PASS IT ON ARCHIVES (ISSUES 47 - 63)

PASS IT ON ISSUE 63

2006-05-06T23:45:00.000-07:00

PASS IT ON - ISSUE 63: DATE 24/10/05

Hi everyone! I hope you have all had a fantastic week. Thanks to all who
have contributed and a special hello to all new members. Thank you also to
everyone who has offered support and encouragement, I really do appreciate
it. Please enjoy this week's issue of PASS IT ON.

A Disclaimer of Liability

Please ensure that your submissions are ACCURATE and clear. I will accept no
responsibility for any errors or omissions contained in the information
submitted. PLEASE be careful.

To unsubscribe send an email to jacket@smartchat.net.au with "unsubscribe"
in the subject heading.

WHAT IS PASS IT ON?

PASS IT ON is a weekly, on-line, interactive, networking newsletter for
those involved with or interested in the children's writing industry. It is
emailed to subscribers every Monday.

PASS IT ON will survive for as long as YOU the CONTRIBUTOR determine. I am
the collection point for YOUR submissions. I am one cog in a tool that has
the potential to be very powerful. (submission guidelines can be found at
the end of the newsletter)

If you wish to receive PASS IT ON - email me, Jackie Hosking at
jacket@smartchat.net.au and I will send you the most recent issue of the
newsletter and an invoice. If you like what you see, please return the
invoice along with your payment and I will add you to the subscriber's list.

If you join in July it will cost you $24.00 If you join in August, it will
cost you $22.00 If you join in September, it will cost you $20.00 etc...
(all subscriptions will then be due on July 1st 2006)

Please contribute as often as you can and be assured that I will treat your
contact details with the utmost confidentiality. I look forward to making
many more new friends.

Past issues may be viewed at my website www.jackiehosking.com

GENERAL INFORMATION

Just received a letter from Word Weavers Press to say they're very sorry but
unfortunately they're not able to continue publishing due to lack of a
distributor.

I read, with interest, Peter Taylor's information about Mary Major and the
Queen of Peace School. My experience with them has been really good. I
received an email from Mary, answered it, and posted one of my picture books
called SLEEPING IN. The class answered promptly with a thank you. And I
was thrilled to receive months later, a hand-written short note from each
child in the class saying what they liked about my book (long after I
thought they would have forgotten me). It made my day.
Christine Harris

SEEKING

>From an author on her search!
Thankyou to the author who replied to my 'missing editor' query. The name of
the editor was Sally Green. Does anyone know where she went?
Cheers
Sharon Greenaway

Talking to Students about Writing Books:

I have written a science fiction novel and had it published in Germany and
USA last year. I now want to go into schools, libraries, etc to talk about
how I wrote the book, the process, and give kids some insight and
inspiration about writing books, and reading them too. The book is called
Parashield, it is set in Perth W.A. and may appeal to young adults.

My email is caduceus@iinet.net.au If anyone has some information on who I
can contact regarding getting into schools and libraries, that would be
great.

Thanks. Samuel Osborne.

REPLIES TO SEEKING

A response to the query about publishing under a business name rather than a
'real' name.
Under the regulations for PLR and ELR, payments can only be made to a 'real
person.' Therefore books written by trusts or companies etc are not
eligible. Once you get into mid-career as a writer I think you find that
lending right payments last longer than royalty cheques so making sure of
eligibility is, for me at least, an absolute priority.
As for advantages to publishing this way - maybe there are taxation benefits
but they would have to be very good to outweigh the disadvantages.
Libby Gleeson

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Max meets a monster - Tracey Hawkins
Illustrated Picture Book
New Frontier Publishing

Max is having his first -ever sleepover at Grandpa's house. What is the
horrible noise that wakes him in the night? Follow Max and Old Ted as they
hunt through the house, confronting fears until they come face to face with
a most surprising monster.

Max meets a monster is Tracey's first illustrated picture book. Available
from www.newfrontier.com.au/picture.htm and all good bookstores.

Yellow-bellied Goalie - Tracey Hawkins
Gigglers series
Blake Education

Ben has been selected to play goalie for his team's hockey game. Only
trouble is, Ben is too chicken to be a goalie. Rats are gnawing at his guts,
he hopes his chestplate will stop them splattering on the ground.
He struggles into the protective gear and tightens the leg pads.
"Ok Ben, you're ready for battle." said Coach.
Battle? Yep, battle , that's what it was all right.

Pearson Education is pleased to announce The Grass is Greener, a new
non-fiction book in its Chatterbox series, written and compiled by Bill
Condon. Contributors include Chris McTrustry, David Hill, Dianne Bates,
Tiger Woods and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.

SPECIAL EVENTS

CHILDREN'S WRITERS' FORUM No. 3
The final forum for the year (at Victoria University, St Albans
campus, Melbourne) will be on Saturday 12 November, 12.45pm - 4.30pm.

Guest speakers are:
Eva Mills (editor from Allen and Unwin)
Jacinta di Mase - literary agent who represents children's and YA
writers.

And a session on "How to Survive Rejection Letters". Please bring your
favourite or worst rejection letter to share!
Still only $20, includes coffee and chocolate bikkies.

Email RSVP to Sherryl.Clark@vu.edu.au or phone 9919 2681 if you need more
info.

Geelong Gallery, Little Malop Street, Geelong

Words at the Gallery
On Sunday 30 October at 2.00pm, in conjunction with Geelong Writers Inc, the
Geelong Gallery presents a popular art-and-text tour of selected works in
the Lake Gnotuk exhibition. The local writers who have collaborated on this
project are Yvonne Adami, Dr Carol Bardburn, Dr. Margaret Clark, Richard
Frankland, Graeme Kinross-Smith, Nicholas Koehne, Susan Kruss, Amelia
McBride, Carmel Reid and Jan Scherpenhuizen.

A free event.
www.vicnet.net.au/~gwriters

The Children's Book Council, Southern Sub-Branch invites you to:

"When Camels Could Fly"

Wednesday 2nd November,
7 for a 7.30 start,
Sutherland Trade Union Club,
The Kingsway, Gymea.

This will be a night celebrating the magic and power of story with popular
storyteller Bronwyn Vaughan presenting exciting Arabic, Vietnamese and
Macedonian stories and Random House Publisher Linsay Knight discussing her
recent short story anthologies. The collections feature local Australian
storytellers such as:

Deborah Abela,
Paul Jennings,
Victor Kelleher and
Andy Griffiths,

as well as international authors such as:

Margaret Mahy.

The function is suitable for children aged 7+ and adults. Cost: $6 for
adults and $3 for children.

Bloomin' Books will provide the bookshop.

For more details contact 9540 3788 during business hours or email Sue
Whiting at whitings@bigpond.net.au

A short AGM will also be conducted.

Asian Children's Writers & Illustrators Conference (ACWIC) 2005

17 & 18 November 2005.

Speakers are:

· Patricia Aldana, the publisher of Groundwood Books who will
deliver the keynote speech on National Publishing of Children's Books. She
will also conduct a manuscript critique session for ACWIC participants
(limited to 8 participants)

· Helle Vibeke Jensen, award-winning Danish illustrator well-known
for illustrating Hans Christian Andersen's fairytales

· Carla Pacis, workshop presenter on history and real-life events
for young adults books

· Patrick Seow and Lak-Khee Tay-Audouard, who will talk about their
experience working on Monkey: The Classic Chinese Adventure Tale

· A book launch by a local author who will share with us how she got
published as a result of attending ACWIC 2004!

Full details of the conference is listed at
http://www.bookcouncil.sg/acwic.h

CBCA NSW BRANCH ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE
THIS YEARS LADY CUTLER AWARD WINNER & DINNER

The Lady Cutler Award is presented annually for distinguished service to
children's literature, the accent being on service. The recipient will have
given service well beyond his or her professional association with
children's literature. The recipient will have made a contribution primarily
in New South Wales, but service nationally and internationally will be
regarded as plusses.

We are pleased to announce that for her outstanding contribution to
Children's Literature

Val Noake
Manager Community Programs
NSW State Library

Is this year's recipient of the Lady Cutler Award

Come along and share dinner with friends & celebrate the work of this year's
Lady Cutler Award recipient, Val Noake.

The dinner will be held at
Drummoyne Sports Club
2 Hythe Street, Drummoyne
Tuesday 8th November
7.00pm for 7.30pm

We are also honoured to have Lisa Shanahan as the Guest Speaker for the
evening.
Lisa Shanahan's award-winning titles include Sweetie May and Dear & Chook.
Her newest release is Daddy's Having a Horse

Members $43.00
Non-members $48.00

We would appreciate you booking early so we can manage numbers, and we are
also looking forward to sharing this happy event with you.

Our thanks go to our sponsor for the evening
Hatchette Children's Books.

Booking forms are available on our website www.cbc.org.au/nsw or you can
use the one below:

-----------------------------------------------

Lady Cutler Dinner 2005

Name:
_______

Address:
Postcode:

Phone: Fax:
Email: ____

Number of Vegetarian Meals Required: _______

Booking for ___ members @ $43 per person ___ non-members @ $48 per
person

Total amount owing: $____

Please charge my BC / MC / Visa credit card
Expiry Date: _____/_____

__ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __

Name on Card: ________________________Signature:
_________________________________

Please place me on a table with:
____________________________________________________

POST TO: CBCA (NSW Branch), PO Box 765, Rozelle
NSW 2039
FAX ON: (02) 9810 0737
CALL ON: (02) 9818 3858 (Office staffed on
Tuesdays & Fridays)
E-MAIL ON: cbcansw@bigpond.com

-----------------------------------------------

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

COMPETITIONS/AWARDS

http://www.abcbookcompetition.org/newpages/third_guidelines.html#Anchor-SUBMISSION-11481

WRITING COURSES/WORKSHOPS

NEW WORKSTYLE SKILLS

HAVE YOUR SAY

FROM AUTHOR Deborah Abela

Dear PIO,
I agree wholeheartedly with Di Bates about the issue of ceasing anonymity
when submitting to PIO.

If you feel strongly enough about an issue to have it published in a
newsletter then you should be brave enough to put your name to it. Too much
vitriol has been let loose behind the screen of anonymity and my guess is,
if a name had have been attached, the contributions would be tamer and more
reasonable.

Attacking people in a public forum, then not owning up to who you are, is
just cowardly. And Jackie, what a great idea. Too many vitriolics (can I say
that?) fail to complain to the people who can help deal with their
complaints. The fact that you will not publish negative whinings without
proof that that person has gone to the source is fantastic. Well done,
lovey! And thanks for all your hard work.

FROM AUTHOR DC Green

Dear Jackie,
I'd like to congratulate you (and Di Bates before you) on making PIO the
most valuable thing that arrives in my email inbox, week in, week out. One
day you're going to score an amazing and well-deserved publishing deal from
all the karma points you've accumulated!

I'd also like to heartily endorse your new rules on grizzling submissions.
The publishing industry in Australia is a small pond and negative
contributors need to realise their submissions may not only damage the
person they are aimed at, often unfairly, but also harm the aimer. I've
always followed this simple rule: never say anything behind someone's back
that you haven't first said to that person's face. I know I would be
outraged if someone mauled me on a public
newsletter without first trying to sort out the problem with me in a upfront
manner.

Oh, and Marg McAllister's article was a hoot!

HAVE YOUR SAY

Hi all
On the anonymous contributions issue - I don't see the need for it most of
the time on the topics discussed in PIO. People certainly shouldn't use to
it snipe at individuals. It makes it too easy for spleen to be vented
without reflection on the accuracy of the criticism,
cheers
Duncan Richardson

FROM AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR Gail C Breese

Anonymity
I'd like to respond to Di Bates and Jackie regarding putting a name to a
gripe in PIO. "From an Author" crops up quite a lot and I think that if you
believe strongly enough about something, surely you can put your name to it?
Of course, there are always exceptions and reasons to keep one's name out of
a debate but to me, seeing someone's name there gives credibility to
whatever is commented upon. Hearing from and about other authors keeps me in
touch and I feel part of a writing family especially when some of the names
become familiar to me. (I also don't live in - or near - a capital city.)

PIO is full of great information and is a fantastic, positive networking
tool. While it's important to be informed about things to avoid or be aware
of in the publishing world, we should try to avoid gossip and to submit
gripes only if all avenues have been explored to resolve the issue first.

ALSO

Jackie, thank you for starting a section for updated publisher's manuscript
guidelines. What a great idea and how valuable for authors wishing to keep
on top of who wants what by when. I try to go fairly regularly to the
publisher's websites to see if anything has changed but as most would know,
cruising the web is very time-consuming and absorbs quality writing time. So
if the other publishers respond to your letter and we save the guidelines to
a folder or print them out, we will all have a great compendium of who to
send what by when. :-)

HAVE YOUR SAY

ANONYMITY

Jackie, you're doing a great job and we all appreciate how you handle
everything. I wholeheartedly agree with your proposition of refusing
anonymous negative postings unless the subscriber shows evidence of trying
to solve the problem personally with the target concerned. I feel there is
a point some of the whingers miss. Everyone's experience with the same
publisher will be different. As an example, just because an author may have
to wait a year for a decision on a manuscript, it doesn't mean that all
authors will wait the same length of time. A publisher shouldn't be
black-listed because of a complaint from one disgruntled author. I like to
sign myself as Mappy, not because I have any dark secret to hide, or cringe
behind anonymity because I am weak, but simply because I like to. It has
been an occasional pen-name of mine for over twenty years and is a
contraction of I'm Happy. Most people wouldn't recognise my name anyway,
unless they have read some of my books. I don't intend to use PIO to attack
a person or a publishing house, so I can't see what difference it makes if I
use my real name or regular pen-ame. ...Mappy

HAVE YOUR SAY

Regarding Jackie's comment:

"I would like to therefore, make a suggestion of my own. From now on, if you
have problem with a specific organisation, I would ask that you approach
them directly first. If you do not get an answer to your satisfaction, you
might suggest to them that you will be expressing your disappointment in
PASS IT ON and offer them the chance to argue their case publicly."

I support Jackie's suggestion 100%. This suggestion is ideal because it
still allows people to air their problems (thus protecting fellow PIO
readers), while diluting unnecessary negativity.

I remember back to an earlier PIO issue when someone expressed their view
about a small publisher. The information in the PIO contribution was
factually incorrect, and the contributor issued an apology the next week.
In the following weeks a number of authors wrote in to defend the falsely
accused publisher. However, if the contributor had first contacted the
publisher (which is what Jackie is asking us to do), then the whole negative
episode would never have taken place. Though irritated, the publisher chose
not to take the issue any further. Others may not be so gracious.

We have a collective voice that wields some power, let's be respectful of
this power, and use it wisely. If Jackie is (understandably) forced to
discontinue PIO, it would be a sad day for all in the children's writing
industry.

Jackie, thank you for providing an interesting, informative and positive
newsletter every Monday. You do it for peanuts, and you do it even though
you are a busy writer, busy wife and busy mother of small children. Your
hard work is very much appreciated!
LF

FROM AUTHOR Liz Flaherty

I was interested to read the comments by Di Bates regarding anonymous
contributions. I really enjoy receiving PIO each week, however I've always
been uncomfortable with people contributing anonymously. It seems to me that
this allows people to comment negatively about people or situations that
obviously they would not do so were their name attached. I appreciate the
generosity of people who contribute information or market news that help me
as a writer, but to be honest I'm just not interested in anything else. I do
understand why some people find it necessary to point out publishers/editors
etc that may not give writers what they're looking for, however, I feel
quite happy to find all this out by myself - I guess I'm also concerned that
the more flak there is in PIO, some editors may just say 'shove it, it's not
worth the effort.'

So, on a lighter note... I have recently had one of the best writing
workshop experiences ever - at John Marsden's residential weekend. Thank you
so much john for a fabulous weekend. The workshop activities were intense
and packed full of useful insights, the food was unbelievably good and I've
come home all fired up and I think a much better writer!

Just one other thing while I think of it! Over previous weeks there has been
some discussion about writers' sessions with students. I think it's very
important for the teachers to fire up the students beforehand. As a primary
teacher I cannot imagine taking kids to a seminar where we had not
previously read or discussed that authors books or talked about writing or
books in some form. It may be a fantastic opportunity to meet or experience
an unknown author's work - but I think the enthusiasm needs to initially
come from the teacher way before the session, which will then naturally flow
to the kids.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Thanks Edel.

I appreciated Edel Wignell's article on time-management skills and I have to
acknowledge her gentle slap on the wrist - though I'm sure it wasn't
intended as such. But I see that I have been internetting too early in the
day and not making the most of my creativity. Edel's reasoning wasn't new,
but sometimes we all need these simple reminders of old truths. Which
highlights the beauty of PIO - sharing positive little tips to make us all
better writers. Lets keep it up and running - with integrity.

RE Anonymous Contributions to PIO

I do not feel anonymous contributions to PIO should be discouraged. There
are times that I like to contribute anonymously. Not so that I can snipe,
but rather, so I don't show my ignorance. The cushion of anonymity means
that new contributors and shy writers can benefit from interaction within
our industry.

But your stance RE submissions (outlined last week) is sensible and
necessary. Many times gripes aired in PIO are genuine cases of
misunderstanding. They become issues as soon as they are aired in a public
forum - often as pointed, personal attacks. Editors and publishers have
feelings too!

PIO is a powerful tool and should be used appropriately - or you undermine
the credibility of every contributor and subscriber. Not to mention our
generous compiler! There is no excuse for slanderous attacks. If there is
cause for comment then there is a right and wrong way it can be said.

Kathryn Apel

ARTICLES

Do you write in plain English?
http://www.questia.com/newsletter/volume-1-issue-3/index.html?CRID=nullCRnull&OFFID=news20051023f

Plain English writing can express a wide range of notions, from the simple
to the complex. It is easier to read and often easier to write. But what is
plain English?

According to Edward P. Bailey Jr., Plain English at Work: A Guide to Writing
and Speaking (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996) 3, plain English is a
way of expressing ideas clearly in writing and speaking:

What is plain English?

Plain English, to put it simply, is a way of expressing your ideas clearly
in writing and speaking. As for plain English writing, I think of it as
having three parts:
Style. By style, I mean how to write clear, readable sentences. My advice is
simple: write more the way you talk. This may sound simple, but it's a
powerful metaphor that can revolutionize your writing.
Organization. I suggest starting with your main point almost all the time.
That doesn't mean it has to be your first sentence (though it can be)-just
that it should come early and be extremely easy to find.
Layout. This is the appearance of the page and your words on it. Headings,
bullets, and other techniques of white space help your reader
see-visually-the underlying structure of your writing. The value is immense.
I think of layout as fun to do, and easy, too, with today's computers.
Plain English is not limited to expressing only simple ideas: it works for
all kinds of writing-from an internal memo to a complicated technical
report. It can handle any level of complexity.

Why is plain English better than the "other way"?

Plain English has two important advantages over the other way of writing:
It's far easier for your reader to read.
It's far easier for you to write.
You don't need many more advantages than those, do you? But let's look
further.
In the past, plain English seemed merely a preference: you like the old way;
I like plain English. Who's to decide? Well, psycholinguists have simplified
the decision. Their work shows clearly that plain English is easier for all
of us to read, no matter how smart we are. And no matter how much experience
we have as readers.

For example, psycholinguists have learned that we all take longer to read
less familiar words (like commence) than familiar ones (like begin). The
difference is only a few hundred milliseconds in time-but a lot less strain
on the short-term memory (and the older I get, the less strain I want to put
on mine). The implication? As writers, we can help our readers by preferring
ordinary words.

PUBLISHER GUIDELINES

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR PROFILE

YOUR WRITING TIPS
**A new section that is begging for your attention. Please feel free to
Pass them On!**

Penny Garnsworthy recently attended Meet the Publishers at the Brisbane
Writers Festival and although not much of what was said was targeted
directly at children's authors, it might be worthwhile you could include
some of it in PIO.

A panel of five publishers gave their views on current publishing trends and
what they look for in manuscripts. They were:
Ronny Gramattia, John Wiley in Sydney (non-fiction publisher working across
three programs: trade in Sydney, business in Melbourne and academic in
Brisbane).
Ben Bull, Editorial Direction from Simon and Schuster in the UK (publish a
wide variety of genres).
Stephanie Green, the National Library in Canberra (non-fiction work usually
biographical and must have relevance to the Library's collection).
Madonna Duffy, Publishing Director of University of Queensland Press in
Brisbane (publish a wide variety of genres).
Shona Martin, Publishing Director of Harper Collins in Sydney (publish a
wide variety of genres).

Comments

§ Bookshops are fighting for their market of existing readers and
they are price driven.
§ Publishers are publishing less books that they did five years ago.
The publishers agree many books previously published weren't ready for
publication.
§ In fiction, the toughest genre in which to get published is crime
(the detective story or whodunit). Science Fiction/Fantasy is a growing
genre and Chicklit is dead! The hottest genre is the thriller and social or
multicultural novels are also doing well.
§ Place is important; if you're living in Queensland, write about
Queensland, don't write about a place in Europe just because you're
submitting a manuscript to the UK.
§ Publishers look for truth, beauty and originality - a new idea or a
new take on an old idea.
§ Write a 'standout' query letter to attract the publisher's
attention. You must be able to say, in thirty seconds, what your manuscript
is trying to achieve. The first paragraph and first page must attract
attention.
§ Do your market and industry research, visit bookstores, imagine
your book on the bookshelf, read and find out whether your book is similar
to others in the genre.
§ Make it easy for the publisher - submit professional work. For
non-fiction work in particular, research and compare. Tell the publisher how
your book differs and is better than other books in its genre.
§ A reputable agent does not charge to read your manuscript. Agents
can be located through the Australian Literary Agents' Association and via
their website at: http://www.austlit.com/b/index.html.
§ E-Books haven't been adapted to as was envisaged but a new e-reader
is currently being marketed by Japan that may change that. Most people still
prefer to turn the pages of a book but eventually young people will feel
more comfortable reading from a computer screen.
§ And finally, a new publication, Literati, was recommended to all
authors. It contains candid interviews and photographs of authors and their
day-to-day views on success and fame, as well as their fears, their critics,
their fans, their frustrations and their anguish over writer's block.
Authors include Sonya Hartnett, Di Morrissey, Garth Nix, John Marsden,
Carmel Bird, Matthew Reilly, Andy Griffiths and John Birmingham.

Penny Garnsworthy
www.pennygarnsworthy.com

USEFUL BOOKS/WEBSITES

My article - Networking on a Budget can be read at
http://www.writing4successclub.com/jackiehosking9.htm

BOOK REVIEWS

· The following books will be reviewed by Laurine Croasdale on ABC
Radio Canberra 24th October at 3.30pm:
Double Cross
by Greg Pyers
ABC Books

Rex
by Ursula Dubosarsky and David Mackintosh
Penguin Books

The Writing Experiment
by Hazel Smith
A&U

Egyptian Diary
by Richard Platt
Walker Books

MIRROR MIRROR a brilliant new play by Sue Murray

Directed by Nicholas Lahey
Premiered at Star of the Sea Theatre Manly in Sydney
Wednesday 19th October 2005

This innovative, powerful and important play by Sue Murray explores and
reveals the harsh emotional, psychological and social world of a girl
struggling with eating disorders.

The play is complex as Sue Murray parallels the girl's entrapment by her
eating disorder with a circus. The ring master welcomes the audience to a
circus filled with clowns and lions and trapeze artists. There is fairy
floss and fun as the circus invites all to participate. However the circus
world is not as it seems. It's filled with mirrors, illusions, twists and
turns, distorting life by crazy illusions which steal away the happiness of
the girl and her family and friends.

The complexity of the play with the inter-relationship of music, dance,
stylised chorus work, symbolism, myths and relationships within a family and
between friends, challenges the audience's complacency about media images
and the ideal concept of 'beauty'.

'Mirror, Mirror' is a visual and emotional feast which draws its audience
into the play, until the audience becomes caught in the illusions and drama.
Until the audience is faced with the reality of eating orders with all its
pain and loss.

Yet, 'Mirror, Mirror' offers hope. Not easy hope with a quick resolution.
Hope, that with the support of the girl's family and friends, can fight the
demon of eating disorders. There is no guarantee that the girl will win the
battle, but there is at least a battle she can fight.

Sue Murray researched eating disorders extensively giving 'Mirror, Mirror'
medical and psychological veracity and emotional truth. It is a play that is
enormously entertaining but also is one that opens essential communication
about eating disorders. It is a play which can empower young people and
parents to confront this serious condition.

Nicholas Lahey's direction of the talented year 11 drama students at Stella
Maris College in this demanding performance, was sensitive and confronting.

'Mirror, Mirror' is cutting edge new theatre. Pan MacMillan will be
publishing 'Mirror, Mirror' in 2006.

Reviewed by Susanne Gervay

INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOPS

CRITIQUE GROUPS BULLETINBOARD
**Looking to create or join a critique group - here's the place!**

We're a general genre crit group. Currently we have two active members who
have been together for 4 months. We're all book-unpublished with good
writing skills and experience ranging from 1-10+ years.
Please contact PIO member Rowena Evans, familyevans@ozemail.com.au if you
are interested in joining.

I have formed my own critique group with one member submitting every 4 to 7
days. You may reply direct to me at benj1706@optusnet.com.au. or through
Jackie at jacket@smartchat.net.au

Cheers,
Jeff Bolinger

MILESTONES
**A new section for members to share their achievements**

Just to let anyone in S.A. and Tassie know that the Christobel Mattingley
Reciter, Nest Egg, published by Triple D Books, illustrated by Christina
Booth will be launched in South Australia on the 11th of November, and at
Birchalls Book Store (the oldest bookstore in Australia) Launceston,
Tasmania, on November the 23rd and at Stories Bookstore, author and
illustrator session for kids on the 24th.
Christina Booth, illustrator & author

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Sri Chinmoy:

"To silence enthusiasm at any moment is absolutely wrong."

ADVERTISEMENTS

PASS IT ON SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submit contributions to jacket@smartchat.net.au
Comic Sans MS, 12pt, single-line spacing (not essential but helpful)
Mark PASS IT ON SUBMISSION in the subject line
Submit within the body of the email
Give your piece a title heading: eg New Publications; Seeking; General
Information; etc.
Email addresses and contributor contact details will be withheld unless
otherwise stated

Jackie Hosking
Editor/Compiler "PASS IT ON"
www.jackiehosking.com

PASS IT ON ISSUE 62

2006-05-06T23:42:00.000-07:00

PASS IT ON - ISSUE 62: DATE 17/10/05

Hi everyone! I hope you have all had a fantastic week. Thanks to all who
have contributed and a special hello to all new members. Thank you also to
everyone who has offered support and encouragement, I really do appreciate
it. Please enjoy this week's issue of PASS IT ON.

A Disclaimer of Liability

Please ensure that your submissions are ACCURATE and clear. I will accept no
responsibility for any errors or omissions contained in the information
submitted. PLEASE be careful.

To unsubscribe send an email to jacket@smartchat.net.au with "unsubscribe"
in the subject heading.

WHAT IS PASS IT ON?

PASS IT ON is a weekly, on-line, interactive, networking newsletter for
those involved with or interested in the children's writing industry. It is
emailed to subscribers every Monday.

PASS IT ON will survive for as long as YOU the CONTRIBUTOR determine. I am
the collection point for YOUR submissions. I am one cog in a tool that has
the potential to be very powerful. (submission guidelines can be found at
the end of the newsletter)

If you wish to receive PASS IT ON - email me, Jackie Hosking at
jacket@smartchat.net.au and I will send you the most recent issue of the
newsletter and an invoice. If you like what you see, please return the
invoice along with your payment and I will add you to the subscriber's list.

If you join in July it will cost you $24.00 If you join in August, it will
cost you $22.00 If you join in September, it will cost you $20.00 etc...
(all subscriptions will then be due on July 1st 2006)

Please contribute as often as you can and be assured that I will treat your
contact details with the utmost confidentiality. I look forward to making
many more new friends.

Past issues may be viewed at my website www.jackiehosking.com

GENERAL INFORMATION

>From Author Peter Taylor

I got this from my website message box ( www.writing-for-children.com ). I
think it's a great idea for schools . and I believe there are a few readers
of PIO who are teachers. I recommend having a look at the project on their
website, and the responses they have received each year.

City: Shamokin
Country: United States
Dear Peter Taylor. For the last 4 years the first grade students at Queen of
Peace in Shamokin, PA decided to read 100 books to celebrate their 100th day
of school. They then decided to look at the web sites of these authors and
illustrators and see if they could get 100 email letters. This project has
been an exciting one each year, and so our class wanted to try to do the
same thing. Last year the children asked the question what is your favorite
book? As a class we read as many of the suggested books as we could find,
and kept a list on our website. We learned about so many books, that we
would like to ask you the same question this year. We would also like to
extend this into a geography lesson and would like is you would tell us one
fact about where you live. We would enjoy also enjoy hearing more about you.
Would you help us by sending us an email? Our email address is
marymajor@gmail.com You can see more about our class by looking at our web
page at http://themajors.info/class.html We found your page and liked
learning about your book Kangaroo's Visitor gets a Surprise. I liked
learning abowt the koala because I think they are cute. Christina, and Mrs.
Major's first grade class.

Many thanks for all your hard work, Jackie!
Peter J

Thanks Peter, I appreciate it - Jackie JJ

NEW MARKETS
It is reported that Lori Head, formerly of Loranda Books, has formed a
partnership with a Sally Gibson. The new publishing company is called Gibson
House Publishing. It is said that this new partnership will be taking over
existing contracts (permission from authors, of course) and new contracts
will be issued.

Nestle Children's Book Prize, UK
(Previously called the Smarties Book Prize).

The final judges picking from this group are kids themselves.

Ages Up to 5
WOLVES, by Emily Gravett
LOST AND FOUND, by Oliver Jeffers
THE DANCING TIGER, by Malachy Doyle, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou
Fancher

Ages 6-8
THE WHISPERER, by Nick Butterworth
MICHAEL ROSEN'S SAD BOOK, by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Quentin Blake
CORBY FLOOD, by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Ages 9-11
I, CORIANDER, by Sally Gardner
THE SCARECROW AND THE SERVANT, by Philip Pullman
THE WHISPERING ROAD, by Livi Michael

Medalists will be announced in December. For more information, see:
<http://www.booktrusted.co.uk/nestle/>

Banana Books authors may not know that the company - for the second time -
has been put into voluntary liquidation.

Sophia Oravecz is leaving Blake Education on Tuesday. Submissions can then
be sent to Amanda.Santamaria@blake.com.au
or send to
Amanda Santamaria,
PO Box 250,
Glebe 2037
I was sorry to learn of Sophia's impending departure as I've always found
her to be obliging and helpful. MW

Bookselling News

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show little change
in trends in bookselling in 2003-04. The good news is that nearly 80
million books were sold for a total value of $1.406 billion, a nine percent
increase over 2002-03. Of these books, 53.2 million (67%) were sold by
businesses defined as bookshops. In ABS parlance, that means businesses
where 50% or more of income comes from the sale of books, 19% by department
stores, 8% by supermarkets and other retailers and 6% by newsagents. This
market segmentation was similar to the previous year. While 98% of sales
were of printed books, $27.1 million worth of electronic and audio books
were sold. Booksellers' profit margines appear to have declined from 1.9%
to 1.3%. Booksellers spend 59% of their expenses on the purchase of stock,
14% on wages and salaries, and 7% on rent.

>From ASA newsletter, October 2005

SEEKING

I was fortunate to have an agent take on one of my manuscripts last year,
but I'm not sure that she's done anything with it except submit it to the
same publishers that I had already tried. Late last year she requested a
re-write, which I then spent substantial time on. Not having heard anything
from her two months after I submitted the revised manuscript, I contacted
her and learnt that she hadn't read it yet. When I again contacted her some
time later, she said that she didn't know where to submit it. I haven't had
any response to my most recent email a few weeks ago, so it appears that
most of the year has passed without my ms being submitted anywhere. Overall,
communication from her has been lacking / absent, and she has been
unavailable every time I have suggested meeting (we live in different
states). I'm totally confused by the whole process. All it seems to have
achieved is to stop me from submitting the manuscript myself.

What is the deal with agents? How do they work? Why did she offer to take on
my ms if she's not going to do anything with it?

I find it difficult to be assertive as I feel in a powerless position as I
haven't been published yet (and this isn't my first manuscript). Any
suggestions?

QUERY - STEVE PARISH PUBLISHING
Steve Parish Publishing produces a very successful nature-related children's
book series that would appear to be aggressively marketed. I've seen the
series promoted in the Scholastic Book Club newsletters my child brings home
from school periodically, and my local Post Office is currently selling
several Parish story books bound in plastic on special. Has anyone had any
success approaching this company with their manuscripts? From my research it
would appear that the company only uses a couple of writers.

WANTED Teachers - NSW Primary years 3 and 4 (Children ages 8-10)

Zen Tails® is a ground-breaking collection of children's picture books based
on stories drawn from great philosophical traditions. Each book is
beautifully illustrated and contains the original ancient story as well as a
moral. The books address fundamental questions which must be faced by each
of us as we move through life. These questions are simple enough to be
understood by young children, yet profound enough to warrant a lifetime of
study, reflection and practice.

Following the growing domestic and international success of the Zen Tails®
series, New Frontier Publishing has embarked on a values based educational
program for primary school students in years 3 and 4 (aged 8-10). We are
looking for several NSW Primary School teachers to trial our draft Zen
Tails® Primary Values Teachers Guide and Primary Values Students Work Book
with their classes. The books cover many NSW Stage 1 outcomes.

We are offering free drafts of the Primary Values guides and workbooks as
well as free copies of the Zen Tails® picture books. There will also be a
complimentary place for assisting teachers at the inaugural Zen Tails®
Primary Values workshop in Sydney in March 2006.

Interested teachers should direct their enquiries to Peter Whitfield,
Marketing and Rights, New Frontier Publishing, peter@newfrontier.com.au

Find out how the following Zen story is adapted for children in Zen Tails®:
No Presents Please.

The Buddha was sitting in the shade of a tree when anangry man came upon
him. The angry man started yelling insults, but the Buddha sat there calmly
and said nothing. The angry man continued screaming, but received no reply.
After a few minutes the man could not keep up his anger at such a level and
asked, "Do you have nothing to say?" The Buddha then asked the man, "If
someone gives you a gift and you do not want it, to whom does it belong?"
The man answered that it must remain with the giver of the gift.Then the
Buddha said, "I refuse to accept your anger, so you will have to keep it
yourself."

Does anyone know of any children's verses about horses, preferably short,
light, anonymous and/or humorous? If so, please contact me at
dibates@enterprisingwords.com Your help will be acknowledged in the book I'm
writing and compiling.

Hello PIO

I have a question about the business side of writing. Some authors have
their own business names, and inside their books I see
©name of business, rather than their actual name. What are the benefits of
doing this? And is it only worthwhile if the writer is earning a sizeable
income? Thank you in advance to anyone with an answer.
LF

REPLIES TO SEEKING

To Sharon, who is wondering if it's worth trying to locate an editor with
whom she has had some dealing and who then left the company:

I had this happen to me when Cathie Tasker was with HarperCollins, Sydney,
and was interested in several of my books (including The Obsidian Quest and
its sequels). HarperCollins (when I rang them from Auckland) said they
couldn't say where she had gone. I didn't believe them but may have been
doing them an injustice. I'd have searched for her if it had been in my
power. I'm really sorry Cathie (now at Koala) is interested only in PBs.

Good luck finding your editor, Sharon. Why don't you mention her/his name
here in PIO? Someone here is bound to be able to help you.

It isn't worth buying them from the US Postage Service. They want an arm and
a leg to post them (as far as I'm concerned anyway) and want to package them
as if they're of as much value as a Penny Black (as you no doubt found out,
Clare; I ran the moment I saw how much they wanted to send them to me).

Anyway, my advice is that you ask an American author (or anyone you know who
lives in America) who has a Paypal account and is willing to buy some stamps
for you and post them in an ordinary DLE envelope. I did this, adding an
extra dollar to the sum I sent her for postage and an envelope. On impulse
(because I suspected there could be hidden costs involved in the
transaction) I added yet another extra dollar, and it was just as well I did
because the US author said this is what it cost her to pick up the payment.

Obviously it isn't fair to expect the person doing you the favour to pay the
Paypal fee, so it's probably a good idea to find out first what this is
going to be.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Pearson Education is pleased to announce the publication of Out of the Blue,
an anthology of short stories, poems and articles compiled by Dianne Bates.
Contributors include Edel Wignell and Bill Condon. The book is in Pearson's
Chatterbox series.

SPECIAL EVENTS

CHILDREN'S WRITERS' FORUM No. 3
The final forum for the year (at Victoria University, St Albans
campus, Melbourne) will be on Saturday 12 November, 12.45pm - 4.30pm.
Guest speakers are:
Eva Mills (editor from Allen and Unwin)
Jacinta di Mase - literary agent who represents children's and YA
writers.
And a session on "How to Survive Rejection Letters". Please bring your
favourite or worst rejection letter to share!
Still only $20, includes coffee and chocolate bikkies.
Email RSVP to Sherryl.Clark@vu.edu.au or phone 9919 2681 if you need more
info.

