The ants go marching one by one
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants go marching one by one
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants go marching one by one
Christine debuts with some buggy fun
And they all go marching down
Into the ground
To curl up with a Tuesday Debut picture book! 😊 😊 😊
It’s Tuesday, everyone! And I can’t wait to introduce you to today’s Tuesday Debut-ess, Christine Evans, and her bug-a-licious book, EVELYN THE ADVENTUROUS ENTOMOLOGIST!!!
Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter
by Christine Evans (Author), Yasmin Imamura (Illustrator)
Innovation Press
September 24, 2019
Nonfiction (biography)
5-10 years
Trailblazing entomologist Evelyn Cheesman embarks on eight solo expeditions, discovers insect species, and tangles with sticky spider webs in this biography about a hidden figure.
SUSANNA: Welcome, Christine! We’re so excited to have you here today! Where did the idea for this book come from?
CHRISTINE: I knew I wanted to find an unknown woman in science to write about. When my google searches led me to a short article about Evelyn Cheesman I got a fluttery feeling and as I started to learn more about her I knew I had my subject.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
CHRISTINE: I first read about Evelyn in around May 2017. It took me a few months to have a first draft. Then the revising and the revising and the revising began. I took the manuscript to conferences for professional critiques, to my fabulous critique partners, and I sold it in April 2018.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
CHRISTINE: In that year from when I first started working on the manuscript (and even after the sale) I must have gone through around 50 different revisions.
I love putting my manuscripts through different tenses and points of view to help nail the voice. I also spend the revision process looking for places where I can add a repetition or refrain I can use. I love the one we landed on for Evelyn—which happened in the revisions with my editor after I sold it.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
CHRISTINE: When I wasn’t getting any major issues back from my critique partners except line edits I knew it was time to send Evelyn out in the world.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
CHRISTINE: I entered a Twitter pitch contest and Asia Citro from Innovation Press liked my pitch. So I submitted to her and meanwhile I submitted to agents I thought would be a good fit. I signed with Elizabeth Bennett (Transatlantic Agency) and we got a formal offer from Asia a few days later. It was an exciting whirlwind!
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract? (If you care to share 😊)
CHRISTINE: I can’t remember. I have two small children so I probably had to carry on cooking them dinner and get them to bed before I could really celebrate!
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
CHRISTINE: I didn’t know what to expect but my agent guided me through the process. I’m so happy I had her in my corner!
SUSANNA: Can you tell us about a little about the editorial process?
CHRISTINE: During the very collaborative editorial process we really nailed the structure and the repeated refrain. The final book looks quite different to the original manuscript.
SUSANNA: What was your experience of the illustration process like?
CHRISTINE: I was thrilled when my editor shared Yasmin Imamura’s work with me and asked if I thought she’d be a good person to illustrate Evelyn Cheesman’s story. Of course I said yes! I got to review the book at both the sketch stage as well as later when the art was almost finished. And then again at the proof stage.
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
CHRISTINE: My editor shared some reviews from SLJ and Booklist which was really exciting to see. I can’t wait to hear what readers think!
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
CHRISTINE: I sold the book in April 2018 and here we are in September 2019 and I have a real book! That’s pretty quick in the publishing world – I’ve heard tales of five years for some people although I think two years is average.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
CHRISTINE: I’m having a launch event at a local bookstore and have made bookmarks, buttons, and even custom cookies.
My biggest promotion tool has been my debut group, Picture Book Buzz. We have been promoting each other’s books, held giveaways, and even took over #PBChat on Twitter.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
CHRISTINE: Around two to three years — I started really writing with intent at age 36, got an agent and a deal at age 38, and now I’m 40 and my book is out in the world! I know that sounds fast but I’ve been writing my whole life in one form or another—I was a communications manager and wrote copy all day pre-kids and pre-moving to the US.
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
CHRISTINE: I would like to encourage fellow writers to follow their passions outside of writing, read widely about what interests you, and follow the little nuggets of information that make you get a fluttery feeling. You never know where it might take you!
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with us today, Christine! It’s so helpful for all of us to have a chance to learn from one another! I’m sure I speak for everyone when I wish you all the best success with this and future books!
Readers, if you have questions for Christine, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!
You may purchase Christine’s book at:
(all links below are book-specific)
Yee haw! It’s Tuesday! And you know what that means!
Time to meet another brand new author and find out how she navigated the path to publication!
Today I’m happy to introduce Nadine Poper and her funny informational-fiction sea story, RANDALL AND RANDALL!
RANDALL AND RANDALL
written by Nadine Poper
illustrated by Polina Gortman
published by Blue Whale Press
release date Oct. 1, 2019
fiction picture book, ages 4-8
This very funny informational-fiction story about one of the sea’s naturally-existent odd couples illustrates how certain species depend upon their symbiotic relationship for survival.
SUSANNA: Welcome, Nadine! And thank you so much for coming to share your book journey with us today! Where did the idea for this book come from?
NADINE: The idea for RANDALL AND RANDALL came while researching unusual animal relationships ( I actually Googled ‘unusual animals relationships’, I think). When I saw that a specific species of goby fish and snapping shrimp have this symbiotic relationship, a light bulb went on. I said to myself, “There is a story here! I don’t know exactly what yet, but there is a story here.”
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
NADINE: Writing this story didn’t take too long. The more I researched these two animals and their natural relationship, the idea for their friendship (and their slight moment of animosity) formed rather quickly. Their true behaviors in the ocean were so comical to me that the plot just rolled out.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
NADINE: RANDALL AND RANDALL didn’t go through a ton of revisions. I was pretty satisfied from the beginning with the overall storyline that came out of my head. The Spanish language needed to be tweaked often because I knew I wasn’t going to get it correct right away. That was probably where I spent most of my revision time, on the Spanish.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
NADINE: I had taken it to my critique groups at least twice. I wasn’t getting a lot of advice or feedback that was major. t just felt that it was ready to submit.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
NADINE: RANDALL AND RANDALL is not the manuscript I queried to the editor Alayne Christian at Blue Whale initially. I had queried her with my book that is coming out November 1 titled PORCUPETTE AND MOPPET. It just so happens that R&R is coming out first. I do not have an agent but at the time I queried Blue Whale, I had queries out to agents. I saw that Blue Whale was looking to grow their list and I felt that PORCUPETTE AND MOPPET was what they were looking for.
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 🙂 )
NADINE: I received an email from Alayne two days after submitting saying that she would like to talk to me about it and when would be a good time. We arranged a call for two days after that email. I was offered a contract for it. I didn’t accept immediately since the manuscript was out to agents, one of which expressed interest as well. As the industry expectation and out of courtesy, I had contacted that agent to let her know of Blue Whale’s offer. After about two weeks, I had made my decision to sign with Blue Whale. During that time, I had sent Alayne RANDALL AND RANDALL, which she also wanted to sign. I was just beyond thrilled at this point!
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract? (If you care to share J)
NADINE: Honestly, I don’t think I did anything! How boring, right? I should have made one of your amazing chocolate recipes Susanna from Would You Read It Wednesdays and celebrated with that!
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
NADINE: I didn’t have any experience with contracts so I wasn’t completely sure of what was acceptable, but it turns out that yes, the contract was extremely fair and is pretty much right on target with what I hear about other authors’ deals. Since I submitted right to a publishing house and without an agent, my royalties are slightly higher.
SUSANNA: Tell us a little bit about the editorial process?
NADINE: There weren’t too many big changes to the manuscript. Alayne had suggested some areas needed clarification since the one Randall is singing and then he goes into spotting a predator. The way I had it written, it seemed as if Randall was still singing when he wasn’t. The ending is stronger too because of a suggestion Alayne had made.
SUSANNA: What can you tell us about your experience of the illustration process?
NADINE: Aren’t the illustrations just so awesome?? From the beginning, Alayne had sent me a list of illustrators she had come across and whose worked she liked. I was encouraged to look at all their online portfolios and share my thoughts with her. We then agreed on Polina. I can’t quite pinpoint why I was drawn to Polina’s art, but that it just felt that my Randalls would be in good hands with her. I saw proofs and sketches along the way. I didn’t really have my own vision of what the characters or the setting was to look like. Polina’s attention to detail in the undersea world she created is impressively meticulous. That part I never imaged. As far as art notes, looking back, I think the copy I sent initially may have had one or two about the animals that the goby Randall was calling predators. I realize now that they weren’t necessary. So, no. I don’t think I had art notes.
text copyright Nadine Poper 2019, illustration copyright Polina Gortman 2019
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
NADINE: Yes. Kirkus actually awarded RANDALL AND RANDALL a blue star. That was thrilling.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
NADINE: The offer came April of 2018 and real copies will be available October 1, 2019. So 18 months from query to release.
