Kids Comics Unite Community Development and Marketing Internships!

I am looking for Kids Comics Unite’s first “crew members” who will help me turn Kids Comics Unite into a website chock-full of resources, and continue growing and improving our fabulous community. You'll play a critical role in charting the future of KCU, and help create new programs that support all our members and leverage the knowledge and insight of our super users.

What You’ll Do:

  • Help shape the future of KCU
  • Help plan and launch the KCU website
  • Celebrate, organize, and boost the resources and stories that come from our community
  • Edit videos for posting internally and on the KCU YouTube channel
  • Write a monthly KCU newsletter
  • Oversee the future KCU blog
  • Organize internal processes to support the development of consistent, high quality content and programs
  • Track and report on our performance and make recommendations for improvement

What You Should Have:

  • Passion for helping artists and writers build their careers, and for helping the kids graphic novel market grow
  • Strong interest in the business and marketing side of publishing and online community building
  • A friendly personality, team spirit, and desire to help others
  • The ability to commit time and focus every week to this position

Skills I’m Looking For:

You don’t need all these, but at least some of them.

  • Excellent listening and analytical skills and ability to spot “patterns in the noise”
  • Strong organization skills
  • Some experience in blogging, email or social media marketing, and/or community moderating
  • Video editing expertise
  • Great writing and editing skills
  • Bookkeeping, finance, or administrative experience

What You’ll Get:

These are part-time paid internship positions. They include:

  • Monthly private mentoring session with Janna
  • Monthly stipend (tbd, depending on experience, scope of work, and time involved)
  • Free membership in all KCU programs
  • Behind the scenes experience in building a thriving online community, advising comics creators, and marketing a creative business
  • Completely flexible schedule

Fill out this form to apply:

https://forms.gle/shErx1scT91Lksvi7

The application period is open until Wednesday, April 28, 2021. If you want to apply, you must submit your application by EOD on April 28th.


An interview with Jennifer Holm, author of Baby Mouse, Squish, and Sunny Side Up, for Kids Comics Unite

Jennifer Holm Interview

Jennifer Holm is the best-selling and award-winning co-creator of the Baby Mouse, Squish, and Sunny Side Up graphic novel series, and she's also the Newbery Honor winning author of numerous middle grade novels like Our Only May Amelia, The Fourteenth Goldfish, and Turtle in Paradise.

Jennifer Holm interview, June 2020, for Kids Comics Unite

In this interview for Kids Comics Unite, we focus on how she got started in her career, her creative process, and why she branched out into graphic novels with her brother, artist Matthew Holm. She dishes on so many fascinating things:

  • Her first job in NYC, before she became a writer (it involved PeeWee’s Playhouse)
  • How she got her agent, and the unusual route she took to selling Baby Mouse to Random House
  • How her first book ended up becoming a middle grade novel (originally she thought it was an adult book)
  • Her biggest piece of advice for new authors
  • How many times she typically revises (or rewrites entirely!) a book
  • How and why she works with freelance editors, in addition to her agent and editor at her publishing house
  • The television production technique she and her brother Matt use to create graphic novels together
  • The reason why Baby Mouse is 2-color
  • Why Jenni writes for middle grade (hint: she hated being a teen)
  • The exact components of her author visits; how she makes them super interactive and fun
  • The theme she returns to over and over in her work

Jenni is well-known for being an incredibly generous creator who constantly gives back to the children's book community. This interview is a perfect example of that.

Click to view the full interview on YouTube.


Children's GN 101 webinar with literary and illustration agent Janna Morishima

Children's Graphic Novels 101

Very early this Thursday morning, I was supposed to be getting up and going to the airport to fly to Las Vegas for the Nevada SCBWI conference.

I was very excited about this. It was going to be my first time visiting Las Vegas. It was going to be my first official public appearance as a Literary and Illustration Agent. It was going to be my first talk to an audience of SCBWI members.

On March 6th, only about seven weeks ago -- when we were all in a state of denial about what was coming down the road -- I sent the organizer a cheery email.

"I currently have no plans to cancel my travel to the conference! Looking forward to it!"

Four days later, the conference was cancelled.

But before you start feeling sorry for me, as it turns out, Cynthia Mun, the head of SCBWI Nevada, is an AMAZING PERSON. We ended up getting on the phone together and strategizing how we could still go ahead and do something fun for her SCBWI chapter.

