I've been away from the site for some time, due to a death in the
family. It took me a while to catch up on work stuff, and now I'm
catching up on the site!

Please come to http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm for links to
updated pages. Here's what you will find.

There's a link to Twitter, so you can follow me there. I'll Tweet
more frequent news of Purple Crayon updates, news about my book,
tidbits of publishing news, links, and opinion, and occasional news
of my activities, such as conferences. I promise NOT to Tweet from my
mobile phone while I'm waiting online to get tickets for a train.

I've also updated the Who's Moving Where page, and also finished the
2009 updates to my Award-Winning Children's Books section.

And, since it's that time of year, please support the site when you
do your holiday shopping. Just use the links in the book lists in the
Awards section, or a handy list of writing guides, or start at my
bookstores page. Again, all of these are linked to from the What's
New page.

It's good to be back....
--

Harold Underdown

New email address: hdunderdown@...

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Publishing Children's Books: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

Hi,

It's taken me a couple of weeks to catch up after getting back from
Chautauqua, where I was on the faculty of the Highlights Writer's
Workshop. If you're not familiar with it, it's the Rolls Royce of
children's writer's conferences; not cheap, but extremely well
designed and put together.

I've got one large announcement: I wrote a piece on the acquisition
process for the 2010 edition of Children's and Writer's Illustrator's
Market. This is a completely new piece, not just an update to my
earlier article on acquisitions, and I've now posted it on the site,
along with a page about the new edition of CWIM.

A few minor announcements: I've also updated the Who's Moving Where
page.  BookCloseOuts is having a children's books sale--worth
checking out if you haven't been there recently. And Eileen Robinson
and I are starting a new session of our Kid's Book Revisions class
soon.

You'll find links to all of these on the What's New page, as usual:

http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

Enjoy,
--

Harold Underdown

New email address: hdunderdown@...

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Publishing Children's Books: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

It's been a couple of months since I sent out an announcement, but
I've doing updates. You can find links to the updated pages on my
What's New page, at http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

What you'll find:

I've updated the Who's Moving Where page several times, and there are
a number of new items on it.

I've thoroughly updated my comments on Children's Books and the
Economy (written earlier this year). I wanted to include recent
events and a section on ebooks. I've added links to the accompanying
Resources page as well.

I've added a list of Canadian style guides to the Canadian Children's
Book Publishing page.

I've joined the American Bookseller's Association's new IndieBound
program, and put up links to it around the site--you'll find more
information on the Bookstores page.

More to come soon, though perhaps not until after the Highlights
Chautauqua conference, where I will be from July 11 through the 17th.

Thanks,

--

Harold Underdown

New email address: hdunderdown@...

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Publishing Children's Books: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[I thought this went out three weeks ago--but just realized it
didn't. My apologies for the belated announcement!]

It's been two months, due to a family move, but I'm back at work on
The Purple Crayon:

There are a number of pieces of news for February and March on the
Who's Moving Where page: http://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm  (and
be sure to note in the additional resources section at the foot of
the page the link to the PW Comings and Goings page, which provides
contact information for laid-off publishing staff.)

I've started to update the Children's Book Awards section with 2009
winners: http://www.underdown.org/childrens-book-awards.htm

I've added links to two interviews I recently did, one on ebooks and
the other on marketing, on the Interviews page:
http://www.underdown.org/interviews.htm

And not at The Purple Crayon, Eileen Robinson and I have created a
web site for our online revision class, called Kid's Book Revision:
http://www.kidsbookrevisions.com/ You'll find information there about
our next class, which starts at the end of April.

As always, links to all the new and updated pages, plus previous
updates, are on the What's New page:
http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

More to come (fairly) soon.
--

Harold Underdown

New email address: hdunderdown@...

