New Christmas Classic Picture Books

Five great new Christmas picture books.

There are plenty of classic holiday picture books out there. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss, The Snowman by Raymond Briggs and Olive the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh immediately come to mind. But there are plenty of new Christmas picture books to choose from. After all, Christmas is the season for giving, and publishers keep giving us new Christmas books (because they sell!).

Here are a few Christmas picture books I've thoroughly enjoyed.

1. Bad Kitty Christmas – Nick Bruel returns to the picture book format that launched Bad Kitty in the first place. This time, he spins two stories into one book, the first featuring Bad Kitty’s antics early on Christmas morning told, as always, with a romp through the alphabet. The second finds Kitty on his own, with no place to go for Christmas, until he finds a caring stranger. Christmas gains a new and heartwarming meaning for both of them.
2. Pete the Cat Saves Christmas -- Author Eric Litwin uses his rhythmic abilities to set a new Pete the Cat story to The Night Before Christmas. Santa’s sick and Christmas could be cancelled. It’s up to an enthusiastic Pete the Cat to deliver all the presents – and in the spirit of Christmas, he gives it his all. Illustrated by James Dean.
3. Charlie and the Christmas Kitty -- Poor Charlie. Everyone’s favorite ranch dog gets a Christmas present he didn’t want – a cat! If your child balks at socks or sweaters or that thing they can’t figure out from Aunt Gertrude, then this book could teach them to appreciate it (even if it’s not as a kitten!). Written by Ree Drummond and Illustrated by Diane deGroat.
4. Turkey Claus -- In this sequel to Turkey Trouble, Turkey’s still in trouble. He may have survived Thanksgiving, but now Edna wants turkey for Christmas dinner! Can Santa get him out of trouble? What’s our intrepid turkey to do? Written by Wendy Silvans and illustrated by Lee Harper.
5. How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas?-- This series from author Jane Yolen and illustrator Mark Teague is a picture book phenomenon. If your little reader already knows How Dinosaurs Say Goodnight or I Love You, then this book is a great fit in the series. I mean really, Christmas wasn’t even around yet, so how did they say “Merry Christmas!”? And I know this one’s a week late, but there’s also a How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah book, too.

 

So if you haven't picked up a Christmas picture book for your little reader(s) and are looking for something fun that they'll probably want to read next year (or they just like cats), try one of these new Christmas classics.

Branding for Local Authors

Create your author brand and make it stick.

When most people consider branding, they think Stephen King and J.K. Rowling, but these days, that’s less branding and more commercial juggernaut. People know what they want and expect from such authors, and when they don’t get it, they don’t buy (see Stephen King’s attempts at romance novels and J.K. Rowling’s post-Harry Potter novel).

Of course, there are plenty of authors who are master’\s at author branding. It doesn’t just mean your ability to create merchandising and film opportunities (in fact, that’s a very small part of it)—it’s about your ability to create a consistent image, niche or writing style. People want to recognize your author’s voice when they pick up your book. In short, they want to know what they’re getting ahead of time.

Plenty of authors are masters at branding. You know what you’re getting when you pick up a Dean Koontz or John Grisham book. The same is true of Mo Willems, Nick Bruel, Doreen Cronin, James Patterson and plenty of other top-notch, top-selling writers.  But local authors can develop big audiences, too, by developing a brand.

Let’s look at how two authors did it using two very different approaches.

1. Zackary Richards. Zackary Richards has a brand that meets his personality. He’s brash, opinionated, loud and straight out of the Bronx. Sorry, da Bronx. His books are fast-paced with unforgettable characters, otherworldly plots, a bit of sex, a lot of violence, and intricately woven plots with turn after unexpected turn. This style remains consistent even when he changes genre. Zack mostly writes science fiction, but he’s written it for adults and young adults. He’s been able to use his brand to develop sci-fi, fantasy, religious themes and even non-fiction. How is his brand different than his “author’s voice?” Simple: voice can change from book to book, branding does not. When readers pick up a Zackary Richards’ book, they know what they’re getting, regardless of subtle shifts in genre, reader age, narrator, etc.
2.  Tommy Moore. Comedian Tommy Moore used an approach completely different than Zack’s. His brand – clean, fun, funny, friendly and sentimental – existed long before he wrote his book, A Ph.D. in Happiness from the Great Comedians. Tommy had 40 years in stand-up comedy when his book came out late last year. His voice, his brand, and his platform existed. All he had to do was capture what he’d been doing on stage, TV and radio and put it on the printed page. He did it beautifully, allowing him to bring the two together and naturally promote the book through his stand-up and media appearances. Tommy is known as The Professor of Fun. Notice how his book offers a Ph.D. in happiness? That’s a terrific extension of his brand. Everything is tied together nicely.

