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A Timeline on Becoming a Children's Book Author
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So You Want to Become a Mentee
for the Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program
OR
You Want a Mentor
First, you need to know what you want in a mentor.
Here are my personal top 3 qualities I look for in a mentor:
1) Tall
2) Dark
3) Handsome
Well, looky-looky here. As luck would have it, my mentor Jim happened to fit the bill!
Okay, these qualities are more like bonuses. Below are the qualities to really look for in a mentor. Really.
Here are my TOP 10.
A good writing mentor is someone who is:
- Experienced in your genre and willing to share their skills, knowledge, and expertise
- Interested in your development as a writer and your success
- Respected in the industry or has great references
- Easy to reach
- Devoted and willing to spend time and energy mentoring and guiding you
- Up-to-date with the market
- Interested in knowing your strengths and weaknesses and building from it
- Honest with their feedback and gives constructive criticism
- Organized
- Supportive
The Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program has some of the best mentors in the industry. Check the website for updates on mentor panels.
“Past mentors have included National Book Award Finalists, New York Times bestselling authors, Caldecott Medal–winning illustrators, Coretta Scott King Award winners, Charlotte Zolotow Award winners, million-selling series authors, art directors, editors, publishers, and agents. We hand-pick mentors who are gifted both at creating children’s books and at teaching. Many Nevada Mentor Program alumnae have gone on to win awards, land agents, and sign book deals.”
How to Apply for the Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program
Here is the gist of it:
- Fill out the required application
- Send in three of your most promising manuscripts.
- Choose two mentors you'd like to possibly work with in order of preference.
- Your manuscripts will be given to your choices.
- The mentors then read the [blind] manuscripts given to them.
- Mentors choose two (sometimes three) they feel have promise.
- Hopefully, one of the two mentors you've selected has chosen you to work with.
The Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program is a one-of-a-kind experience. Curious about what goes on? You can read my story here.
TIPS
- Choose your best work for submission. (You'd be amazed at how much more can be improved. If you are sending a picture book, many times the mentor will allow up to three to work on. If you are chosen as a mentee, you can ask if your mentor will be willing to look at a different manuscript you'd prefer to work on.)
- Choose a mentor experienced in your genre
- Avoid choosing a mentor in hopes of that editor/agent representing you. Choose them for their mentorship!
- Take advantage of their expertise. Don't be afraid to ask questions during the six-month course. You may want to create a list of questions ahead of time so you don't end the program with any regrets.
CAVEAT [not to be confused with Caviar]
The price of the Nevada Mentorship Program is steep.
If you have to travel far to get to Reno, you need to factor that into the price of tuition since transportation is not included.
You can probably find a mentor for fraction of the cost of the Nevada Mentorship Program. But remember, tuition includes mentorship, craft intensive workshops, lodging, and most meals.
Please note that the six-month program doesn't mean you are away for six months. It means, you get to work with your mentor for six months. There are two (separate) 3-day weekend retreats. One at the start of the program, the other at the end.
The Nevada Mentorship Experience, the support, friendships, the networking with agents, editors, authors, and the relationships built are priceless.
At the retreats you sleep, eat, mingle with agents, editors, and authors. It's the "dorm room" experience which gives the program a more intimate appeal.
Communication varies with each mentor, ranging from emails, Skype, and phone calls. Usually your one-on-one is limited to an hour at a time, three times during the six-month program. You will not know the arrangement until your first meeting with your mentor.
Everyone's mentorship experience is unique to their mentor-mentee relationship, which is why it is so important to choose your mentor wisely!
~ Happy Writing!
For more on the experience visit:
To Apply Visit:
Motivating.
Inspiring.
Validating.
That about sums up my Nevada SCBWI Mentorship Experience.
The Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program runs from October through April. I was fortunate to have been selected for the six-month program. As a mentee, my mentor takes me under his wings and shares his expertise to help me become a better writer.
I was over-the-moon when I found out Jim Averbeck would be my mentor. Jim Averbeck is the author of ONE WORD SOPHIA, IN THE BLUE ROOM, and more.
Picture Books by Jim Averbeck:
One Word from Sophia (2015)
The Market Bowl (2013)
Oh No, Little Dragon (2012)
Except If (2011)
Many of you have asked me about the details of my experience so I am sharing it with you today. Here is my story.
THE NEVADA SCBWI MENTORSHIP EXPERIENCE
MY STORY
The Beginning
The kick-off of our mentor program took place in Reno, Nevada. I was nervous about my meeting with Jim. I've seen him on occasion at local and international SCBWI conferences, but that's about it. One time I actually grabbed him without even introducing myself and asked someone to take a photo of us. I'm sure he doesn't remember this. Bold, but worth it.
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| SCBWI LA, Black and White Ball 2013 |
I digress…
My first introduction to Jim was a face-to-face critique of my manuscripts. We got down to business quick. The set-up was exactly like the LA SCBWI conference critique where you introduce yourself to your critiquer, shake hands, and wait for them to offer you to take a seat in preparation for the
leg-shaking,
palm-sweating,
lip-biting feedback.
Needless to say, it wasn't that bad. After my meeting with Jim, I stood up and my heart rallied.
Later, I met the other mentees who have been assigned to Jim. We dubbed ourselves Team Averbeck. Though I secretly wanted to be called the Robins since Jim was our Batman. He's cool like that.
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| With co-mentees Louise Henriksen and Lisa Crawford |
The rest of the kick-off weekend was spent listening to speakers about the craft of writing.
Being in a room with a select group of aspiring authors made me feel like part of a special forces unit in which only the elite come to train. As a writer whose been through many ups and downs, this experience was validating for me.
The Middle
I felt fortunate in that my mentor happens to live in close proximity to me so we were able to meet in person. It was nice to be able to bounce ideas off each other, clarify a comment, and get a reaction from my mentor.
Jim and I met at a local café overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We sat on comfy sofa-chairs sipping hot lattes- Chai tea latte for me, steamed milk for him. I was in writer's heaven. We engaged in a little small talk and dove right into my manuscript for a productive one hour.
Throughout the course of the mentorship, Jim assigned me a few writing exercises such as writing a letter from my protagonist to my antagonist. The exercises he gave me were so valuable in the construction of my manuscript. I appreciated that Jim took his mentorship seriously to help me become a better writer.
We went on to meet at the same café once more. The 6 month period was spent on writing and revising in-between critique sessions. Our last meeting was in Virginia City where he got to go over my manuscripts one last time for a total of four meetings.
I came into this program with what I thought were three polished pieces. It's amazing how much improvement can still be made on it. Jim helped me tighten my story more than I thought possible. My stories now have a clearer focus and streamlined story arc. My mentor Jim is intuitive, smart, and helpful. I couldn't have asked for a better mentor than him!
The End
The final retreat, held in Virginia City, was a nice way to cap my six-month long mentorship program. The weekend was spent listening to speakers (mentors), getting final critiques, socializing, and having fun.
Some of the fun things we did was tour historic downtown Virginia City, drink wine, and eat chocolate! We also shared ghost stories. After all, a weekend at the haunted St. Mary's Art and Retreat Center would not be complete without a ghost story.
At the final retreat, we all felt like one big happy family. The fact that our retreat took place in a haunted house made it feel more intimate. When things go bump in the night, you can't help but grow close very quickly.
 |
| The Attic of St. Mary's...BOO! |
Because of the Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program, I've gained new insights to my writing, created memories, and made lasting friendships. It was an amazing experience!
 |
| 2015-2016 SCBWI Nevada Mentees |
Want to take part in the Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program?
Stay tuned for part II of my Nevada Mentorship Experience on how to apply, what to look for in a mentor, and general tips.
The idea of breaking the fourth wall is eliminating the barrier between reader and story and allowing them in. This allows the readers to immerse themselves into the wonderful world of imagination.
Many picture books use this technique to get readers engaged through a unique interactive experience. Humor and intrigue is a big part of it, which is what makes it so appealing to readers.
My writing mentor Jim challenged me to write my children's story eliminating the fourth wall. I stumbled on its approach so I took the time to study picture books that successfully broke the fourth wall.
Breaking the fourth wall is nothing new in picture books. Author Crockett Johnson did a marvelous job with his book, HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON. It has become a classic favorite.
In his book, the story unfolds as the main character, Harold, draws in the book with his purple crayon. Harold doesn't know exactly where the story will take him, but he is in for an adventure and takes the readers along with him. This story is told in third person, but the pictures draw (no pun intended) the readers in through imagination.
Author Mo Willems is a pro at breaking the fourth wall with his Elephant & Piggie and Pigeon book series. In WE ARE IN A BOOK! the characters talk to each other then break out and refer to the reader. Later, they end up talking to the reader using speech bubbles. There is an interaction between characters, and between characters and the reader.
Piggie!
Yes Gerald?I think someone is looking at us.
A reader! A reader is reading us.
End: Hello, will you please read us again?
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| Diagram for We Are in a Book! |
Sometimes breaking the fourth wall can get complex as in BIG BAD BUBBLE by Adam Rubin. The story is told in second person and starts off like this:
You may not know this, but when a bubble pops, it doesn't just disappear.
Then a character butts in:
Bubbles are sneaky. You never hear them coming…
And now the character and the narrator, who is not revealed, are having a dialogue with each other. But at the same time, because the narrator is outside, we feel as if the character is talking to us, the reader.
Narrator: Don't listen to Mogo…he has no idea what he's talking about.
Character: Bubbles kill thousands of monsters every year.
Narrator: No, they don't.
Character: Oh, yeah? Prove it.
The diagram for this story looks like this: |
Diagram for Big Bad Bubble
|
Activity/Instructions
A simple breaking the fourth wall device is to simply have the character(s) talk to the reader. This is very effective in creating an interaction between character and reader.
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| Basic diagram for breaking the fourth wall |
In IS THERE A DOG IN THIS BOOK? by Viviane Schwarz, several cats are talking directly to the reader and they are referring to the book that they are a part of. They ask the reader to do something. In this case, cats are inviting readers to lift tabs. This makes them feel a part of the story.
