Hey gang! When I hosted the TAC logo contest, it was back in the summer. Since today is the deadline for the 100-Book Challenge logo contest and there are no entries–and many of you have mentioned that it’s easier to find time to be creative when school’s not in session–I’m going to revisit the 100-Book Challenge logo contest during the summer, if needed.
UPDATE 1/28/10: The 100-Book Challenge has been disbanded due to copyright concerns.
In other news, I’ve been thinking a lot about what kinds of features to include on the blog as I kick off a new year of blogging. And here’s the thing…
I still don’t know what features to include.
So I thought I’d throw it out to you and let you guys tell me what you’re most interested in reading about! Here’s my list of ideas and ongoing series:
SERIES
– Author Caves (sneak peeks into authors’ writing dens)
– Author Spotlights
– Booklovers of the Week – agents, editors & industry pros
– Booklovers of the Week – booksellers
– Booklovers of the Week – book bloggers
– Librarian Spotlights
– Teen Author Challenge mini-series (throughout the year on various writing topics)
MISCELLANEOUS FEATURES
– Adventures in writing – my writing ups and downs and everything in between
– The sweet life – all things wonderful about sweets and my adventures in baking (note: I am generally regarded as a kitchen disaster, so be prepared for danger here)
– Get inspired – sharing fun stories about people doing super cool things to make a difference (ala Living Your Five)
– What I’m reading – the books I’m reading, what’s up next in my TBR pile, and what I’m excited to buy
– Things I love – no rules here: could be pop culture, food, things I’m addicted to… just general fun stuff that I adore
– Ask Kay – responding to reader questions (I have a few dozen of these now & can do periodic call-outs for more)
So those are the ideas I’ve come up with myself. I still think it’s mildly hilarious that anyone would want to read about any of these things from me, but there you go. If there are other things you’d tune in to read about, let me know those too!
To kick things off in the chat world of the 10 in ‘10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge, Jessica and I thought it would be nice to have a fun, get-to-know-ya chat to hear about what you’re reading for the challenge and which teen chick lit books you’re excited to read next.
So join us tonight, January 19th, at 8pm EST in our Chatzy chat room. We’ll be updating the post tonight with the link when it goes live, so be sure to check back then! (Or follow us on Twitter – @KayCassidy and @ChickLitTeens – because we’ll be posting the link there too!)
Today, I’m delighted to welcome back the popular Booklovers series! I’ve got tons of fabulous folks lined up for you in the 2010 edition. Just you wait and see.
I met this lovely agent several years ago at a conference we both spoke at. She’s warm, funny, smart, approachable… pretty much everything you want in an agent relationship. I even got to see her at a conference again last year and had a blast. Many of you may know her from her popular blog, Daphne Unfeasible, and from her quick wit on Twitter (@daphneun). Please help me welcome the fabulous…
Kate Schafer Testerman formed kt literary in early 2008, where she concentrates on middle grade and YA fiction as well as diving into some women’s commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction. Bringing to bear the experience of working with a large agency, she concentrates on all aspects of working with her authors, offering hands-on experience, personal service, and a surfeit of optimism. Her clients include Maureen Johnson, Ellen Booraem, S. Terrell French, Josie Bloss, and Matthew Cody, among other exciting newcomers. Her interests cover a broad range including teen chick lit, urban fantasy and magical realism, adventure stories, and romantic comedies. Questions About You 2.0
The You 2.0 blog is about becoming everything you’re meant to be. It’s about pursuing your dreams, changing your world, showing gratitude, and paying it forward. Here’s a chance for our Booklovers to share what You 2.0 means to them.
1. PURSUING YOUR DREAMS: Everyone has the ability to be extraordinary, they just have to embrace what makes them unique and special and pursue their dreams with passion and confidence! Tell us a little about a dream you’ve achieved or are pursuing right now. If you’ve achieved it already, how does it feel to know you’ve made your dream a reality?
In all honesty, I didn’t know starting my own literary agency was a dream until I did it, and realized that, yes, THIS is what I’m meant to be doing. I always loved books, and found my way to a literary agency through a totally natural progression, but the more I worked on other people’s books, the more I wanted to expend my energies pushing titles that I was 100% behind – that were my choices to represent, to shepherd the authors through their careers, to talk to other people about and convince them they HAD to read them, and buy them. I was able to do that to some extent at my former agency, but starting kt literary last year has opened up an entirely new world of possibilities – sure, there are tough parts, but I find the good definitely outweighs any of the bad.
