by Salina Yoon
Ever wonder how those cute books with moving parts, lift-flaps, pop-ups, or touchable things get sold to publishers?
With a novelty book submission, the dummy is critical. Unlike other formats that may be story- or art-driven, a novelty book is format-driven. This means that the physical format can be even more important than the text, the story, the concept, or the art, though all of these elements have to work seamlessly together at the end. Creating a novelty book is like solving a puzzle on a multi-dimensional level. But the challenge is what makes it FUN!
The format has to be unique and versatile enough to work as a series.
But how do you build a book with moving parts?!
I’ll show you.
It begins with an idea. You sketch it out. This sketch is no bigger than 2”, but it’s got a lot of info here. The tail of an animal will wag by the pull of a pull-tab.
Since I already know that it would be important for the publisher to be able to make this into a series, I created a series title.
The things that I considered while creating the series title:
- Must highlight its most unique feature on the book
- Must be catchy
- Must inform reader how the book works
I came up with a WAGGING TAIL BOOK. But I revised the series title to A WAG MY TAIL BOOK for the final submission, which the acquiring publisher kept.
Then comes the tricky part. Before I do anything else, I have to figure out how to make the tail wag with a pull tab. What if you’re not a paper engineer? While I consider myself a format engineer, I’m not a paper engineer myself, so I sought one out. I happen to have a good friend who can really make paper do anything! Having some experience with novelty, though, I knew the possibilities and limitations. I explained how I wanted the tail to move with a tab on the side. She sent me various options, and this mechanic worked the best for me.
You could hire a freelance paper engineer, like Renee Jablow or carefully open up other books with a similar mechanic to the one you want, and see if you could recreate it. No need to reinvent the wheel. All paper-engineers pull apart other paper mechanics to learn from them! Don’t worry about making it perfect. This is for the purpose of submitting it to a publisher so they see how it works. If the publisher is interested, they would send this dummy to their printer, and the printer would re-engineer it (and clean it up)—and supply quotes to the publisher. Pricing is KEY in getting through the acquisition process. If it’s too pricey, it’ll be passed. Be sure to only include interactive elements that are absolutely necessary and cost effective.
Once I had the mechanic figured out, I worked on creating an art sample. But since I want to show this format as a series, I created four covers. After building the four dummies, I had to source the fabric for the touch-and-feel tail. This could be done by visiting a fabric store, or even a party store that sells costumes. All I needed was a tiny piece of fabric for my dummy. A fully designed dummy shows the publisher exactly how I am envisioning this series.
But I wanted to offer less-expensive versions of the dummy, too, so I did not put fabric on the tails of all of the animals. It’s nice to offer options.
After building the dummy, I created a video to show how the dummy works. This would allow me to share the dummy without actually sending it, unless it was requested.
The acquisition process for a novelty book typically takes far longer than a traditional picture book, even when the publisher is excited about it. Expect 7-12 months…or longer to get an offer, if one is coming! Some books have been acquired as late as 18 months after submission!
The Wag My Tail series was sold to S&S as a 3-book deal (though more are coming). Instead of going with the original concepts, the publisher asked for holiday themes, which was easy to apply to this format. The first book HALLOWEEN KITTY is available now, and the others will follow.
Don’t be afraid to tackle a novelty book idea. Take it just one step at a time—beginning with the format. It’s challenging on multiple levels, but you’ll have lots of fun and maybe less hair than what you started with. Good luck!
Thanks, Salina! What a fascinating process. You are the novelty master. How could any publisher resist?
You can visit Salina and her books online at SalinaYoon.com.
To celebrate the release of HALLOWEEN KITTY, Salina is giving away 5 copies of the book!
Leave one comment below to enter. Five random winners will be selected in a couple weeks.
Good luck!
96 comments
Comments feed for this article
September 9, 2019 at 8:12 am
Kristin Crouch
I love this!!! Going to bookmark it for my students who are maker-authors! Thanks so much.
