Other Stuff

In Search of SpaghettiOs

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217P99BV1PL._AA160_.jpg I usually stick to publishing news on this blog, but I have to vent. I went to six, yes six, delis tonight in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and not one of them had good old-fashioned SpaghettiOs. When confronted about his lack of inventory, one owner said to me, "In this neighborhood, SpaghettiOs don't sell!"Neighbors, are we above the cheesy, tomatoey goodness of Campbell's classic circular pasta in a can? A food product with Vitamin A, four essential B-vitamins, Iron, and--wait for it--fiber (an ingredient which Dr. Oz says is "the most important part of your diet")? For shame. I may have to move. What's your favorite food in a can? If you can't pick just one, I may know of a cookbook that's right for you...

Marketing Monday: Women's Magazines

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family-circle-1.jpg In looking beyond teen publications to feature your book, don't forget the women's market, which serves as the big sister (Glamour) or mother (Family Circle) to your teenage audience.I wrote about glamour.com's lovely write-up of Violet on the Runway, and now Family Circle Books of the Month features a review for November! Speaking of books and marketing, what's the last book you bought partially because you saw it everywhere? And did you like it? PS-Dontcha love FC's clean covers that go to subscribers? Newsstand copies are still filled with coverlines, but that's how magazines sell...

Book party photos!

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Here are a few from mediabistro.com, but my favorite one is below with all my former ELLEgirls (l to r: Marie, Caroline, Anne S., Jackie, Anne I., Me, Erin, Mariel, Joanna and Scarlett). Gotta love them!EGbookparty2.jpg Okay, and this one of Dave with my Violet on the Runway poster is pretty hilarious too: of%3D50%2C332%2C442.jpeg So what is the best party you've ever been too, and why was it so awesome? I'm curious!

Gossip Girl, the re-evaluation

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13872780.jpeg Okay, so I adored the first episode of GG. But since then, I've been sort of "eh" about it. My enthusiasm was revived with the photo shoot episode--I think I love it when B. and S. are friends. So cute. And--hello--there was some excellent Chuck time in that episode too.What do you guys think: Is the show good enough to last? PS-A lovely review of Violet on the Runway on bookbitch.com. (She has major win-books contests too.) Yay!

Marketing Monday: Celebrity magazines read books too!

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OK_3-19-07_cover.jpg Authors all have their books sent to VOYA, SLJ, Kirkus, etc. for review, but it's great to think beyond the "official" book reviewers, too.I made sure Violet on the Runway went out to teen magazines, women's magazines, and--yes--celebrity magazines. OK! runs 3-4 books a week in the magazine. And this week, Violet made the page (next to Jenny McCarthy, Stephen Colbert and Rachel Zoe)! Thrilling. I have to admit that I'm a celebrity magazine junkie, which is habit I hope to break soon, like maybe in 2008. What magazines are on your must-read list?

Yay, Winners! And a book question

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cerise.jpg Congratulations to Brenna, Carrie, Paris, Breanna and Jessica--the first five blog subscribers! They each won a copy of Violet on the Runway, plus a Lancome Juicy Tube and a Barielle nail polish.And thanks to everyone who entered--there will be more Wednesday contests, so don't be sad if you didn't win this time! Transition: I used to be a total amazon.com girl, but lately I'm loving browsing bookstores and libraries and picking up the books that catch my eye. So, do you guys buy books in the bookstore, on amazon, or check them out of the library?

Vassar Power!

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Fall_2007.jpg Alumni magazines can be kind of lame. My boyfriend's looks like a Jehovah's Witness newsletter--even he admits it--but the Vassar Quarterly is actually good. They write about Vassar in pop culture (and put Lisa Simpson on the cover), publish back-page essays that are heartwarming and well-written, and even include a couple of hearty book review pages.Oh, and they reviewed Violet on the Runway. Nicely. A highlight: "Violet will satisfy teen readers' seemingly insatiable appetite for paparazzi and Prada. But as lovable Violet questions (and sets out to change) this devastatingly exciting world of sex, drugs, and eating disorders, it's clear that this is a teen novel any parent can feel OK about feeding his or her teenager. And since Violet is better than most chick-lit novels marketed to adults as beach reads, parents can feel OK about borrowing it from their teens, too." Yay, Vassar!