Talking Books

Welcome! I'm Cheryl Klein, Senior Editor at Arthur A. Levine Books (an imprint of Scholastic), and this is a small repository of information about writing, publishing, the books I've edited, and my editorial tastes. Please poke around and make yourself at home.

Most Recently Added: A Few Things Writers Can Learn from 'Harry Potter', a keynote speech I delivered at the HP fan convention Terminus 2008 in August.

Next Appearances: the Decatur Book Festival near Atlanta on August 29, 2008, as a speaker at their children's-books writing workshop, and the Illinois SCBWI conference in Chicago in November. I'm also going to lead the Missouri SCBWI novelists' retreat in March 2009. Please check back here or contact me at the e-mail address below for information on other appearances.

Talks on Writing and Publishing

A Few Things Writers Can Learn from "Harry Potter"

Words, Wisdom, Art, and Heart: Making a Picture-Book Cookie

The Art of Detection: One Editor's Techniques for Analyzing and Revising Your Novel

The Essentials of Plot

Aristotle, Austen, Plot and Pleasure: What a Dead Greek Philosopher and a Classic English Novelist Can Teach Us about Writing for Children (aka "The Essentials of Plot, the Jane Austen version")

Muddles, Morals, and Making It Through; or, Plots and Popularity

Finding a Publisher and Falling in Love: A Convivial Comparison

The Rules of Engagement, Part One: The Rules

The Rules of Engagement, Part Two: How to Disengage A Reader in Ten Easy Steps

The Rules of Engagement, Part Three: A Case Study: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

On Submissions & About Me

Submissions Guidelines and What I'm Looking For

The Annotated Query Letter from Hell

Annotated List of Books I've Edited

SCBWI Website Interview, January 2006

RMC-SCBWI Interview, Fall 2005

Profile on "Nightline," July 2007

Other

What Makes a Book Good?: A Brief Manifesto

Principles of Line-Editing

Recommended Reading: Children's and YA Novels

Recommended Reading: Picture Books

Recommended Reading: Books about Writing and Publishing

Useful Quotations about Writing and Publishing

The Quote File: Writing for Children and Young Adults

How Do I Become a Book Editor?

Letter to an Aspiring Young Editor

On Writing and Faith

My blog: Brooklyn Arden

Home

All material (c) 2005-2008 by Cheryl Klein. Questions, comments, and conversation welcomed at chavela_que at yahoo dot com.