Welcome to this week’s scintillating edition of Tuesday Debut!
Sue Heavenrich has been a long-time follower of this blog, and a devoted participant in Perfect Picture Book Fridays for years, and today I’m thrilled to be welcoming her as the author of her own perfect picture book! What could be more perfect than 13 Ways To Eat A Fly? 😊
13 Ways to Eat a Fly By Sue Heavenrich Illustrated by David Clark Charlesbridge, February 2021 Nonfiction picture book, ages 4-8
Math meets science as a swarm of flies meet their demise. Whether they are zapped, wrapped, liquefied, or zombified, the science is real – and hilariously gross. Includes a (non-human) guide to fine dining, complete with nutritional information for a single serving of flies.
SUSANNA:Welcome, Sue! Thank you so much for joining us today! I don’t think any of us can wait to hear about where the idea for this book came from! Please tell us!
SUE:I was reading something and jotted down “how to eat a fly.” I figured a book about animals and their fly food might be fun… and a good way to highlight the diversity of the order Diptera. Most people think flies are just pests, but they are amazing. Some pollinate the flowers in my garden, and some even eat crop pests!
Cool flower flies from Sue’s garden, and Sue with her fly-catching net and instructions for what to do with them 😊
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
SUE: Counting the research and revisions – five or more years. I started with the basic idea: pair up predators with specific flies they eat. That took more time than I expected, and I even emailed a few experts. I created a spreadsheet of predators and flies, then looked for 13 different fly families to highlight.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
SUE:Oh yes! In its first version it was pretty “listy”. I imagined each spread presenting a fly and its consumer. I think it went through about a dozen revisions. It needed more context, so I added an introduction, and some back matter. I sent it out, got a bit of interest, though the comments were usually along the lines of “this is interesting but…” it needed a hook. I put it aside for a few months and then one day while smacking cluster flies with a swatter I found myself saying “one down, twelve to go”. I’m pretty sure a lightbulb went off over my head and I restructured the entire manuscript. It became a reverse counting book. At the same time, I was working on a middle grade book about eating insects with Chris Mihaly, and I began thinking – from a predator’s point of view – what would make flies a good food source? I goofed around, creating a nutrition label (flies are full of protein) and a dining guide for insect-eaters concerned about whether the flies they order in a restaurant are “locally sourced”. After another handful of revisions, and feedback from critique partners, I felt this new, improved manuscript was ready for submission.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
SUE: I took my original story to the 2012 Falling Leaves nonfiction retreat where I met my editor, Alyssa Pusey (Charlesbridge). I got great feedback and submitted it to her. But, in fly terms, my book was still a larva and needed to mature – and Alyssa suggested that I revise and resubmit. After a couple years of agent rejections and feedback, I realized that I needed to let go of what I had and find a completely different structure. So appropriate – this is exactly what happens when a fly larva undergoes metamorphosis: it totally dissolves and rebuilds something completely different. So four years later I finally resubmitted the (17th? 29th?) revision.
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 😊)
SUE: I didn’t so much get “the call” as an email from Alyssa saying – hey, this has potential, and are you willing to revise? After a couple of months of back and forth with revisions, she emailed that she was taking it to acquisitions, and could I answer two quick questions. Then a couple weeks later it was “good news, we’d like to make an offer”.
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?
SUE: I thought I would be jumping up and down and popping the cork from a champagne bottle, but the truth is… I just jumped up and down a few times. I’m pretty sure chocolate was involved.
SUSANNA: Ah! A kindred spirit! 😊 Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
SUE: I knew, when I submitted to Charlesbridge, that the advance would be smaller than other houses, but the quality of their books is so high that I wanted them to publish my book. I did negotiate for more author copies.
SUSANNA: Can you tell us a little about the editorial process?
SUE: Given the revisions I’d made prior to signing the contract, I thought everything was pretty much finished. But over the next two years we continued with occasional revisions. Overall, though, Alyssa enthusiastically supported my initial vision for the story and I felt like we were working as a team.
SUSANNA:What was your experience of the illustration process like?
SUE: I was included to some extent in the whole process. It started with an email from Alyssa: what style of illustration did I see for my book? Did I have any suggestions for illustrators? I sent her a short list. Some weeks later, she asked what I thought about David Clark. I am a big fan of his work and was so thrilled that he would be part of the team – even though it meant waiting longer for publication.
Because 13 Ways to Eat a Fly is, at its core, nonfiction, I created a file of reference photos of fly-eaters and their flies. I had also included art notes in the manuscript (listing the specific flies). Through the process I got to see sketches, and was asked for comments. And I got a package of proofs in the mail. It was so cool to see how David had interpreted the story! He’s a genius.
text copyright Sue Heavenrich 2021, illustration copyright David Clark 2021, Charlesbridge
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc?
SUE: The publicists sent me a preview of BookList review – it got a starred review! And I found the Kirkus review online.
SUSANNA: Starred review first time out – that is amazing! Congratulations! How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
SUE:At least ten years.
SUSANNA: What is the most important/helpful thing you learned on your way to publication?
SUE: It is easy to be discouraged. I had faith in this book, and I kept telling myself that it was worthy of a book jacket. But I also set projects aside when I need a break. And truthfully, this business is so subjective that you can’t let rejection mean anything more than “it’s not right for me at this time in the universe.”
SUSANNA: Sue, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your journey to publication! I know I speak for everyone when I wish you the best with this and future titles!
Readers, if you have questions for Sue, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!
You may purchase Sue’s book at: (all links below are book-specific)
Welcome to the first Perfect Picture Book Friday in March!
Here on Blueberry Hill, no one seems to have gotten the memo that it IS March and therefore enough with the snow! It still seems to be snowing every day, at least for a while, even if only flurries. Pretty much not a day goes by when some amount of snow shoveling isn’t required!
So this Picture Book seems Perfect for today – an adorable story of a little snow plow doing his job!
Title: Small Walt Spots Dot
Written By: Elizabeth Verdick
Illustrated By: Marc Rosenthal
Publisher: Paula Wiseman Books, September 2020, fiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: jobs (plowing, keeping public spaces clear), teamwork, animal rescue, kindness
text copyright Elizabeth Verdick 2020, illustration copyright Marc Rosenthal 2020, Paula Wiseman Books
Opening: “Whoosh! Wind’s howling. Swoosh! Snow’s flying. Small Walt and Gus are on the road – and on the job. They’ve got lots of parking lots to plow.”
text copyright Elizabeth Verdick 2020, illustration copyright Marc Rosenthal 2020, Paula Wiseman Books
Brief Synopsis: Walt and his driver Gus are plowing a parking lot when a blur of fur catches Walt’s eye. It’s cold and snowy. Will Walt and Gus be able to help the stray?
text copyright Elizabeth Verdick 2020, illustration copyright Marc Rosenthal 2020, Paula Wiseman Books
text copyright Elizabeth Verdick 2020, illustration copyright Marc Rosenthal 2020, Paula Wiseman Books
Why I Like This Book: I love this book because it instantly reminds me of Katy And The Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton, one of the classics from my childhood, I think because of the style of the art as much as the fact that it’s about a snow plow. 😊 Small Walt is such an earnest, careful, and responsible little plow, able to get into those smaller spaces where the big plows can’t. He and his driver, Gus, take their job seriously. It is important and they do it well. But Walt also has his eye out for the community, and when he spots a stray dog, he knows he has to help. Together with the policewoman, Walt and Gus manage to catch the shivering stray and take her to the animal shelter. I like that the police person is a woman, and that she is not white (as well as that there is diversity in several of the illustrations.) And (spoiler alert!) I always like books that show animals being adopted from shelters. With its sweet story and engaging illustrations, this book will please the truck lovers and the dog lovers in your house or classroom!
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
There are 50 truly amazing prizes on offer with everything from critiques by editors, agents, and picture book authors, to seats in classes, to bundles of books – definitely worth writing an entry for! So don’t miss it!
If you’re not up to writing an entry on such short notice, you can still go over and read all the wonderful entries that are posted!
So enjoy!
And to fuel your writing and/or help you enjoy your reading and/or energize you for helping today’s pitcher polish her pitch, how about a little Something Chocolate? I’m thinking Chocolate Cream Puffs because, YUM!
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Bru who says, “I’m a respiratory therapist of 33+ years, now retired, who over the past covid months, revisited my files of story ideas and manuscripts to revise for today’s audience. Since the libraries were mostly closed during the past year, I built and set up a Little Free Library #91063 so children could continue to read books. When I first started writing stories for my children in 1985, I wrote articles for trade journals but never published any of my children’s PB stories in book form. As the saying goes, you are never too old to learn new tricks, so I rejoined SCBWI and my hometown RACWI (Rochester Area Children’s Writers and Illustrators) groups. I have placed in The Writer’s Digest Children’s Writers annual contest as an Honorable Mention for many years. I hope to give everyone some smiles this year.”