Steps to Establish an Author’s Brand:

1. Have a consistent voice.  Whether you're being an interviewed, writing a blog, telling a story, Tweeting, etc. have a consistent voice. If you write funny books, try to give lighthearted interviews. If you're philosophical, be poignant. If you check out Zackary Richards blog, you'll see how consistent it is with his novels. His readers pick up his books because they feel like they know, and fans of his books with turn to his blog to get updates on his work, etc.
2. Have a consistent style. This doesn’t necessarily mean your voice within a story (first person vs. third, optimistic vs. pessimistic, male vs. female, etc.) but you need to maintain certain qualities. Even Mark Twain (another master at branding, despite changing voices drastically between stories), who drastically changed American literature and writing style in the shift between Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, kept certain parts of his brand alive: life on the Mississippi, a reflection on American culture, and wry observations on subtleties in human behavior. 
3. Know what your readers want. It’s almost impossible to jump from genre to genre, voice to voice, one you have a following. Change can happen, but it as to be subtle. Perfectly executing a radical change simply takes a genius most of us don’t have. (I know, disappointing, right? 
4. Know who you are. Exaggerate the parts of you that are on the page. Be consistent. You don’t need to become an outright character or caricature of yourself, but make yourself as memorable as the characters you create. If your books are funny, be funny? Gritty, be gritty? Homey, be homey, etc. 
5. Use your expertise. If you’re an expert in something, include it in your book. Write what you know. It will be believable, increase your interview and speaking opportunities, and help you carve out a niche in the populated world of popular authors. Start by reaching out  to local organizations that share your interests, or schools that teach your subject. Use your expertise, like comedian Tommy Moore. Make your expertise your brand.

Being a “brand” doesn’t happen overnight, but it can happen with the right approach. Your brand is your bond. Don’t break it.

Both authors had their work edited by AlbanyEditing, which assists with book editing and marketing.

How Can You Learn From Your Writers Group?

Our last post was all about what a writers group should do to help you. This post is about how you can help your writers group, and in turn, get the most out of the experience.

Your Role in a Writers Group: 

1.  Show up. This one might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many members attend meetings sporadically.  I’m not talking about those who come to a meeting or two and decide it isn’t for them; I’m talking about those who come to every other (or every other other or every fourth, etc…) meeting for two years straight. They want to write, but don’t want to put in the hard work. Work schedules and home life can get in the way, but not showing up on a regular basis shows a lack of respect for other writers’ work and a lack of respect for your own. How can you get better if you don’t make the meetings?  
2. Listen to critiques. Even seemingly harsh comments are usually meant to help you, and almost all critiques contain at least one valuable insight. Don’t let somebody spend his or her time and energy reviewing your work and then ignore it. Not only are they fellow writers, but they’re readers, too. They will have some valuable first and second impressions. Apply some of what’s been said to your current work and future submissions. Don’t make the same mistakes again and again. That’s not getting better; that's stagnating. And like number one, it doesn’t show much respect for others’ abilities or your own.
3. Try changes. Insert certain changes. Try them. Test them out. If they don’t work, you can always remove them. After all, you’re the final arbiter of what works in your submission. Listen to everything, then carefully decide what to use.  
4. Read everything your group submits. You might be a veteran writer or a newbie with a novel idea. Either way, you’ll be surprised what you can glean from reading others’ work. You can learn from writers better than you, but also from those far worse. “Oh, I get it, do this, don’t do that.” “I can see why they did this, why on earth did so-and-so do that..?”

Remember, the members of your group are there to support you. Not only do they want to get better, but they want to see you turn in first-rate manuscripts, too. Most will cheer your success, console you during defeats, and live through your accomplishments. You owe it to them and yourself to submit the best work you can as often as possible. Learn, work and revise. Those steps will make you a better writer. And then, when it comes to your writers group, they’ll be happy to have you come to every meeting, and you’ll be happy to go since you’re improving your technique and talent. Participation makes you a better group member and lets you benefit tremendously from another’s expertise.

Part One: What Should a Writers Group Do? 

Help your fellow writers out: How have you made your writers group work? 

What Should a Writers Group Do?

Get the most out of your writers group after every meeting.

A writers group (or writer’s group, or writers’ group or however you want to spell it), also known as a critique group (or crit group) has certain functions. First among these is to serve the needs of every member, no matter what their level of expertise or ability. These needs will vary, but there are certain common goals.

