Woo hoo! It’s time for this week’s edition of Tuesday Debut!

I think it can be interesting to explore different options in publishing. Although a lot of folks are primarily interested in traditional publishing, there is still a lot to learn from other avenues. For those who prefer to pursue something besides traditional publishing, it’s great to know what’s out there. So I am delighted that today’s debut is hybrid published because I’m sure we can all learn something new and helpful. 😊

First, though, I have a giveaway winner to announce from last week!

And the winner of a hardcover copy of MAGGIE AND THE MYSTERIOUS NOISY BUBBLES by Mary West is…

Sue Janney Wight Sutherland

Congratulations, Sue! Please email me at your earliest convenience so Mary can get your book to you!

AND, we have two new giveaways this week! Today’s debut-ess is kindly offering a copy of her book, MADDY’S TOWERS, to one lucky winner, and a picture book manuscript critique to another lucky winner! All you need to do to get in the running to be one of the randomly selected winners is leave a comment on today’s post by Monday May 25th at 3 PM Eastern!

So now, without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce you to today’s debutess, Inbal Alon, author of MADDY’S TOWERS!

Title: Maddy’s Towers
Author: Inbal Alon
Illustrator: Mandira Biswas
Publishing House: Purple Works Press
Date of Publication:April 28, 2026
Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction
age range of your book: 4-10 yeard old
ISBN#: 979-8994072110

SUSANNA: Where did the idea for this book come from?

INBAL: The idea began when a friend sent me a video about trust and how it grows slowly through many small actions. I immediately thought, Kids need this explained in their language. At the same time, I kept remembering all the friendship struggles I’d seen as a teacher: secrets shared, feelings hurt, friendships wobbling. Those two things came together, and the story started forming. It wasn’t fully shaped at first, but the heart of it arrived right away: I wanted to give kids a way to see trust, understand it, and talk about it.

Inbal and her family

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

INBAL: The actual writing happened fast, only about an hour and a half, because once I felt the story click, I let it pour out without stopping to judge it. My best advice to writers is this: when you feel a story rising, don’t worry about perfect or polished. Don’t even worry about “good.” Just get it onto the page. You can shape it later, but you can’t revise a blank screen.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

INBAL: Revision is where the real work, and the real magic, happened for this book. I went through at least 25 or 30 versions, and because I write for children and I’m a teacher, I shared it with many other teachers along the way. They caught things I completely missed. When you’re close to a story, it’s almost impossible to see every gap, so my biggest advice is to bring in lots of readers at different stages. Fresh eyes will show you what your heart can’t see yet, and every round of feedback makes the story stronger.

Inbal’s work space

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

INBAL: I knew that traditional publishing can take a long time, especially for a new author, so while I continued querying, I also wanted to try self‑publishing to experience what it felt like to have a book in the world. I hoped it would keep me motivated through the long submission process and it did. I chose to work with a hybrid publisher because I wanted the books to look fully professional, especially since my dream is for them to be used in schools.

Originally, I planned to publish a different book first (it’s still coming later this year), but once I committed to releasing three books, I asked myself which stories I most wanted kids to have right now. As a teacher who sees friendship challenges every day and as someone who feels incredibly lucky for the friendships in my own life, Maddy’s Towers rose to the top. It felt like the right story to put into children’s hands.

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

INBAL: I chose my illustrator after looking through many online portfolios, and I immediately loved her colorful, expressive style. One of the real perks of self‑publishing is the ability to work closely with your illustrator, and that was absolutely my experience. We exchanged many messages about how to bring the vision to life, and I got to see everything — storyboards, sketches, and each page as it was colored in. I was able to give feedback at every stage, and it felt like a true collaboration. It was a smooth, creative, and very positive process.

text copyright Inbal Alon 2026, illustration copyright Mandira Biswas 2026, Purple Works Press

text copyright Inbal Alon 2026, illustration copyright Mandira Biswas 2026, Purple Works Press

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

INBAL: I don’t have official reviews yet, but I’ve received advanced feedback from teachers, social workers, parents, and even a few kids. Hearing that they found the book interesting, fun, and genuinely useful meant so much to me. Those early reactions reminded me why I wrote this story in the first place and gave me confidence that it could truly support children and the adults who care for them.

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

INBAL: I wrote this book in November, and it will be out in April — just six months later, which is incredibly fast in the publishing world. It has been a lot of work in a short amount of time, but seeing the book come together has been deeply rewarding. I’m genuinely proud of this story and grateful to everyone who helped bring it to life.

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

INBAL: Since I’m self‑published and working with a small hybrid press, most of the marketing falls to me. My publisher has helped with some press interviews and early review opportunities, but their biggest support was guiding the production process so the book would be fully ready for me to promote. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also empowering — you learn quickly how many different ways there are to share your book with the world.

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

INBAL: As an independent author, you really do end up doing a bit of everything. I started building my social media presence by sharing book reviews, behind‑the‑scenes looks at my process, and what I’m learning as I go. I’m also doing a blog tour, reaching out to kidlit influencers, and growing my newsletter and launch teams. What I’ve discovered is that a lot of small actions add up. The big opportunities major blogs, big influencers, Amazon ads can be expensive or out of reach for a new author, but the kidlit community is full of generous people who are happy to help. Little by little, it makes a real difference. 

I also created bookmarks, coloring pages, greeting cards, and an author website to support the book. I developed resource guides written by a mental health professional to help adults use the story in meaningful ways. These extras have been incredibly helpful: they give kids something to take home, offer teachers and counselors ready‑to‑use materials, and make it easier for readers to share the book with others.

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

INBAL: It’s been about fifteen years since I first started telling people I wanted to write for children, and this year while on sabbatical from teaching, in beautiful Paris of all places, I finally got to make that dream real. The long wait taught me that timing isn’t a verdict; sometimes life just needs to open the right window, and when it does, everything you’ve been carrying quietly for years can finally take shape.

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?)

INBAL: The most helpful thing I learned is that persistence matters more than timing or even talent. You don’t have to be the fastest or the luckiest. You just have to keep going. There will be long stretches where nothing seems to move, but if you keep writing, revising, learning, and putting your work out there, something eventually opens. Hold onto the joy of creating, surround yourself with supportive people, and trust that slow progress is still progress.

SUSANNA: That is great advice. Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?

INBAL: One thing I keep coming back to is how many small steps it took to bring this book into the world. And how each one felt like its own little act of courage. From the first spark of the idea to choosing a hybrid publisher, from working closely with an illustrator to learning the entire marketing side from scratch, every stage stretched me in a new way. What surprised me most was how community kept showing up: teachers, kids, friends, fellow writers, mental‑health professionals, and the kidlit world at large. This book began as a quiet idea about trust, and along the way, I learned to trust the process, trust my voice, and trust that even small stories can make a meaningful difference.

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Inbal! We so appreciate your time and generosity with your knowledge and experience! Wishing you all the best with this and future titles!

Readers, if you have questions for Inbal, 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 by Monday May 25th at 3 PM Eastern puts you in the running to be one of the two randomly selected winners, one of whom will win a a copy of MADDY’S TOWERS, and one of whom will win a picture book manuscript critique!

Author Inbal Alon

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

Here is the link for orders: 
https://mybook.to/3tN5QR

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!