Susanna Leonard Hill

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

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

Danielle Dufayet – You Are Your Strong

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

Cathy Ballou Mealey – When A Tree Grows

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Cathy Ballou Mealey!

April 2, 2019April 1, 201934 Comments

Hurray! It’s Tuesday Debut time!

I have to tell you, I love doing these posts so much! So many of the authors who are featured here are writers I have watched come along from their first early steps into the world of writing picture books to their moments of great accomplishment. I have had the opportunity to see how hard they work to improve their craft, research the agent market, polish their work to submit to agents and editors… and to see them keep trying when things didn’t go their way the first… or the fifth… or even the fifteenth time. So I am extra especially thrilled when I get to see their first books in print! 🙂

Today’s Tuesday Debut-ess is a case in point! Talented, determined, and now finally and most deservedly 🌟 published 🌟, I’m delighted to introduce you to Cathy Ballou Mealey and her wonderful picture book, When A Tree Grows!

When A Tree Grows
Written by Cathy Ballou Mealey
Illustrated by Kasia Nowowiejska
Sterling Children’s Books, April 2, 2019
Fiction, ages 3-7

WHEN A TREE GROWS is a rollicking read-aloud that follows a zany chain of events triggered by a broken tree, a cranky Bear, a nut-loving Squirrel and his loyal friend Moose.

SUSANNA: First off, how cute is that moose???!!! 🙂 But getting down to serious business now 🙂 where did the idea for this book come from?

CATHY: I was hiking in the woods with my family when we heard a distant creaky Crash! Was it a tree? An animal? We froze, and after a long silence, hiked on. I started wondering: What if that crash had scared a bear or frightened a deer?

Building on that “OR” question, I framed a madcap tale with two different possible outcomes, one rather expected and one funny, unexpected outcome. Readers will find that “OR” spotlighted on the bottom corner of each recto page with a clever curled paper art effect.

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

CATHY: My first draft took roughly 6 weeks to complete before I had a preliminary version to share with my critique group and some trusted writing friends.

Cathy’s work buddy 🙂

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

CATHY: Yes! Those first critiques helped me tighten and distill my draft into a 32 page picture book format. I wrote ideas on sticky notes, plastering them on the back of my door and re-arranging them into funnier scene sequences. I cut sentence strips from my paper draft and pasted them into a book dummy with stick-critter sketches. Trying multiple revision strategies helped me trim text and focus on story.

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

CATHY: When writer friends kept asking “How is that TREE book coming along? Don’t sit on that too long. Send it out!” I trusted them!

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

CATHY: I used Querytracker to find agents accepting picture book manuscripts. My goal was to send out three new queries each week. At the same time, I was polishing two additional manuscripts to have ready in case an agent asked to see more stories.

SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”?

CATHY: The first “call” came in May 2015 when I signed with Liza Fleissig of Liza Royce Agency. After Liza submitted TREE to publishers, we got nice feedback and a request for revision. I revised for about a month, and the new version went to acquisitions at two houses. By December TREE was putting down roots at Sterling Books for Children with editor Meredith Mundy.

SUSANNA:How did you celebrate signing your contract?

CATHY: Since it was just before Christmas, I bought a special acorn ornament to hang on our tree.

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

CATHY: My agent was helpful in explaining technical contract bits that were important but unfamiliar. I also perused online resources for more information about publishing contracts. As others have mentioned, Hannah Holt’s author survey data – shared in her October 2018 Tuesday Debuts post – is current and extremely useful. I’d say my experience on the “business” side for TREE was on par with other debuts for advance, print run, author copies, etc.

SUSANNA: Tell us about the editorial process…

CATHY: The changes I had made during the R&R stage helped polish TREE to a high gloss. Specifically, the friendship angle between Moose and Squirrel deepened, and the visual humor was tweaked to a funnier level. I shared many illustration ideas both in manuscript art notes and by email with the editor and art director. See if you can find what I described as the “I Love Lucy” conveyor belt image!

SUSANNA: Tell us about your experience of the illustration process…

CATHY: I saw sketches and proofs throughout the process, which I never expected but found very exciting! I knew from the thoughtful questions art director Ryan Thomann posed that we shared a vision for how the final illustrations might look.

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

CATHY: Kirkus liked it – hooray! The review says “Laugh along as a story about a tree in the forest comes full circle, bringing three creatures along for a bumpy but fun ride.”

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

CATHY: Three years, four months. Once the PW announcement was released in March 2017, I could officially share the news with everyone that TREE was becoming a book.

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

CATHY: This interview is posting on TREE’s book birthday, so it is too soon to tell.

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

CATHY: Sterling sent TREE to reviewers and journals like Kirkus. They also promoted it to schools and libraries as part of National Parks Month in April with other Sterling titles.

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

CATHY: Three cheers for collaborative marketing efforts with my online debut PB groups, the marvelous Epic18’s and splendid Notable19’s. Through blogs, Twitter chats, Instagram, etc we are jointly boosting our debut releases to reach more young readers. I am also grateful to Danielle Davis whose amazing blog This Picture Book Life hosted my cover reveal in November, 2018.

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

CATHY: I wrote my first picture book in 2010 for the Cheerios “Spoonful of Stories” contest. I started to attend conferences, classes and workshops and joined SCBWI and the 2012 12X12 Challenge. I felt ready to query agents in 2015. So, approximately 3-4 years of learning and writing in earnest before selling my first book.

