Greetings, my friends!

It’s time for another fun and information-filled installment of Tuesday Debut!

But first, giveaway announcements! 😊

Last week, our debut-ess, Joyce Schriebman, offered winner’s choice of either a signed copy of her book, OY, SANTA! OR, THERE’S A LATKE TO LEARN ABOUT HANUKKAH, OR a 30-minute AMA zoom session with her. And the lucky winner is. . .

Robin!!! (ROBDONART123 – sorry I can’t remember your last name!)

Congratulations, Robin! Please email me so I can organize getting your choice of prize to you!

This week’s debut-ess is offering a copy of her book, WHO’S WALKING DAWG? (available October 31st) to one lucky winner (Canada or US address)! Just leave a comment on today’s post by Monday October 21st at 3PM Eastern and you could be the randomly selected winner! Woo hoo!

So many generous authors – there are always goodies around here! 😊

And, speaking of goodies, I’m working on the Halloweensie Contest Prize List! Are you working on your entries? (You can check out this year’s contest guidelines HERE!)

Now then! I am delighted to introduce you to this week’s Tuesday Debut, author Marie Prins!

Title: Who’s Walking Dawg?
Author: Marie Prins
Illustrator: Leanne Franson
Published By: Red Deer Press, Fitzhenry & Whiteside
October, 2024
Fiction, ages 3-8

When Dawg’s busy family ignores his pleas for a walk, he takes matters into his own paws and follows his nose through the neighbourhood until his rumbly tummy reminds him where his food bowl dwells, as well as his frantic family who is searching in all the wrong places for him.

SUSANNA: Welcome, Marie! Thank you so much for joining us today! We are very excited to hear about how this delightful-looking story came to life. Where did the idea for this book come from?

MARIE: As a new picture book writer in early 2020, I submitted stories to my SCBWI critique group and received feedback that they sounded like short stories. I was advised to get my word count down by letting go of my lovely descriptions and allowing the illustrator to do their job. By this time, I had read many picture books and sort of understood what my CP meant. All right, I told myself, let’s do this. Write a “skeleton” story concentrating on story arc. What to write? Well, sometimes my rascally dog ventured out of our yard for a jaunt down the street. What if, I asked myself, he took off to the dog park on his own? In my head, I could imagine his solo trip and his return home. Then I wondered who he lived with and why wouldn’t they take him on his daily walk? As I answered these questions, I pulled Dawg’s story together fairly quickly because I could envision a scenario in which his pressing needs propelled him outdoors and on an adventure.

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

MARIE: I wrote the first version of Dawg’s story in March 2020 and posted it in the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge Forum where Kirsten Larsen suggested a mentor text that sparked an idea for its ending. After that it went through three rounds with my CPs, but 12 revisions by the end of 2020 before I felt it was ready to submit to publishers, which I did in 2021.

I work at my kitchen table looking out the window at my garden where birds peck at the feeders and many small critters eat the fallen seed. It’s a bit distracting but somehow comforting to have this wildlife right outside my back door.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

MARIE:  From the beginning, my aim was to keep word count down and to use alliteration and repetition to move the story along at a fast tempo. I read all the lines over and over and searched for the exact words to establish different rhythms in the story. Within each of the dozen revisions many smaller ones were made every time I opened my computer.

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

MARIE:  I suspected Dawg’s story was ready for submission when all the changes were very minor, basically a word here and there.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

MARIE:  I do not have an agent. In Canada it’s not entirely necessary to have one. However, un-agented submissions do go into the slush pile, which publishers say they look at, but mostly never respond to. I always submit my stories with a query letter. For my mid-grade novel, The Girl From the Attic, I did enter it in a contest in 2019 at Common Deer Press. It won silver and was published in October 2020. I also write children’s short stories which are included in my local Hill Spirits Writers Group’s Anthologies published by Blue Denim Press.

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”?

MARIE:  I sent Who’s Walking Dawg? to Red Deer Press in February 2022 when its new editor Bev Brenna indicated she was open for submissions. She wanted just the story, sent in the mail, no cover letter. I mailed two stories and received back one with a rejection letter. When Dawg did not show up in my mailbox, I wondered if Bev was interested in it. In early May she emailed asking if the story was still available. In our exchanges, she said she had already accepted her annual number of picture books, but she loved this one and wanted to see if parent company Fitzhenry and Whiteside would take it on in their picture book line. However, when I received my contract, it was from Red Deer Press and Bev was my editor.

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 😊)

MARIE:  Of course, I was very excited to have Dawg picked up by RDP, especially with Bev as editor. She’s wonderful! I shared the news with friends and family and my CPs. Since it took a few months for the contract to be finalized, I didn’t celebrate more than smiling a lot and feeling super energized to keep writing more stories.

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

MARIE:  My contract was finalized by the end of August 2022, which in this industry really isn’t very long. But the illustrator didn’t sign her contact until spring of 2023, which maybe isn’t very long either, but nothing could move forward until we were both on board.

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

MARIE:  Since I didn’t have an agent, I reached out to The Writers Union of Canada for their “Model Trade Book Contract,” studied it, and carefully went through my contract to see how it compared to the model one. I asked someone at TWUC for a few clarifications and also talked to other writers who had signed contracts with publishers. F&W was open to most of the changes I wanted. The back and forth process took about 2 months over the summer. My advance was small, but the royalty percentage is higher than standard. Publication timeline was reasonable, just over two years. RDP asked for a revised manuscript quickly, but as there were few revisions, that was no problem. Originally Dawg was to be released in Spring, 2024, but the illustrator had a few problems, so it was bumped to October. However, I really like that it’s coming out before Christmas which hopefully will increase sales.