~Kristin Crouch
September 9, 2019 at 8:14 am
Krista Harrington
I love novelty books! My kids always swarmed to them when they were little. This series looks delightful:)
September 9, 2019 at 8:15 am
Marla
Thank you for the post! It was nice to peek behibd the scenes.
September 9, 2019 at 8:16 am
Jacquie Sewell
I love Salina’s books. This new series looks great – I’m recommending it to my library director for purchase.
September 9, 2019 at 8:26 am
lmconnors
I have always wondered how one submits a flap book. Thank you for this detailed example!
September 9, 2019 at 8:29 am
tinamcho
Definitely, Salina is the queen of novelty books! I love reading her how-to posts. Thanks!
September 9, 2019 at 8:38 am
bgonsar
Really cool post. We have a lot of novelty books in our house, but I rarely read about the process. Thanks for sharing!
September 9, 2019 at 8:42 am
Bettie Boswell
What a cute idea!
September 9, 2019 at 8:46 am
Viviane
This looks amazing! Thank you for sharing the process behind the books.
September 9, 2019 at 8:53 am
Chiêu Anh Urban
So adorable Salina! I bow to the master. 🙂
September 9, 2019 at 9:25 am
aliciaminor
Blessed are you who conquered the world of novelty. You hit another jackpot my friend. I’m sure many will follow through. I wish you many more series and congratulations too!
September 9, 2019 at 9:30 am
Katie Giorgio
Oh such fun…kids will love this!
September 9, 2019 at 9:33 am
Joy Pitcairn
So cool! Thanks for sharing!
September 9, 2019 at 9:36 am
triciacandy
Thank you so much! I just love seeing this process.
September 9, 2019 at 9:41 am
pollyrenner
So Cool Salina! I always wondered about the process of making these books. Babies and Toddlers just love them, too! Congrats on your latest series:>
September 9, 2019 at 9:41 am
Kathy Halsey
Salina, I see you as the expert in this type of book! Love seeing the process and how smart of youth do a trailer instead of having to send the sample!
September 9, 2019 at 9:47 am
C.L. Murphy
Could this be any cuter? No way! I absolutely love hearing about your process, Salina. You and the characters that you create are charming!
September 9, 2019 at 9:50 am
ShellyHY
What a charming idea! Thanks 💗
September 9, 2019 at 10:00 am
authorlaurablog
What a fabulous peek into the process. When my daughter was little, she used to make pop up books and other cutout art projects with moving parts. Often they were more complicated than I could even imagine. She’s an engineer now. I’m sharing this with her now.
Thanks Salina and Tara
September 9, 2019 at 10:04 am
Angie
Wow! Fascinating! I didn’t realize you needed to go into so much detail when submitting a book of this type. Perfect interview and helpful tips. Thanks so much. Congratulations!
September 9, 2019 at 10:10 am
June Sengpiehl
What an adorable idea. Thanks for the information.
September 9, 2019 at 10:11 am
supermario6
Love all your books!
September 9, 2019 at 10:20 am
Mary York
What a great concept, Salina! Thank you for explaining the “how to!”
September 9, 2019 at 10:22 am
danielledufayet
Thanks so much for sharing -quite enlightening! Congrats on all your amazing success!
September 9, 2019 at 10:31 am
Wendi Silvano
I love reading about your process… darling idea too!
September 9, 2019 at 11:09 am
Kassy Keppol
I was so excited to learn about this, I have always wondered.
September 9, 2019 at 11:20 am
kathydoherty1
These are beyond adorable! Such creativity!
September 9, 2019 at 11:44 am
Ashley Bankhead
This was such a great post. Very insightful.
September 9, 2019 at 11:52 am
Claire Lordon (@ClaireLordon)
Thanks for sharing your process. I was always curious how novelty books were developed and sold. Congratulations!
September 9, 2019 at 11:54 am
Katie Engen
I love unexpected mash ups – this foray into PB concepts + paper engineering is such a fun example/exploration. Thanks!
