1. You Need More Than a Good Idea You come up with an idea or a character. Maybe it’s a line you overhear in the grocery store that inspires you. You go home to write. And you find that you don’t have a story or a structure that works. Ideas are impulses, triggers for the creative process; and often they need to be nurtured, seduced, and teased into life. Here’s what another creative professional—the artist Delacroix—wrote in his journal: “The original idea, the sketch, which is so to speak the egg or embryo of the idea, is usually far from being complete.” I love that quote because it captures the formlessness of generating ideas as well as the potential. Sometimes it takes years for the impulse to resolve into a manuscript. Years in which authors hold the idea in their unconscious minds or in their hearts. Years of revisiting, reexamining, re-creating the work. Sometimes the challenge will be a creati ve one; sometimes it’ll be a technical one. But published writers know they have to stick with the process. And if they do, they’re more likely to be rewarded. Expecting to create a superb picture book in one or two short sittings is about as realistic as growing blueberries during a Maine winter. Better to set yourself up for success by doing the work. Regularly. Consistently. Consciously.

2. Sometimes Good Manuscripts Don’t Get Published Publishers are in business to make money. They do so by publishing good books. But not all good books make money, and so publishers consider manuscripts not only in terms of aesthetic quality, but in terms of commercial potential. If you’re asking a publishing house to invest tens of thousands of dollars in your book, they need to believe their investment will pay off. Editors are evaluated by how well their books are received both critically and commercially, and astute editors are very aware of the “commercial” piece of the equation.

Here’s the part that’s really painful: even really good manuscripts sometimes get rejected. They’re rejected because “fantasy doesn’t sell,” “we’re looking for manuscripts targeting a younger audience (or an older one or girls or boys),” “folktales have been overpublished,” “talking pumpkins/cats/teapots don’t work for me,” “we only want very young picture books,” or any one of a myriad different and valid reasons. So published authors pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and submit their work to another editor; or they revise in accordance with the feedback they get, or they put the manuscript in a file folder and get on with the next manuscript. And they know that their value as a writer isn’t determined by the moods of the marketplace.

3. Important Feelings Don’t Necessarily Translate into Good Writing The great English poet William Wordsworth famously wrote: “Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.” If an experience triggers a moment of connection with what you feel to be an eternal truth, that’s wonderful. But profound feeling can become didactic or heavy-handed when translated into words. It requires distance from the event, “emotion recollected in tranquility,” and consciously engaging the intellect to be able to articulate the impulse in the form, language, and structure required by a picture book. Although writers honor and love those moments of deep feeling and profound inspiration, it’s important to evaluate them with the same critical faculty that you bring to any other writing.

4. All Manuscripts Are Not Created Equal Some manuscripts are easier to write than others. There are many unfinished drafts and half-written, partially conceptualized manuscripts sitting in the file folders of even the most successful published authors. Not every idea develops into a full-fledged manuscript. You’ll probably start many more manuscripts than you’ll finish. Writing is a little bit like digging for gold. Digging won’t ensure that you’ll find gold, but if you don’t dig, you absolutely won’t find it. No manuscript is a waste. By writing in a thoughtful, considered way, you refine your craft, develop your ideas, and get better at doing both. And in time those unresolved plots, vexing characters, and impossible rhymes might resolve, focus, and reward you for your patience and perseverance. And even then they just might not be good enough to show to the world. No matter. Write on!

© 2012 Picture Book People, Inc.

This article appeared in this month’s Picture Book People Newsletter written by owner Simone Kaplan. Simone has more than two decades of insider experience at major publishing institutions such as Henry Holt and Company and HarperCollins Publishers, during which she’s personally accepted, edited, and rejected hundreds of children’s picture books. She knows how the words of your manuscript can jump off the page and spark the interest of an editor or agent. She has also learned about the process of creating picture books and can break it down so as to be most useful to authors at every stage of their development.

She provides creativity-enhancing, skill-building, heart-expanding support for the creators of picture books so they can write the best possible books they’re able to write.

Here is the link if you want to sign up to receive Simon’s monthly newsletter or if you would like to have Simone work with you on your picture.  http://www.picturebookpeople.com/

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Can you believe half of 2013 is over? I thought I would go back and choose one illustration from the illustrator featured in the last six months. I challenge you to go back and try to pick one for each week. It is a very tough task. I usually have 4 or 5 favorites, so if I were to do it again, I might choose different pictures, but below are my picks starting with January and ending with last week.

Patrick Girouard - http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/01/05/illustrator-saturday-patrick-girouard/

Marit Menzin – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/illustrator-saturday-marit-menzin/

Dow Phumiruk – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/illustrator-saturday-dow-phumiruk-md/

Constanze von Kitzing – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/01/26/illustrator-saturday-constanze-von-kitzing/

Russ Cox - http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/02/02/illustrator-saturday-russ-cox/

Marie Bogard - http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/02/09/illustrator-saturday-maria-bogade/

Jen Betton - http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/illustrator-saturday-jen-betton/

Kristina Swarner - http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/illustrator-saturday-kristina-swarner/

April Chu - http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/illustrator-saturday-april-chu/

Susan Detwiler - http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/03/09/illustrator-saturday-susan-detwiler/

Katie McDee – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/illustrator-saturday-katie-mcdee/

Evi Gstottner – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/03/23/illustrator-saturday-evi-gstottner/

Danielle Arbor – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/03/30/illustrator-saturday-danielle-arbor/

Sheralyn Barnes – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/illustrator-saturday-sheralyn-barnes/

Manelle Oliphant – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/illustrator-saturday-manelle-oliphant/

Shawna JC Tenney – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/04/20/illustrator-saturday-shawna-jc-tenney/

Kary Lee – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/04/27/illustrator-saturday-kary-lee/

Alicia Schwab – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/illustrator-saturday-alicia-schwab/

Denise Ortakles – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/illustrator-saturday-denise-ortakales/

Tracy Campbell – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/illustrator-saturday-tracy-campbell/

John Manners – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/illustrator-saturday-john-manders/

Susan Eaddy – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/illustrator-saturday-susan-eaddy/

Kirsten Carlson – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/06/08/illustrator-saturday-kirsten-carlson/

Andrea Offerman – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/illustrator-saturday-andrea-offermann/

Jason Kirschner – http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/06/22/illustrator-saturday-jason-kirschner/

If you are an illustrator who would like to be featured on Illustrator Saturday, email me a link where I can see you work. Remember, even if you don’t have a lot of work for a whole feature, I do feature illustrations from artists through the month. Hope to hear from you.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

I’d like to thank Anna Olswanger from Liza Dawson Associates for sharing her time and expertise with us this month. Your first page is the first thing anyone sees of your story, so the more we can hone the beginning, the better off we will be in writing a successful book. I know we can all learn from these sessions. Even if it is not your first page, you can make note of the thoughts of an editor or agent after they have critiqued the page.

Here are the four first pages picked this month and Anna’s thoughts:

Hope Grietzer                    The Carousel Keeper                Middle Grade Novel

A parade of green swells rose and sank in the murky water beneath the boat. The deck of the ferry dipped again, and for a moment Sadie felt weightless.

“Just ten more minutes,” she thought, gripping the rail as the ferry climbed the crest of the next swell. A gusty wind tugged at her baseball cap like a passing pickpocket, and Sadie’s hand flew up to protect her cap. She squeezed her eyes shut.

“Bit choppy today,” a voice said.

The steward approached, the ends of his white jacket flapping in the breeze like seagull

wings. Red hair hugged his head, and his ears stuck out like pot handles.

“Anything I can do for you, Miss?”

“Can you send me back to Ohio?” Sadie forced a small grin.

“I would, except I promised your uncle I’d deliver you to the island safe and sound.” He

glanced around the crowded ferry. “Follow me.”

Sadie eased away from the rail. The mischievous deck sank before her sneaker could reach it, and then rose so that her foot smacked it hard.

“Feels like I’m walking on the moon,” she thought, hobbling after the steward.

The man paused and gestured toward a vacant seat. “The ride should be smoother here.”

A mother with a squirmy toddler shifted to make room as Sadie sank onto the bench. Across the aisle, a wiry man in a brown suit coat gave Sadie and the child a nervous glance and tugged his briefcase closer. Sadie gave him her best smile but he scowled back, his thick eyebrows drawing together like a blackbird’s wings.

Sadie wished her brother Jamie was here. He had a knack for making friends. But Sadie

traveled alone, sailing toward Summer Island while her parents flew to Brazil. They broke the

news to her last week.

HERE’S ANNA:

The Carousel Keeper

I would keep reading beyond the first page to find out what life will be like for Sadie on Summer Island. (Will she find a friend? Will she see the steward again? What is her uncle like?)

I do think some minor details are distracting: the image of red hair hugging the steward’s head, for example. What is the point of that detail, or of the detail of his ears sticking out? It feels as though the author may be trying to fill up space. The deck being “mischievous” feels like overwriting, and what is it like to walk on the moon? The reader has been experiencing the choppiness of the ride, so would walking on the moon be “choppy?”

Is there a significance to the bird imagery? The stewards’s white jacket flaps like seagull wings. The man in the brown suit has eyebrows that draw together like a blackbird’s wings. Make it clear if an image is part of a theme. Otherwise, the details seem arbitrary.

The hint of Jamie at the end is nice.

Annina Luck Wildermuth

Ned Bunting, Ghost Spotter & the Ghost with the Hooded Cloak Middle Grade (ages 8 – 12)

Ned was two hours into his watch, crouched behind the old elm at Walnut Hollow graveyard, when he spotted his first ghost of the night.  Of course, he’d seen all kinds of ghosts the week before when he was still in training with his older brother Tom, but this was different. He was alone now.

As his luck would have it though, he could already see that this one was a poor excuse for a ghost. All its potentially distinguishing marks were obscured by a voluminous hooded cloak.

The horse it rode was equally undistinguished, poking its way among the graves, slow as molasses.

How am I supposed to identify this ghost? wondered Ned, starting to worry. As Walnut Hollow’s new ghost spotter, he was supposed to identify and log in all the ghosts who came through the town and make sure that they were obeying the local haunting laws.

He fumbled now to produce Ghosts of the Thirteen Colonies & Their Classification from inside his vest. Satisfied that the horse and rider were making slow progress at best, he thumbed the book’s worn pages, his lantern flickering beside him. Ghosts were portrayed in great detail with identifiable characteristics.  There was General Whitelsby, the angry, old red-coat in his unmistakable British uniform and Abigail, the Quaker in her fancy white neck ruff. The mad horseman from Sleepy Hollow always carried his head under his arm. Ned’s eyes darted to the graveyard, and he groaned inwardly. Nothing.

And then the wind whipped up, blowing through the tree’s branches and whistling its way between the gravestones. It twirled around the ghost and lifted its cloak into the air to reveal a small, cross girl in the frilliest dress Ned had ever seen. She looked straight at him and wailed: “How am I ever going to accomplish my mission, now that I’ve been so rudely unmasked?”

HERE’s ANNA:

Ned Bunting, Ghost Spotter

This first page ends on a nice note of suspense, so I would want to read further, but the first sentence is too long and clunky. Try to clean it up, since that is an editor’s first impression of your manuscript.

It’s not clear why you have the detail that this ghost was a poor excuse. Tom is logging in ghosts and making sure they obey the local haunting laws, so his luck is not that this ghost is a poor excuse, but that it has no distinguishing marks.

The use of a book implies that this is a contemporary story. Is that what you intend, or is the story set in the past? If it’s set in the past, then shouldn’t the book be manuscript pages with handwritten notes?

When Ned’s eyes dart to the graveyard, he groans. If he’s groaning because he still  can’t identity this ghost, then make it clear that he is looking at the ghost, not at the graveyard (in general) to eliminate any confusion.

The last paragraph is perfect.

Liliana Erasmus - Song Of The Sentinel - paranormal middle-grade.

What is father doing here? I told him to stay out of it. This isn’t his battle to fight. His glorious days of vigilance are over. Gone. It’s my turn now. Why doesn’t he get it? He is dead. I am not. And he knows I’m here, I can feel his light shifting closer. His presence. My lantern blows out.

“Go. Away,” I urge him in silence.

I don’t even turn around to look into his empty eyes, or at that ridiculous horse that carries him around, for what? To attract all the hungry creatures in the neighborhood and make my life more miserable than it already is? I have to keep position and here he comes, shimmering behind me like a lighthouse signaling, Look here! You see ‘m? Now suck his life out!

