Golly! It seems like forever since we did Perfect Picture Book Friday, what with all the Valentiny Contest excitement!
But here we are, back again today and I have such a sweet, beautiful book to share with you! I can’t wait for you to see it!
Just a quick note – for anyone who has been faithfully posting PPBF every week, please feel free to add all your recent book review links to today’s list if you like!
And now, prepare for a truly Perfect Picture Book! 🙂
Title: Rosie And Rasmus
Written & Illustrated By: Serena Geddes
Aladdin, April 2 2019, fiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: friendship
Opening: “This is Rosie. She lives in a little village with cobblestone streets, a water fountain, and an ice cream stand. Every day Rosie watches and wishes. She watches as the others play. She wishes someone would see her.”
Brief Synopsis: Rosie, a lonely little girl, meets Rasmus, a lonely little dragon, and they discover the extraordinary magic and power of friendship. When Rasmus has to leave, Rosie finds she has learned more than she realized about making friends.
Why I Like This Book: To me, this book is just the definition of a perfect picture book! Sweet, simple text that conveys a moving and lovely message about friendship, and enormously appealing art in soft colors with beautiful expression. Any of us who have ever known (or been) a shy and lonely preschooler can relate to Rosie’s longing for a friend. You just have to see the page where she and Rasmus meet. He’s hidden up in a tree, and she’s sitting forlornly on the ground below, and out of the tree comes his tail – only his tail – offering her a flower 🌸 So incredibly sweet! Rasmus has his own problems. He can’t fly. So Rosie does everything in her power to help him. When his wings finally grow and he has has to fly off and do dragon things, they say a tearful goodbye. Rosie goes back to her village, once again watching the other children and wishing for a friend. But this time, she knows what to do. And I’m not going to tell you, because you just have to read this book and see for yourself!
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific 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!
If you’re feeling especially artistic today, it’s probably because it’s Michelangelo’s 544th birthday. I know this because he and I go way back. “Best buds” is not a stretch. As you may or may not know, we are both known for our terrible fashion sense 🙂 And he was a poet who wrote over 300 poems, and a sculptor of great renown, and I am not a poet and my sculpting ability is taxed by making snowmen 🙂 Kindred spirits, obviously.
🙂
Anyway… while we are not talking about ballet… (and in a stunning example of a non sequitur) I’m pleased to announce that the winner of the January Pitch Pick is Dedra with her PB pitch for Mawbellina Ballerina! Congratulations, Dedra! Your pitch has been sent to editor Erin Molta for her thoughts!
Congratulations to all our other brave pitchers as well! You all wrote fabulous pitches and improved them beautifully based on the feedback you received. It is always a tough pick! I hope everyone feels that they have solidly improved pitches to send out into the world as a result of their courage in asking for input.
You may not all have gotten to have Erin read your pitches but you have DEFINITELY earned Something Chocolate!!! 🙂 How about some Fudge which is total health food because it’s Paleo-friendly, dairy-free, and gluten-free! (I think we can just add to that “calorie free” and “guilt free”! 🙂 )
I mean, health food doesn’t get much more delicious-looking than that, does it?! 🙂
And it’s so good for you there’s no reason not to indulge in seconds and thirds! 🙂
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Shell who says, “My name is Shell LeDrew, I live in beautiful Newfoundland, Canada and I am a grateful Mom to my reader Sam 10 and my tornado Buddha Charlie 7. After a career wearing many hats including that of flight attendant, I married a pilot and wrote a story about it!
Here is a pitch for my silly and sweet 443 word Picture Book (ages 3-7) entitled “Mommy, Where’s Daddy?!””
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Mommy, Where’s Daddy?
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-7)
The Pitch: After Dylan’s day dream of flying fabulous airplanes with his pilot Daddy is interrupted by his Moms insistence of bedtime, he comes up with countless tricks to delay going to bed until he realizes his sleep dream is the way back to being the wingman of his dreams!
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 Shell 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 May, so you have time to polish your pitch before putting it up for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!
Shell is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to improving my sculpting skills in the medium of cookie dough! 🙂
Even though we just had a huge snowstorm and are now expecting days of temperatures in the single digits or worse, March holds the promise of spring! Even if it’s only teasing 🙂
I’m thrilled to introduce today’s debut author, a Making Picture Book Magic graduate and a very talented writer, Margaret Chiu Greanias!
Welcome, Margaret, and congratulations on your villainous debut!
“Maximillian Villainous”
Margaret Chiu Greanias
Illustrated by Lesley Breen Withrow
Running Press Kids
August 28, 2018
Fiction, Ages 4-8
Synopsis: Maximillian Villainous doesn’t have the heart to be a villain, even though he comes from a long line of famous villains. When he brings home a bunny to be his sidekick, his disapproving mother challenges him and the bunny to become a devious duo… otherwise, the bunny hops.
SUSANNA: Where did the idea for this book come from?
MARGARET: The idea for “Maximillian Villainous” came from my kids watching the movie, “Despicable Me.” They were enamored with the characters, and I loved how fun and creative villains could be—the freeze rays, the fart guns, the shrinking down and stealing of landmarks, etc. At the time, I couldn’t recall a picture book about villains. Once I decided my characters would be villains, I gave the main character a quality that would lead to a natural conflict—in this case, having a heart of gold. From there, I chose a problem that would be exacerbated by this quality.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
MARGARET: The first draft came relatively fast. However, less than 10% of the words from the first draft made it into the version that was eventually acquired. Ultimately, it took one year and nine months (revising on and off) to get to submission-ready.
Margaret’s work space
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
MARGARET: I knew from the start that this story might be “the one” for me. People seemed enthusiastic about it and it felt lively and fun. However, something about it wasn’t right (turns out multiple somethings). It took over 30 revisions, including a few complete re-writes, one freelance editor, an agent critique, and an editor workshop to finally get it to submission-ready.
SUSANNA: Wow! That was a lot of hard work! When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission? MARGARET: It was after I took an editor workshop through SCBWI mid-South. The format was ideal—the editor critiqued our manuscripts, and then we had the chance to revise for another critique. I did almost a full re-write based on the editor’s first critique and tweaked again based on her second critique. It really helped me to follow the feedback from one trusted source—at that point, I had had so many critiques, and they sometimes conflicted (not everyone shares the same vision for a text), which was hard. I now know to delve deeper into the comments and determine why particular feedback was given. After that workshop, the story just felt ready—there was nothing else I wanted to change.
SUSANNA: That is a good point about multiple critiques – it can get confusing – and good advice about having a single trusted source. When and how did you submit?
MARGARET: Like many others, I began querying too early. I queried in a mish-mosh of ways—testing the waters through contests, twitter pitches, conference submissions, 12×12 submissions, etc. For the query round that got my agent, I cold queried.
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 🙂 )
MARGARET: It took about three months for us to get an offer on the story—but even though my manuscript was ready, it wasn’t until six months after I signed with my agent at the time that we went on submission. So patience was important!
My agent thought that I, as a debut, would have better odds if we submitted with an illustrated dummy. We picked the wonderful Lesley Breen Withrow as the illustrator. She has a very bright and happy style to balance my manuscript which was a bit darker. Once she finished the rough dummy, we went on submission and got an offer within 3 months.
text copyright Margaret Chiu Greanias 2018, illustration copyright Lesley Breen Withrow 2018
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract? MARGARET: Of course, I squealed and danced when I first heard we got an offer. After I signed the contract, one of my dearest critique partners arranged an amazing celebration including old and current critique group members (we’d been in a group for 5 years at this point). It was a very sweet way to celebrate.
SUSANNA: That does sound nice! Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
MARGARET: I didn’t know what to expect, but I was happy with what my agent negotiated for me.
SUSANNA: What was the editorial process like for you?
MARGARET: We did two rounds of revisions, and my manuscript was definitely better for it. Many changes had to do with simplifying my text so it would be easier for young children to understand. My editor also made a suggestion which helped give the story that “aww” ending.
SUSANNA: Can you tell us a little about your experience of the illustration process?
MARGARET: I did get to see the illustrations just before they were finalized. My editor was really great about sharing, asking my opinion, and bringing it back to the team. I tried to limit my suggestions to a few, and while they didn’t use all of them, I felt like my opinion was valued.
Also, because Lesley was on board before the story was submitted to publishers, I had a say in the how the characters were illustrated (which may not have been ideal since I didn’t have a strong vision for how Max and his family should appear). In my opinion, the strength of having a separate illustrator is their interpretation and vision of the text. I had vaguely envisioned the characters being human, and they ended up being monsters, which I LOVE!
text copyright Margaret Chiu Greanias 2018, illustration copyright Lesley Breen Withrow 2018
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc?
MARGARET: My editor sent me advance copies of SLJ and Booklist reviews, which was very nice.
The Publishers Weekly review was unexpected. But it was the first review to come out and I was so relieved when I saw it.
My book didn’t get a review from Kirkus…maybe that was lucky?
SUSANNA: Maybe that was lucky! A lot of people seem to have had less than flattering reviews from Kirkus 🙂 How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
MARGARET: About 1 year and 8 months which is very quick—but we had Lesley lined up plus a dummy already made.
I think 2-3 years is more normal.
SUSANNA: If your book has been out for at least one statement cycle, has it earned out yet?
MARGARET: I haven’t gotten a statement yet.
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
MARGARET: Some examples of marketing and promotion that my publisher did included sending review copies to major trade publications and sending pitches to other media including bloggers and instagrammers.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
MARGARET: By far, the best marketing/promotion I did for my book (and my sanity) was to join a debut group, the Epic 18’s. I learned so much from the other debut authors, especially those whose books launched before mine. I found it very valuable to have this peer community for advice and moral support.
