Tuesday Debut – Presenting Sarah Kurpiel!

May 26, 2020May 25, 20208 Comments

Welcome to another episode of Tuesday Debut!

I’m excited to introduce today’s debut-ess who is both an author and an illustrator! Illustrators are way under-represented here on Tuesday Debut, since most of our debut-ers are authors only, so it’s exciting to have a chance to hear about the publication journey from someone who does everything!

Please join me in welcoming the talented Sarah Kurpiel and her amazing book, Lone Wolf!

Title: Lone Wolf
Author/Illustrator: Sarah Kurpiel
Publishing House: Greenwillow/HarperCollins
Date of Publication: May 19, 2020
Category: Fiction
Age Range: 4-8

Synopsis: Maple the husky is mistaken for a wolf so many times that she starts to believe she might be one.

SUSANNA: Welcome, Sarah! Thank you so much for joining us today – we are thrilled to have you! Where did the idea for this book come from?

SARAH: Lone Wolf was inspired by my childhood dog. Years ago, I drafted a few comic strips about her just for fun. When brainstorming story ideas, I thought back to those comic strips and chose one idea I felt had depth: a husky mistaken for a wolf. I imagined how she might feel about being called a wolf again and again. That’s how the story got its start. But that’s not the final story that went on submission. My co-agents—though they weren’t my agents yet (they would offer representation later that year)—provided feedback that pushed me to develop the story further. I’m glad they did. The conflict at the heart of Lone Wolf remained the same, but the point-of-view and story arc evolved.

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

SARAH: I spent about two months on and off developing the dummy I sent to the agents who had expressed interest in possibly representing me. Over the course of three months, they gave me several rounds of feedback. I found it helpful to take a few days to absorb the feedback before approaching revisions. Sometimes I feel so attached to an idea that it’s hard to see how it could work another way—at first. All in all, it took me about five months on and off to write this book.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

SARAH: I revised the story text many times. I save each version in a new file and end the file name with the date. This helps me keep track of revisions. You never know when you’re going to need to take a step back. When it comes to editorial feedback, I prefer reading it right away and listing all revisions I need to consider. Giving myself a task—methodically translating feedback into a checklist—helps me avoid becoming too overwhelmed. Then (if I have time!) I’ll take a few days to let it sink in. I tend to start with easy revisions while ruminating over the larger ones.

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

SARAH: When my agents felt it was ready, I trusted it was.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

SARAH: In late 2018, my agents crafted a letter, to which I contributed an illustration, and sent me the first round of editors they intended to contact. Once everything was ready, they sent out the letter, dummy, and samples.

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

SARAH: About a week after submission, I had my first call with an editor. Her vision for the book aligned well with mine. A week after that, the book went to auction. I ultimately chose the first editor I spoke with.

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?

SARAH: After accepting the publication offer, I remember feeling elated to share the news with my family. I don’t quite remember much beyond that! The signing of the final negotiated contract came months later. By then, I was nearly finished with the book! It was certainly a happy moment to sign the contract, but nowhere near as exciting as the day I accepted the publication offer.

Sarah’s writing buddies, Roxie and Cad 😊

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

SARAH: Before the book went on submission, I’d spent a little time researching publishing contracts and reading the results of surveys where picture book makers anonymously self-report information. This gave me a sense of averages, but I still didn’t know what to expect. That’s a huge reason why having an agent is important for me; I don’t know enough about the business side. I don’t yet know what’s reasonable to negotiate and what’s not. When I read the contract it all seemed about right to me, though I had a few questions which my agents helped me understand.

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

SARAH: Since my co-agents are editorial, I went through several rounds of revisions with them back when they were first considering representing me. I didn’t have a critique partner or group, so I was grateful for the opportunity to receive feedback from people well-versed in the market. After the book sold, I revised further based on the editor’s feedback. By that point, the overall story was pretty well set, so revisions were more pointed. The editor had a nice vision for the book. All the changes made sense, but some took a little getting used to. For example, I was asked to consider making a change to the way I’d been drawing the main character. At first, I worried I was going to lose what made her design unique. But I’m glad I tried it because, in the end, it was the right decision.

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

SARAH: So far, I’ve never written a manuscript start to finish before illustrating it. Some of the illustrations in Lone Wolf preceded text. Others were developed alongside the text. Since I draw digitally, I like to build each new draft upon the previous draft, so I rarely “start over.”

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

SARAH: Yes! My editor sent me advance reviews. It was always such a nice surprise.

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

SARAH: Sixteen months.

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

SARAH: Greenwillow distributed copies of the book at events prior to the pandemic, distributed copies to influencers and reviewers, created activity sheets, shared Twitter posts about the book trailer release, updated the book description as reviews rolled in, and offered to connect me with local bookstores.

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

SARAH: My favorite marketing-related task I’ve done is make a few animated GIFs. I then applied for a GIPHY Artist channel so the GIFs could be used as stickers in Instagram Stories. The GIFs were fun to make, and I’ve ended up using them in ways I didn’t originally expect: Twitter, videos, and my website. I also made a 15-second teaser trailer (basically a long GIF) and a 1-minute book trailer. One of my favorite bloggers agreed to host the trailer premiere, and I lined up interviews and reviews with a few other bloggers whose blogs I enjoy, including this one!

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

SARAH: In December 2017, I purchased a copy of Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market 2018 and started a dummy. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about making picture books before that point, but buying that book cemented my commitment. I sold Lone Wolf in November 2018. The reason it took less than a year is thanks to a stroke of luck. An illustration account on Instagram shared one of my drawings and the right person saw it. If that hadn’t happened, I’m not quite sure when (if ever) I’d have felt ready to query agents.

SUSANNA: What is the most important/helpful thing you learned on your way to publication? (Or what is your most helpful piece of advice for up and coming writers?)

SARAH: Don’t wait until you’re ready because you may never feel ready. And after you sell your first book, join a debut group if you can. I’m part of the 2020 Debut Crew. It’s reassuring being part of group that shares ideas and answers each other’s questions. Plus, I’ve gotten to know some kind, talented writers and illustrators in the process.

Author/Illustrator Sarah Kurpiel

Website: sarahkurpiel.com
Instagram: @sarah.kurpiel
Twitter: @SarahKurpiel

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for talking with us today, Sarah, and sharing your experience so all of us can learn from it! We are so grateful for your time and expertise! I know I speak for everyone when I wish you the very best of luck with this and future books!!!

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

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

Indiebound
Amazon
Barnes&Noble

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

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

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

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

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

– sharing their books on social media

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

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

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

Jessie Oliveros – The Remember Balloons

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

Hannah Holt – The Diamond And The Boy

Laura Renauld – Porcupine’s Pie

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

Melissa Stoller – Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush

Sherry Howard – Rock And Roll Woods

Kate Narita – 100 Bugs! A Counting Book

Vivian Kirkfield – Pippa’s Passover Plate

Laura Roettiger – Aliana Reaches For The Moon

Matthew Lasley – Pedro’s Pan: A Gold Rush Story

Natalee Creech – When Day Is Done

Margaret Chiu Greanias – Maximillian Villainous

Wendy Greenley – Lola Shapes The Sky

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

Pippa Chorley – Counting Sheep

Sandra Sutter – The Real Farmer In The Dell

June Smalls – Odd Animals ABC

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

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

Eleanor Ann Peterson – Jurassic Rat

Sarah Hoppe – Who Will? Will You?

