Hi Everyone!
It’s time for another exciting installment of Tuesday Debut!
What will we learn today?
For starters, we will learn that the winner of Alli Straus’s generous giveaway from last week – winner’s choice of a signed copy of her adorable book IT’S BEDTIME, OSKI! AND a 45 min ‘Ask Me Anything about Self-Publishing” Zoom event! – is . . .
MARTY BELLIS!!!
Congratulations, Marty, you lucky duck you! Please email me so I can get your prize to you!
Next, we will learn that there is another giveaway this week! Woo hoo! The day just keeps getting better and better! 🥳
Today’s debut-ess is offering winner’s choice or a PB manuscript critique (up to 800 words) OR a signed copy of her book, READY TO SMILE AGAIN, OR a 20-minute Zoom Ask Me Anything! All you have to do to qualify to be in the running for this fabulous giveaway is leave a comment on today’s post by Monday March 24th at 3PM Eastern! And if you want to be extra nice, you can share today’s post on social media, or the cover of READY TO SMILE AGAIN, so Katie gets a little bonus visibility for her brand new debut picture book!
Now, please join me in welcoming the lovely and talented Katie Lee Reinert as she gives us the inside track on her journey to publication with READY TO SMILE AGAIN!
Title: Ready to Smile Again
Author: Katie Lee Reinert
Illustrator: Sara Aziz
Publishing House: Gnome Road Publishing
Date of Publication: March 11, 2025
Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction
Age range of your book: 4-7
When his home is destroyed, Dexter the chipmunk is scared of losing anything else, so he tucks all of his things away in his cheeks for safe keeping. Unable to smile or talk, Dexter must figure out how to let go of his fear in order to start to truly live (and smile) again.
SUSANNA: Welcome, Katie! Thank you so much for joining us today! We are excited to hear all about how READY TO SMILE AGAIN came to life! Where did the idea for this book come from?
KATIE: When I first had the idea, I was planning for it to be a humorous book about a chipmunk that kept shoving more and more things into its cheeks. But it never felt quite right. So I filed it away for a while to let it percolate and when I landed on the idea of it being an emotional response, I knew that was what the story had to be.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
KATIE: I spent a couple months writing my first draft and then doing revisions to get it ready to share. Then I took a 6-week class that included a critique group and spent that time revising it further. At the end of the class, I did a paid critique with an agent to put the final finishing touches on it and she said that she thought it was ready. So from first draft to offer, I think it was about 5 months. I know that’s super fast in publishing time, but the stars seemed to align and I’m so grateful they did!
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
KATIE: I never know how to count revisions. I typically write a first draft in one sitting if possible. Sometimes this is easy and the story flows out. Sometimes it doesn’t and I set it aside to come back to it another day or multiple days. Either way, once the first draft is done, I revisit it each day and revise it. Sometimes they’re big revisions if I don’t think something is working and sometimes they’re smaller changes like improving individual sentences or removing unnecessary words/lines. I typically spend at least a few weeks where I read through it every day and make any needed changes. I like to get my stories as polished as possible on my own before I send them off to their first round of critiques with my critique partners.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
KATIE: This was fairly early in my writing career, so even though I thought it was ready, I was grateful to have an agent critique it who confirmed that it was ready.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
KATIE: I am currently unagented, so this book was acquired through a pitching opportunity as part of the class I took. At the end of the class, we had the opportunity to post a pitch that a number of industry professionals could review. Thankfully, Gnome Road requested to see the full story.
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”?
KATIE: Gnome Road is a small press, so the process moved pretty quickly. I sent the story and my query letter in on February 28 and received an email on March 10 asking to set up a Zoom to discuss it. On March 14, we met and they made an offer of publication.
SUSANNA: Wow! How delightfully quick! 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 😊)
KATIE: When I got the email about setting up a meeting, I didn’t realize that they wanted to acquire it. I thought that was a possibility, but I also thought it might be an R&R, so I tried to keep my expectations low for the call. Needless to say I was very excited afterward. I believe my family and I went out to dinner that night to celebrate.