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

CATHY: I’d like to thank YOU for giving me the opportunity to share some of TREE’s back story here. Ever since entering the very first Halloweensie contest in 2011, I’ve been truly fortunate to learn from, and connect with, like-minded kid lit writers, readers and reviewers right here through Perfect Picture Book Fridays, your seasonal contests, Would You Read It? and Oh Susanna! You have collated a treasure chest of material in your archives that are so helpful to writers. If my Tuesday Debut interview can add even a tiny tidbit to your resources, I am happy!

And you even provided photo-evidence for me that sometimes cute rodents DO stow away on vehicles bound for the city.

the stowaway mouse on Susanna’s car 🙂

SUSANNA: Cathy, it is absolutely my pleasure to provide anything I may have provided that helped you on your way, and I know your Tuesday Debut post will be more than just a “tiny tidbit” for writers who get to read it! Thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your experience so we can all benefit! I know I speak for everyone when I wish you the very best of luck with this book and the many others I’m sure will follow! 🙂

Author Cathy Ballou Mealey Please come connect and say hello! Tell me if you’ve seen a Moose in real life, or if you have ever rescued a friend from an adventure gone awry.

Cathy Ballou Mealey lives with her family north of Boston, where she delights in watching silly squirrel antics and is waiting patiently for a moose to appear. Her favorite nut is the hazelnut and her favorite cupcake is cardamom crème.

Website: https://cathyballoumealey.wordpress.com/about/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CatBallouMealey

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathy.mealey

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catballoumealey/

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

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

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

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– suggesting them as visiting authors at our children’s schools and our local libraries

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

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

Danielle Dufayet – You Are Your Strong

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

Tuesday Debut – Presenting BJ Lee!

March 26, 2019March 25, 201936 Comments

Hello, Everyone!

It’s the first Tuesday Debut of Spring, and we’re headed for alligator territory down in Florida! 🙂

Today’s debut author is an accomplished poet whose work I have long enjoyed whenever I see it online or in my writing contests. Not surprisingly, BJ Lee’s first published picture book is in rhyme.

Let’s have a look at Old Gator! 🙂

There Was an Old Gator Who Swallowed a Moth
Written By: B. J. Lee
Illustrated By: David Opie
Pelican Publishing
January 28, 2019
Fiction
Ages 2 – 8

Down in the southern swamps a hungry gator swallows a moth. Of course, he swallows a crab to get the moth! The gator predictably continues swallowing bigger and bigger creatures until the unexpected happens―all over the page!

SUSANNA: Welcome, BJ! I am so thrilled to have you here today, at last celebrating the release of your first picture book! Where did the idea for this book come from?

BJ: I had been working on several There Was an Old… parodies, when my husband and I saw a juvenile alligator riding waves in a local lake. He was completely cute and it struck me that the Gator would make a great MC. I went home and put the other parodies on the back burner.

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

BJ: It took about a year and a half to write this book. It took a while to figure out the right animals to use that had the best rhymes. Plus, it went through my critique group a few times.

A glimpse of BJ’s work space…

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

BJ: I went through many, many revisions. Initially this book was called, There Was an Old Gator Who Swallowed a Skeeter. I really wanted it to have this title; however, I was less than pleased with the rhyme for Skeeter, which was “sweeter.” There was an old Gator who swallowed a Skeeter. What could be sweeter than a silly old Skeeter. I didn’t like this rhyme for two reasons:

It implied that the Gator ate the Skeeter. I didn’t want the connotation of eating, just swallowing.
It didn’t suggest any action. With “moth”, I had the slant rhyme “cough”, which would come in handy at the climax of the story.

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

BJ: I knew it was ready when I had the feeling that I always got when my college papers were ready – that feeling of I can’t work on this anymore. It’s as good as it can be and I believe I will get an “A.”This feeling that I had in college usually resulted in an “A.”

…and a glimpse of her work buddy, Bijoux 🙂

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

BJ: I submitted this directly to one publisher, Pelican Publishing, because I felt that it had the best chance of getting published with Pelican.

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

BJ: I sent this manuscript to Pelican Publishing on March 3, 2016 via snail mail. Fairly quickly, I heard back from them asking me if there were any other Florida versions of the story that I knew of. After researching this, I told them that I did not know of any other Florida versions. But no acceptance came.

On July 28, 2016 I heard back from them asking me about school visits that I had done. I replied to this but still no acceptance.

They kept coming back to me with questions about my platform, why my blog was “quiet” (it was quiet because I was taking a hiatus and doing a lot of guest blogging). After each one of these questions was answered, it had to go back into the owners’ meeting for discussion. It was taking a long time. They were checking me out!

On November 1, 2016, Pelican told me that they wanted three months exclusivity. I agreed to this because I could see they were very interested, and because this book had such a regional flavor, I thought I had the best chance for getting it published with Pelican.

I status queried on February 1, 2017 and received an acceptance on April 15, 2017.

I received the acceptance by email and opened the email just as my husband was coming in the door from work. I was trying to scream out, “Gator, gator!” but the only thing coming out of my mouth was a croak. My husband rushed in because he thought something was wrong with me. There was! My debut picture book had at last been accepted. What a moment!

SUSANNA: Wow! That is very interesting. I think you’re the first author I’ve run into who has been quite so thoroughly checked out as to your school visit potential and social media presence before a manuscript acceptance. Now I’m curious as to how regular this is, and/or whether it’s specific to regional publishers!

