On Publishing, Thoughts

Children’s books are magical—and so are the creators

One of my favorite niches in the publishing world is children’s literature. I’ve collected children’s books since I was a child. My mother—a pre-kindergarten teacher—read to me each night and I volunteered in her classroom frequently growing up. The two of us still go into bookshops and look at children’s books. I start reading them aloud, then she tells me “No, No. You’re not reading it right!” And she reads the rest of the book aloud to me as if she’s putting on a play.

WNY Book Expo 2018_Group Shot
The authors gathered at the end of the 2018 WNY Children’s Book Expo for a group photo!

So when I spent the day surrounded by children’s book authors and illustrators from around the country at the Western New York Book Expo, I was thrilled. The Expo, hosted by local children’s bookstore Monkey See, Monkey Do, saw 37 authors in the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center to sign books, do readings, and meet the kids (and adults—many teachers, librarians, and book lovers come childless!) of Buffalo and WNY.

 

Continue reading “Children’s books are magical—and so are the creators”

Goo Goo Dolls concert banner Dizzy Up the Girl at Sheas Buffalo
On Publishing, Thoughts

First book launch leads to stress and success

It is easy to forget that our internal state is often projected outward, whether we want it to be or not.

Buffalo From A to Z book coverI launched my first book the weekend before last. As a young publisher, I’m ecstatic at the success of the event, but the lead up was stressful. I’m the director of marketing and publicity at Buffalo Heritage Press, and we launched our latest children’s title, Buffalo From A to Z, Come Take a Tour With Me, at the Goo Goo Doll’s show at Shea’s Perfoming Art’s Center in Buffalo, New York. The concerts were celebrating the Goo Goo Dolls’ 20th anniversary of the Dizzy Up the Girl album.

Why launch a children’s book at a rock concert? Well, Buffalo From A to Z is special. (Aren’t all of your books special when you’re in publishing?) The main character, Bob Uffalo, is a spunky little tour guide who takes kids on a tour around Buffalo, showing them the hotspots from A to Z. But it wouldn’t be a Buffalo book if it didn’t have the Goo Goo Dolls on the “G” page—betcha didn’t know they were from Buffalo!

Continue reading “First book launch leads to stress and success”

Thoughts

‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ is far from unfortunate

As many fans of children’s literature will know, Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” was released as a Netflix Original Series on Jan. 13—a Friday, fittingly.

a-series-of-unfortunate-events-poster
The Netflix original series “A Series of Unforunate Events” was released Jan. 13.

“A Series of Unfortunate Events” follows the story of the three Baudelaire children after their parents are killed in a fire that destroys their home. They are passed from relative to relative in search of a place they can call home while simultaneously trying to escape the clutches of the dubious Count Olaf, played by Neil Patrick Harris.
I read the series voraciously in grade school and was overjoyed when the film, which encapsulated the first three novels, was released in 2004. Despite the film not absolutely thrilling me, I was disappointed when no more films were announced, and I patiently waited 13 years. It was worth it.

Harris as Count Olaf is frightening yet extremely enjoyable (and that’s coming from someone who liked Jim Carrey’s performance in the film). And the children, Violet (Malina Weissman), Klaus (Louis Hynes), and Sunny (Presley Smith), are perfect for the roles. This run of the series seems to be a lot more racially diverse in casting as well, which is fantastic. Continue reading “‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ is far from unfortunate”
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