Back-to-Business Monday: IN TANDEM WITH YOUR LIBRARY

AUGUST HAS ARRIVED and with it, my first theme month here at the blog. With editorial letter received, and encouragement from my agent, I'm hard at work on revising AUDITION for publication.  And, it's made me realize how much of the road to publication is not ridden alone.  From critique partners, to writing friends, to agents, to editors and their teams of people within publishing houses, it seems that it "takes a village" to get a book into the world.  So, here we begin a month of considering WRITING IN TANDEM.

Where do most of us begin this journey?  At the library, of course.  Libraries are the ultimate partners for readers and writers. You can go beyond borrowing books to develop a powerful and rewarding relationship with your local library.  For YA novelists, the time to do this is during Teen Read Week™, October 17-23.

This year's theme is Books with Beat @ your library®. The idea is to encourage teens to read poetry, audiobooks, books about music, and more (hear that all you verse novelists out there?). Libraries across the world host special events in celebration of Teen Read Week.  Visit YALSA's Teen Read Week page to learn more.

YA writers, published or pre-published, should mark this week in red on the calendar. Stop by your library SOON to discuss ways you can support local Teen Read Week efforts. Here are a few ideas:

• Write up a Teen Reading List, perhaps featuring local authors or regional themes as well as "Books with a Beat" for online posting or distribution at your library or area schools
• Offer to do a reading of your own work or selections from great new YA titles
• Help publicize Teen Read Week events at area schools (perhaps including ones your kids attend)
• Find out if you can support your library's online efforts to publicize Teen Read Week

What are you waiting for?  Go to the library!