Marla LeSage – Pirate Year Round

Stacey Corrigan – The Pencil Eater

Shannon Stocker – Can U Save The Day?

Nadine Poper – Randall And Randall

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Karen Kiefer – Drawing God (religious market)

Susan Richmond – Bird Count

Dawn Young – The Night Baafore Christmas

Heather Gale – Ho’onani: Hula Warrior

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

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

Lindsey Hobson – Blossom’s Wish (self pub)

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

Valerie Bolling – Let’s Dance!

Janet Johnson – Help Wanted: Must Love Books

Susi Schaefer – Cat Ladies

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

Kelly Carey – How Long Is Forever?

Mary Wagley Copp – Wherever I Go

Nell Cross Beckerman – Down Under The Pier

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

Sharon Giltrow – Bedtime, Daddy!

Gabi Snyder – Two Dogs On A Trike

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Federico And The Wolf

May 22, 2020May 21, 202025 Comments

It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday and I have such a terrific title to share with you today!

Wait until you see this one!!! 😊

Title: Federico And The Wolf

Written By: Rebecca J. Gomez

Illustrated By: Elisa Chavarri

Clarion Books, May 19, 2020, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-7

Themes/Topics: fairy tale retelling (Little Red Riding Hood), courage, quick thinking

Opening: “Once upon a modern time
a boy named Federico
left to buy ingredients
to make the perfect pico.”

text copyright Rebecca J. Gomez 2020, illustration copyright Elisa Chavarri 2020 Clarion Books HMH

Brief Synopsis: In this modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, a young boy named Federico, dressed in a red hoodie, rides his bicycle to the store to shop for the ingredients for pico. When he arrives at Grandpa’s shop, Grandpa’s beard is so thick! and his arms are so grande! and what on earth is up with his dentures? He does not look the way he should!

text copyright Rebecca J. Gomez 2020, illustration copyright Elisa Chavarri 2020 Clarion Books HMH

Links To Resources: the back of the book has a recipe for pico and a glossary of the Spanish vocabulary included in the story; read with other retellings of Little Red Riding Hood – Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz, Little Red Gliding Hood by Tara Lazar, Little Red Writing by Joan Holub; make up your own version of Little Red Riding Hood (or another fairy tale 😊); Little Red Riding Hood Teaching Ideas and Activities (for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school)

text copyright Rebecca J. Gomez 2020, illustration copyright Elisa Chavarri 2020 Clarion Books HMH

Why I Like This Book: I love that in this retelling Little Red is a boy! He rides a bike through the city streets and park instead of skipping through the woods 😊 His bike basket is filled with ingredients for making fresh pico. The text is written in perfect rhyme and sprinkled with lots of accessible Spanish vocabulary for kids to learn from. The story is delightful from start to finish and the art is bright and engaging. Clever and fun! You won’t want to miss this one!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! I hope you’ll all get to celebrate Memorial Day in an appropriately socially distant way!!! 😊

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Gabi Snyder!

May 19, 2020May 18, 202029 Comments

Welcome to Tuesday Debut, Everyone!

We all have our favorite books from childhood, and one of mine happens to be GO, DOG. GO! by P.D. Eastman. If you’re as ancient as I am you may be familiar with it 😊 Anyway, although it is new and different, there is something about today’s debut picture book which hearkens back to that a bit, so I instantly loved the look of this brand new title!

Today’s Debut-ess is the lovely and talented Gabi Snyder, here to share with us her journey to the publication of TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE!

Two Dogs on a Trike
Written by Gabi Snyder
Illustrated by Robin Rosenthal
Abrams Appleseed, May 19, 2020
Fiction; baby to 5 years

Count up to 10 and back down again in this picture book starring 10 traveling dogs and one very tenacious cat!

SUSANNA: Welcome, Gabi! Congratulations on the publication of your delightful book, and thank you so much for joining us today to share your experience! Where did the idea for this book come from?

GABI: The dog versus cat dynamic that plays out in TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE was inspired, in part, by my childhood pets. I grew up with a cat we called Kinko (named for his kinked tail) and an assortment of dogs. Kinko was the undisputed boss. Now my family includes one dog and one cat. (They take turns keeping each other in line.)

And, as a kid, one of my favorite picture books was GO, DOG. GO! by P.D. Eastman. I must’ve read that book hundreds of times. The silly dogs and sense of movement and fun in TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE are, in part, an homage to the P.D. Eastman classic. (But as one of my critique partners pointed out, “without the weird hat stuff.”)

Gabi’s work space and writing buddies 😊

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

GABI: Unlike most of my stories, drafting TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE was fairly quick and painless. It came out mostly whole. Of course, my brilliant critique partners still had suggestions for taking it to the next level.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

GABI: With this book, revisions were fairly minimal. But, in general with a picture book, I think it’s helpful to get a complete first draft down in one sitting. And then I like to let the draft sit and marinate for bit – at least a week. If, after marinating, it still shines, still feels like a promising idea, I revise again. Sometimes I revise several more times before the manuscript feels ready for my critique partners.

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

GABI: I didn’t! It’s lucky I shared TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE with my critique partners because I might not have thought to submit the story to agents and editors if my CP Mary Worley hadn’t encouraged me to send it out.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

GABI: I submitted TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE, and many other picture book manuscripts, to agents as well as editors at small presses before signing with my agent, the fabulous Natalie Lakosil at Bradford Literary, in July 2018.

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

GABI: We received an offer from Meredith Mundy at Abrams Appleseed in late August 2018. It all happened very quickly – but it followed a long wait! I’d been submitting picture book manuscripts to agents and editors since 2014.

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?

GABI: Honestly, it took awhile for the good news to fully sink in. I didn’t quite believe it and mostly went on in a business as usual manner for a few days. But my awesome critique partners encouraged me to take a moment to pause and celebrate. So I took my family out for a special dinner.

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

GABI: The contract was in line with my expectations. I was happy to have my agent negotiate the contract for me and know what improvements we could ask for. For a first book, I think the advance was reasonable and the royalty percentages line up with industry standards. I’m delighted that 20 author copies will be coming my way!

And, for picture book publishing, the timeline was actually pretty fast—from offer to published book in under two years!

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

GABI: I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with editor Meredith Mundy and the team at Abrams. The suggested text changes were pretty minor, but definitely strengthened the story. Additionally, we made some punctuation edits—changing the periods in the counting down section of the story to exclamation points to heighten the urgency of the chase!

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

GABI: As a newbie, I didn’t know what to expect, but was happily surprised that Meredith kept me apprised of each new development with the art. Once we had a finished book, Meredith asked me whether the illustrations matched what I envisioned when I submitted the text. In truth, the book’s illustrations are even more adorable and humorous than I’d imagined. The 80s retro vibe/wardrobing of Robin Rosenthal’s characters is very much in line with my aesthetic. It may sound clichéd, but there’s something magical about the picture book collaboration between an author and an illustrator. The whole is so much more than the two parts!

