Avast, me hearties!

I know!

You’re probably shocked to know that I wasn’t kidnapped by Tasmanian Swamp Rats, since it’s been nothing but crickets since the Valentiny Contest closed to entries! (Though you can still read them all HERE!)

I promise you, however, that I was not kidnapped, nor have I been sailing the bounding main, lolling about on the deck of my pirate ship, The Mangy Cur, working on my tan, training my parrot to say, “Walk the plank!”, and snacking on excessive quantities of Pirate Booty.

My fellow judges and I have been hard at work with only a little distraction time on my part to celebrate a couple of important birthdays (my daughter’s thirty-second and my grandson’s first 🥰)

Good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise, the finalists will be announced by the end of the week. Fingers crossed. You guys have made the judging extremely difficult! 😊 Which is both the best – because you all wrote so well! – and the worst because somehow we have to pick 12 of you! We are soldiering bravely on, never you fear!

But now, down to today’s business!

First, I’m delighted to announce that the winner of Laura Sassi’s newest picture book, FAITHFUL FEET (from the giveaway on Perfect Picture Book Friday February 7th) is. . .

LAUREN SIMMONS!

Congratulations, Lauren! Please email me so that I can arrange to get your book to you!

Second, I am grateful to today’s debut-ess for offering a giveaway of a copy of KENZIE’S LITTLE TREE to anyone in the US or Canada. All you need to do to qualify is leave a comment below by Monday March 3rd at 3PM Eastern and you could be the lucky, randomly selected winner!

And now, it is my pleasure to introduce you to the lovely and talented Alison McGauley! She is kindly joining us to share her journey to publication with KENZIE’S LITTLE TREE!

Title: Kenzie’s Little Tree
Author: Alison McGauley
Illustrator: Emilie Leduc
Publishing House: Orca Book Publishers
Date of Publication: March 11, 2025
Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction
age range of your book: 6-8

In this contemplative picture book, Kenzie’s mom doesn’t always feel well, but Kenzie learns that her mom is strong—just like the little tree they plant in their yard—and that together, they can get through the hard times.

SUSANNA: Welcome, Alison! We are so excited to have you join us today! Thank you for coming to share your publication experience with us. Where did the idea for this book come from?

ALISON: Knowing the impact that my chronic illness has had on my own children, I wanted to write a story to represent some of their experiences in a way that could be relatable and helpful for other kids. I wasn’t sure at first how I would format the book, but I started by interviewing my girls to get their perspective. The story idea came from my own life and lived experience, and I think that this helps in making it emotionally poignant.

SUSANNA: It is both kind and brave of you to share so much of your personal experience with young readers. How long did it take you to write this book?

ALISON: I wrote the story over a span of a few months. As mentioned, I started by interviewing my daughters and thinking about what type of format I would choose. I first thought about a concept book and then an epistolary fiction, but over time it evolved into a character-driven narrative.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

ALISON: I have about twenty versions of the story, not including the revisions that I did with my editor once it was acquired. Some of these early versions were written in the various genres that I mentioned previously but most were narrative stories. Typically, I do a few rounds of revision on my own before sending it to one critique group. After I make changes from the first critique group, I send it to my other group, or to individual partners to attempt to get as many eyes on my work as possible.

When you’re hard at work writing and revising, it’s nice to have a work buddy 😊 🐈

SUSANNA: Critique groups are the best, and it’s wonderful that you have more than one! When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?

ALISON: I felt like the manuscript was ready after it had gone through many rounds of revisions and had received positive feedback from critique partners. I submitted the idea in a pitch party on Twitter and received two likes from editors which boosted my confidence in the story. After that, I started querying agents with the manuscript.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

ALISON: I queried agents with the manuscript for a few months and was fortunate to sign with Westwood Creative Artists. From there, we completed a few rounds of revisions to prepare for submission.

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”?

ALISON: My agent originally submitted the manuscript to several houses in the month of November and throughout the winter and spring, I received a few passes. I was not aware that the manuscript had gone to acquisitions until I received an e-mail about Orca’s interest the following July.

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 😊)

ALISON: I remember getting the e-mail on a Tuesday just as I was heading out to take my daughters to swimming lessons. I wasn’t sure if it was a definite offer at first! I immediately replied to my agent and then was glued to my phone waiting for a response. On Friday afternoon I found out that it was a “yes” and my family and I were ecstatic! We had some Nanaimo bars in the freezer – a favorite made by my mom – so we celebrated with a Nanaimo party.

SUSANNA: Yum! I had to look up what those were. They sound delicious! How long was it between getting your offer and getting your contract to sign?

ALISON: I signed the contract the week after receiving the offer.