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
NADINE: Blue Whale has created a book trailer and has sent the book out for reviews. Alayne is busy on social media too.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
NADINE: Well, I started writing seriously in 2013 so about 5 years.
coming soon from Nadine Poper
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Nadine! We so appreciate everything you shared with us today and wish you the very best with RANDALL AND RANDALL and your forthcoming PORCUPETTE AND MOPPET!
I hope you all had wonderful summers, got the kiddos off to school, and are ready to return to writing, reading, teaching, and/or librarying refreshed and full of energy and enthusiasm!
Jumping back into blogging gear with a Tuesday Debut seems just right, because there is nothing like a brand new author sharing her brand new book to inspire us all!
I am thrilled to introduce today’s debut-ess, Shannon Stocker, and her entertaining picture book, CAN U SAVE THE DAY!
CAN U SAVE THE DAY
By Shannon Stocker
Illustrated by Tom Disbury
Sleeping Bear Press
Pub date: August 15, 2019
Fiction
Age range: 4-8 (and up)
SYNOPSIS:
Distraught by bullying consonants, the vowels decide to leave the farm (and the story), one by one. Once A, E, I, and O are gone, a mess of concerned consonants and stammering animals must face a pending (but humorous) disaster that can only be saved by U.
SUSANNA: Welcome, Shannon! Thank you so much for joining us today. Where did the idea for this book come from?
SHANNON: CAN U SAVE THE DAY began as one of those “moments-before-you-fall-asleep” ideas. I couldn’t shake the thought that a book with departing vowels would be funny, and animal sounds without vowels kept playing in my drowsy mind. Eventually, when a stanza came to me in rhyme while I was still trying to sleep, I got out of bed and started writing. By the next afternoon I had a great idea and a horrible first draft. In that drafting process, though, I googled a number of farm animals to play with the sounds they make as vowels departed (first A, then E, etc), trying to see how I could create fun noises and unusual rhymes (like “brk” and “crk” instead of bark and croak, though that particular rhyme didn’t make it into the final story). I played with words and sounds a ton during the writing process.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
SHANNON: I wrote my first draft in late 2015 and it was purchased in spring 2017, so it took well over a year to polish this enough to be sold. Although I have an agent now (whom I adore), I sold CAN U SAVE THE DAY without an agent. I do think it can be harder to get an agent than a book contract. Subbing to houses that are open to unsolicited queries and meeting editors at conferences and online events is such a great way to get your work noticed.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
SHANNON: Since this was only the second manuscript I’d ever written, I don’t think I really understood how bad it was. I had no inciting incident, no real reason for the vowels to leave, and no stakes. But since I didn’t know any better, I subbed it to some agents and editors, got a few nibbles with great feedback, and kept revising. I worked with critique partners and revised more, and more, and more. Eventually I paid for a critique with my fabulous editor, Sarah Rockett (Sleeping Bear), and she made a few additional suggestions that really resonated. Fifty plus revisions after that first draft, I’m so excited that it’s actually come to fruition.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
SHANNON: This is such a great question. When I’d just started writing, my critique partners were also newbies. When they all felt the manuscript was ready, I began subbing to a few agents (though in hindsight, I think we all jumped the gun a bit). Many people had told me that agents rarely respond, so I took the responses that I did get seriously. I didn’t really get constructive feedback from any agents but I did get positive remarks on my voice and the idea behind the story, so I took an online class. In one of the sessions, I had the opportunity to read the manuscript aloud and everyone loved it. I knew I was onto something.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
SHANNON: I submitted to my first agent in January 2016. I always submitted through guidelines as outlined on website/SCBWI/Children’s Bookwriters and Illustrators/#MSWL/etc. I did as much research as I could to see if an agent would be a good fit, looking at their client list, books they repped, and houses to which they subbed, before deciding if I should query someone. I joined Publisher’s Marketplace and kept up with the picture book section religiously, too. I would also scour the internet for interviews and follow people on Twitter to see if I thought we’d gel, or to try and find some little pertinent pearl that I could mention in a query to show them I’d done my homework. Spring 2016, I got a nibble from an editor at a different house from Sleeping Bear (I’d subbed through the slush pile). She and I made revisions, then she took it to the other editors for approval. That’s really the first time I started increasing the stakes, focusing on the bullying theme, and she even had me take the animals off the farm. I learned a lot from her and really appreciated her insight. Unfortunately, someone on the editorial team felt the idea was too abstract and it got cut. So, I continued attending conferences, getting feedback, and revising. In early 2017, I paid for an online critique with Sarah Rockett (Sleeping Bear). She suggested I clean up the logistics of the manuscript and remove the vowels from all the dialogue when they left. She also wanted the letters to stay on the farm, and she wanted more tension. Once the manuscript went to Acquisitions, I received an offer for representation from my first agent. Unfortunately, that relationship ended shortly after it began due to some honesty issues. It was a really heartbreaking and confusing time; I liked her, personally, but couldn’t trust her. I didn’t know if all agents would be like that (they’re not). So I ended up selling the book myself, hiring a contract attorney, and asking my published CPs for advice.
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 😊)
SHANNON: I actually got an email instead of a call! Every time I saw Sarah’s name in my inbox, my stomach dropped. I’d always heard about getting “the call,” so I didn’t want to get an email from her; I thought an email would equal bad news. Sarah had written to me at the end of April, 2017, to tell me it was going to Acquisitions. At the end of May, she wrote to tell me CAN U had made the 2019 list. My husband and I share an office and our desks face one another, but computer monitors obscure our view of the other. My jaw dropped and my voice slid up the musical scale as I let out a sort of “Greeeeeeeeg” whoop, and I stood up so he could see me above my monitor. He said, “What? WHAT?” My whole body just vibrated, I was so excited. I screamed, “THEY WANT MY BOOK!” Then I called my CPs and we all squealed and danced together. That’s such an amazing moment!
SUSANNA: It sure is! It’s the moment we all dream about, and it’s just as exciting every time it happens – it never gets old! 🙂 How did you celebrate signing your contract?
SHANNON: I celebrated signing my book contract with a bottle of champagne and a family night. The whole family chattered about how fun the launch would be. We talked about party possibilities, maybe writing a song to go with the book (which I did), maybe doing a music video to go with the song (which we shot a week ago), and, of course, cake. You can’t have kids and a party without cake. It was hard for them to understand that all these things wouldn’t happen for two years, but somehow, they kept their excitement up that whole time. The launch was a blast!
Shannon’s inspirations
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
SHANNON: I’d done a lot of research about first-time authors and publication, so I knew there wasn’t a lot of money to be expected. Royalty rates and number of author copies allowed were both reasonable from Sleeping Bear; I’d definitely recommend people submit to them. The quality of their books is fantastic, and Sarah’s been so communicative. I was surprised by a publication timeline that was over two years away, but I’ve since come to learn that’s pretty normal for many of the smaller to medium-sized houses. Patience is non-negotiable in this field!
SUSANNA: Tell us about the editorial process…
SHANNON: Honestly, this may have been my favorite part of the whole process, outside of that initial rush you get with the first draft. Sarah knew exactly what she wanted from me, but she was always respectful of my vision. When I wanted something she didn’t, she clearly (and kindly) explained why we needed to move in a different direction. I never felt like I was losing my voice, and I never worried that the meter of the story would be lost (it’s a rhyming manuscript). It was an open, honest collaboration that led to a story I loved even more. We had several back-and-forths before we got to the manuscript on shelves today.
SUSANNA: Tell us about your experience of the illustration process…
SHANNON: Sarah initially asked me to send her names of illustrators that I liked, which pleasantly surprised me. I’d been told to expect I would have no input regarding illustrations, so I tried hard not to really envision my characters. I didn’t want to be disappointed. Still, that’s almost impossible to do! So when Sarah told me that Tom Disbury would be illustrating, I looked him up and was thrilled. I envisioned playful letters and animals in the same style and colors that he used. I hadn’t envisioned them on a simple, white background, but that’s why I don’t illustrate – I don’t have an eye for that kind of thing! I just love what he did with the book. Sketches came to me each step of the way in digital form until I received the final pdf of the book. What a fabulous moment that is!
