Susanna Leonard Hill

Beth Anderson – An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin And Noah Webster’s Spelling Revolution

Annie Romano – Before You Sleep: A Bedtime Book Of Gratitude

B.J. Lee – There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth

Kathleen Cornell Berman – The Birth Of Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound

Jill Mangel Weisfeld – Riley The Retriever Wants A New Job (self pub)

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Karen Kiefer – Drawing God (religious market)

Ciara O’Neal – Flamingo Hugs Aren’t For Everyone (self pub)

Theresa Kiser – A Little Catholic’s Book Of Liturgical Colors (religious market)

Kirsten Larson – Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents An Airplane

Heather Kinser – Small Matters: The Hidden Power of the Unseen

Claire Noland – Evie’s Field Day: More Than One Way To Win

Lisa Katzenberger – National Regular Average Ordinary Day

Pam Webb – Someday We Will

Abi Cushman – Soaked!

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Abi Cushman!

July 14, 2020July 13, 202047 Comments

Hello Everyone, and welcome to Tuesday Debut – one of the ones that’s an actual Book Birthday!

I have such a treat for you today! We usually have debut authors on this series, but it is much less common that we get an author/illustrator. Today I’m thrilled to introduce you to the fabulously talented Abi Cushman and give you the opportunity for a really in-depth look at her process of both writing and illustrating a picture book. You’re in for a treat!

Grab your umbrella, your raincoat and your rain boots and let’s jump in!

SOAKED!
by Abi Cushman
Viking Children’s Books
July 14, 2020
Fiction, Ages 3-7

A Hula-Hooping moose, a badger with a bumblebee umbrella, a bunny in a cashmere sweater, and a very wet bear star in this unpredictable and laugh-out-loud picture book in which having fun gets the best of a grumpy bear.

SUSANNA: Welcome, Abi! Thank you so much for joining us today! We’re excited to get a glimpse of how you work your magic! Where did the idea for this book come from?

ABI: I went out for a walk one summer day and ended up getting caught in a torrential rain storm. At the time, I was eight months pregnant and was definitely in the “slow waddling stage” of my pregnancy. But the long, soggy walk home helped me realize that once I was completely soaked, the rain was actually quite pleasant.

I thought it would be interesting in a picture book to play with the idea of someone’s attitude evolving despite the circumstances staying the same, so I wrote that sentiment in my ugly sketchbook. (I call it an ugly sketchbook so that I feel free to capture my story ideas with badly drawn doodles or little phrases- whatever is easiest to get the idea down. I don’t worry about my sketchbook looking really cool or artsy.)

At first, I was picturing this beautiful wordless picture book about the beauty of splashing in puddles. But after months of letting the idea percolate in my head and continuing to add to my ugly sketchbook, I came up with a sorry-looking, very drenched bear character. And then one night, the voice/tone of the narrator came to my head, and I thumbnailed the first draft in one sitting.

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

ABI: I had thumbnailed my first draft about 3 months after that rainy walk that sparked the idea. I then made a mini dummy with roughly drawn characters and text to share with my critique groups and agent. For my mini dummies, I just cut some printer paper in half and then fold that in half to make a little booklet of 32 or 40 pages (which would include the endpapers, title page, etc.). My goal with mini dummies is to get the pacing and page turns right and to have something legible enough to share with other people.

After getting a lot of feedback, I revised the story to strengthen the moose’s role and ramp up the narrative arc. I made a larger (letter-sized) dummy that had more polished drawings and the text typed in to show at the New England SCBWI Spring Conference in late April.

So from idea to polished dummy took around 8 months, some of it spent actively working on the story and drawings, and some of just letting it float around in the back of my head.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

ABI: I definitely revised the story several times. Interestingly, the beginning of the story didn’t change too much from my initial thumbnailing session. But I did revise the middle and end a bit based on feedback from: my critique groups, then my agent, then finally my editor and art director (before and after they made an offer).

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

ABI: I always go through the process of making a mini dummy and then getting feedback and then making a more polished dummy before I feel a story is ready for submission. When I go from the smaller format to the larger format, I generally feel like the story is more or less there, and then I really focus on refining it, adding more details to the drawing and punching up the jokes (or adding visual ones in).

