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by Betsy Devany
When Tara approached me to do a guest post, I was thrilled. And then I sat down and thought: Oh, dear. How best can I contribute as a pre-published author, who shares her writing room with a life-sized gorilla named Norman and a slew of beloved stuffies?
So I went back through my own PiBoldMo notes/ideas. While I’d followed prior years’ posts, I didn’t officially commit until 2011. I’d spent months revising a number of novels, and I missed working on picture books. Coming up with a new idea(s) every day was like treating myself to a mango/banana smoothie from Cold Stone. I told myself, at the time, that if I actually did that, maybe while enjoying a Love It smoothie, a picture book idea would come to me. I’d have a sparking new voice before I got back home, acting like I had not just gone to Cold Stone and indulged myself, once again.
So with a self-promise to more vigorously support Cold Stone, I took a leap of faith, and added my name to the 2011 PiBoldMo roster.
Every day, I read the guest post. I studied the advice, soaked in the inspiration, and highlighted what spoke to me. I kept a pen and paper nearby at all times. As ideas came, I stretched some further, adding bits of dialogue or notes about conflict. With other ideas, I described the image or images that led to the “light bulb,” all of which seemed to come when I was driving, walking, or paying with my grandkids, i.e. just being silly. Silly like having tea parties with Norman, my granddaughter and seventeen unicorns. Silly like wearing funny glasses and too-small gowns, riding on stick horses while speaking in a British accent. Silly like doing puppet shows in which you act out picture books gone wild. With all of this, I embraced the child within—with my grandkids along for the fun, of course. I do not hold private tea parties for the gorilla, the unicorns, and myself. (Well, okay, I may have done this once.)
Two words of advice: Have fun.
Open your heart and forget what your neighbors might think when they see you dashing through your yard riding a stick pony and shouting, “Yee-haw! Grandma’s gonna wrestle you wild thing!” Ignore their looks when you’re tossing balls to a giant stuffed gorilla. And if your dress-up outfit suggests you’ve forgotten that you’re now a responsible adult, smile and wave. They might even join you! Enjoying-your-life moments take us to the magical place where ideas shift like cotton-candy clouds, all for the taking. Reach out and grab one!
Or . . . you can dice potatoes, because the act of dicing potatoes can also land you in the Magical and Marketable World of Ideas.
On day twenty-four of PiBoldMo 2011, I was doing exactly that, trying to look like I knew the official ins-and-outs of all things potato. It was Thanksgiving, and my daughters, whose adept cooking skills strongly suggest I did not give birth to them, stood there watching me.
“No, Mom. Smaller chunks,” said my youngest.
“Use the other knife, and hold it this way,” said the eldest. “Are you sure you’re our mother?”
“Yes,” I said. Chop, chop, chop.
“I’m shocked that we didn’t starve as children,” said one sister to the other.
“At least I can write,” I said when the “light bulb” went off. “Lucy!” I shouted.
“Who’s Lucy?” asked the youngest. “It’ll be midnight before we’re sitting at the table eating turkey.”
“Lucy . . . she has dolls, all these dolls, and . . .” I swapped the knife for a pen. “One is really smelly and . . .”
My youngest gave her sister an uneasy look. “You’re the paramedic. I think Mom needs medical attention.”
“I think those potatoes need attention,” my eldest said, right after she forever-fired me from cooking the annual Thanksgiving dinner. In truth, we took a family vote. And when my eldest said, “Raise your hand if you think we should fire Mom from cooking Thanksgiving dinner from here on out.” My arm slapped the ceiling first.
The vote was unanimous.
“Thank you, PiBoldMo!” I said, fleeing the kitchen in pursuit of this new smelly idea.
While SMELLY BABY seemed to rise from a pot of unevenly diced potatoes, it wasn’t that simple. Ideas latch on to us, long before the switch goes on. And the more you write, the more the ideas come. Which is why my father, who was a published author, always said, “Write every day, but also live and enjoy your life. The ideas will come, when you’re not so busy chasing them.”
SMELLY BABY grew in my subconscious, its seed planted from working in an old-fashioned toy store, where electronic toys don’t exist. Lucy quietly evolved after talking to hundreds of children I’ve met at the store, children who’ve shared stories of their dollies and smelly stuffies. I love these stories—every single one of them. So listen. Listen to what kids say. Sincere interest (and delight) in what children have to say has left me with a tub full of notes and bits of dialogue, all scribbled on tiny slips of paper. It’s my Idea Treasure Chest. “You have to think of your writing as an IRA, and make daily deposits,” my father also loved to tell me. If all those slips of paper had monetary value, I would be a millionaire, though what makes my life rich is writing for children.