We passed ARCs around so we could review each other’s books.
We suggested each other’s books for purchase from our libraries.
We also held a couple of group promotions including an end of year giveaway and Twitter chat hosted by Matthew Winner.
We exchanged information on swag.
We promoted each other on social media.
I hired a marketing consultancy, Curious City, which I learned about from a fellow Epic 18-er. I paid for a 1-hour consultation and got great ideas for marketing and more interactive book readings.
Other marketing/promotion I did:
Classroom Discussion Guide
Activities, crafts, and coloring pages for my web site
This year, I’m starting to schedule school visits and will be at a local book festival in a couple of months.
Puppet Margaret made of the bunny character from her book to take on school visits!
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book? MARGARET: About 5.5 years. SUSANNA: Margaret, thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers! We all so appreciate you being here today!
Barely squeaking under the wire of Last Day of February to announce the winners of the 4th Annual Pretty Much World Famous Valentiny Writing Contest for Children’s Writers!!!
. . .but first a few words from our sponsor (me) which I know shocks you (not!) 🙂
As always, I was thrilled to see so many wonderful stories! (Did I mention there were nearly 170?!) Really! 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!
But with large entry numbers, all of high quality, come hard choices. My assistant judges and I worked hard to winnow the total down to a manageable number of finalists that we felt were truly all-around deserving of that distinction, and those were the ones we presented to you last week for your vote.
There were, however, many other entries that were outstanding in certain areas even though they might not have qualified all-around for one reason or another, or that the judges couldn’t reach a consensus on. It is SO HARD! One of our very favorite entries – well written and full of guilt – never mentioned a thing about Valentine’s Day! Many other entries simply weren’t guilty enough, although they were fabulous in other ways!
So my assistant judges and I would like to award recognition and a small prize to the following authors for the following merits:
1. For Honorable Mention In The Competition As A Whole: (entries we truly wrestled with not including in the finalists!)
Joy Pitcairn for I Didn’t Give Rufus A Valentine
Kalee Gwarjanski for Chocolates For Mom
Mary Vander Plas for Sasquatch: In Search Of A Valentine
Mia Geiger for All Wrapped Up
Lynn Katz for A Little Heart
2. For Great Kid Appeal: (not already mentioned in the finals or other categories)
Helen Ishmurzin for Mila’s Cookies (we could totally see a kid struggling with that temptation! )
Sherry Peace for The Case Of The Missing Valentine’s Candy (fun kid detective work 🙂 )
Jeannine Pao Brown for Change Of Heart (very believable boy behavior 🙂 )
Sarah Hetu-Radny for A Slippery Situation (no one wants to be in trouble 🙂 )
3. For Original/Unique/Entertaining POV:
Megan Hoffman for The Sucker (POV of a Valentine sucker! – well-written!)
Deborah Dolan Hunt for Hillary’s Heart (POV of an actual heart! – loved the health angle)
4. For Humor:
Sarah Tobias for A Valentine For Mom
Susie Sawyer for Who Will Be Mine? (also wins for shortest entry with only 36 words! 🙂 )
Lauri Meyers for Don’t Eat Your Valentine (dark humor! 🙂 )
5. For Great Depiction of Family:
Scott Kinder for Mom’s Valentine (we found all the characters believable and felt like we were there! 🙂 )
6. For Favorite Character:
Joy Pitcairn for I Ate It… (we LOVED Otto – such a believable guilty dog! 🙂 )
Rachel Hobbs for ValentineCookie Surprise (we loved Carla – so exuberant! and we can imagine an expanded version of this as a picture book! 🙂 )
7. For We Loved It But Not Guilty Enough!:
Kelly Conroy for Glitter, Paint, and Glue
Lynn Baldwin for The Year Without Sweethearts
8. For Lovely Writing:
Kelly Hughes for Will You Be Mine?
Keely Leim for A Valentine For Papa
9. For So Cute!:
Amy Flynn for Tiny Crush
10. For More Appealing For Grown-ups But Well-Written And Enjoyable! (These entries were terrific but either focused on content we felt was more appropriate for over age 12 or that had humor that we considered funnier for adults than kids)
Emma Wood for No Ordinary Thursday (very sweet, beautifully written, and a believable depiction of husbandly behavior! 🙂 )
(And although we’re not awarding prizes for these this time, we always enjoy seeing some of your familiar characters back from other contests for new adventures, including Candice’s Bean and Jilly, Nicole’s Alex and Apple, and Lucretia’s Marvin The Chipmunk 🙂 )
Congratulations to all of you for fantastic elements of your stories! You may all email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com to collect your prize, which is your choice of one of the following: (the titles are all links so you can go see what they’re about) (and if you request a paperback, please include your snail mail address!)
The announcement of the WINNERS OF THE 2018 VALENTINY CONTEST as voted on by you!!!
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…
Chambrae Griffith for Love Bug At The Zoo!!!
Congratulations, Chambrae, on an imaginative, entertaining, well-written poem that made us feel the chaos ensuing from your MC’s guilty behavior! 🙂
In Second Place
Jennifer Broedel for Buffa-lonely Love Day
Congratulations, Jennifer, on an entry we loved for your MC’s very believable and understandable grumpiness leading to bad behavior and guilt! You get to pick your prize after Chambrae.
In Third Place
Anne Sawan for A Box Full Of Love
Congratulations, Anne! You had us laughing over your “chip off the old block” guilt 🙂 You get to pick your prize after Chambrae and Jennifer.
In Fourth Place…
Colleen Murphy for Mother Knows Best
Congratulations, Colleen, on a delightfully believable story of guilt in perfect rhyme! You get to pick your prize after Chambrae, Jennifer, and Anne!
In Fifth Place…
Tiffany Dickinson for Heart Socks For The Win
Congratulations, Tiffany, on your heart-warming story. We felt Alex’s guilt and appreciated her empathy! You get to pick after Chambrae, Jennifer, Anne, and Colleen!
In Sixth Place…
Rose Cappelli for The Queen Of Hearts
Congratulations, Rose! You really made us feel Meg wrestling with her guilt! I’m sure you get the idea of how the prize picking goes by now 🙂
In Seventh Place…
Katrina Swenson
for Chadwick The Zombie Cooks Up A Valentine
Congratulations, Katrina! You won us over with your zombie sweet-maker the same way he won over his fellow zombies 🙂 You get to pick next 🙂
In Eighth Place…
Marty Bellis
for Guess Who?
Congratulations, Marty! You captured a child’s good intentions and not-so-good execution perfectly 🙂 You get to pick after Katrina 🙂
In Ninth Place… a tie!
Joyce SchriebmanJill Lambert
for for The Valentine’s Day Mess & CureThe Missing Pupcake
Congratulations to both of you on very humorous entries! You get to pick after Marty 🙂 (And since you tied, we’ll work it out…)
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. Jose and Beth, if you’d like to choose a prize from the Honorable Mention selection of prizes above you are most welcome to!
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 🙂
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!
Have a marvelous Monday, everyone! 🙂
The Prizes: Oh, the awesomeness! With thanks to all who donated!
– “Skip The Slushpile” AND get a Query Letter Critique from Charlotte Wenger, associate editor at Page Street Kids, the picture book division of Page Street Publishing. She earned her Master of Arts in Children’s Literature from Simmons University (then College) and is a board member of the Mazza Museum’s National Advisory Board of Visitors. She enjoys working with debut picture book authors and illustrators and is excited about the 19 Page Street Kids picture books pubbing in 2019.
Find Charlotte on Twitter at @WilbursBF_Char, and learn more about Page Street Kids via www.pagestreetpublishing.com, Twitter: @PageStreetKids, and Instagram: pagestreetkids.
Charlotte will read the winner’s picture book manuscript of choice, then send an email letting you know she’s read your story and including one thing you did well and one thing you might work on to improve the manuscript. In addition, she will give you a query letter critique. Like all editors, she has a hectic schedule, so she will aim to fulfill the prize within 2 months of receiving the manuscript.
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique by the incredibly talented, multi-published author/illustrator Iza Trapani!
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique by the Queen of KidLit411 herself, Elaine Kiely Kearns, author of Noah Noasaurus, forthcoming April 1, 2019 from Albert Whitman!
– Top Ten Reasons for Rejection – a 52 minute webinar from Alayne Kay Christian, author of Butterfly Kisses (picture book) and the Sienna The Cowgirl Fairy series (chapter books), and Content and Developmental Editor of Blue Whale Press.
Webinar Description: If you want tips on some corrective action that you might take to improve your chances of submission success, and/or if you would like to deepen your understanding of plot and arc, this webinar is for you.
(And if you’re interested in seeing what else Alayne has to offer, like her Writing For Children Webinars and Courses page on FB and keep an eye out for upcoming offerings!)
– 15-30 Minute Your Questions Answered Phone Call – with Ryan Sias, author/illustrator of Balloon Toons: Zoe And Robot, Let’s Pretend, Sniff Sniff!, and the Woof And Quack beginning reader series (Green Light Readers), and the Super Doodle Series. He has worked in animation, film, and television, including Sesame Street 🙂
Do you have questions about writing, revising, submitting, whether or not to try for an agent, what happens after the sale, or anything else publishing industry related? If so, this is your chance to ask away and get answers from a professional!
– Query Letter Critique by Heather Ayris Burnell, creator of the Sub It Club and author of Bedtime Monster, Kick! Jump! Chop! The Adventures Of The Ninjabread Man, and the Sparkly New Friends early chapter book series from Scholastic!