I had also done two pieces of finished art. So I was happy with the illustration look/style. It’s important to do some finished art because sometimes you realize there are issues once you add in color or put the background in properly. Also the agent/editor/art director will want to see what you have in mind for the final look.

For Soaked!, I wanted to have the dummy polished up in time for the NESCBWI Conference. So that gave me a deadline to work toward. I definitely felt it was “ready enough” to show when the conference date arrived. I think conferences and contests are great motivators for authors and illustrators to get their work submission-ready.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

ABI: I included my Soaked! dummy with my portfolio for the NESCBWI Portfolio Showcase. To my great amazement, I ended up winning the showcase that year. One of the judges was Jim Hoover, art director at Viking.

About a week or so after the conference, I posted a drawing on Twitter, not related to Soaked! (it was of a parachuting hippo), and Jim commented on the drawing and said I could send him my dummy for another look. So I guessed what his email at Penguin Random House was and sent it over. And he shared it with the editor he thought would like it, Tracy Gates. At that point my agent, Kendra Marcus, got involved, and Tracy and Jim sent over some notes for revision.

The picture I posted on Twitter a week after the conference.

SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! ☺)

ABI: After I punched up the dummy based on Tracy and Jim’s notes, I got an email from my agent. She said that they loved my revision and more details would be forthcoming in a couple weeks! I was so excited that I told my whole family and everyone that I came in contact with that I got a book deal. The next day, it occurred to me that I didn’t actually see the word “offer” anywhere in the email.

So for the next two weeks when people congratulated me after hearing the news from my family, I’d say, “YEAH!! I GOT A BOOK DEAL! I mean, PROBABLY I THINK… IT LOOKS LIKE I COULD… MAYBE!!!”

The offer DID come thankfully, and it was for a two-book deal! And yes, at that point, I did have a nice call with my agent. But it’s funny to me when people talk of this one moment- THE CALL- because my experience has always been more of a slow buildup of events (with getting an agent as well). And even after getting the verbal offer, I was still
worried that it somehow might fall through. When I got my first advance check three months later, I felt better. 🙂

SUSANNA: I have to agree with you on that, Abi. I should probably change the wording of that question because nowadays it’s hardly ever a “call” – more likely an email – and as you say we tend to be more in the loop of a possible offer than we were back in the old days 😊 How did you celebrate signing your contract?

ABI: I celebrated by going out for pizza with my family. I had also gotten pizza when I *thought* I had a book deal, when I got the verbal offer, when I got the signed contract back, and when I got the first advance check. Basically, I was just looking for any excuse to eat pizza.

SUSANNA: I don’t think one should need an excuse to eat pizza – Just Do It! 😊 Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?

ABI: My deal was for two books, and I think my advance per book was in line with what most Big 5 debut author/illustrator advances are. (See Hannah Holt’s survey). Kendra negotiated their initial advance number up a few thousand dollars, which was nice. I know a couple debut author/illustrators who got bigger advances, but their books had gone to auction, so it makes sense that the competition raised those advance numbers up a little more.

In addition to the advance, Kendra also negotiated some of the other terms of the contract. I read through the final contract very carefully making sure I understood each part. (It was boring, not going to lie.) But everything made sense so I signed it.
Later, I found out from some other authors that their contracts had really vague wording about their ability to submit future manuscripts to other publishers. So they were stuck waiting with submission-ready manuscripts, unable to send them out. I looked at my contract again and saw Kendra had changed the wording on mine to be VERY specific with a short time span. (Thank you, Kendra!) I would not have known to change that, so having an experienced agent is so important. They absolutely deserve their 15% commission.
😊

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

ABI: As I mentioned before, Tracy and Jim had edits for me before and after they acquired the book. For the second round of notes, Jim had told me, “Don’t worry, it’s not that bad.” and I opened the document and their comments said, “Combine these spreads so you have room for a new ending. We don’t know what it is, but we’re sure you’ll think of something good.” And I thought, “Yes. Sure. Just need a completely different ending. Great. Great.” But it turned out to be fine, and I really appreciated their trust in me.
So yes, the editorial process went smoothly because they really got my vision, and their input improved the book tremendously. I think when you’re all on the same page, editorial notes are easier to accept because you know you’re all working together to make the story the very best it can be.

