I Love Books
1.
What inspired you to write a book
about loving books? I
wrote the words and the illustrators, Olga and Aleksey Ivanov, brought the book
(and the books in the book) to life. I struggle with how much information or
instruction to give illustrators, and for this book, I gave them very little
beyond the manuscript. I had one scene in my head I wanted to see, and that was
the boy on the train reading a book while everyone else was staring at a screen
of some sort. And wow, did the Ivanovs have fun with that spread. So much of
this book’s charm leads right back to Olga and Aleksey. It is one of my great
joys to see my words spring to life so masterfully on the page.
2.
How does the story foster an
appreciation for reading books? As
a book that celebrates books as opportunities for exciting adventures, I Love a Book reads a bit like an
extended advertisement. I’m perfectly fine with that. And as much as this book
extols the virtues of good books to kids, I hope the adults also get the
message. I’ve never met a young kid who didn’t already love books; but I’ve
encountered many who just didn’t get much exposure to books.
3.
What can be done to increase
literacy rates here? One
of the wonderful things about Harry Potter was that for a few years there, kids
and adults were talking about the same books. The fact that we were talking
about books at all was wonderful. So my advice is to read what your kids are
reading. Talk about the books when you can. Relate to the characters and their
predicaments. Our Harry Potter dinner table discussions are some of my fondest
memories of my children when they were younger.
4.
How can parents, when children are
fairly young, turn their kids into bring prolific readers? Read to children at a young age as
often as possible. Read to kids in school as often as possible—even through
middle school. Have kids see adults reading as often as possible. Read and
memorize poetry with kids. Puts on plays. Immerse yourselves in verse…and
prose, and so on. Busy parents might be rolling their eyes right now and I get
it. But my wife and I got lucky in that my first daughter as a toddler would
only fall asleep if we read her book after book after book. This turned into a
nightly routine with our three kids for years. I sometimes wonder what would
have happened if my daughter had been a sound sleeper.
5.
What do you love about books? When I find out that someone has
read a certain book I cherish, I feel I know that person just a little better. I
know the book better as well. That, and the smell. I had a line in I Love a
Book about smelling the books, but I ended up taking it out. It was too weird.
6.
Do you prefer paper books to
digital? Why or why not? I
have a very specific worry when it comes to digital books. Part of becoming a
good reader is learning to understand what difficult words mean through
context. Very few readers run off to find a dictionary every time they run
across a word they don’t know; they figure it out as they read. With e-readers,
press your finger on a word and get its definition. It’s an amazing change in
the way we read, but I get the feeling it negatively affects the reading
process for kids. So, to answer the question, paper books for kids, and then
after that, whatever platform gets you reading. I personally go back and forth
depending on where I am and what I’m reading.
7.
Any advice to struggling writers? Like any art form, I believe the
best work comes from struggle. The words and sentences that come easily are
usually the ones I have to edit out sooner or later. And, write about what
scares you, enthralls you, confuses you. And make sure you have an editor who
isn’t related to you. Do you have a social media presence? Beyond your writing,
that’s what many acquiring editors are looking for these days. And read … a
lot.
8.
Where do you see the book industry
heading? I feel
like for every bit of good news in the industry, there’s a bit of bad news to
go with it. Indie bookstores are back!
Book World Inc. is closing all 45
locations! Philip Pullman is back!
George W. W. Martin still hasn’t finished
Game of Thrones! I’ve been in the book business for 20 years, and never
before has the writing on the wall been quite as inscrutable as it is now. It’s
not 2008, but it’s also not the 1990s. So I’m hopeful, but anxious. Thrilled
and grateful beyond words to be doing what I love, but I’m not quitting my
part-time job at Whole Foods (now part of the Amazon.com family!) any time
soon.
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog
are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important
when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in
Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs
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