Art notes played a huge role in my manuscript! For example, at the start of my manuscript, I included this overarching note:

{Art: A cat watches as her dog escapes their yard through an unlatched gate. The reader sees the cat follow, but she is unseen by the dogs. With each new mode of transportation, another dog joins the adventure.}

Here’s one of the finished spreads, showing the cat in hot pursuit!

And here’s another one just for fun 😊

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

GABI: So I’d heard several writers and illustrators advise new authors (and really all authors) NOT to read reviews. They can sometimes be disheartening; not everyone will love everything you write. And I was all set to follow that advice! But then in late February my editor emailed me with the news that TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE had received a Kirkus starred review! Reading the review still gives me a thrill. You can read it here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gabi-snyder/two-dogs-on-a-trike/

Though not as glowing as the Kirkus review, SLJ also gave the book a positive review, calling it, “A recommended purchase.”

The downside of that fur-raising first review from Kirkus is that since then I’ve been waiting and watching for more reviews! I’m embarrassed to say I’ve been Googling my book. Not recommended!

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

GABI: I received my advance copy in December 2019, so from offer to first copy was only about 16 months – super fast! The announced first print run was 15,000. Fingers crossed all those copies sell!

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

GABI: I think the bulk of the pre-publication promotion has focused on advance mailing to trade reviewers, educators, and librarians. I believe Abrams intends to promote more at publication with targeted outreach to parenting websites and blogs as well as social media campaigns.

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

GABI: I joined a debut group, the 2020 Debut Crew, to help with marketing and promotion. We share marketing strategies and help spread the word about each other’s debut picture books.

And Robin Rosenthal has created a whole bunch of amazing graphics, including this one, to promote the book.

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

GABI: It depends on your definition of “writing seriously” – LOL! I studied creative writing in the early aughts but then mostly set my own writing aside for several years.

Fast forward to 2013: when my kids were little (3 and 5), we moved from Austin to Corvallis, Oregon. With a break from work following the move, I found time to get back to my own writing. Only by then, reading daily with my two littles, I’d become immersed in the world of picture books and fallen in love with this form of storytelling. In 2014, I wrote my first picture book and soon after started submitting to agents and editors. So you could say I’d been writing seriously for children for four years before I sold my first picture book, but I’d been a writer much longer.

SUSANNA: What is the most important/helpful thing you learned on your way to publication? (Or what is your most helpful piece of advice for up and coming writers?)

GABI: Be gentle with yourself; in other words, don’t expect instant brilliance, instant success. And be especially easy on yourself right now when your attention is likely pulled in so many directions. In times of stress, it can be easy to fall back on bad old habits, like berating yourself for not getting enough writing done or mindlessly scrolling through social media when you mean to be writing. That’s when it’s especially important to lean heavily on your good habits. If taking walks helps clear your head and let you focus, then (assuming you can safely walk right now) keep taking walks!

(Also, keep writing new stories not just revising the old!)

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

GABI: You never know what’s might inspire a story; keep an open mind and jot down every idea!

SUSANNA: Great advice! Thank you so much, Gabi, for taking the time to participate in this series and pay it forward to other writers! I know I speak for all of us when I say congratulations on your starred debut and all the best of luck with this and future publications!!!

GABI: I hope my answers are helpful. Thanks, Susanna, for all you do for the kidlit community. Your blog and website are such amazing resources!

Author Gabi Snyder

Website: gabisnyder.com
Twitter: @Gabi_A_Snyder
Instagram: @gabi_snyder_writer

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

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

Indiebound
Amazon
Barnes&Noble

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

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

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

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

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

– sharing their books on social media

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

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

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

Jessie Oliveros – The Remember Balloons

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

Hannah Holt – The Diamond And The Boy

Laura Renauld – Porcupine’s Pie

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

Melissa Stoller – Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush

Sherry Howard – Rock And Roll Woods

Kate Narita – 100 Bugs! A Counting Book

Vivian Kirkfield – Pippa’s Passover Plate

Laura Roettiger – Aliana Reaches For The Moon

Matthew Lasley – Pedro’s Pan: A Gold Rush Story

Natalee Creech – When Day Is Done

Margaret Chiu Greanias – Maximillian Villainous

Wendy Greenley – Lola Shapes The Sky

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

Pippa Chorley – Counting Sheep

Sandra Sutter – The Real Farmer In The Dell

June Smalls – Odd Animals ABC

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

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

Eleanor Ann Peterson – Jurassic Rat

Sarah Hoppe – Who Will? Will You?

Marla LeSage – Pirate Year Round

Stacey Corrigan – The Pencil Eater

Shannon Stocker – Can U Save The Day?

Nadine Poper – Randall And Randall

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Karen Kiefer – Drawing God (religious market)

Susan Richmond – Bird Count

Dawn Young – The Night Baafore Christmas

Heather Gale – Ho’onani: Hula Warrior

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

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

Lindsey Hobson – Blossom’s Wish (self pub)

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

Valerie Bolling – Let’s Dance!

Janet Johnson – Help Wanted: Must Love Books

Susi Schaefer – Cat Ladies

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

Kelly Carey – How Long Is Forever?

Mary Wagley Copp – Wherever I Go

Nell Cross Beckerman – Down Under The Pier

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

Sharon Giltrow – Bedtime, Daddy!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Baby Bear Discovers The World

May 15, 2020May 14, 202016 Comments

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday!

It’s May on Blueberry Hill, and you know what that means:

Baby goslings.

Baby foxes.

Baby snakes.

Baby rabbits.

Baby groundhogs.

And given the black bear you all know was hanging out on my porch last week eating bird seed, I’m betting there are some baby bears around too, even though I haven’t seen any… which is probably just as well because no one needs an overprotective mama bear too near their house! 😊

In the spirit of baby animals, I have chosen this very delightful book for today. I dare you and your young reading companions not to love the pictures 🙂

Title: Baby Bear Discovers The World
Written By: Marion Dane Bauer
Photography By: Stan Tekiela
Adventure Publications Inc, 2006, Factual Fiction with great photos

Suitable For Ages: 3 and up

Themes/Topics: wild animals, growing up, independence, nature

Opening: One fine spring morning Baby Bear said to his mama, “Mama, I’m a big bear now. It’s time for me to go out and discover the world. Then he kissed his mama so she would know he meant business.”

Brief Synopsis: From the jacket: “Follow Baby Bear’s excursion into the big world as he tries to prove his independence, wandering closer and closer to places he doesn’t belong. Using twin cubs and the assistance of a handler, Stan [the photographer] succeeded in getting all the photos for this book from the cubs’ natural reactions to their surroundings. His ability to capture everything from their inquisitive faces to actually tumbling from a log is delightfully documented.”

