PASS IT ON

"Knowledge Is Power "

www.jackiehosking.com

www.pass-it-on-blog.blogspot.com

    

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Changes to ISBN numbers that could affect your PLR and ELR payments

  I was at a gathering of authors the other night and the issue of ISBN numbers came up. Apparently all books that have been published since January 1^st 2007 have a 13 digit ISBN number. Previous to this date, books had a 10 digit ISBN number.

  The problem arises when there are reprints or new editions of your books. Two of my books, one published in 2002, the other in 2004, were originally issued with ISBN numbers of 10 digits. But subsequent reprints, ie. those that have been reprinted after January 1^st 2007, appear with two ISBN numbers on the imprint page – the original number of 10 digits, and the new number of 13 digits printed just above it.

  I rang the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts who look after PLR and ELR, and they informed me that they had no record of the new 13 digit ISBN numbers for either of those books. They suggested therefore, that I fill out a new PLR and ELR Claim Form with a photocopy of the imprint page to show both numbers. This will ensure that I get full payment when the next survey of libraries is undertaken.

  I can see the situation arising where a library buys one of my books – a reprint - then records only the new 13 digit ISBN number in their system. When the time comes for PLR and ELR payments to be calculated, if the Department has no record of this number, then I will not be entitled to any payment for that book.

  If you want to make sure the department in Canberra has record of the new 13 digit ISBN number, you should call give them a call.

  Gabrielle Wang

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SEEKING

• CBCA EVENTS

  If you are interested in what is happening in the Illawarra-South Coast CBCA and the Central Coast, check out http://nsw.cbca.org.au/index.htm  

  We are keen to develop more sub-branches in NSW to reinvigorate the CBCA, so if you are keen to participate, please contact [email protected]

  KIDS’ BOOK CLUB

  Do you know children aged 9 to 14 who are interested in reading, writing and illustrating? Children’s author and teacher, Di Bates, is keen to get a kids’ book club happening in the Wollongong area. This out-of-school group would take the form of kids talking about and sharing books they love reading; author, illustrator, librarian and storyteller visits; book making; book parties and parades; writing and illustrating books; reading aloud competitions; and talks about books from different people in the community. If you would like to nominate a child, please send their name, age and email address to Di at [email protected] and when there are sufficient numbers, Di will contact them all with a venue and starting date and time. Also let Di know if you are an adult/ senior student who’d like to get involved helping out.

The recently announced Artists’ Resale Royalty Scheme is a step in the right direction, however the scheme as it stands will not deliver any real benefits to artists for a long time.

The royalty entitles artists to a percentage of the sale price each time their work is resold. Unfortunately it will only apply to works purchased and then resold after the legislation takes effect in 2009.

From the Government’s election promise, artists expected a resale royalty that applied to all resales of works in copyright.

Unless the draft legislation is changed, the royalties artists get will be around one tenth of what they were promised, for at least the first ten years of the scheme.

Help artists get a fairer deal. Sign the petition at http://www.copyright.com.au/resale.htm and urge Government to make the changes required to make this a truly fair scheme for Australian artists.

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REPLIES TO SEEKING

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NEW PUBLICATIONS

    Hope for Hanna

 

      Duel of Words

 

Dee White is please to announce that her books 'A Duel of Words' and 'Hope for Hanna' published, and that 'A Duel of Words' has been reprinted in hardback. Both books are part of the Rigby Blueprints series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cherububble has been updated. Have a look at the new edition.
 
There is a great new competition with book prizes for children!
 
Illustrators are wanted on a regular basis to illustrate some of the stories.
Your business/website will be promoted. See Submissions for details or
email [email protected]

Cherububble Children's Magazine
      Reading and Learning Together
 
       www.cherububble.com

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SPECIAL EVENTS

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MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

  http://www.learningthroughhistory.com/freelance_writers.php

 

Below are suggested topics for upcoming issues. These lists is not definitive of what we will actually publish.

Please feel free to submit manuscripts covering topics not listed here as long as they fall within the timeline and historical theme.

