Meet The Team!

T! E! A! M! Goooooo Team!

Now that all the contracts are signed, here's the team I'm hoping will make my middle grade adventure series a winner:

My Agent:

Natalie M. Lakosil is an agent at the Bradford Literary Agency. An honors graduate of the University of San Diego, California, Natalie holds a B.A. in Literature/Writing. After nearly four years at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and a brief dabble in writing author profiles and book reviews for the San Diego Union Tribune, Natalie joined the Bradford Agency in February of 2011.

Natalie is drawn to talented, hard-working new authors with a fresh, unique voice and hook. Her specialties are children’s literature (from picture book through teen and New Adult), romance (contemporary and historical), cozy mystery/crime, upmarket (literary and commercial blend) women’s/general fiction and select children’s nonfiction. Her interests within her specialties include historical, multi-cultural, magical realism, sci-fi/fantasy, gritty, thrilling and darker contemporary novels, middle grade with heart, and short, quirky, lovely or character-driven picture books. She is always drawn to an open and positive attitude in an author, professionalism, good grammar, and fantastical, beautifully written, engaging and sexy plots.

Natalie is a member of RWA and SCBWI.

Read more about her agency on their website or Facebook, and follow Natalie on Twitter @Natalie_Lakosil!

My Illustrator:

Cathleen Thole-Daniels has been a published illustrator since 1990. Her clients include Simon & Schuster,Barnes & Noble, PlayStation, Sega Genesis, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Legend Entertainment, Fleer Trading Card Co, Topps Trading Card Co. Her professional awards include Best Logo Design NJ-SCBWI 2009, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Visual Artist Fellowship Award 2008, Fantasy/Sci-Fi Illustrators & Writers Of The Future Contest, Honorable Mention 1992. Cathleen was also a N.J. State certified Commercial Art educator from 2002-2014. Her educator awards include N.J. Governor's Award in Arts Education 2006, Outstanding Educator in the Arts Award, VSA Arts of New Jersey 2006. VSA is an affiliate of the JFK Center for Performing Arts. Cathleen now spends her time illustrating for kids, playing with her cats and bugging her husband, daughter and neighborhood squirrels to pose for photo reference! You can find her work at  http://cathleendaniels.com/

My Publicist:

After years of working in children's publicity at Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and other major publishers, in 2003, Rebecca Grose started her own freelance literary publicity firm - SoCal P.R. (www.socalpr.net). Using her experience and relationships with media, booksellers, and other key contacts, she works closely with her clients to strategize, design, and implement successful publicity campaigns. She has worked with several of my friends, including Yvonne Ventresca, for her Pandemic release.

So that's the team. We're all excited for this project and I think working together it will be a dream realized for me. This is the first children's book that I wrote (if you don't count all the verbose picture manuscripts I tried). And as I've mentioned, it has a special place in my heart.

Next week, this post will move over to my journey page and my blog posts will go back to writerly and world musings. When something big or exciting (hopefully not upsetting) occurs, I'll post it to the main blog then move it over.

Next, I hope to show a rough draft from Cathleen as our projected debut is September for the first book, December for the second. If all goes well, March for the third and June for the fourth.

Keep checking in,

Char

Moving on to Phase Two of the Self-pubbing Journey...

Check out my updated journey page to see how far I am in this insane adventure...

I Chose the Road Not Taken...

When I say road not taken, I'm not talking about a meditative journey, or an adventurous vacation, I'm talking about stepping out of my comfort zone into something new.

Self publishing.

I have three novels, one short story, numerous magazine and newspaper articles via the traditional route; published by official publishing houses or agencies. That's cool and exciting-and slow. My middle grade adventure series has not found a home with the traditional publishers even though my agent was very excited about it.

This work has a special place in my heart. It wasn't the first novel that I wrote (those almost always end up in the trash can). I worked on this series of (so far) three books for years. A lot of years, don't ask specifically.)