They’re coming. I’m not sure how many this time. Three? Four?

“Father, for God’s sake, leave! Let it be.”

Once again, he backs off, his light dimming and I know he’s further away, but never for long, never too far from danger… from me.

The September wind has fallen, the trees stand breathless, moonlit tombs lie in repose and I still get that paralyzing chill down my spine. The buzzing in my ears is getting louder, it’s growing until it becomes a constant whistle in my head, ticking me off. If I jump now, they’ll know what to do with me. I’m on my own. They are with one, five… eleven, damn! I have to wait for them to stick their tongues into the earth before making any sound. One of them is not sniffing the graves. It’s holding back for some reason, tilting its snout in the air, tail high and stiff, while that foul smell of decay reaches my nose, making me gag. I swallow the sourness without blinking. The furry carcass is staring right at me.

HERE’S ANNA:

Song of the Sentinel

I would probably keep reading this manuscript, but this page is confusing. Here are my concerns:

The narrator speaks in both vernacular and formal language: “stay out of it” and “doesn’t he get it” don’t work with “His glorious days of vigilance are over.”

It also doesn’t make sense for the narrator to say, “he knows I’m here” when it’s the narrator who can feel the father’s presence.

The phrase “my life more miserable than it already is” is vague. The reader needs a hint of what has been going on. Miserable in what way?

Who says “Look here! You see ‘m? Now suck his life out!’ The reader can’t tell.

Who says “They’re coming. I’m not sure how many this time. Three? Four?” Again, the reader can’t tell who is speaking.

What does it mean for tombs to “lie in repose?” It sounds as though the author is trying too hard here to be literary.

What does it mean that the narrator “still” gets that paralyzing chill down his or her spine? Has this happened in the past?

“Ticking me off” sounds too slangy, and too trite.

What does it means to swallow the sourness “without blinking?” What does sight have to do with taste in this instance?

I like the images in the last paragraph, and I especially like the suspenseful last sentence. I would continue reading, but the author should clear up all the confusion on this first page so that an editor will feel that the author is in control of her craft.

Meg Eastman Thompson, THE TRUTH ABOUT JUSTICE. MG/YA novel

Restless as a yellow-jacket at a barbecue, I bounded down the sidewalk to fetch the bread and milk for supper as Mother had ordered, heading for the Piggly Wiggly. I was lonely, missing Effie more than ever. Wondering where she and her family had hidden. Not wanting to believe they’d never come back.

When Missy and I had promised Effie we’d stand by each other no matter what, we’d taken our vows seriously. It hadn’t mattered back then that Effie was colored. We three were true friends. As I passed Liberty High and turned left toward the grocery store, there was not a friend in sight. Most everybody had been sent away, what with the coloreds asking to come to our school.

My next-door neighbor and sometime friend, Missy Pridemoor, and nearly everyone else, was having fun at church camp. I had begged to go, but Daddy insisted I was too old to be a camper. When I’d protested, he made it clear that, three years away from college, I was too young to make my own decisions. As usual Mother stuck by him.

When I was little, she’d always say, “Amelia Justice Queen, your Daddy knows what’s best for you.” But it was 1963 now and I was changing, along with everything else in our country. Even Mother was starting to speak up. When she told Daddy that camp was nothing but a non-stop revival meeting, it got me thinking. I didn’t need to be saved. Nor did I want to waste the end of my summer vacation listening to some preacher baying like an auctioneer. I stopped complaining. At fifteen, going on sixteen, I was smart enough to pick my battles.

Besides, I wanted to enjoy my last days of freedom. I skipped along. Released from their impossible overprotectiveness, which had only grown worse since stopping integration was once again on the school board agenda, I was determined to make the best of my trip to the store.
The Piggly Wiggly’s deep freeze was heavenly. I lingered by the ice cream treats.

HERE’S ANNA:

The Truth About Justice

Although I think this manuscript has potential because of the voice and content, I found the first page so full of exposition (and some of it confusing), that I don’t think I’d continue reading. Look at the first sentence and how long it is—the first page feels a bit like this (stuffed with information).

I don’t understand who the narrator is and what she wants: In the first paragraph, she is lonely for Effie; in the second paragraph, she seems to be missing her friends in general; in the third paragraph, she wants to go to camp; in the fourth paragraph, she decides she doesn’t want to go camp; and in the fifth paragraph, she seems just to want to enjoy her freedom. All of these motivations feel like too much for one page. The narrator has to have one overriding motivation that will take her (and the reader) through that first page—and on through the book.

It’s also confusing that in the third paragraph, the mother sticks by the father, but in the next paragraph she tells the father that the camp is nothing but a non-stop revival meeting.

And, finally, a fifteen-year-old protagonist is a bit too old for a novel that has the feel, at least in this opening page, of a middle grade novel (the narrator skips). If the author could lower the age and focus the narrator’s motivation, she should have a first page that an agent or editor would want to keep reading.

Thank you everyone for participating. Happy revising.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

This fun June illustration was sent in by Dow Phumiruk is a pediatrician who has found her passion in children’s book illustration.  Most of her work is digital, and she enjoys using a bright, colorful palette.  She joined SCBWI in 2011 and is looking forward to her first national conference in LA this summer.  Here is a link to see more of her art: www.artbydow.blogspot.com.

Looking for an agent critique? You might be interested in this critique auction:

Literary agent Anna Olswanger has donated a critique for an online auction by The Born Free Foundation (an international wildlife charity that works throughout the world to stop individual wild animal suffering).

You can submit up to 10 pages of a manuscript for a 10-minute phone consultation. It’s a great chance to get feedback from a professional.

For those of you who don’t know Anna, she has been an agent with Liza Dawson Associates in New York for eight years and has sold to Bloomsbury, Chronicle, HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin, Penguin, Random House, and Simon & Schuster, among other publishers. She is also this month’s Guest Critiquer for Free Fall Friday. Stop back tomorrow and see what Anna has to say about the first pages that were chosen this month.

Please visit www.biddingforgood.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=198872671 and consider making a bid before the auction closes this Saturday, June 29th.

Do you have a book coming out and would like to have it reviewed. Here is an opportunity for you:

In the July issue of Parenting: School Years, Carol Bower Cohen reviewed nine children’s books for summer 2013.  She says, “The experience was both exhausting and exhilarating. Although exhausting, it is something I’d like to do again, so if any NJSCBWI writers have a book coming out that they would like it reviewed, they can contact me at my new blog, www.bookgirlblogger.blogspot.com.

Even if I am not working on a freelance review for a print magazine at the time an author contacts me, I can review it on my blog.  A link to my blog was placed in my author bio that ran with the review, so my blog is getting more exposure.” You can read about it here.

Would you like to win an new book to read? I have won a few books by entering similar contests.

Chance to win FAKING NORMAL by Courtney C. Stevens! Published by Harper Teen. http://kristintubb.blogspot.com/

Chance to win A ROYAL PAIN by Megan Mulry http://www.lauragerold.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-royal-pain-baby-name-game-and-giveaway.html  Winner picked on July 1st. Another give-a-way Coming July 2nd – If the Shoe Fits by Megan Mulry.

YA and Kids Books Giveaways – Here are ten books YABC is giving away this month, June 2013.

Do any of the following to enter. Do more and increase your chances of winning a basket of Jen Bryant’s autographed books and more:

Are you an illustrator and use Photoshop and a Wacom Tablet? If so, You might be interested in this:

About the Contest

It’s quite a challenge bringing your creativity to reality. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible, especially when using Photoshop and a Wacom tablet to expand the creative possibilities of your work.

Here’s your chance to share one of your incredible makeovers for an opportunity to win some cool prizes, as well as see your work featured in an upcoming issue of Photoshop User magazine.

Simply submit a before and after image of your greatest hit and tell us how Photoshop and a Wacom tablet helped you transform your creative vision into a real-life masterpiece.

People’s Choice Award

While a panel of NAPP and Wacom officials will decide the grand prize winner, the contest will include the bestowing of a special People’s Choice Award. The general public will have a chance to view and rate all entries. Once all votes are calculated, the image with the most votes and highest rating will be crowned the People’s Choice Award winner.

In June 2012, at the New Jersey SCBWI conference in Princeton, NJ, I had Lionel Bender, cofounder of the U.K. packager Bender Richardson White, and author Sally Isaacs do an intensive workshop on writing. It was there that Lionel approached Isaacs with putting on a Non-fiction conference focused on opportunities for writers in children’s nonfiction publishing.

Lionel Bender, explained his two-fold mission to Publishers Weekly: “There are plenty of conferences that focus on the nuts and bolts of creating your work. That is not the purpose of this conference,” he said. “I want to open people’s eyes to the opportunities nonfiction can provide, and I want attendees to understand the various publishing models that exist.” Since I had promoted this conference on my blog, I thought you would be interested in hearing about the final results.

The conference focus was to attracted a core audience of professionals already working in the field rather than aspiring writers hoping to break in. A major draw was the caliber of the faculty, which included high-ranking staff from Lerner, Pearson, Cobblestone, Highlights, National Geographic Children’s Books, and Time Home Entertainment, as well as highly regarded authors and illustrators.

Jonathan Sprout attended and said, “I had a great time. There were, I’m guessing, about a hundred participants, so we all got to know each other in various degrees. Many of the paid participants are successful already-established writers. I made many new friends, including several people who have each written over a hundred books. Faculty and paid attendees mingled often throughout the weekend.

“I learned a lot. There was a good deal of emphasis on technology – apps, eBooks and web presence, as well as submission tips – which I especially appreciated. Strange to say, I don’t believe I saw anyone at the NF conference who had also attended our NJSCBWI conference the weekend before. There was very little, if any, information overlap between the two weekends. Each conference provided its special lessons and friends/contacts.

“When I performed at the faculty dinner at the 2012 NJSCBWI (at your request), Lionel and I discovered a common love for The Beatles (although it was Steve Meltzer that night who played one of the best versions of “Norwegian Wood” I’ve ever heard!) So I was asked to perform a song from my forthcoming album the first night of the NF conference. I’ve already committed to returning to the June 2014 NF conference (same location: New Paltz, NY). In anticipation, Lionel and I are sketching out a couple of Beatle melodies that I may perform to a new set of “nonfiction lyrics” that promise to be very funny.”

Faculty member Roxie Munro, author-illustrator of more than 35 books said, “There are other conferences that have a lot to offer beginners, but this one was much better for midlist writers; it was more meaty, more sophisticated.”

Lionel said in his opening, “I see the digital revolution as an opportunity to reinvent kids’ illustrated nonfiction. And the icing on the cake is the Common Core standards, which are making nonfiction important, and making nonfiction writers finally feel like fiction’s equals.”

Science writer, Melissa Stewart said,“There is a revolution going on in nonfiction right now. In this climate, the role of nonfiction is to delight as well as to inform.”

One of the weekend’s highlights was Saturday afternoon’s publishers panel, in which seven faculty members discussed The Future of Children’s Nonfiction. Responding in turn to questions posed by Bender in advance, each panelist offered insight into their company’s approach to the challenges of modern publishing today. Andy Boyles, science editor at Highlights magazine, said he foresees Highlights remaining “ink on paper for the foreseeable future.” But, he added, “Ink and digital can play nicely in the same sandbox. The big question is: How can you make digital pay the bills?” Participants echoed this question throughout the weekend.

Robin Terry Brown, senior editor at National Geographic Children’s Books, described her company’s “sneak-attack approach to learning – draw them in with high-interest topics, vibrant photography, and design” - and shared its formula: “photos, facts, and fun—and all things animal.”

Alyssa Mito Pusey, senior editor at Charlesbridge said, “Nonfiction has always been our core, but as far as our digital strategy the goal is to put its books onto as many platforms as possible. Intellectual property will become king as publishers seek to engage their audience through transmedia storytelling. Print will become a single star in this constellation. Digital is fun, but print is not dead.”

Click this link to read about it in Publishers Weekly.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

I was talking with Agent Stephen Barbara at Foundry Literary + Media (Agent of New York Times and international bestseller Lauren Oliver – Before I Fall, Delirium, etc.). If you attended the NJSCBWI Conference, you met both of them. Anyway, he told me about Children’s Agent and Foreign Right’s Director, Rachel Hecht, at his company who is looking to build her client list. I thought I would share her information with all of you.

As a domestic agent, Rachel is seeking children’s projects of all stripes, from picture books through to young adult fiction, as well as select fiction and non-fiction projects for adults that are wonderfully written and completely absorbing. Drawing on her experience at the forefront of children’s scouting, she loves the thrill of the hunt for new talent and enjoys working closely with authors to develop and refine their projects for submission.

