Hey there, peeps!

See? I wasn’t kidding when I said we had a busy week of Tuesday Debuts!

Tuesday – Suzanne Poulter Harris with THE BOY BEHIND THE WARDROBE: How C.S. Lewis Grew Up to Create Narnia

Wednesday Edition of Tuesday Debut – Heidi Yates with MONSTER MANNERS A To Z

And now today, a Friday Edition of Tuesday Debut with Kimberly Delude and DIGITAL RED!

And amazing giveaways from all of them, so you’ve got some great chances to win!!!

And speaking of. . . Today’s giveaway is winner’s choice of a signed copy of DIGITAL RED OR a Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Kimberly Delude! All you have to do to qualify to be in the running to be the randomly selected winner is leave a comment on today’s post by Monday, August 31st at 3 PM Eastern! (You may have noticed I made the deadline the same for all three Tuesday Debut posts this week. This is so I can announce all the winner’s on the Tuesday September 1st Tuesday Debut. Otherwise, given that I am in my dotage, I am liable to get confused by all the timing and end up making a pig’s ear of things! 🤣)

So let’s get right to it, shall we?

Please join me in welcoming today’s debut-ess, the creative and delightful Kimberly Delude sharing her journey to publication with her picture book/graphic novel, DIGITAL RED!

Title: Digital Red
Author: Kimberly Delude
Illustrator: Jan Dolby
Publishing House: The Little Press
Date of Publication: August 4, 2026
ISBN: 978-1956378429
Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction
age range of your book: 5-8 years

The classics get a clever, tech-savvy twist when Red ditches her cloak for a shiny new red phone. Digital Red learns why it’s important to be careful about who you talk to online—and what you share.

SUSANNA: Welcome, Kimberly! We’re so excited to have you with us today to tell us about your journey to publication with what looks like a very timely story! Where did the idea for this book come from?

KIMBERLY: The idea for this book came from the students I work with. We were reading fairy tales because it was the classroom unit, and at the same time, two different students experienced incidents online. This got me thinking about how powerful and enduring fairy tales are, but some of them are a little out dated. So I started experimenting with fairy tales and seeing which ones had lessons that could easily be rewritten for today’s digital challenges.

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

KIMBERLY: I typically sit down and write out an entire story in one sitting. When it clicks the ideas just seem to flow out and then it’s the edits that take a long time. What was interesting about this story is that it started out as a blurb, almost like a query, where I posed the question: what if Red faced online stranger danger. It took me several months before the story formed itself fully and I was able to write the narrative down.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

KIMBERLY: I went through so many revisions I’ve lost count. It started as a narrative story. Then it turned into one being told completely through text messages. I queried the text message version and got some interest but a lot of the responses were people saying they felt the story needed to be older because younger kids don’t have these dilemmas. So I actually did rewrite it as a young middle grade novel. However, this didn’t feel right to me. I work with young kids and I knew this was the age group that the story was meant for. I listened to my gut and the final version ended up as a graphic novel early reader.

Kimberly’s work buddy, Lola, and her favorite snack, frosting, stood by her through all those revisions! 😊

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

KIMBERLY: I’m never completely sure when a manuscript is ready. I have a few critique groups that I always share my work with first, and sometimes I’ll also seek out a paid critique. While the feedback is incredibly valuable, it can also lead to a wide range of opinions and suggestions, which can sometimes make the revision process feel endless.

Ultimately, I’ve learned that I know a manuscript is ready when I’ve had time to sit with it, consider the feedback, make the changes that feel right, and reach a point where I genuinely don’t want to change anything else. For me, that feeling is usually the best indication that it’s ready to leave my hands and make its way into the world.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

KIMBERLY: The original story was written in late fall of 2018, but it wasn’t until I attended a conference in spring 2019 that the idea of telling the story entirely through text messages occurred to me. As I was editing the original story I brought to the workshop, the idea came to me about a book written just through text messages. I stayed up really late writing it so I could bring it to the group the next day. The critique group at the conference responded enthusiastically to the concept, and their feedback encouraged me to submit, though it took another two months of revisions. Since I’m un-agented, I initially focused exclusively on agent submissions. I eventually paused querying to revise the manuscript for a middle-grade audience and began submitting it again. It was during this time that I wrote it again as dialogue only and opened my submissions to editors and publishing houses.

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”?

KIMBERLY: I submitted the manuscript to an open call from The Little Press that was looking for modern takes on traditional fairy tales. I believe I submitted it in February 2022, and that summer, I heard back that they loved the concept and voice but felt the manuscript needed some additional work. They offered to publish the book if I was open to revising it, and I was excited by the opportunity. I welcomed their feedback and the chance to continue developing the story, which ultimately led to the version that became the published book.