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: The Story of Citronella (Please Hold Your Nose)
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch:
In the Stinkbug Kingdom, everything changes in a single moment for Citronella. She realizes she smells different from everyone else which starts trouble. When an announcement for the prince’s ball arrives Citronella isn’t invited. Is it the work of the stepsisters who smelled like burnt bacon and rotten eggs or the stepmother who’s odor was like a dirty diaper. Or Both. Citronella has choices; go incognito to the ball to try to marry the prince, seek out who she really is, or stay with the smelly stepsisters and their mother forever; um, wait, no way for the last one. With the help of a wisecracking fairy godfather, Citronella has her one chance to attend the ball. After seeing the prince in his undergarments, she has more in common with him than she realized. Citronella’s bright yellow with black stripes outer skin is not solid brown like the stinkbugs and either is the prince’s. She really does fit into both the Stinkbug and the Bee Kingdom after all. Both the prince and Citronella lived happily, in a hive downwind from everybody else that smelled not just pleasant but Bee-utiful. This smelly insect kingdom re-creation of a favorite fairy tale comes with instructional (Bees & Stinkbugs) backmatter for classroom use.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Bru improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in April, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!
Bru is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to heading on over to Vivian’s and reading some of the wonderful entries posted there!
Time for another exciting installment of Tuesday Debut!
Today’s debut is a very special one! Not an author. Not an illustrator. But a brand new publishing company!
You have a unique opportunity here to learn about this new resource in children’s literature and get in on the ground floor. Publishers need manuscripts to turn into books, and you are the talented people who write them!
So without further ado, I’d like to introduce Sandra Sutter, Owner-Publisher, and the creative force behind debut Gnome Road Publishing!
Gnome Road Publishing – Logo Design by Wendy Leach
SUSANNA: Hello, Sandra! We had you here on Tuesday Debut with your delightful picture book, THE REAL FARMER IN THE DELL, back in April of 2019, but we are delighted to welcome you again as Owner-Publisher and creative mind behind a brand new publishing company – Gnome Road Publishing! You are a published picture book author. What inspired you to start a publishing house of your own?
SANDRA:Gnome Road Publishing has been on the horizon for quite a while. I knew in my heart that becoming a publisher was my ultimate goal when I first began writing for children in 2017. I am a behind-the-scenes kind of person, and I love bringing ideas and people together. Once upon a time (in former lives), I was a counselor and a mediator, and those same skills and enjoyment found in collaborating with others seem to be at play. Now, with my experience in the publishing industry, I have the tools and information I need to finally move forward.
SUSANNA: How did you choose the name “Gnome Road Publishing” and what does it represent?
SANDRA: Little did I know when I chose the name (way back in 2019!) that gnomes would be as popular as they have been lately. I’m taking that as a sign of good things ahead. The name comes from a real place (an actual road) in the mountains of Northern Colorado, near where I grew up. It would be much more interesting if I had a story to tell about gnomes and how that relates to a publishing house, but the truth is I simply like the earthy, mythical, and somewhat mischievous nature of gnomes. And, the name reminds me of a childhood place associated with happiness and the outdoors. I think illustrator Wendy Leach, who I hired to design the logo and artwork for the website, was able to capture that feeling and history for me. I really love how it all turned out.
SUSANNA:What do you hope to accomplish/what are your goals/what is your mission as a publisher? (What do you want from authors and illustrators, and what do you hope to provide for readers?)
SANDRA: If you look on the GRP website, you will see two mission statements. One is for the (future) readers of our books, and the other for creatives that come to work with us. I feel a responsibility to not only produce books that children love and want to read time and again, but to also shine a light on the talented people who create these stories. My job as a publisher is to be a bridge that connects authors and illustrators together with children that love good storytelling and reading.
SUSANNA:Can you tell us about your staff members and staff structure? Associate editors, art director, art editors, etc?
SANDRA: Well, there is me at the very top. And then there is me at the very bottom. This is a small, start-up press so I am responsible for almost all aspects of the publishing process. However, that does not mean I work alone. I have a team of helpers, from members of my Acquisitions and Editorial Advisory Board to consultants on design and marketing strategies. And, this is a family-owned business, so I have hands-on support at home, too. As the company grows, I look forward to building a staff dedicated to furthering the GRP mission.
SUSANNA: What will you publish? Board books? Novelty books? Picture Books? Early Readers? Chapter Books? Graphic Novels? Middle Grade? YA? Fiction and/or Nonfiction? Please be as specific and detailed as you care to be – the more information the better 😊
SANDRA: Can I pick “D. All of the above?” I certainly wish I could publish them all! But starting out, my focus will be on picture books through early middle-grade and a select number of upper middle-grade and young adult novels. As much as I like board books, I am not actively seeking them. Long-term, I am interested in producing novelty books and items under the Gnome Wild! imprint. But all in good time.
Logos and Art by Wendy Leach
SUSANNA: As owner/managing editor, what is your wish list for each category?
SANDRA: The GRP website has a wish list for each of the imprints which I hope provides guidance on what we are looking for (and what I particularly like as a publisher). But no matter the specific topic or style of writing, one thing a story must have is the “R” factor. Re-readability! I want to publish the story a child will pick out at bedtime three times a week, the one with the tattered corners and curled pages from being checked out and loved so much at the library, or the one a classroom of children beg the teacher to read at story-time. Please – send that story to me!
Another way to answer this question might be to share a few of our household favorites (picture books, in no particular order):
Tyrannosaurus Rex v. Edna, the Very First Chicken by Douglas Rees (Illus. Jed Henry)
They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel
The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins (Illus. Jill McElmurry)
The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt (Illus. Adam Rex)
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard (Illus. Oge Mora)
A Gift for Amma by Meera Sriram (Illus. Mariona Cabassa)
Holy Squawkamole! by Susan Wood (Illus. Laura González)
Caring for Your Lion by Tammi Sauer (Illus. Troy Cummings)
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Mummy Cat by Marcus Ewert (Illus. Lisa Brown)
Read the Book Lemmings by Ame Dyckman (Illus. Zachariah O’Hora)
Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book by Yuyi Morales
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig (Illus. Patrice Barton)
There are no Bears in This Bakery by Julia Sarcone-Roach
Teach Your Giraffe to Ski by Viviane Elbee (Illus. Danni Gowdy)
Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller (Illus. Anne Wilsdorf)
When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree by Jamie L.B. Deenihan (Illus. Lorraine Rocha)
The William Hoy Story by Nancy Churnin (Illus. Jez Tuya)
In the Sea by David Elliott (Illus. by Holly Meade)
Predator and Prey by Susannah Buhrman-Deever (Illus. by Bert Kitchen)
Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
There are so many more! A few of my older favorites are The Upstairs Cat, The Riddle Monster, and Calvin and Hobbes comic strips. And if you really want to get my attention, get your hands on a copy of This Room is Mine by Betty Ren Wright (Illus. Judy Stang) and send me something like it for today’s market.
SUSANNA: How many titles do you expect to start with and in what genres?
SANDRA: The plan is to start with 4 to 5 picture books, an early reader or chapter book (with series potential) and one or two MG or YA novels each year, with the first releases coming out at the end of 2022 or beginning of 2023. I would like to double that soon thereafter, but again, one step at a time.
SUSANNA: Will authors and illustrators receive an advance? What will the royalty structure be like?
SANDRA: Yes, authors and illustrators will be paid on an advance against royalties structure in a traditional publishing format. It should be no surprise that advances will not be as competitive as in a large publishing house, but I believe strongly in providing something upfront for work acquired at GRP.
SUSANNA: What kind of experience can an author or illustrator expect to have with Gnome Road?
SANDRA: I am glad you asked this, and I think it goes nicely with the last question on advances. We know we cannot fulfill our mission to readers without a list of talented creatives! Authors and illustrators can expect timely and straightforward communication from the earliest point in working together, through production, publication, and beyond. As an author myself, I know that feeling valued and appreciated is important to having a good experience in this industry.
Authors and illustrators will be working with me and the GRP team closely to make a book the best it can be, starting with an initial discussion about the overall story vision, what happens behind-the-scenes to turn a manuscript into a physical book, and how we plan to market and distribute the title. We expect authors and illustrators to work collaboratively to the best of their capabilities. I know what I am able to do as the publisher, but I also want to know what each of their strengths are and how that fits with our overall goal to get the book into the hands (and hearts) of young readers. We want to identify those strengths and help creatives to successfully continue down their publishing paths. And perhaps this is a good time to answer the next question . . .
