Incognito

Sorry I’ve been MIA. I’m now 95% time at work, which means I spend many more hours at work each week. I’m not complaining. I’ve been able to accomplish a ton more at work, including enhancing my division’s online presence. I no longer feel like I’m always playing catch-up during the days I’m there. I feel like I’m doing something more. And that feels good.

But it makes my neglect most everything else in my life while I get adjusted. And this includes my blog. I’ll get better at keeping up. There will be much more fun stuff to write about soon, I’m sure.

Minnesota Children’s Publishers (mostly of the nonfiction variety)

When I explain to people that I want to go “home” (Minnesota) to work in my chosen publishing field, they look at my like I’m bonkers. “Don’t you want to move to New York or Boston or even Chicago or San Fran? Well, no, I don’t really have any desire to move there on a regular basis, but for a job, why would I want to go to any of those? They don’t have nearly as many fantastic children’s publishers as the Twin Cities does. Normally, the laughing ensues on this, and I attempt to convince them by explaining that MN houses three of the largest and most-respected publishers of kid NF lit as well as a great many smaller, stellar kid lit publishers. Don’t believe me, either? Take a look-see at this article by the School Library Journal written in March of 2008.

As many of you know, I currently work in adult scholarly journal publishing, and I love it. I really do. But my heartstrings are still pulled toward children’s nonfiction publishing, and it doesn’t help that I’m writing my entire master’s project on it.

Nonetheless, I thought since I am now the resident expert (or whatever) in children’s publishing, I thought I would put up a list of children’s publishers that are located in Minnesota. Please note that I may be missing some publishers, so if you know of any I’m overlooking, please let me know. I’ll add them to the list. Also, this does not include adult publishers with no children’s books on their backlist or current list. This list would be twice as long if I was to include all publishers in MN.

FYI: I use the term nonfiction loosely. Many of these publishers work in the library/school sector (I can’t think of the correct term right now) where they publish texts specifically for schools and these books will never make it to the local Borders or Barnes & Noble. Some of them publish a combo of trade and school. Some publish nonfiction and fiction. It all just depends. Please also note that when I refer to “children’s publishing,” this includes young adult/teen lit, as well.

• Lerner Publishing Group, Minneapolis
• Capstone Publishing Group, Mankato and Bloomington
• ABDO Publishers, Mankato
  
• The Creative Company,  Mankato (This is one of the most beautiful websites I’ve ever seen; it’s worth it to take a look.)
• Meadowbrook Press, Minnetonka
  
• The Child’s World, Mankato
• Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd., Woodbury
• The Place in the Woods, Golden Valley
• Free Spirit Publishing, Minneapolis
• Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis
• The Oliver Press, Minneapolis
• Teach Me Tapes, Inc., Minnetonka
• Maren Green Publishing, Inc., Oak Park Heights
• Farmer’s Hat Productions, Wayzata
  
• Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis (This is a religious publisher, so they have a very specific audience, but they publish books for youth; I felt compelled to include them, as they do publishing children’s fiction and nonfiction.)
  

Escape

So, I’ve discovered the secret to working at home success. You want to know what it is?

Don’t work at home.

Well, that’s the secret to my working at home success. I’ve been taking refuge in the local Biggby Coffee (formerly known as Beaner’s [that's what it was in Duluth--and still is, now that I think of it; must have purchased the name or something]) the last couple of days. I’ve gotten a ton of work done, and it’s been pure bliss.

I just can’t look at all those empty (or half-full) boxes that should be full. I can’t look at my bookshelves that, after this morning’s packing, are nearly empty, knowing I should be packing more stuff just like I did my beloved books. With the move so close–less than a month away–and no lease in place at a new place, I’m stressed to the max. I escape to the land of getting rid of chiggers, wasps, silverfish, bees, and other assorted creepy-crawly things. I’ll be working on my master’s project during my next retreat. Money won out this weekend.

I’ve been editing scripts lately, and I have to admit, it is a ton of fun. I really, really enjoy reading and responding to them. I’ve never really worked with scripts before (these are for TV, not film, though the skills/knowledge translate easily), and I’m really happy my prof is “making” me do this for an independent study credit.

