Meh. Everything I've read in forums dedicated to children's lit is that TALKING ANIMALS ARE NOT WANTED.

Nothing I can do about it now, but hope that my talking animal is charming enough to break through. If not, I'll get good and drunk, have a nice cry, and move on to the next thing.

Everything I've read in forums dedicated to children's lit is that TALKING ANIMALS ARE NOT WANTED.

I'd like to say they don't know what they are talking about, but I don't know the first thing about children's lit. I mean aside from having children who read. Sam sounds charming from the bits and pieces I've gleaned on Buffista thread reading.

Incidentally, Jeff Harmon often lists scam publishers as legit. And he has all sorts of weasel words in his advice that might steer people towards vanity publishers. You know how self-publishing is a legitimate option if you are willing to do the marketing and so on... And of course it is legitimate for cookbooks, and stuff of interest to one family or one small social group. But some people won't take it like that when read in a Jeff Harmon book. Actually Harmon strikes me as pretty sleazy.

Egmont bought Deb's book.

Is it as common as it once was? Probably not. But it doesn't mean that a well-written book can't break through.

The thing about those forums is that there are always people talking about what's not selling, then bemoaning the fact when something that wasn't supposed to sell actually sells.

If I hung around forums and paid attention to what people say never sells, I'd probably be trying to attempt a Sylvia despite the fact that my oven is electric.

Trying to predict what publishing is going to do is like herding cats.

Self-publishing is legitimate, regardless of genre, if people want to do the marketing. As is e-publishing.

Provided people do their homework.

Self-publishing led to deals for Grisham and Christopher Paolini. And in those two individual cases, the authors were willing to do a tremendous amount of marketing and self-promotion.

And Herman's book is a good source of information, especially if supplemented with more research. It's not a bible, just a stepping stone.

I got back my first two chapters (they will be merged to make chapter one, together they are 2400 words) from my new beta reader. She said she marked it up a lot, but it didn't seem like a lot to me. She said she didn't get a good handle on the characters though, so I might have to pour some more words into that chapter, it's awfully action-oriented so there probably just isn't enough interaction.

There are only three significant characters and two are strangers to the POV character so inner monologue can't provide much on the other two. I think I'll have to back up the start to better set the scene and let the main character have some thoughts, then add words to the interactions with the other two characters and expand the scenes with more detail.

I'm starting to think I will lose a lot of words in this revision, but probably gain words in the next.

I'm about 700 words from completion. My bat is in Australia (the land of the giants!), and will soon be on the plane home. The final chapter is complete, so it's just this part. And then off to beta!

I wish I could have taken the day off, but work is INSANE. We're trying to squeeze five days of work into three. FUN.

Good luck Allyson.

Go, Allyson!

Gud, I have a different opinion than your beta partner. I don't want a character fully revealed in the first chapter. Some mystery about characters and background, as well as the plot, is what pulls a reader onward, keeps him or her reading out of curiosity and speculation. Just my two cents.

And yes, I'm a bad beta and I apologize again for my tardiness.

Gud, I have a different opinion than your beta partner.

I have a lot of opinions to synthesize on chapter 1, once past chapters 1 and 2, not very many. I think I need a bit more detail from the consensus. But, yeah, I certainly see your point too. Decisions, decisions.

You're a great beta Bev, I really appreciate it. Aside from my wife, you're the only beta input I have past chapter 5. Also, I've already made some adjustments based on your input.