Ian Dalkin and Lis Bastian from Stop Laughing This Is Serious Gallery

take great pleasure in inviting you to the

Gallery's 3rd Birthday Celebrations

2pm this Saturday 22nd October

We are opening 3 new exhibitions as well as the

new Stop Laughing This Is Serious Framing and Multimedia Studio

open weekdays or by appointment at 101 Wentworth St Blackheath

Our Festivities this Saturday will include:

* The Launch of the New Australian Bookplate Society by Physician and
Bookplate Historian Dr Mark Ferson, and Lyster Ormsby (nephew of the
original Lyster Ormsby who suggested the formation of an Ex Libris Society
in 1923). This will be accompanied by an exhibition of historical and
contemporary bookplates.

* The Launch of Elisabeth Bastian's original illustrations for "Wild
Neighbours - The Humane Approach to Living with Wildlife" by Ian Temby,
published by Citrus Press. The book will be available at the Gallery.

* An exhibition of original etchings, drawings, watercolours, scraperboard
and bookplates by Pixie O'Harris, well-known children's book author and
illustrator, popular with several generations of Australian children (and
also the auntie of Australian entertainer Rolf Harris). This exhibition
celebrates the centenary of Pixie's birth last year.

To view a selection of examples from these exhibitions visit our website at
<www.stoplaughing.com.au>

To celebrate our Birthday we will be offering 10% off all children's books,
artists' cards (excluding Wild Neighbours and bookplates), framing and
giclee printing during November

Please send this email on to anyone you think may be interested,

thanks,

Lis and Ian

Stop Laughing This Is Serious Gallery
3 Hat Hill Rd
Blackheath. 2785.
ph 47877533 or 0407 437553

Launch of Bookplate Society

Bookplate expert, author of numerous publications and a thesis on the
history of bookplates in Australia, and leading Sydney Paediatrician Dr Mark
Ferson will be jointly launching The New Australian Bookplate Society in
Blackheath this Saturday. Dr Ferson will be joined by Lyster Ormsby, the
nephew of the Lyster Ormsby of an earlier generation who invented the wooden
surf life saving reel and who suggested, back in 1923, the formation of the
original Australian Ex Libris Society. They are hoping to revive the art of
the bookplate which flourished in the 'golden period' from the 1890's to the
1930's - the same area in which most of the arts reacted to
industrialisation and advocated the beauty of the personal and the handmade.
In this period ownership of a bookplate was both a mark of culture, a
bibliophilic fashion statement and a personal expression of one's passions
and interests. Patronage was secured at vice-regal level, and some notable
Australian bookplates were gifted to the royal family. This was the time
when three bookplate societies flourished, though briefly, and when art
exhibitions frequently included a set of mounted bookplates. As well, a
number of sumptuous books and smaller publications were produced at this
time on aspects of bookplate history. Examples of these will be on display
at the launch.

A century later, bookplates continue to be commissioned and designed, and
the exhibition accompanying the launch will include both historical and
contemporary bookplates executed in a range of media - linocut, pen & ink,
pyrography, woodcut, etching and giclee - by emerging and established
Australian artists.

According to Dr Ferson, "bookplates are both a beautiful design tradition
worth of historical study, and a contemporary expression of a love for books
and art. As a result of a groundswell of modern interest in designing or
having a bookplate, a group of collectors and artists have come together to
form the New Australian Bookplate Society. They are hoping that artists,
booklovers and collectors will join to promote the Society's aims: to raise
awareness of the art form and to bring together individuals with an interest
in designing, owning, studying or collecting bookplates."
The Society will be launched in conjunction with an exhibition at Stop
Laughing This Is Serious Gallery, 3 Hat Hill Rd in Blackheath at 2pm
Saturday 22nd October. Everyone welcome. For more information contact Lis on
47877533 or Mark on 0401 141 890.

Gallery's 3rd Birthday Celebrations

A month of festivities kicks off this weekend at Stop Laughing This Is
Serious Gallery in Blackheath which is celebrating its 3rd Birthday. As well
as opening 3 new exhibitions at 2pm on Saturday 22nd October with a giant
birthday cake, the gallery is also opening its new Framing and Multimedia
Studio at 101 Wentworth St Blackheath during the week. Due to the
unprecedented demand for framing, giclee printing, web design and digital
media support that has become evident over the last three years, Stop
Laughing This Is Serious is now able to make services available 7 days a
week through its two separate venues.
Renowned for its popular gallery openings, the birthday bash this weekend is
sure to be an entertaining occasion. Gallery director Lis Bastian is
particularly excited about the 3 exhibitions opening this month. Having
grown up as one of several generations who adored the work of illustrator
Pixie O'Harris, most known for her adorable illustrations of fairy
wonderlands filled with native Australian animals and imaginary figures, Lis
is looking forward to the exhibition of original etchings, drawings,
watercolours, scraperboards and bookplates by this versatile artist. "One of
the big surprises to me" said Lis, "is that Pixie was actually the aunt of
Rolf Harris and that members of her family still live in the Blue Mountains
today. It is through their generosity that this exhibition has been made
possible, just over a century after Pixie's birth." As well as her work as
an illustrator, Pixie is also well known for her work decorating more than
50 hospital children's wards, day nurseries, baby clinics and schools around
Australia. She has two portraits hanging in the University of New South
Wales and an exquisite pencil portrait will be on display in this weekend's
exhibition. Pixie has been awarded the Coronation Medal, the Jubilee Medal
and is an M.B.E. In 1977 she was made a patron of the Royal Alexandra
Hospital for Children in Sydney.
Another of Lis's rather quirky passions for over 20 years has been the
collecting and production of bookplates or ex libris and she is thrilled
that the gallery is exhibiting a huge range of both historical and
contemporary bookplates and providing the opportunity for book lovers and
artists to get together to revive this rather unique tradition.
The third exhibition comes after months of hard work in which Lis has
illustrated over 40 birds and animals for a new book produced in conjunction
with The Humane Society International. The original illustrations, prints
and bookplates produced from these drawings will also go on display in the
gallery.
As with all the free exhibition openings at the gallery everyone, including
children, are welcome to attend. The gallery is located at 3 Hat Hill Rd
Blackheath. Ph. 47877533 or 47875601 or visit www.stoplaughing.com.au

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

For all those interested in submitting to Lobster Press as per the
guidelines in last PIO's market opportunities, I suggest to save on postage
try sending an email enquiry to editorialassistant@lobsterpress.com and ask
if they will accept your submission from Australia by email. They did for
me. In my email I gave them a tiny bit of my background and a brief
description ie: Y/A, number of words etc of my novel and attached the
synopsis. Lobster Press came back the next day asking me to send the full
manuscript by email. A great saving for us poor writers. Five months later,
no news is good news. Good luck to all. CB.

COMPETITIONS/AWARDS

· 2006 Literary Awards
Entries for the 2006 New South Wales Literary Awards close on 11 November.
Eleven awards for Australian writers, worth between $5,000 and $20,000
including the The Patricia Wrightson Prize for children's writing.
The Patricia Wrightson Prize ($15,000) is offered for a work of fiction,
non-fiction or poetry written for children up to secondary school level.
Books containing the work of four or more authors, including anthologies,
are not eligible for nomination.
In the case of books containing original illustrations, the judges may
determine that the award be shared by the writer and the illustrator.
Books nominated for the awards must have been first published between 6
November 2004 and 4 November 2005. The closing date for nomination of
entries is Friday, 11 November 2005.
Full details and nomination forms online at www.arts.nsw.gov.au

WRITING COURSES/WORKSHOPS

If landscape is a component of your writing this workshop could be very
interesting ...
Writing the Landscape
A Weekend Workshop - November 12 & 13, 2005
A workshop in the bush. Rainforest, plantation forest, pasture and rolling
vistas will all provide inspiration and raw material. It has four
inter-weaving themes:
Landscape & narrative -Landscapes are littered with signs that we can learn
to read and use in the telling of a story.
Landscape & history -Landscapes are made by natural change, human
intervention and by how we learn to see them. All such making can be
explored historically and through writing.
Landscape & image -Artists, photographers, cartographers - as long as humans
beings have made images, the landscape has been a focus of attention. How
can writers read and use these images?
Landscape & language -The landscape is a domain of language as much as the
visual. Poets and writers from all cultures have striven to describe it and
capture its essence. These themes will be presented by four different
writers all of whom are from, or work in the bush.
Tony Fry is widely published design historian, writer, environmental
consultant and farm forester working nationally and internationally.
Anne-Marie Willis is a photographic and visual culture historian, editor and
writer with a background in Australian cultural studies Mark Svendsen is
novelist, poet and author of picture books, as well as being an acclaimed
writer of young adult fiction. Sue Pechey is a writer, editor and one of
Queensland's leading oral historians who also teaches creative writing. The
workshop presenters have had over 20 books published between them.
The workshop will be held at the outdoor education centre of TreeLines,
Ravensbourne (140km west of Brisbane and 45kms north east of Toowoomba). The
program will include walks, talks, writing and reading. Attendees are
invited to send a 1000 statement on their thoughts on landscape or on a
relevant writing project by 5 November - this will help shape the form of
the workshop.
Cost: The full cost of the workshop is $195 including Saturday lunch,
Saturday dinner (with after dinner speaker?) and Sunday lunch. Excellent
accommodation is available in the area - details can be provided.
Booking inquiries:TreeLines Workshops 07 4697 8082 or email
teamdes@teamdes.com.au

Now, the news many of you have been waiting for... we're offering the
Spotlight on Characters e-course again, starting on Monday 24th November and
running for five weeks. If you're constantly battling to create vivid,
believable characters that keep your readers entertained, this will get you
on track. You can read more about it here:
www.writing4success.com/spotlight_on_characters_ecourse.htm

NEW WORKSTYLE SKILLS

HAVE YOUR SAY

FROM AUTHOR Dianne (Di) Bates

I believe the time has perhaps come for contributors to lose anonymity when
submitting material to PIO. This week a publisher expressed grave concerns
to me about a piece in a recent PIO issue which named his company. I
suggested that he put forth his company's case to the newsletter, but he
said he found it difficult to find the time to respond.

Because I contribute frequently to PIO, it seemed that he believed I could
be influential in informing authors about publishers' problems regarding
submissions. I don't believe I am that influential, nor do I wish to be.

When I began PIO (as CAINON), it was as a means of networking with fellow
authors (I don't live in a capital city) and sharing marketing information,
but the newsletter has substantially changed since then and it now serves
different purposes. Can I please open the floor to the issue of anonymous
contributions?

FROM ME - Jackie Hosking - PASS IT ON'S COMPILER & EDITOR

PASS IT ON is my passion, and I cannot thank Di Bates enough for trusting it
with me, however, it is now MY responsibility and I feel that I need to set
down some rules. I still believe in allowing subscribers to submit
anonymously, however I am not prepared to take the flak for those anonymous
contributions when others find them offensive and damaging. I could plead -
"don't shoot the messenger," but frankly I think that that would be a cop
out. I too am a writer and as such must be mindful of my reputation and
integrity. I would like to therefore, make a suggestion of my own. From now
on, if you have problem with a specific organisation, I would ask that you
approach them directly first. If you do not get an answer to your
satisfaction, you might suggest to them that you will be expressing your
disappointment in PASS IT ON and offer them the chance to argue their case
publicly.

In the future I will NOT be publishing negative whinings without proof that
the contributor has firstly tried and subsequently failed to sort out the
issue themselves.

I would be most interested in your views on this and hope that in the
future, PASS IT ON is seen only as a positive, networking tool for everyone
in the children's writing industry.

FROM BLACK DOG BOOKS

I wanted to contribute a response to the unnamed author who described me (as
an editor) as " well-meaning . but with appalling time-management skills"

I'd like to ask him or her how would he or she manage their time if they
were sent thirty or so unsolicited items of reading a week varying in length
from 1000 to 100,000 more words which the senders expect that he or she will
respond to and if he or she fails to do so they will circulate critical
comments about them to their friends - and he or she has to hold down a full
time job at the same time that already involves enough reading that it fills
any spare moments you have.

It takes us at black dog much longer than 2 minutes to consider a script -
the minimum is half an hour and the better the script the longer takes,
anything up to 4 or 5 hours. It is exciting to publish a new author from an
unsolicited manuscript but a lot of what we receive isn't suitable for us
and I wonder whether the sender has read any of our books or even looked at
our website or thought about whether we're the right publisher for the
manuscript.

cheers, Andrew
a publisher/editor
black dog books

FROM AUTHOR Bren MacDibble

IN DEFENCE OF BLAKE ED
In response to someone who had been "burned" by Blake Ed, I'd like to say
I've had the opposite experience. I have had books rejected for one series
and then requested again out of the blue a year later for consideration in
another series. Both Maureen and Sophia were very prompt at dealing with
any enquiries and if authors will take a moment to understand the way Blake
Ed operates they will understand why stories need to be held over. The fact
that all editors are overworked and can't respond to every ms is just a
given. A quick email to Sophia solves the not knowing... (if you're brave
enough -stop giggling, Jackie!)... and that's better than most companies.
If I submit stories too early for a series, Sophia worries knowing that
decision dates are often pushed back and pushed back but since Blake Ed are
my all time favourite educational publisher, I'd rather have a shot at
getting published with them than sell them sooner to someone else.

FROM BLAKE EDUCATION'S Sophia Oravecz

I am leaving Blake soon and would like to notify Pass It On subscribers of
the new contact person for submissions.

Previously submitted manuscripts don't need to be resubmitted. All new
manuscripts should go to Amanda.Santamaria@blake.com.au

or

Amanda Santamaria
Blake Education
PO Box 250
Glebe NSW 2037

Shortlisting for the 2500-3000 word set of Gigglers should take place in the
next few months.

I'm off to Pearson to work as an editor there. I will really miss working on
fiction, I love reading the manuscripts and having contact with authors.
There are so many great stories that don't get published, not because they
aren't good but because they don't fit into any current series or the plan
for the year.

You're doing a great job in providing people with a forum to encourage and
inform.

Thank you Sophia and we wish you well in you new position - Jackie

HAVE YOUR SAY

Hi there! I love PASS IT ON and this is my first time responding!

Love that you love PIO and a big thank you for saying so! - Jackie

With regard to Anita Bell's new book Your Kids' Money, firstly may I
congratulate her and I wish her every success!

I do not want to appear a wet blanket but I have just written a review on an
excellent book by Dianne Bates entitled Money Smart Kids which was certainly
a first for me. Inspirational and educational with hundreds of novel ideas
and examples (mostly Australian) of young entrepreneurs (the youngest
millionaire being six years old!) having been inspired to either save or
raise money for one reason or another, this book is certainly a run for your
money! Trying to instil in the youth of today 'that money does not grow on
trees' is a wonderful theme and should be encouraged by all. In this day and
age of instant gratification and all consuming consumerism, any literature
that can educate children on the different aspects of money whether it be
managing, saving, banking or raising funds should be a sound investment!

With kind regards
Moira Elliott

HAVE YOUR SAY

In response to a couple of comments in the 'From an author' section

Firstly I feel I must leap to the defence of editors who were said to have
'appalling time management skills' in last week's PIO. Yes, it can take
months to have a submission accepted or rejected and yes, editors don't
always return emails, letters and calls, but I think you're missing the
point.

Editors do so much more than sit around read manuscripts all day - they deal
with scheduling, marketing, sales, advertising, production, and in smaller
companies, dispatch and invoicing too. Publishing is a competitive
business, and as with most businesses today, if a task doesn't add to the
bottom line, it doesn't get done. Like it or not, reading the slush pile
(and responding to submissions) is one of those 'unproductive' tasks. Which
is why it's usually done at home, in the editor's own time. Editors persist
with this thankless task because, despite the pressures of doing more with
less, despite the fact that they usually have a stable of authors they can
turn to for new works, and despite the fact that only one in a couple of
thousand mss they receive are publishable, most editors feel obliged to read
the mss sent to them. They see it as their contribution to the greater
literary world and perhaps they are hoping to discover the next big thing or
a fresh new voice or great idea.

Now as to the comment that if we took 2 years to get back to a client we'd
be out of business, that person is right. But authors are not clients! We're
the suppliers, and it's a sad fact of life that suppliers are at the bottom
of the food chain in any business.

Don't misunderstand me, I think that it is appalling we have to wait so long
for replies, and it is frustrating that we do not get responses in a
reasonable time (or at all, in some cases), and I agree that we should share
information about who are the better publishers to submit mss to. But I say
don't blame the editors - politicians maybe, bean counters, definitely - but
not the poor editors.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Just a little add on about author visits. I too took several high school
children of our school's Writers Group/Book Club to the Schools' Program at
the Brisbane Writers Festival (as an author, not as their teacher) and we
attended 4 author sessions. Alyssa Brugman was outstanding - answering the
carefully considered questions from the two Brisbane high school students
who introduced her and chaired the session (they did a terrific job as
well). She also answered questions from the floor. Then she also told
students about her beginnings in writing and what she's up to now. All in
all it was a great day - except for the heatwave.
BUT one sour note. Not mentioning any names but one session by a well known
YA author didn't go according to plan. Add to the recipe of a person in a
large tent talking into a microphone, mix in a wide range of ages of
attendees, add to that the session being after lunch, throw in the heat.
Yes, as any teacher would know, kids get distracted - you'd have to have a
very different type of session to not have problems with kids starting to
squirm and chatter. I might add, the 5 teenagers I took were listening
intently because they are old enough to have an understanding of appropriate
behaviour. I did feel sorry for the author, it's awful when you realise you
have to get back the attention of a mob of kids. But the author 'cracked a
meanie' at the kids to get them to listen. A far better outcome could've
been for him to stop his talk, address the teachers or librarians who
would've accompanied those kids and then waited until they had a little chat
to the kids. (Everyone looking around and waiting while this happened
would've worked I'm sure). Unfortunately later on, my high schoolers
remembered the 'meanie cracking' rather than the interesting things the
author said about his latest book.

Sheryl Gwyther

Have Your say

I thoroughly enjoyed Rick Walton's 'What is Humor' - a really interesting
read.

Thank you to whomever contributed this article. Kesta

My pleasure - and I'm glad you enjoyed it - Jackie J

FROM AUTHOR Susanne Gervay

REPORT FROM UBUD Writers & Readers Festival

It was the most exotic festival I have ever been too. Listening to Michael
Ondaatje and Amitav Ghosh reclining on a Balinese lounge overlooking the
rich green of paddy fields and valleys of palms and coconut trees, in the
sumptuous INDUS restaurant, is an experience to remember.

While some authors did not attend because of the second Bali bombing on 1st
October, the majority of authors turned up to support Bali. They also turned
up as a gesture that dialogue between nations will not be stopped by
terrorism. Especially moving was first lady of Timor Kirsty Sword Gusmao's
opening speech at the Palace. She spoke eloquently of reconstruction and
peace for the world's newest nation.

The programme was a mixture of authors from all over the world, especially
Asia. Speakers from India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand,
USA, Philippines, Timor, Malaysia, Singapore were among the nations
represented.

New authors from Indonesia are starting to make their voices hear,
especially young writers. There are some feisty Indonesian women authors out
there who spoke with humour and passion about this new generation of
writers.

Among the Australian contingent Shaun Tan was a special favourite with his
amazing illustrations. Scot Gardner spoke about his new YA books with their
larrikinism. When Scot played the didgeridoo, there was great applause. I
spoke about my literature which aims at giving youth a voice.

Janet De Neefe the festival co-ordinator was a gracious and beautiful host
to a festival that spanned 5 days coordinating 100 authors, welcoming
hundreds of guests, coordinating a team of Balinese and ex-pat volunteers,
with the support of AsiaLink Australia, the Australian Writers Centres
including NSW Writers Centre as well as Indonesian cultural bodies.

www.ubudwritersfestival.com

There will be a festival next year and hopefully every year.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Re the author who wanted to know about the length of replies to submissions.
Twice I sent Mark Macleod (when he was with Random) an anniversary card when
the twelve months submission period had expired. Fantasy not being his cup
of tea he returned both mss, but I never discovered why he hung on to them
for so long. I think Wendy Pye N.Z. is worse, as they 'shortlist' stuff for
two years before deciding it doesn't suit.

I suppose multiple offering is the only way to go, but publishers don't seem
to like it. The only time I did, both publishers decided they wanted the
mss. It has never happened before and probably won't happen again to me.
Maybe if editors cultivate fat enough slush piles it can be used for bedding
when they are working late..

HAVE YOUR SAY

I read avidly but often forget the name of a book or the author which is
frustrating. So a year ago I started a little book where I record the names
and authors of everything I read. I record them under headings according to
how much I enjoyed the book. I also write down quotes that particularly
appeal to me and I enjoy going back and rereading them. Great quotes are
ones that make you reread that passage even when you're caught up in the
action of the story. I wonder if other people record favourite quotes and
thought this may make an interesting addition to some PIO's. Here's one
from Colleen McCulloch's 'Angel Puss'. "Her eyes are pale blue, cold as a
frosty morning, and they looked through me as if I was a smear on the
window".
Jane

THANK YOU

Thank you, Anita Bell for taking the time to write about your fruitful and
fun-filled meeting with Bonnie Bryant. We learn so much from other people's
experiences. Thank you to Mappy for the great writing tips too! Thank you
to everyone who contributes.
LF

ARTICLES

TIME MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES
Edel Wignell ©

Recently I read a fascinating time management article. The writer described
in detail how she spends her mornings on the Internet, firstly attending to
e-mail, and then researching.

This is completely different from the way I work. I am a lark - up early to
exercise and power walk. As I am freshest and most creative before midday, I
ignore the Internet and write. Usually I have several projects under way -
at various stages. They may be for adults or for children: a short story, a
poem, a junior novel, an article for a newspaper or a magazine...

Many writers start the day answering e-mails. Some make a phone call in the
afternoon if they haven't received a quick reply. A huge urgency has
overtaken the business of writing, with messages flashing back and forth.

If I opened e-mails in the morning, I would get carried away and waste a
huge amount of time. I admire people who can zoom through, responding in a
form of shorthand. Being a pedant, I even edit my writing and correct the
structure and punctuation. Yes, I know it's a fault! Perhaps it happens
because I open my e-mails in the afternoons when I am more relaxed. I
respond immediately to messages from publishers, but not to friends and
colleagues (unless a fast reply is necessary).

I research on the Internet in the mornings, only when I have been
commissioned by a publisher to write or compile a book and I am concerned
about the deadline. A recent commission was a collection of folk tales from
the South Pacific for the 'Chatterbox' series (Pearson Education). I
research my own projects in the afternoons.

A successful writer of short stories and novels for adults who taught a
Creative Writing class (most of the members being women), said she had a
Golden Rule. 'No housework in the mornings.' Her class protested saying that
some housework had to be done, but she insisted, saying that you can do
housework, but not writing, when you're tired.

Another successful writer finds that her most creative time is from 10 pm
until 2 am. In this household the husband's share of the domestic chores is
shopping, cooking and getting the children off to school. So the writer-wife
sleeps until 10 am, then attends to domestrivia, business letters and
e-mails. In the evening, when her family is in bed, she takes off on
creative wings.

A writer-illustrator said that she is most creative in the afternoons. She
meditates for an hour every morning, then does domestic and administrative
chores and shopping. As she is passionate about reading, she reads for two
hours (with lunch included) and then loses herself in the joy of creation in
her studio.

It's easy to get obsessed with research. When I was compiling my first
children's book, A Boggle of Bunyips, in the late 1970s, my editor gave me
some advice which I have followed ever since. 'Stop researching from time to
time,' she said. 'Write a short story or an article for a children's
magazine.' She explained the two advantages to this practice: firstly, to
keep the mind fresh and, secondly, to keep the creativity flowing.

When researching my second collection, A Bluey of Swaggies in the early 80s,
I found that I was getting bogged down in research because there was a huge
amount of information, and a selection had to be made. I forced myself to
stop and write short items, both for the pleasure of the doing and for my
well-being as a writer.

Time management is a subjective thing. What works for one doesn't
necessarily work for another. It's fascinating to read and hear the time
management experiences of writers and illustrators. If you are a new writer,
you will soon discover what's best for you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How To Bore Your Readers
© Marg McAlister

If you're searching for sure-fire ways to bore your readers here are six
guaranteed methods. Use any three and wherever you are in the world, you're
sure to be able to hear the "thump" as your book is thrown at the wall. (No,
wait... come to think of it, you won't hear that - because your writing will
never see it to publication stage. Instead you may just catch the sound of
your manuscript sliding back into the reply-paid envelope, ready to head on
back to you.)
1. Use long, wordy sentences.
Readers love 'em. There's nothing they like better than to backtrack and
re-read a sentence three times to try to work out what the author really
meant. It's like a logic puzzle, and we all know how people get addicted to
puzzles. You'll be doing insomniacs a real favour, too. Half a dozen
convoluted sentences and they'll be blissfully asleep.
2. Use repetition whenever possible.
There are several great ways to bore readers with this technique.
(a) Start by beginning three or four sentences in one paragraph with the
same word. "She hurried down the street, thinking furiously. She didn't want
Mark to know what she was up to. Why should she give in now? She had worked
too hard for this. Turning into the building that housed the law offices,
she straightened her shoulders. She was ready to fight!" There, that'll do
it. Use the same technique in several paragraphs on a page and a nice,
lulling rhythm will set in.
(b) Repeat favourite sentence patterns for dialogue. "Give it to me," she
ordered, her eyes sparking dangerously. / "No sugar for me," she said, her
empty stomach rumbling. / "What do you mean, he said no?" she asked, her
brow furrowed in concern. (If you're on a good thing, why change it?)
(c) Repeat the same thing in different ways to make sure readers get the
message. A good way to do this is to "show" AND "tell". For example: "I hate
you!" she yelled. Marcia really despised Jim. or "Her shirt sticking to her
back, Marcia wiped the sweat from her forehead and tried to estimate how
long it would take her to reach the coolness of the trees. It was so hot."
3. Use correct grammar for all dialogue no matter who is speaking.
Under no circumstances reflect actual real life speech. Do not use
colloquialisms or sentence fragments, and do not allow interruptions from
other characters. Make sure that everyone speaks in complete, grammatically
correct sentences. You will have true peace of mind, knowing that none of
your characters ever split an infinitive or ended a sentence with a
preposition. (Your high school English teacher might read this, you know.)
Of course, it's much harder to make all your characters sound like
individuals using this approach, but... c'est la vie.
4. Spell out the message for your readers.
We all know you can't trust readers to get the message, so make sure you
leave them in no doubt. Even if your character's thoughts and actions show
repentance or a lesson learned, add a paragraph or two to ensure that
readers really GET it. You know the sort of thing: "Marcia realized that she
had been selfish and irresponsible. From that moment on she would be a
different person." Or: "It was a hard lesson that Jim learned that day.
Friends were more important than possessions."
Sure, a few readers who DID get it through the action of the story might
grit their teeth or mutter "Aarrghhh! I hate moralising!" but so what? Your
job is to make the world a better place. If that means being a teeny bit
obvious, well, surely readers will forgive you. They know your heart is in
the right place.
5. Wax lyrical about the setting.
Describe the character's environment as fully as possible. (It's all in the
details.) You can't possibly do justice to a sunset or beautiful antique
furniture in just a few words. Impress the reader with your talent as you
describe the vibrant hues of the reddening sky, the gentle whisper of the
breeze, the darkening silhouettes of trees and boats. (It's always a good
idea to throw in a few words the reader won't know to challenge them a bit,
too. Readers need to learn to keep a dictionary at hand to improve
themselves.)
You may find that after a page and a half of description the pace of your
story has slowed a tad, but don't worry. Uneducated readers who don't
appreciate your work can always skip the "boring bits".
6. Be predictable.
Make it easy for readers to guess what's coming next. They love to feel
smarter than the author, so pander to them. No surprise endings. No cunning
little twists. Oh, and it's best to use a plot or storyline that's been used
again and again so readers are securely in their comfort zone.
Fill your stories with stereotypes - the reader will have read about these
many times over the years, so they'll recognise them without even having to
think. You know the type: the kindly apple-cheeked grandmother; the ruggedly
good-looking hero; the corrupt politician; the attractive female DA; the
crusty judge; the bumbling but brilliant detective; the long-suffering wife.
These are but a few of some tried-and-true ways to bore your reader stupid.
With creativity you can probably come up with plenty more... have your
character agonise at length about obvious decisions; over-explain your
character's actions... it's a wide-open field. If you really apply yourself
you should never, ever have to face the stress of actually having a book
published.

Marg McAlister's writing sites and ezines are full of up-to-date, practical
advice for writers. Get timely tips to ensure writing success both online
and in print:
http://www.Writing4SuccessClub.com
http://www.writing4success.com
http://www.HowTheHeckDoI.com
http://www.EsssentialGuidetoGhostwriting.com
http://www.writing-for-success-online.com
mailto:marg@writing4success.com

PUBLISHER GUIDELINES

On the 2nd October I sent this letter (see below) to 30 publishers of
children's books. Penguin was one of the two who have replied so far, the
other being Bushfire Press, included last week. Thank you for taking the
time to respond!

Dear Sir or Madam:
My name is Jackie Hosking and I am the Compiler/Editor of a national
newsletter called PASS IT ON (PIO). PIO began as CAINON (Children's Author &
Illustrators' Network Online News) and was the brainchild of children's
author Dianne Bates. CAINON ran for 20 weeks and was extremely successful.
So much so that Di was unable to keep it up. I volunteered to continue the
newsletter and it is still going strong 60 weeks later.
I am writing to you because PIO is a networking newsletter for those
involved with or interested in the children's writing industry. It is all
about sharing industry information to help simplify and demystify it just a
little bit. Subscribers email me their snippets of news and I sort the
information into subject headings. One of the subject headings is "Publisher
Guidelines" and it is often left empty. Hence this letter.
Would you be willing to supply specific details as to your wants and needs
as an Australian publisher of children's books? Details that I might include
in PIO. As a writer myself, I find that publisher's submission guidelines,
found at the websites, are often vague. Publisher information is treated
like gold and as such is not given away freely. I believe this works against
everybody in the industry as writers don't know what to write and publishers
receive crate loads of unsuitable manuscripts.
Anyway, without trying to sound too magnanimous, ultimately I want to be
able to produce a newsletter that provides its subscribers with useful,
up-to-date information straight from the publisher's mouth. Not only will
this benefit the writer, it will also help to curb false rumours.
I have found you via The Australian Writer's Marketplace, the APA website
and various other methods. Some of you will know me already. If you would
like to be part of PASS IT ON's growing network please email me at
jacket@smartchat.net.au You might also like to view past issues of the
newsletter - these can be found at www.jackiehosking.com
I thank you so much for your time.

Warm Regards,

Jackie Hosking
Editor/Compiler "PASS IT ON"
www.jackiehosking.com

Penguin Group (Australia)
Books for Children and Young Adults
250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, VIC 3124
PO Box 701, Hawthorn, VIC 3122
Telephone: 03 9811 2400
www.penguin.com.au

SOME GUIDELINES FOR THOSE SEEKING PUBLICATION

Manuscript Preparation and Submission

Within Penguin Group it is extremely rare for unsolicited manuscripts or
proposals to be accepted for publication.
There are no hard and fast rules about submitting manuscripts, as each
publisher has different requirements.
For initial submissions two or three sample chapters would be sufficient
(for a chapter book), or send in the complete text for a picture book. For
submission purposes the sample should be double spaced and on one side
only of A4 paper and you must retain a copy for yourself. There is no need
to use expensive binders. You can expect to wait three to four months for a
response. Manuscripts and proposals submitted by literary agents will
always take precedence. If you wish to submit illustrations, please send
photocopies (or colour photos/slides) and never send original artwork.

If you are planning to send in a proposal, please address it to the
attention of The Editor, Books for Children and Young Adults, Penguin Group
(Australia), PO Box 701, Hawthorn, Vic 3122. If you wish to have your
manuscript returned please also enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope
large enough for your manuscript.

Penguin Group takes no responsibility for loss or damage so please do not
send originals.

We will not accept proposals by email or facsimile.

When you have completed your manuscript you can either:

Give it to an agent to handle. Addresses can be found in the Yellow Pages
under 'Writers, Consultants and/or Services'; or, Submit direct to those
publishers you think might be interested in your work (following their
guidelines).

Manuscript Assessment Services

Manuscript assessment services can provide feedback on your manuscript. The
following organisations are some of those who provide this service. The
charges vary so it is advisable to check before submitting your work.

Lynk Manuscript Assessment Service, (03) 9381 0302, Fax (03) 9381 0305
The Victorian Writers' Centre (03) 9654 9068
The Australian Writers' Guild (03) 9682 3833
The Australian Society of Authors (02) 9318 0877

Contracts and Payment

Once a decision has been made to publish the manuscript, the publisher will
send a contract to the author - an agreement should be reached (with the
help of a solicitor if necessary) with the publisher before a contract is
signed.
Authors of books are usually paid royalties, that is a percentage (about 10%
of the retail price), as the books sell.
The exact details should be made clear in the contract.

Publishers (Poetry and Short Stories)

If you are an unpublished author of poetry and short stories, you have a
greater chance of success approaching a book publisher with a complete
collection and an established readership of work such as yours. For this
reason it is advisable to seek publication initially in magazines or
literary journals. Check libraries and bookshops for these magazines and
follow their specific submission guidelines. Note that Penguin no longer
publishes poetry and only very rarely publishes short stories.

Publishers (General)

There are several useful directories of publishers, listing their addresses
and the types of books they publish.
These are available in libraries:
International Literary Market Place (Bowker) covers 159 countries
world-wide.
Directory of Publishing (Cassell) lists publishers in Great Britain and the
Commonwealth.
APA Directory of Members is a pocket-sized listing of Australian publishers
and is available from The
Australian Publishers Association Suite 60/89 Jones St, Ultimo, NSW, 2007
Ph: (02) 9281 9788 ext. 3
Fax: (02) 9281 1073 Email: apa@publishers.asn Web: www.publishers.asn.au

Writers' Organisations

The Australian Society of Authors: Promotes the professional interests of
those who write for publication by seeking legislative changes and setting
minimum rates of payment and working conditions and acts on behalf of
members in disputes with publishers. It offers contract advisory services
and publishes a quarterly magazine.
PO Box 1566, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012 Ph: (02) 9318 0877 Fax: (02) 9318
0530
Email: asa@asauthors.org Web: www.asauthors.org

The Australian Writers' Guild: Promotes and protects the interests of
Australian writers working for television,
stage, screen and radio. Arts House, 204 St Kilda Rd, Southbank, VIC 3006
Ph: (03) 9682 3833
Fax: (03) 9682 3844.
Email: awgvic@ozemail.com.au Web: www.awg.com.au

Fellowship of Australian Writers: Actively serves the interests of writers
by way of monthly meetings, workshops, seminars, guest speakers,
publications, social functions etc. The FAW will provide information on
literary competitions and on which magazines will consider unsolicited
submissions. All enquiries must be made in writing. PO Box 3036, Ripponlea,
Vic 3183 Ph: (03) 9528 7088 Fax: (03) 9528 7088

The National Book Council:. The National Book council is an independent,
non-profit-making body dedicated to the promotion of books and reading. It
publishes Australian Book Review and administers prestigious literary
awards including The Banjo Awards. Suite 3, 21 Drummond Place Carlton. Vic
3053 Telephone (03) 9663 8655.

Writers' Centres
The Victorian Writers' Centre: 1st Floor, Nicholas Building, 37 Swanston St,
Melbourne Vic 3000
Ph: (03) 9654 9068 Fax: (03) 9654 4751 Email: info@writers-centre.org Web:
www.writers-centre.org
Provides comprehensive advice, information and services for writers,
including writing assessment. It produces an excellent information kit that
is available to members and non-members for a small fee. The Centre has a
monthly magazine called Victorian Writer which offers an enormous amount of
information on publishers, writers, writing competitions and upcoming
writing events. The Centre can also offer advice on finding an agent.

ACT Writers' Centre: Gorman House Arts Centre, Ainslie Ave, Braddon, ACT,
2612
Ph: (02) 6262 9191 Fax: (02) 6262 9191 Web: www.actwriters.org.au

WA State Literature Centre: www.writerswritingwa.org Ph: (08) 9432 9559

NSW Writers Centre: PO Box 1056, Rozelle, NSW, 2039
Ph: (02) 9555 9757 Fax: (02) 9818 1327 Web: www.nswwriterscentre.org.au

NT Writers' Centre Inc.: GPO Box 2255, Darwin, NT, 0800
Ph: (08) 8941 2651 Fax: (08) 8941 2651 Email: ntwriter@octa4.net.au

Queensland Writers' Centre: Level 2, Metro Arts Building 109 Edward St,
Brisbane, Qld 4000
Ph: (07) 3839 1243 Fax: (07) 3839 1245 Email: qldwriters@qwc.asn.au Web:
www.qwc.asn.au

South Australian Writers' Centre: PO Box 43, Rundal Mall Post Office,
Adelaide, Qld 5000
Ph: (08) 8223 7662 Fax: (08) 8232 3994 Email: sawriters@sawriters.on.ne t
Web: www.sawriters.on.net

Tasmanian Writers' Centre: 77 Salamanca Place, Hobart, Tas, 7004 Email:
writers@trump.net.au
Ph/Fax: (03) 6224 0029

NOTE FOR AUTHORS: The Basic Steps
The process of turning an idea into a published book takes time and work.
There are a number of stages, most of which are handled jointly by Penguin
and the author.

The Contract
After initial discussion and assessment of a proposal, a contract is drawn
up outlining the relationship between author and publisher. The document
states that the author, the owner of the copyright in the work (and
copyright is essentially a property), agrees to lease to the publisher the
right to administer and develop that property on the author's behalf under
various agreed conditions. It spells out the legal rights, conditions and
obligations of both publisher and author.