September 9, 2019 at 11:54 am
Linda
What a cute book. My daughter loves these interactive type books.
September 9, 2019 at 11:54 am
Rebecca Herzog
It is so cool to see the process. Thank you for sharing!
September 9, 2019 at 11:55 am
Cheryl Johnson
Great read! I’ve always wondered how a novelty book gets submitted.
September 9, 2019 at 11:57 am
Emily Wayne (@heyemilywayne)
So adorable!! I love all of Salina’s books, they’re so cute and clever!
September 9, 2019 at 12:04 pm
Suzanne Lewis
Thanks for such detailed, tried-and-true information on this multi-stage process, Salina! Love your books!
September 9, 2019 at 12:08 pm
Sheila Wipperman
Thanks for sharing such an informative post on your creative process! Congrats on your success!
September 9, 2019 at 12:45 pm
Dawn Prochovnic
What a great, informative post. I learned so much! I’ll be looking at novelty books completely differently now, AND, I’ll be seeking out Salina Yoon’s books.
September 9, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Josie Liming Gawlowski
So fascinating to see this process. Now I know! Thank you Salina and Tara!
September 9, 2019 at 1:12 pm
Teresa Robeson
Invaluable behind-the-scenes advice…thank you, Salina and Tara!
September 9, 2019 at 2:13 pm
Cathy Ogren
Wonderful post! Clever idea!
September 9, 2019 at 2:17 pm
David McMullin
I have not seen an article like this. I love it. Thanks so much.
September 9, 2019 at 2:18 pm
Kaylynn Johnsen
I always wondered how this process worked. Do you have to be an author/illustrator to do this?
September 9, 2019 at 3:26 pm
Salina
Thanks, Kaylynn. It’s possible to submit just a novelty format without even the words or art! In this case, you’d submit just a blank dummy… but with a rough sketch to show how the elements would work. (this gives ideas to the publisher on how they could use it) Submitting JUST text for a novelty would be very tricky, and isn’t typically done. But an illustrator could submit a novelty book with just art, and if the novelty idea is strong enough, and the art is appropriate, then the publisher may provide the text for the book themselves.
I can see a writer/artist team putting together a novelty submission–perhaps from the same literary agency. But more work would fall on the artist in that particular case, so I’m not sure how that would balance out.
September 9, 2019 at 2:28 pm
Gabi Snyder
What a fun challenge! Thanks for sharing your process, Salina!
September 9, 2019 at 2:47 pm
Varda
I recently did a workshop with Salina. She is not only amazingly talented and generous with the info she shares, but also just a lovely person.
September 9, 2019 at 2:53 pm
KidLit Underground
So cute! It’s my hashtag-goals to figure out a way to do a novelty book for MG. 🙂 Congrats Salina!
September 9, 2019 at 3:19 pm
Mirka H
Such a cute idea. I’ve recently been acquainted with your work and am fascinated about the finished dummy idea.
September 9, 2019 at 3:26 pm
Sylvia Mary Grech
I always wondered about novelty books too. Thanks for sharing the process. do you have to be an author/illustrator?
September 9, 2019 at 3:51 pm
Kim Larson
That is sooo cool, Salina! Congrats on your book. Cute and clever!
September 9, 2019 at 4:00 pm
Carol Gwin Nelson
I’ve always wondered how these books were sold! Thanks for such an interesting post.
September 9, 2019 at 4:33 pm
Nancy Furstinger
Super adorable–congrats on the multiple book deal
! Interactive books are so much fun–I always make a beeline for them in bookstores:-)
September 9, 2019 at 4:50 pm
Michele Meleen
Thank you for offering advice on something that seems so foreign! I’ve never seen another post like this one and it truly inspired me 🙂
September 9, 2019 at 4:55 pm
Michele Meleen
Thank you so much for sharing this interesting topic! I’ve never seen another blog post like this and it’s truly inspired me 🙂
September 9, 2019 at 5:04 pm
andreesantini
Super cute and thanks for sharing your process.