Vol 7, Issue 2 - Austrian Empire

War of the Austrian Succession

The Leadership of Maria Theresa

Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven in Vienna

Reforms of Emperor Joseph II

Francis I of Austria - The First Emperor of Austria

Seven Weeks War

Baroque Architecture

Tour of the Ringstrasse

The Last True Emperor: Franz Joseph

Johann Strauss the Waltz King

Budapest: The Second City

Vienna's Giant Wheel

Horses of the Spanish Riding School

Christian Doppler and The Doppler Effect

 

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COMPETITIONS/AWARDS

• Celapene Press invites entries for the Charlotte Duncan Award for a short story for young readers aged 9-12 years.  This award has been established in the memory of Charlotte Duncan to raise funds for the neo-natal unit at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.  Entry fee: $8 per story.  1^st prize - $75, 2^nd prize - $50, 3^rd prize - $25. 

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WRITING COURSES/WORKSHOPS

 

http://howtothinksideways.com/members/?rid=533

Would you like your writing to take off in directions that surprise even you?

With this self-paced course, "How to Think Sideways", full-time author Holly Lisle can help you whip your muse into shape with proven techniques that will open the floodgates of your creativity.

Every writer has read a book and wondered how the author came up with that plot twist, seemingly from left field. With this course, Holly is not only going to stimulate your idea generation, but will show you how to do it on a deadline. She will also show you how to
effectively plan your projects as well as walk you through the beginning, middle, and ending sections of your novel.

Lee Masterson, an author from Australia, had this to say about the course:

"Holly, I've been writing professionally for a living for the past 9 years and your Lesson 1, Break the Thinking Barriers, made me think long and hard about what I've been doing all this time and what I'd rather be doing - and why I haven't been doing it all this time.
Thank you for the wake up call - and thanks also for the brutal honesty."

This course, delivered in weekly lessons, includes:

- Monthly video that covers the month's main topic

- Weekly lessons with assignments

- Weekly technique demonstrations

- Monthly checklist of all steps to take

- A monthly Q&A made up of questions taken from the course forums

- Private workgroups (optional)

- Class discussion forum to interact with other students

Writers spend hundreds of dollars taking courses to learn more about their craft. At $47 a month, "How to Think Sideways" goes above and beyond, showing you how to make the most of your imagination.

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ILLUSTRATION OF THE WEEK

Rae Dale

1. What's this illustration for?

A picture book about tap dancing and life's unexpected sting.

2 .Do you have to wait for a flash of inspiration-how do you start?

No need to wait the words always get me going and if some thing
needs reference even more fun.

3. How did you get your start as an illustrator?

I have always been a drawer and I went to Swinburne art school
some how things continued on from there.

4. Who or what has influenced your work?

I am not sure who has but I appreciate lots of illustrators and
artists work past and present.

5. What is your favourite media for creating pictures ?

Dip pen and ink , gouache on Arches HP.

6. Do you experience illustrator's block- if so what do you do about it?

No.

7. What's the worst thing about being a freelancer?

Irregular payments and no work.

8. And the best?

The work is always interesting.

9. What are you working on at the moment?

A picture book I have written.

10. Where can we see more of your work?

On the Australian Society of Authors style file www.asauthors.org  and at www.illustratorsaustralia.com and maybe your local/school library.

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HAVE YOUR SAY

• THANK YOU...

Dear Jen, Christina, Jo-Anne and Daan

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide such useful information, I am so very appreciative. I have checked out all your sites, and they’re all great. Bravo to all of you! This gives me a lot of food for thought. Thank you again!

LL

 

• Thank you for information 

  Thank you to Sharon and Jo for taking the time to make suggestions for my daughter Suzi about setting up a library in a pre-school. She will be visiting the Learning Island site, which I found interesting; and sends a thank you too for the information about the Access program. 

  Unlike Morgan Hayton who wrote so movingly about doing the same in a village in Fiji (yes, I’m going to send a book), Suzi is living in one of the most developed cities in the world – Hong Kong. But it’s still a challenge to get suitable reading materials in a big city, where high rise living means that books and games become extra important, and where even venturing outdoors with three small children takes a lot of organising. Engaging children and parents of many different nationalities is another factor to consider. 

  This week Suzi has written:

  “I have been helping to get the City Kids library going, with a couple of other mums. I ordered a lot of books through Scholastic, where the school had lots of points to spend. Now I'm covering and mending the existing books (kept in a mouldy cupboard called the library), while Leah is bar coding and cataloguing. We plan to have a grand opening Book Week type celebration eventually. We might need a visiting author! Are you free?” 

  Guess what I replied! 

