Picture Perfect: Announcing the 2014 Spring Season!

We just couldn't wait until the new year to talk about our spring 2014 title list! Okay, maybe that's just me, but I am ridiculously excited about the great children's lineup we have for all you readers, and I'm betting everyone else in the Scarletta office feels the same way.

The year of 2013 saw some amazing children's and adult books rolled out from our imprints, and the birth of our new brand image at Scarletta. It was a fantastic start to what is sure to be an incredible publishing journey, especially with the titles we'll be buzzing about in 2014! So without further ado...

Start by digging in (pun intended, folks!) on March 20, 2014, with Garden to Table: The Kid's Guide to Planting, Growing, and Preparing Food by Katherine Hengel. Kids will fill their plates with fresh, self-sustained produce that comes straight from the garden. Step-by-step planting, care, and harvesting tips, along with step-by-step photos for over 30 delicious recipes made with basil, carrots, green beans, leaf lettuce, potatoes, and tomatoes. Incorporating unique flavors and easy-to-grow veggies, these simple recipes will have you asking for seconds!

You met Monster in fall 2013, and if you're a normal or abnormal person, immediately fell in love with him. He's giant, blue, hairy, and cavorts around with the energy of a four year old thanks to talented illustrator Wendy Grieb. Well, Paul Czajak's adorable Monster & Me™ series continues on April 8, 2014, with Monster Needs His Sleep. In Czajak and Grieb's second collaboration, it's time for bed, and Monster needs to go to sleep. But he just keeps finding more things to stay awake for! It isn't until Monster admits he is afraid of the dark that he finds a glowing solution to his nightmare problem.

A picture book series not quite your style? Looking for something older? Fan of adventure and fantasy series? Then have we got something for you! That may have been too cheesy of a build up, but seriously, middle-grade readers will love our new Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians series by Ellen Prager. The Shark Whisperer, book one, is an action-packed story of adventure, fantasy, and humor that reveals the wonders of the ocean. After falling into a pool of sharks, things for awkward Tristan Hunt begin to look up. Tristan is invited to an ocean-themed summer camp in the Florida Keys where he discovers that he and his fellow campers have very rare talents when it comes to the ocean. After the camp receives a distress call from ocean animals, the Sea Guardians get pulled into a daring rescue in the Bahamas. With the help of sharks, dolphins, a quick-escape artist octopus, and some seabird bombers, the campers must use their talents in an attempt to outwit an evil shark-finning, reef-blasting billionaire.

We'll keep on the animal theme and finish out the spring 2014 season with another adorable picture book, If An Armadillo Went to a Restaurant by Ellen Fischer, and illustrated by Laura Wood. Would an armadillo order spaghetti with meatballs if she went to a restaurant? No way! She would like a plate of ants and worms. Little ones will slurp, munch, and crunch their way through this delightful book about animal diets and habitats. In the end, you might find yourself asking just what you might like to order.


Think these books are awesome? Guess what...they're all available for pre-order from your favorite book vendor! Might we also suggest these books as great for your 2014 book lists? If you love them, tell us about it with a customer review (and tell your bookseller too so they can keep recommending our quality books to other readers!).

10 Things I Didn't Know Until I Published My First Book: Guest Post By Greg Bancroft

Publishing can be a confusing process, and many first-time writers have no idea what to expect. Or they might expect certain things, but it turns out to be completely different. Today, first-time author, and writer of the newly released Betsy's Day at the Game, Greg Bancroft shares some of what he's learned since beginning his publishing journey.
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1. Working with a publishing company, going into the office, dealing with editors and staff is not as mysterious as I thought. Real people work at real desks in an office focused on selecting and publishing children's literature. However, in a way, when I first visited the office, I felt like I was entering some kind of "special place" - off-limits to only a handful of "special people." I wasn't sure I should enter. In reality, it's a pretty normal office (albeit, a very cool space) where people work very hard at their jobs. Not scary, not mysterious.


