IT’S WEDNESDAY!!! Grab a chocolate donut and a cup of coffee and pull up your chair 🙂
Here on Blueberry Hill, things have settled down a bit. The dogs and I are stepping out avec leashes so as to keep the local baby animal population safe,
and my brother is up and hobbling avec crutches… and trying to figure out if he can still run the NYC marathon in November 🙂 (No pictures of him – they might scare you :))
So now that the status quo has been restored, I have time to wonder about important things like whether I should get another bottle of apple shampoo when this one runs out or switch to strawberry for summer, and what’s the weirdest fortune you’ve ever gotten in a fortune cookie? I asked that on FB yesterday, because we had fortune cookies last Friday and my daughter’s friend got “When the opportunity comes, pick the first one from the right” which reminded me of the time (about 25 years ago :)) when my sister got one that said, “Better an egg today then a hen tomorrow”… but no one shared any, so now I think I’m the only one who reads and remembers my fortunes. Feel free to remedy that situation in the comments 🙂
But I digress…
Let’s get down to business, shall we? 🙂 It’s time for the May Pitch Pick. As always, we had great pitches and it’s going to be a tough choice, especially because there were five Wednesdays in May!
To refresh your memory, here they are:
#1 Darshana
Title: Jay’s Big Day Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8) Pitch: Jay’s super-sniffer dashes his dreams of becoming a Police Bird, but his special talent opens up another heroic opportunity.
#2 Rena
Working Title: Death Of Sleeping Beauty
Age/Genre: MG Fantasy
The Pitch: Alivia Fair stumbles upon a seemingly harmless book that is full of gruesome fairy tales. Now the book is missing and strange things begin to happen. She is cursed by a man with a blue beard and finds herself trapped inside an enchanted castle, in which she comes face-to-face with the legendary, Sleeping Beauty. Too bad Alivia is destined to kill her, but with a little help Alivia might be able to stop the DEATH OF SLEEPING BEAUTY.
#3 Jarm
Working Title: Waiting For An Idea
Age/Genre: PB (ages 6-11)
The Pitch: Jerry is waiting for an idea to come. He walks his dog, swings in his backyard, and even goes inside for milk and cookies. hoping to coax one into his head. But, alas, it’s not until he opens Aunt Polly’s gift that an idea… well… an avalanche of ideas, spill forth!
#4 Elizabeth
Working Title: Magnificent
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: When the synchronized swimming Savanna Belles lose their watering hole to drought, the troop of elephant calves decide ballet is the perfect way to make them feel magnificent once again. Facing the challenges of trunk-tickling ants, loss of weightlessness, and the scarcity of tutus, can the girls tame the doubtful roars, hisses and cackles of the their wild friends, proving that they really can be magnificent ballerinas? Follow the tutued journey of these silly mammals as they sashay, leap and plié their way into even the wildest of hearts.
#5 Tina
Working Title: Dewey Bookworm Takes The Stage
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: What if a bookworm doesn’t like books? Tree leaves taste better than book leaves. Dewey Bookworm wants to join the circus. Will other book-eating creatures change his mind?
So please vote for your favorite! The poll will be up from now until Thursday June 7 at 11:59 PM EDT. Then the winner’s pitch will go to editor Erin Molta for critique and comment!
And now that we’ve got that taken care of, it’s time for today’s pitch, which comes to us from the lovely Laura who says, “I’ve finally returned late in life to what I always wanted to do – write and illustrate for children (unemployment will do that to you). I am a former school principal, and a pastor’s wife, but my favorite occupation when not at the computer or drawing board is being a grandma to my four grandchildren. I’m enjoying all the wonderful encouragement from the professionals like Susanna and the 12×12 writing group, it makes it easy to dream that we can be published one day. Thanks for reading my pitch and for all your input.”You can visit her blog HERE.
Working Title: Uncle Larry
Age/Genre: PB
The Pitch: A true story about Uncle Larry, a special child/adult who grew up on a farm, trained and loved animals, liked to play and work, got into mischief, and taught us how to love someone a little different by loving everyone himself.
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 Laura 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 Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in August, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Laura is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!
Joanna’s book Snow Games was published, as was Miranda’s book Fly With Kai. Ruth has an agent – woo-hoo! – and I have joined twitter!
(OK. So maybe that last part isn’t in quite the same category of awesomeness. But it gave me a good excuse to mention how happy I am for my friends 🙂 Feel free to hop over and do the happy dance with them and buy their books but then please come back for PPBF! :))
(And please stay tuned for a few important announcements after the picture book, including the April Pitch Winner!)
Now, at first glance, this book might not seem to have anything to do with spring or Mother’s Day. That is because it is about geese migrating in the fall. But Canada Geese mate for life, which is kind of peripherally related to Mother’s Day, and although they fly south in the fall, they come back in the spring. And although I usually like to tease you about the endings so you’ll read the book, I’m going to tell this one so you get it 🙂
The Way Home Written & Illustrated By: Nan Parson Rossiter Dutton Children’s Books, 1999 Suitable For: ages 5-9
Opening: “It was late in the October afternoon when Samuel and his father finished the day’s chores at the farm and set out for a walk with Ben, their yellow Lab. The sun was already behind the hills, but they had just enough time to walk around the pond before it got dark.”
