Author Interviews

Agent Alyssa Eisner Henkin Interview and Giveaway

I’m thrilled to welcome agent Alyssa Eisner Henkin to the Mixed-Up Files.  Alyssa is a 1998 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. Before joining Trident Media Group in December of 2006, she spent seven years at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, where she edited the New York Times bestselling LITTLE QUACK, as well as the popular THE MOTHER DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB, and THE WEDDING PLANNER’S DAUGHTER. Alyssa is currently seeking commercial middle grade and young adult novels, as well as projects with crossover appeal in women’s fiction.

 

Thank you for visiting us!  Between all your editorial and agenting experience, how has the market changed, how did you adapt to it, and what new changes do you think agents might make in the future? 

While we’re in a climate of great change, I think publishers are choosier now more than ever. I’ve heard a refrain lately of people looking for books that have a very unique and lyrical voice, but at the same time are “not so different” that they can’t comp to other popular books.

Additionally, authors now have the ability to publish their own books through Amazon and other etailers without a major publisher backing them. While it’s still often a long road between independently publishing one’s book and getting a publisher to notice it and pick the book up in a big deal, it’s definitely a strategy that I’ve seen already, and one that I suspect we’ll see more and more of in the months ahead. Editors and agents are often “trolling” the highest ranked books on Amazon and B&N.com and figuring out if there is a way to expand those brands beyond just the ebook arena by publishing them in hardcover, paperback in foreign markets, selling film rights.

 

It’s amazing to see how many middle-grade books are being self-published now.  What do you think about the quality of those books, and when do you believe it’s okay for a writer to consider that route?

I love the fact that self-publishing no longer has the stigma associated with it that it did at earlier times. Not only are the John Lockes and the Amanda Hockings of the world making money by selling their ebooks online, but plenty of mid list authors as well as newbies are making considerable cash as well.

While self-publishing ebooks might not be the right strategy for every book, and particularly not for every MG book, considering that a lot of the readers in that age group are not yet reading on e-readers, nor are they on Facebook in the same way that teens are, it is definitely the right strategy for some.

My own wonderful client, Adam Glendon Sidwell made a huge foray by independently publishing his MG book EVERTASTER, which hit #52 overall in books on amazon.com and #1 in children’s mystery books on his first day of publication. A veteran of the special effects film industry, Adam decided to take this route after I could not sell his fun, funny, clever, and page-turningly delicious book EVERTASTER to a major publisher. I had gotten close to selling the book to 2 different major publishers, but while the editors championed the book, sales came back and said it was too quirky. And yet these rejection letters we were receiving sounded more like sell sheets for the book! One editor said “this was like GOONIES meets RATATOUILLE meets THE DA VINCI CODE, and kids would literally eat this up.”

While EVERTASTER is certainly a quirky story. It’s also a very commercial one. It’s both a mystery and adventure in which the worlds pickiest eater goes in search of The Gastronomy of Peace, a recipe so delicious, that one who finds it will never want to eat anything else. And it’s a battle to the finish, since evil forces are in search of this rare delicacy, too. And securing its ingredients takes Guster and his brainy sister across the globe from jungles to icy peaks to medieval castles.

Shortly after the submission rounds concluded, my agency, Trident Media Group, launched its own ebook publishing platform. We serve as advisors to our clients who wish to publish their own books and consult on marketing and price strategies, covers, copyediting, and every other facet of eBook making. Adam and I agreed that EVERTASTER seemed like the perfect first MG with which to launch Trident’s impressive roster of original eBooks. The fact that he and I had been editing and revising it for the better part of two years definitely spoke to the quality of the work as well.

 

What are some great ways for authors to promote themselves and their books?

I think the more authors can do to utilize online resources, the better. In the case of EVERTASTER, Adam and his brand team (i.e. family members) spent two months prior to publication building up a huge fan-base for the book on Facebook and Twitter. He also created a blog and a trailer, sought out quotes from other authors and interviews on influential blogs. And he kept his growing fan base in the loop every step of the way, by tweeting and posting on FB every time something new happened with the book. He also sponsored contests on Goodreads, did cross-promotion with a pie company, and even put up the first chapter page-by-page on Facebook.

While the ebook is launching with a splashy and fabulous trailer, the paperback version of EVERTASTER already made huge waves on Amazon on June 14th. Adam specifically created a trade paperback so he could have something to take to schools, as opposed to just creating an ebook. Thanks to Adam’s great story AND his ability to strategically use social networking, EVERTASTER was successful right out of the gate. Picking the right meta-data categories to put one’s book in when selling it online is essential, too. Otherwise, it might not be found in a search.

