Being A Fan - My Day At BookCon

I attended BookCon last Saturday. BookCon is one of the events that happens in conjunction with Book Expo America (BEA) and it's the book fans' day to celebrate their favorite authors, attend panels, get autographs, buy book-themed merchandise and get free galleys and other swag from publishers. It was, and will be again in 2015, held at the Jacob Javitts Convention Centre in NYC and it was an enjoyable madhouse. A friend who also attended and with whom I tried to meet up for lunch, refereed to it as a 'religious experience.' In addition to being a lover of books, she's also an English Lit teacher so you can imagine the overwhelming elation she must've felt. 

I'd never attended a 'con' before although I've always wanted to - and may still yet - attend ComicCon. The other times I've been to BEA and its related events, I've gone from somewhat of an insider's perspective. I'm an writer, with one book out so far (Back Kicks And Broken Promises), and I've gone to BEA attend workshops, network, and to learn about the business. This year, however, my schedule didn't allow me to take the three days off from my day job to attend BEA in earnest so I decided to go as a fan and attend BookCon. After all, what lover of words and book wouldn't want to? And, who knows? One day I might be on the other side, signing autographs or speaking as part of a panel, so I might as well make sure I know how my readers might feel. Ha ha!

Well, a few days post event, I have to say it was well worth it. It was crowded, there were long lines (I didn't get into the chat between Alex London  (Proxy, Guardian) and Veronica Roth (The Divergent series) but I did get to attend the Stan Lee (Marvel Comics, Zodiac) interview and the dystopian panel with Veronica Roth, Marie Lu (The Legend series), Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die) and Alaya Dawn Johnson (The Summer Prince). From both sessions, I walked away with free teasers - a galley sample of Lu's upcoming The Young Elites and a teaser booklet of Roth's Four series and a signed galley sample of Lee's upcoming novel, Zodiac. 

In addition to these two fan-targeted sessions, I also attended a couple of less fan and, perhaps, more industry-type sessions. The first one I went to was a discussion with an esteemed panel of authors that included two of my favourites,  Matt de la Peña (The Living, Mexican WhiteBoy), who I refer to as 'my mentor' after having taken three workshops with him and for his major influence in guiding my hand as I wrote Back Kicks, and Grace Lin (Dumpling Days). It was called We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), a campaign spearheaded by Asian American author Ellen Oh (Warrior, Prophecy). In a nutshell, the panel discussed the need and ways to get books written, published and distributed to our youth of colour with story lines and protagonists that better represent them and that allow other (read: not of colour) children - and adults - to learn about and understand the other side of the ethnic colour spectrum. As an Asian American author, I was naturally pulled to this panel. And, I am fully behind Oh's campaign and will do whatever I can to support it. I do believe WNDB is planning its first event in Washington, DC for 2016. 

The second non-fan centred panel I attended was a discussion with two publishers who specialise in putting out books for minority readers - Cinco Puntos and Just Us Books. Both publishers seem to specialise in books for Hispanic and African American readers but I'm sure, with a good story, they'd consider books by and for other ethnic groups. What was interesting to learn at this session, though, was that more than half the books by and about minorities come from indie or small presses like Cinco Puntos and Just Us. It's about time the big houses get on the diversity train. Lee And Low is another publisher focusing on diverse books, particularly for children, and its imprint Tu Books focuses on science fiction and fantasy. 

In addition to the above panels, I roamed the show floor and picked up some galleys. Partly because I was green in how things worked, but also because I didn't want to pick things up indiscriminately (which part of me regrets), I didn't get some of the free totes and other swag and books the hordes of fellow attendees got. Next time, I'm going to have to be more aggressive and barge my way through. I've never done a Black Friday 2am shopping spree but the way the crowds stormed in I can imagine it's very similar. Of the books on hand, and one of the freebies I regret missing, the one that seemed to be the most pushed (I base this on seeing placards and posters for it just about everywhere I turned) was E. Lockhart's We Were Liars. Next time, the instant I feel an inkling for a book, for whatever reason, I'll snap it up or queue up and bring it home. 

So, will I go again? Yeah, if I'm not attending BEA proper or off in another city doing a book signing of my own books, Back Kicks or the one I'm finishing writing now. Hmm. Haha. For those of you who were there - and of the masses who were there the majority appeared to be women and girls ranging from about 12 to 40 - I hope you had as much fun as I did. 