  Elizabeth Hutchins

Read an important article published in the SMH before you spend 10% more on your books: 

www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/books/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover-price/2008/11/14/1226318926675.html

 

I'd suggest finding an independent bookshop -- they need all the help they can get. PC

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ARTICLES

ASA Picture Book Creators' Retreat

This is a slightly expanded version of a report that will appear in the next
ASA newsletter.

Bring together two dozen illustrators and writers of picture books in a beautiful venue, give them three days to have fun with words and pictures, to play with paints and inks, share ideas and manuscripts with like-minded creators, be challenged and enlightened by a handful of experts. The result is another wonderful ASA 'picture bookers' retreat, organised by Ann James, Elise Hurst and Elizabeth Hutchins. Ann has now initiated about seven of
these events, which are reason enough on their own for every illustrator and writer of picture books to become an ASA member.

The venue this year was Belair in the Adelaide Hills - or, as Elizabeth explained in a short talk following her acknowledgement of country - on the spine of Yurabilla, the giant ancestral being of the Kaurna people. This set the focus for the topic 'Owning Our Stories' over the following days. Leonie Norrington's and Belinda Waugh's sharing of their diverse experiences of creating stories with Aboriginal content led to a fruitful discussion to
which half a dozen other authors and illustrators, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, were able to contribute. They included Brenton McKenna (Indigenous graphic novelist) and Carly Franklin, (who has an ASA mentorship with Ann James) and her partner Cynon Dowling (working with an Aboriginal artist on a comic book.)

Other sessions were: a stimulating writing workshop, 'Word-pictures and picture-words' with Janeen Brian; an informative discussion on industry matters with agent Nanette Halliday; a very challenging talk on publishing with the environment in mind by publisher Dyan Blacklock; and a presentation about the graphic novel genre by ASA joint portfolio holder Jozef Szekeris. Elise shared experiences and ideas for using technology in a fascinating final session.

An email from Northern Territory participant Leonie Norrington typifies the positive feedback: "That retreat was the best time I think I have ever had - great company - good wine - ideas flying - lots of conversations about BOOKS! Thankyou thankyou thankyou!"

 

 

 

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A LIFE IN CHILDREN’S BOOKS

© Dianne (Di) Bates

 

What kinds of influences draw a person into the world of children’s literature? Contemplating this recently, I decided to draw on my own life experiences to see why nearly three decades of my life have been devoted to the subject.

 

As a primary school teacher in the early 1980s, I took up a temporary position as assistant to the editor of the NSW Department of Education School Magazine. Working with the editor, children’s author Lilith Norman and alongside assistant editor Joanne Horniman, I soon learned how to edit my writing ruthlessly.

 

My secondment finished, I moved to a remote area of NSW where I began writing my first children’s novel, Terri. Reaching a stumbling block with it, I enrolled in a five-day writing course with (the late) authors Joan Phipson (whose stories I had read in the NSW School Magazine), and Eleanor Spence, and children’s publisher Ann Bower-Ingram (William Collins). I learnt much during that short period and was able to finish my novel. In the meantime, I met the late author Michael Dugan, then editor of the national children’s magazine Puffinalia (Penguin Books). Michael published my stories: he also read my completed manuscript of Terri, passing it on to Kay Ronai, Penguin’s children’s editor, and it was contracted. Terri, and my second novel, Piggy Moss, were among the first Puffins published in Australia. This year, my 100^th book, Crossing the Line, was published by Ford Street.

 

During my career in children’s books, I have worked in other fields besides authorship. Speaking at conferences and attending many CBCA children’s literary lunches, I have also sold books, including my own remainders and in a bookstore, working with Jean Ferguson of the ABA who introduced me to many wonderful titles. More recently I have been selling new and second-hand children’s books at primary school book fairs. For many years, too, I worked as a schools’ performer on author visits to hundreds of schools. At first I worked alone, but then my husband, award-winning children’s author Bill Condon, joined me. He would perform for children in the infants’ department while I worked with primary students. At lunch-times we sold our remainders. Often I also presented writing and editing workshops to primary-aged children, teachers and parents.

 

At various stages of my career I have founded writing workshops and groups. These latter included the Macarthur Fellowship of Australian Writers and the south-west branch CBCA. During the four years I presided over the latter, we managed to have more than 40 authors and illustrators visit Sydney’s south-west. More recently after seven years of hosting events in my home for children’s book lovers, I formed the Illawarra-South branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia and was elected its President.