Shannon’s work buddy 🙂
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
SHANNON: I did, I did! We celebrated the Kirkus review because it was so positive, and I know Kirkus can be tough on authors. The last line of the review is, “Stocker’s wordplay is icing on the cake.” We printed it out and stuck it to a window right by our kitchen table. Because this industry is so tough, we celebrate each little step as a family. I think it’s important to get excited when something positive happens! SLJ’s review actually just came out last week (after the release), but it’s also very good. A snippet from that says the book is a “fun rhyming addition to elementary libraries and classrooms.” It also says CAN U “will guarantee laughs as a read-aloud and will teach a lesson in cooperation and respect and give some pointers on how to apologize.” I’m thrilled with the two reviews I’ve received so far!
SUSANNA: Very nice reviews!!! How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
SHANNON: I received an offer on May 30, 2017, and the book released on August 15, 2019. But it’s sooooooo worth the wait.
SUSANNA: If your book has been out for at least one statement cycle, has it earned out yet?
SHANNON: Sorry, can’t help here – the book just released on August 15th. I’d love to know this answer for other authors, though. Great question!
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
SHANNON: Being pretty new to the market, I’m still learning a lot about this. I’ve been in touch with Sleeping Bear’s publicist about a number of things, though, ranging from library readings to school visits to bookstore signings. I’ve been impressed with Sleeping Bear on so many levels. They really care about their authors and they want their books to succeed. They work directly with schools on book orders prior to signings, and they’ve submitted CAN U for a number of reviews that haven’t come in yet. The design team also helped with the bookmark, flyers, and activity sheets.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
SHANNON: I love Canva, so I’ve used that for flyers and Twitter banners and things like that – it’s very user-friendly. But probably my favorite thing that I, personally, have done for promotion is to write a song to accompany the book (co-written with my Nashville friend, Scott Sandford). I’m a musician (singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist), so it’s fun to combine my passions this way. Last weekend, we filmed a music video to go with the song—my brother-in-law, Mark, is editing and producing it. I’ve seen a couple clips and cannot wait to see the finished product! I bought little animal ear headbands that kids can wear during readings, so they can each have their own animal sound (or one person can wear the headband and lead their own group). The video will be hysterical. Lots of kids, but a couple adults have cameos when you least expect it. I also asked an illustrator friend, Scott Soeder, to do face painting at my launch (my illustrator lives in England). Scott was a huge hit and the kids loved having the animals and letters painted on their faces! I’m also doing a blog tour and a few podcasts; you can find a listing of all those events on my website.
SUSANNA: Your video sounds terrific! I can’t wait to see it! 🙂 How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
SHANNON: Songwriting was my first love, but I always wanted to write picture books and novels. I finally gathered the courage to quit my job in the fall of 2015 and give my dream a chance. I sold my first picture book in May 2017. I feel pretty lucky—I know that’s not a long period of time in this industry.
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
SHANNON: For every success story there are hundreds of rejections, and that can be a tough place to live. Thick skin is mandatory. But, in my opinion, so are critique partners. I would not be the writer I am today—no, the personI am today—without my critique partners. When you get knocked down, critique partners do more than help you back up. They actually lie down and cry with you first, THEN they help you back up. They’ve been knocked down, too, so they understand. When things get tough, they remind you of all the wonderful reasons you love writing. They will point out the reasons a manuscript is working, but also why it’s not…gently, but firmly. They are my first litmus test, encouraging me when a manuscript is agent-ready…and helping me revise when it’s not. We’ve been through so much together already that I can call on any number of them if my world blew up, and they would be there for me. If you don’t have a critique group, I strongly encourage you to consider finding a partner or two. Check the SCBWI website, look for local people, go to conferences, join 12×12…do the work, but reach out to people, too. You shouldn’t necessarily initially expect to join a critique group with a bunch of agented, published authors, but rather look for other newer writers with whom you jibe…and look for writing that resonates with you. Then ask those people if they want to be your CP and form your own group. Or ask if they have a group you can join. Nothing is easy in this business. But it’s all so much more worthwhile when we band together.
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Shannon! We are all grateful to you for sharing your experience and expertise and wish you the very best of success with this and future books!
Readers, if you have questions for Shannon, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!
So apparently this is the last Tuesday Debut on the schedule for about 6 weeks – must be summer! 😊 But that’s okay. I think we can all use a break to lie on the beach and work on our tans (and by that of course I mean slather ourselves in SPF 1000 and chase around after the kiddos from dawn til bedtime 😊)
I’m thrilled to be sharing today’s author/illustrator and picture book because the book had at least some of its origins in the writing contests I run here on my blog! How cool is that?
Marla entered two contests with stories that centered on the same wonderful character. She placed in the 2015 Halloweensie Contest with Pirate Prepares For Halloween, and in the 2016 Valentiny Contest with Pirate Gets A Valentine, (in addition to placing and receiving honorable mention in several other contests over the years with other stories.) Eventually, she came to submit versions of those stories and lo and behold, this terrific picture book came to be! When you read it, I’m sure you’ll be as glad as I am that she entered those contests! Who knows? The stories might not have been written without the contests! 😊
Pirate Year Round
Written & Illustrated by Marla LeSage
Acorn Press, May 31, 2019
Fiction ages 4 – 8
In four seasonal stories Pirate faces her fear of the water, chooses a Halloween costume, gets through winter with the help of her friends, and steals the show!
SUSANNA: Welcome, Marla! So glad to have you aboard! 😊 🏴☠️ Where did the idea for this book come from?
MARLA: When my son was about 4, he didn’t want to go to swimming lessons and told me, “I’m a pirate and pirates don’t swim!” It was such a great line I knew I had to use it in a story. I was still struggling to write a first draft when I came across your Halloweensie contest. The prompt: a halloween story for kids under 100 words using the words costume, dark, and haunted. I abandoned my idea for a pirate who didn’t swim and decided to use the pirate for my Halloweensie story instead. I thought it might be fun to have the pirate dress up as a ballerina. I was imagining a male pirate but in then end decided to make her a girl. My daughter was taking ballet lessons at the time and I suspect that influenced my choices. The story tied for 3rdin the contest! A few months later, you ran your Valentiny story contest and I was so in love with Pirate that I wrote a second story which placed 7thin the contest. But at that time I was not imagining Pirate in a book.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
MARLA: Pirate Year Round contains four stories in one picture book which is a somewhat unusual format for the genre. It took me about two weeks to write each story. So about eight weeks total but the last two were written 2-3 years after the first two. It usually takes much longer for me to write a picture book manuscript. I have a few manuscripts I’ve been working on for years! But I think it really helped to have a prompt and a deadline.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
MARLA: Revising is writing, so yes, many, many revisions! To make your deadline, have good rhyme and meter, and a good story I thought about my entry all day long. I think I spent the two weeks with a paper and pencil in hand revising. When writing in rhyme I also keep the following handy: a rhyme dictionary, dictionary.com, and a highlighter to mark stressed beats. Keeping the manuscript or a scrap of paper on the bedside table helps too – the answer to plot or meter problems often reveals itself just as you’re about to fall asleep!
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
MARLA: I didn’t! The Halloween & Valentine stories were well polished but I had no intention of submitting them for publication, they were just fun stories that I’d written for your contests.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
MARLA: Because I am an illustrator I’d also taken advantage of the contest prompts to build my portfolio. I’d even used Pirate on a self-promo postcard that I sent out to publishers. I honestly don’t know if it was the Pirate postcard or another postcard that caught the eye of my publisher but based on the timing I suspect it was another postcard. Terrilee Bulger of Acorn Press contacted me about illustrating another author’s manuscript but mentioned that she’d noticed Pirate in my portfolio as well as the two stories on my blog and expressed interest in publishing them. I didn’t think too much of it at first but agreed to look at the manuscript she had contacted me about. When that project didn’t pan out she asked again about the Pirate stories. I sent the manuscripts and she liked them but asked if I envisioned them as separate stories or as four stories in one book. After some careful consideration and research I suggested that if it were to be a volume of stories, I would prefer to have four seasonal stories rather than two and pitched a spring and summer story. (In the summer story Pirate would rather do her chores than swim!)
