| Is there some secret for success as a children's | | | | the publisher sets up? |
| writer? Inquiring minds (i.e., yours and mine) want | | | | A: Roaring Brook has been great at promoting |
| to know, so I interviewed L.D. Harkrader whose | | | | Airball. Their publicist has set up local booksignings |
| first middle grade novel, Airball: My Life in Briefs, | | | | and radio and newspaper interviews for me, |
| was recently released by Roaring Brook Press. | | | | which are things I probably wouldn't have been |
| Harkrader doesn't seem to have any real secrets, | | | | able to do (at least not as successfully) without |
| but she does offer some insights into the writing | | | | them. My publisher also sent out review copies so |
| process and a look at what an author needs to | | | | that Airball has been reviewed in all the major |
| do to promote a book once it is published. | | | | children's book review sources, of course, and |
| Q: Tell us a little bit about your writing background. | | | | they also sent reviewers and book buyers a |
| What kinds of things did you write along the way | | | | calendar that includes excerpts of all the books, |
| to publication of your new middle grade novel, | | | | including mine, they're publishing this year. |
| Airball: My Life in Briefs? | | | | On my own I've done a couple school visits and |
| A: I've been writing seriously for thirteen or | | | | spoken at local writers' conferences. I sent copies |
| fourteen years. My first short story, "Prunella | | | | of Airball to local reviewers and to the director of |
| Thigpin," was published in Guideposts for Kids in | | | | the Kansas Center for the Book, an organization |
| 1994. Since then I've published over 200 short | | | | affiliated with the state library that promotes |
| stories, poems, and articles in magazines and | | | | Kansas books and authors. I've talked to local |
| anthologies, as well as eight nonfiction books and | | | | independent bookstores, such as The Raven in |
| three ghostwritten novels in the Animorphs series. | | | | Lawrence, to let them know about the local |
| Q: How long did it take you to write Airball? What | | | | appeal of my book. Approaching bookstore |
| was the most difficult part of the writing process | | | | owners face-to-face took courage for this |
| for you? | | | | not-always-recovering shy person, but turned out |
| A: I started Airball in 1998, and it was published in | | | | to be one of the most enjoyable things I've done. |
| 2005, which adds up to seven years. I'm a slow | | | | When Airball came out, I overwhelmed myself for |
| writer, it's true, but in my defense, I also wrote | | | | a few days trying to think of all the ways I could |
| seven nonfiction books and three Animorphs | | | | or should promote it. I realized I could spend an |
| books during that time! The most difficult part of | | | | awful lot of money and time on promotion, and |
| writing the novel, besides all the stopping and | | | | much of it could be ineffective. I decided the |
| starting between other projects, was maintaining | | | | smartest thing I could do for my career and for |
| confidence that I could actually finish it. First drafts | | | | Airball was to do local promotion that only made |
| are always the hardest part of any writing for | | | | sense for me, rather than my publisher, to do and |
| me. I second-guess every word, sentence, | | | | concentrate on finishing the next book. |
| comma, keystroke I make, which is something all | | | | Q: You have an agent, but do you think it's |
| the how-to-write experts tell you not to do, but | | | | absolutely necessary for today's children's writer |
| something I can't seem to avoid. On top of that, I | | | | to have an agent? Why or why not? |
| knew that this story walked a thin line between | | | | A: I think it's more important today for a children's |
| reality and fantasy, and I worried that I wouldn't | | | | writer to have an agent than it was even ten |
| be able to make it enough of either to be | | | | years ago. It's still possible for children's writers to |
| believable. | | | | be published without an agent, but more and |
| Q: Many writers stress the importance of a | | | | more houses are closing their doors to unagented |
| regular, daily writing schedule. Is that how you | | | | manuscripts, and it's difficult for a writer to figure |
| work? Why or why not? | | | | out which editors are open to which kinds of |
| A: Well, I certainly get more written when I | | | | stories. Plus, selling the manuscript is only the first |
| maintain a regular, daily writing schedule. | | | | step. An agent then negotiates the contract, |
| Unfortunately, it's not always possible. I also have | | | | retains and markets sub rights, and generally |
| to be the mom and chauffeur for my kids, as | | | | looks out for the writer's interests. |
| well as my son the sports addict's main cheering | | | | Q: What advice do you have for beginning |
| section. I'm a substitute teacher one or two days | | | | children's writers who want to publish a MG novel? |
| per week and also take on other writing and | | | | A: First of all, read MG novels. They've changed a |
| design projects occasionally just to pay the bills, | | | | lot since most writers were middle graders |
| so my time is not always (and sometimes not | | | | themselves. Then start and keep going. The first |
| ever) my own. Plus there's that whole | | | | draft won't be perfect, no matter how much you |
| procrastination/avoidance problem I battle | | | | try to make it that way, so be completely open |
| constantly. But work on my fiction definitely | | | | to changing what you've written for the better. |
| suffers when I don't write every day. | | | | Q: Could you share your best writing tip? |
| Q: What kinds of promotional activities has your | | | | A: My best writing tip is to remember that a |
| publisher expected you to do to promote Airball? | | | | story is a journey, one that will change your main |
| Have you found it helpful or necessary to do | | | | character forever. |
| other promotional activities in addition to the ones | | | | |