2. CHANGING YOUR WORLD: Changing the world doesn’t have to mean finding a cure for cancer or creating lasting world peace (though it definitely can!). It just means finding a way that you can make the world a little better off for having lived here, whether it’s making a difference to one person or a million, to the earth, to animals… whatever is important to you. What is one way you would personally like to make the world a better place?
Every time I make a new deal, I think I’m making the world a little better. I mean, sure, that may sound a little pompous, but for my authors, I like to think each new deal has the possibility of changing their worlds – for new authors, it’s finally being able to call themselves published writers! And since I work with YA and middle grade fiction, primarily, I love the idea that a book I represented and sold may inspire young readers to go on and be writers themselves – or, like me, take up a life working in publishing.
3. GRATITUDE: Gratitude is a huge part of the You 2.0 life. Taking a moment to count our blessings is the best way to remember what’s truly important (especially when life is hectic and crazy!). What are you grateful for?
My parents, for being readers, and inspiring in me a love of books. My dad was a huge fan of historical novels like the Patrick O’Brien Aubrey/Maturin series, and Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe books – that led me to discover historical novels myself, though they tended towards romances at first – which led to contemporary romance, which led to chick lit, which led to teen chick lit, which brings me back around to YA again. Also, to my elementary school principal, Sister Nancy, for telling me to stop reading during lunchtime – I’m a contrary sort, so that only made me want to read more! And the Port Chester (N.Y.) Public Library, which has these fantastic reading contests every year, and the librarians there who introduced me to Marguerite Henry, The Chronicles of Narnia, and so many more great books.
4. PAYING IT FORWARD: If everyone took a moment to pay it forward, even just once, the world would be changed in ways we can’t even imagine. What is one thing you’ve done (or plan to do) to “pay it forward” in some way?
I like to think helping to introduce teens to Maureen Johnson (who I knew as a friend before she became a famous writer and internet sensation) is a very nice line on my balance sheet. And I can’t wait for younger readers to meet the hero of Matthew Cody’s novel POWERLESS (Knopf, November 2009)! On a non-pitching-my-clients tangent, I like to think I’m helping writers understand the industry a little better with my Ask Daphne! blog and regular tweets. It’s a little thing I think I do every day to help. Questions About You, The Industry Pro
5. Why did you choose a book-related career?
Probably because I never thought of anything else! I always knew I wanted to work with books, and when I got out of college and was looking for my first “real” job, I answered every ad in the New York Times classified for an entry-level position in publishing until someone told me yes. Books have always been a part of my life, and I’m thrilled to make them my career as well.
6. Tell us a little bit about what you do in your job.
As a literary agent, I help my clients find publishers for their work, negotiate contracts, sell foreign rights, and act as a sounding board and early reader for their manuscripts.
7. What do you love most (and least) about your job?
I love diving into a new book for the first time, and finding something that just blows my mind away. On the negative side, I hate waiting just as much as authors do for responses to my submissions, and the tedium of contract negotiation can be tiresome – but I have an awesome contracts manager who helps me get through it!
8. What do you think would surprise people about your job?
I think a lot of people might be surprised by what my day actually entails. Sure, sometimes I can take a reading day and just go through partials or client manuscripts, but most of the time, I do my work reading at night and on the weekends. My days are spent dealing with a hundred other things that are part of an agent’s job.
9. What do you love most about the YA and middle grades genres?
I love how important these books are to their readers. Those of us who are in children’s publishing, for the most part, are here I think because kids’ books touched our lives, and I love being able to pass that feeling on to someone else. Teens and tweens are so inspired by the books that they’re reading, so connected to the characters and the authors and the stories – it’s a feeling I hope they take through the rest of their lives.
