As you may have noticed, (or if you're seeing this someplace other than blogger you probably haven't) I have a list of important publishing terms and my own unique definitions on the side of my blog. However, there were several important terms I overlooked, so my friend Chuck over at The Guide to Literary Agents and I are compiling a new, more comprehensive list. The ones in normal print are mine, in italics are his. Chuck's are also slightly more serious.

The Buried Editor & GLA's Irreverent Literary Definitions, Volume 1:

To Acquire - (v.) The act of accepting a manuscript for publication. A work is not officially acquired until the contracts have been signed. Until then, it's in the process of being acquired.

ARC: Advanced Reading Copy - (n.) A bound copy of a book given to reviewers, booksellers, and other interested members of the industry for the purpose of creating excitement prior to the release of the book. Although these are not the final copy, they tend to be pretty damn close with cover art and some interior illustration. Although not the same thing as a galley, the words may be used interchangeably.

Galley - (n.) A bound version of just the text of the book (or article, if writing for magazines). There is little to no illustrations and the cover is a solid color with release data printed on the cover. Used for the same purposes as ARCs.

IRC: International Reply Coupon - (n.) International postage so that countries who don't use American currency stamps can mail back your submission and/or notification of rejection.

Sic - Latin for thus or so. Usually [enclosed in brackets] or (parentheses), sic is inserted after a word, phrase or expression in a quoted passage to indicate that the word or phrase has been quoted exactly as it was written, even though it may seem strange or incorrect (e.g., there was a spelling error in the quote).

Slush - (n.) Unsolicited manuscripts submitted to a publishing house. They tend to accumulate into mountainous piles.

Stet - Latin for let it stand. Editors and proofreaders place the word stet in the margin of a manuscript to indicate that a marked change or deletion should be ignored, and the copy typeset in its original form.

Vet - (v.) A term used by editors when referring to the procedure of submitting a book manuscript to an outside expert for review before publication. A manuscript is usually vetted at the publisher's expense.

I just finished reading Charles Shields new book I am Scout, the teen adaptation of his adult biography on Harper Lee. Although I found it fascinating, I think it's a bit dry and dull for younger kids but good for older readers and adults uninterested in reading the full version. It's what I consider to be a good biography. There aren't any made up conversations or imagined scenes, just good old fashion research and documented quotes. It's the kind of biography I wish was written more often for kids.

The thing I found most interesting in the book wasn't the fact that Harper Lee grew up next door to Truman Capote or that she was instrumental in helping him research In Cold Blood. No, I found her relationship with her editor to be the most fascinating part. I know that this was much more common in the past then now, but Harper had a very personal relationship with her editor. They worked together for 3 years editing To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper used to spend weekends at her editor's summer house to escape New York City. They were close friends, and her editor nurtured both Harper and her writing.

Now days I don't think anyone, even the sainted writers and editors living in New York, that have this kind of relationship. No one, certainly not the editors in bigger houses with their firm deadlines (as opposed to my looser ones) can afford to contract manuscripts that require 3 years of rewriting. I simply can't start from scratch with an author. I can't simply say that this person writes well and may someday develop a story. No, the book has to be fairly far along and require little major input from me. It's why editors prefer agented manuscripts. They just tend to be farther along. Even with authors that have sent me drafts in earlier stages and that I feel I've somewhat nurtured, I know that I haven't had the same impact on their lives and writing that Harper's editor had on her.

In some ways this makes me sad, but in other ways I understand the necessity. Publishing is still a business, and business decisions have to be made. Books that are interesting, but just not there have to be passed on for books that are ready and marketable. I wish that I could spend leisurely weekends discussing children's literature with my authors here in town, but I work in a bookstore on Saturdays, and my authors have other lives as well. Very few of them are full-time writers. And though I may lament it, I don't think the good old days of writing are coming back. Tony Randall in the movie "Down with Love" has an excellent line right after Renee Zwellger book becomes an international bestseller. Although I may deplore the sentiment, I still can't help smiling at the truth of it. Tony congratulates Renee and tells her that her book is a prime example of why they all went into the book industry in the first place -- for sales.

