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First Book Freak Out, Illustrating a Chapter Book, and How It All Went Down

8/14/2017

By Brook Gideon

I am asked a lot of questions regarding my first book job, illustrating the chapter book Azalea, Unschooled by Liza Kleinman. How did I get the job? Did the illustrator choose me? Did we submit together? How much say did I have in the design and how much say did the author have in my illustrations? As all writers and artists know, the journey isn’t a straight shot.

©2016 Right Click Photography

Landing the Gig:
I was contacted by the wonderful editor of Islandport Press, Melissa Kim, by email. I had been scrolling through my inbox while on a break at work. Scanning it quickly and thinking it was an SCBWI list serve message, I almost deleted the email but at the last second I saw it was addressed to me specifically. (That was a close call.) Melissa was interested in my work for a picture book, she had seen me on the RISD website, and was wondering if I could send along some samples. (Um, yeah!) I had just moved and all my stuff was packed in boxes and stacked to eye level, filling the room that was to by my studio. Sure, I could send some, if I could find them. I let her know I had just moved and she said to take my time as nothing would be decided for a few months. Well, of course I dug through my boxes immediately and found the best copies I had. The next day, I slowly drove to the post office on a wicked snowy day and mailed them off. I drank a celebratory beer and then I waited.

A decision was to be made in January. By the end of the month I had not heard anything, so I followed up with an email inquiry to be sure my samples made it to her safely. All was good, no decision had been made yet. It was the end of February before I got the word they were going a different route, thanked me for submitting and let me know that they would keep me in mind for future projects since they all liked my work. Whomp whommmp. I laid around and binge watched t.v. in a slump. So close and no prize. The kite eating tree had struck again.

Another month went by and Melissa emailed me to ask if I would be interested in illustrating a chapter book called Azalea, Unschooled. So, I did what every person in the KidLit world says to do. I said yes while freaking out royally because I had no idea what I was doing. She attached the sample of my work that fit the style they liked the most, as well as other artist examples. It was to be a full-color cover with black and white illustrations every chapter or so. The fee schedule would be a flat fee, no royalties, and they expected the cover in about three months at the beginning of summer with the chapter illustrations to follow in the fall.

The Contract:
It was my first book contract and I didn’t have an agent, so I was slightly clueless and had a ton of questions. What is typical for payment? What things should I look for in the contract and what things do I need to be sure are there to protect me? I immediately contacted two wonderful KidLit friends about the contract and offer details so they could tell me what was what. They scraped me off the ceiling, and I learned that chapter book illustration contracts are typically flat fee (a.k.a. work for hire) unlike picture books which usually include royalties. They gave me an idea of what I should expect to be paid and as well as advice as to how to include statements about who owned the original artwork and for what purposes it could be used.

Armed with my friends’ contract information, I made sure:
1) Islandport Press and I could both use the art for promotional material but…
2) I retained the rights to the original artwork
3) the original art would be returned to me. (I work traditionally in pen and watercolor, so sending my images off in the mail was scary, too!)
4) there would be authorship credit whenever my images were used
5) my name would appear on the cover (a huge point to push for)
6) we had a “kill fee” in case the project was scrapped and I’d already done most of the work!

Other things to know are the expectations for initial and final sketch timelines, how many revisions you are willing to do, and payment schedule. (I was paid in halves, first when contract signed and the remainder when finals were submitted.) The contract was signed and accepted. I met Melissa and got the final version of the contract at the NESCBWI conference.

Illustrating a Chapter Book:
First, I read through of the manuscript to get a sense of the story. The second time through I started a list of the characters and noted any physical descriptions that were given. I sketched some initial faces (aka floating heads) to get a feel of what each would look like.

I was given specs (the size of the book), how they would work and a timeline of due dates. The front cover was due first, and it is hard to do this so early in the process. By the time you are done with a book, you are so accustomed to drawing your characters that the images are fresher and less stiff. However, the cover is needed early for promotional purposes. I sent in super rough ideas of the characters and cover, and Islandport Press let me know what they liked. There was some back and forth with Melissa and the book designer, Karen Hoots, tweaking the approved image until the final was agreed upon.

Next, interior sketches were roughed out and sent for approval. Melissa had ideas for each chapter, but I could work from my imagination as well. (Side note: work the interior sketches from the middle out. Then the first and last images will be strongest since you’ve drawn the character over and over and those are the images many people remember.)

While most of the feedback was from Melissa and Karen, Melissa did show the images to the author, Liza Kleinman, and she liked them all. The only suggestion I was given was to change Gabby’s appearance slightly, as Gabby was of mixed race. It was a bit of a challenge, since my interior illustrations were simple line work and black and white. I revisited my sketches of Gabby, altered a few things, and it worked. It’s amazing how subtle changes in even the simplest images make all the difference.

The back cover was done last, which proves my earlier point. The work is better when you are comfortable with the character. Melissa had stated it was her favorite and wished it could have been the cover.