 

What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve seen authors make? 

I think authors should utilize editors and copyeditors to make sure their book is in great shape before they put it up online. I also personally think that authors should take advantage of as much free online publicity as they can, and not outlay a lot of cash for banner ads or other expensive advertising until they at least are in the black and have some revenue from their first phase of sale to invest.

 

I’d love to know the titles of some of your favorite middle-grade novels, and why you love them so much.

NUMBER THE STARS and THE WILLOUGHBYS by Lois Lowry both top my charts. Both so beautifully-written and astute, yet each so different.

I’m also a huge fan of THE LEMONADE WARS by Jaqueline Davies. It teaches math in a very subtle way, while also telling a very compelling and heartfelt story.

I also greatly enjoyed THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE: The Shadows by Jacqueline West and found it a great balance between spooky adventure and a very relatable character.

 

Do you have a manuscript wish list?   

I definitely am on the watch for more MG then ever, since I feel the industry is skewing to YA for its own good and that there’s a lot of room to grow in the MG cannon. I often find submissions in MG often tend to skew either very voice-driven or very plot-driven, and so I’m looking, like so many agents are, for a very fresh voice that grabs hold of the reader, but one in which high-stakes develop organically throughout the story, and don’t feel tacked on. I’m a huge fan of THE ORIGAMI YODA branding strategy, and would also like to figure out what the next “Yoda” is…J

 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?  

When you get positive feedback on a book, even if it’s by way of a rejection letter, don’t dismiss it. Had Adam not listened to the kind praise he was securing as well as thought about ways to sell his book in an outside the box manner, he’d never be among the top-selling MG mystery books on the market.

 

A lucky winner will receive a copy of WONDER written by R. J. PALACIO, one of Alyssa Eisner Henkin’s clients.  Indiebound says: In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope.  R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness” —indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out. This wonderful book has made the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, UK, and Indie bestseller lists, and inspired the Choose Kind anti-bullying campaign.  Leave a comment below and our random generator will choose a winner on Saturday, June 30. 

Alyssa Eisner Henkin is also offering a second giveaway…a critique of up to 20 pages of a middle grade novel manuscript!  Please let us know in your comment if you want to be included in this extremely generous giveaway.

***For both giveaways, you’ll receive extra entries for sharing a link on your blog, Facebook, an online forum, or Twitter.  Please mention each link in a new comment so the generator will add your extra entries.  The WONDER winner must live in the US or Canada.  Good luck!

In addition to these awesome giveaways, Alyssa Eisner Henkin is also offering one more chance for writers to win a critique from her (and this giveaway is open for one picture book manuscript or up to 20 pages of an MG or YA).  Click here for more information! 

Mindy Alyse Weiss writes humorous middle-grade novels and quirky picture books.  She’s constantly inspired by her eleven and fourteen year-old daughters, an adventurous Bullmasador adopted from The Humane Society, and an adorable Beagle/Pointer pup who was recently rescued from the Everglades.  Visit Mindy’s blog or Twitter to read more about her writing life, conference experiences, and writing tips.

Meet Robin Mellom, and a Chance To Win THE CLASSROOM

I’m thrilled to welcome Robin Mellom to the Mixed-Up Files.  Robin is the author of THE CLASSROOM: The Epic Documentary of a Not-Yet Epic Kid, the first book in her series for middle grade readers, and DITCHED: A Love Story, a teen romantic comedy, both from Disney-Hyperion.

Here’s a little more info about the first book in THE CLASSROOM series:

A documentary crew has descended upon Westside Middle School to detail the life of an average seventh grader and his classmates.  What they uncover, though, is far from average. Mostly, it is upper average along with moments of extreme average, highlighted by several minutes of total epicness.

Trevor Jones has been preparing for the start of seventh grade his entire summer. But he is NOT ready for the news his best friend, Libby, drops on him at the bus stop: he needs to branch out and make new friends. Oh, and he must ask a girl to the fall dance. By the end of the day.

Trevor decides that he would rather squirt hot sauce in his eyes than attend the dance. Everything changes, though, when he meets mysterious new student Molly. Trevor starts to think that going to the dance maybe wouldn’t be the worst thing ever. But with detention-wielding teachers, school gossips, and, worst of all, eighth graders conspiring against him, Trevor will have to do the one thing he wasn’t prepared to do: be epic.

Check out the amazing trailer for THE CLASSROOM! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLCBe9kh8A8

How did you come up with the unique documentary style for The Classroom, and did you always believe it would be a series?  