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever!😊)
MARLA: It really felt like it took forever to get the acceptance email! We’d been back and forth for months, I think, on the project she’d initially contacted me about. After I pitched the additional two stories the yes was fairly quick but then I had to write the stories and wait again for an official acceptance. Once I finally sent in the text for all four stories, the response was fairly quick – maybe a month? I’m not sure though – I accidentally deleted all the emails! It took a while after that to get the contract. At least it felt that way, but I think it was relatively quick for the publishing industry.
SUSANNA: Hahaha! You made me laugh out loud with that comment about deleting all the emails! Isn’t that just the way of things sometimes?! 😊 How did you celebrate signing your contract?
MARLA: I did a little happy dance, told my family & closest friends. Nothing big though! I guess I waited to have the book in hand to really celebrate – my daughter insisted I buy a cake for the book birthday & I have some locally brewed strawberry apple cider that I’m saving for after the book launch.
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
MARLA: Based on feedback from fellow Canadian author/illustrators the contract was pretty standard. I had a generous timeline for completing the artwork and the royalties were standard for an author/illustrator (10%). The advance was small but adequate/fair. The contract was accidentally sent with an advance listed lower than we had agreed too but when I pointed it out, my publisher was very quick to respond and correct the error.
SUSANNA: Tell us about the editorial process.
MARLA: There were no suggested changes to the story.
SUSANNA: Tell us about your experience of the illustration process…
MARLA: This is my writing and illustrating debut but I didn’t have a dummy when I submitted the manuscript, only 6 sample illustrations. And my sample illustrations were older. I felt that my skill had grown and my style had evolved so after receiving my contract I started the illustration process from scratch. Well, almost from scratch. I’d thumbnailed out the four stories to see how they might fit into a single picture book before pitching it as that. After I’d received the advance, I sent in a very rough dummy for approval and ended up asking for more pages to improve the pacing.
It was really fun to complete my first fully finished illustration project. But I when I got to page 32 of painting I kept thinking – if you’d stuck with 32 you’d be finished by now! The book is 48 pages… Other than that little voice in my head it was perfectly manageable.
The only surprise was the book cover. I’d drawn a white banner with a hand-lettered title & when I was sent the digital proof, the designer had made my banner bigger & red. He also added Year Roundusing the style of text I’d created. I was really surprised but I absolutely love it. It really pops now!
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
MARLA: I haven’t seen any reviews yet.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
MARLA: From the date I signed the contract to the publication date was 11 months.
SUSANNA: What was your print run?
MARLA: The initial print run is 2000 copies.
SUSANNA: If your book has been out for at least one statement cycle, has it earned out yet?
MARLA: It hasn’t been out that long yet!
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
MARLA: I’m not certain, honestly. They offered to print bookmarks and invitations/posters for my book launch. And they do have someone who does promotion.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
MARLA: I made a book trailer – I’m not sure how effective that is for marketing purposes. For me it was more about doing a fun project with my kids. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubKpDA4vEes Did you notice that the cat looks just like Pirate’s cat?
I’ve done a couple of blog posts like this but with the goal of giving back to the writing community by sharing my journey. I do plan to do a blog post soon about Pirate’s cat (he’s based on a foster cat rescued from a feral cat colony). I also had an article about my debut in the Canadian Military Family Magazine – that was fun!
I’ve done a few school visits already & plan to do more this fall through my local Writers in Schools Program/Literary Festival.
A friend suggested I contact boutiques/stores in the province who might be interested in carrying my book – seaside towns especially. Life has been a bit hectic for me lately and my dedicated art/writing time is much tighter than I like so I’ve done it yet. But I still hope to if it’s not something my publisher has already taken care of.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
MARLA: Five years!
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
MARLA: While my submission story is not what we expect when we start out on this journey, it is not uncommon and just goes to show how much luck is involved. It also shows that we have to be ready for that lucky moment – get yourself out there and be ready for luck to find you!
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Marla! We all so appreciate it and wish you the very best of luck with this and future books!!! 😊
Author/Illustrator Marla LeSage with her scurvy crew! 😊
It’s time for Tuesday Debut, and today’s debut is very nearly a double!
We have our lovely and talented debut author, Sarah Hoppe, and her debut picture book is one of the earliest to be released by the brand new Blue Whale Press, owned and operated by Alayne Christian and Steve Kemp. Be sure to check out their site and submissions page!
But first, let’s have a look at Sarah’s beautiful book!!!
Who Will? Will You? Author: Sarah Hoppe
Illustrator: Milanka Reardon
Date of Publication: August 2019
Fiction, Picture Book
Age Range: 4-8
Lottie’s discovery of an extraordinary pup on the beach leads her to search all over town for someone to help. It takes someone special to care for this very special pup.
SUSANNA: Welcome, Sarah! Where did the idea for this book come from?
SARAH: The idea came to me, in part, due to my son’s love of nonfiction. He always has a stack of nonfiction by his bed, for pre-bedtime perusal. He loves animals and had a seal book he shared with me one evening. A baby seal is called a pup, and so are some other baby animals. I started thinking about a case of pup confusion and the story fell into place in my head.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
SARAH: Though this is a work of fiction, it has a lot of animal facts within the story. The story structure was there, but it took a while to research the animals I wanted to include. I also wrote some back matter. It was important to me to make the back matter fun, engaging, and most importantly, true. I got books from the library, I poured over the internet. It was fun, but I would get burnt out and take breaks. That process took a while, working on and off with other things as well.
Sarah’s writing space – so pretty 😊
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
SARAH: My story went through a few revisions. Who Will? Will You? is different from my other manuscripts, in that it had a definite outline right from the beginning. I’m usually a lot looser when I write, but with this story, I knew a had to happen, then b, then c. But, this is the one getting published, so maybe I should outline more!
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
SARAH: I knew it was ready when all the facts were there, the repetitive lines made sense, and I addressed the feedback from critique partners.
One of the many things critique partners are great for is bringing new mindsets. Sometimes you don’t even see what’s wrong in your story. My opening lines have changed, but the main character was initially racing while crab-walking. I thought it was so cute, and showed off her spunky, daring nature. Several people who read it thought the main character was a crab. I thought something like, Where on earth did you get that idea? Then I re-read it with fresh eyes and realized I had written an ill-worded confusing paragraph.
SUSANNA: That is such a good point, Sarah. We live with our stories in our heads – we’re the ones that invented everything – so it all makes sense to us! It takes objective readers to show us where things might not be clear! When and how did you submit?
SARAH: I am currently seeking an agent. It is awesome, though, that are a lot of publishers who will accept unagented submissions.
I’ve sent many submissions directly to publishers through my writing journey. I submitted Who Will? Will You? plus a query letter directly to the publishing house as well, through a writer’s group called 12×12. Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Picture Book Writing Challenge is a fantastic group to be in. I’d consider it a must for new writers. So, some members of the group get a chance to submit through 12×12, and you bypass the slush pile. That’s what happened to me with Blue Whale Press.
SUSANNA: I second a hearty two-thumbs-up recommendation for 12×12! When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! ☺)
SARAH: I had received a couple of rejections, and the manuscript was out on multiple submissions when I got an email from Blue Whale Press. They wanted to set up a phone call. Well, I didn’t want to be overly optimistic, but I thought they wouldn’t call if they weren’t interested. They weren’t going to call to tell me how horrible it was, right? Right?! Well, maybe they wanted me to revise and resubmit. Either way, I was a ball of nerves.
But Alayne Christian at Blue Whale was so nice! Blue Whale Press is a small publisher, and I felt that was perfect for my first book. I knew I wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle. It has been a wonderful experience.
SUSANNA: Alayne is amazing! I know you’ll have a great experience with her! How did you celebrate signing your contract?
SARAH: I called my mom! Then I called my sister and my husband. Then I danced around with my dogs.
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
SARAH: I don’t have an agent and didn’t know what to expect in a contract. I became a member of The Author’s Guild and used their resources to study my contract before I signed. It was the right move for me and I’m excited about the results.
SUSANNA: Can you tell us about a little about the editorial process?
