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Wanna know how I got published? The NJ chapter of SCBWI is to thank. I began attending their events years ago, soaking up all the craft knowledge and publishing tips I could like a piece of garlic bread hungrily sops up the last bits of gravy (yes, my Italian grandmother called it gravy, not sauce).
This year the conference will be held June 28 & 29 in Plainsboro, NJ at the Crowne Plaza/Holiday Inn Conference Center. (Hmm, I wonder if they’ll be serving pasta with gravy?)
More details to come, but for those of you who want to propose a workshop or presentation, submissions are now open!
Hope to see you there!
You know, picture book authors and teachers have oodles in common. We all love kids, we’re often underpaid, and we deal with constant parent criticism. Really, we could be twins. Except teachers must get groomed and dressed every morning while we authors get to lounge around in jammies all day. (Sorry, it’s one of the professional perks.)
I do Skype visits in my jammies–whichever kind the kids pick. This time it was ice skate jammies!
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That’s why I was surprised when I spoke to a group of 50 teachers last week and not a single one had ever used Skype in the classroom. We’re not so twinsy after all?
I connect with a lot of teachers online, so I mistakenly assumed that a majority already took advantage of this technology. But I learned that lack of time and resources—plus occasional lack of the internet—means Skype doesn’t get utilized. Some schools even have privacy concerns and other rules preventing its use.
But that’s too bad! Why should it be? If schools can’t afford to bring an author in to speak, Skype provides a free next-best-thing alternative. Author Kate Messner maintains a list of authors who offer free 15-minute Skypes, and a searchable database of Skype-able authors is available at skypeanauthor.wikifoundry.com. With World Read Aloud Day approaching on March 5, think of how excited students will be to hear an author read their own book. It’s magical. Kids consider authors the “rock stars” of the written word.
Just ask Shannon McClintock Miller’s students. She’s District Teacher Librarian at Van Meter Community School in Van Meter, Iowa and has invited authors/illustrators into her library via Skype for the last six years!
I asked Shannon a few questions to help other teachers get started with their own Skype program…
Shannon, what can a teacher do if their administration is skeptical about Skype?
If the administration is resistant, teachers need to show examples, show the importance, show the impact it can have on the students. They also need to reassure them that the kids are safe, that they know what they are doing…that they understand the “digital citizenship” impact.
When we started out, we practiced Skyping into each others’ rooms. I would read from my library office to the kids down the hall over Skype. We were then able to teach them about Skype, how to behave, that it was just an “extension” of their classroom. All those silly behaviors that we see at first when kids are put in front of a camera can be talked about and addressed. Make sure your administraion knows this.
The impact of bringing in not just authors, but other experts and professionals, takes the library or classroom outside of the four walls and into the world. It brings the children experiences that they might not have otherwise.
What is your Skype set-up like?
We have a computer with a camera and that is what I use. I have it connected to a projector so the kids can see the author or visitor. You don’t have to have a fancy set up to make this work. It can be simple. And kids can also gather around the laptop on the table, which is what we usually do because they like to be close to the author. Also, it’s very important to have speakers set up. Have the kids be able to come up easily and ask questions, too.
I love how mobile my set-up makes me. I can go anywhere with my laptop…and make connections happen naturally. I also use my phone and iPad with Skype, too. Last year took my phone to our pasture for a class of Kindergarteners to see our horse. It works—the connection, the relationships are what is important.
Also, it’s important to have the author’s book available. We have even read the book along on our iPad if the book is an eBook, too. Or I have printed off papers from the Skype visitors to have for the kids.
We are renovating our library and this is a very important part of the new design. But I want people to know—you can have it be very simple, too.
What have been some of your most memorable Skype author/illustrator experiences?
We have had so many wonderful Skype visits.
- Mercer Mayer was very special because being one of the favorite of all kids (and teachers)… And my cousin (with whom I teach) asked me for her kindergarteners.
- Michael Buckley led an hour-long discussion as a culminating event with our 5th graders and also had fun with us on the last day of school last year.