By November’s end my 2011 calendar was filled with stars—one for every idea I came up with. It was so much fun, I gave no thought to which ideas might blossom into a marketable story.
And then one did.
Smelly Baby’s story bubbled and boiled. It was a joy to work on. Playing with the words. Roaring at the images the words evoked. Living with these characters that became (and remain) real to me. This little spark of a PiBoldMo idea grew and grew until it gathered enough strength and heart to capture the attention of not only Christy Ottaviano at Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt, but also the renowned illustrator, Christopher Denise, who calls it “laugh out loud funny.” Publication is set for Spring 2016.
In 2011, I also won an original painting by James Burks (the illustrator of Tara’s book THE MONSTORE). Little (PiBoldMo) Monkey hangs on my wall, and reminds me to play every day. Reminds me to mount a red tricycle, even if my legs are too long. It reminds me to trust in myself, and that if I lift my bare feet off the pedals, I won’t fall off.
Can you see the steep hill? See all of us on our tricycles, waiting for Tara to lower the flag? Little Monkey can. He’s waiting to shout, “1-2-3, Go! Go write daily. Reach for those ideas on your way down.” Having bare feet works the best, as does shouting ‘Whee!’ as you catch a new idea.
It’s almost November 1st, so get out your tricycle, your stars, your pen and your paper.
You’re in for a fun ride.
I’ll be waving at you as we coast down the PiBoldMo hill together.
Betsy Devany wrote her first picture book, The Cat Who Ate Green Peas, at the age of nine. While she wishes the self-illustrated manuscript were still in her possession, she is certain that elements of it have found their way into her writing today. Today, she writes picture books, chapter books, middle grade and young adult novels. Her picture book featuring Norman the gorilla won the 2011 Barbara Karlin Grant Runner-up. Betsy has been honored nine times since 2007 in the prestigious writing competition, New Voices in Children’s Literature: Tassy Walden Award. She is honored to work with the lovely Emily van Beek at Folio Literary.
Almost eight years to the month of joining SCBWI, Betsy received her first book contract. Smelly Baby, illustrated by Christopher Denise, is forthcoming from Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt with publication set for Spring 2016.
To learn more about Betsy (or Norman), visit her at BetsyDevany.com, follow her on Twitter, or read about Norman’s retirement and how his replacement was found.
Betsy is giving away TWO picture book critiques!
Both prizes will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You are eligible for these prizes if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented ONCE ONLY on this post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You will have to sign the PiBoIdMo Pledge at the end of the event.)
Good luck, everyone!
by This might sound strange coming from me, but PiBoIdMo is my favorite writing challenge. Yes, I know I am the founder and host of 12 x 12, but let’s face it—writing picture book drafts is work. Fun, but also work.
PiBoIdMo—just letting your creativity run wild and capturing every little flutter and fancy of your imagination is just plain FUN. Freeing. Fabulous. (See how I used the rule of three there???)
For those of you who ARE planning to do 12 x 12 in 2014, I almost consider participating in PiBoIdMo a mandatory first step. Where else are you going to mine the ideas for 12 picture book drafts?
I made this little video for the sole purpose of reminding everyone to lighten up, have fun, and ENJOY fishing for those awesome ideas—some of which will one day turn into picture books! Many thanks to Tara for bringing us the joy of PiBo each year!!
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Julie Hedlund is a Children’s author, founder of the 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge, a monthly contributor to the Brain Burps about Books podcast and the “Field Guide to 21st Century Publishing” for the Children’s Book Insider.
Julie is generously giving away two prizes!
The first is GOLD MEMBERSHIP in 12 x 12 for 2014!
The second is a signed print copy of her Little Bahalia release A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS.
Both prizes will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You are eligible for these prizes if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented on this post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You will have to sign the PiBoIdMo Pledge at the end of the event.)
Good luck, everyone!
by Many of us struggle throughout the year to find the time to write. We struggle to utter the words, “I am a writer.” We feel like we are not progressing. We don’t feel like we have a real writing routine and we fail to write daily.
But for the month of November you are given a gift. It’s like going to the writer’s spa.
Your challenge: create one idea for a picture book each day. One. That’s it. You can do it.
You’ll be amazed at what this little challenge can do for your writer’s morale. Once you put up that antennae you become a lightning rod for inspiration. Thirty days of inspiration! Fill yourself up. Gather. Slather. Enjoy.
