November 2020: what do editors want?
Seventeen years ago, I got my first rejection letter from a London literary agency. This year, I'm celebrating the launch of my first novel for children, the middle-grade thriller FRIEND ME. In this issue, I talk about how I got from there to here, including an exclusive interview with Scholastic Press Senior Editor Emily Seife about what she's looking for in her submissions pile -- and why a writer is most likely to win her heart if they follow their own. Plus: details on my FRIEND ME launch party and audiobook, why I fell in love with BECOMING MUHAMMAD ALI, and where you can get signed copies of FRIEND ME .
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"I’m thankful every day, especially now, that I get to work with books that are so hopeful," says Scholastic Press Senior Editor Emily Seife. Never has civilization needed children's books more: to help the next generation do better than we have, with more knowledge, empathy and tolerance. Scholastic is the world's largest publisher of books for children and celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2020. Emily is the editor who fell in love with the manuscript for FRIEND ME and championed it through the acquisitions process. In this Q&A she explains what she's looking for, her approach to working with writers, and the number one way writers can improve their craft.
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Social media and tween mental health
I've written about technology for 25 years, and The Social Dilemma on Netflix is one of the best explainers I've seen about how social media and phones affect tween mental health. It's a documentary that includes a dramatization of the impact of social media-fuelled bullying (the performance by young Sophia Hammons, pictured, is superb) and disinformation on a US family. The rest of the documentary interviews thinkers, critics and former Silicon Valley engineers who ooze techie’s regret. Join more than 50 million people who've already had their eyes opened and watch it.
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What I'm reading
If you want an injection of positivity, strength, and victory against all odds, pick up BECOMING MUHAMMAD ALI by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander. Kwame, not unlike Ali, is self-made, with a gift for words that shines through in his audiobook narration: what a treat to hear him tell the story of how Cassius Clay became The Greatest. Kwame does a flawless Ali especially when speaking one of his rhymes: confident, beautiful, ready for the world.
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Craft and community: free SCBWI webinars
If you're feeling up to it, there's a wealth of writer's craft knowledge currently available for free to members of SCBWI. One-hour Digital Workshop webinars are live Zooms and the recordings stay online for a month to watch again. I've loved the few I've sat in on: not just because they help me with plot and character, but because they remind me I'm part of a warm, welcoming family of creators who are passionate about making great books for children.
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Katy Davis reads FRIEND ME: Scholastic Audio
Do you want to hear a little blast from the FRIEND ME audiobook? It's the story of a seventh grader, an Irish transplant to the US, who's badly bullied at her middle school -- both online and off. Later, when her bully has a bad accident, she's worried that her new best friend, who she knows only online, might be involved. The amazing Irish actor Katy Davis performs the audiobook, and you can enjoy an excerpt here: it's from the all-important Chapter 9 of FRIEND ME, just after Roisin confronts her bully during a school field trip.
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FRIEND ME by Sheila M. Averbuch read by Katy Davis
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My journey to publication ends 10 November 2020 with a party to celebrate the launch of my middle grade thriller debut, FRIEND ME. Join me at 8pm GMT / 3pm EST for a live launch event on Facebook.
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And finally: When Arlo met FRED
Arlo, our Chief Morale Officer, had to make way for FRED, a robotic cat I discovered during my research for FRIEND ME. Here's how Arlo reacted when I unboxed FRED.
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