SUSANNA:Will authors and illustrators be expected to have existing social media platforms and presence? How much will they be responsible for marketing and publicity?
SANDRA: Yes. No. Maybe. Is that a good answer? It’s 2021. There is steep competition for space on the shelf, whether that be in a store, a library, school, or someone’s home. Every bit of marketing and positive publicity helps. Although we will be working with a distributor and part of the budget for each title will include an allocation for marketing (and reviews), an author or illustrator should have (or plan to develop) a social media platform to assist in these efforts. Authors and illustrators will not have ultimate responsibility for marketing their book(s), but we encourage active involvement in this process. This can come in many forms – not just a social media platform. But having one is almost essential at this point.
SUSANNA: As a new publisher, how do you plan to tackle marketing and distribution?
SANDRA:“Tackle” is an appropriate word for this topic. Although I love the creative aspects of being a publisher, the fact is much of my time is devoted to making quality products (in a physical sense as much as in the stories told) and getting them into the hands of as many readers as possible. I made the decision early on that GRP would use offset printing rather than print-on-demand services. This provides a wider range of options for distribution and marketing, but it also requires more time and money upfront and greater financial risk. This is one reason advances are less attractive than those found at a large, traditional publishing house. It means I must be very selective about choosing manuscripts and take on a limited number of projects so that resources can be put towards finding book buyers and building the brand as a whole. It is a balancing act of trying to attract talent, making quality products, selling them, and also keeping workload manageable and finding help when needed. Interview me again in five years and ask if all of my hair has turned gray. Chances are it will, and largely because of this.
SUSANNA: Will you submit your titles for review by top reviewers (Kirkus, SLJ, Booklist, etc) and for awards?
SANDRA: Yes. I feel this is a core component of a marketing and publicity strategy. But I do not want to discount the importance of less formal reviews and publicity found through connections within the greater Kidlit Community. We will work with our creatives on identifying and creating opportunities for personal growth and publicity through avenues like blog tours, podcasts, online promotional groups, book fairs, school and library visits, honor and awards submissions, and bookstore and influencer relationships.
SUSANNA: Do you have any advice for authors and illustrators who are planning to submit to GRP?
SANDRA: Let’s call it “Words of Wisdom”. First, learn your craft, get critiques, and write a good query letter. If you submit no query at all with the manuscript, send a 900-word story for pre-school age children, or fail to use any type of standard formatting, it is almost certain that submission will end up in the “no” pile. Almost. I could be wrong, but why take that chance with your work? Make your submission the best it can be. My Acquisitions Team will always appreciate the effort!
Little Gnome – Logo Design by Wendy Leach
Please come visit, get to know, and follow Gnome Road!
SUSANNA: Sandra, thank you so much for stopping by today to tell us about your wonderful new publishing company! It’s so exciting – for you and for us! I think I speak for everyone when I say we can’t wait to see what you will publish!
And thanks to everyone 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!
It’s another Perfect Picture Book Friday, and not only do I have a wonderful book to share, I also have a giveaway thanks to Sterling Children’s Books!
Leave a comment on this post to be entered in the random drawing and you could be the lucky winner of a hot-off-the-presses copy of Bindu’s Bindis when it releases March 16!
Let’s have a look at this wonderful book! 😊
Title: Bindu’s Bindis
Written By: Supriya Kelkar
Illustrated By: Parvati Pillai
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books, March 16, 2021
Opening: “Every month Bindu’s nani sent her a new set of bindis from India. Bindu adored her bindis. She wore them to the temple. She wore them on holidays. She wore them at home.”
Brief Synopsis: Bindu loves her family, especially her nani, and she loves the bindis that nani sends her. But sometimes, she feels different in a way that doesn’t feel good. But with her nani beside her and a lightning bolt bindi for courage, she finds she’s able to embrace who she is even if others sometimes find her differences strange.
Links To Resources: an author’s note at the end offers wonderful information and details about bindis; we are all unique – what are some things about you that others might find different, strange, or hard to understand about you even though they seem completely normal in your family?; we all have things in common – what are some things you share with people who seem different in some ways?; Bindu chooses certain bindis to match her mood/emotional state – a lightning bolt for feeling brave, an oval for pride, squiggly lines for feeling unique. Would you choose as Bindi does? What shapes would you choose to match feeling shy? Fierce? Uncertain?
Why I Like This Book: Bindu is a delightful and charming main character who bounces believably between exuberant self-confidence and sudden worrying uncertainty, but no matter what she faces she feels surrounded by and grounded in the love of her family, especially her beloved nani. I love the warm feeling of family, Bindu’s deep connection to nani, and the way culture and tradition come through as a natural part of the story without feeling forced or contrived. The bright, colorful art is a perfect complement to the brighter moments of the story, dimming to more subdued colors on the pages where Bindu’s confidence and security are challenged, and rising to a swirl of bright pink dress in the purple background of the stage when Bindu finds the courage to join nani. A lovely book that will introduce young readers to the meaning and importance of bindis.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Don’t forget to leave a comment to get entered in the random drawing to win a copy of this lovely book!
What a Would You Read It Straight From The Editor line up we have today!
Fun times for all!
It’s always such a great learning experience to hear what editor Erin Molta has to say!
Let’s jump right in, shall we?!
First off, we have such a treat! Straight From The Editor for FOUR (count them! 4!) pitches: April 2020, May/September 2020, October 2020, and November/December 2020!
You will recall Sierra’s winning pitch from April:
Title: The Bug Battle Circus Audience: Children ages 3-8 Genre: Narrative Nonfiction/Humor
Pitch: When household pests go head to head in the Bug Battle Circus, which crawly critters will be victorious? You guess! A wild, interactive story comparable to Bob Shea’s Crash, Splash, or Moo! and the Who Would Win? series. Nonfiction backmatter included.
Here’s what Erin had to say:
I can see the potential for this and understand why you’re comparing it to already published books but that shouldn’t be in the pitch. That’s in the query letter. The pitch is your sell line. What makes your book special—apart from Crash Splash Moo or Who Would Win? It would be great to get at least one example of a competition in the pitch. Even a wild interactive story is telling us, not showing us and an example from the story would have more impact on an editor. Perhaps something more like: Household pests go head to head in the Bug Battle Circus—ants and mice compete to see who can hoist the most crumbs. Which crawly critters will be victorious in this interactive story? Nonfiction backmatter included.
Lindsey’s winning pitch from May/September was:
The Wind Keeper PB ages 4-8
On Jenny’s eighth birthday, Papa tells her that she comes from a long line of Wind Keepers. Together they harness the power of the wind to change the seasons and send kites flying high. But when Papa suddenly passes away, her world becomes still. Jenny must find the strength to overcome her grief and bring the wind back to the valley.
And Erin said:
This seems almost perfect. I would suggest one tweak—just to have slightly more impact. Rather than “her world becomes still” because it’s everybody’s world and no wind affects everybody, I’d say “the world becomes still.”
Nicole’s winning pitch from October was:
Dear Duchess (PB 4-8) When her octopus stuffie, Duchess, moves to the ocean to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a mermaid, Charley isn’t sure she’s brave enough to face the first day of school alone. Duchess and Charley comfort and cheer each other through letters until Duchess realizes that some things are even more precious than her magnifique new tail.
And Erin said:
This sounds adorable—so much going on between a pretend animal moving away to become a fantasy creature of a whole different type in a whole different place and then to write letters to her friend/owner. So much suspension of belief needs to be unpacked here. Not saying that can’t be done but maybe Duchess goes back to the sea because of her lifelong dream to become a real octopus but realizes life in the ocean is dangerous and scary and lonely without her friend Charley. Just a thought. At the very least, I think you need to add “beloved” before octopus stuffie (as shown below)—just to make it clear that Duchess is a well-loved longtime companion of Charley’s.
When her beloved octopus stuffie, Duchess, moves to the ocean to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a mermaid, Charley isn’t sure she’s brave enough to face the first day of school alone. Duchess and Charley comfort and cheer each other through letters until Duchess realizes that some things are even more precious than her magnifique new tail.
Last but not least, Patricia’s winning post from November/December was:
Working Title: Back to the Sea (PB 4-8)
The Pitch: At sunrise on a lush, tropical island, an inquisitive child accompanies a huge cast of terrestrial hermit crabs as they scritchedy-scratch and clickety-clack on their annual journey to spawn in the sea. They face rocky terrain, hungry gulls, and larger animals that could crush them, but the crabs remain focused on their instinctive goal. This lyrical STEM manuscript is Hawk Rising set in the Caribbean.