I’m going to try to convince him to have me edit another dozen of these suckers in place of writing a script myself. It might sound like a cop-out to my writer friends, and even to my editor friends, but honestly, I think I could do a lot more good editing than I will writing a crappy script, just to get the credit. It would never see the light of day beyond my prof’s desk, and is it really worth it? I’m not so sure.

Perhaps that’s why I like editing these so much–the author gets immediate and definite feedback, and though they have every right to dismiss any of my comments like any of my other clients, they can visualize the changes in their head because a script is meant to be seen, not read. And that is very cool.

Absolutely the best (I’ve found so far…) pens for editing (if you edit in pen).

I’ve yet to find an acceptable colored pencil.

Plus, there’s something powerful about editing in pen. Something definite. Something more.

(To all my kid’s lit peeps, this is for you!)

I recently discovered JacketFlap.com. It’s a networking website for children’s writers, editors, and publishers. It’s a great place to meet like-minded professionals in the children’s literature field. I’ve already found a few new faces and had a couple friends join, so we can talk shop without taking up space in our e-mail inboxes. You can also track your reading and show off your published books (if you are so fortunate to have any). It’s fun, safe, free, and the place to be. You know it.

If you join, add me: avonde

Life, Revisited

I’ve decided I’m going to do the freelance “thing” full-time once I’m completely done with grad school. It’s just going way too well (i.e. more work than I can handle right now) to deny that this is something really good.

I’m considering taking a couple of art/graphic design classes (prob. at a community/technical college because they rock the house) down the road, once we’re settled where we’re going to be, so I can take on graphic design work, too. I might even learn HTML and XML, just in case I need it.

The freelance indexing will continue, for sure, as will the editing/proofreading. I have a couple of opportunities to write freelance, and it’s a strange feeling, knowing that I might go back to my roots once again. It’s been so long since I’ve been there–I’m not sure how it will feel once I’m back.

I would gladly take on a part- or even full-time position editing somewhere, but I’m not going to hold my breath. I’m too happy working from home, having time be my own, to then go and sit behind a desk from 9-5, waiting to punch out. I think I’ve been in college, working for universities on my own time, for too long to go to that. I’d do it, of course, if the right job came along, one that I’m passionate about, one I can’t wait to go to each morning. Why should I settle for anything less?

So, that’s where I’m at. I’ll finish my master’s this summer, taking on projects as I have the time, and once August 15th rolls around, and I’m done, I’ll be my own boss. I’ll let my life continue to be my own.

We’re relatively low on cell phone minutes again this month. I’m not sure how we (OK, I) suck them up so quickly, but it’s always the same. We even upped our plan last month to 1000 (from 700). I spend a lot of time on the phone because of Cellar Roots–talking to staff, coordinating meeting times and places, calling about catering or printing, etc. Thankfully, that’s all done now.

That reminds me: I need to get those photos up, don’t I? Off to…wait, not call my staff photographer. I’ll have to e-mail instead. Ugh.

All of the big events for Cellar Roots are done, and I have to admit that it’s a bit of a relief. As wonderful as it has been to work on this stellar literary/visual art magazine, I’m pooped!

The gallery opening drew a ton of people, and there was some serious networking going on–including a gallery owner taking an interest in one of our artist’s work. That is exactly why we are so pleased to be hosting the gallery off campus. The visibility is priceless.

I also must admit that I would really like to continue promoting artists and writers. I’ve really found my niche, I think. This editing stuff really is all it’s cracked up to be.

Nonprofit work is where I would like to be, and book publishing is definitely a love of mine, too. Why not combine them? Hmmm….

I’m really enjoying this InDesign class I’m taking. Though I feel as if I could learn most of this from a book (I figured out a bunch of stuff I missed during the last class on my own), it’s nice to have it all laid out there for me through different exercises and assignments. I feel that I might be able, at the end of this class, be able to put on my resume that I am proficient in InDesign. That’s exciting for me. Not for you all, sorry.

I know I haven’t been very thrilling lately, but once I get the pictures back from the Cellar Roots banquet last Tuesday, the benefit comedy show from last night, and then the pictures Tory will be taking at the gallery opening in a week, I’ll post them along with an explanation on what I’ve been doing for the past…three months.