The Manuscript
Obviously the creation of the manuscript is primarily the concern of the
author. However, an in-house editor is available to comment on and to help
develop the most suitable outline, and to read draft chapters as necessary.
In the case of fiction, the editor will probably need the entire draft
manuscript before offering comments. When the manuscript is complete, an
editor (in-house or freelance) will work with the author to prepare it for
press. The editor will read the manuscript and, as appropriate, ask the
author to clarify or rephrase sections that are ambiguous or awkward,
suggest cuts and reshaping, develop characters, build a better climax, edit
for consistency of style and presentation, and note details for the designer's
attention.

Production
While the manuscript is being edited, the designer will begin work on a
cover after consultation with the editor.
After editing, a copy of the manuscript is returned to the author for final
checking. The edited manuscript is passed to the design department so the
designer can check for any unexpected design complications and prepare it
for typesetting. Once the manuscript had been typeset and read by the
typesetter, proofs will be sent to the author for proofreading; proofs will
also be read by an editor. The purpose of proof-reading is to check that the
typeset text is a faithful transcription of the manuscript. Proofs are not
drafts; this is not an opportunity for re-writing. It is far more efficient,
and less expensive, to make sure that the manuscript is correct before it
goes to the typesetter. If possible the book will be paged at first proof
stage. The book cannot be indexed until it has been paged. When all
necessary material (bromides of the text and index, any artwork for the
book, cover file, etc) is complete, it is sent to the printer. The editor
will keep the author informed during these stages, and will advise the
author of the publication date once it has been finalised.

Marketing and Sales
While the book is in production, the editor will brief the sales and
marketing team about the book and it's progress.
Penguin normally holds stock of the book in the warehouse for about two
months before publication to ensure that
publicity is organised and that all bookstores have stock before the
official release date. Before publication, the marketing department will
contact the author to make arrangements to promote the book effectively.
People from the areas of children's books, adult books and/or education will
use the most appropriate methods to make the book known. Normally, the
techniques include press release, review copies and sales into bookshops.
Some authors will be asked to be available for interviews (press, television
or radio). Few books are launched with a party, but the release of all books
is publicised as widely as possible.

Release and Timing
All of these stages take time, and Penguin tries to release books when they
will make the greatest impact in the market. The editor will keep the author
informed about the progress of the book. The marketing department will
discuss the publicity plans for the book with the author. The sales people
will start selling the book into the bookshops two months prior to
publication. Basically, the marketing department is responsible for letting
the public know about the book and the sales department is responsible for
pre-selling
copies to shops and other outlets. Copies sold to shops are not considered
'sold' until sold to customers; shops can return to Penguin a proportion of
the books they have ordered.

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR PROFILE

YOUR WRITING TIPS
**A new section that is begging for your attention. Please feel free to
Pass them On!**

USEFUL BOOKS/WEBSITES

BOOK REVIEWS

Secret Girls' Business

By Fay Angelo, Heather Pritchard and Rose Stuart

Reviewed by Delwyne Stephens

Secret Girls' Business is a book about puberty for eight to twelve year old
girls. Eight does seem a little young to be discussing such things as
periods and the growth of hair and breasts. But, as this marvellous little
book points out, 1 in 6 girls enter puberty as young as eight.

Pre-teens will be appalled and enthralled with the stylishly presented
Secret Girls' Business. I can imagine a group of them giggling over it at
lunchtime. Some wondering if this kind of thing really will happen to them,
others nodding in affirmation of changes that have already taken place.

Secret Girls' Business sets out to present puberty as part of girls' life
journey and it succeeds beautifully. With simple text and fabulous,
interactive illustrations no stone is left unturned. Be warned! This book
is graphic and in a fun, pictorial manner shows body changes such as breast
variations, hair growth and bodily secretions. Boys 'bits' and other
changes that occur with boys are briefly presented as well.

The book also goes into depth about girls' periods. Why women have them,
what happens when you have them and how you manage them. Detailed
descriptions are accompanied by illustrations of pads and tampons, including
demonstrations of exactly how to place or insert them.

At all times Secret Girls' Business reinforces that changes are normal and
are a part of this stage of life. Girls' are encouraged to seek help from a
parent or carer if they need further advice, or to consult a doctor if they
feel things aren't normal. Questions about sexual relationships and the act
of sex are not dealt with in the book, instead readers are encouraged to
talk to a trusted adult if they want to know more.

The final chapter of the book offers interesting hints for parents, carers
and teachers. One useful tip for parents is that 'a positive attitude
towards growth and change will empower girls to become confident young women'.
Dads are reminded to encourage brothers to be 'respectful and understanding'.
And suggestions to schools cover practical measures such as having plenty of
pads on hand at camps and emotional measures, such as being sensitive to
mood cycles.

Authors Angelo, Pritchard and Stewart are highly qualified to communicate
the 'facts' of life to young girls. Fay Angelo is an Assistant Principal,
Public Welfare Coordinator and teacher. Heather Pritchard is a Sexual and
Reproductive Health Nurse and Sexuality Educator and Rose Stuart is a
teacher and Child Psychologist. Their collective experience certainly shows
throughout the book. I was particularly impressed with their sensitivity to
the reality that children who are physically developed are not necessarily
emotionally ready to manage more than the basics.

Secret Girls' Business is bright, fun, informative and groovy! It's not
something you would hand out to a child without showing or consulting a
parent or carer. I would be surprised however if most parents of pre-teens
did not warm to its easy, approachable style. Young girls might not own up
to loving it, but they will spend time reading and re-reading it and
studying the illustrations. It may be Secret Girls' Business but I don't
think this little gem will remain secret for long!

Find out more on www.secretgb.com or email at secretgb@hotmail.com

SPIN THE BOTTLE

Author: Janette Brazel

A novel for kids aged 9+
Published by: Banana Books 2005

Reviewed by: Jenny Mounfield

"HELP ME"

When Jessi sees these words scrawled on the label of a wine bottle, it only
serves to confirm her suspicion that something is very wrong in Champion
Street.

It's Dave Turner's 15th birthday, and someone started a game of spin the
bottle, a game Jessi has no interest in whatsoever. The only things Jessi
Mathews is interested in are mud cake and hockey - and the whereabouts of
her favourite neighbour, Mrs Parker. Could she be the one who wrote the
message on the bottle?

Jessi barely knows where to start. It seems everyone in Champion Street is
up to no good. For example, there's Mr Jensen, a retired detective, who
creeps about at night rummaging through bins, and Shiva and Jael, the shifty
occupants of the dog house (so named by Jessi due to Shiva's vicious
Rottweilers.).. Jessi appoints Dave as her super sleuth side-kick and goes
in search of clues. What results is an upbeat mystery that's difficult to
put down.

Spin the bottle has it all: action, sport, humour, mystery and romance. The
romance is light-hearted and funny. No matter how hard Dave tries to show
Jessi his feelings, she remains oblivious - or is she? Jessi is one savvy
kid who doesn't miss a trick.

What I liked about this story:

Action, action, action. I love plots that move, and this one never stops.
The mystery is original and kept me guessing. The characters are well
developed.

What I didn't like:

Jessi struck me as a tad too obnoxious, and I thought her treatment of Dave
bordered on heartless. At one point I found myself cheering the Rottweilers
on. But to be fair, Jessi's attitude is far from inaccurate where teenage
girls are concerned; I have one just like her living in my house.

For anyone who loves a good whodunit, Spin the Bottle is sure to please.

Olive and the Grey Water Affair,

by Tim Levy
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Now then children, I've called this special assembly to tell you about an
important change at this school.Mt Kimberly Primary is to go into a Water
Emergency, Level 8. We are to conserve water at all costs. From next Monday,
we will be turning off all bubblers, hoses, fountains, the boys' urinals and
all other non-critical systems. Questions?
Olive has one, but she's too scared to ask. The school principal, Mrs Tote,
doesn't like to be challenged, so her pronouncement that no water is to be
used at school seems final. But when Olive sees that the trees and plants
are dying, and the birds have all flown away, she decides something must be
done. With an unlikely ally - the principal's pet - she comes up with a
novel scheme to bring grey water to school to keep the gardens alive.
Olive and the Grey Water Affair is a fun story with an important message
about water conservation, for primary school aged children. The book is,
however, much more than simply a story. As well as Olive's tale, there are
games and activities to keep readers busy on their travels - whether by
road, rail or air - and tips for making travelling more comfortable,
including hints for avoiding travel sickness.
The humour of the story and the silliness of some of the suggestions - there
is even a page to sleep on - are well complemented by the humorous
illustrations by Luke Jurevicius. Kids will love the fun of this offering -
parents will love it for keeping kids entertained, whilst also offering a
subtle learning experience.
Olive and the Grey Water Affair, by Tim Levy
Random House, 2005
For more reviews of Australian books, visit www.aussiereviews.com

INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOPS

CRITIQUE GROUPS BULLETINBOARD
**Looking to create or join a critique group - here's the place!**

MILESTONES
**A new section for members to share their achievements**

· Hi Jackie, Thanks for Pass It On - it's truly fabulous!

I've had my first little publishing success, which I'm very proud of, so I
thought you might include it in the next issue for me.

I've just released a "how-to" DVD called Getting Started in Scrapbooking.
Because it's tutorial DVD, it's classed and classified as a book!

Basically it is a step-by-step guide to Scrapbooking. It is aimed at the
absolute beginner, to help them understand basic the terms, techniques and
tools used in this latest craft craze.

It is perfect for country and regional women who don't have access to
classes, for elderly women or new mums who just can't make it out of the
house. It is also a wonderful gift for someone who is interested in trying
the craft but are nervous about taking the next step of finding a class.

It should be in the Scrapbooking section of stores in the next few weeks,
firstly Lincraft and Spotlight, followed soon after by other, larger chain
stores. I have a national distributor for Australia, and another distributor
for New Zealand.

I'm also busy putting together my next DVD, called Getting Started in
Beading, which will be launched in the New Year.

Just like the Jane Fonda workout videos of the 80s, I hope everyone will
eventually own at least one of my Getting Started craft DVDs.

In between, I'm still working on my novel and various children's books!

Thanks again for your wonderful, informative and inspirational e-mail each
week.
Kind regards,
Tracey Kirkland

Thank YOU Tracey - and HUGE congratulations on you first publication!!
Jackie J

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Ernest Hemingway

"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master."

ADVERTISEMENTS

PASS IT ON SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submit contributions to jacket@smartchat.net.au
Comic Sans MS, 12pt, single-line spacing (not essential but helpful)
Mark PASS IT ON SUBMISSION in the subject line
Submit within the body of the email
Give your piece a title heading: eg New Publications; Seeking; General
Information; etc.
Email addresses and contributor contact details will be withheld unless
otherwise stated

Jackie Hosking
Editor/Compiler "PASS IT ON"
www.jackiehosking.com

PASS IT ON ISSUE 61

2006-05-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

PASS IT ON - ISSUE 61: DATE 10/10/05

Hi everyone! I hope you have all had a fantastic week. Thanks to all who
have contributed and a special hello to all new members. Thank you also to
everyone who has offered support and encouragement, I really do appreciate
it. Please enjoy this week's issue of PASS IT ON.

A Disclaimer of Liability

Please ensure that your submissions are ACCURATE and clear. I will accept no
responsibility for any errors or omissions contained in the information
submitted. PLEASE be careful.

To unsubscribe send an email to jacket@smartchat.net.au with "unsubscribe"
in the subject heading.

WHAT IS PASS IT ON?

PASS IT ON is a weekly, on-line, interactive, networking newsletter for
those involved with or interested in the children's writing industry. It is
emailed to subscribers every Monday.

PASS IT ON will survive for as long as YOU the CONTRIBUTOR determine. I am
the collection point for YOUR submissions. I am one cog in a tool that has
the potential to be very powerful. (submission guidelines can be found at
the end of the newsletter)

If you wish to receive PASS IT ON - email me, Jackie Hosking at
jacket@smartchat.net.au and I will send you the most recent issue of the
newsletter and an invoice. If you like what you see, please return the
invoice along with your payment and I will add you to the subscriber's list.

If you join in July it will cost you $24.00 If you join in August, it will
cost you $22.00 If you join in September, it will cost you $20.00 etc...
(all subscriptions will then be due on July 1st 2006)

Please contribute as often as you can and be assured that I will treat your
contact details with the utmost confidentiality. I look forward to making
many more new friends.

Past issues may be viewed at my website www.jackiehosking.com

GENERAL INFORMATION
TERRORIST BOMBS IN BALI WON'T STOP OZ AUTHORS GOING TO UBUD WRITERS FESTIVAL

Letter from UBUD Writers Festival
2 October 2005

Dear Friends,

We are once again, deeply saddened by the October 1, 2005 terrorist attacks
in Kuta. We also extend our sympathies to the lives lost over this
senseless act of violence.

Our Festival was born out of the first bombing in Kuta. It was an attempt
to lift the depleted spirit of the people of Ubud and use the power of the
written word to heal and strengthen.

The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival will go ahead as planned. We will not
allow the terrorists to stop an event that we believe ultimately will
benefit all layers of the Ubud community.

High security at all venues will be guaranteed. This will include:
uniformed and plain-clothed police, bomb detectors, sniffer dogs and
security checks. All venues are distant from the road and parking in front
of these venues will not be allowed.

Our theme "Between Worlds" now reflects a life between peace and violence
and how we survive in a changing world. We hope you will support us at a
time when we need your help more than ever before.

Janet De Neefe
Festival Director
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival

I agree with Janet and I'm going.

Susanne Gervay

SEEKING

Is it worthwhile trying to locate an editor with whom you have had some
dealing with in one company and then has left said company?
This has happened to me a couple of times, where I get interest from an
editor only to be told some months later when following up on work that I
have sent that the person has left and the current staff have no idea what
the previous editor wanted with my work!
I'd be interested in other's thoughts.
Sharon

REPLIES TO SEEKING

re: Matt and his offer from a publisher at 10% royalties...this is the usual
rate, far better than a once off payment. Also get the publisher to offer
you several complimentary copies of book and the ability to buy more copies
at cost price. When the book is published don't forget to register for CAL,
PLR and ELR
Congrats Matt.
Sharon Greenaway

Just on that issue of US postage - I ordered some US air mail stamps
(for return postage to Australia) via the www.usps.com website on 26
Sept and they arrived on 7 Oct, in a huge cardboard mailer that hardly
fitted in my (large) post office box. There was a US$6 shipping and handling
fee. The site gives International postage costs and weights.
Best wishes

Clare Harris

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Anita Bell is very happy to say that her new book - "Your kids money: how to
earn it, save it and set them up for life" is now released:
http://www.randomhouse.com.au/WEB_ASP/ttle_detail.asp?isbn=1740513681

It's financial literacy for the whole family and can guarantee there's no
other book like it in Australia - or anywhere else as far as we can see!
Aside from all the hard-core finance shortcuts and inside info, it has
everything from financial literacy exams for teachers, roleplaying games for
students, "financial action thriller" bed-time stories and money games for
toddlers, commonwealth scholarships, inside tips on remote area bonuses
etc....

Also

"Project Apocalypse" , the sequel to Crystal Coffin will be launched this
December/January holidays:
http://www.randomhouse.com.au/WEB_ASP/ttle_detail.asp?isbn=1740517903
for teens to adults.

A story by Janeen Brian, Below and Beyond, is included in the anthology,
Stories for 8 year olds, published by Random House.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Stop Laughing This Is Serious Gallery in Blackheath will be launching
The New Australian Bookplate Society with an exhibition of
contemporary and historical bookplates and ephemera at the Gallery on
Saturday 22nd October. If you would like to find out more about this
new society or submit a bookplate (or ex libris) that you have
designed please contact Lis Bastian as soon as possible on
02 47877533 or email ebastian@stoplaughing.com.au

The Society aims to promote the design, production and collecting of
bookplates in Australia and bookplates will need to reach the gallery
by the 18th October. If you'd like to commission a bookplate the
gallery will be building a register of artists interested in
designing individualised bookplates according to your interests. A
great idea for an extremely personal Christmas present!

Bookplates can be sent framed or unframed to the gallery. The
exhibition will run for one month in conjunction with an exhibition
of original illustrations by Pixie O'Harris (including her
bookplates) and the illustrations from a new Citrus Press book "Wild
Neighbours" - a Humane Society International book with extremely
useful information on the humane approach to living with wildlife
(written by Ian Temby and illustrated by Lis Bastian). There will
also be wildlife bookplates available in conjunction with the launch
of this book.

All three exhibitions celebrate the Gallery's 3rd birthday!

Stop Laughing This Is Serious Gallery
3 Hat Hill Rd, Blackheath
open weekends or by appointment

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

©
Lobster Press Ltd. 2000-2005
All rights reserved

Guidelines for Authors http://www.lobsterpress.com/html/guidelines_a.html
Please note that Lobster Press does not respond to queries about the status
of unsolicited manuscripts. We apologize for this. We will contact you only
if we wish to publish your manuscript. Further, we regret that we are unable
to return manuscripts, but recycle all materials.

Lobster Press publishes high-quality fiction and non-fiction books for
children, tweens, teens, and their families. We are currently seeking:

. Original fiction targeted at young adults aged 15+. We are searching for
contemporary, character-driven work with edgy plot lines. We are
particularly interested in materials that would appeal to boys, although we
are open to all YA queries. Ideally, protagonists will be between 15 and 18
years old. Word count 30,000 - 50,000.

. High interest fiction for struggling or reluctant readers aged 12-18. We
are looking for fast-paced, high-interest subject matter appropriate for
12-18 year olds and written at an 8-11 year old reading level. Word count
15,000-25,000.

We also seek reluctant reader fiction geared toward new, young Canadians
(i.e. immigrants and landed citizens). These manuscripts must have
accessible vocabulary and relevant subject matter for those who are learning
English as a second language.

. Millennium Generation Series non-fiction books or children's reference
books for youths aged 8-12, 12-15, or 15+. In all age ranges, we are looking
for works that address topics that are highly relevant to today's youth.
Subjects of particular interest are: self-development and empowerment,
science, and pets. We also seek reluctant reader manuscripts in this
category. Word count 15,000 - 25,000.

. Christmas picture book manuscripts for children ages 7 and under.

All manuscripts submitted must be copies only. Do not send originals as we
will recycle any and all manuscripts we choose not to publish. Manuscripts
must be typewritten and double-spaced. Please provide your name, address,
and telephone number on the title page, as well as the word count of your
work. Print your name on every page of the manuscript. Please send complete
manuscripts, or, if this is not possible, a minimum of 3 chapters. Unless
you are a professional artist, please do not send illustrations with your
manuscript.

Each submission must be accompanied by a cover letter, a resume, and a
synopsis of the story.

Send your submission by mail to the address given below. Stories sent by
email or by fax will not be considered.

No editorial comment will be forthcoming unless Lobster Press feels that a
manuscript is publishable.

Simultaneous submissions will be accepted, on the condition that it is
clearly stated in the cover letter that another publisher is considering
your work. Multiple submissions of up to five manuscripts are welcome.

Never send original manuscripts.

Please address all submissions to:

Lobster Press
1620 Sherbrooke Street West
Suites C & D
Montreal, QC
H3H 1C9

Please specify the genre of your work clearly on the envelope.

Thank you!

COMPETITIONS/AWARDS

The Winnies - update

We are very happy to at last provide everyone at PIO with the Judge's
Report on The Winnies! These will also be available on the website,
hopefully by the time you read this. We are in the throes of planning
our next undertaking, and will keep you posted!

Nippers: stories for 3-6 year olds
Judge Hazel Edwards
www.hazeledwards.com

Since Words in Winter celebrates language, the enjoyment of words and
imaginative and skilful use of language has been a consideration in the
judging of the Nippers entries.

FIRST: Clouds and Rhinos
The strengths of 'Clouds and Rhinos ' include the fun with words such
as Dad's 'yuck truck' and the juxtaposing of the reality of the dad who
smells like bricks and has rhino hands and the fantasy of the clover
wishes, encouraged by the parent. The story plays on all senses and is
well structured around the theme of reality versus fantasy. The title
suggest the contrasts within the story which should read well aloud. The
accepting child-parent relationship is explored with originality and
fresh examples such as putting up with an out-of-tune father. But it is
the sustained perspective of the child and the reassurance offered by
the Rhino-Dad, which makes this story a winner.

SECOND: Hiccups
This is a cumulative, noisy story and likely to appeal as a read
aloud.
The subject of embarrassing moments linked to hiccups is well chosen
for the age group, although the word 'hiccup' is challenging. Good twist
at the end of the story and the characters are distinctive. Funny.

THIRD: Wordy
This is an original idea of the gift of a book which eats words and a
girl who learns to read. The language is challenging for a 3-6 year old
who is likely to enjoy the sounds of the 'longer' words which the book
demands.

Tacker: stories for 7-10 year olds
Judge Krista Bell
www.kristabell.com

FIRST: Splat!
This story exemplifies the aim of The Winnies to celebrate language
and foster the writing of imaginative stories for young readers: it was
the stand-out entry. From the clever and enticing title onwards, this
well-crafted story is consistently child oriented and appealing, has
originality, plus a unique, parochial setting. From the very first
sentence SPLAT! throws the young reader into the story and, using
convincing dialogue, urges them to read on, sustaining the interest
level, without ever forcing its fresh humour or using offensive
language. SPLAT! has an intriguing story line with some excellent
twists and turns that keep the young reader guessing what might happen.
Readers of any age will laugh out loud! It is refreshing that this story
celebrates the unique, positive relationship between students and
their teachers in a small country school. Its satisfying ending ties up the
story threads convincingly and will leave a smile on faces young and
old. Congratulations to its author - this story has the often sought,
but rarely found, wow factor that makes it a worthy winner of the
inaugural Winnies for Tackers!

SECOND: The Autumn Princess
This modern day fairy tale farce is an outstanding runner-up in The
Winnies 2005 because of its joyful inventiveness. The story has an
enchanting edge to it that will appeal to an audience of young fantasy
readers in particular and it could fit comfortably into an anthology
of this genre. The story line is fresh and imaginative, with the
characters having that certain something that will endear them to young
readers. The clever yet totally ridiculous humour is most appealing and for
the most part the plot is satisfying, although THE AUTUMN PRINCESS would
benefit from the input of a good professional editor.

THIRD:
There is no third placing awarded this year, as no entry was
considered to be of sufficient standard to receive this honour.

WRITING COURSES/WORKSHOPS
Create a Kids' Book Workshops: Novel workshop with Jennifer Dabbs and
Virgina 15th October, picture books and other kids' stuff on 22nd October
(at Heathcote near Bendigo) and 29th October (Albert Park, Melbourne with
artist Jacqui Young). All workshops $120, lunch supplied, bookings
essential. Dr Virginia Lowe tutor at all of them. vlowe@alphalink.com.au or
9578 5689.

NEW WORKSTYLE SKILLS

HAVE YOUR SAY

FROM AUTHOR DIANNE (DI) BATES

It's sad news to hear that Jonathan Shaw is retiring from his position as
editor (for the past 16 years) of the NSW Department of Education School
Magazine. My husband Bill Condon and I are both full-time freelance writers
who have contributed to SM for several decades and more. Jonathan has been a
fantastic editor - the best - one who has been prompt and efficient with his
and his staff's reading and assessment of our submissions and with our
payments. Often Jonathan has kindly added a personal note to his letters
accepting or rejecting our work. Bill and I will sorely miss him at the
helm of the magazine and wish him the very best of luck for a long and happy
retirement, and with his future forays into writing. I hope publishers treat
Jonathan as kindly as he has treated his SM contributors.

FROM AN AUTHOR

Well it's nice to know that Random House Australia is increasing its
children's list, but will the company now improve the way it treats
submitting authors? The last rejection I received from RH came after I'd
made several enquiries (none of which were responded to): I received my
manuscript, unread, in its original package and without even the courtesy of
a rejection letter: this was after eight months of it hanging around RH's
slush heap. What next: storage fees?

I wonder if PIO readers might start a tally of how many months publishers
take to respond to submissions, so we can all compare notes. Penguin Books,
for instance, recently rejected one of my manuscripts after it had
languished in its heap for over 20 months! My submissions to Blake, Black
Dog and Harcourt Education are now over six months old. This week I sent
manuscripts off to two publishers: the total postage was $26. If there are
any publishers in PIO Land who are reading this submission, please note that
my family is going into debt because I keep sending you manuscripts! My
experience from talking with editors leads me to believe that they are
well-meaning people but with appalling time-management skills. Give authors
a break, won't you? Any given manuscript might have taken me two years or
longer to write. Surely it can only take you two minutes to read the first
couple of pages and decide whether or not you want to reject it? And if you
like it, well eight weeks - twelve at the max - ought to be well and truly
enough time for you to get your act together and accept it.

FROM AN AUTHOR

Further to the discussion regarding Fairfield BookFeast, I've noticed that
Australian children's authors whose publishers grant them great publicity
and who have big book sales - such as Morris Gleitzman, Emily Rhodda, Gretel
Killeen, Andrew Daddo, Wendy Harmer - never attend children's book luncheons
as volunteers. Now why would that be? Perhaps there's a point to be made for
insisting on payment for attendance at the luncheons, or even for organisers
to purchase attending authors' and illustrators' books to give as prizes on
the day. After all, the schools pay for their students to eat the luncheon
food; why not reward the guests, even in token ways? A petrol voucher is one
reward idea, even computer-generated posters made by students, or, as
someone suggested last week, paid gigs at schools for those who attend and
give up a day's work. Maybe all of the schools should be made to buy
multiple copies of books from guests at their table? I agree with the PIO
contributor, as well as the "feast," put the "book" into the luncheon. At
the moment books seem to be missing and the day ought to be called
AutographFeast. I am an author, not an autograph; I would most certainly
like to see more representation of books at these luncheons. Daisy

FROM AUTHOR Janette Brazel

I too attended the Fairfield Bookfeast earlier in September and had a
wonderful time. The children at my table had read two of my books and were
keen to hear about my latest ones. Yes it was noisy during the speeches and
would've been difficult for the presenters. Some tables listened better than
others.

Still being fairly 'green' at this business I enjoyed the opportunity to
talk with kids, those who had read my books, and hopefully convince some
others to try them! I have made one new fan from the Bookfeast. She read my
latest book, reviewed it and sent me a couple of lovely emails - that alone
made the whole experience worthwhile.

It was also good to network with fellow authors - something I find a little
daunting but I know is important. It was lovely to put faces to names,
especially those I have met through PIO. So overall, for me, it was
worthwhile and I'll be putting up my hand to go again next year.

FROM AUTHOR Christine Harris

Regarding the issue of signing bits of paper.
Of course, it is good to be flexible. There are always exceptions. You
judge each situation on its own merits. But I stopped signing scraps of
paper years ago. It was after a school visit in Melbourne. The teachers
had cut up hundreds of tiny squares of paper and the whole primary school
lined up for signatures. Later, as I made my way to my taxi, I found bits
of paper on the ground, sitting in puddles, the ink blurring.
Which wasn't as bad as the time I was offered a greasy, tomato sauce stained
paper bag to sign.
There are alternatives to an embarrassing NO. Let the organisers know
beforehand. I have a prepared sheet which I send to each place that books
me, stating what I do, what I require, and what I will and won't sign.
Some booking agents have a note about not signing scraps of paper in the
booking sheets they send to schools.
A child who cannot afford to buy a book is not disadvantaged if you also
sign autograph books or diaries. Something more permanent than a scrap of
paper (or pie bag) headed for a puddle.
And then there is tact. Often, it is not what you say, but how you say it.

HAVE YOUR SAY

As a teacher/librarian this year was my first visit to the Fairfield
Bookfeast and certainly not my last. An enormous thank you to all those
authors and illustrators who took part. It is not a cheap day
because of venue and travel costs but your generosity brought it into the
realms of reality for my school. My students had a ball and came back with a
renewed desire to read the work of authors they had met 'for real'. I guess
the autograph thing was a bit tedious for the authors but the kids find it
fun and had a great time showing these trophies round back at school. At
least a dozen children have already asked if they could go next year.
Thanks a gain to all those concerned.
Bev Mac.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Dear Author
I was saddened to hear of your experience with schoolchildren
at the book luncheon. I could understand your frustration and
would like to share my recent experience.

My four (homeschooled) children and I visited the Brisbane
Writers Festival last Thursday. As a new Children's Writer, I
wanted to experience the Festival and, as avid readers, my 3
older children (6-10) were very interested in meeting their
favourite authors, Bonnie Bryant and John Flanagan. Travelling
by bus and train from the Sunshine Coast, this represented a
12-hour day for us, not a 'day off school'.

I was truly impressed with both the presentations by authors
and the behaviour of my young children. The workshops we
attended were arranged for Grades 6-9 or 9-11, yet my
children gave those engaging authors their full attention.
Afterwards we had the opportunity to meet some authors in
person, including some signing of much-loved books. These are
now treasured items and today we began a scrapbook to
further commemorate our trip.

My wish is that you could have had similar experiences with
dedicated fans. I also thought that your comment about earning
the books, rather than winning by raffle, was a better option.

Happy Writing
Regards
Angela

FROM AUTHOR Fee Seivers

RE: Congratulations to Fee Siever on the publication of her Writer's Diary,
reviewed favourably last week in PIO. I have enjoyed her input to PIO!
Fee - I note we can buy your diary from you direct, have you self-published
(tips please) or did you put together a proposal to Flat Chat press? Would
love to hear your story...DS>

Hi DS
Firstly thanks to DS for the positive comments - but I must clarify that the
Australian Writers Diary is not mine. However, I will tell you the Flat Chat
Press story.
The diary was actually the brainchild of author, Sarah Hammond, but we all
had a hand in putting the information together. FCP is a group of students,
mainly mature aged, who have been studying Professional Writing and Editing
at Greensborough NMIT part-time for the past few years. We started off with
the idea to set up a small press to publish the work of students and
teachers within the course. FCP has boomed and has become much more than
that. We are now publishing the works of authors outside of NMIT. It all
happened in a very short space of time.
We are set up as a Small Press module where what we do is publish and learn
the processes of publishing. We began at the end of 2004 with the 2005 diary
as a way to get some money in the kitty, to allow us to publish other
things. After great sales in a very short time, NMIT could see we were self
sufficient and gave us the go ahead for the Press to operate. It is headed
by Barry Carozzi, author and teacher at NMIT, and his band of merry
students. It is a learning experience so we can gather skills in publishing
that we may be able to use in the outside world. I believe we are the only
institute to be publishing the work of outside authors. Most courses have
inside publishing opportunities.
We have the benefit of being able to do small print runs so we keep our cash
flow flowing. And we are now able to offer excellent self-publishing options
too. Many of our books are up to their 3rd print run so our books sell very
well, considering we are very new and very small.
So far, we have produced 11 fantastic publications in only about 18 months.
That's pretty good going. Our overheads are minimal and we offer our authors
30% after all our costs have been met. We are split into groups: poetry,
fiction, nonfiction, children's and special projects, like the diary. Each
group has a main manager and a band of workers. We all end up editing and
proofing, marketing and working in other areas where needed. Needless to
say, we all end up doing work outside of class time as 3 hours a week is
just not enough.
Some of our books include authors such as: Doris Leadbetter, Myron Lysenko,
Ian McBryde, Sandon Mcleod, Sarah Hammond, Helen Lucas, Bernie Neville,
Sarah Cowan, Fee Sievers (that's me!) and Barry Carozzi. FCP has been
involved in launches and readings with the authors and poets. It's been
great fun for all of us. We have another 15 books that will be published
before the end of this year. So, we have been busy. We're lucky to be given
this valuable opportunity. And we are getting people's work published which
is fantastic, considering how hard it is to get published these days.
So, after all that, some of you might be interested in sending us your
manuscript. But I must warn you that we have been inundated and any
manuscripts received now are not likely to be considered until 2006 - but we
don't mind if you also send them elsewhere at the same time. We are not
precious like that as we want you to have every opportunity to get your work
in print.
I am also involved with BlueCatBooks, another local small publisher in my
area. BlueCat are publishing some of my poetry in an anthology due out this
November and I have been commissioned to write the 7th book in their Brave
Kids series.
Leone Peguero from BlueCatBooks, mentioned in the last PIO, has also taught
me a lot about publishing over the past few years. She is very generous with
her skills and knowledge.
I guess I'd better stop here - but feel free to email me on
prohort@primus.com.au with any questions you may have or email Barry
Carozzi on flatchatpress@nmit.vic.edu.au. Or send your ms to:
'Flat Chat Press
NMIT, Civic Dve,
Greensborough, 3088'
The only guidelines we have are that you send a legible ms with your name
and details, with a covering letter telling us a bit about yourself and your
writing experience. Include a brief synopsis and a word count.
I am also very pleased to be involved with such a useful and professional
resource like PIO. Keep it up Jackie. This is what it's all about - sharing
and networking. Thanks all - hope this was useful.

HAVE YOUR SAY

The article about Julie Davey's successful self-publishing venture was a
wonderful inspiration to all of us. Even if we don't plan to take that step,
her experience shows that goals can be realised if we believe in ourselves.
Full marks to Julie, and a capital A for that positive attitude. Thank you
also to Edel Wignell for the article. Teena

FROM AN AUTHOR

BLAKE EDUCATION
Blake Education may have changed its editor, but I've been sufficiently
burned never to submit anything to that company again. I submitted something
that was shortlisted for a Gigglers series eons ago, when Maureen O'Keefe
was editor, and every time I sought an update it was "still being
considered" on this "shortlist". Finally, when I enquired once again, I
discovered that Maureen had left the company and my shortlisted manuscript
could not be found. Sophia Oravecz was very sympathetic, and kindly asked
me to re-submit the manuscript to her. To Sophia's credit (and I'm very
grateful to her), she gave me an answer on it in a matter of days. By that
stage, I was disgusted, disgruntled and angry that the manuscript had
floated around at Blake Education for an extraordinary period of time and
disappeared into a black hole, never to be seen again. I will never waste
my time again submitting to that company. Two years to give an answer on a
book is disgraceful, not to mention highly unprofessional. I have a small
business and if I took that amount of time to respond to my clients' needs,
I wouldn't be in business.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Edel Wignell writes about Girls' Business:

Last week I sent interviews with Julie Davey to indicate one person's
experiences in self-publishing. At the end was a list of works, including
two books written and self-published by Fay Angelo, Heather Pritchard and
Rose Stewart, with illustrations by Julie Davey. I think that these books
will be of interest to many PIO readers.

The fact that some girls are reaching puberty at the age of eight years, and
many more before the age of 12 (which was once considered to be the average
age) inspired the three women to write the first book.

Fay Angelo, Heather Pritchard and Rose Stewart, Secret Girls' Business,
designed and illustrated by Julie Davey, Fay Heather Rose Publications,
Melbourne, 2003

This book helps young girls understand the physical and emotional changes
they undergo on reaching puberty, and shows them how to cope in positive and
practical ways - with themselves, their family and friends.

Fay Angelo, Heather Pritchard and Rose Stewart, Special Girls' Business,
designed and illustrated by Julie Davey, Fay Heather Rose Publications,
Melbourne 2003

Girls with special needs, including intellectual and physical disabilities,
communication disorders and autism, and their mothers and carers, will find
this book useful when the girls reach puberty.

With their zany humour, Julie Davey's illustrations bring a light-hearted
touch, as well as information, to the books.

Availability - see two websites:
www.secretgb.com
www.aforattitude.com.au

ARTICLES

What Is Humor?
A Definition of Humor That Works For Me

Rick Walton ©

Printed with permission

In my research on humor theory I was unable to find a definition of humor
that worked for me. But the research did help me fine-tune a theory that I
have been developing over twenty years, a theory of humor that meets my
needs.
The definition I have come up with is "Humor is surprise without threat or
promise."
To develop this definition I first analyzed all of the types of humor I
could think of, trying to discover anything they had in common. And I did,
like several humor theorists, find that all humor has in it an element of
surprise. I began there.

Surprise
To be surprised, you must have an expectation of how the world works. When
something happens contrary to that expectation, you are surprised.

Depends on Experience and Knowledge
What surprises you depends on your experience and knowledge. Since everyone
has different experience and knowledge, everyone has a different expectation
of how the world works. Therefore what surprises you might not surprise
someone else. Your expectation of the world might not include an event that
another's expectation might include.

Fields of Ignorance
Everyone's expectations of how the world works includes fields of ignorance,
where your expectation is that anything can happen because you don't know
the field well enough to know what can happen. Most people will not be
surprised when a nuclear physicist makes a scientific error because they
don't know enough about nuclear physics to know that it is an error. Most
babies are blissfully ignorant of the "surprises" going on around them
because their understanding of the world includes mostly fields of
ignorance.
So if one person is not surprised by an event that surprises another, it
might be 1) because their expectation of the working of the world includes
that event, or 2) the event might be in the person's field of ignorance.
(Although 2 is actually a subset of 1, because in a field of ignorance, you
expect anything, and therefore are not surprised when anything happens.)
What if the physicist, however, in discussing a theory of physics, starts
talking about how dancing ducks determine the movement of the planets? Then
we might be surprised, because though the physicist is working in our field
of ignorance, by bringing in dancing ducks, he has overlaid other fields
that we do have understandings of, and therefore can be surprised in.

