A Letter from the 2k7 Class President
by Greg R. Fishbone
In early 2006, the year 2007 felt like forever away. It felt especially distant whenever I’d have to answer that same question at least three times a day: “So…when’s that book of yours coming out?” Or at the supermarket, when I’d find some vacuum-sealed and preservative-laden snack product with an expiration date that matched my book’s scheduled release.
I filled the time by reading some depressing facts about book promotion and how authors are expected to shoulder more and more of the marketing burden because: a) publishers’ marketing departments are overworked and under-budgeted; b) there are so many new books competing for attention each season; and c) nobody cares more about the success of a book than its author—especially a debut author, going through this all for the first time.
Somewhere around March, I realized that the list of things I wanted to do for my book was far more ambitious and time-consuming than the list of things I’d actually be able to do for my book. I wondered if there were other authors who felt the same way, and if maybe we’d be better off teaming up to help each other get the word out. That was the start of the Class of 2k7.
As months fell from the calendar, more debut authors rallied to our collective. We made plans for 2007, including the release of this ezine, but it still hardly seemed real to imagine the new year bringing smell of ink and the feel of paper from freshly printed copies of our own books. I’m writing this in mid-December and it still feels like 2007 is a thousand years into the future!
The fact that you are reading these words means that 2007 has arrived, and the first book from a Class of 2k7 author is already on the shelves (STORY OF A GIRL by Sara Zarr). You can be sure that all 39 of us authors, in our 20 states plus the District of Columbia, with our books coming out from dozens of imprints and publishers, are celebrating—and we’d like you to join us.
As Class President, I’m pleased to welcome you to our first quarterly ezine of 2007. We begin the year at the top of a roller coaster, breathlessly looking down at the wild ride to come. The year we’ve waited for is finally here, our hard work is about to pay off, and we are ready to break into print and share our hearts and souls with the world.
If you’ve surfed our web site, you’ve already previewed our books, which are sure to be some of the best debut children’s and teen novels of the year. If you’ve read our collective blog and interview archive, you’ve already met us and learned some of the stories behind our stories. And if you haven’t done those things yet, be sure to check out the feature article by Melissa Marr on how to get the most out of the resources we’ve provided for booksellers, librarians, and teachers.
We look forward to sharing this wonderful new year with all of you!
Greg R. Fishbone is our President and Founder, and the author of The Penguins of Doom (Blooming Tree Press, Summer 2007)