Ms. Linda Crotta Brennan This is Me

Education

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1. 1. www.institutechildrenslit.com

   www.institutechildrenslit.com/ - [Cached]

   Published on: 3/16/2007   Last Visited: 3/16/2007

   July l5, l999: "Writing Widely, On-line and Off!" with Linda Crotta Brennan
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   with Linda Crotta Brennan
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   Linda Brennan is Linda Crotta Brennan, the New England regional SCBWI Coordinator and has written everything from picture books and fiction/nonfiction for magazines, to material for the educational market and electronic media. Linda teaches writing as an online facilitator for the Kenesaw State University of Georgia.
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   Tonight we have with us Linda Crotta Brennan. Linda has published in a wide variety of children's markets, including online. Her work has appeared in magazines such as Cricket, Highlights, and Ranger Rick, various educational publications, and she writes columns for the Kids' Page in a bimonthly periodical. Her first picture book, Flannel Kisses, was published by Houghton Mifflin. Its companion book, Marshmallow Kisses, is due out soon. Besides her writing, Ms. Brennan does author visits at schools and, as New England's Regional Coordinator, has given writing workshops at many SCBWI conferences. Welcome, Linda!
   
   Linda Brennan: Hello all! Pleased to be here!
   
   MODERATOR: You have written so widely, as well as teaching in various formats, so I'm wondering how you got started writing. Do you have a degree in journalism or English?
   
   Linda Brennan: I have a degree in Early Childhood education. I began by reading children's literature and getting hooked on the wonderful books. I started writing when I was home raising three children.
   
   MODERATOR: Did you always want to be a writer?
   
   Linda Brennan: No, when I was young, I didn't know that was something you could be. No one I knew had a job like that. If I had known about it, I probably would have wanted to be a writer.
   
   MODERATOR: Me too! Linda, you are New England's regional SCBWI Coordinator; how did you get involved in SCBWI?
   
   Linda Brennan: I found out about SCBWI from a class I took at Brown University. I went to a conference they held near my home and met wonderful folks who eventually got me involved.
   
   MODERATOR: Do you recommend that new writers get involved in SCBWI, or should they learn their craft first and join later?
   
   Linda Brennan: Get involved in SCBWI first. They have lots to offer beginners. You don't have to be published to join.
   
   MODERATOR: What are the requirements for joining?
   
   Linda Brennan: Simply an interest in children's literature. We have librarians and teachers who are members.
   
   Scarlet: Is it expensive?
   
   Linda Brennan: I believe it costs about $50 a year. The benefits are well worth the costs. There's a bimonthly newsletter, conferences, critique groups and publications available to members, as well as awards offered for published work.
   
   MODERATOR: Linda, you've done writing, teaching, and researching online: specifically, what kind of electronic publishing have you done?
   
   Linda Brennan: I have had articles published on CD-ROM and on the Smithsonian Kids Castle web site.
   
   MODERATOR: What do I need to be aware of with electronic rights?
   
   Linda Brennan: According to agents I've spoken to, you should be most concerned with the time factor.
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   Linda Brennan: I would say limit it to about six months or a year at most.
   
   James: Do you have an agent? Do I need an agent to protect these rights for me?
   
   Linda Brennan: I used to have an agent but I don't anymore.
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   Linda Brennan: It depends on the contract.
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   Linda Brennan: I usually begin with general research so I'm familiar with a topic and know which questions to ask. Often the research will lead me to the expert. He or she may have published numerous articles which list the university where he or she works. I track the expert down through the university listings and send an initial message, asking if they would be willing to have me interview them. If they say yes, I post the questions and wait for their reply.
   
   Scarlet: Do you pay them?
   
   Linda Brennan: No, I don't.
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   Linda Brennan: Yes, I often quote them. I usually ask the expert if they would be willing to read my completed article for accuracy, so they can check any quotes when they do this.
   
   MODERATOR: What are the pluses and minuses of interviewing this way, besides working at your own convenience?
   
   Linda Brennan: I love interviewing this way, because both the interviewee and I can work at our convenience and I have a hard copy of the interview to keep. However, sometimes e-mail gets lost in cyberspace and I'm waiting for a reply to a message they never received.
   
   Annie: Where do you get pictures to go with an article? I have found some online; could I use these?
   
   Linda Brennan: I usually don't provide the pictures for my articles; the art director at the magazine does.
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   Linda Brennan: Sure, I've been working on an article on insect migration for the RI Audubon Society. The naturalists there gave me a lead to an expert in the state. She told me about a project that was posted on the net.
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   Linda Brennan: I don't. I use one or two, but for most of the topics I've researched, the folks involved in the studies all link together. For instance, when I was researching slime mold, the people who studied this strange organism had posted hub sites with lots of other web sites to move to.
   
   MODERATOR: Have you found certain search engines to be most helpful or inclusive?
   
   Linda Brennan: I can't say I'm an expert on this. My husband is my computer guru and I use the ones he recommends, which is Metacrawler.
   
   MODERATOR: Backing up a minute, how can we know what information on the Internet is erroneous? Is it really time consuming to track down the facts?
   