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

MARIE:  I had to do very little revision on the story. That may have been part of the reason Dawg was accepted for 2024 when RDP’s list was full. But I did have to push for Dawg to be a full picture book length. Originally, the illustrator submitted sketches for just 10 spreads on 21 pages. I did not like how the ending was being handled as my vision for it was to be a 2 page, wordless spread. So there was a bit of back and forth with the editor about why it wouldn’t work in the shortened version. I think on their end it was a money issue. Less pages, less illustrations, less cost. Eventually, I was sent sketches for a full-length picture book. So something went on behind the scenes to make those changes. I credit Bev!

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

MARIE: As for the illustration process, my editor seemed to know right away who she wanted for an illustrator. She suggested Leanne Franson, who lives in Saskatchewan and has illustrated many picture books. I Googled her work and agreed that she’d be a great choice as I liked the way she handles animals. Leanne asked what kinds of dogs I envisioned for Dawg and his buddies. I shared a few ideas, but in the end, Leanne illustrated them the way she saw them romping through the pages. And I love them! She also asked if the family could be a multi-cultural one, with the father being Indigenous. I really love the subtle way she added that layer to the story.

Over the months, I was sent three pdf’s with sketches. When the full 32 page format was finally agreed upon, I sent back a few questions/suggestions, but basically I loved the work Leanne was doing. In the spring of this year, I began to see full-coloured illustrations. Again, I was very pleased with her work as she really brought to life my vision for Dawg’s adventure and his family’s super-busy life. Unfortunately Leanne had some big computer problems which slowed things down for a few months and pushed the publication date to October, 2024. But I’m happy with a fall launch. So like Dawg’s story, it all works out at the end of the day.

As for illustration notes, I had only two action notes – one in the middle of the story when Dawg’s buddies leave the park which isn’t indicated in the text – (Action note – owners & dogs leave park) – and the other for the final 2-page spread, which is a wordless ending that wraps up the story. Also, Dawg “speaks” in bubbles above his head, so I indicated his thoughts like this – Dawg: “Walk! Walk!”

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

MARIE:  Book reviews are slowly coming in which in part is due to publishing with a small press where only one or two people work in marketing/publicity. So I’ve been striking out on my own seeking reviews from wonderful picture book bloggers like Susanna Hill. I have a Book Tour post on Instagram. It includes both Canadian and American interviews.

DAWG is on tour! You can check out all these other blogs for additional insights!

SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?

MARIE:  From submission to publication, it has taken two & half years, which is pretty standard. While I don’t know the print run, I assume it’s small because the press is small. But there’s always a second print run if the first one sells quickly!

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

MARIE:  The first thing I did to promote my book was join a Launch Group in 2023 – @PBBuds24 (IG, Twitter, Blue Sky). They’ve been great in creating and posting on social media and now in sending reviews to Amazon, Goodreads, and bookstore chains. I’m also contacting fellow Canadian writers through Picture Books, Eh! (https://picturebookseh.weebly.com/books.html) and SCBWI Canada East to exchange reviews. For my November book launch at my library with my favourite indie book seller Lighthouse Bookstore, I’m creating posters, flyers, & bookmarks on Canva. When I catch my breath, I’ll tackle colouring pages and activities for the launch & to include on my website (whose content was just updated! www.marieprins.ca).

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

MARIE:  I began writing memoir and nature pieces in 2008 after taking a memoir-writing course. Shortly afterwards, I signed up for a children’s book writing course with Ted Staunton (https://tedstauntonbooks.com). His last assignment was to write the first chapter of a fantasy story. On my drive home, an idea popped into my head. Ten years later, my mid-grade novel The Girl From the Attic was published by Common Deer Press. Even though I had dabbled in writing picture book stories for a few years, I didn’t start seriously pursuing this craft until 2020 when I joined the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge. Two years later, I sold Who’s Walking Dawg?.

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?)

MARIE: When asked this question, almost every writer advises others not to give up even though the journey to publication is often so discouraging. Frequently, I still need to encourage myself to keep going on. As one travels this road, it’s so important to work hard at the craft of writing. By this I mean wrestling with word choice like great verbs, trimming extraneous words, and paying attention to the rhythm of language. It’s essential to join a good critique group. Feedback is super important!!!

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

MARIE:  The last thing I want to share is that, even when rejections pile up, stick to your vision for your stories because they will be written from your heart based on your life experiences and your interests. Then they will be uniquely your stories!

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Marie! We so appreciate all your insights, and the opportunity to learn from your experience! Best of luck with this and future titles!

Readers, if you have questions for Marie, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond! And remember, your comment puts you in the running to be the randomly selected winner of a copy of WHO’S WALKING DAWG? (available October 31st) (Canada or US address)! if you leave it by Monday October 21st at 3PM Eastern!

Author Marie Prins – Favourite Snack – always something chocolatey, sometimes Costco peanuts 😊

Website – www.marieprins.ca
Instagram – @Marie.Prins

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

Marie’s printing was delayed 🙁 , but her book is available to preorder on Canadian sites for a release October 31, and you can preorder on US sites for delivery February 1, 2025.

Pre-orders are now available on Amazon.ca and Indigo.ca, and on the US sites linked below:

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!