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?

BJ: My husband and I went out to a local restaurant that serves alligator – Café on the Bayou – but I couldn’t bring myself to *swallow* any alligator as I am mostly vegetarian, or at least I was at the time.

SUSANNA: I think I’m glad you didn’t swallow any gator 🙂 Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?

BJ: Yes, the contract is what I expected as a debut author. I’m not comfortable discussing my advance or royalty structure but I can tell you I received five author copies plus Pelican will send out five or more copies as giveaways.

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

BJ: There were no changes to the story, except punctuation. Yes, I felt that the editor had a great vision for the story.

SUSANNA: How was your experience of the illustration process?

BJ: Because Pelican had taken a year to accept this book, they offered to let me suggest an illustrator. I gave them two suggestions but neither one of them worked out because the illustrators were not available due to contractual obligations. As this process was going on, Pelican told me they thought they had found the perfect illustrator. When they sent me David Opie’s name and I looked at his website and saw all the alligators he had drawn, I was glad that the illustrators I suggested had not been available because David Opie was perfect for this project.

I got to see the character sketch first, which was very valuable to me because I could see that Pelican’s vision and the illustrator’s vision aligned with my own for the book. After that, I got to see all the sketches, which pretty much blew me away. I also got to see proofs and the final e-galley.

I appreciate that David Opie got my humor and nailed the character of Old Gator. He’s an extraordinary visual storyteller. I couldn’t be happier and there is nothing I would change.

I did not have any art notes in the manuscript.

No wonder BJ loves her illustrator! 🙂

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

BJ: I did not get to see any advance reviews.

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

BJ: It took approximately one year and 10 months from offer to first copy in hand, although it took over a year to get the acceptance.

SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
BJ: I know that they are sending out books for reviews and contacting bookstore reps. Honestly, I don’t know all of what they are doing. Thank you for reminding me to touch base with my publicists about it.

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

BJ: I have done a ton of marketing for my book. I have made bookmarks, postcards, coloring books, individual coloring pages, an alligator craft, mini-posters, mini-notebooks, and business cards with the book cover on them which I hand out liberally to people I meet. I have done and am still on my blog tour. I stretched it out rather than do it all in one week or two weeks. I have done giveaways. But perhaps most importantly, I arranged a wonderful book launch at Boyd Hill nature preserve with the help of my local bookstore, Tombolo Books. It was a lot of work but it was definitely worth it and the illustrator, David Opie, was here for the event, which happened on March 10, 2019. I have also had two radio interviews.

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

BJ: It’s taken me 10 years to get a picture book accepted for publication since I started writing seriously for children. However, I have had poetry published/forthcoming in 17 poetry anthologies from such publishers as Bloomsbury, Little, Brown, National Geographic and Wordsong, to name a few and eight adult poetry anthologies.

SUSANNA: BJ, thank you so much for joining us today and taking the time to share your experience with all of us! I know I speak for everyone when I wish you the very best with Old Gator!

Author BJ Lee

Here is my website and also my social media links:

childrensauthorbjlee.com

facebook.bjaylee.com

twitter @bjlee_writer

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

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

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

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– suggesting them as visiting authors to our children’s schools

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

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

Danielle Dufayet – You Are Your Strong

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Danielle Dufayet!

March 19, 2019March 19, 201917 Comments

Hello again, Picture Book-Loving Friends!

I’m so happy to announce today’s Tuesday Debut: Danielle Dufayet and her beautiful and important book, You Are Your Strong!

I always say that picture books are about big emotion for little people (a quote I heard somewhere and can never remember who to attribute it to! but it’s so true.) Danielle’s book takes that quite literally. It is all about showing children how to manage some of their more negative emotions – fear, sadness, worry, anger – when they threaten to become overwhelming. I think all of us – even adults – can benefit from a little help in that department. We all struggle sometimes.

And as writers and artists who, some might argue, face more than the average amount of rejection… 🙂 we can all benefit from finding and embracing our strong!

You Are Your Strong
Written by Danielle Dufayet
Illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin
Magination Press
March 19, 2019
ages 4-8

YAYS: Finding your inner strength to manage big emotions.
You Are Your Strong reassures kids that they can handle big emotions and highlights the benefit of developing inner strength and confidence in oneself.

Susanna: Where did your idea come from for You Are Your Strong?

Danielle: The idea came from: three things: Leaving an unhealthy marriage, being asked what keeps me so strong and, watching the movie Room, where 5 year old Jack (held hostage with his mom in a room) said that he didn’t want his mom to cut his long hair because his hair was his strong. It gave him strength and courage. I thought that was beautiful. It made me want to know what my strong is and other people’s strong. I knew I had a book!

Susanna: How long did it take you to write?

Danielle: This manuscript was written fairly quickly. I’d say maybe 6 months from start to final ms. – which is not typical!

Susanna: Did this manuscript require many revisions?

Danielle: Maybe around 15 or so – not my usual 30 or more.

Susanna: When did you know it was ready for submission?

Danielle: I knew it was ready when I had reduced it to the simplest expression I could, and when I had included as many literary devices as necessary for the flow and rhythm. It’s also an internal knowing, an intuition.

Susanna: How did you celebrate getting the contract?

Danielle: I couldn’t stop smiling for a week. I celebrated with a nice dinner!

Susanna: What was the editorial process like?