Too Much Surprise
Another problem with humor and surprise comes when everything is surprising.
When everything is surprising, eventually the expectation is for surprise,
and therefore, ironically, the surprise is no longer surprising. This might
be why wacky, intense humor works best in short spurts and is harder to pull
off in longer works. Wacky picture books are common. Wacky novels are rare.
Saturday Night Live sketches work well for a few minutes, but have a much
harder time carrying over into a full-length movie. Jim Carrey was hilarious
in his short "In Living Color" sketches. But when he tried to carry his
mugging and facial contortions through an entire full-length movie, they
became tedious and it wasn't until he began doing character-driven movies,
where the trademark Carrey insanity was only occasional and not constant,
that he began to be more successful.

Once I'd determined what all humor had in common, however, I began looking
for exceptions, situations where there was surprise, but no humor. I found
many. I studied these situations to see if they had anything in common, and
they did. One thing that many non-humorous surprises had in common was a
sense of threat.
If I'm walking down a dark street and a mugger jumps me, I am surprised, but
I won't find the situation funny. Along with the surprise there must be a
lack of threat. Several humor theorists have suggested this also. A common
theme in some humor theories is the idea that the surprise must be in the
context of "play". I believe they were getting close. Not all humor has to
be in the context of play. When Bill Clinton, in his 2000 inaugural address,
uses the word "liberal" when he meant "literal", there was no sense of play,
yet it was surprising and funny. When you are playing, however, you are free
from a sense of threat.

Without Threat
Humor is Surprise Without Threat. Surprise With Threat is not humor.

Unfunny Threats
Bombs falling out of the air are a surprise, but they are not funny. Pizzas
falling out of the air would also be a surprise, but they might be funny,
unless they fall on you (in which case it still might be funny to a viewer,
unless they were concerned about your well-being), or in case they're
falling on something that you will then be required to clean up.

Ethnic Jokes
Ethnic jokes can be funny if told by a teller of the ethnicity. Eddie Murphy
can tell black jokes. Leo Rosten could tell Jewish jokes. Paul Rodriguez can
tell hispanic jokes. (It's the same with ethnic epithets, but that's a whole
'nother issue.) Our society has grown more conscious, however, of other
cultures, and there is less and less tolerance for a person of one ethnicity
telling jokes about a person of another ethnicity because a person of the
ethnicity of the joke will feel an implied threat. Even if the listener is
not of the ethnicity, the listener might value members of the joke's
ethnicity and feel a sympathetic implied threat, thereby not finding the
joke funny. If the listener not of the joke's ethnicity is listening to an
ethnic joke told by a person of the joke's ethnicity, however, even if the
listener is sympathetic, he might find the joke funny because the teller,
being of the joke's ethnicity, does not imply a threat. One way that a
person can tell a joke about another ethnicity is if the joke puts the
ethnic group in a positive light. (This has to go beyond a joke that
portrays blacks as having rhythm or Jews as being good with money, because
these traits, though generally positive, are common stereotypes that have
been used in the past to subjugate, and are therefore implied threats.)
What applies to ethnic jokes applies to jokes about any group. Insiders
telling jokes about the group represent less of a threat than outsiders
telling the same jokes.

Other Threatening Attempts at Humor
"Low brow" humor might threaten our sense of maturity, of dignity.
Humor in a chaotic setting, or written in an uneven style can threaten our
equilibrium, our need for order in the world.
Practical jokes are only funny to the brunt of the jokes if they don't feel
offended or hurt, and even then usually only in retrospect since a
successful practical joke usually involves some initial feeling of threat on
the part of the recipient.
"Offensive" humor is not funny to people who take seriously the topic of the
humor. Sexual humor is not funny to people who believe that the loose morals
the humor represents threaten a way of life. Making fun of religious beliefs
is not funny to people who hold those beliefs sacred. Anyone who takes
something very seriously might be offended by humor directed at that
something, if the humor is seen as threatening the importance of that
something.

Using Humor Against Threat
Humor and threat cannot coexist. Introduce threat, and you destroy the
humor. But the opposite is also true. Introduce humor, and you destroy the
threat. We understand this principle and use it frequently.
We make fun of people, things and ideas that threaten us. In doing so we
lessen the sense of threat.
If we feel a threat to our self-esteem we might make fun of who or what is
threatening that self-esteem.
When we're in a situation that feels uncomfortable, we might fight that
threat to our comfort and sense of well-being by laughing nervously, or by
telling jokes or making wisecracks.
Sometimes we invent and tell jokes about things that are so horrible that we
just don't want to face them seriously, and so we end up with Challenger
jokes.
When we meet someone new, before we've developed a rapport and understanding
with them, we might use humor to lessen our sense of threat, and to let the
other know that we aren't a threat.
Dentists are trained to use humor to reduce the fears of their patients.

When I had accounted for the threatening surprises, however, there were
other surprises that remained. What about the surprise of winning the
lottery? What about the surprise of hearing that your daughter is getting
married? (Okay, if you don't approve of her choice, this could be considered
a threat.) What about discovering the keys that you'd lost a month ago, or
finding a dollar on the sidewalk? All of these are non-humorous surprises,
but they are also non-threatening. I analyzed these remaining surprises to
see if they had anything in common. And what I saw in all of them was a
sense of promise, a promise of wealth, of happiness, of prestige, of life
becoming better in some large or small way.

Or Promise
Bombs falling out of the sky are threatening and therefore not funny.
But what if the Publishers Clearing House shows up at our door and tells us
we're their new ten million dollar winner. Is it a surprise? Yes. Do we find
it funny? Probably not. When the surprise shows us promise, fulfills hopes,
resolves problems, we are satisfied, delighted, overjoyed, hopeful, but we
do not find it funny. When the detective discovers the criminal, when the
doctor discovers the cure, when the archaeologist discovers the unopened
tomb, again, there is surprise, but not humor.

And so I have my definition. Humor is surprise without threat or promise. I
have accounted for all of the examples of humor I've analyzed so far. I do,
however, accept the possibility that I will eventually encounter
non-humorous surprises that are neither threatening or promising. When this
happens I will analyze those surprises and try to redefine my theory
further. In the meantime, this theory helps me in my attempts to write
humor.

How This Definition Helps the Humor Writer
When you are writing humor you need to surprise your reader. To do so you
must understand your reader's level of knowledge and experience so you will
know what will surprise them. To help set up the surprise you might set your
reader up by leading them "down the garden path", toward an expectation, and
then throwing in the twist. Or you might rely on the expectations that the
reader already has.
But while writing your humor you also keep in mind what will threaten your
audience. You don't surprise them in ways that will make them feel
threatened. You don't make fun of them. You don't belittle their deeply held
beliefs.
But you can effectively surprise them in ways that will lessen their sense
of threat. You can show the picked-on kid getting the upper hand over the
bully, or like Mercer Mayer did, show the kid frightening the nightmare in
his closet.
And you must also understand that the happy ending and other types of
promising surprise, though possibly very satisfying to the reader, are not
humor. Louis Sachar's Holes has humor throughout it. But the principal
surprises at the end of the book are not humorous, but promising, and
delightfully satisfying to the reader. They leave you in awe, but they don't
make you laugh.

Writing Humor For Children
Writing humor for children can be tricky. If an adult writes humor for
adults, he knows what might surprise other adults, because he knows what
will surprise him. He is aware of the common knowledge and experience that
adults share.
Children, however, have different knowledge and experience than adults. And
their knowledge and experience are rapidly changing. To write humor for
children you must be aware of what children the age you're writing for know
and have experienced. Preschoolers will not understand jokes about
kindergarten. Two-year-olds will not get bathroom jokes. Kids who are just
learning vocabulary will not get puns.
There is a great deal of psychological research on the cognitive devlopment
of children, and while such research might help someone who has no
experience with children understand what children do and don't know at
different ages, such research is not essential to understanding how to write
humor for children. And it would also not accurately portray how I write
humor for children. When I write humor I do not keep in mind the
psychological research on cognitive development. Instead, I just take what I
have learned about children by having been a child, having children of my
own, and interacting with children in school and other settings, and compare
it with what I know about humor. And in most cases this works for me.

www.rickwalton.com

PUBLISHER GUIDELINES

BUSHFIRE PRESS

Bushfire Press is a small, independent publishing house specialising in
music/Arts education materials for primary schools. Our website is
www.bushfirepress.com

We are a 3 person outfit:
Kevin O'Mara - general manager
Mark Leehy - publisher
Lynne Bartlett - marketing manager
(with a couple of part-time office staff)

We do courses & resources in music, singing, recorder, theory. We also
publish a small range of musicals, plays and dance & drama resources.
We work within the Educational Publishing network and do not do Trade
Publishing.

We mostly generate our own titles and publish only a few each year.
We are happy to receive submissions - but require a brief outline initially.
Outlines can be emailed to mark@bushfirepress.com

Mark will reply immediately as to whether the project is appropriate to
current needs and funding availability.

We are a small operation and the review/evaluation process can sometimes
take a while.

We are always happy to hear from people with interesting ideas in music/Arts
education.

We are also always happy to hear from illustrators and musicians who can
prepare musical backings.

Happy to answer further queries

Cheers
Mark Leehy

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR PROFILE

Bonnie Bryant

>From Author, Anita Bell:

This week, I had the great pleasure of meeting and spending a few hours with
Bonnie Bryant, New York author of The Saddle Club Series, Pine Hollow Series
and under her married name "BB Hiller" wrote the novelisations of "Big"
starring Tom Hanks, "Honey I Blew up the Kid", "Karate Kid" and "Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles" to name a few. Primarily published by Scholastic in
the US, Bonnie's Saddle Club series is published in Australia by Random
House Australia (My publisher too! YAY!)

Some really interesting info:

Bonnie is a wonderful, generous, down-to-Earth woman in her late fifties who
has been to Australia 4 times. (And she happily admits that she burst into
tears when she first visited the film set for "The Saddle Club" outside of
Melbourne, with a "Welcome to Pine Hollow" sign emblazoned across the front
gate for her - although amazed to notice that "Pine Hollow" is built on a
hill! She gets on really well with the three actresses from the series, and
although not writing any more - since the books began to compete with each
other for shelfspace as their numbers grew closer to 100 - she says that for
the last few books, she did find herself starting to change the voices of
the girls in the books to match the "voices" of the girls in the series, as
well as the descriptions of the place and horses.)

Bonnie started out as a junior agent for Curtis Brown, New York about 30
years ago (not directly associated with Curtis Brown Melbourne, apparently,
since she said they were affiliated closer to London's branch instead - long
story), but after working on a project with an author, her boss said, "Hey
Bonnie, you can write!' So when a publisher approached their agency looking
for an author who could produce a series of books about girls and horses,
her boss said: "Bonnie can do it!"
To which the publisher replied: "Does she know anything about horses?"
Boss: "She went to a private school, didn't she?" So they decided to give
her a go, even though she confesses to greatly exaggerating her typing speed
and having no former knowledge or interest in horses... Bonnie wrote 20
sample pages with an outline, which was accepted and "The Saddle Club"
series was born.

The publisher asked if she could start producing 12 books a year, and
although she could write a 30,000 word book in about 3 weeks, she confesses
to being totally human and not being able to do it *every* 3 weeks as
well... So she hired about 6 other ghost writers - to which I personally
heaved a major sigh of relief... I mean WOW! Fancy trying to compete with
*that* kind of a track record!! (Even if I stopped writing my finance books
and my military thriller series for teens, I'd still be flat out producing
more than 3 novellas a year for the Kirby's Crusaders series!!)

On the subject of agents: Bonnie also admits that having an agent has not
helped her to get better deals from publishers, since "books only sell what
they sell" so they can only pay what they pay... in fact she has grown to
prefer the smaller advances, because it gives her better royalties which
start paying more regularly and makes tax easier to calculate... and also
film producers want the merchandising rights because that's where they make
their most money and she's actually lost filming deals because they weren't
happy with the merchandising percentages that she'd already "signed away"...
I was also very surprised to hear that many of her biggest books were sold
for very low flat fees. Karate Kid for instance was only "a few thousand"
flat fee, then sold millions... but she doesn't regret it one bit, she says,
because of the "doors it opened" for her in getting the other flat fee
novelisations.

Having an agent has however made a great deal of difference to her career as
a writer, since all of her big deals and book concepts have been sourced for
her and her agent has been instrumental in establishing the two "pen-names"
which are tightly focused, as well as helping her to design a "career path"
for her books.

On the subject of Writing Groups: Bonnie thoroughly recommends joining a
writers group just for children's authors... e.g. she meets every month with
another 10 children's authors who are all published too. So I explained the
challenges that we have in Australia with our much smaller population being
spread out over a much wider area and told her all about kwdownunder and
Pass-it-on and the wonderful in-roads that both have made to helping provide
us with exactly this kind of supportive environment (for writers of all
stages actually) and she was both surprised and impressed.

On the subject of designing characters:
* Bonnie likes to think about her characters' favourite sneakers, clothes
and secrets they're keeping from their best friend or parents.
* Likes to have no more than 3 or 4 main characters
* Thinks of Veronica as her JR of the Saddle Club series... and is her most
fun and reliable character to play with because whenever the plot stalls,
she can always ask Veronica what mischief or jealous "horseplay" she would
like to get up to - which always gets the plot moving again.

On the subject of Plot:
*Structure - She structures approx 13 chapters per book, with all characters
and themes introduced by chapter 3, climax by chapter 10 and everything
resolved by chap 13.
*Aging - although the owner of the stables marries, has a child and then
another child during the series - and although a foal is born in book 3 and
the girls are riding it by the end of the series, the girls themselves do
not age more than one birthday each during the whole series.
* One plot per 30,000 word book... but for novelisations, she highlights
plots A, B & C on the storyboard and then writes them, keeping them as
simple as possible - i.e. deleting all bad language and sex scenes for the
children's versions ( a lesson she learned the hard way from "Bog" see
below).

On the subject of Language:
* "Big" - was published with only 2 swear words in it, but because of this
was marketed for adults only and missed out on about 3/4s of the potential
sale market.
* Saddle club series was written to be timeless by speaking "correct"
English with next to no slang or technology.
* For novelisations, she likes to pinch and adapt famous opening lines from
other adult books so parents can enjoy them while reading to children...
e.g. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles starts out: "It was the worst of times."

Most favourite books by other authors are many, but include:
* Where the wild things are... well, who doesn't like that one LOL?
* Charlotte's Web - because of the characterisation and plot revelations in
the first and last paras of the book
* "Blubber" by Judy Blume, which she found incredibly offensive and
confronting to read because it's about childhood bullying and teasing and
she has been at one time or another both a victim and a culprit, so she
considers it to be incredibly eye opening from a writers' point of view.

Most recommended book about writing for children:
"Write a Childrens Book and get it published" by Barbara Sueling, (published
by Wiley books)... note: Barbara is one of the other authors in Bonnie's
monthly-meet writers' group in New York.

YOUR WRITING TIPS
**A new section that is begging for your attention. Please feel free to
Pass them On!**

All new writers search for the writing tip that will bring them a contract.
There are heaps of how-to books on writing, plenty of writing courses,
writing groups and of course our wonderful PIO. New writers are happy to
spend time and money on these things but it astounds me that so few take as
much care over their reference books. I have many very useful books on my
shelves, some of them extremely well-used and others that help me only
occasionally, but all are essential to my writing. Here are some of them:

Macquarie Dictionary (I used to use the Oxford but I believe Australian
writers should be guided by the Macquarie)
The Australian Writers Marketplace
The Penguin Working Words
(To me, these first three are absolutely essential)
The Right Word at the Right Time
Macquarie Book of Slang
Oxford Concise Dictionary of Proverbs Teenspeak
The Cassell Guide to Common Errors in English
Treasury of Familiar Quotations

And anyone who hasn't read Lynne Truss's book, Eats Shoots and Leaves...or
is it... Eats, Shoots and Leaves is missing out on a real treat...Mappy

USEFUL BOOKS/WEBSITES

"So, what actually happens once you sell a book? After the negotiations are
over and the contracts are signed, once you've had the first-date
conversation with your new editor during which you alternately gush at each
other and then apologize for gushing, and generally both hope to make as
good an impression as possible (Hey, editors are people too--and when they
buy a book, they are hoping for a long and profitable relationship.) what
happens then?"
http://www.livejournal.com/users/matociquala/623789.html

BOOK REVIEWS

Yellow-Bellied Goalie

by Tracy Hawkins
Illustrated by John Yaheh

ISBN 1-74164-003-4
Blake Education

Reviewed by Helen Evans

If you are looking for a sporty book for the 8 to 10 year olds,
Yellow-Bellied Goalie is an excellent choice. It is perfect for kids who
play hockey or a team sport.

Many coaches give children the chance to experience playing in different
positions and that is what happens to Ben. This week he has to be goalie
and he's scared. Tracey captures that feeling of despair kids will be so
familiar with when faced with something new. Will he let his team down? He
feels like a chicken and then his friend teases him as he tries to walk in
his full playing gear. If only he could run away. The opposing team is
all fired up, especially tough Jack. But everyone is in for few surprises.

This story moves along quickly and has the right mix of humour and tension.
You don't need to be a hockey buff to enjoy it.

P.S. Tracey's name should be spelt like this with an 'e.' The 'e' got lost
in the publishing!

Safina and the Hat Tree

by Cynthia Hartman
Illustrated by Haley O'Brien

ISBN 0-646-43541-8

Reviewed by Helen Evans

Safina is a teacher who is diagnosed with cancer. The story is simple and
honest. Cancer touches the lives of so many people and can be a worrying
mystery to children. The bright cartoon style illustrations are full of the
colours children love and reflect Safina's positive and cheerful approach to
life. Words and illustrations work together to show Safina's feelings. A
study guide is included at the end of the book that should be valuable to
teachers. The book is recommended by the Cancer Council of NSW and should
be in every early childhood centre and infants school.

Cynthia Hartman, a cancer survivor, lives in the Illawarra region of NSW.
This is her first book.

The following titles will be reviewed by Laurine Croasdale on 10th October
2005 on the ABC Afternoon Show in Canberra

The Printer's Devil
by Paul Bajoria
Simon and Schuster

Born to Bake
by Phillip Gwynne Illustrated by Gus Gordon
Puffin Books

Far Away the Fairies Fly
by Jane Simmons
Orchard Books

Balanda
by Mary Ellen Jordan
Allen & Unwin

INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOPS

CRITIQUE GROUPS BULLETINBOARD
**Looking to create or join a critique group - here's the place!**

MILESTONES
**A new section for members to share their achievements**

I'm celebrating the acceptance of a children's book called Getting Rid of
Wrinkles by Blake Education for their Gigglers series. This is particularly
exciting for me as it's been 10 years since the release of my two previous
publications (both picture books). During that time I've had many stories
and poems for children published in magazines but couldn't seem to get
another book mss picked up for publication. Several acceptances fell through
due to publishers either going out of business or changing hands and a
number of stories almost made it. I was beginning to think I was a has-been
when I'd barely got started! The acceptance from Blake has inspired me to
start submitting to more publishers in the hope the drought is over.

Teena Raffa-Mulligan, who is still smiling weeks after the congratulatory
phone call.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Carl Jung:

"The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely."

ADVERTISEMENTS

PASS IT ON SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submit contributions to jacket@smartchat.net.au
Comic Sans MS, 12pt, single-line spacing (not essential but helpful)
Mark PASS IT ON SUBMISSION in the subject line
Submit within the body of the email
Give your piece a title heading: eg New Publications; Seeking; General
Information; etc.
Email addresses and contributor contact details will be withheld unless
otherwise stated

Jackie Hosking
Editor/Compiler PASS IT ON
www.jackiehosking.com
www.motherbehavingbadly.blogspot.com

PASS IT ON ISSUE 60

2006-05-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

PASS IT ON - ISSUE 60: DATE 3/10/05

Hi everyone! I hope you have all had a fantastic week. Thanks to all who
have contributed and a special hello to all new members. Thank you also to
everyone who has offered support and encouragement, I really do appreciate
it. Please enjoy this week's issue of PASS IT ON.

A Disclaimer of Liability

Please ensure that your submissions are ACCURATE and clear. I will accept no
responsibility for any errors or omissions contained in the information
submitted. PLEASE be careful.

To unsubscribe send an email to jacket@smartchat.net.au with "unsubscribe"
in the subject heading.

WHAT IS PASS IT ON?

PASS IT ON is a weekly, on-line, interactive, networking newsletter for
those involved with or interested in the children's writing industry. It is
emailed to subscribers every Monday.

PASS IT ON will survive for as long as YOU the CONTRIBUTOR determine. I am
the collection point for YOUR submissions. I am one cog in a tool that has
the potential to be very powerful. (submission guidelines can be found at
the end of the newsletter)

If you wish to receive PASS IT ON - email me, Jackie Hosking at
jacket@smartchat.net.au and I will send you the most recent issue of the
newsletter and an invoice. If you like what you see, please return the
invoice along with your payment and I will add you to the subscriber's list.

If you join in July it will cost you $24.00 If you join in August, it will
cost you $22.00 If you join in September, it will cost you $20.00 etc...
(all subscriptions will then be due on July 1st 2006)

Please contribute as often as you can and be assured that I will treat your
contact details with the utmost confidentiality. I look forward to making
many more new friends.

Past issues may be viewed at my website www.jackiehosking.com

GENERAL INFORMATION
Quotes from Judy Blume in an interview, October 2002
"It takes only one parent to challenge a book. It often takes a community
to defend it."
"What gets me really angry these days is hearing from a young reader who
says she'll lose points if she chooses one of my books for a book report."

The October Issue of KidMagWriters.com is online at
http://www.kidmagwriters.com

We've got an interview and a special report featuring Girl's LIfe.
A great article on writing for teens and breaking into teen markets.

And more, including tips, news and articles on
* Breaking is as a Column Writer
* Interpreting Theme Lists
* Making Illustration Connections
* A Contest from Our Friend Magazine

And much more...come check us out.
And if you like what you see, tell a writing friend.

Thanks
Jan Fields
http://www.kidmagwriters.com
http://www.janfields.com
http://www.livejournal.com/users/cute_n_cranky/

GREAT IDEA IN NEW YORK
New York celebrates 70th anniversary of The New York Times Best-Seller List.
Net proceeds to benefit New York public libraries and the Fund for Public
Schools. Thousands of New Yorkers are expected to converge on Bryant Park
for The Great Read in the Park, a momentous book and author event and a
spectacular kickoff in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the New York
Times best-seller list.
It will be an event where New Yorkers of all ages can indulge their passion
for books by attending readings, discussions, panels and book signings with
more than 150 nationally known authors who will cover nearly every genre:
fiction, mystery, biography, autobiography, business, history, travel,
graphic novels, sudoku, young adult, crafts, yoga, pets, sports and more.
GREAT IDEA!!!! Would love to see something like it in Australia.

DRUGS FOUND IN KIDS' BOOKS
Concealed in covers of children's books, large quantities of
pseudoephedrine--a chemical used to make methamphetamines commonly known as
speed--were being smuggled into Australia. The operation was broken late
last month with the arrest of sixteen people in Adelaide. Seven parcels
containing 98 children's books have been intercepted in the past two months
by Australian police and customs officials.
The total haul was 12.5 kg--enough to make more than 200,000 "street-ready"
tablets. So far, two women have been charged with importing a prohibited
substance and possessing a quantity of amphetamines. Fourteen other people
have also been charged with various drug and property-related offences.

Read the article http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,16736611-29277,00.html

HONG KONG LITERARY FESTIVAL

The MAN Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2006 - "Fanning a Passion
for English Literature with an Asian Focus."
2006 March 6-15 in Hong Kong
Visit http://www.festival.org.hk/2006/index.php

SEEKING

Is anyone able to advise of any opportunities for short funny children's
fiction written with rhyme and metre please?

I am teacher and I put an idea to a publisher for a resource/activity book
for teachers. The publisher is very keen about the book and will publish it.
He offered me 10% of the sales. As this is the first time I've ever done
anything like this I was wondering if any one who has had a resource book
published could tell me if 10% was a reasonable rate to receive? He said the
book will sell for $30.
Matt

I have noticed a paragraph in recent issues of PIO stating that.... an
Australian compiler seeks short stories to suit 8 to 10 years old, up to
1200 words.... The address given is PO Box 2116, Woonona East NSW 2517. I
have something I'm considering sending but would like to know who the
publisher is before I post it away. Of course I can write to the address
and ask, but if a PIO reader knows the publisher's name, it would save a lot
of time. ...Mappy

REPLIES TO SEEKING

Dear Beth, Regarding Seachange Publishing.

I have worked with Robyn Henderson and she is very much on the level. I
have been published in one of her anthologies, What My Favourite Teacher
Taught Me. While Robyn did not pay for contributions to this anthology, she
was very up front about it, and very generous in the number of copies of the
book she gave to contributors (which is more that I can say for some
overseas anthologies).

I have worked with Robyn on other projects and I have found her very
personable, professional, and a prompt payer. While I have not done her
book writing course, I have meet several people who have and they've been
thrilled with the course and their results. Some of these people have
already had books published - some through Seachange, others through more
well known publishers.

I say, go for the workshop. I know you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Briar Jensen, Sydney Freelance Writer, www.briarjensen.com.au

Dear Beth,

Robyn Henderson is a business woman as well as being an author, public
speaker and publisher. I don't know why you would "smell a rat". I haven't
seen what she's offering so I can't comment on that. You and your committee
will need to decide if it's appropriate for you. What I can tell you is
that she has published 2 volumes of inspirational Australian stories and is
about to publish a third, all called "What My Favorite Teacher Taught Me".
This is similar to "Chicken Soup for the Soul". While you may not consider
her to be in the same league as Jack Canfield or Robert Allen, she is
nevertheless, legitimate. She is very well known in business circles.
Volume 3 is about to have its book launch in Brisbane on the 5th October and
my article will appear in it. I consider it an honour to have been
selected. She uses the services of a professional mss assessor in the
selection process. I hope this answers your question. Good luck with your
decision whatever it may be.

Marlene Rattigan

REPLY to KD
KD is curious about the use of exclamation marks. I have an extremely
useful book called Working Words, published by Penguin. I'd go mad without
it. On exclamation marks it says....Some writers scatter exclamation marks
throughout their work instead of choosing vivid phrases that need no such
emphasis. Overuse of what in the type-setting business are known variously
as startlers, shrieks or screamers will annoy most readers. As one is
usually more than enough, they should never be doubled (!!) or trebled
(!!!). After I read that, I have never been game to use more than one.
...Mappy.

FROM AUTHOR RUTH STARKE

RE: CURIOUS about exclamation marks

The overuse (misuse) of the exclamation mark is a sign of an inexperienced
writer. It's like laughing at your own joke, or drawing attention to
yourself, and it's intensely irritating! (See, that exclamation mark is
entirely redundant) As the new Fowler's Modern English Usage has it:

Excessive use of exclamation marks in expository prose is a certain
indication of an unpractised writer or of one who wants to add a spurious
dash of sensation to something unsensational. There is a range of ordinary
circumstances, including the following, in which the use of ! is customary:

Sentences introduced by How or What (How awful! What a nuisance!)
Wishes (God save the Queen!)
Alarm calls (Help!)
Commands (Stand still!)
Call for attention (Edith! Are you there?)

And genuine exclamations. Holy Cow! Any good editor would know that, KD.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

SPECIAL EVENTS

· Editing in Context: National Editors Conference
13-15 October 2005
Eden on the Park, Melbourne, Victoria

It's not too late to book for the National Editors Conference in Melbourne
(13-15 October 2005). With over 200 delegates already registered from UK,
New Zealand and across Australia, the conference is an excellent opportunity
to get together with editors and others involved in the publishing and
information industries.
Highlights include:
· keynotes from leading practitioners in the editing and publishing
industry
· a wide range of workshops and presentations on the editing
profession, training and mentoring, science editing, children's publishing
and many other topics
· launch of At the Typeface - selections from the Newsletter of the
Victorian Society of Editors
· the conference dinner at the Melbourne Aquarium, featuring guest
Jane Clifton and an introduction to the new Institute of Professional
Editors.

So don't miss out! If you haven't registered yet, there's still time to do
so - go to our website at www.socedvic.org/editingincontext/ to view the
program and download a registration form.

Presented by the Council of Australian Societies of Editors (CASE)
Hosted by the Society of Editors (Vic.) Inc.
Major sponsor: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

COMPETITIONS/AWARDS

To encourage entrants for this year's Australian Women's Weekly/Penguin
Books Short Story Contest, AWW has set up an online writing community. To
access the weekly newsletter with all the details, go to:

http://membership.ninemsn.com.au/newsletter/aww_newsletter.asp

Fantastic Queensland is offering a professional mentorship for a
young and emerging speculative fiction writer in 2005-06.

Numerous organisations offer mentorships for young and emerging
writers. The Fantastic Queensland mentorship is designed specifically
for writers of speculative fiction. Many existing mentorship programs
don't provide speculative fictions writers with access to potential
mentors who write in the field.

The successful applicant for this mentorship will work closely with
an experienced genre mentor for 20 hours over up to six months. The
successful applicant will also receive free membership to the 2006
National Science Fiction convention - Conjure, and be invited to read
and participate on a panel at the convention.

To be eligible to apply, you must:
* be aged 18 to 30 inclusive (turning 31 no earlier than May 1, 2006)
* have no more than two books published (or you can be unpublished)
* have no more than five short stories published in professional
markets (ie markets paying five cents a word or more)
* have a substantial work of speculative fiction in progress
completed to at least first draft stage
* be a Queensland resident

The successful tutor will be matched with either Cory Daniells
(Rowena Cory Lindquist), Marianne de Pierres or Geoff Maloney.

To find out more, go to: www.fantasticqueensland.com/s_mentorship.htm

WRITING COURSES/WORKSHOPS
Talking Mysteries -A Workshop on Writing for Young Adults
By Goldie Alexander

The Ballaarat Writing Council is delighted to welcome Goldie Alexander to
present her workshop Talking Mysteries at the Ballarat Writing Festival
which will be held at the Aquinas Campus of the Australian Catholic
University, 1200 Mair Street, Ballarat 0n 15 - 16 October 2005. Goldie's
workshop will commence at 10am on Saturday, 15 October.
Goldie Alexander was born in Melbourne and has lived there most of her life.
Written under the pseudonym Gerri Lapin, Goldie's first four books were
Dolly Fiction young adult novels. Her other Young Adult novels include Mavis
Road Medley, short-listed for the 1991 Multicultural Award and a Notable
Book. With Hazel Edwards, Goldie co-wrote Email Murder Mystery.

Goldie's fiction for younger children includes Tilly and Willy Bilby,
Astronet, 6788, Little Big School and Seawall.

She won a Laurel Award in the international Brant Point Literary Prize 2000
for the novel Cassi's Big Swim. In both 2000 and 2001 she shared the Mary
Grant Bruce Award for an unpublished long short story.

Two sets of plays, Excuse Me! Outrageous Plays and Copyright or Wrong, were
also co-written with Hazel Edwards, as was The Business of Writing for Young
People, a text on creative writing.

Goldie also writes adult novels, short stories and non-fiction. She takes
workshops in creative writing and lectures at schools and universities. Some
of her favourite things to do are bush-walking, reading, roaming the
Internet, watching movies and eating chocolate.
For more information about Goldie's workshop and the other wonderful events
taking place at the Ballarat Writing Festival we invite you to visit our
website www.ballaratwriters.com and follow the prompts to the Festival
Program and Booking Form

Create a Kids' Book novel workshop with Virginia Lowe and Jennifer Dabbs to
be held at Albert Park on Saturday 15th October, 10-4. Cost $120. Booking
essential. 9578 5689 or vlowe@alphalink.com.au. As a bonus, you can have
your first chapter or first 1000 words assessed by Jennifer, if it reaches
her one week before.

NEW WORKSTYLE SKILLS

HAVE YOUR SAY

FROM AN AUTHOR

I'm not sure if I misread the information re Random House last issue, but
Linsay Knight (publisher) assures me that they're actually "increasing"
their children's list, not diminishing it. The information re picture books
seems correct, but not local children's books in general.

**Linsay Knight has also been in touch with me and confirms that the above
statement is correct. Random House hopes to contribute a more detailed piece
to PIO in the near future - so watch this space. Jackie J**

FROM AUTHOR SUSANNE GERVAY

Fairfield BookFeast children's book luncheon.

Congratulations to Michael Fraser, the Librarian at Fairfield Public School
and Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and the students from University of
Western Sydney and other volunteers for Bookfeast held at the Fairfield RSL.

It is important that children's authors and illustrators continue to support
this outreach festival of children's books to schools in Western Sydney.

I had a special time with my school. Some of the children knew my books,
others were going to read them after the luncheon and more importantly they
were able to connect authors with books. The teacher at my table was
enthusiastic. A few girls came up to me holding 'Butterflies' close to their
heart. I felt privileged to be part of their reading life.

I realise that with around 30 school groups and authors and illustrators,
that there will be a variety of experiences from wonderful to average, and
some even disappointing. However we have to keep in mind the overall
picture, that for many children and teachers, this is an event that makes
reading relevant.

So I hope authors and illustrators will continue to support this Bookfeast.

FROM AUTHOR MOYA SIMONS

I had the most wonderful time at the Fairfield Bookfeast.

Children are children everywhere, and we should remember that when
attending such functions. They are all at the age where they are going to
run away from their seats to get autographs, chatter, seek out junk food and
scream when they win at the raffle.

I don't see this as disinterest in the author at their table. I found
the children I sat with had worked out the questions they wanted to ask me
beforehand, and we had a good chat. I applauded with them when they won a
few prizes at the raffles and saw the signing of autographs as part of the
fun.

I found the function to be a joyful event. Everyone I spoke to felt it
was a special day.

Writers do get asked to attend many such luncheons. I choose to attend
several each year. The Fairfield Bookfeast is always top of the list
because of the wonderful organization and the generous hospitality shown to
authors.

I am proud to be associated wit this event.

FROM AN AUTHOR

I can fully commiserate with the disgruntled author in last week's PIO re
the Fairfield Children's book luncheon. If I'd sold a book for every scrap
of paper that I've signed, I'd be on the "A list". I know some people who
only sign their books. But if you don't sign bits of paper, you're not
achieving anything other than upsetting a kid. They simply don't know any
better (and won't unless teachers/librarians clue them in!). I can only say
that I for one am against "donating" time to these events. If the
correspondent last issue had at least been paid for the gig, then he/she
could gone away knowing at least they had not signed scraps of paper for
nothing. How frustrating it must have been for the presenters to get up on
stage and have no one listening. But perhaps remember in future that if the
organisers had paid for their presenters, they would have been treated a lot
more professionally. Give a book away for nothing and you can bet your
bottom dollar the recipient won't read it. If they fork out $15 for it, they
will!

HAVE YOUR SAY

I was interested to read the author's comments about the Fairfield
Children's Book Lunch. I attended several a few years ago now and my
experience was exactly the same. The most enjoyable part was the drink
afterwards with other writers. In the end I didn't think it was worth losing
a day's pay to attend and decided not to bother.
It would be good if there was a change of format at this event but it would
also be good if the schools who attend these CBC functions make the effort
to find out which author will be on their table and encourage the kids to
read their books. Another practical way for schools to show appreciation for
an author who has given up their time, is to invite them to the school next
time they are booking an author visit. Perhaps the CBC could encourage this
when they are organising events, it is only a case of adding a little more
info to the material they send out.
Laurine Croasdale

FROM AUTHOR DIANNE (DI) BATES

Sian Chapman, the 14 year old writer who was seeking a mentor in last week's
PIO, might be interested to know that numerous young Australians, one as
young as four, the most recent 10-year-old Annaleise Porter (The Outback,
illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft, published by Magadala Books, 2005), have
published books. Award-winning author Simon French wrote his first published
book, Cannily Cannily, while he was in high school as did internationally
acclaimed Australian author Sonya Hartnett. If Sian is interested, the ACT
Writers' Centre caters for young writers through its hard-working
co-ordinator Christine Aldred who can be contacted at
director@actwriters.org.act You might be interested also in contacting the
NSW Writers' Centre (workshops@nswwriterscentre.org.au) which offers
inexpensive online creative writing modules for young writers such as
yourself. I wish you all the very best with your future writing!

***Di you might like to know that I forwarded your response to Sian and here's
the reply.

Thank you very much for your advice. The moment after I sent that email off,
I thought it was a very stupid thing to do, but your response has been
great. Please thank the people you asked for me.

Sian Chapman

***To me, this is the essence of PASS IT ON and reminds me of the saying
(though I don't know who said it) "Give away what you need." When you give
away what you need you have recognized, deep within yourself, that you
already have it, or you wouldn't be able to give it away.*** Jackie J

· Have Your Say
Wanting to add my small bit to the accolades being accorded Jonathan Shaw
(and his team). Though none of my work has been accepted to date, it was
much appreciated to receive for once a "regretful rejection" with positive
comments! And the magazines are simply wonderful.
Regarding Blake's Gigglers series, turn-around times for mss do seem to take
a long time. I have been submitting material to them for over a year since
finding out about Blake through PIO. Email queries about submissions though
have always been answered promptly and with helpful explanation by the
previous editor, Maureen O'Keefe, and by the current editor, Sophia Oravecz.
sophia.oravecz@blake.com.au

FROM AN AUTHOR
To the author who commented about Blake Education's lack of response to
submissions in last week's PIO:

I've been in regular contact with Blake Education since my first Gigglers
submission in June last year and have found Sophia Oravecz a pleasure to
deal with. Sophia has responded promptly to all my submissions and queries
(via return email or phone call) and keeps me up to date with developments.
I don't know how long she has been with Blake but perhaps there has been a
change of editor since you made your submissions. I'm sure Sophia would
track down what happened to your mss if you contacted her. Teena

HAVE YOUR SAY

Re: Fairfield children's book luncheon. It sounds like a very disappointing
day, and I'm sorry that the teachers undervalued the authors involved. I'm
disappointed myself to hear that they didn't treat the 'book' element with
more enthusiasm. You have some excellent suggestions about how to redirect
the focus back to books. I particularly like the idea of reading from your
books to the children at your table. Although kids will take what they can
get in terms of slacking off school, they can be inspired to get excited
about books, and you could have been better used as a resource for that. I
just wanted to encourage you to take heart - and also encourage you to pass
some of this feedback on to the organisers, because you never know - they
might actually listen to you, and I think that if they took your ideas on
board, the next luncheon would be a much more satisfying literary
experience.
Melinda

FROM AN AUTHOR

Thanks...