“In terms of adult fiction, the strength of the voice and quality of the writing is what is most important to me.  I am seeking literary as well as upmarket/commercial projects, and would love to see projects with crossover potential as well as those that blur the boundaries between genres – especially in the thriller, fantasy, and historical categories (but a polite no thank you to straight genre writing). For nonfiction, I’m interested in memoirs, pop culture, and narrative nonfiction projects with a great hook – stories that I am unable to put down about topics I had no idea I was interested in.”

Before joining Foundry in 2011, Rachel served as the children’s book scout for Mary Anne Thompson Associates, where she provided exclusive insight into the US publishing world for a diverse roster of foreign publishers. A graduate of Kenyon College with a degree in English, she began her career in New York at Condé Nast before moving into book publishing.

Rachel Hecht accepts paper and email submissions. Please send all digital queries for Rachel [email protected]. For more information on submitting your project, please see the Foundry Submissions page.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

This June illustration was sent in by Amalia Hoffman. It looks like another character fell down the rabbit hole. Amalia was featured on Illustrator Saturday September 9, 2010. Here is the link: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2010/09/18/illustrator-saturday-amalia-hoffman/. You can also visit her site at: www.amaliahoffman.com 

Do you write picture books? Can you edit to tell your story in 150 words or less? If so, this Contest put on by Children’s Writer® might be right up your alley.  It does cost $15 to enter, but the fee will also pay for an introductory eight-month subscription to Children’s Writer, a monthly 12-page+ emailed digital newsletter that’s dedicated to keeping you up-to-date on children’s writing.

The contest is for fiction about exploration for kindergarteners up to 150 words. The story should be appropriate to children 5 to 7 learning to read on their own. The theme of exploration could be set at home, down the block, at school, on vacation, in books: Use your imagination! The story should be fun, colorful, use well-targeted words, and have special interest for the age group. Do not write too high for this readership. Know what a five or seven-year-old can and cannot read. Originality and the overall quality of writing will also be considered. Publishability is the ultimate criterion.

There are five cash prizes: $500 for the top winner, $250 for second place, and $100 for third, fourth, and fifth places.

Entry Fee: $15

Entries must be received by July 12, 2013.

Good luck!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

With a wide range of titles–including thrillers, women’s literature, children’s books, translated literary fiction, narrative and illustrated nonfiction, and sci-fi, fantasy, and horror–Quercus is launching its first U.S. list in September. The company aims to replicate its success in the U.K. by creating a publishing house here that is just as diverse in its offerings, with a mix of both U.S. and international titles. Quercus CEO Mark Smith said of the venture, “We are truly excited to be bringing both our new and established authors to this dynamic and fast-moving marketplace.”

Publishing director Richard Green said, “Quercus is starting with some 40 titles in the U.S. this fall.” Next year, Quercus will publish 90 titles here, with plans to publish an increasing number of titles over subsequent years. As Green put it, “We’re here for the duration. We have been planning this move for over two years and have carefully researched the market and listened to advice from a range of industry experts. The list has been carefully hand-picked for the North American market, and we will be supporting all our titles with substantial marketing and publicity campaigns.”

Eric Price

Nathaniel Marunas

The current publishing program consists of about two-thirds fiction, another third nonfiction. In time, the company aims to increase the number of American authors on the list to around half of the total. Smith said, “We want to keep an international flavor, take on American authors like Brian Freeman, Corban Addison and Richard North Patterson, as well as find debut authors here and nurture them.”

Random House Publisher Services is distributing Quercus in the U.S. and Canada. Both Smith and Green praised RHPS, noting that having to tie into the distributor’s systems and meet its deadlines has helped Quercus improve its own internal processes–lessons about business practices that it will take back to the U.K. “Random’s supply chain and inventory management systems are really impressive,” Green said. Smith added: “I’m surprised at how much they share. They’re very enlightened. They say, ‘If you’re successful, we’re successful.’ It really is a partnership.”

The Quercus team in the U.S. includes Eric Price, director of sales, marketing and publicity, who worked at Grove/Atlantic for more than 20 years, most recently as associate publisher and COO. Quercus associate publisher Nathaniel Marunas was executive editor-at-large at Sterling Publishing and before that was associate publisher at Black Dog & Leventhal. Anna Hezel is digital marketing manager and an editorial assistant. The team will expand, and Green promised, “You won’t hear a British accent. This is absolutely going to be an American operation.”

Quercus sees a lot of potential in the U.S. market. “We are well aware that these are challenging times for book publishers everywhere,” Green said. “But coming from a tough U.K. market, we see an enormous upside to operating in the U.S. This is a tremendous opportunity to establish a flexible and proactive publishing business in North America. We have amazing books, are hiring a great team, and will work closely with RHPS to develop the business into one that has scale, diversity and ambition.”

Read the Full Article at Shelf-Awareness: http://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2016#m20186

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Jason’s name might sound familiar, since I showed off his winning illustration from the NJSCBWI June Conference the other week. If you read Jason resume above, you will see how successful he has been in his career already. I am sure it is exciting to work around other creative people like he does on the David Letterman Show, but Jason is expanding into the children’s book market and I am sure he will be just as successful with that endeavor. Below you will see Jason’s process, but we start with his answers to my question about how he paints and what materials he uses.  Here’s Jason:

I color everything digitally now and have done so for about a year and a half. I used to use watercolors, colored pencil and prismacolor markers but I’ve eliminated all of that. Digital is quicker and soooooo much easier to revise. You never have to wait for the paint to dry and its all free (after you’ve finished paying for Photoshop, of course).

As for Pencils… Right now I’m in love with Prismacolors. They’re nice and dark when you want a strong line. I also like the fact the line has a little bit of breakup in it. As stupid as it sounds–It keeps my drawing looking hand drawn. Beyond that, I’m also really happy with a nice #2 pencil.

As for paper I will really use anything. I probably should be more particular. I do like Strathmore or Canson sketch or watercolor paper. Honestly though 95% of the time I end up using cheap photocopy paper– 11″x 17″ if its around. The lack of texture is an advantage when I’m using the Photoshop magic wand to isolate different elements  drawn on the paper. Truthfully I add whatever textures I want later in the process anyway.

Step 1:  After I figured out my idea and did a few rough sketches, I drew finished versions of each character with pencil and scanned each in separately. With each character on a separate layer I played around until I got a composition I  liked.

Step 2:  If I’m going to use a texture or paper I lay it in right at the beginning.  That way I can choose colors accordingly.  Here I was going for a classic sort of feeling so I chose an old paper from my texture library and placed it on its own multiply layer above all the pencil sketches.

Step 3: Next I lay in the color, also on a multiply layer.  For the most part I use solid blocks of color.  In some places I start to indicate highlight and shadow but I do most of that in the next step.

Step 4: Finally, I add a layer for shade and shadows , and one for highlights.  This is also the time I’d use any sort of photoshop filters but I mostly avoid them.

What made you decide to go to Emory University to get a BA in Theatre Arts?

One day someone from the Theater Dept. came in to my  high school art class and asked if anyone could paint a giant sunset for South Pacific.  I raised my hand and was drafted into service.  I loved working on sets in High School.

At Emory I designed and directed theater on the side. I was actually a math/computer science major for most of my time there. I used to go the the computer lab after rehearsals and work until late in the night. One night I was in the computer lab at 3:30am looking for a missing semicolon in 4000 lines of code while sitting between two guys arguing over which Star Trek captain was better – Kirk or Picard.  I quit the next morning and declared a theater major.

Tell us about how you decided to go for you Master’s in Stage Design at Brandeis University?

I had been designing sets for a few years and I really enjoyed it.  It seemed to be a career where I can draw for a living but not be a starving artist.  I really liked the program at Brandeis (which is now sadly defunct)  and after four years in Atlanta, I missed winters.  It was great to have three years to really concentrate on nothing but Theater and sketching and painting.

Were you working in the theatre business while getting your master’s? 

I did take a few outside design jobs but mostly I designed shows for Brandeis.

Did any of the contacts you made in college help you get you work?

My grad school contacts not only got me work — they got me my career.  A Brandeis alum was working at the Late Show at the time and through him I started a brief internship there while they were designing a new set.  That experience was invaluable to me. That credit on my resume helped me get an interview at Late Night with Conan O’Brien right out of grad school. When there was an opening a year later they offered me the job. I really loved my four years there.

Did that lead to working with the David Letterman Show?

While I was working at Late Night,  I would occasionally fill in over at the Late Show. When a position opened up I interviewed and got the job.

Did you ever take any illustration class?

I’ve honestly never taken an illustration class.  I did take figure drawing once in grad school. I’ve always loved drawing but I’m mostly self taught.   I’ve got sketchbooks from when I was three or four years old.  I started copying Sunday comics and comic books as a little kid and I’ve never stopped.   I try to draw every day.

When did you decide that you wanted to try your hand with children’s books?

It’s always something I wanted to try.   When my wife and I had our twins and started reading picture books I really wanted to make my own.  I started putting together an illustration portfolio which is decidedly different from a scenic design portfolio.  I’ve been at if for three years now and I feel I’m growing as an illustrator every day.

Do you think working in stage and theatre has influenced your children’s style?

The skits we do at the Late Show are usually very short so you only get a few seconds of screen time to set the scene.  You have to pick your details wisely to convey setting.  I think its a useful skill I draw upon when illustrating.   Just like in TV or movies I try to start with a wide establishing shot to set the scene before I go in for close-ups.  Lastly, set sketches are always very conscious of the lighting and mood of the scene.  I try to bring that into my illustrations as well.

Do you think your style has changed since when you first started?

Definitely. I am always trying to evolve my style while trying to keep my illustrations looking like they’re mine.   I find when I stray too far, people say the work doesn’t look like my own.  I also really love line work so I am always trying new ways to keep things looking hand drawn.

What is your favorite medium to use? 

Pencils.  Prismacolor Pencils and Photoshop seem to be my preferred method these days.  One day I’d love to get back to more conventional mediums like watercolors or colored pencils.   Time becomes a huge factor and digital is just quicker.  You can revise indefinitely without starting over.  Any medium I can walk away from for a while and pick back up whenever is best for me lately.

The way I work now is to hand draw everything –pencil on paper.  I try to draw all the elements separately. I scan them in and compose and edit in Photoshop.  Then I color it all digitally.

What was the first piece of art that you sold?

I’ve never actually sold anything.  Anyone want to buy something?

Have you made a picture book dummy to show art directors and editors?

I have! I’ve spent the last ten or eleven months working on a picture book I wrote and illustrated called Monster Nanny. I’m constantly revising and rewriting and redrawing.  I actually brought it to the NJ SCBWI conference earlier this month. I got lots of great feedback.

Are you represented by an artist rep.? If so, who? If not, would you like to find one?

No.  Not yet.  I would love to find some representation. I love the drawing and the writing but I’m new to the business end of it all.

Do you think you will ever write and illustrate your own book?

I really hope so.

Have you thought of submitting your illustrations to children’s magazines to help get you noticed?

I honestly haven’t but I’m open to any venue that will help me get my work out there.

Do you use Photoshop with your illustrations?

YES. All the time.  I’ve been using Photoshop for years at my day job and I am constantly finding new ways to speed my process up by using Photoshop.  I’ve also started coloring all my illustrations in Photoshop.  I’ve also started using 3D modeling programs like Sketchup in the early stages of a drawing to help me figure out composition and perspective.  I am also trying to make Corel Painter a part of my process but I’m not there yet.

Do you own a graphic tablet? 

Yes. Love them. At home I use an Wacom Intuos tablet. At work I recently got a Cintiq which is so cool. In the few months I’ve had it I’ve already starting skipping some of the pencil drawing and doing it directly in Photoshop. Using different virtual brushes, I’m getting better at imitating a pencil line digitally. I can see doing more and more of that in the future.

Do you have a studio in your at home?

I do. It’s a recent addition for me and it makes me so happy. I go up there most nights after dinner and draw. I’ve got a drafting table and a computer station. The only problem is that the office is across the hall from my kids’ bedrooms so no TV or music without earphones.

When do you find time to work on the children’s illustration when you are doing The Late Show With David Letterman?

Nights and weekends. I’m always a little sleepy.

Other than the award you just won at the NJSCBWI Conference for the above illustration, has your artwork won any awards?

Sadly, no.

What types of things are you doing to get your work in front of publishers?