2. From submitting a draft to seeing the book on a store's shelf took longer than I had imagined. Add in the time I took researching, writing, field-testing and re-writing, it was a good two years or more.


3. Seeing someone as talented as Katherine Blackmore (and as well-known!) draw such beautiful illustrations and capture the story and relationships so well, was surprising to me. What a talent. What a gift to me and to this book.


4. Seeing people's reaction for the first time, upon reading the book, and responding so favorably is what I'd hoped for but didn't really understand fully. The book has had quite an impact on people: remembering times with family at a game, reflecting on relationships with parents, grandparents, and kids. More than just appreciating a sweet story, it evokes a visceral and emotional response from others.

A Preview of What's to Come: 2013 Books

New years are a time for new resolutions, new beginnings, new relationships, new... everything. For us, 2013 is going to be an exciting year. After all, this past year was full of exciting changes for us, including a new website, new logos, new staff members, and new imprints. This year, as we may have mentioned before, we are expanding our list and publishing more titles than we ever have. And instead of keeping it all to ourselves, we thought we'd share a bit about what's coming out soon and what we're working on for later in the year. Take a look and let us know which one you're most excited about!

SPRING 2013

Nalah and the Pink Tiger (March 12)
By Anne Sawyer-Aitch



Nalah and the Pink Tiger is about a rambunctious little girl who lives so intensely in her imagination that grown-ups view her as a troublemaker. Things come to a head when, in addition to all the exotic animals that Nalah has “placed” in the house, a pink tiger “follows” her home from the zoo and creates havoc. 

Nalah and the Pink Tiger also takes the form of a puppet show put on by the author/illustrator in both English and Spanish versions.

Find out more from the book's website, download the app, or keep up to date by liking the Facebook page. 







A Day at the Lake (March 20)
by Stephanie Wallingford and Dawn Rynders, illustrated by Erica Pelton Villnave 



Flippity flop and splash your way through this colorful trip to the lake. Jump in with your senses and play with rhymes as you experience the waves, the boats, and the many animals. This cheery book follows three children as they enjoy the simple pleasures and rare glimpses that nature offers us around the lake.

A Day at the Lake is told using all five senses, and teaches children vowels and sound effects. Contemporary, large, and brightly colored illustrations bring this story to life. Simple, short text leaves much to the reader's imagination as they experience their own day at the lake.

Like the book's Facebook page for all sorts of lake facts and fun!











Betsy's Day at the Game (April 9)
by Greg Bancroft, illustrated by Katherine Blackmore



Betsy loves hanging out with her grandfather, especially at the ballpark. Today is another game day, and Betsy is ready to show her grandpa all she's learned about keeping score. Best of all, some exciting things are about to happen at today's game. As the anticipation builds, Betsy keeps track of it all—foul balls, home runs, and favorite players.

This heartwarming story about a family tradition and America's favorite pastime includes a fully illustrated scorecard. With great illustrations, Betsy's Day at the Game teaches kids how to fill out a scorecard, and encourages them to share their memories with their families.

And if you love baseball, the Betsy's Day at the Game Facebook page is for you.

Barnes & Noble Vs Amazon

Tuesday of this week, Barnes & Noble made a bold statement by informing the world that they would not be selling books released by Amazon Publishing in their bookstores. Barnes & Noble's chief merchandising officer has been quoted as saying, "Our decision is based on Amazon's continued push for exclusivity with publishers, agents and the authors they represent...Their actions have undermined the industry as a whole and have prevented millions of customers from having access to content."
This decision could seriously hinder Amazon's hopes to sign authors who would want their books sold in Barnes & Noble stores. And if Barnes & Noble won't sell Amazon's books, it seems pretty unlikely independent bookstores in the United States would be willing to stock them either.
Whoever would have thought Barnes & Noble could become the David in a David and Goliath story, but I say more power to them. I won't lie, I've used and loved Amazon in the past, but this exclusivity talk just sounds selfish. And if the publishing world really is in jeopardy, like so many say it is, shouldn't we all be working together?