Erin had this to say:
This seems very interesting. However, I would encourage you to get more of your lyrical language into the pitch—show an editor, don’t tell an editor that your text is lyrical. The scritchedy-scratchclickety-clack are great and I think that you’d be better off using another line to mention the dangers a hermit crab faces on its trek from the trees to the ocean. No need to mention another book (Hawk Rising) in the pitch. That goes in the query letter.
I am always so interested to hear Erin’s thoughts, and she is so helpful and generous to share them with us! I hope you all found this as educational as I did!
After all that learning, I think we need Something Chocolate, don’t you? Packed with vegetables (from the cocoa BEAN) and protein (from the peaNUT butter) and calcium (because I just dare you to eat these without a glass of milk!), let’s start the day off right with this healthy breakfast!
Now that you (surely!) feel totally energized (from all the nutrients of course, not the sugar surge 😊) I think we’re ready to direct our full attention to today’s pitch which comes to us from Deborah. Deborah Foster is a home designer, mother, and a fantastic cook. Her CRAV-O-METER tends to have a “sweet” outcome and her all-time favorite food is cherry pie. She is a master at writing while cooking supper and, thankfully, her husband doesn’t mind eating burnt casseroles every now and then. Deborah is a member of 12×12, Inked Voices, and SavvyAuthors. She is always looking for more writing friends on Twitter. Follow her @DeborahClaytonF. A
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: The Bitter Tastebud
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Amargo is a bitter tastebud who can’t stand to take another sweet, salty, or lip-puckering bite. But he is outnumbered and so is his vote on the CRAV-O-METER. Amargo must figure out how to change the vote or continue eating the food he detests.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Deborah improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in April, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!
Deborah is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I usually say something I’m looking forward to here, but today I have something for YOU to look forward to! I know I’m a little bit Mars-crazy, having written a book about Mars and the rovers, but if you haven’t seen this official video from NASA of Perseverance landing on Mars you’re in for a treat. It is, to put it plainly, absolutely incredible! Watch the video, share it with your kids and/or students, maybe read MARS’ FIRST FRIENDS along with it… 😊 but don’t miss the video!
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another exciting episode of Tuesday Debut!
Today’s debut-ess and I are clearly kindred spirits! Her book is being published by Nancy Paulsen, who has one of my books due out next year, her publication date is one of my daughters’ birthday, and her name is Rebecca, which is my sister’s name! There’s a pretty good chance we are twin princesses separated at birth 😊
So I am delighted to introduce you to Rebecca Kraft Rector and her fun-looking book, Squish Squash Squished! (I don’t have my copy as of the writing of this post but I hope it will be here soon!)
Squish Squash Squished Written by Rebecca Kraft Rector Illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte Published by Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Random House February 16, 2021 Fiction, ages 2-6
When Max and Molly complain about being squished in the back seat of their gracious-spacious automobile, Mom invites their animal neighbors to ride along. They’d better figure out what to do before they’re truly SQUISH SQUASH SQUISHED!
SUSANNA:Welcome, Rebecca! Thank you so much for joining us today! We’re excited to hear all about how Squish Squash Squished came to be! Where did the idea for this book come from?
REBECCA: Family car rides were a big part of my childhood. But the story was not inspired by us kids being crowded in the back seat, because we were very well behaved. 😊 In fact, SQUISH SQUASH SQUISHED grew out of another story I was working on. That story was about the car itself. Gradually I started focusing on the children and adding humor and word play. My most successful stories happen when I’m making myself laugh.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
REBECCA: I wrote and revised the story with the help of my critique group in about three months. It didn’t sell and I put it away. That was twenty years ago!
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
REBECCA: SQUISH SQUASH SQUISHED was revised at least 15 times before it was submitted.
I revise before sharing with critique partners and then I revise again. (and again) When I think a story is finished, I do a few more passes. I use Word to turn the text into a 4 x 8 table. It’s an easy process under Insert/Table/Convert Text to Table. Each cell of the table represents a page of a 32-page book. The table lets me see where page turns will fall, if one page will have more words than another, if I’m repeating things unnecessarily, etc. A new revision tool I use is Read Mode in Word. I can see the text spread across two pages, just like a book. And if I enlarge the font to 18 (or so) it has fewer words on the page, so it reads like a picture book. I also like to change the font size and color of the text. It gives me a totally new perspective on the story.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
REBECCA: After many revisions and feedback from my critique group, I felt I had a solid story. It made me laugh and the words flowed smoothly when it was read aloud.
Rebecca’s work buddies, Ollie and Opal 😊
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
REBECCA: My agent submitted the story three times before we parted ways. Then I submitted to publishers that took unsolicited manuscripts. I put the story away when it was rejected and only pulled it out again, almost 20 years later, when I needed a story to work on for a workshop. Cecilia Yung, Art Director at Penguin Random House, saw the story at the workshop (text only since I can’t draw), loved it, and took it to editor/publisher Nancy Paulsen. A week later, I received an email from Nancy offering to publish the story!
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
REBECCA:This was my first picture book contract so I only had a vague idea of what to expect. The advance was divided into two payments—half on signing the contract and half on “delivery and acceptance of the manuscript.” I believe “delivery and acceptance” referred to a revised manuscript after editorial feedback. The number of author copies was negotiated from 10 to 24. The contract’s timeline for publication was 18 months after acceptance of text and illustrations. 18 months seemed a long, but reasonable time to wait. However, the timeline was actually about three and a half years. Publishing is sloooow.
SUSANNA: Can you tell us a bit about the editorial process?
REBECCA: The editorial process was wonderful. Nancy was awesome to work with—responsive and open to discussing any questions I had. Yes, I had to make some changes. But she really did listen to my concerns. One example is that she had revised the story so that the animals exited the car in one paragraph—the dogs got out at the puppy school, the ducks got out at the duck pond, and the pigs got out at the market. I really wanted to show the car gradually emptying—the dogs got out but Molly still had two ducks on her head quack-quacking and Max still had a pig on his lap oink-oinking. (Those lines are all paraphrased.) Nancy’s changes were made so that the story would fit into a 32-page picture book. After some discussion, she decided to go with a 40-page picture book so that we could include my original text!
SUSANNA: What was your experience of the illustration process like?
REBECCA: I was included in the illustration process from the start. I had input on illustrators and I was able to give feedback on sketches. I hadn’t included any art notes but I had pictures in my head, of course. It took a little time to adjust my vision when I saw the sketches. But they quickly grew on me. I was so lucky that illustrator Dana Wulfekotte came on board to create the world for SQUISH SQUASH SQUISHED. She even made some changes based on my suggestions.
text copyright Rebecca Kraft Rector 2021, illustration copyright Dana Wulfekotte 2021, Nancy Paulsen Books
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc?
REBECCA: Nothing yet.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
REBECCA: July 2017 to January 2021. Three and a half years.
SUSANNA: What was the initial print run for your book?
REBECCA: 10,000 copies.
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
REBECCA: The associate publicist is pitching widely to national and regional media, targeting trade and book-interest sites, illustrator and educator media, and parenting media.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
REBECCA: I’m doing blog interviews and I’ve joined a debut picture book group—21 for the Books. It’s been a great, supportive group. We have a blog https://oneforthebooks.wixsite.com/2021 and we create graphics and interviews to publicize each other’s books.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
REBECCA: It was a long time—at least thirty years.
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?)
REBECCA: The most important thing I learned was Don’t Give Up! Keep writing and keep trying. This might not be the right time for this story, but who knows? Maybe it’ll sell next year (or twenty years from now).
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to join us today and give us a glimpse of your publication process, Rebecca! It is such a privilege to get to learn from you! I know I speak for everyone when I wish you the very best of luck with this and future titles!
Readers, if you have questions for Rebecca, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!
You may purchase Rebecca’s book at: (all links below are book-specific)
I know someone in your house probably snagged the last Poptart and you’re stuck eating All-Bran for breakfast. . .on a frigid Monday morning. . .in the snow!
But.
BUT!
I am about to cast a ray of sunshine into your freezing, snowy, All-Bran-y, Monday morning!
Yes!
It’s true!
Here comes sunshine and heart-warming happiness because I am going to SING YOU A SONG! 🎶🎵🎶
🎶How much are those Poptarts in the window, So sugary sweet and divine? I’m brave, but not brave enough to offer All-Bran to my sweet Valentine!🎶
No?
Ok, how about
🎶Oh, my darling, Oh, my darling, Oh, my darling, Valentine! I will give you all my Poptarts If you promise to be mine!🎶
Oh no, wait! I’ve got it!
🎶I’m a little Poptart filled with jam Some say I’m sweet and it’s true! I am! But my Valentiny also true – No one else is sweet as you!🎶
I don’t know what’s happening here.
