuff will come; meantime he has the time and the cushion that Mr. Snickett has provided, to just play with it, and see where his art takes him.

The lucky bugger.

tanita✿davis said...

And I don't even want to COMMENT on yet another book packager. Did Kaavya Viswanathan and poor Jodi Anderson who got stiffed with the whole Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants thing teach us nothing about book packagers!?