– 2-Pack of Personalized Signed Picture Books from amazing author Melissa Stoller – Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush and Ready, Set, Gorilla!
I can’t thank these authors enough for their incredible generosity! Please visit their sites, buy and recommend their books and services to your writer friends and/or friends with kids, write them nice reviews on Amazon, GoodReads etc if you’ve read and liked their books, and show your appreciation to them in any way you can!
After what seems like a long hiatus due to the Valentiny Contest, we’re back to our regularly scheduled Would You Read It Wednesday!
Apparently we’re in a voting mode this week, because if it’s not noon yet there is still time for you to read Valentiny Writing Contest Finalists and vote for your favorite (and also please spread the word to everyone you know who might want to read and vote because we need all the votes we can get!) AND today we have the January Pitch Pick, so you can vote for your favorite of those!
So let’s start with the Pitch Pick. Here are the January pitches, revised by their authors on the basis of all your wonderful and helpful feedback! Please read through them and choose the one you feel is best and most deserving of a read and comments from editor Erin Molta! Please vote for your favorite in the poll below by Sunday March 3 at 5 PM Eastern.
#1 – Aileen – Professor Hound and the Elusive Thieves (CB)
John B. Hound, Professor at the Collarsville Academy and secret agent working for Breeds Over National Emergencies or B.O.N.E. for short, is on a mission to sniff out thieves and recover stolen goods. His job_ to determine why recent burglaries only occur in the homes of wealthy Hound Academy students, if any of the Hound Academy staff are involved, and who sent the perfumed note containing a clue. Will Professor Hound decipher the note and other clues in time or will the sneaky culprits outsmart him and get away with the valuables?
#2 – Dedra – Mawbellina Ballerina (PB ages 3-8)
Mawbelina Ballerina is a young weenie dog desperate to go to dance school with her older siblings. Being the youngest of the family frustrates Mawbelina. Not long enough or tall enough to go, she pirouettes and pliés, whines and pouts until she realizes there is time for dance school later. She understands being home with her mom is special. See how she learns a lesson in patience and decides being small can be fun.
#3 – Jennifer – BYOB, Bring Your Own Bear (PB ages 4-8)
Jillian knew that Rex wasn’t a bear, it wasn’t something that had ever mattered before. But, on the day of the Teddy Bear Picnic, it suddenly mattered… a lot. Realizing she might be the only one without a bear, Jillian decides do whatever it takes for she and Rex to fit in, even if it means keeping a secret from her friends.
#4 – Fanny – Hazel Lee’s Place In The Sky (NF PB ages 6-9)
Hazel Lee is not the stereotypical Chinese-American young woman. She is loud, stubborn, and athletic. Against the expectations of her Chinese community, she earns a pilot’s license, when women in the 1930s are thought to be too emotional to be a pilot. Her high-spirited personality gains friendship and acceptance among fellow WASPs (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots) who had never met a Chinese before. Hazel proves she can fly fighter planes as well as any man.
Always such a hard choice, isn’t it? Clearly we need Something Chocolate after that! Since it’s breakfast, I’m incorporating fruit for your health! 🙂
YUM! Delicious AND nutritious! (from a certain point of view 🙂 ) Please feel free to help yourselves to seconds. There’s plenty for all! 🙂
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Sarah, whom you will recognize from several previous pitches. Sarah says, “I am an Optometrist, mother, and lover of the outdoors. I live in NH with my husband and two children. I love to paint in my free time, when I’m not writing.”
The Pitch: Alien Blob hi-jacks my school bus one morning. He tells us that he wants us to help him gather the ingredients to make school-berry muffins, and we’re supposed to be the school-berries! Blob is not exactly familiar with the ways and the words of Earth, so I try to fool him. He is smart enough to see right through my attempts, though. I must plan something really clever.
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 Sarah 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 May, so you have time to polish your pitch before putting it up for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!
Sarah is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to seeing who wins the Valentiny Contest! We will find out tomorrow!!! I can’t wait!!! 🙂
Time to meet a brand new picture book author and get a glimpse of her beautiful book!
One small note before we begin:
The finalists for the Valentiny Writing Contest were posted yesterday! If you haven’t had a chance to read the top twelve and place your vote, please go over when you have sec and do so. We need lots of readers and voters! If you know anyone who would enjoy reading and voting, please spread the word – parents, teachers, classrooms, libraries – anywhere there are readers of kid lit! 🙂
Now then! Welcome, Natalee! And thank you so much for joining us today to share your publication experience! Let’s have a look at your gorgeous book!
WHEN DAY IS DONE
Written by Natalee Creech
Illustrated by Robert Dunn
Beaming Books, Feb. 12, 2019
Fiction, ages 3-5
When Day Is Done is a soothing bedtime book with child-friendly poetry, perfect for calming down after a busy day.
SUSANNA: Where did the idea for this book come from?
NATALEE: One day when I was writing, the line “We sleep when day is done” popped into my head. I liked it and decided to see how I could build upon that.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
NATALEE: After the first line, I completed the first verse right away and worked on parts of a few others. I “finished” it over a couple of months but revisited it over the course of a year making tweaks.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
NATALEE: Looking back I found only four complete drafts of When Day Is Done, but I know there were many small-scale changes that I made without creating an entirely new draft.
Some things I do when revising, particularly poetry:
Write on paper first, then move to the computer. Go back to paper if I’m stuck.
Have my children read it to me so I can see where they stumble.
Read it aloud.
Work out problem stanzas while exercising or taking a shower.
Keep rejected lines of poetry in a table at the end of the document. Sometimes I second-guess myself or make other changes in the verse which then make the first version of the line a better fit.
I tend to work through these steps, though they overlap.
Write something.
Improve what I say. (content)
Improve how I say it. (execution) The overall sound of the words is crucial with poetry, so this is where most of the reading aloud and playing with word choice comes in – adding alliteration, assonance etc.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
NATALEE: I knew it was ready when I stopped making any real changes and was just fiddling – trying something and then going back to my original word choice.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
NATALEE: I am fortunate to have an agent, whom I found through a Twitter pitch called #Faithpitch. WHEN DAY IS DONE was one of the manuscripts I sent her when she asked to see more of my work. We were actually in the process of submitting the original manuscript I queried her with when a publisher asked to see some companion manuscripts I had written. My agent sent those and included WHEN DAY IS DONE to showcase a different side of my writing. The publisher continued to consider the original manuscript (eventually passing) but in the meantime they quickly made an offer on WHEN DAY IS DONE.
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 🙂 )
NATALEE: I got a call about a week later while I was out eating lunch prior to an orthodontist appointment with my son. I felt like sharing the news with the whole orthodontist’s office, but I think I just called my husband instead!
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?
NATALEE: I don’t remember doing anything special!
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
NATALEE: Yes. The advance was typical. The contract was for world rights and included escalating royalties and a generous number of author copies. I was happy to have an agent handling everything for me! I signed the contract in fall of 2017 and the publication timeline was spring of 2019.
SUSANNA: How was the editorial process?
NATALEE: I wasn’t asked to make any changes or edits to WHEN DAY IS DONE.
In contrast, my second book, NOTHING, which releases in April, underwent considerable changes.
I spoke with the editor before signing a contract and she asked me how I felt about making some revisions. Of course I said I was open to them. Initially she emailed me some notes which I used to revise, however, I overcorrected! We then decided a phone call might be easier, clarified things over the phone, and I revised again. Later the art director asked to add back in a verse we had removed, and the editor and I agreed. The final version is much stronger and more kid-friendly than what I originally submitted and I’m so glad the editor saw the potential and helped me make those changes. This spread shows the verse that got added back in.
From Nothing, written by Natalee Creech, illustrated by Joseph Cowman. Published by WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. All rights reserved.
From Nothing, written by Natalee Creech, illustrated by Joseph Cowman. Published by WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. All rights reserved.
SUSANNA: Can you tell us about your experience of the illustration process?
NATALEE: With the two books the process was similar, but the timeline was much faster with NOTHING. My agent added language to both contracts that allowed some input on my side with final decisions to be made by the publisher.
I did not provide any art notes for either book.
The second editor asked about my illustration preferences during our initial phone call and I told her I could picture a style similar to Peter Reynolds’ but didn’t have anything particular in mind for illustrations.
Both publishers asked my thoughts about the illustrator they had selected, and in both cases I loved their choice.
The second publisher shared rough sketches and a couple of full color spreads very early in the process – within a month or two of signing the contract.
Both publishers asked for notes/input before finalizing the illustrations.
From When Day Is Done, written by Natalee Creech, illustrated by Robert Dunn. Published by Beaming Books. All rights reserved.
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc?
Unfortunately, not yet!
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
NATALEE: WHEN DAY IS DONE: I signed the contract in September of 2017 and it was released February 12, 2019 – about 17 months.
NOTHING: I signed the contract in April of 2018 and it will be released April 23, 2019. – about 1 year.
SUSANNA: If your book has been out for at least one statement cycle, has it earned out yet?
NATALEE: WHEN DAY IS DONE has just been out a few weeks, so although I hope it’s doing well, I doubt it’s anywhere near earning out yet!