SUSANNA: What can you tell us about the illustration process?

ABI: Illustrating my first picture book was a breeze. I didn’t have any existential crises at all. I didn’t wonder, “How does one draw?” or “What is drawing?” or “What is a moose?” at any time during the process. Wait, scratch that- I DID have those existential crises.
Yes, the illustration process was a huge learning experience for me. One thing that surprised me was how LOOOONG it took me to finish all the spreads. I’ll give myself a little slack because I was also juggling working as a web designer and being a parent of young children, but it took me from December all the way through the end of August to finish the art. Part of that was the psychological aspect of wanting everything to be perfect, and part of it was basically learning things on the fly.

And because of all that, I am so proud of this book. I feel so much better equipped to take on the next book. (Actually, I’m working on that now and experiencing no existential crises at all… yet.)

And by the way, the answer to most of those existential/illustration questions and insecurities is just, “You’ll be fine. Just use reference photos.”

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

ABI: Yes, I had reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, and Publishers Weekly. Whenever I came across a trade review, I’d squint my eyes and grimace while scanning the page looking for tidbits that might be horrible. I think the squinting helps. Definitely give that technique a try next time you see a review of your book.

After my eyes had recovered, I made pull quote graphics for each review and shared it on social media to celebrate. Here’s my SLJ review graphic on Twitter:

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

ABI: It took about two years from offer to author copy. The initial print run for Soaked! is 30,000.

SUSANNA: If your book has been out for at least one statement cycle, has it earned out yet?

ABI: Not yet! But one thing that was really cool is that we sold the foreign rights to a Russian publisher. So SOAKED! will be available in Russian, AND the money from the foreign rights sale goes toward me earning out!

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

ABI: The marketing team and my publicist, Lizzie Goodell, at Penguin have done a fantastic job getting my book out in front of people. They had to adjust their strategy midway through due to the pandemic, and I applaud their agility and creative thinking.

(An F&G of Soaked!)

Before the quarantine, they showcased my F&G at the Public Library Association’s conference in Nashville along with five other titles and presented them together as “Great Storytime Read Alouds.”

They made an activity kit + poster to hand out, and it’s also available on the Penguin Classroom website here: https://penguinclassroom.com/books/soaked/

They also sent physical F&Gs to bookstores and influencers.

During the quarantine, they included Soaked! in a Zoom webinar highlighting summer picture books. They also sent out digital review copies and made the digital galley available on Edelweiss for review.

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

ABI: Probably the best thing I did was join a debut marketing group called the Soaring 20s. We lend each other support, offer advice, review each other’s books, and boost each other’s posts on social media. I also had a blast teaming up with other Soaring 20s members to present a funny picture book panel at a couple of librarian conferences. It’s been wonderful to be a part of this group, and I’m so happy to share my debut journey with them.

Another really important thing I did was reach out to Mr. Schu and ask about doing a cover reveal on his blog. I had attended his workshop at the New England SCBWI Conference, and I thought he might enjoy Soaked! My gamble paid off, and he not only agreed to do the cover reveal, he also included my book in his 2020 Books I Love Presentation. I was thrilled!

I also worked with my local bookstore, Bank Square Books, on a pre-order campaign where people could purchase personalized, signed books. I printed special stickers to go with those pre-orders.

In addition to that, I created a Soaked!-themed activity guide and craft for parents, teachers, and librarians to enjoy. You can find them here: https://www.abicushman.com/fun-stuff/

And finally, I organized a little blog tour for the couple weeks before and after the book’s release. This blog is in fact the Book Birthday Stop on that blog tour! So thank you, Susanna and Tuesday Debut readers, for celebrating with me!

SUSANNA: Are you kidding? We are THRILLED to be celebrating your book birthday with you! It’s a dream come true for you to have your first book out, and the dream of every writer/reader here to emulate your success!!! Getting to see how you accomplished it makes it seem possible for all of us! How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?

ABI: I started writing and illustrating seriously in 2015 after I’d had my first baby. I sold my first picture book three years later. I actually think three years is a pretty short time, even though it would shock people who weren’t familiar with the industry.