I thought I'd take a moment to remind everyone of the places where it's good to have innovated, creative ideas in the stuff you submit to editors & agents:

• In the text - Great new ideas for characters, in plots, or in settings. There's nothing more exciting than a brand new style of story, as long as it makes sense.


• In the marketing plan - Now, you often don't need to submit a marketing plan with your submission, but if someone asks to see one, here is an excellent place to show your creativity. Postcards and bookmarks are great, but everyone does them. If you have a great, practical idea for getting your book in the public's eye, then now's a great time to tell us.


• In your pitch - Like anything, you want to have an eye-catching, interesting pitch when you go to sell your book. You should be able to describe your project in one interesting sentence.

• Submission packaging - Send your submission in a normal envelope or box with the submission bound by a rubber band or large binder clip. Do not use ribbon or string to tie up your manuscript. Knots are a pain to deal with. And don't wrap your submission like a present. I've had more than one submission sent to me in wrapping paper. It's unnecessary and just adds another layer between me and your work.


• Submission formatting - I know I've said it before, but double-spaced, standard 12 pt font (Times, Arial, etc.), one inch margins. Don't deviate.


• Submission spelling - This is a pet peeve of mine. I don't read phonetically so sounding out words can be an absolute nightmare for me. Jim's dialogue in Huck Finn was incomprehensible. Spell stuff the normal way. This isn't the 1600s. We have standard spelling now.

Last night I scheduled my newest spring speaking engagement. As I was adding it into my calendar today, it occurred to me that I should make my schedule public so that if I'm going to be somewhere near you, you can come visit with me. I like being able to put faces with names even if I never seem to remember either one. So without much ado:

March 15 -- San Antonio SCBWI monthly meeting
April 15-18 -- TLA in Dallas (I'm not speaking, but I will be manning our booth. Yuck.)
May 28 -- Agent/Editor Pitch Session hosted by Writer's Digest at BEA (So, this one isn't confirmed yet, but I shall cry if I don't end up getting to do this. As far as I can tell, I'm the only person even sort of excited by the prospect of 2 straight hours of having authors pitch to me for three minutes.)
May 27-31 -- BEA (I'll be in LA for BEA although we don't have a booth. However, I'll happily meet up with anyone who is going to BEA too.)

Now if you're looking at this and thinking, but I live nowhere near these places, then I have only one solution for you. You have to start your own conference and invite me to speak. I jest. But if you do know of a conference in your area, and you think I should be speaking at it, either recommend me to them or tell me about the conference and I'll recommend myself. Either way we'll all eventually meet up someday.

I had planned on talking about the recent store visit made by Kadir Nelson or about some of the great books I've just read. However, my husband's brother had a baby girl this morning (the first in 2 generations), and the inlaws are about to descend on us. So, if I have a chance I'll be back later. Otherwise, toodle-loo.

Oh, and it's my friend Topher's birthday, too. Happy Birthday Topher!

I'm still operating on the high I got yesterday from finishing my first novel. When I read it today, I actually kind of enjoyed it. Oh, I'm sure I'll find it dire in a few months, but for now I am just reveling in the bliss of having a complete novel done. I also promise this will be the last time I mention it.

Instead, let's discuss rejection/resubmission ettiquetee. In most cases a rejection is a firm and complete rejection. The house has decided not to pursue your manuscript for some reason, and it is unlikely to change its mind. This is especially true of vague, impersonal rejection letters that may or may not be a form letter. And form letters while regrettable and (I'll be honest) sucky are a neccesity in this business. The GLA blog actually has a nice little article on these kinds of rejections. You have to scroll down to the second post, but you will find a quote from The Boss (my boss, not Springsteen) and a link to one of the bestest small presses on earth.