 

Many years ago, too, I co-founded (with authors Mary Small and Joan Dalgleish) the Sydney Network of Authors and Illustrators, a loose group of published children’s book creators. Some attendees at early meetings included the late David Bateson (our unofficial photographer), Vashti Farrer, Margaret Wild, Nigel Gray, Libby Gleeson et al. I mentored many young writers: introducing one of them, 15 year-old Sonya Hartnett, at Network.

 

One achievement I feel pleased about was establishing a weekly online newsletter, CAINON, for those in the children’s book industry. I ran this as a volunteer for over six months, building up a following of over 500 before passing it on to Jackie Hosking who re-named it Pass It On (PIO). In June 2006, I started up a fortnightly online magazine, Buzz Words (All the Buzz about Children’s Books) www.buzzwordsmagazine.com, also for people in the Australian children’s book industry.

 

At one time I presented a one-hour program on community TV, a children’s book chat show where I interviewed many children’s authors. I have also mentored and/or taught many new writers in the early stages of their careers, including Marg McAlister, Sue Whiting, Susanne Gervay, Moya Simons, Sandy Fussell, Mo Johnson, to name but a few. All of them have gone on to publish children’s books.

 

I’ve presented papers on children’s literature and writing at many institutions, and taught writing and editing classes at evening colleges, universities, primary and high schools, TAFEs and writers’ centres. Currently I have a correspondence creative writing course running for young writers (through the NSW Writers’ Centre) and an online writing course for adults wishing to write for young people. For a time, too, I handled the publicity for the KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) organisation.

 

As well as reviewing many children’s books (Reading Time and Buzz Words), I’ve worked as a children’s magazine editor. For several years Doug MacLeod and I co-edited Puffinalia magazine (Penguin Books); publishing stories by three newcomers to children’s books: Robin Klein, Errol Broome and Alan Baillie. I also worked as story editor for Little Ears, a magazine for children aged three and up. (www.littleears.com.au)

 

Over the course of my career in children’s books, too, I’ve met and made friends with many other children’s writers and editors. Being in this field is like being part of a large and caring family. Time and again I hear budding children’s authors say how generous my colleagues are with their time and advice, and it’s true: there is a genuine camaraderie in the industry. I feel privileged indeed to be a part of the children’s books fraternity and hope to continue being here for many years to come.

 

Dianne (Di) Bates is married to award-winning children’s author, Bill Condon, and lives in Wollongong, NSW. Their website is www.enterprisingwords.com 

 

 

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PUBLISHER GUIDELINES

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AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR PROFILE

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YOUR WRITING & COMPUTER TIPS

• How to Avoid Colour Clichés
  
  It’s easy to say clichés should be avoided but hard to do put this into practice. I found I was falling back on worn out phrases such as ‘grass green’ and ‘black as coal’, so I got out an exercise book and headed each page with a different colour. I included the usual
  rainbow colours as well as extras such as silver, gold, cream, clear, brown, black and white.
  
  Next, I brainstormed as many things as I could think of for each colour. I started off with the clichés but as the ideas flowed, so did new associations, eg, brown – burnt sugar. Now, when I’m stuck for a simile, I look up this book for ideas.
  
  -- Marianne Musgrove
  "Lucy the Good"
  "The Worry Tree" (winner, 2008 Australian Family Therapists’ Award
  for Children’s Literature)
  

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USEFUL BOOKS/WEBSITES

• The Victorian Writers' Center has updated their web site and it looks fabulous. It has an extremely user-friendly format where lots of information can easily be found. Check it out at: http://www.vwc.org.au/

   

  Jenni L Ivins

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BOOK REVIEWS

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MILESTONES

• This year the NSW Children’s Book Council Lady Cutler Award is being presented to Di Bates, from Wollongong, in recognition of her contribute to Children’s Literature over many years. The award will be presented at a dinner to be held in Sydney on the 18^th November. Our congratulations to Di Bates.

  The Lady Cutler Award

  The Lady Cutler Award commemorates the contribution to the Children’s Book Council NSW Branch by Lady Helen Cutler. Lady Cutler was the first and only patron of the Children’s Book Council NSW Branch, accepting the appointment in 1966, when her husband Sir Roden Cutler became Governor of New South Wales. Lady Cutler had an abiding interest in children and children’s literature and she and Sir Roden were regular visitors to Book Week celebrations, enjoying in particular the children and their spontaneous lack of ceremony. Even after Sir Roden’s retirement, Lady Cutler continued as Patron of the CBC NSW Branch until her death.