Not enough. I’m admittedly not good at selling myself. I’ve sent out a few postcards here and there.  I’m working on a new illustration for a bigger postcard mailing in the next few weeks.

What are your career goals?

I’m pretty happy being the Production Designer for the Late Show.

I love working on the picture books as well. I’d ideally like to write and illustrate my own stuff but I’d be happy drawing someone else’s manuscript too. Maybe I could one day down the road transition to being a full time illustrator. Who knows?

Are there any painting tips (materials,paper, etc.) you can share that work well for you? Technique tips?

I am always reading blogs for these answers!  I’m so terrible at knowing what to use.  Once in a while I get up the energy to try a different kid of paper or marker or pencil but honesty I’ll draw on anything.  More often that not, I draw with prismacolor pencils on cheap photocopy paper.  Mostly because I’m lazy. I’m experimenting with drawing in browns and purples instead of black.  Its a softer line but it isn’t appropriate for every illustration.

On the digital side, I keep trying to develop techniques that don’t look digital. I’ve been collecting a folder full of older papers and textures that I layer into my illustrations to give them a classic feel.   I try to use layers to my advantage. I leave things separated until the end so I can keep playing with composition. I also try to use old school techniques of shadow and highlight, also on separate layers.

Any words of wisdom you can share with the illustrators who are trying to develop their career?

At this point in my illustration career, I am probably someone who should be taking  career wisdom rather than doling it out.

Here’s what I can offer: First — draw every day.  I do. I think it takes a while to get into “the zone” where you feel your drawings are worth keeping.

Secondly – I am not a spiritual person at all but I do believe that opportunities find you.  You have to do the work and put yourself out there.  Opportunity might open a door for you but you do need courage to jump on those opportunities and the skill to back it up.

Thank you Jason letting us get to know you and sharing your process. Make sure you keep us updated on all your future successes. If you would like to visit Jason, here is the link to his website: www.jasonkirschner.com

Please take a minute to leave Jason some encouraging comments – Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

This fun illustration was sent in by Wendy Wahman. She is the author/illustrator of DON’T LICK THE DOG, A CAT LIKE THAT and illustrator of SNOWBOY 1,2,3. Here is her Website: http://www.wendywahman.com

Kat Yeh’s THE FRIEND SHIP, about a lonely hedgehog who sets off on a voyage to find the wonderful ship where everyone is a friend, only to make an unexpected discovery as she invites more and more lonely animals to join her on their increasingly crowded boat, to Rotem Moscovich at Disney-Hyperion, for publication in Summer 2015, by Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency (World).

Tassy Walden Award: Tassy Walden Awards competition encourages and nurtures the creation of exceptional quality books for children by unpublished Connecticut writers and illustrators in each of five categories: Picture Book (text only), Illustrated Picture Book (art and text), Children’s Book Illustrator Portfolio, Middle Grade Novel, and Young Adult/Teen Novel. Sponsored by Barnes & Noble the Tassy Walden: New Voices in Children’s Literature is a prestigious competition, judged by editors and agents in the field.

New Voices in Children’s Literature 2013 honorees were announced Tuesday night. BETSY DEVANY was a double-honoree this year. She was a middle-grade finalist for FILBERT AND THE GOOBERS,  and won honorable mention for FINDING BEAUTY. This was Betsy’s ninth Tassy.

If you attended the NJSCBWI Conference a few weeks ago, you heard Lauren Oliver (“Delirium series”) read an excerpt from her new YA novel PANIC. HarperCollins imprint Harper Teen will publish the book in spring 2014. Well, I thought you would like to know that Universal Pictures landed the film rights to PANIC in a bidding war. The seven-figure deal closed on Monday night, according to an individual familiar with the negotiations.

Michelle Nagler will join Random House Children’s Books on July 15 as associate publishing director for the Random House/Golden Books group, reporting to Mallory Loehr. Nagler is currently editorial director at Bloomsbury Children’s. Editorial director for Stepping Stones Jennifer Arena; executive editor Shana Corey, and associate editor and Chelsea Eberly will report to Nagler going forward.

Lynda Zuber Sassi will rejoin Chronicle Books as associate director, mass markets. Previously she was director of wholesale at DwellStudio; she was last at Chronicle in 2010. In addition, Erynn Im-Sato has been named associate manager, mass markets.

Lindsey Schwoeri has joined Penguin Books as editor. Previously she was an editor at the Random House Publishing Group.

Christina Quintero has joined Little, Brown Books for Young Readers as art director for licensing. Previously she was associate art director at Grosset & Dunlap/Price Stern Sloan.

Rysa Walker won the overall Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for her YA book Timebound. Walker will receive a $50,000 advance and publishing contract with Amazon Publishing.

The ebook of The Activist’s Daughter, about college life in the South during the civil righs turmoil of the 1960s is available for FREE from Amazon Kindle for 5 days only - June 20 – 24.  Don’t miss out! http://www.amazon.com/The-Activists-Daughter-ebook/dp/B00D45LGU6%3FSubscriptionId%3D0DK6RX2SNSBPXDSWSNR2%26tag%3Dwwwellynbache-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00D45LGU6

Here’s your chance to win advance reader’s copies of FOUR of Greenwillow’s Fall 2013 books! They’ll be giving away one prize pack of all four ARCs. Here’s the link: http://greenwillowblog.com/?p=5606

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Penguin’s Grosset & Dunlap imprint will award a $10,000 contract to a writer who can write the first book in a new young adult series based on Jim Henson’s 1982 fantasy film THE DARK CRYSTAL.

The world of The Dark Crystal is a world unlike any we have ever known. Under the triple suns, the skies roil with cloud formations not seen in our skies. Seedpods spiral up and rocks scuttle off. It is a world where the wise and noble urSkeks have been split into two imperfect races, Skeksis and urRu; and the Gelfling Clans, the species most like our own, go about their lives not knowing what their future holds. This is a world waiting to be explored and expanded upon with new stories, new quests.

You could be the author of a new novel
set in the world of Jim Henson’s
The Dark Crystal.

At The Jim Henson Company, we continue to be enthralled with the possibilities of this world and invite you to join us in our obsession. We have set up a portal to share what we know, a new website with all of the information about this place and these creatures: DarkCrystal.com. We invite you to use the resources, character descriptions, locations, and history on this site to join us in imagining the next Dark Crystal story.

Cheryl Henson Founder, DarkCrystal.com

The above slide points out two things I think are extremely important to the success of your self-published book. IMO, cutting corners on the cover design and copy editing can make a big difference in how many copies you sell.

The report found that getting help, paid or unpaid, with editing, copy editing and proofreading provided a 13 per cent bump in earnings. Those who added cover design to that list saw a 34 per cent increase over the average. Interestingly, ebook formatting help added only an extra 1 per cent.

It was estimated that about 68 per cent of authors who’d spent money on their book would recoup that cost within 12 months. For the rest, no amount of lipstick could improve the story. So make sure your foundation is good and go through all the steps you would to get a solid, interesting story.

Writers with agents earn three times more than those without. Romance writers earn 120 per cent of the average, but science fiction, fantasy and literary writers do much worse earning 38 per cent, 32 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.

Those who had already had books put out by traditional publishers earned 2.5 times more than authors who’d been rejected by traditional publishers or who had skipped the traditional route all together.

The Taleist survey found that most self-publishers are “old hands” with 40 per cent having been writing for more than ten years, and 60 per cent for more than five years. Only one in ten were newbies, writing for less than a year.

Getting positive books reviews is important. In book stores like Amazon, getting reviews is key to getting your book recognised by the site’s recommendation algorithm. The survey found that those authors who submitted to book review blogs has slightly higher than average reviews and revenue. But those authors who submitted their book to popular reviewers on Amazon received 25 per cent more reviews than average and 32 per cent more revenue.

What respondents did to seek reviews actively:

The authors who did best, however, did everything except pay for reviews: They gave away review copies, submitted to book review blogs and the mainstream press, sought popular reviewers on Amazon and asked their readers through email lists etc.

The results of the recent self publishing survey by Taleist.com shows Authors who submitted to popular reviewers on Amazon received 25% more reviews than average and earned 32% more revenue for their latest release.  But there can be potential risks, so spend the time to do your research. Getting a review for your fantasy book with a top Amazon reviewer who doesn’t like fantasy is not going to help your book.

Here is the link to the top Amazon reviewers: http://www.amazon.com/review/top-reviewers.

Did you know you do not need a Kindle to read an ebook from Amazon. Under its promise of “buy once, read anywhere”, Amazon provides free apps to read Kindle books on computers, smartphones, and tablets. Even if you have a Nook, you can use the Amazon App to read their books and everyday they have four Kindle book deals. These apps can be downloaded from Amazon here.

Here is the link to purchase Not a Gold Rush – The Taleist Self-Publishing Survey [Kindle Edition]

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Rebellion’s profile in the U.S. has increased since Simon & Schuster began distributing its books in 2010, with growing sales for the graphic novel line following 2012’s Dredd.

U.K. publisher Rebellion is going after a somewhat younger crowd with its new children’s imprint, Ravenstone, which launched at BEA with the June release of its first book, Lupus Rex by singer-songwriter John Carter Cash.

The company’s entry into the crowded children’’s book field has been met with enthusiasm, said publishing manager Ben Smith, because the debut title is “not just another dark apocalyptic YA fantasy or vampire novel. People appreciate that it’s for middle grades.” Beyond the first two books, Ravenstone is looking to a possible sequel to Lupus Rex.

Ravenstone joins Rebellion’s other prose imprints: Solaris – which publishes fantasy, science fiction, and horror, including books by bestselling author James Lovegrove – and Abaddon Books, which presents shared-world fiction, mostly in the urban fantasy genre.

Jon Oliver, editor-in-chief at Rebellion, said that a children’s imprint fits well with the publisher’s genre offerings. The line begins with just one book a season to start: Lupus Rex, a fantasy about an epic battle among crows, wolves, and other creatures for the crown of their world. It’s the first middle-grade title for Carter Cash, who has previously published three picture books. Ravenstone’s fall release will be Jan Siegel’s comedic Devil’s Apprentice, in which a successor to Satan – who is retiring – must be found.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

There are three main file types currently associated with eBooks:

• EPUB (.epub) – Short for “electronic publication,” this is the most popular open standard format for eBooks that allows DRM (digital rights management). It is also the format used with all the major retailers EXCEPT Amazon/Kindle. With EPUB, reflowable content ensures that text is displayed in the optimal manner for each eReader or smartphone device.

• Mobipocket (.mobi) – An eBook format that allows users to add a blank page at any point in the text for notes, bookmarks, corrections, and drawings.

• Kindle (.azw) – Amazon’s proprietary format is based on mobipocket, but it comes with its own DRM protections.

1) Once your book has been converted to ePub format, it’s too late to fix a typo! So proof your files for spelling, grammar, and syntax. Remember you are now your own editor! It is up to you to make sure the document you convert to an eBook is meticulously proofread. Even if you pay a company to do the converting for you, you still have to have it perfectly edited, so you might want to consider paying someone to edit your book prior to conversion.

2) Don’t use tabs or the space bar to format paragraphs and individual lines. While it may look the way you want it in a Word or text file, tabs and spaces wreak havoc when converted to eBook format. Use the “Format/Paragraph” menu or alignment buttons in the toolbar of your text-editing program if you want indents.

3) Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Courier New. Not all fonts are supported by the eBook format and eReaders. The standard text size is 12 point size font for body text and 14-18 point for chapter titles. Another reason to use Times New Roman: Any special symbols may not convert properly to ePub when using other fonts.

4) The publisher’s name and address, date of publication, copyright info, ISBN number, and other credits should be included on the first two pages of the document.

5) Don’t resize your images in Word or a text editor. All images must be in .png, .jpg, or .tif format, 72 dpi, and in RGB color mode. Do all image resizing outside of the document with image editing software, then reinsert them in your document.

6) If you pay a company to format your manuscript to an ebook, check to make sure of their specs. In general, you will need to resize large images to 300 pixels high if you would like them to display in-line with text. Cover and full-page images should 800-1,000 pixels high by 550-700 pixels wide. Logos or simple images should be 75-100 pixels high.

7) All images (except full-page images) should be set in-line with text. Do not wrap text around images.

8) Tables, sidebars, and inserts will not display properly in ePub format, so extract this type of content and list as ordinary text. Of course, you can always included them as images.

