Happy June, Everyone!

And welcome to Tuesday Debut!

Today’s debut-ess has a lovely book to tell you about, but before we get to it, we have a giveaway announcement from last week’s giveaway of winner’s choice between: a PB critique (up to 800 words, NO RHYME) OR a copy of Music Plants Hope OR a 30-minute AMA via Zoom kindly offered by Tonnye Fletcher. And the winner is. . .

Diyamanthi Galpoththage!!!

Congratulations, Diyamanthi! Please email me at your earliest convenience so I can get your prize organized for you!

And this week we have a very generous giveaway from our debut-ess: winner’s choice of a copy of WHAT IF THE WORLD IS A LETTER, OR a PB critique (up to 800 words), OR a query letter critique! To put yourself in the running to be the randomly selected winner, please leave a comment on today’s post by Monday June 8th at 3 PM Eastern!

Now then, are you ready for a glimpse at a lovely book? Please join me in welcoming today’s debut-ess, Hilary Echols, author of WHAT IF THE WORLD IS A LETTER!

Title:  WHAT IF THE WORLD IS A LETTER?
Author: Hilary Echols
Illustrator:  Vu Thuy Ngoc Ha
Publishing House:  Tommy Nelson/HarperCollins
Fiction PB
ISBN#: 978-1400254774
Age:  4-8

WHAT IF THE WORLD IS A LETTER? is a tribute to all the ways God’s love is represented and reflected in the natural world. It is a poignant reminder of the immeasurable, unending power of love.

SUSANNA: Welcome, Hilary! Thank you so much for taking to the time to come chat with us today. We are really looking forward to hearing about your journey to publication with WHAT IF THE WORLD IS A LETTER. Where did the idea for this book come from?

HILARY: Several years ago, after watching a movie with my family, I was getting ready for bed, and a question kept running through my mind: What if the world is a letter? What if all the beauty and majesty we see in creation is a message, intended to point us all toward knowing God and His love for us? I immediately thought of a verse in the Bible that I’ve been intrigued by, Romans 1:20, which talks about the ways that nature reminds us of the attributes of God. I knew this was an idea worth exploring.

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

HILARY: I wrote this book the next morning, in one sitting. It all came quickly and easily—the refrain, the arc of the day, the various settings all came at once, with the one exception being the desert scene, which was added later.

Hilary’s writing space 😊

SUSANNA: Were there any mentor texts that helped you zero in on the direction you wanted to take your book?

HILARY: I didn’t use any mentor texts for this manuscript. I typically love using them, but this manuscript just came all at once, pretty much fully formed and ready to go.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

HILARY: The book that is coming out on June 9^th is very similar to the original manuscript. Once it was picked up by Tommy Nelson, a few changes were made. The title changed (in the original manuscript, the title had been What If…) and the desert scene was added. Additionally, several minor changes were made in wording or phrasing, but overall, the manuscript didn’t change dramatically.

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

HILARY: I ran it through my wonderful critique partners, and when they gave me positive feedback, I knew I was ready to send it to my agent.

Hilary’s writing buddy, Bear 💕

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

HILARY: My amazing agent, Lori Steel of SteelWorks Literary, submitted the manuscript.

SUSANNA: How long after you found out about your book going to acquisitions were you told it was a yes?

HILARY: The book was submitted to Tommy Nelson around Valentine’s Day, which was totally fitting, given the love theme of the book. In May, I got the opportunity to speak with the team and hear their vision for the book, and share my thoughts and vision, as well. It wasn’t long after that, that I heard that they wanted to move forward.

SUSANNA: How did you get the call and how did you celebrate?

HILARY: I had just finished a hair appointment and was in my car, in the parking lot, when my agent called and gave me the good news. I was so excited and thankful for the opportunity to move forward.

SUSANNA: How long was it between getting the offer and getting the contract?

HILARY: The contract came the following February, just about a week shy of a year from the time it was first submitted to the publisher.

SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected?

HILARY: Because it was my first contract, I didn’t have any expectations of what I’d receive, in terms of advance or royalty percentage, but I was thrilled with what came in and very thankful to have an offer in hand!

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

HILARY: Because I’d had the opportunity to talk with the team already, I felt confident that our collective vision for the book was aligned, and I was comfortable with the edits that were suggested. A title change was fitting—I resonated with their suggestion to incorporate the first line of the book, because that had been the question that had started the whole book in the first place!

SUSANNA: What was the illustration process like?

HILARY: It was very collaborative. I was able to see some sketches along the way, which was amazing. It’s such an incredible experience to go from words on a page, to seeing the story take shape visually, through illustrations. I really enjoyed watching the process unfold. I am so grateful for the way that the incredibly talented illustrator, Vu Thuy Ngoc Ha, brought the words to life–the illustrations are stunning!

text copyright Hilary Echols 2026, illustration copyright u Thuy Ngoc Ha 2026, Tommy Nelson/HarperCollins

text copyright Hilary Echols 2026, illustration copyright u Thuy Ngoc Ha 2026, Tommy Nelson/HarperCollins

SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, etc…?

HILARY: I haven’t seen any trade reviews at this point, but I have been so encouraged by the feedback I’ve received from readers, reviewers, and other authors.

SUSANNA: How long from the time of offer to getting your first copy?

HILARY: It was a little less than two years from the time I received the initial offer until I held the first copy.

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

HILARY: The publisher has done a lot to promote this book including offering preorder incentives, providing digital copies for reviews, and extensive social media marketing.

SUSANNA: What kind of marketing have you done?

HILARY: I did a cover reveal around Valentine’s Day, contacted blogs for a blog tour, explored local book festivals, and created a one sheet. I’m in the process of reaching out to podcasts and laying the groundwork for a newsletter that is forthcoming.

SUSANNA: How long was it from the time you started writing seriously until the time you sold your first book?

HILARY: I started writing seriously in the fall of 2018. It has been (and continues to be) an ongoing process of learning the industry, honing my craft, and engaging with the writing community. In all, it was about six-and-a-half years from the time I got serious about writing, until I sold my first book.

SUSANNA: What is the most important thing you learned along the way?

HILARY: Like most authors, I’ve received a lot of rejections, but I try to see them as signs of progress. I remind myself often, “Every ‘no’ is a chance to grow!” While passes were often painful and disheartening in the moment, I’ve found that reminding myself of the truth and looking for growth opportunities is very helpful.

SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share?

HILARY: I’m struck by the importance of community in the writing journey. Family that cultivates dreams and offers support and encouragement. Friends who ask how things are going and cheer on the progress. Critique partners who bring a different perspective and offer creative ideas. Mentors who are patient with questions and help guide the way. Agents and editors who see what is possible and take steps to make it happen. I’m so grateful to God for giving me the idea for this book and the ability to bring it to fruition, and for my family, friends, critique partners, mentors, agent, and editorial team for all they’ve done to encourage and support me during this process.

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to join us today and pay it forward to other writers, Hilary. We so appreciate the opportunity to learn from you. Wishing you all the best with this and future titles!

Readers, if you have questions for Hilary, 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 June 8th at 3 PM Eastern puts you in the running to be the randomly selected winner of Hilary’s generous giveaway of winner’s choice of a copy of WHAT IF THE WORLD IS A LETTER, OR a PB critique (up to 800 words), OR a query letter critique!

www.hilaryechols.com (website)
@hilary.echols (IG)
@hilary.echols (FB)

You may purchase Hilary’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!