Danielle: The editing process went so smoothly. My publisher didn’t want to change hardly anything, so that made it easy. We went a little back and forth on the illustrations, however. Magination Press is a dream publisher in my opinion!

Susanna: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your journey to publication?

Danielle: I believe in order to be a published author, you have to be disciplined. I knew I had to keep revising, keep submitting, and knowing I would probably get rejected. You have to want it more than anything. You have to push through the doubt and fear and keep moving forward through honing your craft, building relationships, critiquing, reading, etc. etc.

To improve your writing you have to have a thick skin. You have to read your critiques (assuming you’re in a good critique group!) with an open mind. There’s usually always a nugget of truth to ponder –even if you don’t agree with the comment. But, if the feedback doesn’t resonate at all with you, brush it off. Remember, only you can write the story – don’t let the critique derail you from finding it! Stay true to your vision.

The one thing everyone can expect is rejection and that’s the hardest part of the process. Your story may be rejected even if it’s really good –it just may not be the right fit for that publication. You have to discipline your mind to stay on course and remain positive and hopeful that one day your time will come.

I think the one lesson I can impart is this: don’t compare yourself and your journey with anyone else. I used to get mad when I saw a published picture book that I thought was poorly written. I would think to myself, How did this get published and not my book? Or I’d get discouraged when I’d read a really good picture book. I’d think, I’ll never be that good. All these thoughts are irrelevant, distracting and emotionally draining. I finally learned that all I can do is be the best writer I can be and focus only on that! (That’s not to say mentor texts aren’t the bomb!)

Susanna: Thank you so much for joining us today, Danielle! We all so appreciate you sharing your knowledge and expertise with us!

Danielle: Thank you so much for the interview, Susanna!!

Author Danielle Dufayet

Website: https://www.danielledufayetbooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielledufayet\
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danielledufayet
Art Website: https://www.danielledufayet.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ddaniwriter/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/danielledufayet

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

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

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

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

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

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Wendy Greenley!

March 12, 2019March 11, 201938 Comments

It’s time for another thrilling installment of Tuesday Debuts!

Are you ready to meet today’s talented debut-ess?

Please join me in welcoming the wonderful Wendy Greenley as we celebrate her inauguration into the Published Picture Book Author’s Club and get a glimpse of her beautiful book!

Title: Lola Shapes the Sky
Author: Wendy Greenley (!)
Illustrator: Paolo Domeniconi
Publisher: Creative Editions
Date of Publication: March 12, 2019
Fiction with Nonfiction backmatter
Age range: For ages 3-8 (Amazon says 4-8)

Synopsis:There’s a new playful, artistic cloud in the sky. Unfortunately, one loud bossy cloud wants Lola to focus on making weather. LOLA SHAPES THE SKY embraces every child’s magical experience of imagining whimsical shapes in the clouds with humor and a timeless theme of supporting what makes us each unique.

SUSANNA: Where did the idea for this book come from?

WENDY: I came up with the initial idea for this book during Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo (now known as Storystorm). I was brainstorming with my husband and son when Lola’s character was born. Talking out loud and bouncing ideas off other people helps me see ideas more clearly. However, while the character stayed with me, the initial plot bears no resemblance to the final product!

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

WENDY: This manuscript was a labor of love—with heavy emphasis on the labor. Initially, I wanted to turn cloud-watching on its head, with clouds people-watching and it took a workshop with multiple Caldecott-winning artists to convince me otherwise. Your picture book manuscript has to be illustratable after all! After working on it for two years, I put the manuscript in a drawer and didn’t work on it for another full year. During that time, I was able to see how to keep what was important in the manuscript, AND make it illustratable.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

WENDY: Oh, so many revisions! My final revision was a complete re-envisioning. I completely changed the plot and tone and let go of a slew of sky/cloud jokes that made me laugh (Lola precipitating from embarrassment was a favorite!). Maybe someday some of the material will belong to another story.

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

WENDY: The best way I know if my manuscript is submission ready is to get fresh eyes on it. Honest critique partners who will tell you when something is good, and when something is awful, are essential!! I work on a manuscript as long as I can, letting it sit for a week or two after I think it’s done if I can control my impatience. Because it usually isn’t done, and time gives me the necessary distance to evaluate it more dispassionately. As a new writer I didn’t know anything about SCBWI, critique partners, or online classes and webinars. I was about a year into the process when I discovered these valuable resources. The kidlit community is generous!

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit? When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 🙂 )

WENDY: I submitted my initial manuscript to Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary, LLC. And it was rejected. Two years later, I resubmitted the manuscript, acknowledging the earlier submission and the virtually complete rewrite, and this time it was a yes. That’s correct—I resubmitted the same manuscript to an agent that had rejected it. It was essentially a new manuscript, and I thought Karen might be a good fit so I took the leap of faith and it worked out. Karen submitted my manuscript to five publishers, one of which was Creative Editions. It was several months before we received the reply expressing interest, and then another six months before we received a contract, then another four months before I received the final countersigned contract. Publishing is a lesson in patience.

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?

WENDY: Telling my critique partners the good news was the best moment. They’ve supported me and my work and it felt like the sale was theirs too! I seriously can’t think of anything that has helped me along my journey more than the great writing friends I’ve made.

quilling courtesy of Stacy Stenberg Jensen!