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Publishing Children's Books: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

The economy

My big news is that I have posted my thoughts on Working in
Children's Books and the Recession of 2008-2009. It needs a little
polishing but it's ready enough to be read, and I'll revise. Direct
link to it: http://www.underdown.org/the-economy.htm

Other updates
The ALA will soon be announcing a number of awards at their Winter
Conference;  I will be updating my children's book awards section
shortly after that, but it may take me a while to do every page.
Check the main awards page to see what's been updated.
On a more mundane note, I've caught up with my reports on the income
for the site for 2007 and 2008. Nothing exciting but as the site
continues to bring in income I can put my time into it.
And on a practical note, Bookcloseouts is having a Dollar-for-Dollar
sale--buy a certain dollar value of books, choose more books up to
that value from a special section.

For links to all of the above, please go to the What's New page at
http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

Idiot's Guide news

I have some review news and a request. The news is that the latest
edition has now been reviewed in three different regional SCBWI
newsletters. I've posted excerpts from the reviews and links to the
full review at http://www.underdown.org/cig_reviews.htm if you're
interested.

And my request is that if you are a fan of the book and have a few
minutes to write a review of it at Amazon, you consider doing so now.
I'm asking because someone recently posted a review that doesn't so
much review the book as question the entire premise of it. So I'd
like to get some other voices up there.  You can go straight to the
correct page on Amazon by following this link:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1592577504/?tag=underdown2-20

(And if you don't want to write a review, you can comment on the ones
that are already there. Or not.)

Happy New Year! I'm hoping it will be a better one.
--

Harold Underdown

New email address: hdunderdown@...

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Publishing Children's Books: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

After speaking at a couple of conferences recently about the state of
the industry, I've posted a page of links to relevant articles:
http://www.underdown.org/wik08-handout.htm

For November, you will find some updates to the Who's Moving Where page, at
<http://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm>http://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm

I've joined the faculty for the Chautauqua Highlights conference, and
you can find a link to it on the Conferences page at
<http://www.underdown.org/conferences.htm>http://www.underdown.org/conferences.h\
tm

And a reminder--my class with Eileen Robinson, to run from January
through March, is still taking registrations. Go to
http://www.f1rstpages.com/ and click on "Mid-Winter Revision
Bootcamp" for more information.

My warning is for web site owners. The Purple Crayon was hacked
recently, which I think happened when I used a network in a hotel to
upload some files. The hack planted a file on the site that
redirected visitors from search engines to a bogus anti-virus site
that attempted to place some bad software on their computer. If you
visit the site via a link or a bookmark, you weren't affected, and
this only lasted from the early morning of the 16th to the afternoon
of the 19th. It's a common hack though, and if you have a web site
and have seen a surprising drop in traffic, it might be due to this
hack.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving,
--

Harold Underdown

New email address: hdunderdown@...

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Publishing Children's Books: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The big news is that I've written the review of Minders of
Make-Believe by Leonard Marcus that I mentioned I was working on last
time. It's one of the most engrossing books I've read in a long
time--a fascinating history of American children's publishing. I
highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about our
business.  Direct link to my review:
http://www.underdown.org/minders-marcus.htm A little while earlier, I
put up my review of the latest edition of Children's Writer's and
Illustrator's Market. Here's a link to that:
http://www.underdown.org/childrens-writers-market.htm

I've also added some updates to the Who's Moving Where page, at
http://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm

And I've modified my Conferences page at
http://www.underdown.org/conferences.htm to include classes; I will
be teaching with Eileen Robinson in her "Mid-Winter Revision
Bootcamp" from January 16 to March 14. Please visit her site, F1rst
Pages, for more information: http://www.f1rstpages.com/

For other bits of news and links to them, just go to the What's New
Page, at http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm --you'll find, among
other things, that I've tidied up my old piece "Trends in Children's
Books," and I've also updated the books listed on my "Resources
Listing Literary Agents and Artist's Representatives" page by adding
2009 editions.

Thanks for visiting!
--

Harold Underdown

New email address: hdunderdown@...

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Publishing Children's Books: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

After a longer-than-intended summer break, I'm back at work on The
Purple Crayon.