The answer, of course, is to deliver a talk virtually. I.e., a webinar.

I had been planning to give a talk about career development, because I wanted to offer something of value to all the authors and illustrators there. But Cynthia reminded me that I have an area of expertise of great interest to many of her members: graphic novels.

"I'm not sure if we've ever had someone give a 'Graphic Novels 101' presentation before," she said. "I think that would be extremely useful."

So that's exactly what I'm going to do.

At 10 am PST/1 pm EST on Saturday, May 9th, I'm leading a webinar on "Children's Graphic Novels 101."

Be prepared for a jam-packed introduction to everything I can think of that you need to know if you're thinking about breaking into children's graphic novels.

  • How are graphic novels different from illustrated books? What's the difference between "comics" and "graphic novels"?
  • Why are graphic novels so popular? What's selling particularly well in the category right now?
  • What do you need to include in an effective graphic novel submission? How do you format a graphic novel script? What are agents and editors looking for?
  • Who are the major players in kids graphic novels? Which publishers are doing what, and where might the industry go in the future?
  • What's different about promoting and selling a kids graphic novel versus a children's book?

The best part about this webinar is that you don't have to be a Nevada SCBWI member to sign up! Registration is open to anyone.

If this sounds intriguing to you, please join me on May 9th for the webinar. You must pre-register at this link:Children's GN 101 with Janna Morishima webinar hosted by SCBWI Nevada May 2020

http://bit.ly/kids-gn-101

Please share this information with anyone who'd be interested!


P.S. Do you have a specific burning question about children's graphic novels that you definitely want me to answer? Leave a comment below so I make sure to include it in my presentation.


The Future of Children's Book and Graphic Novel Publishing in the Covid-19 Era

Kristen McLean Interview: The Future of Children's Book and Graphic Novel Publishing in the Covid-19 Era

Last week I interviewed Kristen McLean, publishing industry analyst and VP of business development for market research firm NPD Group.

The Future of Children's Book and Graphic Novel Publishing in the Coronavirus Era-kristen-mclean-interview for Kids Comics Meetup April 2020

She answered a lot of burning questions about what's happening in the children's book and graphic novel market right now, like:

  • What's happened to book sales overall since the coronavirus crisis began?
  • What's the biggest "white space" in the book market at this time?
  • How have comics and graphic novel sales been affected in 2020?
  • How might the comics distribution system in the US change in the near future?
  • What categories of books are selling best during this crisis? What's been negatively affected?
  • Which trends might be accelerated by this crisis?
  • How is the crisis causing innovation to happen, and which innovations might change the publishing landscape once the acute crisis abates?

It was a fascinating discussion. Click to view the full interview on YouTube.


Big, Big, VERY BIG News

2020 is going to be a BIG YEAR for three reasons:

Reason #1:

“2020” sounds awesome. It’s alliterative and stands for perfect vision. 

Reason #2:

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2020 is the year of the metal rat, which is supposed to be a particularly strong, prosperous, and lucky year. It’s an especially good year for new beginnings. (And I’m a rat, so it’s my double lucky year!)

Reason #3:

Today, I'm relaunching Janna Co. as a literary and illustration agency specializing in graphic novels and visual storytelling for kids!

It’s a totally new business and a huge new chapter in my career.

Please browse around my new website here and take a peek at the fabulous artists and authors I’m representing. You can also find me on Instagram (gasp!). Please connect with me there so I’m not all alone!

2020 will be a wild ride filled with lots of new adventures, new clients, new friends, new challenges… and my favorite things in the world, new books! I’m excited to be sharing this journey with you, and will keep you posted as it unfolds.

Happy New Year!

P.S. Special shout out to Abby Denson and Matt Loux for being the people who set the wheels in motion for this to happen.

P.P.S. If you want a copy of the official press release, you can download it here:

Janna Co. Agency Launch press release (1)


Where to find Janna: Anime NYC, Kids Comics meetup, Insider Secrets webinar

Where you can find me

Over the next 3 weeks, I'll be in many public places. I would love it if you could join me!

Anime NYC

Friday, Nov. 15-Sunday, Nov. 17
The Javits Center

Visit me at Table G13 in Artist Alley, where I'll be hanging out with Misako Rocks! Get your tickets here:

http://animenyc.com/

The US versus Japan:

Making Manga in Two Very Different Publishing Environments (panel discussion)

Saturday November 16
3 pm
Room 1E02, The Javits Center

I'll be moderating this panel discussion at Anime NYC with Misako Rocks, Gina Gagliano (Random House Graphic), and Erik Ko (Udon Entertainment). We'll discuss how Japan and the U.S.'s comics publishing industries have evolved differently -- and what best practices we should “steal” from each other!