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

WENDY: Creative Editions is a small independent publisher located in Mankato, MN. The house originally focused on books for the school market, and had just begun their trade imprint a year or two before we submitted to them. I received a traditional royalty paying contract and advance in line with the numbers reported in Hannah Holt’s extensive survey. (if you’re writing for kiddos and haven’t seen Hannah’s research—go here! https://hannahholt.com/blog/2017/9/25/writing-picture-books-a-look-at-the-number-part-2) I also received fifteen author copies. Two things I didn’t expect was that this publisher doesn’t allow book dedications, and how long it would be from the time the contract was signed (June 2016) until publication—almost three years!

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

WENDY: My editor is the talented Amy Novesky, who is also the author of the gorgeous picture book, Cloth Lullaby. Amy and I went back and forth on several changes, but none of them significantly changed the story. Amy’s vision was in line with mine! The sales and marketing team asked for a list of possible titles—and ended up choosing my original.

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

WENDY: I didn’t see any of the illustrations until the proof stage. I had seen Paolo’s dreamy style on his website (www.domeniconi.it), but still wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to see how Paolo’s art interpreted my words. I didn’t include an art note, so the biggest surprise was the spread where Lola shapes “a pillowy billowy masterpiece.” Because Paolo lives in Bologna, Italy, he illustrated my words with a cloud Mona Lisa! So fun!

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

WENDY: Kirkus reviewed Lola Shapes the Sky at the end of January. It was thrilling! Until then, it hadn’t felt real in the sense that other people I didn’t know and might never meet could read my book. And I was relieved that the Kirkus reviewer liked it!

SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion have you and/or your publisher done for this book?

WENDY: My publisher told me that they’re sending our book to book reviewers and bloggers, but I didn’t get a specific list so it’s a wee bit confusing. I know I’m late to the party—it’s already February as I’m writing this and I haven’t set up an extensive blog tour (thank you, Susanna for being my kickoff!!). Look for me on my Red Fox agency mate Lynne Marie’s blog The Word Playground sometime soon. The balance between family, writing and marketing time is a tricky one. I shared LOLA in my first school SKYPE read alouds in February for WRAD.

My official book launch will be March 23 from 11-2 at the Barnes and Noble in Montgomeryville, PA (stop by and say hi if you’re in the area!). The launch starts with a reading for the children’s story hour and finishes with time for book signings/meet & greet. I’m also scheduled for the NJ nErD Camp in May and the Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival in June. Let me know if there’s somewhere you’d like me to visit! I’ve guest lectured to the creative writing classes at my local community college too, so I enjoy all ages.

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

WENDY: I started writing stories for Chicken Soup for the Soul in the early 2000’s. After I sold six stories, I realized that I didn’t want to just write nonfiction (which is what Chicken Soup stories are). The computer that I was using 2004-2012 crashed, and nothing was recovered. So I know I started writing picture books sometime in that period, but no idea of an actual date! My online picture book critique buddies and I found each other five years ago.

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

WENDY: Keep writing!! This business is a combination of craft, marketing savvy, perseverance and luck. You can work on your craft, marketing savvy and persevere, but you can’t control the luck. Sometimes you work on a manuscript for two years and then just as you’re ready to submit a “big” name announces a project that could be the twin of yours. Remember that the heart of your story is yours alone. Get warm fuzzies from your writing friends then rewrite. Repeat.

You don’t need loads of space or fancy equipment. I’m including a shot of my sad little 34 inches of office space. There is a two drawer file cabinet tucked into another corner across the room. This is probably why there are papers strewn willy-nilly around our house . . .

Nothing fancy needed! Wendy creates her wonderful stories in 34 inches of office space!

SUSANNA: Wendy, thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers! I know I speak for all of us when I say how grateful we are for the wisdom and experience you shared today, and we wish you the very best success with your lovely book!

Author Wendy Greenley

Blog: https://www.wendygreenley.com
Find me on FB: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.greenley.3
Twitter @wendygreenley

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

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

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

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

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

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Margaret Chiu Greanias!

March 5, 2019March 5, 201953 Comments

Welcome to the first Tuesday Debut of March!

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
Swag—bookmarks, temporary tattoos, postcards, bookplates, stickers
Social media promos revolving around the holidays

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!

Author Margaret Chiu Greanias

Website: margaretgreanias.com
Social media:
https://twitter.com/MargaretGreania
https://www.instagram.com/margaretgreanias/
https://www.facebook.com/MargaretGreaniasAuthor/

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

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

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

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

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

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Natalee Creech!

February 26, 2019February 25, 201932 Comments

It’s Tuesday!

And you know what that means!

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.

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.

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.

Author Natalee Creech

My website is nataleecreech.com. You can find me on Twitter at @nataleecreechand Facebook at @nataleecreechauthor.

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

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

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

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

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

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Matthew Lasley!

February 19, 2019February 18, 201939 Comments

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!

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)

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 23^rdat 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 23^rd. 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.

Author Matthew Lasley

www.matthewlasley.com

blog at: https://matthewlasley.wordpress.com
Twitter: @Lasley_Matt
Instagram: @lasley_matt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthew.lasley

Thank you so much, Matthew, for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers!

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

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

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

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

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

https://lauraroettigerbooks.com/

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Laura Roettiger!

February 12, 2019February 11, 201938 Comments

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 Roettiger and her book! 🙂

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)

Indiebound (N/A)
Amazon
Barnes&Noble (N/A)
Eifrig Publishing

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

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

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

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Vivian Kirkfield!

February 5, 2019February 5, 201980 Comments

Welcome back to another exciting episode of Tuesday Debuts, Everyone!