Oh, hi!You opened our book!Come and look at all the pages!
Wait- is there somebody else in this book?
PRESS HERE by Herve Tullet is a clever and fun interactive picture book that encourages participation. The reader is instructed to do something like "press here," turn the book upside down, and shake it.
My all time favorite classic picture book is THERE IS A MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK, by Jon Stone. Readers are instructed to NOT to turn the page. Of course, that builds curiosity and leaves readers eventually turning the page. Grover is so adorable in his plea to readers and his fear of what's at the end of the book.
Reader as Narrator
Deborah Underwood, author of HERE COMES THE EASTER CAT uses the simple technique of character and reader interaction. The difference is that the reader becomes the narrator. As the reader reads the book as narrator, the cat is looking outside of the book. There is a private interaction between the reader and the main character, the cat. This technique allows the reader to become part of the story and makes for an exciting and personal experience.
What's wrong, cat? You look grumpy.
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Diagram for Here Comes the Easter Cat
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Referring to Book as Part of Story
The interaction between characters, narrator, and reader are elements to breaking the fourth wall. Referring to the book itself is another element as in THE JACKET by Kristen Hall. This story is told in third person and is about a favorite book- the (nameless) main character's book. Near the end, the readers are led to believe the book referred to in the story is the very book they are holding because it has the same cover as the book in the story. This is a great technique to get the readers emotionally involved.
Another story that refers to the book in the story is ERNEST THE MOOSE WHO DOESN'T FIT by Catherine Rayner. This is also written in third person. In this story the book comes to life as we see a transformation of the book unfold before our eyes. We see only parts of a moose because he is too large for the pages. Having the character step out of the book transports the reader into another dimension.
Breaking Out of Character
Characters who go in and out of character as in THIS IS A MOOSE by Richard T. Morris also breaks the fourth wall.
The story begins like any other story:
This is the Mighty Moose. His father is a moose. His mother is a moose…
This moose wants to be an astronaut.
Then all of a sudden, they break character with:CUT.
Excuse me, but moose cannot be astronauts…
The characters begin talking with each other and the story switches between the narrator telling the story in third person and natural dialogue between characters.
 |
Diagram for This is a Moose
In CHLOE AND THE LION by Mac Barnett, Barnett himself is talking directly to the reader. His presence is known because we can see him in claymation form as a character in the book. This technique really makes you feel like you are part of the creation process.
Here is how he starts the book:
This is me, Mac. I'm the author of this book. This is my friend, Adam. He's the illustrator of this book. And this is Chloe. She's the main character of this book.
Here, readers get a backstage pass into the book process with a formal introduction. This is effective at getting readers invested in the story.
After the introduction, the story begins as third person narrative:
Wherever Chloe went, she looked for loose change.
Not so long after the story begins, we are interrupted by Barnett who takes us out of the imaginary world: I'm sorry. Hold on. Adam could you come out here?
This is what it looks like in diagram form:
|
So you see, there are several techniques you could use to break the fourth wall of your story. Experiment with these and find which suits your story best.
After studying these mentor text, I decided that I didn't want a narrator interacting with my characters. Since I had more than one character, I used the character interaction and one sided communication of characters talking to readers as in the diagram of This is Not a Book by Mo Willems. This process of studying mentor text helped me to see the different ways to approach breaking the fourth wall. May it help you.
-------------------------------------------------
Mentor text for breaking the fourth wall:
THIS IS A MOOSE by Richard T. Morris
ERNEST THE MOOSE WHO DOESN'T FIT by Catherine Rayner
THE JACKET by Kristen Hall
HERE COMES THE EASTER by Deborah Underwood
THERE IS A MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK by Jon Stone.
IS THERE A DOG IN THIS BOOK? by Viviane Schwarz
PRESS HERE by Herve
BIG BAD BUBBLE by Adam Rubin
GERALD AND PIGGIE by Mo Willems
HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON by Crockett Johnson
CHLOE AND THE LION by Mac Barnett
Catherine Bailey is a children's author from sunny Florida. She just celebrated the release of her debut picture book MIND YOUR MONSTERS on August 8, 2015 in her hometown's Barnes & Noble, which proved to be a MONSTER of a party!
Catherine started promoting her book way in advance. I won my MYM swag during her cover-reveal giveaway on her blog back in March. She's created a lot of buzz since so I wanted to get the inside scoops of her marketing skills.
In this interview, you will learn every detail on what goes into planning a book launch party and more. Lots of monsterly love here so let's get started!
Monster Marketing
An interview with debut author Catherine Bailey
Catherine, how did you come up with the idea for Mind Your Monsters?
My then two year old daughter asked me “Mommy, how do you move a monster?” The best answer I could come up with was “Politely.” – LOL! Then I was intrigued by this idea that by using manners – specifically please – small kids could have this great big power. Plus I love Halloween and all things monster.
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| Sterling Publishing, 2015 |
PLEASE (notice my politeness?) tell us the path you took that led you to your agent
Basically I queried Kathleen, was very kindly and thoughtfully rejected, and then approached her again a few months later when Mind Your Monsters was pulled from the slush pile by an editor at Sterling Publishing. Kathleen had never seen Mind Your Monsters before because I queried her with a different manuscript (You don’t query agents with stories that you have out on sub to editors).
You can read the long version of this story on my author blog here.
Who initiated the set-up of your book launch party?
I initiated the launch party – as well as every single library, school and store visit since. My publisher provided me with a publicist who has been wonderful in terms of submitting the book to print media. But as a debut author it really was on me to get the word out – in person and on social media. I spent three days driving to every place I could think of that might sell or carry my book, equipped with a self-made “media packet.” I called newspapers and schools. I figured out Twitter…. Eventually…. Sort of. I hired a web designer and paid for a website. I made a Facebook page. I kept my blog updated. I bought promo items, made an enormous plywood replica of my book cover for photo ops, and researched what to do at events (crafts games, work sheets, etc.) Bottom line – I hustled, and I’m still hustling!
"As a debut author it really was on me to get the word out"
I love the idea of the photo op with your giant book cover! So tell me, what goes on in the planning of a launch party at a bookstore?
Well first I had to pick a place. The local Barnes and Noble was the obvious choice (though I had a back up option just in case). I called and got the B&N event coordinator’s name and email. I contacted her with a pitch for the party, my headshot, Press Release, book cover graphic, black and white samples of the artwork, etc. Once Barnes and Noble was on board with hosting the event I mapped out a rough schedule – reading, crafts, signing – and got everything approved by B&N. I didn't plan any food because it was prohibited and frankly that was fine with me.
Then I promoted the event online and in person. I had flyers designed by my web designer and printed them up at Staples. It was summer so I approached local camps and asked them to send the flyers home with the kids. If school had been in session I would have contacted them as well – at least schools where my daughters attend, and where I have teacher and mom friends. I posted them at YMCAs, stores, gyms, libraries, daycares – pretty much if it was in Stuart and didn’t move, I taped my flyer to it.
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| Postcards |
"I promoted the event online and in person"
How did I figure out what to do? I researched launch parties on the Blueboards, I asked my critique partners who are published, and I read author blogs. I also chatted with librarians for ideas and my agent was SUPER helpful. I did all this BEFORE I contacted B&N so I could approach them with a concrete, professional plan.
Did much of your marketing expense come out-of-pocket?
Yup, LOL! I have paid for everything – from gas for road trips to launch party flyers to little monster toys – except for a huge and beautiful poster that my publicist sent to me. My husband is less than thrilled with this but I think it’s crucial to show readers, educators and your publisher that you are “in it to win it”
How many months in advance did you plan for the book launch?
Two months.
Any other marketing strategies that worked or didn't work for you?
Facebook has been a wonderful resource, as has Twitter. And I don’t even really understand Twitter. I do know that I can be at a reading or signing and post a picture to these sites from my phone – which is easy, free, fun promotion. They are also great places to get the word out about events, and most importantly to show thanks. A lot of people will work hard to make you successful and support you. Be grateful – and be grateful publicly!
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| Adorable plush monsters! |
Also stick with what you know and don’t spread yourself too thin. Do I use Pinterest and Instagram? Nope. They are probably fabulous but I have enough with my FB page, Twitter account, website, blog and in person work.
"A lot of people will work hard to make you successful and support you. Be grateful –and be grateful publicly!"
What resources did you use to help you plan for the marketing of your book?
The best resources were my critique partners and the Blueboards. Which is to say – you should learn from authors who’ve already done this. And be sure to pay it forward. For example, school visits were a mystery to me. But after weeks of online research and talking to teachers, I drafted and polished my Author Visit Packet. Then another writer asked to see it, copied it, tweaked it, and is using it now. I’m thrilled I could help her like so many other writers helped me.
Oh and does Diet Coke and Nutella count as resources? Because I used those too :)
Oh, I LOVE Nutella! Yes, they count as resources. Nothing like nuts to keep you sane!
Thank you so much, Catherine, for doing this interview with me. I've learned so much as to what goes on behind the scenes of an author! I'm finding that an author wears many hats. I wish you happiness and abundance!
PLEASE show Catherine your monsterly love by picking up a copy of MIND YOUR MONSTERS. Available in bookstores today!
Fun Facts:
- # of rewrites/revisions for Mind Your Monsters: Dozens
- # of months from first draft to polished ms: 14 months
- # of months for Sterling to publish Mind Your Monsters: 32 months!
- # of months from agent contract to Sterling contract: 7 months
Today is National Running Day!
"National Running Day, held annually on the first Wednesday in June, is a day when runners everywhere declare their passion for running." ~RunningDay.org
I love to run.
I love the feeling of being outdoors in the fresh air, surrounded by wildlife and spectacular views. Combine this with an invigorating run and I'm a happy person.
I enjoy running so much that I wrote Running Boy. In this story, the question that everyone is asking is, "Running Boy, why do you run?" It is my hope to instill in the hearts of children the love for running…and reading!
Speaking of reading, NationalRunning Day is a great opportunity for me to share with you a few more picture books on running. My two favorites are Marathon Mouse, by Amy Dixon and The Pumpkin Runner, a Smithsonian Notable Book by Marsha Diane Arnold. These are wonderful reads that I hope you will share with your children in hopes to get them more active.