Screen Shot 2020-05-14 at 8.54.53 PM

Links To Resources: Everything you need is right here! The back of the book has a section on bear facts – characteristics, activity, diet, cubs, and hibernation. It also has a section on how the book was photographed, and another section of “outtakes and bloopers” photos – SO CUTE! 🙂 You can also go for a walk and look for signs of animals – paw prints, nests, etc. City or country, you’re likely to discover some fun things, just like Baby Bear 🙂

Why I Like This Book: I just absolutely adore wildlife photography. This book combines a fun story about learning independence with exquisite photography of lots of animals besides the bears along with the surrounding flora. It’s fun just to look at the pictures 🙂 The outtakes and bloopers photos are also tons of fun and make the experience of the book even better. Wait until you see the picture of Baby Bear licking a mouse 🙂

Screen Shot 2020-05-14 at 8.55.05 PM

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 😊

And for those of you who want to join in the Eenie Meenie Miney Mini Writing Challenge, here’s the link to week #1 for easy access 😊

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Sharon Giltrow!

May 12, 2020May 11, 202036 Comments

Welcome to Tuesday Debut, Everyone!

You are in for a treat today! Our debut-ess is sharing some fabulous information on her writing process, query letter, and marketing that we can ALL learn a great deal from!

I’m thrilled to introduce you to Sharon Giltrow and her very entertaining debut picture book BEDTIME, DADDY! which, incidentally, would make a ***fantastic Father’s Day gift*** for anyone who happens to need one! I have had the pleasure of reading it and can highly recommend it, and there are purchase links below for your convenience!

But now, without further ado. . .

Bedtime, Daddy!
written by Sharon Giltrow
illustrated by Katrin Dreiling
Publisher – EK Books
Fiction, 5-8 year olds

Synopsis- Putting Daddy to bed can be hard work but it can be lots of fun. This story will show you how to wrestle your daddy into his pyjamas, read just one more story, battle bedtime excuses and uses go away monster spray to get your daddy to sleep. Full of heart and humour, BEDTIME, DADDY! is for anyone who wants to try and put a grown-up to bed.

Release dates – 1^st May 2020 (Australia)
12^th May (America), which is today – Happy Book Birthday to me. 😊🎈🎉

Here’s a birthday cake to celebrate. Let’s eat!!

SUSANNA: Welcome, Sharon, and Happy Book Birthday to you!!! We are all as excited for you as you are, and thrilled to have you here with us today! Where did the idea for this book come from?

SHARON: The idea for BEDTIME, DADDY! was sparked in 2017, during Tara Lazar’s writing challenge – Storystorm. A writing challenge where you are encouraged to be open to ideas and write down thirty ideas in 30 days. On Day seven of the challenge my husband was putting our eight-year-old son to bed, after my son brushed his teeth, he found his daddy lying in his bed. That gave me the idea of a role reversal story where the child puts their daddy to bed.

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

SHARON: In June 2017, I took my idea and started brainstorming how to put a grown up to bed. I planned out all the steps in the bedtime routine. I researched funny parenting memes, and parenting blogs. Then I used this brainstorm and research and wrote the first draft of BEDTIME, DADDY!

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

SHARON: Once I was happy to share my story, I sent it to my international critique group – THE WORDLIES. We share stories at the start of the month through a google docs group and critiques are due by the end of the month. I took the suggestions that were helpful and revised and revised and revised. Version six sold to EK Books in June 2018. One year after I wrote the first draft. Here is how the beginning of BEDTIME, DADDY! changed from version one to the final published version ten.

How to Put a Grown-up to Sleep – version1

Bedtime, Daddy! – version10

A grown-up can get grumpy.

A grown-up can get tired.

A grown-up sometimes needs to be put to bed.

And this is how you do it.

When your grown-up starts rubbing their eyes and yawning.

Announce “It’s time for bed!”

Your grown-up will start crying immediately.

HOW TO CONSOLE YOUR GROWN-UP

Give your grown-up a cuddle.

Wait for them to stop crying.

Explain that bedtime happens every night and that it isn’t a punishment.

And wait for crying to stop again and say, “still bedtime”.

Then watch your grown-up move at a snail pace to their bedroom.

When you see your daddy rub his eyes and stifles a yawn.

Announce, “Bedtime daddy!”

Your daddy will start crying immediately.

Give him a cuddle until he stops.

Tell your daddy, “it’s still bedtime.”

Watch as he moves as slow as a sloth to his bedroom.

Final first spread

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

SHARON: In November 2017 I started submitting BEDTIME DADDY. But, after receiving a number of rejections, I decided that the story wasn’t quite ready. So, with more help from my critique group and a publisher’s critique I started submitting again.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

SHARON: In June 2018, I submitted directly to EK Books who are an Australian publishing house who accepts unsolicited manuscripts. Here is the query letter that I sent.

Dear Editor,

As an author with an interest in humorous picture books with heart, I am seeking representation from a like-minded publisher. Pasted below for your consideration is my 343 word, 5-8-year-old, – humorous, plot driven picture book manuscript, Bedtime Daddy.

Putting a daddy to bed can be hard work. But it can be loads of fun too. A little girl wrestles her daddy into his pyjamas, reads just one more story, battles bedtime excuses and uses go away monster spray to get her daddy to sleep. Bedtime Daddy, a story for anyone who has ever tried to put a grown up to bed.

Readers of such picture books as Jean Regan’s How to Babysit a Grandad, Tammi Sauer’s Your Alien and Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s Bedtime for Mommy will similarly enjoy the story Bedtime Daddy.

I am a member of SCBWI and the 12×12 picture book challenge. I am also an Early Childhood teacher working with children with Developmental Language Disorder. I have several other submission ready PB manuscripts available upon request.

Thank you for your consideration and time. I look forward to your response.

I still use a similar query format for current submissions but my bio has now changed and now includes my publishing credits and writing awards.

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

SHARON: Two weeks after submitting to EK Books I received ‘the email’ while on a family vacation. I read the email over and over again to make sure it was real. Then I researched EK Books some more, looked at their published books, emailed one of their published authors and then made the decision to accept their offer. EK Books didn’t request any revisions and I signed the publishing deal in August 2018, two months after I submitted BEDTIME, DADDY!

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?

SHARON: To celebrate signing the contract my family and I went out for lunch at our local beach side café. After lunch I made them take photos of me, thinking that these would be my author photos. I later got professional author photos taken 😊.

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

SHARON: As this was my first publishing contract, I didn’t really know what to expect. However, through the great KidLit community I knew what clauses to be wary of. The contract didn’t contain any red flags and was straight forward and fair. I didn’t receive an advance. I receive 15% royalty of the publisher’s net receipts in Australia. For copies sold overseas I receive a 10% royalty of the net price received. In addition, I receive 7 author copies. Ten additional copies have been sent to book reviews and KidLit gurus around the world. I was also able to purchase author copies at a discounted rate of 40%.

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

SHARON: After sending version six of BEDTIME, DADDY! to Anouska Jones, the editor of EK Books, I made slight changes at the word level which were accepted. Anouska suggested one textual change, which was change the title punctuation from BEDTIME DADDY! to BEDTIME, DADDY! Anouska also suggested that the characters be bears instead of people. I had always pictured the characters as people but when she shared her reason, which was that bears would have more of an universal appeal, I was happy to accept the change.

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

SHARON: Anouska then asked the amazing illustrator Katrin Dreiling to do some preliminary sketches for the characters. These sketches were of people and bears. I put these sketches up on my wall so I could compare them. Once I had seen the sketches, it became even clearer that bear characters were the way to go.