We had a bit of a hiatus there where no one stepped up for the limelight!

But now we’re back and better than ever, starting strong in 2019 with none other than the fabulous Vivian Kirkfield!

I have known Vivian since she first dipped her toe into the world of writing picture books, and it has been such a pleasure to see her grow as a writer to the point where she has 3 picture books coming out this year! THREE!!! I feel like a proud mama bird watching her little chick take wing and fly 🙂

So, welcome, Vivian! THRILLED to have you here, sharing your very first published picture book on its very first day in the world!

VIVIAN: Thank you so much, Susanna, for featuring me on your blog today! And how auspicious – as today is Pippa’s birthday since February 5, 2019 is the official launch date of Pippa’s Passover Plate!

Pippa’s Passover Plate
by Vivian Kirkfield
illustrated by Jill Weber
published by Holiday House
February 5, 2019
Fiction, ages 3-7.

Quiver! Quaver! Shiver! Shake! Cats and snakes and owls make Pippa Mouse cringe and quake. But, when Pippa Mouse can’t find her special Seder plate, she ventures out, questions each one, discovers that friends come in all shapes and sizes, and uncovers the whereabouts of her dish before the sun sets and the Passover holiday starts. A Joyful Tale of Courage and Friendship.

SUSANNA: Where did the idea for this book come from?

VIVIAN: When I jumped into kidlitland in 2012, I began participating in challenges like Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo. (Picture Book Idea Month which is now called Storystorm and held in January and is a FABULOUS way to connect with the community, get inspired, and generate ideas for the coming year) In 2013, one of her guests was Kar Ben editor Joni Sussman who put out a plea for Jewish holiday picture books. I was thrilled that I’d be able to submit directly to an editor and so I sat down to write a story.

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

VIVIAN: At that time in my writing career (I had been writing for a bit less than 2 years), I loved to write in rhyme (still do) and so this rhyming pb story about Pippa Mouse flowed from my pen. I usually start my stories in longhand in a composition notebook so I grabbed one and started writing. A picture of a little mouse came into my mind and I saw her hurrying and scurrying to get her house ready for the Passover holiday. But there had to be a problem, right? Our main characters need us to put obstacles in their way. For me, that is the hardest thing to do because in real life, I like to make things smooth for everyone. But I knew that wasn’t going to work for a picture book story. “Throw rocks at your hero,” they tell us. I decided to throw a couple of big rocks at Pippa Mouse…not only couldn’t she find her special Seder plate, but she would have to confront 3 of her natural enemies in order to find it. This story, unlike many others I have written, seemed to flow from my pen and I think I had a rough draft by the end of the day. But it was VERY rough!!!!

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

VIVIAN: Pippa’s Passover Plate went through many revisions. What I usually do is write the rough draft. Then I read it aloud and start revising, smoothing it out. This is especially difficult with a rhyming story because you need the rhythm (meter/beat) and rhyme to be PERFECT. But it also has to tell the story…and often, when you ‘make’ it rhyme, it is not what you really want to say or need to say to move the story forward – but you are using certain words because they rhyme. When I feel my story is where I want it…or as good as I can make it, I give it to a couple of my critique buddies. NOTE ABOUT CRITIQUE BUDDIES: DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEM! Just kidding about leaving home, but I am serious about a writer’s need for trusted feedback AND the support and encouragement that critique partners give you. When I get their feedback, I revise again. And then read it aloud again. And sent it to other critique partners.

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

VIVIAN: As a general rule, if my critique buddies say it is ready and it sounds good to my ear and feels good in my heart, I know a manuscript is ready. It still might not be successful (AKA get a book contract)…but we can never make our manuscripts perfect – we have to send them out when they are ‘ready’ which could mean different things to different people. I often record my voice reading it because we hear our voice differently when we are talking from when we are listening to our voice on tape and I often find places that trip me up or that don’t sound quite right and I want to fix those before I submit.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

VIVIAN: When I submitted Pippa’s Passover Plate to the Kar Ben editor, I did not have an agent. And I got a lovely personal rejection, but no encouragement to revise and resubmit. I put the story away and continued writing other stories. I got hooked on writing nonfiction picture book biographies and so the Pippa story sat in my drawer till three years later when, in 2017, a friend reminded me that PJ Library had a contest for Jewish picture book stories and I should submit it. I pulled the story out of the drawer and gave it to one of my new local author/illustrator critique buddies to look over. She read it and fell in love with it and asked if she could bring it to her long -time editor in NYC who she was going to have lunch with the next week. “Sure” I told her. “Why not?”

So, I gave it to Jill Weber on a Friday and she said she’d bring it with her when she went to the city.

SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best momen t ever! 🙂 )

VIVIAN: To tell you the truth, I had kind of forgotten about it and late Monday morning I got an email from the editor, telling me she had just read my lovely manuscript and she asked where she should send the contract, to me or to my agent. I WAS SHOCKED! And thrilled, of course. Immediately, I emailed my agent with this subject line:

WE DID IT AND WE WEREN’T EVEN TRYING!

There was only one change the editor asked for…the original title was Pippa’s Pesach Plate – Pesach is the Hebrew word for the holiday and it fit very well with the rhythm/beat of the story. But the editor felt that the English word for the holiday, Passover, would be more widely known/accepted because a story about facing fears and overcoming obstacles and making friends is a story for all children, not just those of the Jewish faith.

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?

