First, I thought I’d let you all know that I’ve decided on the title of my talk for LTUE next month (the con at BYU, Life, the Universe and Everything, Feb. 15-17 in Provo, UT). It will be “Collaboration: The Editor’s Role in Making Your Book the Best Book You Could Ever Write.” I’m going to use some very specific examples from the editing process of In the Serpent’s Coils by Tiffany Trent () to talk about what it’s like to work with an editor, and hopefully that will help both beginning writers working on editing their own work, and at the same time give listeners an idea of what it’s like to work with an editor. We’ll talk about how developing this series is the same as and different from a standalone, and perhaps such subjects as worldbuilding–given that in Hallowmere we have still been hammering out some details in the second book–and character development. It’ll also be a great concrete example of writing that catches my eye–and how even though writing that catches my eye is the best the author could make it (wonderful, beautiful, even), there’s always still work
to be done for it to be ready for the public.
I figure this is a nice open topic that in the question and answer period can also glance off more basic questions like the submission process and more advance questions that might occur to someone working on a revision themselves.
Suggestions on things to cover still welcome–I’ve got a month before the talk, so things to ponder or specific questions that you’d like to see covered would be great.

Thurs. 9:00 am: Reception/Book Signing
Thurs. 1:00: School and Library Visits
Thurs. 2:00: The First Paragraph Decision
Fri. 9:00am: Publicity and Self-promotion
Fri. 2:00: Main Address
Fri. 3:00: Where is the YA Science Fiction?
Fri. 4:00: Understanding the Slush Pile
Sat. 10:30 – 10:55 am: SF: Expressing Individuality And “It’s Okay To
Be Different”
Sat. 1:30 – 1:55 pm: Give A Kid A Book: What Books Are Best For Kids?
Sat. 4:00 pm: Second-class Citizens
Sat. 5:00 pm: How to Get the Attention of Publishers and Agents
As you can see, we’ll be covering the basics of the slush pile in several panels, so I figured it would be better to cover something a little more complex in my
main address.

Now, for ALA Midwinter next weekend. If you’re going to be in town for it, you need to know the scoop on Mirrorstone’s activities!

Stop by Mirrorstone Booth #3805 and pick up an ARC of In the Serpent’s Coils, the first book in HALLOWMERE, a dark historical YA fantasy series by up-and-coming YA author Tiffany Trent.

Shannon Hale praises In the Serpent’s Coils as “a luscious read.”

You won’t want to miss your chance to pick up an ARC of this exciting fantasy for teen girls!

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On Saturday from 11:00 to 3:00 PM, please join us at a reception to meet our guests of honor:

Darrel Riche, illustrator of The New York Times best seller A Practical Guide to Dragons
Anjali Banerjee, author of Rani and the Fashion Divas (Star Sisterz) and The Silver Spell (Knights of the Silver Dragon)
Linda Johns, author of Carmen Dives In and Carmen’s Crystal Ball (Star Sisterz)
Jeff Sampson and Ree Soesbee, authors of Dragonlance: The New Adventures
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3Cbr />Mirrorstone Booth # 3805
Saturday 11/20/07
11:00AM to 3:00 PM

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Or visit our booth any time to enter a raffle for:

A custom drawing by Darrel Riche, (illustrator of The New York Times best seller A Practical Guide to Dragons)
A Time Spies spy glass
A complete Mirrorstone collection for your library! 
Hope to see you there!