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

ABI: I’d just like to encourage everyone who is working toward publication to not give up, to keep making art that excites you, and to keep putting your work out there. Soaked!’s publication was made possible by the chance that Jim Hoover and I were at the same conference in 2018. But we were also at the same conference two years previously, and at that time, my art wasn’t ready yet. It took two years of working at my craft and finding my illustration voice to be ready… two years of creating new stories to come up with one that stood out. So if you keep putting in the work and then putting it out there, eventually something will stick for you too.

Author/Illustrator Abi Cushman

Join my email list (for crafts, activities, and picture book sneak peeks): https://eepurl.com/dCUjeH

My website: https://www.abicushman.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbiCushman
Instagram: https://instagram.com/Abi.Cushman
Facebook: https://facebook.com/AbiCushmanArt

SUSANNA: Abi, thank you so very much for joining us today to share your journey to publication! It was very illuminating! I know I speak for everyone when I wish you the best of luck with this and future books!

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

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

Indiebound
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!

Christy Mihaly – Hey! Hey! Hay! A Tale of Bales And The Machines That Make Them

Beth Anderson – An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin And Noah Webster’s Spelling Revolution

Annie Romano – Before You Sleep: A Bedtime Book Of Gratitude

B.J. Lee – There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth

Kathleen Cornell Berman – The Birth Of Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound

Jill Mangel Weisfeld – Riley The Retriever Wants A New Job (self pub)

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Karen Kiefer – Drawing God (religious market)

Ciara O’Neal – Flamingo Hugs Aren’t For Everyone (self pub)

Theresa Kiser – A Little Catholic’s Book Of Liturgical Colors (religious market)

Kirsten Larson – Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents An Airplane

Heather Kinser – Small Matters: The Hidden Power of the Unseen

Claire Noland – Evie’s Field Day: More Than One Way To Win

Lisa Katzenberger – National Regular Average Ordinary Day

Pam Webb – Someday We Will

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Pam Webb!

July 7, 2020July 6, 20208 Comments

Welcome to Tuesday Debut, Everyone!

Today we’re meeting a wonderful author whose debut book embraces the very timely topic of hope that we’ll soon be together again. I am so pleased to introduce you to Pam Webb!

TITLE: Someday We Will
AUTHOR: Pam Webb
ILLUSTRATOR: Wendy Leach
PUBLISHER: Beaming Books, 2020
TOPICS: family, visits, multi-generational, anticipation
AGES: K-3
FICTION: Hardcover

In Someday We Will, kids and grandparents mark the time until the next visit by anticipating all the wonderful activities they’ll do together someday, from bicycling down a hill to whiling away the hours on a beach to applauding a sunset’s beauty at day’s end.

SUSANNA: Welcome, Pam! Thank you so much for joining us today! We’re so glad to have you here and look forward to hearing about your book’s journey to publication! Where did the idea for this book come from?

PAM: When my granddaughter was born I began a list in my head of all the activities I could not wait to share with her as she grew up. She just turned 13 and we have done most, if not all, of the activities that are featured in the book.

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

PAM: I played with rhyming couplets and activities off and on for ten years! Rhyming picture books are tricky—getting the rhyme and rhythm right is important. I would work on the manuscript and then put it away to move on to other projects. I finally brought it to one of my writing group sessions, wanting feedback if it was worthwhile to pursue. The group was quite enthusiastic and encouraged me to keep working on it. One of my writer newsletters featured Beaming Books and I sent off the manuscript in April 2018 and received an offer in June 2018.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

PAM: Before I submitted the manuscript I didn’t go through many revisions, it was more of a matter of completing the story idea. Once my story was accepted, I worked closely with Andrew De Young, who was the editorial director at Beaming Books. He convinced me to write the story with less rhyme and more lyrical prose. We probably had two or three revisions as we worked through our ideas together. It was a very positive process.