I am excited to have authors Marsha and Amy sharing their inspiration behind the books they wrote in celebration of National Running Day! May these selections motivate and inspire you to run!
Nearly all the sheep ranchers in Blue Gum Valley rode horses or drove jeeps to check on their sheep. But Joshua Summerhayes liked to run...with Yellow Dog trailing behind him." So it's no surprise when Joshua decides to enter a race from Melbourne to Sydney. People laugh when old Joshua shows up in his overalls and gumboots, calmly nibbling a slice of pumpkin for energy. But then he pulls into the lead, and folks are forced to sit up and take notice.Inspired by a true event.
Marsha Diane Arnold
The Pumpkin Runnerwas inspired by Cliff Young, a 61-year-old Australian farmer who loved to run. He enjoyed running around his farm for years, then decided to enter an 875-kilometer race from Sydney to Melbourne against professional runners. People laughed at the unlikely runner, but he surprised everyone by winning! Then he surprised them again by splitting the $10,000 prize among all the other runners. Cliff didn’t run for the money. He ran for the love of it!
I first heard about Cliff Young while attending a workshop led by a friend. He told the story of Cliff to demonstrate perseverance. He’d read about Cliff’s feat in Sports Illustrated; there was just one short paragraph. When I heard the story of this improbable “hero,” I knew I had to write a picture book about him. My book is fiction, of course, but it was inspired by a real race and a real man. I named my fictional hero Joshua Summerhayes.
Thank you, Romelle, for sharing The Pumpkin Runner on National Running Day! This Smithsonian Notable book has been around since 1998, but I’m delighted to say it’s still “running” strong. I know of at least two schools that celebrate The Pumpkin Runner with races and other activities. For the past three years, I’ve skyped with the wonderful community at Walter Jackson Elementary in Alabama to help celebrate their annual Pumpkin Run day. I hope to run with them in person in the future!
The mice of New York City dread the day of the New York City Marathon more than any other—the crowds, the large shoes, the noise. All of them, that is, except for Preston. He and his family live underneath the starting line on the Verrazano Bridge and every year Preston has dreamed of joining all the other runners in the marathon. This year, Preston is determined to make his dream come true, even though his family tells him that mice are not fit to run marathons. He trains hard, showing his family that mice can do much more than just scurry.
Amy Dixon
It was 2011, and in the 2 years since my husband, Rob, had taken up distance running, I had been in search of a picture book about the sport that I could share with my children. I was looking for something that reflected the early mornings, the intense training, and the roadside cheering that was now part of our family culture. But I couldn’t find one! The seed was planted…I wanted to write a book about running a marathon.…but I had no idea what the story would be.
Cut to November. On the morning of the NYC Marathon, we settled in to watch the international event on TV, and saw this picture:
This is a picture of the start of the NYC Marathon. All of those brightly colored blobs are PEOPLE. Over 40,000 people, all lined up on a bridge together. What a scene! This picture launched a series of questions in my head…what was it like to be there? What about the people that live there? Do they love the marathon or do they hate it? From there, Marathon Mouse took off. What would it be like for a mouse family, who lived underneath the start line? If Marathon Day was the one day of the year they hated because they were afraid for their lives, how would it feel if one of their kids wanted to be a runner?
Marathon Mouse accomplished a few different things for me. There are so many kids out there like mine who spend their weekends cheering on their mom or dad from the sidelines. I love that they get to see their experiences reflected in this book. It also introduces running as a fun and rewarding pastime to a younger generation. And lastly, it encourages kids to work hard to achieve their dreams!
Thank you Marsha and Amy for sharing your story behind the story.
Feeling inspired? Then grab your running shoes and run...
to the nearest bookstore!
For fun, complete this sentence in the comments below: I RUN...
I'll start:
For more children's books on running visit Outdoor Nation. The books that are featured are:
Nonfiction children's books:
~Happy Running!
There's been a surge for the use of mentor text in classrooms by students and teachers, and by writers. A few months ago Carrie Charlie Brown hosted an event that she created- Reading For Research Month (ReFoReMo) to help writers improve their craft.
I have to admit I've never really understood HOW to use mentor texts until I participated in ReFoReMo. If you'd like to learn about my methods of research, you can read about it on Carrie's blog.
I'm guest-posting today!
It's the last week of celebrations over at Wordsmith Studios and today we discuss what we are reading.
I read picture books.
There. I said it. I am a grown woman, a health professional, a triathlete, a married mother of two tween boys, and my favorite books are picture books.
After a full day of discussing the cause and effect of bacterial plaque and the prevention of periodontal disease to my patients, running/biking/swimming for an hour or more, chauffeuring my kids here and there, re-learning trigonometry to help with my freshman son's homework...all I want to do at the end of the day is relax with a short, funny book that I can finish in the night without having to fall asleep midway through the first chapter. Picture books.
I love picture books. I write picture books. I read picture books.
It's May and I've already read 113 books this year!
Since I go through picture books like it's candy, I'm going to share with you my favorite[s]. Yes, plural. I have so many favorite picture books that I can't pick just one. So I'm going to share with you my top 10!
Looking at my list, I can tell you that I gravitate towards humorous books that are on the quirky/goofy side, but with heart.
In no particular order:
Planet Kindergarten
Planet Kindergarten by
Sue Ganz-SchmittPLANET KINDERGARTEN is a fun, engaging story that is told from the unique perspective of a child. The MC imagines his school is in outer space and experiences an exploration of his lifetime. Author Sue Ganz-Schmitt manages to capture the authentic emotions that children experience on their first day of school.
The Monstore by
Tara LazarWhat's not to love about a Monstore- a store that sells monsters! Tara Lazar's language and word choice are superb. It makes a fun read aloud. Illustrator, James Burks, did an outstanding job of bringing the characters to life. Kids will have a field day thinking of the monsters they'd like to have.
Prudence Wants a Pet by
Cathleen DalyPrudence wants a pet so badly that she even goes so far as to get one on her own- a branch, a twig, an old shoe, etc. This book is so funny you can't help but laugh out loud. Cathleen Daly did a wonderful of characterizing Prudence as a sweet and clever child that you can't help but empathize and fall in love with her.
Carnivores by
Aaron ReynoldsI adore this book! Aaron Reynolds did a fantastic job of instilling in our hearts the importance of self appreciation. I love the message that sometimes others can be misunderstood in a hilarious way.
A small note of warning: Not ideal for the sensitive reader. A few characters do get hurt in the story-telling of this book. On a side note, it makes for good discussion and lesson about ecology and the nature of things.
Sophie's Squash by
Pat Zietlow MillerA delightful story about a little girl named Sophie who takes a friend, Bernice, wherever she goes. But Bernice happens to be a squash, which makes this story hilarious, yet endearing. Sophie's positiveness is infectious. I also love the subtle lesson on the cycle of life that is intertwined with the story.
Creepy Carrots! by
Aaron ReynoldsTwilight Zone meets The Shining in this hilarious picture book by Aaron Reynolds. I've always been a fan of the Twilight Zone series so this one grabbed and sustained my attention throughout the reading. In Creepy Carrots, a rabbit fears that his favorite food is after him. You will never look at a carrot the same way again.
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by
Peter BrownMr. Tiger, sporting a top hat, coat and tie, is a proper tiger. Unhappy with his mundane life, he decides to let loose and follow his animal instincts. With sparse text and lovely illustrations, this story conveys the universal message, be yourselves, in a brilliant and humorous way.
The Day the Crayons Quit by
Drew DaywaltThis is one of those books I wished I could have written. Duncan wants to color, but when he opens his crayon box, he finds letter after letter from each colored crayon protesting about the unfairness that goes on in the coloring box. It is original, clever, fresh, and oh, so FUNNY!
The last two books are not humorous picture books, but they stood out to me as beautifully written picture books that pulled my heart-strings.
City Dog, Country Frog by
Mo WillemsA poignant story of friendship between a dog and a frog written with beautiful language and eloquent style. It is also about loss that is told in a sensitive manner that children can comprehend. The four seasons depicted in the story brilliantly brings us to another emotional level.
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by
Andrea Davis PinkneyWow! Picture books are difficult to write, let alone a historical nonfiction story. In a few word, author Andrea Pinkney, writes a powerful poetic story of four college students staging a peaceful protest by sitting at an all-white diner counter. A civil-rights story of courage and equality.
View all my reviews Again, it was difficult for me to narrow my list to top 10 so I'm going to share with you five more as Honorable Mentions:
This Is a Moose by
Richard T. Morris 
Maple by
Lori Nichols
I Don't Want to Be a Frog by
Dev Petty 
This Orq. by
David Elliott
The Three Ninja Pigs by
Corey Rosen SchwartzHope you get a chance to check out these books. There's nothing like a picture book to melt your stress away.
"Writing is like a vacation. I get to travel anywhere my imagination takes me" ~Romelle Broas
View all my reviews on Goodreads.
My name is Romelle and I read picture books!
To see what other Wordsmith Studio Members are reading, join the blog hop below:
Happy 3rd Anniversary, Wordsmith Studio!
For those of you who don't know, Wordsmith Studio is a place where creative minds go to get inspired and keep their creative muse entertained and challenged. There is a veranda for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and multi-media where you can hang out as you please. You can read more about their mission on their website at www.wordsmithstudio.org.
I've been a member of Wordsmith Studio since its inception in 2012. It all started on April 1, 2012 when I discovered Robert Brewer's 30-day Platform Challenge on Twitter. Many of the participants decided to keep the momentum going with the friendships that were formed. This led to the creation of Wordsmith Studio.
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| Artwork created by Khara House |
For Wordsmith's 3rd Anniversary, Wordsmith is holding a reunion via a blog hop. Some of us have moved on to do other things, while others remained; some active, others (like me) pop in and out. The reunion is a wonderful idea because we get to see what others have been up to. Here's the 411 on me with Q and A provided by Wordsmith:
What are you writing?I write nonfiction for children and picture books. Robert Brewer's Platform challenge and the support of Wordsmith helped me get out of my comfort zone to explore the kidlit community through Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (to name a few). I've met some wonderful people in the kidlit community. If you are a picture book writer or are considering it, here are the groups I belong to that provide valuable resources for picture book writers.