One of the things I've been doing is reading The Minders of Make
Believe, by Leonard Marcus. It's a comprehensive history of
children's book publishing in the US, filled with interesting
anecdotes about people and companies, and informed by an
understanding of the growth and development of our business.... I
recommend it and will be writing a review of it. For now, here's a
link to the book on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0395674077/?tag=underdown6-20

The first thing I did when I got back to work on the site was to
update the Who's Moving Where page, and there's a lot of news there:
http://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm

I've also added an article for illustrators by Anne Sibley O'Brien,
called Getting Real: http://www.underdown.org/getting-real.htm

More to come soon as we head into fall. As always, go to the What's
New page for a list of all the recent additions and updates:

http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

Thanks,
--

Harold Underdown

New email address: hdunderdown@...

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Publishing Children's Books: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Here is the latest from The Purple Crayon:

I've posted a blog entry which compiles ten questions and answers related to
Manuscript Submissions:

http://www.underdown.org/manuscript-submissions.htm

I've also updated the Who's Moving Where page:

http://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm

And some news about my doings: starting in August I'll be teaching an online
class with Eileen Robinson. The class is set up to allow you to polish the
opening chapters of a novel and get it ready for submission with the help of an
experienced editor. For full details, please go to http://www.f1rstpages.com/
and click on "August Online Class."  Note that the deadline of July 18 ise
extended up to the 25th, since I was late getting out this announcement.

Finally, in case you are wondering, Margot Finke is taking a break from her
"Musings" column. There was no July column, and will not be one in August--we'll
see what happens after that.

I hope you are enjoying your summers--I'm writing this from the Oregon Coast
Children's Book Writers Workshop, where I am on the faculty this week.

Harold




Harold Underdown
The Purple Crayon: http://www.underdown.org/

Hi,

I've reviewed a book that is something of a departure for me, because
it's not just for children's writers or illustrators: It's The New
Writer's Handbook, edited by Philip Martin, which collects a diverse
mix of articles on the craft of writing AND the business of
publishing, with some inspirational and humorous pieces thrown in as
well. It's a carefully chosen collection, and I think that just about
any writer will find a number of useful articles in it.

You'll find the review at:

<http://www.underdown.org/picture-writing-review.htm>http://www.underdown.org/wr\
iters-handbook-review.htm

I've also posted Margot Finke's latest, on Focus, Voice, and POV:

http://www.underdown.org/mf-voice-focus-pov.htm

And I've reorganized the index to her columns, so that except for the
most recent, they are grouped by subject, which should make things
easier to find:

http://www.underdown.org/finke.htm

As always, all of these new pages, and updates from the past, are
listed on the What's New Page:

http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

Thanks!

--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Publishing Children's Books: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi,

I've written and posted a review of Anastasia Suen's Picture Writing,
which you can find here:

http://www.underdown.org/picture-writing-review.htm

There are also some updates to the Who's Moving Where page:

http://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm

And I recently took part in an online audio interview and an online
chat. In both of them I talked about the new edition of my book and
my work as an editor, and answered a variety of questions. You can
find a link to the audio files and the transcript on the What's New
page:

http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

Thanks!
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Publishing Children's Books: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The big news: The third edition of my Complete Idiot's Guide is now
available. For more info. and sample materials, go to my Idiot's
Guide home page:

http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

Also, Margot Finke's latest Musings looks at blogs, and explains why
they are worth doing, and what you can do to get the most out of
having one:

http://www.underdown.org/mf-blogs.htm

And I've been doing a series of online interviews this week at Blog
Talk Radio. There will be one today and tomorrow from 3:00 to 3:30 PM
Eastern time.  Go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bookbitesforkids to
listen or to download the previous interviews.

Topics covered:
Tuesday: How I got to be an editor, what inhouse and freelance
editors do, and how the Idiot's Guide came about.

Wednesday: Getting started as a writer, researching publishers,
whether agents are necessary, and related topics.

Thursday: Working with a publisher--acquisitions, contracts, the
editorial process, marketing.

Friday: The state of the business.

I hope you get a chance to "tune in."
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear friends,

I'm pleased to say that I've just completed my most substantial
addition to the site since last year's Acquisition Process piece: an
expansion and reorganization of the information I have about agents
and how to find them.

