Welcome to this Thursday Edition of Tuesday Debut, Everyone!

We’re having such a busy week!

And learning so much from so many authors!

We’re going to just jump right in today because we’ve had a lot of posts this week and there’s still Perfect Picture Book Friday tomorrow!

Today’s debut is an Early Reader – also known as a Beginning Reader or a Leveled Reader – and our author has a ton of very helpful information to share for those of you who might be interested in trying your hand at this little step up from picture books.

He is offering an amazing giveaway, too! A 30 minute AMA zoom call that can include industry talk, pitches, or manuscript advice. He is happy to talk with an individual or a group if the winner wants to include others. To get yourself in the running to be the randomly selected winner of this fabulous opportunity, please leave a comment on today’s post by Monday October 5th at 3 PM Eastern.

And now, without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce you to (well, technically re-introduce you to, because he has been here before for a picture book debut FREE TO BE FABULOUS, and a board book on Perfect Picture Book Friday ROCK ‘N’ ROLL BABY !) the one and only David McMullin!

Title: The Nose (book 1 in the Percy & Speck early reader series)
Author: David McMullin
Illustrator: Lauren Stohler
Publishing House: Simon Spotlight
Date of Publication: September 15, 2026
Fiction or Nonfiction: fiction
ISBN: 9798347106356
age range of your book: 3-5

Percy is a dog. Speck is a bug. When Speck gets stuck in Percy’s nose, they are in for one silly adventure!

SUSANNA: Welcome back, David! We are thrilled to have you here again. You are so versatile – first a picture book, then a board book, now and early reader! Where did the idea for this book come from?

DAVID: This one is two ideas smashed together. While reading the expansive Game Of Thrones series, I enjoyed that each chapter furthered the plot through a different character’s point of view. I wondered if I could do something similar with a picture book. I decided to narrow the scope down to two characters experiencing one event in very different ways.

… So I had a concept, now I needed a story. That came when out for a walk one day. I got several bugs in my mouth and eyes, and realized that for as unpleasant as it was for me, it was much worse for the bugs.

I mashed the ideas together thinking … what if the book could be read in three different ways? If the reader reads only the left side of each spread they see Percy’s version of the story. It they read the right side they discover Speck’s perspective. Finally the reader can read both together and see how the character’s actions affect each other.

I knew this was unconventional, but I write everything that pops into my head. It doesn’t always pay off, but sometimes, like in this case, I end up with something I absolutely love.

(SUSANNA: I usually put illustration samples in the illustration discussion further down, but because of David’s unique vision, I’m putting them here so you can see how his vision came to life!)

text copyright David McMullin 2026, illustration copyright Lauren Stohler 2026, Simon Spotlight

text copyright David McMullin 2026, illustration copyright Lauren Stohler 2026, Simon Spotlight

SUSANNA: Did you intend for it to be an Early Reader right from the beginning?

DAVID: No. I originally wrote it as a picture book back in 2018, but I wasn’t getting it to work. Six years later I dug it up to see if I could breathe some life into it. While working, I noticed that my sentences were becoming simpler and the relationship between the characters was becoming central. It reminded me of early readers I had read. That’s when I made the switch.

SUSANNA: How do you go about writing an Early Reader as opposed to a picture book?

DAVID: In both forms, the words and pictures carry equal importance, they are both 32 pages, and they both introduce basic plots and character arcs to kids. What makes them different  is that while picture books are meant to be a shared experience between a child and an adult, an early reader’s goal is to foster independent reading.

Now, I will explain some of the challenges of writing and selling an early reader and what I did to get around those problems:

1. Many publishers use in house writers. There was nothing I could do about this.

2. ERs are often created by a single author/illustrator. Also, nothing I could do.

3. Many ERs use characters from existing popular franchises. And yet again, nothing I could do. My concept was original.

4. ERs are usually sold as a series. Finally, something I could address. I brainstormed dozens of  ideas that matched my theme of perspectives. I picked my two favorites, and wrote them out as full polished manuscripts.

5. Many publishers require specific word lists. I was planning to submit widely, so I couldn’t use a specific publisher’s word list. What I did was model my words and sentences on existing early readers. I used mostly one syllable words – never longer than two. I kept sentences short –  three to six words. I used simple sight words, simple syntax, and repeated phrases.

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

DAVID: Not very long. The first draft took a couple of days to write. The revision process was quick, also. I had a clear vision of what I wanted so it only took me a couple weeks of rewriting and refining.

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

DAVID: No specific books, but the moment I decided to try writing this as an early reader, I went to the library and read every early reader I could get a hold of. It helped me get a feel for the language, the format, and the overall vibe.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

DAVID: This one stayed surprisingly similar from first draft to printed book. My story, characters and concept were solid. I mostly had to adjust the language. I wanted simple words, short sentences, and repeated phrases.

