Welcome to today’s episode of Tuesday Debut, Everyone!

It’s a special one because, as you may have recognized, Andi Chitty debuted here with her adorable self published board book, BANANAS IN THE BATH, June 17 of 2025. Today she is joining us for the debut of her self published picture book, so we get to learn even more interesting and helpful things from her about successful self publishing!

Before we get to it, I just want to say how lucky we are to have so many authors and illustrators stop by to share their books and publishing experience with us AND be so generous with giveaways! It is a rare week when there isn’t at least one prize up for grabs. Thank you, thank you to all the giveraway-ers (yes, of course that’s a word! 🤣), we all appreciate you so much! And thank you, thank you to everyone who comes by to read every week and support all our wonderful debut-ers and their books! You are all a wonderful group of lovely people! ❤️

So we get to start today with the winners of Mary Helen Berg’s TWO giveaways from last week:

#1 – a copy of her book, ENOUGH TO SHARE! (Please note the book won’t be released until late May so there will be a bit of a wait for it.)
#2 – And to another lucky winner, a 20 minute AMA!

The winner of a copy of ENOUGH TO SHARE! is. . .

Danielle Anderson!!!

The winner of a 20 minute AMA with Mary Helen is. . .

E. Berger!!!

Congratulations, Danielle and Elyssa! Please email me at your earliest convenience so I can get your prizes to you!

And today we have a new giveaway: Winner’s Choice of:

1. a copy of “The Waga-Laga Bugs” OR,
2. a picture book manuscript critique (<800 words) from Andi Chitty, OR,
3. a 30 minute Zoom Ask Me Anything

from today’s debut-ess, Andi Chitty! All you have to do to put yourself in the running to be the randomly selected winner who get’s to make that amazing winner’s choice is leave a comment on today’s post by 3 PM Eastern Monday April 20th.

So now, without further ado, it is my pleasure to re-introduce you to the lovely and talented Andi Chitty and her debut self published picture book THE WAGA-LAGA BUGS!

Title: The Waga-Laga Bugs
Author: Andi Chitty
Illustrator: Sandra Attema-Welte
Publishing House: self-published
Date of Publication: 3/1/26
Fiction or Nonfiction: Informational Fiction
age range of your book: 3-8
ISBN#: 979-8998787713

SUSANNA: Welcome back, Andi! We go to visit with you for your board book debut, and now you’re here to share you picture book debut! Well done you! Where did the idea for this book come from?

ANDI: My son was 6 months old at the time and super wiggly (all 3 of my kids were!), so I would make up nonsense ditties to distract him while changing his diaper. One day, a version of “Waga-Laga, Taga-Laga, Baga-Laga, HEY!” popped out of my mouth, and he burst into a fit of giggles. I knew it was a keeper, so I wrote it down as soon as I had the chance!

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

ANDI: In the beginning, I wanted this to be a very tongue-twistery type book, so my initial drafts were full of words that sounded similar to “Waga-Laga”, like saga/nada/gotta/etc. I found it incredibly difficult to maintain focus with all the waga-lagas in my brain, though, and it took me over a year to write version #1. By my 5th version, I had released myself from the confines of creating a tongue twister, and the story itself fell into place much more easily. The final version still has a fun refrain and some silly made-up words, but it’s not a true tongue-twister. I love how it turned out! It took about 2.5 years from idea to completed manuscript.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

ANDI: As I mentioned above, I had so many versions of “The Waga-Laga Bugs”! While it took a long time to write this story, every version allowed me to get closer to finding out who the Waga-Laga Bugs *really* are. Turns out, they’re kinda like 3 kids I know…

SUSANNA: Funny how that happens, isn’t it? 😊 When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?

ANDI: I landed an agent in 2023 who took me on with this manuscript. She adored it, and we went straight into submitting to publishers! I knew it was ready because my agent at the time felt so strongly that this was a one-of-a-kind story that publishers would jump at.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

ANDI: For 2 years, my agent and I submitted to publishers. We got some great feedback, and I did 2 revision rounds during that time, but no publisher loved it enough to offer. After 2 years, over 20 submissions, and the approaching reality that this manuscript may need to be shelved, I made the difficult decision to leave my agent and go about publishing it myself. I just couldn’t bear the idea that these bugs may never see the light of day! This was, by far, one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Self-publishing isn’t for everyone, but it was certainly the right path for this book. 