Kidlit 411Sub It ClubGROGWhat are you currently working on?I've got at least 10 work-in-progress picture books in various stages. Some are simmering (waiting to be looked at with fresh eyes), some are cooking (currently in editing/revising mode), and some are being plated (in preparation for submission).
I also critique fellow picture book writer's works on a regular basis. I belong to three critique groups and critique a minimum of 6 picture book manuscripts a month. Joining a critique group is one of the most important things I've done as a writer. In my blog, I write about the value of critique groups.
Aside from writing and critiquing, I am constantly reading! I read picture books, both nonfiction and fiction. You can find me on Goodreads. Feel free to stop by and see what I'm reading.
What's the biggest thing you've learned from your writing?1) The more you write, the greater your chances of finding that gem that will lead you to a contract. It's a subjective business so the more stories you have, the better your odds at finding the love connection between agent/editor and your manuscript.
2) It's all about numbers. I learned that my latest story is almost always better than the last one I've written. How many times have you written a story only to re-read it after a few years (or even months) have passed only to say, "Oh, this isn't as good as I thought it was." So keep writing!
Have you made any lasting connections through Wordsmith? (I added this question)I have to give a shout-out to the friends I've made through Wordsmith. They are all kind and generous people. The friends I've formed a special bond with are:
Lauri Meyers- my fellow picture book writer and Wonder Twin. We hang out in the same kidlit community, shop at the same kidlit stores, and have similar taste in books. She knows my inner most darkest secrets. Okay, not really. I don't have any secrets, but she knows how I think and how I write. She critiques me...in a good way.
Jennifer Chow- my Asian inspiration. I had the opportunity to meet up with Jennifer when she visited San Francisco. Jennifer, Amy, and I got together for lunch to get to know one another. Her award-winning novel, 228 LEGACY, inspired me to write a cultural nonfiction picture book.
Amy Pabalan- my close friend (yes, real close that we live only a few miles from each other) and adviser. We try to meet every so often to talk shop, talk about life in general, and get inspired. I feel so blessed to have met Amy through Wordsmith. She's my buddy, my home-away-from-home kinda gal. When I need a break from writing, we get together for tea (coffee for her).
Lori Sailiata- my Hawaiian sistah from anothah mistah! She lives on Oahu, where I'm from. I had the opportunity to meet Lori in person too when I went back home to Hawaii. She is the co-owner, content creator, and new media strategist at Hawaii Content Marketing. She and Amy have been so helpful and supportive when my e-Book came out. They introduced me to Twitterview. Lori is my go-to person for my author platform questions.
Wordsmith Studios- where connections are made. Thanks for stopping by!
Curious about what Wordsmith Studio has to offer? Want to see what other Wordsmith Studio members are up to? Then check out the link below.
Powered by Linky ToolsClick here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...
A Big Break with a Small Publisher
Do you have a story idea that is for the niche market?
Do you want personal attention and have some say in the publication of your book?
Are you an unpublished writer waiting to be discovered?
Then small publishers may be for you.
In this interview, Donna will share her publishing journey with us, which started with a Pitch Party on Twitter that resulted in an unexpected surprise.
After the interview, I've included a resource of small presses you may be interested in, along with some helpful information to help you decide whether small presses are for you. You don't want to miss this! So sit back, relax, and get inspired with Donna!
Tell me about your book and the inspiration for your story idea.
My debut picture book, THE STORY CATCHER, is about a little girl's struggle to make the wiggly words of her favorite book sit still long enough for her to be able to catch them and read a story. I tutored a young girl a few years ago who had a learning disability and was unable to read on her grade level. After working with her for the entire school year, she was finally able to read on her own. That experience of a child struggling with a learning disability was the basis of this story.
Do you have an agent? If not, what made you decide to submit on your own?
No, I don't have an agent at this time but I am looking for one. After two years of searching for one, I found out about a Twitter Pitch Party where picture book manuscripts were allowed and just took a chance. It was supposed to be mainly agents so I really didn't think about an editor requesting my book.
How did you learn of Anaiah Press and what drew you to them?
I had never heard of Anaiah Press before the pitch party. I decided to go with them because I was so impressed with my editor, Jessica Schmeidler. She had an open communication style that matched mine and I could tell she was really passionate about her author's works. I knew I could trust her with the future of my story.
What benefits do you see publishing with a small press?
Small presses with small catalog lines might have easier submission guidelines and be more willing to take on an untried writer. Small presses have smaller staff numbers so authors have a better chance of connecting with high level individuals who are responsible for the decision making.
Does Anaiah help with the marketing of your book?
Anaiah offers a number of marketing support to their authors including blog posts, book cover reveals, book trailers, and blog tours.
What have you done to promote your book?
Book marks, business cards, car magnets, school visits, author visits to Barnes & Noble, contests and giveaways, blog tours, book reviews, book submissions to book awards, book submissions to my local library acquisitions committee, future participation in my city's annual Children's Festival of Reading where up to 15,000 people will be able to sign up for my STORY CATCHER FAN CLUB.
What are you working on now? Any new stories in the works?
Currently I have 11 completed picture books, 2 completed early reader chapter books (one martial arts based fiction and one creative nonfiction), and two young adult works in progress (one mystery and one fantasy), along with research on my next creative nonfiction story.
Fun Facts
When did you write the first draft of STORY CATCHER: 2013
Number of months before you felt STORY CATCHER was submission-ready: 6 months
How many months was it from the time of submission to acceptance with Anaiah Press: 1 day
Number of months from the time of contract to publication with Anaiah Press: 11 months
The number of publishing houses you submitted to prior to your contract with Anaiah Press: ZERO
Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us Donna! For more on THE STORY CATCHER, check out this fabulous video:
Donna would love to hear from you! Check out her Facebook fan page, drop her an email, join her STORY CATCHER fan club or find out what interests Donna on Twitter or Pinterest:
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For more on the pros and cons of small press publishing, check out the links below:
Robert Brewer of Writer's Digest goes into detail with a three-part assessment: Submissions Process, Publishing Process, and Career Building. He interviews authors about their experiences working with small presses and with publishers about what they expect from authors and what they offer.
Agent Rachelle Gardner of Books and Such Literary Agency invites guest blogger and author, Jessica Knauss, to discuss the pros and cons of small presses. Jessica's post is based on her personal experiences and gets to the meat of the topic with bullet points, which makes it a quick and easy read.
Literary Agent, Carly Watters gives us her personal opinion on the disadvantages of seeking an agent and a publisher simultaneously with a focus on small presses.
For a list of small publishers, check out my personal link here.
If there are any small publishers you've had experiences with, have submitted to, or know of that I've missed on my list, please share them with me in the comments below. Thank you!
If you want to write a picture book, the common advice is to immerse yourself in picture books and read, read, read!
I use Goodreads to keep track of the books I read. I average 180 books a year, but only a few stand out to me. Here are my favorites for 2014-2015:
These are the books that I connected with. I want to write a story that will become a favorite for readers.
I want to write a story with characters that readers will think about long after they put down the book.
I want to write a story that touches the heart of readers whether it tickles their funny bone or pull at their heartstrings, like what these books did for me!
Studying picture books such as these will make you write a better story. How?
"The ReFoReMo challenge was founded to help picture book writers reform writing by reading and researching mentor texts. The challenge is supported by author-educators...It is necessary to read a wide variety of picture books to truly understand the form, the market, and the craft of writing them. The goal of ReFoReMo is to build reading background while learning how to use mentor texts." ~Carrie Charley Brown
It is a FREE online study group designed to help writers understand the structure of picture books and what makes a story stand out. They have a spectacular line-up of guest bloggers to assist writers in their research. I'm definitely going to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge offered by ReFoReMo.
Join me and together let's unlock the secrets to writing a great book!
You can sign up for the Reading for Research Month Challenge here.
I'm a proud participant of ReFoReMo
Happy Research!
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I have a confession to make.
Lately, I've been plagued by doubt, fear, and nonsense talk.
You've heard of the saying, "So close yet so far."
Well I'm all too familiar with the phrase.
So many times I've fallen short of something grand. Here are a few examples:
In 2011 I applied for the Barbara Karlin Grant. I was young in my career. You know the writer's high of a newbie where for every contest, every submission you are already dreaming of celebrating before you get the notice. Well, imagine my excitement when I received the letter in the mail. As I read the first line of the letter, my emotions skyrocketed with the words, "I am writing to present you with…(wait…for…it…)… this LETTER OF MERIT for your submission, I'M A MONSTER TOO!" My emotional high descended. I read on, "�you did not win the grant…" My heart plummeted. "�but the judges felt your proposal deserved extra recognition." And there it was. My emotion, suspended in air for a brief moment.
So close yet so far…
2. SCBWI Conference Critique by V.P. of Scholastics
In 2013 I attended the International SCBWI conference in LA and had the opportunity to sit down with the V.P. of Scholastics for a critique. In her words, "�this [my ms] is what we're looking for. I want you to revise your manuscript per my comments… I want you to send this to me…do you have an agent? You need an agent…I will recommend you to some who are here today…" STOP right there! Not so easy. I've been trying to get an agent since. Imagine the thought of having an editor waiting for you, but you can't get through the door.
So close yet so far…
3. New Voice Contest by Lee & Low
This is the latest contest I entered. I didn't win. Surprise. Surprise. BUT I was sent a nice letter with nice comments from the editor stating that I was among the finalist. This news didn't disappoint me too much because by now I've developed a tough skin. But it's the thought of being…
So close yet so far…
And then there's this:
A visual reminder of where I stand. Great. Story of my life. I received a few of the #2 ratings and I can't help but feel that life has a wicked sense of humor.
So close yet so far…
Can you imagine the torture? I don't mean to sound ungrateful, because I'm not. I'm very pleased at how far I've come. I'm just saying that the feeling of closeness is a big teaser for me.