SARAH: There will always be revisions, but most of mine were pretty minor. They asked for an extra (small) scene and made a couple of wording changes. The back matter was shortened.
The most significant change was the title. It’s completely different! I submitted it with the title Little Lost Pup. I honestly didn’t love it, but couldn’t think of a better replacement. Well, they didn’t love it either and gave multiple suggestions. I was strangely attached to something I didn’t really like. I think it had been Little Lost Pup for so long, that it was hard to imagine it any other way. Alayne was extremely patient with me. She explained why she felt it needed a new title, and I agreed. Then it became easier to let it go.
SUSANNA: I love the title you came up with, so, well done! What was your experience of the illustration process like?
SARAH: One benefit of working with a small press is the amount of feedback I was able to give. Alayne and I looked through artists’ portfolios together (via email) and picked our favorites. I’ve seen sketches, rough copies and finished digital files. I was asked my opinion on the look of the people and animals in the story. I’ve been included and valued every step of the way.
When I read a book, images just pop into my head. Yes, Sarah, that’s the magic of books, you know. Even if the author says a character looks one way, I have some image already there and it’s not leaving.
That’s how it was with Who Will? Will You? For reasons unknown to me, in my head, the illustrations looked like Felicia Bond’s work in the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books.
I had looked at Milanka Reardon’s portfolio. I knew her work was beautiful and I knew it was different from Felicia Bond’s style. Still, I wasn’t ready for the main character, Lottie, to come to life like she did.
Both Felicia and Milanka are talented illustrators, but Milanka was truly meant for this text. She created a world of pastel backgrounds and detailed expressions. It was nothing like I thought but better than I imagined.
I didn’t submit the story with art notes, other than to specify the kind of pup at the beginning. The reader won’t know what it is, but the illustrator needed to.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
SARAH: About one year.
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
SARAH: Blue Whale has arranged interviews on blogs for me. They’ve created a beautiful book trailer. Alayne featured it at an SCBWI event. And they have been submitting copies for reviews as promised.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
SARAH: I’ve really tried to up my social media game. I’ve sought and completed blog interviews. I will do some local book tours next school year when the book is out. I will reach out to the local writing group and the local library.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
SARAH: About two years.
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Sarah! It was generous of you to share your writing experience with us! We all wish you the best of luck with this and future books!!!
Time for another epic installment of Tuesday Debut!
Everyone’s publication journey is a little bit different. Today’s author achieved publication by winning a Golden Ticket!
I’m delighted to introduce you to Eleanor Ann Peterson and her fascinating debut picture book, Jurassic Rat!
Title: Jurassic Rat
Author. Eleanor A. Peterson
Illustrator: John Seckman
Publishing house: Clear Fork Publishing- Spork Imprint
Nonfiction
Age range 5-8 years
‘Jurassic Rat’, introduces children to the fascinating world of a rat that lived in the Jurassic Period. Young children will enjoy the rat’s clumsiness and misadventures while he’s out hunting for food and will learn other dinosaur’s names of that period, and that rats have been around for a long time.
SUSANNA: Welcome, Eleanor! Thank you so much for joining us today! Where did the idea for this book come from?
ELEANOR: While researching how to remove roof rats from my old rambling house, I found an article about discoveries in Spain and China of a rat as big as a cat belonging to the Jurassic period. Bingo! I thought, why not introduce young readers to the evolution of a species in a fun way with Jurassic Rat?
I’m very curious and eager to learn new things. I surf the web looking for a variety of information that interests me at the time, and many have sparked an idea for a new picture book. I eavesdrop on conversations between parents and their children and jot down notes. Kids can be funny! Observe your environment.
SUSANNA: Great advice for finding ideas! How long did it take you to write this book?
ELEANOR: The first draft took me a few weeks to write. I let it sit for a month then took it out of the drawer and read it out loud. I tweaked it a bit then set it aside once more.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
ELEANOR: The book went through many revisions. I’d put it aside once more while working on other manuscripts.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
ELEANOR: I didn’t.
SUSANNA: I love your honesty on that, Eleanor. I think we all feel like that – at least to some degree! When and how did you submit?
ELEANOR: I don’t have an agent at the moment but would like to have one. I didn’t submit. What happened is that I followed an illustration course at the Children’s Book Academy. I used Jurassic Rat for the text. I illustrated the book dummy and had brilliant critique partners that encouraged me along the way. Then…
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 😊)
ELEANOR: The Children’s Book Academy have a contest at the end of the course called the Golden Tickets. I got the call from Mira Reisberg, she was one of the judges. She wrote to me saying she loved the story but asked if I were willing to let another artist illustrate it?
My illustrations were not kid friendly for the age range. I accepted immediately.
Here’s a pic of one of my illustrations.
SUSANNA: Your illustration is amazing! But very different from what ended up being in the book – so interesting! How did you celebrate signing your contract?
ELEANOR: My husband and I went out to dinner.
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
ELEANOR: No secrets. I had no advance, but I got higher royalties, and the more books I sell, the higher the royalties. Being a small house, I can understand that they can’t risk paying advances with a newbie author. I help run a family business, so I know how risky it can be when we take on a new employee. The important thing for new authors is to get their foot in the door. They will understand how the publishing world works and be better prepared when the time comes to submit new projects to publishers or agents. From the time I got the call, it took 20 months for the book release, which is a standard timeline for publication. There’s a lot of work involved in creating a picture book. I will receive three hardcover copies.
SUSANNA: What can you tell us about the editorial process?
ELEANOR: I was impressed with the support of my publisher, editor, and illustrator. Mira Reisberg edited the text, but few changes were made.
SUSANNA: How about your experience of the illustration process?
ELEANOR: As a rule of thumb, authors do not butt in. We can’t give our opinion unless requested by the publisher. In my case, a few months after the call, I received an email requiring feedback about the setting and the protagonist. For example; the birds in the Jurassic period were toothed birds as big as hens. The illustrator had drawn a sort of ostrich which didn’t exist then. He promptly changed the illustration to better suit the period. It was a delightful experience working with Clear Fork and Company.
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
ELEANOR: Not yet.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
ELEANOR: I’m very ambitious, and as soon as I signed the contract, I was thinking about marketing tactics. I’ve contacted book bloggers for early reviews, posted teasers on social media, created a puppet of Rat, my protagonist for school visits. I’m preparing a video where I interview Rat, to post on social media to create engagement with my readers. I have bookmarks and will have T-shirts printed with a scene of the book. I’m negotiating prices for a plush toy of Rat with a vendor to add to my giveaways (all depends on the price and my budget), and I’m in contact with a developer for a book trailer. I’ll have free downloadable coloring pages of the book on my revamped website, courtesy of the illustrator John Seckman. I could go on and on.
SUSANNA: I can’t wait to see that video! How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
ELEANOR: I’ve been writing for ten years, and in the past three, I’ve dedicated my time writing for children. I signed the contract for my debut picture book in 2017. My book will be released on June 4th,2019
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
ELEANOR: For Jurassic Rat, I can thank my lucky star and Dr. Mira Reisberg and my publisher for believing in me and my story. I never thought I would win a Golden Ticket at the Children’s Book Academy. I worked hard and long hours to create my book dummy, and my hard work paid off in the end.
SUSANNA: It’s a great feeling when hard work pays off! Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Eleanor! We all so appreciate getting to share your knowledge and experience! All the best of luck with this and future books!!!
I am thrilled to introduce today’s debutess to you all! She took my class way back in 2013 when it had only been running for 6 months, so she was an early graduate! I think it’s fair to say, judging by the photo below, that I was incredibly helpful in teaching her the importance of chocolate for good writing 😊
Please join me in welcoming the lovely and talented Kathleen Cornell Berman and her fabulous book about Miles Davis!
BIRTH OF THE COOL: HOW JAZZ GREAT MILES DAVIS FOUND HIS SOUND
By Kathleen Cornell Berman
Illustrated by Keith Henry Brown
Page Street Kids, April 16, 2019
Non-fiction Age 8-11
BIRTH OF THE COOL: HOW JAZZ GREAT MILES DAVIS FOUND HIS SOUND is a picture book biography about Miles’ journey to creating his unique sound. Readers will discover what inspired his sound and how his perseverance pushed him to new heights.
SUSANNA: Where did the idea for this book come from?