Months later copies of my book were delivered to my house. It was a surreal moment. Then came the book launch, cake, friends and fun, but that’s a blog for another day…

Brook Gideon is a writer and illustrator and a member of SCBWI and The Writer’s Loft. She survived the Blizzard of ‘78, a Garanimals wardrobe, big hair of the 80s, and giant palmetto bugs crawling over her in the 90s. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three vacuums to slay the Ghost Wookiees arising from two dogs and a herd of cats. She loves circus peanuts, cake and sharks. Visit her at www.brookgideon.com, on Twitter @brookgideon, or on Facebook @brookgideonsbiggerboat.

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Illustrator Spotlight: An Interview with Matthew Cordell

8/7/2017

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~ By Amanda Smith

We are excited to visit with author and illustrator Matthew Cordell at 24 Carrot Writing.

Matthew has illustrated poetry, novels, and picture books for children including Special Delivery by Philip Stead and the Justin Case series by Rachel Vail. He has also written and illustrated several picture books himself, including Another Brother, Hello! Hello!, Wish, and Dream.

Matthew’s books have been recognized as Best of the Year selections by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe, and his first wordless picture book, Wolf in the Snow, was awarded a 2017 Boston Globe-Horn Book honor award.

Thank you, Matthew, for answering all our questions about the making of a picture book from an illustrator's point of view. We are honored to learn from you.

Tell us a little about your journey to becoming an illustrator.

As long as I can remember, I’ve always been drawing and making art in some capacity. I was never particularly into sports or some of the things other kids grow up interested in. Art and drawing was always my thing.

As a boy, I was really excited by comics and comic art like Spiderman and X-men. But by the time I got into high school, my eyes were opened to fine art and I learned about all different kinds of art-making—painting, sculpture, printmaking, etc. By the time I needed to choose a college major, I knew it would have to be art or something art-related. Trying to be sensible about it, I put my name down for graphic design. (I wasn’t entirely sure what “graphic design” was, but I knew it was a career where I could be creative.)

Throughout college, I learned more about graphic design and came to love it. I also continued taking classes in drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. I loved it all, really. And by the time I graduated, I wanted it all. I wanted a career in graphic design and I wanted to draw, and paint, and show my work in galleries and ultimately museums. And with lots of work and persistence, I was on my way to success in both.

I got my dream design job at one of Chicago’s top design firms. And my drawings and paintings were being represented by an excellent gallery in the city. However… Once I got a taste of what both were really like… I realized neither were for me. The design world was too buttoned-down for me. The art world was too pretentious. I was at a loss. What I’d always wanted, I’d gotten. And I didn’t like it much at all.

Around that same time, I started dating a young woman named Julie Halpern who was a writer and an elementary school librarian. She had an idea that we should collaborate on something. She thought we should do a picture book together.

But I thought that sounded like the most uncool thing ever! To be fair, I’d been out of the picture book game since I was… I guess 6, 7, 8 years old. I had no real idea what picture books were, but in my mind they were wholesome and moral-driven, and not terribly interesting or inventive or inspiring. And, of course, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Julie started feeding me classic and contemporary picture books from her library. I was blown away by the quality of illustration in these books. I was particularly drawn to the more expressive and loosely drawn illustrations of those like William Steig, Bernard Waber, and Jules Feiffer. And I became excited about the idea of a completely different audience: kids, parents, and educators.

So, Julie wrote a manuscript and I put together some drawings, and we submitted our book idea to 20 publishers at the same time. One by one, we were told “no”, until we had a stack of 19 rejections. The 20th and last letter came from Houghton Mifflin. Theirs was a “maybe” that turned into a “yes.” And eventually, our book, Toby and the Snowflakes was published in 2004.

Once I began working as an illustrator with the folks at Houghton, and later, at one or two other publishers, I was hooked. I was hooked on the kindness and warmth of everyone in the business. I was hooked on the idea of making art that could be appreciated in an intimate setting and acquired at an affordable price. I was hooked on the idea of making art that would be in the hands of and before the eyes of children—a funny, fun, fresh (and not horribly jaded like us grown-ups) audience for me. I was hooked, and from that point on, I did all that I could to eventually make children’s book illustration my full-time job.

When you first receive a manuscript to illustrate, what is your process?

In the very beginning, it’s just some vague planning. And it’s not intense work right away, which makes for a good ice breaker. I’ll work out the trim size and number of pages and page breaks. I print out the manuscript and I read it through several times. Then vague images tend to materialize in my mind and I’ll jot down some notes in the margins. Before I draw anything in detail, I begin with character sketches and share them with my editor and art director. Nothing can or should take place in terms of work, until we’re all in agreement about the look of the main characters. (Which is, by the way, maybe my favorite part of the process—designing the characters for my books. It’s a fun problem to solve. Are they children? Animals? Something else? What are they wearing? Are they wearing clothes at all? What are the colors? The proportions? What else?) Once the characters are hammered out, I’ll go through and sketch out all the pages in the book. The first dummy is sent to the publisher and there will be several rounds of notes, and changes, and back and forth until we’ve got an approved sketch dummy that’s ready for final art.

From WOLF IN THE SNOW

You have written and illustrated your own books as well as illustrated books authored by other writers. Can you speak a little to the pros and cons of illustrating someone else’s story, versus a story you’ve written yourself?