No, the issue of resubmitting becomes stickier when the editor or agent writes a personal rejection letter. In these types of letters the editor often offers words of encouragement or advice. It's tempting to think that since the editor went to the time and effort to create this dialog with you, they would would want to see the new version of your work. But the truth of the matter is that this isn't always the case. I've written personal rejection letters with advice for authors on how to make the story stronger, but the story itself is inappropriate for our press or not the type of story I'm personally interested. Even if the author takes every comment I made to heart and ends up writing a dynamic new story out of it, the truth is that I still don't want to see it again. I could tell that story had potential, hence the comments in my letter; however, the story isn't a good fit for me.

So in a situation like this, how does an author know whether or not the editor wants them to resubmit? Simple, the editor or agent asks. They will say something similiar to the following phrase: I would be interested in looking at this work again. If that kind of sentence does not appear somewhere in the letter, then assume the editor is not interested in a resubmission. Consider the editor's advice, and then move on to the next potential target.

Now, on a rare occassion you'll come across a time when you are unsure if the editor wants you to resubmit or not. Perhaps they've been unclear in the letter, or one paragraph flatly contradicts another. In this case, be sure to ask before resubmitting. Write or email (but only email if and only if your previous communications with the editor have been through email) the editor thanking them for their advice, and then ask them if you can resubmit. The worst that will happen is they will say no. And if that turns out to be the case, you've saved both yourself and them time. You can move onto the next house. They won't sit down to a manuscript and think, "Haven't I seen this before?"

All of this resubmitting stuff popped into my mind because this morning I emailed a woman some comments on her submission. Since I knew The Boss had already told her she could resubmit, I didn't think to put anything about looking at a resubmission in the email. The author then sent me the nicest email basically thanking me for my suggestions and then asking if she could resubmit to me. I wish I could show it to you since it is an excellent example of how to professionally communicate while still showing enthusiasm. And it's this kind of professionalism that I encourage all of you to aim for. When an editor or agent is unclear, ask questions. And I'll keep trying to post advice here.

I have in the past few moments finally finished, completely and in its entirety, the first draft of my thesis. There are no more holes, areas of dropped logic, or gaps -- at least not that I know of. I may find some when I go to revise tomorrow and my advisor will certainly find them, but for now I feel triumphant in that the lion's share of the work is now done.

And my thesis is doubly exciting to me because it is also the first novel I have ever created. Weighing in at a lofty 34000 words, it's a little shorter than most YA novels on the market these days, but really there was nothing more in that story to tell. And like all good first novels, after this one serves its purpose as thesis, it will go live on a shelf never again to see the light of day. However, the important thing is that I can finish a novel. I can really do it.

And trust me, if someone with as little writing discipline as me (I spent 4.5 hours today getting those last 3000 words done. I hadn't worked on it for months up until this point.) can do it, than you can write a novel too.

I'm glad to be home at last. I must have spent at least 14 hours sleeping yesterday, recovering from the trip and preparing for the trip. Thank goodness for being home.

I did make lots of great contacts with authors, agents, & editors. However, I only know for sure of one with a blog. That would be the editor for the Guide to Literary Agents, a companion book to the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market that I've mentioned before. Although unlike the CWIM which is exclusively children, GLA does all agents. This surprised me since I had always thought it was an adult market-geared publication. But, no, it turns out that it deals with children agents. In fact, if you click on the Children's Writing link, it'll take you to alerts & news specifically concerning children's agents. I suppose that's why there's not a specific alert there about how I am the coolest children's editor ever. I suppose since I'm not an agent, it's understandable. I suppose. Actually, there's a very nice picture on the blog of me and my boss. And yes, I do believe the word "cool" and my name are used in the same sentence. Not in relation to one another, but in the same sentence. It's sweet.