KATHY: I was brainstorming ideas for a Tara Lazar’s picture book month. I was anxious to write a picture book bio and my husband suggested Miles Davis. I loved the idea. I had fallen in love with Miles Davis’ music as a kid, and was eager to discover how he developed his sound on the trumpet.
I didn’t start research until almost year later. I read several books about Miles, including his autobiography and magazine articles. I listened to countless YouTube interviews, and played his music while I wrote.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
KATHY: The seed for idea started in 2012, but I didn’t start the research until much later. Research plus writing and revisions took about two and half years. As I wrote the book, I continually went back and forth to check for accuracy, since some interviews contradicted others.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
KATHY: It went through many revisions. My first draft was filled with facts, but also very boring. I had recently finished Renee LaTulippe class that had given me the audacity to write in free verse. Once I started writing in free verse, the words flowed.
Chocolate definitely helps with revisions. I always have an assortment on hand.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
KATHY: It’s so hard to know when a manuscript is ready. That’s why it’s really important to share your work with other writers who also write in verse. I asked Tameka Brown as well as another writer in Renee’s group to read the story. Getting good feedback is essential in making the big decision.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
KATHY: I don’t have an agent. I submitted to about 25 agents and 6 publishers over 2 years, which isn’t a lot according to some. I had 4 agents who were interested, but alas, not interested in my other fiction picture books. I like to check out the #MSWL website to see what editors and agents are looking for. I was elated to read Charlotte Wenger’s tweet, looking for PB biographies related to the arts, music. Charlotte is the editor at Page Street Kids. So yes I submitted directly to the publisher.
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever!😊)
KATHY: I submitted to Charlotte in May 2017 and heard back quickly. After going through a few rounds of revisions, I signed the contract at the end of August 2017. The heart of the book is essentially the same, but with a few specifics to help clarify Miles’ journey, and more revisions process concerning word choice.
When my editor wanted to change the title to Birth of the Cool, I added more text about some details about the Birth of the Cool band.
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?
KATHY: I think I sang at the top of my lungs (I’m tone-deaf and have no musical ability), then toasted a glass of Proseco with my husband.
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
KATHY: I wasn’t sure what to expect. Fortunately I have critique partners who do have experience with contracts, so they advised me. I also contacted a lawyer for the final decisions.
My advance was standard, less than 5k and 5% royalty, with 15 author copies.
SUSANNA: Can you tell us a little about the editorial process?
KATHY: The revision process was smooth and straightforward. The editor and I basically had the same vision. I basically made changes where the text was confusing to some. And I added more text because of the change of the title. Each time I revised I kept the audience in mind. I wanted kids to be able to relate to Miles in some way and also to be inspired by his journey.
SUSANNA: What was your experience of the illustration process like?
KATHY: I was consulted every step of the way in choosing the illustrator as well as the ongoing sketches for the book. I loved Keith’s illustrations and how they’re free flowing, rhythmic, and moody. Since the book is non-fiction, I notified them of any inaccuracies in the illustrations.
Keith Henry Brown and I at Jazz Gallery
I think art notes are important for a non-fiction text, they help the illustrator to keep the art in line with the time period or with specific facts noted in story.
Some of my notes were used to describe the high school band or places where he played music as a young man.
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
KATHY: Yes we got to see the reviews and we were thrilled to get a starred review from Kirkus. Being a debut author and illustrator, we didn’t fully realize the significance. We were both beyond thrilled.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
KATHY: I signed the contract August 31, 2017. We had the book in our hands in less than two years. Very cool feeling.
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
KATHY: They use social media to promote the book. We’re also in contact with the publicist who has contacted booksellers as well event venues for book signings. They also made gorgeous bookmarks and provided us with a curriculum guide that is downloadable on my website.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
KATHY: Keith made a booktrailer and is also creating a coloring book. I’ve created the swag bag along with a wordsearch and goodies. There will be activities added to my website as time goes on.
I have done a number of blog tours and a podcast. Both Keith and I appeared on Jazz 88 WBGO radio show. We were asked interesting questions and it was amazing to hear ourselves on the radio.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
KATHY: It took seven years of reading, writing, reading, classes, conferences, and of course being in a critique group is essential to getting published
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
KATHY: I totally enjoyed the research and the revisions. I never felt overly frustrated. It always brought me joy in hopes that my book would inspire kids to find their own voice and be inspired by Miles’ tenacity to reach his goal. Obviously many kids will not become musicians, but I hope they find their own voice in what ever they attempt.
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for joining us today, Kathy, and for taking the time to participate in this series and pay it forward to other writers! We all so appreciate the knowledge and experience you shared with us today, and who knows how many writers you may have helped toward publication?! 😊
Author Kathleen Cornell Berman
Website: kathleencornellberman.com
Twitter: @bermankathy
Instagram: kcornellb
Readers, if you have questions for Kathy, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!
You may purchase Kathy’s book at:
(all links below are book-specific)
It’s time for another edge-of-your-seat episode of Tuesday Debut! 😊
Today, we have something very special in store.
To date, in this series, we have focused on the journey to publication for traditionally published authors, because that is what the majority of pre-published writers are striving for. And for the most part, that will continue to be the focus of the series. But some authors choose a different route for their own reasons, and I thought you might enjoy hearing at least once about a different kind of publication journey because I think there’s a lot we can learn and apply to our own situations.
So I now have the pleasure of introducing you to Jill Mangel Weisfeld and her adorable book, Riley The Retriever Wants A New Job!
Title: Riley the Retriever Wants a New Job
Author: Jill Mangel Weisfeld and Deborah Mangel
Illustrator: Shirley Ng-Benitez
Publishing house: Peek-a-Bear Press
Published: August 2018
Fiction
Picture book for ages 4-8
Book description: The book tells the adventures of Riley who is trying to find a more meaningful job than being a Retriever. Riley begins her quest researching working dog jobs on “Doogle” to see if she can find one that is a better fit for her. The book is entertaining and educational. The colorful illustrations bring Riley’s adorable personality to life. The story is based on Jill’s own dog Riley who is a certified therapy dog with the Good Dog Foundation.
Jill’s daughter with Riley when she was about 4 months old 😊
SUSANNA: Welcome, Jill! Thank you so much for joining us today! We’re looking forward to hearing about the publication process from a different angle! Where did the idea for this book come from?
JILL: The idea of the book came to me when I was working with Riley at the library about six years ago. The idea was fully formed when I first came up with it. I wanted the story to be educational so immediately I thought the idea of Riley being bored being a Retriever and having her research working dog jobs on her computer. The word “Doogle” came to me later. I began to do my own research on different kinds of working dog jobs and picked different jobs that I thought would be appealing to children.
Riley at the library! 💕
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
JILL: I wrote the book with my mom and it took us about 3 months for the first draft. I sent my mom all of my research about working dogs and a very rough draft of the story and then she tightened it up for me and added some of her ideas. My mom’s writing is a little more formal than I wanted it to sound so I adjusted it so it sounded more like Riley’s voice.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
JILL: The book went through many revisions. Like the Beatles song I got by with a little (actually a lot) of help from my friends. I had the librarian at the local library where Riley works read the manuscript to make sure the language was suitable for the intended age group. I had a friend who is a child psychologist read it to make sure the images were suitable for the age group as well. Two of my close friends helped me with editing the book. My husband and daughters also helped me a lot. I read the book out loud many times to make sure the sentences flowed well to the ear.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
JILL: I was never 100% sure the book was completely ready for publication. Grammar can be very subjective, one person would tell me to add a coma and another person would tell me to remove the same comma. I hired a children’s book editor who was very helpful but the book still went through many grammatical revisions after he edited it.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
JILL: I started my own publishing company called Peek-a-Bear press when I published my first book titled Take a peek with Peek-a-Bear. I like self publishing because you have creative freedom with the end product such as the illustrations and design of the book.
SUSANNA: How did you go about creating your book?
JILL: I searched for illustrators on the internet who used the style I was looking for. I also posted the job on Guru but in the end I found my illustrator on Instagram.
Before I sent manuscript to the illustrator I had her sign a non disclosure form. The illustrator is represented by an agency and I did sign a contract. I didn’t want to pay an illustrator a royalty every time I sold the book so the contract stated that I was paying a flat fee for the art.