I consider myself an illustrator first, who’s occasionally given permission to write my own stories. Writing has never been super easy for me, I guess mostly because I haven’t spent the better part of my life trying to uncomplicate it (unlike drawing). So, writing my own books is often a struggle, in one way or another. But it is extremely validating when it works (when something I write gets published). I do love having 100% ownership of a book. In terms of the finished piece and the assemblage of the thing. As I’m writing, I’m also aware, in some respect, of what the pictures are ultimately going to look like. The two different parts of assembling this puzzle are coming together organically and somewhat simultaneously. And having control over both the words and pictures is a rather satisfying thing to have.

Working on someone else’s manuscript is also validating and challenging in its own ways. I like to collaborate with like-minded individuals to put some squished-together piece of art into the world. There is not a lot of direct contact between author and illustrator in most cases, but the collaboration is still intact. Two names are on the book and two different skill sets have been combined to bring this new book into the world. There are some worries. Like, “is the author going to like how I bring her/his story to life visually?” What if someone really didn’t like what I did with her/his words? That would be pretty unfortunate. It’s always a possibility. But, like it or not, the magic of combining two things by two people is a pretty cool thing to be a part of. It’s also nice when it comes to marketing and promotion. Promoting my own books can feel a little lonely and egocentric. When there’s an author friend involved in this part of the process, it can make it more bearable and more fun.

How much interaction, if any, do you have with the author of a manuscript you are illustrating? If you do work with the author, what make those collaborations successful?

It’s pretty rare, in my experience, for an author and illustrator to have direct communication regarding the writing and/or the illustrating of their book. A book’s editor, or art director, or both are usually the connective tissue between the author and illustrator as the book is coming together. This has always made sense to me, mostly because the book is ultimately being produced by the publisher that has invested in it. So, the folks who work at the publisher and are involved in the project generally have final say in many aspects. It’s also helpful to have a person in the middle who can filter any communication between the author to the illustrator, so that no feelings get hurt, and to be a sounding board for any ideas that may not even be worthy of making the jump from the author to the illustrator or vice versa.

The sole instance in my career where I’ve collaborated directly with an author, has been on my books, Special Delivery and The Only Fish in the Sea, by author Philip Stead. Phil and I are friends and were so before we came to work on these books together. We’re both authors and both illustrators too, and we have strong feelings on both matters. Knowing all of this, it would’ve been incredibly weird not to speak to each other about what was going on in the making of these books as they were coming together. So, lines of communication were wide open with Phil and me and our editor Neal Porter, throughout the production of both of the books. I think it really needs to be a special circumstance for this to happen. Not only do the author and illustrator have to be close in some way, but the editor of the project must also be close and willing to open the doors to free and complete collaboration. But when it works, it works. I had so much fun making these books!

You illustrated Lost. Found. (Roaring Brook Press, 2015) a picture book, written by Marsha Diane Arnold, which consists of two words only, repeated throughout. Picture book writers are often intrigued, and a little intimidated, by the process of writing a wordless book, or book with minimal text. What does such a manuscript look like when you get it?

Lost. Found. (by author Marsha Diane Arnold) is a very different manuscript from any other I’ve ever been offered. There are only two words in the entire story, which are (you guessed it) “lost” and “found”. In a nutshell, it’s a story about a bear who owns a big red scarf that one day gets taken away by a gust of wind on a snowy day. The scarf is then found by a couple of quarreling raccoons who ultimately lose it themselves. The scarf is repeatedly lost and found by all different types of animals until it’s found by every one of them and battled over until it’s ripped to shreds. There’s more to it, obviously, but I won’t spoil the ending. So, there’s no narration or dialogue to tell the story. Just “lost” and “found.” In principle, it’s pretty close to being a wordless picture book. When my editor, Neal, sent me Marsha’s manuscript, there was some general description of the actual story. Some explanation of how the scarf is lost, what animal finds it, and what happens next. (Otherwise, no one but Marsha herself would’ve known what in the world was happening among all of those losts and founds!) I followed much of her outline, but did end up changing a thing or two once I started with the visuals. Even with proper planning, one never really knows how a thing will play out until the actual visuals are put in place. It’s a really clever and heartfelt book and I’m super proud of that one.

Do you collaborate more with the writer in the making of such a book?

Despite the unconventional nature of this book, I still had no actual discussions with Marsha about the text or the pictures as I was illustrating. Any questions I had were put to Neal and if he couldn’t answer, it would be asked of Marsha. Then I’d get answers back through Neal. That’s really just how it goes.

From LOST. FOUND.

What advice do you have for writers who are walking around with a wordless book in their hearts?

I imagine it must be an unusual undertaking to be a writer and envision, write, and even pitch a story like this. Much less one with no words at all. But I know it can be done, obviously, and done well. One of my favorite recently published picture books is a wordless book, Sidewalk Flowers written by JonArno Lawson and illustrated by Sydney Smith. If any author is ever on the fence about doing a wordless picture book, I say get off the fence and go for it. Some picture books simply function better with no words at all, and there’s really no better way to do it.

Yes, the dreaded illustration note question: We’ve read agents’ opinions on illustration notes. As an illustrator, what is your take?