10. What books impacted you as a teen/tween?
I mentioned the Marguerite Henry books above – I had my girlish horse phase as did so many tweens, and even took riding lessons for a little while. I think the first book that made me cry – great, heaving sobs – was The Chestry Oak by Kate Seredy (now, sadly, out of print). As I recall, the sobs may very well have come over something that happened to the horse in the book. I loved The Borrowers series by Mary Norton, though I’ll admit I had to look up the author’s name – the characters were what stuck with me for those books. And I wrote a fan letter to Francine Pascal about the Sweet Valley High books – I wanted to be a Jessica, but even then knew I was an Elizabeth. And wow, so many more.
11. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Work on your craft. I think so many writers are so eager to be published RIGHT AWAY that they jump into the querying process too early and do themselves a disservice. Take time with your manuscripts. Polish them. Share them with trusted readers. Let them sit and gather dust while you work on other things, to be able to take them up again later and see the areas that need improvement. Will the Real You 2.0 Please Stand Up?
12. I love the game Three Truths and a Lie because there are so many unexpected and interesting things about people that we never get a chance to learn about them. What are three truths and a lie that our blog readers can guess about you?
– I own a sword and several daggers and have been certified an Advanced Actor/Combatant by the Society of American Fight Directors.
– I collect copies of The Princess Bride by William Goldman, and have a dozen editions in multiple languages.
– I danced in the original London production of Riverdance until I broke my foot. <--UPDATE: That was the lie!
– My client Maureen Johnson and I lived in London together after college, where we often used to climb over garbage cans through the window of our flat instead of bothering with the locks on the doors. (Readers: As always, your blog comments get you an entry into the Bundle o’ Bookmarks giveaways that happen throughout the month. You never know when the next impromptu Bundle giveaway will be for one recent commenter. Will you be the winner? I’ll update the post later to spill the big lie, so get guessing and have fun!)
I love getting caught up on things. I’ve been meaning to get the blog all squared away since the holidays but life intruded and… yikes! So many things piled up on the blog!
I was up waaaay too late last night cleaning up the sidebars of the blog, but I’m super excited about how they turned out. See that over on the right? The 10 in ‘10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge logo (designed by the fabulous Jessica of Chick Lit Teens)? (Scroll down a little to see it.) It’s now a permanent fixture on the sidebar along with my constantly-being-updated-because-there-are-way-too-many-awesome-teen-chick-lit-books-to-read widget showing the fab books I’m planning to read for it this year. (I’ll pause while you oooo and ahhh at this stellar list. Go ahead, take your time.)
Beneath that is the latest edition of a challenge I hosted last year. I’m back in 2010 hosting (sound the trumpets!) the 2010 100-Book Challenge on the E-Nation Ning!
The E-Nation Ning is an informal Ning community where many of the Egmont USA authors hang out and chat about books and pop culture and stuff with other fun authors and fab readers. I decided to host a 100-Book Challenge there in 2009 sort of out of the blue, and we had a blast. Jennifer Lynn Barnes dusted us all by reading something like five kajillion books, but it was so much fun seeing everyone’s lists grow and hearing what they thought about their favorite books of the year.
The 100-Book Challenge isn’t a competition though. It’s a fun social place to say “Hey, here’s what I’m reading and OMGyoutotallyhavetoreadthisone!” Though you can use spaces between your words if you want. We’re not picky.
Aaaaanywho… this year, I decided that I want a logo. Something really fun and cute that coordinates with the E-Nation Ning design. And I thought, “You know, I have a ton of online buddies who are ridiculously talented. Why not host another logo contest and see what they come up with?”
The 100-Book Challenge Logo Contest!
And so, here I am, telling you about the 100-Book Challenge logo contest and here you are, reading about it and thinking, “Sounds fun, Kay, but I’m kinda busy.” (Or possibly you’re thinking, “Did I see the next American Idol in the auditions yet?” I’m not really sure. You’re kind of a mystery.) But I hear you on the busy, so how about if I offer up a $25 gift card to the bookstore of your choice?
Here are the quick and easy rules:
1) Create a logo in .png or .jpg format with the following information:
— 2010 100-Book Challenge
— enationbooks.ning.com
2) Logos should complement the E-Nation Ning color scheme and design and be 1200×1200 pixels with a resolution of 300 dpi.
3) Upload the logo to your web site or blog and comment here with a link to where you’ve got it.
4) Final deadline for logos is Thursday, January 21, 2010.
5) Winner will be announced on the You 2.0 blog in late January.