- Tom Angelberger has Skyped with us several times to create Origami Yodas.
- Robert Forbes and Mrs. P read poetry together for our Poetry Summit with five other schools around the world.
- Peter Reynolds Skyped from his home studio. Being an artist and friend of Peter’s, this was very special.
- Loren Long Skyped for Read Across America Day
- This fall we have been Skyping with Capstone Publishing Art Studio. And LOVED this one…
- I know I am leaving out so many of my favorite friends and visits…I could go on and on.
How do you feel these visits have impacted your students?
I feel that these visits bring great experiences and connections to our students. By Skyping with authors, they can discuss writing, publishing, reading, brainstorming, etc. By Skyping with illustrators, they can discuss being an artist for books, for authors, how they got involved and the process.
A lot of times the authors talk about writing when they were younger—how they went to school, where they trained and how they got better at writing.
We have Skyped with publishers to understand the process of writing and publishing a book.
We get to bring the world to our children through these virtual visits.
Thank you, Shannon! It’s interesting to hear from a school system that has been utilizing Skype to its full advantage!
So, how about YOU?
Are you a teacher, educator or librarian eager to try Skype? I’m offering free 15-minute Skype sessions for World Read Aloud Day on March 5th!
I will read my book THE MONSTORE, tell students a SECRET about the book and then answer their questions. (I also perform a magic trick made possible only by this amazing technology and the warping of the space-time continuum.)
Just email me at tarawrites (at) yahoo (dot you-know-what-else) and we can set up a time slot!
Happy Skyping to all!
by guest blogger Dr. Mira Reisberg
You’ve been pounding the keys for months or years, you’ve finally finished your manuscript and you’re ready to submit. You go to a publisher and they are only accepting agented submissions. You go to some agents and they are closed to submissions. You start pulling out the hair now that you didn’t pull out while writing your manuscript in utter frustration!! I want to explain a little about how this came to pass and what you can do about it.
A Little Publishing History
Back when I first started working in this industry, in the good old days of early 1988, first as an illustrator and then as just about everything else, it was a very different world. There were many publishing houses with many editors and art directors and many smaller independent publishers as well. It was fascinating to visit and editors had assistants and support staff that are rarely found these days. Publishing was wide-open and thriving.
But then over time, the corporatization of America started taking hold and larger publishing houses started buying smaller publishers, becoming larger corporations. Using economies of scale, they needed fewer editors, fewer art directors, and fewer assistants. Things started automating more with newer technologies stretching editors and ADs to do more. Many editors, ADs, and their assistants were let go, increasing the workload tremendously for those who remained or those who were newly hired. Big corporations started taking over or merging with other big companies increasing this economy of scale.
Enter September 11th and the Anthrax Scare
Following the 2001 September 11th attacks, there were numerous anthrax scares, as one NBC employee tested positive and a New York Times reporter received a suspicious envelope with white powder. An increase in submissions, partly enabled by changes in attitudes to self-expression, creativity, and access to education—plus access to improved writing technologies, fewer resources of staff to deal with the increase, combined with the anthrax scare—caused many New York children’s book publishers to close their doors to submissions and only accept new submissions from agents.
Then came Amazon with its deep discounts and the recession killing off more independent publishers, further narrowing the field. Fortunately, many smaller publishers did keep their doors open to what’s known as unsolicited submissions and quite a few wonderful independent publishers like Chronicle Books and Lee and Low remain.
Today there are 5 major publishers as well as a bunch of independent or semi-independent publishers. This is not to say that the major pubs aren’t producing wonderful work or that big publishers = bad, or small publishers = good (though most smaller publishers do need extra support). That’s overly simplistic and there are truly wonderful people working at all houses and imprints, big and small making equally wonderful children’s books. I’m just talking about the narrowing of the field for submissions. Some of the major publishers’ imprints still accept unsolicited manuscripts, but for many publishers, due to the overwhelming number of submissions and reasons explained earlier, they prefer the system of having an agent act as a kind of quality screener and gatekeeper.