The fee is based on the page count of the book and the number of illustrations. I spoke to many illustrators and the fees ranged from 1,500-15,000.
I am a graphics designer so I designed the book with clip art that represented what I wanted the illustrations to look like. The illustrator, Shirley, first sent me sample art of Riley, once I approved those she sent me black and white sketches of the rest of the book.
Shirley moved on to color after the black and white sketches were approved. I really enjoyed seeing Shirley bring the book to life with her color illustrations. Shirley lives on the west coast so everything was done over email. The entire process went well and Shirley completed the book in about 9 months which is fast.
I designed the book on Quark which is the design program that I use. I exported the book to the printer who is in Hong Kong.
My husband is an exporter and he works with agents in Hong Kong who helped me find the printer. They also printed my first book and since they were competitively priced and nice to work with I hired them again.
SUSANNA: How did you handle print run and distribution?
JILL: I printed 2,000 copies of my book and I am distributing it through Amazon Advantage, local bookstores and my website. I just had a book signing at FAO Schwarz in Manhattan. I am going to approach toy stores and pet stores as well.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to have the first copy in your hand?
JILL: The total process writing to publication took at least three to four years.
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc?
JILL: I did not submit my book yet to be reviewed by Kirkus or Booklist but maybe I will after reading this question.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
JILL: Book Marketing has been a challenge for me, it’s hard to know what is going to generate sales. Riley has an Instagram account. I just decided I am going to donate 100% of my proceeds to The Guiding Eyes For The Blind in Yorktown, NY. I have socialized guide dog puppies from this wonderful organization. When I do a book event I bring a coloring page of Riley to give to the children. I have not done a book trailer or sent out flyers.
I have hired a PR person, Valerie Kerr, to send out a press release to print and media when I have an event. Valerie has gotten me write ups in local newspapers and web sites, podcast interviews and a guest spot on a local radio show.
My first book won five awards but I wasn’t able to enter this book because the copyright date was for 2015 and it has to be the same as the publication date
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
JILL: One thing I would like to share is that sadly my mom passed away almost two years ago while we were still working on the book. My father who is suffering from dementia moved in with me and I was not able to work on the book for for a long time afterwards. Part of the reason was it was too painful for me and for a while I didn’t think I would be able to complete it. I knew my mom would be really upset with me if I didn’t finish the book so this gave me the motivation to do so.
Jill’s mom with Riley
SUSANNA: So sorry to hear about your mom, Jill, and that she never got to see the finished book. I’m sure she’d be proud of you, though, and really pleased with how it came out. And it’s clear from the photo how much Riley meant to her. Thank you so much for joining us today. I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was really interesting to hear about publishing a book from a new perspective. We can all learn a lot from you! Best of luck with this and future books! 😊
Nothing perks up a Tuesday like getting to meet a debut picture book author!
Pull up a comfy chair, bring along a nice cup of your favorite beverage, and help yourself to an appropriately-themed pancake breakfast 😊
Now! Let’s meet June Smalls and check out her delightful picture book!
Odd Animal ABC’s
written by June Smalls
illustrated by Claire Sedovic
Blue Manatee Press
May 7, 2019
Fiction, ages 3-5
A is for Alligator, B is for Bear, and so on, right? Not in this book. The odd animals are taking over! It’s time to meet Aye-Aye, Fossa, Numbat, Xenops and more curious, yet real animals that are ready for their spotlight. Laugh along as they introduce the letters of the alphabet in their own odd way!
SUSANNA: Welcome, June! Thank you so much for joining us today! Where did the idea for this book come from?
JUNE: I got the idea at a yard sale. There was an animal ABC’s cross stitch with all the same animals as when I was a kid. I decided to use the ABC format to introduce some less popular animals.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
JUNE: It took about 8 months, but I don’t write just one manuscript at a time. Picture books are all about the art, so I had to be mindful that while there are many animals that are interesting if they are all grey rodents then the book would be boring. I did tons of research trying to find odd animals and make sure I had a good variety that were visually appealing. I also wanted mammals, birds, and reptiles represented. Large and small. Colorful and plain. And representing different geographic areas.
It is not non-fiction, but I hope kids check the animals out and then go on to learn more about them.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
JUNE: Since Odd Animal ABC’s is a concept book, and each character is only there for a moment, I didn’t have as many revisions as I typically have. I did swap out some animals that didn’t work or for animals that had better puns/jokes. Maybe a dozen or so revisions?
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
JUNE: When The Kid tells me it isn’t boring… Seriously, after rounds with critique partners or beta readers. When I knew I couldn’t make it any better on my own. When I could read it five to ten times in a row and not hate it.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
JUNE: I spent about 2 years subbing Odd Animals to Agents. While some liked it, I was told repeatedlythat ABC books were a hard sell. After I exhausted my list of agents I subbed directly to editors. I chose editors I’d met at conferences and houses with animal books that I liked.
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 😊)
JUNE: Well, I got “the email” fairly quick. About six weeks after I subbed it to Blue Manatee Press. This was just a slush pile pick. I’d never met them, there were no contests. I just followed their submission guidelines and hit send.
I had a few agents at the time looking at my body of work. I reached out to all agents that were reviewing my manuscripts, let them know I had a publication offer, and asked for a response in two weeks, or to let me know if they needed more time. I knew even if I didn’t get an agent to offer, I wanted to work with BMP, but I was hoping for help since contracts are scary (to me at least.)
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?
JUNE: I had two amazing offers of representation and ultimately chose Rebecca Angus at Golden Wheat Literary. We then made quick work of the – not as scary as I thought with Rebecca’s help – contract. I danced around my house with The Kid until we were both laughing, the dogs were prancing around us, and the cat was openly judging us.
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
JUNE: The contract was pretty much what I expected. This is a smaller publisher so there was a small, but reasonable advance, royalties, a few author copies of the book, and right of first refusal on similar books for a specified length of time.
SUSANNA: What can you tell us about the editorial process?
JUNE: I was lucky that initial edits were tiny. More edits came after the illustrator started working and we added some lines for animals she added to certain pages and we removed some things to keep other pages from getting too crowded. With a small press, I was a partner in all of these changes and was able to add two jokes to the story that I LOVE. Proof that the collaboration really creates a great picture book.
SUSANNA: What was your experience of the illustration process like?
JUNE: The publisher chose illustrator, Claire Sedovic, and her watercolors. I loved the style illustrations they chose. I got to see some sketches early on. When something came up, like, “Hey June, this page is a bit crowded with all the hoofed animals. Can we tweak?” I was able to say, “Sure, and with this set up, we can use this animal/joke instead.”
I tried to be sure never to pretend I was an art director, but I had to point out a few things (for animal accuracy, not personal preference) and they were quickly corrected. The publisher had one question about a page where my art notes mentioned animal dung, but I was steadfast that we needed this particular shapely scat in the book and Claire was able to somehow make it even better than I pictured.
To be honest, I was gushing over the art from early on when I saw a sample and Claire had made an Aye-Aye cute (seriously, Google it…not always cute.) So, I knew I was in good hands. Her art and input created a better final product.
I did have simple art notes. Example:
A – Alligator Aye-Aye
[Aye-Aye speaking] “The odd animals are taking over. Now A is for Aye-Aye. Why don’t you take a vacation? Madagascar is nice. Later gator.”
[Alligator]Bye-Bye Aye-Aye.
Since Odd Animal ABC’s had so many lesser known creatures, I had a second version of the manuscript with photo references. This helped since many jokes, like ‘spotting’ a quoll, only worked if you could see the animal is polka dotted.
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
JUNE: I haven’t seen advanced reviews yet, but I’ll probably faint or happy dance, depending on the review.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
JUNE: I believe I signed the contract in late February of 2018 and the pub date is April 16, 2019. One year is fast for a picture book. Our first print run is to be between 1,800 and 3,000 copies.
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
JUNE: The publisher has sent books out for review and is working with indie bookstores that I am interested in. They are working on blog posts and social media. I know there is more going on behind the scenes.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
JUNE: Blogs and interviews – like this one of course. 😊
I’ve set up school visits, bookstore signings, library visits and a reading at a children’s museum with a visit by a wildlife rehabilitation center that is bringing live animals. Really excited for the live animals! I’m also working with some zoos to see about signings at their gift shops.