Insider Secrets LIVE workshop

How to Build a Successful Career as a Creator

Sunday November 17
10:30 am
Room 1E15, The Javits Center

In this workshop, get the scoop on how how agents and editors choose creators to work with. I'll offer lots of tips on how to find mentors, improve your work, and build a following so you have the best chance for success as a published creator.

Kids Comics Meetup NYC

The Influence of Studio Ghibli on Kids Comics Creators

December 4th
7 pm - 9 pm
Resobox East Village, 91 East 3rd Street ($5 cover charge)

Join professionals in kids comics for this presentation and informal networking event. We will start with a short conversation with creator Matt Loux about how Studio Ghibli has influenced his work, and how he sees its influence impacting a younger generation of artists.

Then we’ll hang out and talk comics together while enjoying Resobox’s tea and Japanese snacks. Anyone who works in children’s graphic novel publishing is invited to attend, including artists, writers, editors, librarians, agents, book designers, booksellers, reviewers, etc!

RSVP here: http://bit.ly/kids-comics-meetup-dec-2019

Insider Secrets ONLINE workshop

How to Build a Successful Career as a Creator

Friday December 6th
12:00 pm
online

I'll be repeating this workshop as an online webinar! Yay -- that means you can join me no matter where you live. If you're interested in attending, please register at this link:

http://bit.ly/insider-secrets-workshop-dec-2019

After you register, I'll send an email with login instructions for the webinar.

See you soon!

 


Pssst... want to know some insider secrets?

Before dawn tomorrow morning, I'll be on a train with Misako Rocks, heading to Baltimore Comic-con. This will be the first comics show where she reveals art and merchandise for her upcoming graphic novel, BOUNCE BACK.

And it'll be my first show where I present a new workshop which I'm very excited about, entitled...

Insider Secrets on How to Build a Successful Career as a Creator

Woohoo! It's going to be fun. I'll be explaining things like...

  • the four factors that matter most to agents and editors when they're deciding whether or not they want to work with you
  • the three foundational pieces you need in order to grow a powerful "author platform"
  • my favorite ninja trick on how to research the children's book and graphic novel market
  • why creative work requires greater emotional strength and resilience than other types of professions, and how to build your own emotional strength and resilience

And of course, I'll be answering any and all questions you might have on this topic.

The live workshop is happening at 2:45 pm this Sunday, October 20th, in room 339-342 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

I will see you there!!!! Right?

Right?

Hm, maybe you're not attending Baltimore Comic-con. Sadly! I wish I could see you in person.

If you can't make a special trip to Baltimore on Sunday, but you're still interested in the Insider Secrets workshop, I have good news.

I'd be happy to do the workshop online. For free. But I need to know how many people are interested.

If you'd like to join a live workshop on this topic, could you just email me and let me know?


Nine Things You Need to Break Into Children's Book Publishing as an Author, Illustrator, or Graphic Novelist

9 Things You Need to Break Into Children's Publishing

A little while ago, I read a new picture book, The Dreamer, by Korean artist Il Sung Na. It tells the story of a wistful, inventive pig who loves to watch birds soaring through the air.

The Dreamer by Il Sung Na, a children's book about following your dreams“If only I could fly, too,” he thinks.

Before long, his dream turns into an actual goal: he’s determined to figure out how to fly.

He starts clumsily. His first ramshackle contraptions do nothing but break. He gets discouraged, but some friends come to his aid and give him new ideas.

He tries again. And again. Each time getting better and better.

Then one day, with a crowd of friends watching, he straps himself into his latest invention, a hang glider-like machine with big red wings. This time, he runs down a hill and then ascends magnificently into the air.

And that first flight is just the beginning. He continues perfecting his vision, devising new vehicles of various sorts, and soon inspires other animals to take to the air.

I was just about to close the book when the author bio on the back flap caught my eye:

“As a kid [Il Sung Na] loved to draw, but it wasn’t until he visited a London bookstore in college that he discovered picture books were his calling. The real-life trial-and-error pursuit of that calling was the inspiration behind this book.”

That’s one of the things I love most about kids books and comics -- they offer all the life lessons you’ll ever need, in just a few illustrated pages!