I'll be honest, I have a full time job with two active kids with busy schedules of their own. As a mom, their schedule is added to my already busy schedule. But I make timebetween sporting events, during lunch breaks, in the wee hours of the night, and hours in between. I continue honing my craft. I take classes, read, write, get involved with writing groups on social media to stay informed. With all the hard work and effort put into my writing, I find myself questioning my writing career.
Do I want to pursue this?
(doubt)
How much longer can I subject myself to rejection?
(fear)
Is this all for naught?
(nonsense talk)
Then I ask myself WHY do I write?
The answer is simple.
I enjoy writing.
Then I remind myself:
I enjoy writing because my inner spirit is released. There is still that kid in me wanting to explore and share a world of wonder. Writing is also like a vacation for me. I get to travel anywhere my imagination takes me. I may question my writing future, but quit? I can't. Quitting is not in my vocabulary. As far as I think I am, there was always a word of encouragement and validation that I am a good writer. This gives me more determination to pursue what I love and that is to write.
Whenever I find myself questioning myself I look at this picture:
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." -- Winston Churchill
My intentions for 2014 was to streamline my life so I could concentrate on my writing. That involved putting a hold on some of my social media groups and athletic training. The first half of the year was spent editing/revising my WIP picture books and the latter half was spent taking writing classes. Below is a recap of the events that kept me busy during 2014:
Personal Life Events
MayMay 19- June 23
I enrolled in Mira Reisberg and Sudipta Bard-Quallen's online course, The Pleasures and Craft of Poetic Techniques, offered by the Picture Book Academy.
It is an interactive e-course complete with a weekly webinar to make your writing sing. Now when I write, I am more aware of my word choices that will make my prose read aloud like verse.June
June 9
I was invited to a Meet my Character Blog Hop by Jennifer Chow,
author of The 228 Legacy.
The questions Jennifer provided was a great opportunity to delve into the main character of my story. It was also my chance to introduce my new eBook, Running Boy, published by MeeGenius on June 9.
June 21
I signed up for my local SF/South SCBWI agent's Day. It is an all-day affair about the author-agent relationship, tips on creating a memorable pitch, marketing, and picture book pacing. The best part of the event was the agent round table discussions where we got to do a Q & A up close and personal with the participating agents. They are all very lovely people; many that represented picture books.
Agents that were present:
Deborah Warren, East/west Literary Agency
Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Abigail Samoun, Red Fox Literary Agency
Sean McCarthy, Sean McCarthy Literary Agency
Mira Reisberg, Hummingbird Literary Agency
Laurie McLean, Foreward Literary
I did it!
I crossed the finish line!
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| My First Marathon- The 2006 Honolulu Marathon |
No, not another marathon.
Better.
I completed Tara Lazar's annual PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) with not 30, but 32 ideas!
Woot!
Winnah, winnah, SUSHI dinnah!
I love sushi.
Coming up with ideas wasn't easy. I splashed in puddles, tumbled through a pile of leaves, and slid down slides, narrower than my hips to find my ideas.
What does it mean to cross the finish line? You can read about my first marathon and find out how that transformed me. But that's a different story.
Completing the PiBoIdMo challange means I belong to a select group of writers, armed with 30 ideas. But crossing the finish line doesn't end there. The real challenge is to transform the ideas into completed stories.
Who is ready for the next challenge?
It's been a while since I've posted on my blog. It's because I've been burying myself in nonfiction picture books!
I blame Kristen Fulton's wonderful nonfiction picture book writing class, Nonfiction Archaeology, for my fixation.
I am familiar with writing nonfiction for magazines, but writing nonfiction picture books is a different animal for me. To help me get into the zone, I've immersed myself in nonfiction picture books. Below are few of my favorite (recent) reads that I am using as mentor text.
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What I find challenging is writing for my target population. It's so easy to want to present all the facts that sometimes I get carried away with words. To make sure I stay on track, I found a wonderful site that helps me assess my work-in-progress: http://www.readability-score.com
What you do is copy and paste your completed text in the box and hit enter on your keyboard. The site will analyze your story and give you the following information:
What's useful about this information is that you will know if your writing is targeted to the population you intended to write for.
The Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease tells you the difficulty of your text:
90.0-100.0 Easily understood by an average 11-year-old student
60.0 - 70.0 Easily understood by an average 13-15-year-old student
0.0 - 30.0 Easily understood by a university student
Grade Level or Readability Formula Score: There is a mathematical way to determine these scores. You don't have to get caught up with each of these. All you need to know is the average grade level of the student your text is appropriate for.
Text Statistics is always fun, but the most useful is word count and words per sentence. As a writer, you want to make sure you vary your sentence length and keep within the word count that is suggested on submission guidelines.
Here are a few more sites I found helpful for studying mentor text:
- Identify whether you are a student, parent, teacher, or librarian (it doesn't matter)
- In the "Quick Search" tab, enter the title of the book you are studying
- Your result will look like this:
- Click on the title and you get an expanded form of the results:
- Go to the "Quiz Store"
- Enter title of the book you want to study and hit "Go!"
- Select the correct title displayed
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| I apologize for the small and blurry screen shot |
To help you decipher the codes, here is a cheat sheet:
Interest Level (IL): This indicates the grade level the book is appropriate for, based on book content (theme, character, plot). Lower Grade indicates grade level K-3, Middle grade: 4-8, and upper grade: 9-12.
Book Level (BL): This represents the difficulty of the text. It means the text could be read independently by a student whose reading skills are at the grade level indicated.
AR Points (Accelerated Reader Points): This is based on the difficulty and length of the book. A point value system measures how much reading practice your child is getting. Not important, but thought you'd want to know.
The difference between the Renaissance Learning site and the AR Book Finder is that the AR Book Finder includes a rating of the book, judged by students based on enjoyment. It also includes a topic-subtopic, which is useful to know if you want to know how the book is sorted or categorized.
Squeezing writing into summer is like squeezing into a bathing suit.
It was that kind of summer.
There wasn't enough hours in a day...
....days in a week...
....weeks in a month...
.....and months in a summer.
There was Work• baseball games • chauffeuring kids to various activities • family reunions • travels
But wait. There's more!
I managed to squeeze in some writing time too.
Enrolling in these classes kept me writing by helping me get into a routine. I was forced learned to manage my time. I didn't need to diet to squeeze my writing into my summer. All I had to do was loosen up the strings. I made time to write. I wrote whenever and wherever I could. It was the prescription I needed to keep my writing active and healthy.
Here is my review of each of the classes I've taken this summer:
From Storyteller to Exquisite Writer: The Pleasures and Craft of Poetic Techniques
This 5-week course is packed with information. It is perfect for beginner and seasoned writers. The course covered the basics of writing picture books and focused on rhyming and poetic techniques to make your story sing. The weekly webinars are perfect for questions and answers about writing in general. Mira also has a wonderful segment called Mondays with Mira in which she shares with you her favorite picture books and explains what makes it a great book. Included in the course are generous bonus materials which was a course in itself.
The most valuable is the one-hour critique session you get from Mira and Sudipta. The critique groups formed within the class is optional, but I highly recommend it.
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| http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/ |
The online class is quite costly. If you don't have the funds, Mira has been generous in offering scholarships for her classes.
If you aren't able to enroll in the class, here are a few resources I highly recommend:
Nerdy Chicks Kidlit Summer School
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and Kami Kinard are a dynamic duo! They put together a blog-based, four week writer's workshop that runs during the months of July and August. The daily blog posts are filled with writing advice and information on improving your craft that is written by various authors and writing professionals. Their faculty includes award-winning PB, MG, and YA authors.
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| http://nerdychickswrite.wordpress.com/ |
Their summer session will motivate you. Each day you are given homework that will inspire your own writing. This summer's focus was on character development, which I found to be extremely helpful. They also offer weekly webinars where Sudipta, Kami, and other guests answer your burning questions about the craft of writing.
I have to confess that I could not keep up with the homework and ended up dropping out mid-way. Okay, I admit it. I am a summer school drop out. Shhhh....don't tell. Nevertheless, it is a worthwhile session and I enjoyed the camaraderie of the summer school group. It's just that half-way through, I was inspired to take a nonfiction class which I will review below.
The best part of Kidlit Summer School? It's FREE! It can't get any better than that.
Nonfiction Archaeology
This is a four week class that is offered monthly by author, Kristen Fulton. She hosts a weekly webiner and daily blog post. This class is still going on. I am three weeks into the class and have gained a wealth of information. I have to say that I am loving this class so much! I am in awe of Kristen's intelligence, writing, passion, and organization skills. I want to be her!
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| http://www.kristenfulton.org/classes.html |
The class is so organized in that the lessons are introduced in a sequential manner in which you would write a nonfiction picture book from beginning to end. So as you are taking the class, your are already on your way to writing and completing a nonfiction story. In the webinar, Kristen discusses the lessons for the week and the blog posts that follows reinforces everything that she's covered. I can't say enough about this course.
If you are thinking of writing a nonfiction picture book, I highly recommend Kristen's class. It is worth more than the price you pay for her class. Kristen is so generous in sharing her wealth of information and has gone over and beyond what I expected.
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So there you have it. If you need to ignite your writing, consider taking a class or participating in a challenge offered by generous writers. Don't worry about squeezing writing into your summer. Make the summer fit into your writing!
"Writing is like a vacation. I get to travel anywhere my imagination takes me" ~Romelle
I've been tagged by my good friend Jennifer Chow for the Meet My Character Blog Hop!I love blog hops, but sometimes life gets too busy so I have to pick my battles. With my busy schedule and limited time, I try to focus more on my writing. Well, this blog hop was particularly interesting because the questions asked is great for character development of future works-in-progress. I thought I'd take advantage of the opportunity and practice answering these questions. It is also an opportunity for me to introduce you to the character of my new eBook, RUNNING BOY.
Jennifer is the author of The 228 Legacy, a 2013 Foreword Reviews' Book of the Year Finalist in the multicultural category. You can meet the character of Jennifer's upcoming book, Seniors' Sleuth on her blog at Jennifer J. Chow.