   Linda Brennan: Even with book and magazine information, the rule of thumb is that you should find information in at least three different places before you use it.
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   Linda Brennan: Nope, I majored in child development which was in the college of home economics way back then, but I've always been interested in science. It just wasn't a girl thing when I was in college.
   
   MODERATOR: Let's look at another angle for a moment . . . There's a lot out now about electronic publishing your own work, selling e-books online, how to market them, etc. Is this just vanity publishing over the Internet?
   
   Linda Brennan: I've visited a few sites and I'm concerned about what's going on right now.
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   Linda Brennan: www.agoodbook charges a hefty reading fee, with no guarantee of publication.
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   Linda Brennan: It might be, but they'll have to iron out the kinks first and make an e-book cozier to take under the covers at night.
   
   MODERATOR: How true!
   
   arleneengler: Isn't that a bit chancy? Can't someone modify your story and publish it as theirs?
   
   Linda Brennan: Yes, I do think there's more risk of plagiarism involved in publishing a work online.
   
   MODERATOR: What about places where you can "showcase" your writing on the Internet for editors to read? Like Writers' Showplace Inc.?
   
   Linda Brennan: I don't know much about these to tell you the truth. I tried to access some the other day, but couldn't get in.
   
   MODERATOR: Just for the viewers' information, this is a place where you have to pay a fee to advertise your work--a query and sample chapter usually--to sell them.
   
   Linda Brennan: Most editors I know are already swamped with submissions.
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   Linda Brennan: I don't know.
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   Linda Brennan: Eight weeks is very little time. Most editors take months to make a decision.
   
   Brenker: What is given away when a magazine publisher requires "First Worldwide Rights"?
   
   Linda Brennan: For first worldwide rights, the publisher gets the right to publish your work first anywhere in the world.
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   Linda Brennan: Fee vary widely, depending on the publication.
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   Linda Brennan: My computer counts all the words, the "a's" and everything. I think that's the one the publishers use too.
   
   MODERATOR: Changing directions now . . . You've published in so many areas of the children's market. How is writing different for the different age groups you publish for?
   
   Linda Brennan: Certain topics are more suitable for certain ages.
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   Linda Brennan: There's pros and cons to both.
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   Linda Brennan: Probably. I'm a regular contributor to RI Audubon Report and I write the kids' page on natural history topics. I assume magazines are looking for people who will contribute regular articles to a certain age and topic.
   
   MODERATOR: How do you keep track of multiple projects?
   
   Linda Brennan: I can usually balance two very well.
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   Linda Brennan: I had trouble when the children were small.
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   Linda Brennan: Credits are a plus, but editors care most about the manuscript at hand.
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   Linda Brennan: Use the proper format. A manuscript must be typed,

2. 2. kidwritA

   www.lindacrottabrennan.com/kid - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/16/2003   Last Visited: 5/16/2007

   Linda Crotta Brennan is the Award-winning author of Marshmallow Kisses, Flannel Kisses, North Carolina: Rookie Read About Geography, and the soon to be released The Black Regiment of the American Revolution.
   
   Ms. Brennan writes articles and stories for the educational market, electronic media and magazines including Highlights for Children, Cricket, Guideposts for Kids and Ranger Rick.
   
   She writes the bimonthly Kid's Page column for the Rhode Island Audubon Report.
   
   Ms. Brennan is the Teen Program Coordinator at the Coventry Public Library and an instructor with the Institute of Children's Literature. She holds her master's degree in Early Childhood Education. She is an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators as well as the Author's Guild.

3. 3. the authors and illustrators of children's books by Moon Mountain Publishing.

   www.moonmountainpub.com/brenna - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/13/2000   Last Visited: 1/14/2006

   LINDA CROTTA BRENNAN
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   Linda Crotta Brennan
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   The granddaughter of Italian immigrants, Linda Crotta Brennan has always been fascinated by the journey to freedom. She feels honored that she had the opportunity to write the little-known story of the men of The Black Regiment of the American Revolution.
   
   Ms. Brennan is an award-winning author of books, stories, and articles for children. She's written for numerous children's magazines including Highlights for Children, Ranger Rick, Cricket, and Smithsonian's Click magazine. She writes the Kids' Page column for the Rhode Island Audubon Report. She's also been published in textbooks, anthologies, and electronic media, including The Smithsonian Kids Castle website.
   
   The Black Regiment of the American Revolution is her fourth book. Her others are: Flannel Kisses (named a Best Book for Babies and Toddlers by Kathleen Odean); Marshmallow Kisses (selected as one of the Best Children's Books of the Year by Bank Street College, and winner of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award); and North Carolina: A Rookie Read-About Book (part of Scholastic's Noted Nonfiction Series for young readers).
   
   Ms. Brennan holds a master's degree in Early Childhood Education. She taught preschool and worked as a K-8 resource teacher for many years. Currently, she's the Young Adult Program Coordinator for the Coventry (Rhode Island) Public Library and an instructor with the Institute of Children's Literature. An active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, she's led retreats, writing programs and workshops for all ages, from preschoolers to adults.
   
   Ms. Brennan lives in Rhode Island with her husband. She has three grown daughters.
   
   Visit Linda Crotta Brennan's website: www.lindacrottabrennan.com