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

DAVID: I knew it was ready when every word was exactly where I wanted it. Thankfully my agent agreed. BUT because early readers almost always come in a series, didn’t move forward until I had three books that were in tip-top shape—that is when we submitted.

I’m not sure if this is supposed to be David’s work space or his happy space but it’s a great photo! 😊

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

DAVID: I submitted through my agent. She had not sold an early reader series before, so it was a learning curve for both of us.

Because of the unusual format, we worked together to create a query that not only pitched the story, but also explained the three-books-in-one concept and the series concept as a whole. I also wanted it noted that I was willing to adjust the text based on approved vocabulary lists. This made for a longer query letter, but I felt it all needed to be explained. We sent all three manuscripts as a package.

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”? What was that moment like? How did you celebrate?

DAVID: This manuscript was sent to twenty-one editors.  One editor made an offer. It took one month between the submission and her offer. The most exciting part was hearing that she wanted all three books! I don’t remember the celebration, I’m pretty sure some sort of decadent dessert was involved.

SUSANNA: Ah! A writer after my own heart! Did you know my middle name was Decadent Dessert? 😊 How long was it between getting your offer and getting your contract to sign?

DAVID: This was very quick. I signed in just two months.

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

DAVID: I didn’t know what to expect, but because publishers want parents to buy full series, a majority of early readers are sold in the less expensive paperback form. Because of this, advances can be lower than picture books. My advance for the three books together was between 5K and 10K. Percentages were standard, and I got 25 author copies.

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

DAVID: It was a dream come true. I had such a strong vision for these books, and my editor completely saw my vision. I knew it was in great hands from the beginning. Edits were very small. Most of my words were kept. We did have to add a few pages to match the already existing Ready-To-Read page count format. I also chose to adjust some text after seeing the art.

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

DAVID: The process was exactly the same as my experiences with my picture book and my board book. My editor shared sketches throughout the process and always asked for my input. I loved Lauren’s art and interpretation of the character from the beginning. Her art is funny and full of action. Keeping Lauren’s dynamic characters in my mind helps me as I edit the next two books.

As far as art notes go, I did use one. On the last page I simply had the word “splat” with no other indication of what I had in mind. I added – [Speck flies into Percy’s eye]. I prefer to call art notes “clarity notes.” My intention for them is to give the editor a smoother, more accurate reading experience—I don’t write them for the artist.

SUSANNA: That is a very nice distinction, David. I like that. Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?

DAVID: I did get to see an advance review form Kirkus and it is amazing!

SUSANNA: That’s wonderful! What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?

DAVID: I don’t know all of the details, but my publisher is active in getting the word out. Simon and Schuster asked me to fill out an extensive questionnaire about me and my book to help them know where to send my book for reviews and awards.

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

DAVID: This is the first time I have not joined a marketing group with other authors. I’m now regretting that choice as I love the community it builds, but I am thankful for the extra time working alone affords me. I am on a blog tour and have been invited on several podcasts which I love doing. I’m not great with social media, but do my best to stay visible. I don’t find that promoting an ER is any different than a picture book, but as the rest of the series comes out over the months, I will continuously have a reason to reintroduce readers to the previous books.

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?)

DAVID: Read, read, read! I know this advice is offered all the time, but I’ll say it with a slightly different focus. Don’t just read picture books. Read board books, early readers, chapter books, early graphic novels. If I was not familiar with early readers, I may not have recognized that that is what my book needed to be. Get a feel for what makes different book categories unique and special. If you are having struggles with a picture book manuscript, you may discover that your picture book will come springing to life in a different form.

SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?

DAVID: If you love an idea, go for it! Be it’s champion. No one else is going to do it for you. Because early readers are a difficult sell, my agent encouraged me to pursue other manuscripts (although she did love these books, too). I had such a strong vision, hope and passion for this series that I asked that we make it our priority. I could have easily put the project back into the maybe-some-other-day file. Now it’s my new pride and joy!

SUSANNA: That is really great advice! Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, David! This was terrific! We really 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 David, please post them in the comments below and if he has time I’m sure he’ll respond! And remember, your comment on today’s post by Monday October 5th at 3 PM Eastern puts you in the running to be the randomly selected winner of David’s amazing giveaway of a 30 minute AMA zoom call that can include industry talk, pitches, manuscript advice, and he is happy to talk with an individual or a group if the winner wants to include others. This is a great opportunity for anyone who is thinking about Early Readers and wants to learn more!

Author David McMullin

Website: https://www.davidmcmullinbooks.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidmcmullinpb/

You may purchase David’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!