On a more serious note, I would like to talk about agents. I don't mention them much because by and large, I work with unagented authors. However, I like agents. There have been several occasions, especially on the business side (read here contracts) when I would have welcomed the buffer that an agent provides. So, do not hesitate to consider submitting to agents when you are ready to be published. Us small press folk are as willing to work with them as the big guys. But of course, when submitting, remember to be as professional as possible. Research the agent to see what they want to see and what they've published. Blogs and books like the one above are exactly the way to go about doing just that. Then send proper query letters and properly formatted manuscripts. And don't be too daunted by the possibility of rejection. Agents receive just as many if not more manuscripts than an editor, so the possibility is always there. But stay optimistic. And remember, if the agent wants to charge you a reading fee or a flat fee for representing you, than they are probably not a legitimate, accredited AAR sanctioned agency.

I like it when conference's go well. I realize that everyone prefers things to go well, but it's very stressful to have a room full of people stare at you with bored, or even worse, blank looks. We discussed the basics of publishing kid books, and then people asked some great questions. Curious to see what we talked about? Have a look at the handout here. And although the conference attendees are allowed to submit don't think you can sneak an unsolicited ms in to me. I know the info is at the end of the handout, but you'll have to resist the urge. It was a small group, and I met everyone by name. If I suddenly get 50 "attendee" manuscripts I'm going to know who's trying to beat the system. If you want to submit directly to me, you have to meet me at a conference just like all these nice people did. I don't have anything booked yet after July, hint, hint, hint.

The main thing not on the handout that we chatted about were the wacky things folks do when submitting. I said nothing that I haven't said on here before, but just as a reminder, always submit in the most professional way possible. Format your manuscript correctly (double spaced, 12 inch standard font, 1 in manuscript) and send it on normal paper. If the agent/editor allows e-submissions, be sure to send them the way they prefer. Some want attachments; some prefer to receive it in the bulk of the email. Like I've said before, always look at the submission guidelines first. Don't send blindly to any publisher or press. Finally, be sure to only send relevant material. No stick figure illustrations or pictures of the grand kids. If you would be embarrassed randomly showing these things at an important business meeting, then they are inappropriate to send in a submission. We are nice and friendly in kid publishing, but we are professionals. We like our authors to act professional as well.

And the desire for professionalism is not limited to me. When we did the agent/editor panel last night, we all agreed that our dream client/author would be a professional with patience and the understanding that they are not the only one we work with. Agents represent lots of authors; editors work on many books. Both of us love our authors and their books, but they can't always be our first priority. Please be understanding when they are not. Be professional when the inevitable disappointments come about. Unless you're trying to get fired, you wouldn't scream or blog bad things about your boss. Extend us the same courtesy.

But the conference has been a blast, and I have made some wonderful contact, and I shall even dare to call them friends. I shall relate any interesting gossip, like the newest trend in romance novels, should I hear any at dinner tonight.

Until then, I leave you with a picture of the ocean. Think peace, calm, and tranquility. I will.

We arrived in Florida safely last night, and now I'm getting ready for the conference. Technically it started this afternoon, but I don't have anywhere to be until dinner and an agent/editor panel afterwards. The panel should be a bit of a trip since I've never actually sat on one of these before, and I'm the only dedicated kid person here. A few of the agents represent YA, and Miriam's here, but since she has an adult division, she does both as well. To tell the truth, I'm a little bummed about being the only children's editor (or agent). I was looking forward to networking with new folks, especially agents. I always hope to learn what interesting, new works agents are representing. At least I'll get to hear about some teen manuscripts.

On the plus side, the sun came out today, and I was naughty and went down to the beach. I have a thousand things to do, like polish my thesis, but I ended up reading Zombie Blonds instead. That book is funny, strange, and weird. All I have to say is that the town is run by blond cheerleaders and football players who are creepy strong and might be zombies. Enough said. Read it when it comes out. Now, I must go change out of my tshirts and jeans and head to the conference. Hungry writers await me. (Hopefully they're hungry for food, not me. I did just read a ton of zombie fiction.)

