On Celebrating EVERY Writing Accomplishment (or Bigger Isn't Always Better)

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As online social media sites have moved from MySpace to FaceBook to Twitter to Tumblr, I am still a loyal reader and user of LiveJournal. I post all of my book reviews here and enjoy reading the occasional posts by other stalwart LJ users, such as author and poet Kelly Fineman.

Last month Kelly wrote two posts that made me think. The first was about how she had good news to share; three of her poems had been accepted into two publications. I commented that it was fantastic and every little piece of writing news is something to celebrate when you are a talented, driven writer! Kelly replied that yes, it is good to remember to celebrate and share every achievement, no matter how small.

The second was a post called "Why is it so hard to own the good stuff?" and it truly spoke to me and made me start thinking about writing a post of my own, where I knew I'd link to Kelly's post because she is such an eloquent writer. Go ahead, read Kelly's post now. I'll wait. :)

I've been a writer all my life, but I first began writing with the idea toward publication (YA novels) in 2004, the summer after I finished my MLS and fell in live with YA lit in the YA Materials class. By 2006, I had three manuscripts and was sure that after a couple of years, I would have a YA novel on store shelves. Why wouldn't I? I was reading a ton, writing a ton, had a critique group, started up this group blog, went to conferences, knew how to edit and revise, took an online class, researched the market, signed with my first agent in 2008, kept writing more books, my crit/blog partners got book deals....

Um, yeah. And here I am now 10 years later without a book deal.

I am not writing this for pity or because I am fishing for encouraging remarks!

I AM writing this because, holy crap, I have accomplished a LOT in 10 years in the writing arena and these things need to be celebrated:

• April 2011 -- Accepted as a VOYA reviewer; 1-2 of my YA book reviews are published monthly in this national professional librarian journal
• July 2013 -- Self-published my YA ebook BLACKOUT and created a book trailer*
• January 2014 -- Hired as a freelance Rochester & Genesee Valley Parent Magazine Book Nook writer; 1 article per month of kidlit book reviews is published in this local free Rochester-area magazine
• July 2014 -- Self-published my YA ebook DESERTED and created a book trailer*

* To date, I have sold approximately 135 copies of my books, which is about 130 more readers than I would've had if I hadn't epubbed. Woo hoo!

So basically since spring 2011, I've had something professionally published every month, and since 2014 I've had at least two publications released per month. And you know what? That's pretty freakin' cool! I LOVE writing book reviews and while yes, they do take away time from writing my own fiction, there is a certain satisfaction in knowing they will be seen in print. Plus the librarian in me adores gushing about good books and telling people what to read. :)

Other cool things?

• I have a fantastic agent who is working hard with me to polish my next MG novel. We are, of course, hoping the one on sub will sell, but either way it is exciting and motivating to have someone enthusiastic in my court with great ideas for making my books the best they can be. Also, she is a talented author herself so I know she "gets" revision and the work it takes to make your book baby solid for submission, from both sides of the business.
• I have a fantastic core of talented writers who critique and edit my work, both online and in-person. I would not be where I am today without the years of input they have given me. I never take them for granted.

I do not plan to ever stop working toward traditional publication or self-pubbing ebooks at this point in my life, and I'm sure if/when I do get that elusive book deal, I will be ecstatic. 

But I also know that realistically, after the initial push, printing, and distribution of that one book, I will still need to write another and another and another. Not only to sustain a writing career, but because I have stories to tell. And one month, two months, three months after the book comes out, to the general population it will just be another book on the shelf at the library/store/house. Does that mean that the book and the accomplishment and hard work it represents still shouldn't be celebrated just because it is not "new" anymore?

I say no. I mean yes. I mean: Continue to relish that accomplishment and also celebrate all the small goals reached on the way to the next book deal or journal publication or poem completion or query letter sent. Because book deals and the publications of said books are too few and far between to be the only thing writers are celebrating.

As longtime A2A reader and awesome YA author Jenn Hubbard said in Kelly's comments:

"We're stopping to smell the roses, instead of saying that they're small roses or thorny roses or there could be more of them. They smell sweet."

Capisce?

Now excuse me while I finish up the October monster-themed Book Nook for Rochester & Genesee Valley Parent Magazine. :-D

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

A View of Reviews (or What I Like About You, You Really Know How to Write*)

*with apologies to The Romantics

Tip of the Day: Only 82 days until the Rochester Teen Book Festival! If you are anywhere near Rochester, NY on May 17th, you must come to this FREE event featuring 30 authors!