Functions of a Writers Group:

1. Make you a better writer. The goal isn’t to make you a better writer today, but for every day to come. If you apply the tips and suggestions you received to the next chapter, short story or novel, you’ll be a better writer. 
2. Improve the piece you’re working on. Of course, a group must also improve the story you’re writing today. If members suggestions aren’t making your story better – or you see no reason to implement them – you may need to find another group.
3. Make you professional. Well-written work makes you look professional, but a writers group should also make sure your manuscript is properly formatted. When you’re ready to submit your work for publication, it must be properly submitted. You should know publishing terms and trends. You should know about upcoming writers conferences and what agents and editors want. In short, you should understand the publishing industry. A good writers group can help you do that. If it isn’t, research the business yourself and help them.
4.  Help you network. You don’t have to be a New York-based writer to network. Even writers in the most remote parts of the country will know a few local writers. At the very least, bookstores and other events will have them in-store for author signings. Meet them. See if they’ll talk to your writers group, or better yet, join it if they don’t have a group of their own. Use your group to network. It will help you achieve goal three.
5. Meet regularly. A writers group must meet regularly, whether that’s once a month or once a week. If it doesn’t, you’ll never achieve goal one (and it will take a long time to reach goal two). If you’re in an online group, you still need to submit regularly. 
6. Encourage you. Every writer, from unsure newbie to seasoned professional, wants to be published (or published again!). A writers group should let you know where you and your manuscript are in the process. Is it close? Is it far away? Is it never going to happen with this story? Critiques may sometimes seem harsh, but they’re the best way to meet goals one and two very, very quickly.

A writers group is only as good as its members, but a thriving, active group with lots of participation, submissions and feedback, is a great group – because whenever people are writing and rewriting, editing and critiquing, you’ll want to do it, too. The biggest advantage to being in a group is that it makes you want to write. And that’s the best way to reach the biggest goals: becoming a better writer and getting published.

So, if you’re in a group, make sure they’re doing the above. And if you’re not in a group, form one with these goals in mind.  They’ll make sure your writers group benefits all its members.

Part Two: How Can You Learn from Your Writers Group?

What Book Changed Your Life?

Last weekend, at the Rutgers One-on-One Conference, author Bruce Coville discussed a fan letter he had received. A reader credited him with her decision to join the Peace Corps. She loved his book so much, she even cited it in her application essay. It’s clear that My Teacher Is an Alien changed that young woman’s life.

Everyone has a book like that, one that absolutely changed your life. I remember the greatest compliment I ever received came from an African-American actress, Dee Watson, who said, “You’d make a good Atticus Finch.”

Why was that the greatest compliment? Because To Kill a Mockingbird changed my life.  It has stayed with me decades after I first read it, and while it’s impossible to live up to the standard set by Atticus, it’s not impossible to model your life after the example set out in Harper Lee’s masterpiece.

Life-changing books  are common in young adult stories as teens enter their formative years. It’s also true of books like To Kill a Mockingbird, originally written for adults but that serve as de facto YA on high-school reading lists. Lives, decisions, and character are shaped every year by classics like Black Like Me, 1984, Pride & Prejudice, Crime & Punishment, etc. And no list, no matter how complete, includes the thousands of picture books, middle-grade and

YA titles children cling to every day.

Fortunately, adults can find books that reach them, too; maybe even make them see the world in a whole  new way. I recently re-read Tommy Moore’s A Ph.D. in Happiness From the Great Comedians. It lifts your spirits in a way far beyond “the healing power of humor;” it can change your entire outlook by presenting practical steps drawn from the world of stand-up comedy. It my case, it even justifies the years I spent in comedy and the fact that humor remains my primary tool for dealing with problems and reaching people. One book – a how-to book taken from the ways legendary comics view and treat the world – really can help you understand how you can live your life.

But it’s children’s authors and their books that have the biggest influence. Adult personalities are largely shaped and readers seek out books of interest to them, but children, particularly young children, are an (largely) empty canvas. They’ll face new ideas, new concepts, new challenges. They’ll read a book ten times (or have it read to them!) and still pick it up an 11^th time. Even books that aren’t particularly challenging but that are delightful nonetheless – Fox in Socks, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, etc. – still create lifelong readers.

So whether it’s My Friend Flicka, Tom Sawyer, Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew or something no one has heard of (or you’re too ashamed to admit – hey, I loved The Five Chinese Brothers as a kid), there was a book that changed your life.

So let me know – what book changed your life?