When a manuscript is on submission, I think illustration notes are quite helpful. A picture book text, in the end, should not spell out every single twist and turn that is meant to be seen in the book. If it did, it would be working overtime and be terribly redundant as the pictures are already doing some of this work and filling in gaps. As an illustrator, I don’t mind the occasional illustration note, especially if there is no text to describe a critical element to the story. But if a manuscript is riddled with notes, I think it can be a bit overwhelming and stifling to my own interpretation and decision-making I’ve been hired to deliver. But most editors I’ve worked with strip the manuscript of most, if not all, notes to see how I might interpret the story. Unless, again, there is some critical description that must be seen by the illustrator.

When you are not working on an assignment, what do you do to grow your craft/art?

If I’m not on deadline, I like to use any free time to develop any story ideas that have been sitting around, or simply just to draw for fun. I think it’s important to continue to draw when there’s no pressure of contracts and timelines and expectations for specific books or jobs. Whenever I work on a book, there is a lot of extended planning involved: Image research, sketches, sketch revisions, pencil drawing, and then by the end, I break out my pen and bottle of ink.

When I’m drawing for my own pleasure, a lot of the pressure and expectations are stripped away and I can sometimes stumble upon new ways to solve problems and use the pen and line to do what I never knew it could do. I like to skip any time and labor involved with sketches and the pencil and just attack the paper straight away with the pen, which can be a little intimidating, considering ink is incredibly unforgiving. But often times the best drawing is the very first one that’s been put to paper. Sometimes the very first sketch has so much more energy than a final drawing—one that’s been drawn 3, 4 or more times. So it’s fun to just go at an ink drawing with no planning at all. It’s fun to just draw without limits or expectations.

No pencil

At 24 Carrot Writing, we pay a lot of attention to goal setting and planning. Do you set illustrating/ art goals? If so, what do they look like?

This is a great point, one I probably haven’t thought much about in a while. There definitely have been many times in my career where I’ve stopped and set goals for myself. For instance, to get my first book published as an author and illustrator. Or to do everything I could to become a full-time illustrator. Or to stick my neck out and do more public speaking and appearances. I’ve been really fortunate, in that many of the goals I’ve set for myself have been met over the years. And in recent years, I think I’ve gotten a little slack about this sort of thinking. I think goal setting is a great way to make sure we’re all moving forward in some way and not getting too comfortable or sedentary. So, now that you mention it, I think my new goal is to think on this and set some more goals!

From DREAM

What does your typical work day look like?

Julie and I have two young children (4 and 8) and we evenly split up responsibilities and child care duty. On top of kidcare, we both work from home, so no two days tend to be the same. But our typical setup is that Julie takes the AM shift of the day for her work (she’s a Young Adult author) and I stay on top of the kids’ needs during that time. Then around lunch, we do a sort of virtual high five, and I start work and she takes over with the kids. So I work from mid-day through 5 on most days. And if I need to get caught up, I have to stay up late, when everyone else is off to sleep, and work into the wee hours of night. Someday, when both kids are in school full time, there will probably be a bit more normalcy to the work day, but it’s hard to imagine it that way right now.

What has been your greatest joy in your career as an illustrator so far?

I love connecting with kids who have read and appreciated my books. It’s incredibly satisfying and inspiring to meet and hear from these kids and to hear that I’ve even maybe had something to do with them wanting to draw and learn more about drawing. The most satisfying instance of all, is to see my own daughter taking a big interest in art. I might be biased, but she’s a terrific artist and she loves to draw. To be perfectly fair, I don’t know how much credit I can take for her talent and interest, because she is very much an individual and her own person. But I’d like to think I had a LITTLE bit of something to do with it.

No pencil

What has been the biggest surprise?

I used to be terribly afraid of public speaking. I think many of us who make books are probably just more at home by ourselves and just being with the ones we love. I used to think that, no matter what, I would never be comfortable talking to large groups of people—kids or adults. I thought I would never agree to doing it, no matter how often I might be asked or by whomever was asking. But I realized, at some point, that I would only get so far in my career if I was holed up at my desk. And I would only be so content with myself if I never faced my fears.

So I started seeking out and accepting appearances at schools, book festivals, book stores, etc. And now, it’s, like, no big deal at all. I’m pretty much completely comfortable with talking to groups. I mean, there’s still some small bit of uneasiness about it, that I’m sure will never go away. But I never thought I’d be able to perform, speak, or draw in front of big crowds of people, and now I do it all the time. I’m happy that it’s something I overcame. And I’m glad I did too. The rewards of connecting with people face-to-face are endless.

To learn more about Matthew visit him online at matthewcordell.com.

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August Illustrator Bonanza!

8/4/2017

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If you give an author a crayon, they think about illustrators.

August is school supply month and as the 24 Carrot Writing crew puts crayons, pens, and pencils in our shopping carts, we get curious about the skilled illustrators who bring picture book texts to visual life.

Who are these creative folks? What makes them tick? How do they create their masterpieces? How do they work with authors? And what do they really think about illustration notes?

We are excited to have illustrators Matthew Cordell, Brook Gideon, Julia Young, and Milanka Reardon join us this month to explore these and other illustrator-centric questions.

Stay tuned for their posts and welcome to 24 Carrot Writing's August Illustrator Bonanza!

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Josh Funk Shares Powerhouse Marketing Strategies

7/31/2017

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Photo credit: Carter Hasegawa

~ By Josh Funk
Marketing. What are my thoughts on marketing a picture book? Where do I start? What would I tell an author who has a debut book coming out? That’s a loaded question, so I apologize in advance for the long post!