Tomorrow I leave rainy, dreary Austin for not-so sunny Florida where I'll be speaking at the Space Coast Writers' Guild's annual conference. My topic is "Getting a Children's Book Published." Just the very title sends chills and thrills up and down my spine. Too exciting for words, I know. And because I know everyone is dying to know what I said, I will post my powerpoint presentation on Saturday after my presentation. That way, if I run out of handouts, people can get it. Also, that way everyone who is not fortunate enough to go to Cocoa Beach this weekend can take a peek.

Now, as I prepare for my journey, I've been trying to decide what to bring to read. Normally for a 4 day trip where I will have a good chunk of free time, I take between 6-8 books/working manuscripts. However, today I had the great fortune of finally acquiring a thesis advisor. Turns out I might get my MA after all. So, I plan to lock myself in my room for the times when I'm not needed either in a professional or social/networking capacity and then spend that time polishing my thesis and writing the pesky 3000 words missing at the end of the middle. That way I can send off my "masterpiece" next week and let thesis advisor #1 have a look-see. So, I'm only taking 2 readers, Zombie Blonds & The Compound, both Feiwell & Friends books, one manuscript, and one 50 page work in progress I promised to read through and give feedback.

I'm looking forward to this little sabbatical from real life. Florida. The beach. Books. Life doesn't get much better.

As a prelude to her World Domination Tour with Shannon Hale on the west coast, Libba Bray dropped by our little children's section at Bookpeople here in Austin. She did a lovely presentation, read from her book, and did one of the longest signings I've ever seen. Yes, part of this was because she drew a huge crowd, but some of it was due to the fact that Libba was willing to chat with every fan who came up with a book. She has to be one of the most personable and friendly authors I've seen. As a terminally shy person myself, I always admire anyone who can put more than a sentence together when talking to a perfect stranger.

But as great as Libba's large event was, my favorite part of the evening happened earlier during our "Coffee & Tea with Libba." We held a drawing for four lucky people to come chat with Libba before the event. Here's Libba with the winners making the universal "W" sign for winner. Libba is in the center.



This more intimate event was a fascinating question and answer session moderated by our kid's buyer. Since one of the winners also happened to be a writer, there were lots of writing questions asked. What I found most inspiring was Libba's frank discussion about the art of revising. Like many writers, Libba has a more organic, unoutlined method of writing. She finds that she writes best this way but does have to revise more. Her first draft of her latest novel, The Sweet Far Thing, was 540 pages. She received back from her editor a full 12 single-spaced pages of notes and comments. She then went back in 2 months and rewrote 400 of the 540 existing pages. I find this story both daunting and inspiring at once. In 2 months she rewrote 400 pages? She said she pulled 2 all-nighters and several 18 hour days, but still . . . That's impressive. I think if faced by a prospect like that, I might just cry. But it's inspiring to think that this nationally best-selling author still has to do copious rewrites just like the rest of us. She doesn't automatically generate beautiful prose. Ah, there's still hope for the rest of us.

I thought I would take a break from the Slushies today and instead tell about a book I read at the end of last month. Ladies and Gentlemen, readers of all ages over 11, let me introduce you to Neal Shusterman’s Unwind. Now, the astute ones among you will have remembered that just yesterday I awarded this little literature gem the impossibly long titled Thought Provoking . . . Young Adult Fiction Slushie. And I do find this book to be extremely thought provoking. I heard Neal Shusterman speak while he was in town for the Texas Book Festival. He was explaining how both vehement Right to Lifers and just as hard-line Right to Choicers have both praised his book. Any book that can promote dialog between such disparate groups is worth a read.

What follows in this post is an article I wrote about the book for the cover of Bookpeople’s January Newsletter. Although longer than the average blog post/review, I think it better explains why I like this book so much. So, go to your local (preferably independent) kiddie-lit store and grab a copy. It’s worth the read.

Unwind with our Top Shelf pick for January

Despite no empirical evidence proving its existence, nearly all people believe in the soul. It’s our central core, our consciousness; the thing that defines who we are. But when do we receive our soul? When does it cease to be a part of our existence? When are we truly alive, and when do we actually die?

