Anybody interested in YA writing and publishing?

Check out this new initiative, by authors Nina LaCour and Kristen Tracy, called Write Teen. From their "about" page:

Once, we were teenagers. Now, we’re both published writers and committed teachers who’ve decided to share what we know about writing and publishing young adult novels. Over a series of ten lectures we will study how to craft a marketable teen novel and offer practical advice on how to present your finished work to agents and editors who are actively acquiring manuscripts. Take one class, take all, take those that offer you the insights you need. In addition to sharing our own strategies for writing and revision, we will study critically and commercially successful teen novels and discuss the structural, artistic, and thematic elements that allow these works to resonate with such a wide audience. Between us, we have sold eleven novels to Simon & Schuster, Random House, Disney-Hyperion, and Penguin. We also have over twenty years of combined teaching experience. Wherever you are in your writing life, we look forward to meeting you and guiding you toward your finished story.

Another tumblr scour!

I thought I'd search tumblr for more children's lit/children's book items..... click any of the following if you're interested in...

● Matilda or e-books ● old timey gender construction ● the very hungry caterpillar ● "post-colonial steampunk children's literature" ● Dr. Seuss and/or political writing ● Dune ● the wisdom of Tolkien or Milne ● writing and publishing ● general silliness/Shel Silverstein ●

Enjoy!

Remembering Janet Schulman

You may, like I did, guess that Janet Schulman was a kindly, soft-spoken, perhaps grandmotherly women who loved children's books enough to compile the treasury we are currently using in our class. If you assume this, as I did, you would be wrong. She certainly had a passion for the children's literature industry, but she had so much more than that. Schulman was a spunky, candid, no-nonsense children's book editor who interrogated gender norms and was once fired for "having the audacity" to question why a female executive made less than a male secretary. Schulman, who recently passed away, will be remembered  by colleagues, friends, and family for her uniqueness, her frankness, and for inspiring those around her not to settle for mediocrity. The article is well worth a read, but to get the gist of her spunkiness, here's what one colleague says about her:

She was at a business gathering there when “X,” a high-ranking (male) executive, said to her, “Tell me, Janet, when are you going to stop dressing like a man?” To which she replied, “As soon as they start paying me like one.”

On publishing, and disney, and rejections, and more...

What we have here is something that will be of great interest to Tim Burton fans.
I also suggest that you peruse the comments, because internet arguments are teh funnehs.

Don't Write the Obit For Picture Books Yet

Last fall, the New York Times published an article declaring the death of picture books, their popularity, and their overall importance. Publisher's Weekly responds with this, providing perspectives from librarians, children's book publishing companies, and professors who disagree with the Times' contentious claims.