#1: Start Early

We all know it takes about two years (give or take) for a debut picture book to be released once it’s acquired. Those two years are precious - use them wisely! Spend that time growing your network.

One way is to go to as many author events at bookstores as you can. And here are four whys:

You’ll meet other writers and illustrators - not just the event’s host, but friends of the creator and more.
You’ll meet the booksellers, which will make it easier to schedule events when your book is out (it helps if you purchase books at the stores during these events - they do notice who buys books).
You might meet educators who are fans and friends of the author for whom the event is scheduled - and these book-loving educators always enjoy meeting more (future) authors!
You might learn a thing or two (or twelve) about presenting at book events.

You never know where these writer/illustrator/bookseller/educator connections will lead - be it book sales, or blog posts, or friendships, or school visits.

Another thing to do is to get on social media - and grow your virtual network. There are pros and cons to all of the different social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, tumblr, etc), but my preferred platform is Twitter. As a picture book writer, my direct audience (children 0-10) is not on social media. (This is different if you write YA - I can’t speak about interacting directly with your readers.) I love Twitter because it’s a great place to connect with educators, bloggers, booksellers, parents, and other writers and illustrators.

How do you grow your network when your book is still two years away?

Follow people in the industry and see what they tweet and what they talk about. Twitter is like a worldwide cocktail party where everyone’s invited - and anyone can join in on any conversation at any time.

Follow educators like Pernille Ripp, Margie Myers-Culver, & Melissa Guerrette. Follow bloggers like Jen Robinson, All the Wonders, & Mr. Schu. Follow bookstores like Porter Square Books, Vromans, & Octavia Books. Follow writers like Tara Lazar, Phil Bildner, & Linda Sue Park. Follow illustrators like Girllustrators, Don Tate, & Debbie Ohi. Follow organizations like IndieBound, American Library Association, & SCBWI.

But what do you tweet and share?

If you have a blog (which you don’t NEED to have), tweet out those links. Read blog posts and articles that the above people write and tweet - and share the links that resonate with you. If someone you know sold a book or has a book birthday, congratulate them! And tag people. Positive vibes and good will go a long way.

And just maybe, when you start connecting with people on Twitter, they might click on your name and website (more on that below) and they’ll see you have a book coming out yourself. Your book is now on their radar. You’ve planted the seed.

#2: Prep for Launch

Make sure you have a solid and easily navigable website. There are lots of resources out there regarding what your website should have. Look at other writers’ websites and see what you think will work for you. I use Wix to design mine, but there are lots of options. My chosen website categories are as follows:
●Home - the landing page.
●Books - a list of all of my books (each with a sub-page dedicated to that specific book).
●Stuff for Kids - a kid-safe page with fun stuff.
●Schedule & Appearances - a list of everywhere I’m going (and a map of everywhere I’ve been). Make sure to keep this up to date so your fans can follow you.
●Author Visits - a place where teachers can connect with you to bring you to their schools (remember, teachers call them Author Visits even if writers call them School Visits - so make sure to speak their language, since they’re the ones who will be looking at your site).
●Resources for Writers - my 12-Step Guide to Writing Picture Books - AKA the link I send to people when a Facebook friend tells me their cousin wrote a picture book and do I have any advice for them?
●About - a page with my bio, headshots, how to contact me, an interview archive (which will soon include this link), and social media links.
●Blog: I do have a blog to which I try to post at least once a month.

Other things I’ve done pre-launch include:
●Newsletter: I have a newsletter (sign up here!). Some people say they’re critical. For a picture book author, I’m not sure. But it doesn’t hurt to have one and post to it a few times a year, especially when you have big news.
●Book Trailers: I've created all of my own book trailers, often along with songs I've written and recorded (on my phone, nothing super fancy - but technology today is awesome).

●Activity Kits and Coloring Pages: I've been fortunate that Sterling Publishing has made Activity Kits to go along with the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast books. Michael Slack and Rodolfo Montalvo each made coloring pages for Pirasaurs! and Dear Dragon, respectively. If your book’s illustrator or designer is willing to strip the color out of some of the images, it’s an easy, free, printable bonus to offer your readers (and to bring to events).

●Online Quiz: I created a Which Pirasaur Are You?! online quiz. I’m not sure how much payoff this had.

#3: The Book Launch

If you’ve been patronizing and networking with your local booksellers, hopefully you’ll have an opportunity to schedule your book launch at one of them. Invite everyone you know. Jarrett J. Krosoczka once described his debut book launch as similar to a wake, but where no one died. More people will show up out of the woodwork than to a wedding.

Some people create Facebook events for book events (I sometimes do), but for a book launch, especially your debut, it might be worth sending out an actual (online) invitation to your email contacts in addition to friends in your online social networks.

Regarding swag, I’ve had fun making some. If you’re lucky, your publisher may make some of their own and share with you. It also doesn’t hurt to ask if they’ll reimburse you for making your own.

I created ‘Collector’s Cards’ in lieu of bookmarks for Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, Pirasaurs!, and The Case of the Stinky Stench - as they serve the same purpose for a picture book.

Rodolfo Montalvo and I made posters and stickers for Dear Dragon, while Penguin made some post cards.
Sterling made Tote Bags, Pins, and Magnets for the Lady Pancake series.

Definitely offer food. Bring all the swag you have. Make it a party! And congratulations!

#4: My Book Is Out. Now What?

The best advice I received (from author Jen Malone and probably others) is: Do what you like.

How do you know what you like? My answer to that is: Try everything.

Store events, library events, conferences, group events, solo events, school visits, school book fairs, nErDcamps, farmers markets, karate studios (if your book is about ninjas), etc. - do them all. Determine what you like and what you don’t - and then continue doing the ones that appeal to you.

If you’re fortunate (or there is a conference in your area), your publisher may invite you to do a signing (ALA, ILA, NCTE, ABA, BEA - if you don’t know what these are, look them up and learn them).

Keep sharing on social media. If you’ve developed relationships with bloggers, see if they’re interested in interviews (or even giveaways). You can also set up Goodreads giveaways (these are often done pre-launch).

There’s no magic bullet to a book’s success. My trailers on YouTube have a few (under 5) thousand views - nowhere near viral. I’ve still got a few boxes of Pirasaurs! collector’s cards in my basement. Who knows if my Twitter network has affected sales (it’s impossible to really tell)? I’ve been to events where nobody showed up.

But when you add it all up, the more times my book covers are on a poster at a library or in a tweet or a newsletter or a guest blog post (see what I did there?), the better the chances that the next time someone sees one of my books at a bookstore, they might just give it a second look before walking by.

#5: Beyond

Keep in mind that much of the sales success of your book is almost entirely out of your control. The reality is that for a book to do really well, the publisher has to seriously get behind it. The publisher’s marketing and publicity teams need to be excited about it to feature it at the bookseller expos which will in turn get their salespeople excited about it so it gets into bookstores and get their school & library teams excited about it to share it at education conferences and so on.

I don’t write that to discourage you from doing marketing. If the publisher only has moderate expectations, YOUR marketing push could help exceed them!

If you market your behind off, there’s a good chance your publisher will notice. It might make it easier to get your next book through acquisitions (remember, sales and marketing teams are at those meetings). It might mean they’ll give you a bigger marketing and publicity budget on your next book - and maybe your second book will get a bigger push at all of those expos and conferences.

And with that network you built, those connections and friendships you made, and all those lessons you learned along the way - you’ll be that much more prepared for your sophomore effort.

And don’t forget the most important thing is still: write a good book.

Josh Funk writes silly stories and somehow tricks people into publishing them as picture books - such as Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast and its sequel The Case of the Stinky Stench along with Pirasaurs!, Dear Dragon, It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk, Albie Newton, Lost in the Library, and more coming soon!

Josh is a board member of The Writers' Loft in Sherborn, MA and was the co-coordinator of the 2016 and 2017 New England Regional SCBWI Conferences. He’s written a 12-Step Guide to Writing Picture Books, which is free and accessible on his website.

Josh grew up in New England and studied Computer Science in school. Today, he still lives in New England and when not writing Java code or Python scripts, he drinks Java coffee and writes picture book manuscripts.

Josh is terrible at writing bios, so please help fill in the blanks. Josh enjoys _______ during ________ and has always loved __________. He has played ____________ since age __ and his biggest fear in life is being eaten by a __________.

Find more information about Josh at www.joshfunkbooks.com and on twitter @joshfunkbooks.

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Marketing Goals, Big and Small

7/24/2017

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By Allison Pottern Hoch

If you’re a regular here at 24 Carrot, you’re no stranger to setting and reaching for your goals when it comes to your writing. But why should that end with the final page of your manuscript? Marketing is how you get that big, beautiful book in front of readers.

Having marketing goals helps you to focus on your strengths and make the best use of your time and energy. Because you want to be diving into the next writing project, not spending every day on a new marketing plan. So where to begin?

BIG GOALS:
Identify Your Audience: Remember when you started your book and you thought you knew what it would look like when you were done? Odds are it’s become something bigger and stranger and more exciting than you ever imagined. Your audience is the same – your work will touch people you never thought possible. So now it’s time to really dig in and identify who those readers are and how to best reach them (I have some tips here).

Know Your Why: With each marketing strategy you try — interviews, blog posts, events — you should ask yourself ‘why?’ What are you hoping to get out of the experience? What are you hoping your readers will get from it? This can help you target specific venues and outlets that meet your marketing goals.

Play to Your Strengths: There’s a time and place for all kinds of marketing. But where should you put the most energy? You don’t have to do everything to have success. Identify the strategies that get you most excited and play to your strengths. Public speaking? Social media? Blogging? {For example, I love talking, teaching, and writing so I host workshops and write for a blog}.

SMALL GOALS:
Start now: You can begin building your fan base right now, even without a publication. Build your online network through social media and your in-person network through conferences, writing communities, and local bookstores and libraries. Lay the groundwork now so that when you do have that book coming out, you’ll have ready and willing co-marketers.

Support others: Promote others as you would like them to promote you. Attend events, review books, buy books, and let people know about the writing and authors you love.

Make a plan: Get out a blank calendar and colored pens. Identify key dates (publication date, bookstore events, relevant holidays, etc.) and how you need to plan around to market your work. Booking events? Posting social media updates? Sending out an evite? Put it all on your calendar.

Set aside time to market yourself: This is hard. You want to be writing, I get it. But you can’t cram the marketing in last minute – it doesn’t work that way. Build time into your weekly schedule to promote yourself, your work, and your events.

Allison Pottern Hoch is a writer and event coach with over eight years of experience in marketing, publicity, sales, and event planning. She spent four years promoting academic titles at The MIT Press before she went to work for Wellesley Books as a bookseller and event coordinator. She organized, hosted, and promoted over 150 events during her tenure, ranging in size from intimate workshops and lunches to multi-media events with over 700 attendees. She’s worked with veteran authors, celebrities, and debut authors. This September, Allison is teaching a Building Events workshop at Grub Street and leading a bookstore panel at The Writer’s Loft. For more information on her workshops and coaching services, visit http://events.pottern.com

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Marketing Outside the Box - An Interview with Donna Mae

7/18/2017

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By Francine Puckly

Last year we featured an interview with picture book author, Donna Mae (the-wooly-adventures-of-self-publishing-an-interview-with-donna-mae.html). Donna had so many interesting promotional ideas for her books that we’ve asked her back to answer some marketing questions for our readers!

How do you market your picture books? And do you have any marketing advice for other authors?

I’m fortunate that being shelved in Barnes & Noble has given me access to in-store readings and posted events. But out-of-the-box thinking is crucial to promote your books. New and unique ideas for events and school visits make the difference. Here are a few ideas I’ve used:

Local gift shops will sell your book. (My personal hairdresser sells my books!) Because I am a local author, I have sold and signed books in her shop. People love signed books.
Approach Indie bookstores for readings.
Approach local libraries for author visits.
Explore having interviews on local cable T.V. or radio stations. (A local radio station helped me promote my newest book launch.)
Donate books to non-profit groups. (I’ve sent books to Milk & Bookies in California.)
Advertise! Running ads in local newspapers about your readings will bring more awareness to library author visits or radio station broadcasts.
Figure out unique distribution channels for your books. (I’ve become friends with the on-line marketing manager for Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, and she recently ordered books from me to distribute to her bloggers as gifts.)

Stay positive! Miracles happen in common hours!

Let’s talk about book-specific marketing for your two picture books. How have you adjusted promotional events and items for each book?

Well, Marshmallows Galore is the story of what a little boy does with giant marshmallows that fall from the sky while he’s sleeping, so those events are going to center around marshmallows!

I have a large apothecary jar full of giant marshmallows (guess the number!). Everyone loves marshmallows and that jar is always the hit of the event. It adds fun and excitement.
I give away badges. I created a PLEDGE to accompany my story. One of the activities after my reading is that we all take The Marshmallow Pledge and everyone gets a pledge badge.
Customizing your book display is a good idea. A friend has made felt s’mores for my displays.
A simple craft is another good marketing tool to accompany your event or school visit. I have done countless Barnes & Noble readings coupled with a craft. The craft I have the children make for this is a helium hot air balloon (because in the book the kids travel by hot air balloon to feed the whole world). Everyone gets a giant marshmallow to put inside. You should see the smiles!

Marketing for The Wooly Adventures of Purl, (a story of a little girl who learns to knit and chaos ensues!) is a little different:

I have a poster of the book cover displayed on an old wooden easel. I’ve knitted a very long scarf that hangs from the poster, a plush lamb from my story, and a 1950’s lamb vase for holding my signing pens. Also, a doll is being made for me which resembles the little girl in my story. So, these fun display items add more visual.
I’ve recently come up with a simple craft—a lamb on a popsicle stick—which I’ll be using at school visits. (A cardboard circle for the body, precut head and legs from construction paper, cotton balls, pink foam nose and googly eyes—all glued to a popsicle stick!) Once we’re done, I gather the kids in a circle, wrap them in a very long scarf, and take the cutest picture.
Publishers create book launches for authors to help promote their books. I recently held my own book launch for The Wooly Adventures of Purl at a local yarn store. It was so much fun creating and advertising the launch. As I mentioned above, I called a local radio station, and they were more than happy to have me come in and talk about my launch. You have to be creative and take risks if you want to succeed.

You pulled together a book trailer for Marshmallows Galore. What was your process? How did you go about doing it?

Once again I delved into the abyss. I decided to make a YouTube video first. I knew I wanted local help, and my brother had mentioned that a friend’s son had a lot of video-making experience. We talked on the phone and I viewed some of his work. We set up a time and place to do the filming. A local farmer that had bales of hay wrapped in white plastic. They look like giant marshmallows. (Score!)

I then set about writing multiple scenes I wanted to reenact. I gathered 10 children and pulled some props together. A friend sewed and stuffed a giant marshmallow for my campfire scene. My husband is very creative, and he made a very realistic campfire from poster board. All the children wore tee shirts with my book cover printed on the front (a small expense).

We did three scenes from inside and outside my house. My granddaughter and I read the book with scenes from the book to coincide. The children recited The Marshmallow Pledge and held individual signs. The videographer even wrote the music. It took weeks of planning and getting everyone on the same page. In the end I was happy with the outcome. I thought, “Next year the Oscar!” HAHA!! Once again, so much fun.

