by Jed Henry
Before we get too serious, I want to show everybody the fully animated book trailer I just finished. It’s super cute! (Note from Tara: Adorable—and one of the best picture book trailers I’ve ever seen.)
Back to business!
It’s a great honor to be a guest on the PiBoIdMo blog. I hope my comments prove helpful for all you dedicated writers out there. For the sake of clarity, I’ll keep it short and sweet with a list of things I learned from last year’s PiBoIdMo.
1) It’s a numbers game.
The genius behind PiBoIdMo is that it requires you to think up THIRTY different ideas. One big difference between amateurs and pros is the number of works they’re juggling at once. Amateurs jealously guard their one precious book idea for decades, certain that it’ll be the next big hit when they finally submit. It rarely (NEVER) is. Pros know that writing is guerrilla warfare – they have to keep moving or they’ll die. They get a good idea, dump their whole soul into it, submit it for publication, and move onto their next big idea. Here’s the key: you never know what an editor will like, so it pays to have a whole arsenal of books to show off. So far, I’ve completely written and sketched out TWENTY complete picture books, and only two have been published.
2) Quality is just as important as quantity.
Don’t get discouraged by my previous point. Writing is a ton of work. The good news is that by producing a great volume of work, you’ll gradually improve your craft. It’s just like any other talent – the only way to become proficient is to do it on a daily basis.
3) We need a healthy balance of input and output.
All writers write because first and foremost, they love to read. In order to produce, they need to consume inspiring works. My advice is to visit the library regularly, and see what’s popular. Read book reviews by Kirkus, School Library Journal, Hornbook, etc. Find authors who appeal to you. By knowing what’s out there, your work will remain relevant in a fast-paced industry.
WHEW—now that I said all of that, let’s have a GIVEAWAY!
I’m giving away one set of limited edition coasters, commemorating the fall 2012 release of my book, “Cheer Up, Mouse!” Coasters are lame, you say? Well, these are super-deluxe. They’re custom letter pressed on high quality archival lithography paper. They’re the perfect thing to frame for a nursery. Have a look!
All you have to do is comment on this post, and we’ll randomly choose a winner with a little help from Random.org.
Jed Henry is a fairly new name in the world of children’s book illustration. Already, he has worked with Penguin Putnam, Simon and Schuster, Harper Collins, and many others.
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Karma Wilson writes humorous, rhythmic picture books for the very young and books that share her faith in a fun, understandable way with the youngest readers. Karma is also pursuing her love of outrageously silly but sometimes philosophic poetry for older children (i.e. Shel Silverstein).
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And you know what? I see PiBoIdMo as seriously connected to RIF and our mission. Each time I write or talk about this year’s major milestone birthday of 45 years for RIF, I talk about the 380 million magical moments, the 380 million books placed into the hands of children over these 45 years RIF has existed. And guess what? The majority of those 380 million moments have been brought about by picture books given our primary audience of birth to 8 years of age.
Last year I wrote in my guest post for PiBoIdMo noting three types of picture books we hear about most as on the “wanted” list by teachers, reading specialists, PTA parents, Kiwanis Club members—RIF volunteers of all stripes and professions: nonfiction that is “eye and mind catching”, bilingual books, and multicultural books. The requests continue to be the same. All three categories are also critical to the family involvement component RIF believes critical to the success of our mission in motivating children to love reading.
With Thanksgiving now on the horizon, our Hampton multi-generations will for the 32nd year read sometime before the meal begins “Thanksgiving at the Tappletons’” by Eileen Spinelli (1982 version) which was given to my son on his 6th birthday that year. It is a tradition every child entering the family savors when old enough to follow the laugh lines and even more when old enough to be a reader!
Mindy Alyse Weiss writes quirky picture books and humorous middle-grade novels. 
To sign-up this year, you must do three things:
PiBoIdMo fans! This little guy wants you to get ready! So he’s lighting the way for you. You’ll be seeing him a lot during November, thanks to talented illustrator 
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 