Darlings! Welcome to Tuesday Debut!
I must start by confessing a mistake!
I know. It’s unheard of.
Can you imagine ME making a mistake?! š¤£
I don’t have a giveaway winner to announce today because I forgot to post the giveaway on Liz Tracy’s post last week!
*hangs head in shame*
I feel terrible! I somehow missed that Liz had meant for me to offer a giveaway with her post! I’m going to share the giveaway on social media as well as here, and give anyone who missed the post a chance to come read and comment if they’d like to enter the giveaway. I will announce a winner when I announce the winner of today’s giveaway, probably on July 1st which is our next scheduled Tuesday Debut.
So, ANYWAY! The giveaway from Liz was that sheād love to send one of you a signed copy of Mystery Driver along with a limited-edition bandanna that a friend had printed with Anna Aronsonās incredible endpaper designs (modeled on her post by her friendās dog Mƶbi). If you haven’t read the post yet, please follow the link back and enjoy it! And if you leave a comment on Elizabeth Tracy’s post by Friday June 27th at 3PM (since there’s no TD scheduled next week), you’ll be in the running for the giveaway.
We also have a new giveaway for today! Our debut-ess, Andi Chitty, is offering winner’s choice of a signed copy of her book, OR a picture book manuscript critique, OR a 30-min Zoom AMA! Please leave a comment on today’s post by Friday June 27th at 3PM and you will be in the random drawing for a winner!
I apologize to everyone for my oversight with Liz’s giveaway!
Now, then!
Onward to today’s Tuesday Debut, a name I’ve been familiar with for a while as she has entered MANY of my writing contests, so many of you may know her, too. š Andi Chitty didn’t originally set out to self-publish, but she discovered she really likes it. She has a lot of great info to share!
Title: BANANAS IN THE BATH
Author: Andi Chitty
Illustrator: Alexandra Elliot
Publishing House: self-published
Date of Publication: June 2025
Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction
age range of your book: 1-4
SUSANNA: Welcome, Andi! Thank you so much for joining us today! We are so excited to hear all you have to share about your publishing journey! How did you get into self-publishing?
ANDI: I always told myself Iād never self-publish. Having been in the traditional publishing world for 4 years (agented for 2 of those years), I had my sights set on a publishing deal with a traditional publisher. However, last year I had the sudden urge to self-publish a manuscript I loved, but my then-agent had never seen. I truly didnāt think (and still donāt) that it would be picked up by a publisher.
The manuscript itself was for:
-a board book (strike one!)
-had a repeated near rhyme in the refrain (strike two!)
-and didnāt have a super strong hook (strike three!)
But of all the manuscripts Iāve written, this is the one my kids constantly quote. They LOVE it. I dipped my toe into the self-publishing world by lurking in a few online groups, andā¦ I liked what I saw!
I knew self-publishing would require a bit of monetary investment, but my husband was incredibly supportive and we decided to go for it (love him!). I spoke with my agent at the time, and she gave me not just her blessing, but her reassurance that itās fine to be self-published while still pursuing a trad-pub deal.
Self-publishing is a TON of work, but oh my goodness is it rewarding. Having lost my will to write new stories for many months prior (this industry is tough, and ups and downs are expected), I realized I had needed this creative outlet. Choosing to self-publish this manuscript kept me sane through all the rejections Iāve piled up from traditional publishers.
Working with my illustrator, Alexandra Elliot, was the BEST. I adore her, and her illustrations are so vibrant and fun! I also worked with a book designer, Monica at TLC Book Designs, and she was fantastic as well. The whole book creation process was AMAZING! And honestly, itās a bit addictive. Spoilerā¦ I loved the process so much, I got my agentās permission to self-publish another of my back-logged manuscripts!
SUSANNA: Which came first for you? Self-publishing, or being agented for traditional publishing?
ANDI: I signed with my agent at the time in May of 2023, and didnāt consider self-publishing until October of 2024. In fact, I always said Iād never self-publish a picture book! Iāve since parted ways with my agent, but am eternally grateful to her for believing in me and my work.
SUSANNA: How did your agent react to the fact that you are also self-publishing? Is there any conflict?
ANDI: I made sure to check with my then-agent before I officially pursued self-publishing, and she was so supportive. I think she understood that I needed something to throw my creative energy towards! Iāve since made the difficult decision to leave my agent, and will be focusing all my energy towards my self-published books. I do not plan to enter the query trenches again for quite a while.
SUSANNA: How did you go about finding an illustrator for your self-published book?
