ACROSS THE UNIVERSE cover

I'm determined to be a better social networker.  Part of me is intimidated by this whole world, partly because I feel so late to the party, and partly because I'm not sure I have quite the "voice" for it.  Also, I hate the sense that I'm being nothing more than a used car salesman up to one of his gimmicky tricks, or a politician vainly trying to disguise self-promotion.  All the above . . . eeck.

But I'm going to plunge into this anyway and I'll be using the Roecker sisters and Nathan Bransford as role models.

• The Roecker sisters: I really like the light and amusing feel of the Lisa and Laura Roecker's blog.  It's funny, informative, and just this side of educational.  I've already committed to memory their blogging manifesto.

• Nathan Bransford: he said somewhere (a tweet, a blog post?) that the purpose of social networking isn't to promote or self-promote or accrue a fan base or look impressive, but . . . (drum roll) to be social.  Ahh...the light switches on...

So having said that, let's get a move on.  I will now be more social by . . .

Talking about Beth Revis' Across the Universe.

Or more specifically, about the cover.

Although I've heard great things about the book, I've resisted buying it for the silliest of reasons.  The cover.  Actually, it's not even the cover.  It's what I thought was on the cover.  My problem is that I've only seen the cover in thumbprint size on blogs and whatnot. And for whatever reason, it looked to me like a really odd image: two pink amoeba, facing each other, one on the right, the other on the left, kissing each other with puckering snouts. It just looked freaky. And once that image became impressed into my mind, it became difficult to dislodge.  Like the old hag/pretty young woman illusion - once you see the old hag, the pretty lady vanishes. And every time I saw the Across the Universe cover,  all I could see were the two pink amoeba with snouts, puckering each other in a kiss.  You tell me you don't see the kissing pink amoeba:



Only yesterday, at the library, I finally saw the hardcover. And boy, was I wrong. The cover, actually, is not bad at all.  And I was way off. Because it's not two pink amoeba on the cover.  In fact, there's no amoeba at all. Just a really cool picture of a young-looking William Shatner.



Awesomeness.

I was a fool to misjudge the cover so badly.

Bologna Children's Book Fair

A formidable team from Inkwell (including my awesome agent, Catherine Drayton) just finished up four days at the Bologna Children's Book Fair pitching a number of books, including The Hunt, to foreign publishers.  I received some good news from the team last night - there are quite a number of foreign deals in the making, with publishers in several countries bidding for the rights to the book.  Pretty exciting.  I can't say much about them (yet) because nothing is final yet, but one deal that is final and which I'm ecstatic about is the signing with Simon & Schuster UK (press release here).  It's an incredible publishing house and I'm honored to be on their list.

The deal also created significant buzz at the Fair over The Hunt (here, here, and here) and I'm glad to be getting this early attention.  Can't let it sidetrack me, though, from the nitty-gritty task at hand: working on revisions. Any moment now, my doorbell is going to ring.  They'll be a package there, with edited manuscript and editorial letter.  Excited to read them, but, truth be told, with a little trepidation as well.

Announcing the sale of my trilogy!

Publishers Marketplace (March 18, 2011):

 

Andrew Fukuda's THE HUNT, a new trilogy about a boy who has survived in a world where humans have been eaten to near extinction and who is forced to conceal his identity when he's chosen to participate in the government-sponsored hunt for the remaining humans, to Rose Hilliard at St. Martin's, in a significant deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in Spring 2012, by Catherine Drayton at Inkwell Management (NA).

 

(I'll blog more later about this).

Shanghai Literary Festival

Just got back a few days ago from a trip to Shanghai where I participated in the Shanghai International Literary Festival.  I co-presented a session with Craig Silvey, a true artist and all-round good guy.  His novel, Jasper Jones, has garnered gobs of recognition in Australia; Knopf bought the North American rights and it's going to be released here in a few weeks.  Do yourself a favor and read this book.



During our co-presentation, it was great to chat with him.  Us writers can recognize that something in one another: an enthusiasm about the craft, a respect for the art, how writing can be such a blessing (but also a curse at times).  You can listen to our presentation here.

Craig and I also share something else in common - the same agent, Catherine Drayton!  It's a small world, after all.  Craig and I could not stop talking about Catherine, about what an uber agent she is.

Last, check out this TimeOut Shanghai story on me and a great review of Silvey's novel here.

love this duet

Something about this music video by David Choi and Kina Grannis really resonates in me.  I must have watched it five times now, and each time I find myself smiling and thinking.  It's perfect.

My new agent

I'm happy to report that I have a new agent: Catherine Drayton of Inkwell Management.  She's a major mover and shaker in the industry: her clients include Markus Zusak, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Nathan Bransford, to name a few.  She has a stellar reputation, and I know my book is being represented by one of the best.

The path to her was fast and furious.  I sent out query letters to agents I thought would be a good fit; within three days, I received nine requests for the manuscript.  On the fourth day, an agent I really admire and respect offered representation - it meant the world to me.  Per industry etiquette, I asked for a week to consider her offer and to give the other agents (including Catherine) who had my manuscript time to respond.

Over the next six days, six more agents offered representation.  I spent a good deal of time on the phone, and quickly realized that each brought something different to the table.  They were all kind, insightful, and - not to sound hokey - wonderful people.  In many ways, this was going to be a difficult decision.

But Catherine made the decision easier.  I knew of her terrific sales record from Publishers Marketplace, her reputation in the industry, and her impressive client list.  I even spoke to two of her clients, Becca Fitzpatrick and Nathan Bransford: they were wonderful and helpful (I thanked Nathan for his blog - it'd given me invaluable tips in writing my query letter) and both were effusive in their praise for Catherine.

Although I wrestled with the decision and really hated to write the "rejection" emails, once I made the decision, I felt absolutely thrilled to have Catherine as my literary agent.  I couldn't be happier.

I had a chance to meet her today at the Inkwell Management office.  It's an impressive office, the shelves bulging with books represented by Inkwell: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, Andre Agassi's Open, The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai, Hush, Hush, The Book Thief.  The Inkwell folks were engaging, interesting, and (this word kept popping into my head) formidable.  I feel so honored to have my book represented by that agency, and by Catherine in particular.

Catherine is a great agent who somehow already knows me well.  When I was leaving, she placed a gift in my hand she somehow knew would make me happy: an ARC of Nathan Bransford's Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Kapow! Fitting, I thought as I left, not only because Nathan indirectly (with the query letter tips) and directly (with the phone conversation) made this happen, but because that was the word that was beating in me afterwards as I walked the Manhattan streets:

Kapow!

No doubt about it, she's Asian

The cover for Malinda Lo's upcoming novel, Huntress, has just been revealed.  Her publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers did her, and her work, right.  This is no is-she-or-isn't-she-Asian? person on her cover.  This person is unapologetically, 100% bonafide Asian.  After all the recent controversy about POC and book covers, this is a refreshing change.