Apparently someone (who is not a good singer) has Poptarts on the brain.
Who could that be?
But never mind, because GUESS WHAT?
It’s time to announce the WINNERS of
The6thAnnualValentinyWritingContest
~forchildren’swriters~
First of all, I want to thank EVERYONE who took the time and care to write an entry for this contest. You all did a fabulous job and provided great enjoyment for so many! As always, I was thrilled to see so many wonderful stories! It is amazing and inspiring, not to mention VERY entertaining! There is just so much talent out there amongst you all! The other judges and I are blown away anew each time!
Second, I’d also like to thank EVERYONE – writer, reader, or both – who took the time to go around and read as many entries as you could and leave supportive comments. This means so much to the writers who worked hard on their stories. It helps them see what they did well, as well as giving them the joy of knowing that their stories were read and enjoyed. I hope you all got as much delight and entertainment out of the reading as I did! Plus, we got to meet quite a few new people which was a wonderful added bonus! 🙂
Third, I want to say again how difficult it was too choose! There were so many amazing entries. Really. I could find at least something terrific about every single one. The sheer volume of entries meant that many good ones had to be cut. We chose 14 finalists, and around 35 Honorable Mentions which we also loved, and even with those 49 total there were over 200 entries we couldn’t list! So if yours didn’t make the final cut please don’t feel bad. You’re in good company! There was a huge amount of competition. Judging, no matter how hard we try to be objective, is always subjective at a certain point – we all have our own preferences for what makes a great story. And the fact that you didn’t make the final cut DOES NOT mean you didn’t write a great story. Everyone who plonked their butt in a chair and worked hard to write a story for this contest is a winner! You showed up. You did your best work. You practiced your craft. You wrote to specifications and a deadline. You bravely shared your writing with the world. And you have a brand new story that is now yours to expand beyond 214 words if you like and maybe submit at some point to a magazine or as a PB manuscript. So bravo to everyone who entered!
Because it was such a hard choice, and there were so many wonderful stories, before we get to the winners, my assistant judges and I would like to award bragging rights, recognition and a small prize to the following authors for the following merits:
1.ForHonorable Mention In The Competition As A Whole: (entries we truly wrestled with not including in the finalists!)
Elizabeth Volkmann for Class List
Melissa Trempe for The Most Terrible, Awful, Icky Valentine Ever
David McMullin for Brave Brave Brave (also funny 😊)
Laken Slate for The Brave Little Conversation Heart
M.R. Haqq for Soon
Mia Geiger for Peanut’s Brave Valentine’s Day
Ashlee Hashman for The Wildflower
Lindsey Hobson for U R Brave
Audrey Day-Williams for Legendary Valentine
Sara Ackerman for Arrrrr Is For Valentine
Amy Leskowski for A One-of-a-Kind, Just-in-Case, Not-at-All-Pink Valentine’s Day
Donna Kurtz for The Owl and the Kitty-Kat
2. For Great Kid Appeal: (not already mentioned in the finals or other categories)
Una Belle Townsend for Six Secret Valentines
Jan Suhr for The Lost Valentine
Kaylee Gwarjanski for Mission: Cancel Cupid Call
Gregory E. Bray for A Valentine’s Day Quest in the Land of Moore
Elizabeth Muster for W-R-I-T-E For Each Other
3. For Original POV:
Molly Ippolito for Cardamom’s Courage (POV of cardamom)
Rozana Rajkumari for Lemon-Tine (POV of a lemon)
4. For Humor:
Kelly Conroy for The Monster’s Valentine Buffet (dark 😊)
Catherine J Lee for The Valentine on My Shoe
Karyn Curtis for The Valentine’s Quest
Tracy Curran for The Wibbler (also great POV – jelly!)
5. ForWell-Written, Fun Story With Great Sibling Interaction:
Brenda Whitehead for Step-Brother Battle
Shannon Howarth Nelson for Super Brothers
Danielle S. Hammelef for Scaredy-Cat
6. ForBeautiful Writing:
Ciara N M Greenwalt for The Gift Tree
Sandhya Acharya for Sarla Asks A Question
Jyoti Rajan Gopal for A Cocoon of Love
Amy Flynn for Tilly’s Great Big Heart
7. For Best Short Valentiny Story:
P. J. Purtee for A Simple Valentine
8. For Sweet Valentiny:
Kelly Swemba for Brave For Gigi
Anne Bromley for Caleb’s Heart
Carmen Castillo Gilbert for Roses From Valentina
9. Best Story From A Young Writer:
Sophia Zafra for Bravery Is From The Heart
Congratulations to all of you for fantastic elements of your stories! You may all email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com subject line Prize Winner to collect your award badge and prize, which is five dollars in a format that can be emailed for you to put toward something you’d like at a large online store (and I’m being cryptic because when I did this for Halloweensie I got a ton of problematic spam mail because of the way I worded the post, but hopefully you can figure it out. The store starts with the letter A 😊) I know it’s not much, but hopefully it will come in handy for something!
And now…
…the moment you’ve all been waiting for…
The announcement of the WINNERS OF THE 2021 VALENTINY CONTEST as voted on by you, our devoted readers!!!
rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat
DDDRRRUUUMMM RRROOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!
In First Place…
Winner of the whole shebang…
who gets first choice of all the prizes…
Sarah McDermott for Lemur in Love!!!
Congratulations, Sarah! We had such fun reading this aloud! Terrific job 😊
In Second Place
Sarah Meade for Jana’s Valentine Visit
Congratulations, Sarah! So believable! You get to pick your prize after Sarah.
In Third Place
Nancy Derey Riley for Percy’s Valentine
Congratulations, Nancy! What a perfectly rhymed and timely story! You get to pick your prize after Sarah and Sarah.
In Fourth Place…
Jessica Hinrichs for Valentine’s Gotcha Day
Congratulations, Jessica! So sweet! You get to pick your prize after Sarah, Sarah, and Nancy!
In Fifth Place…
Carrie Boone for The Ballad of Bad Bart
Congratulations, Carrie! What a Valentine bargain! You get to pick after Sarah, Sarah, Nancy, and Jessica!
In Sixth Place...
Nicole Loos Miller for Stella & Hank
Congratulations, Nicole! You must have a cat and a dog to write them so well! I’m sure you get the idea of how the prize picking goes by now 😊
In Seventh Place…
Paul Kurtz for Someone Special!
Congratulations, Paul! You made us laugh You get to pick next 😊
In Eighth Place…
Chambrae Griffith for Octopus Hugs
Congratulations, Chambrae! Happy ending for shark 😊 You get to pick after Paul 😊
In Ninth Place…
Janie Reinart for Untangled Valentines
Congratulations, Janie! So beautifully written! You get to pick after Chambrae!
In Tenth Place…
Anne Lipton for Most Valuable Valentine
Congratulations, Anne! You did a masterful job of turning history and racial justice into a Valentiny story! And in rhyme! You get to pick after Janie!
In Eleventh Place…
Katie Brandyberry for Valentine Delivery
Congratulations, Katie! We could just see the picture book your little mail truck would make! You get to pick after Anne 😊
In Twelfth Place…
Lauri C. Meyers for Charmadillo
Congratulations, Lauri! You had us at the title! And we laughed at the ending 😊 You get to pick your prize after Katie.
In Thirteenth Place…
Judy Sobanski for Brave Little Friends
Congratulations, Judy! Little Racoon was certainly very brave! 😊 You get to pick after Lauri!
In Fourteenth Place…
Samantha Haas for Valentine’s Day Rocks
Congratulations, Samantha! We loved Marjorie for her kindness and understanding, and Roger for bravely (and intelligently) coming up with valentines that worked for him!
All the winners should email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com with the subject heading Prize Winner so we can work out details for you to receive your prizes! (The sooner the better!) And for your convenience, the whole prize list is included at the bottom of this post.
Congratulations again to all our winners – it was a stiff competition!! – and congratulations to EVERYONE who wrote and entered a story in the contest. You all deserve a huge round of applause and a gigantic chocolate heart… or lots of little chocolate hearts… or both… really, you can never have too much chocolate 😊 . (Or, can I interest you in a Poptart? Maybe a chocolate Poptart… 😊 )
Thank you to everyone who helped make this contest SO MUCH FUN, whether by writing an entry, reading people’s stories, leaving comments for the authors, and/or voting in the finals. It’s because of all of you that this contest was such a success, so many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart!