I started working on this story almost ten years ago, but it was in a different format with a combination of quizzes and interviews and pamphlets mixed in with the story. It’s been very dear to my heart for quite some time because it’s the story that won me my first SCBWI writing award and I went on to get an agent with this novel. But it wasn’t the book that landed me my first book contract. That book was my teen novel, DITCHED. Shortly after I signed my contract, I met up with my editor at Comic-Con in San Diego. He just happened to ask me about the first book I ever wrote and when I told him about my wonky little middle grade book with quizzes and interviews, he got very excited.  He’d always wanted to do a mockumentary-style book. So I told him I’d take a stab at it. It ended up being amazingly easy to adapt my original novel to this format of a story with documentary footage and interviews. I had a blast writing it.

I sent in sample pages and they loved it! My publisher then asked me to write up a four-book proposal…a dream come true! Even though—let’s be honest—it was quite the challenge since I had never written a book proposal IN MY LIFE. I have a hard time just committing to a grocery list! What I ended up doing was studying plot summaries of TV episodes so I could see how they weave A and B plots together. As difficult as it was writing a detailed proposal, I will say it has helped me tremendously with writing the next book in the series. My roadmap is already done and I just get to enjoy the fun part of writing it!

 

What tips would Trevor, Libby, Marty, Corey, Cindy, and Molly each give to kids who are about to start middle school? 

They are each so incredibly different, which is what kids will discover when they read THE CLASSROOM. Readers may identify with one of them or all of them in little ways. Here’s the advice each of them would give:

Trevor: Always know where the bathrooms are located and NEVER ask an eighth grader for directions.

Libby: Be loyal to your friends and make sure you have a good winter jacket.

Marty: Just chill, don’t talk to eighth graders, and bring a copy of Boys’ Life (in case you need to know how to survive a bee swarm, because you never know).

Cindy: Always be perky because people will like you. And when people like you, they tell you gossip. And when you know all the gossip, you’re even happier!

Molly: Do whatever it takes to NEVER get bored.

 

What are your favorite and least favorite memories of middle school?

My favorite memories are those fifteen minutes or so right after lunch when we had this strange amount of freedom and I don’t even know why we were allowed to have it. For some reason, when we were done eating, I remember they would let us leave the cafeteria and for the first time EVER we were allowed to roam the halls freely and just “hang out.” It was tween heaven. Oh my word, all the gossiping and the flirting. And then we’d go to the bathroom in large pods and put on MAKE-UP! (incorrectly) But whatever, it was the best.

Least favorite memory? The fact that those were the years I was growing very tall and my pants were ALWAYS one-inch too short. Ugh.

 

What are some of your favorite middle-grade novels, and why do you love them so much?

My favorite middle grade novels seem to either fall in the category of timeless/heartwrenching novels or totally hilarious. When I was a teacher, the book that completely hooked my fifth graders and had them BEGGING me re-read it over and over was Louis Sachar’s SIDEWAYS STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL. If it wasn’t for that book, I never would’ve made it through my first year of teaching alive.

The other middle grade books I love: Frindle, Holes, Because of Winn Dixie, City of Ember, Dear Dumb Diary series. I’m sort of all over the place! But all of those books have amazing voice and heart. And Dear Dumb Diary is just freaking hilarious. It just is.

 

Since you write both middle grade and young adult novels, I’d love to know what you think some of the biggest differences are between those genres.  

I’ve heard it said before that middle grade is about trying to fit in and teen is about trying to set yourself apart and be different.

When I’m writing middle grade, I try to keep in mind that the characters are starting to form their opinions for the first time—they’re not jaded or cynical, they’re more observational. I’m constantly reminding myself to use restraint. Light strokes.

But with teen writing, my characters have deep thoughts and emotions about everything. So I’m constantly reminding myself to step on the gas!

 

Thanks for visiting us, Robin.  I can’t wait to read more books in The Classroom series!  Can you give us a sneak peek at some of the adventures coming up for Trevor and his friends?

In the next book, Libby and Cindy both run for student class president. And friendships get tested during this election! And somehow Trevor ends up in a hairnet. Disastrous, I tell you.

Book two has been VERY fun to write and some of the illustrations coming up in this one have me in stitches. I can’t wait!

 

One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of THE CLASSROOM: The Epic Documentary of a Not-Yet Epic Kid.  Leave a comment below and our random generator will choose a lucky winner on Saturday, June 23.  You’ll get extra entries for sharing a link on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

***Please mention each link in a new comment so the generator will add your extra entries.  Winners must live in the US or Canada.  Good luck!  