PREPARING FOR RUTGERS ONE-ON-ONE A SECOND TIME

How did I go about preparing for this year’s Rutgers One-on-One Conference differently than last year’s? I didn’t really – except in one major way.

Last year, I was accepted after sending in a picture book manuscript. While it hasn’t been picked up yet, it opened a very nice door for me over at HarperCollins. The editor rejected it, but said she loved “everything” about the book except the main character’s species. Yes, the species. It’s a picture book, and that happens. She didn’t feel it was commercial enough (for future reference, please note that Harper loves cats, dogs, elephants, lions, etc. – animals kids already know. There’s a reason they’ve populated picture books for decades. I’ve heard this now from two editors and an agent). So she asked for a second manuscript, something “commercial.” I sent here the most blatantly commercial thing I’ve ever written. Again, she liked the story, but felt the main character isn’t strong enough to anchor a series. He’s too quiet, and not energetic or funny.

But she asked to see something else.

So I took out an old manuscript, reworked the main character a bit, and am preparing to send it to her. I’ve had editors ask me to send additional work before, but never a third time. Yeah, you can bet I’m sending it.

Rutgers opened that door for me. And that editor will be there again this year. I will find her long enough to say “hi.”

So how does that change how I’m preparing for Rutgers this year? It doesn’t, except this time I was accepted for a middle-grade manuscript. That means looking for something different in the 80 or so editors and agents in attendance. It means looking for those interested in both picture books and middle-grade books.

It’s a daunting task.

Now, editors and agents handle works of all stripes. Some love commercial, some love artsy. Some loved fast-paced and frenetic, others love quiet and introspective. They run the gamut from paranormal fantasy to issue-driven angst. I decided to quickly categorize my work according to industry definitions beyond the broad scope of genre and find editors who want that who are interested in my writing strengths.

Commercial? Check.

Funny main character? Check.

Strong hook? Check.

Fast-paced? Check.

I will only be pitching manuscripts that fit those categories. Except for overt commercialism, they’re my strengths. I’m up to the D’s on the editor/agent/mentor list, but I’ve already found three strong candidates. Even if I don’t meet them at the conference (since it can be big and unwieldy), I know I’ll be submitting to them afterward. Immediately afterward.

In the meantime, I’ll get to say hi to a very helpful editor from Harper, and let her know a third manuscript is on its way!

For a checklist on how to prepare for a writers conference, please read Writers Conference Checklist.

Bringing the Wild Things Here -- Thoughts on Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak, wonderful as both writer and illustrator, passed away this week at the age of 83. Below are some random thoughts on this, well, irascible individual.

When my brother and I were about 6 and 8 respectively, we had a conversation about Where the Wild Things Are. He thought it would be great to go to the land of the Wild Things, but I wanted to bring them here. Why? I thought that's where the chaos is. If the monsters came here, then this would become the crazy world. I liked the idea, even if I couldn't say so then, of bringing imagination here rather than relegating it to somewhere out "there."

In many ways, I think it appealed to Maurice Sendak, too. He liked to explore the darker recesses of his childhood, and in so doing, upset the staid parents of my parent's generation. He could be controversial, even objectionable, in words and images, like in Where the Wild Things Are or In the Night Kitchen. He could be philosophical in works like Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or There Must Be More to Life.  He encouraged me to do be daring and irreverent in a way safer choices (including Little Bear) could not.

I have a beach towel that I received years ago at a PBS convention in Miami. It has the Seven Little Monsters and The Berenstain Bears on it. It's fraying around the edges and isn't a bright white anymore, but I hang onto it because it has a connection to children's literature and two author/illustrators I grew up on. Sendak's work had a bigger influence on me, away from the safety of family life and friendly messages, but looking back now, they were written for two different audiences with two very different purposes.

Now that we've lost Jan Bearenstain and Maurice Sendak within months of each other, maybe it's time to retire that beach towel before it's a dingy rag that disgraces both their works.

I don't share Sendak's disregard for children's literature today. It can be deeply philosophical with artwork that pops off the page. I wonder if he could ever spot the writers and illustrators -- but particularly the writers -- that he influenced?

Sometimes the influences are easy to see and sometimes you hope they're there. That your work stands the test of time. I know it will be around at least one more generation. On the day he died, I asked my 8-year-old son, "Which would you prefer? To go to the land of the Wild Things or have them come here?"

His answer: "Have them come here."

I smiled. I think Sendak has another generation of monsters waiting to create a little inventive chaos.

If you have a Maurice Sendak story or memory, share it below...