In its own allegorical way, The Dreamer encapsulates many of the necessary elements you need in order to succeed as a writer or artist. Things like a long-term vision; a willingness to fail; a community of friends to keep you going. Although soft skills and mindset might seem secondary to talent and technical skills, they are actually extremely important. 

I talk to a lot of people who are just getting started in their careers, or trying to “relaunch” themselves. A lot of times, their questions for me are about narrow, methodological details like:

  • “How do you land a literary agent?” 
  • “How do you write a good book proposal?” 
  • “How do you promote yourself on social media effectively?”

I’ll let you in on a secret: although I answer those questions as helpfully as possible, I subtly try to steer them toward different questions -- better questions. These are questions like: 

  • “How can I develop a positive mindset?”
  • “How can I be more giving in my interactions with other people, both in person and online?” 
  • “How can I be more focused and intentional in my work?”

Building your dream career as an author or artist is totally possible. But one problem with creative people is that they have very good imaginations… which can lead them to build elaborate castles in the air before they’ve even built a solid foundation. 

It’s not the elaborate daydreams that will help you succeed; it’s the fundamentals. Those fundamentals are like magic; they enable you to turn dreams into reality. 

Here are the 9 foundational elements every author or artist needs to succeed in their publishing careers:

1. Start with baby steps.

Everyone starts as a beginner, just like Il Sung Na’s visionary pig. In the beginning, our ambitions almost always far outstrip our abilities. You may aspire to write a multi-volume epic, but you’ll need to start with something simple. Maybe a mini-comic, a zine, or a short webcomic.

I remember the first time I saw Raina Telgemeier’s work. It was a 12-page comic in a group show sponsored by Friends of Lulu. It hinted at the elements that eventually helped make Raina a blockbuster success: the emotional sincerity; the down-to-earth, wry sense of humor; the simple and inviting visual style with obvious inspiration from Lynn Johnstone’s For Better or Worse.

And yet, it was just a 12-page comic. Raina didn’t start by writing Smile; she started with little xeroxed mini-comics.

2. Be part of a creative community.

The Dreamer begins with a lone pig staring into the sky, but it doesn’t take long before the pig has enlisted a whole group of animals to help him gain traction with his flying project.

That’s no accident. It’s absolutely essential that you make connections with fellow writers and artists. Trying to figure out everything on your own is a dead end street.

After all, being a creative is already a lonely endeavor -- in order to create, you must spend many hours alone with your thoughts, doing the hard work of translating your imagination onto the page. Spending time with other people who understand what you’re trying to do is critical to keeping yourself motivated and inspired.

Just as important, connecting with your peers is also a way to avoid “reinventing the wheel.” Perhaps you’re struggling with a particular plot twist in your script; or figuring out how to promote yourself with limited time and money. By talking these sorts of problems over with other artists, you’ll get fresh ideas and learn from people who’ve already done what you’re trying to do.

3. Put yourself out there.

The first few times The Dreamer’s pig attempts to build a flying machine, he does it by himself -- and always ends in a heap of twisted mechanical parts. It’s only after he starts showing his work to a few friendly observers that he starts making progress.

When you’re just getting started, sharing your work publicly can be scary. That’s because your brain instinctively tries to protect you from unknown situations, which it interprets as “dangerous.” And it easily comes up with rationalizations that seem totally logical. Things like:

  • “I’m not ready. My work isn’t polished enough to share publicly yet.”
  • “I don’t want someone to steal my ideas. People can take your idea off the internet and sell it as their own.”
  • “If I post my work online, publishers aren’t going to be interested in publishing it as a book.”

All of these reasons for keeping your work under wraps until “the right time” are elaborate justifications to avoid the real reason to avoid sharing it: FEAR.

Putting your work out there, inviting public scrutiny and critiques, is undeniably scary. Your creative work is a reflection of your innermost thoughts, your imagination, your artistic talent. Who wouldn’t feel vulnerable offering that up to the world?

However, your biggest challenge, when you’re getting started, is not your amateurishness, or getting your ideas poached, or ruining your chances for a publishing deal.

Your biggest problem is being invisible.

You’ve got to make yourself part of the conversation, to invite feedback, to share your creative journey.

4. Build your online presence.

OK, I’ll admit we never see the pig in Il Sung Na’s book build a website or open a social media account. But in the case of breaking into kids comics publishing today, you absolutely must have some sort of online presence.