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
NATALEE: Shortly after signing the contract the publisher sent me an author questionnaire to complete with a long and short author bio, interview questions I’d like to be asked, reviewers or websites I’d like the book to be sent to, a short summary of the book and various other questions. They used the information from my answers on the book itself, on online sites, for sell sheets etc. Later they provided me with an Author Publicity Packet that detailed steps they would take and suggested steps for me to take. On their side, it listed many things such as SEO, social media, press kits & press releases, book fairs, etc.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
NATALEE: I made a book trailer, am printing bookmarks and have been doing various interviews on blogs. I’ve had to forego marketing that involves mailing swag or books because it’s prohibitively expensive from South Korea. Joining a debut author group has been a tremendous help in countless ways. I would highly recommend it for any debut author.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
NATALEE: I would consider the time I started writing seriously to be the date I joined the SCBWI in February of 2015. Paying for that membership was me declaring to myself and my family that I wanted to write books, and also an admission that I needed help to do it. From that time until I signed my first contract was about 2.5 years. However, children’s books and writing have always been a part of my life. I was the teacher who had a children’s book for everything, and in fact, when I was in elementary school my dream was to be a librarian! I worked as a public librarian for several years until we moved back to South Korea. I think these things gave me a head start, otherwise, I’m sure the journey would have been much longer!
From grade 4. Keeping it real, folks – I’m pretty sure my mom cut my hair! (Love you, Mom!)
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
NATALEE: This is not so much about a book’s journey as about a writer’s journey. When you are taking steps toward publication you have no idea when you will make “real progress.” (Meaning find an agent or get published, to most of us.) I find it helpful to keep in mind that any effort you are making – to learn, to write, to make connections, is bringing you closer to your goal. Even things that initially look like setbacks could be catalysts pushing you closer to publication. Look for what you can learn in any situation!
SUSANNA: Natalee, thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers!
NATALEE: Thank you so much for having me, Susanna! This series has been very helpful for many people, including myself.
This is at least the second year in a row when my best laid plans for getting the Valentiny judging done have found themselves up the creek without a paddle and no help in sight!
What is it about February?!
Once again, Judge #1 ended up with a whole lot of extra family stuff – some expected, some not…plus unexpected work…
…and Judge #2 had a ton of actual job-related work that had to be attended to.
(Judge #3 was awesome in every way and is probably the only reason the judging ever got finished! 🙂 )
But at this rate, we may have to start running the Valentiny Contest in July! 🙂
Add to that that apparently “guilt” was a tough topic! and we were seriously up against it!!!
Nearly all the entries fell into one of 5 categories:
– MC unintentionally makes a V-Day related mess
– MC accidentally ends up eating all the chocolates intended as a gift
– number of Valentines for class comes up short by one/one “mean” child is skipped on purpose
– MC didn’t make/purchase Valentines (either because V-Day is stupid or MC didn’t get around to it)
– a guilty dog is involved 🙂
I’m not sure we’ve ever had a contest where the entries could be so uniformly categorized. This is not to say, of course, that ALL the entries fell into those categories – they did not! – or that there weren’t some very well written entries – there were! – or that the stories weren’t original – but it was interesting that the topic of guilt seemed to be harder than some others to come up with wide variety for.
Anyway, after much agonizing, torment, and second-guessing, we have come up with a list of finalists that we felt did the all-around best job of meeting all the judging criteria. No doubt there will be some you’re surprised not to see – there were some very well written ones that did not make the cut, mostly because the guilt wasn’t strong enough. But we did the best we could!
So, at long last, and with sincere apologies for keeping you waiting 5 extra days, let’s have a look at….
Before we get to the actual list of finalists, I have a couple things to say. (I know you’re shocked as I’m normally so spare with my words :))
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!
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, before I list the finalists, 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. So if yours didn’t make the final cut please don’t feel bad. There was a huge amount of competition – about 170 entries of which only 12 made the finals. 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!
Now. Onto the judging criteria which were as follows:
Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
Creativity in using guilt and success in making us feel the guilt! (Not enough just to use the word guilt!)
Valentine’s Day appropriateness – this is a VALENTINE story and as such must feel like it is connected to Valentine’s Day/has something to do with it being Valentine’s!
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
Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 🙂
We really tried to choose stories that did the best job of fulfilling ALL the judging criteria. There were some truly wonderful stories that didn’t have much to do with Valentines Day even if Valentine’s Day was mentioned in passing – they just didn’t seem connected to Valentines – or that didn’t seem to really showcase guilt although they may have used the word “guilt”, or that didn’t seem particularly kid-oriented even though they were very creative and well-written, or that really had us…until the last line or two when things sadly fell apart. We tried our best to select finalists that checked all the boxes.
So without further ado, I present to you the finalists in the 2019 Fourth 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 Wednesday February 27 at 12 PM (noon) Eastern time. I apologize for the fact that since I’m late posting the finalists, there will be a Tuesday Debut post on Tuesday and a WYRI post on Wednesday, so this post with the finalists and the poll will drop down the blog list – but it will still be there and the poll will be open for voting until midday Wednesday!
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 tap-dancing troll who felt guilty for waking up the baby billy goat 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.
Here are the 2019 Valentiny Contest Finalists!!! Some poetry, some prose, some for younger readers, some for older (but still kid) readers, all fabulous 🙂
#1 – The Valentine’s Day Mess & Cure
Dear Mom and Dad,
When you wake up,
you’ll see your tea and coffee cup.
(Don’t worry, ‘cause the broom worked well for cleaning up the plate that fell.)
I made you toast with jam and butter, wiped the crumbs but left some clutter.
(Couldn’t get some sticky spots off counters, tables, chairs, and pots.)
A napkin holds a chocolate heart that you can simply break apart.
(Yes, there were two, but I concede, how much dark chocolate does one need?)
This card is trimmed in frilly lace to put a smile upon your face.
(Oh, by the way, the sewing kit? It now needs straightening up a bit.)
I hope your Valentine’s Day fun is nicer ‘cause of what I’ve done
(and sort of wondering if you might, push back my time for bed tonight?)
XOXOXOXOXOXO
P.S. Uh-oh…I’m feeling bad. I wanted you to be so glad
but went about it like a jerk and caused you both a lot of work.
I wasn’t such a thoughtful kid. I should have cared—not like I did.
When you wake up, let’s make a plan, and I’ll correct what goofs I can.
With Love and Kisses,
You Know Who (I love you both a bunch, I DO!)
#2 – The Queen Of Hearts
Meg didn’t care about candy hearts or lacy cards. Tomorrow was the Valentine’s play!
All she wanted was to be the Queen of Hearts.
All she wanted was to wear the golden crown with the red sequins.
All she wanted was to win the role from Leah and Carly.
“I can’t decide,” said Mrs. Clark. “You would all make exquisite queens.” Then she wrote each girl’s name on a strip of paper and placed them in a basket. “I’ll pick one of you tomorrow.”
The bell rang. Meg lingered.
No one will know. I want it more than they do. Just this once.
Meg wrote her name on two more paper strips. Carefully, she replaced the names of her friends with her own in Mrs. Clark’s basket. She could almost feel the crown on her head as she skipped home.
At dinner, Meg couldn’t eat.
She tried rehearsing, but couldn’t remember her lines.
She went to bed early, but couldn’t sleep.
Her heart hurt.
When Meg arrived at school the next day, she was surprised to see a lacy, red-sequined Valentine on her desk.
Good luck to all of us today! Love, Leah and Carly
Meg’s eyes filled with tears.
“Mrs. Clark,” she said, “I have something to tell you.”
#3 – Mother Knows Best
“Here, let me do the dishes Mom.”
“But you can’t reach the sink.”
“Then let me take the garbage out. I’m strong enough…I think.”
“Dad took the trash out yesterday. Son, what is up with you?”
“Um, nothing. Can’t I want to help?”
“Not when you never do.”
“I hope you liked the Valentine I worked so hard to make.
I cut a billion tiny hearts; I thought my hands would break!”
“I think I told you twenty times how much I loved your card.
Max, if you really want to help, then play out in the yard.”
“A great idea! While I’m out I’ll do some helpful deeds –
like rake the leaves or mow the grass or even pull some weeds.”
“It’s winter – there’s no grass to cut and no leaves anywhere!
Now Maxwell Walter Anderson, you sit down in that chair
and do not move a muscle ‘till you’re ready to confess.”
“Mom,
…if I’ve done something awful will you love my any less?”
“Of course I won’t! Now come on dear, just tell me what you’ve done.”
“You know your Truffles Daddy bought?
I only left you one.”
#4 – Single… Double… TRIPLE GUILTY!
Valentine’s Day tomorrow! Tony could hardly wait. Ms. Flinker was throwing an old-fashioned Valentine’s party with balloons and cupcakes, and a Valentine’s Box for each of them, so all the kids in the class could put in cards.
Tony dumped out his box of SuperZoomer Valentines. Uh-oh. 20 cards per box. 21 kids in his class.
He giggled. He wouldn’t give nasty Lisa one. She said he was too little for Kindergarten. She called him Tiny, even when he yelled MY NAME IS TONY!
On Valentine’s Day, a SuperZoomer Valentine superzoomed into nearly all the Valentine Boxes lined up along the front table. Nobody noticed that Tony didn’t put one in Lisa’s box. His stomach did, though. GUILTY, it told him.
They ate their cupcakes. They drank red juice. Then it was time for the Valentines. The first one out of his box was from – LISA! Oh no. His stomach said DOUBLE GUILTY. The Valentine said, “Tony – I’m sorry. Can we be friends?”
TRIPLE GUILTY said his stomach. He ran to the back of the room. Red construction paper. Markers. SuperZoomer fast, he made a Valentine.
“Lisa, my card for you wouldn’t fit in the box.”
She looked. “To my new friend. Happy VALENTINY Day!”
