tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post2052997085378124895..comments2023-09-25T02:24:22.087-07:00Comments on Anne R. Allen's Blog: Wimpy Kid Eats George Bush’s LunchAnne R. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-39171052373453518712010-11-16T10:00:00.080-08:002010-11-16T10:00:00.080-08:00Sue: Absolutely, if you've had that feedback f...Sue: Absolutely, if you've had that feedback from an agent and your work lends itself to YA--go for it! A lot of very good writers are doing that. It's not so hard to make the transition when you're already published in the same genre for adults. Historical Mystery YA--great genre.<br /><br />Rachna--Thanks for this! It's fascinating. It may be that India follows the UK paradigm rather than the US (good for you!) In the UK, smart adult fiction is not dead. It sounds as if you're in a position to pioneer Indian Kidlit. Maybe you'll be the Indian Stephanie Meyer or Jeff Kinney!Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-60759396245265181152010-11-16T09:26:54.975-08:002010-11-16T09:26:54.975-08:00Loved the post, Anne. I was tired of everyone in I...Loved the post, Anne. I was tired of everyone in India saying kidlit is not selling, that one should start writing adult fiction. This post is a harbinger of good tidings, that kidlit is thriving.Rachna Chhabriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16900999965919504282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-14136237452836869922010-11-16T07:41:43.171-08:002010-11-16T07:41:43.171-08:00I just had my novel rejected again---but this time...I just had my novel rejected again---but this time she suggested it might be more in the Y/A line than the Historical Mystery genre. I started out writing for children years ago and that is probably why I may consider rethinking the Y/A category. Thanks for the great article and making me think really hard about which direction to go. (I've already been published in the Mystery genre!)Sue Lehmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10772605952472572722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-58862902123292527312010-11-15T12:48:02.617-08:002010-11-15T12:48:02.617-08:00Sierra--you're right of course. I meant to be ...Sierra--you're right of course. I meant to be ironic. You gotta write what you read. Like you, I like funny books by/about grown-up ladies. Can't help it.<br /><br />Things are bad for us now, but as you say, everything changes. If publishing begins to diversify again, as I think it will because of e-books, we'll all be able to write what we do best.Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-47947203756318555282010-11-15T11:41:56.913-08:002010-11-15T11:41:56.913-08:00Good points Anne...and yet, don't you have to ...Good points Anne...and yet, don't you have to want to write kidlit to write it?<br /><br />Oh, maybe that's just me. I write (what I like to think of as) humorous women's fiction and I love it. It's why I write. I don't want to write anything else. If it means I sit here unagented and unpublished for years...okay. I don't think I could push myself to write something my heart wasn't in. I know some people feel differently and many writers successfully straddle multiple genres. <br /><br />But I also agree with some of the other commenters that this trend will change. The kids reading now will grow up...they have a great foundation in reading already.Sierra Godfreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00552916038080341870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-59146171296429818842010-11-15T09:15:09.703-08:002010-11-15T09:15:09.703-08:00Katrina--I'm glad you took this with the humor...Katrina--I'm glad you took this with the humor that was intended. I know children's writers work their butts off, too. Most of my writer friends write MG and YA and I know the road to publication is always long and hard. But at least you have a fighting chance. And I agree that some old school types don't give the genre the respect it deserves.<br /><br />LR--If you've got a coming of age novel, I definitely would go the YA route if you possibly can.<br /><br />Elaine--you're right that adults buy kids' books and kids don't buy adult books, so that's another reason the kidlit market is more open.<br /><br />Anne--Don't despair. It's scary, but also an exciting time to be a writer because things are in flux and nobody has any idea which way it will go next. <br /><br />Churadogs--You're right. This is one area where our kids are not being pushed aside and neglected, so there's a wonderful silver lining.<br /><br />Meghan--I didn't mean to be condescending. Humor doesn't always come across. Certainly getting anything published is harder than ever--even in popular genres like YA--and it takes just as long to learn your craft. But as I said above, at least you have a fighting chance. I'm getting this info from agents, many of whom say they just can't sell any adult books any more. This is simple fact--like the statistics on the Bush book vs. the Kinney book. I didn't mean to hurt anybody's feelings--just to let writers know what's happening. And you're absolutely right--I'd make a lousy kids' writer--that was supposed to be my point. Sorry the humor didn't come across.<br /><br />Thanks, MM!Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-33418820412868328402010-11-15T08:34:31.786-08:002010-11-15T08:34:31.786-08:00Great blog!Great blog!M.M. Gornellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05610211516010193111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-2714222684425606902010-11-15T08:07:49.020-08:002010-11-15T08:07:49.020-08:00I usually enjoy your blog, but as a YA writer and ...I usually enjoy your blog, but as a YA writer and SCBWI member, I found this entry a little condescending. To imply that getting published is easier just because you write children's literature is simply wrong. I have found the children's writing community to be very supportive, friendly, and positive--but certainly not "rainbows, bluebirds and effing unicorns." You still need an agent. You still need to spend years, sometimes decades, studying the craft, working your butt off and racking up rejections. It's a serious business. It seems to me that anyone with this type of belittling attitude is exactly the wrong type of person to "start penning middle-school-nerd/angsty-teen sagas." Authors who do well in this genre have great understanding and respect for the age group, which certainly didn't come across here.Megan Shepherdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-21843216665829916012010-11-15T07:04:37.668-08:002010-11-15T07:04:37.668-08:00Well, the good new: at least kids are . . . readin...Well, the good new: at least kids are . . . reading?Churadogshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17701649330085709021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-49712948285887379522010-11-15T03:27:25.087-08:002010-11-15T03:27:25.087-08:00Makes me wonder why I want to be a writer.