As Austin Kleon says, “It sounds a little extreme, but in this day and age, if your work isn’t online, it doesn’t exist.”

That doesn’t mean you must have a fancy website and thousands of followers on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, DeviantArt, and Pinterest. A simple website and one social media account is enough to get started.

Here’s what you need, at a minimum:

  • A website.
    It can be simple, but you must have this “homebase” on the Internet. It’s your own little piece of real estate over which you have total and complete control. (Never forget, you have NO control over Instagram or Twitter or any other social media platforms! If they change their algorithms and suddenly you can’t reach 95% of your followers, that's your problem, not theirs.)
  • A “keep in touch” strategy.
    You must have a way that you’re keeping in touch with the people who already know and support you. In the beginning, this might be a simple email to 20 friends and family members. It doesn’t matter; what does matter is that you have a consistent routine of sharing your ideas, your work-in-progress, and your inspiration with people who care.
  • An “outreach” strategy.
    This means you’ve thought about how to find and reach MORE people who might like your work. I’m a big fan of the “slow and steady” approach ("The Tortoise and the Hare" is my favorite Aesop’s fable for a reason!). Maybe you have a table at a local comics festival every year, and slowly add to your mailing list. Maybe you organize a happy hour for artists, and grow your own circle by helping others. Maybe you teach comics in schools, and grow a fan base of teachers and librarians through word of mouth.

Any of these strategies is legitimate and effective. Notice that they all involve one-to-one, personal, genuine connections. These are the connections that make a difference when you’re running a Kickstarter campaign or launching your first book.

5. Understand your audience.

This is a truism in any industry: in order to succeed, you must have a very clear, specific, visceral sense of the audience you’re speaking to.

But in the case of creating work for children -- whether it’s a toy or a book or a comic -- you’re not only creating for a specific audience (ie, kids who like scatalogical humor, or dark fantasy, or monster trucks, or anything with the color pink, etc.), you’re also creating for a specific age level.

This is a huge difference between the adult book market and the kids market. Because, when it comes to children's books, there is no such thing as All Ages.

As adults, our brains are fully developed. Children, on the other hand, have brains that are still developing. This means that their cognition, reading level, vocabulary, experiences, and sensibilities are constantly evolving. A book that is enthralling for a 5 year old will not be enthralling to that same child when she is 14 -- or even when she is 8 or 9!

Most good children’s book and kids comics creators have a deep empathy for the kids they’re writing for. Mo Willems can get on the level of 4 and 5 year olds who are just beginning to grasp the mechanics of reading (and making jokes). Dav Pilkey can still inhabit the world from the perspective of a 7 year old boy. And Raina Telgemeier definitely remembers in vivid detail what it feels like to be a middle school girl.

So when you’re writing books for kids, some part of your brain has to be accessing your story from a specific stage of development, and relating it in a verbal and visual language that is ideal for that age level. For many writers and artists, that comes intuitively.

Regardless of whether it’s intuitive or a skill that you have to work at, the following tip will help you hone that ability even better.

6. Know the market.

Read widely and deeply, as much as you can. Just like the pig who studies blueprints and equations and the latest in aeronautical engineering, you’ve got to become an expert in what’s currently being published in the genres and age levels that you’re most interested in writing for.

Once you’re ready to look for an agent or publisher, having a strong knowledge of recently published books will help you pinpoint the specific agents and specific editors who might be most likely to appreciate your work. You can narrow down a shortlist of books you like, and then google the author and title with the word “editor” or “agent.” You’ll almost always be able to find who edited and agented those books.

That way, when you approach those agents and editors, you won’t be one of the dreaded “spray and pray” creators who send their proposals indiscriminately to every industry email they can scrape up. Instead, you can write an intelligent query letter that explains why you are interested in that particular agent or editor.

As an added bonus, once you have a meeting with an editor or publisher -- or further along in your career, once you’re appearing on panels and podcasts -- having a solid understanding of how your work fits into the wider publishing landscape will help you contribute more meaningfully to the conversation. Which, in turn, makes you a more credible, appealing candidate for publishing, and a more sought-after panelist or podcast guest.

7. Invest in yourself.

Most children's book creators don’t have a degree in “Children's Book Creatorship,” but that doesn’t mean they haven’t invested in learning as much as they can about the field.

If you want to build a long-term career as a kids comics creator, it isn’t any different than any other profession: spending money is often the fastest and most effective way to make progress and increase your opportunities. You’ve got to develop your skills, attend networking events, promote your work, and get professional feedback and advice.

Here are some of the specific ways you should be investing in yourself:

Or, if you really want to, get an advanced degree! Get your MFA at the Center for Cartoon Studies, or an art school like SVA, CalArts, or SCAD, or a creative writing program like the Vermont College of Fine Arts or Simmons University Writing for Children.

8. Learn to Handle Rejection.

The publishing industry is crammed with best-selling authors who experienced years of discouragement and rejection before finally getting their work published. I remember hearing a keynote speech by Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Bryan Collier at an SCBWI conference a few years ago, where he recounted having spent SEVEN YEARS carting his portfolio to every publishing house in NYC, over and over again, before finally getting his first book deal.

Publishing is competitive and it is highly likely that you’ll face your share of rejection. Rather than hope for the best, I think it’s wise to prepare yourself for it, and develop conscious, deliberate ways to recover from it.

Most importantly, remember that one agent’s or editor’s rejection is not a final reckoning on your talent. It could be that they didn’t have room on their list for another book in your specific genre. Or they don’t have time to offer you the developmental editing that your project requires (sadly, this is the norm nowadays.) Or they simply don’t see your vision.

Facing rejection is another reason why having a community of peers is so important -- you need friends to cheer you up when external forces get you down.

Finally, remind yourself that it takes time to succeed in any craft. You’ve got to put in the hours, get critiqued, confront rejection, and just keep going back to the drawing board again and again.

In fact, you really only need to do one thing….

9. Persist.

When I was young, I thought that the most important factor in success was talent. Many battle-scarred years later, I now understand that the most important factor in success is definitely not talent.

It is PERSISTENCE.

Keep writing, keep drawing, keep imagining, keep sharing, again and again. It’s a simple recipe, but it isn’t easy.

As Dr. Seuss said,

“And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed!)”

And he should know….

After all, his first book was rejected 28 times before being published by Random House.


Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

How to get noticed at a gigantic publishing conference

How to Get Noticed at a Gigantic Publishing Conference

On Wednesday morning I walked into the Javits Center on New York City's West Side -- touted as "one of the largest convention centers in the U.S." -- to attend Book Expo America. BEA is the largest publishing trade show in the U.S.

One of my goals in attending BEA was to get new book marketing ideas. After all, what better place to get ideas than a convention gathering most of the major publishers in the industry? I planned to wander the show floor, checking out publishers' displays and giveaways, to see if I could borrow any particularly creative ideas.

As I stood in line at registration in the cavernous glass-topped lobby, eventually, I looked upwards and started contemplating the enormous banners hanging from the ceiling.

via GIPHY

  • "New from Sarah Dessen!" screamed a banner nearby.
  • "A new series from #1 bestselling author Chris Colfer!" shouted another banner in the distance.
  • "The highly anticipated adult debut by #1 NY Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo," announced a dramatic black banner to my right.
  • "Bestselling magic," proclaimed a tall, skinny banner right over my head, "Rainbow Rowell with Faith Erin Hicks -- on sale 8/27/2019."

Standing there in line, waiting for my badge, I had plenty of time to gaze at those banners. I hadn't even entered the show and I already had plenty of publisher promotions to look at. I started wondering how much they cost. They certainly cost thousands of dollars; perhaps tens of thousands of dollars.

But they weren't particularly creative. And my biggest question was, do they really help sell books?

My conclusion was... not really. Though I didn't necessarily think the publishers intended them to sell books. They were probably designed to reinforce "brand awareness." To emblazon an already popular author's new book even more firmly in the minds of the booksellers, librarians, rights and literary agents, and journalists attending the show.

What if you don't have the budget for gigantic trade show banners?

So what would a low-budget, under-the-radar, guerrilla publisher like me be able to accomplish at a show dominated by big-budget, publicly traded conglomerates like Penguin Random House and Harper Collins?

Quite a bit, as it turns out.

Although trade shows have traditionally been a place where new products are unveiled and hyped, that raison d'etre is being eroded by the Internet. You don't necessarily need an expensive in-person display to spread the word about a new product anymore.

While one of the primary purposes of a major trade show has been usurped by the Internet, however, the other major purpose has not: convening a large group of people from across the country or the world in one place at one time to discuss a common interest.

That's the major opportunity that conferences still provide. It's easier than ever to connect with people via video or webinars or online conferences, but there's still something different about meeting individual people face to face.

For a guerrilla marketer -- or author or publisher -- a single conversation with one person might be vastly more effective than a gigantic banner that thousands of people see. Because that conversation opens a new door or provides entree to a new community or potential partnership.

Let me tell you another story that illustrates how powerful this can be.

The Artist at the Wednesday Night Party

On Wednesday evening, I attended a comics industry shindig at a hip "drinking establishment" in a converted 19th century warehouse on 11th Avenue. (Are all hipster bars located in converted warehouses?)

As I made the rounds, chatting with little groups of people I knew from various stages of my publishing career, a librarian friend of mine came up to me and said, "You've got to meet my friend! She's the artist I told you about, who works at my school."

I remembered that she had told me about this young woman, an aspiring graphic novelist, who had attended art school and was now working as a para-professional at a junior high school. I looked across the room and saw the artist sitting on a low settee near a couch and a few armchairs overflowing with people.

The artist wasn't looking at anyone. She was holding a sketchbook and sitting there drawing, in the midst of the party. People all around her were guzzling cocktails and gossiping, while she worked on a piece of art.

"Cool!" I told my librarian friend. "I'll come over in a minute to say hello."

It took me more than half an hour to extricate myself from various conversations before I could make my way to the other side of the room. And within that half hour I already overheard someone whispering to a colleague, "Check out that girl over there. She's really talented."

By the time I finally made it over to her and introduced myself, I knew I was at least the third or fourth person to be purposely seeking her out.

"Hi!" I said. "Margie told me I should meet you!"

"Nice to meet you," she responded with a shy smile. "I'm kinda introverted, so I've just been drawing."

I asked her about what she was working on, and she explained the storyline of her current project. It sounded interesting. I was pretty sure there were publishers in that room who would be intrigued.

After speaking with me for a few minutes, she said again, "I'm not that good at schmoozing, so I'll just keep drawing." And with that, she put her head down as if to say, "Thanks for the chat -- I'm done talking now!"

I smiled. She was doing her job. She showed up and put herself in the middle of a bar filled with publishing bigwigs, then proceeded to ignore them and draw in her sketchbook.

In a room of people who love art and storytelling, an artist drawing pictures is like a lightbulb surrounded by moths.

Put Yourself in the Middle of the Action

Conferences bring together movers and shakers. And attending a conference usually has almost no barrier to entry, other than the registration fee. You pay the entrance fee, and then you can literally put yourself in front of those movers and shakers.

Simply by being in the middle of the action, you become part of the action.

The same thing happened for me. Although I had intended to examine publishers' marketing collateral and go to panels to get some good ideas for my clients' projects, it didn't take long for me to realize that the marketing collateral wasn't that important.

It was the chance conversations that mattered.

Over the course of two days at the conference, I had at least seven or eight pivotal encounters.

  • I spoke in person with several different distributors and came away with the desired result: "Let's continue the conversation."
  • I told a journalist from a leading trade journal about what I'm doing, and he asked me to follow up and tell him more.
  • I met a blogger from a key industry website, told her about Bounce Back, and she also asked me to follow up after the show.
  • I reconnected with a Hollywood licensing agent whom I knew years ago.
  • I ran into a highly regarded publicist who has extensive experience on Kickstarter campaigns (just the sort of expertise I need!)
  • I chatted with an organizer of a number of major comics festivals who perked up when he heard about Misako Rocks's manga teaching experience; he's interested in finding out more.

So, How Do You Get Noticed at a Gigantic Publishing Conference?

It doesn't start with banners or ads or a fancy booth. You just need the right person (or handful of people) to hear what you have to say.

A single conversation can move you forward leaps and bounds.

 

 

 

 


Seeking beta readers: how to find beta readers for your children's book manuscript

Seeking Beta Readers for a Middle Grade Graphic Novel

I am working on publishing a graphic novel with my friend-client-crazy collaborator Misako Rocks! (Just so you know, I didn't put an exclamation mark at the end of that sentence -- it's part of Misako's name.)

The process of publishing a graphic novel is loooooooong. First you come up with the idea, then you outline it, then you write the first draft, then you edit the first draft, then you revise and edit many more times, then you draw it (and maybe edit and revise the drawings a few more times), then you ink it, then you color it, then you design it, then you print it, ship it from printer to warehouse and from warehouse to retail -- and all along the way, you've got to be figuring out how to market and sell it and executing said marketing and sales plans.