Hilarity Ensues Because Book Titles Cannot Be Copyrighted

Perhaps you've heard of a recent New York Times' Best Seller: The Litigators? Ask anyone who the author is, and they'll tell you John Grisham. But what some of these same people are doing unaware is going online and purchasing a different book with the same name.
You see, six years ago in 2005, Scarletta Press published its very first book, a fiction/legal thriller by lawyer/author Lindsay Arthur, and the title? You guessed it...The Litigators. Now we here at Scarletta are proud of our first book, in fact, we think it's a darn good book, but time passes and publishers are forced to focus on current and upcoming books, and less is done with backlist books. However, November hit and suddenly The Litigators saw a pretty big spike in ebook sales. We couldn't account for it, but sales kept increasing. And then the book received a new review on Amazon...it began, "I have read everything written by Mr Grisham." Wait...Mr. Grisham?

Exciting changes at Scarletta Press

MINNEAPOLIS (December 2, 2011)—Scarletta press accepts the resignation of Ian Graham Leask as publisher and minority stockholder to pursue other publishing opportunities effective immediately. Scarletta Press thanks Ian for his writing and publishing expertise over the years. His vision and dedication has been greatly valued. We wish him the best in his new endeavors.

December marks an interim period of transition, with a new beginning for January 2012. This change has been in discussion for some time. The publishing industry continues to experience drastic transformations. Scarletta Press is in the process of reinventing itself with new ideas and new goals in order to best serve and address author’s needs and maintain the most collaborative, productive, and successful relationships with its authors, publishing partners, service providers, and media relations.

The most intriguing part of this transformation is the stronger emphasis Scarletta Press has decided to place on their children’s imprint, Scarletta JR (Junior Readers). There will also be more collaboration on foreign rights and partnering publishing opportunities, larger pushes on marketing and social media outreach, and more room for advanced ebooks and interactive ancillary product development related to Scarletta’s books.

All publicity correspondence will remain the same, and can be directed to Desiree Bussiere [desiree@scarlettapress.com]. All official business correspondence can be directed to Nancy Tuminelly, President of Scarletta Press [nancy@mightymedia.com]. All editorial correspondence, including submissions, should be directed according to information listed on the Scarletta Press website.

There are many new plans and new books in the works for the near future, so stay tuned for more news to come as the New Year approaches.

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Major changes in store for Scarletta Press

Co-founder and Publisher, Ian Graham Leask, will resign his post as Publisher of Scarletta Press as of December 31, 2011. Scarletta Press thanks Ian for his writing and publishing expertise. His vision and dedication has been greatly valued. We wish him the best in his new endeavors.

An official press release with more detailed information will be issued later this week. If you have any questions, please direct them to the Publicity Director, Desiree Bussiere [desiree @ scarlettapress.com]. 

Thoughtful Reflections

Lost in Lexicon author Pendred Noyce recently opened up about a plethora of issues in an interview conducted by Thoughtful Reflections host Sylvia L. Ramsey. She addressed the difficulties of naming her characters, what it's like to be published in today's industry, writing for yourself vs writing what you think others want to read, and more. Here's a taste of some of her answers:
How do you come up with the names of places and characters in your books?
"It is funny, but I always have a hard time writing until I know the names of my main characters. I need a name that sounds like the picture I have in my mind, and I really do not know how to find those names. It is sort of like figuring out what to name your baby: you flounder around until suddenly you know."
Are there any problems in getting children’s’ books published?
"Editors are always looking for what is hot right now. They told me Lost in Lexicon was too old-fashioned or too didactic for today’s kids. In the end, I decided the only way I could prove them wrong was by publishing the book myself, and making a success of it. I pulled together a great team – an editor, an artist, an art director, and a designer – then published a book that has won awards and enthusiastic followers. While I was doing a radio interview and bookstore visits in Minneapolis, I finally ran across a publisher, Scarletta Press that understood what I wanted to do in providing challenging, thoughtful fiction for kids. Scarletta acquired Lost in Lexicon to anchor their brand new line of children’s books."
To read the interview in its entirety, click on this link.