Now It’s the Agents’ Time to Be Overwhelmed
These days we have a big problem with supply and demand where there are many more writers than there are agents, editors, or publishing opportunities. Also, many writers don’t do the work of learning the skills and techniques of being a professional writer, honing their craft over time, taking courses and learning the specific requirements of contemporary publishing and their specific genre. They submit their work and overwhelm agents who then close their submissions except through conferences, referrals and special circumstances.
So Back to You. You Ask Yourself, “What Can I Do Now?”
We understand that this is frustrating. Here’s a little information about what you can do to get past these restrictions. One of the best ways to get access is by making personal connections with agents and editors at conferences or through courses. There is nothing like a personal connection in any aspect of life. But remember that editors and agents are mostly overworked and underpaid. They do this work because they love books and helping others. As society changes with events in the world, we have to change with it. The thing that doesn’t change is that first impressions make lasting impressions. If you meet an editor or agent make a great impression by being warm, helpful, kind, and positive. As the saying goes, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” Of course before you submit, make sure your work is wonderful, brilliant, original, professional and publishable. But this is a given. If you make meaningful connections, chances are they’ll want to help you if they can, and besides the possibility of publishing, you might just make a wonderful friend.
To learn more about Mira Reisberg and her agency, visit HummingbirdLiterary.com. To learn about her upcoming writing course, visit ChildrensBookAcademy.com/writing-childrens-picture-books.html.
Allow me to be Andy Rooney for a moment.
Imagine me as a white-haired, bulbous, salty old man with a whiny accent.
I know, it’s hard. But just IMAGINE. (By the way, isn’t “bulbous” a marvelous word? I think we, as writers, should seek its descriptive assistance more often. But sorry, I digress. Back to being Andy…)
“Ya ever wonder why so many children’s books feature THREES? Goldilocks and the THREE Bears? The THREE Little Pigs? Snow White and the SEVEN Dwarfs? No wait…I miscounted…I mean The THREE Billy Goat’s Gruff?”
Yes, there’s something downright appealing about the number THREE. (P.S., I’ve returned to being Tara. Thank goodness ’cause those eyebrows are itchy.)
It’s like two is too little. And four is too many. As Goldi would say, three is “just right”. Three is as satisfying as a warm, comfy little bed. (Until the three bears arrive home, that is.)
According to Wikipedia (yes, I’m quoting Wiki), “things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader or audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of threes. From slogans (“Go, fight, win!”) to films, many things are structured in threes.”
The rule of threes is all around us. In photography, the “rule of thirds” dictates that the most visually striking elements of a photograph should align with the intersection of theoretical lines which break the image into thirds lengthwise and widthwise. (Geesh, what a clunker of a sentence.) Hence:
In interior decorating, objets d’art are often grouped in threes.
Architecture adheres to this rule as well. Three are more aesthetically pleasing than two or four. Threes help to balance the focal point in a room. Just ask Genevieve.
There’s the “three schema approach” in software engineering. But don’t ask me to explain. That’s the hubby’s forte.
Even religion espouses threes—the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
“Omne trium perfectum” is a Latin phrase which translates to “everything that comes in threes is perfect”. The world seems to think so. You’ll see the “rule of threes” demonstrated everywhere. Hey, I even sneeze three times in a row.
So in picture books, where do we use this rule?
Descriptive groups of three.
“The Monstore” by Tara Lazar & James Burks
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Three images upon a page.
“Boy + Bot” by Ame Dyckman & Dan Yaccarino
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Even three text boxes!
“Children Make Terrible Pets” by Peter Brown
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And the classic three characters.
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But the most important rule of threes in picture books is three attempts to solve a problem. (Prior to the fourth successful attempt.)