You can reach all of them from http://www.underdown.org/agents.htm

What did I do? I split off a separate resources page from the "Agents
and Artist's Reps Guide" I've long had on the site--the new page is
"Resources Listing Agents and Artist's Reps" As a supplement to
"Finding and Choosing Literary Agents," I've created three Case
Studies: Firebrand Literary; Writers House; and An Agency to Avoid.
My hope is that these will help visitors to learn how to tell a good
agency's website from a shady agency's website.

In six pages, I think the site now has a pretty comprehensive guide
to what agents do, how to find them, and how to tell the good from
the bad.

Please let me know your feedback, and spread the word.
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

I've posted a review of Gail Carson Levine's "Writing Magic," a
lively writing guide for children that might also be helpful for
adults.

I've also put up Margot Finke's latest, on conferences and retreats.

And of course there are new bits and pieces on the Who's Moving Where page.

Go straight to the What's New page for links to all of these and
other new material:

http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

Thanks!
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A real grab-bag today:

The news about the upcoming third edition of my Complete Idiot's
Guide is starting to get out, so I have had to update that part of my
site, even though the book won't be out until May 6. Go to
http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm for links to:
two new sample chapters
the updated FAQ
the new TOC
endorsements and reviews
the revised resources list and glossary

I hope to add more material, including some new editor profiles, in
the coming months.

I've also added a  blog entry on the Bank St. College/Children's Book
Committee awards: http://www.underdown.org/bank-street-college.htm

A reminder for anyone within a reasonable distance of Norwalk, CT:
I'll be taking part in the F1rst Pages workshop on April 26 (more
info. at
http://www.f1rstpages.com/conference/Publishing_Professionals.html)
If you are interested, let me know and I'll ask Eileen Robinson to
registter you at the (expired) early bird rate.

Last, I have to mention a cool sale on BookCloseouts: Tokyopop Manga!
A great opportunity for fans to build up their collections or for
everyone else to check out the manga phenomenon. Use this link:
http://www.bookcloseouts.com/default.asp?N=3290&promo=TokyoPop+Manga+Sale&rid=pu\
rplec
or the one on my home page.

As usual, all of these links can be found on the What's New page:

http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

Thanks!
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Just a couple of things this time:

I've added Margot Finke's latest column, Fighting to Write, on making
time for writing, and using it.
http://www.underdown.org/mf-fighting-to-write.htm

I've also finished updating the Children's Book Awards section with
2008 winners.   http://www.underdown.org/childrens-book-awards.htm

Thanks for visiting!
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

There are several new or updated pages on The Purple Crayon since my
last announcement:
New items on the Who's Moving Where page.
My notes from a visit to BookExpo America last summer
An article you can show to a friend considering self-publishing, by Bev Cooke
Margot Finke's latest, Picture Book Secrets, a grab-bag of writing tips
A new page with a schedule of conferences where I'll be speaking or
running a workshop

Links to all of these can be found on the What's New page at
http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm


Thanks,
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The New Year brought several notable changes in children's book
publishing, and I've posted them on my Who's Moving Where page:
http://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm

I've also started to update the Children's Book Awards area with
several recently announced awards. So far I've done the Newbery at
http://www.underdown.org/newbery-medal.htm and the Caldecott at
http://www.underdown.org/newbery-medal.htm

I'll make a note on the What's New page when I finish with other
awards. So just check http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm for the
latest.

Also,in December I posted Margot Finke's latest column. titled "What
Do Editors Really Want?" at
http://www.underdown.org/mf-what-editors-want.htm

A belated "Happy New Year" from:
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

A large European publisher is starting a US subsidiary, Egmont USA.
Their intentions seem to be to do what Walker Books UK did with
Candlewick, but on a larger scale. Details at
http://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm

And I've updated the relevant pages in the Children's Book Award area
with the new Scott O'Dell and National Book Award winners:
http://www.underdown.org/childrens-book-awards.htm

--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

Please stop by The Purple Crayon home page for a link to Robert's
Snow--if you don't know about this project, you should!