ANDI: I searched for awhile, as I needed someone who could draw strong emotions, animals and human kids (many illustrators specialize in one or the other), and who used vibrant, bold colors. I eventually found my incredible illustrator, Alexandra Elliot, on childrensillustrators.com. I lucked out finding Alex, though, as I learned while searching for an illustrator for my second book that not all illustrators on that specific website will work with self-publishing authors!
SUSANNA: Do you have a contract with your illustrator? and what kind of agreement did you reach as to money – payment (you only have to be as specific as you want to ), sales etc, marketing, etc?
ANDI: Yes, Alex has a standard illustration contract. I had a couple suggested changes (a guarantee of no AI images, clarification on copyright, etc.), which she added in without issue. Having a contract is so important!
SUSANNA: How do you plan to market your self-published book?
ANDI: This is the tricky part, but Iām feeling hopeful. I own a (very) small bookstore, so Iāll definitely have it on our shelves! Outside of that, I plan be on Storytime Sprint (a platform my critique partner, Ryann Jones, and I started back in 2023), and market through social media and local festivals. Iāll also be pitching to a distributor in July, so fingers crossed for that!
SUSANNA: Where did the idea for this book come from?
ANDI: My then 3 year old son was getting into the bathtub when he turned around and, matter- of-factly, asked for a banana.
āA banana?ā I said. āIn the bath?ā
He nodded. āYup! A banana in the bath.ā
And you know what? I brought him a banana.
And I wrote the first draft of BANANAS IN THE BATH! while sitting on the toilet lid, next to my son, in the bathtub, happily eating his banana.
Even now, more than a year after writing the first draft, this is still his favorite story of mine (and Iāve written TONS of stories). I submitted a revised version into a competition that was judged by kids, where it won an Honorable Mention. I revised and revised, and ended up with a sing-songy text that I hope gets absolutely stuck in everyoneās heads, long after they finish reading!
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
ANDI: It took about a month to really flesh out the book and get it to a point where I was happy with it. After that, itās just been minor tweaks here and there. I spend a lot of time thinking about my stories while doing other things, and writing down lines on the go. Then Iāll sit down and put everything together!
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
ANDI: This is a board book (for ages 1-4), so the story itself is short enough that it didnāt require too many revisions. I did play around with adding a different ending, as well as some conflict in the middle, but I felt as though that took away from the fun of the story itself, so I went back to the original. I feel strongly that that was the right decision- hopefully kids agree!
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
ANDI: My then-agent and I never subbed this manuscript. In fact, she didnāt even know about it until I reached out to her about self-publishing!
SUSANNA: How long was it between deciding to self-publish, and having book in hand?
ANDI: I reached out to my then-agent in October 2024, and will hopefully have book in hand in June 2025.
SUSANNA: What was your experience of the illustration process like?
ANDI: Because I self-published, I was fully involved in the illustration process (aside from doing the actual illustrations, of course!). I chose my incredible illustrator, Alexandra Elliot, based on her ability to show emotions in her animal characters, the bright colors she uses, and her experience. I needed someone who knew what they were doing, because I certainly didnāt! Alex kept me up-to-date on all stages of the project: from character designs, to initial sketches, to the final color layout. Alex was an absolute joy to work with, and Iām in love with how the final book came out!
text copyright Andi Chitty 2025, illustration copyright Alexandra Elliot 2025, CCBB Books
text copyright Andi Chitty 2025, illustration copyright Alexandra Elliot 2025, CCBB Books
text copyright Andi Chitty 2025, illustration copyright Alexandra Elliot 2025, CCBB Books
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
ANDI: Self-published authors have to pay for Kirkus reviews, and itās not cheap! As with trad books, youāre not guaranteed a good review through Kirkus, either (which is a good thing!). I havenāt bitten the bullet and paid for a Kirkus review yet, but I did receive a 5- star review from Readerās Favorite!
SUSANNA: What was your first print run?
ANDI: I ordered 1,500 copies of BANANAS IN THE BATH for the first run (offset printing). Weāll see how long it takes me to sell them! I keep telling myself, even if it takes 10 years to sell them all, thatās ok. Iām not in a rush š
SUSANNA: Please describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
ANDI: I got a Canva subscription! I highly recommend Canva for book videos, trailers, pamphlets, etc. Iām working my way through designing some stickers right now. Itās been fun! Iāll be at some festivals later this year, Iāve submitted to 2 contests, and will have the book available at my downtown shop.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
ANDI: Well, Iāve been writing picture books for almost 4 Ā½ years now, and havenāt sold one to a publisher yet. So Iāll let you know!