This year will be my third participating in PiBoIdMo and I cannot wait. One look at my desk and you will see…I am ready.
I know. I just made you panic. You are thinking, “I haven’t done anything to prepare my desk! Am I supposed to? Am I failing at this challenge already?!”
Hush, my fellow Type A’s.
Deep breath. Remember, you are going to the writer’s spa. It’s time to indulge your writer’s spirit. So put on some calming music and read through my list of ways to prepare your writing space for PiBoIdMo.
Marcie’s 5 Tips for Preparing your Writing Space for PiBoIdMo
1) Clean the Clutter.
If your brain is cluttered there is no room for new ideas. Same can be true for your work space.So clear it all out. You have a week. It’s not an impossible task. And shhhh…no one said you can’t shove it all under the bed or into the oven (don’t fool yourself, you aren’t going to do any cooking during PiBoIdMo…just cooking up ideas!). You can always bring back the clutter on Dec 1st.
2) Gather your Gear.
Make a small pile of resources.These are items that will help you with ideas when you are depleting. As a marathoner, I think of this pile as my “Mile 20 pile”. When it’s November 25th you might need one of these “idea joggers”. Some of my favorites are:
Origin of Everyday Things (Sterling, 2006)
14,000 things to be happy about. by Barbara Ann Kipfer (Workman, 1990)
Rory’s Story Cubes game (Gamewright, 2010)
3) Schedule some Search Parties.
That’s right. It’s time to explore. Get out. Go to a museum, a cemetery, a garden, etc. And now that the government shutdown is over, you can even go to a National Park or monument! Schedule it now before the month even begins…and don’t cancel. If you are like me, your area has some wonderful places to visit that you never go. Maybe you only go to these places when you have visitors in from out of town. But this month, try to schedule two to four “search parties”. Go and let the ideas come to you.
4) Harvest the Heap of Ideas.
You are going to need some place to collect all of your 30 ideas. There is no right or wrong way here, it really has to do with what works best for you. The first year I used index cards bound by a rubber band. I loved it because it gave me a full card, front and back, for one idea. Plus, it left room for me to make notes on the card as the idea grew in the coming year. It also allowed me to isolate each idea and not create idea gridlock. My second year I used a notebook. I know this is what most people do. However, I am the type of person who can easily stick a notebook on a shelf and forget it exists. This year I plan to use a bulletin board. As I create an idea, I will write it on a slip of paper and pin it to the board. That way I can have the ideas visible throughout the coming year and therefore they are more apt to be made into stories in 2014. We’ll see how it goes. Again, it really is a personal thing and it might take some experimentation. The most important aspect is that you write every idea (even if it seems awful) down!
5) Connect with your Cause.
In the coming week, think about why you want to write picture books. Look for a trinket or talisman that reminds you of your crusade. Give it a prominent place on your desk. I, personally, have many reasons why I write for children, but one particular reminder has sat on my shelf by my desk all year. It is a red mud-caked LEGO brick. One year ago Hurricane Sandy ripped through my area and changed life for many. As I was supposed to run the NYC Marathon (which was canceled, albeit too late in my opinion), my entire team chose on November 4, 2012 to travel to Staten Island, not for the start of the marathon, but to help with clean up. For hours I helped one family empty their basement of their muddied belongings. Heaps of mud-soaked toys, holiday decorations, and memories. Before taking a wheelbarrow-full to the already overflowing piles on the curb, I pocketed this red LEGO brick. To me it symbolizes the hardships in life that affect us all, even children. If I can ease that, even slightly, I will have done what I set out to do.
In previous chapters Marcie Colleen has been a teacher and a theatre educator, but now she splits her days between chasing the Picture Book Writer dream and chasing toddlers on the playground as a nanny. Both are equally glamorous!
Her blog, The Write Routine and her Teacher’s Guides, can be found at www.thisismarciecolleen.com. (She created a teacher’s guide for Tara Lazar’s THE MONSTORE.) You can also follow her on Twitter. Additionally, Marcie is the Education Consultant for Picture Book Month (www.picturebookmonth.com) and contributes monthly, as a Blogette, to The Picture Book Academy’s blog (www.picturebookacademy.com/blogettes), posting on humor in picture books.
She lives with her fiancé and their mischievous sock monkey in Brooklyn, NYC.
by Do you mutter the words “Yes, but…” when someone suggests you take ten minutes for yourself? Many people I know cannot seem to muster a simple “yes” or “great idea, I think I’ll do that” then go do it. That big ol’ but (and life) keeps getting in the way. Dang that BUT!