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, fiction) from Becky Scharnhorst, author of the forthcoming MY SCHOOL STINKS! (Philomel Books, July 6, 2021)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, fiction, fewer than 800 words) from Rebecca Kraft Rector, author of SQUISH SQUASH SQUISHED (Nancy Paulsen Books, February 16, 2021) (which means it’s coming out in the middle of our contest!😊) and the forthcoming LITTLE RED (Aladdin, Simon & Schuster, Spring 2022) and TRIA AND THE GREAT STAR RESCUE (Delacorte/Random House)
A Picture Book Manuscript Critique by gifted author and former Holiday Contest prize winner, Jenna Waldman, author of the forthcoming Larry’s Latkes (October 2021) (originally written for the Holiday Contest!) and Shark-bot Shalom (August 2021) She is on twitter at @SarafinaDesign
Author Jenna Waldman
– Either a signed copy of WHEN A TREE GROWSOR a Picture Book Manuscript Critique – winner’s choice! – from Cathy Ballou Mealey, author of WHEN A TREE GROWS (Sterling April 2019) and the forthcoming SLOTH AND SQUIRREL IN A PICKLE (Kids Can Press, May 4, 2021)
Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
You’ve been up all night, wearing holes in your carpet, nibbling your nails to nubbins, refreshing your browser every 10 seconds in case the blog notification you’re waiting for somehow needs a nudge to load, picking the clock up to make sure you read it right because YIKES! how long can it BE until MORNING!
And when at last it is actually time for that blog post to arrive. . .
. . .it DOESN’T! (You had to wait until 11 AM!)
(Gnashing of teeth, tearing of hair, rending of garments, howl of frustration! GAH!!!)
I know. I understand. I really do.
Because here, on the other side of the blog post, the other judges and I have spent the past several days (and nights) reading and re-reading 252 amazing, wonderful entries, trying to narrow them down to a mere handful of finalists when there are SO MANY we’d like to choose. It is agony, I tell you, sheer AGONY!
It makes me realize that apparently I am a glutton for more than chocolate! Who knew? I must also be a glutton for punishment to put myself through this every contest!
Because every contest you guys amaze me with your talent and creativity. Each time I think I can’t be more impressed with the entry pool, you prove me wrong.
So. . .
. . .gnashing of teeth, tearing of hair, rending of garments, howl of frustration! GAH!!! and consumption of a LOT of sustaining chocolate and caffeine 😊
Because entering a contest is a kind of practice for submitting to agents and editors, I thought you might be interested to see a bit of breakdown so you know what you’re up against when you submit. This contest (popular as it is 😊) got 252 entries this year – a mere drop in the bucket compared to the number of submissions agents and editors get. Approximately 240 entries had to be cut. Only the tiniest percentage of entries make it to the finalist list. It is even more competitive among agents and editors. I do not say this to discourage you! But it does show how important it is to submit your best work. When making a choice, it is much easier to cut the ones that didn’t follow the submission guidelines, weren’t proofread, have subpar writing mechanics with mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word usage, or simply don’t feel special enough to stand out from a crowd of excellent entries.
This contest the entries seemed to fall into topic categories more than usual.
We had many groups of 2 or 3 entries relating to robots, spiders, bees, lions, seeds/flowers, snails/slugs, color blindness, dragons, and zombies.
Then we had bigger groups about:
Birds (4) Cats (5) Chickens (5) (I think that was because of the bravery theme 😊) Grumpy/Scary Neighbor (5) Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity (6) Fear of Public Speaking (7) Nursing Home/Elderly/Ill/Dementia/Dying/Dead Grandparent (8) Sick/Injured Child (particularly cancer) ((9) Dogs (10)
(and I don’t claim to have counted exactly right 😊 there may have been a few more in each group)
I thought it might be helpful to you in your continued writing so see how many writers’ minds go in similar directions in order to help you distinguish your writing from that of others by looking for ways to make those topics fresh and new, and to write them in ways that truly enhance the topic and make it shine so that a judge, agent, or editor can’t get it out of her mind. What (for example) will make your dog story funnier, more heartfelt, more original, more…whatever, than the other X number of dog stories it’s up against?
Anyway, with apologies for being unable to winnow the finalist pool to 12 and therefore settling on 14 (which is the number of Valentine’s Day after all 😊) (and yes, I will see if I can scare up two more prizes!) I present to you the finalists in the 2021 Sixth Annual Pretty Much World Famous Valentiny Writing Contest! Please read through them carefully, take your time, think it over, and vote for your favorite in the poll below by Sunday February 21 at 5 PM Eastern time.
To help with objectivity, finalists are listed by title only, not by author.
And I’d like to be very clear about the voting process. You are MOST welcome to share a link to this post on FB, twitter, or wherever you like to hang out, and encourage people to come read ALL the finalists and vote for the one they think is best. Please do that. The more people who read and enjoy these stories the better, and the more objective votes we get the better. HOWEVER (and I want to be very clear on this) please do nottell people you are a finalist. Please do notask people to vote for a specific number or title, or for the story about the brave little alien who faced certain peril at the launch of the Valentine Roboblaster 2000 or whatever. Trolling for votes or trying to influence the outcome is counter to the spirit of this competition which is supposed to be based on merit. We operate on the honor system. I thank you in advance for respecting this. Your win will mean more if it’s honestly earned.
So now, here are the 2021 Valentiny Contest Finalists!!! 7 rhyme, 7 prose (total accident!), some for younger readers, some for older (but still kid) readers, some funny, some sweet, some sad, some thought-provoking but all fabulous! 😊
The6thAnnualValentinyWritingContest
~FINALISTS!!!~
#1 – Percy’s Valentine
“Hello NASA, Percy here, I’m on approach to Mars. I’ve come to meet my valentine out here among the stars.”
Suddenly his dash went dark. He lost communication. The rover now was on his own to reach his destination.
“The next ten minutes are the worst. It’s called the time of terror. I’ve calculated all the risks and have no room for error.”
He used an extra thruster burn, to slow his rate of speed. He changed his orbit, pitch, and slope to plot the course he’d need.
But then alarms began to blare. He cried, “I’ve overshot!” His heat shields glowed a brilliant white. “I’m coming in too hot!”
With only seconds left to save his Valentine’s Day mission, he saw “Range Trigger” on a knob, “That’s how I change position.”
He pulled the knob and felt a thunk, the parachute deployed. The sky crane lowered him to Mars beside another droid.
He smiled at Curiosity. “I had to persevere. Please say you’ll be my Valentine, now that I made it here!”
“Your entrance was spectacular. It won my heart and soul.” She said, “We’ll be the best of friends. Come on, let’s rock and roll.”
#2 – Valentine Delivery
Mail Truck’s engine flutters with nerves. Today is Valentine’s Day and his mailbags are overflowing.
But… snowflakes swirl and twirl around him. Mail Truck has never driven on snowy, slick roads before.
Wheels spinning, he begins his route. He slips to the left, then slides to the right. His shocks shake. He fogs up in fear. He carefully shuffles back and parks.
The snow will melt tomorrow. I’ll deliver the valentines then, he thinks. I’m sure nobody will mind.
Across the street, a child darts to her mailbox. She slips in a homemade valentine for pickup. Mail Truck’s tires deflate with guilt.
Further down, an old lady trudges to her mailbox. Seeing it empty, she wipes away a tear. Watching her, Mail Truck’s lights turn red in shame.
Determined, Mail Truck fills his tank. He turns on his brightest lights. His wipers zip back and forth.
“My job is to deliver the mail – snow or shine!”
Bravely, he rolls down the street. His heart races as he inches from mailbox to mailbox.
The child runs outside, yelling “Happy Valentine’s Day, Mail Truck!”
When the old lady sees her mail delivered, her face lights up.
On this cold and snowy day, Mail Truck feels warm inside… and remembers why he loves his job.
#3 – Most Valuable Valentine
This year I’ll make baseball cards instead of valentines, to honor a brave player who transcended racial lines. Henry Louis Aaron batted well above his weight, his legend soaring over those who needled him with hate.
Henry grew up poor but loved, down south in Mobile Bay. Thwacking bottle caps with sticks, he’d pop them far away. Though he had no bat or glove, he had great strength within, but he was barred from Little League because he had dark skin.
Henry’s high school had no team, so he went semi-pro. When he unspooled his mighty swing, he made the crowd go “Oh!” Henry slid into home plate, and he’d sew up the win, yet some hotels and restaurants would not let Henry in.
Henry Aaron never quit, his hopes pinned to his dream, working hard to do his best, to always help his team. With his eyes glued on the ball, he’d shut out racist jeers, and with the cracking of his bat came loud, wholehearted cheers.
Henry was the Home Run King, a diamond for his court. He rose above the foul done him and championed good sport. My ball-entines will be a hit, a home run, no debate, because they’re threaded through with love and not a stitch of hate.
#4 – Stella & Hank
Stella was the perfect cat: Gorgeous, And charming, And oh-so-soft.