These three attempts invest the reader in your hero’s struggles. Solving the problem in one fell swoop? That doesn’t feel genuine, and the reader won’t care about their journey because it’s over before it’s even begun. There’s no time to empathize with your MC. And with two attempts, the main character has not yet collected enough information to help complete his task. But third time’s the charm! (See that?) It’s when he tries again, fails, hits his lowest point, but then realizes just what he needs to rise again. Three attempts build tension and encourage the reader to turn the page–eagerly! Oooh, what happens NEXT?
Crack open your favorite picture book and you’ll notice threes abound. What did you find?
But now, I’m going to tell you about some different numbers…
THE MONSTORE author and PiBoIdMo creator Tara Lazar’s “7 ATE 9”, a pun-packed preschool noir mystery, starring a hard-boiled Private “I” and a mysteriously missing number, to Kevin Lewis at Disney-Hyperion, by Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency (World).
Hip, hip, hooray!
(That’s three cheers!)
Stationery by Mooseart on Etsy.
Are you good about saying “thank you”?
Admission: I’m not.
Some people keep desks full of exquisite stationery and sign them with flourishing gratitude. Me, I can’t find a stamp in the junk drawer so I give up before I even start. And my address book? Last seen in 2009, scribbled over by toddler’s crayons. And glitter glue. And strawberry applesauce.
Yeah, despite organizing PiBoIdMo every year, in daily life, I’m highly unorganized. Neatness and order doesn’t compute. I leave dishes in the sink. Piles of unfolded clothes litter the laundry room. A confused conglomeration of bags and boxes accumulate under the stairwell. I’m afraid to know what small animals have taken residence there. (Fodder for my next picture book manuscript?)
Saying “thank you” has always been difficult. When someone offers a compliment, I deflect it with self-deprecating remarks. My goal is to let the person know whatever I did was simple, something they could just have easily accomplished. It feels braggart to accept a compliment. So I don’t take them. The attention feels uncomfortable. Little did I know how rude it was to not respond with “thank you”.
I like to give, not receive. Don’t ask me why. Some psychologist is gonna have a field day with this. But I do have a point, beyond being called in for a head-shrinking session.
I’d like to say “thank you” to YOU for helping me to achieve a rewarding 2013.
- To all the people who purchased my debut picture book THE MONSTORE, thank you.
- To those who voted for my book and my blog in various end-of-year superlatives, thank you.
- To everyone who follows me here or on Facebook and Twitter, thank you.
- To the participants, authors, illustrators and agents of PiBoIdMo, thank you.
- To those who have asked me to guest blog, speak or present, thank you.
- To the authors who wrote all the books I read in 2013, thank you. (Yes, I must thank them—they kept me happily entertained!)
This past year has been a tremendously gratifying one for me, and I would be amiss if I didn’t extend my gratitude.
So THANK YOU.
May your 2014 be productive and successful!
And now, to find that address book…
Yep, I still haven’t mailed out my holiday cards. *sigh*
Well, this week has been a whirlwind, a whirlygig and a tilt-a-whirl all-in-one.
Stop, Amy, I’m dizzy!!!
After so many of you nominated this blog for Write to Done’s “Top 10 Blogs for Writers” contest, I learned yesterday that it was selected! It cracked the top 10!
This blog is a labor of love, it truly is. (I know I’m using a lot of clichés this week, but heck if they aren’t so darn apropos.) I blog because I enjoy it immensely, and hey, even though picture books LOOK simple, we all know they’re complicated. There’s a lot to dish and discuss.
Many of you are visiting for the first time, linking from Write to Done. So now would be a good time for a “Year in Review”, no? Amazingly, the top three posts this year were NOT written this year—they’re oldies but goodies (another cliché, Tara?):
- Picture Book Construction: Know Your Layout (Picture Book Dummy)
- 500+ Things That Kids Like
- Roald Dahl: What Makes a Good Children’s Writer
The top three posts written this year were from PiBoIdMo guest bloggers:
- Tammi Sauer Starts with a Title
- Zachariah OHora Pimps His Characters
- Melissa Guion Bursts the Bubble
And my three favorite posts of 2013?