Imagine, though, ten whole minutes just for yourself—to do whatever you feel like—not reading emails, doing chores or running errands—something special. What does that look like?
INVEST
Close your eyes and take one long, satisfying breath. Imagine what you would do with ten minutes. What is it that you truly love to do? Where do you see yourself? Are you dancing? Singing? Lying on a beach? Getting a back rub? Making art? … Writing?
Typical responses to the ‘what-would-you-do’ question revolve around creativity. Yet, human conditioning suggests that taking time for creativity is when you have nothing else to do, or that you should be doing something more practical, or that it’s a forbidden guilty pleasure…oh, how selfish!
If the human conditioning changed, there’s a chance the habit of saying “Yes, but” could change, too. So, instead of feeling like you don’t deserve, you happily invest in your creativity time and subsequently open up a channel of beautiful inspiration and ideas—a new story, perhaps.
DIG DEEP
You wouldn’t be participating in PiBoIdMo if you weren’t creative. Writing (or illustrating) comes from another place. I call this place the Creative Self. Some refer to it as ‘The Well,’ or ‘Sea of Creativity,’ or ‘Happy Place.’ It’s where your ideas manifest from a deeper part of who you are, emanating from your heart and your soul. You have a calling or desire within you to bring your message to the world through story (visual or written). You cannot explain it, you just know it’s there—you feel it.
HABITUATE
Some researchers consider that repeating a behavior for 21-30 consecutive days is a habit. So why not make ten minutes a day a habit? That’s the month of November right there. You may already do this, and that’s awesome. I have to remind myself to take the time because I easily get caught up in life filled with a job, family, friends, NJ SCBWI, book deadlines, school visits, etc. It’s exhausting. Yet, when I do take that time to paint, sketch, write and be creative, I feel reenergized, spontaneous, excited and suddenly new ideas begin to flow.
Taking time out might seem difficult at first, but as mentioned before, think of it as an investment for your Self AND your writing/illustrating career. Here are some simple ways to find ten-minute pockets to get you started:
- Wake up 10-30 minutes earlier than usual and paint/write while still in a dreamy state
- Take a break from online activity (after you read the daily PiBoIdMo posts of course!)
- Take the train instead of driving
- Arrive ten minutes early for school pick up and stay in the quiet of the car.
- Switch off the TV
- Set a timer for household chores. (Instead of spending 30 minutes cleaning the bathroom, do it in 20. It’s great because you’re challenged to work faster to beat the clock!)
- Go to bed 10-15 minutes early, relax, let go of the day and imagine yourself doing what you truly love to do.
AFFIRM
Affirmations are powerful, self-appointed statements that can help condition the subconscious mind in a positive way to accomplish goals or boost self-perception. You can write them down, pin them in your creative space and say them aloud every day. Feel free to use any of the affirmations listed below or create your own:
- I am creative ten minutes a day
- My creativity brings me new and brilliant ideas
- When I am creative I nurture my soul
- Creativity fosters my imagination
- My creativity comes from my heart with love
- Creativity is a gift that I cherish ten minutes a day
- When I write/illustrate, I bring my joy to the world
RECEIVE
PiBoIdMo is all about ideas. Ideas come from your creative thinking. Creativity comes from the very depths of your soul. It’s who you are. Nurture your soul and ideas will flow abundantly. Plus, you are a beautiful giver—to your spouses/partners, families, co-workers, readers, community, environment—you makes others feel good. Please don’t forget give to your Self and how good that can make you feel, too. All it takes is ten minutes a day!
Leeza Hernandez is a children’s book author and illustrator and volunteers as Regional Advisor for the New Jersey chapter of SCBWI. Her latest illustrated book NEVER PLAY MUSIC RIGHT NEXT TO THE ZOO, written by John Lithgow, released October 22.
Leave ONE COMMENT ONLY to be entered into TWO prize drawings!
The first prize is a copy of NEVER PLAY MUSIC RIGHT NEXT TO THE ZOO signed by both Leeza and John Lithgow!
The second prize is a 20-minute Skype session with Leeza to read and discuss her new book, plus a Q&A!
Both prizes will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You are eligible for these prizes if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented on this post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You will have to sign the PiBoIdMo Pledge at the end of the event.)
Good luck, everyone!