SUSANNA: I won’t hold my breath š I’m sure you have the talent for traditional publishing, but it sounds like you’ve fallen in love with doing it yourself! š 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?)
ANDI: Self-publishing is incredibly rewarding and fun, but itās a LOT of work. If you choose to go down this path, plan on investing a good amount of time (and potentially money) into doing it right. And definitely hire a book designer!
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
ANDI: Be carefulā¦ self-publishing is addictive. I loved the process so much, Iāll be self- publishing another of my manuscripts!
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Andi! We so enjoyed the opportunity to learn from you! Thank you for sharing so much! Wishing you all the best with this and future titles!!!
ANDI: Thank you for having me, Susanna!
SUSANNA: My pleasure! Readers, if you have questions for Andi, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond! And remember! You’re comment by Friday June 27th at 3 PM Eastern puts you in the running to be the randomly selected winner of Andi’s giveaway prize, winner’s choice of a signed copy of her book, OR a picture book manuscript critique, OR a 30-min Zoom AMA!
Author Andi Chitty (whose favorite snack is ice cream! š š¦)
https://www.andichittybooks.com/
-IG: @andichitty_booksnbugs
Illustrator Alexandra Elliot
-IG: @alexandra_elliot_designs
You may purchase Andi’s book at:
(all links below are book-specific)
Amazon
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, 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 š
Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out HERE!
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Congratulations on a fun and amazing book. I am interested in knowing what nudged you to self-publish? Plus, you knew this was the story. Was it a feeling you had? Did the illustrations live up to your expectations? They are adorable. How will you gauge your success? You said you are not in a rushā¦Thank you!ā„ļø
I have to say, Robin, some books look self-published and this one DEFINITELY doesn’t. The illustrations are beautiful, and so cute and engaging. And the text seems like it will be very fun to read aloud and the kind of thing kids will love!
Thanks so much, ROBDONART123! There were many factors that went into my decision to self-publish, but the main ones were these:
The illustrations absolutely lived up to my expectations! The screenshots look a bit washed out above, so I think something happened when I emailed them to Susanna. The book illustrations are much more bold and vibrant š
I’ll gauge my success entirely on the reactions of the kids, haha. I will be OVER THE MOON to hear that someone’s child chose this book for storytime ā¤
Thanks again for reading!
Warmly,
Andi
Well done Andi! And it doesn’t look at all like a self-published book (I can usually spot them a mile away!). The illustrations are simply adorable! This Iooks like so much fun! I know kids are going to love it. Congratulations!
I completely agree with your assessment, Carolyn! This book is SO cute. I think it’s going to be a hit!
Thank you so much, Carolyn! That was my goal- to make this book not scream self-published, haha! I’m so for grateful Alexandra Elliot and the team at TLC Book Designs ā¤
Congratulations, Andi! Your book looks like it will be a favorite by many kids. As a self-published author (now pursuing traditional publishing), I loved reading about your journey. Thanks for sharing all the pros and cons, and best wishes on selling all 1500!š
I admire Andi’s confidence in ordering 1500 copies, Kim. I think I would be intimidated by that number š But the book is so cute and she’s approaching the venture with such a positive attitude, I think all those books are going to sell and she’ll go into a second printing!
Thank you so much, Kim!! It’s been amazing seeing all the successful self-published books out there (many I didn’t realize were even self-published!). Best wishes to you and your traditional publishing journey!
Congratulations, Andi! This book looks delightful and fun, and I think kids are going to love it. Thank you for sharing your journey so far.
I totally agree, Sarah! You can bet I’m ordering a copy for my grandkids! š
Thank you for your kind words, Sarah! ā¤
Congratulations Andi! You are a brave and wonderful writer! This book looks adorable! Thank you for sharing your experience and best of luck!
Thank you for your kind words! It’s been a wonderful experience so far, thank you for reading!
Thanks so much for stopping by to support Andi!
I love your willingness to do something that was a little uncomfortable to fight for a story you believed in! It’s very inspirational. I wish you all the luck.
Thank you so much, Lisa! It was intimidating at the start, but I’m so pleased with how it turned out ā¤ Thanks for reading!
I agree, Lisa! It was very brave, and it is very inspiring!
Congratulations Andi! I’m very proud of you!
Thank you, Thelia!! ā¤
Thank you for coming by to read and support Andi, Theliah!
Congratulations, Andi! I look forward to reading my copy of your book and hearing all about the next one! Exciting!