Jackie, did you hunt down the Ian Irvine article? (Yes I did J) To whoever
did so, thanks! (My pleasure J) I found it to be a great read - entertaining
and informative. If you didn't have time to read it last week, take a look.
I especially liked the advice about not being too original. I am not a
'literary' writer by any means and it struck a chord with me. DS

Also.

Congratulations to Fee Siever on the publication of her Writer's Diary,
reviewed favourably last week in PIO. I have enjoyed her input to PIO!
Fee - I note we can buy your diary from you direct, have you self-published
(tips please) or did you put together a proposal to Flat Chat press? Would
love to hear your story...DS

And.

CONGRATULATIONS - I BELIEVE THIS WEEK IS PIO'S 60TH ISSUE. THANK YOU JACKIE
FOR ALL YOUR MARVELLOUS WORK - PIO CONTINUES TO GO FROM STRENGTH TO
STRENGTH. ALSO THANKS TO ALL THE REGULAR AND OCCASIONAL CONTRIBUTORS WHO
CONTINUE TO MAKE PIO A VALUABLE RESOURCE. THE 'IN BOX' ON MONDAYS IS AN
EXCITING PLACE! DS

ARTICLES

INTERVIEW - JULIE DAVEY
Edel Wignell ©

>From time to time, PIO readers have wondered whether they ought to try
self-publishing. Many 'how-to' books give advice and CAEs offer classes, so
most people find that self-publishing is not difficult. But, what will you
do when you have the new book in your hand? How will you get it to its
potential readers? The experiences of writer-illustrator Julie Davey, who
has trade, education and self-published titles, may be of interest.

Acknowledgment
The following is based on interviews first published in Reading Time
(Children's Book Council of Australia review journal) in 1999 and 2004, and
in Peninsula Alternative (Balnarring, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria) and
Australian Scout in 2005 - blended and shortened for publication in PIO.

Julie Davey's self-publishing started in 1996 with Quick! Duck Down Under -
a humorous, rhyming, animal picture-story book. From this she learnt a great
deal about the practicalities of publishing, promotion, marketing and
distribution.

Her second venture was a positive thinking book, A for Attitude. First
published in 1998, it has sold more than 23,000 copies. Although it was
originally published for children, it is now regarded as a little book of
inspiration for all ages.

Julie used cartoon figures to illustrate the text of this alphabetical, full
colour, 88-page book. Her zany sense of humour and keen wit lighten the
seriousness of the subject. Humorous asides, speech and thought balloons and
funny labels encourage thought and discussion as well as laughter. Julie
used Aldus Freehand to produce the illustrations electronically after she
had drawn by hand and scanned using Photoshop.

Explaining how the book evolved, Julie said, 'After reading many
motivational books, I thought, I wish I had known this when I was ten years
old. I observed children I know who are worried by school bullies, family
disruptions and other personal struggles.

'And when I was invited to take computer illustration sessions in schools, I
noticed that some children were low in self-esteem and feared failure.
During the hands-on segment, they wouldn't try. Others, loaded with self
esteem and lacking fear, had no regard for anyone else, or understanding of
responsibility.'

Before publication, Scouts Australia promised to take 750 books - the
backing she needed to borrow money to publish. Then ASG (Australian
Scholarships Group) ordered 500 copies, also pre-press. On publication,
Dennis Jones distributed to the trade market and 3,500 copies were sold.

When the first print run had sold out, Julie approached several trade
publishers seeking support. In 1999, at the time of amalgamation with Random
House, Transworld contracted the book. After selling 7000 of the initial
10,000 print run, they decided to remainder. 'This was a red rag to a bull,'
said Julie. 'I borrowed the funds to buy the 3000 copies rather than see my
cherished work thrown out on sales tables.'

Then the dilemma: what to do with 3000 copies. 'I wrote a five-lesson
personal development program to present in schools,' said Julie. 'I was
hoping to bring awareness to teachers of the need to focus on personal
development (and my book) in their classrooms every day. Some presentations
in local schools went well, while others were best described as "a major
lesson for Julie!"'

In 2001, the new public speaking role prompted Julie to develop her
competence by attending Jack Canfield's eight-day Self Esteem Facilitation
seminar in Palm Springs, USA. This increased her confidence and improved her
presentation skills. 'I even sold the 20 books I had packed in my suitcase -
to the American colleagues at the seminar,' she said. 'Talk about taking
coals to Newcastle!'

In 2002, Julie took a friend with her on tour by 4WD and caravan for three
months in Victoria, NSW and Qld, giving children in rural communities an
opportunity to enjoy a visit from an author/illustrator. She promoted A for
Attitude in both schools and the wider community by way of radio, television
and local newspaper interviews.

Returning to the Mornington Peninsula where she lives, Julie developed two
new products: a wall chart and a calico character to support the book. Later
she added a set of positive-focus cards to provide daily inspiration for all
ages.

Late in 2002, Julie approached ten overseas publishers, offering rights to A
for Attitude. She licensed Asian and UK Rights to Times Media (Singapore)
and, in 2003, they produced a print run of 3000 copies. Following Julie's
publicity tour of Singapore in May 2003, with stocks all sold, Times
reprinted and distributed into Malaysia, as well. By March 2004, with
another 1000 sold, Times [by then trading as Marshall Cavendish
International (Asia) Private Ltd], reprinted again, for the book had become
popular in India. Next, a special edition, printed on thinner paper to
reduce the retail price, was printed for the Indian market. So far, 7000
copies have been printed in Asia and, next year Julie plans to approach
publishers in the UK and Europe.

In 2003, Julie co-founded the B4 Foundation to assist children in the
positive transition from primary to secondary school. (For information on
the B4 Foundation: www.B4inc.org ) Meanwhile, she continued her quest to
spread the word about A for Attitude, and said, 'Rotary Clubs in Victoria
have bought the book as a fund-raiser for their groups. This strategy is a
win/win/win situation for them, the community at large and the B4 Foundation
which will receive $8 from the sale of every book sold through Rotary.'

In May 2005, on the publication of Attitude in Action, sequel to A for
Attitude, Julie said, 'It's not what you've got - it's what you do with it
that counts.' Again, she has illustrated electronically using zany cartoon
figures, speech and thought balloons and labels. Splendid quotes and
proverbs, interspersed throughout, reinforce the action messages.

Julie describes the 112-page book as: ten steps set out in a sequence,
starting with 'What can I do?' and ending with 'Hooray. I did it!' To be
successful, follow the steps and do the exercises. Julie shows that we all
have the chance to make positive choices every minute of the day. 'We can
set our goals and, focussing on them, step forward to the life of our
choice. Or we can sit back and let life - and other people - lead us
somewhere else.'

Julie invited two of Australia's greats in the realm of positive thinking
and action to support the book, and published their words on the back cover.

Dame Elizabeth Murdoch AC DBE wrote: 'I've always believed in the power of
attitude and warmly commend this excellent book, Attitude in Action. It
teaches us how to think optimistically, to act positively and happily reach
our full potential.'

John Bertrand AM, Skipper of 'Australia II', winner of the America's Cup,
said: 'What a beaut little book on how to grow and succeed in whatever it
may be. This country was built on attitude like this... anything is
possible. Just some things may take a little more time than others!'

On a recent trip to New Zealand, Julie promoted the two Attitude books. She
is currently creating an Action Diary to support Attitude in Action - for
December 2005 release.

A for Attitude is being used by psychologists, teachers, children, parents,
Police Schools Involvement Programs and many individuals, including staff
trainers for a major international hospitality company. Attitude in Action
is certain to be regarded in the same way, readers of the first book
welcoming the guidance in the sequel.

Julie has many skills, but she pays for editing and advice at every stage to
ensure a professional result. While she enjoys having a large publishing
group behind her international ventures, she recommends self publishing.
'But it's probably only for the brave of heart,' she says. 'You need to have
an unwavering belief in your work, do thorough research to be sure that a
market exists for it, then put your money and your back into self promotion.

'Always keep your focus, both physically and mentally on your goal. Be aware
that your thoughts and words are creating your future, so think and talk in
a positive way about your projects. Keep in mind the words of Henry Ford,
"Whether you think you can, or you think you cannot, you are right."'

Works by Julie Davey
Illustrated by Julie Davey
Averil Vestris, A Bicycle Recycle Story, BHP Steel, 1989

Roger Vaughan-Carr, A Pumpkin House, Mimosa, 1990

Mark McLeod, Aussie ABC and Aussie 123, Mark McLeod Books, Sydney, 1999

Fay Angelo, Heather Pritchard and Rose Stewart, Secret Girls' Business,
Heather Rose Fay Publications, Melbourne, 2003 (girls at puberty).
Availability: www.aforattitude.com.au www.secretgb.com

Fay Angelo, Heather Pritchard and Rose Stewart, Special Girls' Business,
Heather Rose Fay Publications, Melbourne (needs of girls with intellectual
disabilities). Availability: www.secretgb.com

Written, illustrated and published by Julie Davey
Quick! Duck Down Under, Cheeky Ferret, Melbourne, 1996; reprint late 2005

A for Attitude, Hen & Ink Productions, Melbourne 1998; also Random House,
Sydney, 1999 (book and four posters)
Reprinted by A for Attitude Productions, Melbourne and Times Media,
Singapore, 2003, 2004, and Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private
Ltd, 2004, 2005.
(Wall chart, calico character, set of positive-focus cards.)
Availability: www.aforattitude.com.au

Attitude in Action, A for Attitude Productions, Melbourne, 2005 - launched
at Trinity Grammar's Centre for the Arts, Kew, 24 May 2005. Available from
bookshops or the website www.aforattitude.com.au Discounts to schools,
scout groups and others for fundraising. Enquire at info@aforattitude.com.au
or phone Julie on (03) 5982 0086 for details.

PUBLISHER GUIDELINES

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR PROFILE

YOUR WRITING TIPS
**A new section that is begging for your attention.**
Thanks to everyone who shared their favourite websites for my Writing 4
Success article. You can read it at:
http://www.writing4successclub.com/jackiehosking8.htm

USEFUL BOOKS/WEBSITES

New Publisher's Weekly Newsletter USA --It's FREE!

Publishers Weekly has a new Children's Bookshelf weekly newsletter. Sign up
for the free newsletter by going to their email subscription page and
selecting the Children's Bookshelf check box:
https://www.publishersweekly.com/subscribe.asp?screen=pi9&regopt=logout

For those interested in the US market and international goings-on:
The children's department of Publishers Weekly has just launched a free
weekly email newsletter about children's and YA books, called Children's
Bookshelf. You do not have to be a PW subscriber to receive it. The
newsletter carries industry news, features, author interviews, stories on
books people are talking about, links to articles in the media about
children's books, bestseller lists, and many other features. It's written
for publishers, booksellers, librarians, teachers, authors, agents, and
anyone interested in news about current children's books.

For a free subscription and to read back issues, go to:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6253324.html

BOOK REVIEWS

One Dead Seagull
By Scot Gardner

Reviewed by Bill Condon

This book was published in 2001, but I've only just read it, and I'd like to
recommend it to anyone who isn't familiar with Scot Gardner's work.

One Dead Seagull is a coming of age story told in a gritty, honest, and
warm-hearted way. Its main character is Wayne Armond, a boy searching for
friendship, love, and sex, but not necessarily in that order. He has a best
mate, Den, who fights for him, and sometimes against him, as best mates do
in the real world. The girl he fancies rejects him and he finds another,
summed up in typical Wayne style with, "Mandy was a creek I had to cross to
get to the ocean of Kerry". The writing is loose and free, gutsy and
big-hearted, much like Wayne himself. He is likeable and very believable. I
think teenagers will love this book.

One Dead Seagull was Scott Gardner's first book. Last year his novel Burning
Eddy was short listed in the CBC Awards.

INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOPS

CRITIQUE GROUPS BULLETINBOARD
**Looking to create or join a critique group - here's the place!**

MILESTONES
**A new section for members to share their achievements**

Two recent publications by Janeen Brian: 'Word Weavers' by Pearson
Educational is a look at the biographies of four British writers; Robert
Louis Stevenson, C.S. Lewis, Beatrix Potter and J.K. Rowling.
'By Jingo!' is an alphabet picture book of short, quirky animal verses and
published by ABC Books.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Seneca:

"Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what
harbour his is making for, no wind is the right wind."

ADVERTISEMENTS

PASS IT ON SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submit contributions to jacket@smartchat.net.au
Comic Sans MS, 12pt, single-line spacing (not essential but helpful)
Mark PASS IT ON SUBMISSION in the subject line
Submit within the body of the email
Give your piece a title heading: eg New Publications; Seeking; General
Information; etc.
Email addresses and contributor contact details will be withheld unless
otherwise stated

Jackie Hosking
Editor/Compiler "PASS IT ON"
www.jackiehosking.com

PASS IT ON ISSUE 59

2006-05-06T23:31:00.000-07:00

PASS IT ON - ISSUE 59: DATE 26/9/05

Hi everyone! I hope you have all had a fantastic week. Thanks to all who
have contributed and a special hello to all new members. Thank you also to
everyone who has offered support and encouragement, I really do appreciate
it. Please enjoy this week's issue of PASS IT ON.

A Disclaimer of Liability

Please ensure that your submissions are ACCURATE and clear. I will accept no
responsibility for any errors or omissions contained in the information
submitted. PLEASE be careful.

To unsubscribe send an email to jacket@smartchat.net.au with "unsubscribe"
in the subject heading.

WHAT IS PASS IT ON?

PASS IT ON is a weekly, on-line, interactive, networking newsletter for
those involved with or interested in the children's writing industry. It is
emailed to subscribers every Monday.

PASS IT ON will survive for as long as YOU the CONTRIBUTOR determine. I am
the collection point for YOUR submissions. I am one cog in a tool that has
the potential to be very powerful. (submission guidelines can be found at
the end of the newsletter)

If you wish to receive PASS IT ON - email me, Jackie Hosking at
jacket@smartchat.net.au and I will send you the most recent issue of the
newsletter and an invoice. If you like what you see, please return the
invoice along with your payment and I will add you to the subscriber's list.

If you join in July it will cost you $24.00 If you join in August, it will
cost you $22.00 If you join in September, it will cost you $20.00 etc...
(all subscriptions will then be due on July 1st 2006)

Please contribute as often as you can and be assured that I will treat your
contact details with the utmost confidentiality. I look forward to making
many more new friends.

Past issues may be viewed at my website www.jackiehosking.com

GENERAL INFORMATION

The winner of The Jelindel Chronicles competition was: Mrs J A Murrary. She
has won $1000 worth of Penguin books for Barcaldine State School, Gidyea
Street, Barcaldine, Qld. Congratulations Judith!

Shortlist for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize

http://books.guardian.co.uk/childrensfictionprize2005/story/0,16065,1571857,00.html

Australians at International Festivals

BERLIN LITERATURE FESTIVAL September 2005

The Berlin Literature festival included Australian authors Sonya Hartnett
and Phillip Gwynne. Press onto English for details:-

www.literaturfestival.com

UBUD Writers Festival 6th-11th October 2005

Ubud Writers Festival includes Australian children's authors Susanne Gervay
and Scott Gardner and illustrator Shaun Tan. Details are available on:-
www.ubudwritersfestival.com

Random House have stated they are only publishing one or two books per year
on their local children's publishing program and have stopped considering
unsolicited picture book submissions.

Writers sue Google for copyright infringement

A group representing more than 8,000 US writers is suing Google alleging
that the company's attempt to digitise the book collections of several major
libraries represents massive copyright infringement.

The lawsuit, filed by the Authors Guild in the US district court in
Manhattan, is the first to arise from the Google Print Library programme,
the fledgling effort aimed at creating a searchable library of all the
world's printed books.

The lawsuit seeks class-action status -allowing multiple plaintiffs - asks
for damages and demands an injunction to halt further infringements.

The full article can be accessed at:
http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,1575455,00.html

About Scholastic

Scholastic Corporation is the world's largest publisher and distributor of
children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates
quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in
school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based
products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys.
The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of
channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book
fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail
stores, schools, libraries and television networks; and the Company's
Internet site, www.scholastic.com

Children's Book Publishing and Distribution in USA, segment revenues in the
quarter were $275.3 million, compared to $121.8 million in the prior year
period. Harry Potter revenue increased to approximately $185 million from
about $10 million in last year's first quarter, reflecting the successful
launch of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, as well as higher sales of
Harry Potter backlist titles.

JUDITH CLARKE IS AN AWARD WINNING YOUNG ADULT AUTHOR WHO HAS GONE SERIOUSLY
INTERNATIONAL

KALPANA'S DREAM by JUDITH CLARKE has just been released in the USA
(published by A & U in Australia) and has won Boston Globe-Horn Book Award

Judith Clarke was born in Sydney and educated at the University of New South
Wales and the Australian National University in Canberra. She has worked as
a teacher and librarian, and in Adult Education in Victoria and New South
Wales. She now lives in Melbourne with her husband, and has one grown-up
son.

Judith Clarke's novels include the multi-award-winning Wolf on the Fold, as
well as Friend of my Heart, Night Train, Starry Nights, and the Al Capsella
series.

SEEKING

Hello PIOers,
our local writers group was sent a flier from Seachange Publishing. The
publisher Robyn Henderson is going to come to our area and put on a self
funded writing workshop if we can get a minimum of 20 participants. A few of
us smell a rat. I checked out her website and she also publishes compilation
books. She sounds like a vanity publisher. Has anyone else had dealings with
this woman?
Beth, Wonthaggi

REPLIES TO SEEKING

The Winnies competition results were posted to entrants if they included a
SSAE with their entry (this was noted on the entry information) and I
thought I also saw the results in a recent. As for the judge's report, I
haven't seen one, but perhaps the website will include this in time.

Re: The Winnies - Last week I asked where entrants could source results, but
I see the website was updated last Thursday with the info, after I submitted
my query. Sorry for any confusion!
MM

Re: The Winnies. I discovered the same as MM and her students regarding The
Winnies website (ie that it had not been updated). I sent 2 emails to the
webmaster prior to the results being published in PIO, asking when the
results would be published, but received no reply. I have just re-checked
the site however, and it seems that the results are all now listed. KF

Janette Dalgliesh, who took on the role of "webmaster" for The
Winnies, passes on her most profound apologies about the slowness in
updating the website, and can only plead the pressures of a new, very
hectic, job. The results for The Winnies are now there in full, and we
will consider adding the judges' reports when we next meet. We've had a lot
of questions regarding Krista Bell's decision not to award a Third Prize.
Kirsta wishes it to be known that "No third placing was
awarded this year as no entry was considered to be of sufficient standard to
receive this honour."

This decision was the subject of several discussions with the
organisers. It is not uncommon in large competitions such as this for
the judge to reserve prizes if he/she feels the shortlisted entries do
not meet his/her criteria. This is entirely the judge's decision, and
as such we respect and support it.

Kelsey and Janette have learned an amazing amount from this first
year, and we intend to improve as much as we can for next year. One
strategy might be to set aside funds from the project to pay for the
website and/or administration, which means things will get done
faster.

Your comments and suggestions are integral to the future development of The
Winnies and we thank everyone for the tremendous support we have received.
If anyone has other feedback they'd like us to hear, do please get in touch
via the website.

In terms of the poetry website, Janette plans to work with the poetry
organisers shortly to update their part of the website too.

Onward and upward!

Janette and Kelsey
Co-conveners,
The Winnies Literary Competition
http://www.geocities.com/wordcomp/winnies.html

Edel Wignell writes:

In regard to Australian A4 paper, I have found that publishers are happy to
read mss on this. Once, when I was asked for a short story for a US
anthology, the compiler requested that I use a wider right hand margin so
that he could guillotine my pages and present the collection neatly to a
publisher. I don't think this will happen in future as electronic
presentation is becoming more and more acceptable.

I have found that IRCs are acceptable to publishers everywhere. Only two
have mentioned that they don't accept them. Both were newish publishers and,
I guess they thought that presenting them would involve paperwork. Next time
I sent a ms, I included an IRC and explained that it can be exchanged for
postage at a Post Office. No problem!

In relation to searching the Australian Writer's Marketplace and planning
strategic submissions to publishers, the 2006 AWM will be available from Oct
1st on-line. I think the fee is $88 for a one year subscription and you get
instant updates to phone nos, addresses, contact names etc as they come in.
No more out of date contact details!
For more information about this valuable resource go to www.qwc.asn.au

NEW PUBLICATIONS

SPECIAL EVENTS

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

· Australian compiler seeks short stories to suit ages 8 to 10 up to
1200 words for an anthology. Preference will be given to contemporary
stories. Australian Society of Authors' rates offered. Deadline is November
30. Selection will be made by December 30, at which time receipt of all
manuscripts will be acknowledged and decisions posted. Please include
s.s.a.e. with your submission to ensure you are informed. One story only per
contributor. If your story is already published, please state publication
and date of publication. Please note at this stage, not many stories have
been received. The anthology can only be compiled if there are sufficient
stories from which to make a selection. Address: PO Box 2116, Woonona East
NSW 2517

COMPETITIONS/AWARDS

· GiGi Books

Entertaining and educational audio stories for kids!

2nd GiGi Books Children's Book Writing Contest
Children's Book Writing Contest

. Three Prize Winners will have their work produced into a theatrical audio
production and an e-book!
. An additional 20 submissions will be chosen to participate in a read along
book and be made into an e-book
20 runner ups will be chosen and their stories placed in an illustrated read
along e-book
. All winners and runner ups will receive a one year GiGi Membership and
their works will be included in the membership site.(coming soon)
. (see web page for details)
http://www.gigiaudiobooks.com/html/contest.php
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
* Send your Children's Book manuscript to GiGi Books LLC, 17486 Old
Waterford Road, Leesburg, VA. 20176
* Stories must be 1200 words or less
* A $12.00 entrance/processing fee must accompany each original work
submitted.
* Make Check or money order payable to, GiGi Books LLC.
* You may submit as many original manuscripts as you like.
* The entrance/processing fee is non refundable. You will be notified via
E-mail upon receipt of your submission.
* On-line submissions will be accepted. Send manuscript as a word document
via E-mail to contest@gigiaudiobooks.com and go to
www.gigiaudiobooks.com/contest.htm and click on "submit online" to pay
entrance/processing fee.
* Submissions must be received by January 1st, 2006
* Winners will be notified by February 15th 2006
* All submissions must include mailing address, telephone number and E-mail
address.
* All submissions must be original work and not previously published
* All works published will be subject to the standard GiGi Book Publishing
agreement.
* This contest is void where prohibited
As a small, family owned publishing company, GiGi Books' main focus is to
create an online community that connects the works of talented artists and
authors with an international audience of child readers. GiGi Books' mission
is to provide an avenue for talented authors and illustrators to offer their
quality works to the consuming public. Our experience has taught us that
what is carried in the major book stores is what they determine will bring
the most profit and not necessarily what is best for the hearts and minds of
our children. As a result, the public is denied the opportunity to read
quality stories that are not deemed "most profitable" by large publishers
and bookstores. By participating in our writing contest you are helping the
writing community. The majority of the funds received from this contest will
be used to promote and advertise the works of the GiGi Books artists and
authors to the general public. We encourage anyone interested in promoting
the works of independent authors and artists to direct families to our
child-safe, advertisement free web site.

WRITING COURSES/WORKSHOPS

NEW WORKSTYLE SKILLS

HAVE YOUR SAY

FROM AN AUTHOR

Small Publisher/'publishette'

As a new person on the scene of publishing, I am very grateful to the small
publishers. My first work was published by a 'small publisher' and she has
launched me into my 'new career'. Triple D Books took me on as their
illustrator and both of us, very new to the market have learnt a great deal
together, including deals with up-front payments, royalties etc. Recently on
a trip to Melbourne specifically to introduce myself and my work to
publishers in person, it was the 'smaller' publishers who took most time to
see me. I did, with perseverance, get in to see some larger ones also. Leone
Peguero of Blue Cat Books even collected me from the train station and we
had a very pleasant time getting to know one another.

Remember that when dealing with correspondence it is hard to personalise
publishers. Even those at the larger publishing houses were very pleasant
and 'human' when talking face to face. Support the smaller publishers,
remember they are often a one-man (or woman!) show and this industry is one
of networking. I went to Leone as a result of a recommendation from another
publisher and so it begins.

Look out for Triple D's new poetry reciter 'Nest Egg' by Christabel
Mattingley in November. Triple D is one of the few publishers interested in
poetry and they have found a hungry market.

All the best 'publishette's'.

FROM AUTHOR Edel Wignell

I checked the magazines (listed in PIO issue 57) in The SCBWI Publications
Guide to Writing and Illustrating for Children. 'American Girl', 'Boys'
Quest', 'The Crystal Ball' and 'Wee-Ones' are fine, but 'Cicada' requests
ALL RIGHTS. The remaining magazines weren't listed.

Beware of magazines that request ALL RIGHTS as you gain a once-only payment
and lose opportunities for publication elsewhere, as well as other creative
possibilities. Many short stories grow in the imagination of the writer and
eventually become novels.

One of the aims of the SCBWI this year is to remind magazine publishers of
the moral rights of authors. Each individual writer being aware of rights
helps all writers everywhere.

FROM AN AUTHOR

'Gigglers' series
I'm glad to see that Blake plan to acknowledge receipt of mss sent for their
new 'Gigglers' series, and to return those that are unsuitable. I sent six
'Gigglers' mss in 2003, and they were neither acknowledged nor returned. C.

FROM AUTHOR Edel Wignell

'I'm happy to leave my two stories in the reject drawer and move on,' wrote
Jenny Mountfield.

Take heart, Jenny! Stop calling it a reject drawer. It sounds so hopeless. A
returns drawer, perhaps. I get hundreds of returns, but I don't call them
rejects. The possibilities for them are enormous. With a bit of imagination,
items can be shortened, lengthened, changed in many ways, or sent out
again - just as they are.

What suits one publisher doesn't suit another. Evaluation of mss is highly
subjective. A perfectly good story may be the wrong length for a series, or
the publisher may have recently published a story with a similar setting or
theme. Publishers get thousands of mss and haven't time to give reasons for
returns.

My first novel took eight years to find the right publisher. He kept it in
print for six years and it took off in the UK, USA and Sweden, as well, due
to his efforts. My favourite junior novel was rejected 53 times before it
was published. Kids love it, and tell me so.

It's good to get quickly to the stage when you don't feel rejected or
victimised when a ms is returned. Put it on the returns stack and, as
quickly as possible, send it out again. If you're lucky enough to receive a
comment, work on the ms and improve it. Persistence, perseverance and
patience are needed. Faith and hope, too. If we're writing because we must,
then let's enjoy the doing.

FROM AN AUTHOR

I was one of many authors and illustrators who volunteered their time for
the recent Fairfield children's book luncheon. The organisers - all
volunteers I assume - went to an enormous amount of time and trouble to make
the event a success. The room, with incredible animal balloons and dozens of
well-decorated tables, looked amazing. The bookstall was welcome and very
well handled, a fact I much appreciated. And food and drinks were plentiful.
I am grateful that strangers worked so hard to make a day like the luncheon
one that children will remember.

However, I'm afraid I didn't enjoy the day and won't be volunteering to go
to any more luncheons in future, unless they change their format. The
speakers - Patricia Bernard, Duncan Ball and Richard Harland - gave
wonderful talks and the African dancers were highly entertaining. However,
throughout the stage events most children and teachers in the audience
talked. None of the students or teachers at the table where I was placed
had read any of my books nor were they interested when I tried to talk about
them - in fact, while I spoke the teachers sent four kids away to find their
raffle tickets! Nobody spoke to me about books or about reading, but lots of
kids lined up for autographs who didn't know (or presumably) care who I was,
just so long as I scribbled something on their bits of paper.

I wish luncheon organisers would make autographs something special,
something to truly value. For example, offer autographs if kids can speak
about author's books. And too, could organisers also invite every one of the
author and illustrators up on stage to talk about at least one of their
books? Perhaps authors at tables could be asked to read from one of their
books, the illustrators to show their work to the children with whom they
are seated. Children received donated books if they were lucky enough to
have their raffle tickets drawn out of a bucket: why not have an
entertaining book quiz and make kids earn their prizes? Please organisers,
put the "book" into "book luncheon."

When I asked author colleagues on the day what they thought the children got
out of the day, they replied that they thought it was "just another day away
from school." I'm afraid that, for the majority of children attending these
luncheons, I agree. What do other PIO readers think?

FROM AUTHOR Anita Bell

1) I'm very pleased to announce the launch of my long-awaited new kids'
book, called Your Kids Money: how to earn it, save it and set them up for
life. It's a revolutionary new look at financial literacy for the whole
family (for ages minus two years to uni LOL!). To be launched October 3rd
and media, I'm very happy to say, is already running extremely hot. But if
any subscribers to PIO also enjoy earning income from writing articles for
their local newspapers, please feel welcome to contact me through my website
with the words "from pass it on subscriber" in the subject line, and we'll
try to ensure you get priority opportunity for the story if it hasn't
already been assigned.

2) RE: message in "have your say" section of PIO from a writer who advocated
contacting Tracey at QWC about a CD version of the Australian Writers'
Marketplace, please note that I was speaking to the QWC about this just this
week by coincidence and can tell you both good news and bad news...

The bad news is that Tracey doesn't work there any more...

The good news is that an online version will be launched this year at the
Brisbane Writers Festival (3rd October)

Website will be: www.awmonline.com.au

Prices to access it will be:
QWC Members $77 per year
Non members $88 per year
Organisations $132 per year
Multiple users/libraries etc POA.

Happy submitting!
:)
Anita B, who is quoted in Australian Writers' Marketplace as recommending it
to other Aussie writers. It's fantastic!!

P.s. Fantastic work with PIO Jackie!!! You're AMAZING!!! (And to Di Bates
for the original concept!)
:)))

(Thanks Anita! And best of luck with your new book - Jackie J)

CURIOUS

A friend and I have been discussing the use of exclamation marks in writing
and on this occasion, specifically in a children's story (not picture book).
We have found that whilst we agree on not over-using them, we disagree on
how often they should be used in a story. I am interested to know what
other people think about the use of exclamation marks, and also, what is the
editor's role as far as editing them out goes.

KD

HAVE YOUR SAY

May I add a little bit to the recent discussion on mentoring. Over the
years, I have given a few new writers one-on-one help and advice for an
agreed fee. I have also helped half-a-dozen or so others on a voluntary
basis. This has been completely my choice and these voluntary efforts have
not gone unrewarded. Most of these people are talented in other areas and,
among some gifts from them, I have two wonderful paintings on my office
wall. Money is nice, but it goes into the bank and disappears. The
paintings are permanent reminders of their appreciation, and, better than
that, some of the writers have become good friends. But I was astounded by
a request from one lady. At the end of the session (the only one I gave her,
I might add) she pulled out a sheet of paper prepared by her solicitor and
asked me to sign it. It was a declaration indicating that I would not use
any of her material for my own purposes. This insult was my reward for
helping her. The thought had never crossed my mind and even if it had, my
bottom drawer has a big folder full of plenty of my own ideas waiting to be
made into stories.

For those new writers who might be afraid that someone will steal their
ideas, there are simple ways of protecting your work. Keep all your rough
drafts, notes and references for your story in a folder. You probably
already do this anyway. Also, your computer files will have the date the
file was created and dates the story was edited and printed out. Anyone who
tries to steal your story will not have any of that and it is easy to prove
that you are the true author. ...Mappy

Edel Wignell's tribute to Jonathan Shaw

I'm sure I'm speaking for many writers when I say I'm shocked to hear that
Senior Editor, Jonathan Shaw, is leaving the NSW School Magazine. Over the
years, he has become our friend.

All writers, whether experienced or new, need encouragement and kindly
guidance. Jonathan takes the time to give it. Many creators for children who
are famous in Australia and overseas today started their careers in the
School Magazine. I started there (and in the Victorian magazines), and
though I am not famous, I have long been making a living as a writer.

A few years ago I was greatly impressed by Jonathan's response to a nervous
complaint about how my work was handled. None of us likes to complain to a
publishing house or a magazine. I was disappointed because one of the
illustrations did not match the text of my story. I was inclined to lift my
hands, shrug and say, 'Ah well! Bad luck!', but, thinking about the
confusion of the child readers, I decided to speak about it. On another
occasion, several drastic changes had been made to my text, and I felt that
it wasn't my style.

Both times, Jonathan was courteous and did not mention his staff. He
apologized, taking the blame and saying that he should have noticed. What a
wise and compassionate man!

I have a special reason for being grateful to Jonathan and grieved that he
is leaving. I've written this before, and I'll write it again. From 1980 to
1988 I sent 38 items (stories, articles, poems, plays) to School Magazine,
and only one - a humorous short story - was accepted. My work was being
accepted at the Victorian magazines, so I persisted. After Jonathan arrived,
several works were accepted every year, including many of the items rejected
earlier.

{This is the perfect example of the subjectivity of judgments. What suits
one editor at a magazine or a publishing house may not suit another. New
writers should not feel victimized or despair. Every rejection (and I still
get dozens) is part of an apprenticeship, and our writing is improving every
year. Only a few talented people are accepted immediately. Only a few don't
need an apprenticeship.}

Jonathan Shaw has given enormous service to the children, teachers and
parents of the state - and to other states, as well, for the magazine has
subscriptions far beyond New South Wales. In his position, he is responsible
for the maintenance of variety and high quality in the textual and
illustrative content of the magazines (with the support of a very competent
staff).

I believe that, over the years, thousands of children have been inspired and
encouraged to read, write and illustrate because they have been enthused and
enticed by the School Magazines. Children aren't interested in bylines and
editors, and they don't know the part that Jonathan Shaw has played in their
lives and the lives of their parents, but we creators, with love and
respect, recognize it.

I'm sure I speak for all when I wish Jonathan satisfaction and success in
his next endeavour.

Thanks

Thanks to both Jackie and Mappy for answering my question about beginnings,
middles and ends. Your help was much appreciated.

ARTICLES

THE WRITING STUFF (printed with permission)
Ian Irvine

Here's my cheeky Ten Point Plan on how to succeed in the popular
fiction-writing game. Best of all, only two of the ten points require you to
have any TALENT whatsoever! For the rest, initiative and hard work will do.
You may, of course, be an undiscovered GENIUS, in which case you can skip to
the end. On the other hand, if you lack talent and the inclination to work,
but have wheelbarrow loads of LOW CUNNING .