Brief Synopsis: On their walk, Samuel finds an injured goose, and he and his father take her back to the farm, hoping she will heal. But even if she does, will she be strong enough to make the long flight south for the winter? And will she and her mate make it in time?
Why I Like This Book: Although this isn’t a true story, it almost could be. An animal injured because of human carelessness is helped back to health by a kind, responsible family. But they don’t try to keep her. When she’s well, they let her go back to her wild life, even though they are sad to see her go and will miss her. Although the book’s ending would most probably not happen in real life, it is a lovely ending that brings the story full circle for child readers and will leave them feeling happy and satisfied. The geese return to the pond in the spring, and Ben finds them, complete with a brand new family of goslings (that’s the marginally Mother’s Day part :)) The art is painted in the warm reds and golds of autumn – very appealing. And the longer text makes it a satisfying read for older children or children with a longer attention span.
And now, I am pleased to announce that the winner of the April Pitch Pick, whose pitch will be sent to editor Erin Molta for review and comment, is none other than the fabulous Rebecca with her pitch for Broomstick Rodeo! Congratulations, Rebecca! And congratulations and thank you to all our brave pitchers – I wish you could all win!
Before we all go off to read all the other PPBs and cruise on into the weekend, let me remind you that the Birthday Contest is just over a week away (which I hope means everyone is writing busily!)
Also!!! Phyllis terrorized had a fabulous visit to Italy, and if you haven’t had a chance to see it, it’s a must read! Hop on over to Renee’s at NoWaterRiver! You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Phyllis as Juliet 🙂
PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific links below.
And Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms, grandmoms, step-moms, new moms, moms-to-be, like-moms, etc. out there. These are for you 🙂
Good Monday, everyone! (Doesn’t that sound like something Shakespeare would say?)
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling the need for an extra dose of cuteness this morning, since things have not been going according to plan of late, so how about this?
and this…
…and this
Ah!
I feel much better now! You?
I could do this all day, but that would probably not be considered productive 🙂
Now then, I hope you’re all going to take note of how efficient and brief I am today, so that I can get to work finishing my gakawful mss for NaPiBoWriWee. Ready? GO!
First, it’s time for the April Pitch Pick.
Here’s the refresher:
#1 Delores
Working Title: Dustin The Dragon
Age/Genre: Early PB (3-6)
The Pitch: April’s room is VERY dusty but what can you expect when a dust breathing dragon lives in your closet? Too bad April’s mom doesn’t believe in dragons, that is, not until Dustin catches a cold.
#2 Rebecca C
Working Title: Broomstick Rodeo
Age/Genre: Picture Book (4-7)
The Pitch: The Thistlegulch Sisters have thirteen trophies between them and they’re determined to win another. They practice for the rodeo until they’re chapped under their chaps and have calluses on their warts. But when a buckin’ broomstick charges towards their youngest sister, Myrna, they realize there are more important things in life than winning trophies.
#3 Kirsten
Working Title: Out Of This World Opposites
Age/Genre: Non-Fiction PB for ages 5+
The Pitch: Space is a place of opposites. Burning stars and icy comets. Roaring rockets and silent stillness. An ancient universe and newborn planets. Everyday scientists discover something old, new, near, far, wet, dry, dark or light as they learn more about the cosmos. Come along and explore our amazing universe.
#4 Anna
Working Title: A Bug Who Needs A Hug
Age/Genre: Picture Books (ages 2-7)
The Pitch: A Bug Who Needs A Hug is about a fuzzy little bug that goes out into the forest looking for someone to hug. The vivid and colorful illustrations in the book emphasize the importance of friendship and leave a positive message for children at the end of the story.
Please vote below for your favorite by Wednesday May 9 at 11:59 PM EDT:
The winner’s pitch will go to editor Erin Molta for helpful comments 🙂
Now then, today’s Oh Susanna question comes to us from Tracy and actually has a couple of layers to address.
Here is her question:
My children’s book manuscript (early reader) is one where the characters are kids who also happen to be food. (You may remember this frommy Would You Read It pitch in October). There’s Pizza, Juice Box, Cake, Waffle, Cereal, Bratwurst (he’s a bully), Lemon Chiffon (fashionista with an attitude), Cinnamon, and Apple. I’m working with a book coach who is suggesting that I grab pictures of food to include with the MS so that an editor understands that this is not a joke and takes my submission seriously. I looked online and I don’t like any of the illustrations and while I still need to look in magazines, those images will not have arms and legs and look like kids. My question is: I’d like to sent out a tweet or blog post request to illustrators in my online community and ask if anyone wanted to make some rough sketches. I can’t promise or offer any compensation or even promise that those comps would be used in final production. Is it fair to ask illustrators to help?
In answer to the main question, “Is it fair to ask illustrators to help?” I would say, yes, it is fair to ask as long as you are up front with potential illustrators about what the project is and exactly what is involved. I think you might have a hard time getting anyone to do it, though. If an illustrator is going to work for you, she/he should be paid for their talent, expertise, and time – it’s not professional to ask them to work for free. If by helping you out their work is going to be seen by an editor, potentially opening some doors for them, that might be enough payment for some, or it might help reduce the payment for others. But I think if you want someone to provide you with the kind of custom illustrations that are going to help you sell your work, you should offer to pay them something. It can be work-for-hire, you can make an agreement as to who owns the rights, but I think you should at least offer some payment. (Please see Oh Susanna – How Do You Find And Pay For Illustrators? for a further discussion of getting illustrations.)
That said, your question raises some other questions for me:
First, why wouldn’t an editor take your work seriously in the first place? If you’ve done a good job writing your story, it should be clear that you’ve personified food as characters. Your dialogue and story problem should help make it clear that the food characters are children. Editors have good imaginations. They read picture book and early reader manuscripts all the time and they are accustomed to visualizing what illustrations would be like. If your story is strong, the editor shouldn’t need visual cues. If it’s not strong enough, visual cues won’t save it.
In addition, unless you are a professional illustrator yourself, I think you’ll find that most editors react negatively to an author sending art with their manuscript. To my knowledge, editors want to read your manuscript and envision the type of art they think would suit it, and then choose the illustrator themselves.
I’m not a book coach, but I’m not really sure what you would accomplish by following this suggestion.
I think you would be better off writing the best story you can write, trusting your editor’s intelligence and judgment, and letting your submission stand on it’s own merit. If you feel your story is strong but it’s still not clear, put a brief explanation in your cover letter.
I would really like to hear from readers, though, as to what they think about this issue. Do you agree with the book coach, or with me, or do you think something else all together? Collectively, there is a lot of experience with submission in this readership, so please share your thoughts to help Tracy out with her dilemma!
I am so full of happy announcements today! I like to think I’ll be spreading joy and cheer like sunshine 🙂
I assume you all have plenty of Easter candy left over, so feel free to snack while I spread cheer 🙂
First off, I would like to announce the winner of the March Pitch Pick! As always, all the entries were terrific, and all the entrants were so brave to put their work out there for everyone to comment on. Thanks to you, we all learn something new each week. It would be lovely if everyone could win, but since we have to pick one each month, the polls have spoken and this month’s winner is………
Miranda, with Reef Stew!
Congratulations, Miranda! Your pitch has already been sent to editor Erin Molta for critique, and we will all look forward to her comments!
Next, as you may or may not remember :), I so appreciate all the work the devoted Perfect Picture Book bloggers do each week that I like to spread a little thank-you cheer by randomly selecting one person each month to win a little prize. Bloggers get one entry for every Perfect Picture Book they post that month, so in March quite a few people got 5 entries! In case you are wondering, this month 33 bloggers posted anywhere from 1-5 books each, resulting in 128 new books being added to the list! I didn’t do an exact count, but we now have upwards of 450 books on the list all together. It’s getting to be quite an impressive resource! Hopefully, parents and teachers out there are beginning to discover it and put it to good use 🙂
But I digress… 🙂 I was announcing the March gift winner which is
Thank you so much, Kirsten, for your wonderful additions to the list this month, and thank you to EVERYONE who participates in PPBFs – you are all wonderful!!!
My next happy announcement is that you folks seem to like the writing contests over here – thank you so much! Quite a lot of people voted, and the general sentiment seems to be that we should have the birthday story contest in May because April is just a little too busy. I am happy to oblige. I want it to be fun for everyone, not stressful :), so if more people will enter and everyone will enjoy it more in May, than May it shall be!
Next on the happy announcement list is that we should have 5 or so new Tour Posts coming from Phyllis in the upcoming week from Vermont, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Australia, and 2 from the UK… if all goes according to plan… which it doesn’t always 🙂 But do stay tuned 🙂
Also, for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, Phyllis now has her very own Punxsutawney Phyllis Face Book Page for anyone who wants to like her! She’s very excited and hoping to become more popular than Punxsutawney Phil, who currently has 20,885 “likes”. Phyllis currently has 48 “likes” so she has a ways to go, but she is very optimistic 🙂 Phyllis’s page is still evolving, but she will certainly be featuring a Fun Fact Friday!
Finally, my last happy announcement for the day is that I get to babysit for my granddaughter today… which also means I will not be online much as she is 8 months old and crawling 🙂 So please forgive me if I get a little behind in blog post commenting!
Now that you are all hopefully feeling very cheerful, we shall move on to today’s Oh Susanna question. Donna has a good one. She asks:
What are some of the key things a new author should find in a “good” contract? The flip side to that would be what are some of “bad” things in a contract that should set off warning alarms for a new author to run for the hills?
Donna, my experience is that contracts are not all that different from publishing house to publishing house. I have dealt with 5 different houses, and they all seem to cover the same basic, standard things. These include (but may not be limited to):
where the publisher has the right to publish your book (USA only, or foreign?)
your assurance that your work is original
when your manuscript is due in final form
the time frame the publisher agrees to publish the book in and at whose expense
when galleys and/or proofs will be delivered by the publisher and how much time you have to review them and make any corrections, as well as how much you can change the work without incurring cost to yourself
the amount of your advance and when and how it will be paid (full amount on signing, or half on signing, half on delivery of ms, etc.)
subsidiary rights (such as book clubs, audio, film rights etc.)
how many free copies the publisher will supply the author
when statements of account and royalties if they are due will be delivered (usually semi annually, and the publisher will supply the dates)
author’s right to examine publisher’s accounts
agreement by author not to publish competing work
reversion of rights and termination
I don’t think any reputable publishing house would try to hoodwink or cheat an author, but there’s no doubt that publishing is a business. The publisher is laying out the money to produce your book and they want to make sure it’s worth their while, so the contract will likely be written in their favor. You as an author, especially a first-time author, may have to consider how hard you want to push for things. Do you really need a bigger advance/higher royalties/to keep the audio rights etc. if by insisting on such things you may cause the publisher to withdraw their offer? Many people do push. Other’s (like me) tend to be more complacent. This is a reason many authors like having an agent – it is the agent’s job to negotiate higher advances, better royalties etc.
I’m generalizing here to give you an idea of what to expect, but I think a typical advance to a new picture book author can be anywhere from $1000 – $5000 (depending on the book and the size of the publishing house and other factors), royalties of 5% on hardcover, 6% on paperback are common, publication in 12-24 months (but it can be shorter or longer), and 10-15 free copies of your book are typical. I don’t know how frequently you can expect to get audio rights, or foreign rights, or things like that – sometimes I get them, sometimes the publisher does and I don’t have enough data to make a guess.
I’m not really sure what to tell you to be wary of – certainly any situation where the publisher asks you to pay for things. Many vanity publishers will do this, but it’s not something that should show up in a traditional publishing contract. And I guess a contract that varied hugely from the generalities above might be something you’d want to look at pretty carefully.
I would recommend having someone look over your contract if you’re not familiar with publishing contracts. I believe there are even resources in SCBWI for this, although I’m not sure.
So I hope that answers your questions somewhat, Donna, and I would be most appreciative of any readers who have knowledge or expertise in this area who would be willing to chime in in the comments!
Have a great Monday, everyone. See you Wednesday for the next pitch – this one a picture book from Rebecca C!
Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, Everyone! Grab a fortifying snack (perhaps a potpourri of Robin’s Eggs, jelly beans, chocolate eggs, and marshmallow peeps to get us in the mood for this weekend :)) and let’s dive into today’s wonderful selection of picture books!
My book today is actually one I’ve never read! I’m posting a PPB from Cheryl Ashley, the children’s librarian at Verona Public Library in New Jersey. This is one of her favorites, and I don’t know of a much better resource for recommendations than a children’s librarian so I, for one, am going to hustle on out and read this! And what better for Easter weekend than a spring farm story?
The Day The Goose Got Loose Written By: Reeve Lindbergh Illustrated By: Steven Kellogg Puffin, April 1, 1995, Fiction Suitable For: ages 4-8 Themes/Topics: farm animals, chaos, mischief, humor Opening: “When the goose got loose she caused a riot. Nobody ever thought she’d try it! There wasn’t any more peace and quiet. The day the goose got loose.”
Brief Synopsis: (From Scholastic website) “Just how much havoc can one goose cause? Take a gander at the chaos that results when a long-necked mischief-maker flies the coop. Soon the bull’s broken through the fence, and cows and horses are galloping all over town. The stampede will go on until dawn — and the laughter will last even longer. Full color.”
Why I Like This Book: (from Cheryl): This longtime favorite was written in 1990 and is available in paperback today. The story of the dreadful day the goose got loose is told in near perfect rhyming that will have youngsters bopping their heads keeping time. The text almost needs to be sung, it is that rhythmic. Among other mischievous deeds, goose ate the hens grain, frightened the sheep, enraged the ram,inspired the horses to get up to no good, made the cows tense, provoked the bull named Spence, annoyed Dad and upset Mom. The pictures are a riot. This silly story is a feast for the eyes, ears and funny bone.
Thank you so much for sharing your recommendation with us, Cheryl!
Still got some jelly beans left? Good. Because we have a few more items of interest.
If you haven’t had a chance to vote on the March Pitch Pick, please hop over HERE and vote for which pitch should get a read and critique from editor Erin Molta.
In World Tour News, Phyllis had a delightful visit to Debbie in South Dakota where she made friends with a bison and was interviewed by a very cute dog named Sherlock! She is currently with Melissa in Australia and on her way to Alison in Georgia. She is also lost in the UK somewhere between Rebecca and Clare… I have no idea…! She has also been to Vermont, and that post will be up sometime this weekend from Kathy! Be sure to check back here to the Tour Page, and I will also post any new links on Face Book as soon as I get them!
In contest news, I’m still on the fence, so I’m going to let you decide with the click of a button!
I’m very democratic around here 🙂 You can vote until 5 PM EDT on Easter Sunday, April 8.
(Oh, and this just in at the eleventh hour! Goodies have arrived from Saskatchewan and New Zealand!!! A package! And a box! Par Avion! Also a postcard from Rebecca in the UK!!! I will share… but not now because as I am writing this it is past my bedtime :))
Now, off you go to enjoy everyone’s picture book recommendations! For those of you who celebrate, have a wonderful Easter, and everyone have a great weekend! PPB bloggers, please add your post-specific link to the list below 🙂
Batten down the hatches! I’m about to blow you away with short-windedness!
(As you know, I’m up-to-my-ears busy this week – apparently that’s what it takes to get brevity out of me :))
So. Right down to business!
It’s time for our March Pitch Pick. Here is a little refresher, followed by the poll. Please vote by Saturday and I’ll announce the winner Monday.
#1 Renee
Working Title: Doris And The Scaredy Cats
Age/Genre: Fiction PB ages 4+
The Pitch: Intrigued by the herd of petrified cats that show up at her door with their little suitcases, Doris is determined to un-petrify her furry new housemates — despite her family’s pleas to send them away before she ends up a scaredy cat, too. Doris will either calm the cats’ jitters or make her family’s fear come true — or neither.
#2 Miranda
Working Title: Reef Stew
Age/Genre: Rhyming Picture Book ages 4-8
The Pitch: When a shipwreck destroys their reef, the shellfish grow selfish and every creature’s a crab. Can Whale stir up happiness with a single piece of stony coral? Filled with slurps, burps, and spicy sargassum, this quirky version of a classic tale will send ripples of laughter through any school of young guppies.
#3 Rebecca
Working Title: Everett
Age/Genre: YA Paranormal
The Pitch: Ever since Bria Stone was a little girl, she has had nightmares about shadow-like monsters who claim they’re coming to get her. At age six, Bria had another dream, in which a man with glowing skin told her the monsters are real. When Bria encounters this man – who claims his last name is Everett and that he has no first name – in real life after her nineteenth birthday party, she starts to wonder: if good dreams can come true, does that mean the bad ones can too?
#4 Terri
Working Title: First Aide For First Grade
Age/Genre: PB
The Pitch: Mrs Fox is teaching first aide to the class. Charlie doesn’t want to listen but his best friend is listening with both ears and it is a good thing. After the lesson, the boys run to the playground to play. Zip, Zap, Zing….and Ouch. Who will help Charlie when he is hurt at recess?
Which of these awesome pitches should go to Erin Molta for her critique?
Today’s pitch comes from Delores, who lives in Guelph, Ontario, She is retired from the insurance industry and working on her lifelong dream of writing for children and writing poetry. Her first step in that direction was the creation of her blogs: The Feathered Nest and Youngish. Her next step is submitting her pitch 🙂
Working Title: Dustin The Dragon Age/Genre: Early PB (3-6) The Pitch: April’s room is VERY dusty but what can you expect when a dust breathing dragon lives in your closet? Too bad April’s mom doesn’t believe in dragons, that is, not until Dustin catches a cold.
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 Delores 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 Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. Go ahead and send your pitch for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Delores is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!
For those of you on tenterhooks, Phyllis is currently in Italy, Australia, Vermont, and South Dakota, and possibly somewhere near Prince Edward Island as well. I am looking forward to sharing more updates with you as they come in.
Ooh! This just in – last minute addition! Phyllis has had an awesome visit to Nicky in Australia!!!
Is Nicky an incredible artist or what?!
And that’s it! Pretty short-winded considering everything we just covered! Now, I’m off to day 2 of school visiting and looking forward to catching up with all of you, hopefully by July 🙂
Golly gee willikers! We have just been so busy this week! Today, in addition to PPBF, I also have the pleasure of announcing the February Pitch Winner. And knowing me, I’ll think of a few other things… But you know the rules 🙂 PPB first!
Neville Written By: Norton Juster Illustrated By: G. Brian Karas Schwartz & Wade, October 2011, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 4-8
Themes/Topics: moving, making new friends
Opening: “The big gray van pulled away from the curb, moved slowly down the street, and disappeared around the corner. Now it was quiet, and there he was, where he really didn’t want to be.”
Brief Synopsis: (from Amazon’s book description): “This is a simply told story about a boy who moves to a new neighborhood and finds a unique way to make friends.”
Links To Resources: Although this book has been out for 6 months, I was not able to find any online resources. I was surprised. (Granted I was cross-eyed tired when I looked and may have missed something – feel free to point it out if you know of any!) So. This book would make a good jumping off point for a discussion about either being “the new kid” or being kind to someone else who is. How can one meet people and make friends? Alternatively, how can one help others feel welcome? It would be equally good for discussions about moving. What are some hard things about moving? What are some good things? A child who is moving to a new home could make a keepsake book to remind him of the home he’s leaving behind.
Why I Like This Book: This is a simple story, but so nicely told that you feel the boy’s emotions perfectly, from sadness and loneliness to hope to contentment. I like the fact that he goes out and tries to make friends – he doesn’t just sit home and mope, he takes positive action in spite of his feelings. This is one clever boy. He finds a very innovative way to make friends, and it works like a charm. I bet the ending surprises a lot of kids 🙂 I love the line where he says, “People always say you’ll love something when they know you won’t” – something a kid would say!
Now, before I get to the Pitch Winner :), I knew I’d think of other things! I forgot to mention on Wednesday that I was interviewed on Kai Strand’s blog. I posted it on FB and a few of you lovely people visited and commented, but I wanted to mention it here too because Kai was so nice to have me and I don’t want her to be disappointed at the turn-out! So if you have a moment, and you need something to do, and you want to hear about my childhood 🙂 hop on over to Kai’s. (BTW, Kai keeps an eye out for other authors who might want to participate in her Three Times A Charm interviews, so some of you might like a turn!)
Also, sources close to the hog have indicated that Phyllis has arrived in California!!! and we should be hearing from her Florida any time now… maybe in time for Monday! Wouldn’t that be exciting! Phyllis is especially happy to be on tour since today, at a school visit, someone mistook her for a chipmunk! (Sometimes I wonder if kids go outside enough to see animals! A chipmunk? Really? :))
Okay. Enough with the stalling 🙂 The February Pitch Winner, whose Pitch has been sent to editor Erin Molta for critique and comments is….
Sharron
Congratulations, Sharron! And congratulations to everyone who bravely put forth their pitches for critique. I hope you all got some valuable and helpful feedback so that even if you didn’t win a read by Erin you still gained from the experience! Thank you all for participating and, judging by the voting results, everyone had a tough choice – three people were fairly close in the running so you all must have done a good job!!!
PPB bloggers, please leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit 🙂 Have a great weekend, everyone, and we’ll meet back here Monday for a new Oh Susanna question, and maybe Straight From The Editor and maybe a report from Phyllis 🙂
It’s March! So even if we’re at the in-like-a-lion stage, spring is beginning to feel like a possibility 🙂 Here’s a little something to get you thinking spring 🙂
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Today, fun of fun, we have the February Pitch Pick to determine which of our talented writers will get to have her pitch sent to editor Erin Molta for critique!
A little refresher:
#1 Dede
Working Title: Summer of ’71
Age/Genre: MG
The Pitch: When eleven-year old Fiona peered through the broken slat of the caretaker’s shed at the back corner of the West End Cemetery, the last thing she expected to see was a girl about her own age, asleep on the dirt floor. Thus begins an unlikely friendship that carries them through a summer of bullies, a best friend’s betrayal, and a life-changing tragedy.
#2 Sarah
Working Title: Starstruck
Age/Genre: YA
Pitch: Seventeen year old Katie literally stumbles into Matt’s life one icy January morning. Within two months they’re friends, and in three, they’re dating. But there’s a snag. Matt is a movie star and teenage heart-throb. Katie’s living the dream that every other girl her age has, but the dazzle of having a famous boyfriend only lasts so long. How will Katie cope when the line between dream and nightmare becomes blurred?
#3 Sharron
Working Title: Sorrysorrysorry
Age/Genre: Early PB (ages 2-5)
The Pitch: Three frolicking baby giraffes try to find a place to play on a hot and crowded savannah. They find it isn’t an easy task. They run into a troop of baboons, a dazzle of zebras, and a pride of lions. At last, they turn to the river, only to be confronted by hippopotami. Our giraffes find fun and friendship at the end of a long a grueling day.
#4 Jennifer R
Working Title: The Birthday Bash
Age/Genre: PB (ages 6-8)
The Pitch: It’s Sylvia’s birthday tomorrow and Stan and Louie have a big surprise party planned. With hilarity and hi-jinks the two raccoons search for Sylvia’s favorite foods in the forest, garages and backyard patios. Will they find what they’re looking for or will the birthday party be a bust?
#5 Jennifer Y
Working Title: Planet Vacation
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Rose takes a vacation to visit the planets. Will she get a chance to rollerblade on the rings of Saturn and scuba dive for starfish on Jupiter or will her trip be nothing like she dreamed?
A tough choice as always, made tougher by the fact that February, although a short month, managed to have 5 Wednesdays!
Please cast your vote for the best pitch in the poll below by Wednesday March 7 at 11:59 PM EST. That way I can announce the winner on Friday after Perfect Picture Books 🙂
Moving right along, we also have an Oh, Susanna question today.
Darshana asks,
I am a pre-published PB author still learning her craft. I keep hearing to leave enough “space” for the illustrator to do their job. In other words, don’t overwrite. How do you make that call when you are writing your MS.
For example:
“Jay .. ” sighed Mr. Martin. “You could have entered the Academy. You’ll have to wait until next year to try out again.”
Jay’s head dropped and his feathers dropped. <<< is this needed in text or do I leave it for the illustrator to show?
Teary-eyed, Jay flew away to the coast.
Another excellent question!
A picture book is supposed to be a marriage of words and art. The author should tell half the story, and the illustrator should tell the other half. This means that, unless it is absolutely crucial to the plot for some reason (as in Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse) you do not need to say that the MC is wearing a red coat, or that her hair is blond, or his dad drives a Chevy. Leave those details to the illustrator’s imagination.
That said, there are some things which are crucial on first reading (for the editor and illustrator to imagine) that can later be cut from the text once they’ve done their job – i.e. once the illustrator has shown it. An example, from Can’t Sleep Without Sheep, was that in the original ms it said “The hippos waddled forward. ‘We’re going to need a crane,’ said the sheep. “This could take a while.'” Once Mike had drawn the crane, we didn’t need that sentence anymore and were able to go to the funnier, “The hippos waddled forward. ‘This could take a while,’ said the sheep.”
Another option, to be used sparingly because most editors and illustrators don’t like it, is to include art specs. This should only be done when something specific HAS to be drawn to make the story work, or when the text is so spare that the reader won’t know what you intend without the art notes. For example, the text of No Dogs Allowed. If you scroll down that link on Linda Ashman’s page, you can click on the actual manuscript and see how she did it.
But ultimately, it is your job as author to use the strongest nouns and verbs you can, so that your intent is crystal clear without having to explain.
In your example above, I don’t think you need the part you asked about. If you go straight from “try again” to “Teary-eyed, Jay flew away…”, you have clearly indicated his sadness with “teary-eyed”and an illustrator is likely to pick up on that and paint his dejection.
But this is where picture books are different from every other genre. The illustrator might paint something else. And it might be just as good as what you intended, or even better!
So your job is to tell the story and let the illustrator draw it.
And be forewarned that when your book arrives in proof form, it may not be quite what you expected, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t great!
Anyone else who has submitted mss, please chime in with your thoughts. And illustrators too – what do you like to see?
WOW do I have lots to share with you today! I’m going to try very hard to be concise… we’ll see how I do 🙂 Let’s start with the Perfect Picture Book! (But definitely read to the bottom because there’s good stuff down there!!!)
As I mentioned briefly in Wednesday’s post, I’m very interested in adding another category to the Perfect Picture Book List – Best Books For Boys – because of the amount of discussion I’ve been involved with recently over getting boys engaged in reading. So I bumped another book so I could post this one today:)
Shark Vs. Train Written By: Chris Barton Illustrated By: Tom Lichtenheld Little Brown Books For Young Readers, April 2010, Fiction Suitable For: ages 4-8 Topics/Themes: Humor, Imagination, Play Opening: “Who will win? Well, that depends on if they’re… in the ocean… or on railroad tracks.” Brief Synopsis: (from SLJ starred review) “When a boy with a toy shark faces a train-wielding companion, it sets off a series of imaginative and very funny contests between fish and machine. The result of each battle depends on the setting.”
Why I Like This Book: It’s fun! The reader sees two boys pulling toys from a toy chest before there are even any words. One gets a shark, the other, a train. This leads to the imaginary world of who will win? in a variety of ridiculous situations where sometimes the shark has the upper hand (as in high diving), sometimes the train is favored (as in the burping contest) and sometimes neither one is cut out for the job (as in their scoreless video game where they say, “It sure would help if we had thumbs!”) The pictures are hilarious, as are the scenarios in which the shark and train compete. I think any child would enjoy this book, and it may be one that is especially appealing to boys, even those who aren’t big on reading, because the text is very short but the imagination (and potential for play) can run on long after the story is over!
I hope you all enjoy Shark Vs. Train as much as I do!
Yesterday, Phyllis and I went on a school visit for Groundhog Day. (If I get a picture I’ll insert it, but as of this writing I don’t have any yet 😦 ) Anyway, one of the kids asked Phyllis, “What is your middle name?”
Well.
I had never thought about it!
Shocking, I know.
But of course Phyllis must have a middle name.
So I had some ideas… and so did they… and so I now present you with Phyllis’ full name. Are you ready?
We are going to say it as many times every day as we can possibly think up excuses for. As in, “Would you be so kind as to pass the maple syrup, Punxsutawney Phyllis Princess Snowy Sunshine Macaroni Hotwheels Groundhog Hill?”
In other news, we have a winner for the December/January Pitch Pick! It was a tough choice, as always, and as usual I wish everyone could win, but since it can only be one, the voters have spoken. This month’s winner, whose pitch will be sent to editor Erin Molta for review and critique, is
Margaret!!!!!
Congratulations, Margaret! Your pitch is winging it’s way through cyberspace as we speak. Actually, I hope it’s already there because I sent it last night right after I wrote this 🙂 To everyone else, thank you all so much for submitting your pitches. I know how hard it is to put your work out for others to see and critique, so you’re very brave. And we all learn so much from every pitch, so thank you all!
And now, last but not least – definitely not least! – it’s contest time again!!!
ValentinesDayContest
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Having skipped January, I really couldn’t pass up February because, as we all know, it has way better holidays than March for contest fodder 🙂 SO. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to write a children’s story, poetry or prose, 150 words maximum, about unlikely Valentines.
You must post it on your blog, (or in the comment section of this blog if you don’t have a blog), between Saturday February 11 and Monday February 13, and add your entry-specific link to the link list that I will put up on Saturday February 11. (There will be no new post on Monday February 13 so that the contest post and link list can stay up.) Entries must be posted by 5 PM EST Monday February 13. Three finalists (which, judging by my track record probably means anywhere between 3 and 6 :)) will be chosen and posted in a special Valentines Day post on Tuesday February 14 for you all to vote on for a winner. The winner will receive their choice of either a copy of Ann Whitford Paul’s Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation To Publication, or a picture book manuscript critique from me. For all you 12X12ers out there, look on this as a chance to get your February story written along with potential for a prize!!!
OK. That’s it. I’m done. How’d I do on brevity? 🙂
Perfect Picture Book bloggers, please remember to add your links below! Have a great weekend, everyone, and start dreaming up those unlikely Valentine stories – only 150 words – you can do it! 🙂
(P.S. I apologize in advance for the fact that I will be late visiting everyone’s blogs today as I have 9 hours of driving to do starting at 7 AM followed by my husband’s birthday party when I get home… but I’ll get there eventually :))
In case you need a little cuteness to start your week (or maybe spark a story) here is some cute overload for you 🙂
cute overload piglet 🙂
Doesn’t your day feel brighter and happier now? Really, how could it not in the face of that extreme cuteness?! 🙂
I have about 30 things I want to share with you today, but that would really take too long, so I’m going to keep it down to 2. (Very restrained of me, don’t you think?)
First, the December/January Pitch Pick. Because of the holidays, we only had 2 pitches in December, so they’ve been added into January’s for the vote.
Here is your quick pitch pick refresher: (try saying “quick pitch pick” three times fast, especially on Monday morning :))
#1 Christie 1
Working Title: Draggin’ My Tail
Age/Genre: PB
The Pitch: Orville the dragon loves to fly, but when he quits breathing fire, his wings fail him. Orville has to figure out how to get his fire back so he can lift off again.
#2 Vicki
Working Title: Finding Sophie
Age/Genre: YA
The Pitch: When Sophie is forced backward in time to 1895 Paris, she takes the identity of a missing Jewish girl and falls for a young Zionist. As the window home closes, Sophie must decide whether to unlock a mysterious heirloom’s secrets and return to her own life of a potential prima ballerina, or live as someone else in the past and lose herself forever.