VIVIAN: I did a happen dance! Then I emailed my son and daughter. And then I had an email exchange with Jill who was as thrilled as I was!

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

VIVIAN: The contract was a standard one and there were no surprises. I was happy with the terms. But having an agent is helpful because they look over the contract and make sure there aren’t any funny clauses. But even if you have an agent, I urge authors (and illustrators) to educate themselves by checking out the resources on the SCBWI website and other websites. Every publishing house is different, but the ball park figures for advances are approximately (please don’t hold me to this):

Small house: 0 to $3000

Medium house: $3000 to $5000

Large house: $5000 and up

Of course, these numbers are only approximate and from my own experience…many variables can change them (if you have other books with the house and they sold well, if you are a big-name celebrity, if this is your first book, etc.).

And the thing of it is, it really doesn’t matter what your advance is. (other than for your own personal vanity or some bill that needs to be paid) In the end, if your book does okay, you will make the same, whether you get a big advance, small advance, or no advance at all. And, if the publisher gives you a big advance and your book doesn’t do well, and it doesn’t earn out what they paid you, they may not be anxious to buy your next book. Whereas, if they give you a smaller advance, but the book does well, you will make the money in royalties (because you don’t get a PENNY until your book earns out…that means, until your book sells enough copies to pay back the publisher for your advance). And, if your book earns out, the publisher will be more willing to buy another book from you.

Here’s a link to an SCBWI FAQ on this: https://www.scbwi.org/online-resources/frequently-asked-questions/

And here’s a link to a wonderful survey author Hannah Holt conducted: https://hannahholt.com/blog/2017/9/25/writing-picture-books-a-look-at-the-number-part-2

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

VIVIAN: The editorial process for Pippa’s Passover Plate was, as I mentioned, almost non-existent for me. The editor emailed and asked for a word doc of the manuscript. She asked if I minded changing the title. And that was that.

However, that is not how it usually goes. With four other book contracts under my belt (and one of them is a 9-story compilation book), I can attest to the fact that usually, there is a lot more revision that goes on. With Sweet Dreams, Sarah, that editor had several minor tweaks to suggest, plus she wanted an additional line in the ending. Then, when illustrations needed to be changed for historical accuracy, the editor and I decided there should be some minor text changes as well and I completely rewrote the author’s note.

With Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book,the editor had almost no changes in the text of the story, but we had quite a few revisions for the back matter.

With Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little Bee Books, Spring 2020), the editor and I had an intense back and forth email communication for a week…every day, she would email the manuscript with a minor suggestion and I would fix it and send it back that evening. And the next morning, she’d send it again, with a new little tweak request. But, by the end of the week, we were done and they were ready to hire the illustrator. As I mentioned, every publishing house is different, every editor is different, every manuscript is different…it’s hard to say what the process will be like for a future story.

SUSANNA: Can you tell us about your experience of the illustration process?

VIVIAN: As I mentioned previously, because each manuscript, house, editor, illustrator is different, what happens with one story is probably never going to happen with another. With Pippa’s Passover Plate, everything was perfect! Because the illustrator was my friend and critique buddy as well as being a fabulous artist and a truly fine person, I never had one moment of unease. I knew that my story was in good hands and Jill shared with me freely the sketches, book dummy, and finished art. It was truly a joy to work with her and with Holiday House.

This is not how it always is…in fact, I can guarantee that this is not how it usually is. Many editors do not want the authors to be collaborating with the illustrators. They fear the author will try to overpower the illustrator with her own vision for the story. And perhaps badger the illustrator and keep the illustrator from moving forward. I’ve been pretty lucky…my experiences with all but one of my books have been incredible.

I do not use art notes, except in rare instances when the text doesn’t spell out the action. That said, I went back to my old manuscript and found that there was one illustration note in the Pippa story:

At the bottom – something round.

Can you guess what Pippa found?

Ball and coin and old tin can,

bottle cap and rusty pan,

globe to circumnavigate.

Best of all – the Pesach plate!

Fish swims up with mouse in tow. (illo: Mouse is brought to the surface on the back of the fish)

To the Seder all will go.

SUSANNA: Unfortunately we don’t have the illustration available to go with that note, but here are a couple others so you can see how wonderful the art is! 🙂

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

VIVIAN: We are just getting reviews now. I think reviews are very important for the book…but I also think as writers, we need to observe them and accept them and not let the ones that aren’t positive get under our skin. One review is, after all, only one person’s opinion. 😊The only one I’ve seen for PIPPA, other than almost a dozen lovely ones on Goodreads, was from Kirkus…and it was both disappointing and hilarious and just about the same number of words as the story itself.

A mouse searches for and finally finds her missing Seder plate. Pippa is an industrious house-cleaning mouse. And no wonder—Passover is starting this very evening. Dusting and sweeping finished, she turns her attention to setting the table as a pot of chicken stew bubbles away on the stovetop. But there is one very important object that is missing: the “special Seder plate.” Frantically, the mouse searches through boxes and cupboards and finally ventures into the yard. First she encounters a very large cat and asks if it has seen the plate. “No,” answers the cat and points her to a snake, who sends her to an owl, who directs her to Golda Fish, prettily swimming in the water. Success! Kirkfield’s little tale is written in rhyming couplets with much repetition of “QUIVER! QUAVER! SHIVER! SHAKE!” for emphasis with each interaction with a predator, so readers will be mightily puzzled when the formerly frightful critters join Pippa at the holiday table. Weber’s gouache, crayon, and collage illustrations are sweetly pretty. The final illustration features a Seder plate with transliterated Hebrew and an English translation of the components. Readers familiar with the holiday may find this mildly enjoyable, but others will likely want and need more information. In the end too much is left unanswered, making this book pleasant but only passable. (Picture book. 3-5)