As a book reviewer for VOYA, Genesee Valley Parent Magazine, and the RACWI newsletter, and after commenting on a thread about starred reviews in the SCBWI Discussion Board (as created by picture book author Verla Kay), I've been thinking lately a lot about how I approach reviews.

Of course we all have favorite genres of books, topics we'll gravitate towards without question, and authors we'll pick up no matter what the book is about. But within those books there are aspects that make us really, really like some more than others.

*Please note that I'm focusing on novels in this discussion.*

And in books that are not part of my usual repertoire, I can still fall in love with them if they rock in one or more of three areas.

What are those three things?

Why voice, characters, and page-turning plots of course!

So if a book in any genre stands out in any of these areas as compared to the 150-200 other books I read each year, then I'll give it an above average rating or review. And if it stands out so much that I can't stop talking about it or telling others that they must read it, then I'll give it a glowing review.

A recent read that has made this most latter list?

Not only is main character Mo LeBeau smart, funny, honest, and caring with a sharp voice that makes me smile on every page, but she's joined by a cast of additional fabulous characters. If you enjoy middle grade novels at all, you must read this book and THREE TIMES LUCKY (the first Mo LeBeau book) as well.

For the sake of more examples, I'll tell you what I love about each of the Author2Author Misses' work and why they stand out to me. :)

Kate -- her plots are smart and make me think about new worlds, and her characters have witty lines that make me laugh out loud and want them to succeed.

Emily -- her plots are high concept and seem to write themselves, and her first-person voice is hilarious.

Tina -- her plots are well-crafted and fit together like a sharp puzzle, and her characters' honesty and naivete are refreshing and fun to follow as they get into hijinks.

Megg -- her characters kick butt and lead the plots instead of letting the plots lead them.

What aspect of a novel make you love them more than others you have read lately?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

It's the End of the Year As We Know It (or I Feel Busy But Fine*)

*with apologies to REM

Tip of the Day: Check out THE AGE OF MIRACLES by Karen Thompson Walker for a great adult book with teen appeal (I hope it makes the Alex Award list). The earth's rotation is slowing, making the days and nights longer...will it stop or be the end of life as we know it? (And will it happen to us on Dec. 21??? :))

Happy Holidays, A2A Readers!

Lately I've been swamped with a few things:

1. Christmas preparations, including making the house decent enough for my bro and his wife to stay with me and attending various holiday soirees (aka Festivus).

2. Revising the end of a MG novel I hope to query agents with by February.

3. Reading the Morris Award nominees, some adult novels that may be Alex Award contenders, and two books to review for VOYA.

4. Using up my vacation time at work, while still trying to pull together a teen art opening and reception tomorrow night.

My post today is lacking real concrete content due to said busy times, but I promise in January to recap my top five reads of 2012 out of 200 books read (yes, I will hit 200 by Jan. 1; am at 196 now).

Until then, enjoy the days getting longer and the New Year!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Dystopian Fiction Overload? (or Reality Bites but That's What Life Is*)

*with apologies to Limp Bizkit

Tip of the Day: My library won the area's Library of the Year award! Click here for details! Thanks to everyone who nominated Brighton Memorial Library. You rock!

I just read a YA book where:
--the main character is under house arrest on and off over her life
--phone lines are government controlled, only available intermittently, and rarely available for international calls
--the internet is highly monitored and all modems must be registered with the government
--outsiders are often forbidden from entering the country, and citizens are often not allowed out
--those who sneak information about the country/government outside the borders and are caught are subjected to imprisonment, physical torture, and death
--those participating in peaceful protests against the government are subjected to imprisonment, physical torture, and death
--disease runs rampant
--citizens are poor and powerless to overcome their situations
--the government spends millions on its lavish capital while the citizens starve in the other cities
--elections are rigged

Is this the latest dystopian novel on the shelves at B&N?

Nope. It's not even fiction. It's the story of Burma in the 1980s-present as presented in CHAMPIONS OF FREEDOM: AUNG SAN SUU KYI by Sherry O'Keefe (Morgan Reynolds, 2012).

I read this book to review it for VOYA, knowing nothing about Suu Kyi or Burma when I picked it up. I reached the end where the author compared Suu Kyi's world to that of George Orwell's 1984, I thought, holy crap. This horrific reality IS real for so many people across the globe.

So the next time you want to write about a government-controlled world but you keep hearing that dystopian fiction is overdone (I'm definitely reaching "full" on my library shelves), pick a country where this issue is a reality. Write about the real world -- even if we wish it was not so. I would totally read and buy those books.

Will I write them? I was very inspired by Suu Kyi's story, but would need to do a ton more research about a country that I just touched upon. Perhaps some day. Until then, I want to read more. Get writing! :)

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing