 Kristi Mahoney, a regular 24 Carrot Writing contributor, is a powerhouse of humor, writing skill, and marketing prowess. She may shun the spotlight and deflect exuberant praise, but she is worthy of both. As she launches her debut picture book, Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians (Gnome Road, October 2024), we will ask her to step into the spotlight, for just a moment, as we reflect on the wonderful things we have learned from Kristi. LESSONS WE'VE LEARNED FROM KRISTI  Write with Head and Heart Kristi once shared that on rainy days she won’t pull her car down the driveway until she has moved all the wiggly worms crawling across the blacktop. It may be that one of her kids insisted on this practice, but I have no doubt that Kristi was a willing participant. Love for the animal world explodes in Kristi’s writing as she often chooses animals as her main characters and peppers her fiction work with animal facts. Her ability to share fascinating tidbits about animals comes not only from thorough research but from a true love of her subjects, and readers feel that heart in her work. In addition to heart, Kristi uses her head and leans into her talent for making readers laugh. She has a skill for writing humor and smartly lets it shine as she structures her stories around this stellar attribute. She makes wacky jokes, delivers hilarious one-liners, and creates characters that will make readers guffaw. Kristi could write lyrical prose, animal non-fiction, or frankly any genre she desires; however, by combining her natural proclivity for making readers laugh with her great passion for animals, she has created a signature style that makes her work easily recognizable. Learn from Kristi and embrace head and heart in your work. Be A Generous Critique Partner Kristi’s ability to be a committed member of multiple critique groups is inspiring. I often struggle to complete four or five critiques a month, but it is common for Kristi to do eight to ten. She recognizes that writers need thoughtful feedback to improve their manuscripts and repeatedly steps up to help. Those of us fortunate enough to use her comments as a springboard to revision know that she is generous with her praise, kind in her delivery, and smart in offering alternative ideas and direction. I will always be grateful for Kristi’s skill in providing feedback that sparks productive revision. I’m sure many of her critique partners feel the same. Learn from Kristi and be generous in offering thoughtful feedback to your fellow writers. Lean on Past Experience Before making fantastic books, Kristi worked in marketing. She leans into her marketing background to inform everything from website design to networking to book promotion. Her initiatives and knack for recognizing interesting hooks are remarkable and everything she does is polished and professional. We might not all have a marketing degree, but we do all have other careers to draw from. Learn from Kristi and recognize skills and experience from past careers that can inform and transform your writing career. Play with Words Kristi is 24 Carrot's resident pun queen. Just read any of her book picks and her wordplay will have you in stitches. Whether she is reviewing a book, cooking up a story, or sending an email, she always has a pun or two up her sleeve - and I'm not talking about the lame dad-joke kind. Kristi's are original! Learn from Kristi and allow yourself to have fun with words. Kristi - We wish you a joyful launch. We are sure you will ALPACA-lotta fun into this year, and we are thrilled to be a part of your publishing journey. -- The 24 Carrot Crew
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 It's our 10th Anniversary! 24 Carrot Writing started as a four person accountability group of pre-published KidLit writers who met monthly at a coffee shop to share goals. Amanda Smith wondered if a wider swath of authors might benefit from the topics and tips we shared. Did we dare? It felt daunting. But after months of research and preparation, we launched the 24 Carrot Writing blog on September 29, 2014. Since then, all four members of the original group have become published authors, we’ve written 219 blogs, interviewed 69 authors and industry professionals, hosted 93 guest bloggers, reviewed 87 mentor texts, and expanded our community of four to hundreds. On this momentous milestone, we’ve reflected on the most significant takeaways from ten years of hosting and invited members of the carrot patch to share what they love about 24 Carrot Writing.  Open Hearts and Supportive Hands Founding Member Amanda Smith I am not naturally a brave person. I tend to be a wallflower, side-liner, introvert-chicken. But 24 Carrot Writing has taught me to be brave enough to say “yes.” Saying yes to a coffee invitation by a fellow NESCBWI conference-goer led to my writing family – women who always encourage me to stretch myself to be braver and better. Saying yes to a vague idea for a blog about carrots led to a community we love and cheer and celebrate. Saying yes to illustrator spotlight and a graphic novel series led to interviewing numerous marvelous illustrators and creators even though I was intimidated to no end by their brilliance. (And the joy of interviewing Matthew Cordell mere months before he won the Caldecott for Wolf in the Snow.) Brave yesses included spotlighting debut authors and boosting those new to publishing, and experiencing the joy of seeing them take off and soar, some becoming household names. Book birthday and cover reveal yesses meant being part of the jittery excitement of launching a book baby. And through all this saying “yes” I learned that others also like saying “yes” - that open hearts and supportive hands reach in all directions. That our writing community is generous and kind. Making even this introvert chicken a little braver.
 Patience, Young Grasshopper Founding Member Annie Romano Okay, so I may not be young—and I am most certainly not an insect—but patience has always been a challenge for me, so stick with me on this. Writing as a career is a long game. Very few published authors are overnight successes, despite what it might seem like from the outside looking in. Being a part of 24 Carrot Writing’s kidlit community since the beginning has been a vital reminder that patience is of the utmost importance. It can be tempting to throw in the towel after several or dozens (or even hundreds) of agent rejections or a few tough peer critiques. And writing that next book draft can feel like climbing Everest when the ideas simply aren’t flowing. But as I’ve read the posts and experiences of the members here—their winding roads, perseverance through passes and unpublished manuscripts, craft advice, and cheers of support—I have been reminded to be patient, not only with my writing journey but with myself as a human (grasshopper!) as well. Giving myself the room to step back when a mental break is needed and feeling the openness to jump into writing again when my writing spirit is ready is key to maintaining the joy I find in writing. And, ultimately, that’s what writing should do: bring you joy. Whether it was a post about goal-setting, a blog on brainstorming, an inspirational book pick, or advice on how to handle a book event (even an unattended one!), the content and enthusiasm I have found being a member of the 24 Carrot Writing community has been a beacon on my most challenging days and a pat on the back on my best. I have been able to play the long game and enjoy the journey—being patient with the process—because of this vibrant group. Thank you for 10 wonderful years!
 Brave Honesty Resonates Founding Member Kelly Carey One of the biggest lessons I have learned from ten years of hosting the 24 Carrot Writing blog, is that the most honest and raw posts become the most popular. The posts that share fears, faults and failures become the most loved. The 24 Carrot Writing blog has taught me to embrace my writing journey and to be open in sharing it with my fellow writers. Artists are told to draw what you see and not what you think you see. In blogging, the same is true. I have learned that sharing what you think will impress folks or what sounds professional is not as impactful as sharing my true experiences – the silly, the embarrassing, and the cringy. The benefit of brave honesty is that it allows us to find community. A community of folks who nod their heads in agreement and who validate our feelings by showing us their matching moments. I think that’s a lesson for our writing too! When we write with unashamed candor, our readers see the heart of our story and it makes the work magical. Ten years of 24 Carrot Writing has been magical and I’m looking forward to more tricks and tips to come!
 Growth Happens When You Step Out of Your Comfort Zone Regular Contributor Kristi Mahoney I’ve been a fan of 24 Carrot Writing since discovering it in 2016. At the time, I was a wall-flower member that sipped the fantastic writing advice like tea from the comfort of behind my screen. However, in 2021, after becoming critique/accountability partners with some of the 24 Carrot founding members, I was asked to become a regular blog contributor. If I’m being honest, my first thought was –I’m not qualified. I knew the 24 Carrot Writing community was filled with many seasoned authors and illustrators and providing any sort of writing advice/info was way out of my comfort zone. Not to mention, 24 Carrot Writing is all about setting writing goals which, at the time, wasn’t one of my strong suits. Yet, I said yes. And once I saw how this yes inspired growth in every aspect of my writing, it inspired me to say yes to other things too. Would I like to go to an incredibly intimidating (yet fabulous) in-person book event? Count me in. Should I sub to a publishing house because it’s one of my monthly 24 Carrot Writing goals? Absolutely. Should I continue to submit to agents despite the possibility of another rejection? Yes. They do say that you miss 100 percent of the chances you don’t take. I have learned countless tips from 24 Carrot Writing since discovering it almost a decade ago, but perhaps the biggest lesson is this – sometimes the biggest growth happens when you do things you think you’re not ready for. Because sometimes... you really are ready.
 Be True to Yourself Regular Contributor Megan Litwin I've been reading the 24 Carrot Writing blog posts for years now, appreciating the honest, funny, and inspiring advice. I was even fortunate enough to be a regular contributing member for a while, relishing the chance to write some "Book Picks" - book recommendations with ideas on how writers can use the titles as mentor texts. The blog offers a little something for everyone, and more than once, it has offered up exactly what I needed in the moment. That’s what happened when I read Amanda Smith's post here - a post about how we sometimes need to step back in order to move forward. She writes: "In the beginning of this new year, it is worth asking yourself whether your writing routines and goals still serve you and to strip away the excess until only the necessary remains." At the time, I was feeling pulled in many directions, between my writing and book promotion and blogging and school visit work. Amanda’s words reminded me that all I really need to do is what is truly necessary. That will look different for everyone, of course. But for me, I immediately knew it meant consistent writing and strong work in schools. Those were MY necessary. And so I stripped away some things…including my regular presence as a blogger here, preferring instead to remain an enthusiastic reader. Among so many other things, the gracious, generous, insightful 24 Carrot Writing Crew has helped me to define who I am and where I want to go in this beautiful book world.
so much over the years. I find that the articles, while short and quick to read (which I appreciate!) go beyond surface advice.I always learn something new when I read a post on the blog. One that I’ve referred back to a number of times is Anika Denise’s post Marketing Beyond the Book Launch Party, from 2018. I learned so much from it when I was getting ready to launch my first picture book in 2020, and still refer back to her timeline and tips. Thanks for that post, and so many more!
Thank you to all our contributors, guest bloggers, and mostly to you, our readers and supporters. Whether you are new to 24 Carrot Writing, or whether you’ve been rooted in our patch from those very first tentative blogs, we are so grateful that you are part of this nourishing community.
germinate, while Jaya, whose hours are quite different, would greet her dogs and have her coffee. Then we got on Zoom together at a set time and said hello. We each wrote silently in our homes for an hour or two, turning the sound back on at the end to read our work to each other, offer commentary, and talk over stuck points.  Working together like this kept us to task, eliminated procrastination, and eased the loneliness that writers suffer from--that everyone suffered from during Covid. It was joyous, and we each sprinted through a draft of our novels that spring, summer, and fall. Susan’s completed novel, A Sky Full of Song (Union Square Kids, 2023), has since won many honors, including the Sydney Taylor Honor Award and the Western Writers of America Spur Award. Jaya’s novel manuscript won a LitUp fellowship for diverse women writers from Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club. When the two of us talked over our novels-in-progress, we often talked about other things too, of course. One day Jaya told Susan a story about being a very small child in Brooklyn and choosing a Christmas tree for the apartment. She wanted a BIG tree and her stepfather wanted a SMALL tree—and in the end they happily settled on one each thought was just the right size. Susan was charmed and said immediately, “That should be a picture book!” Jaya, who was then working on a young adult novel, said, “I don’t write picture books.”  Susan was more experienced writing picture books, so she played around with the idea and wrote a draft of the story. Jaya read it and changed it, Susan tweaked it again, and so on, back and forth. We talked it over sentence by sentence and word by word, and that’s how our co-authorship started! The book became Nisha's Just-Right Christmas Tree (Beaming Books, 2024). Susan suggested a preliminary authors’ note that she later thought wasn’t so good. Jaya wrote an alternate one, which Susan loved, explaining things about cultural mixing in her family of origin. (Jaya is the child of one Hindu parent and one Christian parent.) Susan loved it as it was, but Jaya knew that Susan also came from a culturally blended family, and she urged Susan to write about cultural mixing in her own family for the authors’ note. Now there’s a story in there about—wait for it!—the French word for “grapefruit” and how it embarrassed Susan once as a little girl! We encouraged readers to think about various forms of mixing that happen in their own families. How We Collaborate Now Since then, the two of us have written two more picture book manuscripts. Now we work a bit differently. For the most recent one (which is again about Nisha), we brainstormed together about story situations, chose one, and in conversation worked out some of the broad outlines of the plot. Then, separately, we each wrote a story draft. We emailed them to each other and talked them over on Zoom. We talked about what we liked most about each other’s drafts and, sentence by sentence, we worked out a combined version with the best parts of each. Over several sessions we revised and tightened the story. It was a lot of fun and intensely collaborative. Now it is with our agent. Fingers crossed that she likes it! Challenging Aspects of Co-Authorship Susan: We are both the kind of writers who care about every word. Sometimes we each think our own version of a passage in a draft is better. For the partnership to work, you have to decide what really matters to you and be willing to let go of the parts that don’t. Jaya: Since we have known each other so long and so well, it is a temptation for our “check-ins” to become full-blown conversations, and the actual writing gets short shrift. We often have to reign ourselves in and get back to work! Susan: BUT it was during one of those digressions that Jaya told me the story that became Nisha's Just-Right Christmas Tree! So maybe there’s no wasted time after all! Benefits of Co-Authorship Jaya: We have continued to work together ever since. We know each other’s work intimately. We have very similar writing styles and values, including emotional honesty, respect for historical and cultural accuracy, and regard for the nuances and cadences of language. Over the last five years, we have each learned an enormous amount from the other, and our vision and our writing is far better for it. Susan: It isn’t you alone with the empty page! Your ideas bounce off one another. You come up with things you wouldn’t have thought of on your own. Your literary world stretches and expands. You have someone else encouraging you, or even pushing you, to do something you wouldn’t have done on your own.  Last Thoughts on Collaboration Jaya: If the first kind of partnership is like paddling two kayaks in sight of each other but on separate sides of the river, the second is like being in a double kayak, navigating the river together. Susan (who loves kayaking): Ooh, nice metaphor! Jaya Mehta has a Ph.D. in English literature from Yale University, and taught both English and Indian literature as a college professor. She won a LitUp Fellowship from Reese's Book Club for a YA novel manuscript in 2022. She is the co-author, with Susan Lynn Meyer of Nisha's Just-Right Christmas Tree. She lives in Chelmsford Massachusetts, among all the animals left behind by her college-aged twins. She loves observing wildlife, cuddling with her two dogs, attending storytelling events, travelling to foreign countries, and playing board games with her family during which her husband and son cheat madly. To learn more about Jaya visit her website.
Susan Lynn Meyer is the author of three middle-grade novels: A Sky Full of Song, Black Radishes (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2010), and Skating With The Statue of Liberty (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2016). She is also the author of four picture books: New Shoes (Holiday House, 2015), Matzah Downstairs (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2019), Matthew and Tall Rabbit Go Camping (Down East Books, 2008). Her works have won the Sydney Taylor Honor Award twice, the Jane Addams Peace Association Children’s Book Award, the New York State Charlotte Award, and the Western Writers of America Spur Award, as well as other honors. They have been chosen as Junior Library Guild selections, included among Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of the Year, and translated into German and Chinese. Susan is Professor of English and Creative Writing at Wellesley College and lives outside Boston. Visit her online at www.susanlynnmeyer.com. To purchase Nisha's Just-Right Christmas Tree click here.  Guest blog by Carrie Finison I write fiction picture books that often feature animal characters. Reading (and writing) these books requires a certain suspension of disbelief. Bears that make doughnuts? Sure! A tortoise that walks to school and carries a lunchbox? Why not? Pig construction workers? Nothing wrong with it! Suspension of disbelief comes with the territory AND YET even in fiction there are times when sticking to the facts and being accurate is important. As I worked through the first few drafts of my book Pigs Dig a Road (Penguin Random House, 2024), I quickly realized that I knew next to nothing about how a road is actually constructed. If I didn’t want to be constantly corrected by a bunch of 4-year-old armchair experts, I would need to do a lot of research to make sure the book depicted the stages of building a road accurately. I knew that kids wouldn’t mind seeing a pig driving a bulldozer, but they WOULD mind if the bulldozer was doing the wrong job.
 At the library, I was also able to find a couple of VHS tapes (that I couldn’t play) and a DVD (that I could play) that showed the process of building a road from start to finish, with lots of footage of big trucks in action. This leads me to my second tip: YouTube is your friend! After watching the DVD from the library, I thought perhaps similar footage might be available on YouTube. I typed the search phrase “road construction for kids” and sure enough, I found a TON of videos showing bulldozers, excavators, graders, dump trucks, compactors, and rollers all doing their jobs, and all clearly explained. All of this research helped me to develop the text for the story and add details that would be both fun and accurate. It also helped me to create illustration notes that I hoped would guide the illustrator a little in terms of the road-building steps. This leads me to a third tip: If you HAVE done research and there’s something that you feel is important to depict accurately, it’s a great idea to include illustration notes and even visual sources.
And, here’s a final tip: when you need more information, consult the experts. The key word there is WHEN you need more information. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, or some blend of the two, going to an expert should never be your first move. You will be able to ask better, more informed questions if you are already knowledgeable about the subject matter. As it stood, I didn’t need to find an expert for Pigs Dig a Road because there was more than enough information in the books and videos I found, but I wouldn’t hesitate to find someone and ask questions if needed. As fiction writers, I think it’s important to reflect upon our stories and think about where the suspension of disbelief that we’re asking of the reader feels OK, and where it won’t work. Always, we must establish the “rules” of our fictional worlds up front. A talking potato can work if it is introduced on page 1 of the story. A talking potato showing up on page 16 in an otherwise normal world will feel out of place and wrong, and will take readers out of the story. Similarly, when kids know a lot about a subject – whether that’s trucks, or trains, or schools – and are approaching your book as a fan of that subject, they want to see you get the details right. Otherwise, they may call you out in the middle of story time. That’s motivation enough to hit the books!
 Guest Blog by Pam Vaughan The image commonly associated with synergy is an aspen grove. Aspens are found in the mountains growing side by side. To the casual observer, these slender trees might look flimsy, especially when they bend and sway in the wind. But they have an extensive root system that unites the grove, making it a strong, single organism. As an athlete and coach, I’ve always embraced the concepts of synergy and team: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. When I started my expedition as a children’s book author, I was a fish out of water. Everything felt new, unfamiliar, and solitary. But somewhere along the way, I leaned into my athletic self. I surrounded myself with people who knew more than me (which was everyone). I listened when they said I should join SCBWI and attend meet-ups and conferences. I volunteered. I joined The Writers’ Loft. I went to the Whispering Pines Writers’ Retreats. I found critique groups and attended workshops and classes. I connected, collaborated, and elevated my craft. And soon, I found myself part of something greater than myself. I found a team: Teammates who pushed me beyond my comfort zone; who inspired me and instilled confidence when I was discouraged; who saw in me things I couldn’t see in myself. The team included:
They still do. Fast forward many years…  Seeing my name on the cover of my debut picture book, Missy Wants a Mammoth (Pixel+Ink/Holiday House, 2024) feels like an incredible – mammoth – achievement. I DID IT! In that same breath, however, I can’t look at the cover and NOT think about the other people who were part of my journey - who became my teammates:
It’s true that creatives spend a great deal of time alone. It took me a while to realize, though, that as I created my craft and stories, I was far from alone. I was surrounded by a team, with synergy, helping me accomplish much more than I ever could on my own.  It’s a funny thing about aspens. They are a surprisingly supportive and resilient. It’s unlikely to see one growing alone. If you look at their leaves you might notice their saw-toothed edges, but if you look closer, you’ll see that their leaves are shaped like hearts.  Bio:
Pam Vaughan lives in Massachusetts and never had a pet mammoth – if she did, she wonders if her mammoth would enjoy doing some of her favorite things with her, like picking apples and playing ice hockey. Pam directs the Whispering Pines Writers’ Retreat and is co-assistant regional advisor for NE-SCBWI. Missy Wants a Mammoth, illustrated by Ariel Landy, Pam's debut picture book hits the shelves August 6, 2024, and Tenacious Won’t Give Up, illustrated by Leanne Hatch, launches in 2025. Learn more about Pam here and read a review of Missy Wants a Mammoth here.  ~by Amanda Smith
I have always intuitively been aware of writing seasons throughout a year. Some months are naturally filled with demanding family or work commitments, while others provide more writing time. Throughout the years, I have tried to wrangle the seasons, to ignore natural rhythms, in order to be consistently productive each month. Seasons do not easily conform to human whim. Anyone who has spent a year in New England knows one can cry, and cajole, and yell at March to be springy until the cows come home, but lovely weather does not arrive until mid-April. Similarly, writers can plan and plot and highlight and set timers, but life’s seasons continue to roll one into the other undeterred by our best organization. So what is a writer to do? Jerry Spinelli famously advised to “write in the cracks,” which I used to embrace with weed-like ferocity. I tried to force my writing into every possible crack, exhausting myself and probably frustrating my family. There were times when I literally ran back to my desk after tossing another load of laundry into the washer, not to waste “a crack” - yelling at March to be warm. I can’t say that was super productive. This year, I took on a new job that offered zero cracks. If allowed, this job would bleed into every tiny line like red lipstick on the wrinkly lips of my days and weeks and months. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. But it’s a lot. Even in this tenacious job, the ever-present heartbeat of my writing seasons was present. So I listened. I paid attention. And when, at a 24 Carrot Writing meeting, Megan mentioned that summer traditionally is a slower writing time for her, I sat up. She also experiences writing seasons? Curiosity overcame me. What really, are my seasons? I pulled out my trusty bullet journals of the last four years and ran some stats. And here is what I learned, regardless of my career change. For me, January, February, and November are my most productive writing months (hello winter)! The summer months have their own rhythm, but are a close second, while, surprisingly April, and December are not too far behind. However, like clockwork, writing grinds to an alarming halt every March (maybe it’s all that yelling at the cold!) and May. “How is this information useful?” you ask. Knowing my natural writing seasons helps me embrace them rather than fight them, and that brings contentment to my writing schedule. When setting yearly goals, understanding writing seasons helps me plan big tasks for the predictably productive months. It allows me to be kind to myself during the months that are clearly already stacked with other responsibilities. Rolling with the seasons also helps prevent burn-out. If you are a long-time 24 Carrot Writer, you probably have records of your achieved writing goals somewhere. I would like to invite you to browse your journals, and see if you can identify your writing seasons. Because just like nature needs to take a break from all its blooming and growing and producing and buzzing, sometimes life demands that the writer takes a rest. Through rest comes restoration. And even though progress is not visible in those off seasons, just like tree roots go deep and sap flows beneath the surface, your stories are being nourished, gaining strength, becoming ready to bloom when you reach your proverbial mid-April!  By Kelly Carey
24 Carrot Writing invites you to celebrate June Year’s Eve! In January, bubbly with champagne excitement and intoxicated by the shimmering crystal ball in Time’s Square, we set down our writing goals. Since writers are ambitious dreamers, we probably set very lofty goals. Good for us! That drive to succeed will get our manuscripts published. But did you over promise? Did some unforeseen event steal time and attention from your writing? Did your January va-va-voom sput-sput-sputter out somewhere in March? June Year’s Eve is not so much about watching the ball drop, but making sure you didn’t drop the ball on your writing goals. This mid-point in the year is the perfect moment to reassess, refocus, and reinvest in your writing. Start by giving your writing goals a solid scrubbing so they can be revised for success, and you can be reenergized to hit your targets. You’ve set New Year’s resolutions, now is the time for June Year’s resolutions. Happy June Year’s Eve and happy goal revising!  Interview by Annie Cronin Romano I was delighted to chat with Leo Landry, the children’s book buyer since 2018 at An Unlikely Story Bookstore, located in Plainville, MA, and owned by Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney. Leo is also a published author/illustrator. How did you get your start as a children’s book buyer? I first started at The Children’s Bookshop in Brookline, MA, where I was the manager and did all of the backlist buying as well. I was there for 20 years. I also worked in college bookstores for several years. I arrived at An Unlikely Story in October 2018, initially doing receiving and returns, and soon moved into the role of children’s book buyer. Tell us a little about your process/criteria in terms of choosing what to bring into your store for picture books? Does the artwork catch your eye first? The title? The actual story/text? The broadest view of it is that you really have to consider a few things with all the books you bring in: One is what your community wants—or at least what you think they want—and another is what you like and what you think your collection should reflect. That’s really the fun part. If you went to five different independent bookstores and looked at the kids’ sections, you’ll see, of course, the big books, but you will really be able to see the personality of the buyer. For instance, I tend to like the quieter things and softer artwork. If you made that a homework assignment, you would notice each buyer’s distinct taste store to store. You could profile the book buyer! Yes, you probably could! And in addition to those two points, the other factor is that there’s always things you can’t not have; if there’s an author that is huge, you have to have those books. What I typically do when I meet with a sales rep is first look at our prior season’s order and see how things from that order sold. For instance, when looking at sales history here, I can see that general fiction picture books sell well here, but nonfiction picture books, such as picture book biographies or history-related titles, don’t sell quite as well here. All stores have sales patterns and that’s important to know, to keep an eye on those patterns and watch for changes. When I go through the catalog for any given publisher, I try to read all the picture books as much as I can, whether it’s digital or print, if offered, and I decide in that moment whether I want the book or I don’t. Then I make final decisions once discussing with the sales rep. For YA, I rely on the younger booksellers and the reps for input as well. The toughest part is there are just so many books published. I know I miss a lot of lovely books, but I must consider that books come out every Tuesday and there’s only so much shelf space. A picture book will only have a week or two as a face-out, which I know is disappointing to authors. To help there, we’ve added some end caps at the store, in addition to our new release section for PBs, where we put bookseller favorites for picture books, and those books consistently sell. Would you say for board books, leveled/early readers, chapter books and middle grade, your process is the same? Yes, it is. Obviously you can’t read every middle grade… No, though middle grade is kind of going down sales-wise, sadly, and it has been for four of five years. It’s less so for series; it is still going down, but much less so than middle grade. On the other hand, board books in our store have practically doubled in sales. Early readers and first chapter books are also on the upswing here. Middle grade series and above is on a downward slide, which I think reflects the industry as well. I feel like as those kids [driving the sales in board books through early chapter books] get older, we’ll see an increase in middle grade sales. Many authors worry that if they go with a small/indie publisher, it will be more challenging to market and distribute their work. How much of a role does the size and recognition of a publishing house (i.e., the Big Five) play in your choices, or are you just as likely to purchase from smaller presses? I’m just as likely to buy from smaller presses as long as someone lets us know about it, as long as we can access it. One small publisher that I really love is Graystone Kids. They publish a Cree-Métis illustrator named Julie Flett, who I’m a huge fan of. I’m always buying anything she has coming out. They use a distributor that prints a catalog, so I can access their list easily. As long as small presses are accessible through a larger distributor, that helps. I do believe that if a book is really good, it will find its way even if it is with a tiny publisher, though it might take a little longer. Of course, me saying “if a book is really good” is subjective. Are there topics/themes you feel are lacking in children’s books? What topics/genres/themes would you like to see more of? I can think of things I’d like to see less of… Well, that was my next question! I really want to see solid stories and less preachy, lesson-type books. A good story that’s entertaining. Every publisher every season has a lot of these “I am great, I am wonderful” vague, inspirational books, and I think there’s now too much of that. To me, a good story…you’re going to want to hear it again and again. Of course, the kids aren’t buying the picture books; the parents are, and they often want those social-emotional books. But if you think of the picture books with characters you love and want to go back to, those are memorable stories. That’s not to say you don’t need that social-emotional angle. To me, a really good example of a picture book that is a great story and also has that social-emotional angle is the book Truman (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2019). Those emotional themes are baked into the story, but that’s not the only thing there. It’s a good story with the underlying message; those types of books I always welcome. When it’s just a vague attempt at making everybody feel good, those books come and go. Do you feel there are any themes lacking in middle grade and YA? Or is there an uptick in needed themes? I feel like middle grade has a lot going on right now, which makes it sad that sales are down there. It’s much more mainstream to have middle grade with LGBTQ+ characters, characters with Native American authors, BIPOC authors and characters. They’re keeping up. It’s still very low, but it’s miles more than it used to be. In YA right now, fantasy rules. A lot of YA is fantasy, but it keeps selling. Also, horror is growing. I’ve also noticed in the last year or two that historical fiction in YA and in middle grade, too, is creeping back in. Is there a genre of children’s books that kids just can’t seem to get enough of? Dinosaurs, trucks, mermaids and fairies for the young kids. It never ceases to amaze me—especially dinosaurs, that one just keeps going! What were some recent children’s books whose success surprised you? In the YA world, it’s all because of TikTok. There’s a title, Powerless (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023), a YA fantasy novel, that took off here because of TikTok. And it doesn’t even have to be a recent book. Something that came out five years ago can have a jump because of TikTok. Also, in all areas the booksellers can make a huge difference in a book’s success. For instance, our bookseller Cassie, when she started last year, asked if I could bring in some picture book titles that were her favorites. I brought them in and she sells the heck out of them. I’m surprised because they’re books that we had when they were new and didn’t get back in after they sold through, but now she sells four or five a week. What else was a surprise…well, every now and then, there will be a picture book that will take off and I didn’t expect it, like last year’s Sleepy Sheepy (Flamingo Books, 2023). It’s very cute and sweet, and we sold a lot of them, but I didn’t anticipate that. Another one that was sort of a surprise that I’ve reordered several times was Buffalo Fluffalo (Random House Studio, 2024). I also didn’t anticipate The Three Little Tardigrades (Godwin Books, 2024) would sell as well as it has. It’s a rewritten fairytale that also has STEM connections, so people really liked that about it. That sold out immediately. What are the biggest challenges you face in being a children’s book buyer? To me, it’s the shelf space. I wish our entire store was all children’s books, to be honest. I went once to Powell’s in Portland [Washington state] and I talked with one of the buyers there, and their children’s book area is 10,000 square feet. I was just in awe of that! I can’t imagine. So yes, for me, it’s shelf space, especially because here things really sell well when face out. How does your experience as a published children’s author/illustrator influence your process in terms of buying? I try to not be as dismissive as I may have been in my younger days because I respect what goes into the making of any book, and I know how hard everyone works on it, from the author, the illustrator, the editor, the marketing people, etc., and they all believe in that book. Before I turn something down, I really try to consider, based on my experience, if there is even the smallest audience for this book that we could reach. Because I know what goes into the making of a book, I try to be as respectful as I can. I also feel my 20 years working with The Children’s Bookshop owner Terri Schmitz influenced me greatly. She’s legendary amongst the reps who’ve been around a while for being the ultimate test of what would sell. She read everything, from picture books to YA, and she was just very thorough. I learned from her over the years to always look for quality. What is your favorite part of being a children’s book buyer? Definitely going back into the picture book area and just messing about. Sorting and putting things in order. I’ll say to my coworkers when I’m about to do that, “If you need me, I’m gonna be back with my friends.” That is just so awesome, rifling through everything, making sure it’s all in order, reminding yourself, “Oh my gosh, I forgot about this book. I’ll have to recommend this next time I think of it.” Just being with the books is my favorite part. Leo Landry is the children’s book buyer at An Unlikely Story in Plainville, MA and a published author/illustrator. His books include: Homerun, Touchdown, Basket, Goal (Henry Holt & Co., 2019), Grin and Bear It (Charlesbridge, 2011), and Let's Sign Baby with Kelly Ault, author (Clarion Books, 2010). To see more of his work, visit his website at www.leolandry.com.
 Guest blog by Janet Costa Bates and Nancy Tupper Ling You head to the bookstore to do a storytime event. You’re all set to read to the little ones and enthrall them with your story. But what do you do when no one shows up? No one. Not one kid. Not one adult. Not even some drenched stranger looking to get out of the rain. You hope. You pray. But, still, not one single soul. What do you do now?  First, be grateful that you had your book buddy with you instead of going it alone. (This may not always be the case, but it’s a good idea when you can make it happen.) Decide that since your book buddy is with you, you might as well enjoy each other's company. Walk, or better yet, skip around the store together. You can act a fool and have fun. You can even take pictures or videos of yourselves acting a fool because - why not?
And since you weren’t able to entertain anyone while you were at the store, you can post the pictures and entertain people online. You might as well get some mileage out of the experience. Make sure to thank the bookstore staff. After all, they likely tried their best and, like you, were hoping for a good turnout. Lastly, assess. More social media promotion might help attract a crowd, but it might not. What else can you do to assure a better turnout next time?
There are many things you can and should do to better your chances of having people show up for your event, but there’s absolutely no guarantee that anyone will. So, just in case, team up with a book buddy, have fun, and enjoy hanging out together. You’re in a bookstore, after all.  Janet Costa Bates is the author of Time For Bed, Old House (Candlewick, 2021) which received four starred reviews and was an NAACP Image Award Nominee. She is also the author of the Rica Baptista chapter book series featuring a Cape Verdean American girl navigating family and friend relationships. Two books in this series are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections.  Nancy Tupper Ling is an award-winning children’s author, poet, book seller, and librarian. Her picture books have received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. She is the author of For Every Little Thing (Eerdmans Publishing, 2021), and One Perfect Plan: The Bible's Big Stories in Tiny Poems (WaterBrook, 2023) and the editor of the poetry anthology Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World (Convergent, 2024). To learn more about Janet visit www.janetcostabates.com/ and purchase her books here and here.
To learn more about Nancy visit www.nancytupperling.com/ and purchase her books here and here.  by Kristi Mahoney There is nothing more exciting than when we get to celebrate one of our own. Today we’re thrilled to announce that Amanda Smith, one of the founding members of 24 Carrot Writing, has a poem “Wonder” in a beautiful anthology launching this month. Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World (Convergent/Penguin, 2024) is a stirring collection celebrating our awe-inspiring planet. At a recent 24 Carrot Writing retreat, we had the privilege of hearing Amanda read her incredible poem and we were moved once again by her lyrical mastery of words. Not only is Amanda an amazing poet, but she has a tenderness to her voice that perfectly matches the tone of this book. Hearing our friend read her published work for the first time amidst a weekend atmosphere of beautiful sunsets, crisp breezes, and the brilliance of the sea was one to treasure. We are blessed indeed. Throughout the years, we have learned many lessons from Amanda’s approach to writing which we are thrilled to share. Lessons We’ve Learned from Amanda Perseverance Every writer knows the sting of rejection in this industry. Whether from feedback on a manuscript, a pass from an agent, or a “not for me” response on a submission, those stinging rejections can make us consider giving up our craft. Amanda once told us that she thought about not writing anymore, but quickly reconsidered as she contemplated what she would do with the characters and stories still inside her. Amanda not only follows her heart in all her writing endeavors, but she listens carefully to the stories and words inside her soul. Those tales pour forth with the calming and beautiful thump-thump of a heartbeat that makes those lucky enough to read Amanda’s words instantly fall in love with her work. Thank you, Amanda, for reminding us that if we are truly passionate about writing, we must continue until there is not a story in our hearts asking to come out. Nailing the Ending Every month, a group of us at 24 Carrot Writing read picture books and discuss them from a writer’s perspective. Amanda is skilled at knowing the optimal time to end a story. (Hint: usually it’s sooner than we think.) She’s pointed this out on several occasions during our discussions, and now we find Amanda’s voice in our heads as we’re writing book endings. We find ourselves asking: Is this going on too long? Is there a better way to end this? What would Amanda say? Endings are so important to stories and we’re grateful that Amanda is constantly pushing us to polish them up until they shine. And more importantly reminding us to resist the urge to keep writing past the ending. (Did we mention the ending is usually sooner than we think?) Limitless Creativity As writers we all create. But Amanda has taught us that we shouldn’t limit ourselves when it comes to creativity. She has taken this to heart and has written drafts in many genres, from poetry, to picture books, to graphic novels, to young adult and, most recently, middle grade. Amanda’s creativity also transcends the writing world. She dabbles in painting and refers to herself as a “budding potter.” However, anyone that has seen her pottery can attest she’s being modest because her pieces are true works of art. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic, once said, “A creative life is an amplified life.” For years, Amanda has shown us this through example as she continues to weave her many creative passions together to make writing magic. Amanda - All of the members of 24 Carrot Writing agree that we are incredibly thankful to have found you on this beautiful Earth. Congrats on your recent published work! We feel truly blessed to know you.  Amanda is a high school English teacher, an immigrant, a full-time mom, a budding potter, a joyful poet, and an enthusiastic writer. Several of her poems have been published in anthologies, most recently “Wonder” in Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World (Convergent/Penguin, 2024) which will be released in March 2024.
To learn more about Amanda visit her website. To order a copy of Bless the Earth click here. |
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