SUSANNA: How has the book been received? Have you entered any awards or gotten any trade reviews?

ANDI: It’s been an amazing response so far! I’ve entered this book into a few contests (most will have winners announced in 2027), and paid the fee self-publishers have to pay to get reviewed by Kirkus Reviews. My illustrator (Sandra Attema-Welte) and I were absolutely ecstatic when Kirkus came back with not just a “Get It!” verdict, but a Kirkus Star, as well! Getting a trade review was something I knew I wanted, as my goal is for this book to be indistinguishable from a traditionally published book. I think we did it 🙂

The most important response, though, has been from kids. “The Waga-Laga Bugs” have only been out for just over a month now, but I’m hearing reports of kids repeating “Waga-Laga, Taga-Laga, Baga-Laga, HEY!” all through the house, haha. I’m biased, but it really is so catchy!

SUSANNA: Congratulations on the Kirkus Star – that is amazing! But you’re right – even better is hearing that kids really love your book! What was your experience of the illustration process like?

ANDI: Since I self-published, there was no middleman between the illustrator and me. When you self-publish, you have to fill many roles, and art director is one of them. Luckily, both Sandra and I are professional, so this didn’t cause any real issues. Sometimes, I think it can be hard for authors to let go of the vision they have in their mind for their story, but you really have to. A picture book is a marriage of text and art, and both sides tell a part of the story. If one side tries to control the other, I do think that comes through in the end result.

text copyright Andi Chitty 2026, illustration copyright Sandra Attema-Welte 2026, CCBB Publishing

As far as the illustration process goes, Sandra starts out with a written explanation for each page, including whether she’s envisioning a full page spread, vignette, half page, etc. This was great, and allowed us to tackle any miscommunications head on from the very start. From there, it’s character design, the sketch phase, rough color, and final color, with constant communication throughout. The most important thing for me is to give each stage my full attention when Sandra sends me files. While the time I spend doesn’t come close to the time Sandra spends creating the illustrations, I do take about 1-2 hours to look over each phase to make sure the text, art, and underlying story are continuing to work together. Catching things early is key. The last thing you want is to have to make any revisions in the final stages!

text copyright Andi Chitty 2026, illustration copyright Sandra Attema-Welte 2026, CCBB Publishing

Sandra is an amazing illustrator, highly professional, and puts her heart into every story she works on. Seeing how she brings the Waga-Laga world to life is the highlight of every book we do together!

text copyright Andi Chitty 2026, illustration copyright Sandra Attema-Welte 2026, CCBB Publishing

SUSANNA: Her art really does seem to be perfect for your story! Can you tell us a little about the back end of self-publishing?

ANDI: Yes! As I mentioned above, self-publishers have many shoes to fill: publisher, art director, marketing director, logistics coordinator, sales and distribution… I could go on. Every step of the way, there’s more to learn! Some of the less-fun aspects are: registering your business (if you choose to start an LLC), obtaining an ISBN and barcode, submitting the copyright (if you choose), getting at trademark (if you choose), deciding on and coordinating with a printer, submitting monthly sales tax, bookkeeping… I could go on! Brooke Vitale, Jane Friedman, Vicky Weber at At Home Author, and self-publishing online groups are all great resources for someone who’s thinking about diving into the self-publishing world.

SUSANNA: Wow! That IS a lot! I think we might need to get you to write a post on the back end of self-publishing one of these days! Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?

ANDI: Sandra and I were over the moon to see that “The Waga-Laga Bugs” received a Kirkus Star from Kirkus Reviews! It was, and still is, such a huge deal for this book. Since self-publishers have to pay for trade reviews, I chose to only submit to one organization. Maybe with future books I’ll consider others? But costs add up in the self-publishing world, so maybe not, hah.

