Happy October, everyone!

Such a good month! Warm days and cool nights, apple picking and pumpkins and chrysanthemums and colored leaves, Halloween (and yes, Halloweensie! – details coming in another week or so!), and everyone’s favorite month of miniature chocolate bars that have no calories due to their tiny-ness. . . 😊 What could be better?

I’ll tell you what! We get to kick it off with fabulous giveaways!

The randomly selected winner of last week’s giveaway, a a copy of Anita Yasuda’s Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains, is . . .

Angie Quantrell!!!

Congratulations, Angie! Please email me so I can organize getting your book to you!

This week, our debut-ess, Madhu Messenger, is offering a fiction, non-rhyming picture book critique to one lucky winner! Just leave a comment on today’s post by 3 PM Eastern on Monday October 7th and you could be the randomly selected winner!

So, now that you’re all excited about THAT, allow me to introduce the lovely and talented Madhu Messenger who is here to tell you all about her journey to publication with THE WEDDING SHOE SNATCH!

Title: The Wedding Shoe Snatch
Author:  Madhu Messenger
Illustrator: Darshika Varma
Publishing House: Albert Whitman
Date of Publication: October 3, 2024
Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction
age range of your book:4-8

“A sweet, playful tale about stealing shoes and finding family.” – Kirkus synopsis

SUSANNA: Welcome, Madhu! We are so delighted to have you with us today! Where did the idea for this book come from?

MADHU: After doing research on what sort of books were currently being acquired, I realized my personal life was full of possible story lines. I wanted a cultural theme that was fun and that I had not seen in a book before.

This story is inspired by events at my own wedding, where shoes were thrown across the banquet hall, where joyful screams interrupted the ceremony, and where the best man played a trick at the end. The tradition brought my husband’s and my family together and was a highlight of our wedding.

SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?

MADHU: Unlike most of my other stories, this came together quickly. I wrote a draft in an afternoon and was happy enough with it that I shared it with two of my writing groups. I then integrated all the feedback and kept tweaking. 

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

MADHU: I revised a little every day for a period of about two months. I would read and reread. I would share with other critique partners, to get fresh eyes on newer drafts. I shared it with my family and anyone who was willing to read it, carefully weighing each and every suggestion. I would not have had a polished draft were it not for the insights I received from my peers.

SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?

MADHU: I don’t think I ever know that my manuscript is done. I am a perpetual reviser. For this book, a contest deadline forced me to stop.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

MADHU: I submitted my manuscript to the PBParty contest run by the amazing Mindy Alyse Weiss. I was fortunate enough to be selected as a finalist and received significant interest from both agents and editors.

I started by sending my manuscript to all the agents who asked for more work. By late summer, after still not finding an agent, I sent my manuscript to the editors who had showed interest. One, asked for an R&R. I spent time revising and reaching out to my critique partners for their help. I submitted it and got a second R&R. I repeated my process again.

This time, I received news from the editor that he would take it to acquisitions. But as it was late November, he did not expect that I would hear anything until the new year.

SUSANNA: How long after you found out about your book going to acquisitions (if you did) or after you submitted were you told it was a “yes”?

MADHU: Less than two months. In the interim, the editor shared with me the illustrator they planned to bring on for the project, so I was fairly certain I would get the yes.

SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”, which these days is more likely to be “the email”? (Best moment ever! 😊) and how did you celebrate (if you care to share 😊)

MADHU: The email made me happy dance around the house. Then I got busy reaching out to the agents who were still considering my work. I was nervous about the possibility of negotiating my own contract and really hoped I would have an agent on board before that. I was thrilled when Marisa Cleveland of the Seymour Agency offered me representation!

SUSANNA: How long was it between getting your offer and getting your contract to sign?

MADHU: It took about six weeks between offer and signing the final contract.

SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?

MADHU: This was my first book, so I did not have concrete expectations. I put a lot of faith and trust in my agent to negotiate the best deal. She was able to more than double the number of author copies I was given, as well as bump up the advance by 15%. But to be honest, I was more excited about the book being out in the world than the financials.

SUSANNA: Can you tell us a little about the editorial process?