9) Do not include any elements that refer to page numbers other than your formatted Table of Contents. Pages in your document will not coincide with the “pages” on any given eReader.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

This Father’s Day card was sent in by Tracy Campbell to help wish all you Dad’s and single Mom’s a Happy Father’s Day. Tracy was featured on Illustrator Saturday on May 18th.

I missed getting Tara Lazar’s debut book THE MONSTORE at the conference last weekend. I took too much time, before I tried to buy her and all the books were gone, but Amazon has plenty in stock. I am sure I will see Tara soon at another event to have her sign it for me. Looks like a great picture book.

Tara Lazar is a children’s book author, foodie, mother and boogeyman assassin (currently booked at 3:00 a.m. nightly).  She writes quirky, humorous picture books featuring magical places that adults never find. Her debut THE MONSTORE releases in June 2013, with I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BEAR BOOK and LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD to follow in 2014. She’ll also debunk the rule “Grow Up, Be Serious” in BREAK THESE RULES, a YA anthology due in September 2013. Tara lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters. Discover original stories, book reviews, giveaways and boogeyman extermination advice at www.TaraLazar.com.

The Monstore is a one-stop shop for all your monsterly needs in this enormously funny story that’s full of friendly, kooky creatures.

At the back of Frankensweet’s Candy Shoppe, under the last box of sour gumballs, there’s a trapdoor.

Knock five times fast, hand over the bag of squirmy worms, and you can crawl inside The Monstore.

The Monstore is the place to go for all of your monsterly needs. Which is perfect, since Zack definitely has a monsterly need. The problem? His pesky little sister, Gracie, who never pays attention to that “Keep Out” sign on Zack’s door—the one he has made especially for her.

But when Zack’s monsters don’t exactly work as planned, he soon finds out that the Monstore has a few rules: No Refunds. No exchanges. No exceptions.

Publishers Weekly

Debut author Lazar takes readers to an underground emporium, the Monstore, which trades in “the most useful monsters, just right for doing tricky things around the house.” Tricky things like handling “pesky little sisters.” However, the monsters that Zach purchases aren’t working as advertised. Instead of scaring Gracie, the enormous, three-eyed, orange-furred Manfred teams up with her to frighten Zach. And because the Monstore’s return policies are none too friendly, Zach purchases more monsters (“Add another,” suggests the wild-eyed shopkeeper. “A monster threesome is more gruesome than a twosome”), all of which wind up tormenting Zach. Readers shouldn’t be surprised that Gracie is delighted, not frightened, by the blobby, tentacled additions to the household—Burks’s (Beep and Bah) colorful creatures are firmly in the scary-cute vein of Monsters, Inc. (in one scene, they use a purple snake monster to jump rope with Gracie). Zach gets a chance to prove himself as a capable older brother, but this story really belongs to Gracie.

Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (June)

ISBN-13: 9781442420175
Publisher: Aladdin
Publication date: 6/4/2013

Tara Lazar wished there was a Monstore when she was a kid so she could’ve spooked her pesky little brother. Her mischievous imagination led her to write picture books, and she founded PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month). She lives in New Jersey with her husband and her two daughters. Visit http://www.TaraLazar.com for stories, giveaways, and contests for kids of all ages (like Tara!).

James Burks started drawing as a little kid and hasn’t stopped since. Along the way he’s written and illustrated some books of his own, including Gabby and Gator, Beep and Bah, and Bird and Squirrel on the Run. James lives in southern California with his two little monsters.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Andrea Offermann was born in Cologne, Germany, and grew up in the countryside close to the city, in an old horse stable converted to a house, surrounded by a wild garden. During a visit to the US she fell in love with Art Center College of Design and eventually moved to California to study at the school. She graduated in 2005 with a BFA in Illustration, and stayed for another year to work as an illustrator and fine artist.

At Art Center, she had the chance to take several print making classes and fell in love with the different techniques, especially the intaglio technique of drawing with needles and then etching the line into the surface. Later she took further intaglio classes at a printmaking school in Italy, and the love of line work has influenced my style very much since.

In spring 2006 Andrea moved back to Germany and is now living in Hamburg and exploring different areas of illustration such as children’s books, graphic novels and editorial work, while maintaining a close connection to fine art. Her work has appeared in numerous publications such as Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, 3×3, Illustration Now!. Her illustrations were chosen for the Bologna children’s book fair exhibition and in spring of 2013 my portfolio received the Grand Prize at the showcase of the SCBWI winter conference in New York.

Andrea’s work space. Here is Andrea and her process:

Inspiration:

In this case the inspiration for the art was more literal than usual. I had seen a beautiful exhibition with art work by Dürer and fell in love with his wedding portraits. I wanted to do wedding portraits of a frog and a hare.

Thumbnail:

My thumbnails are always tiny and really just convey the idea of what I would like to do, with very very rough direction and composition.

Sketch:

I then scan the thumbnail in and print it out enlarged, then take it to my light box to trace the rough composition and then build the more refined sketch on top of it.

Line:

I scan the final sketch in and print it out, then use charcoal paper to transfer the drawing onto stretched watercolor paper. The charcoal line from the transfer paper is usually very dark, so I erase most of it away until I have a faint line left. Then, using copic multiliner pens or pen and ink, I draw the final image.

Painting:

When the drawing is finished I paint with watercolors on top of it. I paint in thin layers and build the color up slowly, adding texture and details bit by bit.

Final Image

How long have you been illustrating?

For about 8 years.

Did you go to school for art?

Yes, I went to Art Center College of Design.

What types of classes did you take?

I went through the regular illustration curriculum, focusing on editorial and book illustration. I was also particularly drawn to classes in printmaking techniques and took classes in intaglio both at Art Center and at Il Bisonte printmaking school in Italy.

Do you think the classes you took in college influenced your style?

Yes, I think especially the printmaking classes influenced my style, also several classes where we experimented with techniques such as glazing and rendering with different media.

Have you seen your style change since when you first started?

Yes definitely. My work was pretty much all over the place when I started, I was trying different things to see what would work best for a given assignment. Now I think a style has evolved, and I hope it will keep evolving, I keep trying new things and am hoping to be able to continue experimenting.

What is your favorite medium to use?

I love to work with pen and ink and then color with different media. Lately I have also started using paper silhouette.

Did any of the contacts you made in college help you get your first job or any contract?

Yes fellow illustrators at school brought me in contact with editors they had met with and eventually I got my first book contract in the US through one of those contacts. Also I was introduced to the gallery where I first showed my art at through illustrator friends.

The school itself had also set up some meetings with publishers and companies before graduation, and one of my first jobs also came through those meetings.

What was the first piece of art that you sold?

It was a series of intaglio prints titled “Magellan”.

Has your artwork won any awards?

Yes, most recently my portfolio won the showcase at the SCBWI winter conference in New York. My artwork was also chosen for the Bologna childrens book fair exhibit, has appeared in the books of Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, 3×3, Illustration Now!, won 1^st place of the AltPick awards, and was on the shortlist of the competition to illustrate “Life of Pi”.

What book was your first? When was that?

The first book I illustrated was a picture book for German publisher “Carlsen” entitled “Keine Angst vor Schafen”, written by Will Gmehling. The book was published in 2008.

How did the contract come about?

I had met with an editor of Carlsen publishing at the Frankfrut book fair in 2006. Many European publishers make appointments with illustrators at the Frankfurt book fair, there are even open portfolio reviews where you can stand in line and show your work. After the fair the editor contacted me to ask if I would be interested in illustrating a picture book for Carlsen.

How did you get chosen to do the cover  for the middle grade novel, The Boneshaker?

A designer I had met with had kept my postcard of “Pink Elephants” from an earlier meeting and when Clarion was looking for an artist to illustrate the cover of “The Boneshaker” she gave the card to the editor of the book.

Did you do any interior art for the book?

Yes, I did 13 black and white interior illustrations for the book.

Do you think you will branch out to doing illustrations for picture books?

Yes, definitely, I love illustrating books for all ages and actually just finished illustrating a picture book for an Austrian publisher (Nilpferd in Residenz), “Der Eisdrache (The Frost Flyer)” written by Troon Harrison, which I already mentioned earlier. This story was a great pleasure to illustrate, after illustrating several books for older children it was fun to work for this kind of book again, I hope I will always be able to maintain a balance between working on different books for different age ranges.

Do you think you will ever write and illustrate your own book?

I have been writing for a little while now and am hoping that I will be able to present my own story ideas sometime in the future.

How did you get the contract to illustrate The Midnight Zoo with Candlewick?

I was contacted by the art buying department who had seen “The Boneshaker” and my illustrations for the competition to illustrate “Life of Pi”. They thought that the sensibility of the illustrations would work well for Sonya Hartnett’s story.

How did Little, Brown, & Company find you for Ghost Knight?

I met with an art director at Little, Brown who saw my portfolio and immediately mentioned that they were looking for an illustrator for Ghost Knight. The author Cornelia Funke had specifically asked for an illustrator that could depict architecture, so I did a sample piece first to show how I would illustrate the cathedral, and both Little, Brown and the author liked the piece.

The same question for The Poisons of Caux: The Shepherd of Weeds with Knopf?

Similar story: I had met with the art director ad showed my portfolio. A year later she contacted me to inquire if I would be available to illustrate the book.

I have heard illustrators complain about how fussy publishers are with the covers of their books. Did you find doing a book cover more challenging?

Publishers definitely take great care when it comes to putting together the cover, since it’s the first thing that the audience will see, and it will be surrounded by other book covers geared towards the same audience, it needs to stand out but work for the audience at the same time. Also, many different departments have a say in what the cover should look like, so the decision making process can take longer then with interior art. It has happened to me that a cover was completely finished and then rejected by the sales department because they decided to go a completely different route, target a slightly older audience, not use illustration at all etc.

Is it harder to get published in the US when you live in Europe?

I think it’s more difficult to introduce your work to the publishers, but once the connection is established I don’t think there are great difficulties, the communication takes place mostly via email, artwork can be sent digitally or via FedEx.

What is the children’s book market like where you live?

The German speaking market is much smaller, publishers are maybe a bit more hesitant, they plan with much smaller print runs, so the advances are smaller too.

Have many languages do you speak?

German and English and tiny bits of French and Italian.

Have you ever visited the USA?

Yes, I studied in California and try to travel to the US about once a year to meet with publishers, go to conferences or show openings.

Have you published any of your illustrations in magazines?

Yes I do editorial illustration every once in a while.

Do you use Photoshop with your illustrations?

I use Photoshop for retouching or making small changes. Also, for magazine illustration and for the two “graphic novel” stories I wrote and illustrated I decided to use mostly digital coloring.

Do you own a graphic tablet?

YES! I love my graphic tablet.

Did you set up a studio in your house?

Up until now I was working from a studio in my apartment, but I will be moving into a shared work space in July.

Do you try to stick to a schedule to get your illustrations done?

Yes definitely. Especially when projects overlap I find it necessary to have a schedule I am working with. It happens often that deadlines are moved around, so it is very important for me to know how much time I will need for certain projects to be able to confirm new dates.

How many books have you published?

10 so far, in September the 11^th book, “Der Eisdrache” written by Troon Harrison, will be published.

Have you gone to any of the big conferences for Children’s Illustrators and Writers?

Yes I have attended the summer conference in LA twice and the winter conference in New York twice as well.

What are your career goals?

I would like to keep illustrating stories that are meaningful and that reach audiences all over the world and of all age levels. It would be wonderful to one day be able to write and illustrate my own books. Most of all I want to keep learning and experimenting and growing, and make art and stories that touch audiences.

What are you working on now?

As I said I just finished a picture book for an Austrian publisher. Right now I am finishing up a book cover for a YA novel for a US publisher that I am very excited about, we tried a few interesting things with this cover, I am very much looking forward to seeing it in print. Next I will be illustrating a graphic novel, I am very happy about this new challenge.

Are there any painting tips (materials,paper, etc.) you can share that work well for you? Technique tips?

Hmmm… unfortunately my technique is not very unique, as far as materials go I love using lanaquarelle hot pressed paper and copic multiliners for the line work, for watercolor I use mostly Windsor Newton.

Any words of wisdom you can share with the illustrators who are trying to develop their career?

Stay motivated and patient, keep educating yourself, stay in touch with colleagues and share information. When I started out I had a great critique group of illustrator friends, and it helped me so much to be in touch with them and get critique and motivation, help and ideas through these meetings and talks. Now I feel very lucky to be part of the SCBWI mentorship program and have the opportunity to meet and be in touch with all these fantastic illustrators. Unfortunately travelling to the US is far for me, so I can’t see everybody as much as I would like to. I can only encourage you to look for a crtique group around you and if there is one join it, its such a gift to be able to share your thoughts on your work and learn from each other.