September 9, 2019 at 5:15 pm
Nancy Tupper Ling
The Always Amazing Salina!! Thanks for sharing your process.
September 9, 2019 at 5:30 pm
ingridboydston
Thank you for the sneak peek and for the encouragement!
September 9, 2019 at 5:36 pm
Susan Johnston Taylor
Congrats, Salina! It’s very cool to get an inside look at how novelty books get made.
September 9, 2019 at 5:36 pm
Susan Twiggs
Salina,
You are a master! I have to admit you make it sound easy when I know it’s not!
September 9, 2019 at 5:46 pm
Salina
I’m sorry if I made it sound easy! I tried to keep it at 700 words… but I’ve given 3-hour intensives on this subject! Ha! And that just scratches the surface. Each new novelty book has its own sets of challenges– mechanically, editorially, and artistically. I learned a LOT from trial and error over the last 20 yrs, but it all begins with simply attempting that first book. Once that seed is planted that ANYTHING is possible, it’s really quite liberating and you can’t go back into the box (of thinking only flat books are possible).
September 9, 2019 at 6:03 pm
seschipper
Wow! Wonderful post! It is amazing how you pull it all together! Looking forward to purchasing your book(s)! 🙂
September 9, 2019 at 6:25 pm
Linda Mitchell
OMG this book is the cutest! What I love about these books is the appeal to older children and teens for figuring out to make one. My teens love crafting with paper and this is such a cool new idea to share with them. Thanks!
September 9, 2019 at 6:33 pm
Nina Crittenden
Such great information! Thank you for this peek into your process, Salina!
September 9, 2019 at 6:56 pm
Mark Ceilley
I really enjoyed learning the process of how a novelty book is made.
The video was helpful too! Thank you!
September 9, 2019 at 7:58 pm
writersideup
Salina, I LOVE this post, especially since I’ve created several novelty books by hand (torturous!), but never thought of taking a video of the book in operation. FanTASTic tip! Thank you 😀 😀 😀
September 9, 2019 at 8:02 pm
rindabeach
These books are incredible, with the thought and detail that go into them. Congratulations on your 3 book deal!
September 9, 2019 at 8:12 pm
Tamawi
As a longtime pop-up book lover I have wondered about the process of interactive books. Very interesting – thank you!
September 9, 2019 at 8:25 pm
Gretchen Hansen
I like how encouraging this article is for a child to create his/her own unique novelty picture book, as well as introducing them to wag my tail, Halloween Kitty!
September 9, 2019 at 8:51 pm
marty
Fascinating to learn about this process. The Halloween Kitty is adorable!
September 9, 2019 at 9:28 pm
Abi
Thanks for sharing your process, Salina! Very fascinating to see your prototypes. And making a video of it in action make so much sense. Congratulations on your new series!
September 9, 2019 at 11:17 pm
Sandy Perlic
Salina is the master at novelty books! Her creativity is amazing. I love seeing her process and feeling that fleeting belief that I can do it, too.
September 10, 2019 at 2:45 am
Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez
Omg! Am I the only one that kept getting more and more excited as this went on?!? I absolutely ADORE this idea; it’s so brilliant!! I NEED these for my three year old and thank you so much for sharing your creative process, Salina. And Tara, you keep the best company 😍
September 10, 2019 at 3:20 am
Chelle Martin
Thanks for such a creative article. Good luck with your book.
September 10, 2019 at 5:56 am
mona861
What a fantastic post! Thanks, Salina, for sharing your process. You are a master. Wow! This series will fly off the shelves. Congratulations!
September 10, 2019 at 7:13 am
Sara Fajardo
Wow! What a fascinating read. Thanks for taking us into your process.
September 10, 2019 at 9:49 am
goodtimegreatstory
That is adorable and a fascinating process! We love books with action and touch for sensory purposes.
