Hello!

As a children’s author myself, I’ve spent many a happy hour browsing for new titles on your shelves. I’m always thrilled when I find something new and exciting to read.

I’m less thrilled when I pull a book off your shelf only to find that it is actually an Advanced Reader Copy.

I’m sure you know that since ARCs aren’t purchased, but rather provided by the publisher, the publisher and author make no money on sales of ARCs. They are meant to be shared for reviews and publicity, not exchanged as a “used book” between customers and bookstores that may have otherwise purchased an actual copy of the book, thereby helping the author earn her fair share. Most ARCs come with a “Not For Sale” sticker on the cover or just inside the cover.

One of my favorite bookstores in Seattle had a fantastic solution to their abundance of advance copies. Once a year, they would stack all of their ARCs on a display table. For each regular book a customer purchased, they were allowed to select one ARC from the table, free of charge. The “buy one get one free” promotion brought in lots of customers, more sales were generated, and no authors lost money due to ARCs being sold as opposed to books.

I hope you’ll consider this option, because for the author, every sale counts!

Thanks for your time,

MiSchu

(posted on KidLit Network)

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As a parent, pediatrician, and feminist activist, I’ve always struggled against the notionthat there even is such a thing as a ‘girl book’ or a ‘boy book.’ In fact, my beliefs had been seemingly verified out by my son, who as readily consumes male protagonist fantasy as he does more ‘realistic’ stories with girl main characters such as theRamona books or Little House on the Prairie series.

Yet, there is clearly a message being sent. And it’s through the eyes of my daughter that I am finally able to see it…

The common advice to leave parents out of kids literature has always been one of my pet peeves. Adults should play a big role in the life of an 8-12 year old. You don’t want them to take over the story, of course. It’s important the main character solve his or her own problem. But I never understood the claim that kids don’t like to read stories that contain adult characters…

If I say watching a television show is a study in writing, does doing so then qualify as “work?” (More importantly, can I write off Netflix when I do my taxes?)

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Really.

No….really.

mixed-up-files:

This year, our members have donated a new stack of middle-grade titles to give to another school or local public or private library.  And we are hoping you will help us find a worthy recipient by nominating a library today.