The Road to Kid Lit

We began launching our children's line in January when we signed our first children's author, Pendred Noyce. Pendred Noyce wrote Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers, a middle grade adventure fiction, and first published it on her own in October 2010. After acquiring Pendred's series, we republished the first book this past August, and scheduled the next three books for publication in successive Augusts to come. (Check out Penny's Path to Publication story!)

The Lexicon Adventure series serves as cornerstone to Scarletta Press’ line of intellectually stimulating books for strong and thoughtful readers. “We want to publish fiction that ‘writes up’ to kids, treating them as young intellectuals who enjoy thinking,” says Leask. “Our books will be fun, adventurous, and suspenseful, but their vocabulary and storylines will be designed to challenge young readers in the right way.”

Founded in 2005, Scarletta Press has gained a reputation as a publisher of high quality literary fiction and non-fiction. Its adult books have won or been nominated for a number of literary awards.

After revising our submission requirements and really getting the word out about Lost in Lexicon, we've received many new children's book submissions. After rifling through the pile, there are a number of them still on the consideration table. With the plan to continually expand our children's line, we decided we needed a good name for our new children's imprint.

So here it is: Scarletta Press Junior Bookwormz! Be sure to follow us on twitter @SP_JRBookwormz. We've got a plan for some great Children's Literature, and we hope you'll be a part of it.

Tasty treats & mentions

Well we couldn't be more pleased to help Linda White kick off her new series on MN Indie Publishers! This article comes at a perfect time with three books launching from our little press: Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers by Pendred Noyce, A Celtic Childhood by Bill Watkins, and Scotland Is Not for the Squeamish also by Bill Watkins.

We're making waves. Check out this article and share it everywhere!

"Though it radiates that sense of optimism and fresh outlook that only a relatively young company can, nothing about Scarletta Press is amateur. Perched in a sunny historic building on Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, the office is a beehive of activity. Their output is sleek and their leadership is made up of industry veterans...

While the publishing world may be changing, Scarletta Press looks poised to ride that change...Some may think you’d have to be crazy to start a publishing company these days. But Scarletta Press is proving that if you take your lumps, do your homework, and know the playing field, there are still many opportunities out there. And they are doing a great job of looking ahead and moving into those new realms of possibility." Read the rest!

We're definitely proud to be a moving vehicle in this publishing industry!

Scarletta goes big time...

Claire Kirch wrote a nice little article in Publisher's Weekly about Scarletta's new line: children's books.

Scarletta Press, a small press in Minneapolis best known for its nonfiction, including an annual Writer’s Handbook, is launching a children’s fiction line this summer. The first title in the new line will be Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Pictures by Pendred Noyce, illustrated by Joan Charles. Continue reading...

Thanks PW! Way to go Scarletta!

Choosing Lexicon

Check out these links for reviews and fun stuff about Lexicon in the news:

An article about Penny and Lost in Lexicon by Carolyn Ellis in the Wellesley Weston Magazine
http://wellesleywestonmagazine.com/spring11/dept_books.htm

Reviews for mathematics and writing on a gifted child website
http://www.icanbeanything.ca/Site/Book_Selections.html

Laurie Hertzel mentions Scarletta's contract with Penny
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/books/115219944.html

Ian on tpt's Almanac

Last week, Ian had the pleasure of appearing as a guest on Twin Cities Public Television's Almanac show with Cathy Wurzer. Check out the video below to see what he has to say about the state of publishing today, upcoming Scarletta Press titles, and the best writing advice he's ever received.