I’ve purchased a bit of swag, stickers and pins, for the visits.
I’m also part of the Read Local Challenge. This promotes reading books by local authors and illustrators in MD/DE/WV/VA/DC. It runs from October 1st through May 31steach year. We offer discounted presentations, swag for schools and libraries, and group or individual signings.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
JUNE: About five years. I did sell a book early on, but then the small publishing house was purchased by a larger house and they were going in an educational direction, so I received my rights back on a humorous picture book, even though we’d just finished the illustrations. Such is publishing.
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
JUNE: I’m glad I had community. From the support of my Hubby and Kid, critique partners cheering me on and celebrating with me, other writers and illustrators I’ve met along the way who were willing to give advice, and my editor and agent. The journey is better because of the people I’ve shared it with.
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, June! We all so appreciate you sharing your experience and wish you all the best of luck with this and future books!
Author June Smalls (SLH – love the turtle necklace – very animal abc 😊)
June Smalls is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and a lover of literature. She resides in Northern Virginia with her hubby, The Kid, and an ever-growing assortment of animals.
And that means it’s time for another Tuesday Debut Treat!
I’m so excited to introduce you to Sandra Sutter and her fabulous debut picture book, The Read Farmer In The Dell!
THE REAL FARMER IN THE DELL
Author: Sandra Sutter
Illustrators: Chantelle Thorne and Burgen Thorne
Publishing House: Clear Fork Publishing (Spork, imprint)
Date of Pub.: March 19, 2019
Fiction
Ages 4 to 8
Synopsis: Everyone knows the song, The Farmer in the Dell, but no one knows the REAL story. Find out the truth from a little mouse who was actually there. Prepare for a modern twist that turns the original stereotypes upside down and empowers girls and boys to imagine new possibilities. Filled with humor and fun retro-rodeo illustrations, this book is sure to surprise you to the very end.
SUSANNA: Welcome, Sandra! Thank you so much for joining us today! Where did the idea for this book come from?
SANDRA: It started with an innocent question from my son (4 years-old at the time) about whether I knew the farmer had taken a wife in the familiar childhood song. Of course I did, but I realized it was all new to him and there was an opportunity to change it up, to take out the default gender bias and modernize it a bit. So, I did.
The basic structure was easy to put in place since the song already had structure. I studied the most common versions and then inserted my ideas for the original lines. I was careful to match the meter and flow of the song and used repetition as much as possible. However, I had one major flaw in that first draft: there wasn’t a specific narrator. He came later, after I let the manuscript sit for a month or two. When he appeared, it was pretty much done.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
SANDRA: The first draft was finished within a day or two. I played around with ways to tell the story that first month but nothing felt right so I put it away. Once I figured out the missing piece – the narrator – I was able to finish it up rather quickly. Altogether I tweaked it about seven times.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
SANDRA: Since I touched on that above, I won’t expand on it here. But yes, there were a few.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
SANDRA: This is the part where everyone gets to laugh because I never got it ready for submission. Read on to find out why.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
SANDRA: This is my serendipitous story. (By the way, I love the word serendipity.)
I quit my full-time job in February 2017 after attending the SCBWI Winter Conference at the suggestion of my very supportive spouse. I soon realized I needed help, both with how to write for kids and also in getting people to critique my work. My poor husband and sister read almost every one of my first stories, this one included.
I researched online classes and settled on the Children’s Book Academy’s Picture Book writing course. I did not get a book contract in that class but I did learn a lot and started to develop my craft. It also gave me those important first connections to other members of the writing community.
It was during a second class – the CBA Illustration course – that I “submitted” this story. I’m not an illustrator but I thought the course would teach me how to think more like one and to figure out the “show, don’t tell” principle. I had signed up for a critique with the instructor, Dr. Mira Reisberg, who asked that I send thumbnail sketches for one of my stories. Mira is an editor and art director at Clear Fork Publishing, and when she read the story she loved it. She asked to share it with her publisher, and so my “submission” went out.
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 😊)
SANDRA: I got the final call about two months later, just before Christmas. There were a few minor edits, but I was agreeable and the deal was done.
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?
SANDRA: I didn’t do anything special. It was a great feeling, but I also knew it was just the beginning of a wonderful road ahead. I looked forward to the journey more than the physical act of signing a contract.
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
SANDRA: There weren’t any surprises. I understood going in that smaller presses work on smaller budgets and less resources, but there were positive trade-offs and an almost immediate start on editing and illustrations.
SUSANNA: What can you tell us about the editorial process?
SANDRA: I think I mentioned earlier that there were very few edits. There was one initial edit I didn’t love but was willing to accept; however, it was edited again in a way that fit squarely with my vision. By the time I signed the contract, the edits were done.
SUSANNA: What was your experience of the illustration process?
SANDRA: This has been one of the most enjoyable parts of working with my publisher. I was involved right away, including selection of the illustrators and seeing the initial sketches. Mira, who is both an editor and art director, did a great job of lining up illustrators with a similar vision and working with us together throughout the process so that we were all informed and on board. I was consulted regularly and if I had any concerns or requests, they were addressed right away. Chantelle and Burgen Thorne are an illustration dream team and I am eager to work with them again (which I am, so stay tuned for more information on that later this year)!
Also, there were no art notes. I like art notes when they are necessary to the story, but generally tend to trust the illustrator to “get it.” That was something the illustration course helped me to understand better.
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
SANDRA: No, but again, with a smaller press things run on a different timeline.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
SANDRA: It took under a year and a half which feels like lightning speed in the picture book making world. I credit my editor and publisher with being task-masters, keeping it all flowing along a reasonable timeline. Also, the illustrators, Chantelle and Burgen Thorne, worked diligently to have it all come together seamlessly.
SUSANNA: If your book has been out for at least one statement cycle, has it earned out yet?
SANDRA: It has not been out that long.
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
SANDRA: Again, a smaller publisher won’t have as many resources to devote to marketing as a larger one. However, my publisher, editor, the illustrators, and I have worked together on promotions, giveaways, and sharing information about the book.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
SANDRA: I didn’t make a book trailer or send out flyers, but I did generate a “buzz” by slowly introducing the book and its upcoming debut on social media sites and locally with friends, school teachers, and other parents at my kids’ schools. I also joined debut author groups like New in ’19 and Book Blastoff to assist each other with marketing and promotion of our books.
Chantelle and Burgen made some wonderful coloring pages that can be downloaded from the Clear Fork Publishing website and I got busy ordering book “swag” (stickers, pencils, tattoos, etc.) for school visits. Fortunately, I have young kids and am on the board of one of their former preschools, so there was a network of schools and daycares ready to share the news.
I haven’t set up a formal “blog tour” but have worked with other members of the Kidlit community who have blogs (like you!) to arrange for interviews or guest posts, particularly in these first few months after publication. I see marketing as a slow, steady race rather than a short sprint.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
SANDRA: I started writing a few things in 2013, but I had a new baby and was working full-time as an attorney so my attention was pulled elsewhere. After my second child was born I started to feel more serious about writing and completed a few stories. I even submitted to a couple of agents, but I laugh when I think about the high word counts and lack of plot development. In 2017, I was in a place to get serious and pursue writing full-time. By the end of that year I had my first contract!
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
SANDRA: I want to thank you for having me on your blog today and for supporting this wonderful book made possible by my publisher at Clear Fork Publishing, Callie Metler-Smith, my editor and art director, Mira Reisberg, and illustrators Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. It truly has been a group effort in bringing The Real Farmer in the Dell to life. I have enjoyed the journey as much as I love the finished product!
SUSANNA: Sandra, 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 sharing your experience with us, and we wish you all the best with this and future books!
Sandra has worn many hats, including counselor, attorney, and now children’s book author. Originally from the beautiful Front Range of Northern Colorado, she now lives in the heart of Kentucky’s horse country with her husband and two adorable, spunky kids. When she’s not busy writing stories, you might find her hiking the Red River Gorge with her family or on a local mountain bike trail.
THE REAL FARMER IN THE DELL is Sandra’s debut picture book. A second, STAN’S FRIGHTFULLY CLUMSY HALLOWEEN, is set to arrive later this year. Both books are with Spork, an imprint of Clear Fork Publishing.
Readers, if you have questions for Sandra, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!
You may purchase Sandra’s book at:
(all links below are book-specific)
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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