The characters in Unwind by Neal Shusterman believe they have found an answer to these questions. They live in a near future that has survived a second American civil war fought exclusively over the issue of abortion. The war is ended not by a clear victory by one side, but by a mutually acceptable compromise. No child may be harmed from the age of conception through the age of thirteen. However at any point between a child’s thirteenth and eighteenth birthday, a legal guardian may choose to “retroactively abort” a child by donating them for organ harvesting, a process known as unwinding. Since nearly one hundred percent of the child is transplanted, the child is still considered to be alive but existing in a divided state. Since unwanted children are in plentiful supply, organ transplantation becomes an important industry in America. Ensuring that Unwinds, or children marked for organ harvesting, receive their procedures is a priority in this world.

Connor, Risa, and Lev are three teens who manage to runaway or escape before they can be unwound. Connor is a problem teen whose parents no longer feel they can manage him. Risa is the unfortunate victim of budget cuts at her state orphanage. Lev, however, is a tithe. His parents belong to one of many religions that believe in sacrificing at least one of their children to unwinding so that they may benefit the world in their divided state. Lev has been raised since birth to expect unwinding soon after his thirteenth birthday. Unlike Connor and Risa, Lev looks forward to his unwinding as the great purpose of his life. He has trouble abandoning his purpose and adjusting his world view.

Like Lev and the other Unwinds, Shusterman forces the readers to question their world views as well. Throughout the novel, Shusterman and his characters ask the difficult questions about life, death, and what makes us who we are. The characters never provide us with a definitive answer. Instead, they debate the issues from all sides illustrating just how complex these subjects really are. Shusterman never reveals his personal opinion on the matter or tries to impose a particular view point on the readers. His willingness to present balanced arguments for both sides of the debate makes it clear that readers should decide these issues for themselves.

In the end, readers are left optimistic about the Unwinds and the world they live in. Connor, Risa, and Lev have been able to make the people of their world rethink their own ideas on life and death. Regardless of a person’s own views on this subject, this is an enjoyable, thought-provoking book for any reader.

The Thought Provoking yet Tasteful Discussions of Controversial Issues in Young Adult Fiction Slushie goes to the teen novel that introduces the reader to a challenging concept, forces them to think about it, but is not graphic or gross in its depiction.

Unwind By Neal Shusterman In this book Shusterman tackles questions as difficult as the definition of life and death. Without giving his own opinions on the subjects, he has his characters debate life, death, abortion and other topics in a balanced and throrough manner.

Thought Provoking yet Tasteful Discussions of Controversial Issues in Young Adult Fiction Honor Slushies

	Bad Girls Club By Judy Gregerson
	Deadline By Chris Crutcher

The Not. CRP Children's Book Slushie is awarded to books written by celebrities that are good enough to be published regardless of the fact that the author is famous.

	Freckleface Strawberry By Julianne Moore Freckleface comes to terms with her nickname, her freckles, and her life. This cute book has a message without being preachy. It's decently written and has adorable illustrations. I did enjoy this book.
Not. CRP Children's Book Honor Slushies
	The Alphabet from A to Y with Bonus Letter Z! By Steve Martin & Roz Chast
	Hank Zipper #13 Who Ordered this Baby? Definitely not Me! By Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver

I know that you're as excited as me and can't wait for the first of the Slushie presentations. But just so you know, here are the selection criteria.

• A book must have been published in 2007, or I have to think it was published in 2007. I'm not actually double checking.
• Books must be a single story unless the category specifically calls for anthologies.
• The book must actually exist. No nominating something with a funny title that isn't real.

Ah, the award season is upon us. And I don't mean the Golden Globes, Academy Awards, or any other silly low profile affairs like those. I am of course referring to the children's book award season that begins with the announcement of the Newbery and Caldecott and other ALA awards and culminates with the prestigious Bluebonnet award presented at the TLA conference in late March. For those of you who have possibly not lived in Texas (or The Center of the World as we think of it here), you may not be familiar with the Bluebonnet Award. You can familiarize yourself here.