Be original but not TOO original. To succeed as a popular writer you need to
be a little bit original, but not so original that your book is difficult to
read. Nobody HAS to finish it, after all, and what ordinary readers want is
more of the same, only a little bit different. Remember, you have to impress
your readers, not the critics. Critics are jaded creatures who've seen too
much of 'more of the same', so what excites them is NOVELTY. Fortunately the
great book buying public don't read reviews, therefore what the critics
think isn't relevant to your success (and furthermore, see point 9). If
you're not planning to be the least bit original, that's not a big hurdle
either. The bookshops are full of epic fantasy quests recycling the endless
struggle between GOOD VERSUS EVIL, clones of Harry Potter and 'BODICE
RIPPERS' where even the bodices on the covers are indistinguishable. But in
that case, see point 2.
Learn your trade BEFORE you send off your manuscript. Why would the public
want to read badly-written versions of The Lord of the Rings, Grisham,
Pratchett etc, when there is oodles of the real thing available? Writing is
a skill that many people can learn, but to write well, you have to REWRITE.
I meet a lot of hopeful writers who say they only do a couple of drafts, and
unfortunately that's the way their work reads - LIKE A DRAFT! Most
professional writers spend a lot more time on redrafting than they did on
the first draft, and it really shows. For myself, I do 6-10 drafts of my
work before the editor gets hold of it, and another couple afterwards, the
first draft being about 10% of my work on a novel. (Some have accused me of
being ANALLY retentive, a description I strenuously reject!)
Take ADVICE from professionals, not your mum. Do a writing course, or get an
agent if you can, or if not, SEDUCE a writer, editor or reviewer to look at
your work. Then, LISTEN to what they say. Professionals aren't always right,
but they're more likely to be right about your work than your mother, no
matter how sparkly clean she gets your underwear. If the advice of
professionals offends you (or is too hurtful to contemplate), you'll
probably never get published, unless you're that DARNED GENIUS again (point
11)! Don't listen to what your friends and relatives say about your book
unless they're all saying the same thing, and even then, if they say it's
wonderful, take that with a pillar of salt. PS, don't send your manuscript
to me; I'm acerbic, irascible and downright CURMUDGEONLY.
Make sure you've got a PLOT if you're writing for the public, because
ordinary readers want a good story for their $18.13 plus GST. (Can be
ignored if you're writing in the genre called 'literary fiction').
Interesting, believable CHARACTERS help too, but don't base them on people
you know, or Stephen King writes about, or you've come to love in your
favourite TV show. And get the details right! That means do your research,
and then make sure you UNDERSTAND it (there's nothing more laughable than a
beautifully researched idea that the author hasn't understood). Then,
REVISE, REVISE, REVISE to ensure everything is consistent throughout,
because if you make a mistake the reader will notice, and if it jars them
out of the world you've so carefully created, they'll NEVER read another of
your books. Hemingway rewrote the ending of For Whom the Bell Tolls 43
times, 'just getting the words right.' Now that's anal!
Go easy on GRAPHIC violence and foul language except where they're essential
to the story (and that's less often than you might suppose). A small amount
has impact but books full of the stuff are a big turnoff to many readers,
including me, and there are plenty of people even sicker than you writing
it. Too much of anything is BORING. Be subtle (excepting where you need to
be gloriously, deliciously, extravagantly over the top!). And leave out the
hundred pages of lovely dialect you worked so hard on. You're sure to get it
wrong, which makes you look a bigger FOOL than your character. Even if
you're an absolute master it's darn hard reading and dialect is like
garlic - a little bit is terrific, a lot, offensive. 'But I LIKE garlic.'
'Well, so do I, but not still festering on your BREATH the day after
tomorrow.'
Be PROFESSIONAL. It's incredibly hard to get published; don't make it harder
by producing a SLOPPY manuscript because if you do, no one will even look at
the first page. It's easy to present your work well and publishers expect a
manuscript to be done on a word processor, double spaced, wide margins,
nicely printed and not in some WHACKO font that's impossible to read, with
no spelling mistakes or weird grammar, and including the modern innovation
of page numbers and your name on the top of each page. If you do all that,
the publisher will PROBABLY look at the first page. Unfortunately, if they
don't find anything interesting there they won't look at any other pages, so
reach in and GRAB your reader by the small intestine from the first
paragraph, AND DON'T LET GO.
NETWORK. The big publishers get thousands of unsolicited fiction manuscripts
a year and the number they publish is between one and ten. In other words,
sending your ms to a publisher has a ONE IN A THOUSAND CHANCE of getting a
result. (Or less! Many publishers return unsolicited mss unread). So you've
got to get your opus out of the pile with 5,000 in it, and into the pile
with 50 or (hopefully) 5. How? USE YOUR CONTACTS -the sleazy writer your
sister-in-law once slept with in her slumming-it phase, your laughably
ill-named 'writing teacher', the publisher at a sci-fi convention who gave
you his card, mistakenly thinking you were someone important. If you don't
have any contacts, get out and make some. Join a writer's group, take a
course, go to literary festivals and lunches. MEET people in the industry
and SUCK up to them (in the most modest, sincere and charming way, it need
not be said!).
Once your book is ACCEPTED, be even more professional. Look (reasonably)
respectable when you meet the publisher or go for interviews (well, you are
a writer after all, so they won't expect miracles, but a loincloth is too
basic unless it's an Ice Age saga). Getting drunk and PUKING in the
publisher's briefcase at your launch creates a really bad impression, and
he'll remember it when you're begging for an advance on your next advance.
Be on time for meetings. Meet your deadlines! Don't whine or slag your
editor/publisher/agent/publicist off (or, if it's a WHINING competition with
other writers and you're feeling left out, be discreet. Try NOT to win).
Offer timely, constructive comments during editing, cover design, on the
blurb, and during planning of the promotional campaign (if any). Prepare for
talks, panels and interviews so you have something interesting to say. If
nothing interesting has ever happened in your life, MAKE SOMETHING UP!
You're supposed to be a writer, after all. When you do interviews, tailor
them to the audience. A group of working class mums in the western suburbs
would be bemused if you spoke about PLANETARY ENGINEERING; the fans at an SF
conference may not care to hear how yet another pimply, working class lad
made good in the big smoke.

You've signed the CONTRACT. Congratulations! I suppose you think they'll
want talk about your book. Ha! That's ancient history. The first question
your publisher will ask is, 'What are you working on now?' or, to put it
another way, why do you think Heinz has 57 varieties? SHELF CREDIBILITY! If
you've got one book out, no one could give a damn. If you've got ten titles
on the shelf, you must be good even if you aren't, and they're sure to sell.
Most writers only ever publish one book, so get the second one written
quick, before you're forgotten. Even better, end the first one on a
CLIFFHANGER. Best of all, write a series of three; or six; or twelve, end
them all on cliff-hangers (first, see points 1 to 5). Then, whenever a new
book comes out, with a bit of luck it'll bump up the sales of the previous
ones.
Get involved in promoting your work, AT ONCE. Half the books in your average
bookshop won't sell a SINGLE COPY there. Plenty of good books die because
nobody gets to hear about them, and you've only got a few months to do it.
You can't promote your book a year after it comes out - the unsold ones have
already been pulped and turned into BOG ROLLS.

There are at least 600 books published a week in Australia, plus all the
imports. Publishers can't afford to promote most of them, and the media
wouldn't be interested if they did (after all, 80% of people NEVER read
books). Most reviews in the mainstream media deal with writers who are
already famous, or books about famous people, so your book will probably
never be reviewed. Ah, but I can offer you a CUNNING PLAN .
a. You can't promote something that no one is interested in
(which, unfortunately, applies to most authors, new or old. There's no
quicker way to clear a shopping centre than to have a book signing there).
You've got to do something to attract people's interest. Any publicity is
good publicity, of course, but two days after the trial and sentencing the
FICKLE public will have forgotten all about you, so legal (if not
necessarily dignified) is best. Book launches (for popular fiction) are
generally a waste of money unless you're well known. It's probably better
for the publisher to spend the $200 promotional budget on handouts. If your
publisher doesn't want to do that, DO IT YOURSELF! You can get thousands of
full colour postcard-size leaflets printed for a few hundred bucks.

b. So if you want to sell books, GET OUT AND PUBLICISE THEM
YOURSELF! Use the local factor. Contact ALL the media: radio, local
newspapers, country TV etc, at every place you've ever lived. Give talks to
Rotary, old folks, schools or any other organisation that's prepared to
listen (it takes quite a while to scare them all off!). Use the Net -
hundreds of groups in cyberspace may be interested in your work. Give away
copies of your books to influential people. HASSLE your friends, relatives
and associates. Hand your leaflets out around the office and give one to
everybody who tries to sell something to you, including the taxi driver on
your way to the airport. If, after all that, you still have the damn things
left over, wallpaper your bedroom with them. That'll help with your
NARCISSISTIC STREAK, and who knows, if you do succeed in getting anyone to
come back to your place, they may even buy a copy before they run SCREAMING
into the night.

c. In our desperation to get publicity we tend to forget
that the best place to sell books is IN BOOKSHOPS! So do book signings, even
if no one comes (usually the case unless you invite everyone you've ever
met). You get useful publicity, they can't send the books back once you've
signed them and therefore the shop will make a big effort to sell the lot
over the next month or two. Write to a few hundred bookshops with a handful
of your leaflets. Actually there's only 1500 bookshops in Australia that
sell fiction so if you're really ENERGETIC you could write to the lot!
They're in the phone book, between 'Bolts and Nuts' and 'Boring
Contractors'. You can download the addresses from
http://www.yellowpages.com.au and do a mailmerge in no time at all.

d. Since I travel a lot, I go into bookshops all over the
country, say hello, talk about sales etc, tell them what I have coming up
(once you've got a few books in print, customers are always asking the
bookshops when the next one is coming out. Bookshops love to be able to say,
"Well, the author was here last week, seemed like a NICE BLOKE [hopefully,
see point 10], and he said ..."). Leave them a handful of your ENTICING
coloured leaflets - they look great sitting next to the cash register and
really help sales, and are so cheap. I don't see many other authors doing it
so chances are you'll have that marketing niche to yourself. Well, just you
and me, and I promise I won't slide yours into the BIN. I believe in
friendly competition - really I do!

e. Direct mail. Whatever you're writing, there'll be a
group of people interested in it. If your heroine does cross-stitch, for
example, market to all the shops and clubs that are into that kind of thing.
If the book is about DOLPHINS, promote to fishing, environmental and
conservation groups. Whatever the organisation or business, you can search
out and download all the addresses in Australia from
http://www.yellowpages.com.au/ in about 10 seconds. Print the labels from
your word processor and you're away. NEVER chuck out a mailing list or a
business card; anyone who knows you is a potential customer unless you're a
truly REPELLENT character. And if you are, work on it. People will buy your
books just so they can hate them.

f. And above all, be a MODEL author with your publisher,
because that really helps when they're deciding where to spend their
promotional dollars. The reliable, on-time author who really gets stuck into
promoting books gets the money, not the one who is a pain, constantly misses
deadlines, WHINES all the time and expects people to do everything for him
(or her). That's the sad truth, unless your books sell by the trainload. If
they do, you can positively REVEL in your nastiness and they'll still want
to buy you lunch. (At least, so I'm told!!).

g. Alternatively, you can sit back and hope your books are
so wonderful that they'll sell themselves. That happens too, but you'd get
RICH quicker by inventing a better rat trap (see 10).

Appear LIKEABLE, especially if you're not. It really helps if you're
pleasant, helpful and polite. Rude, aggressive whingers don't get far
(unless they're good at putting on an act), so PRETEND to be nice. If you do
it long enough you may even end up becoming nice, a sad end for a human
being, but look on the bright side - it gives you a brand new character to
use in your next book, one you'd never have thought of on your own. If
you're charming, charismatic, tall, slim, rich and BEAUTIFUL it's an added
bonus. But if you've got all that, why would you want to be a sad, lonely
writer, forever closeted in a freezing, WOODWORM-riddled garret writing
books that no one is ever going to read?

Ignore all the rules if you are that genius, but only after you've mastered
them. You might get away with it, but don't expect anyone to like you.
Everybody LOATHES a genius!

PUBLISHER GUIDELINES

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR PROFILE

YOUR WRITING TIPS
**A new section that is begging for your attention. Please feel free to Pass
them On!**

DC Green's Writing Tips: Author of 'Erasmus James & the Galactic ZAPP
Machine
Story-bogging words

I'm a big fan of using words economically, especially in stories for
children. As if I am both judge and executioner, I weigh every adjective and
adverb. These words are fast becoming modern day dinosaurs. They tell
readers rather than show, seem to scare editors
and can make a story seem flabby, overwritten or purple.' I always ask
myself, 'Are all those descriptive words really needed?' Usually, the same
effect can be generated with a better noun or verb, making for a leaner,
more sinewy story.

I have a personal list of words I prefer to avoid, minimise or at least
weigh carefully. Some clog sentences; others are simply boring: very,
really, had, that, quick, fast, slow, big, little, hot, cold, walk, loud,
felt, move, stay, all, seem, then and assorted derivatives (moved, quickly,
slowing).
I also like to remove clauses like: she was, he is, there are, began to and
assorted variations.
'Was', especially in combination with an -ing word, is a prime story bogger.
E.g. 'He was running swiftly' can be written better as, 'He sprinted'
without any loss of meaning.

It's easy to run all the above words through the Find function. Each word
can then be judged in context. It's even easier if a whole bunch of stories
are done in one run. When I ran the above list through a 45,000 word ms
recently, I was able to lop around 2,500 words in one sweep! Once in brutal
edit mode, I also ripped out entire sentences that were redundant,
repetitive or just plain dull. Gruesome, but satisfying work!

By DC Green
http://dcgreenyarns.blogspot.com/

USEFUL BOOKS/WEBSITES
A new web forum for children's writers, publishers, illustrators,
librarians, booksellers and so on is now online at:
http://www.aprilsayre.com/forums/index.php
Although this is a US site, it already has postings from my some talented
'names'.
I hope somebody here finds it useful.

Writers Digest: - http://www.writersdigest.com/101sites/2005_index.asp
It has 100 top sites voted for writing tips. Tina.

STORYMAKING.COM
James Bonnet's Storymaking
The Quintessential Screenwriting and Creative Writing Web Site --
An Important Source of New Knowledge about Story, Story Structure, Creative
Writing, Screenwriting, the Creative Process and Storytelling
http://www.storymaking.com/door/

BOOK REVIEWS

The 2006 Australian Writers Diary

Flat Chat Press

Reviewed by Jackie Hosking

In front of me is a chunky, 200 page, spiral bound diary that you would
love. Apart from offering all the benefits of a well set out diary it also
includes tips, writing exercises and inspirational quotes. At the back on
page 121 begins an information section that lists professional
organizations, publishers and literary agents, writers' events, funding
opportunities, writing courses, competitions and awards, the list goes on
and on. It is a compact, all-in-one resource that I am looking forward to
putting to good use.

The 2006 Australian Writers Diary is in its second year of publication and
it sells for only $20.00.

It can be ordered directly from:

Fee Sievers
18 Diamond St
Eltham Vic 3095

Make a cheque out for $20 + $3.50 postage = $23.50 to 'fas creation'

Send a SSAE if you'd like a receipt.

Questions can be emailed to Fee at prohort@primus.com.au

The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull
Barry Jonsberg,

Allen and Unwin, 2004

Reviewed by Gail C Breese

Fifteen-year-old Calma Harrison is a girl with attitude and a Westinghouse
refrigerator for a mother!
She also has huge boobs you could rest a tray on; an image problem
to which many girls will relate. In a class of Year 10 boys, the personal
comments are predictable and embarrassing. So by wearing huge in-your-face
glasses for short-sightedness, Calma hopes everyone's eyes will be staring
at her face rather than her chest.
Through her funny and quirky journal, Calma describes a set of
characters-each with a comical astrological horoscope-and events that take
the reader on a fast-paced journey full of insightful and wacky impressions.
Her friend Jaryd Kiffling, better known as Kiffo, is introduced in Chapter 0
(yes, that's right, Chapter 0 is not a typo!) as the subject of an
assignment to demonstrate her understanding of the use of similes:

'Kiffo's hair is like a glowing sunset. ...Kiffo's nose is like butter on
toast. It was put on hot and it spread. ...His eyes are as brown as
diarrhoea, which only goes to prove that he is full of crap. ...His mind is
as shallow as a gob of spit in a drained swimming pool.'

These two friends couldn't be more different. Calma breezes through school,
more than a match for the teachers with her intelligence and quick-witted
comments. These earn her an End of Semester Report showing an A minus for
English but a C minus for attitude. A series of brief flashbacks explain a
little about the history of Calma and Kiffo's unlikely friendship, which has
endured since primary school. It also helps to explain why Kiffo is an angry
young man with a disruptive presence in the classroom and seemingly
satisfied to be a loser with no ambition to improve.
Kiffo's skills in classroom chaos saw the inexperienced English
teacher, Miss Leanyer, replaced by the formidable Miss Payne: a scary,
strict teacher whose demeanour and facial appearance quickly earns her the
nickname 'The Pitbull'.
The Pitbull stands no nonsense and instils fear into the class.
After setting down her own set of rules, all threatening detention or worse
if not adhered to, she sets the class a spelling test of 30 commonly
misspelled words. Kiffo achieves the grand total of one correct answer and
is punished with a detention, which he does not attend. The Pitbull focuses
her very unwelcome attention on him and accuses Kiffo of being a lazy,
revolting adolescent.
Calma feels compelled to speak up for him: '...You fail to
appreciate the effect of a dysfunctional family unit operating within his
socio-economic background.' She then goes on to say:

'The Kiffling household does not treasure academic success, nor does it
encourage excellence in anything other than excessive drinking and
flatulence.. It was, by any academic and intellectual standard, grossly
unfair.'

Kiffo and Calma receive another detention the following afternoon.
Kiffo is determined to have revenge and plans to trash The Pitbull's
house while she's out walking the dog. Against Calma's better judgement,
Kiffo persuades her to join him on a series of stakeouts where they get more
than they bargained for. The resulting hilarious consequences are
wonderfully described in Calma's journal entries, which resemble episodes of
Crimestoppers, TV police dramas and court scenes complete with camera angles
and descriptions of the sets.
Calma resents her mother working two jobs due to her misguided
pride that won't let her accept benefits. Mrs. Harrison believes she is
proving her love by providing as well as she can by working long hours. So
Calma communicates using notes addressed to 'Dear Fridge'. The relationship
deteriorates further when the police phone Mrs. Harrison at work regarding a
report that her daughter has been stalking The Pitbull. An argument between
mother and daughter is described in a painfully familiar way to both
teenagers and parents who battle to bridge the great divide of adolescence,
unrealistic expectations and misunderstandings.
Kiffo is more than ever determined to see The Pitbull arrested,
especially now she's involved with another suspicious character, but his and
Calma's investigations bring them less than positive results. The dog chase
description and a clever, extremely funny café scene with undercover
surveillance are both brilliant in detail and perception. The action isn't
just fast-paced, it's downright energetic.
Their final exciting attempt to acquire evidence for the police of
The Pitbull's criminal dealings has dramatic consequences. Calma has to
reassess her relationship with Kiffo and the series of events that have led
them to this point.
This novel deals with serious issues such as loyalty,
relationships, revenge and loss in an honest, amusing and entertaining way.
It's a load of fun and I recommend it for teenagers and anyone who remembers
their high-school days.

Gail C Breese
Children's Author and Illustrator
Design and Websites
breese@westnet.com.au
www.creakyg.com

INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOPS
**Note this is a new section - please feel free to add to it**

Not exclusively children's - but with a strong and knowledgeable emphasis on
books for young people:

Mostly Books,
Mitcham Shopping Centre,
119 Belair Road,
TORRENS PARK,
SA.
Phone:08 8373-5190

CRITIQUE GROUPS BULLETINBOARD
**Looking to create or join a critique group - here's the place!**

I received an email this week and was wondering if any of you know of
critique groups for younger people.thanks Jackie J

how long have you been writing: two years, roughly. three hundred or more
page drafts
what genre: fantasy/science fiction/romance... real life with magic and tech
thrown in. teens
nope, not published
mostly, people to tell me if stuff is wrong with the characters, because
they're the hardest things to do. as to offer, i don't know, i'm not sure i
have much. just what i've leant from scanning web addresses, writing 232
pgs, (third draft still in process) and reading all the books about writing
i can get my hands on in a small country town.
my name is sian, and, well this is a big bummer, and probably why this won't
work. i'm 14. it would be better if it was 15, but it's 14. i don't even
know why i'm sending this thing...
anyway, that's about it. thanks for looking...

Sian Chapman

MILESTONES
**A new section for members to share their achievements**

Edel Wignell has a new title for Year 6 in Pearson Australia's 'Chatterbox'
series: The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The wonderful illustrations
by Kim Fleming perfectly capture the size and grandeur of the Wonders.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Shunryu Suzuki:

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's
mind there are few."

ADVERTISEMENTS

WRITERS CAREER CONSULTANCY offers a wide range of services to writers for
young people, including paid mentorship, mini-manuscript assessments,
helpful articles and websites, a book on how to develop your editing skills,
and so on. For more information and email and postal contact details, check
out www.enterprisingwords.com and/or contact widely published children's
author Dianne (Di) Bates. Testimonials are available on request. Di is also
currently available to present talks and/or workshops to your writers' group
in the Wollongong to Sydney, Campbelltown and NSW Southern Highlands' areas.

Excess Stock Clearance: Wanted - a distributor, bookshop staff or individual
PIO subscribers interested in buying a children's picture book featured on
t.v. and copies of BLMs of educational puzzles beloved by teachers, children
and older people, e.g. in hostels and nursing homes, because of the large
print. This is a great opportunity for subscribers to buy books cheaply for
Christmas presents. Contact hmtobin@dcsi.net.au for details or for flyer.

PASS IT ON SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submit contributions to jacket@smartchat.net.au
Comic Sans MS, 12pt, single-line spacing (not essential but helpful)
Mark PASS IT ON SUBMISSION in the subject line
Submit within the body of the email
Give your piece a title heading: eg New Publications; Seeking; General
Information; etc.
Email addresses and contributor contact details will be withheld unless
otherwise stated

Jackie Hosking
Editor/Compiler "PASS IT ON"
www.jackiehosking.com

PASS IT ON ISSUE 58

2006-05-06T23:29:00.000-07:00

PASS IT ON - ISSUE 58: DATE 19/9/05

Hi everyone! I hope you have all had a fantastic week. Thanks to all who
have contributed and a special hello to all new members. Thank you also to
everyone who has offered support and encouragement, I really do appreciate
it. Please enjoy this week's issue of PASS IT ON.

A Disclaimer of Liability

Please ensure that your submissions are ACCURATE and clear. I will accept no
responsibility for any errors or omissions contained in the information
submitted. PLEASE be careful.

To unsubscribe send an email to jacket@smartchat.net.au with "unsubscribe"
in the subject heading.

WHAT IS PASS IT ON?

PASS IT ON is a weekly, on-line, interactive, networking newsletter for
those involved with or interested in the children's writing industry. It is
emailed to subscribers every Monday.

PASS IT ON will survive for as long as YOU the CONTRIBUTOR determine. I am
the collection point for YOUR submissions. I am one cog in a tool that has
the potential to be very powerful. (submission guidelines can be found at
the end of the newsletter)

If you wish to receive PASS IT ON - email me, Jackie Hosking at
jacket@smartchat.net.au and I will send you the most recent issue of the
newsletter and an invoice. If you like what you see, please return the
invoice along with your payment and I will add you to the subscriber's list.

If you join in July it will cost you $24.00 If you join in August, it will
cost you $22.00 If you join in September, it will cost you $20.00 etc...
(all subscriptions will then be due on July 1st 2006)

Please contribute as often as you can and be assured that I will treat your
contact details with the utmost confidentiality. I look forward to making
many more new friends.

Past issues may be viewed at my website www.jackiehosking.com

GENERAL INFORMATION

Deborah Abela's MAX REMY wins USA Award

Max Remy Super Spy has won the people's choice USA Oppenheim Award.

The US title is SPY FORCE by Simon & Schuster.

Max Remy series is published by Random House in Australia.

Max also reviewed an excellent review in SMH Spectrum last week.

Deborah will be touring the USA in 2006 promoting Max Remy.

Jonathan Shaw is leaving the position of Editor of The NSW School Magazine
after over 16 years service with the Magazine. It's the end of an era, and
the Magazine and staff will miss Jonathan enormously. From the beginning of
October, Tohby Riddle will be Acting Editor, and Judith Ridge will be Acting
Assistant Editor. Address, contact details etc remain the same.

Goldie Alexander has just returned from a week with an international group
of writers in Romania. She toured much of the country, experienced some
Romanian culture and history, and got to share various literary matters with
other writers that included Cynthia Henzel, an American member of SCBWI.
Goldie's not sure if she should recommend the Alviogot Foundation to other
PIO's unless they are prepared to visit a country still in the early stages
of reconstruction and can cope with deviant plumbing.

SEEKING

COMPETITIONS/AWARDS

* Re: The Winnies - does anyone know if the results have been made more
widely available? A couple of students I encouraged to submit have pointed
out to me that the website has not been updated with the results as per the
guidelines (the poetry comp website is even less current). They had no idea
it had been finalised, and I'm wondering whether I'm looking in the wrong
place. Does anyone know if the results are available on the web or outside
broadcasts such as this one, which a great many entrants would not subscribe
to?

I'm also wondering if there's likely to be a judge's report, particularly
given the fact that third place in the Tackers section was not awarded, with
the note that 'no entrant fulfilled the criteria'. I've passed the results
on from PIO to my students, and they are certainly curious as to what this
means (as am I!).
MM

Can anyone please remember some details about self publishing requests for
information in Brisbane / Queensland in a recent edition of PIO? I have
looked through many past editions but can't find the *&%$@# reference to the
article! It was to do with people who might be interested in talking about
their self publishing experiences to a Queensland audience - from memory
that's what it was about, but don't trust my memory!
Thanks, LB

Has anyone had any dealings with Little Red Apple Publishing or Rose
Solomon? I sent something to them and received a phone call in return but it
sounds like it may be a vanity publisher. Any info would be greatly
appreciated.

Back in Issue 53, and Australian compiler asked for short stories for an
anthology. An address was given, but no name. If this was queried and
answered in subsequent issues, I missed it. Does anyone know who the
compiler or the publisher is? ....Mappy.

If any subscribers to PASS IT ON have more than 3 fun, positive, action,
crime and/or adventure books published for ages 8 to 15 in the broader
genres of mainstream, fantasy or science fiction and would like to be
included in a special edition newsletter with national mass distribution to
schools and bookshops, please register your interest to The Crusader Club
Secretary at needie35@hotmail.com. In the subject line, please use the
keywords: Special Edition

This will be a FREE teacher/student resource involving interviews about the
author's most recent book, including an insight for students into what it's
like for you to be a writer and will be compiled by volunteer student
members of the Kirby's Crusader Club, so no payment will be available for
contributors, however ongoing promotion of your book will be provided
through the free online database.

If interested in being included, please provide replies as follows to the
above email address:

Please note: space is limited so no more than 450 punchy exciting words
(total) in answer to:

Author's name:
Author's website:
Author's Region/town/city:
State:

Total books written:
Countries published in:
Movie rights, merchandise or other exciting offshoots:

Title of Featured Book:
Blurb (10 to 25 words):
(A colour cover image under 30k jpeg or gif image will also be published if
supplied)

Place where your book is set:
A: 1 to 6 words

Genre(s):
A: 1 to 6 words

Extract from an independent review:
A: no more than 25 words for the review extract, plus reviewer's name, the
magazine/newspaper/bookshop/library or school where it was published and
their date of review

What's the inside info about your life as a writer?
A: 50 to 80 words. (usually mentions home or work life, family, hobbies
and/or pets)

Do you have another job as well as being a writer?
A: 1 to 10 words

Why do you love to write?
A: 10 to 80 words

What inspired you to write your book (or series which includes this book)
A: 10 to 80 words.

What surprised you during research, writing or publishing of this book?
A: 10 to 80 words

If students are doing assignments on this book, what special insight into
symbolism, metaphors, choice of title, characters or research can you
provide:
A: 10 to 80 words

Secret writing tip for students:
A: 10 to 30 words

Personal pet peeves:
A: 10 to 30 words (i.e. when polishing a manuscript, what niggling spelling,
punctuation or grammar seems to bug you the most, no matter how many books
you've written... or anything else that haunts your creative process...
answer to this one, inspires students to know that even professionals make
mistakes and have to work on their editing and presentation)

When you were aged 8 to 15, what job(s) did you think you would have (if not
a writer):
A: 1 to 10 words

What you're working on next: (Optional)

Are you available (and approved) for paid school visits at ASA rates?:

Are you available for free school visits in your local area during book
launch months?:

Is your computer/internet connection set up to do online chats?:

Do you speak/webchat in any languages other than English?

REPLIES TO SEEKING

RE: Indexes

There is a 'Society of Indexers' in Victoria and I guess most states. A
quick internet search under "society of indexers & .au" would put you in
contact with the people best able to help you with your question.

MENTORSHIPS

Having a mentor is certainly a marvellous and rewarding opportunity for
enthusiastic and dedicated authors. However having tried all the suggested
routes, would-be authors find that professional writers willing to mentor
are fairly thin on the ground.

Create a Kids' Book has a solution. It is not as good as a genuine published
author giving you feedback, but our assessment service will work on draft
after draft for you, with advice, until we feel you have got it right, and
then supply you with an open recommendatory letter to accompany your
submission to the publishers.

It's not a mentorship, and you do have to pay for it, but we do like to feel
that we offer a similar service. All our assessors are either published
children's authors/illustrators themselves, or else experts in the field
with many years of experience behind them.
Our email courses (picture book writing, picture book illustrating, and
novel writing) also work a little as mentorships, as you get constant
feedback on your work-in-progress. See the details
http://creatakidsbook.alphslink.com.au

RE: Beginnings, middles & ends

The beginning and the end are the bits where there isn't any more on
one side and the middle is the bit that just keeps getting fatter, in
my case anyway.

Everything has a beginning, middle, and end, including mss, humans
and velociraptors. But there are more interesting ways of looking at
us or analysing us! Jackie French

Re: Should writing have a Beginning a Middle and an End.

I think most writers will agree that a good story has all three. I know,
for me, a story without these just feels unsatisfactory - it reads more like
a short extract from a longer work. I am left with the feeling of being
let-down. Others may feel differently. When writers are still learning, I
think they need a beginning, a middle and an end as the structure of a
story. I would advise aiming at this and when you are more confident in
your abilities perhaps you might try experimenting. In the end, the
decision is yours. But remember, a good story must feel right. Even
non-fiction needs these three elements. Good luck with your endeavours.
... Mappy.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

SPECIAL EVENTS

The Survival Guide to School Visits

Professional Development for Authors
Thursday 20 October 2005

Lateral Learning presents a one day seminar at the State Library which aims
to help authors maximise their school visits by looking at ways to make
their sessions interesting and informative, engage their audiences and
generally make the day a stress free and positive experience. Authors Lisa
Shanahan and James Roy will share their experiences and give some practical
advice on presentation skills and writing workshops. Sue Murray will look
at Speaking and Presentation techniques and Maureen Nicol will talk about
'What the Schools Want'. There will be a panel of experts to discuss
particular issues relating to school visits, from using new technology to
finding out where the toilets are and how to get a cup of coffee!

Date: Thursday 20 October 2005
Time: 9.30am - 3.30pm
Venue: Coles Room, State Library of NSW, Macquarie Street,
Fee: $90 + GST (includes morning tea and lunch)

Venue kindly provided by
The State Library of New South Wales

For bookings please contact Catherine McClellan or Kris Fegent
at Lateral Learning, phone 02 9960 4844 or e-mail
bookings@laterallearning.com

Sue Murray's latest play, Mirror, Mirror is being performed at the Star of
the Sea Theatre in Manly, NSW on October 19, 20 and 21 at 8pm. Directed by
Nicholas Lahey and performed by senior drama students of Stella Maris
College, this vibrantly theatrical and confronting expressionist play
spotlights eating disorders through the distorted mirrors of a circus
troupe.
The playwright will be at the final performance on October 21.
Mirror, Mirror will be published as part of the Macmillan Drama Studio
series in early 2006.
Bookings: (daytime only), on (02) 9976 1806

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

In the latest issue of The Australian Writer - survey of publishers . Black
Dog Books, 15 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy www.bdb.com.au are considering
unsolicited submissions for children's books, first three chapters and
synopsis.
When I contacted them earlier this year Maryanne Ballantyne editor said they
were only interested in writers not 'with' other publishers. She is
interested in new writers she can develop into their own (black dog) house
style.
Regards Margaret Pearce

Story Station Submission Guidelines
UPDATE
STORY STATION IS NOW A PAYING MARKET!
Story Station is the home of exciting, fun stories for kids and adults,
stories that can be read online, or printed out to be shared with classrooms
or families. Our goal is simple: to entertain.
We aren't looking for After School Special stories or cautionary tales. We
want stories that fire up the imagination, that catapult the reader into
situations and worlds that are fresh and captivating. A movie such as The
Goonies would be an example of the sort of style and attitude we would find
acceptable.

WHAT WE WANT:
· At least one protagonist in the 6-12 year old age range.
· Any genre is acceptable (i.e. Science Fiction, Mystery, Horror,
Western, Historical), as long as it is suitable for all ages.
· Strongly plotted stories with upbeat endings. Your story may
include danger to the protagonist and his/her family and friends, but the
story must end on a hopeful note.
· Story Station stories may deal with death and sickness-they are,
after all, a part of life-but, as stated earlier, out goal is to entertain.
· We are looking for stories in the 1500-3000 word range.

WHAT WE DON'T WANT:
· No sex, foul language or abuse of children or animals.
· No excessive violence.
· No stories using characters from TV, movies or books from authors
other than yourself.
· While the editors admire Horror in all its forms, and while we
will accept Horror stories for Story Station, they must be palatable to a
young imagination; nothing too gruesome or gory, please.

SUBMISSIONS:
Manuscript format: Double space between paragraphs. Single space lines
within paragraphs. Do not indent paragraphs. Please use Times New Roman
12-pt font. Your name, address and word count must appear on the first page.
All stories must be accompanied by a short note listing previous credits, if
any, and a brief biography. Please also include your contact information in
the note.
Story Station accepts submissions as e-mail attachments, in Microsoft Word,
Word Perfect or .rtf format. You may also paste your story into the body of
an e-mail. If you chose to submit your story in this manner, please find a
way to indicate italicized words, perhaps by using asterisks.
Simultaneous submissions are fine as long as you let us know.
5-8-05 - Multiple submissions are not accepted. Please wait for our decision
about your submission before submitting again.

Send your story to: storystation@viatouch.com .
We will make every effort to respond to your within one month. If you
haven't heard from us after two months, feel free to query.
Story Station asks for electronics rights to your story for 120 days. The
copyright remains with the author. After 120 days, electronic rights revert
to the author.
We're sorry, but Story Station no longer accepts reprints.
Story Station is currently offering 1¢ ($0.01) per word payment for stories.
Note: We also pay for accepted submissions to our Teacher Article section.
See the Teacher Article Guidelines for submissions.

COMPETITIONS/AWARDS

Australasian Short Story Awards.
Closing date: 31st August 2005-09-19

Short story to 5000 words, open theme.
1st prize $300
2nd prize $150
3rd prize $50

Entry fee $5 or $15 for four entries.

Stories must be unpublished and not under consideration elsewhere.
For guidelines and entry form, send a SSAE to:

Victorian Writers' Centre
First Floor
Nicholas Building
37 Swanston Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000

Holiday Fantasia Literary Competition
Closing date: 30th December 2005

Speculative Fiction, adult fantasy or gothic horror to 3500 words.
1st prize $200
2nd prize $50

Fractured fairytale or children's magic realism to 3000 words.
1st prize $200
2nd prize $50

Poem to 80 lines, open theme.
1st prize $100
2nd prize $50

Entry fee $5 or $15 for four entries.

For guidelines and entry form, send a SSAE to:

Victorian Writers' Centre
First Floor
Nicholas Building
37 Swanston Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000

WRITING COURSES/WORKSHOPS

NEW WORKSTYLE SKILLS

I was interested to read Kathryn Apel's words on the Online Literature
Festival last week, as I was one of the authors involved in an online chat.
It's great to know this is appreciated by schools and students - and
Kathryn's students seem to have been extraordinarily well prepared. I
chatted with three schools (never knew I could type so fast and with
reasonable accuracy - well, it was readable!!) and was impressed by the
quality of the students' questions, and by the amount of preparation they'd
done. The Festival was "put to air" through the Learning Place, Dept of
Education in Queensland. They offer a lot of other chats and forums eg
students can talk to frog experts, scientists in Antarctica, whale experts
in Hawaii - their website is really worth a look for kids and teachers.
http://www.education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/
I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the chat and feel I've made a lot of new
friends - as far away as Anakie!
Pam Rushby

HAVE YOUR SAY

FROM AN AUTHOR

Re Article: Researching Publishers for Absolute Beginners

What a generous person Marianne Vreugdenhil is to share this information
with PIO subscribers!

I've longed for a database just as she's described and have been asking
first Bookman press and now the Queensland Writers Centre (past and current
publishers of The Australian Writer's Marketplace) to produce the book in CD
form as well. Last I heard they were thinking about it, but I reckon
anyone interested in Marianne's systematic approach to research (which is
close to my heart, being an ordered sort of person) should also contact the
QWC and ask them if they are planning to issue an CD version (at extra cost,
naturally) with the new issue due in October. Imagine how easy and time
efficient it would be if you could do all Marianne suggests by copying and
pasting. You'd still have to do the AWM search and web research yourself,
but could avoid all the re-typing and reading unrelated entries.

Anyone interested should contact Tracey Walker at:

Queensland Writers' Centre
Metro Arts Building
Level 2, 109 Edward Street
Brisbane QLD 4000

publisher@qwc.asn.au
www.qwc.asn.au

Telephone (07) 3839 1243
Facsimile (07) 3839 1245

>From author Jenny Mounfield

Thanks to all who responded to my mentoring query. Unfortunately, as
Christine Aldred pointed out, applying for certain mentorship's through
Writers' Centres etc is out of the question for middle aged authors such as
myself. I also agree that this is very discriminatory; I don't see what age
has to do with the quality or level of one's writing. I came to writing late
in life and as far as I'm concerned I am a 'young' author in that respect.

Also, someone mentioned the give and take relationship of mentoring. I have
mentored less experienced authors than myself on many occasions. I also
voluntarily tutored an over 50's writing group for a year (which I gained
far more from than I could have imagined), and I never knock back an author
who is after a critique of their work, or advice. So as you see, I'm a firm
believer in what goes around comes around.

Have Your Say

Many thanks to Lynn D for the "snowflake" link in Issue 56
www.rsingermanson.com/html/the_snowflake.html

It presents itself as a tool for creating a novel from a set of formless
"composted" ideas, and I could see how it would be useful at that early
stage, but I spent the last week applying it to a stubborn, slightly
unfocussed third draft and found it extremely helpful for:

a) clarifying the nub of the story and
b) forcing me to decide exactly what was happening for each character at
each stage of the plot.

Fairly basic editorial stuff but something I'm not very good at! It does
favour plot-driven rather than character-driven approaches, but if you've
already done a bit of work on both aspects, it's definitely worth a look.

Kate C.

HAVE YOUR SAY

FLAT FEES
In response to the illustrator who recently wrote about flat fees, I agree
that fees seem to be decreasing. I'm a full-time writer and I rarely accept
flat fee jobs now because they pay so badly. A few years ago, a large trade
publisher emailed me to ask if I'd write a 4-book children's novelty series.
I'd worked for this publisher on many occasions, but the fee offered was
appalling, so I emailed back no. The publisher phoned me to discuss my
reasons and I explained that it wasn't worth my while to take the job. It
was a long conversation, and at the end of it, the publisher offered me
TRIPLE the original amount. I did accept the job then. The books have now
been sold overseas and I've lost count of the number of times the series has
been reprinted. If it was a royalty agreement, I would've made a lot more
money.