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

PAM: After my writing group encouraged me to keep working on the story I kept with it until I felt it was complete. I then did my usual practice of ignoring it for awhile and then returning it to with fresh eyes. I still really liked its upbeat message of anticipation and thought the couplets worked out well. When I saw the call out for manuscripts from Beaming Books, I felt it was the right manuscript for them.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

PAM: The newsletter came out in March of 2018 with the Beaming Books announcement for manuscripts. Whenever I see a publisher, editor, or an agent advertise a specific call out, I take the leap. I am a freelancer, so it was just a matter of taking the initiative of sending it in to them.

SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 😊)

PAM: I received a text message from Andrew De Young stating how much he liked the manuscript, especially relating to it with being an expectant parent and having great memories of his own grandparents. He stated the terms and I accepted them via email.

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?

PAM: My husband and I went out to dinner and then to a concert featuring the students from the local music conservatory. It was surreal sitting at the concert thinking “I’m going to have a book published. I’m going to be a published author.”

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

PAM: Yes, having read up about contracts through SCBWI and being a debut author, I thought the terms reasonable. I received half the advance and then, as required, worked on the suggested revisions. Once those revisions were accepted by Beaming Books I received the second half of the advance. Originally the book was to come out in the fall of 2019, but it was pushed to April of 2020 to be in the season for Mother’s Day. I received 21 copies—the PR department sent a bonus copy!

SUSANNA: What can you tell us about the editorial process?

PAM: My original manuscript was rhyming couplets and after I signed the contract Andrew gently and persuasively suggested to shape it to be more prose. At first, I was devasted, but I saw his wisdom and the changes made the book much stronger by focusing on the emotions of each moment. During the revision process I replaced the rhymes with more prose. Andrew “rescued” a couple of his favorite lines from the book and ironically, they were rhymes. I very much appreciated Andrew’s guiding hand and I felt that he was personally invested in the book. His vision and encouragement made the entire process pleasant and I feel I have grown as a writer due to his caring editor style.

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

PAM: Once the contract was signed, Andrew asked me to find illustrator styles. I promptly parked myself at the local library’s kids’ section. After some time I whittled my pile of books to three and sent photos of the covers to Andrew. He found Wendy Leach who provided bright, lively illustrations that complement the text well. I was able to see the proofs and make suggestions. I appreciated having so much input. I did not include any illustrative notes with the manuscript. I felt Andrew’s vision and Wendy’s abilities matched my own ideas. I especially enjoyed Wendy’s approach to the sidewalk chalk drawing spread, as that was a favorite activity with my granddaughter.

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

PAM: Kirkus provided the first review and they were quite positive and encouraging. It is certainly a lift to read that reviewers like my book! Our local children’s librarian was impressed about the review, mentioning not all debut books are reviewed. My publisher forwarded a positive review from Midwest Book Review a couple of days ago. I am hoping more reviews will be forthcoming.

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

PAM: From offer to copy in hand took about two years due to the push to make it a spring release instead of a fall release.

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

PAM: Having a debut book come out in April 2020 meant it was released just as the pandemic shut down bookstores, libraries, and schools. The traditional marketing and promotion format has been challenging, to say the least. Beaming Books has provided a superb Amazon page, along with author pages for other online venues. They have highlighted Someday We Will on their own website. They will be contacting the possible markets I provided them, arranging for promotion as soon as the coast is clear again. Beaming Books provided books to my launch team members, and in turn they are promoting the book to their circle of influence and providing reviews to Amazon and Goodreads. Word of mouth among friends is very helpful. My own local library has recently opened and there are plans for a launch party; however, they are not ready for programs yet.

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

PAM: I have been quite actively promoting my book pursuing all sorts of marketing paths ranging from my college alumni newsletters to inquiring websites specializing in grandparenting. I even queried NPR, The New York Times, and AARP about how my book addresses how there is hope that Someday We Will be together again, that it is not only an audience for grandparents and grandchildren, but for everyone feeling the separation and anxiety of our situation. Since I am a teacher, I announced the book’s debut through our school web blog and held a giveaway through my WordPress blog. I have contacted local magazines and newspapers as well. I have made a couple of book trailers and submitted resources to SCBWI, who is essential in supporting authors.

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

PAM: My first published story was in 1988 through Highlights for Children, and although I have been actively publishing through a variety of publications, it wasn’t until 2020 that I sold a book under my own name.

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?)