Thank you Andrea for sharing your artwork, journey, and process. I have a lot of people write me to let me know how much they love Illustrator Saturday, exactly because of talented illustrators like you. Please let us know when you have an another book or another success story to share. I will be happy to show if off to let everyone know.

If you would like to visit Andrea, here is her website: http://www.andreaoffermann.com If you like Illustrator Saturday and Andreas work, please take a moment to leave Andrea a comment about her post. It is really appreciated.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

CALL FOR ILLUSTRATIONS: Please remember to send in your illustrations for June. It is a great way to get seen and keep your name out there to get noticed. Send to Kathy.temean(at)gmail.com. Please submit .jpgs at least 500 pixels wide.

Anna Olswanger has agreed to be our Guest Critiquer for June’s First Page. For those who like the picture prompt, you will find it at the bottom of this post.

Anna Olswanger is a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates in New York. Anna has been a literary agent since 2005 and has sold to Boyds Mills Press, Marshall Cavendish, Dutton, HarperCollins, McElderry, Pomegranate, and Random House Children’s Books, among other publishers. Specializing in: middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction, some adult fiction and nonfiction, children’s illustrated books, and Judaica.

Anna is particularly interested in working with author-illustrators.Anna enjoys discovering new authors and illustrators. She is looking for “voice,” the sound and rhythm of an author that could be no one else’s, and has a special interest in children’s picture books (author-illustrators only), adult nonfiction, Judaica, animal stories, and ghost stories. Contact her at [email protected].

In addition to being an agent, she is the author of the picture book Shlemiel Crooks, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book and a Koret International Jewish Book Award Finalist.

You may have attended some of her workshops, like Why Was My Manuscript Rejected? 3 Agents, 3 Opinions, with two other agents (see www.3LiteraryAgents.com). Writers in the Northeast may also know Anna, because she coorinated the Jewish Children’s Book Writers’ Conference at the 92nd Street Y for many years. In addition, she founded the website http://www.Host-a-Jewish-Book-Author.com

Anna’s own website is www.olswanger.com.

Submission Guidelines for Anna Olswanger:

I only accept email queries (no snail mail queries, please.)

Please insert (cut and paste) the first five pages of your manuscript into the body of your email. (I’m leery of opening attachments from addresses I don’t know.)

Queries to: [email protected]

June’s Picture Prompt illustration was created by Shawna JC Tenney. She was recently featured on Illustrators Saturday. http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/04/20/illustrator-saturday-shawna-jc-tenney/

WRITERS Sending in a First Page: Please attach your double spaced, 12 point font, 23 line first page to an e-mail and send it to kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com. Also cut and paste it into the body of the e-mail. Put “June First Page Critique” or “June First Page Picture Prompt Critique” in the subject line. Make sure you have your name on the submission, a title, and indicate the genre.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JUNE 17th .

The four chosen and their critiques will be posted on June 28th.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

When talking with Charlotte Bennardo on Friday at the conference, she showed me a receipt that she received at Barnes and Noble after buying a cup of coffee. I just thought this was so cool. Imagine seeing your book suggested on the receipt. Must have been very exciting for Charlotte. Another reason to make sure you look at your receipts.

In its nearly three centuries of existence, The Saturday Evening Post has published short fiction by a who’s who of American authors including F. Scott Fitzgerald; William Faulkner; Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.; Ray Bradbury; Louis L’Amour; Sinclair Lewis; Jack London; and Edgar Allan Poe. Now you have the opportunity to join that illustrious line-up by taking part in The Saturday Evening Post’s Second Annual Great American Fiction Contest.

The winning story will be published in the Jan/Feb 2014 edition of the magazine and on our website. The winning writer will receive a payment of $500. Five runners-up will be published on our website and receive payment of $100 each.

Helpful Hints:

“We like a good story! Entries should be character- or plot-driven pieces in any genre of fiction, but keep it readable, please! “We are looking for stories with universal appeal touching on shared experiences and themes that will resonate with readers from diverse backgrounds and experience,” says Joan SerVaas, publisher of The Saturday Evening Post.” Think local. The Post has historically played a role in defining what it means to be an American. Your story should in some way touch upon the publication’s mission: Celebrating America, Past, Present, and Future.

Submission Guidelines:

Stories must be submitted by the author, previously unpublished (excluding personal websites and blogs), and 1,500-5,000 words in length. No extreme profanity or graphic sex scenes, please. All stories must be submitted online and should be in Microsoft Word format with the author’s name, address, telephone number, and email address on the first page. There is a $10 entry fee, which helps defray a portion of the cost of operating the contest.

Click on the “Fiction Contest Entry Form” link below to upload your story and make a secure payment. Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. (EST), July 1, 2013.

Fiction Contest Entry Form

Thanks in advance for participating! The Editors

We’re pleased to announce “Wolf” by Lucy Jane Bledsoe the winner of our 2013 Great American Fiction Contest! Click here to read the prize-winning fiction from our winner and six runners-up.

- See more at: http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/fiction-contest#sthash.sEifrf2J.dpuf

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Jason Kirschner’s above illustration was the winner of the NJSCBWI Artist Exhibit Award for an Unpublished Illustrator.

Yvonne Ventresca – Signed book deal with Skyhorse Publishing for a contemporary YA novel about a flu pandemic.

Robin Newman – Signed a book contract for her chapter book, “The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake, A Wilcox & Griswold Mystery (Creston Books, Agent: Fleissig) Plus, she received an SCBWI Barbara Karlin Grant Letter of Commendation.

Linda Bozzo – Signed two book deals with Amicus for eleven nonfiction books about the military.

Susan Hood – Sold 2 new picture books to Random House. Plus, her book SPIKE, THE MIXED-UP MONSTER won a 2013 Int. Latino Award.

Ame Dyckman – Signed another book deal and picked up her Crystal Kite Book Award at the conference.

Adam Lehrhaupt – Landed an Agent when his editor Alexandra Penfold joined Literary Agency, Upstart Crow. His debut book, Warning: Do Not Open This Book! with Simon and Schuster is coming out 8/27/13.

Nancy Viau - Had two PBs come out this spring: LOOK WHAT I CAN DO! and STORM SONG. One PB forthcoming in 2014.

Pam Brunksill – Sold her first magazine piece to Highlights for Children It will appear in this September’s issue.

Laurie Wallmark – Magazine article printed in Cricket and a story in Boys Quest. She sold two additional articles to Boys Quest.

Dave Amaditz – His young adult novel, Dirty Secrets, was the winner of the 2012 SCBWI W-I-P Grant for a Contemporary Novel.

Wendy Greenley – Just discovered her poem “Elegy to my Hotel Bed” is included in the July/August issue of the SCBWI Bulletin.

Tracey Baptiste – Is working with Scholastic as an editor in their education department with a digital teacher training product called Scholastic U.

Eric Sailer took Honorable Mention in the NJSCBWI Artist Exhibit with the above illustration.

Left to Right: Agent Jessica Regel, Agent Stephen Barbara, Sheri Oshins, Leeza Hernandez, Kelly Calabrese, Connie Colon, Agent Marietta Zacker.

If you would like to see more photos taken at the conference click these links:

http://robinnewmanbooks.wordpress.com/

http://nerdychicksrule.com/2013/06/11/the-quotable-nerdy-njscbwi/

https://www.facebook.com/connie.t.colon/photos

Congratulations to all! I expect that I will be able to report back lots of other success stories once the bubble to the surface after the dust settles from the good things that went on at the conference.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

The theme for this years artist exhibit and contest at the NJSCBWI Conference was “Down the Rabbit Hole” There were four different awards. Below is Deborah Cuneo’s winning illustration. She was the winner of the Members Choice Award. Anyone who didn’t attend missed a wonderful display of talented illustration pieces.

The 259 people who attended the NJSCBWI conference this past weekend included 30 auth/illus speakers, and 32 industry professionals. They came from 18 states, various Canadian provinces and one from South Africa.

I just have to sing the praises of RA Leeza Hernandez, ARA Sheri Oshins, former ARA Laurie Wallmark, ICC Karen Romanga and their wonderful committee and volunteers. I had forgotten how much fun attending a conference could be. Having the opportunity to see things from the attendee side gave me the time to talk to the many friends who would not be in my life had I not volunteered to run the chapter for ten years. What a treat it was to be able to enjoy their company!

It was a privilege to read and critique a few writer’s manuscripts and share my thoughts about improving their stories. I conducted a workshop on marketing and gave everyone who attended a plan on what to do at every stage in their career, which I hope motivated them to start thinking about what they could do right now and start laying out a plan to be prepared for the successes that will come on the road to publication. Plus, I laid out what to do once they have signed a contract with a time frame on how to prepare for that book launch and after.

To be able to go to a workshop without having to run out to put out fires was fabulous. This gave me time to learn from the great editors, agents, and authors who shared their expertise. I even got to do my first pitch ever with agent Louise Fury from L Perkins Literary Agency – love Louise’s voice and her energy.

Louise was just one of the “New To NJSCBWI Conference” faculty. The conference was a good mix of conference veteran editors and agents and first time faculty members like: 

Elizabeth (Betsy) Bird, Librarian, NYPL/SLJ
Melissa Faulner, Editorial Assistant, Abrams
Louise Fury, Agent, L. Perkins Agency
Julie Ham, Editor, Charlesbridge
Erin Harris, Agent, Folio
Janine Hauber, Agent, Sheldon Fogelman
Lexa Hillyer, Editor/Co-Founder, Paper Lantern Literary
Janet Kusmierski, Art Director, Scholastic
Tricia Lawrence, Agent, Erin Murphy Literary
Rotem Moscovich, Editor, Disney/Hyperion
Jessica Regel, Agent, Jean V. Naggar Agency
Martha Sikkema, Senior Designer, Charlesbridge
Jenne Abramowitz, Senior Editor, Scholastic

Vin Vogel was the winner in the Published Illustrator category for the above illustration. He was featured on Illustrator Saturday in December. Here’s the link: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/11/10/illustrator-saturday-vin-vogel/

Ame Dyckman picked up her Crystal Kite Award for BOY+ BOT before funny and nice-guy Author/Illustrator, Peter Brown kicked off the conference. Shared his artwork as a child and his colorful illustration of his “Mommy.” Peter has promised to be featured later this year on Illustrator Saturday. I was disappointed that I didn’t grab his Creepy Carrots book on Saturday, because they were gone on Sunday. I’ll just have to buy it at Amazon.

Tara Lazar (The Monstore) followed by sharing her publishing journey and the pitfalls of battling Multiple Sclerosis. Tara is proof that you can overcome anything if you have to in order to get published – very inspiring.

I signed up for Stephen Barbara and Lauren Oliver (Delirium, Pandemonium, Requiem, Before I Fall, Spindlers ) workshop, but Lauren was sick with the flu, so she stayed in bed and pumped up the antibiotics, so she would be able to show up for the ending keynote on Sunday. Luckily Lexa Hillyer (Ex- Razorbill editor and Lauren’s partner at Paper Lantern was at the conference and could step-in without a hitch. Lexa was the hidden jewel at the conference.

Stopped in to learn from ultra successful author (25 books) and New Jersey member Wendy Mass talk about how she builds a book chapter by chapter.

Wanted to attend Laurie (Boys of Wartime) Calkhoven’s workshop on writing scenes and her mediation workshop, who everyone raves about, but I was doing my workshop during the mediation workshop and I only caught the end of the scene writing workshop. I am sure that Laurie will repeat both of these next year or another time during the year. Laurie always give a good workshop on every topic she does.

I attend Julie Hedlund’s workshop on App’s, but that is a big subject to tackle in a 45 minute window. I know I would be interested in an intensive on this subject. Julie took some of her unpublished picture books and developed apps of them which can be bought on Amazon.

Charlotte Bennardo (co-author Sirenz) did a fantastic workshop about what type of swag you could use to promote your book and individualized it for everyone who attended. I am sure she will repeat it again next year, so if you attend in 2014 – DON’T MISS IT!

It was nice to hear Charlotte remind everyone (what I always emphasize) that we are all in this together and should try to support each other by buying each others books and attending each others book signings when possible. What goes around comes around, so do unto other as you would have them do unto you. When your house starts getting run over by books, give them away to schools or friends.

Idea: Laurie Wallmark has a book swapping party at her house once a year where she gives away books and takes what isn’t picked up to the schools in the area.