On to my character questions:
1. What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?
RUNNING BOY is about a fictional character named Markus who is 8-years-old and is loosely based on a true story of my son. 2. When and where is the story set?
The story takes place in Markus' neighborhood where we find him running to the playground, the park, the beach, and the redwoods. 3. What should we know about him/her?
Markus loves to run! He runs so much that the neighborhood kids call him Running Boy. He is a free-spirited boy who enjoys being outdoors and is full of energy and life.
4. What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?
RUNNING BOY is a concept story that builds on the curiosity of the neighborhood kids. Markus, who is Running Boy, keeps on running and each time he passes a friend, they can't help but ask, "Running Boy, why are you running?" Markus is not about to stop so the kids end up following him on his run.
5. What is the personal goal of the character?
Markus keeps on running. What he wants is for the neighborhood kids to join him and find out for themselves why he runs.
6. Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?
RUNNING BOY was written in 2005. Yes, you read right. That was 9 years ago! I the story idea came to me during my training for the Honolulu Marathon. It was also a time when my eldest son started running and I was looking for a picture book on running for kids and could not find any so I wrote one!
7. When can we expect the book to be published?
I'm glad you asked! RUNNING BOY has just been released on June 9, 2014 by MeeGenius. The eBook can be viewed on iPad, iOS, Android, Windows 8, Amazon , Nook, and the web. It's so great to finally see my story in pictures!
I hope RUNNING BOY will instill the love for running in the hearts of children. For you runners with young kids, I hope you join me in sharing the wonders of running with our children.
It's summer time so what better time to get excited about running & reading!
Guess what I won.
No, not a writing contest.
Not a free critique.
Not a blog award.
Better…
Thanks to my friends at Kidlit 411- a one-stop resource for children's book writers!
Look, it'signed to me!
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| (I had Lori sign it to me instead of my sons, don't judge) |
I was so excited to win this book because I've been wanting to get a hold of it since I heard of Lori Degman's new release. How can you not pick up a book with a title like Cock-a-Doodle Oops!
Winning this book revealed three things about me that I am embarrassed to share with you, but here goes.
Confessions of a writer:
1) I love entering contest!
2) I have books signed to me instead of my sons (because I'm selfish that way)
3) I can't help but read the book before my kids despite them telling me to wait for them (because I am impatient)
Let's just say I'm a kid at heart.
I just received this book a few days ago and already I've read it 5 times.
I give this fun and entertaining book 5 roosters!
Cock-a-Doodle-Woot!
Here is my review from Goodreads:
Cock-a-Doodle Oops! is a rhyming picture book about a rooster who takes a week-long vacation leaving his cock-a-doodle duty up to the rest of the farm animals. One-by-one they attempt to wake up Farmer Peeper (who is a deep sleeper).
Author Lori Degman's brilliant rhyme and lively plot, paired with Deborah Zemke's fun illustration style, makes this one of my favorite picture books.
The story encourages interactivity, which makes it a great read-aloud. Children can't help but crow along with the farm animals, finishing the rhyme and guessing the sound the farm animal makes: cock-a-doodle ________!
Cock-a-Doodle Oops! is an enjoyable and entertaining book for the whole family. Full of humor and surprises, children will be asking to read this over and over again.
So far I shared some helpful links on how to find an agent, whether or not you should submit to an agent or publisher, how to write a query, and how to write a pitch. You've submitted your queries and so now the wait begins.
What happens when you finally get the call?
Do you know what to expect?
How will you react?
Do you know what questions to ask?
Here's a scenario:Agent: Hi wonderful writer, this is so-n-so from Blank Agency.Wonderful writer: Who?Agent: So-n-so from Blank Agency. You sent me a couple of your manuscripts in hopes of seeking representation.Wonderful writer: OH! Yes, now I remember.
Agent: I'm calling to let you know that I see a lot of promise from you and I'd like to represent you. Are you interested?
Wonderful writer: Ahhhhhhh!!!! EEEEeeeee!!! Woooooootttttt!
Agent: I take that as a yes? Now do you have any questions for me?
Wonderful writer: Uhhhhh.....Ummmm...Thinking. Thinking. Thinking. Can I get back to you?
Don't let this be you!
I haven't had the opportunity to be in a situation like this, but I thought it would be important to prepare myself to avoid the awkwardness.
By being prepared with what to expect and asking smart questions, it'll make your conversation with your agent a smooth one.
I've collected some helpful links for your convenience. I've summarized the posts and organized them in order of use for easy reference.
What to do when the agent calls you- before the call, during the call, after the call
Before the CallWhat to Ask Literary Agent When You Get the Call by Casey McCormickCasey of Literary Rambles gives some sound advice on being prepared. She shares a list of questions found on other sites that she's created for herself. This is an exhaustive list from which you can pick and choose the ones that work for you. Of course, it's best to study your agents before hand. You should have some knowledge as to how your agents works. This will help you reduce your questions to the most important ones.
Questions to Ask an Agent by Kathy TemeanKathy shares the top 10 questions that agent Linda P. Epstein of Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency deems as the most thoughtful questions she's been asked by her client Lesley Cheah and others. If you don't want to go through an exhaustive list, then this list is for you.During the CallTaking a Call...The Call by Heather Ayris Burnell Heather, Creator of the Sub-It-Club, gives advice on how to respond to an offer for representation. In other words, how to tactfully tell an agent that you need time to think about it or to notify other agents who have your manuscripts.
After the CallHandling Outstanding Queries When an Agent Offers Representation by Lisha CauthenWhat about the other agents whom you've never heard back from? Lisha of Sub-It-Club has a checklist made out to help us handle a situation like this. She also includes a sample letter that you can send to the agents who are still holding on to your manuscripts. You Have an Agent Now WhatThe Agent/Client Contract by Mira ReisbergAgent Mira Reisberg of Hummingbird Literary Agency addresses some of the important aspects that are listed in an agent/client contract.
Now That The Dust Has SettledHow to Fire Your Agent by Jenny BentThis is something we hope we don't have to do, but it can happen. Jenny goes over some points to consider before we make the decision to fire an agent. She also shares some tips on how to go about firing an agent with dos and don'ts and includes other helpful links
So there you have it. I suggest going through the links in this order. Prepare your questions for the agent who calls, have a letter to other agents ready to go, and practice your happy dance!
I had the opportunity to attend a class by registered nurse, Deidre Rogers of Ergovera.com in ergonomics last week. The lessons I learned helped me be more aware of my posture.
As writers, we spend a lot of time in front of the computer so I thought the ergonomics of the writer would be a valuable topic to share with all of you.
Here is a summary of what I learned:
DESK
- Most desks are made to fit men. This means the average height of a desk is 27 inches from floor to elbow. It's advisable to use an adjustable desk that you can elevate or lower according to your position/size.
- A keyboard tray is most useful since it will likely place your keyboard at the level of your neutral elbow/wrist positions. Your elbow must rest comfortably at your side with wrist 1-2 inches below your elbows when typing.
- It is helpful to purchase an adjustable desk which can be raised or lowered to fit your needs, especially if multiple people are using one desk.
CHAIR
- A chair with a convex back supports the back better. SomaErgo.com and Ask Ergo Works offers a wide range of modular chair systems which you can adjust to fit your body.
- The arm rest of a chair must be in a neutral position. Again, find a chair that is not too wide. Your arms should fall naturally on the arm rest without you having to spread your arms wider than your shoulder width.
- When sitting, your back, head, and neck should be in a neutral position. To help you with this, visualize your head as a bowling ball balancing on your neck/spine. Your head too forward or back can cause strain on your neck and shoulders.
- Your hips should be 1-2 inches above the knee. Your back should be supported. Women tend to sit straight, perched on their seats. Make use of your backrest. That's what it's for.
- If you use a gym ball, again make sure your hip bone is 1-2 inches above your knee height. Deidre Rogers, RN advises using gym balls to no more than 20 minutes at a time and 3 times a day at maximum.
Note: While the gym ball helps engage core abdominal muscles, improves stability, and strengthens lower back, the absence of an arm and back rest can cause neck and shoulder strain. The gym ball also may not be tall enough for your desk putting your wrist and elbow in a compromised position.
COMPUTER SCREEN
- Your eyes lead your posture. The top line of your text on the screen should be 2 inches lower than your line of sight. In other words, your eye sight should be looking at a 15 degree angle downward towards the top line of your text.
- When sitting at the screen for long periods of time, the computer glare can be straining on the eye. Give your eyes a rest and follow THE RULE OF 20.
- After 20 minutes of viewing, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- The body also needs to refresh itself. After 20 minutes sitting in front of the computer, loosen your limbs, stretch, or take a walk.
KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
- If you are small-boned like me, the smaller your carpal tunnel bone is. This can lead to poor circulation and cold hands. So in small-boned people, it is important to be mindful of your posture to prevent future problems that can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome- "A disorder that causes numbness in the hand and pain in the wrist due to the compression of the median nerve, which runs down the arm to the fingers."
- Your wrist should be straight and in line with the rest of your arm.
- With your fingers on the keyboard, your elbow should be slightly above your wrist at an almost 120-degree angle.
Here is a photo of an ergonomic keyboard that positions your wrist and arms in a neutral position. Notice the angle of the keyboard.
- Your keyboard length shouldn't be wider than your shoulders. Otherwise, the reach of your mouse will be unnatural.
- People with broad chests will benefit with the split keyboard design.
- The use of your mouse can develop a thumb disorder called De Quervain disorder.
De Quervain's tenosynovitis (dih-kwer-VAINS ten-oh-sine-oh-VIE-tis)- "is a painful condition affecting the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist. If you have de Quervain's tenosynovitis, it will probably hurt every time you turn your wrist, grasp anything or make a fist." (Mayo Clinic)
Note: A mouse that will position your hand and wrist in a neutral position to reduce your wrist of developing De Quervain disorder will look like this:
- Your mouse should be placed at the level of your keyboard and close to it so you don't have to reach for it. Reaching can cause problems to your rotator cuff.