SUSANNA: How long was it between getting your offer and getting your contract to sign?
KATIE: I believe I got the contract within a few days of having the call.
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
KATIE: Since this was my first contract and I wasn’t agented, I had no idea what to expect. I was happy with the advance and it was split into two payments with half being received when the manuscript was accepted and half when the book was published. The royalty rates were within the industry standard range.
SUSANNA: Can you tell us a little about the editorial process?
KATIE: My editor, Sandra Sutter, didn’t feel that the manuscript needed any changes when we started. Later on in the process, there were a few minor tweaks to wording and one added spread to the beginning, but it was a very open process and I always felt my input was being honored. Sandra is very open and quick to respond to emails, which made the whole process fast and enjoyable.
SUSANNA: What was your experience of the illustration process like?
text copyright Katie Lee Reinert 2025, illustration copyright Sara Aziz 2025, Gnome Road Publishing
KATIE: I met with my editor to discuss a general art direction in the beginning and then she selected the illustrator from there. I also got to see some character sketches and thumbnails of the book pretty early on. After that, it was about a year before I received a digital file of the art to review. I had a couple minor notes that the editor then took back to the illustrator for revision, but overall I was thrilled!
text copyright Katie Lee Reinert 2025, illustration copyright Sara Aziz 2025, Gnome Road Publishing
I didn’t have a lot of art notes in the manuscript. There were 6 in total. A couple of those were in the beginning to establish that the main character was a chipmunk and that his home was destroyed, things like that. The final art reflected the notes I had put in with the illustrator adding her own spin to them as well, which I think is exactly what you want from an art note.
text copyright Katie Lee Reinert 2025, illustration copyright Sara Aziz 2025, Gnome Road Publishing
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
KATIE: I’ve received one review so far from Kirkus and it was very positive, so I was thrilled! My publisher emailed me with the review about 3 months before the release date, so I was surprised and definitely excited.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
KATIE: I received the offer in March of 2023 and got my author copies in February of 2025, so it was just under two years.
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
KATIE: They created a fun cover reveal video and educator’s resource guide that will be available on their website. They also submitted it for reviews.
SUSANNA: Nice! Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
KATIE: I organized a small blog tour (including yours, so thank you:-)). I also designed bookmarks and ordered stickers to hand out at events. I crocheted custom stuffies that look like the main character, which I used as prizes in a preorder campaign I ran on Bluesky. I’m also offering a free story time to teachers at a couple local schools.
SUSANNA: So cool that you can crochet stuffies of your main character! How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
KATIE: After a false start in 2020 when Covid hit and I had to homeschool my daughters for a couple years, I started really pursuing writing in early 2022 and sold my first book just over a year later. I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to find the perfect home for my book in such a short time!
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?)
KATIE: I think there are many different paths to publication and to a writing career. I always intended to find an agent and then pursue publication, but after 2 and 1/2 years of querying and submitting, I now have 3 books under contract, but still no agent. So I think it’s important to be open to all possibilities because you never know when the right person will come across your story. Also, don’t give up. I got my first yes very quickly and I’ve gotten a couple other yeses, but I’ve also racked up over 200 no’s.
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for coming to chat with us today, Katie, and for sharing your journey to publication so we can all learn from you! I know I speak for everyone when I say thank you and best of luck with this and future titles!
Readers, if you have questions for Katie, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond! Remember that your comment also puts you in the running to be the randomly selected winner of Katie’s giveaway – winner’s choice or a PB manuscript critique (up to 800 words) OR a signed copy of her book, READY TO SMILE AGAIN, OR a 20-minute Zoom Ask Me Anything! – if you leave it by Monday March 24th at 3 PM Eastern!
Author Katie Lee Reinert, whose favorite snack is anything with chocolate! Especially anything Reese’s!