Good l...Makes me wonder why I want to be a writer.<br /><br />Good luck on the new job front. I hope it pays.Anne Gallagherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05816355522284492131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-7300391132856230042010-11-15T02:07:04.209-08:002010-11-15T02:07:04.209-08:00Good luck with the new challenge.
I think it is ha...Good luck with the new challenge.<br />I think it is hard to get a break no matter what you are writing or for which audience. But three times as many adults buy books for children - it's a generational thing ;)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15459671422564355990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-61072058819533774282010-11-15T00:32:44.245-08:002010-11-15T00:32:44.245-08:00They say coming-of-age novels "don't sell...They say coming-of-age novels "don't sell" but if you package them as YA, suddenly it's all right. <br /><br />So anyone with a young narrator might be well advised to go the YA route (might be...).LRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16839870925431989156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-76682839418860296872010-11-14T15:55:45.318-08:002010-11-14T15:55:45.318-08:00This is the second awesome article I've read b...This is the second awesome article I've read by you in one week, and when you ended with a plug for one of my favorite sites (BDCWB!), I got even more excited. <br /><br />I write kidlit and just want to say that even though I laughed at the hilarious trueness of rainbows, bluebirds and unicorns, I've been haunting agent blogs and working on the craft for over two years. It's a fun online environment and writer's conferences are fabulous (so I hear; I can't afford to go), but it's still not easy to get published. We have to deal with trends and publisher risk-management just like adult writers, even if we do get more attention from agents and editors. <br /><br />Take comfort in knowing that an adult novel often gets more respect once published than YA/MG, as there's a misconception that kidlit is easy to write. <br /><br />Even though I identify myself as a kidlit writer, I have written one adult novel and have ideas for a few more. I hope someday to publish any worthy novel I write, whether it's written with adult characters or rainbows, bluebirds, and unicorns. Perhaps we'll all have to self-publish at some point to remain true to our writing. It's an idea worth considering.Katrina L. Lantzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06871272394922775923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-39474463678243021092010-11-14T14:33:43.151-08:002010-11-14T14:33:43.151-08:00Ruth, I couldn't agree more about all that so-...Ruth, I couldn't agree more about all that so-called "safe" stuff they publish. I wrote a whole rant about it, but it made this post too long, so more on that later...<br /><br />Thanks Joanna. Yes--it's sad. Because when "bottom line" people take over the arts, the art suffers. And so, as Ruth points out, does the bottom line.Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-61400281714983034462010-11-14T14:29:04.578-08:002010-11-14T14:29:04.578-08:00Good Luck on the new job. This whole thing is kind...Good Luck on the new job. This whole thing is kinda sad isnt it? I once read in a study that teenagers have a lot more disposable income than adults so that could also explain it.Joanna St. Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06180782095853911283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-53420233359187504432010-11-14T14:25:11.001-08:002010-11-14T14:25:11.001-08:00Publishers don't need competition from ebooks ...Publishers don't need competition from ebooks to go under, they're publishing themselves into oblivion with their banal, uncreative, super safe (they think) approach. <br /><br />I barely even look at the BS (Best Seller/Bull Bleep) lists any more. Just think of the usual suspects & you've got it. Publishing which used to be exciting and lively has turned (for the most part) into a y-a-w-n. YA is hot now but, trust me, they'll overpublish that, too. And then what?Ruth Harris bestselling author of HUSBANDS & LOVERSnoreply@blogger.com