  Lady Cutler saw her role as one of service to the community. She recognised the needs of children and encouraged CBC members to advance the cause of children’s literature throughout the state. While many do make a significant contribution in this area, their work is often unrecognised, so, in 1981 the NSW Committee, headed by then President, Edward Coffey, inaugurated the Lady Cutler Award, with sponsorship from Hodder & Stoughton Australia (later Hodder Headline Australia).

  The Lady Cutler Award is an annual award presented for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature, the accent being on Service. A recipient of the award, then, will have given service well beyond his or her professional association with children’s literature. For further information on the award and nominations for future awards: http://nsw.cbca.org.au/default.aspx?contentID=124

  Di Bates

  Dianne (Di) Bates is the author of over 100 books for young readers, some of which have won children’s choice and national book awards and have sold overseas in translation. Di has also worked as a schools’ performer, bookseller and promoter, book reviewer, writing tutor and children’s magazine editor. She was founding President of the South-West CBCA and of the Illawarra-South Coast branch CBCA and has mentored many new children’s writers over the past 25 years since her first book was published. Di currently offers writing courses for young and adult writers, and compiles an online magazine Buzz Words (www.buzzwordsmagazine.com) for people in the Australian children’s book industry. She is married to award-winning children’s author, Bill Condon. They live in Wollongong, NSW. Di’s website is www.enterprisingwords.com 

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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

~Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.~

William Shakespeare

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ADVERTISEMENTS

• Hi ,
  
  I am emailing to tell you a bit of slightly exciting news.... about 18 months ago I submitted a board game to UGames Australia Pty Limited and now.... it has just been launched in Australia!
  
  The game is called BRIGHT BUTTONS and it is an educational board game for preschool aged children. I am not likely to make much money from this project but I am excited to have Bright Buttons "come to life".
  
  The educational philosophy behind Bright Buttons is that children will, in the long-run, learn best if they are passionately curious about the world around them. With many curiosity-inspiring questions (like "What is inside clouds?") and age-appropriate knowledge based
  questions, as well as some early literacy and numeracy questions and challenges, Bright Buttons aims to inspire healthy curiosity and learning. It also has lots of block building questions to help develop spatial awareness skills (with coloured foam blocks provided)
  and fun physical challenges. The Bright Buttons questions and challenges have been reviewed by qualified professionals who know what they are talking about (as opposed to me!). The difficulty of questions and challenges vary, so parents can easily tailor each game to the age of the children they are playing with. The attached advertisement will be in the December issue of Sydney Child and Melbourne Child magazine.
  
  If you might be interested in buying Bright Buttons (and I'm hoping some of our friends will?!) it should be hitting the shelves over the next week in: Toys R Us, Myer, Borders Books and some independent toy retailers. It will also be in KMart in about two weeks time. I think most retailers will be selling it for $29. For those who live near us, Treasure Island Toys at Warriewood definitely has it on shelf. Hopefully all the educational stores should have it (but if you find one that doesn't please tell them they should order it in!)
  
  Ali Gordon

P.S. A big acknowledgment and thank you to Kerry Jones, my partner in the development of Bright Buttons, whose design work and creativity has been wonderful. And to Kathryn Palmer at UGames, who is the most dedicated workaholic I know and who is fun to work with as well.

 

Jackie's Rhyming Manuscript 

Editing Service

www.versatilityrhymeandrhythm.blogspot.com

If you have a children's rhyming poem, picture book text or story in verse that just won't behave itself, send it to me and we'll soon have it sorted out!
Email Jackie at [email protected]

ANYTIME

~Thanks so much for your advice.

It was your overall advice I wanted and that was spot on.

I also liked your changes. 

Kind regards

Marlene~

 

~Thanks so much Jackie.

I like your suggestions and will get on with it.

It really helps to have another opinion and you've really inspired me.

I'm really glad I asked your opinion.

Best wishes

 

Lee~

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PASS IT ON SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Submit contributions to jackiehosking@bigpond.com  
• Verdana, 10pt, single-line spacing (not essential but helpful)
• Mark PASS IT ON SUBMISSION in the subject line
• Submit within the body of the email
• Give your piece a title heading: eg New Publications; Seeking; General Information; etc.
• Email addresses and contributor contact details will be withheld unless otherwise stated