First sketches

Then Katrin’s story board was shared with me, which I added my text to. I made a few suggestions and both Anouska and Katrin where very open to these. Katrin revised the sketches and seven months later I saw the first coloured PDF’s. That was a very exciting day.

One of my favourite page spreads

I was very happy with the way that Katrin illustrated my story and I was very happy that I left room in my text for her to add her illustrative ideas. When I submitted the manuscript for BEDTIME, DADDY! I only had one illustration or art note, which was for the last page. Illo note: Child falls asleep outside the door; daddy gets out of bed picks the child up and puts the child into bed and winks).

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

SHARON: Not yet but I hope to 😊.

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

SHARON: Twenty-one months and the initial print run was 2000 books.

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

SHARON: Approximately six months from the release of BEDTIME, DADDY I devised a marketing and sales plan. I sent this to EK Books and asked their marketing and sales team what they would do, what I was expected to do and what we would both do. This is the marketing and promotion that EK did for BEDTIME, DADDY!

Created a Media Press Release
Sent the Media Press Release to local press, bloggers, reviewers, radio stations
Set up Media interviews
Cover release to all online book stores
Shared the ARC with media and reviewers.
Posted reviews on their social media
Designed and printed book marks

EK Books has a fantastic international sales and marketing team which reply promptly to any of my queries They also sent me a guide to getting consumer reviews for my book.

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

SHARON: The first and best thing that I did in regards to marketing and promotions was to join a debut picture book group. Our group is called the 2020 Debut Crew. It was through this group that I learnt how to create a marketing plan. Without the support of this group the marketing of BEDTIME, DADDY! would have been a lot harder. Here are some of the marketing and promotion that I did.

Had professional author photos taken
Had a Daddy Bear soft toy made through the company Budsies
Wrote the book blurb
Made my own stickers
Organised a cover reveal
Made a list of KidLit gurus that I wanted copies of BEDTIME, DADDY! sent to.
Developed a blog tour
Set up an author page on Amazon, Goodreads and Library thing
Promoted pre-orders through social media
Wrote guest blogs
Set up interviews on blogs
Planned my launch party and re-planned a virtual launch party.
Created twitter giveaways
Created teaching notes
Created a book trailer

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

SHARON: Five Years

Photo of my family and I with my first copy Photo of my niece and nephew

My work space and work buddy Daddy Bear with his book

twitter
Instagram
Facebook

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Sharon! We’re so grateful to be able to learn from all the wonderful specifics you shared about revision, querying, and marketing, and we wish you all the very best of luck with this and future books!

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

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

Indiebound
Amazon
Barnes&Noble

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

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

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

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

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

– sharing their books on social media

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

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

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

Jessie Oliveros – The Remember Balloons

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

Hannah Holt – The Diamond And The Boy

Laura Renauld – Porcupine’s Pie

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

Melissa Stoller – Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush

Sherry Howard – Rock And Roll Woods

Kate Narita – 100 Bugs! A Counting Book

Vivian Kirkfield – Pippa’s Passover Plate

Laura Roettiger – Aliana Reaches For The Moon

Matthew Lasley – Pedro’s Pan: A Gold Rush Story

Natalee Creech – When Day Is Done

Margaret Chiu Greanias – Maximillian Villainous

Wendy Greenley – Lola Shapes The Sky

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

Pippa Chorley – Counting Sheep

Sandra Sutter – The Real Farmer In The Dell

June Smalls – Odd Animals ABC

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

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

Eleanor Ann Peterson – Jurassic Rat

Sarah Hoppe – Who Will? Will You?

Marla LeSage – Pirate Year Round

Stacey Corrigan – The Pencil Eater

Shannon Stocker – Can U Save The Day?

Nadine Poper – Randall And Randall

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Karen Kiefer – Drawing God (religious market)

Susan Richmond – Bird Count

Dawn Young – The Night Baafore Christmas

Heather Gale – Ho’onani: Hula Warrior

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

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

Lindsey Hobson – Blossom’s Wish (self pub)

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

Valerie Bolling – Let’s Dance!

Janet Johnson – Help Wanted: Must Love Books

Susi Schaefer – Cat Ladies

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

Kelly Carey – How Long Is Forever?

Mary Wagley Copp – Wherever I Go

Nell Cross Beckerman – Down Under The Pier

Claire Noland – Evie’s Field Day

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Bloom

May 8, 2020May 7, 202014 Comments

It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday and . . . my youngest’s birthday! 😊

So I’m sharing a book that celebrates May flowers and extraordinary girls 💐🌸🌟💕

Bloom

Title: Bloom

Written By: Doreen Cronin

Illustrated By: David Small

Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, February 2016, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: girl power, appreciation/gratitude, encouragement, believing in yourself

Opening: “Once upon a time, in a beautiful glass kingdom, there lived an unusual fairy named Bloom. Her boots were caked with mud. There was dirt between her teeth. Beetles rested in her wings. Bloom’s magic could spin sand into glass, turn weeds into blossoms, and grow a trickle of rainwater into a racing river. Bloom was a helpful creature, but her footsteps were HEAVY, and she left a trail of tiny cracks and mud wherever she went.”

Brief Synopsis: A glass kingdom is a tough place to be a Mud Fairy. Bloom and her mud fairy magic can turn weeds into flowers and spin sand into glass, but all the people of the kingdom do is complain about the trails of dirt and puddles of mud she leaves behind so, feeling unappreciated, she leaves. When the kingdom falls into disrepair, the King and Queen search out Bloom, but it takes the most “ordinary” girl in the kingdom to restore the magic.

Screen Shot 2020-05-07 at 7.26.25 PM

Links To Resources: Here are some resources to get kids outdoors to celebrate earth and gardens. Plant A Family Butterfly Garden, Big Seeds For Little Hands, Information & Resources For Gardening With Children

Why I Like This Book: This story has the delightful “Once upon a time” opening that creates the delicious anticipation of a fairy tale about to unfold. Bloom is an unusual fairy – dirty, willing to work hard, not traditionally “girly”. Genevieve, the “ordinary” girl whose only job has been to polish the queen’s crystal sugar spoon has never had the opportunity to discover what she’s capable of. Working alongside Bloom, she learns that she is anything but ordinary and that she can save the kingdom. Favorite line: “Tell them there is no such thing as an ordinary girl!” said Bloom.

Screen Shot 2020-05-07 at 7.26.53 PM

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 😊🌷

A very happy birthday to my daughter and a very happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there 💕💐💕🐣

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Claire Annette Noland!

May 5, 2020May 4, 202015 Comments

Hi there, everyone, and welcome to Tuesday Debut!

If you tuned in to Perfect Picture Books on Friday, this book will look familiar! But today we get to meet the author and hear about how this book came to be.

I’m happy to introduce you to Claire Noland and her debut picture book, Evie’s Field Day!

EVIE’S FIELD DAY: More Than One Way to Win
by Claire Annette Noland
illustrated by Alicia Teba
Cardinal Rule Press May 1st, 2020
Fiction. Ages 4-8

Evie loves to run, jump, hop, and win. She even has ribbons and trophies to prove it. So, when the school’s field day comes around, she is sure she will add to her winning collection. When Evie finds herself ahead of the pack, she is faced with an important decision. Does she choose the chance at a trophy or the chance to be a good friend? Join Evie as she navigates the playground and learns about sportsmanship and the challenge of losing.