She was loved by all, Especially Hank.
Hank was the perfect dog: Huge, And drooly, And oh-so-playful.
He was loved by everyone… Except Stella.
Hank tried to win Stella’s affection With rope-pulls, And slobbery bones, Even his favorite stuffie.
But Stella flattened her ears, Wrinkled her whiskers, And turned her tail.
When Hank came near, Stella’s claws came out.
When Hank whimpered, Stella HISSSSSSSSED. When Hank howled a love tune, Stella SMACKED. And when he tried to give her a bath… YIKES!
Poor Hank.
Then, one February day, Stella Went Away And Hank Sighed And Waited And Sighed And Waited Until…
She finally came back With a big plastic collar That went up instead of down.
Stella was sore, And sad, And sleepy, And it broke Hank’s heart.
He gathered his courage, And his bones, And his stuffie.
He risked a HISS, And a SMACK, And even a SWIPE, To put his offering at her feet.
Stella opened one eye. She considered him closely. And Scooted To The Right.
Enough room for a large dog (If he stayed very quiet). Hank barely dared to breathe. Stella started to purr. It was the best Valentine’s ever Because he spent it next to her.
#5 – Octopus Hugs
Octopus was floating by, when a flyer caught his eye.
Clown fish, dolphins, sting rays, slugs, are you good at giving hugs? A Valentine’s Day hug contest. The prize, a sunken treasure chest! Contestants, meet at Aqua Park. Test all your hugs on me! Love, Shark.
“A treasure chest? Oh what a prize!” But hug a shark, would that be wise?
With 8 strong arms he’d be the winner, or he might wind up— shark’s dinner!
He squirmed his way to Aqua Park to see who dared to hug a shark.
But not one creature stood in line Only shark—who held a sign.
Hug contest. Enter, please! I’ve never had a single squeeze.
Shark’s head hung low, he looked so blue, Octopus knew what to do.
He swam up slowly feeling wary, shark was big, and very scary!
He stretched his shaking arms out wide, and whispered, “Here shark, swim inside.”
He wrapped shark up, all tight and snug, and gave him the most perfect hug.
“Oh what a hug! The very best! You win this sunken treasure chest.”
But Octopus had fixed his eyes on something else, a shark-sized prize!
“Though the treasure chest looks great, I’d rather win— a new best mate!”
#6 – Untangled Valentines
This Valentine’s day is tangled like my hair… like my thoughts.
One last time, I brush my bangs.
Put on the gift from my sister— a new red headband.
She’s been in the hospital a lot.
My sister worries… no one will want to be her valentine.
My sister worries… no one will think she is pretty anymore.
Clumps of her hair fall out— rest on her pillow.
Today, we leave for another appointment.
I promise her —cross my heart— I will hold her hand the whole time…
First, they tie her hair into ponytails.
Scissors snip, snip.
Then clippers buzz, buzz.
My heart beats ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom.
What’s left of her soft curls fall to the floor.
I clutch her hand.
In minutes her little head is … bald.
I blink fast. Squeeze my eyes closed. And swallow hard.
Her small mouth quivers into a half smile. “Want to rub my head for good luck?”
I exhale.
Slowly, I take off my new headband.
The words untangle on my tongue.
“Better than that,” I say softly. “I’m next.”
#7 – The Ballad of Bad Bart
High noon Western town Bad Bart stares the sheriff down.
Empty street Dusty square Tension crackles in the air
Spurs jangle Fingers shake Bad Bart’s heart begins to quake.
Overhead Buzzards fly Shadows in the clear blue sky.
Down below Bad Bart stands Lasso twisting in his hands
Palms sweaty, Mouth dry, Bad Bart catches Sheriff’s eye.
Hesitation – Can he do it? Deep breath in–nothing to it!
“Tell me, Sheriff Caroline, Will you be my Valentine?”
Buzzards pause Wind stops Bad Bart’s stomach flips and flops
Sheriff frowns Seconds drag Bart’s high hopes begin to sag
Sheriff brightens Hope revives! Bad Bart’s dearest wish survives
Sheriff says to her cowboy Words that fill his heart with joy:
“Put aside your life of crime– Then I’ll be your Valentine!”
#8 – Someone Special!
“Yoo-hoo, Blowtorch,” Danny calls into the cave. A dragon appears. “YAWN! I was napping—what’s up?”
“Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day. I want to show someone special I’m brave.” Danny waves a striped bag. “Pretend to fight me and these fireball-jawbreakers are yours.”
“Ooo—my favorite.”
Next day—
“Danny,” Princess Dawn says, “are you sure about this? Your Valentine card, flowers, and candy were plenty.”
“But I want you to see I’m brave.”
CLINK—CLANK—CLUNK—
—rattles Danny’s armor as he approaches the cave.
“Come out, fiery dragon—brave knight Sir Danny challenges you!”
Blowtorch appears—
ROARRRR
Danny’s silver sword flashes—Blowtorch’s golden claws rip the air.
“Oh my—” Princess Dawn gasps.
All day they fight like tigers.
“OH MY!” Princess Dawn squeals.
Blowtorch rises onto his back legs, and—
WHOOSHHH
—giant flames flare from his nostrils.
“YYIII!” Danny shrieks.
The flames melt Danny’s armor and burn away his clothes. Stumbling backward, he sprawls on the ground in his charred, smoking underpants.
“OHHH! Blowtorch, why did you do that?”
Blowtorch winks at a dragon with glittering pink scales standing beside Princess Dawn.
Giggling, she waves her silver claws and flutters her violet eyelashes at him. “My handsome, brave dragon-hero.” Blowtorch sighs and flames flare from his nostrils, forming a heart. “I have someone special too!”
#9 – Charmadillo
Charmadillo sniffed the air And smelled the lovely Shelly there. She snorted dirt while pigging out. He loved her soft pink digging snout.
He should say “hi” or “whatcha eating,” But his heart was loudly beating. Too shy to speak, he hatched a scheme To tell sweet Shelly she’s his dream.
He would write some words of love And pass the note from up above. “Your snout is pink, your bands are fine, Won’t you be my Valentine?”
He watched the letter fall below… But then his fear began to grow. He tried to snatch it back again, But it was deep inside her den!
The situation turned him pale. He rolled himself and hugged his tail. His armor wasn’t tough enough – Inside he felt all squirmy stuff.
He tried to dig a hole and hide, But something stirred from deep inside. What if his dreadful doubts were wrong, And sharing feelings made him strong?
He paced nearby for her reply, Jumping when he heard her cry: “Charmadillo, I can’t read. You want a candied centipede?”
The lunch of termites he prepared Showed his love how much he cared. She didn’t know the words he wrote, But showed her love and… ate the note.
#10 – Valentine’s Gotcha Day
Valentine sat in her kennel, nervously thumping her tail against the floor.
Was today the day? She’d gotten her hopes up before, but everyone always said her fur was too scruffy, her nose was a funny shape, and her size was just too much to love.
Day after day, she remained at the shelter, watching families adopt her friends and hoping one day it would be her turn too.
Just then, Valentine’s ears perked up. She heard a girl’s voice. Her heart beat faster as the girl approached.
“Look, Mommy!” The little girl squealed. “Her fur is red! Her nose is shaped like a heart! And there’s a lot of her to love! She’s perfect.”
The little girl knelt down and smiled—the prettiest smile Valentine had ever seen.
Valentine’s eyes pleaded with her. Could this be my Gotcha Day? I’m too scared to even hope. Be brave! She trembled, but she held the little girl’s gaze.
As if the little girl understood, she reached out her hand and gently whispered, “Sweet Valentine, will you be mine?”
Will I ever! Valentine’s fears faded in a split-second and she lunged into the little girl’s arms, peppering her face with wet kisses.
The little girl giggled. “You’re the best Valentine ever!” No, thought Valentine, you are.
#11 – Lemur In Love
Trevor is an AYE-AYE and he’s ready for some love. But sadly he’s so SHY-SHY, hiding in the leaves above. He’s got his eyes on Rita, it feels more than just a whim. But what if she won’t love a scruffy GUY-GUY just like him?
Trevor knows that AYE-AYEs aren’t the handsomest of males. He gives a great big SIGH-SIGH as he polishes his nails. But maybe looks aren’t everything, he needs to make her see The fluffy little TIE-TIE wearing GUY-GUY up the tree.
Trevor must impress her but an AYE-AYE’s skills are few. He gives a mournful CRY-CRY. He just hasn’t got a clue. But then a lightbulb moment, Trevor’s great at French cuisine! He’ll bake a splendid PIE-PIE, soon she’ll be his jungle queen!