#5 – The Missing Pupcake
Brayden loved both of his dogs just the same.
They weren’t alike–one was wild, one was tame.
Mona made mischief, she didn’t know, “NO!”
Lisa obeyed because Brayden said so.
Brayden created some Valentine treats,
a doggy dessert made with eggs, oats, and beets.
The piping hot pupcakes were spread out to cool
all over the counter, but underneath—DROOL!
“Let’s grab a pupcake while Brayden is gone,”
Mona said. “I’m too short! Let me climb on.”
Lisa looked back toward the door with remorse.
Mona whined, “Help me out! You be my horse!”
Lisa stood steady while she climbed aboard.
Mona stretched upward, then seized her reward,
nearly inhaled the first pupcake she saw,
leaped down from Lisa’s back, “Got it! Hurrah!”
Lisa slunk out of the kitchen to hide.
She acted guilty, but Mona felt pride.
Brayden came in, heard their skittering feet,
glanced at the counter, saw one missing treat.
“Mona and Lisa!” he cried in dismay.
“I baked those pupcakes for Valentine’s Day.
Which of you took it? It’s time to confess!”
Lisa looked hangdog, her eyes blinked distress.
Brayden inspected them, solving the puzzle.
Mona had cake crumbs all over her muzzle.
“Mona, you’re busted! Now you go to bed!”
Then Brayden gave Lisa two pupcakes instead.
#6 – Cupid’s Last Card
Hands off, it’s mine.
I know what you’re thinking. He’s Cupid. He’s supposed to give out Valentine’s cards. It’s his job.
Well, maybe you’re right, but has anyone ever thought about me? Don’t I deserve some attention too?
It’s not easy flying around delivering all those chocolates and stuffed pandas, you know.
So I’m keeping the card.
Yes, I know it’s supposed to be yours. You’re my last delivery. But let’s just forget about that, okay? I’ll make it up next year. You’ll get a REALLY BIG stuffed panda.
Don’t look at me like that.
I’m sure you’re a nice kid. Eat all your veggies? Brush your teeth every night? That’s great.
But the card’s mine.
What’s that? No one else has given you a card? Well…
Phew. Kinda warm in here.
I’m sure you’re mistaken. Check your mailbox again.
Still nothing? Well…
How about we split it? I’ll take half and you’ll…
Oh, don’t cry.
I can’t stand seeing nice kids cry. If you start then I’m…
WHO’S CUTTING THOSE ONIONS?
How about borrowing it…? No?
Sniffing it…? No?
How about… uh…
OH, I CAN’T STAND IT! Here, take it! Just take it! I hope you’re happy now! And furthermore–
Huh? What’s that?
Oh. Thanks. Thanks, kid.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too.
#7 – Chadwick The Zombie Cooks Up A Valentine
Chadwick the zombie was often alone,
feeling quite lonesome and blue.
While all of his peers nibbled brains, eyes, and ears,
Chadwick baked bread and cooked stew.
“Nobody gets me,” young Chadwick complained.
“But next week is Valentine’s Day!
Instead of fresh hearts I’ll bring raspberry tarts,
That should bring new friends my way!”
Valentine’s came and his classmates gave out
boxes of brains and warm bile.
Chadwick left sweets at the kids’ assigned seats
then waited to see them all smile.
“Ew!” “What is this?” “Who’d bring sweets to a party?”
Chadwick felt tears in his eyes.
His classmates went still when they saw those tears spill,
ashamed as they heard his soft cries.
Norbert, a boy in the back of the class
squeamishly reached for his treat.
He screwed up his face, then he took a small taste…
and smiled! “This is good! Let’s all eat!”
Zombies were gobbling those tarts in a flash.
“Chadwick, good job!” “Crust has flake!”
Chadwick then heard these delectable words:
“Hey, could you teach us to bake?”
Chadwick the zombie was often with pals,
smiling for hours on end.
Blending and stirring, kneading and whirring,
mixing up fun with his friends.
#8 – A Box Full Of Love
Max gave the heart shaped box a big shake.
Empty.
How could all of the candy be gone? He meant to eat only one piece but it had tasted so good…
“Hola, Max,” said Papi. “What is that in your hand?”
“Nothing,” sighed Max. “It was going to be a Valentine’s Day gift for Mama but, I ate all the candy so now it’s just an empty box.”
Papi opened the box. “This box is not empty,’ he said.
“Yes, it is,” said Max.
“No,” said Papi. “You thought of Mama and wanted to make her happy and that is what love is, thinking about others and wanting to make them happy. So you see, this box is full of love. Now how about we go to the kitchen and make Mama some special Valentine’s Day cookies? You get the flour and I’ll get the eggs and sugar.”
On the kitchen counter Max noticed another heart shaped box.
“What is that?” he asked
“That?’ said Papi, furiously mixing the eggs and sugar together. “Ahhh…That is another box of love for Mama.”
Max smiled. “You ate all the candy too, didn’t you Papi?”
“Si,” said Papi. “Now, hand me the flour so we can finish these cookies before Mama gets home. Rapido!”
#9 – Buffa-lonely Love Day
At the zoo, it’s party time:
zebras clamor, monkeys climb.
Elephants hang decorations—
time for Love Day celebrations.
Sending cards, they’re all gung-ho…
all except for Buffalo.
Looking for her valentine…
Doesn’t find one!
“So what?! FINE!”
Scrunched-up nose and pouted lips,
tucks her hooves into her hips.
“Such a wild, rambunctious crowd,
much too lively, much too loud.
Had enough of this commotion.
Too much lovey-dove emotion.”
Quick, she trots around the zoo,
making others cranky too.
Creeps up to the three baboons…
POP! There go their three balloons.
Finds two penguins on the ice…
steals their heart-shaped pebbles (twice).
One bear’s heart cake—Where’d it go?
Who would smash it?
“Buffalo!”
Party ruined: roars and growls.
Buffalo just sits and scowls.
Buffa-lonely, all alone.
“Still no cards, still on my own.
Wrecked their party, made them mad.
What a rotten day I’ve had.”
Maybe if she sent a letter…
she might feel a little better.
“Sorry that I wrecked your bash,
and tossed your goodies in the trash…
See, I found it pretty hard
when all but me received a card.”
Party mix-up, at the zoo…
“You got no card? We never knew!”
“Buffalo, look here and see:
your valentine fell in this tree!”
Buffalo is so excited!
Party re-do… All invited!
#10 – Guess Who?
Who made their bed and fed the cat?
Almost.
Who cleaned up when the milk went splat?
Well, close.
Who carried out the trash with care?
Oops, whoa!
Who fixed the baby’s messy hair?
Oh no.
Who put a drawing at your place?
Rub, scrub.
Who found a flower for your favorite vase?
Mop slop.
Who saved a foil wrapped chocolate kiss?
Yum, yum.
And set it where you couldn’t miss?
“Dear Mum”
I guess you figured out it’s me.
I’m guilty, as no doubt, you see.
I tried to think of something good
but it didn’t turn out quite as it should.
My valentine surprise is done.
With hugs and kisses from your son.
#11 – Heart Socks For The Win
Alex clutched her rainbow wallet. Inside the dollar store, she headed for the clothing aisle.
Her eyes widened. Perfect! Just what she wanted for the Valentine’s party. She gazed at the socks with rainbow-colored hearts. Her own heart raced.
A smaller girl stopped beside her. Through thick glasses, she peered at the heart socks. “Ooh! I’m gonna ask Grandma to buy them with my birthday dollar.” Alex heard the girl’s loose shoes slapping away.
“I saw them first!” Alex grabbed the socks, pressing them to her body. Head down, she marched to the check-out. The clerk gave her change from her $10. Alex barely mumbled “Thank you.”
On Valentine’s Day, she shoved the socks in her backpack. “I’ll put them on later,” she thought.
At school, the gym was open. A little girl with glasses cartwheeled in circles. Alex’s guilty heart did a somersault. She knew what she must do.
Walking quickly to the shoes lining the wall, she knelt and set a heart sock in each of two old sneakers.
Without the socks, the party was just okay. But Alex’s heart soared when she ran to the bus. On a playground swing, a pair of little legs covered in hearts the color of the rainbow flew high.
#12 – Love Bug At The Zoo
I’m know I’m just small, but I must confess,
I am the love bug who caused this huge mess.
I shouldn’t have gone out on Valentine’s Day,
I infected the zoo, I got carried away.
I’m sorry my nibbles caused such a commotion
My bites are much stronger than any love potion.
Now Monkey is gaga and Parrot is squawking
“I love you, I love you…” she doesn’t quit talking.
Poor Panda is spellbound, and Seal is lovesick,
and Frog is enamored with bright red lipstick.
The meercats are staring, with googley-eyes,
at Penguin, who suddenly really loves fries.
Giraffe has gone ape, and Ape is obsessed,
he keeps blowing kisses and pounding his chest.
Lion’s in love, and Emu is entranced
by Flamingo’s new fondness for ballroom style dance.
Bear is bewitched, and so is Baboon.
Zebra saw Peacock and started to swoon.
Peacock keeps prancing to get Snakes attention
But Snake has been charmed, and there’s more I won’t mention.
The bites will wear off, they’ll be fine before morning,
But watch out for love bugs, we strike without warning!
Wow! Those were impressive, weren’t they? Good luck picking! 🙂
Please vote for your favorite in the poll below by Wednesday February 27 at 12 PM (noon) Eastern time.
Tune in Thursday February 28 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!
I can’t wait to see who the winners will be!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to lie on the couch, wrap a hot towel around my head, and get a nap 🙂 after all that reading and agonizing and negotiating.