PAM: In the long course of publication, I have learned perseverance is essential. I don’t let rejections bother me (or at least not discourage me) and I always keep writing. I have many projects I am working on, always ready to submit something when the right opportunity comes up. It is also important to be part of a writing community. I have received a great benefit from being involved with the national SCBWI (since 1991) and our regional chapter. Being part of a writing group is important for feedback and polishing up manuscripts. So, two words of helpful advice: don’t let rejections interfere with your creativity, and become active in the SCBWI, if a children’s author/illustrator.

SUSANNA: If your book has been out for at least one statement cycle, has it earned out yet?

PAM: My statement won’t be due out until September, so I am waiting…

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

PAM: At first I thought it detrimental that my book debuted during the pandemic; however, the book’s message of hope, of holding on to the optimism of being together again someday takes on an entirely different meaning now that we are separated from loved ones. I have come across at least three videos on YouTube where Someday We Will is featured as a story time selection. Each reader expressed how the book’s message provided them the reassurance and inspiration needed to get through these challenging days. It turns out the delay to be published might be fortuitous after all! Grandparents day is in September, which means the book gets a second round of notice. Taking advantage of opportunities is important would be a third bit of advice to writers!

Author Pam Webb

Website: www.pam-webb.com
Goodreads

SUSANNA: Pam, thank you again for taking the time to join us today and share your experience with us so we can all learn! I know I speak for everyone when I wish you the best of luck with this and future books!

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

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

Indiebound
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!

Christy Mihaly – Hey! Hey! Hay! A Tale of Bales And The Machines That Make Them

Beth Anderson – An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin And Noah Webster’s Spelling Revolution

Annie Romano – Before You Sleep: A Bedtime Book Of Gratitude

B.J. Lee – There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth

Kathleen Cornell Berman – The Birth Of Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound

Jill Mangel Weisfeld – Riley The Retriever Wants A New Job (self pub)

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Karen Kiefer – Drawing God (religious market)

Ciara O’Neal – Flamingo Hugs Aren’t For Everyone (self pub)

Theresa Kiser – A Little Catholic’s Book Of Liturgical Colors (religious market)

Kirsten Larson – Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents An Airplane

Heather Kinser – Small Matters: The Hidden Power of the Unseen

Claire Noland – Evie’s Field Day: More Than One Way To Win

Lisa Katzenberger – National Regular Average Ordinary Day

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Lisa Katzenberger!

June 30, 2020June 29, 20209 Comments

Welcome to another exciting installment of Tuesday Debut, Everyone!

It’s been awhile since we had one!

Today I’m delighted to introduce Lisa Katzenberger and her debut picture book, National Regular Average Ordinary Day!

Title: NATIONAL REGULAR AVERAGE ORDINARY DAY
Author: Lisa Katzenberger
Illustrator: Barbara Bakos
Publishing House: Penguin Workshop
Date of Publication: June 23 2020
Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction
age range of your book: 3-7

Peter does not like being bored, so he comes up with a way to have some festive fun–he’ll celebrate a different holiday each day! But when he wakes up one morning to discover there isn’t any holiday, he realizes he’ll have to take matters into his own hands and make up his own!

SUSANNA: Welcome, Lisa! Thank you so much for joining us today! We are thrilled to have you and can’t wait to learn from you! Where did the idea for this book come from?

LISA: I worked as a Social Media Manager and wrote copy based on different “holidays” like National Barbie Day, National Homemade Bread Day, etc. I jotted down “crazy holidays” as a Storystorm 2017 idea.

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

LISA: This book, like no other book before or since, kind of dropped out of me. It was my December 2017 12×12 draft. I worked on it a lot over the holiday break, and my critique partners thankfully had quick turnaround. My agent put it out on submission in February 2018.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

LISA: I went through 11 revisions with this story before I sent it to my agent. I put it out for critique on the 12×12 forum and hit up two different critique groups.

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

LISA: I knew it was ready to send to my agent when I was only getting small tweaks from my critiques, instead of more extensive notes. I went through two more revisions with my agent, and when she felt it was solid, she put it out on sub.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

LISA: I had an agent and she submitted the manuscript to 16 editors.

SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 😊)

LISA: I received the call about an offer just two weeks after we went out on submission. It happened super fast!

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?

LISA: I had some champagne! But the sweetest part was the day I got the offer, my husband came home from work with a small plant for me. He said he didn’t want to give me flowers because he knew the publishing industry moved so slowly, and he wanted a something that would grow with me for a long time. Sadly, the plant is not around to celebrate the book’s publication. I am terrible at taking care of plants, but the sentiment was lovely!

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

LISA: I actually was really shocked by the amount of my advance (in a good way!). It’s from a Big 5 house, so I’m sure that made a difference. My agent was able to negotiate a 25% increase beyond the original offer! The rest of the terms were pretty standard. There is a non-compete clause that I couldn’t publish any other book for six months after NATIONAL REGULAR AVERAGE ORDINARY DAY’S date of publication. My book ended up getting pushed out two seasons, so it meant it would be longer before my next book could come onto the market.

Lisa’s dining room table writing space 😊

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

LISA: The editorial process was pretty straightforward! My editor, the lovely Renee Kelly, sent me a marked up manuscript with her revision notes. Once she paginated it, she asked me to fill two additional spreads. So I created a friend for Peter to interact with! I added the new content to the beginning of the story to better set the stage. I also had a call with Renee after she sent her notes just to chat through her comments and establish a rapport.

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

LISA: I did not see anything until the book was complete, and I wasn’t aware of progress during the illustration process. This was probably best because I had nothing to stress over! My editor sent me the final design in a PDF when it was ready. I cannot properly express how joyful and happy I felt when I saw the finished product. Barbara Bakos saw the humor in the story and brought all my characters (even the squirrels!) to life with perfection. It is bright, vibrant, and fun, better than anything I could have imagined!

I did submit the manuscript with art notes. As Peter rates each holiday, I knew this could potentially be expressed in the art instead of the text (we ended up going with both).

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

LISA: I’ve had positive reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus. I kind of read them ready to cringe at an awful review, but both publications had kind things to say. Frankly, it felt like a relief!

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

LISA: It took 19 months! –FYI, I asked my publisher for the print run, but it is not their policy to share that data publically.

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

LISA: During the current circumstances with COVID-19, marketing and promotion has been kind of different! They are working to set up some virtual storytimes with local independent bookstores.

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

LISA: I made bookmarks to take to conferences and hand out at signings, share with friends. Let’s just say that given our current environment I have a few extras hanging around! I hired Blue Slip Media to create an free downloadable activity kit. I am also doing a virtual book party launch with The Writing Barn. I will be featured on a few other blogs as well. I was nervous about contacting authors – who wants to write about little ole me? – but everyone was so gracious and welcoming! It never hurts to ask.

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

LISA: I have been writing seriously since college. I started on short stories, wrote some angsty poetry in my 20s, then wrote a few really bad novels. It wasn’t until I had my own children that I focused on kidlit, which was in 2015. I don’t think it’s fair to say it took 3 years, as I’d been studying the craft of writing for more than 20 years.

Author Lisa Katzenberger

Website: www.lisakatzenberger.com
Twitter: @FictionCity
Instagram: @lisakatz17

SUSANNA Lisa, thank you so much for taking the time to join us and share your experiences with us today! I know I speak for everyone when I wish you the very best of luck with this and future books!

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

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

Indiebound
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!

Christy Mihaly – Hey! Hey! Hay! A Tale of Bales And The Machines That Make Them

Beth Anderson – An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin And Noah Webster’s Spelling Revolution

Annie Romano – Before You Sleep: A Bedtime Book Of Gratitude

B.J. Lee – There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth

Kathleen Cornell Berman – The Birth Of Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound

Jill Mangel Weisfeld – Riley The Retriever Wants A New Job (self pub)

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Karen Kiefer – Drawing God (religious market)

Ciara O’Neal – Flamingo Hugs Aren’t For Everyone (self pub)

Theresa Kiser – A Little Catholic’s Book Of Liturgical Colors (religious market)

Kirsten Larson – Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents An Airplane

Heather Kinser – Small Matters: The Hidden Power of the Unseen

Claire Noland – Evie’s Field Day: More Than One Way To Win