- A Monstrous Book Launch Story in GIFs
- What’s Wrong with Writing Message-Driven Picture Books?
- Tara Lazar Gets Emotional
- Gifts for Writers (In Other Words, Gifts for YOU!)
(Hey, I thought you said THREE? It’s my blog, they’re my rules. Which can be broken. Just like picture book rules.)
Write to Done called this blog “a hub for picture book writers.” It’s true—we’ve created a supportive community here and in our PiBoIdMo Facebook group. (Please join us there. The group is open year-round and delves into all things picture book.)
While composing this “year in review,” I noted that in 2013 I highlighted more authors and illustrators than ever before—and while that’s a good thing, I’d like to circle back to more craft articles in 2014.
However, it always helps to have your input. What do YOU want to see here in 2014? (Besides PiBoIdMo 2014, of course.) Please leave a comment! Your votes got this blog into the Top 10 (thank you!) and your votes for this blog’s content will ensure it continues to be a useful (and FUN) resource.
Many thanks to Mary Jaksch of Write to Done for the honor, and congratulations to the other winners: Writer Unboxed, KM Weiland, Carol Tice, Chuck Wendig, CS Lakin, James Chartrand, Kristen Lamb, Linda Formichelli and Darcy Pattison. Go check them out! Methinks you’ve got a lotta good reading in your future.
(Hey, you know who that is? Ally Sheedy! I tell this story at school visits: when I was in elementary school I checked “She Was Nice to Mice” out of the library. My librarian, Mrs. Shamus, told me that the author, Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy, was only 12 years old. I then thought, “If she can do it, then I can, too!” That was my writing epiphany, the first time I recall wanting to become a children’s author.)
Hey look, Jerry won a prize in a box of cereal!
Well, he’s going to be mighty jealous of you PiBoIdMo’ers—because your prizes sure beat a Honey Comb tattoo. (Your prizes are BIG, yeah-yeah-yeah. They’re not SMALL, no-no-no.)
It’s time for the final prizes of PiBoIdMo, the ones offered by our guest bloggers during the month of November. There’s artwork, signed books and critiques galore!
How were the winners selected? I used Random.org to pick a number that corresponded with the order in which you commented on each prize post. Then I checked the winner’s name against the list of registered participants and those who signed the Winner’s Pledge. The name had to appear in both places. If the person commented twice on any of those three posts, they were disqualified. Winners were eligible for one prize only. If a name was selected twice, they were removed and another number was picked by Random.org.
All winners will be emailed within the next few days. If you do not receive an email from me, first check your spam folder, then contact me directly.
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OK, so let’s start with the PRIZES YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT! These are prizes offered by people who did not guest blog but felt compelled to contribute to the event. Thank you Tamson, Suzanne and Alayne!
First, editor Tamson Weston offered a picture book critique for manuscripts under 1000 words. The winner is:
SUZY LEOPOLD
Next, illustrator Suzanne del Rizzo offered a signed, personalized copy of her picture book SKINK ON THE BRINK. It goes to:
BRENNA FRIESNER
Finally, Alayne Kay Christian offered a picture book critique. The lucky one is:
DARYL GOTTIER
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Now let’s move on to the prizes offered by PiBoIdMo guest bloggers.