SUSANNA: Welcome, Claire! We’re so thrilled to have you here with us today! Where did the idea for this book come from?

CLAIRE: Thank you, Susanna, for this opportunity to share the journey of EVIE’S FIELD DAY. The idea was a long time coming. As a parent and teacher, I know how much kids hate to lose. On the other hand, sometimes the kids who win aren’t always gracious. So, I had a rough idea but couldn’t quite figure out how to tell the story until… I read a call for submissions from Cardinal Rule Press. They were looking for stories featuring children facing an obstacle or problem that most children must deal with. Then the story seemed to almost write itself as I remembered how much kids enjoy the end-of-the-year Field Day activities and decided that was a good setting for a child who hates to lose.

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

CLAIRE: I only had a month to write and revise because submissions were only open for a limited time.

I enjoy writing in the company of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and some other friends.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

CLAIRE: I meet with my writing group weekly so I revised for each meeting. I have learned that shorter is better so I cut the original manuscript by 200 words. I also went through and cut things that I thought an illustrator could show in the art.

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

CLAIRE: I knew my manuscript was ready when my critique group felt it was done and I read it aloud and thought, “kids will like this!”

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

CLAIRE: I submitted directly to Maria Dismondy at Cardinal Rule Press during the open submission window. I read most of the books published by CRP and felt that this manuscript would fit in well with the books they publish. I don’t have an agent but am actively seeking representation.

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

CLAIRE: I received an e-mail from Maria Dismondy setting up an online meeting. This was my first online meeting and I couldn’t get the camera on my computer to work! She told me that a friend had recently shared that her son had a meltdown every time he lost a game. Then she opened my submission and found a book on the very topic. She called me a few days later to let me know they would like to publish my book! As people often say, your book needs to come across the publisher’s desk at just the right time.

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract? (If you care to share ☺)

CLAIRE: I cried happy tears then celebrated with champagne with my husband. There’s just something so satisfying about clinking glasses.

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

CLAIRE: I have been writing a work-for-hire series which pays a flat fee for each book. Since this is my first trade book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was just thrilled my book was being published. Cardinal Rule Press has been wonderful I received an advance after signing the contract and the rest upon completion of editing. I will receive 10% on all copies sold. I also received hardcover and soft cover copies of the book.

My office is filled with wonderful books including my childhood favorites.

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

CLAIRE: There was some editing but most of the work I did after signing the contract was writing backmatter. Cardinal Rule Press publishes books of special appeal to families, teachers, and librarians. I wrote a section for parents and teachers to use before, during, and after reading. I also wrote suggestions on how to help children learn about good sportsmanship as well as a game I call “good sport/bad sport.” I was able to draw on my experience as a teacher and a mom to four children who were all involved with sports and 4H.

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

CLAIRE: The illustration process was a lot of fun. Maria Dismondy had a very clear vision for the book with strategic use of color. Even the text becomes part of the art with colorful fonts used to emphasize different parts of the story.

I was able to see sketches throughout the process and I even received a pdf of the rough draft. I reached out to the amazing Alicia Teba (who lives in Spain!) to thank her after the illustrations were finished and now, we’re Facebook and Instagram friends. I did not add any illustration notes.

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

CLAIRE: I saw the positive book reviews given by Kirkus and School Library Journal. I was a children’s librarian before becoming a teacher and I made book purchases using these periodicals so I was thrilled to see my own book included.

My 5 month old puppy, Ernest, is a Catahoula/ Poodle mix. He is a very literary dog since he was named after Hemingway. He has great taste in book selection.

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

CLAIRE: I signed my contract at the end of February 2019 and had copies sent to me in December 2019. I didn’t open the box because I needed to wait until my cover reveal. I was tempted to peek but I didn’t.

My initial print run is 3,000 books.

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

CLAIRE: Everything has changed in a short period of time because of Covid-19. I had a series of book events planned including an actual Field Day Launch with games and activities along with the book reading and signing to coincide with the end of the school year. Now we are having a virtual book launch via zoom. We are also planning something super exciting. Just because kids are learning at home it doesn’t mean they can’t celebrate the end of the school year with fun and games. On May 21st, we are having a virtual field day. Families are encouraged to set up games and activities and post pictures on Instagram with #AtHomeFieldDay and #EviesFieldDay. There will be drawings for some fabulous prizes. My publisher has also put together a social media campaign, a book trailer, a preorder campaign, a blog tour, and is helping me to be a guest on podcasts.

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

CLAIRE: One of the best things I did was join a debut group of picture book writers. We’re called the 2020 Debut Crew and we work together to promote our books. I wrote a post on field day activities on my blog and am posting on social media.

A special day! Getting to donate a copy of my debut picture book to my local Little Free Library!

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

CLAIRE: I have been writing for many years but rarely submitted manuscripts. I finally made writing a priority becoming involved in my regional SCBWI group, going to conferences and workshops, following kid lit writing blogs, and joining 12 x 12. I sent stories to magazines which were my first sales. I even won the Pewter Plate Award from Highlights for the best rebus story of the year.

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

CLAIRE: I would like to encourage pre-published authors to really pay attention to publisher’s guidelines. Cardinal Rule Press was very clear about the books they were looking for but received animal stories, poetry, and many other types of writing that weren’t right for their house. Take time to look at the publisher’s catalogs and, as much as possible, the books they publish. Working with Cardinal Rule Press has been a dream come true for me.

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers! We so appreciate your generosity in sharing your experience with us so we can learn from it and wish you all the best with this and future books!

CLAIRE: Thank you so much for featuring me on your blog today, Susanna. I’ve been a long-time follower and I’m pinching myself realizing that I now have a book debut to share.

Author Claire Noland

Website
A Field Trip Life blog
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

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

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

Bookshop.org – Petunia’s Place Bookshop
Indiebound Amazon
Barnes&Noble

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

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

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

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

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

– sharing their books on social media

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

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

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

Jessie Oliveros – The Remember Balloons

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

Hannah Holt – The Diamond And The Boy

Laura Renauld – Porcupine’s Pie

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

Melissa Stoller – Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush

Sherry Howard – Rock And Roll Woods

Kate Narita – 100 Bugs! A Counting Book

Vivian Kirkfield – Pippa’s Passover Plate

Laura Roettiger – Aliana Reaches For The Moon

Matthew Lasley – Pedro’s Pan: A Gold Rush Story

Natalee Creech – When Day Is Done

Margaret Chiu Greanias – Maximillian Villainous

Wendy Greenley – Lola Shapes The Sky

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

Pippa Chorley – Counting Sheep

Sandra Sutter – The Real Farmer In The Dell

June Smalls – Odd Animals ABC

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

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

Eleanor Ann Peterson – Jurassic Rat

Sarah Hoppe – Who Will? Will You?

Marla LeSage – Pirate Year Round

Stacey Corrigan – The Pencil Eater

Shannon Stocker – Can U Save The Day?

Nadine Poper – Randall And Randall

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Karen Kiefer – Drawing God (religious market)

Susan Richmond – Bird Count

Dawn Young – The Night Baafore Christmas

Heather Gale – Ho’onani: Hula Warrior

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

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

Lindsey Hobson – Blossom’s Wish (self pub)

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

Valerie Bolling – Let’s Dance!

Janet Johnson – Help Wanted: Must Love Books

Susi Schaefer – Cat Ladies

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

Kelly Carey – How Long Is Forever?

Mary Wagley Copp – Wherever I Go

Nell Cross Beckerman – Down Under The Pier

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Evie’s Field Day

May 1, 2020April 30, 202010 Comments

It’s May! It’s May!
The lovely month of May!
That darling month when everyone goes
Blissfully astray. . .

(Okay, I confess to monkeying about with those lyrics a bit to make them acceptable for this G-rated blog, but you get the idea. . . 😊)

It’s also Perfect Picture Book Friday, and today’s pick is celebrating its Book Birthday today, so HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!!! 🎉🎉🎉

It is here just in time for the Field Day season (although unfortunately, due to the current state of the world, a lot of Field Days may be postponed or cancelled this year.) Kids don’t need Field Day to know about competition, sportsmanship, winning, and losing, though, so Field Day or no Field Day they will enjoy Evie’s story. 😊

Title: Evie’s Field Day

Written By: Claire Noland

Illustrated By: Alicia Teba

Cardinal Rule Press, May 2020, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 5-7

Themes/Topics: good sportsmanship

Opening: “Evie loved to win.
She could jump the highest,
run the fastest, and hop
the farthest.”

Brief Synopsis: (From the publisher) “Evie loves to run, jump, hop, and win. She even has ribbons and trophies to prove it. So, when the school’s field day comes around, she is sure she will add to her winning collection. When Evie finds herself ahead of the pack, she is faced with an important decision. Does she choose the chance at a trophy or the chance to be a good friend?”

Links To Resources: Jump Rope Rhymes; Fun active games (that you can play indoors or in your yard while we’re #stayingathome)

Why I Like This Book: This book celebrates competition, teamwork, consideration for others, and being a good sport, while also giving young readers the opportunity to think about how to be a good loser. In addition, since it’s about field day, it models activity and physical fitness. I like that Evie is a little too competitive, a little too full of herself at the beginning. It makes her a believable kid and gives her room to learn and grow by the end of the story. All kids take part in school games, competition, Field Day, and/or sports on some level at some point and will appreciate and benefit from this book. 😊

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 😊

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Nell Cross Beckerman!

April 28, 2020April 28, 202028 Comments

Hi there!

It’s Tuesday, and you know what that means!

It’s the day to remember all the things you didn’t get done Monday. . .

. . .and push them off until Wednesday! 😊

It’s also time to meet a brand new author!

Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Nell Cross Beckerman and her wonderful debut picture book Down Under The Pier!

DOWN UNDER THE PIER
By Nell Cross Beckerman
Illustrated by Rachell Sumpter
Publishing House: Cameron Kids
Date of PublicationL April 7, 2020
Fiction with non fiction back matter
Age range: 5-7 years

There’s lots of fun to be had up on the pier—the Ferris wheel, cotton candy, the carousel—but it’s down under the pier, at low tide, where the real magic can be found.

SUSANNA: Welcome, Nell! Thank you so much for joining us today to share your journey to publication! Where did the idea for this book come from?

NELL: I was taking a picture book writing class at UCLA Extension taught by writer Michelle Markel. At the very last class, we did an in-class writing prompt that was a “How to” format. On a whim, I thought of, “How to have fun at the pier,” thinking of my hometown Santa Monica Pier, where I spent a lot of time with my kids. As I was writing about all the fun stuff to do on top of the pier with the thrill rides and arcade games, the words just flowed, going from how to have fun ON the pier, to have to have fun UNDER the pier. I shared it out loud with the class and another student whose opinion I respected gave me a deep look and said, “That’s a really good idea.” I got goosebumps because I felt it, too.

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

NELL: The first draft came very quickly, but it did not have the same structure or format that the finished book does. After my UCLA class ended, I realized I craved even more instructor attention. Rather than signing up for more classes where you only get perhaps one or two chances to get feedback, I decided it would be smarter to spend my money and time working directly with a freelance editor. She helped me with the structure and format and I learned a lot about picture book writing in general from her.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

NELL: Yes, I went through a bajillion revisions…even after final illustrations came in, I tweaked some words! I previously worked in television so I’m very used to having to make tons of revisions and incorporate notes from other people. I don’t take it personally at all and (especially at this point) feel like I’ve developed a good sense of what notes to listen to and what notes to ignore. It’s hard when you are starting out and try to please any reader who has an opinion—that can lead your to spiral out and lose track of your original vision and intention.

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

NELL: After a few rounds with my freelance editor, she said something to the effect of, “I feel good about this manuscript’s marketability.” And I agreed—I was happy with it!

Nell’s writing nook

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

NELL: From all the classes and the research I had done, it looked like the best way to start a career was to have three polished manuscripts before you start querying or submitting. So, I just put it aside and started to work on other stories. I went to my first summer SCBWI conference and I didn’t even bring it to my manuscript consultation (in retrospect: bad move! Send your best stuff!) because I wanted notes on my work in progress.

Coincidentally, I noticed that an old friend from college was now an agent who was on a panel at the conference. We caught up and she invited me to send her my story for notes. I was thrilled to get notes from a professional, of course. After we did a little back and forth with notes, she offered to start sending it out. It was not the path I had planned, but I was grateful for the opportunity and took the plunge!

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

NELL: Pretty early on an editor at Chronicle took it to acquisitions, but it was ultimately a pass. That was still so exciting—I felt truly legit! In the meantime, my agent and I started submitting another MS, but then she did another round for PIER about seven months later, and about a month after that she got the email from Cameron Kids that the editor loved it and would be taking it to the publisher in a few weeks. It was hard to be patient but it was worth it! I got “the email” on our way to the waterslide park. It was a great way to celebrate the good news.

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?

NELL: I bought my family presents.

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

NELL: My agent helped put the offer in context for me, saying it was normal for a publisher the size of Cameron Kids. I was just happy to have my first book sold, to be honest!

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

NELL: I loved working with Amy Novesky (who is an accomplished picture book writer, herself!) We did some notes over email, then we spent a good hour going through it line by line. It felt like a good collaboration.

text copyright Nell Cross Beckerman 2020, illustration copyright Rachell Sumpter 2020 Cameron Kids Publishing

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

NELL: Last summer, the illustrator, Rachell Sumpter, started to post her progress in Instagram Stories—I became addicted to checking for new videos! It was thrilling to see it all come to life. Her evocative, dreamy, style really felt like a good fit for my words. The schedule was a bit in flux but I ultimately respected and trusted that they had a vision and a process that worked for them. If you have seen any Cameron Kids books, they are all unbelievably gorgeous, so I focused on knowing that whatever happened, there would be a beautiful book at the end. And I was right! I was happy they included back matter to address some of the scientific education concerns I had, as well. It felt like a great way to accommodate everyone’s visions.

text copyright Nell Cross Beckerman 2020, illustration copyright Rachell Sumpter 2020 Cameron Kids Publishing

SUSANNA: That’s really cool that Rachell posted her progress in Instagram stories – that must have been such fun to watch! Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc?