***Registration officially closed on November 7th. You can still join in the challenge by reading the daily posts and keeping track of your ideas, but you will not be eligible for prizes.***
Cue the fireworks! PiBoIdMo 2013 Registration is officially OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
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But lemme whet your appetite first. Here is the schedule of 2013 guest bloggers!
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Pretty stellar, right? These authors, illustrators and picture book professionals will provide daily doses of inspiration to help you along on your idea journey.
And don’t forget—there’s Pre-PiBo beginning tomorrow, to get you organized and ready. And then in early December, there’s Post-PiBo to help your organize and prioritize your ideas.
Participants who register for PiBoIdMo and complete the 30-idea challenge will be eligible for prizes, including signed picture books, original art, critiques and feedback from one of nine picture book agents. This year’s agents are:
Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency
Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary Agency
Marietta Zacker, Nancy Gallt Literary Agency
Danielle Smith, Foreword Literary
Mira Reisberg, Hummingbird Literary
Susan Hawk, The Bent Agency
Lori Kilkelly, Rodeen Literary Management
Sean McCarthy, McCarthy Literary
Jill Corcoran, Jill Corcoran Literary Agency
Need more info about PiBoIdMo before you register? Read this.
So are you ready to register?
You need to do THREE THINGS:
This is so you don’t miss any of the daily PiBoIdMo posts.
If you already follow another way, via RSS or a blog reader, no need to do it again via email. And if you already follow via email, obviously skip this step.
Please, leave ONE COMMENT ONLY on this post.
DO NOT REPLY to other comments.
DO NOT COMMENT AGAIN if you forget to leave your FULL NAME. (I will fix it and/or contact you.)
If your comment DOESN’T APPEAR IMMEDIATELY, it means I have to moderate it. Please be patient and check back in 24 hours to see if your comment appears. It probably will.
Be sure to comment with your FULL NAME in the text of the comment. This is how you will be identified for prizes.
Here is the badge! Right click to save to your computer and then upload it anywhere you please.
If you do not have a place to display the badge, you can skip this step.
4. Purchase PiBoIdMo merchandise, like the official journal. All proceeds ($3 per item) benefit RIF, helping to put books into the hands of underprivileged children.
5. Add a Twibbon to your Twitter avatar and use the #PiBoIdMo hashtag when tweeting about the event….and follow @TaraLazar on Twitter.
6. Join the PiBoIdMo Facebook discussion group. This is a closed group meaning you must request to join and I will approve you. (Note: the name says “2011″ but it is the current group.)
7. Repeat after me:
I do solemnly swear
that I will faithfully execute
the PiBoIdMo 30-ideas-in-30-days challenge,
and will, to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into
picture book manuscripts
throughout the year.
That’s it. You’re golden!
REGISTRATION REMAINS OPEN THROUGH NOVEMBER 7th. You can still follow along if you’re not registered, but remember, those who register and complete the challenge are eligible for PRIZES.
Visit this blog for daily inspiration from the guest bloggers, then keep a journal or computer file of your ideas. There’s no need to post your ideas online or send them to me. KEEP YOUR IDEAS TO YOURSELF! As Sheena Easton croons, they’re “for your eyes only.”
At the end of the month, I’ll ask you to sign the PiBo-Pledge confirming you did create 30 ideas. You’re on the honor system.
Thanks for joining! I hope you enjoy this year’s PiBoIdMo! As always, if you have any suggestions for this event, please contact me at tarawrites (at) yahoo (dot) com or post a question on the PiBoIdMo Facebook group.
I will leave you with a quote that serves as PiBoIdMo’s motto…from Roald Dahl’s THE MINPINS…
*Photo credit Alessandro.
by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Next year—2014—is going to be a hectic year for me. In January, I’ve got a new book called DUCK DUCK MOOSE releasing, illustrated by the fabulous Noah Z. Jones and published by Hyperion. But that isn’t it for the year! No, I’ve actually got THREE more picture books and a couple novels in the pipeline. It’s going to be quite a year!
I can’t share all the upcoming books with you, but I am thrilled to be able to do this:
A DOUBLE COVER REVEAL!
That’s right, folks, not just one gorgeous cover, but TWO!
ORANGUTANGLED:
Two orangutans reach for some mangoes, fall, and land in a gooey, gummy mess. Other animals join the fray until there’s a big ball of mango-juice-covered animals rolling down a long hill to the ocean—will they be okay? Or will they make a gooey-gummy tiger treat?