I can't let it go.

So through and with my agent, Natalie Lakosil of the Bradford Literary Agency, we're taking this baby through self-publishing. I'm going through her for several reasons. First of all, she's my agent. We signed an agreement to work together. Doing something this big without her advice and guidance seems reckless and stupid. Second, she knows the business: knows which publishers are to be avoided, what a contract with an illustrator should have, what the price of services for typesetting and binding, etc. should be, and how to push me through the process without a major screw up on my end. Third, yes she gets a standard commission, but I get answers to questions without the hours of research, she'll post the books on her blog giving me exposure, and maybe if it does well, a traditional editor will reconsider pubbing it. It's money well spent.

I know a lot of people have self-pubbed. Some of it hasn't been pretty. Too many of these books have poor editing; Natalie and I have already polished my baby so it shines. I'm in the process of hiring a fantastic illustrator, and between the 3 of us, I know my cover will be stunning. When I see some of the covers out there (even in traditionally published books) I want to cringe. None of us want to be associated with a third rate book. As soon as I have a contract, I will introduce you to my illustrator. You may be surprised.

Finally, this is a labor of love on my part. I am spending time and money to do this right. As the process moves along, I'll journal it here. You can decide if this road, which is bound to be rocky and difficult, but provide many views I miss on the more traditional road, will have been worth it.

And while I work on this project, I still have other novels that Natalie will send down the traditional road. Hopefully, some good news will be forthcoming.

Wish me luck on my new adventure.

Postcards to come...

Char 

Illustration courtesy of Microsoft.

Check In...

So how'd we do with our NoRevMo (Novel Revision Month)? The national revision month, for people part of NaNoWriMo community (National Novel Writing Month) is June- and I didn't want to wait that long. I know some of you didn't either.

Did you finish at least one round of revisions and edits for your novel? Great!
Did a good portion but didn't finish? Good!
Got thrown off the track by family/job/life? Don't sweat it- keep working, you'll get it done. Remember this was an arbitrary deadline.

How did I do?

My plan was to revise four novels; one each week. Before you go thinking I'm superwoman, remember, these novels have all been edited at least five times and I'm fine tuning for my agent to send out or the initial submission to my agent. (Editors will ask for more changes, you can bet on it.)

I finished 2 and a half. I finished my NA sci fi, Lethal Dose, which I hope goes back out on submission to editors. Then I revised and reworked my YA reincarnation story The Meaning of Time, which my agent hasn't seen yet (nor will she until I do another round; I feel something is missing...). I gave up on my MG sci fi (title in progress) because my agent and I can't seem to agree what's needed. Frustrated, and with a family emergency that pulled me out of state and the creative mood, I put it aside.

Am I disappointed I didn't get everything finished? A little. I like to get things done. But I'm also realistic; this was very ambitious to think of doing four books in one month. Plus, I have a workshop presentation to work on for the annual NJ Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrator conference in early June. I'm setting up book signing/appearance events. I'm self-pubbing an MG adventure/semi-sci fi.

I also want to repaint our master suite, work in my meditation and other gardens, paint the pool deck, visit family in Italy, have parties, and enjoy my pool.

Will I get all of it done? Probably not. But I'm not crazy enough to think I will.

So if you haven't finished your edits/revisions, keep working. If you have, put your novel aside and take a break. Have lunch with friends. Go on a vacation. Write another story. Clean your house. In a week or so, go back to the novel, only this time (and this tip has been suggested by a number of other people, I can't take credit for it and I'm going to try it): change the font on your manuscript. The difference will force your eyes to see each word, rather than skip over the too-familiar previous type.

No criticisms, just cheers. Remember, maybe only one in a million people get published. Even if you're not there yet, just think of all those people who say "Someday I'll write a book..." and then never do. You're ahead of the game. Now keep going and beat the odds.

Char  
Picture courtesy of Microsoft/Bing