Sarah Ockler Bakes A New Novel … To Perfection!

The best books start here.

Tag: Humor

Sarah Ockler Bakes A New Novel … To Perfection!

There’s certainly nothing to be “bitter” about now that Sarah Ockler’s latest novel has hit the shelves.

With her unique mixture of romance, witty one-liners, and, of course, hopefulness mixed with a dash of heartbreak, Sarah has delivered a confectionary delight-of-a-novel that I am so excited is out in the world. The perfect way to start out 2012!

A little about the book:

Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances, a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, … [more]

My Neighborhood Has the Bestest Signs!

I have been remiss in adding to this blog over the past few weeks, because I’ve been working, and working hard, from sunrise to long into the night. (Spare a moment and a tear for your resident Crow, hunched over his desk, making sales and editing manuscripts and only rising when vision and good posture have gone for good. O, the crippling effects of labor! &c.) And while I have been tinkering with a few posts about the Industry and where it may or may not be going, neither is done.

One day soon, Chris and I will institute “Plagiarism Fridays” here, but in the meanwhile, some local sights that prove that, like it or not, we live in a post-literate culture. (Where are the SPOGGians when you need ’em?)

#1. “Yo, keep … [more]

Conferences? Love ’em! (Though sometimes … )

readmymanuscriptHave been polishing up two talks this morning (creating Power Point slides for them—thank you for the kick in the pants, Martha Bee), and so have also been musing about the national SCBWI conference in Los Angeles. It was about six weeks ago that it wrapped. I didn’t get to attend this year, and I really missed it. It is grand in every way—thousands of people, speakers who inspire and entertain, children’s books celebrities hobnobbing at the lobby bar, and a huge costume party/dance on Saturday. Being surrounded by like-minded people is inspiring, narcotizing, energizing. There’s nothing else like it.

I love attending and speaking at conferences. No, not just because I am a complete ham; and no, not just because of an obsessive need for endless attention, thank you very much. Rather, it is … [more]

Gems from the Slush Pile & a World Record Established

mixedSo I am at last turning to queries. (Sorry to those who have been waiting; I haven’t been idle, honest!) And, perhaps because I am reading tons of queries, my thoughts turned back to when I started in children’s books, as an assistant at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

The slush at Harcourt was read by a sweet, gracious writer named Joan Bowden, who came in once a week, plowed through the hundreds of submissions, and returned them to the authors, 99% of the time with a form reject. When she found a particularly funny sentence in a query, she’d cut it out and tape it to a scroll at the entrance to her cubicle. I photocopied that scroll but have somehow lost the other pages in my many moves; I have only one sheet. I offer … [more]

Revealed at last! The secret to writing a bestseller!

Apparently, it is all about giving it the right name. Happily, you can hire someone to figure out the name for you:

Dear Mr. Michael Stearns,

When customers browse the racks at the local book store or scan the listings on Amazon.com, a book’s title is often the most significant purchasing factor. We at Novel Titles create commercially successful, effective and memorable titles for your client’s work. You can expect complete commitment, integrity and respect with each and every project… [two more paragraphs of drivel]

Sincerely,

[Mr. I Am Happy to Take Your Money, Sucker!]

Thank you, noveltitles.com. Now if we can just hire someone to actually write the book, we’ll be all set.… [more]

Upstart Crow Literary © 2020
| Built by ArtsDigital.co | Crow art by Crab Scrambly