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NUGGET & FANG Prize Pack
JANET HALFMANN
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Hand Screenprinted Cards
AMIE VALORE-CAPLAN
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Original ZOE & ROBOT Drawing
COURTENAY SCHURMAN
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Signed Hardcopies of the Following Books:
SANTA KID
SHERRY WALZ
MISS SMITH AND THE INCREDIBLE STORYBOOK
DONNA J. SHEPHERD
MISS SMITH AND THE HAUNTED LIBRARY
TONYA LIPPERT
MISS SMITH READS AGAIN
SUZANNE KAUFMAN
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Signed Hardcopy of BE IN CHARGE (Five Winners)
SUE PODUSKA
JANET SMART
LISA CONNORS
JENNIFER VOIGT KAPLAN
ALEXA KAUFHOLD
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Elizabeth Rose Stanton’s Prize
Signed Hardcopy of HENNY (when released)
RICK STARKEY
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Signed Hardopy of CHICK-O-SAURUS REX and a personalize illustration by Daniel Jennewein
LINDA HOFKE
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Signed Hardcopy of CORA COOKS PANCIT
JULIE GRASSO
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BABY PENGUINS EVERYWHERE Prize Pack
ANN BIRNIE
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Choice of Picture Book with Audio CD
MELINE SCHEIDEL
Picture Book Critique
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD
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Signed Copy of DRAW CRAZY CREATURES (Two Winners)
DAWN MITCHELL
LAURI MEYERS
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Signed copies of THE QUIRKS and ELVIS AND THE UNDERDOGS
STACY GRAY
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Picture Book Critique
SUE HEAVENRICH
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Signed F&G of RABBIT’S SONG
THIS KID ERIK
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8.5 x 11 Print from her Etsy Shop (Two winners)
CAROLYN ROHRBAUGH
SHIELA FULLER
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ROBOT ZOMBIE FRANKENSTEIN! Prize Pack
GRANT JENKINSON
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KAR-BEN Books Prize Pack
COREY ROSEN SCHWARTZ
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Critique of Kidlit Manuscript – 10 Pages
MELANIE ELLSWORTH
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ARNIE THE DOUGHNUT Prize Pack
MARGARET GREANIAS
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Well, that’s all folks! This officially concludes PiBoIdMo 2013. It’s been a blast! Thank you for your enthusiasm throughout the event, in your comments and your participation in the Facebook group. I could not do it without you—and that’s not cliché, that’s TRUTH.
Please remember to contact me should any of your PiBoIdMo ideas win a contest, an agent or a contract. I love highlighting your success stories!
But for now, write on! Be sure to consider some of these other picture book writing challenges offered throughout the year:
- Shannon Abercrombie’s Start The Year off Write 2014
- Meg Miller’s ReViMo 2014
- Julie Hedlund’s 12 x 12 in 2014
- Lora Koehler and Jean Reagan’s Picture Book Marathon 2014
- Paula Yoo’s NaPiBoWriWee 2014
…and, of course, PiBoIdMo 2014! See you next November!
Who shall roll the drums this time?
Sorry, Anna Kendrick canceled last minute and this is all I could get on short notice.
So there’s more prizes to give away…all the Post-PiBo goodies!
Again, winners were selected with the help of Random.org and double checking and blah-di-blah-di-blah-blah. You know the drill by now.
So let’s go…
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TEA PARTY RULES Prize Pack
LORI ALEXANDER
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Signed hardcopy of DEAR SANTASAURUS
CATHY BIGGERSTAFF
Picture book critique
MARY CROCKETT
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Picture book critique
SUZI GUINA
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Signed hardcopy of GOLDI ROCKS AND THE THREE BEARS
ELLEN MOTT
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Weeeeee! Congratulations to the winners! Be on the lookout for an email from me.
That’s all for today, folks. Stay tuned for the rest of the PiBoIdMo prizes!
I’ve already asked Animal for a drum roll twice on this blog, so it’s time to give someone else a chance. Take it away, Mr. Astaire!
What poise! What grace! What shiny white spats!
So here are the prize winners for those goodies given away during Pre-PiBo in late October.
How were these winners selected? Again, I used Random.org to draw numbers which corresponded to the order in which a person commented on the prize post. Then I checked to ensure that the participant had officially registered AND completed the challenge and had only commented once on each of the three posts. If all checked out, they were named the official winner!
All winners will be receiving an email from me today. Please be on the lookout for it. If you don’t receive it, please contact me.