This morning the feeding frenzy began when ALA announced the winner of all of their major awards. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village, a book I've never heard of, won the Newberry. White Darkness won the Printz, and in what I'm sure will be a controversial move, ALA awarded the Caldecott for "most distinguished American picture book for children" to The Invention of Hugo Cabret, a mid-grade novel. Personally, I feel a picture book award should go to a picture book, but no one asked me.

And, that, I have decided, is the problem. Yet again I am unable to participate in all the non-stop discussions on these books because I haven't read a single one of them. I tried to read Hugo Cabret, but didn't make it past the first set of pictures. The other 2 don't really sound all that interesting to me, so I doubt I'll be reading them. I have read some of the Honor books, but that's not as fun as discussing the actual winners. So if one of the books has disturbing imagery, or controversial plots, or even uses taboo words like booby, I know nothing about it. I'm spending another year in the dark concerning the winners.

But, I'm determined not to miss out on award mania entirely. Since I can't join the talks about the "official" award winners, I just decided to present some awards of my own. So, presenting the first 1st annual 2008 Slushie Awards. (Play suitable theme music here.) From now until I lose interest, I will periodically be presenting a Slushie to a book I think worthy of notice and attention. I will be taking nominations for both book and category ideas. And since no award is complete without a seal, I made one of those too:


So as to not take away from the other award winners' special day, I will not announce the first of the Slushies until tomorrow. You'll just have to wait in hair pulling anticipation until then.

It never pays to disappear into the great big off-web world for months on end. As a result, I managed to miss presenting at an internet conference this year. "How did this happen?" you might ask. "Madeline is generally a responsible individual." And that is normally true. However, I wrote down the last day of the conference as the first day, and then didn't catch the email that would have told me otherwise. You see, a robot (or twenty) found the email link on the side of this page and has been sending spam to others using my address. I get inundated with return to sender emails for emails I didn't send. These are not caught by the spam blocker, and there's no good way to search them out. I have to manually delete them, and I accidentally lose other content in the process. My solution is to change email addresses, and only occasionally check the old one. It's the best idea I could come up with. I am open to others.

As for what conference I missed, yes it was the Muse 2007 one. I got on the board today, and it looked like it had been very well organized and well run. I'm very sad I missed it. I encourage everyone to attend next years. The folks there do an excellent job. I have posted my lesson up there today, but I fear it may be to late. If anyone is dying to see my lecture on what to look for when critiquing, and the board has already gone down, then email me at the bad address, and I'll send you the lecture from the good one.

I can't believe I did that. Shame. Shame.

In other news, I changed bookstores, got promoted at both jobs, and no longer seem to be able to sleep for the 8-12 hours a night I need. I spend a lot of time staring at the ceiling trying to sleep instead of being more productive. It has made me grumpy, and apparently forgetful. Ah, life.

There are so many holidays in July: Independence Day, Buried Editor Birthday, Harry Potter Day. Harry Potter Day is special though because you have to dress in costume and go wait in long lines at midnight. I'm dressed in my Gryfindor uniform about to leave for work. We will (optimistically) be closing at 2 AM. My sister was apparently sorted into Slytherin, and my husband, after dying his hair, will be metamorphosing into Snape. Even my mother-in-law is getting in on the act and dressing like a witch. No muggles in my household.

Happy Potter Day all. See you next week. (Tomorrow I have to work again, and Sunday is dedicated to reading the book.)

Well, you folks weren't exactly banging down the door to enter the contest. Apparently 500 words is a little longer then most people want to do. I had a bit more response when I just wanted 50 word stuff. However, despite my fear that no one would enter, I had not only entries, but a winner. (Drum roll, please.) And here it is:

THE THANKSGIVING PARADE
By James Danielson
You can see the story here.

I liked that the story went somewhere, even in only 500 words, and that the child both gets to feel lucky (like the prompt said) and that he shows growth in the from of appreciation. Great work, Jim!