- Shortcut keys eliminate mouse use. Deidre advises you use shortcut keys as much as possible. It's best to use two hands when using a shortcut key combination to avoid straining either hand with awkward finger and wrist positioning. Here is a list of Shortcut keys.
TYPING- Do not rest your wrist on the keyboard unless you have a wrist cushion for your keyboard.
- Practice wrist-floating-style of typing and keep your arms in a neutral position- elbow bent comfortably by your side with wrist 1-2 inches below your elbows.
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| Wrist Cushion |
- When typing, use a light touch on the keys.
"The tendons from your fingers connect near your elbow so striking the keys too hard can lead to problems you might not associate with your keyboard like pain and inflammation in your elbows (Epicondylitis)." (Healthy Computing)
Now that you are comfortable in your chair, type away my friends!
Note: If you are more of a pen and pencil kind of writer, be sure to use a light grip. Let your ink flow as do your thoughts.
I hope this topic was helpful to you as it was for me.
Wishing you all a healthy body and a creative mind!
****************
Here is a summary of the resources I've used:Ergonomic Consultation:http://ergovera.com/
Products:http://somaergo.com/http://www.askergoworks.com/http://www.evoluent.com/vm4r.htm
Ergonomic Information:http://www.healthycomputing.com/office/setup/keyboard/http://www.livestrong.com/article/287638-pros-cons-of-sitting-on-a-stability-ball/http://www.lni.wa.gov/IPUB/417-133-000.pdf
I wrote a couple of
nonfiction articles for magazines, but now I am interested in writing nonfiction for picture books.
Nonfiction picture books is different from writing the traditional nonfiction in that it must have three components:
- Visually appealing with attractive design and layout in a 32-page book
- Accurate information
- Engaging writing
Nonfiction picture books are written to attract the interest of young readers and get them excited about nonfiction. Sharon Ruth Gill of Reading Rockets explores this genre that is making waves in the publishing industry in her article,
What Teachers Need to Know About the "New" Nonfiction.
Like picture books, nonfiction picture books must stand out in today's market. How do you do that?
GET CREATIVE!
But how much creativeness can you add to a nonfiction? This is where it gets sticky.
Myth: For my nonfiction to stand out, I should embellish it with interesting and fun details by weaving in a creative, made-up story.
*Truth: Once you add fiction, your story is fiction. Lee Gutkind of creativenonfiction.org says it best. Creative nonfiction is “accurate prose about real people and events written in a compelling, vivid, dramatic manner- true stories well told.”
Myth: If I write a story with a good plot, realistic characters and interesting facts, then I would have a great creative nonfiction.
*Truth: This all depends on what your realistic characters are saying and doing. Jan Fields of the Institute of Children’s literature writes, “Creative nonfiction happens when an author uses totally well researched facts to create a story-like narrative with no made up parts.” What you may have written is faction- blending of fact and fiction.
Myth: If I write a story about a father on an adventure through the woods with his daughter and informing her of facts about redwood trees along the way, that would make a great Creative nonfiction.
*Truth: When you have a made-up story with characters spewing out facts, or a blending of fiction with facts, then you have informational fiction- Facts in a fictional framework.
****
What about historical fiction?
Many historical fiction are realistic. Characters may be fictitious, but the events and scenes are based on facts. Historical fiction is also described as a fictional account of real events or real people. Sherry Garland, children's author, talks about this and was surprised when some of her historical picture books won nonfiction awards.
Historical fiction: Informational fiction, creative nonfiction, or faction? You will find the answer to this question on Sherry's blog, Into the Woods We Go.
What is faction?
According to Gotham teacher, Brandi Reissenweber, faction is a blending of fact and fiction. Author Sandra Markle defines it as "a fictional story in which all of the characters and the details are based on real facts."Is faction creative nonfiction or informational fiction? Based on the definition above, faction sounds like information fiction to me.
Sandra Markle, author of What if I Had Animal Teeth, classifies her books as faction. When I looked them up (What If I Had Animal Teeth, Animal Scavengers: Wolverines, and Hip-Pocket Papa) at my library, they were shelved in the nonfiction section. So faction, in this example, is creative nonfiction.
There were a few books on the 2012 Cybills nominee list for NONFICTION picture books that were categorized as FICTION at libraries: A Leaf Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas and Just Ducks by Nicola Davies, just to name a few.
This just proves how difficult it can be to distinguish creative nonfiction from informational fiction or faction. Are you as confused as I am? This topic is enough to make my head spin!
*****Here are some examples of creative nonfiction books given by:I.N.K. Creative Nonfiction for KidsSandra Markle's Nonfiction BooksNOTE: Some of the picture books listed on the blog, I.N.K. are listed as creative nonfiction, but when I looked them up at my library, there were a few that were categorized as fiction such as Move! By Steve Jenkins, Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman, and Over and Under the Snow by Melissa Stewart.
TIP: If you can't decide whether a picture book is creative nonfiction or fiction, check out the library and search for the title. If it is listed as a PB** then it is fiction. If it is listed as J###### then it is nonfiction. Study them and see if you can figure out for yourself why it is classified the way it is.
****CREATIVE NONFICTION- accurate prose about real people and events written in a compelling, vivid, dramatic manner
INFORMATIONAL FICTION- facts in a fictional framework
FACTION- blending of fact and fiction
Below are some great resources that go into detail:
*****
Do you have a great resource to share that will demystify what faction is, please share!
You've heard the saying,
Books are the passport to the world!
Allow me to introduce to you a miniature world!
My friend, Barbara Madrid, is a miniature enthusiasts and is a member of NAME, the National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts. When she learned that I was interested in children's books, she gave me one of hers!
See how tiny that is? I couldn't believe there were pages with words on it. I haven't read the story yet because that will require a microscope of some sort. As a children's book lover, I thought it was the most unique and best gift I've ever received. I took a picture of the book with a quarter to give you an idea of its size.
The question that begs to be asked?
"Where do you keep a book this small?"
On a miniature bookshelf at a miniature library, of course!
Barbara is in the process of completing her miniature library. This miniature book is one of 50 books that she assembled herself.
I thought it would be interesting to share with you Barbara's library, which is displayed in her home in San Francisco along with her other doll houses.
Below Barbara gives you a tour of her library and shares her story behind her craft. Enjoy the tour!
Introducing, THE LINCOLN LIBRARY, by Barbara Madrid
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| The view from outside the library. |
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| The namesake displayed prominently on the wall. |
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| The rear bookshelf are stocked with handmade books. In the bookshelves to the right are hand-painted blocks of books. |
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| Notice the decorative wallpaper and an actual wood floor. |
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A librarian assisting a young boy. On the wall are reduced copies of 1910 photographs of the Grand Central Station, City Hall, and the American Museum of Natural History, which are noted New York buildings.
|
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| The Lincoln Library is located next to The Allegiance Academy where all of their students have library cards! |
Thank you so much for the tour! Now let's meet the talented woman behind the extraordinary hobby...
Barbara Madrid!
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| Barbara Madrid is a member of NAME, National Association of Miniature Enthusiast |
What got you interested in this hobby?
My interest in miniatures began when I was a small child and my grandfather handcrafted some miniature furnitures for me. I didn't have a dollhouse then but in 1997, my husband decided I should have a hobby and bought my first dollhouse as a Christmas gift. When I saw all of the pieces needed to make the 9-room house, I thought the build would be an impossible task.
Over the next 12-years, we worked on the house together and in 2009, we had added electrical lights and the house was ready for its occupants (see photo below).
When did you start crafting doll houses and what have you completed so far?
I have been doing miniatures since about 1997. I've completed 2 houses- one a residence and the other, a 3-story multi-shop building with a floral shop, dress shop, and an accountant's office. I've also completed 7 display boxes, which include a music conservatory, a bakery, and antique store, a sewing shop, a grocery store, a middle school, and the library.
How do you decide what to build next?
I usually find a single piece of furniture I like and then build the room around it. When I found the corner bookshelf for the library, I knew I wanted more than the usual block books to fill it. A web search brought me to Paperminis.com where I purchased paper book kits with wonderfully detailed covers.
What is the most difficult part of your hobby?
I have found the most difficult part of building a dollhouse is understanding the blueprints. That is when my husband, a skilled machinist, comes in handy. He's great at the construction and electrical parts. I do the fun part, which is the interior decorating. Installing the wallpaper can be tricky, but careful measurements makes the job a lot easier. I usually do a combination of wallpaper and paint to add a variety of textures.
What do you enjoy most about your hobby?
Selecting the furnishings is the most fun of dollhouse miniatures and I shop the internet, local dollhouse stores, and attend miniature shows for items I need. I also add homemade touches by including crochet or knitted blankets, and clay plants.
Dollhouse miniatures is a wonderful activity for any age and I'm forever thankful my husband reintroduced me to this wonderful hobby.
**********
It is truly fascinating to learn this enchanting world of miniatures. I've been to quite a few libraries, but never have I seen a library like this. Thank you so much, Barbara, for sharing your story!
Books bring people together!
Interesting facts:
- In miniatures the scale is 1/12 inch = 1 foot. For example, a 6-inch miniature doll is equivalent to a person who is 6-feet tall.
- The difference between a doll house and a display box is the size- dollhouses are generally 34" H x 12-1/2" D x 33-3/4" W; a display box is about 11-1/4" H x 10-1/4" D x 12-3/4" W. A dollhouse has multiple rooms and a display box depicts a single room.
**********
What is the most interesting library you've ever visited? Please share.
~HAVE A HAPPY LIBRARY VISIT!
What is the perfect pitch?
That's the question both my son and I ask. His perfect pitch would probably be one that strikes out the batter. My perfect pitch would strike up a deal with an agent or publisher.
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| My son pitching for the Stanford Junior Cardinals |
Writing the perfect pitch is much like baseball. Good pitching takes practice. The perfect pitch, whether it be baseball or writing, can be broken down to five component skills:
GripA pitcher must grip the ball properly before throwing to get good velocity and control. As a writer, our pitch must be gripping! You want to lead with a compelling first line to entice the agent or editor to want to read more.
