Comments on: the Liar cover stuff

By: uyen thi

uyen thi — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:31:51 +0000

you may not know, but this book has been introduced in a program in Vietnam, here is a program many young people preferred, including me. I also learned it through this program and the introduction that I did enjoy reading it and find. And I think there are also many young people in Vietnam like “SWEET HEARTS”
GOOD LUCK

By: sara z.

sara z. — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:03:03 +0000

@uyen thi, Thank you, so much Uyen Thi! I knew that the book was published in Vietnam but hadn't heard from any readers yet. It's exciting to think about it being read in other countries, and that the emotions cross cultural barriers.

By: uyen thi

uyen thi — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:49:49 +0000

Dear Mrs.Sara Zarr,
I’m a student of high school in Viet Nam. I live in a small village, so my English is not good. I write this comment after reading your novel : “ SWEET HEARTS”. I verry like it, it is a great book. SWEET HEARTS brought much thinking for me. I always wish I have a beautiful felling as Jena and Cameron – lean and frank. Although the East’s cultural and the West’s cultural is not like, SWEET HEARTS is also received anh loved by Vietnamese people – as me.
I wish you always happy, healthy and have many great novel for reader. I very happy if you answer my comment. My email: “Juliet_juliet_uyt@yahoo.com”

By: susan

susan — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:17:36 +0000

Sara,

There weren’t YA blogs specifically written by teens of color. Ari and Tashi are trailblazers. And I get to ride along. Color Online focuses on lit by and about women of color but we aren’t YA only. I run a library at a local nonprofit and our blog is an outgrowth of my work with that real life group. Color Online is more a bunch of women who are committed to mentoring young women and literature is our foundation.

A little confusing, I know. But it’s all good as we like to say. Come by. We love talking with authors and if you’re about girl power, we definitely want you at our house.

Best,
Susan

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:41:45 +0000

@susan, Hopefully one positive outcome of all this is that more people are introduced to some great blogs like yours.

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:35:52 +0000

@Doret, Well said.

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:35:25 +0000

@MissAttitude, Thank you – your blog is GREAT! I just edited my post to add the link. This has all been really good for me…like I said I’ve been kind of clueless. It did not even occur to me there were YA blogs specifically for/by teens of color.

(By the way, my editor also did Kayla Chronicles! And that is another great cover…)

By: MissAttitude

MissAttitude — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:52:44 +0000

I really liked your post! I agree this problem (black covers don’t sell) does need to be talked about, but it isn’t really. Not on the YA book blogs. Where it needs to be. Although it’s great that adults and authors are blogging about this, the books are mostly marketed to teens and their voices need to be heard on this issue.
Also I read Acting and loved it. I’ve read Winston’s other book (the Kayla Chronicles) and I loved that one too!

By: susan

susan — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 05:57:51 +0000

Hi Sara,

Thanks for this and thanks for mentioning us.

By: Doret

Doret — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:29:50 +0000

Sara, thanks for sharing Acting book. I read and enjoyed Winston’s other novel Kayla. Its a very nice cover. I’ve add it to my tbr.

I don’t think publishers are bad. Though I do think they take on the roll of the bad guy because they must someone has to. Yes, writing is an art and beautiful but its still a business.

At the same time publishers should begin to own up to the how they treat authors of color or books featuring poc. When publishers don’t invest in promoting these books or placing poc on cover they are feeding into the self fulfilling prophecy that Brown don’t sell.