BookFest Mania!

Look who attended the Los Angeles Times annual Festival of Books today:

Me. Yes, me. I actually left the house and ventured further than the grocery store for once.

Only there are no books in this picture. Just a slightly battered but greatly coveted red balloon.

What you also can't see is the magic bracelet (okay, wristband) bestowed by a powerful wizard (uh, editor) so I could whisk past the lines into a secret chamber for a panel discussion.

There, I learned all kinds of enchantments for writing successful kiddie books. But I shall reveal those later ...

First, you must endure author photos! And personal anecdotes! Because you can never have enough of those, especially from me. Because this is my blog.

So there.

Look, look how close I got to Lauren Child, without a zoom lens even. Doesn't she look like someone you'd want your daughter to spend a whole lot of time with?

She's the writer and illustrator of the Charlie and Lola books and cartoon, in case you were wondering. Big stuff.

But this woman is who I want to be in my next life:

Robin Preiss Glasser, illustrator of "Fancy Nancy" and many other cool books in her distinctive hand. She complimented my glasses, but I admitted I really long for ones with rhinestones in a funkier color. Ah well.

Ms. Preiss Glasser has a request. Can someone please put a nice review on Amazon for her? There's a nasty one there now, apparently. Horrors!

Actually, Amazon was the word of the day. I've been a dummy and haven't put too many of my reviews there. That's all anybody seemed to care about. Are your reviews on Amazon?

Um, well, they sure will be.

But never mind all that. Here's Marc Kompaneyets, of "The Squishiness of Things," which I reviewed here and here.

Pity this poor man. I come running up to him screaming "You're Marc Kompaneyets!" since he might've forgotten that. It's never a bad thing to remind someone of their own name, I always say.

And then I, a 42-year-old, reasonably composed woman, began to leak more blubber than a decomposing whale. After rambling about my blog, wandering off and returning for his photo, I left the man in peace. I hope he's recovered.

This fine fellow is Jim Weiss, a storyteller whose tapes we've been buying since before we had kids.  Good stuff, but the sound system was so loud it made the baby cry. Missed the rest.

But he had at least one rapt fan in the family.

But the real reason you're still reading is to learn the great secret of writing/illustrating books. I attended a panel with four writers and illustrators, but ... alas ... the time is late, the spell is unraveling, and my tap-tapping on this keyboard is keeping the household awake.

Tune in on Monday ...

Comments

[Chris Barton]

Jim Weiss -- I'd never even heard of him until last night, when some friends hosting us for dinner spoke with near-reverence of his CDs' ability to transfix children during roadtrips lasting thousands of miles, not to mention naptimes. Sounds like my kind of guy.

[Catherine]

OK...I'm jealous!

I'd love to have my daughter meet Lauren Child!

[Susan]

Anne,
why would one put one's reviews on Amazon? I guess I'm a dummy, too... Are these authors' requests? For readers to post on Amazon? Do spill the beans.

[Kelly]

Yes, Anne, I'd like to know the answer also. Should we be posting our reviews to Amazon?

[Anne]

It looks like the answer is "yes" to the Amazon question. Posting there is an extra step, which isn't easy if I'm trying to write while the baby naps.

I was kinda pissed, though, that Amazon should carry such clout and they didn't so much as buy an ad or sponsor a single event at the nation's largest bookfest!

The biggest sponsor ... Target. They had an entertainment stage and two signing booths (where Lauren Child appeared). Oddly enough, their kiddie books selection usually stinks.

I will never, ever understand book marketing. I briefly did it for a living and I still don't get it.