NOTE: All graphics and photos must be owned by the logo creator and entrants agree that if their entry should be selected as the winner, all rights to the logo will become the property of Kay Cassidy, Inc. (Ah, legal mumbo jumbo.)
Let me know in the comments if you’re game for the contest. I can’t wait to see what you come up with! And while you’re checking out the E-Nation Ning design, be sure to join us for the 100-Book Challenge too!
UPDATE 1/28/10: The 100-Book Challenge has been disbanded due to copyright concerns.
At long last, I have sent off the pass pages for The Cinderella Society as it gets ready to go to press. Woohoo!!!
To celebrate, I am FINALLY going to update the blog with all of this month’s winners!
Thank you so much to everyone who posted the Cinderella Society countdown widget on their blogs. It was so fun going out and seeing my cover on all of your sites! Very much a “OMG, this is real” experience for me, so thank you for that extra moment of fun.
The Cinderella Society 100-Day Countdown Widget Contest
The winner of a signed ARC of The Cinderella Society for the 100-day countdown widget contest is…
Emma! (aka Booking Through 365)
I hope you enjoy the book! Please contact me here with your mailing address and let me know whether you would like the ARC personally signed to keep or generically signed to give away.
And also… ack! Somehow I managed to forget to post the monthly blog winners this month!! And since we’re now in 2010, these are the final monthly winners for the 2009 Monthly Blog Contest. (New contests coming soon in 2010!)
So without further ado, here are the final monthly blog contest winners. Drum roll, please…
Teen Author Challenge Giveaway
The winner of the FINAL Teen Author Challenge monthly giveaway (who will get to select one of the “craft of writing” books from my own personal writing bookshelf) is…
And the winner of asigned ARC of The Cinderella Society(coming April 13, 2010 from Egmont USA!) for the FINAL 2009 monthly blog contest is…
Dani! (aka YA All the Way)
I hope you enjoy the book! Please contact me here with your mailing address and let me know whether you would like the ARC personally signed to keep or generically signed to give away.
Congratulations to all the winners! And thanks to everyone for all your fun comments throughout the month. They seriously make my day.
Keep commenting all month long for your chance to win in the monthly contests and the impromptu Bundle o’ Bookmarks giveaways. (Note: I received lots of new bookmarks over the holidays, so a new Bundle o’ Bookmarks is coming soon!)
Huge congrats go to our newest monthly winners of the national Great Scavenger Hunt Contest reading program for kids and teens! Please join me in cheering on the winning hunter:
It’s hard to believe that when I first put The Cinderella Society’s countdown widget on the blog, the release date was almost 300 days away. As of today, we are officially 100 days out from release!
To celebrate this fun milestone, I’m giving away a signed ARC of The Cinderella Society to one lucky person who is displaying the TCS countdown widget on their blog!
To participate, simply grab the widget above (click the Share button to copy the code), paste the code into your blog sidebar, and comment below with a link to your blog. The contest is open until this Friday, January 8th, 2010. Good luck!!
Attention Book Clubs!
Kay is available for free 30-minute book club chats via Skype for book clubs who have read The Cinderella Society. Contact Kay via the online contact form for more information.
Book Signing - 5/1/10
Barnes & Noble
Noblesville, IN
1:00 p.m.
Book Signing - 5/8/10
Barnes & Noble
West Chester, OH
2:00 p.m.
Teen Book Festival - 5/15/10
Nazareth College
Rochester, NY
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Coming soon!
"Girl power, baby! This is the book you want when you want to believe you can do anything!"
~ Becca Fitzpatrick New York Times
bestselling author Hush, Hush
"The Cinderella Society is just as much about empowering yourself as it is about the fun and romance, and the super secret society will appeal to fans of Ally Carter."
“The Cinderella Society is girl power in a great new package! Kay shows a real girl on a real path to finding out who she is who just happens to have a great support team there to help her when she falls! The Cinderella Society is a must read for teen girls! It deals with real issues that we’ve all had and are still facing in regards to how we fit into the world.”
“I loved watching Jess transform – to start to see what was inside of her and how to let that out. The conflict, the fantastic characters, the overall fun this book was to read… chick lit isn’t usually my thing, but this is so much more.”
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