Website: www.KatieLeeReinert.com
Bluesky: @katieleereinert.bsky.social
Publisher Twitter: @GnomeRoadPub
Illustrator Instagram: @sara.aziz.limopani
You may purchase Katie’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!
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Your story resonates with me, having gone through Superstorm Sandy and losing many things. I was able to rebuild and smile again.
I love how you explained your revision process and the fact you are unagented and have book deals. You certainly are inspirational. I am looking forward to reading your book. Thank you and congratulations.♥️
Thanks so much😊
I’m sorry this book resonates with you on that level, Robin. It must have been so difficult to go through. But, as we are always told, everyone should be able to see themselves in a book, so having gone through something like that at least books like this can help you and others feel seen and understood and not alone in your experience! ❤
This book looks adorable. Congratulations, Katie!
Thank you!
So cute, right, Rose? Hard to resist that chipmunk 🙂
This sounds like so much fun but with an important message! Congratulations!
Thanks so much😊
So glad you like the sound of it, Jodie!
This might help a child who has been evacuated from one of the disasters that have befallen people all over our country – and the world.
Judy
I hope it does too. Thanks for reading!
It really might, Judy. This is why we write, isn’t it? To help kids process and understand, feel seen and know they’re not alone.
Congratulations on your 3 contracts! That’s amazing.🤩 Thanks for sharing your journey.
Thanks so much😊
I know, Stef, isn’t that amazing? 3 contracts! Wow! 🙂
What an adorable story, Katie! With so many natural disasters happening, along with other reasons a child might have to pack up everything, this would be the perfect PB! Thank you for sharing your journey. Congratulations on your new contracts as well!🙌🏼
Thank you so much!
It really is a very timely book, isn’t it Kim? Sadly so, for those who have to go through these natural disasters, but good that this book is here for them.
Congratulations, Katie!!! So excited for you and I love your book. (*Just sending my love and support: no need to enter me into the giveaway!*)
🩷🩷🩷
So kind of you, Elise! Thank you for stopping by to support Katie!
Congratulations on your debut Katie!
Thank you!
Thanks for stopping by to read, Cathy!
Congratulations, Katie! 🎉 Love the way this sensitive concept is expressed in such an accessible way.
Thanks so much😊
It’s really nicely done, isn’t it?
The experience of having one’s home &/or personal stuff disrupted, whether from a move, natural disaster or other event, is incredibly traumatizing at any age. What a necessary topic to address in a PB for kids to help them cope. Congratulations on your debut — and the efficiency with which you achieved it, Katie!
Thanks so much😊
So true, Lucretia, and so timely. There are way too many natural disasters happening!
Congrats Katie! I plan to make a library request for this at our local library! My town was hit by a tornado a year ago and I bet this book could help many of our kiddos!
Thanks for making a request! I hope it helps some kids to smile.
So nice of you, Deborah! Support for Katie and for the kids of your town!
What a cute and clever idea for a book :). I’m wondering how confident you felt negotiating your first contract and if you’ve sought legal advice for subsequent ones?
I was definitely nervous about handling it on my own, but I researched and felt like it was a very fair contract. I did subsequently join the Author’s Guild, which offers contract reviews as part of their membership.
Good question, Robin, and thank you for answering, Katie! 🙂
Congratulations, Katie! Your book looks adorable and sounds wonderful.
Thank you!
Thanks for stopping by to support Katie, Kim!
Congratulations! I would love to see how you pitched it if you are willing to share more.
I don’t remember if there was a word limit on the actual pitch I used, but here’s the one from my query letter:
When his home is destroyed, Dexter the chipmunk’s world is turned upside down. Scared of losing anything else, Dexter tucks all of his things away in his cheeks for safekeeping. Unable to smile or talk, Dexter must figure out how to let go of his fear in order to start to truly live (and smile) again.
Great question, Kate, and thank you for answering, Katie! Helpful for everyone to learn from!