Illustrated by Aaron Zenz
SNORING BEAUTY:
Tucked in his little bed inside the castle walls, Mouse is eager to get a good night’s sleep before his wedding tomorrow. But just as he begins to drift off, he’s awoken by a tremendous roar. SNOOOOGA-SNOOOOOM! KER-SCHUPPP! Sleeping Beauty is snoring . . . again! When the handsome Prince Max arrives, Mouse thinks he’s found the perfect scheme: He’ll convince the prince to kiss Beauty and wake her up! But when Prince Max learns that Beauty is the one making such monstrous noises, will he still want to kiss her . . . or will he run away from the noisy princess, leaving her snoring for another hundred years?
Illustrated by Jane Manning
Now, these covers are in no way alike at all. BUT…what strikes me about both of them is that they are screaming to be captioned!
What are those tangled Orangutans saying?
What is the Princess thinking as the prince gets closer? Like this:
CAPTION CONTEST!
IN HONOR OF THE DOUBLE REVEAL, I’m happy to announce a new giveaway. Here’s what you have to do—just write a caption for one of these covers and put it into a comment below. We’ll keep it open for 7 days and then I will pick my favorite one. The winner will receive a signed book of his or her choice as soon as the books become available!
Good luck, and I’m looking forward to reading your captions!
You know the Piña Colada song, right? Getting caught in the rain?
Well, imagine that song in a picture book for kids (without the dunes of the cape, of course). Two besties have great times together, but they get stuck in a rut and go off to seek other adventures…only to rediscover each other.
That’s the premise of Tiffany Strelitz Haber‘s charming OLLIE AND CLAIRE. The light and cheery watercolors by Matthew Cordell feature sketchy lines that suggest fun and frolic. A delight to read aloud, your voice just skips along like the two friends do. Tiffany’s a master of rhyme and one of the two ladies behind The Meter Maids.
Besides having two successful picture books to her credit (the other is THE MONSTER WHO LOST HIS MEAN), Tiffany has branched out into ebooks. She recently released HUNGRY HARRY with StoryPanda and MORE CHEESE, PLEASE with KiteReaders. I interviewed her to find out about the ebook process and this emerging opportunity for children’s book writers.
Tiffany, what attracted you to ebooks?
To me, ebooks are just another way for kids to experience reading. In some cases there are interactive aspects to the ebook that can really help them learn, and in other cases it might just be a nice opportunity for a more reluctant reader to enjoy stories and story time in general.
Did you write HARRY and CHEESE specifically for an ebook format, or were these traditional picture book manuscripts first?
I have this sort of arsenal of completed picture books. Some have been subbed out widely. Others to just a couple places, and others have never actually seen the light of day! I picked two stories that I liked a lot and just rolled with those. Not sure CHEESE was ever subbed out anywhere and HARRY went to one place, actually got to editorial, but didn’t make it through. Wait. Does that even answer your question? Kind of, right?!
How did you go about researching ebook publishers and in what format did you submit?
Oh, I googled the bejesus out of ebook publishers and chose to submit to ones that I felt the most comfortable with. There’s a lot of communication available with the actual publishers and marketing directors etc., so you can really get a feel for who you would be working with before you actually work with them.
I hired illustrators (after exhaustive searches on freelance websites) and submitted completed manuscripts (text and art) to the ebook publishers. The illustrators I chose were those willing to accept a flat fee for the work, and OK with the fact that I would retain the rights to the images as well. Hopefully it is some good publicity for them, and also additional work to add to their portfolio when searching for agents, etc. There are so many wonderful artists out there!
How was the ebook editorial process different from a traditional picture book process?
Um…it’s different in that it’s ALL YOU. Period.
Care to expand upon that?
It’s basically self-publishing your picture book online. You need to edit it, and make all the art decisions, and check the spelling and punctuation, etc. There isn’t an editor or an art director to do that with you—although with HARRY I did work with someone at StoryPanda to create the interactive elements of the story.
The sounds all the crazy stuff HARRY eats sure are fun!
What recommendations and cautions do you have for other picture book writers about delving into the world of ebooks?
I think it’s too soon for me to make any cautionary statements OR recommendations about ebooks yet. It’s something I am experimenting with, and really enjoying so far…but definitely too soon to say much more than that!
How have you gone about marketing your ebooks?
Well, again—this is all very new to me, but I’ve started sending them out for reviews and of course there’s social media. And on a larger scale, I am trying to work with schools to get the books on their computers, etc. Definitely a very entrepreneurial endeavor; but I think if you’re up for the challenge, it’s also lots of fun with somewhat limitless possibilities!
So you’ve now published two traditional picture books and two ebooks. What’s next for you?