More Tomorrow.  I will share the long list of people who came up to me at the conference to let me know about their successes. If something good has happened with you, please email me. You do not have to have been at the conference. I love to hear them and I think we can all draw inspiration from sharing in their successes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MAURICE SENDAK!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Two Weeks ago I featured John Mander on Illustrator Saturday. John was busy getting ready to attend the Reuben Awards dinner in Pittsburgh, PA. and didn’t have time to finish the answers for his featured post. John won the Best Illustrated Children’s Book Award that Saturday night for illustrating Jack and the Giant Barbecue. .Here is the link to read john’s interview answers that were added duribg the week: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/illustrator-saturday-john-manders/  Congratulations John!

Bloomsbury Children’s Books has promoted Caroline Abbey and Mary Kate Castellani to senior editor, while Brett Wright and Laura Whitaker move up to associate editor. Both Castellani and Whitaker move over from Walker Children’s, which will shift its focus to that of a boutique imprint under publishing director Emily Easton, publishing 18 titles per year with an emphasis on nonfiction and select fiction for preschool through young adult.

Phoebe Yeh will join Random House Children’s Books as vp, Publisher, Crown Books for Young Readers on June 21, reporting to Barbara Marcus. Yeh was most recently editorial director at HarperCollins Children’s. ““I have known Phoebe for many years and admire her as a highly creative and versatile editor with an excellent track record for discovering and nurturing new voices,” said Marcus in a statement. “I am so pleased to welcome her to Random House, where her expertise in nonfiction and commercial middle-grade books will perfectly complement and further strengthen our list.”

Sarah Harrison Smith has been named children’s editor at the New York Times Book Review. She was most recently on the paper’s metropolitan desk.

Tara Gelsomino has joined F+W Media’s Crimson Romance digital/POD imprint as executive editor. She was most recently executive marketing manager at AudioGO.

At BEA, HarperCollins announced their new in-house program to provide and manage digital galleys as well as promotional copies of their ebooks (including providing authors with multiple ebook “copies” of their books). Called the e-Insider Program, it works from a new website — e.hc.com — and uses Adobe Digital Editions (and thus requires a free Adobe ID to read the ebooks).

Authors will be given a set of one-time use of codes, each good for a single ebook download. For trade shows, like this one, “rather than distributing physical copies of books, HarperCollins can now provide a code that will bring promotional finished e-books or galleys directly to key constituents.” They used the platform to provide titles from Avon, Avon Impulse, Harper Teen and Harper Teen Impulse at the convention.

On Friday at BEA, the Publishing Hackathon awarded first prize to Evoke — which maps how characters in fiction are emotionally similar to each other as a way of discovering new books (and characters) to enjoy. The founders described it at the event as a “social recommendation algorithm that associates characters with each other based on reader preferences.”

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

LEE & LOW BOOKS, award-winning publisher of children’s books, is pleased to announce the fourteenth annual NEW VOICES AWARD. The Award will be given for a children’s picture book manuscript by a writer of color. The Award winner receives a cash prize of $1000 and our standard publication contract, including our basic advance and royalties for a first time author. An Honor Award winner will receive a cash prize of $500.

Established in 2000, the New Voices Award encourages writers of color to submit their work to a publisher that takes pride in nurturing new talent. Past New Voices Award submissions that we have published include The Blue Roses, winner of the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People; Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story, a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and a Texas Bluebonnet Masterlist selection; and Bird, an ALA Notable Children’s Book and a Cooperative Children’s Book Center “Choices” selection.

2013 New Voices Award

Eligibility

1. The contest is open to writers of color who are residents of the United States and who have not previously had a children’s picture book published.
2. Writers who have published other work in venues such as children’s magazines, young adult, or adult fiction or nonfiction, are eligible. Only unagented submissions will be accepted.
3. Work that has been published in any format, format, including online and self publishing, is not eligible for this award.
4. Manuscripts previously submitted for this award or to LEE & LOW BOOKS will not be considered.

Submissions

1. Manuscripts should address the needs of children of color by providing stories with which they can identify and relate, and which promote a greater understanding of one another.
2. Submissions may be FICTION, NONFICTION, or POETRY for children ages 5 to 12. Folklore and animal stories will not be considered.
3. Manuscripts should be no more than 1500 words in length and accompanied by a cover letter that includes the author’s name, address, phone number, email address, brief biographical note, relevant cultural and ethnic information, how the author heard about the award, and publication history, if any.
4. Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced on 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper. A self-addressed, stamped envelope with sufficient postage must be included if you wish to have the manuscript returned.
5. Up to two submissions per entrant. Each submission should be submitted separately.
6. Submissions should be clearly addressed to:

7. Manuscripts may not be submitted to other publishers or to LEE & LOW BOOKS general submissions while under consideration for this Award. LEE & LOW BOOKS is not responsible for late, lost, or incorrectly addressed or delivered submissions.

Dates for Submission

Manuscripts will be accepted from May 1, 2013, through September 30, 2013, and must be postmarked within that period.

Announcement of the Award

1. The Award and/or Honor Award winners will be notified no later than December 31, 2013.
2. All entrants who include an SASE will be notified in writing of our decision by January 31, 2014.
3. The judges are the editors of LEE & LOW BOOKS. The decision of the judges is final.
4. At least one Honor Award will be given each year, but LEE & LOW BOOKS reserves the right not to choose an Award winner.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathu

Kirsten’s career combines what she loves best about science, art & design. She is dedicated to creating illustrations, graphics, logos and stories that inspire connections between people & nature.

After volunteering and working  for over 10 years with Monterey Bay Aquarium, Kirsten now works out of her own studio. She is a children’s book illustrator & writer, as well as a visual science communications consultant. Kirsten collaborates on projects with scientists, educators, educational institutions, private companies and publishers to tell people stories about nature and science.

Kirsten illustrations style ranges from whimsical watercolor paintings to scientifically accurate pen & ink illustrations. The project’s audience dictates the style and medium. Her illustration work appears in scientific journals, greeting cards, posters, books, aquariums and brochures. Her design communication projects include logos, print and online collateral.

Kirsten brings her enthusiasm and skills as artist, scientist, and designer to every project she works on. She finds inspiration in nature and knowledge and strives to communicate that in her work.

Kirsten is the SCBWI Regional Advisor in Germany+Austria. She started out on AdCom in WA for 2 years (designing newsletter and conferece materials and the traveling booth use at different events in the USA like ALA). After she moved to Germany, she took over as Illustrator Coordinator for 1.5 yrs before taking over the RA position there. She just became an SCBWI board member and the International Illustrator Coordinator last fall, but has to retire when her family moves to hawaii (IIC must live on international soil).

She and her husband Dave, along with their two cats and two dogs, currently live near the Black Forest in Southern Germany.

Here is Kirsten:

I worked directly with the author, Joni Sensel, to create the design for the cover. Because it was going to be the 3rd in a series we wanted to incorporate some elements so it echoed the previous covers, I knew I wouldn’t be able to copy the illustration style of the previous covers so I suggested scratchboard because I know well from my scientific illustration work and I wanted to create in image with strong contrast.

Special tools needed to do scratchboard:

1. clay-coated board
2. scratching tool(s)
3. permanent ink (ie. india ink)
4. permanent ink pens (for adding lines)

The clay-coated board is available in white and black (black means it is already coated with ink). I prefer to apply my own ink because I don’t want to spend a lot of time scratching away ‘white’ areas, I’d rather leave them white from the beginning.

I learned on Essdee Scraperboard (from the UK: www.essdee.co ) but I now prefer Ampersand (www.ampersandart.com) because they put the clay coating on masonite and it’s better protected from cracking. If you use Essdee, you just have to make sure that you put it on a backer board.

I did some very loose thumbnails and we quickly chose three compositions that I sketched in more detail. We ended up combining two of the sketches into one composition, and I did a preliminary sketch.

I kept the background, people and knife elements separately.

My assistant (aka husband) made a knife specifically for me based partly on Joni’s description of the knife in the story. Then all I had to do, was draw it from the real-thing.

I uploaded a video showing the process but it didn’t turn out well (learning curve. newbie mistake stuff) but maybe it will help visualize the following.  https://vimeo.com/67728895

steps:
1.transfer art to clay-coated board (usually using Saral graphite paper in blue)
2.ink the areas that will be ‘mostly’ black
3.wait for it to dry (blow dryer speeds up the process)
4.scratch and blow off the dust (it is better to use a brush to wipe the scraped powder into a pile, but I either blow or tap the art on the table)
5.the more you scratch the better it gets. I am a messy-scratcher, some ppl are very precise.
6.repairing problem spots is easy—scrape away excess ink or add ink with pens or brush.
7.two tips: make sure you let the ink dry completely before scraping, if the clay is damp from the ink you won’t get a nice clear line; it’s better to apply ink to thinly and have to do multiple layers than add it too thick and get a thick-spot on the illustration (if you buy pre-inked clay board you skip this problem)

The final cover is a Black and white illustration in scratchboard with digital color, using the same font as the first book (and edition) in the series.

 

The Giraffe Who was Afraid of Heights was done by hand in watercolor and gouache.

After I said I would illustrate the story, I filled up a sketch book researching Africa, giraffes, monkeys, hippos and crocodiles. My file folder is full of stuff, even after several purges of material. I even went to a zoo where I could hide in a special blind to observe giraffes and I went to a reptile zoo to study crocodiles up close.

I used gouache  to paint the cover and the publisher added the background from another spread to go behind the giraffe head) and added the text and border.

How did you end up moving to Germany. How long have you been there? Do you plan to go back to the states in the future?

I fell in love with a military man while living in Monterey, California. We arrived in Germany five years ago (Sept 08) for his job and were supposed to stay in Europe until 2015. However, the military made some unexpected changes and we are moving to Hawai’i this summer. I wasn’t ready to leave but I’m super excited about being near the ocean again.
I see that you have a BS in Biology.

How and when did you get involved in art?

I’ve have been artistic since childhood, but I didn’t start pursuing it professionally until I was in graduate school for marine science. For two months, I spent many hours diving underwater doing research in Antarctica with icebergs, amphipods, penguins and seals. That experience changed my life forever. I was blown away by the unbelievable and unfathomable things I saw and it inspired me to reach beyond science in search of a way to communicate what I experienced to other people.

I found a graduate program that combined science and art—graduated with a Science Illustration Certificate from the University of California, Santa Cruz (the program is now located at California State University, Monterey Bay) and have been illustrating professionally ever since.

Did you ever take any art lessons?

Absolutely…and I still take art lessons whenever possible. I’m definitely addicted to learning. I took one art class as an undergraduate, but much of my illustration training is from the Science Illustration program and the amazing instructors that are still teaching there. I’ve pondered whether I should go back to school for a degree in Children’s Book illustration.

What was the first art related thing you got paid for?

This Kelp Forest illustration for a brochure on diving in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. It was a work-for-hire project. Graphite, but printed in one-color (blue).

How did you get your first picture book assignment? Which book was it?

My first picture book assignment was a story called “You Can’t Untie a Knot of Toads.” It’s a concept book about what groups of animals are called. A friend wrote it and wanted me to illustrate it, so we could submit it to publishers (we didn’t know about keeping writing & illustrating submissions separate). We got rejection letters from Chronicle and Houghton Mifflin and I have since lost touch with the author.

You have quite a resume with books, posters, greeting cards and magazines. Which one got you started?

I started with t-shirt designs and logo designs while still in high school. In my 20s, I did an internship with a group called Friends of the Sea Otter and they put my artwork on boxer shorts and sold tons of them. I think that officially nudged me in the direction of wanting to do more illustration.

Do you think you will start submitting to the Children’s Magazines out there?

Yes. There are so many amazing magazines for kids and I think a few of them might find my illustration style appropriate. I submitted my work to Ranger Rick in the 90s but was rejected.

What types of things helped you develop your illustrations and style?

Going to graduate school for scientific illustration was a huge catalyst, and taking classes from people who inspire me through SCBWI and other informal educational groups. But, listening to feedback from fellow illustrators and sketching as often as possible have been the most valuable resources in developing my style. I’ve been consciously working on developing a more narrative style, like the character for Sleepy Seal.

Have the materials you use changed over the years?

Most definitely. I’ve migrated from doing everything by hand to integrating the computer more and more. I still use pencil (and think it is integral to my style) as my primary drawing tool but I’ve expanded coloring my works digitally.

Have you ever tried to write and illustrate a children’s book?