Hi Katie! I just want to congratulate you on your great book and say how proud I am to be one of your critique partners. Your stories are always a delight to read, and your feedback is some of the best I receive. 🙂
Thanks for all your support, Susan!
Critique partners are the best! Thanks for stopping by to support yours, Susan!
Congratulations, Katie! Your book looks delightful.
Thank you!
So cute, isn’t it, Sarah? And so needed right now.
Congratulations Katie! What a great idea for a story and a help for children process this kind of loss. Thanks for sharing your publication journey too.
Thanks so much😊
So glad you enjoyed Katie’s interview, Amanda!
Congratulations Katie and Sara! Thank you, Katie, for sharing your journey to publication. That little chipmunk is a heart stealer.
Thanks😊 And I agree, Sara did such a great job on bringing Dexter to life!
I know, Charlotte, that chipmunk is super cute, isn’t he?! 🙂
Such a cute story! vsubhat at hotmail. Shuba
Thank you!
Glad you like it, Shuba!
Congratulations on having three books under contract and all without an agent.
Thanks so much😊
It’s very impressive, isn’t it, Cathy?!
Congratulations, Katie. This book looks great. I look forward to reading it.
Thanks so much, I hope you like it!
I hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to read it, Claire!
So cute! Thanks for sharing your book journey!
Thank you!
Thanks for stopping by to read Katie’s interview and support her, Karan!
Congratulations on your debut, Katie! I look forward to reading it.
Thanks, I hope you enjoy it!
I haven’t read it yet, either, Patricia, so I’m looking forward to it, too!
Congratulations on your debut, Katie! I’ve been loving so much of the work coming from Gnome Road lately! Can’t wait to read this.
Thank you for sharing your publishing journey as well. Congrats again! 🙂
I agree, Gnome Road has put out so many amazing books!
They really have!
Love this story concept and hearing all about your creative journey!
Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed the interview, Kristy!
This sounds like a fun PB the littles ones will enjoy! Thanks for sharing your journey! Looking forward to reading it! 😊
Thanks so much😊
Hello Katie,
I have some questions for you.
Thank you!
Thanks so much for reading the post! Regarding your questions:
1. There isn’t any special reason for the name Dexter, I just thought it sounded like a cute name for a chipmunk.
2. I didn’t research their cheek capacity because I was comfortable with that being complete fiction. I did however make sure that there were some kinds of chipmunks that live in a tree since most live on the ground.
3. The humorous story always felt like it was missing something. I’m a big fan of books that are fun for the sake of being fun/funny, but it just didn’t come together for me in this case.
4. SCBWI is always a great place to start as each chapter usually has a section dedicated to local critique groups. If you’re interested in joining additional organizations, 12×12 and Inked Voices are great resources for finding critique partners as well as general info on writing.
Thanks for the great questions!
I always enjoy reading about the journey to publication. It’s very encouraging to hear that you can get published without an agent. I like how you have persevered through the 200 no’s! I can’t wait to read your book!
Thanks so much😊
Such a cute story and MC, plus an encouraging look at a journey to publication without an agent. Congrats, Katie. Gnome Road sounds like the perfect home for this important book.
Thanks so much!
Hi Katie! My library did order the copy that I requested, and it’s now in process, so I’ll get to read it soon! I’m excited to read it while holding my very own stuffy that I cannot believe I won on Bluesky! Your post was very encouraging. Thank you for sharing your journey and reminding us that there are multiple paths to success, and to keep trying, keep putting ourselves out there.
Q: How does one go about setting up a blog tour?
Thanks again for doing the library request! They’re super helpful!
I did a fairly small blog tour (just 3 in total), and only contacted blogs that I subscribe to through their websites. I know some people do many more blogs, but I’m guessing it’s more of the same. If you ask, the worst case is they say no (but I suspect most kid lit people will be happy to help).
Such a cute book! Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your story behind the story.
Thank you!
it’s so heartwarming—your book vibes are perfect for little ones!
Thanks so much😊
I missed this on vacation – what a super good book on so many levels. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.