Without further ado…
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Signed hardcopy of NEVER PLAY MUSIC RIGHT NEXT TO THE ZOO
TANIA COLE
Skype visit
JULIANA LEE
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GOLD 12×12 Membership for 2014
JANELLE MIKULAS
Signed hardcopy of A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS
CAT JONES
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Picture book critique #1
PAT HAAPANIEMI
Picture book critique #2
YVONNE MES
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Signed hardcopies of ADOPTIVE FATHER and WITHOUT ME?
DEE ALMOND
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Picture book critique
LAURA GEHL
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Signed hardcopy of THE HOUSE THAT SANTA BUILT
SANDY PERLIC
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Congratulations to all the Pre-PiBo winners.
MANY more winners to come so stay tuned!
***UPDATE 12/21/13: I’m thrilled to report that CHALKY has been fully funded! Congratulations to the gentlemen of Little Thunder Co., Jordan Henderson and Kyle Steed.***
Two weeks ago as I was wrapping up PiBoIdMo (and holiday gifts), this little fella arrived in my inbox:
I immediately connected with the illustration—even though I’m allergic to cats. ***AH-CHOO!***
But just look at him! Fluffy and soft, pawing his way into the sunshine for a day of adventure!
Captivated by the texture of the illustration, the color palette, the dapples of light, and the cat’s expressive body language, I wanted to know more.
I learned that his name is Chalky. CHALKY AND THE NEW SPORTS CAR is a picture book venture by Little Thunder Co., a trio of designers from Belfast. Chalky is a character based on a real cat, with illustrations by the talented Jordan Henderson and original typography by Kyle Steed. They’ve got a Kickstarter campaign that ends in FOUR DAYS and they need your help!
So I sat down with Gabriel, Tim and Michael of Little Thunder Co. to talk about the process of creating CHALKY and the behind-the-scenes challenges of launching a Kickstarter project. Mind you, I was sitting in New Jersey while these guys were in Ireland. And they probably weren’t sitting, they’ve been so busy promoting CHALKY! I imagine them floating around like superheroes, as in their photo…
Gabriel Muldoon, Tim Potter and Michael McKeever
Gentlemen, this blog often focuses on ideas and inspiration. Your main character, Chalky, was based on a real cat. Whose cat is Chalky and how did this evolve into a story for children?
TIM: Chalky was a stray cat who was found in a friend’s shed circa 2003. I brought him back home where he has resided ever since as our family cat.
Chalky is a fun, friendly and curious cat. He has a particular passion for cars and enjoys sitting on the warm bonnets (hoods) of vehicles that have recently parked in the neighbourhood—and who could blame him given the Irish climate? He also enjoys peering up the exhaust pipe of cars and, being a white cat, he would often return home with a black ring of soot on his face. Big exhaust pipes are his favourite—the more of his face he can press up it, the better. I don’t know what the fascination is, but it gives us a few laughs when he comes home at night with soot on his face.
My father and author, Stanley Potter, turned his hand to writing short stories and poetry in his retirement and the things Chalky gets up to are a constant source of material for him. He wanted to write these stories for his grandchildren to enjoy and he sent me over this first story “Chalky and the New Sports Car” and I was so impressed with it that I shared it with the rest of the Little Thunder Co. team.
What kind of work does your production company, Little Thunder Co., typically do, and how do you think your experience translates into creating a children’s picture book?
GABRIEL: We’re primarily a digital design studio that creates high-impact digital products for the big screen, small screen and everything in between. This typically includes websites and apps but our main speciality is humanising the user experience by taking the best practices and principles of design to create an organic experience for the user.
Part of what we do involves storytelling, and apps and websites all have an underlying narrative. Some are good and we don’t even notice them, others are bad and stick out like a sore thumb so we look at transition, pacing, language—all important aspects of how a story unfolds over time—and apply these to our work. These storytelling techniques transcend different disciplines and has helped us in the production of our children’s book. We’ve been able to break the story down, identify key scenes and art direct it in a way that is fitting to the audience, the same way we would had it been a website. We’ve learned a lot of new things along the way about picture books that we can also apply to our craft as designers so there is a great cross-over and sharing of knowledge between both practices.