Okay.
Not really.
I will actually be taking my dad’s car to get a recalled part replaced and frantically trying to catch up on things I shoved to the back burner whilst reading Valentiny stories in the dealership waiting room where they will hopefully have a Keurig!
Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!!! . . . now that it’s basically Monday 🙂
Welcome to another exciting installment of Tuesday Debut!
I realize we’re a little bit interrupting the Valentiny Contest. That is because the people in charge of scheduling around here are donut heads! But if you haven’t had a chance to read all the amazing entries, pop over and treat yourself!
Also, this past weekend, when I was supposed to be judging, turned into an extended involved family time (it was a holiday weekend) so I did not accomplish the work I intended to. Therefore, I will do my best to get the finalists up tomorrow as promised, but it may be another day or two. Meanwhile, since we were looking through boxes and boxes of ancient photos at my parents’ house, I will entertain you with a picture from my misspent youth 🙂
in case you can’t tell, I’m the one in the middle 🙂
Ok. I’m done with excuses 🙂
Time to introduce you to today’s Debut Author: Matthew Lasley!!!
Welcome, Matthew! Thank you so much for joining us today! I am particularly interested in this book because my grandparents lived in Placer County, California and we used to go out and “pan for gold” with them when we were kids :). It’s also a nice example of finding the exact right publisher for the story you’ve written.
Pedro’s Pan: A Gold Rush Story
By Matthew Lasley
Illustrated by Jacob Souva
Alaska Northwest Books, an imprint of Graphic Arts Books (now West Margin Press)
February 19, 2019
Historical Fiction
Ages 5-8
Pedro and his trusty gold Pan are on the search for gold. The journey is not always easy, and Pan learns there are some things more valuable than gold.
SUSANNA: Where did the idea for this book come from?
MATTHEW: This story came from my childhood. I grew up gold mining in Alaska and the Klondike with my family. I also heard stories about the early prospectors and wanted to tell one of their stories. I originally wrote this story as a biography, but it was Pan’s voice that convinced me to tell his story with the original biography providing back matter.
Matthew panning for gold in Pedro Creek
…and some gold he panned!
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
MATTHEW: To be honest, it was about six months. I wrote this story in July, 2016 and submitted it to our local SCBWI conference in September. It was received well, but I was new. I read and learned more about picture book writing as I had only started in June of that year.
In January of 2017, I signed up for a writer’s spring retreat through my local SCBWI chapter. I took out the story and rewrote it. That is when I heard Pan’s voice. The story flowed out. I had it critiqued and submitted it to be reviewed by a local Alaskan children’s book author. She loved it and gave me the contact information of someone at Graphic Arts Books and sent her an email of recommendation.
I must emphasize that this is not normal. I know of many talented authors who have written a lot longer than I have that are still not published. There are three things to take from this though: Write what you know and are passionate about. Learn, read and critique. Take chances, you never know, you might find someone who will champion your work.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
MATTHEW: I went through three revisions, two pre-contract, one post. There was a lot of critiquing and help from people far better at writing than I. There were small changes as I learned and got feedback, but two major revisions.
The first major revision came post conference when I was politely, and in not so many words, told that I was a newbie. After giving the story rest (which is great advice), the second major revision happened when I discovered the voice for my story. I will admit I fought it at first as I tried to make it my voice, but realized it was not my voice, but my style and that I needed to listen to Pan.
When I did, his story flowed onto the paper.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
MATTHEW: After submitting my story to the spring retreat, we received a typed manuscript review. I perused mine, but wanted to wait until my wife and I were back in our cabin. I read it and was like, “there isn’t a whole lot here.” I had not fully read the note attached. I did not have very high expectations.
My wife asked to look at it and she got all excited. She read the note to me and I realized that I had received very good news. I was able to meet with the reviewer, Tricia Brown, who recommended that I submit it to Graphic Arts Books.
I wish all manuscripts got the green light so easily. In truth, it takes a lot to know when. And no one really “knows.” It is always a risk.
The best piece of advice I have heard is that you write a story. Then rewrite the story, have it critiqued over and over. Then revise it. Critique again. Let it rest. Rewrite it. Get fresh eyes on it. And repeat this until you think you can’t do any more, then do it one more time.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
MATTHEW: I had submitted to my local SCBWI conference. I can not stress how important doing this was because it provides opportunities for you to get fresh eyes on your work from professionals in the industry. The nominal fee is well worth the time and feedback you get.
I then submitted again to our writer’s retreat. Again, this opportunity was invaluable. Conferences can be big and daunting and face paced. The writing retreat was small and more intimate.
After getting the positive feedback from the retreat, I rewrote my story and Tricia Brown graciously offered to look over my revisions and help me with my query letter.
I submitted my manuscript in the middle of June to Graphic Arts Books.
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 🙂 )
MATTHEW: Graphic Arts Books (which has recently updated its name to West Margin Press) had just reorganized and was opening up their imprint, Alaska Northwest Books, which had gone dormant a couple of years prior. They were bringing in a new editor, so my story actually went to the marketing director who held on to it until an editor could be brought on board.
The marketing editor was very excited for the project, but I had to wait. I did not get a “call” but an email at the end of August, 2017. A more formal email came a couple of weeks later and my contract was sent to me at the beginning of October.
They loved my book. First manuscript. First submission to an editor. First sale. That is unheard of. That is like buying your first lottery ticket and hitting all your numbers.
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?
MATTHEW: My wife and I took Tricia and her husband to dinner to celebrate the official signing. And I ate cheesecake which is what my wife and I decided would be our consolation prize if we got rejected and our victory prize if we won. It was a win/win situation.
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
MATTHEW: This book was not about money. It is about completing a dream, seeing my name on a book on a shelf at my local store or library.
Graphic Arts Books is a small regional publisher, so I did not expect much. I received less than a $1000 in an advance, but my book was immediately put into production. The original release date was April of 2019, but to meet the local tourist market and the fact that my illustrator Jacob Souva did a fantastic job, they moved up production to February.
In my contract, I am receiving 5 author copies. Per my contract, I am not allowed to divulge percentages, but after talking amongst other authors with similar publications, my contract is pretty standard. They hold all rights with a 50/50 split should they sell them.
SUSANNA: Can you tell us a little about the editorial process?
MATTHEW: My editing process went quickly. I did three edits with my editor. We finished it in two days. Most of the changes were nominal and I trusted my editor. I had already put in mind things I was willing to fight for, and she only touched one. I explained why I wanted that, and she agreed.
The biggest struggle was with the ending. It wasn’t bad, just not quite the punch. We finally settled on an ending and to be honest, it is the only thing I wish we might have spent more time on. I should have set it aside and let it rest, but to be honest, I have not found a better ending line.
SUSANNA: What can you tell us about your experience of the illustration process?
MATTHEW: My illustrator, Jacob Souva, is amazing. I was told I would get to see the first set of thumbnails and the color pallet. Jacob did not send thumbnails, but rough sketches for the whole thing!
illustration copyright Jacob Souva 2019
I did not give many author notes, but I did inform the publisher in my query as well as in the contract portion that I wanted to honor the memory of the guy who this story was about. They agreed with me and passed those on to Jacob.
I was consulted on the authenticity of the pictures. I was thankful they entrusted this to me and I tried to keep in mind what my job was. I did not work directly with Jacob and was careful to not converse directly with him until the process was done. I gave my suggestions, keeping in mind what I was looking for, to my editor who passed on to Jacob what she thought was pertinent.
I have heard stories where authors did not see anything until proofs of their book came out, so I am thankful that I was kept appraised as things changed. It is an advantage of working with a smaller press.
My illustrator notes were nominal within the text. I did give them a picture of Felix Pedro, the man who Pedro was modeled after. I also did italics for actions or sounds and it was decided to add those to the illustrations since they typically happened prior to a note. For example: Crackle sizzle pop.(Illo: Pedro cooks beans and bacon in Pan) – (see below)
illustration copyright Jacob Souva 2019
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc?
MATTHEW: I received my first review from a local publication, North of 60 Mining. I was given a favorable review with a positive focus on the STEM side of things.
I was blown away by my Kirkus review. I was expecting a blurb and was hoping it was positive. It was paragraphs long! And glowing!
I also received a review from Foreward. It too was very positive and was featured in the January/February issue.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
MATTHEW: So here is where it gets crazy. From signing to ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) almost a year. From signing to book in hand, 15 months. From signing to release, 16 months!
Not normal under any circumstances!
I believe my first print run is 2500 books.
SUSANNA: If your book has been out for at least one statement cycle, has it earned out yet?
MATTHEW: It debuts today! With any luck, it will earn out today, but I am not holding my breath. Most sales won’t happen until tourist season. (June-August)
SUSANNA: I love your attitude, Matthew! I hope you earn out today too!! What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
MATTHEW: They have been promoting it through social media. My wife designed small buttons and they paid for those. Marketing has been promoting it at conferences and conventions. The local tourist trade shows are happening right now and I know that they have a booth at them to promote my book and a couple others coming out.
I was informed they will have a booth at the National Library Association Convention as well as the Alaska Library Association Convention.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
MATTHEW: Whenever I received the pictures for the books, I created a book trailer. I also created a website (www.matthewlasley.com) and have built up my media following on Facebook and Twitter.
My wife designed pins which I took to conferences and plan to take to schools. I also designed bookmarks to hand out.
I took a road trip to Fairbanks, the place the Felix Pedro discovered gold and made contacts there to promote my book this summer.