September 10, 2019 at 12:23 pm
Jill M Proctor
So fun to learn how it’s done! Thanks, Salina, for sharing! This is something I’ve never considered before, but you’ve got me thinking . . .
September 10, 2019 at 2:09 pm
nicolesalterbraun
Salina is so creative. I had the pleasure of being in one of her sessions at an SCBWI conference and she is delightful and full of helpful information!
September 10, 2019 at 4:44 pm
Sara Matson
Such an interesting and informative post. Thank you, Salina!
September 10, 2019 at 4:48 pm
Arlene Schenker
wow! This is fascinating. I doubt I’ll ever write a novelty book, but I loved reading how you create them.
September 10, 2019 at 6:21 pm
sallie wolf
Thanks for giving such a detailed explanation of how to submit as well as develop a novelty book. Good luck, Halloween Kitty!
September 10, 2019 at 9:23 pm
Lenora Biemans
Wow. Thank you for unveiling the process. This is fascinating!
September 10, 2019 at 10:44 pm
Lucretia
Thank you for sharing your insights and information, Salina. It’s so interesting to learn about an aspect of PBs I’d never considered. Congratulations on your new series.
September 10, 2019 at 11:11 pm
Darshana
I LOVE this post! Salina you are a master at novelty books.
September 10, 2019 at 11:32 pm
Salina
Dear Friends, THANK YOU SO MUCH for these wonderful and super kind comments! I’ve read each one… and I’m so humbled by them. Apologies for not being able to respond to each one, but I’m a bit busy right now! Fun stuff! 😉 I hope you all get busy, too!!!! Novelty books are not beyond your reach! You can start with basics… like a simple lift-flap book! Follow me on Facebook if you want to see more examples! Create on!
September 11, 2019 at 3:07 am
Janet F.
This posting is terrific. Salina is so generous. Understanding her process is helpful and can inspire wider ideas. I can see something similar teachers can try with older elem school kids. Especially a collaborative project between older and younger students. Thank you both.
Janet Clare F.
September 11, 2019 at 5:42 am
Andrea Mack
Wow! This is so interesting. Thanks for explaining how you do this.
September 11, 2019 at 1:02 pm
Darcee Freier
Wow! I had no clue that the author had to do all that work. Challenging, but fun! Congrats! On your series and thanks for sharing the inside scoop!
September 12, 2019 at 5:22 pm
Lisa Riddiough
This is such an inspiring post. Thank you Tara and Salina. Let the brainstorming commence!!
September 13, 2019 at 2:30 pm
RaeMcDonald
A look inside your book was terrific. Thank you.
September 14, 2019 at 2:23 pm
Penny Parker Klostermann
So interesting…and adorable! I have a critique partner working on a novelty book and I’m going to pass this along to him! Thanks!
September 15, 2019 at 9:14 pm
Paige
Thank you for all the information on novelty books. And for the give away.
September 15, 2019 at 10:37 pm
Earl @ The Chronicles Of A Children's Book Writer
This was such a fascinating glimpse into novelty books. Any time I meet an aspiring kidlit creator who is interested in this, I tell them to check out Salina Yoon’s page because she’s obviously a master at it!
September 16, 2019 at 3:17 pm
Johanna
This is awesome and encouraging. Thanks for giving us the inside scoop
September 16, 2019 at 8:50 pm
Denita Johnson
Thank you so much for sharing and encouraging us!
November 11, 2019 at 2:37 pm
tanyakonerman
What an amazing look at your process…it’s very helpful to me with two of my ideas. Thanks!
November 13, 2019 at 10:23 am
Terri
Wow! Really great information about creating a novelty book. I always loved them as a child and now they are so much more creative. Renee Jablow, I never knew there was such an artistic job as paper engineer. If I had to do it, the paper would be ripped to shreds and burning in a waste paper basket out of my frustration involved in the creation.
Thanks for an insiders look at these fun book creations.
Terri Foschini