Robin Mellom has taught grades five through eight and has a master’s degree in education. She lives with her husband and son on the Central Coast of California. Visit her website for more information.  

Mindy Alyse Weiss writes humorous middle-grade novels and quirky picture books.  She’s constantly inspired by her eleven and fourteen year-old daughters, an adventurous Bullmasador adopted from The Humane Society, and an adorable Beagle/Pointer pup who was recently rescued from the Everglades.  Visit Mindy’s blog or follow her on Twitter to read more about her writing life, conference experiences, and writing tips.

Interview and Giveaway with Jonathan Auxier

I’m thrilled to welcome Jonathan Auxier to the Mixed-Up Files.  Jonathan is a screenwriter, illustrator, and novelist who lives in Pittsburgh, PA. His debut novel, Peter Nimble & His Fantastic Eyes, tells the tale of a small, blind, orphan who also happens to be the greatest thief who ever lived.  The book was an ABA 2011 New Voices pick and was named one of BookPage magazine’s Best Children’s Books of 2011. You can learn more about Jonathan by visiting www.TheScop.com, where he blogs about children’s books old and new. 

I’d love to know what surprised you the most while writing Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes.

I think the most surprising thing was how much fun it was to write! I’ve been writing plays and screenplays for a number of years, and while I enjoy that work, it definitely feels like work. When writing scripts, you start with outlines and treatments and do a lot of planning. When I sat down to write Peter Nimble, however, it was much more exploratory — I tried to let the characters (and narrator) tell the story to me, rather than the other way around.

 

I love your illustrations at the beginning of each chapter.  Was that something you planned when you first wrote this novel? 

I draw a lot, and virtually every story I’ve ever written has started as a sketch in one of my journals. In the case of Peter Nimble, it all began with the picture at the top of chapter one: a little baby floating in a basket with a raven perched on the edge who has just pecked out his eyes.  

While I did want illustrations in the book, I didn’t originally plan to do them myself. Partway through the process, my editor learned that I had all these Peter Nimble sketches in my journals, and that started the conversation.

 

How did you come up with your wonderfully wacky and lovable characters and such a unique and vivid world?

My favorite books are ones that feel like they’re in conversation with the stories that have come before them. Consider how The Graveyard Book interacts with Kipling’s Jungle Books, or how the Harry Potter series breathes life into old boarding-school stories like Tom Brown. In writing Peter Nimble, I really let my inner booklover run free — grabbing bits of stories and characters and moments from all the stories that have shaped me as a human being. The goal is to take those bits and then show them in a new light so that they feel simultaneously familiar and new.

 

Can you share a writing exercise with us?

How about a reading exercise? When I was in graduate school, I picked up the habit of watching movies and plays with a notepad and pen. At the end of every scene, I’d jot down what had just happened — just a few words, like: “hero proposes, gets dumped”. By the end, I’d have this clean little roadmap that showed me how the story fit together. The goal is to do this so much that it becomes second nature: every time you watch or read a story, you’re making a roadmap in back of your mind. Then, when it’s time to write your own story, you’ve got this innate understanding of pacing and structure to help you along.

 

What are some of your favorite middle-grade novels, and why do you love them so much?

What a huge question! I actually talk a lot about favorite children’s books on my blog.  To go back to my earlier point about books in conversation, I’ll list some of the children’s books that profoundly inspired Peter Nimble:

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Peter Pan by JM Barrie

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

The Thirteen Clocks by James Thurber

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

 

I love your characters, incredible world, and unique voice that instantly drew me into Peter’s story, and can’t wait to read more books from you. What are you working on now?

I am working on a few books at the moment. One is a middle grade adventure about a chimney sweep. The other is a ghost story about an evil tree. I like having multiple projects because while I’m writing one, my subconscious can start to work on the other.

 

Thank you so much for this wonderful interview, Jonathan.  I absolutely love Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes and can’t wait for more of your books to be published. I’m also looking forward to trying the reading exercise you shared, and have a feeling our Mixed-Up readers will find it very helpful, too.     

One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes.  Leave a comment below and our random generator will choose a lucky winner on Tuesday, May 8.  You’ll get extra entries for sharing a link on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

***Please mention each link in a new comment so the generator will add your extra entries.  Winners must live in the US or Canada.  Good luck!

 

Mindy Alyse Weiss writes humorous middle-grade novels and quirky picture books.  She’s constantly inspired by her eleven and fourteen year-old daughters, adventurous sock and underwear munching puppies, and two stinky but adorable ferrets. Visit her blog or on Twitter to read more about her writing life, conference experiences, and writing tips.