New:

Margot Finke's latest column, in which she looks at the
character-driven versus plot-driven approaches to writing novels:
http://www.underdown.org/mf-character-plot.htm

I've also put up some comments on the recent Jessica Seinfeld cookbook uproar:
http://www.underdown.org/blog_1107.htm

Updated:

And I've updated the report I post on the site's earnings for the
third quarter:
http://www.underdown.org/report_2007.htm

Remember that if you want to help support the site, use the
Bookstores page when you are doing online shopping:
http://www.underdown.org/bookstores.htm

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

After having spend time on the author review files for my book, I
have been able to get back to work on the site, with the bonus of
some material that grows out of the work on the book.

There is an Interview with Joi Nobisso: Self-Publisher or Small
Press?, which looks at the experiences of Joi with Gingerbread House,
the company she originally started to bring three of her books back
into print.
http://www.underdown.org/joi-nobisso.htm

Then there is another interview, with Lucas Miller, called Smart
Self-Publishing: Tie It to What You Already Do, in which he talks
about his experiences with self-publishing a book he can promote
through his school performances as a musician and songwriter.
http://www.underdown.org/lucas-miller.htm

I also updated the books and other resources listed in the Resource
Guide from my book.
http://www.underdown.org/ciglinks.htm  -- click through to the
various sections. The updates may not be obvious, but they are there.

And I posted a list of Writing Guides, which I compiled while working
on a new chapter.
http://www.underdown.org/writing-guides.htm

Meanwhile, I've also posted a new column by Margot Finke, on Writing
a Middle-Grade Masterpiece (
http://www.underdown.org/mf-middle-grade.htm ), and added several
items to the Who's Moving Where page (
http://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm ).

And on the home page is information about Robert's Snow. Please visit
if you don't know about this very worthwhile project already.
http://www.underdown.org/

Thanks!
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

I've put up a couple of new pages, and some updates. As always, see
the What's New Page for a repeat of this information and links to all
of the pages mentioned here:

http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

First, there's a review of the 2008 edition of Children's Writer's
and Illustrator's Market, which includes a look at just how many
entries are revised in a given year (based on a sample, not an
analysis of the entire book!). Some snippets from reviews of previous
years now appear in "Past Editions of CWIM," so you can see when a
new feature appeared or a particular article was published.

I've also posted Margot Finke's latest Musings, on the always hot
topic "To Use an Agent or Not to Use an Agent." Margot offers strong
opinions, sage advice, and links to useful resources.

There's news from Holiday House on the "Who's Moving Where" page.

And the review of CWIM made me realize that I hadn't updated the
listings of agent and general market guides that appear in my article
on agents, so I've done that too--2008 editions are now available for
many guides, or can be pre-ordered.

The Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites list is online, and open for
nominations for next year--you'll find the 2007 list at
http://www.writersdigest.com/101sites/2007_index.asp and information
on nominations. If you appreciate what The Purple Crayon does, please
consider nominating the site.

Thanks for your visits and support.
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

As it turns out, everyone is not at the beach. Please see my Who's
Moving Where page for news from Rising Moon and HarperFestival:
http://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm

And I've posted the first draft of an article on Manuscript Format
Basics, which is meant to address the common questions I get about
how to set up a manuscript for submission. I know there are other
points I could make, and welcome suggestions:

http://www.underdown.org/manuscript-format.htm

That's all until September! Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend.

Best,
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

Last night--well, actually at about 2 AM on Monday morning--I put the
finishing touches on the revisions of my Idiot's Guide (which was to
check every line in the TOC to make sure it matched the changes to
the chapters) and sent the files off to my editor at Pearson. I'm
done for now. The files will come back to me for Author Review, but
that will not be quite so demanding.

So I'm pleased to say that normal service will now resume at The Purple Crayon.

For now, that means catching up on Margot Finke's Musings column. Her
column for August looks at professional critiques and what to expect
from them: http://www.underdown.org/mf-professional-critique.htm .