NELL: The first advance review I saw was from Kirkus. I was thrilled! They were very complimentary and “got” the book.

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

NELL: I got the offer in August 2017 and had a copy in my hand Dec 2019. I got super silly and slaphappy when I got my author copies—video evidence can be found on my Instagram page @NellCrossBeckerman if you click on “Author copies”.

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

NELL: They have sent it for reviews and assisted in planning some events. They post on Instagram as well.

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

NELL: I helped plan events and partnered with the Heal the Bay Aquarium to do joint events and have them sell my book on site. I also made flyers for the events and promoted them through email and social media. I did a Twitter giveaway. I hired my daughter to make a book trailer. I am sort of haphazardly doing a blog tour and approached some big blogs, one of whom requested a review copy. I am trying to pivot to online events for the book launch, but it has been hard to muster the energy after putting so much into events that are now canceled. I’ve decided I have to just stretch it out over the coming months because we are in the middle of a global pandemic for crying out loud—I can only ask myself to do so much!

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

NELL: There are different ways to answer this question, of course. I started my first picture book class in Jan 2016 and sold it by Aug 2017. HOWEVER, over a decade ago I was serious about writing middle grade, got an agent, and then could never do the revisions and basically quit writing for 10 years and focused on raising my kids. As I read and read to them, I kept having this feeling…I could do this (especially after the 30th Rainbow Magic Fairy book!). I tried again, and failed. Finally, I found my way to a creative painting class that followed along the book, THE ARTIST’S WAY by Julia Cameron. This class and book changed everything for me. It put all my creative struggles into perspective and gave me tools to nurture my inner artist. At the same time, I got to paint freely, being fully playful and creative in my class. Without this class and the book, I would have remained creatively frustrated. BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert was also wonderful—the idea of “getting down” stories rather than “making them up” resonates with me. I love the images of stories buzzing around, looking for a portal to come though. That has been my experience. My art teacher, Helen Bradley, from The Playful Art Studio, pushed me to carve out early mornings for myself, which was also a huge step in taking myself and and my work seriously.

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

NELL: I’d like to mention that although my original goal was to publish a book, I now find that my writing community is the real prize. I am lucky enough to be part of an in-person writing group that is incredibly supportive and filled with growth. I have truly found my tribe, and when we all get together at conferences, I feel even more connection with “my people.” Even now that we all can only connect online, the kid lit community continues to fill me up. This was not something I expected to find as a writer!

Also, I’m grateful that I have the privilege of taking classes, going to conferences, etc. and try to give back to the writing community any way I can.

Please go to my website and join my mailing list—I’m planning on writing a series of newsletters DEMYSTIFYING THE DEBUT where I’ll share more in depth about all the different things I learned writing, selling, and promoting my book that I wish I had known before! Plus I’ll be sending out a full read-aloud video of the book to share with children as well, all free for newsletter subscribers.

Thanks so much for having me!

Author Nell Cross Beckerman

www.nellcrossbeckerman.com
IG @NellCrossBeckerman
Twitter @NellBeckerman
Watch the book trailer at https://youtu.be/PLenD_075j0
Playful Art Studio http://www.playfulartstudio.com

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Nell! We so appreciate you sharing your expertise and experience and wish you all the best with this and future books!

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

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

Indiebound
Amazon
Barnes&Noble

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

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

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

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

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

– sharing their books on social media

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

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

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

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

Jessie Oliveros – The Remember Balloons

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

Hannah Holt – The Diamond And The Boy

Laura Renauld – Porcupine’s Pie

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

Melissa Stoller – Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush

Sherry Howard – Rock And Roll Woods

Kate Narita – 100 Bugs! A Counting Book

Vivian Kirkfield – Pippa’s Passover Plate

Laura Roettiger – Aliana Reaches For The Moon

Matthew Lasley – Pedro’s Pan: A Gold Rush Story

Natalee Creech – When Day Is Done

Margaret Chiu Greanias – Maximillian Villainous

Wendy Greenley – Lola Shapes The Sky

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

Pippa Chorley – Counting Sheep

Sandra Sutter – The Real Farmer In The Dell

June Smalls – Odd Animals ABC

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

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

Eleanor Ann Peterson – Jurassic Rat

Sarah Hoppe – Who Will? Will You?

Marla LeSage – Pirate Year Round

Stacey Corrigan – The Pencil Eater

Shannon Stocker – Can U Save The Day?

Nadine Poper – Randall And Randall

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Karen Kiefer – Drawing God (religious market)

Susan Richmond – Bird Count

Dawn Young – The Night Baafore Christmas

Heather Gale – Ho’onani: Hula Warrior

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

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

Lindsey Hobson – Blossom’s Wish (self pub)

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

Valerie Bolling – Let’s Dance!

Janet Johnson – Help Wanted: Must Love Books

Susi Schaefer – Cat Ladies

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

Kelly Carey – How Long Is Forever?

Mary Wagley Copp – Wherever I Go

Perfect Picture Book Friday – This Book Is Gray

April 24, 2020April 23, 202016 Comments

It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday and I have such a fun book to share today!

It might look dismal and gloomy but it isn’t – it’s lovely and perfect 😊

I love books that are sweet and books that make me laugh, and this one is both!

Title: This Book Is Gray

Written & Illustrated By: Lindsay Ward

Two Lions, December 2019, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: colors, story-within-a-story, humor

Opening: “I’m going to make the GRAYtest book ever. . .
Once upon a time, a wolf, a kitten, and a hippo lived in a small house by the sea. (Some would describe the house as dismal, bleak, or gloomy.)
But it wasn’t. It was lovely.
And GRAY.
And perfect.”

Brief Synopsis: All Gray wants is to be included. But the other colors are always leaving him out. So he decides to create his own project: an all-gray book. Gray just knows it’s going to be perfect. But as he tries to write it, the Primary and Secondary colors show up… Will anyone ever realize that Gray can be interesting too?

Links To Resources: 20 Color Activities for Preschoolers; List of Color Activities; make your own story and/or pictures using only one color!

Why I Like This Book: For starters, it’s funny! 😊 Not only do the Primary and Secondary colors try to shoulder their way into the book, but in guessing at the story line they go off on quite a tangent. There is also some fun color word play. But what makes the book even better is that, underlying the story and the humor, is Gray’s heartfelt wish to be appreciated for himself, something all kids (and grown-ups 😊) can relate to. The other colors, while a little boisterous and pushy, are not unkind, and in the end a solution is found that makes everyone happy! A delightful way for younger readers to learn about colors and for all readers to enjoy!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 😊

Susanna Leonard Hill

Children's Author

Tag: picture book

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Sarah Kurpiel!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Federico And The Wolf

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Gabi Snyder!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Baby Bear Discovers The World

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Sharon Giltrow!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Bloom

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Claire Annette Noland!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Evie’s Field Day

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Nell Cross Beckerman!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – This Book Is Gray