ARTICLES

PUBLISHER GUIDELINES

BlueCatBook's policy is to reply to all enquiries and return all manuscripts
(where a sae is enclosed). If you don't receive a reply, your enquiry has
gone astray. For example, last week's PIO indicated an incorrect email
address, or you may have gone to the US website - no connection.

You will see from our manuscript submission policy that we prefer email.
http://www.bluecatbooks.com.au/writing/publishers_list.htm#bcb

Ensure that your subject line makes it very clear that it is a manuscript
submission, or it may be erased without reading. We receive heaps of emails
and aim to eliminate the dross smartly. Recently I almost missed one from an
illustrious illustrator I had agreed to discuss some work with because I
didn't expect his forwarding name to be 'Snake', and there was no subject
descriptor!

Yes, we are a VERY small publisher and our books and writer list are growing
slowly. The fourth book in our BRAVE KIDS (Liz Wilks), Shark Alert, will be
released on October 1; following Fire! Fire! by (Deverell, Hammond, Wilks)
on February 1. There are two more in production after that, but we aren't
currently seeking further manuscripts for that series.

Sometimes I think there should be a different descriptor, such as
'publishette', for those of us in this very small category. Certainly the
way we work is necessarily vastly different from the multi-nationals. New
writers may like to think about the differences and what that might mean to
the way we work.

Leone Peguero Publisher BlueCatBooks

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR PROFILE

USEFUL BOOKS/WEBSITES

BOOK REVIEWS

Goss, Mini (text and illus.), Rhino Neil, New Frontier Publishing, 2005,
Hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 1921042303

Reviewed by Kathryn Duncan

Living in a zoo filled with exotic animals doesn't always mean that you have
friends. Rhino Neil is big, and because the other animals in the zoo find
him scary, he is lonely. Then, one day a new animal arrives and Neil is no
longer the biggest animal at the zoo. The arrival of Tuscany means the
arrival of a new friend for Neil.

This is a wonderful story inspired by one of Mini Goss's children and a
visit to Werribee Zoo. We meet a fantastic range of African animals;
giraffes, zebra's, ostriches and antelope's as we learn why they fear Rhino
Neil. The book is an excellent way to promote discussion about fear, likes
and dislikes.

The illustrations are beautiful, bright and emotive. Mini Goss's ability as
an illustrator is highlighted through her wonderful use of perspective and
showing Neil as he appears to the animals. Using symmetry and shape well,
the animals fill the pages, showing their emotions through their facial
expressions and in particular their eyes.

This is a well written, enjoyable story that does not waste words. The
language is suitable for early readers and it is easy for younger children
to follow and listen to. The illustrations will delight everyone. A highly
recommended read for everyone who enjoys picture books.

Harmer, Wendy (text), Mike Zarb (illus.), Pearlie in the Park, Random House
Australia Pty Ltd, 2003, Paperback, $12.95, ISBN 1740518888

Reviewed by Kathryn Duncan

Everyone who loves fairies is going to love Pearlie. She lives in the
fountain in Jubilee Park in the middle of the city. Every day, Pearlie
looks after the park, making sure that animals are doing what they are
supposed to do and that the park is clean and tidy.

Then one day, things don't go as Pearlie plans. The spiders are floating on
the lily pads, ducks are swinging by their wings in the trees, possums are
swimming in the pond and frogs are spinning spider's webs.

Pearlie sets out to find out who is behind this and we join her as she
discovers what went wrong. We meet the culprits, Mr Flea and Scrag, two
mischievous rats who also live in Jubilee Park. They enjoy causing just a
little bit of trouble for Pearlie and her friends. But Pearlie soon teaches
them that being mischievous may not get them exactly what they want.

Pearlie looks just like you imagine a city fairy would look like. She has
long blond hair, pearls around her neck and a great big happy grin. Mr Flea
and Scrag are opposites, one fat and the other thin, but they look like they
are up to something. The pictures are bright and colourful and make you
want to go and enjoy a day with Pearlie and her park friends.

Recommended for lower primary school aged children or those who enjoy
listening to a fun story.

Skellig
by David Almond
Reviewed by Sheryl Gwyther

There's a book that keeps disappearing from its spot on the A-J shelves of
our local high school library. A small novel that's been smuggled through
security at the library exit and needed replacing at least three times. Why
this particular book? Is it the beautifully designed cover in tones of
blue, white, black and fawn shafts of light and movement? Or maybe the
Celtic lure of its title, or the intriguing blurb on the back cover? Or is
it the magic of the story itself?

Skellig (1998), British author David Almond's first story for children, is
written in first person viewpoint of Michael, a young boy. Michael's
unhappy when his family moves to a ramshackle house in a new neighbourhood.
His parents are distracted because his new baby sister is gravely ill and
this adds to his feelings of isolation and loneliness. But then he meets
the unusual Mina, home-schooled and a loner, a girl who quotes William Blake
and knows everything there is to know about birds.
Their lives change forever when Michael wanders into the derelict shed in
his back yard and discovers under the rubbish, a crumpled, shrivelled
creature that could be human or beast or both. I thought he was dead. He
was sitting with his legs stretched out, and his head tipped back against
the wall. He was covered in dust and webs like everything else and his face
was thin and pale. Dead bluebottles were scattered on his hair and
shoulders. I shone the torch on his white face and his black suit. Michael
confides in Mina and they move the strange creature into a safe place. As
the barely alive part-human/bird/angel responds to Michael's gentle care
both he and Mina are drawn into the wonder that is Skellig.

This novel has won many awards, both UK and international, and has also been
made into a play. David Almond said once that he wanted 'to write for a
readership whose minds are still fluid and flexible, readers who are able to
easily mix reality and imagination'. But you don't need to be a child to be
captivated by the story of Skellig. His skill as a writer is evident in
this thought-provoking, haunting tale of friendship, love, life and death -
a book to own and treasure. Which probably answers the question as to why
Skellig disappears every now and then from our high school library.

Other books by David Almond include Kit's Wilderness, Heaven Eyes, Secret
Heart, The Fire Eaters, Counting Stars, and Kate, the Cat and the Moon.

The following titles will be reviewed on David Kilby's Afternoon Show, ABC
Radio Canberra and in the Primary English Teachers Assoc newsletter.

The Dragon Snatcher
by MP Robertson
Frances Lincoln

Three Wishes
by Deborah Ellis
Allen & Unwin

Fee-Fee's Holiday
by Emily Rodda and Ilustrated by Andrew McLean
Working Title Press

Nightpeople
by Anthony Eaton
Book One of the Darklands Trilogy
University of Queensland Press

INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOPS
**Note this is a new section - please feel free to add to it**

A delightful new specialist children's bookshop opened earlier this month at
Lindfield on Sydney's North Shore - HOORAY!

The "Lindfield Children's Bookshop" is part of the existing "Lindfield
Bookshop". The shop is stocked with exciting books and associated activities
for babies through to Young Adult. All authors, illustrators, agents,
editors, publishers and lovers of children's books generally are always
welcome to pop in for a visit any time or day of the week. Your presence
would always be most welcome!
Lindy Batchelor (teacher, librarian, author and 2 day a week casual bookshop
worker!)

THE READING TREE

5a Market Place
Manly NSW
Ph: (02) 9976 0077

Just opened, with picture books to YA, a reading area and a section of
second-hand books, including a 'pocket-money' shelf. A welcome addition to
the northern beaches after the closure of Readability.

CRITIQUE GROUPS BULLETINBOARD
**Looking to create or join a critique group - here's the place!**

MILESTONES
**A new section for members to share their achievements**

Congratulations to Maureen Johnson on her runner-up position for the Ipswich
Festival competition for Noah's Garden.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Goethe:

"Whatever you do or dream you can do - begin it. Boldness
has genius and power and magic in it."

ADVERTISEMENTS

Up until the end of this month I've been running a B & B in our place which
is a gorgeous old house up in the mountains behind the sunshine coast in
Queensland. But from 1st October I'll be cutting right back and will only
rent out our cottage which is in the garden on a self contained basis which
should leave me free to get on with my writing. Yay!!

I am particularly keen to get writers and artists here who might want to
work on their ms. in an inspiring setting. I can offer some limited
mentoring as well. Our website which should be changed and up and running
again will be www.rowanhouse.com.au

Cheers,
Prue

PASS IT ON SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submit contributions to jacket@smartchat.net.au
Comic Sans MS, 12pt, single-line spacing (not essential but helpful)
Mark PASS IT ON SUBMISSION in the subject line
Submit within the body of the email
Give your piece a title heading: eg New Publications; Seeking; General
Information; etc.
Email addresses and contributor contact details will be withheld unless
otherwise stated

Jackie Hosking
Editor/Compiler "PASS IT ON"
www.jackiehosking.com

PASS IT ON ISSUE 57

2006-05-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

PASS IT ON - ISSUE 57: DATE 12/9/05

Hi everyone! I hope you have all had a fantastic week. Thanks to all who
have contributed and a special hello to all new members. Thank you also to
everyone who has offered support and encouragement, I really do appreciate
it. Please enjoy this week's issue of PASS IT ON.

A Disclaimer of Liability

Please ensure that your submissions are ACCURATE and clear. I will accept no
responsibility for any errors or omissions contained in the information
submitted. PLEASE be careful.

To unsubscribe send an email to jacket@smartchat.net.au with "unsubscribe"
in the subject heading.

WHAT IS PASS IT ON?

PASS IT ON is a weekly, on-line, interactive, networking newsletter for
those involved with or interested in the children's writing industry. It is
emailed to subscribers every Monday.

PASS IT ON will survive for as long as YOU the CONTRIBUTOR determine. I am
the collection point for YOUR submissions. I am one cog in a tool that has
the potential to be very powerful. (submission guidelines can be found at
the end of the newsletter)

If you wish to receive PASS IT ON - email me, Jackie Hosking at
jacket@smartchat.net.au and I will send you the most recent issue of the
newsletter and an invoice. If you like what you see, please return the
invoice along with your payment and I will add you to the subscriber's list.

If you join in July it will cost you $24.00 If you join in August, it will
cost you $22.00 If you join in September, it will cost you $20.00 etc...
(all subscriptions will then be due on July 1st 2006)

Please contribute as often as you can and be assured that I will treat your
contact details with the utmost confidentiality. I look forward to making
many more new friends.

Past issues may be viewed at my website www.jackiehosking.com

GENERAL INFORMATION
Exciting PUBLISHING NEWS at ABC Books

Belinda Bolliger, former publisher for Hodder Headline, is now publisher of
ABC Books. ABC Books is fortunate to have Belinda who is a gifted publisher
and editor.

Vic Writers Centre Information Update
______________________________________
VWC seminar: Writing for children and young adults
with Nicolas Brasch
Tuesday 13 September, 6.30-8pm

You don't have to be J K Rowling to make a living writing for children and
young adults. And despite what you might hear, publishers do want to hear
from new and unpublished children's writers.

In this seminar Nicolas Brasch looks beyond the obvious witches and wizards
to discuss the breadth of writing styles for children and young adults.
Learn about markets, including the important library and educational
markets; how to approach publishers; and contracts, royalty payments and set
fees.

Nicolas Brasch is the author of more than 150 published books for children
and young adults, and his books have been sold in almost all
English-speaking markets around the world.

When: Tuesday 13 September, 6.30-8pm
Where: Victorian Writers' Centre, 1st Floor Nicholas Building, 37 Swanston
Street Melbourne
Cost: $25, Members $15/$10

To book for this seminar, please call the Centre on (03) 9654 9068.

What is The Writers' Diary?

Designed by writers for writers, this financial year diary (1 July 2006 to
30 June 2007) is professionally published and contains exclusive tips from
industry experts, writing exercises to inspire and motivate, together with
record-keeping forms, important contact details AND much more!

I'm still editing the website, but thought you might like a sneak peak. I
haven't finished the links or the thankyous yet - but I'm getting there.

Thanks for your support, we appreciate it.
The Writers Diary

SEEKING

Wanted to purchase second-hand the following books:

Australian Childhood, an Anthology by Gwyn Dow and June Factor; Don't Throw
Rocks at Chicken Pox by Bill Condon;
Abomination by Robert Swindells;
The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris by Leon Garfield;
The Wild Child by Harry Mazer;
Angel's Gate by Gary Crew.

Contact dibates@enterprisingwords.com

I am seeking information re work preparing indexes (indices),
particularly for children's non-fiction. I'd appreciate any pointers and/or
leads. Thanks Aveen abeedles@bigpond.net.au

A lady turned up at my local writers' group this week and loudly proclaimed
that writing doesn't need to have a beginning, middle and end. As a new
writer, this confused me so I went looking on the internet and searched
through my books on writing and discovered that without them, the writing
will be incomplete.

What I'm now wondering is, if there's any kind of writing that doesn't need
a beginning, middle and end? Thanks for any help in clearing up the puzzle
for me

REPLIES TO SEEKING

· Re: Does anyone know why Lothian Books is no longer accepting
submissions?

Helen Chamberlin was told to slash her list by 50%. I guess that no longer
leaves any room for unsolicited submissions!

Re a question about NSW School Magazine, Edel Wignell says that they don't
have themes. You can send anything in the following forms: short story, play
script, articles and verse. Some time ago, the editors were discussing the
idea of themes for each issue and asked regular writers for their opinion. I
replied that, as the Victorian magazines have themes, it would be
disadvantageous if NSW followed suit.

Magazines with themes are great because the writer has a starting point.
Many items that I have written would never have been created if I hadn't
been thinking about a theme. The only problem is that the magazine editor
receives many similar items - especially articles. If you choose to write
non-fiction, the first idea that comes into your head is likely to spring
into the heads of other writers, as well. This has happened to me many
times. I try to find different angles - something fresh. Sometimes it's
possible to get a rejected item published elsewhere - even one of the NSW
magazines.

Magazines without themes are great because they are a welcoming market for a
huge diversity of ideas. Whenever you are inspired to write something, you
may find a home for it at the NSW School Magazine.

RE: US Publishers. Can anyone tell me
1. if submissions have to be sent on USA4 paper? This is different from Aus
A4.
I made this same enquiry in PIO previously for a submission to a US
anthology. The submission guidelines required the use of paper eight and a
half inches wide, and eleven inches in length. This is referred to as
'American letter' and is difficult and costly to get in Australia. Julie (a
PIO subscriber) emailed my enquiry to the editor of the anthology (thanks
Julie), and received the following reply:
"Julie, I think paper size A4 is fine. Any paper size you guys can get is
fine. Don't worry too much about it. Just get me the stories."
I expect this would be true in other cases as well.
2. Where can we buy US stamps in Australia? US publishers certainly make it
hard for 'the rest of the world'. And that's before they even look at our
work.
This information has also been covered in previous PIO's. I've pasted a
couple of the entries below.
· Re: international postage coupons no longer accepted. I have
bought US stamps online from the US postal service - www.usps.com - they
took a couple of weeks to arrive. For international mail to Australia, it's
80c for a 1 ounce letter (I send a small envelope and ask the publisher to
recycle the ms). As there's a postage and packing cost, it's worth buying a
couple of sheets.
· POSTAGE OVERSEAS SUBMISSIONS
The trend is that International Postage Coupons are no longer accepted. If
anyone is going to the UK or USA it's a good idea to ask them to buy some
stamps for those wishing to make overseas submissions.
Richard.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

SPECIAL EVENTS

The official, galaxy-wide launch of:

'Erasmus James and the Galactic ZAPP Machine'
is on Wednesday, September 21, 4.30 p.m.,
at Wollongong Library.

There will be dramatic readings, prizes, refreshments, mystery
guests and the chance to meet zany children's author and award-winning surf
journalist DC Green (he'll be the bloke cracking jokes and signing books).
Everyone is welcome to the launch of this fun-filled adventure story, ideal
for eight to 108 year olds. Other children's authors are also welcome to
come & sell their books! Entry is free!!

The ACT Writers Centre presents the
3rd Canberra Readers and Writers Festival
6-9 October 2005

International, national and local writers in conversation, signing books,
conducting workshops, hosting literary lunches and reading their work.
Guests include: Mike Ladd, Gabrielle Lord, Wayne Grogan, Ian Holding, Kate
Holden, Melissa Lucashenko, Celestine Hitiura Vaite, Greg Baker, Miranda
Darling, Anuerin Hughes, Dr Clive Hamilton, Dr Peter Saunders, Jackie French
and John Muk Muk Bourke.

Most events are free and will be held at the National Library of Australia,
with Writing Military History seminars being held at the Australian War
Memorial on Sunday 9 October.

You can join author DC Green at 9am in a free Mutant Chook Workshop and a
live audience-interactive reading from his new book, Erasmus James and the
Galactic ZAPP Machine. Suitable for primary students and all those who like
to make loud animal noises. This will be followed by a panel session on
Saturday, 8 October on Trends in Publishing for Younger Readers from
10-11.15am - a discussion with reviewer Stephen Matthews, and writers DC
Green (PIO readers may recognise the name) and Melissa Lucashenko. It will
be chaired by Belle Alderman, Professor of Children's Literature from the
University of Canberra. For further bio details and full festival details,
go to www.actwriters.org.au You can also call 02 6262 9191 for further
details.

All welcome - free event!

ACT Writers Centre
Gorman House Arts Centre
Ainslie Avenue
BRADDON ACT 2612
Ph: 02 6262 9192
www.actwriters.org.au
youth@actwriters.org.au

Invitation:

The Children's Book Council of Australia 1945-2005

You may have already received this invitation, but we're making doubly
certain that you know about this very important celebration. So many people
have been part of the CBCA for so many years. As we celebrate our 60th
birthday AND the achievement of $1 million in donations to the Awards
Foundation, we would like to honour all those who have helped us along the
way. We would be thrilled if you were to spread the word about the CBCA's
60th birthday - a fabulous record of promoting children's books for 60
years - and the remarkable accomplishment of raising $1 million to fund the
Children¹s Book of the Year Awards forever. Hope you can come and please
pass this on to anyone else you think may like to join us...

Double Happiness!

Join us for two very special celebrations:
Our 60th Birthday & Touchdown to $1 million!

Dinner in the elegant surroundings at:
The Tearoom,
Level 3,
Queen Victoria Building,
George Street,
Sydney
Wednesday 21 September 2005 at 7 for 7.30pm.

Cost: $75 per person (GST Inc)

Celebrate with your friends and colleagues at a table for 8 or 10
Guest of honour will be Maurice Saxby, founding National President of the
CBCA.

How to book: Email your credit card details to hamiltonbooks@iprimus.com.au

Or send the attached form to 8 Seymour Street Drummoyne 2047

Enquiries:
June Smith 9630 2424
Margaret Hamilton 9719 8319

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Australian compiler seeks short stories to suit ages 8 to 10 up to 1200
words for an anthology. If stories are already published, please state
publication and date of publication. ASA rates offered. Deadline is November
30. Selection will be made by December 30 at which time receipt of all
manuscripts will be acknowledged and decisions posted. Please include
s.s.a.e. with your submission to ensure you are informed. One story per
contributor. Address: PO Box 2116, Woonona East NSW 2517

COMPETITIONS/AWARDS

A reminder that the deadline for applications for the ACT Writers Centre
mentorship opportunity close on 16 September.

Mentorship for
Young & Emerging Writer

Are you aged 16-30 years?

Would you like the chance to be mentored by one of Australia's
best-known and most-awarded authors?

then read on..

The ACT Writers Centre is delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for a
Young and Emerging Writer to work closely with author Jackie French for an
extended period with a total of 17 personal contact hours. It will cover
editorial advice and guidance, elements of writing and advice about
marketing and publishing.

The applicant must have a substantial existing body of work that would form
the basis of the mentorship. This can be either a number of short stories
or a number of chapters of a novel. Fiction, non-fiction, adults' and
children's writing, short stories or articles would be eligible for
consideration. Submissions of poetry and scriptwriting are excluded from
this particular project.

The applicant must also have ready access to email and have transport to
Braidwood if they wish to meet face to face with the mentor. They should
live in the Canberra region (which includes the shires of Young, Boorowa,
Harden, Yass Valley, Cootamundra, Goulburn Mulwaree, Gundegai, Tumbarumba,
Tumut, Snowy River, Cooma-Monaro, Eurobodalla, Bega Valley, Bombala,
Palerang and Queanbeyan). There is no charge for this mentorship, although
it is expected that the successful applicant join the ACT Writers Centre if
they are not already a member.

Jackie French, the project's mentor, has written over 120 books for adults
and children in both fiction and non-fiction, has received 40 awards in
Australia and internationally, has had her works translated into 19
languages and has sold millions of books. Her writing spans a variety of
genres including picture books, children's, young adult and adult fiction,
science fiction, history and gardening.

The closing date for applications is 16 September 2005.
Don't miss out!!!

For full details of the application process and selection criteria, please
phone the ACT Writers Centre on 6262 9191, email youth@actwriters.org.au or
go to www.actwriters.org.au

Here is a link to a contest. It's a US 1000w story contest and it costs to
enter but it is small paypal payment and they'll reply by email so no US
stamps needed.

If someone has something lying around it may be worth it.
http://www.cdavisnh.com/contest.htm

It's for a newish US quarterly mag direct marketed to schools so the
link may be of interest too. It's been checked out as legit by a US
writing friend who has contacts with Scam-aware and it has Ralan's
backing.

I don't know what they pay for regular publications. But $50US prize money
would make for a wonderful parcel from Amazon (because it's easier for mags
to buy you gift certificates than send the money).

Bren

WRITING COURSES/WORKSHOPS

PIO readers might be interested in a little feedback from the recent
Melbourne Writer's Festival.

I attended several presentations which were aimed at Secondary students as
part of the Schools' Program. Writers such as Isobelle Carmody, Felicity
Pullman, Carole Wilkinson, Morris Gleitzman and Randa Abdel-Fattah spoke
about their work. Obviously we all get our ideas from different sources and
begin to create stories in our own preferred ways, but it is insightful to
think about how these successful authors approach their writing - and some
of us might need to rethink our "preferred ways" to overcome periods of
"block"!

For these authors, ideas for their books had been generated by their own
reading - about a real-life person, an historical event or fact, or
unraveling an alluring literary piece/poem. Within the group the role of
research, and the way in which it was carried out, varied considerably. Some
authors began to collect information and assemble data before "feeling" or
"sensing" the story emerge; others researched more randomly - when and where
they felt the need as their story developed (eg: to paint an accurate
background of an era or assign roles likely to be played in a certain
historical period). Others had an idea fairly clearly shaped before
conducting extensive research to flesh it out. In the case of writers
writing about experiences they had not had themselves, the importance of
talking to the real people (where possible) who had truly lived the
experiences was emphasised. The use of diaries, archival materials and
recorded interviews etc was highlighted as an important part of research. It
enabled these writers to bring greater authenticity and emotion to the
created characters.

In Randa Abdel-Fattah's case, her book was born of her own experiences and a
desire to do something positive in the face of a very topical problem. Her
book explores the life of an Australian Muslim teenager.

Randa, Morris and Margaret Clark presented in such an engaging, hilarious
and honest manner, it was a highly-entertaining reminder of the power of
humour to reach the teenage audience! The speakers were forthright in their
language and in the topics they discussed - as they are in their books. They
generally had an excellent response from an audience who clearly enjoyed
being treated as mature thinkers with problems and issues worth airing - no
matter how silly or profound.

I find that the value in attending seminars like this sometimes lies in
simply being exposed to the personalities and habits of other writers. It
offers a new way of looking at your own writing and, in some cases, provides
valuable information about the audience and the market place. AB

Create a Kids' Book Workshop: artist Jacqui Young and all-round children's
literature expert (!) Virginia Lowe, will hold a workshop at Gasworks Park,
Albert Park, 10-4 on Saturday 24th September.

Come along and enjoy the workshop process with other like-minded people!

There is another at Heathcote (near Bendigo) on October 22nd, and one
specifically on the novel with Jennifer Dabbs on October 15th.

Maybe we'll see you at one!

Contact Virginia Lowe vlowe@alphalink.com.au or 03 9578 5689.

NEW WORKSTYLE SKILLS

Characters Alive

Being keen on creating a convincing character voice in any story, I was
interested to hear author James Moloney at a recent "No Frontiers" event in
Brisbane, talking about his book "The House on River Terrace". To get an
authentic 19th century feel to the narrative, he found a copy of Tom Petrie's
memoirs from the period and read them aloud, so that when he wrote, the
turns of phrase, the pacing etc would come more naturally. This approach
may sound obvious to some but I'd never thought of doing the "aloud" part of
it. Yet thinking about the extra absorption and feedback involved in doing
that, rather than just reading silently, makes the benefits clear. It also
makes the parallels between writing and acting more pronounced.

Duncan Richardson

Online Literary Festival

I recently had the privilege of being involved with the Online Literature
Festival, organised in conjunction with the Ipswich Festival of Children's
Literature. This resulted in a number of technological firsts for me. I'd
never participated in a chat room and the data projection unit that enabled
whole class participation is a whiz! (Once I figured out how to switch it
on!)

We were able to register our 42 students (Yrs 4-7) for three different chat
sessions, each one unique. Narelle Oliver kicked us off. Unfortunately, we
dropped out part way through this session and were unable to logon again -
so we missed the online launch of her new book, Boom Cha Cha Boogie. But we
did enjoy our brief chat with an author/illustrator we greatly admired.

Our second session was with 'Mystery Guests' - characters from the 2005 CBCA
shortlisted picture books. This kept the kids on their toes, firing
questions to work out who each character was.

Our final session was with Margaret Clark, and by this stage the kids were
competent and confident, with a whole page of complex questions at their
fingertips. We branched out, having the majority of the class participating
via the data projection unit, and a small group of passionate Margaret Clark
supporters on a second computer. I was amazed at Margaret's speed of
response and she answered heaps of questions as a result.

Talking with authors who the kids have long admired was a real buzz for the
students. But there were more benefits than just the 'online' time. Each
session required preparation. Students were immersed in the work of the
author, discussing writing technique (and illustrating in the case of the
picture books) and noting fine details that might ordinarily have passed
them by. Composing questions was brilliant! This showed the depth of their
thinking, and the interest in the topic.

Numerous staff members passed through our room during the days leading up to
the online events and were amazed at the industry generated, and the
involvement of all students. An author study was so much more meaningful
when they knew that they would have an opportunity to put their questions to
the author him/herself.

Leading up to our Mystery Guest session we were analysing books by each of
the author/illustrators. The bell had gone and the children had been set
free for lunch, yet for a further five minutes a group of cool Yr 7 football
lads pored over Jeannie Baker's books, drawing their own conclusions about
'Window' and 'Belonging'. That's interest! (Can anyone confirm - Did Sam in
'Window' marry Tracy in 'Belonging'?)

Well done to authors and organisers. It was a pleasure to introduce you to
my students! We started the Online Festival with fumbling fingers, but were
flying across the keyboard by the end!

Kathryn Apel

HAVE YOUR SAY

FROM AUTHOR Susanne Gervay

Re: Mentors

The NSW Writers Centre has an excellent mentorship programme where Director
Irina Dunn matches up appropriate mentors and mentorees. Mentors are
published authors. I mentored a YA fantasy author and it was a very
successful process.

email - nswwc@ozemail.com.au

FROM AN AUTHOR

Re: Mentors

Re Jenny Mounfield's query on voluntary mentoring: I mentor authors who
approach me. I require no payment except that I expect the author to give
back to the industry by helping new writers and by always negotiating
sensible book contracts and professional payments (eg for speaking
engagements). Some of those whom I mentor help me in numerous ways by
undertaking research, helping with book launches, advising me of new
markets, and forwarding newsletters and interesting information to me. I don't
mind helping anyone, but I cannot abide selfish people who take and never
give. In return, I read and discuss the new writer's manuscripts, work with
them to edit their writing and advise them of markets. I give them any
information which I think will help them in their writing, talk about them
to my editors (when it's appropriate), facilitate workshop groups for them
and generally act as a sounding board. For all other new writers I charge
professional consultants' fees.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Re: Mentors

A PIO member was asking last week about how to acquire the services of a
mentor. Apart from arranging a mentor privately, eg through word of mouth
or networks similar to this, you could contact your local writers' centre
and ask if they can put you in touch with someone suitable in your area.
You may also like to consider looking into the various mentorship
opportunities offered from time to time around the country. There is a
range of mentorship opportunities available which are advertised in local
and arts media, local writers centres etc. These include some (I think 10)
recently offered by the ASA, regular various opportunities at Varuna in the
Blue Mountains, one currently on offer with the ACT Writers Centre, Tom
Collins Writers Centre (WA), Express Media, Qld Writers Centre, Northern
Rivers Writer Centre etc. They vary in who they target, genres of writing,
level of mentoring provided, but can offer some fabulous opportunities. Some
of these are fully funded, some require a contribution to the cost of the
program. If you're looking for what's available, keep an eye on your local
literary media or local writers centre, or just do a google search. Look
for some of the organisations mentioned above or type in key words like
mentorship and writing.

I notice, however, that quite a number of the government funded mentorship
programs on offer are for "young" people, with various age definitions but
always focusing on the under 40s and usually under 30s. As an over-40 year
old writer who finds I am now at a time in my life with the necessary brain
and time space, inclination and experience to write, I find this policy to
be limiting and discriminatory. While looking around the web for such
programs I came across a site where two students from Griffith Uni wrote
about their findings from a survey they undertook about mentoring programs.
The site is http://www.griffith.edu.au/school/art/text/oct02/krauth.htm It's
interesting to note that my opinion on this policy of supporting "young
writers" met with similar comments from various others. Perhaps I need to
pass this on to the Australia Council as a major funding body.

I have actually just recently returned from a wonderful week at Varuna in
Katoomba where I was fortunate to be part of the Longlines Mentorship
program. In the company of 5 others writing in different genres, I wrote
madly, was inspired, validated, well fed and watered and had fun to boot.
During various detailed discussions with Peter Bishop, the Creative
Director, during the week, I experienced an exciting breakthrough with a YA
project I had been almost prepared to discard. He intuitively identified a
key problem and helped me see a new path and clear direction and got me
excited about the work. I would urge others to look at their website
www.varuna.com.au to look at the various programs they have on offer. Many
others speak very highly of their own experiences there. It is a marvellous
place where magic can take place.

Christine Aldred

HAVE YOUR SAY

In response to my piece "The Publishing Pie", published a few issues ago,
one contributor working in publishing expressed doubt regarding my figures
relating to salaries in publishing and questioned my sources. The most
recent publishing statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics,
however, show the situation is even more distinct than I reported. The ABS
states that in Australian publishing "average wages and salaries per
employee rose 9% between 2003-03 and 2003-04, to $52,300". At the same time,
the amount of royalties and fees paid by publishers "decreased by 11% ($11.7
m)".

I note too that a contributor in the issue of 5 September asks what to do
about a publisher flagrantly breaching the terms of a contract. The answer
is of course to join the ASA and have us act on your behalf. That what we're
here for after all. I urge all authors to support the Society that's been
fighting for authors' rights and payments for 43 years. It's the weight of
numbers that counts after all and makes us strong.

Best wishes

--
Dr Jeremy Fisher
Executive Director
Australian Society of Authors
PO Box 1566 Strawberry Hills NSW 2016
+61 (0)2 9318 0877 Fax: +61 (0)2 9318 0530
0438 318 673

FROM AUTHOR Jackie French

Do bad contracts mean bad books?

When a publishing house gives cut rates to authors they usually do
most other stuff cut rate too...production, editing, PR...

No matter how brilliant your book is, it won't look brilliant if it's
poorly produced- and it may still have the tinge of amateurism if it
doesn't have a good (ruthless) editor punching it into shape.

You just don't lose money with a bad contract- you may well lose the
best chance for your book too.

FROM AUTHOR Libby Gleeson

A correction:

Thanks to Di Bates for telling us about the new publishing venture Blue Cat
Books. I hadn't heard of them but always feel pleased to hear that a new
publisher has started up.

The email address is www.bluecatbooks.com.au

In issue 56 the 'au' was absent and that meant you went to a book selling
company specialising in Americana and military history plus lots more with
nothing to do with Australian books for children.

Have your say

I also recall Where is the Green Parrot but last week I was surprised when I
re-read the text, it didn't attract me very much. I remember it from the
70's and liked it then. I love the words as well as the illustrations in
Where is the Green Sheep. Have people noticed the clever pairs of sheep in
the last spread? There are no words, but we see Dame Nellie Sheep and
NedKelly sheep, boating sheep and floating sheep, singing sheep and ringing
sheep (mobile phone), flying sheep and crying sheep and more. I was not
clever enough to name all the sheep on that page. I feel it is a bonus in
fun for the adults that read the book.
H.

FROM AUTHOR Paul Collins

Courtney says no one replied to her re a proposed article on "major book
chains bypassing their books".

Actually, here's one who did. But I never received a reply.

HAVE YOUR SAY

IT'S MOMENTS LIKE THESE YOU NEED MENTORS

Mentoring should really be a voluntary thing, in my opinion, if the
boundaries are set properly and people know what to expect from the
relationship on both sides.

Before anyone offended by the suggestion that mentoring-should-be-voluntary
jumps down my throat, I'd like to say this:

In the past I have voluntarily mentored an isolated writer through the
Romance Writers of Australia Isolated Writers Scheme (a very good scheme
helping those writers in isolated areas, or who are isolated for
social/personal reasons), and I did so never expecting any payment from the
mentee. (The RWA would never be able to get mentors for that scheme if they
expected to be paid, I might add). As a result, I found a new friend living
thousands of km away.

Email makes it very easy to keep in touch and if the details of what the
mentoring will entail is worked out before any relationship commences, it
certainly helps. The idea is to pair a more experienced writer with someone
less experienced but committed to developing their craft. Obviously, mentees
shouldn't expect their mentors to talk about money or things like that, but
be able to bounce ideas off them, provide suggestions for approaching
markets, share market info, and even provide work for critiquing if that is
an activity agreed between the partners.

Jenny, who already has books published and is seeking a more experienced
"mentor", could in fact mentor a less experienced writer herself, should she
wish it.

HAVE YOUR SAY

COMMENT - BLUE CAT BOOKS

I was very interested to read Di Bates' report on Blue Cat Books. I queried
this new publisher some time ago and never received a response to my
enquiry. It made me wonder if they accepted any books outside their small
established stable of authors.

ARTICLES

Researching Publishers for Absolute Beginners: a systematic approach
By aspiring author, Marianne Vreugdenhil

If you're like me, you're probably putting off beginning your
research into publishers because you don't know where to start.
Being the sort of person who seeks comfort in lists and tables, I
decided this was the best way for me to proceed. I'm still new to
the world of publishing but I thought I'd write this article as it
contains the sort of information I would have liked from the very
beginning.

WHAT I DID:

Step 1: I bought "The Australian Writer's Market Place". Then I went
to the section marked 'publishers' and read through every entry,
highlighting any publishers who mentioned children's books.

Step 2: I created a table in Word (a spreadsheet in Excel is just as
good) with the following headings:

· Date information collected
· Publisher name
· Unsolicited MSS accepted Y/N
· Picture books published Y/N
· Younger readers published Y/N
· YA published Y/N
· Titles of books published by publishing house
· Does writer contribute to cost of publication? Y/N
· "The Australian Writer's Marketplace" pg. ref. no. (for when
I needed address details)
· Comments

Step 3: I went through each publisher I'd highlighted and looked up
their website. Then I tried to fill in the above information. I
attempted to look at five websites a day to make the task more
manageable.

Step 4: Once I'd filled out the table, I set about crossing out
those publishers who did not fit my specifications. In my case, that
meant things like not accepting MSS aimed at younger readers.

Step 5: Taking note of the publishers left on my list, I went to the
library and to my local bookshop, and looked at a few of the titles
on each of the publishers' lists. Then I decided whether or not my
MS fitted in with that publishing house.

Step 7: I culled the houses that didn't fit.

Step 8: I was left with a shortlist of publishers to whom I could
send my MS.

ANOTHER USEFUL TABLE FOR MATCHING PUBLISHING HOUSES TO YOUR MS:

One other source of publisher information is books themselves. A
while ago, I developed two review forms, one for picture books and
one for young readers/YA. These can be printed out and filled in by
hand, circling the appropriate descriptor. I use the forms to record
information about children's books I've read, who has published them
and what I think of the books themselves.

The headings on the young reader/YA review form are:

· Title
· Author
· Illustrator
· Publisher
· Year published
· Style (first person, third person, number of chapters,
realistic, fairytale, sci-fi, comic, serious, action, fantasy, semi-
realistic)
· Target audience (boys, girls, boys & girls, age range______)
· Word length
· Frequency of illustrations
· Children's Book Council of Australia Awards (Notable, Short-
listed, Honour Book, Book of the Year, Year _____)
· Other awards
· Plot
· Review of story
· Any other comments

The headings on the picture book review form are:

· The same as above +
· Description of illustrations
· Review of illustrations.

Of course, there are plenty of other places to find out publisher
information, but this is a good starting point.

