Léna is also a Regional Manager for Writopia Lab whose mission is to foster joy, literacy, and critical thinking in kids and teens from all backgrounds through creative writing.

"Well, the question is, what do you want to believe? Do you want to live in a world where things are possible, or in one where they aren't?" Cin, Edges.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

What Keeps Me Going

Do we need to talk about Borders closing? Ever since I graduated from writer to "author" (with the sale of Edges to FSG. I was always a writer, even if I didn't recognize it. You are a writer if you write. Period) and the economy crashed in 2008, the publishing industry has been a crazy mass of confusion. Or maybe it always has been, but nobody can predict what will sell anymore. My sweet contemporary came out seven months ago when paranormal romance was all the rage, and it still is, as far as I can tell. I am still waiting to hear if FSG wants to take a chance on my next contemporary YA, The Land of the Lost and Found - but the news about Borders has me spooked. (Not that the big chains have shown any interest in keeping Edges stocked, except for my lovely, local Borders in Mt. Kisco.)

Almost 11000 staff out of work - e-books, Amazon sales on the rise. Will independent bookstores be able to come to the rescue?

I am so grateful that I have other things to focus on to keep my obsession with the publishing industry at bay. I have my family. I have tons of work in Westchester this summer with our burgeoning Writopia program in two locations. I had LeakyCon - swimming with Libba Bray, paneling with John Green and his genuine charm, gallivanting around Harry Potter World with David Levithan and Daniel Lang, and a smashing workshop.

In fact, I received a lovely email from a LeakyCon participant that will keep me going whenever I get freaked out about the publishing industry. Ian, thank you for your email! This post is dedicated to you, and TY also for letting me share it on my blog:
My name is Ian Herring, I am 15 years old from Texas. I attended Leakycon 2011. I really enjoyed your class on fiction writing. I had been forming an idea in my head for a long time (I'm a want-to-be writer), and your tips made it complete. I am happily into the 5th chapter and I am having a blast! I just want to thank you so much for making my dreams of writing a reality! I truly cannot express enough how thankful I am! 

Sincerely,
A happy writer,
Ian Herring
Enhanced by Zemanta

7 comments:

  1. Wow, what a nice letter. And how inspiring. You are making a difference in young people's lives, Lena. You should be proud of yourself. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes Lena, you should be proud ;) Thanks for all the help!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Lena! I've rediscovered your blog and am saying hello. Can't wait till March!

    ReplyDelete
  4. OOOH! Hello Anne - thanks for stopping by!

    ReplyDelete
  5. THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) are able to reserve ones own cartier replica sale provided that 3 towards ninety days subsequent to using cigarettes and / or increasingly being ingested orally. There are plenty of selecting causes for the purpose of how far tablet harmful toxins and bacteria reserve an individuals overall body of which include person to person, for instance the analytical solution chosen, your state of health, yourself body fat, calorie burning, solution in your diet, the actual tablet toxin, and then the volume experience of typically the tablet toxin. Typically the full speed for marijuana makes yourself is based at the same time at the full speed with the omega replica sale, not to mention at the half-life from THC. It’s thought who THC will offer some half-life who distances from around 1-10 weeks. It’s very hard to realize whatever who about half your life might be, so considering it is somewhat complex to employ it again towards longines replica sale how far it will require for the purpose of the different THC towards make yourself. Factors behind certain period of time might be from around 3-30 weeks, in accordance with a calorie burning not to mention the length of marijuana who you’ve used with smokers. This really miserable, mainly because translates that alot of tablet reports are able to basically find proof various meds should you’ve long been bringing typically the tablet with two or three of this tablet try out, marijuana longines replica sale definitely be determined in any urine try out up to few weeks longines replica sale the third instance it happens to be chosen. Any time you toxins it again in some cases it may live in your pc for approximately 10 weeks.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.