#3 Abby
Working Title: What If?
Age/Genre: Early Picture Book (ages 2-5)
The Pitch: Little Lucy has a vivid imagination which shines through all of the “what if” questions she asks about the world around her. With her creative perspective on things, the world holds limitless possibilities for both her and the reader.
#4 Jane
Working Title: Nana, I Miss You
Age/Genre: Picture Book
The Pitch: Jamie, who wants to spend time with his nana, is upset because she becomes seriously ill. But her thoughtful gift, when she finally goes into a hospice, reveals her love and gives him a new interest.
#5 Margaret
Working Title: Home Is Where The Bird Is
Age/Genre: Picture Book
The Pitch: Bird thought he found his perfect birdhouse – until he encountered the mouse living inside. After a feather-raising experience house hunting on his own, Bird asks Mouse for help. Mouse leads Bird on a hilarious tour of unconventional housing options. As winter looms, will Bird accept anything but his perfect birdhouse?
#6 Christie 2
Working Title: Solomon’s Raisin Farm
Age/Genre: PB
The Pitch: Last year, Solomon was finally old enough to help with the harvesting of the raisins, but it rained. This year, he prays for no rain so the crops won’t get ruined and the family can make money at the festival. Will the rain hold off this year so Solomon can finally prove to his family that he really is old enough to help out?
OY! What a tough choice! But please vote for your favorite below.
The poll will be open until, oh, let’s say Wednesday Feb. 1 at 11:59 PM EST. I think I can squeeze announcing the winner in with Friday’s Perfect Picture Book 🙂
And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, our very first installment of Oh Susanna! Wouldn’t you know the very first question to come in was a REALLY hard one! One might even call it a doozy! But I am too much of a play-by-the-rules type to skip it and start with an easier one 🙂 so here it is…
Joanna asks:
I have a manuscript that I have written for uTales (eBooks), and am struggling to find an illustrator as they are either too busy or don’t want to do the 50/50 standard uTales collaboration, but want money up front, which I do understand. I am not sure I want to go this route, but have been wondering where to go to find out how much one would pay an illustrator independently for a typical length PB? and what sort of contract would be drawn up? i.e. Who then owns the book etc?
Well, Joanna, you have asked a question that is out of the realm of my experience. But here’s what I think:
I’m guessing the answer to this may be on a person-by-person basis. Different people are going to feel comfortable with different arrangements. I can understand why an illustrator would want to be paid up front – doing the illustrations would be a big investment of time and energy – but if that isn’t workable or comfortable for you perhaps it’s a question of finding an illustrator who is willing to work “on spec” so to speak. Right in our own 12X12 group there are any number of talented illustrators. Many more on LinkedIn. Perhaps you can post (in Linked In groups, 12X12, Children’s Book Hub, etc.) that you’re looking for an illustrator willing to work on spec. An illustrator who is looking to break into picture books might be more willing to wait for the pay off because of the opportunity for a publishing credit. Even if the project doesn’t end up selling, the illustrator would own the illustrations and could use them as part of his/her portfolio and will be able to show future interested parties that they are capable of producing a picture book length work. If you’re up front about what you want, hopefully you’ll get responses from people who are interested in doing it that way.
As for the standard fee, I’d be very interested to know the answer to that too! My experience to date has been with publishers who choose and pay for the illustrators, so I have not been involved in paying illustrators. In traditional publishing, the deal is 50/50 – the author and the illustrator usually get the same amount (so I’m told :)) They get paid an advance and an agreed upon percentage of royalties. The publisher keeps the percentage until the advance has earned out. After that, the author and illustrator receive the royalties, usually twice a year. (For clarity’s sake, if you get an advance of $1000 and a 5% royalty on a book that retails for $16.95, you’ll earn .85 for each book sold, so you have to sell about 1177 books to earn out your advance. After that, you get .85 for every book sold delivered in a royalty check twice a year.)
For uTales it looks as though you must submit a completed ms along with illustrations, but that doesn’t guarantee uTales will accept your project. Is that correct? If they accept it, then you and the illustrator would each get 50%. The problem, if I’m understanding, is if they don’t accept. Then you have both put in a lot of time and effort for no publishing contract. I’m guessing that is where your question about who owns what comes in. I would think a fairly simple contract would suffice – you own the story and they own the illustrations. However, if you have to pay for the illustrations up front for a project that doesn’t sell, than you have technically bought the illustrations and should own them. Or if you pay up front for a project that does sell, you should get all the proceeds until your expense has ben covered. Any deal is workable as long as you’re very clear about the parameters and both parties are happy with the arrangement. If you reach the point of having a completed book that didn’t sell, however, nowadays you have the option of self-publishing. There are many possibilities here, and if you and the illustrator agree to split proceeds 50/50 this could be another way the illustrator could end up getting compensation for his/her work.
But Joanna and I would now both love to hear from all of you!!! Have you hired an illustrator? How did you handle the rights and payment? Have you done a project for uTales or a similar entity? How did you manage it? Are you an illustrator? What is your standard fee (or what have you heard is the going rate?) Please share your knowledge and experience! Joanna and I (and I’m guessing a lot of our readers, because this is a very interesting question!) will be eagerly awaiting your input!
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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