COPIES OF TABLES:

If you're anal like me and would like an already formatted copy of
any of these tables, feel free to contact Jackie who will pass on
your details to me and I'll send them to you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Tale of Two Judges - A report on the 2005 Dorothea Mackellar poetry awards

*Lorraine Marwood*

I grew as a poet because of my involvement with the Dorothea Mackellar
award through an increased understanding of what children and teenagers
are writing about and how they tackle a poem. The passion of teachers,
the passion of the Dorothea Mackellar organising committee all point to
a trust in the power of poetry to transform or enrich lives.

Claire Saxby and I had the privilege of flying to Gunnedah last week to
take part in the awards ceremony and then be part of the small group of
students and parents who were hosted around areas of local interest. We
were shown wonderful hospitality and friendship by Georgia Parkin,
project officer and the committee of volunteers on the Dorothea
Mackellar committee.

We have written a judges' report which actually pinpoints suggestions
for sharper writing and hints for entering the contest next year. A new
category special education primary and secondary was innovative and no
doubt will attract more entries next year.

http://www.dorothea.com.au/

I learnt more about a sunburnt country itself through judging this
poetry competition.

I met contest winners, saw a new landscape ( I've never been to Gunnedah
before), saw a working open cut coal mine, cotton growing on the side of
the road and had the chance to deliver a short speech- always nerve
wracking but great to be given another opportunity to refine my
presentation. As I continue writing poetry for children, I can see my
audience in a sharper perspective and have added knowledge of what
concerns them personally.

*Claire Saxby*

Co-judging this competition with Lorraine was a fascinating and
rewarding experience. I learnt about the difference that can be made in
a classroom when a teacher is able to share their passion with their
students. I learnt that a small group of committed people can offer a
wonderful opportunity to every school-aged child in Australia. The
Dorothea Mackellar Society does this in their annual Poetry Awards. This
year there were over 15,500 entries from small schools and large
schools, from distance education schools and from home schools. A
mammoth logistical challenge ably met by Project Officer Georgia Parker
and the volunteer Committee.

Following our speeches, we were thrilled to be able to call the winners
to the stage to receive their prizes and to hear them perform their
work. From the eight-year-old junior primary winner with his linked cue
cards, to the senior secondary winner and the recording from the primary
special school winners, hearing the winning poems was an extra treat.

I echo Lorraine's comments on the wonderful hospitality we were shown
while attending the Awards Ceremony. We had an opportunity to meet most
of the winning poets from this year's Awards. While the poems must stand
alone to win, meeting the poet gives the poem another dimension. We also
met family members and were welcomed by many members of the committee
who make this competition so successful.

The winning poems and individual judges reports are also featured on the
website mentioned above. We have tournaments for football and netball,
and many other sports. It's great to see this opportunity for children
to express themselves with words. This is a valuable skill and should be
encouraged. Thank you to the Dorothea Mackellar Society for continuing
to promote poetry in Australia.

PUBLISHER GUIDELINES

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR PROFILE

USEFUL BOOKS/WEBSITES

I thought I'd enclose a link to www.katedicamillo.com She writes a journal
once a month and I often read it for some inspiration. She really captures
the wonder and privilege of writing for children and she definitely makes
you want to write well. Lisa Shanahan

BOOK REVIEWS

Erasmus James and the Galactic Zapp Machine
by DC Green (Ibis Publishing)
© Dianne Bates

The back cover blurb of Erasmus James and the Galactic Zapp Machine
proclaims its author DC Green "**the new Roald Dahl". I agree. This is not
to say that this new Australian children's author writes in any way like
Dahl, but the originality, vigour and humour of his storytelling and his
refreshingly idiosyncratic use of language marks him as One to Watch Out
For.

A legendary international surfing journalist from southern NSW, Green
impressed Ibis Publishing executives so much with his writing that they
signed him up for a three book series, a feat almost unheard for a
first-time children's author in today's Australia. (New writers take note!)

So, what is it that makes the first Erasmus James' book such a stand-out?
For a start, Green breaks all the rules, not just in aspects such as
characterisation and use of language, but in punctuation. When did you ever
read a book where an exclamation mark is extended to a series of four? Where
three brackets are used instead of one? At first I found this lack of
convention irritating, but as I became swept up into the strongly paced,
side-splitting humour of the book with its underlying whacks at twenty-first
century conventions, I forgot all of my school-marm, judgemental
reservations.

Erasmus James, son of an inventor who meddles with dad's latest - a machine
which doesn't just move into time, but into Uponia (a whole new, fantastical
dimension) - is a sassy-mouthed boy who wants to get home. Having met King
Reginald the Seventy-seventh, Ruler of Uponia from the foothills of the
Bloodhouse Mountains (etc, etc, etc, etc), Erasmus (Raz for short),
fast-talks his way into surviving by negotiating to sell King Reg a
prototype for a kar. He does this by a modern means, presenting the
tyrannical, murderous Reg with a Lameboy, which, like all Gameboys deadens
Reggie's brain and natural inclinations. The King even condescends to repair
Raz's galactic zapp machine while he sends the boy along the Trans-Uponian
Highway to see the Great Wonder of Uponia.

A talking (and wind-breaking) ninja horse by the name of Franklin is Raz's
mode of transport in a strange land frequented by mutant poultry, which,
early in the piece, have Erasmus thinking, "Didn't those bird-brains know
you can't make an omlette without breaking a few eggs? (I wonder if that's
original?) Which brings me to the other seven things I thought of: crunchy
spuds with roast chicken, satay chicken, chicken wings with a selection of
yummy dips, apricot children, Bayfried Chicken (BFC), chicken burgers
smothered in apple sauce, and, of course, Vietnamese chicken omlette."

My reading of Erasmus James and the Intergalactic Zapp Machine often had me
in fits in laughter, reinforcing the book's back blurb warning, "so funny,
you could break ribs or explode internal organs from laughing so hard". What
the blurb doesn't mention is that if you read the book while in the company
of others, you might annoy them greatly by reading aloud long chunks of
side-splitting sections, which is what I did time and again.

My appreciation of this new author's first book is not totally without
reservation. At times (especially in the introductory chapter), I found
Erasmus' asides broke the story flow and that sometimes Green's
over-statements (such as references to the farting horse and Vietnamese
food) were annoying. Some adults might find the near-end scene of death
highly offensive. But these are small quibbles in a book which plays around
irreverently with all aspects of language.

Underlying all of the book's hilarity is a message about life, about
heroically facing one's fears and conquering them in a world (such as today's)
where mad-men bent on world domination and destruction hold sway, but where
lesser mortals can in the end, with humour, co-operation and persistence and
by overcoming prejudices, triumph. Watch out for DC Green!

**(((By the way, it was DC HimSelf who compared HimSelf with the late and
great Dahl!!!)))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm Not Scared (Io non ho paura)
by Niccolo Ammaniti
translated by Jonathan Hunt

Reviewed by Sheryl Gwyther

If you want to be a good writer you need to read great stories. That's one
of the universal truths. (It's also an excellent excuse as to why you're
not tackling that tottering pile of ironing).

But one doesn't need any excuses to read Niccolo Ammaniti's brilliant novel
I'm Not Scared, set in a tiny farming community in rural Italy in the 1970s.
While their parents shelter indoors during a scorching summer day, six
children head out on their bikes into the deserted Italian countryside.
When 9 year-old Michele Amitrano is dared to venture into the darkness of a
rundown farmhouse he discovers something so terrible, he dares tell no one.
His journey towards the final confronting insights about injustice, betrayal
and the loss of friendship will leave the reader breathless.

Ammaniti skilfully captures a child's voice and viewpoint with devastating
precision. His gripping narrative and descriptions of the raw landscape are
uncluttered and utterly truthful, capturing the reader from the very first
sentence. Nothing has been lost either with Jonathan Hunt's flawless
translation.

This story won the 2001 Viareggio-Repaci Prize for Fiction and has been sold
in 20 languages.

INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOPS
**Note this is a new section - please feel free to add to it**

Books In Print,
100 Glenferrie Rd
Malvern 3144

This is a general bookshop BUT it holds a wonderful and extensive array of
excellent children's books - fiction and non fiction. The staff are very
knowledgeable, friendly and fantastically helpful - with a specialist in
Children's books amongst them. They are happy to order anything (& call you
when it comes in) and have a great "bonus voucher/book points" scheme to
reward 'frequent buyers'. They produce their own regular bulletins with
informative reviews of children's books and the front window is an
oft-changing joy for keen readers and writers who like to keep up to date
with all the new and interesting titles! AB

Shelly's Bookshop
Shop 3, 274 Green Street,
Ulladulla, 2539.
Ph: (02) 4454 4679
(they specialise in children's books!)

CRITIQUE GROUPS BULLETINBOARD
**Looking to create or join a critique group - here's the place!**

MILESTONES
**A new section for members to share their achievements**

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Ursula K. Le Guin:

"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is
the journey that matters, in the end."

ADVERTISEMENTS

PASS IT ON SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submit contributions to jacket@smartchat.net.au
Comic Sans MS, 12pt, single-line spacing (not essential but helpful)
Mark PASS IT ON SUBMISSION in the subject line
Submit within the body of the email
Give your piece a title heading: eg New Publications; Seeking; General
Information; etc.
Email addresses and contributor contact details will be withheld unless
otherwise stated

Jackie Hosking
Editor/Compiler "PASS IT ON"
www.jackiehosking.com

PASS IT ON ISSUE 56

2006-05-06T23:23:00.000-07:00

PASS IT ON - ISSUE 56: DATE 05/09/05

Hi everyone! I hope you have all had a fantastic week. Thanks to all who
have contributed and a special hello to all new members. Thank you also to
everyone who has offered support and encouragement, I really do appreciate
it. Please enjoy this week's issue of PASS IT ON.

A Disclaimer of Liability

Please ensure that your submissions are ACCURATE and clear. I will accept no
responsibility for any errors or omissions contained in the information
submitted. PLEASE be careful.

To unsubscribe send an email to jacket@smartchat.net.au with "unsubscribe"
in the subject heading.

WHAT IS PASS IT ON?

PASS IT ON is a weekly, on-line, interactive, networking newsletter for
those involved with or interested in the children's writing industry. It is
emailed to subscribers every Monday.

PASS IT ON will survive for as long as YOU the CONTRIBUTOR determine. I am
the collection point for YOUR submissions. I am one cog in a tool that has
the potential to be very powerful. (submission guidelines can be found at
the end of the newsletter)

If you wish to receive PASS IT ON - email me, Jackie Hosking at
jacket@smartchat.net.au and I will send you the most recent issue of the
newsletter and an invoice. If you like what you see, please return the
invoice along with your payment and I will add you to the subscriber's list.

If you join in July it will cost you $24.00 If you join in August, it will
cost you $22.00 If you join in September, it will cost you $20.00 etc...
(all subscriptions will then be due on July 1st 2006)

Please contribute as often as you can and be assured that I will treat your
contact details with the utmost confidentiality. I look forward to making
many more new friends.

Past issues may be viewed at my website www.jackiehosking.com

GENERAL INFORMATION
The benefits of Googling!
I recently "googled" myself, to find out how many of my publications were
listed on the Internet. As a result I discovered a book I illustrated in
1991 (with a contract stating I receive royalties on local and overseas
sales), and long since out of print here in Australia, was republished in
1992 in the United States as a hardcover by a different publisher! As I've
never received a cent from overseas sales this was a revelation to me! I
immediately notified the Australian publishing company and they are
"investigating" as it seems it is a surprise to them also. I've got my
fingers crossed that after thirteen years of overseas sales I may be
entitled to some payment. The moral of the story is: stay vigilant and keep
googling! MCG

Authors Let Bidders Name Characters

Next month, Stephen King, Amy Tan, Lemony Snicket, Nora
Roberts, Michael Chabon and 11 other best-selling writers
will auction the right to name characters in their new
novels. The profits will go to the First Amendment Project,
whose lawyers have repeatedly gone to court to protect the
free speech rights of activists, writers and artists.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=1041619

Successful children's author, Jane Yolen wrote about a boy called Henry
attending a wizarding school with his red-headed best friend, 8 years before
Rowling wrote Harry Potter. The number of similarities is enough to make any
author shudder. Anyone interested in reading an interview, go to:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8917828/site/newsweek#storyContinued
Jenny:)

SEEKING

In PIO issue 55 Robin Koontz, RA Oregon is quoted as saying "Most MG novels
usually come in around 30,000+ words and most YA are higher than that."
I know YA is Young Adult, but I am unfamiliar with MG. I assume it is an
American abbreviation for Middle Grades. Can someone confirm (or correct) my
guess, please? - Jenni L. Ivins

A couple of weeks ago I posted a message in PIO issue 50 under 'Seeking'
asking for people who have had experiences with major book chains bypassing
their books for more well know authors, for an article I'm writing. No one
replied but I did, however, receive an email from Eliza Metcalfe from
Australian Bookseller and Publisher expressing an interest in the article.

I was hoping to quote some of the people who voiced their concerns about
this issue in past PIO newsletters but nobody seems to like to sign their
names.

I was wondering if there was any way you could help me find out who these
people are, and if they'd mind me quoting them.

They were all under 'Have Your Say' - two from issue 47:

One from 'DC' which started 'Big book chains offering children's book are
now engaged in...'

And further down the page, 'From an Author' which was titled 'Anguish &
Robbery'.

>From issue 51

'From an Author' which started 'I am hopping mad...'

Regards,

Courtney

***If any of the people mentioned here would like to get in contact with
Courtney so that she might write her article, please let me (Jackie) know
and I'll arrange it. That way you can keep your identity private - if that's
what you'd prefer.***

Author Seeking Advice: I'm after advice, or a format for writing a children's
book proposal. If anyone has written a successful book proposal, or has
tips on the best way to structure one, I'd be grateful to hear from you. My
proposal is probably best described as a blend of creative non-fiction and
fiction. I will humbly accept all offers of assistance. My email is
walkersue@optusnet.com.au if you'd prefer to contact me directly. Thanks.
Sue Walker

Could Peter Choat please contact dibates@enterprisingwords.com ?

REPLIES TO SEEKING

RE: What can you do when you find that your publisher remaindered your book
more than a year ago without offering you the chance to purchase copies -
even though your contact clearly states that you will be given the first
offer?

The books are gone but the contract was broken.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

'The Twelve Tasks of Heracles and other Greek Myths' by Claire Saxby with
wonderful illustrations by Ned Culic, has just been released by Pearson
Education as part of their Chatterbox series.

SPECIAL EVENTS

· Book reading and launch -Little Fur by Isobelle Carmody
On Wednesday 7 September at 4.30pm, Isobelle Carmody will read from her
latest children's story book, Little Fur. Copies of the book will be on
sale. A free event.
Sue Ernst
Marketing Development
Geelong Gallery, Little Malop Street, Geelong 3220
T. 03 5229 3645 F. 03 5221 6441

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

· Gigglers

Our experience with our previous series, Sparklers, showed that humour was
especially appealing to children. So Gigglers are funny stories, in full
colour, with the following text features:

* varied sentence patterns and extended descriptions

* some unusual vocabulary

* developed stories with a series of events or episodes

* text that results in varied illustrations

Gigglers have a target audience of 7 to 8 years old. The situations can be
realistic or fantastic, although stories should still maintain some links to
familiar situations.

We have published the following Gigglers sets:

July 2002 Gigglers Blue, 800-1200 words (reading age level 18-24)
April 2003 Gigglers Green, 1200-1500 words (reading age level 24-28)
July 2003 Gigglers Red, 800 words (reading age level 15-18)
July 2004 Gigglers Purple, 500-600 words (reading age level 15-16)
February 2005 Gigglers Bubblegum, 400-500 words (reading age level 14-16)

What Blake Education is looking for?

Blake Education wants to publish Gigglers for slightly older readers. We are
now looking for funny stories with the following word counts:

2500-3000 words (Reading age 8.5+ years) deadline October 31 2005

You can email manuscripts (as attachments) to:
sophia.oravecz@blake.com.au

or mail them to:

Sophia Oravecz
Blake Education
PO Box 250
Glebe NSW 2037

Supplying your manuscript

* Number each page in your manuscript. Please also include your name on each
page.

* Include your complete contact details on the first page of the hard copy
or electronic file.

* A word count should be included at the beginning of the manuscript.

* Use double quote marks for speech.

Responding to your submission

. Receipt of submissions will be acknowledged by email or letter.

. Authors are not contacted again until a decision is made about their
manuscript: that is, the manuscript is either shortlisted for a Gigglers set
or is considered unsuitable for Blake's publishing schedule.

. If a manuscript is unsuccessful, hard-copy manuscripts will be returned to
the author. Any manuscripts that have been sent electronically will be
deleted.

. We understand that you may wish to send your manuscript to other
publishers simultaneously. However, we would appreciate it if you could let
us know as soon as your story has been shortlisted by another publisher.

N.B. Please note that there is a lengthy period of time before a decision is
made about manuscripts. Thanks for your patience.

>From the latest ASA newsletter:-

'Manuscripts wanted for new educational publisher for lower primary (2-3000
words), middle primary (3-5000 words) and upper primary (15-20,000 words)
level students. Please send electronic copies to cornwell@surf.net.au or
hard copies to Allan Cornwell, 12A Williams Rd, Mornington VIC 3930 (include
a SSAE if you want your manuscript returned).'

MARKETS in the US (all are current)

AMERICAN GIRL, P.O. Box 620986, Middleton WI 53562-0986: contact: Magazine
Department assistant. Ages 8 up. QUERY WITH PUBLISHED CLIPS! E-mail:
readermail@pleasantco.com Website: http://www.pleasantco.com

BOYS' QUEST, P O Box 227, Bluffton OH 45817: Marilyn Edwards, Articles
Editor. Ages 5-13. Email: hsbq@wcoil.com. http://www.boysquest.com.

CADET QUEST. Box 7259, Grand Rapids MI 49510: G. Richard Broene, Editor.
Religious. Ages Boys 9-14. E-mail: cadets@aol.com . Website:
www.CalvinistCadets.org. Themes are at
http://www.gospelcom.net/cadets/CadetWeb/pages/CadetQuestThemes.html.

CICADA, PO Box 300, Peru IL 61354: Tacy Schoenle, Senior Editor. Ages: teen/
young adult. Email: CICADA@caruspub.com. Website: www.cricketmag.com.

THE CRYSTAL BALL, P O Box 98, Ripley OH 45167: Marlene Powell, Editor.
Fantasy, folktale and science fiction for young adults.

HOBSON'S CHOICE, P.O. Box 98, Ripley OH 45167: Susanna C. West, Editor.
Sci/fi and fantasy. Ages: teens/young adult.

INTEEN, P.O. Box 436987, Chicago IL 60643: Katara Washington, Editor.
Religious/Afro-American teens. Email: Kawashington@urbanministries.com .
Website: http://www.urbanministries.com

POSITIVE TEENS, PO Box 1136, Boston MA 02130-0010: Susan Manning, Publisher
and Editor-in-Chief. Ages 12-21. Email: infor@positiveteensmag.com, Website:
www.positiveteensmag.com.

SMALL FARMER'S JOURNAL, P.O. Box 1627, Sisters OR 97759-1627: Amy Evers,
Editorial Asst. "Just for Kids" section.

WEE ONES E-MAGAZINE: www.weeonesmag.com. Ages 3-8. Email: email
submissions@weeonesmag.com.

Children's Writing Pro needed 5c/word
Reply to: anon-91125510@craigslist.org
Date: 2005-08-15, 8:51AM

Dear ghost writer,

I am a tiny, tiny, tiny publisher helping to launch independent children's
books. Unfortunately, my clients are often terrible writers. I need someone
who can rewrite these stories with proper grammar and at a consistent
reading level. It is important that the plot, pacing and length stay the
same. I only need the sentences or paragraphs rewritten. Some of these are
in rhyming verse so you'll need to be a good poet too.

Pay is 5 cents per word and the work is sporadic. Perhaps 1-2 jobs per
month. No credit will be given in the books.

Please do not send me an email unless you have children's writing experience
and a college degree in writing/english. If you have these requirements then
please paste your resume into the body of your email. No attachments will be
opened.

I encourage you to repost this ad on writing websites/publications. Since I
am only a one-man company I cannot respond to everyone. There just isn't
enough time in the day. Last time I posted an ad like this I got over 2000
responses.

Thanks,
D.P.
Member NWU
Original URL: http://atlanta.craigslist.org/wri/91125510.html

LuckySports is currently seeking contributions from new and experienced
children's writers.

Type of book: Children's picture book (in colour) using copyrighted
LuckySports cartoon characters

Length: 32 colored pages

Audience: Children ages 4-12 years old

Style: Your choice, but it has to be fun, lots of action and zany!

How to start: We want to start you on a project writing an episode of a
series of LuckySports children's picture books, so pick a sport that you're
familiar with. Tell me which sport and I'll send you information on the
characters and pictures.

Payment: LuckySports will purchase exclusive rights of your works by paying
you a flat sum of US$1000 per story. All story titles will include your name
as the author.

Information for you......
LuckySports are sport cartoon characters in the shape of sporting goods
equipment. They live in a magical place called SportsLand which floats on a
cloud in the sky, higher than any other cloud. There's always a sports game
going on in SportsLand. Whether it's soccer, baseball, or football... when
one game's done, another's begun!

Submissions:
We reserve the right not to publish any material which we believe is vulgar,
discriminatory against others by virtue of their race, gender, religion or
nationality, or promotes acts of violence or the abuse of power.

Evaluation: Email your story(s) if you like for evaluation. All inquiries
are to be directed to:

Chuck Hellman, LuckySports Editor
39844 Somerset Ave.
Palm Desert, CA 92211
Phone: (760) 861-2174
Email Address: (see website)
Web site: http://www.sportcartoonbooks.com

COMPETITIONS/AWARDS

MELBOURNE POETS UNION
INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION 2005
Closes 28th October
$1,000 First Prize
$300 Second Prize
$200 Third Prize
$50 Martin Downey Best Urban Realist Poem
Plus Books /Book vouchers
Conditions and Entry form:
SSAE to Victorian Writers Centre 37 Swanston St Melbourne 3000
Downloadable Entry Forms found at MPU's Website:
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mpuinc
Contact for MPU Inc Leon Shann 9386 6259 shannleon@ihug.com.au

I get the feeling there are a few poets amongst us so.
Good Luck - from Fiona Sievers

WRITING COURSES/WORKSHOPS

NEW WORKSTYLE SKILLS

Unusual Launch Online with "Muscles"

Virtual fireworks and a bunch of virtual flowers were part of this Book
launch.

As a part of the Ipswitch (Qld) Literary festival, 'Muscles' (Lothian Start
Up series) which was illustrated by Ann James, was launched online as part
of a webchat. The author Hazel Edwards tapped her answers from her Melbourne
computer while Queensland students spoke with illustrator Ann James who was
visiting Ipswitch as part of the festival. The book was launched
simultaneously thousands of kilometres apart, but linked electronically.

A cost effective launch but one which also enabled rural students to be
involved in a literary innovation.

Check the Ipswitch Literary Festival
http://www.learningplace.com.au/sc/ipswich/olf
and Lothian publicist anna_dalziel@lothian.com.au or www.lothian.com.au
and www.hazeledwards.com which have free downloadable activities relating
to this title .

HAVE YOUR SAY

FROM AN ILLUSTRATOR

Regarding the "Flat fee Vs Royalties" ongoing debate, as an illustrator it
is often (unfortunately) a non-issue. When I try to hold out for royalties
I'm told it's a flat fee or nothing, so, in order to survive, I accept.
Lately however, I've noticed that the flat fee being offered is abysmal, far
less than what was standard even a few years ago. One editor even said "I'm
not surprised" when I told her I couldn't do the job for the money offered.

So, on a few different educational series recently I have expressed dismay
at the fee offered, and have in each case ended up getting far more than
that first offer. I think editors always offer a low base line starting
figure. Those of us who are desperate for the work say yes straight away, so
the Publishing house wins, but those of us (and it should be all of us!) who
argue the point get a bit (or a lot more) and so we win. Although I suspect
we never really win while we continue to accept a flat fee.

FROM AUTHOR Jenny Mounfield

Re: Mentors -
I read with interest that DC voluntarily mentors new writers. So, how does
one acquire a mentor? I've reached a point with my own writing where I've
learnt about all I can from the numerous 'how to' books that crowd my
shelves, not to mention various courses I've completed, and now feel a
mentor is exactly what I need. But where to find one? Is it politically
correct to simply approach an author whose work I admire and ask?
Incidentally, I'm not looking for a freebie and am quite willing to pay.
Perhaps those authors out there who offer mentoring would like to advertise
in future issues of PIO with a brief outline of their specialty e.g. picture
books.

THANKS

Thanks to Susanne Gervay for her report on the CBC awards presentation. I
nearly fell off my chair when I read it because only this morning I had
finished Susanne's book, I Am Jack, which I loved.
I discovered this book not because I have primary aged kids, nor am I a
teacher, but I visit a primary school each week for one hour where I am
involved in the kids' Literacy Circle and get to read the books they are
reading. It is a wonderful opportunity. I get to discuss with the kids what
are they reading and why, as well as giving them as much info. as they would
like on writing.
I am finding it to be both a worthwhile and enjoyable experience which I can
recommend to others who want to keep in the know when writing for today's
kids.
Sharon Greenaway.

HAVE YOUR SAY

In response to Hazel Edwards on YA audio books
I have just finished listening to Sophie Masson's Clementine on my iPod in
order to review it for Australian Bookseller & Publisher. It came to me as a
cd and I simply copied it onto the Pod, I've done the same in the past with
MP3 cds too. Clementine's audio publisher Bolinda Publishing has an
arrangement with US audiobook retailer Audible.com whereby you can purchase
and download selected Australian audio titles from Bolinda straight to your
iPod or MP3 player. Handy. I spend a lot of time on public transport and
find listening to an audio book on my Pod an excellent way to pass the time.
However, Australian copyright law does not permit copying of copyright
materials (like an audio book), even for personal use, so what I'm doing in
copying audio books to my Pod is illegal. Despite that, every teenager I
know considers downloading music from the internet (also illegal) to be just
fine, so I don't imagine that the illegality of buying and then copying an
audio book to their MP3 player would trouble the average conscience too
much.
The move in audio book publishing is currently towards MP3 cds as they make
a full-length audio title significantly cheaper to produce (fewer CDs
required, less packaging needed etc). Bolinda and ABC Audio are both
releasing onto MP3 locally. I don't know of any Australian direct-download
sites for audio book content, but that surely can't be too far off.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Hazel Edwards was enquiring about audio books: I've recently returned from
the SCBWI conference in Los Angeles, where they were a bit of an item. There
was one major session and two workshop sessions devoted to audio books, all
run by Bruce Coville and Tim Ditlow: The Makings of a Successful Audio Book;
The Business Side of Audio Books (how to increase sales of your book and
audio book); and What You Need to Know About Audio Books.
Bruce Coville is a writer and the founder of Full Cast Audio, an audio book
publishing company. They produce full cast, unabridged recordings of books
for "family listening".
Tim Ditlow is VP and publisher of Listening Library, the children's
audiobook imprint at Random House. It's the world's largest audiobook
publisher dedicated to children's literature.
Now I have to confess, I didn't go to any of their sessions, so can't report
on what they said. But it looks as if audiobooks are becoming big business.
Pam Rushby

HAVE YOUR SAY

Where is the green sheep?
Before I read this book, I noted the similarity of its title to "Where is
the green parrot?" and wondered, so I can understand some of Jane Swing's
reservations.

The real difference for me is that the green parrot appears on each of the
pages, thus making the book more like the Ahlberg's "Each peach, pear,
plum".

Mem Fox's treatment of the sheep is more reminiscent of a fantastic book I
picked up in France (at the Picasso Museum) which was about Elephants and
showed large small, fat, thin, wrinkled and smooth (etc) elephants and is
the funniest book I have ever read. (I have seen an English edition but I
cannot recall what it was called.)

The similarities of phrasing in "Parrot" and "Sheep" could be related to the
short nature of the sentences in the text and the impact of translations.
The closeness of the titles does not help either.

However, "Where is the green parrot?" seems to be out of print - I could not
find it when I wanted to get it for my grandson - and after reading "Where
is the green sheep?" I intend to buy it for him.

But if anyone has a copy of "Where is the green parrot?" and is prepared to
part with it I know a little boy in Queensland who would love it!
Gael Cresp

FROM AUTHOR DIANNE (DI) BATES

Congratulations to all those authors, illustrators and publishers who won
awards in this years Children's Book Council Book of the Year awards! And
thank you to the judges and other CBCA volunteers, like awards' co-ordinator
Myra Lee who work long and hard to ensure that Australian children's books
are put on the public map at least once a year! Congratulations as well to
wonderful author and activist Libby Gleeson who was recently awarded the
Meritorious Service to Public Education and Training Award 2005 by the NSW
Minister for Education. This is the first time a writer has been given the
prestigious award. Libby has spent years working as an ASA and PLR member to
improve conditions for Australian authors. Well done, Libby!

>From Author Jenny Mounfield

I would just like to add my own experience to the DC debate on whether
authors should accept less that brilliant contracts. I understand what DC is
trying to say regarding this issue, and like Fiona, feel that perhaps it's
not what DC is actually saying, but how he/she is saying it that is ruffling
more than a few feathers. Now to my experience.
Two words: Loranda Publishing. I had two chapter book stories accepted by
Loranda in January 2004. I must admit I had my doubts at the time,
especially when I saw the less than conventional contract, but as a new
author felt that published is published and beggars can't be choosers. The
two accepted stories had already done the rounds, so I figured I had nothing
to lose.
Wrong.
Luckily I bailed from Loranda before I was owed any money, unlike many who
are now trying in vain to get paid. Thanks to a glitch, my first book didn't
get published when it was meant to and so I was able to get out with both
stories unpublished.
I won't go into all of Loranda's wrong doings here, it would take pages,
needless to say that when I received my cancelled contracts in the mail I
celebrated big time. The chance I took with this publisher (and I use the
term loosely) was not worth the 18 months of aggro I endured. It wasn't
worth seeing my work made into an inferior product; it wasn't worth all the
promises that never eventuated and it certainly wasn't worth the stress.
The one thing I've learned through all of this is that published is not
necessarily better than unpublished. I'm now happy to leave my two stories
in the reject drawer and move on.

ARTICLES

PUBLISHER GUIDELINES

BLUECAT BOOKS
© Dianne Bates

We have a paw on our readers' pulse, claims Publishing Director of
BlueCatBooks, Leone Peguero. A small independent Australian publishing
company producing high-quality books for children, general nonfiction, and
educational texts, BlueCatBooks began three years ago. Up until then Peguero
was involved for many years in the book industry as a writing consultant,
editor, teacher of professional writing, and award-winning author of over
forty books mainly for children-several with editions in the UK, Germany,
South Korea and the USA. The building of a new list of innovative books for
children is the culmination of her life-time's love of writing and books.

BlueCatBooks' Business Director Gerard Peguero was formerly Chief Librarian
of Phillip Institute of Technology, and Founding Secretary of the Australian
Database Development Association, which has an extensive publishing list.
Gerard's expertise in management and IT provides a firm basis for all of
BlueCatBook's enterprises.

To date, BlueCatBooks has produced three books annually with more in the
pipeline. In deciding what children's books to publish, Leone Peguero says,
"We believe a sense of humour is more than a means of entertainment. It is a
nourishing place to deal with the complexities, ambiguities and paradoxes of
life. In short, we take humour seriously at BlueCatBooks."

She is proud of the new talent her company is nurturing. Tulip Kilbourne
brings a fresh, funky voice to the world of verse for children with three
collections to date. The poet's personal appearances at Borders' two
Melbourne venues, schools, festivals and read-a-thons have been a huge
success. After the release of two further books in her Poems to Make you
Puke series, late 2005 will see the release of Kilbourne's Complete Book of
Yucky Poems, illustrated by rising young animator, Scott Vanden Bosch.

Brave Kids is a children's book series which BlueCatBooks has launched in an
effort to both educate and entertain. Each book re-creates a real-life
episode involving a remarkably brave young Australian. Part of each book is
written in chapter form as fiction, while break-outs include factual
information relating to animals or other subjects mentioned in the fictional
text. Illustrated by Liz Wilks, Brave Kids' titles to date are Crocodile
Attack (Leone Peguero), Rogue Animals (Althea Brooks) and Surf Rescue (Helen
Katz). This year Shark Alert will be released with Wilks as both writer and
illustrator while the fifth book in the series, Fire! Fire! (Adam Deverell)
will be also be released in late 2005.

Recent titles released by BlueCatBooks also include two non fiction
reference books, Name Your Pet (author's name?), and Grace (author's name?),
the latter book a collection of grace from around the world, which
demonstrates that people of all religions and races share a common gratitude
for the earth's bounty and to the provider.
A new concept in teen fiction produced by the company is a read-your-own
romance, The Big day Off! (Adam Deverall), with two more titles in
production - Love & Kisses (author's name?) and Go Singing Idol (author's
name?) The first book in a proposed list of education reference titles on
writing is (author's name?) First With Our Eyes: A Guide to Better
Manuscript Presentation, while the company is also considering the
possibility of developing a list - including picture books - for young
readers.
Publisher Peguero declares: "When they see a BlueCatBook, we want children
to feel compelled to reach out and pick it up for themselves. We want them
to read and to be left wanting more."
Asked about her company's marketing strategies, Peguero speaks highly of her
partner, Gerard, and of the company's distributor, Dennis Jones, who
represented BlueCatBook's titles in this year's Bologna Book Fair. Peguero
relies on Jones for his overview of Australian children's books when she and
Gerard are considering publication of particular titles. She also relies on
the company website www.bluecatbooks.com for sales.

Understanding and accepting the harsh realities of the publishing business,
and yet holding onto a positive vision of what might be, says Peguero, are
what she considers the most essential qualities and skills for a person to
develop if they are to run a publishing company. "As a very small business,
it is essential that we range over a wide parameter of skills and tasks,"
she observes, adding that it is both challenging and rewarding to be the one
who must "dust the front counter, and commission the next book."
"Publishing a book is expensive and quite a gamble, but the end result is
that magical connection of imagination and ideas. That's something I want to
be a part of."
Without doubt, this enterprising author-cum publisher is poised to overcome
whatever obstacles that taking on such a risk-dependent venture that
publishing children's books presents. One can only but wish her the very
best of luck!

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR PROFILE

USEFUL BOOKS/WEBSITES
Check out this website for the 'snowflake' approach to plotting. Just keep
scrolling down and down...

http://www.rsingermanson.com/html/the_snowflake.html

Lynn D

The September issue of Kid Magazine Writers is online at
http://www.kidmagwriters.com

This month was have an editor interview with Susan Buckley of Appleseeds.
We have an article on query letters with examples that lead to article
sales.
We have an article on craft writing and a special report on crafting
magazine: Pack-O-Fun.
We have Sarah Eshelman's great article on selling poetry, filled with help
from published poets.

And be sure to check out INSIDE MARKETS for a new magazine market and an
update on themes for Hopscotch, Boys' Quest, and Fun for Kidz.

If you enjoy this issue, please, consider linking to us one your website, in
your blog, or just telling a friend.
The more writers we help, the happier we are.

Thanks,

Jan Fields
editor
Kid Magazine Writers eMagazine
http://www.kidmagwriters.com

Here is a great inspirational article about following your creative dream in
the publishing industry, by Peter H. Reynolds, author and illustrator of the
'The Dot' and 'Ish'. Great stuff!

http://www.strathmoreartist2.com/enews_spring2004.pdf

You can find some similar ideas at his website:

http://www.peterhreynolds.com

Pete Carnavas

BOOK REVIEWS

The following books are being reviewed by Laurine Croasdale on the ABC
Afternoon Show Canberra and in the Primary Teacher's Association Newsletter

Hope Bay
by Nicole Pluss
Penguin Books

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants/The Second Summer of the
Sisterhood/Girls in Pants: the third summer of the sisterhood
by Ann Brashares
Random House

The Tale of Jack Frost
by David Melling
Hachette

Owen Noone and the Marauder
by Douglas Cowie
Text Publishing

INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOPS
**Note this is a new section - please feel free to add to it**

CRITIQUE GROUPS BULLETINBOARD
**Looking to create or join a critique group - here's the place!**

MILESTONES
**A new section for members to share their achievements**

Aussie Finalist in ABC Children's Picture Book Competition
In Pass It On Issue 43, the ABC's Children's Picture Book Competition was
advertised as being on the hunt for illustrators. Assuming this was our own
home-grown ABC, I passed the details on to an illustrator friend of mine,
Paul Pattie. However it turns out the competition originates from Houston,
USA. Paul entered and was chosen as one of the ten finalists, the only
Aussie. Paul is a very humble person and not a self-publicist, so I have
decided to pass this on (the words 'pass it on' keep cropping up here!).
The competition will be decided by online votes.
If you would like to read the stories and vote, check it out at
http://www.abcbookcompetition.org/. Paul has illustrated the story called
This class is a Zoo! The online voting ends Sept 10th. If you think this
story is the best, please feel free to 'pass on' your vote.
Cathy Miller

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Mahatma Gandhi:

"Strength doesn't come from physical capacity. It comes
from indomitable will."

ADVERTISEMENTS

PASS IT ON SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submit contributions to jacket@smartchat.net.au
Comic Sans MS, 12pt, single-line spacing (not essential but helpful)
Mark PASS IT ON SUBMISSION in the subject line
Submit within the body of the email
Give your piece a title heading: eg New Publications; Seeking; General
Information; etc.
Email addresses and contributor contact details will be withheld unless
otherwise stated

Jackie Hosking
Editor/Compiler "PASS IT ON"
www.jackiehosking.com