I got an article in North of 60 Mining which is a small publication that has readership worldwide within the mining industry.
I have been doing a blog tour (thank you Susanna), though smaller than I had originally hoped for.
I am a teacher, so my school’s PTA is doing a book launch party in association with their literacy night. I also plan to do a fundraiser on February 23rdat Barnes and Noble to help raise money for my school’s library.
I have also done a couple of giveaways. You can still get in on my latest which closes on February 23rd. Go to my website for more information.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
MATTHEW: I have been writing for a long time, but I seriously took up picture book writing in 2016. Between writing my first picture book (which was bad, by the way) to selling my first manuscript, 15 months.
Again, I want to stress that this is not normal. I had the right story, in the right place at the right time.
And most importantly, I had my champions. I had my wife, who taught, supported and encouraged me. I had my critique group who guided me. I had an author who believed in me enough to put her reputation on the line. And I had a marketing agent that was willing to take up the cause.
Remember, writing can be a lonely endeavor, but the journey does not have to be done alone. Find your champions and just as important, be a champion to someone else.
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 guilty! Your someone can feel guilty themselves or make someone else feel guilty. They may feel guilty for good reason, or just because they think they should! 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 guilty (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.) If you are so inclined, you are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 🙂 No illustration notes please!
Post your story on your blog between right now this very second and tomorrow Thursday February 14th by 11:59 PM EDT and add your post-specific link to the list below. There will be no Would You Read It or PPBF for the duration of the contest so this post and the list of links will stay up all week for everyone to enjoy. If you would like to enter but don’t have a blog you are welcome to paste your entry in the comment section below (please be sure to include your byline so that if your posting handle is writesbynightlight1 or something I’ll be able to tell who you are!) If anyone has trouble commenting, which unfortunately happens, please email your entry to me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com and I’ll post your entry for you. But please don’t send attachments! Just copy and paste your story including byline into the email. Also, please only post your entry once – either in the comment section of my blog or on the link list or by emailing me and asking me to post it. Multiple postings of the same entry get confusing. 🙂 P.S. Although I try to stay glued to my computer 24/7 I am sometimes forced to leave my desk. If you haven’t commented on my blog before, your comment won’t show up until I approve it. It may take a little while if I’m away from my desk. Likewise, if you send me an entry to post, I promise I will do it as soon as I can!
The Judging: over the next several days, my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 6-10 top choices depending on number and quality of entries (hee hee hee – you know how much trouble I have with the narrowing, so we’ll see) which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Wednesday February 20th (or possibly a day or two later if the judges need extra time.) The winner will be announced Friday February 22nd or Saturday February 23rd 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 guilt and success in making us feel the guilt!
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.
Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 🙂
The Prizes: Oh, the awesomeness! Such great prizes to motivate you! With thanks to all who donated!
– “Skip The Slushpile” AND get a Query Letter Critique from Charlotte Wenger, associate editor at Page Street Kids, the picture book division of Page Street Publishing. She earned her Master of Arts in Children’s Literature from Simmons University (then College) and is a board member of the Mazza Museum’s National Advisory Board of Visitors. She enjoys working with debut picture book authors and illustrators and is excited about the 19 Page Street Kids picture books pubbing in 2019.
Find Charlotte on Twitter at @WilbursBF_Char, and learn more about Page Street Kids via www.pagestreetpublishing.com, Twitter: @PageStreetKids, and Instagram: pagestreetkids.
Charlotte will read the winner’s picture book manuscript of choice, then send an email letting you know she’s read your story and including one thing you did well and one thing you might work on to improve the manuscript. In addition, she will give you a query letter critique. Like all editors, she has a hectic schedule, so she will aim to fulfill the prize within 2 months of receiving the manuscript.
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique by the incredibly talented, multi-published author/illustrator Iza Trapani!
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique by the Queen of KidLit411 herself, Elaine Kiely Kearns, author of Noah Noasaurus, forthcoming April 1, 2019 from Albert Whitman!
– Top Ten Reasons for Rejection – a 52 minute webinar from Alayne Kay Christian, author of Butterfly Kisses (picture book) and the Sienna The Cowgirl Fairy series (chapter books), and Content and Developmental Editor of Blue Whale Press.
Webinar Description: If you want tips on some corrective action that you might take to improve your chances of submission success, and/or if you would like to deepen your understanding of plot and arc, this webinar is for you.
(And if you’re interested in seeing what else Alayne has to offer, like her Writing For Children Webinars and Courses page on FB and keep an eye out for upcoming offerings!)
– 15-30 Minute Your Questions Answered Phone Call – with Ryan Sias, author/illustrator of Balloon Toons: Zoe And Robot, Let’s Pretend, Sniff Sniff!, and the Woof And Quack beginning reader series (Green Light Readers), and the Super Doodle Series. He has worked in animation, film, and television, including Sesame Street 🙂
Do you have questions about writing, revising, submitting, whether or not to try for an agent, what happens after the sale, or anything else publishing industry related? If so, this is your chance to ask away and get answers from a professional!
– Query Letter Critique by Heather Ayris Burnell, creator of the Sub It Club and author of Bedtime Monster, Kick! Jump! Chop! The Adventures Of The Ninjabread Man, and the Sparkly New Friends early chapter book series from Scholastic!
– 2-Pack of Personalized Signed Picture Books from amazing author Melissa Stoller – Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush and Ready, Set, Gorilla!
I can’t thank these authors enough for their incredible generosity! Please visit their sites, buy and recommend their books and services to your writer friends and/or friends with kids, write them nice reviews on Amazon, GoodReads etc if you’ve read and liked their books, and show your appreciation to them in any way you can!
Now.
The time has come for my sample.
It could have really benefited from the 65 words I had to cut out of it to make the 214 word limit! I’m warning you now – have some chocolate handy to help ease the pain of reading it 🙂
Valentine Fair and Square (214 words)
Flora and Miles liked all the same things.
Climbing trees.
Fishing.
Baseball.
And peanut butter ice cream with marshmallow sauce.
Unfortunately, Miles didn’t know Flora existed.
But Flora had a plan.
For days she toiled, making the Best Valentine Ever.
Valentines morning, she put her valentine on Miles’s desk.
Miles would notice her now!
But then Isabella put hers on top!
It was HUGE.
It was FANCY.
It came with a whole box of candy.
DISASTER!
There was only one thing to do.
When Isabella wasn’t looking, Flora grabbed the huge, fancy, pink valentine and hid it behind the bookshelf.
During Attendance, Flora’s middle felt pinchy.
She hadn’t stolen it, she told herself. She’d only moved it!
But during the Pledge, her heart felt twingy.
She so wanted Miles to like her. He had to like her valentine most!
But by Morning Announcements Flora’s thoughts were poking her in the brain. Sharply.
Isabella probably worked as hard on her valentine as Flora had.
Flora flooded with guilt.
She didn’t want to hurt Isabella.
She didn’t want Miles to like her when she’d been deceitful.
So she put Isabella’s valentine back.
“Hey!” said Miles, holding up a valentine. “This is the Best Valentine Ever!”
It wasn’t fancy pink.
It was a climbing-tree-fishing-peanut-butter-cup-and-mini-marshmallow-covered baseball-glove heart.
Flora’s.
❤
Alrighty then!
I feel GUILTY for writing such drivel 🙂 But surely you are all feeling a surge of confidence, emboldened to share your stories, now that I have posted this travesty for all the world to see! Never let it be said that I’m not willing to make a fool of myself for you, my friends! 🙂
I can’t wait to read all of yours! I’m SO looking forward to them! I hope there will be LOTS – the more the merrier! And you still have until midnight tomorrow to write, so you have time if you haven’t written yet. Feel free to spread the word to your writing friends as well. And your reading friends – parents, teachers, etc. The more people who read and enjoy your stories, the better!!!
So!
Contest Entrants, remember to add your post-specific link to the list below so we can all come read your awesome stories! (Post-specific means not your main blog url, but the actual url of the post that has your story in it – otherwise if you post again before the contest ends, your link will take readers… and judges!… to the wrong place!) Please allow a few minutes and possibly refresh your browser before deciding that your link hasn’t posted and adding it a second time or emailing it to me.
Eager Readers – click on the links in the list to visit the blogs and read the stories. And be sure to read the 92 fabulous entries posted in the comment section below!!!
Happy Valentines Week, Everyone! ❤
Scroll through the comments to find these wonderful stories!
Valentine’s Day Confession – Juli
Prince Froggie Went A’ Courtin’ – Sherry
Valentine’s Remorsel – Joel
Sophie Builds A Bridge – Corine
Charity’s Chocolate Bath – Johanna
Candy Hearts – Glenda
Cupid’s Valentine Scrabble – Jill
Momo On Valentine’s Day – Shariffa
A Valentine’s Party At School – Anneberly
Secret Mission Valentine – Ramona
It Wasn’t Me! – Susan
The Little Piggies Celebrate Valentines Day – Sarah
Messy Valentines – Sarah
Wilfred’s Valentine’s Day – Cheryl
A Box Full Of Love – Anne
No Sweethearts – Marcia
The Missing Pupcake – Jill
Cupid And Bob – Jessica
The Important Pink Washcloth – Marcia
Valentine’s Day Smiles – Katie
A Penny For His Thoughts – Charlene
The Girl With The Dragon Choo-Choo – Anne
Where Does Love Go? – Aixa
The Sucker – Megan
I Was Wrong – Nina
Alex & Apple Solve The Case – Nicole
Tamu, The Thieving Cat (Paka Mwizi)! – Ketan
Late Night Snack – Mary
A Way With Words – Susan
A Spiny Valentiny – Rachel
Love Bug At The Zoo – Chambrae
Stan’s First Valentine’s Day – Jessica
Tom’s Dad – ???