I also checked my sources to see if i needed to update the Who's
Moving Where page, but August is a quiet month in publishing, so I've
just left a note that everyone was at the beach. I'm sure there will
be news to report after Labor Day.

More to come soon, but for now, I just wanted to let everyone know
that I'm "back."
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

I've taken a break from the revision of my Idiot's Guide, which is
going well, and done some catching up.

I've posted:

--updates on the Who's Moving Where page
--Margot Finke's July Musings (with two days to spare)
--a report on the 2nd quarter's finances.

Direct links on the What's New page:

http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

And for those who are interested in replenishing their summer reading
material, something I didn't have time to post on the
site--Bookcloseouts is having a Fiction Sale (children's and adult).
It only runs through July. Use this link to go to their sale section
and The Purple Crayon will earn commissions on what you buy:
http://www.bookcloseouts.com/default.asp?N=0&merch=promotions&rid=purplec

Thanks! Expect normal service to resume late August/early September.
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

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First of all, I want to apologize for the recent lack of updates and
new pages at The Purple Crayon. I've been busy on a revision of my
Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books. This will be
the third edition, and will come out some time next year.

I will have more to say about what will be new and what will be revised soon.

For now, I have a request--if anyone has any corrections to the 2nd
edition or suggestions for the new edition, I'd love to hear them.
Just reply to this email with your comments.

I hope to restore normal service to The Purple Crayon soon.

Many thanks,
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A couple of new things, an update, and a sale, with links to all at
http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm :

Writer Cynthea Liu has contributed an article on writing a synopsis.
Be sure to follow the link from her name to see her site.

Margot Finke has compiled some tips on writing picture books in her
latest Musings column, Picture Book Perfect.

I've also made some changes to The Acquisition Process, in response
to suggestions I got from readers.

Last, Bookcloseouts has announced a June Sale. Here's a direct link:
http://www.bookcloseouts.com/default.asp?N=3289&promo=JUNE+SALE&rid=purplec
This is useful if you're looking for summer reading or want to stock
up on books for a classroom or library.

Coming soon: my observations on BookExpo in NY. Not the show that it
was even a few years ago....

Thanks,
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

I'm pleased to announce that I've finished a substantial new article
on the acquisition process, with a sample acquisition proposal linked
to it:

http://www.underdown.org/acquisition-process.htm

I hope this will explain the process to those not familiar with it.
Comments and questions welcome, of course.

Also on the site, there are some updates to the Who's Moving Where
page, and off the site, Cynthia Leitich Smith has posted an interview
with me on her blog, Cynsations. Links to both on the What's New
page:  http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

Thanks for visiting,
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

New this week:

Margot Finke's latest Musings has some tips for nipping
procrastination in the bud. I meant to have it up at the beginning of
the month, but, well, things just kept coming up....

I've also posted a report on The Purple Crayon's finances for the
first quarter of 2007.

And a note to visitors from the UK and Europe generally. As you know
the focus of The Purple Crayon is the US market. It's what I know,
and I hope you find the information useful. For those of you who want
to order books through the site, there is now a link to Amazon UK on
the Bookstores page, and links on some of my book reviews to Amazon
UK. If people use them, I'll put more up.

Oh, and be sure to see the Who's Moving Where page if you haven't
recently. I've added  a couple more bits of news since my last update.

Links to all of these pages and to older news are on:

http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

Thanks for visiting!
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm

I've been busy redoing the pages that list the articles in various
categories on my site, and they are now done, with nice menus on the
side (instead of the top and bottom) and a modest block set aside for
advertising.

I also wrote a couple of blog entries, one on the question of whether
cover letters are necessary with manuscripts, and the other with some
observations from the recent SCBW-I portfolio review day.

And of course, there are updates on the Who's Moving Where page.

Links to all the new and revised pages are on the What's New page:

http://www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm
--

Harold Underdown

The Purple Crayon web site: http://www.underdown.org/

The C.I. Guide to Children's Book Publishing: http://www.underdown.org/cig.htm