Yes. I’ve actually been taking a break from illustrating to work on my own stories and strengthen my writing. I am currently working on three picture books and one middle grade illustrated novel. One of the picture books is called Pool Shark.

It looks like your first children’s book was “The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights” by David Ufer and published by Sylvan Dell. How did you land that contract?

I was contacted by the publisher after attending the SCBWI NY conference in February 2005. The publisher saw my illustration of a polar bear and sent me the text for a story about a giraffe. I said, “Yes, please!” and I signed a contract two months later. I had six months to complete the artwork.

What types of things do you do to get your work seen by publishing professionals?

I have primarily attended SCBWI events and conferences—participating in portfolio and/or illustration showcases, and signing up for critiques. At the SCBWI LA conference, I won 1st place for Realistic Portfolio, two years in a row.

Do you have an agent? If so, who and how long have the represented you? If not, would you like one?

I do not have an agent and am definitely seeking someone to represent me.

How many books have you illustrated?

I’ve illustrated three picture books and one activity book.

Did you self-publish your new activity book, “Where the Land and Sea Meet”? How do people order it if they want a copy?

No, but I am the illustrator, author and art director. The activity book is an education outreach project that a team of scientists published through their universities. It is currently available in English from University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska Sea Grant: http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/SG-ED-74.html
And is available in Italian from Pisa University Press:
http://www.edizioniplus.it/scheda-libro/carlson-kirsten/dove-terra-e-mare-si-incontrano-9788884927316-34091.html
It’s also been translated into Spanish but it’s not yet published.

Talk about doing research and your homework. Kirsten takes it to the next level.

What types of research do you do for your illustrations? It looks like you snorkel. Do you take pictures or do any research before you start a project?

I love to do research, sketch and photograph extensively for projects. I enjoy learning as much as I love drawing. I will sketch in the cold & snow and even underwater to research my subjects.

Who is Taylor Trade Publishing and how did you end up illustrating Sea Secrets: Tiny Clues to a Big Mystery for them?

They are the parent company for the imprint, Moonlight Publishing. They are printing and distributing all the educational picture books for a scientific group called The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network. I was contacted by the Education and Outreach Coordinator for one of the LTER research groups because she like my illustrations for Ocean Seasons. I designed and illustrated the book for a flat fee, and worked with Beth Simmons, the Education and Outreach Coordinator on several more really fun education projects (but not kids books).

I see Ocean Seasons just came out in paperback. Was it previously printed as a hardcover?

It was published as a hardcover in 2007. Sylvan Dell also offers it as an eBook in Spanish & English.

How do you keep your illustrating talent on the minds of your clients?

Ideally, I would be sending out postcards a few times a year, but I have a lot of opportunity to grow in this area. I’m becoming more active in social media as a way to stay connected to clients that are also using social media.

Have you gotten any work through networking?

Most definitely. Meeting people in person and showcasing my illustrations at conferences are the primary ways I’ve gotten work. Specifically, at conferences involving the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, National Marine Educators Association, and Western Society of Naturalists.

Do you do any art exhibits to help get noticed?

I’ve done one every few years, they are a great motivator to produce work and it’s a great way to reach out to the local community.

Do you ever use Photoshop?

Almost every day. I haven’t decided if I will continue to use them since they are going to be subscription-only, but for now I use Adobe CS5 for 99% of my digital work.

Do you own a graphic tablet? If so, how do you use it?

I have and adore my Wacom Cintiq display and Bamboo tablet. They are fantastic tools for working digitally. I use them primarly for touching up work.

How much time do you spend working on your illustrating?

In an ideal week, I spend 20-30 hours on illustrating. However, I’ve invested a lot of time in the last two years to writing and networking. The last year has been less than ideal creatively because my husband was deployed to Afganistan, and I had to juggle several things solo. But now he’s back and things are getting back to normal. As soon as we’re settled in Hawai’i, I look forward to getting back to my ideal week.

Do you still do your greeting cards?

Yes! I did a greeting card as a promotional mailer for Valentine’s Day this year. The company that originally distributed my cards went out of business and the copyright has reverted to me, and I’d like to continue doing greeting cards as part of my income stream. They are fun and enjoyable short-term projects.

What is the most important tool or material that you use?

I love my sketchbook bag with my beat-up watercolor set, waterbrush, pen and sketchbook. All my art supplies and the computer are tied for a very close second place.

Any exciting projects on the horizon?

No contracts at the moment, but I’m working on several self-motivated projects.

What are your career goals?

My goals are to work on creative projects daily — to do a combination of authoring and/or illustrating children’s stories, creating illustrations for licensing and selling ocean wildlife art in a gallery setting. I have an income goal to make between $10,000 and $1,000,000 annually, dependent on production. I fell far short of that this year.

What are you working on now?

I’m focused mostly on the writing-illustrating projects I mentioned earlier.

Are there any tips.(Example: Something you love – the best place to buy – a new product that you’ve tried – A how to tip, materials etc.) you can share that work well for you? Technique tips?

I’d recommend trying out a medium you’ve never used, because I did that and it affected me in an unexpected way. I recently took an abstract-art class, created something that was completely outside my style and it helped me loosen up so that I could create a more spontaneous whimsical piece of work (a triptych on wood) that is one of my favorites.

Any words of wisdom you can share with the illustrators who are trying to develop their career?

Stay committed. No matter what.
Keep creating and surround yourself with supportive friends and colleagues, reach out and mentor folks that can learn from you and ask for help from folks you would like to have as mentors.

Thank you Kirsten for sharing your process and journey with us. Boy, you really do go the extra mile holding alligators, swimming to the bottom or the ocean, and weathering the cold and snow to get close to nature and your subjects. I enjoyed doing this post and wish you much additional success. For those of you who would like to visit Kirsten you can find her at: www.kirstencarlson.net and www.artsyfishy.com   Her twitter name is: kirstencarlson

Hope you will take minute to leave Kirsten a comment. It is appreciated.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

The above illustration is by John Manders. He was featured on May 25th without his interview. Here is the link to read john’s interview answers that were added this week : http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/illustrator-saturday-john-manders/

CALL FOR ILLUSTRATIONS: Please remember to send in your illustrations for June. It is a great way to get seen and keep your name out there to get noticed.

Anna Olswanger has agreed to be our Guest Critiquer for June’s First Page. Deadline will be June 18th, so I wanted to give you an early heads up. For those who like the picture prompt, you will find it at the bottom of this post.

Anna Olswanger is a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates in New York. Anna has been a literary agent since 2005 and has sold to Boyds Mills Press, Marshall Cavendish, Dutton, HarperCollins, McElderry, Pomegranate, and Random House Children’s Books, among other publishers. Specializing in: middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction, some adult fiction and nonfiction, children’s illustrated books, and Judaica.

Anna is particularly interested in working with author-illustrators.Anna enjoys discovering new authors and illustrators. She is looking for “voice,” the sound and rhythm of an author that could be no one else’s, and has a special interest in children’s picture books (author-illustrators only), adult nonfiction, Judaica, animal stories, and ghost stories. Contact her at [email protected].

In addition to being an agent, she is the author of the picture book Shlemiel Crooks, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book and a Koret International Jewish Book Award Finalist.

You may have attended some of her workshops, like Why Was My Manuscript Rejected? 3 Agents, 3 Opinions, with two other agents (see www.3LiteraryAgents.com). Writers in the Northeast may also know Anna, because she coorinated the Jewish Children’s Book Writers’ Conference at the 92nd Street Y for many years. In addition, she founded the website http://www.Host-a-Jewish-Book-Author.com

Anna’s own website is www.olswanger.com.

Submission Guidelines for Anna Olswanger:

I only accept email queries (no snail mail queries, please.)

Please insert (cut and paste) the first five pages of your manuscript into the body of your email. (I’m leery of opening attachments from addresses I don’t know.)

Queries to: [email protected]

June’s Picture Prompt illustration was created by Shawna JC Tenney. She was recently featured on Illustrators Saturday. http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/04/20/illustrator-saturday-shawna-jc-tenney/

WRITERS Sending in a First Page: Please attach your double spaced, 12 point font, 23 line first page to an e-mail and send it to kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com. Also cut and paste it into the body of the e-mail. Put “June First Page Critique” or “June First Page Picture Prompt Critique” in the subject line. Make sure you have your name on the submission, a title, and indicate the genre. 

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JUNE 17th .

The four chosen and their critiques will be posted on June 28th.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

So you have a written and successfully gotten a publisher to offer you a contract. Now is the time to start thinking of how you plan to market your book. One of the first things that comes to mind are school visits, but you could use some help in figuring out how to maneuver that whole avenue. Well, I am going to point you to a great site – School Visits Experts. Once you visit them I am sure you will agree they share great information on there site. It was founded by Alexis O’Neill. You may already know Alexis, since she has been the SCBWI Regional Advisor in California for the last 18 years and has helped so many children’s writers and illustrators. I know everyone who reads the SCBWI Bulletin and everyone on the West Coast knows Alexis, but for those who live in other places, have a stack of SCBWI Bulletins waiting to be read, or haven’t read one of her books, this might be your first encounter with Alexis.

ALEXIS O’NEILL is the author of THE RECESS QUEEN(Scholastic), THE WORST BEST  FRIEND (Scholastic), LOUD EMILY (Simon & Schuster), ESTELA’S SWAP (Lee &  Low), THREE IRISH TALES (Kindle), and other award-winning picture books as well as a museum education consultant and an instructor for the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. Her nonfiction works have been published in Spider, Cobblestone, Calliope, Faces, and Odyssey. Her newest book, THE KITE THAT BRIDGED TWO NATIONS: HOMAN WALSH  AND THE FIRST NIAGARA SUSPENSION BRIDGE (Calkins Creek Books, September  2013) will be launched this fall at Niagara Falls in both New York and Ontario, Canada. Alexis writes “The Truth About School Visits” column for the SCBWI Bulletin, offering advice to published authors and illustrators on the art and business of doing presentations. www.alexisoneill.com . www.SchoolVisitExperts.com .

She was also the recipient of the California Reading Association’s Dr. Marcus Foster Memorial Award 2010 for making significant and outstanding contributions to reading throughout California. www.californiareads.org

Thought I would share this book trailer for Alexis new book, since I’m always pointing out good trailer, so a little bit will wash off on you and help you down the road. Here is the book trailer for The Kite That Bridged Two Nations — coming September 2013!

Here’s Alexis:

Mistake #1. Opening weakly

Solution: Get attention! Invite the audience in immediately with a startling statement or image, a communal action (singing, chanting, clapping in rhythm) – anything that commands attention and shows the kids that the program is in your capable hands.

Mistake #2. Being unaware of audience reaction

Solution: Learn to “read” the room.  Are kids getting restless? Beginning to chat? Turning away from your presentation?  Time to switch up the content or pace and get them refocused.

Mistake #3. Speaking too softly, quickly or monotonously

Solution: Practice breathing, projecting, slowing the pace and speaking with lots of expression. Even if you think you have a voice like a foghorn, it will sound strained to those in the back of the multipurpose room.  Be sure to use a microphone. And don’t talk to the screen or easel – face your audience.

Mistake #4. Using visuals or props that are hard to see

Solution: Aim for the kids in the back of the room.  Make props oversize. Be sure everyone has a clear view of your props and the screen.

Mistake #5: Going overtime

Solution: Appoint a timekeeper to give you warnings at 10 minutes, 5 minutes and the end. Keep your eye on the clock so that you can adjust your pacing.

Mistake #6. Failing to create an ending with impact or with a call to action

Solution: If you like to incorporate a Q & A into your assembly, don’t end with it – place it just before the ending. Wrap up by sending the group out with one last anecdote, a summary of the points you made in your presentation or an appeal for them to do something (Be sure to read! Write! Start a book club!)

SchoolVisitExperts.com is a place for published and soon-to-be-published authors & illustrators to find and share advice on how to create and deliver quality programs for kids, teachers and librarians. This is the place to find guidance on

• Designing meaningful programs
• Managing the business side of school visits
• Getting hired
• Evaluating the impact of your program
• Working effectively with children, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and hosts

The ultimate purpose of SchoolVisitExperts.com is to help you deliver presentations that have a positive, meaningful and motivational benefit for students, teachers, librarians, educational specialists, administrators and parents, increase your visibility and assist you in your quest to secure engagements.

For Advice on how to start looking for a school visit, read this article from Alexis: http://schoolvisitexperts.com/?p=589

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy