Hello, marvelous readers! Thank you for visiting the Oasis ― it's great to have you here! This is still the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, stretch your smiles wide and get comfy and cozy for a lovely chitchat because today we have another great creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Lauren Heller Kerstein is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Plus, check out the giveaways, promo gifts, and other offers at the end of this interview. Check out the double giveaway at this end of the interview, and if you missed my latest announcement, find it at the bottom of this post! Welcome, Lauren! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: In 1980, I wrote and … well… illustrated my first picture book. I used wallpaper as the book cover, and it still sits on my desk today. (Thank you, Mom, for saving it!) I’ve always loved writing and reading, but I quickly realized illustrating may not be my strength. Fast forward… I took writing classes in high school and college. I wrote when I could while juggling a very full career as a child and family psychotherapist. My publication debuts were actually professional books in my field, and I never stopped working on my fiction. But… I wanted more. More time for fiction. More time for writing. More time for studying the craft. So… about 6 years ago, I signed a contract that two of my closest friends wrote out for me on a napkin at dinner. I agreed to drop one of my consulting positions so that I could write more. And then, I dug in. I joined SCBWI, carved out Wacky Writing Wednesday time, studied craft, joined Julie Hedlund’s 12x12, and began submitting. *BRAKE SCREECH!* I began submitting… TOO soon! GROAN! My manuscripts were NOT ready. So, I studied more craft, went to conferences, joined multiple critique groups, and took classes. About 160 rejections later (on many different manuscripts), I FINALLY landed an agent, and this is how… I waited for an agent I loved, whom I had met a couple of years prior, to open up for submissions through 12x12. I selected a manuscript I thought she’d love after EXTENSIVELY researching the books she represented. Then I took months to revise, revise, receive critiques, and revise again. SHAZAM! She offered representation! (It was a lengthy process including a revise and resubmit, but I won’t bore you with the details.) Then she sent the manuscript out to a list of editors and rejection, rejection, rejection, until... We sold Rosie and Charlie! And from there… well… I revised, revised, revised until ROSIE THE DRAGON AND CHARLIE MAKE WAVES swam to shelves June 1, 2019. I have learned that this industry is 100% sheer will, determination, education, and persistence, and 40% luck and timing. (Please ignore the fact that the math doesn’t work at all!) It is a roller coaster ride, for sure. But, if you hang on tightly and keep on keeping on over and over and over again, you never know what magic may happen! Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: I find the waiting most challenging. I try to focus on the fact that we have control over our craft. We have control over making our work THE best it can be. We have very little control over the rest. I find the connections I’ve made with other kidlit writers to be incredibly rewarding. My critique partners are INCREDIBLE! The authors in my debut group are AMAZING! I also love the contact and interactions I’ve had with children (virtually and in-person). I write for children! It is thrilling to watch them enjoy Rosie and Charlie. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: I write a lot of craft tools in my Quick-Read Crafty Tips, for my critique business, and in my #ReVISIONweek posts. I also have templates on my website. The craft tools and techniques I use are generally different for each story, but the tools I consistently use for all manuscripts are:
Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: The second Rosie and Charlie book will hit shelves on September 1, 2020. It is called ROSIE THE DRAGON AND CHARLIE SAY GOOD NIGHT (Two Lions). Nate Wragg illustrated again, which is terrific! He’s so talented. I’m excited to share this book with the world! Let me tell you, helping a dragon settle for bed is an interesting and fun challenge! I also have a book called, HOME FOR A WHILE (Magination Press), coming out in February 2021. Natalia Moore is the illustrator. This is a book from my heart. HOME FOR A WHILE is about a boy in foster care. It provides children and their caregivers the opportunity to explore and highlight the beauty of their unique characteristics. It is my hope that Calvin’s resilience and courage will help children as they find their way through their own struggles. In addition, I have a number of picture books (fiction, non-fiction, humorous, and more serious) out to editors, so please cross your fingers, legs, and toes for me! I’m working on a few new PBs, revising a YA (slowly), and an adult novel that I began years ago has been screaming at me to pay it some attention. We shall see where that leads. Thank you so much for having me, Rosie! I have enjoyed sharing this writing journey with you, and look forward to all of your future successes! I can’t wait to hold SUNDAY RAIN in my hands. Aw, that is so sweet, thank you, Lauren! Fingers, legs, and toes crossed for your projects on submission! And thank you so much for being a guest, and for sharing such great insight and a wealth of resources and tips with the blog readers! I know everyone who reads this interview will be inspired by your journey. Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post — shares are appreciated. Thank you! Connect with Lauren: Website: www.LaurenKerstein.net Twitter: @LaurenKerstein Lauren Kerstein is an author and psychotherapist. She is a Jersey girl at heart who currently lives in Colorado with her husband, Josh, their two dragons...er, daughters, Sarah and Danielle, and her rescue dogs, Hudson and Duke. She is represented by Deborah Warren with East West Literary Agency. Lauren's debut: ROSIE THE DRAGON AND CHARLIE MAKE WAVES splashed to bookshelves in June 2019. The companion volume, ROSIE THE DRAGON AND CHARLIE SAY GOOD NIGHT, is expected September 2020. Lauren also has another soon-to-be announced book upcoming in 2021 with Magination Press. Lauren is one of the founders of #ReVISIONweek, a judge with Rate Your Story, runs a critique business, and is a long-time member of 12x12. Visit her at www.LaurenKerstein.net, on Twitter @LaurenKerstein, Instagram @LaurenKerstein, or Facebook. D O U B L E G I V E A W A Y! One winner will receive a copy of Lauren's book (U.S. only), and one winner will get a picture book critique from her! Leave a comment by 11:59 p.m. CT, Monday 5/11 to enter the giveaways and indicate your preference. Winners announced the week of 5/11 -- look at the end of the next blog post! Have you seen my latest announcement? You are invited to this epic full-day, in-person workshop! Imagine your picture book manuscript landing on Frances Gilbert's desk. There are 8 top reasons for which she will reject your story faster that you can spell its title. BUT, there are at least 9 hooks that could potentially grab her attention! Before you shop your manuscripts, what can you do to avoid these top rejection-bearing reasons, and hook her strongly enough with your project that she says "YES"? The Write Universe Kid Lit Workshop will answer those questions and so much more! Plus, a limited number of written critiques from Frances are still available. The icing on the cake? A direct submission opportunity for the attendees!!! Act fast and register today! Grab your seat HERE. And the winner of Nell Cross Beckerman's critique is . . .
Susan Johnston Taylor! Congrats, Susan! A copy of DOWN UNDER THE PIER goes to . . . Myrna Grasser! Congrats, Myrna!
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Hello, dear readers! Here, at the Oasis, the inspiration keeps going. And as always, it's great to have you visit! This is still the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, stretch your smiles wide once again and get comfy and cozy for a lovely chitchat because today we have another spectacular creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Nell Cross Beckerman is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Plus, check out the DOUBLE giveaway and my announcement of an epic all-day, in-person workshop with Random House Editor, Frances Gilbert, at the end of this interview! Welcome, Nell! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: I first started out writing middle grade. I actually wrote a book and got an agent, but then found myself completely blocked for revisions and quit writing for 10 years (and had kids.) I felt like a failure. As my kids started to get older, I realized that I was their role model, and if I wanted them to be brave and live big, I had to as well. Finding the book, THE ARTIST’S WAY, by Julia Cameron, helped me understand my creative blocks and how to nurture my inner artist. Everything fell into place after that—I was definitely my own worst enemy! Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: The thing that feels the most challenging, that we hear time and time again, is that all the agents and editors are totally subjective. You only need ONE yes. So you can doubt yourself if the “nos” pile up, but you just need that one person to connect with your work. This has happened on every project with me. It’s funny to see my first book coming out, getting nice reviews, and to look back at all the rejections it got early on. But it just had to find that right home. This is the biggest challenge we writers have to wrap our heads around. The most rewarding for me so far is finding my critique group and being part of the kid lit community. My group is incredibly special—we are super supportive but we also challenge each other. Most importantly, we keep each other going. During these pandemic times, they are my group chat. And I love going to conferences and meeting more writers, agents, and authors. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: My creative foundation is from THE ARTIST’S WAY. Morning pages, writing freely for three pages first thing in the morning, always helps if I’m feeling stuck. Then also: going on an “artist date”—this is doing something alone, just for fun. For me that might look like going to get a huge cookie and a big glass of milk at a bakery and just reading a book, it might be going on a hike and turning off my phone, it might be doing something totally unusual like trying to watercolor a dummy of the story I’m working on (I’m not an illustrator!). I’ve tried to dummy in different ways and it has helped me with revisions and tickled my brain in a different way. For one project I used Keynote slides and just pulled images off the internet to convey the visuals I was looking for. It helped and was fun! I also work with a freelance editor and check in with my critique group, and then finally my agent, Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, who has incredibly savvy thoughts and knows how to pull the best out of me. One last exercise—I’ll go to the library and find a bunch of mentor texts and retype them. I’ll read them aloud over and over and try to get their brilliance into my bones. Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: DOWN UNDER THE PIER released April 7 from Cameron Kids, illustrated by the fabulous Rachell Sumpter. It is inspired by the Santa Monica Pier and all the time I spent there with my kids—everyone knows how to have fun on top of the pier at the amusement park, but it is down under the pier, at low tide, where the real magic happens. I plan to do a series called “Demystifying the Debut” where I retrace all my steps and share my experience and advice in having my debut published. Please join my mailing list at www.NellCrossBeckerman.com if you want to get those sent to you! You can also see the book’s trailer here. In 2021 I’m looking forward to my second book, WHEN THE SKY GLOWS, coming from Beach Lane Books/S&S with the fantastically talented David Litchfield illustrating. That will be a non-fiction book celebrating all the different ways that nature makes the sky glow, and the bonds formed by those witnessing it. My agent is just now sealing the deal on my third book, which I’m completely thrilled about—it’s another lyrical nature-themed story. And I have a really special picture book out on sub now, that I wrote in collaboration with a TV personality that I’m very excited about, fingers crossed on that one! Thank you, Nell -- it was a pleasure having you and chatting with you! All the best with your projects and your journey! I hope you'll be back to visit again. Dear readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. Connect with Nell Cross Beckerman: Website: www.nellcrossbeckerman.com Twitter: @NellBeckerman IG: @NellCrossBeckerman Nell Cross Beckerman writes picture books for children, inspired by the magic of nature and the human spirit. She has produced, written, and directed shows for VH1, MTV, MSNBC, and the Discovery Channel. Her dad is a retired biologist and her mom was a YA librarian in the Bronx in the '70s. She lives in Venice Beach with her husband and two daughters. G I V E A W A Y ! ! ! Comment on this post for a chance to win either a picture book critique by Nell or a copy of DOWN UNDER THE PIER. (Let me know which one you'd prefer.) Shares on your social media are greatly appreciated! Thank you. A full-day, in-person workshop with Random House Editor Frances Gilbert! Does your picture book have a strong "hook"? Why does your work get rejected? What goes on behind the scenes of a "Big Five" publishing house? Frances Gilbert, Editor at Random House, will share invaluable insight into the publishing process, discuss what grabs her attention, offer a different perspective on some "rules" and address common fears writers have. Plus, a limited number of written critiques will be available as an add-on for those who act fast. All that and much more! Catch the early bird registration and sign up to reserve your spot before the seats sell out! More details here. The winner of Kelly Jordan's picture book critique is . . .
Wendy Passantino! Congrats, Wendy! Look for an email from me to connect you with Kelly for your prize. Hello, dear readers! Welcome back to the Oasis ― it's great to have you here! As you probably already know, this is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! How great is that?! Now, once again, stretch your smiles wide and get comfy and cozy for a lovely chitchat because today we have another awesome creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Kelly Jordan is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Plus, there's a giveaway -- hooray! Welcome, Kelly! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: I initially wrote the manuscript for The Little Blue Cottage as an exercise in Laurel Snyder’s picture book class offered through Decatur Writers Studio in early 2016. The assignment was to write a story drawn from our own personal experiences. When I thought about the places and moments that meant the most to me in childhood (and as an adult!), my dad’s bay cottage came to mind. My brother, dad, and I always have referred to it as “Blackwater” for the dark color of the water in East Bay, Florida. It’s a simple place, but one where time tends to slow down. When I think of Blackwater, it’s inextricably linked to the love I feel for my dad, as well as boat rides, skiing, seeing pods of dolphins, and long afternoons swimming. To me, it has always been a place that represents simplicity, beauty, pure joy, and magic. After writing the initial draft, I spent two years revising and shelving the story. I felt like there was something there, but it didn’t quite fit the “quirky, funny” picture books that it seemed everyone was looking for. So, I held off on pitching it to any agents or publishers. During #PBPitch in 2018, I Tweeted a pitch of The Little Blue Cottage and Charlotte Wenger, former editor at Page Street Kids liked it! Since I got a “like” from her, it was an open invitation to submit to Charlotte. So, I did! She and I sent the draft back and forth for various revisions, then, in August 2018, she sent me a publishing contract. I didn’t stop smiling for weeks! Through the process, I was also able to find my amazing agent, Stephanie Fretwell-Hill of Red Fox Literary! Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: I’d say the most challenging aspects of both writing and publishing are patience and perseverance. You’re going to receive a ton of rejections and it hurts every time. But, you get tough! And, it’s important to remember that when you get rejected, it’s nothing personal. At the end of the day, publishing is a business. So, I always do my best to keep perspective and to take those rejections as opportunities to practice and learn. I also allow myself to feel disappointed and sad. When you work hard on something, it’s ok to let yourself feel! The important thing is to move on and keep pursuing your dreams! The most rewarding aspects of writing are the sense of accomplishment I feel when the words and story finally come together and I get to hear from another person (be it my husband, a critique partner, or my agent), “I love this so much!” To have your words evoke emotion from another person or to transport someone is such an amazing feeling! I’m a huge reader and I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I also find that when I’m my happiest, I’m writing! So, those two things keep me motivated, as well as the cheerleading I receive from my critique partners. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: My critique partners are by and large the most helpful and valuable part of my revising process. These people are all incredibly insightful and honest in their feedback. I typically let a new draft sit for a few days or weeks—until I have a bit of separation from the work. Then, I work on revising the draft until the language and the heart are at a place where I’d like them to be. At that point, I print the story, read it out loud, and record myself reading it, which helps me hear awkward phrasings or unnecessary words. Then, if I really love the story, my husband reads it. After that, my critique partners review it and I make revisions that feel right based on their feedback. Finally, when it’s clean and as good as I can get it, I send it to my agent! Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: My debut picture book, The Little Blue Cottage, illustrated by the fabulous Jessica Courtney-Tickle will be released by Page Street Kids May 12, 2020. Depending on whether we will still be social distancing or not, I’ll either do in-store events and school events throughout the Southeast or several virtual events to promote the book. Please check my website for updates and to order the book! My second book, Chase the Moon, Tiny Turtle: A Hatchling’s Daring Race to the Sea, illustrated by Sally Walker, will also be published by Page Street Kids March 2, 2021. Thank you, Kelly, it was a pleasure chatting with you, and congratulations on the Kirkus starred review! I couldn't agree more about the most rewarding aspects of writing you talked about -- "the sense of accomplishment when the words and story finally come together" and also "to have your words evoke emotion from another person." That's how I feel, too! Wishing you all the best with this book and all future projects! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators any way you could: by following them on Twitter and Instagram, requesting their books through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books from your local indie bookstore. I hope you enjoyed this post and will be back soon. Shares on social media are also appreciated, thank you! G I V E A W A Y!!! Kelly is giving away one picture book critique! Comment on this post to be entered. The winner will be announced next week. Connect with Kelly Jordan: Website: kellyjordan.com Instagram: @kellyjordanwrites Kelly Jordan is a children’s book author represented by Stephanie Fretwell-Hill of Red Fox Literary. Her Kirkus-starred debut picture book, THE LITTLE BLUE COTTAGE, will be released by Page Street Kids May 12, 2020, followed by CHASE THE MOON, TINY TURTLE: A HATCHLING’S DARING RACE FROM LAND TO SEA (also by Page Street Kids) March 4, 2021. She is a member of both SCBWI and 12x12, and is actively involved in the Atlanta writing community. A lifelong lover of words, Jordan is also a freelance writer and editor, whose articles have appeared in such publications as Atlanta magazine, Georgia Travel Guide, Redbook, Southern Living, Paste, Darling, and Flavors. Jordan is a Gulf Coast native and a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism. She is currently enrolled in Purdue University’s online Master of Science in Communication program. She lives in Decatur, Georgia, with her husband, cat, and dog. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you'd like to support my work, consider ordering any of my books while also supporting your local indie bookstores. (Click on the image to order.) Thanks! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And the giveaway winner of Heather Macht's PB critique and copy of her book is... Jackie!!!
Congrats, Jackie! We'll be in touch soon... Hello, dear readers! Yay, you're back at the Oasis ― it's great to have you here! This is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, stretch your smiles wide and get comfy and cozy for a lovely chitchat because today we have another fabulous creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Heather Macht is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Plus, there's a double giveaway, too! Welcome, Heather! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: Thanks so much for having me, Rosie! Wow, I’ve been interested in publication ever since I was a young girl. But my interest really peaked when I was 18 and graduating high school. I told my teachers and classmates that I was going to be a children’s picture book author. I knew there was nothing else I wanted to do. I spent years in libraries looking through the bookshelves, writing, querying, and yes, even receiving boatloads of rejections (and I mean BIG boatloads). However, after years of perseverance, I finally received my first YES. That was almost 13 years later after my journey started! My first book, You May Just Be a Dinosaur, was published in 2015. It was worth the wait. 😉 Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: You know, I was under the impression once I had my first, second, or even third book published that things would get easier. Yeah, I was wrong. It’s equally as difficult to get a book published the fourth or fifth time around. And it makes sense, too. The writing community is so talented! Publishers are constantly getting swamped with incredible manuscripts. You must keep studying and working on your craft. And, you must keep up to date on what’s getting published. This helps you make sure you have a fresh take and put a fresh spin on what you’re writing, so you can offer publishers something new (not something they’ve seen over and over). What’s most rewarding and what helps me stay motivated actually share the same answer: I love reading to kids. My favorite type of events are school visits where I get to read and inspire students, and hopefully make them laugh (which I thankfully usually do). This is always a reminder of why I keep trying and trudging through rejections. It’s worth seeing their faces light up and making a connection with them! Added bonus: I have at least a handful of students tell me they want to be a writer, too, after my presentation. That makes my heart melt every time. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? A: Yes, I have three techniques I swear by. Hopefully some of these will help other writers, too.
Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: My next book, Rex the…We-Don’t-Know, is coming out April 6th! It was the most difficult book I’ve written, probably because it means so much to me. Since Rex is a blend of all the animals I had growing up, I knew I had a special duty (to them) to make it extra heartfelt. 😉 Needless to say, I’m SO excited to have this book released into the world! I’m currently planning blog tours, book readings, school visits, and more so stay tuned for updates! Thank you, Heather! It's always a pleasure chatting with you. All the best with Rex the…We-Don’t-Know and your future projects! Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post and will be back for our next chitchat. Shares this post with writer friends, teachers, librarians and parents. Thank you! Comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of Rex the…We-Don’t-Know AND a picture book critique! (One winner for both; US only; prize will be mailed after quarantine) Connect with Heather: Website: www.heathermacht.com Twitter: @AuthorHMacht Heather Macht, author of REX THE...WE-DON'T-KNOW (Pelican, 2020), THE ANT FARM ESCAPE! (Pelican, 2019), and YOU MAY JUST BE A DINOSAUR (Pelican, 2015), is an active children's author who has been creating stories since the third grade! She earned her degree in fine arts from Florida State College at Jacksonville and holds a career as an I.T. professional and a full-time mom. Macht’s an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, is a volunteer judge for Rate Your Story, and lives with her family in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. In her spare time, she dwells in poetry and picture books and enjoys painting. For more, visit www.heathermacht.com And the giveaway winner is . . . Pippa-Chorley!!! Congratulations!
Hello, quarantined-but-unstoppable readers! Once again, you have arrived at the Oasis! Thank you for visiting. I hope you find it to be a place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, stretch your smiles wide and get comfy and cozy for a double delight of a chitchat because today we have another awesome creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author and illustrator Janee Trasler is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Plus, check out the giveaway at the end of this interview. Welcome, Janee ! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: I started out as an illustrator. I enjoyed illustrating other people’s words, but I kept feeling that I wanted to tell more of the story myself. I wrote some truly awful first manuscripts before I decided to take a writing workshop and learn how the heck it was supposed to be done. In 2006, I had a freakishly quick sale on my first two books (series), and thought “Wow! This is easy!” Five (long) years later, I finally sold another book (thank you Jamie). Books 13, 14, and 15 come out this year. Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: I’m my own worst enemy sometimes. I have TONS of ideas. My brain spits them out constantly. It’s sitting down and shaping them that can trip me up. If it feels difficult, I start doubting the merit or the viability of the idea. But, oh, when it comes together… THAT’S what keeps me motivated—that awesome feeling when the idea, the words, the structure, the pacing, and the images all marry together into a satisfying story. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: I’m big on the planning stage of things. I want to know exactly where I’m going before I dig into the actual writing or illustrating. I need a solid storyboard. With a board book, picture book, or early reader, I like to number a blank piece of paper with the number of spreads. Then I usually jot down my idea of where I think the various plot points happen on those spreads for that particular story (intro, action 1, action 2, action 3, climax, resolution). Then I fill in the blanks. I’ll probably revise this written storyboard six to seven times before I start writing. I’m working on some longer format ideas now. I’m using more of an outline than a storyboard, but the same elements are all still there. On the illustration side of things, I work completely digitally. My latest books were done on the iPad (and under the influence of many cappuccinos). Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: I’m so excited! I feel very fortunate to be publishing a series of three emergent readers with Scholastic Acorn this year. Acorn is the younger sibling of the successful Branches imprint. These three books follow the exploits of Frog, Frog, Frog, and Dog. With our current world situation, we’ll all have to stay tuned about upcoming events. I hope to have a book launch in May for the first two books FROG MEETS DOG and GOAT IN A BOAT at my local library. Thank you, Janee, it was a pleasure chatting with you! Best of success with the new releases and keep them coming -- your books are adorable and fun! Hope to see you again soon at a North Texas event. Dear readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, IG, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books while supporting your local indie bookstores. I hope you enjoyed this post... But wait, there's more! janee is generously donating a critique (board book or picture book or early reader) to one lucky winner! Simply comment below to be entered. And don't forget to share this post on your social media to help Janee spread the word of her new releases. Thank you! Connect with Janee Trasler: Website: www.trasler.com Twitter: @janeetrasler IG: https://www.instagram.com/janeetrasler/ Janee Trasler is the author-illustrator of fifteen books for children, including the popular Chickies series from HarperCollins and the upcoming Frog and Dog series from Scholastic/Acorn. She also enjoys bringing other people’s books to life with pictures. Even when she’s not writing and illustrating books, she can still be found telling stories through music and puppets. Janee is represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Click on the book cover to order a copy from your Indie Bookstore! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you'd like to support my work, consider pre-ordering a copy of Sunday Rain (Lantana Publishing/Lerner, 2021) The giveaway winners of Boats Will Float are...
Aubrey and Ishita! Congratulations! You will both receive a copy of the book, mailed to you after quarantine. Hello, amazing readers! Hooray, you reached the Oasis ― it's great to have you here! This is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, stretch your smiles wide and get comfy and cozy for a nice chitchat because today we have another great creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Andria Warmflash Rosenbaum is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Plus, check out the double giveaway, promo gifts, and other offers at the end of this interview. Welcome, Andria! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. I decided I wanted to be a picture book writer when I was eleven. I still have the first book I wrote and unfortunately illustrated. Back then I also wanted to be an astronaut, an Olympic sprinter, or figure skater, a ballerina and an actress. (I've always been a bit of a drama queen!) While I was in high school I wrote over fifty songs and poems. I was still writing poetry in my twenties, but let go of my picture book dreams for a while because of all the rejections I received. I didn't think about picture books again until I had my four children. But I was so busy with my family I could only focus on writing poems and short stories for children's magazines. My first two children's books weren't published until I was in my early forties. My road to publication has been a long and winding one and I've given up many times. But in the end, not writing isn't an option for me. Writing is like eating a good meal. I would starve if I couldn't work with words. Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: There are many challenges, both personal and professional that writers face. The most important thing for me to remember is to stay focused. It's so easy to get distracted by darling dog videos & heated Twitter debates. But it does nothing for my productivity. I find it crucial to block-out time just for writing, promotion, emails and reading. I need to be as organized as possible. I don't work well in chaos. While it's thrilling to sell a manuscript, it just makes me hungry for more. What truly satisfies me is hearing from readers, librarians and teachers. There's nothing better than seeing your book in the hands of a child. Learning to read and comprehend what I read was especially hard for me. Maybe this is one reason I find it gratifying to know that kids are enjoying my books. There's nothing more motivating than that. I also think it's important to keep growing as a writer even after you've sold books. The market is always evolving and I think it's vital for writers to keep challenging themselves. I do this through reading and taking writing workshops. I also count on my critique partners to push me far beyond where I might have thought I could go. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: The hardest part for me is getting that first draft down on paper. It's a matter of commitment and focus. An idea rises to the surface. I mull it over and brainstorm a bit. Then I write down as many notes as I can that resonate with emotion and story. Writing is a mind game. (Writer's block truly is all in your head!) I often promise myself a little treat if I get the job done. I'm also a hug fan of Elizabeth Gilbert's BIG MAGIC. I actually keep a copy of the book on my desk for motivation. The magic for me lies in revision. That's what I look forward to. That's what I love most of all. Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: My latest picture book is BOATS WILL FLOAT, illustrated by Brett Curzon, published by Sleeping Bear Press. It was just released on March 15. I have some wonderful early memories of gliding in my grandparent's canoe on Candlewood Lake. This was the spark for this book. I wrote Boats as a follow up to TRAINS DON'T SLEEP, but my editor passed on it. My agent at the time kept submitting it till it was acquired. But within six months of being announced the book was cancelled. Fortunately, my agent sold it a second time, which was pretty amazing. It all turned out for the best because I couldn't be happier with Brett Curzon's incredible illustrations. He infused our book with life, humor, color and tons of fun! I'll be doing a number of readings in northern New Jersey to promote BOATS WILL FLOAT. Follow me on Twitter to find out where and when! Thank you so much for inviting me to share my process with you and your readers! Happy writing :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Andria Warmflash Rosenbaum: Website: www.andriawarmflashrosenbaum.com Twitter: @andriawrose ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for being my guest, Andria, and happy writing to you as well! Dear readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post and will be back for our next interview. Shares appreciated -- thank you! Comment on this post for a chance to win one of two copies of Andria's adorable book, BOATS WILL FLOAT. The two lucky winners will be announced next week! [U.S. only; copies will be mailed whenever it's safe to do so.] Andria Warmflash Rosenbaum fell in love with boats while floating in her grandparents' canoe on Candlewood Lake. She's never been in a dragon boat, but she's gone whale watching and been in a submarine. She plays with words from her home in New Jersey.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you'd like to support my work, please pre-order my upcoming book, SUNDAY RAIN Hello, lovely readers! Hooray for you ― you're back at the Oasis and it's so great to have you visit again! This is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, stretch your smiles even wider and get comfy and cozy for a delightful chitchat because today we have another awesome creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Marcie Wessels is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! (Plus, check out my promo gift offer at the end of this interview.) Welcome, Marcie! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: Thank you for inviting me, Rosie! I used to teach Spanish language and literature at the college level. In 2006, I left academia for motherhood. In 2011, I decided I needed a new challenge. I’ve always loved books. But could I write one? I set out to find out. My first stroke of luck was discovering the Writing for Children’s Program at UCSD Extension. I enrolled in the first of three classes, formed a critique group, and joined SCBWI. After attending SoCal SCBWI’s Editor’s Day in 2012, I landed an offer for my first picture book! Pirate’s Lullaby: Mutiny at Bedtime, illustrated by Tim Bowers, was published by Doubleday Books for Young Readers in 2015. My second book is my first work of nonfiction. The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box: The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer, illustrated by Beatriz Castro, will be published by Sterling Publishing on April 14, 2020. Like my first book, Boy was inspired by my son. A bit of a reluctant reader, he fell in love with Whoosh: Lonnie Johnson’s Super Soaking Stream of Inventions (Charlesbridge, 2016), written by Chris Baron and illustrated by Don Tate. The book was so kid-friendly, it inspired me to look into the history of other toys and games. Like most boys, my son loves video games. “Who invented the video game?” I wondered. As I conducted research, I discovered the unpublished memoir of Ralph Baer, the inventor widely regarded as The Father of Video Games. It was a crucial discovery that helped me connect with the project in a completely different way. I wrote many drafts and then my agent sent it out on submission. While we were waiting to hear back from editors, I happened to read Laurie Wallmark’s Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer (2017), illustrated by Katy Wu. I noticed it that it was a part of Sterling’s People Who Shaped Our World Series. I thought my manuscript would be a great fit for Sterling’s list so with my agent’s blessing, I submitted my story. A few months later, it was picked out of the slush pile and I had an offer. Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: I’ve written about my fear of the blank page on a different occasion (read here) so I’ll just say it’s all challenging! Coming up with an original idea, figuring out how to tell the story, then finding someone who believes in your story as much as you do, such as an agent or an editor. Luckily, the kidlit community is one of the kindest and most supportive. I feel blessed to have so many creative and inspiring friends. As far as motivation, you definitely need to be persistent and patient. Hearing how much someone loves your book (especially a kid) is one of the things that keeps me going. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: My revision process is messy but one of the best tools I have in my writer’s toolbox is the story board, a technique I was introduced to in Illustrating Children’s Books at UCSD Extension. Visually laying out a story often reveals problems with the narrative and helps you correct pacing. All picture book writers should storyboard - even if you can only draw stick figures like me! For more revision tips, please check out this post. Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: The launch party for The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box: The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer will be on Sunday, May 3, 2020 at 1 PM at the Barnes and Noble (Mira Mesa) in San Diego, CA. Thank you, Marcie. Wishing you all the best on your journey! Dear readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post — comments and shares are appreciated. Thank you! Connect with Marcie: Website: www.marciewessels.com Twitter: @MarcieDWessels Marcie Wessels loves to play games – especially board games like Scrabble. She tinkers with words and invents stories including PIRATE’S LULLABY: MUTINY AT BEDTIME and THE BOY WHO THOUGHT OUTSIDE THE BOX: THE STORY OF VIDEO GAME INVENTOR RALPH BAER. She lives in San Diego, California. You can find her online at www.marciewessels.com.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Promo offer: swag gift* with pre-order of Sunday Rain! *Charm bracelet -- each charm is different and something that can be found in the book, bookmark, postcard and button. (US only, while supplies last. Use my Contact form on the menu bar to let me know you pre-ordered and send me your mailing address.) Hello, fantastic readers! Are you new to the KidLit Oasis? Welcome! If you're coming back ― it's great to have you visit again! This is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, stretch your smiles wide and get comfy and cozy for a fabulous chitchat because today we have another awesome creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Della Ross Ferreri is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Plus, she is generously donating a copy of either one of her books, GOD BLESSES ME or HUGGLE WUGGLE, BEDTIME SNUGGLE (Winner’s choice). Welcome, Della, and happy book birthday to God Blesses Me! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: Thank you so much for having me, Rosie. I’m delighted to be here! My writing journey began over twenty years ago (wow, can that be true!?) when my children were young. We’d cozy up on the couch and read piles of picture books together. I’m sure those sweet moments planted the seed for me to create stories of my own. Right away, I signed up for a class through the Institute of Children’s Literature, joined SCBWI, attended conferences and found local writers who shared the same passion. My first published story was a rebus in Children’s Playmate. I was so excited and felt validated to keep writing and submitting. I continued with more magazine stories and poems, then sold two easy readers to educational publishers. All the while I continued working on my craft, attending conferences and paying for manuscript critiques. It’s a good thing I kept working hard - when I look back at some of my earlier pieces, I realize – gulp! - I had a lot to learn! Once I started getting personal rejections with ‘please send more,’ I knew I was getting close. I doubt she’ll remember, but one day when meeting up with some on-line writer friends in Maine, Toni Buzzeo read one of my manuscripts and wrote three words: ‘What’s the problem?’ She was right! I had a fun rhyming ‘poem’ about a child tucking in his stuffed animals- but no problem, and therefore no solution and no story arc. I revised (again!) and added a stanza about the child feeling a teensy bit nervous about sleeping in his first big-boy bed, a bit more escalation, and then a stanza where he solves the problem. On my next round of submissions, Sterling Publishing accepted that first picture book manuscript, How Will I Ever Sleep in this Bed? Over the years, my journey had plenty of ups and downs. There were revision requests that didn’t pan out, and manuscripts that went to acquisitions, but ultimately turned down. Despite the disappointments, I persevered, and published a couple picture books with small publishers – Star of the Show, and Beep! Beep! Special Delivery, and in 2019, two sweet board books, Precious Baby and Huggle Wuggle, Bedtime Snuggle, with Beaming Books. Fast forward to today where Huggle Wuggle, Bedtime Snuggle was named a 2019 CYBILS finalist in the board book category, and my newest book with Worthy Kids releases on March 3, 2020. It’s called God Blesses Me and is a sweetly illustrated lift-the-flap board book that helps children discover the blessings all around them. I now have an agent and she’s been tremendously helpful in taking my manuscripts to the next level and getting them out there. Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: Good questions. I would say juggling life and writing is my greatest challenge. My teaching job is quite demanding and since I prioritize family time, so much of my writing takes place in spits and spurts at night, on weekends or summer vacations. Ideas can be slow to percolate and since many of my stories are in rhyme, it can take a long time to get it right. Actually, even my non-rhyming stories seem to take a long time to get in shape! Thankfully, I have supportive critique partners and writer groups – on-line and in-person. Their feedback has been instrumental and I definitely wouldn’t have my publishing successes without them! My in-person group also organizes writing conferences. We call ourselves Children’s Writers of the Hudson Valley. We’re a group of volunteers who enjoy organizing hands-on writing events. Our planning meetings often double as critique sessions where we work on conference details, critique stories and eat, drink, and laugh. All this fun and support help me stay motivated. By the way, Rosie, if any of your readers live near the Hudson Valley in New York, I hope they’ll consider coming to the Poughkeepsie CWHV conference. This year it’s Saturday, June 13. We’re working on finalizing the day’s schedule. Here’s the website that will have more information soon: http://www.cwhv.org/ Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: Ah, revision. I have a love-hate relationship with revision. Sometimes I focus to the point of obsession on one particular story. Other times I bounce around from project to project, seeing what mentally clicks when I open a document on my computer. Sometimes the writing process takes just a few months, and other times it takes YEARS to feel like I’m getting it right. What seems to work for me is writing in different locations and taking breaks. When in the brainstorming phase or when searching for just the right word or image, I use sites like rhymezone.com or look at Google images or watch YouTube videos for inspiration. Often the answer to a writing problem or even a new idea pops into my brain when away from the computer. I’ll take my manuscript on a walk, or think about it while folding laundry or while taking a shower or reading other books. This leads into my next tip – be patient and allow time for the brain to mull things over. I used to be overly eager to submit to publishing houses, but now, unless I’m on a deadline, I put my writing aside for weeks(or longer, if possible) to revisit with fresh eyes. Another suggestion is to ask someone else to read your manuscript aloud. For me, since my writing tends to be short, this helps me hear when the story feels off or needs perking up. Of course, read read read as many current books in your genre, and pick apart the ones you love. Why do these favorite books resonate with you? Is it the storyline? Character? Language? Humor? Is it that satisfying feeling at the end? Is it the subtle message or take-away? If you’re like me, it’s probably a combination of those elements. When reading amazing published books, we get inspired to write and revise our own stories. Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: My most exciting news is that God Blesses Me, published by Worthy Kids, releases on March 3. It’s my first novelty book with lift-the-flaps. I’ve been asked if I left art notes for the illustrator. The answer is yes. The story features many scenes that lend themselves to lift-the-flaps – a puppet theater, bedroom curtain, animals behind a bush, etc, so I made suggestions. Lizzie Walkley, the illustrator, used many of my suggestions and added her own flair to make the flaps fun and interactive. Toddlers and preschoolers will love peeking under the flaps and seeing the changes and surprises to each scene. It turned out to be such a sweet story that will encourage children to think about their everyday blessings. It was a pleasure having you over, Della! Thank you again for sharing your journey, tips, and books with us, plus a wonderful opportunity for writers to attend Poughkeepsie CWHV conference! Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post and will be back soon! To enter the giveaway, simply comment on this post. Connect with Della Ross Ferreri: Website: www.DellaRossFerreri.com Twitter: @DellaRF Della Ross Ferreri is a teacher and author of picture books, board books, and early readers, most recently HUGGLE WUGGLE, BEDTIME SNUGGLE and GOD BLESSES ME. Her stories and poems have appeared in children's magazines such as Highlights, High Five, Ladybug and Babybug. As a co-founder of CWHV, she helps organize local writing workshops and conferences. Della lives in New York with her husband, three children, and two guinea pigs. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The giveaway winner is Kelly Roberts! Congrats, Kelly!
Hello, lovely readers! It's great to have you back at the Oasis! Remember, this is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, stretch your smiles wide and get comfy and cozy for a delightful chitchat because today we have another awesome creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author and illustrator Jaimie Whitbread is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Welcome, Jaimie! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. I was pretty sure about wanting to be a picture book illustrator about half-way through college, and started plowing towards that goal single-mindedly as soon as I graduated. I was just going to be an illustrator. I would tell people I was going to illustrate books and, oh yeah, maybe I’d write one someday, too. How short-sighted that turned out to be! In my head I had all these stories and characters that I’d been drawing for years, with a secret wish to see them out in the world someday with their stories fully fledged and ready to fly, but somehow it just didn’t occur to me that what I really wanted to be was a writer. After about four years of single-mindedly trying to become an illustrator - skill-building, sending out postcards to art directors, looking at art reps, all that - I realized my mistake. I was aiming for a career in illustration, no writing in sight, but I kept telling people I wanted to write someday. I knew how disciplines worked - if I wanted to write “someday” I’d better start writing right then and get those awkward growing years out of the way as soon as possible. So at that point I circled back and really started focusing on my writing. I put off my attempts to get my foot in the door with my illustration, since if I was going to debut, I wanted to do it as a writer and an illustrator. It was such an exciting time! Writing out the stories I’d always had in my head was completely new and felt momentous. And yet it felt strange and scary. To give so much of my time up to writing that had previously been focused entirely on art. I had felt like I was “almost there” with illustration and now I was starting this whole new thing that would need its own time to grow. But boy I really liked writing, so there was no turning back. In 2017, about 8 years after setting publication as my goal, I won the Don Freeman work-in-progress award from SCBWI for a dummy book I’d written and illustrated about a tiger searching for her stripes. The same dummy helped me find my agent, Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Agency, and eventually sold to The Innovation Press. It will be my debut book, and, I hope, the first of many! Everything took a long time, but I think that’s because art takes a long time. Every discipline takes time to develop. Until my writing and my illustration had gotten to a certain level, I didn’t see much traction - which I think was a good thing. I’ve only just now gotten to the point where I’m absolutely proud of the work I am able to produce. What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? I think the uncertainty of whether a project will ever find its feet out there in the world is the most difficult thing I struggle with. Each project takes such an enormous amount of effort and thought, and my hopes are always so high for each one - and yet it’s such a highly saturated market, and an uncertain industry. It can be hard to keep tangling with a difficult manuscript, knowing how many potential pitfalls stand between it and being published even if I do get it written. It’s always tempting to self-reject. I just try and remember that bringing each story to life is its own reward. That each untangled manuscript will make me a better writer, whether it sees the light of day or not. But also that no amount of potential future rejection can un-write it – a finished story with all the characters in place and doing and saying all the things I imagined them doing and saying is a gift to myself. That’s become my litmus test for whether a project deserves my time or not. If I would want to see it written whether anyone else ever reads it or not, then it’s worth my time. I am the only guaranteed reader of any story, so I better be in love with it, proud of it, glad to have written it. Whatever happens after that is out of my hands. Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? Because I’m an illustrator and a writer, I go back and forth a lot between the two, using one to inspire the other. I love to draw characters and scenes from manuscripts I’m working on, and to brainstorm stories based on my one-shot illustrations. The back and forth between the two keeps everything fresh and exciting through the long drudgery of getting something written and revised. I do a lot of work in revision. I think one of my gifts is in seeing what a story should be – the dramatic, comedic, poetic potential – and being bothered when it’s not up to snuff. I get so frustrated when a manuscript feels under-cooked, I end up with pages and pages of notes on character and plot and theme and how I can make it all better. Then it’s just a matter of keeping at it until it really, deeply satisfies my inner lover of great stories. What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? My debut book, A Tiger Without Stripes, is out March 3rd! It’s a thoughtful, modern fable about a tiger searching for her stripes, which touches on self-identity and self-acceptance. I’ve been doing a weekly over-view of the creation process for A Tiger Without Stripes on my social media, called Tiger Tuesdays, so check it out! Thank you, Jaimie, this was an amazing chat! I love your attitude in regards to the many uncertainties in this business and what you said here is a good reminder for all of us: "I just try and remember that bringing each story to life is its own reward." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post — comments and shares are appreciated. Thank you! Connect with Jaimie: Website: jaimiewhitbread.com Twitter: @jaimiesomething Jaimie Whitbread is a writer and illustrator living in Texas. She loves to work outdoors, and gathers her inspiration through the time-honored traditions of petting cats, being crawled on by bugs, and getting very excited about birds and clouds. A Tiger Without Stripes is her first picture book, and (she is proud to say) has a cat on every page and several very pretty clouds. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you'd like to support my work, please order one of my books and/or invite me to your elementary school for an author visit. Hello, ravishing readers! Hooray, you found your way to the Oasis ― it's great to have you visit! This is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, get those smiles ready and get comfy and cozy for a fantastic chitchat because today we have another spectacular creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Christy Mihaly is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Welcome, Christy! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: Thank you for inviting me, Rosie. I love your blog's name—I can just picture all these lovely kidlit people chatting around the watering hole—and I'm happy to share my path to publication. But I have to warn you, there's no blockbuster drama here, just many small steps. Although I always loved to write, when I was in college I didn’t think of writing as a career. I went to law school. Then I got busy being a lawyer for a couple decades. After I had kids, I started dreaming of becoming a children's writer, but I didn't have time. Getting Started Fast forward to 2011. My husband, 12-year-old daughter, and I moved to Spain for a year (he had a teaching gig there). I decided to use that year to write. I'd taken a course with the Institute for Children's Literature, so I pulled out old stories I'd drafted for the course, revised them, and started sending them out to kids' magazines. Rejections rolled in. I kept subbing, and one day, I sold a story. For $5! I was SO EXCITED. But wait. A month before my story was to be published, the magazine went out of business. I never got paid, and that story remains unpublished. And so it goes… I made more submissions, received more rejections. Needing new material, I found story inspirations all around me—we were living in an unfamiliar country, after all! I wrote a story based on my daughter's experiences at school in Spain. I sent it out, and at last, someone accepted it. My story, "Hola, Amiga,"was published in a kids' online magazine.They didn't pay, but I had a writing credit. Woo! What else could I write? I really like nonfiction, so I investigated the children's nonfiction magazines that announce themes for future issues. I began pitching ideas. Again, many were Spanish-themed. After some rejections, "AppleSeeds" liked one of my pitches and sent me my first assignment. I researched and wrote, and in 2012 the article was published. A few months later, I received an actual check. Yay! Upping My Game At the end of our year abroad, I was committed to writing. I wanted to be a working writer—making enough money that I could quit my day job. That meant I had to up my game. I signed up for SCBWI and other writing organizations, joined a critique group, attended workshops and conferences and took online courses, made kidlit friends,and read hundreds of kids' books and magazines. I drafted and polished manuscripts: picture books, middle grade, proposals for longer nonfiction. I helped start a group blog (GROG) to blog about kidlit. Work for Hire I also learned about work-for-hire writing. I sent out my resume and writing samples to educational publishers and book packagers, which hire people to write on assignment. That's how I wrote my first published book—under contract with a book packager in 2015. Though that book doesn't have my name on the cover, my name was on the checks! I kept working to improve my writing, created more stories, and collected rejections—too many to count. I also kept doing work-for-hire. This gave me the opportunity to team up with great editors, learn best practices for research and nonfiction writing, and get books published. More Books I also continued attending conferences, bringing my manuscripts for editor critiques. I started submitting to agents. I teamed up with a critique partner, Sue Heavenrich, to write a nonfiction book proposal. Eventually, at conferences, I connected with two different editors. The first made me an offer for a picture book manuscript in 2015, which I accepted. In 2016, I signed with my agent, Erzsi Deak, and that same year signed a second book contract. In 2018, my first picture book,Hey, Hey, Hay! (A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them) was published by Holiday House (illustrated by Joe Cepeda). Later that year, Lerner published the nonfiction YA that Sue and I co-wrote, Diet for a Changing Planet: Food for Thought. My second illustrated picture book is coming soon, and I've got some manuscripts in the pipeline. Meanwhile, I still like work for hire. In fact, that's what has allowed me to quit my day job. I've written more than twenty books for the educational market. I'm particularly proud of the recent series "Shaping the Debate," which helps middle- and high-schoolers analyze the complexities of topics such as Human Rights, Climate Change, and Freedom of the Press. So that's where I am on my kidlit journey—so far! I'd be happy to answer questions if you leave them in the comments. I know I wouldn't be here without a lot of support and help from other book creators, editors, and mentors all along the way. Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: My big challenge: The Wait.The Wait comes in many versions… When I have submitted a manuscript: The Wait to hear back. If a picture book manuscript sells: The Wait for an illustrator. If good news arrives: The Wait for an announcement. Once a book is completed: The Wait for book reviews, The Wait for publication, The Wait for the sales numbers. Sigh. I am working on patience. What's most rewarding: School visits. This surprised me, because I used to believe nothing could be better than research and writing. But I've learned that visiting schools and talking to kids about books makes this book creation work we do even more meaningful. And I love seeing kids read (or listen to) my books. What helps me stay motivated? Deadlines! I may be weird here, but I love due dates. I'm at my most productive when juggling multiple deadlines on different projects: I might be working to complete a magazine assignment, a pitch, a school presentation, revisions requested by an editor, and an outline for a new book. Honestly, without deadlines, I get anxious. In fact, if I am not facing an editorial deadline, I'll set one for myself: Send book proposal to Erzsi by next Friday—or else! There's nothing like a good deadline to produce a surge of writerly adrenaline. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: You've probably heard that revision is the heart of writing. It's true! Your first draft gets words onto paper, but it will need work, usually a great deal of work. My advice: Have fun with revising. Let your self play. Experiment! (Also—ahem—save all your drafts and revisions. You never know which version you'll want to return to.) When revising, it's important to re-think big issues, so you're not simply polishing the language. One trick I use to bring a new vision to revision is to rewrite from a new point of view. Perhaps change your POV character, or shift from third person to first person. You may not keep these alterations. But when you rewrite from a different point of view, you'll see new aspects of your piece that may help you improve it. Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: March will be a big month! March 1 is the release date for my picture book, Free for You and Me: What Our First Amendment Means. This book introduces young readers to the five freedoms protected by the First Amendment (freedom of speech, religion, and the press, the right to peaceful assembly and the right to petition the government), using poetry, historical vignettes and a contemporary story. It is illustrated by Manu Montoya and published by Albert Whitman. I'm looking forward to seeing FREE out in the world and sharing it with kids around the country during this election year. I'm also helping organize amid-March bookstore event, Celebrating New Nonfiction Kids' Books, with my local indie bookseller Bear Pond Books. We'll share some exciting new and forthcoming NF books. At the end of the month, I'll be heading to KidLitCon 2020 in Michigan. I'm on a panel with author Keila Dawson and poet Shawntai Brown of the Detroit organization Inside Out Literary Arts. We plan to share techniques for bringing poetry and picture books into classrooms. What else? I'm open to ideas, inspirations, and assignments. And if you're still reading this, thank you—may you find success on your own journey. Thank you, Christy, it was great chatting with you! Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post — comments and shares are appreciated. Thank you! Connect with Christy Mihaly Website: www.christymihaly.com Twitter: @CMwriter4kids Instagram: @christymihaly Christy Mihaly writes for young readers because she believes that our best hope for the future is raising kids who love to learn. Her 2020 picture book, Free for You and Me: What our First Amendment Means, illustrated by Manu Montoya, celebrates the First Amendment with poems and stories. Christy co-authored the YA nonfiction Diet for a Changing Climate: Food for Thought, with Sue Heavenrich. Her picture book Hey, Hey, Hay! (A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them) tells the story of how hay is made. Christy has published more than 20 nonfiction books on topics from free speech to food to fashion, as well as articles, stories, and poems. She lives in Vermont, where she loves walking her dog in the woods and playing the cello (though not simultaneously). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you'd like to support my work, please order one of my books and/or invite me to your elementary school for an author visit. Kaitlyn Sanchez is the winner of Vivian's PB critique and Shari Sawyers is the winner of a copy of Making Their Voices Heard. Congratulations to the winners! |
About Rosie J. PovaRosie J. Pova is a multi-published, award-winning children's author and kid lit Writing Coach. She's the creator of Picture Book Mastery System™ that is proven to help emerging children's writers advance their career and get closer to their publishing goals.
Rosie's latest picture book, Sunday Rain, was featured in The New York Times and recommended by Parents magazine. Her upcoming picture book, The School of Failure: A Story About Success will be released in the spring of 2022 in both China and the USA. Rosie also loves to visit schools and her interactive workshops empower students to unleash their creativity and grow in confidence through reading, writing, and creating. Teachers and librarians love Rosie for her bubbly, upbeat personality which captures students' attention, encourages them to think creatively, and motivates them to pursue big dreams. She has been featured on TV, radio, podcasts, and print media, and also speaks on women's and moms’ topics, sharing her journey from a Bulgarian immigrant to a published author. Find out more about Rosie's online courses, mentorships, and her work by visiting her website: RosieJPova.com Check out her Critique Services here, her Workshops here, and her school visits page here. Rosie is represented by Jennifer Herrington of Harvey Klinger Literary. Twitter: @RosiePOV Archives
March 2024
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