WindupThe pitching motion begins with the windup. It's the preparation for a good pitch. Writing a pitch requires you to know your main character, his/her wants, the enticing incident, its hook, and the stakes. Kathleen Temean goes into detail on
how to write a pitch for your book.
StrideA baseball pitcher knows that a long stride makes the ball go high; too short a stride makes the ball go low. When writing a pitch you don't want to tell the whole story, just enough to peak the interest. Too long of a pitch and you lose the reader or listener; too short and you can just forget it. A pitch should be about 50 words or a about a 30-second read. If you are participating in a Twitter pitch, you are limited to 140 characters. Know your stride.
DeliveryWhether its baseball or writing, a perfect pitch is in the delivery. You want to deliver an efficient and effective pitch that will hold the attention of the agent or editor. Show your enthusiasm and confidence without being boastful. Be yourself and let your voice shine verbally and on paper.
Following ThroughIt is important to keep the momentum. When an agent responds with "tell me more," you owe it to yourself to be competent in your own story. You should be able to identify comparable books and explain why yours is different. Show the agent or editor that you are qualified to write your story.
Below is a list of my favorite resources to help you write the perfect pitch:
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| My son pitching for the Little League, Yankees |
How to Write a Pitch by Kathleen TemeanKathleen shows you how to write a pitch for you book and shares a few types of techniques you could use to spice up your pitch.
Writing the Perfect Pitch Author Kristen Lamb invited Marcy Kennedy, writer and WANA instructor, to guest post on her blog on writing the perfect pitch. Here she breaks it down into four meaty parts and gives explanations and examples.
How to Write a One Sentence PitchAuthor Nathan Bransford shows you how to share the heart of your book in just one sentence using three basic elements. This is great practice and comes in handy for giving verbal pitches.
Difference Between a Pitch and a Hook by Susanna Leonard HillSusanna Leonard Hill, childrens author, explains the difference between a pitch and a hook and gives examples. Her blog is worth exploring. Susanna has a weekly feature, Would You Read It, posted on Wednesdays. It is a chance for writers to try out pitches for their books.
IF YOU ARE GEARING UP FOR March 25 #PITMAD, CHECK OUT THESE SITES NOW!
[Thank you to Rena Traxel Boudreau for sharing the wonderful world of Carissa Taylor on FB Sub-It-Club]
Twitter Pitch Loglines: Recipe Ideas by Carissa TaylorCarissa gives us the recipe for a good logline. Here she lays out some samples or logline formats that you could customize to your story by filling in the blanks.
March #PitMad Requested Pitches  |
| #PitMad on Twitter |
Carissa Taylor gives us a list of Twitter pitches from the #PitMad held earlier this month that received requests from agents. These are successful pitches, categorized by genre, that you can study as you prepare for you own pitch. Because I write things related to picture books, I thought you'd like to know that of the 236 manuscripts that got requests, 5 of them were picture books.
Pitch Generator by Carissa TaylorFor fun, you can try this pitch generator. It asks basic information about your story and characters and with a click of the mouse, it will generate several pitches for you. I tried it out and I wasn't able to find one that was worthy to use. Nevertheless, it was interesting and fun. I could still tweak the pitches a bit to make it work for me. Try it out.
And in case you are in a position to pitch your book verbally, read this:
Pitching at Conferences Dos and Don'tsLiterary agent, Jean V. Naggar, attended many writers conferences. In doing so, she had compiled a list of dos and don'ts for conference attendees looking to pitch their book. It is a guideline for writers so they don't mess up on an opportunity.
**************Hope this helps. If you have other resources regarding writing a pitch that you find is fabulous, please do so in the comment section.
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| My son's hang-out |
The question that runs through every writer's mind:
Should I submit to an agent or publisher?
I've listed a few sites at the bottom of this post that will help you decide. To make it easier on you, I've summed up the main points below:
The advantages of submitting to an agent:
- Many publishers are closed to unagented submissions. Agents can be your key to opening those doors.
- Agents know what publishers are looking for so they streamline the search for you.
- Agents have a relationship with editors so they have better access and knowledge to the industry.
- Your manuscript gets priority over the slush pile. Publishers trust agents to help them find good writing and weed out those writers who haven't studies the business or craft of writing. It saves publishers time from weeding through he slush pile.
- You get more negotiation leverage with an agent. The agent also can help you understand the contract and the publishing process.
- Agents help build your career as an author.
- Agents manage your submissions for you so you don't have to.
- Agents can help you make your project more saleable before submitting to publishers.
The advantages of submitting to a publisher:
- Having an agent doesn't guarantee a book sale. It is a subjective business but you may be able to increase your chances of publication by looking into smaller publishing houses that agents may not consider.
- If you have a niche book, you may fare better by looking at smaller publishers on your own. Be familiar with the publishers and know what they are looking for.
- You keep your royalties. You don't have to give a percentage to an agent.
- You have control as to who you want to submit to.
What happens if I can't get an agent?
If you have exhausted your agent search (although I don't recommend this- see why you shouldn't submit to no more than 6-8 agents at a time), take a moment to re-evaluate your writing. Get several more critiques. I suggest getting a professional critique by someone who is an expertise in your genre. Revise. Revise. Revise. Resubmit. If that fails, you can try your chances with submitting to publishers.
So you don't get discouraged, here are a few first-time authors who have submitted directly to a publisher and have been successful. Read about their stories to getting published: |
| Used with permission from Debbie Ridpath Ohi at Inkygirl.com |
Sherry Duskey Rinker, author of Goodnight, Goodnight Construction SiteDonna Earnhardt, author of Being FrankLaura Murray, author of Gingerbread Man Loose in the SchoolRob Sanders, author of Cowboy Christmas*****Below are some wonderful sites to help you decide whether or not to submit to an agent or publisher:
Creating a Submission Strategy (Pros/Cons)When should you seek and agent and when is it best to submit straight to the publisher?Heather Aryis Burnell, founder of Sub It Club, sums it up for you and shares the advantages of each. This is a great post on the advantages of having an agent from an editor's point of view. There is also a FAQ section that covers different scenarios such as conference deals, earnings, agent search and what approach to take.
Submitting to Publishers Without an Agent- (When It's Okay to Submit Unagented)Author Nathan Bransford gives instances when submitting directly to publishers makes sense.
This is a great post about first-time author Michelle Houts' experience with publishing directly with a publisher then with an agent. Here she shares her publishing journey and gives us insights about the process.
*****
It's important to know that you should avoid submitting simultaneously to agents and publishers. If you are hoping to find an agent, this could kill your chances. If your manuscript has already been "shopped" around, that gives agents little to work with and if they find out that several publishers have seen your work and passed, they may not want to represent you.
If there are other sites you've found helpful in the decision of whether to submit to an agent or publisher, please share them with me in the comments.
Hope you find this post helpful! If you like what you've read, please share.
HAPPY HUNTING!
A growing number of publishers are not accepting unsolicited manuscripts and are seeking agent submissions only. To dip into the larger pool of publishing houses, I decided to seek an agent who will represent me.
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| Image courtesy of Renjith Krishnan/FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
Here are the steps I've used in my agent search:- Have at least 3 polished manuscripts ready for submission before querying an agent.
- Make a list of agents who are accepting clients and represent the genre I am writing. In my case, picture books.
- Research these agents and take note on what they are specifically looking for in a picture book.
- Make a short list of agents who are a good match for the type of picture books I write.
- Do more research on the agents on the short list and take more notes. Take note on why I want the agent to represent me and why I think we are a good match. Also study the authors that they represent. I like to Google [agent name] interviews. You can gather a lot of good information from the Q & A.
- Take notes on the agent's submission guidelines and make a checklist.
- Write your query or cover letter, making sure you personalize your letter to the agent. I wrote a post that lists helpful links that will help you write the perfect query letter.
- Submit to no more than 6-8 agents at a time. Read the article by Chuck Sambuchino to find out why.
- Practice patience.
Below is a list of a few websites I've compiled that will help you with your agent search:
What an Agent will Do for You- In this post, Lara Dotlich Anderson, former Senior Assistant to the V.P. of Curtis Brown, Ltd. answers the familiar question to help you decide if querying an agent is the next step for you.
**********
The following is an awesome list of agents generated by Casey McCormick/Natalie Aguirre, Heather Ayris Burnell, and Krista Van Dolzer. They've taken the time to gather valuable information, links and interviews of agents all on their site!
Literary Rambles by Casey McCormick & Natalie Aguirre- On the left of the page you can do an agent search by genre or agent name. On the right sidebar you will find a list of agent blogs. This is an excellent source for initiating your agent search. Here you will find agents' web presence, what they are looking for, their philosophy, their client list, submission information, interviews and guest posts.
Here is my favorite post on why you shouldn't be afraid to query new agents:
New Agents Don't Have Cooties- by Maria Vicente, literary agent intern. *************
I hope you find these links helpful to you in your agent search. If you have a link that you feel I should include in this post, please share with me in the comment below.
~Happy Agent Search!
Happiness
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| Created by Romelle via Tagxedo.com |
Valentine's Day is a time when I reflect on the things that make me happy and give me comfort:
Chocolate covered strawberries
Hot Chai tea latte
Gourmet macaroni and cheese
Running
My family & friends
Being outdoors in the sunshine
Fluffy slippers
A warm hug from my boys
A playful puppy
Fresh flowers and
WRITING!
Writing delves deep into my right brain, releasing the ideas that is waiting to pour out onto paper.
Writing is like exhaling. It releases clutter in my mind and quiets my inside world.
Writing is an escape that transports me to a place of wonder and delight.
Writing is meditation. It brings me to my happy place, childlike in nature.
Writing is creative energy that is connected to my soul. So as the ideas flow, my heart dances. Like dance, my writing is an expression of my self.
My inner most thoughts are waiting to be exposed and only through writing can it be expressed.
Writing is my life.
What does writing mean to you?
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The Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program is a one-of-a-kind experience. Curious about what goes on? You can read my story here. 
CAVEAT [not to be confused with Caviar]
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