|
Members and Submissions
| | |
This May we welcomed 40 new Tier 2 members to the site.
The Submissions Panel received 4 new submissions and sent out 8 requests.
|
|
Blog of the Month
| |
This month we're spotlighting DeeScribe Writing, a writing craft and tips blog by children's and YA author Dee.
|
|
Member Book Spotlight
 
| |
This month we're spotlighting three new novellas in the PROPHESY OF SISTERS series by Michelle Zink. Check them out!
|
|
|
|
Welcome to the YALITCHAT.ORG July 2012 newsletter! This month's news is plentiful and joyous. There's lot to get to, so I will keep it short. Have a wonderful summer!
Write well,
Georgia McBride
Founder, YALITCHAT.ORG, #YALITCHAT
|
|
MEMBER NEWS
| |
 Welcome to Katie Wright who has taken over as moderator of the Submissions Panel. Katie is a soon-to-be college graduate who enjoys a multitude of hobbies. When she isn't reading or writing, you can most likely find her sketching away in art book or outside playing sports.
Colleen Boyd's SWAMP ANGEL, in which a teenage boy is saved from death by a swamp angel, and their blossoming friendship teaches him the true meanings of courage and sacrifice, to Kate Kaynak at Spencer Hill Press, in a nice deal, for publication in December 2012, by Leticia Gomez at Savvy Literary Services(World).
James Rolling, Jr.'s SWARM INTELLIGENCE: The Best Way to Shape Tomorrow's Creative Leaders, what caused the creativity crisis and what can be done about it, to Emily Carleton at Palgrave, for publication in 2013, by Ayesha Pande at Ayesha Pande Literary (World English).
Congratulations to Jennifer Iacopelli who signed with agent Michelle Wolfson of Wolfson Literary. Michelle originally requested Jennifer's full manuscript through the Submissions Mailbox in April.
Shelby Reed's GAMES PEOPLE PLAY, in which a male escort is secretly hired to seduce a woman and test her fidelity to her Machiavellian wheelchair-bound lover, and instead finds himself embroiled in a wicked game of lies, passion and twisted intent, to Leis Pederson at Berkley Heat, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in 2013, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.
Anne Calhoun's UNFORGIVEN, in which a former Marine who can't forgive himself for the devastating mistakes he's made in his reckless past returns home and reconnects with the woman who always tempted him in all the wrong ways, to Leis Pederson at Berkley Sensation, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in beginning mid 2013, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.
Alison Kent's UNTOUCHABLE, the third title in the author's upcoming Dalton Gang series, to Wendy McCurdy at Berkley Heat, in a nice deal, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency (World).
Stephanie Faris's 30 DAYS OF NO GOSSIP, in which, after spilling a big secret, a middle-school gossip queen is challenged to change her ways - or lose her BFF for good, to Alyson Heller at Aladdin, for publication in Spring 2014, by Natalie Lakosil at Bradford Literary Agency (World).
Trisha Wolfe's FIREBLOOD, set in a futuristic utopian society based on Camelot in which a girl, a prince, and his knights must forge a path to the truth before the deadly lies that power their world separate and destroy them, pitched as The Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones, to Kate Kaynak at Spencer Hill Press, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in October 2013, by Lauren Hammond at ADA Management Group.
Martha Brockenbrough's YA debut DEVINE INTERVENTION, in which a guardian angel in a rehabilitation program for wayward souls accidentally kills the girl he's supposed to watch over, fails to get her into heaven, and may or may not cause lasting psychological damage to a squirrel, optioned to Jerry Zucker and Janet Zucker at Zucker Productions (Airplane, Naked Gun, Ghost) with screenwriter Randi Singer (Mrs. Doubtfire) adapting, by Josie Freedman at ICM on behalf ofJill Corcoran at The Herman Agency.
Rights to L.A. Campbell's CARTBOY AND THE TIME CAPSULE, to Gallimard in France, by Noemie Rollet at Eliane Benisti Agency, to Ten Points in Taiwan, at auction, by Whitney Hsu at Andrew Nurnberg Associates Taiwan, and to Allen & Unwin in Australia, by Chris Scheina at Macmillan on behalf of Tamar Rydzinski at the Laura Dail Literary Agency.
Congratulations to Cory Putman Oakes who has signed with agent Sarah LaPolla of Curtis Brown.
Screenwriter and MG Author Lynn Dickinson recently launched the first short episode of her new family-friendly, comedy web series SHOW OF HANDS (http://youtu.be/NND5gCiNKgo).
Bob Bobopko lives with his wife Betty and their young son Buddy in the Uncanny Valley, but Bob has a secret dream. He wants to get famous and move to Hollywood. When Betty leaves the house, she assumes Bob is watching Buddy, but as soon as she's gone, Crazy Cousin Eddie comes over to help Bob get famous by making their web series. Buddy is left to his own devices and sometimes winds up in a jam. Oh... and the characters are all played by, well... hands.
Saranna DeWylde's FURYOUS INK, about a Fury tattoo artist and a Lycanos cop who must solve the mystery of four murdered Amazons before the deaths bring war to their city, to Kelli Collins at Ellora's Cave, in a nice deal, by Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency (World).
Pamela Britton's A COWBOY'S PRIDE and A COWBOY'S CHRISTMAS, to Johanna Raisanen at Harlequin, in a nice deal, by Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency(World).
Turkish rights to Jennifer Rush's debut ALTERED, to Pegasus, by Bengu Ayfer at Akcali Copyright Agency, in association with Kathleen Ortiz at New Leaf Literary & Media on behalf of Joanna Volpe.
Spanish rights to Leigh Bardugo's SHADOW AND BONE, to Hidra, in a three-book deal, by Jennifer Hoge at International Editors', in association with Kathleen Ortiz of New Leaf Literary & Media on behalf of Joanna Volpe. Jessica Arnold's debut, THE LOOKING GLASS in which fifteen-year-old Alice becomes trapped in a 19th century version of the hotel her family is vacationing in, and must figure out a way to break the curse that killed a rumored witch in that same hotel, before she becomes its next victim, to Georgia McBride at Month9Books, in a two-book deal, in a nice deal by Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency, for publication in January 2014 (World English).
New Releases
 THE COLOR OF SNOWby Jolene PerryPublication Date: June 1, 2012Publisher: Tribute Books Can a troubled young girl reenter society after living in isolation?When a beautiful 16-year-old girl named Sophie is found sequestered in a cage-like room in a rundown house in the desolate hills of Arbon Valley, Idaho, the entire community is shocked to learn she is the legendary Callidora--a baby girl who was kidnapped from her crib almost seventeen years ago and canonized in missing posters with portraits of what the fabled girl might resemble. Authorities soon learn that the cage was there to protect people from Sophie, because her biological father believes she is cursed.
Unsocialized and thrust into the world, and into a family she has never met, Sophie must decide whether she should accept her Papa's claims that she is cursed and he was only trying to protect others, or trust the new people in her life who have their own agendas.
 BETRAYED: BOOK 1 (THE GUARDIAN LEGACY SERIES)by Ednah Walters
Publication Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Lil isn't just an average teenager. She's one of the Nephilim--the descendants of humans and angels--which gives her some serious psi skills and a mission for redemption. Just when Lil thinks she's found a balance between her normal life with human friends and her training to become a Guardian, she's warned that someone close to her will betray her. When the boy she loves starts acting strangely and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability, Lil begins to realize that someone is manipulating the people she loves... and won't stop until she's been lured to the dark side.
 BACK TO BATAAN
by Jerome Charyn
Publication Date: July 1, 2012
Publisher: Tribute Books
New York City, 1943. War is raging in Europe and the Pacific, while Jack Dalton is stuck attending Dutch Masters Day School. What Jack really wants is to enlist in the army, to fight...
Everything changes when Coco, Jack's "fiancee," throws him over for one of his classmates. Falling under the sway of a man called the Leader, an ex-convict who is as articulate and charismatic as he is dangerous Jack's world is turned upside down. To put things right, Jack must prove himself a braver soldier than he ever imagined.
 FLUTTER OF LOVEby L.M. Preston
Publication Date: July 1, 2012
Publisher: Phenomenal One
Dawn, the neighborhood tomboy, is happy to be her best friend's shadow. Acceptance comes from playing football after school with the guys on the block while hiding safely behind her glasses, braces, and boyish ways. But Tony moves in, becomes the star Running Back on her school's football team, and changes her world and her view of herself forever.
 THE DEVIL'S FLOWER
by Lisa Collicutt Publication Date: June 21, 2012 Publisher: Noble YA Killing isn't exactly on Rosalie Lockwood's list of things to do when she runs away from home. But despite her search for peace; guns and motorcycles become her latest fashion accessories as Divine interference leads her to Steele, co-leader of the Fallen Paladins motorcycle club. The Dark and Light Realms collide as Rosalie chooses between life, death, and the ever-after to become that which she is fated to destroy. THE DEVIL'S FLOWER was discovered in the YALITCHAT Submissions Mailbox by Noble YA agent Erika Galpin. A month after signing, Lisa signed with Curiosity Quills for her second novel THE GATHERING DARKNESS, which, she participated within both Pitch Slam and the Submissions Mailbox. For more YALITCHAT success stories, see our spotlight on the First Pages group where maybe your novel will start its life in publication? July Releases 7/10--DARK PHANTOM by Kailin Gow
7/16--HAROLD THE KUNG FU KID (Book 2) by Kailin Gow 7/24--SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY by Susan Dennard
7/24--THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH by Jason Henderson
Have a release coming out in August? Please let us know so we can include it in our newsletter. Contact membership@yalitchat.org with further details. |
|
FROM THE SUBMISSIONS MAILBOX
| |
Each month we spotlight one submission to the Submissions Mailbox. This June enjoy the first 500 words of Suzanne Linn Kamata's successful submission!
About Suzanne: Suzanne Kamata's short stories for young adults have been accepted for publication in Cicada, Hunger Mountain, Sucker Literary Magazine, and Tomo: Friendship Through Fiction - An Anthology of Japan Teen Stories. Her YA debut Gadget Girl is forthcoming from GemmaMedia in early 2013. She lives in Japan where she teaches writing to high school and college students.
Title: HOME BASE
Genre: Contemporary YA
First 500 words:
As soon as the plane touches down at Awa Dance Airport, I feel my shoulders relax. Up until now, I hadn't even realized that they were tense. Twenty-four hours ago, I was all bummed out about leaving my teammates - my "homies" - in Atlanta, disappointed that I wouldn't be hanging out with Rico and Jamal anymore, and that I wouldn't be third batter in the season opener.
But now, after three years in America, I'm back in Tokushima. I'm home. And even though I've never been to this brand-new airport before, everything looks familiar - the islands off in the distance, the palm trees waving "hello," the flight attendants bowing as Okaasan, my sister, and I gather up our stuff and get off the plane.
I stride down the gangway, my duffel bag bouncing against my hip. I should be tired, what with the fourteen hour time difference and not sleeping on the plane, but I'm not. I could sprint to Baggage Claim, if I wanted to. I could hit a ball clear across the runway.
Momoko stumbles along behind me. She made a lot of friends in America, so she was really sad about leaving - maybe the saddest of all of us. Nobody ever tried to beat her up over there. She cried during half the flight. During the other half, she was writing in her polka dot-covered diary, or flipping through photos in this little album she had, no doubt reliving her glory days as Elementary School Science Fair Winner.
We go down the escalator to get our suitcases, and then through sliding glass doors, into the Arrivals lobby, where there's a huge mural of festival dancers in pink summer kimono on the wall.
"Okaerinasai!" Welcome home! My dad is right there to greet us. He doesn't hug us or anything. But he smiles, and reaches out for Okaasan's bags.
He came back a couple weeks ahead of us. Momoko and I wanted to stay in American school until spring break. That means we've already missed the entrance ceremonies at our new schools here in Japan. But it's no big deal.
"Where's Ojiisan?" I ask, looking around for my grandfather. I figured he'd be all anxious to see us. We live in the same house, so it's not like my dad would have had to go out of his way to pick him up.
|
|
YA BOOK EVENTS
| |
July is full of awesome conferences and events in the writing world! A few highlights are listed below.
Romance Writers of America
Ascendio
Southhampton Children's Literature Conference
ArmadilloCon Writer's Workshop
Midwest Writers Conference
Mendocino Coast Writers Conference
Iowa Summer Writing Festival
It's not too early to start thinking about fall writing workshops...
Coming up in October is the Pacific Coast Children's Writer's Workshop, a national, annual workshop for teen and adult writers of YA fiction. The retreat is two simultaneous workshops, for teens and adults, which dovetail for both generations to give each other feedback... along with hearing that of NY editors and agents.
The event is October 5 - 7 on a private beach facility in central CA. Find out more and register at: www.childrenswritersworkshop.com
The Montana Chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators is hosting its fall retreat at the 320 Ranch in Big Sky from September 28 - 30. Contact Michele Corriel for more information.
We're scouring the Internet to find events that our members might be interested in, but the Internet's a big place! If you know of a conference, festival, or other literary event that is of interest to YA writers and isn't on our calendar, please email: membership@yalitchat.org attention Jessica Capelle.
Check the Events Tab often to see if a great event is headed your way!
|
|
GROUP SPOTLIGHT: FIRST PAGES
|
Have you explored every inch of YALITCHAT.ORG? There might be a group that you've missed. This month we want to spotlight First Pages, our supportive critique and comment group that is a required first stop before putting your work before the Submissions Panel.
First Pages is free for any YALITCHAT member (Tier 1 or 2) and counts numerous members in its alumni and success stories. Moderator Jessie Harrell keeps the attention on the critiques and ensures that your work gets the eagle eyes of all the First Pages members.
Find out more and submit the beginnings of your novel in First Pages. |
|
Grammar Focus: Punctuating Quotes
| |
I just finished teaching an advanced class for aspiring children's writers at the University of Washington. One of my favorite parts of the course was reading my students' work. It's so exciting watching people figure out how storytelling works.
It was interesting, also, to note a pattern of errors-the sort of thing that probably jumps out at agents and editors. This time around, I noticed several people struggling with how to punctuate quotations. So I thought I'd give some tips on how
to do that.
Set off quotations in dialogue with commas:
* "I can't believe I ate the whole thing," Charlotte said.
Note that the comma follows the quotation and is inside the quotation marks.
If the sentence ends with dialogue, put a comma before the quote. Then, put the sentence's final punctuation mark inside the closing quotation marks.
* Henry said, "Put down the sandwich."
Note: This is one of the areas where American and British English diverge. In England, they put the period outside the quotation marks. You'll want to punctuate according to the rules of your market, of course.
Don't do this. "Hi." Henry said. A period means the end of a sentence. If you stick one between your quote and your dialogue tag, you will have inserted an awkward pause that stops a savvy reader in her tracks.
If the sentence has dialogue in the middle, set the whole thing off with commas: one before the quotation marks, and one just before the closing quotation mark.
* He said, "My name is Henry," and he offered me a bite of his sandwich.
If the dialogue contains a question, put the question mark inside the quotation marks.
* He said, "Is that your jacket?" (Or "Is that your jacket?" he said.)
If the whole sentence is a question-and not just the quoted material-put the question mark outside the quotation marks.
* What kind of person says "Go chew on tinfoil"?
This is rare (and would be a weird construction), but if you have a semicolon joining two related sentences, it goes after the quotation mark.
* He said, "I love you"; she disappeared into the night.
This probably wouldn't happen with dialogue, but if a colon follows quotation marks, put it on the outside.
* He listed things that made him say "ugh": polyester shirts, fingerless gloves, and pony-hair clogs.
If you break a quote, you might need to capitalize:
* "Give me," he said, hiding the broken zipper on his pants, "my dignity. "
* "Give me my dignity," he said. "Or you could just kill me already."
A couple of additional notes: The "he said" thing is called a dialogue tag. Sometimes, you don't need them because it's obvious who's speaking. You'll usually want to avoid words other than said as dialogue tags. And modifying dialogue tags
with adverbs (e.g., "he said angrily") often comes across as being cheesy. So do it sparingly-or better yet, let sharp dialogue convey the emotion of the speaker.
Martha Brockenbrough is the founder of National Grammar Day and SPOGG, the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar. Her first YA novel, DEVINE INTERVENTION (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic), debuted June 1, 2012.
|
|
TEEN VOICES WRITING CONTEST SPONSORED BY YALICHAT.ORG
|
 "Who me? President?"
Yes, girl, you! The world could use a leader like you. Not only are you smart and dedicated, you are passionate about tackling the important issues. That's why we want to know: If you were president, what changes would you make and why? Tell us why these policies and issues are important to you, your family, your community, and the future of our country. WHO: Teen Voices Writing Contest sponsored by YALITCHAT.ORG WHAT: Submit a 500-1,000 essay addressing what you would do if you were elected President this year. WHEN: Enter from August 1- 31, 2012. Judging takes place in September. Winner announced on October 15, 2012 on teenvoices.com. HOW TO ENTER: Complete an entry form online, and attach your submission as a Microsoft Word document. CLICK HERE to enter. Be sure to review our submission policy before submitting. Remember, if you are under age 18, you'll need parental permission before submitting your entry. WHY: A chance to win one of five awesome prizes! Grand Prize-Kindle Fire and print publication of your essay in Teen Voices magazine. Second Prize-Staples $100 gift card and online publication of your essay. Third Prize-$50 in school supplies and online publication of your essay. Top three winners all receive a one-year subscription to Teen Voices and will be featured on YALITCHAT.ORG. Fourth and Fifth place entrants will receive books and bookmarks from YALITCHAT.ORG. All prizes are generously donated by YALITCHAT.ORG. RULES: Only one entry per person. Must be no less than 500 words and no more than 1,000 words. Must use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Must enter by August 31, 2012. All entries must be original work. If you try to submit duplicate entries, Teen Voices will only accept your first submission. Entries accepted from teen girls ages 13 to 19 only. JUDGING: Teen Voices' editorial department will read and rate entries in round 1, narrowing entries to 20 semi-finalists. The 20 semi-finalists will be sent to judges who include YA authors, Kekla Magoon, L.M. Preston, and Justina Ireland, as well as Georgia McBride, the founder and director of YALITCHAT.ORG, and a YA novelist herself! They will select the top five winners.
|
|
Upcoming #YALITCHAT Twitter Wednesdays @ 9PM ET
| |
July 11 - Sex & Violence in YA, should we go there? Are there any limits?
July 18 - The ingredients that make up a great teen villain.
 July 25 - Halloween in July with YA horror writers who make us scream! Guests include @JonathanMaberry NY Times Bestselling author, Bram Stoker Award winner, author of DUST & DECAY
August 8 - Steampunk re-boot. Join us as we celebrate the release of author @suzannelazear's Innocent Darkness, The Aether Chronicles, Book 1.
|
|
Member Grants
| |
EDUCATION GRANT
Available for Teachers and Librarians who are members of YALITCHAT.ORG. Educators join YALITCHAT.ORG's Tier 2 membership for $25/annually though it is NOT necessary to do so in order to qualify for the EDUCATION GRANT.
Apply for a grant for use on classroom supplies, technology purchase, author visit, etc. Grants available in amounts of $50.00 per member. Five available per membership year. NB: Educators (regardless of membership level) qualify for FREE classroom supplies at beginning of each semester. Join our EDUCATORS group for more info.