Hmmm…I’m working on a middle grade novel right now, which is taking up most of my writing time—but still juggling a bunch of picture book works in “progress”, although I use the term “progress” loosely, as they seem to be at a dead stop for the time being!
Well, jump back into it because you’re a perfect rhymer and the world needs more great rhyming books!
Thanks for stopping by to let us in on the ebook process!
Blog readers, don’t go yet. Tiffany has a copy of HUNGRY HARRY and MORE CHEESE, PLEASE to give away. Just leave a comment below to enter the giveaway. Two winners will be chosen one week from today. Good luck!
It’s NOVEMBER ALREADY?
Well, almost. October will whip by in a sugar-induced haze. Especially because a) I’ll buy candy way too early and eat it all; and b) my kids will change their minds about their Halloween costumes umpteen times. “I wanna be Frankie Stein! No, Draculaura! No, a zombie mermaid! Ooh, I know, a picture book author! I can trick-or-treat in my jammies with a story stuck to my forehead! You’re sorta like a zombie, right, Mommy?”
Um, YEAH.
October is NOT the month of jack-o-lanterns, candy corn (BLECH!) and costumes. It’s the month of PiBoIdMo-eve!
Don’t know what PiBoIdMo is? Check it.
Our 5th anniversary logo, banners and badges have been designed by the kawaii-cutie, author-illustrator Joyce Wan.
Joyce knows my penchant for hot-air balloons. (My husband almost proposed on one. But I think he was afraid I’d drop the ring.)
So this year’s theme is IDEAS TAKING FLIGHT!
WAIT A MINUTE! DID THE BANNER UP TOP SAY 5TH ANNIVERSARY?!
Yep, it sure did. Which means I’ll have to come up with something super-snazzy for this year. So how ’bout JANE YOLEN?
Besides the legendary Ms. Yolen, here are some of the authors and illustrators who’ll be blogging all November long, helping you to fill your idea notebook with 30 picture book concepts:
- Drew Daywalt
- Michael Garland
- Melissa Guion
- Leeza Hernandez
- Lenore & Daniel Jennewein
- Renee Kurilla
- Mike Allegra
- Elizabeth Rose Stanton
- Bitsy Kemper
- Julie Falatko
- Adam Lehrhaupt
- Wendy Martin
- The McQueen Brothers
- Pat Miller
- Pat Zietlow Miller
- Anne Marie Pace
- Betsy Devany
- Paul Schmid
- Annette Simon
- Tammi Sauer
- Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
- Kami Kinard
- Dianne de las Casas
- Dorina Lazo Gilmore
- James Proimos
- Marcie Colleen
- Karen Henry Clark
- Maria Gianferrari
- Laurie Keller
- Katie Davis
- Ryan Sias
- Zachariah Ohora
- Kelly Light
- Steve Barr
- Greg Pizzoli
And even more to be announced…
Official registration will begin on this blog on OCTOBER 24th and run through NOVEMBER 4th. Watch for it! (It’s easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy if you just follow this blog. See left column.) Only officially registered participants will be eligible for PRIZES, like a consultation with a picture book agent!
But you can grab the “Official Participant” Badge NOW and proudly slap it on your blog or social network site. Kindly link it back to taralazar.com/piboidmo so folks know where to join the challenge. You can also grab the “Ideas Taking Flight!” slogan above.
Do you Tweet? Add a PiBoIdMo Twibbon to your Twitter avatar. Just visit the PiBoIdMo 2013 Campaign to upload it.
And here’s some adorbs lightbulb balloons! Use them when you’re blogging about PiBoIdMo to express yourself!
The only thing that’s missing is the PiBoIdMo 2013 merchandise to benefit RIF—like your official idea notebook—so I’ll be announcing that soon.
In the meantime, let us know how YOU’RE gearing up for PiBoIdMo. Blog about it or leave a comment below. What are you looking forward to this November?
Me? Tonight I’m hosting one of NJ-SCBWI’s PiBoIdMo kick-off parties at the Manville Public Library. Maybe I’ll see some of you there? I promise I won’t be a zombie.
I seriously debated posting this, since it’s a subject not often discussed. But heck, I’m known for my honestly, so let’s giddy-up…
How do authors handle being asked to donate individual book(s) to worthy causes? Honestly, they’re all worthy, but let’s shed some light on an aspect of publishing most people don’t realize: authors DO NOT get their books for free.