SUSANNA: 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 )

KIMBERLY: Mine came through an email rather than a phone call. Once I responded that I was open to the revisions, the process of moving forward with the contract happened very quickly.

As for how I celebrated, I honestly don’t remember! I’m guessing I probably went out to dinner. I tend to get nervous about these kinds of milestones, and I think part of me didn’t fully believe it was real yet. So, rather than doing anything big, I probably kept the celebration pretty low-key.

SUSANNA: How long was it between getting your offer and getting your contract to sign?

KIMBERLY: It was very fast. I think I got it that week and signed within another week or so.

SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?

KIMBERLY: I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. I had already signed contracts for my other books, so the process felt fairly familiar, but contracts aren’t my area of expertise. I wanted to make sure I understood everything clearly, so I had a few people review the contract, including other published authors. Ultimately, I think I requested just one revision, related to the timeline for publishing another similar book, but everything else was pretty much industry standard from what I could discern.

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

KIMBERLY: I really loved working with Michele on the revisions. I felt like she truly understood the story, especially its humor and snark, which made the revision process feel very collaborative. She provided some overall feedback, pointed out areas that could be tightened, and I worked those suggestions into the manuscript.

I was also new to the graphic novel format, so Michele was incredibly helpful in guiding me through that process. She helped me shape the manuscript into a format that included clear illustrator guidelines for each page, which was something I hadn’t worked with before. Her guidance made the transition to this format much easier and helped bring the story to life in a way I hadn’t initially envisioned.

SUSANNA: It sounds (and looks) like a kind of picture book version of a graphic novel which is a very cool concept. What was your experience of the illustration process like?

KIMBERLY: The publisher selected the illustrator, whose work I had seen before, so I was really excited when I learned they would be illustrating the book. The publisher handled the initial stages of the process, and then I had the opportunity to see the first round of illustrations.

I had provided quite a few notes and suggestions along the way, and I was thrilled with how well the illustrator captured the story, tone, and details I had envisioned. Honestly, the illustrations brought the book to life in ways that were even better than I had imagined.

text copyright Kimberly Delude 2026, illustration copyright Jan Dolby 2026, The Little Press

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

KIMBERLY: The process took quite some time, with a couple of initial delays along the way. The book was originally scheduled for release in 2024, then moved to 2025, and then moved again to May 2026. After that, the release date shifted one last time, from May to August. But that’s publishing for you! From what I’ve heard, many authors have experienced similar delays, so I’ve learned that flexibility and patience are definitely part of the process.

The publisher sent me a copy as soon as they received them, probably about two months before the official release, and I was absolutely thrilled. After waiting so long to see the finished book, finally holding a copy in my hands was such an exciting moment.

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

KIMBERLY: They may be a small press, but they are truly mighty! They’ve been incredibly supportive throughout the process, from helping connect me with other authors for events to creating promotional visuals and submitting the book to reviewers. I’ve really appreciated how hands-on and helpful they’ve been in getting the book out into the world and helping it reach readers.

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

KIMBERLY: I created a curriculum to accompany the book, which is available for free on my website. It’s designed to be completely no-prep and incorporates social skills, digital citizenship, and ELA. I continue to update it whenever I can so that it remains useful and relevant for educators. [click HERE to see the curriculum guide]

I’ve also been promoting the book through blog posts, book signings, and other author events, with several conferences coming up this fall and an interview on a local news station. To make the book even more engaging for readers, I’ve created a variety of fun promotional materials, including coloring pages, phone erasers, temporary tattoos, and postcards.

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

KIMBERLY: A long time! I’ve sent out so many queries that I’ve honestly lost track. Before I switched to speech therapy, I worked for a speakers bureau where we booked a lot of authors, and that experience really made me start writing seriously.

I was fortunate to get my first publishing opportunity with my Freddie the Fly series through Boys Town Press. Even with that early success, it took another five years before I published this more traditional story.

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?)

KIMBERLY: Perseverance and a thick skin. Not everyone—and, honestly, a lot of people—will love what you write, and that’s okay. If you love your story and believe in it, you have to keep going.

Of course, skill and a strong idea matter, but I’ve also learned that publishing involves a lot of luck and timing. You can’t always control when the right person will connect with your work or when the right opportunity will come along. The important thing is to keep moving forward, because you never know when your moment will happen.

SUSANNA: That is so true! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with us today, Kimberly! We so appreciate the opportunity to learn from your wisdom and experience! Wishing you all the best with this and future titles!

Readers, if you have questions for Kimberly, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!

Author Kimberly Delude

website: https://kimdbooks.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kimdbooks.bsky.social
X: https://x.com/kimdbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespeechvine
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Kimberly-Delude/100053673383375/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

You may purchase Kimberly’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!