HARDSHIP GRANT*
Want to expand your horizons and connect with others in the industry but just don't have the funds? YALITCHAT offers TWO types of Hardship Grants and is available to individuals who desire to join YALITCHAT, SCBWI, RWA, RWAYA and other related organizations but need help doing so.
YALITCHAT Membership Grant
Covers the cost of a full year's membership in YALITCHAT.ORG or $30.00 per grantee.
There are 5 grants available for the 2012-2013 Membership year (July-July).
BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR 2011-2012 MEMBERSHIP YEAR: $150 (5 GRANTS).
YALITCHAT.ORG OTO Hardship Grant*
Covers the cost to JOIN any Other Trade Organization in disbursements of $25 per grantee.
There are 4 available for the 2011-2012 membership year (July-July). You MUST be a Tier II member of YALITCHAT.ORG in order to qualify for this grant.
BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR 2012-2013 MEMBERSHIP YEAR: $100 (4 GRANTS).
MARKETING SUPPORT GRANT*
Are you a newly published author in need of marketing support materials for a new release? How about an author about to head on tour in need of giveaways and promo items? Do you need to purchase more ARCs from your publisher to get exposure for your book? Need money to get that new website off the ground? We can help.
Last year we gave away $600 in grants towards supporting published members in promoting their books! There are be five grants available or $100 per person/grantee. Grants are available to Tier II members only.
BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR 2012-2013 MEMBERSHIP YEAR: $500 (5 GRANTS)
QUICK LEARNING GRANT*
Up to $50 toward any learning initiative such as a webinar, online course, conference, etc. You must be already registered for said initiative and have already paid in full. Must be writing or publishing industry related.
$250.00 USD year available total and $50 per grantee.
BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR 2012-2013 MEMBERSHIP YEAR: $250 (5 GRANTS).
Want to learn more about grants or need an application? Please send an email to grants at yalitchat (dot) org.
*Available to Tier 2 Members ONLY!
|
|
ABOUT YALITCHAT.ORG
YALITCHAT.ORG is an all-volunteer organization run by sixteen writers who love what we do! In our spare time, away from family, day jobs and writing time--we work tirelessly to keep the community up and running twenty four hours a day, seven days each week.
The membership dues that come in to the organization are invested directly back into the organization and spent on office supplies, member grants, donations, student memberships (student membership is FREE through high school), member development and general maintenance or what we like to call "rent and utilities." If you share a passion for supporting fellow writers and others in children's literature, please consider volunteering.
Please subscribe to YALITCHAT.ORG for only $30.00. More on membership options can be found by visiting http://www.yalitchat.com.
CONTACT US
Questions, comments or corrections may be directed to: inquiries (at) yalitchat.org. Send news to: membership (at) yalitchat.org.
Contact Membership Ambassador, Nicole Olea with any issues relating to membership, site usage, community, forum, etc.
Published authors may contact Elle Stone, Published Member Ambassador for promotional opportunities, marketing grants, etc. at our membership email address.
Publishers and authors may mail books to the below address. If you need a street address, please send a note to our inquiries email address.
YALITCHAT.ORG
PO Box 1892
Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
VISIT US ON THE WEB
http://yalitchat.org
http://yalitchat.com (public site for chat schedule, transcripts, etc)
NEWSLETTER STAFF AND CREDITS
Adrienne Gelbart, Member Development Coordinator
Aja Hannah, Copy Editor
Tara Sundaram, Newsletter Producer
Nicole Olea, Membership Ambassador
C. Lee McKenzie, Grants Program Administrator
Georgia McBride, President, Executive Editor
Jennifer Million, Senior Newsletter Producer, Associate Editor
Books and ARCs donated by: Disney*Hyperion, HarperTeen, Simon and Schuster, Simon Pulse, Balzar and Bray, Greenwillow, HarperCollins, Penguin, RandomHouse Kids and Little Brown Books for Young Readers.
YALITCHAT Inc. 2010 -2011, all rights reserved.
|
|
|