Right now, we are at the beginning of that loooooong process.

But not the very beginning -- we have an edited first draft! Hip, hip, hooray!

So that means, we're ready to find BETA READERS.

You might be nodding and saying, "Way to go, Misako and Janna! You're on the cutting edge of 21st century publishing best practices!"

Or you might be scratching your head and wondering, "Huh? Beta readers? What's she talking about?"

How to find beta readers step by step

The Hoopla About Beta Readers

This whole hoopla about beta readers comes from the world of software development. All forward-thinking progress comes from Silicon Valley, right?

Right?

OK, never mind. But a few forward-thinking good ideas do come from Silicon Valley.

This concept of beta readers is one of them.

Basically, a beta reader is someone you ask to read an early version of your book and give you honest feedback on what's working and what isn't, and what they like and don't like about it.

It's the same idea in the software industry. You give a "beta user" an early version of your software and instruct them to go to town with it. You ask them to tell you what they like and don't like, and where they found the "bugs."

Obviously, the benefit of having a group of people "test-drive" your writing early in the process is that you'll find out what you need to fix/refine/improve -- and you'll also find out exactly what's resonating with people.

But there's another benefit, as well. The type of people who volunteer as beta users in the software world tend to be the more engaged, passionate, and knowledgeable software users. They are the early adopters who latch onto cool new things and start spreading the word about just how awesome they are.

This is true with beta readers too. There's a whole "beta reader community" out there in all the different literary genres -- romance, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, etc. -- and you can bet those people are the people who like to talk about books.

When you reach out to find beta readers and a group of people raises their hands and says, "I would love to read your 200 page manuscript for free and tell you everything I think about it!" -- congratulations! You have started to build your tribe. Those same people who give you useful early feedback will also, more than likely, cheer you on when you're further down the road and have a publication date and a book cover and a marketing plan.

Those people are your advance guard. You keep them apprised of how the book is going, and they'll help spread the word.

So remember, your beta readers are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PEOPLE. Treat them with care. Invite them into your inner circle and give them lots of love. (Never forget to say thank you!!)

How do you find beta readers?

The first and most crucial step to finding beta readers is to identify your target audience.

Your target audience is the type of people who would really enjoy your book. They are the book's ideal readers.

In the world of children's books, it's important to note that you're almost always going to have two target audiences: 1) the type of kids who'd love your book; and 2) the "gatekeepers" who would give your book to those children. The gatekeeper could be a parent, librarian, teacher, or some other grown-up with a close relationship to the child.

So when you're looking for beta readers for a children's book, it's a good idea to get feedback from:

  1. actual kids with your ideal reader profile
  2. parents, librarians, teachers, and other people connected to those kids

Back to where I started!

Misako and I are on the hunt for beta readers for BOUNCE BACK.

Bounce Back is a middle grade graphic novel about a Japanese girl who unexpectedly moves to the U.S. with her family and finds herself torn between two very different groups of friends at her new middle school in Brooklyn.

The target audience for Bounce Back is 5th through 8th grade girls who like reading graphic novels with tons of "middle school drama."

Are YOU interested in being a beta reader?

We're interested in anybody who is:

  1. a 5th through 8th grade girl who likes reading graphic novels with tons of "middle school drama" (DUH!)
  2. a grown up who likes kids graphic novels
  3. a teen who likes graphic novels and remembers being in 5th through 8th grade and what if felt like
  4. a grown up who has ever interacted with 5th through 8th grade girls and has a good sense of what they like

Basically, if you volunteer, we're going to assume you have some affinity for this project. It doesn't matter to us what it is... if you want to join our team, we're thrilled to have you!

Click here to fill out our beta reader application.

We are accepting applications until May 23, 2019.

And if you become one of our beta readers, you get many wonderful perks!! You will receive:

  1. our undying gratitude!
  2. your name listed in the Acknowledgements of the book!
  3. the inside scoop on our publishing journey!
  4. special Q&As with us as we continue on this adventure!
  5. an invitation to the book launch (aka rockin' party!)!

By the way...

If YOU are an author, comics creator, or publisher and you'd like to use our beta reader application as a template for your own venture, you are in luck! I created a beta reader application template in Google Forms which is FREE FOR ALL.

Onward and upward, people! Let's go publish awesome books!