Oh yes, we receive author copies, but a very limited number which are for our own collection or have already been promised to family and close friends. My author copies for THE MONSTORE were gone the week they arrived. I don’t have any more. If I want my book, I have to buy it. This holds true for all authors. While we did write the book, the publisher edited it, printed it, warehoused it, marketed it and distributed it. And that costs money. Someone has to pay for it!
Authors do receive a discount off the retail price, but it’s not a staggering discount. And, the copies we order this way are recorded as “author copies” and don’t count toward our sales figures. And if you ask any author, if the Publishing Fairy could grant their most favoritest wish, it would be for higher sales figures.
So if we’re going to buy our own books, we tend to buy them like any other consumer would—online or at a book store, wherever we might get the best price.
Now let’s circle back to donations. When someone asks an author to donate their book to a school fundraiser, church tricky-tray or Elk’s basket auction, it’s not free to that author. True, the author might ask their publisher to donate the book on their behalf if it’s a really well-known cause, but otherwise, a small, local organization’s fundraiser is not going to sway the publisher. So then the author must decide if they can spend about $15 to donate their book to the cause (the cost of a picture book, plus shipping, plus any SWAG).
Imagine an author gets about five of these requests a month. That’s not an unreasonable number, especially if they have multiple books in print. If the author generously says “yes” to all requests, that’s $75 a month. Multiply by 12 months and it’s $900. That’s not an insignificant amount of money. In fact, that’s more than some book advances!
Now, if an author says “no” to a donation request, this does not make them a bad person who does not understand the worthiness of the cause. It simply means they cannot afford to do so. They cannot honor every request. While they probably *want* to donate to someone’s school or house of worship, they do have their own schools and houses of worship to support as well. So it’s more likely that they’ll donate to their local organizations than to a stranger’s cause.
Please know that the last thing authors want to do is hurt anyone’s feelings. Authors write books to make people feel good, to entertain, to bring smiles to faces. We love our readers. We don’t want to disappoint them. It’s difficult for us to say “no”. But sometimes our own wallets force the decision.
I haven’t been asked to donate much, so I’ve tried to oblige when I can. But the simple fact is that I have not logged any income as a writer this year, only expenses. Shocking? Not really. My first book was just released and I haven’t made a new book sale in 2013 yet—and even if I do, it’s so close to the end of the year, by the time the contracts are signed and a check is cut, it will probably be 2014. I’m not the only author spending this year in the red.
If you really LOVE an author’s work and want to share it with others, why not ask your local bookseller for a donation of that author’s book(s) instead? They may donate if they’re a neighbor who supports the same school, the same church, the same Rotary Club. They’ll receive advertising out of the donation and can probably expect locals to visit the store as a result, especially if they include a coupon or gift card to redeem. And if they unfortunately say “no”, it probably means they can’t afford to do so, either. (See comment thread about why I don’t mention “advertising” for authors. Good points made on both sides.)
But it never hurts to ask, right? We can all ask, but we can also understand the reasons behind the answer.
Do you have any thoughts on this? It’s a subject that ‘s tricky to discuss…
In THE MONSTORE, Zack just wants to buy a monster to spook his pesky little sister, Gracie. (As you may know, things don’t work to plan.)
But when I do school visits, I’ve found that kids have all kinds of things they’d like a monster to do for them.
- Shoot cupcakes from their feet.
- Hide under their bed and scare away OTHER monsters.
- Walk their pet pot-belly pig.
- Eat clouds so it stops raining.
- Reach the shelf where Mom keeps HER chocolate.
And even more outrageously clever tasks.
So here’s your child’s chance! What would THEIR monster do? What would it look like?
Print out this MONSTORE coloring page (courtesy of illustrator Wendy Martin) and then email me a pic of your child’s monsterly creation by October 17th. (My email button is in the top left column of this blog.)
I’ll pick 5 finalists and post them here, then you’ll have a week to vote for the winner.
(Click on the image for larger version, mouse over for a + magnifying glass, click, then you can then print 8 1/2 x 11. Or, click here for a PDF: Monstore Draw Your Own Monster.)
The winner will earn their class a signed book and a SKYPE VISIT from me on HALLOWEEN! (And if the child is homeschooled, I’ll Skype with them at home or anywhere they choose.)
The contest is open to kids through age 12. Whole classes can enter. If I had a lawyer, you might expect a lot of legal mumbo-jumbo to appear here. But I don’t. So there isn’t. (PHEW!)
Any questions? Ask away below.
Happy creating and I’ll hope to SEE YOU on HALLOWEEN!
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 