As designers we also understand layout and typography so we’ve been able to apply these to the design of the book. Typography is a really important ingredient for us and we consider it ‘clothing for words’ so we’ve put a huge emphasis on getting this right which has led us to commision typographer Kyle Steed to hand craft every word in the book. We could have picked a font and there are plenty of great ones out there, but we wanted to create the complete children’s picture book experience and we couldn’t achieve it without giving the words their own unique voice.
So you knew from the beginning that you wanted to take control of this creation and not go the traditional publication route. What led you to Kickstarter? What specific challenges come with launching a Kickstarter campaign?
GABRIEL: Over the past few months there have been a string of successful Kickstarter projects from companies based within a few minutes walk from our office (Brewbot, SeeSense & Patchblocks), so we felt the time was right to give it a go ourselves. Belfast is an exciting place to be right now in regards to design and we have a very supportive community that will get behind your project and support you.
MICHAEL: This is the first Kickstarter project that we have launched and one thing we have learnt is that preparation is first and foremost. There is an enormous amount of content you have to think about and prepare beforehand. The video itself is an important part of your pitch and we were literally filming right up until a few minutes before we needed to go live.
TIM: Once it went live you soon find yourself working around the clock to promote it, responding to questions and comments, thinking of new strategies to help gain pledges, the list is endless. It’s quite the emotional roller coaster as if you don’t make your goal, you don’t get a penny from Kickstarter. It’s all or nothing which adds to the intensity during the funding period.
What are your goals for CHALKY? How do you hope your audience will react to the story?
GABRIEL: Simply, we hope that the book resonates with the audience through the beautiful illustrations, typography and engaging story to create the sort of book parents will enjoy reading their kids and the book that the kids will ask for their parents to read them.
What will be your definition of success for the book?
MICHAEL: I would say success to us would be getting to the stage where we have physical copies of the book that people can own and can live on their bookshelves. Something that kids and parents will enjoy reading.
GABRIEL: Yeah, and just on that point, I think the greatest moment will be able to read our story to my kids and get to experience what it is all about at the end of the day, a book the family can enjoy.
Do you have a goal for the number of books you hope to sell?
TIM: In all honesty we’re doing this project out of passion to create something beautiful and different from what is already out there on the market. As far as sales go, it is hard for us to project this, because this is our first attempt at entering the children’s book market. All we knew starting this was we wanted this book to exist and every sale after that is a bonus, so we’ve no spreadsheet hidden away with projected sales and targets. To us it’s all about the craft of something great.
What about Chalky do you feel is different from what’s already on the market?
I would say we’ve researched the anatomy of great storytelling and what makes something visually compelling and tried to apply these to the production of CHALKY. An example would be the typography. We could have used an existing typeface for the book but for us to create a richer, immersive experience and to compliment the illustrations, we’ve wanted to get the words hand-crafted. We also have gone for a unique illustrative style, that is totally digital but calls on traditional painting techniques to create them.
If successful with this book, what will you do next? A Chalky sequel or other picture books?
GABRIEL: We actually have another four Chalky stories written and ready to go which will introduce new characters and adventures. If this first book is successful, we’ll start to work on the next one and develop Chalky as a brand. The bigger picture is to become an independent publishing house and work with other story writers, designers, typographers and illustrators to create a rich and varied collection of picture books all created to an exceptional standard.
Thank you so much Gabriel, Tim and Michael, and I wish you much success with CHALKY!
Dear blog readers, ’tis the season of giving. The gentlemen are shy of their Kickstarter goal, so won’t you consider backing them? Remember, when you back them, they give you something back!
Click below to go to the Kickstarter campaign.
Plus Gabriel, Tim and Michael would love to hear what you think of CHALKY! Do you have any questions about their creative process or Kickstarter? Please leave them a comment below.
P.S. More PiBoIdMo prizes to come, so stay tuned!
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 