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

ALISON: As a debut author, I felt fortunate to be working with a well-established agency, Westwood Creative Artists, one of the oldest agencies in Canada. They made the process very straightforward, and I felt comfortable with everything. In the contract, I received a publication timeline of about two and a half years.

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

ALISON: Working with an editor was an absolute dream come true! I can’t imagine that I will ever grow tired of saying, “I have a meeting with my editor.” As a debut author, I am grateful to have worked with Sarah Howden, a skilled editor and a kind and supportive person, who guided me through the process. We began with a video call to get to know each other and discuss the vision for the book and then corresponded over email for revisions and updates. I believe that we completed three rounds of revisions. The most significant change was with the final spread, otherwise, it was smaller line edits. From the beginning, I felt like Sarah connected with the story and that we were on the same page with our vision and messaging for readers.

SUSANNA: That’s wonderful! What was your experience of the illustration process like?

ALISON: I was extremely excited to receive the first sketches and all of the artwork along the way. What an incredible experience to see the story come to life through illustrations! The publisher allowed me to see the artwork a few times throughout the process and I was able to share if I had any issues with anything.

I did have some art notes in my manuscript. For example, there was one about the number of stones around the little tree that Kenzie uses to count the days when Mom is gone, and these notes were used for the final illustrations.

I didn’t find out who the illustrator would be for quite a while! Throughout the process, I got a few sneak peeks which was exciting. I’m thrilled with Emilie Leduc’s art, especially all her details of the natural world, and I’m honestly in love with the front cover of our book! Isn’t it gorgeous? (Please see above) (below is an interior)

Text copyright Alison McGauley 2025, illustration copyright Emilie Leduc 2025, Orca Books

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

ALISON: I literally just read my first review from SLJ, and it was extremely surreal and emotional! I am fortunate to have received endorsements from authors and individuals in the chronic illness community and it’s been powerful and heartwarming to read their words and hear about their reactions and connections with the story.

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

ALISON: I have not yet received my author copies, but they should arrive soon! However, I did receive a copy of a physical ARC last summer, which was two years after I signed the contract. That was an incredible moment, and my daughters helped me to document it with a fun Instagram reel. I believe that 5000 copies were printed which I learned from checking on Edelweiss Plus.

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

ALISON: Orca Book Publishers has a very comprehensive marketing and promotion plan for Kenzie’s Little Tree, and I want to give a special shoutout to my marketing coordinator, Mya Colwell, who is amazing, supportive, and patient with my many questions!

Some of the team’s work includes sending out notices to national and local media and industry media, sending out review copies, contacting social media influencers, creating social media posts, applying for festivals, featuring the book in various newsletters, creating Amazon A+ content, formatting my Teacher’s Guide and Family Discussion Guide, creating digital assets and bookmarks for launch events, and applying for awards, among other things. Thank you to the team at Orca Book Publishers!

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

ALISON: My daughters created four stop motion videos that feature Kenzie’s world in each season, and my husband made an animated trailer as well, so this has truly become a family project!

Meanwhile, I’ve been busy writing blogposts, doing interviews, recording podcasts, working with launch team members, and planning for book events. I also wrote a Teacher’s Guide and a Family Discussion Guide to accompany Kenzie’s Little Tree that I hope will be helpful for parents and educators.

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

ALISON: It was roughly 2 years from the time I started seriously working toward the goal of publication to the time that Kenzie’s Little Tree was acquired.

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?)

ALISON: When I first started on my journey, I thought that writing was an individual task, but I’ve learned that the kidlit community plays an integral role! Meeting many friends and kind folks in the writing community has been a source of joy for me in the last five years. Having friends and partners in the writing community who understand is super important for both the tough times and the celebrations. I cherish the friendship and support of my writing community and certainly could not have taken my manuscript all the way to publication without their helpful and thoughtful feedback.

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

ALISON: I am extremely grateful to everyone who has helped us to create, shape and share Kenzie’s Little Tree with the world! My hope is that Kenzie’s Little Tree resonates with families as they navigate chronic illness, disability, and difficult experiences.

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

Readers, if you have questions for Alison, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond! And remember, your comment by Monday March 3rd at 3PM Eastern puts you in the running to be the randomly selected winner of a giveaway of a copy of KENZIE’S LITTLE TREE!

Author Alison McGauley (who says she likes hot chocolate made with oat milk, or hot water with honey (because she’s always cold!)

Insta: @alisonmcgauley
Twitter: @AlisonMcgauley
Bluesky: @alisonmcgauley@bsky.social
Facebook: @author.alison.mcgauley

You may purchase Alison’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!