Happy reading!

A Writer's Editor - RIP Monica Harris

It's strange how people affect us, impact upon our lives and leave some kind of indelible impression. And, I'm not referring to the people we've known the longest or the most intimately. Sometimes, more than we might realise at the time, these individuals are people we've met only a few times or, in some cases, only once.

I was reminded about this just a week ago when I checked my email and found one from Twitter. I get these often, as I'm sure many of you who have a Twitter account do. It's an email suggesting people for me to follow; the suggestions generated by some program that analyses trends, hashtags, followers, those who follow you, etc. Well, one of the suggestions was MHM Editorial Services (@mhmedits). It'd been a while - probably a year or so - since I'd last thought about MHM but I recognised the name immediately and my initial thought was "Don't I already follow this account?" So, I logged into my Twitter account and checked it out and, just as I suspected, I already follow @mhmedits. I further learnt, however, that MHM's account is no longer active due to the death of its account holder. Likewise, MHM Editorial Services is no longer operating.

Upon discovering this, I felt like I'd been kicked in the gut and slapped in the face. MHM Editorial was an editing business run by Monica Harris. I met her at the 2009 Book Expo America and a few months later we met at the lobby of a New York hotel where my sister-in-law and her husband were staying. My wife came into New York with me. She had breakfast with my in-laws and I had a meeting with Monica. 

A few weeks before our meeting, I'd emailed Monica the first ten pages of my novel, Back Kicks And Broken Promises. She was more of a content editor versus a line editor but she did offer suggestions in syntax and caught some typos as she made useful comments on the various red flags she found in the book's plot, character motivation and dialogue. As most editors do in this kind of situation, Monica went through these pages for free. To edit more would've required a proper business arrangement which, after considering my self-publishing budget, I could not pursue. In spite of this, Monica more than welcomed my emails that were full of general questions on publishing. She also, even months after our meeting, willingly accepted and promptly answered my questions asking for further clarification of the comments she'd made on the pages she'd read. To me, this showed a true dedication on her part of being a writer's editor; being more concerned about the writer creating the best work he or she can produce and understanding what he or she needs to do than performing quality editorial services and writer support just for a buck. 

As insightful as Monica was with my manuscript, she was also ahead of the curve when it came to self-publishing. In the last ten years or so, independently publishing one's own work has grown and become less taboo. Anticipating the growth of indie published books, Monica specialised in serving the independent author, leaving her editing posts at traditional publishing houses and forming MHM Editorial.

I didn't know Monica very well, at all. I only met her once. But, the integrity in her approach to my work and the dignity she offered me as a green first-time author, has left a lasting impression on me; so much so that, when I found out she'd died, tears pooled at the bottom of my eyes. I felt like a friend had died, albeit one with whom I'd lost touch.

I'm an indie author hoping to break into the mainstream with an agent and a traditional publishing house. Thanks to Monica, I'm less ignorant about the entire process and I feel more secure about my work and vision being my work and vision. For that, I thank her. And, whether you're an indie or a traditionally published author, I hope your editors possess the character and love of her craft the way Monica did. 

RIP Monica Harris. The publishing world, especially that of the indie author, misses you deeply. 

Anxious About Awards

Today, June 1, 2013, IndieReader will be announcing the winner of its 2013 Discovery Awards (IRDA) at Book Expo America. And, as ridiculous as it sounds, I'm anxious - even nervous - about it. Last March, my book, Back Kicks And Broken Promises, earned a four (out of five) star review from IndieReader. After corresponding with the reviewer, I was told that my novel stands a strong and legitimate chance at winning IRDA so, heck, I decided to enter. To quote her review, Back Kicks is "an insightful and pertinent novel" that is "full of multi-cultural details." You never know, right? Someone's book is going to win. Why not mine?

So, I don't know if what I'm feeling is appropriate or if I'm fooling myself into believing my book is worth more than it is. After all - and I think it'd be fair to say this is true of most writers - I don't write with the goal of winning a prize. I write to tell a story; to entertain, educate, support, inspire. (Whether I've done any of that is for readers and reviewers to decide.) But, it's funny how my competitive spirit, nurtured from years of being a high school athlete, Taekwondo competitor and coach, has come out. I won't be devastated if I don't win but I'll be bummed, if for nothing else, because of the lost potential of my book to gain further exposure and for my writing career to gain some (more) momentum. But, I suppose, that'll just mean plugging away through other avenues and knocking on other and different doors to promote my work. 