Personally, as a former kindergarten and Head Start teacher, I doubt very much that children ages 3 to 5 will find it ‘mightily puzzling’ that a bunch of animals end up being friends. And if I were Jill, I’d be ‘mightily insulted’ that my beautiful art was considered ‘sweetly pretty’…and honestly, I have never seen a fish ‘prettily swimming.” I’m glad the reviewer felt that readers would find it ‘mildly enjoyable’…and in my opinion, the book is more than ‘passable’. And I don’t think there was ‘much repetition’ of the refrain – there were three instances, which, for a picture book, is just about perfect. But this is how this particular reviewer felt and she is entitled to her opinion. Hopefully, the parents who read this story and the children who listen to it will think otherwise.

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

VIVIAN: From offer to first copy in hand? Oh, my goodness. This is a wake-up call to many of us. In fact, I just got an email from someone who wanted to hire me for a critique quickly because she wants to have her book published right away so that she can supplement her retirement income this year. Hmmm. That is not how it this publishing business works.

The offer was made at the end of 2017. Jill did an unbelievable job getting illustrations done so a book dummy could be produced for the editor to take to the 2018 Bologna Book Fair which was only 3 months away. And the book was scheduled to launch February 5, 2019 and I got my first author copy by the end of the summer of 2018. But I have yet to get the additional author copies that were part of the contract, although I am sure they will arrive in due course. With traditional publishing, I’d say the fastest turnaround might be 18 months, although with PIPPA, it will be 16 months. But it could be many YEARS, as with Sweet Dreams, Sarah, which was signed at the end of 2015 and is launching May 1, 2019. As I said before, different editors, different publishing houses, different illustrators, different manuscripts. Everything has a bearing on the time it takes to bring a book to life.

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

VIVIAN: Holiday House connected with PJ Library, a big organization that provides books for Jewish families. They approved Pippa’s Passover Platewhich means they order a whole bunch (don’t know how many) and they create back matter and their own jacket flap information for their audience. We have a publicist who says she will help set up book events – but I haven’t heard anything about that yet. They are supposed to have sent the book to hundreds of reviewers, including the ones I recommended, as well as newspapers and other news media outlets. They have a presence at many conferences around the world and across this country, as well as catalogs that are hopefully featuring the book.

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

VIVIAN: Fortunately, I’m pretty active on my blog and on social media like Facebook and Twitter. I’ve contacted many book reviewers and bloggers and have arranged for guest posts and Q&A’s (like this one – thank you so much, Susanna!) – a kind of 5-month book blog tour because it is for all three books and it started in January. I’m also a member of two debut picture book groups for authors and illustrators and we support each other by reviewing on Goodreads and Amazon. I reached out to several conferences and will be on the program for some of them. My round the world trip starting in February is one way I will spread the word about three of my 2019 books. I plan to take a copy of each and will photograph them at various landmarks and post to social media in a ‘Where in the World is Carmen Santiago’ fashion. Jill plans to create a Pippa stuffed animal which will be featured in each photo also. She’s working on bookmarks and I’m going to ask her about coloring pages for my blog for parents to print out for their kids. When I get back from the Bologna Book Fair, Jill and I will do some joint events at a local bookstore and also at a local temple.

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

VIVIAN: I jumped into writing picture books in a serious way in 2012 when I joined Julie Hedlund’s first 12×12 Writing Challenge. I’d already been blogging for a year and was reviewing picture books every Friday, linking up to you, Susanna. In fact, your Perfect Picture Book Friday posts were where I meet writers who dreamed of becoming published authors and I realized that was my dream as well. My first picture book, Sweet Dreams, Sarah (first book signed will not be the first book out), was signed at the end of 2015…four years from when I started writing seriously.

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

VIVIAN: As I mentioned, it took four years from when I decided to become a picture book author. This picture book writing journey is a process…it’s like making a pizza…in fact, that’s my presentation for the Sydney SCBWI conference in a few weeks. There are certain ingredients and you have to follow the steps.

And if you don’t give up, it will definitely happen.

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Vivian! We are all grateful to you for sharing your experience and wish you great success with your book!

VIVIAN: Thank you so much for having me, Susanna. And for providing such a vibrant platform for aspiring and seasoned authors and illustrators.

Writer for children—reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. Her bucket list contains many more than five words – but she’s already checked off skydiving, parasailing and banana-boat riding. When she isn’t looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing picture books in the quaint village of Amherst, NH where the old stone library is her favorite hangout and her young grandson is her favorite board game partner. A retired kindergarten teacher with a masters in Early Childhood Education, Vivian inspires budding writers during classroom visits and shares insights with aspiring authors at national writers’ conferences. She is the author of Pippa’s Passover Plate (Holiday House); Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book (Pomegranate); Sweet Dreams, Sarah (Creston Books); Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little Bee Books); and From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). You can connect with her on her website, Facebook, Twitter,Pinterest,Instagram,Linkedin, or just about any place people with picture books are found

Readers, if you have questions for Vivian, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond. (Although I think she might be traveling around the world at the moment, so you might have to be a little patient 🙂 )

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

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

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

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