Trevor looks up HIGH-HIGH where the moon is shining clear. He makes his way to Rita, trying hard to show no fear. He offers her his PIE-PIE, Rita smiles then takes a bite And hearts begin to FLY-FLY on this very special night.
#12 – Valentine’s Day Rocks
“Time for show-and-tell!” Ms. Carla announced. “Who wants to share their Valentine’s Day craft first?”
Arms sprang toward the ceiling like balloons. But Roger’s hands stayed hidden inside his sweatshirt.
Dylan held up a homemade flower. “I painted pasta for the petals and used a pipe cleaner for the stem.”
Then Jade chimed in. “Mine is a clothespin butterfly with glitter tissue paper for wings.”
Roger’s fingers fidgeted inside his pocket while the others went around the circle — each project more colorful than the last.
Marjorie nudged Roger. “Psst. Your turn.”
His face turned as red as the rose on his teacher’s desk.
“Roger, did you forget yours at home?” asked Ms. Carla.
He cradled something in his palm, weighing what to do next.
Marjorie leaned over and whispered, “It’s okay. I don’t have craft supplies at my place either.”
Roger took a deep breath and showed the plain rock to the class. “I read a library book about penguins who give out pebbles like people do with candy when they like somebody.”
When the students giggled, Marjorie jumped up to distract them with her project: a bent and twisted paperclip.
“This is my heart,” she beamed. “I’m giving it to the bravest person I know.”
Roger scooted closer to Marjorie. “Psst. You rock.”
#13 – Brave Little Friends
Little raccoon spent all afternoon making cards that he’d soon give away. For tomorrow at three, the forest would be all a twitter for Valentine’s Day.
He put names on each card and tried very hard to make certain that all were included. Then Raccoon had a thought that maybe he ought to give one to his friend who’s secluded.
Poor Mr. Bear, was quite unaware of the Valentine’s Day celebration. He was curled in heap, in a winter deep sleep— his annual bear hibernation.
Little Raccoon arrived around noon to deliver the card to Bear’s cave. He shivered and shook as he took a quick look; he knew that he had to be brave.
He set the card down by the bear—big and brown, then left in a tippy-toed dance. His friends all stood near shaking with fear, “Why would you take such a chance?”
“Cause he’s my friend, too, and so wouldn’t you like to make a kind gesture toward Bear?” The rest found their “brave” and went to the cave to leave goodies and cards everywhere.
When Bear opened his eyes and saw the surprise, he knew the exact words to say. “Friends… I’m very elated to wish you a ‘Belated’ but Most Happy Valentine’s Day!”
#14 – Jana’s Valentine Visit
Almost there. Mom sings along to love songs on the radio as she drives. Jana stares down at her sparkly red fingernails. They match her Valentine’s Day dress. She thinks about last time, even though she doesn’t want to. How scared she’d been. The strange smells, scary sounds, sad faces. Jana shivers. She doesn’t want to go back there today. When the car stops, Jana feels her breath catch. “I’m scared,” she whispers. “I’ll be with you,” Mom says. Jana carries her valentine in shaking hands. They step up the sidewalk, through the sliding doors. Inside. The strange smells, scary sounds, sad faces. Again. Jana swallows. She slides behind Mom, tries not to breathe, or hear, or see. Outside Gram’s room, they pause. “See? You’re OK,” Mom says. Jana nods, her face hot. She goes to Gram’s bed. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” she whispers. Gram’s same small smile. Jana places the valentine in Gram’s hands. “Thank . . . you,” Gram murmurs. She grabs Jana’s hand and squeezes. Jana gasps. “Pretty. . . nails,” Gram whispers. Jana smiles. “Sparkly red like valentines. It’s your favorite holiday.” Gram nods. “Gram?” Jana says. “Want me to paint your nails, too?” Gram’s face lights up. Jana’s hands don’t shake at all as she begins to paint.
Please vote for your favorite in the poll below by Sunday February 21 at 5 PM Eastern time.
Tune in Monday February 22 to see THE WINNERS!!!
Thank you all so much for taking the time to write (if you did), read, and vote! These contests simply wouldn’t be what they are without all of you!
[For those trying to post, you must click on the Blog Post Title to get on the blog post page and access the comments]
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Valentinies rock
And so do YOU!
Like galloping hooves, our brave hearts are pounding with excitement and anticipation (or maybe trepidation!) because it’s time for. . .
The6thAnnualValentinyWritingContest
~forchildren’swriters~
The Contest: since writing for children is all about “big emotion for little people” (I forget who said that, but someone did so I put it in quotes!) and Valentines Day is all about emotion, write a Valentines story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone feels brave!
They can be brave about asking someone to be their Valentine, of course, but they can also do something brave to get a Valentine (the person or the gift), or do something brave to help a friend. They could be brave about giving something up, or brave about asking someone they’re not sure they like to be their Valentine just to be nice. . . sky’s the limit! Think beyond the obvious!
Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone brave (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words (get it? 2/14 for Valentines Day 😊
You can go under the word count but not over!
Title is not included in the word count.
You are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊
No illustration notes please!
Post your story in the comment section below (preferred) or on your own blog between right now this very second and Sunday February 14th by 11:59 PM EDT. If you only post on your own blog, add your post-specific link to the form list at the bottom of the post. This post with all the entries in the comment section and the list of links for those who prefer to post on their own blogs will stay up all week for everyone to enjoy. If you have difficulty posting your entry to the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me and I’ll post it for you! [susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com
We discussed changing the entry posting. The majority voted to have all the entries in one place here in the comment section, so we’re going to give that a try. But there were some who wanted to continue blog-hopping, so I’m going to include a link list for them at the bottom of the post. For those who are willing to post in the comment section but also plan to post on their own blogs, you are most welcome to post the link to your blog in your posted entry here (see example below.) That way people can come visit you if they want to but can also read most of the entries in one place on my blog if they prefer. It is certainly easier for the judges to have as many entries as possible in one place. We’ll try it this way one time and see how it works. We can always go back to the old system 😊
(So a sample entry might look like this: ENTRY TITLE – word count Author Name (link to your own contest entry blog post if you have one and would like to share it) Amazing wonderful Valentiny Contest story.😊
It was almost Valentines Day and Dudley’s heart had sunk to somewhere near his big toenail. (etc etc amazing story continues)
I know how hard you all work on your entries and how anxious you are to be sure your entry is posted, but please try to be a little bit patient if you’re waiting for your entry to show up in the comments or on the list of entries. I try never to get up from my desk during contests but sometimes it’s unavoidable. 😊
The Judging: over the next several days, my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 12 top choices which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Thursday February 18th (or possibly a day or two later if the judges need extra time.) The winner will be announced Monday February 22nd depending on judging and voting time needed. The dates of the judging/voting/winner announcements are subject to finagling depending on how much time the judges actually end up needing!
Judging criteria will include:
Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
Creativity in using bravery and success in making us feel the bravery!
Valentine’s Day appropriateness – this is a VALENTINE story!
Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 😊
How well you followed the Submission Guidelines – agents and editors expect professionalism. This is a chance to practice making sure you read and follow specified guidelines. If you don’t follow agent and editor submission guidelines they won’t even read your submission.
The Prizes: Talk about a pounding heart! Just look at these fabulous prizes!
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, fiction) from Becky Scharnhorst, author of the forthcoming MY SCHOOL STINKS! (Philomel Books, July 6, 2021)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, fiction, fewer than 800 words) from Rebecca Kraft Rector, author of SQUISH SQUASH SQUISHED (Nancy Paulsen Books, February 16, 2021) (which means it’s coming out in the middle of our contest!😊) and the forthcoming LITTLE RED (Aladdin, Simon & Schuster, Spring 2022) and TRIA AND THE GREAT STAR RESCUE (Delacorte/Random House)
A Picture Book Manuscript Critique by gifted author and former Holiday Contest prize winner, Jenna Waldman, author of the forthcoming Larry’s Latkes (October 2021) (originally written for the Holiday Contest!) and Shark-bot Shalom (August 2021) She is on twitter at @SarafinaDesign
Author Jenna Waldman
– Either a signed copy of WHEN A TREE GROWSOR a Picture Book Manuscript Critique – winner’s choice! – from Cathy Ballou Mealey, author of WHEN A TREE GROWS (Sterling April 2019) and the forthcoming SLOTH AND SQUIRREL IN A PICKLE (Kids Can Press, May 4, 2021)
Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
Now! Put your heart into it and bravely post your entries!
I can’t wait to read your stories!!!
Eager Readers: Check out the comment section for all the fabulous entries, and the link list at the end to visit the blogs of the authors who wanted to post on their own home turf 😊
ENTRIES IN THE COMMENT SECTION: (all entries are linked)
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