For whoever wins, assuming it's not me, I give you an early congratulations. As a fellow indie, I'll be supporting you work. For me, in the meantime, it's back to the keyboard as I write my WIPs.

Getting Older

In the last seven days, two events pertaining to my age took place. First, I received a request from Rutgers University, where I went for my undergraduate studies, for a donation to its "Our Rutgers, Our Future" program. It wasn't just a plea for money. It came as a plea for money from the class of 1991. The astute ones of you reading have just done the maths. Yes, 2011 is my twenty year anniversary since graduating from RU. As I read through the letter, in the back of my mind, there was a little voice that kept saying "Twenty years. Where did all the time go?"

As I listened to that inner voice - of awe or guilt or regret or whatever I was feeling - I thought about, not so much where the time went, but what has happened during the last twenty years since I graduated up to the end of January 2011, which was the second of the two events pertaining to my age. Yesterday, the 31st of January was my birthday. I turned 42.

Anyway, looking back on my life, I made a list of the major events of each year since my undergraduate graduation, a ceremony I didn't even attend. Below is a list of those events; landmarks that have in some way influenced me and shaped me into who I am. Some of them are things that I did or were done to me directly, some are things that happened to us - as a people - and some had positive outcomes while others didn't.

As you read my list, think of your events and make your own list. It was fun to go back and reminisce and it was interesting to see how far I've come to becoming the best version of me I can be. I hope your list has more positives than negatives and I wish all of you the best for 2011 and beyond.

1991
Graduated from Rutgers and got my first real fulltime job. I was a personal trainer at a health club.

1992
Started my own Tae Kwon Do business (teaching out of the health club), lost my virginity and got paid for my writing for the first time. It was an article that appeared in Tae Kwon Do Times Magazine about the master I was training under at the time.

1993
Opened my own Tae Kwon Do school, closed my Tae Kwon Do school, got my first teaching job, got my first tattoo and got my ear pierced.

1994
Had my first one-night stand and got KO'd at a Tae Kwon Do tournament.
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1995
Ran the New York City Marathon, something I'd always wanted to do since watching Rod Dixon cross the finish line in 1983 and began graduate school at Montclair State University.

1996
My screenplay, ALIENS AMONG US, PART I: DISCOVERY, got to the quarterfinal round of the Austin Film Festival screenplay competition, tried out for the 2000 USA Olympic Team Handball team, attended the 1996 Olympics (with an ex-girlfriend) where we traded tickets with another couple that took us away from the park bombing.

1997
Handover. The British lease ends and Hong Kong goes back to China. A very emotional time.

1998
Began my years as what Runners World Magazine calls a 'serious amateur' runner and ran the Disney World Half Marathon and I bought my first new car, a green Jeep Wrangler with a removable tan hardtop that I miss terribly.

1999
Took my first Gotham Writer's Workshop class in Screenwwriting, did stunt work for a Fresh Samantha Juice commercial, moved into my first apartment and my parents sold their house in South Orange and moved back to The Philippines.

2000
Y2K. Well, nothing happened so does this really count?

2001
The 9/11 attacks on The World Trade Centre and I got my fourth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

2002
Visited family in London and got to see Arsenal beat Newcastle, 1-0, at Highbury.

2003
Went to Boracay for the first time and got engaged.

2004
Got married

2005
Adopted a dog

2006
Finished Graduate School - finally - and, yes, I went to both ceremonies this time around.

2007
Took my first fiction writing class, at Gotham, went to my first Book Expo America and attended the Asian American International Film Festival where I got to meet and chat with director Justin Lin.

2008
Became a dad, joined Facebook and got to see the first non-white American president get voted into office.

2009
Reacquired Filipino citizenship, turned 40 (this was difficult to deal with), joined Twitter and saw my friend become a black belt.

2010
Cancer scare with my father, finished my novel, voted in my first Philippines presidential election (my guy didn't win this time) and took my son to his first live football (soccer) match - Tottenham v. Sporting Lisbon followed by NY Red Bulls v Manchester City - at NY Red Bulls Arena while the two of us wore Arsenal jerseys.

January 2011
Went to the Writer's Digest Conference where I pitched six agents (they all want samples of my novel; two of them want the full manuscript) and turned 42. Oh, yeah, and started teaching Tae Kwon Do again.