The Lovebird’s Valentiny Ball – Barbara
Love LOVES Love – Rebecca
Sasquatch: In Search Of A Valentine – Mary
The Case Of The Missing Valentine’s Candy – Sherry
My Muddy Valentine – Jennifer
Sometimes To Always – Jan
The Heart-Shaped Balloon – Amy
Tater Tot Tilly’s Valentine Treat – Kim
No Ordinary Thursday – Emma
Alma’s GREEN Valentine – Amy
Ahava’s School Valentine Surprise – Amy
An ImPURRfect Valentine Surprise – Deborah
Last Valentine’s – Tonya
Vivi’s Heart – Pai
A Valentine For Papa – Keely
A Valentine Party To Remember – Judy
A Valentine For Prince Donald – Jim
Tiny Crush – Amy
The Valentine’s Day Mess & Cure – Joyce
Hillary’s Heart – Deborah
The Perfect Valentine – Susie
Change Of Heart – Jeannine
The Presents – Kirsten
Teacher Valentine – Rosemary
Happy Valentine’s Day To Everyone – Michele
Conversation Smarts – Lauren
Twenty Chocolate Kisses – Patricia
A Little Heart – Lynn
Guess Who? – Marty
Big Sister For The Day – Alison
Puneet’s Valentine Birthday – Johannah
Ella And Emma And The Valentine Verdict – Cindy
A Valentine For Valentina – Lara
The (Not So) Great Revenge – Darcee
The Glass Heart – Gabriella
All Wrapped Up – Mia
A Valentine’s Day Breakfast “Trip” – Susan
Raisins Or Frosting – Ashely
Buffa-lonely Love Day – Jennifer
Bookworm’s Valentine – Dee
The Saga Of Cupid – Linda
Celebrate Every Day With A Poem – Kathy
Puppies Can’t Eat Chocolate – Jan
Something Special – Deb
Spoon In Hand – DL
The Unkeepable Promise – Juliana
Guilty As Charged – Michelle
Valentines For All – Marjorie
Mom’s Valentine – Scott
How It All Began – Linda
The Coconut Covered Chocolates – Carmen
Valentine Dilemma – Ranessa
Who Will Be Mine? – Susie
Blue Whale’s Big Heart – Susan
Chadwick The Zombie Cooks Up A Valentine – Katrina
Welcome to another exciting episode of Tuesday Debut!
Today’s author has some very interesting information to share in terms of illustration as her publisher only accepts illustrated manuscripts. So let’s jump right in!
Welcome, Laura! And congratulations on the publication of your first picture book! 🙂
ALIANA REACHES FOR THE MOON written by Laura Roettiger illustrated by Ariel Boroff Published by Eifrig Publishing
(Fiction ages 4-8)
Synopsis: Aliana loves observing everything in nature. When she notices how bright the light of the full moon shines into her room, she spends time learning about the moon and experimenting with light.
SUSANNA: Where did the idea for this book come from?
LAURA: When I wrote the first draft of the book it included so many elements that have been cut through revision. The ideas that remain, the brightness of the full moon and a creative girl experimenting with light were always there. I started writing this after moving to Colorado. I live in an area with little light pollution and at 8200 ft. I’m in awe of the moon in ways I never was living in Chicago and the suburbs. Aliana’s creativity is inspired by my daughters. Her name is a combination of two first graders who made me smile every day in my last year teaching in Chicago. Their names are Valentina and Ariana and the family is based on the Latinx families of Carlos Fuentes Charter School who I also wanted to honor in my writing.
Full Moon from Laura’s balcony
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
LAURA: I began writing in August, 2016. The main revisions took place at the Southampton’s Writers Conference with Emma Walton Hamilton, July 2017. Her feedback focused on things others had said before but I was finally ready to listen. She explained how I was trying to write three books in one and I needed to choose which story I really wanted to tell.
I have described that revision as performing surgery on my child. It was painful and messy. I was worried, but the result is that the patient (my manuscript) not only survived, but was improved in the process.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
LAURA: Actually, I submitted this book before it was ready and I wouldn’t recommend that. I did things backwards and if I could go back in time, I would have joined SCBWI and 12×12 with Julie Hedlund as soon as I began writing seriously.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
LAURA: I submitted to a few agents who all rejected the book even though they liked the character. A few gave me advice which I took to heart, and have worked on my craft in many ways since then. I also had a list of publishers who take unagented work and sent it out to five of them, including Eifrig Publishing, that I thought were a good fit. The Eifrig Publishing website has a mission statement that aligns with my beliefs of environmentalism and empowering children. My query letter explained why I thought we were a good match and I proposed a series with my characters and six different stories I wanted to write. Penny Eifrig emailed back that she was interested. She saw the promise of my writing, even though we needed to go through major revisions at that point.
Laura’s writing buddy – Charlie 🙂
SUSANNA: What can you tell us about the editorial process?
LAURA: From the original manuscript I sent to Eifrig to the book I now have in my hands, there were more changes than I can count. Eifrig only accepts illustrated work. I don’t mean to brag, but I am famous for drawing stick figures, obese hummingbirds, and the Northside of an elephant facing south. Unfortunately, that didn’t qualify me to illustrate. Fortunately, I had a local artist ask if she could illustrate my book. We talked about vision, she showed me her portfolio, and we agreed on collaborating. After a year that included many writing revisions and the artist creating a dummy and a few full water color illustrations, we were on our way. Sadly, the illustrator ended up backing out due to work constraints from her “real job.”
I didn’t want to hire an illustrator and pay them outright because I wanted a partner in the marketing process and that had always been our vision with the first artist. I reached out to my former colleague and art teacher where I taught in Chicago who connected me to Ariel. I emailed her the text, some art notes from my work with the first artist, and photos of my students at Carlos Fuentes Charter School who I wanted Aliana and Gustavo to look like. We had several conversations (she lives in California) and she started with character sketches and painting backgrounds. She shared her work along the way so I could see it and occasionally give feedback. Her work is amazing and seeing my story come to life through her artwork has been incredible.
In the spring, I was able to meet her in person while visiting a friend who also lives in the Los Angeles area. Like the first illustrator, Ariel has had conflicts with time because she works as a costumer on a TV show (Station 19, a Gray’s Anatomy spinoff set in a firehouse.) The fact that Aliana’s dad is a fireman added to our excitement about collaborating. One of the other books, if this becomes a series, is about forest fires, which is something we both have firsthand experience with. When I was moving to Colorado in July 2016, the day we were packing up the truck in Chicago, I received a reverse 911 call that we were being evacuated from the house I owned but had not yet moved into.
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc?
LAURA: So far we haven’t had any industry reviews, but we have two STEM/STEAM professionals write endorsements for our book. The day I read the first one, written by Grace Wolf-Chase, PhD; Astronomer at Adler Planetarium in Chicago I thought my heart would explode. It was gratifying to see that someone who didn’t know me and had a career in the field of Astronomy understood everything I was hoping the book would impart.
Young Laura, in practically the same pose as Aliana on the cover, as happy then as grown-up Laura is now about her book!
“This short children’s book imparts many pearls of wisdom about the qualities of a scientist, while telling an engaging story about a girl’s caring relationship with her younger brother. Using her ingenuity, imagination, and ordinary household materials, Aliana creates a special experience for Gustavo’s 5thbirthday. Aliana Reaches for the Moonencourages all children – and especially girls – to read, explore, experiment, and to take notice of the natural world. There’s even an important message for parents – doing science can be messy!” ~ Grace Wolf-Chase, PhD; Astronomer, Adler Planetarium
We also received a glowing endorsement from Linda Schwab, Flight Director at the Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana. I wasn’t even aware these amazing educational centers existed until now. They provide hands on learning and exploration for children and resources for teachers dedicated to the memory of those who died in the Challenger shuttle tragedy on January 28, 1986. For more information go to challenger.org
“Curiosity and imagination, paired with research and experimental play, help Aliana bring her unique idea to life. Aliana Reaches for the Moon will inspire readers to use science, imagination, and experimental play to create their own innovations.” ~Linda Schwab, Flight Director, Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
LAURA: The time between when I started writing and when I received the contract was exactly two years. Again, our situation is different from most because the publisher had already shown interest in early 2017 when I sent her the series proposal and the dummy and 2 illustrations from the first artist. From contract to proof/hard copy was about 10 weeks and then another two and a half months to our release date.
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
LAURA: Penny is wonderful, but Eifrig is a small house and I knew from the beginning that much of the marketing and promotion would be my responsibility. She has sent the book to professional reviewers and is working to have it carried in museums and planetariums. She’s also supported my goal of participating in author events at CCIRC and The Children’s Festival of Stories to make sure the book will be available.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
LAURA: Ariel has made coloring pages and designed a bookmark. We have a mini 20 second teaser trailer and a longer one that runs about a minute. I hired a former student who is now finishing a degree in animation. I plan to use the trailers and swag as part of my school visit presentations.
Laura, thank you so much for taking the time to join us today and share your experience, expertise, and book journey to publication! We all so appreciate it!
Readers, if you have questions for Laura, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!
You may purchase Laura’s book at:
(all links below are book-specific)
Charlotte’s Manuscript Wish List: 
![Nothing_FinalFrontJacket2[4] (1)](https://susannahill.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/nothing_finalfrontjacket24-1.jpg?w=620)
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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