I know, right, Kim? I’m VERY interested to know about the next one – what it’s about, who will illustrate…!
Thank you so much, Kim!! I’ll be announcing this next book soon here š
Great interview ! As a self-published author, I get that āaddictionā! This is adorable and adding it to my list!
Thank you, Roseanne!!
Such a wonderful interview, Andi! I loved learning about your inspiration and passion for BANANAS IN THE BATH – so cool! Congratulations on your adorable book! I canāt wait to read it!
Thanks so much for reading, Lee! And for all your support!
Andi ā£ļø Congratulations on this amazing achievement! Iām so happy for you and this looks adorable. You are such a strong force in the Kidlit community with Storytime Sprints and helping others, Iām happy to see your first book out. ššššš
Thank you so much for your kind words, Laura! ā¤
This book looks wonderful, Andi! I’m looking forward to checking it out. I am curious, can you request a self-published book at your local library? This book seems like a gem for after bath and before bedtime. The lyrical text will be great for the toddlers at my school as well. I’m eager to get a copy!
Thank you so much for reading! Many self-published books are available through print-on-demand platforms that work with the main distributors libraries use, but unfortunately board books are not able to be printed on demand. So your library will likely not be able to order it! I’m working setting up a wholesale account for libraries and bookstores to order heavily discounted (wholesale) copies, though, so I will make an announcement when that is available!
Sounds wonderful! Thank you for this information.
So many congratulations! The book looks adorable.
Thank you so much, Claire! ā¤
What a great interview! This looks so adorable and I’m so excited to get my copy! Thank you, Andi, for sharing your experience with self-publishing.
Thank you for all your support, Daniele! ā¤
Hi Andi! I love the fact that you were “brave” enough to go the path of self publishing! I also feel that having a great illustrator on board was a tremendous asset. I look forward to purchasing your PB! I also have the feeling all 1500 copies are going to reach the hands of little readers! Congratulationsā£ļø
Thank you so much, I’m forever grateful that Alex decided to join the team! Thank you as well for your kind words, I truly appreciate it ā¤
You are so very welcome ā£ļø
This is such a great interview. Thanks so much for sharing your journey, Andi, and congratulations! And thanks so much, Susanna, for hosting.
Thanks for reading, Chelsea!
Congrats, Andi! Your book looks DELIGHTFUL! I just ordered a two-copy bundle, and am so excited to enjoy (and to share) this sweet story IRL! š
Thank you so much, Elayne!! I hope you (and kids!) enjoy! ā¤
Andi is always so supportive of the kidlit community so I’m over the moon that she’s enjoying self-publishing so much! It’s great to hear as it feels daunting. And the title alone makes me smile š Well done Andi!
Thank you so much for your kind words and support!! ā¤
Adorable!! I love everything about this interview! It all resonates with me! Are they board book pages? I love the size! How did you get it printed like this? Curious about the distributor, do you just submit to them and they accept it or not?
thank you for sharing your story!!!
Thanks so much for reading, Mary! I’m so glad it resonated with you ā¤ Yes, this is a board book (so boards for pages!). Many printers can accommodate board books! The only downside (in my opinion), is that you can’t “Print-on-Demand” a board book, so you have to use offset printing. The distributor pitch is through a Summit conference opportunity in July, so I’ll get 5 minutes to pitch in person. I’m nervous, but looking forward to it!
what clever ideas you have for books! It inspires me to be more observant in my different environments to see potential book ideas. Thank you for sharing tour experiences and wisdom.
Thanks for reading! ā¤
Andi!!! This is so exciting to see you on Susanna Hillās Tuesday Debut post! I love Bananas in the Bath so much and am so happy to be along for the ride in your writing journey! ā¤ļø
ļ»æ
(Susanna, donāt pick me for the winner. Iām lucky enough to have Andi as a CP. I just couldnāt resist leaving a comment! š)
You rock, Bri!! ā¤
Congrats, Andi! The book is adorable. I applaud you for taking the leap into self-publishing, refusing to give up on a story that needed to be out in the world! Thanks for sharing your experience and lessons learned.
Thank you so much Kelsey, I appreciate it! ā¤ Thanks for reading!
Thanks for all the insights on self-publishing! And congratulations! It looks adorable!
Thank you so much, Katie! And thank you for reading!! ā¤
Such a fun book! Have you thought about doing readings at schools?
Thank you!! Yes, I will be contacting some local preschools to do author visits (which I’m very excited about!). Fingers crossed it works out!
How totally fun and unexpected!