MADHU: I had already made major revisions prior to the contract, and so the editor’s new suggestions felt minor and I was more than happy to make them. There was only one line that we did not see eye to eye on right away, but we ended up cutting it and allowing the illustration to do the hard work. Overall, there was back and forth, and it felt like a collaboration. I think it helped that we had complementary goals. I was focused on the fun and my editor was focused on the heart. Both were essential to making the story shine.

SUSANNA: What was your experience of the illustration process like?

MADHU: I was happy with the consultations I was given. I do wish I had spent more time looking at the black and white sketches and the draft cover, as by the time I really focused on the nitty gritty details, it was late in the game. Fortunately, I did not have big suggestions as Darshika Varma is incredibly talented. I loved the colors and the joy she captured. I loved the layouts and the pictures brought my words to life. In the end, my comments were minor and easily incorporated, like the steering wheel should be on the other side of the car.

I included some art notes throughout my story. One example is when Shilpa and her cousin hide the shoe under Nani’s chair, I left an art note that said Rishi should be hiding nearby and watching where they put it. This is clear in the illustration.

text copyright Madhu Messenger 2024, illustration copyright Darshika Varma 2024, Albert Whitman

SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?

MADHU: My editor shared the advance Kirkus review with me. It was really positive and both boosted my confidence and led to more happy dancing.

SUSANNA: That’s wonderful! 😊 How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?

MADHU: I received the offer in January 2023, and held a copy of my book in September 2024. I was told that the initial print run is 4000 books.

SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?

MADHU: I am not sure I can answer this question fully. The marketing I am aware of includes email blasts, social media posts, submissions to literary festivals, and sharing advance copies with influencers.

SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.

MADHU: I have reached out to my network, asking them to help me spread the word for my book. I will be featured on a few writing blogs and will be doing some book signings/book readings at book stores and in classrooms. I have entered my book into literary book festivals and have prepared coloring pages and other activities. This is my debut book, and marketing is not my forte. I am learning as I go, and expect that I will do more for my next book.

SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?

MADHU: I have been writing as a hobby for over a decade, with a focus on middle grade and women’s fiction. In Fall of 2021, I wanted a change and saw a posting for a scholarship for a picture book writing course through Mira Reisberg’s Children’s Book Academy. I applied and was selected and the course was transformative. I met incredible writing partners. I learned the ins and outs of picture book writing. And I learned ways in which I could elevate my language. I would consider that to be the start of my serious picture book writing and sold my first book a year later. But, once again, I had been writing seriously in other genres for years before that.

SUSANNA: What is the most important/helpful thing you learned on your way to publication? (Or what is your most helpful piece of advice for up and coming writers?)

MADHU: There are two things that are key. One is having a trusted group of critique partners. The advice and insights I receive from my peers is instrumental to my writing efforts. Second, enter contests, apply for fellowships and mentorships, and take classes. They will all help you improve and build your network.

SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?

MADHU: Words cannot describe the excitement I feel knowing my book is out in the world. It was written about a very joyous moment in my life, and my hope is that it will bring joy to others. 

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Madhu! We so appreciate the opportunity to learn from your knowledge and experience! Here’s wishing you all the best with this and future titles!

Readers, if you have questions for Madhu, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond! And remember, your comment below puts you in the running to be the randomly selected winner of a Picture Books Manuscript Critique (fiction, non-rhyming) from Madhu if you leave it by 3PM Eastern Monday October 7th!

Author Madhu Messenger (Photo Credit: Jim Block)
Madhu says, “My favorite guilty pleasure these days is Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby ice-cream.
My writing spot is wherever it is sunny. My trusty laptop and I hop from chair to couch to desk, following the sun. 😊

You can find me at www.madhumessenger.com
Twitter @having__hope
Instagram @having__hope
Bluesky @madhum.bsky.social

My agent is Marisa Cleveland: @marisalitagent

My publisher: https://linktr.ee/albertwhitman

You may purchase Madhu’s book at:
(all links below are book-specific)

Indiebound/Bookshop.org
Amazon
Barnes&Noble

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– suggesting them as visiting authors at our children’s schools and our local libraries

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today!  Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday!  Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 😊

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts?  Check them out HERE!