5 November

Taking A Meeting. Into the world of children’s publishing. Holt, New York.

by Jon Katz

Maria, checking out the view from the Gridiron Building in Manhattan, where Holt, my children’s book publisher is located.

   November 5, 2009 – Today is my daughter’s birthday. Happy Birthday Em. Maria and Izzy came with me to New York to meet with the editors and marketing and design staff at Holt, my children’s book publisher. I spent four hours there, and Izzy was his usual charming self. This is a new world to me, and it was a very comfortable one to enter. I went through the editorial department, meeting different people, and ended up having lunch in the conference room. My first kid’s book will be out in the Spring of 2011 and several more are in the pipeline. This kind of writing is difficult, and I talked with my editor Sally Doherty about the first book, and also about my photographs and notions of book marketing.
  I said I believed that writers are increasingly responsible for getting the word out about their books, and that I relished that challenge, and I talked about my idea that the best book marketing is a mix of old and new – face-to-face appearances and signings, blogs, blog tours, Facebook, Twitter and, in my case, photos. We talked about how the children’s book world works, and how it’s difficult from my traditional habitat, the adult publishing universe. Izzy was a big hit, as usual, and I am used to that. He goes anywhere my life goes, and supports it.
  I hope to go on a book tour when my first book for Holt – “Lenore Finds A Friend”, the saga of Lenore and Brutus the Ram – is published. It was a long drive to New York, and I admit I’ve lost some of the combat edginess necessary to navigate the place. Lots people, traffic. I do love New York, and am returning in a week or so to spend a few days hanging out there. Have tickets to three plays, heading for museums, Dim Sum in Chinatown, and some business as well.
  We drove down and back the same day – too much going on to stay longer. Glad to be back. Winter seems to be arriving.

Izzy discussing his publishing plans

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