SUSANNA: It’s huge! Congratulations again! How long did it take from submitting your files to having the first copy in your hand?

ANDI: Once my printer approved Sandra’s files, it was about a week to get the digital proof. This is a video the printer takes to show how the book came out. They highlight the front and back cover, and flip through the pages. This is a great thing, but I highly recommend paying a bit extra (for my printer it’s $60USD) to have that physical proof shipped to you. This took an extra 5 days.

When I saw the proof video of “The Waga-Laga Bugs”, I was *so* excited, and thought it was perfect! But when it arrived, I, surprisingly, was disappointed in how it turned out. There were a few spacing issues and a background filter texture Sandra had added that looked amazing on the computer screen, but muddy and dull in person. Sandra had me a new set of files in just a few days, and I paid extra again ($120USD this time, as it involved a new proof to be printed-the first was included in my printing price) to have it shipped to me. A week and a half later, I had it in hand. This 2nd copy looked AMAZING in person- vibrant and bright and perfect. Satisfied, we moved onto the bulk print run- a 1000 copy order, which arrived 2.5 months later.

While my nit-picky nature may have cost me an extra $120, the final book is much more eye-catching and (in my opinion) attractive to consumers. Though the costs really do add up when you self-publish, this was an added expense that I feel was absolutely worth it. Moral of the story: don’t approve a large print run until you’ve seen the book in person!

SUSANNA: I think $120 is worth it to publish a book you really love so you can feel good about it. It would be a shame to settle for less than perfect after all your hard work. What kind of marketing and promotion have you done for this book?

ANDI: As the marketer and publisher myself, I can confidently say that this is the part I’m the *worst* at. There is a lot to learn, and marketing can feel pushy and disingenuous sometimes. I prefer in-person events where I can talk to parents and kids about bugs (because they’re AWESOME!) and connect to readers that way. I tell myself this is enough, but it really isn’t, hah. I’m experimenting with other marketing avenues now!

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

ANDI: 5 years! Though I did publish 2 board books at the 4 year and 4.5 year marks. “The Waga-Laga Bugs” is my first picture book 🙂

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?)

ANDI: Find your people. My critique group is amazing (go JARBY!) and so incredibly supportive. They understand the publishing journey better than people outside the industry. It’s so nice to have wins that look small from the outside appreciated for the big wins they are. We’ve grown in our writing abilities together as a group, and they put up with so many manuscript versions of “The Waga-Laga Bugs”, I sometimes wonder how they aren’t Waga-Laga-ed out!

But yes, my one piece of advice is to find (or create) a group with members that push each other to be better, and celebrate the wins. Because in publishing, every win (no matter how small!) is worth celebrating!

SUSANNA: That is the truth, and I heartily agree that if it’s at all possible you should find yourself a critique group. It is SO helpful in your writing. Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?

ANDI: One last thing I’d like to mention is that if you’re self-publishing a nonfiction or informational fiction manuscript (ie with backmatter or sidebars), it’s important to find a professional in the field to look over your text (unless, of course, that professional is you!). I had the pleasure of connecting with a wonderful entomologist to look over my backmatter about bug behaviors before and during a storm, and having her seal of approval means a *lot* when talking to customers and booksellers, and gives me peace of mind that I’m giving kids accurate information. Anything you can do to set your book above the rest- do it!

Thanks so much for having me, Susanna!

SUSANNA: Thank YOU so much for stopping by to share your knowledge and experience about your self-published picture book debut, Andi! We are so appreciative of the opportunity to learn from you, and wish you all the best with this and future titles!

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, your comment on today’s post puts you in the running to be the randomly selected winner of Andi’s generous giveaway of winner’s choice of a copy of her book THE WAGA-LAGA BUGS OR a Picture Book Manuscript Critique (<800 words) OR a 30 Minute AMA if you leave it by 3 PM Eastern Monday April 20th!

Author Andi Chitty

Author Website: andichittybooks.com
Author IG: @andichitty_booksnbugs
Illustrator Website: sandrattema.com/
Illustrator IG: @sandrattema

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 😊

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts?  Check them out HERE!