You can see Donna’s video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F7AMRRsRCc

Do you have plans to create a book trailer for The Wooly Adventures of Purl?

As this book was released in November 2015, I’m still trying to catch my breath.
Instead of a video, I would like to have a trailer for this book. I’m thinking the abyss is now looking for me!

Do you have any last additional advice to give our readers on marketing?

Although I have no formal marketing background, I have owned a few businesses over the years and worked in retail. It helped me to know and understand what people like and don’t like and how they respond to different things. It’s a full-time job and as I’ve said, some out-of-the-box thinking goes a long way!

Thank you, Donna! Good luck to all of you who are stepping into the book marketing world. Be creative and put all of your experiences to work for you!

~ Francine

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Lauren Scheuer Shares Marketing Tips

7/12/2017

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24 Carrot Writing is pleased to present a guest blog by the wonderful Lauren Scheuer.

Lauren is the author and illustrator of Once Upon a Flock: Life with my Soulful Chickens, published by Atria Books (US) and by Souvenir Press (UK). Her work can be found in American Girl, Birds and Blooms Magazine, at the Roger Williams Zoo in RI, and in her blog ScratchandPeck.blogspot.com.

We know you will enjoy Lauren's marketing tips.

Your Online Identity ---or---Marketing is Fun!

By Lauren Scheuer

I’m neither a great author nor a great illustrator.

But I do have success as author and illustrator because I have an edge: I LOVE Marketing.

Your appeal to publishers is measured not only by your creative work but by your public persona. Your publisher expects you to do a good amount of marketing, and your social media account is an essential platform. A strong online following is something publishers look for in an author.

Here are some simple guidelines for marketing yourself on Facebook and beyond:

Choose an identity. This one little chicken image is the icon that represents me in all social media, and I never change it. I may not always be writing about chickens, but that’s fine. It’s my art, it’s me. It’s on my business card too.

To come up with your own identity, make a list of things you love, or things you write about. Think of a simple image. It could be a cute animal, a a bottle of tequila, a dripping dagger… sketch it yourself or hire an artist to do it.

A simple photo portrait would work as well.

Maintain a flavor. On Facebook you can post photos, quotes, recipes, whatever you write about. But stay on subject. You are, or may one day be, a public figure.

Things I post:
•Pictures of my chickens and other critters, and pictures of my artwork. Also, links to my Etsy page when I add a new product, and photos of me being amazing

Things I don’t post:
•Drunken party-selfies
•Family photos at the beach
•That amazing plate of nachos I had at the restaurant last night

Join groups of like-minded people.   If you write about drag-racing, then join all the related Facebook groups you can find: Grannies who Drag, Draggin’ Dragons, Greased Lightning Gals (…to name a few.) Post images to those groups and comment on other posts there. It’s a great way to make new friends.

Post regularly. When I’m in enthusiastic marketing-mode, I post to my own Facebook page daily. Otherwise, every few days keeps me on people’s radars.

Link to your other social media. For example, you can link your Twitter and Facebook accounts to make it look like you’re tweeting even when you aren’t. *

This is only the tip of the iceberg as far as social media marketing. I also use Linkedin, Instagram and Pinterest. Because every bit counts, and because it’s not a waste of time!

*I un-linked my Twitter account after November 8, for emotional reasons. Now I use Twitter only for unbridled political rage, while on Facebook I remain a mild-mannered chicken-lover.

•••••••••••••••••••
To learn more about Lauren visit her website at laurenscheuer.com/ or visit her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lauren.scheuer .

You can order a signed copy of her illustrated Memoir, Once Upon a Flock: Life with my Soulful Chickens, in her Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/il-en/people/lscheuer .

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July is a Marketing Blog-blitz at 24 Carrot Writing!

7/9/2017

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With the news of Annie Cronin Romano’s debut picture book sale, the 24 Carrot Writing crew has been buzzing about how authors develop marketing plans for their books.

We’ve reached out to our writing friends and colleagues for advice and they have shared some wonderful tips.

All month, we will be passing their helpful marketing advice along to you. Stay tuned this month for guest blogs by author/illustrator, Lauren Scheuer; author Josh Funk; and author event coach, Allison Pottern Hoch; as well as an interview with self-published author Donna Mae Pasiczniak.

We hope you enjoy!

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From Flashlight to Spotlight

6/25/2017

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By Amanda Smith

So, you have been writing and revising and polishing and editing. You also attended an SCBWI conference or two, and printed out the highly coveted faculty submission guidelines. You poured over editor and agent names, highlighted deadlines, and bookmarked MSWL. And then you stuffed the guidelines in the bottom drawer along with your manuscripts, and climbed under the covers with a flashlight and a book. Because putting your precious story OUT THERE is just too much.

Or life got too busy. It was spring, and then the school year ended, and then it was summer, and then the school year started, and phew! And now you’ve missed all the deadlines. Oh, well, next year after the conference you will do better.

NO!

Make a plan. Today. Because your beautiful story, your heart spilled onto the page, will never ever see the light of day if you don’t send out those submissions. Lots and lots of submissions. And if you don’t cowboy up and deal with those rejections. Lots and lots of rejections. And keep on sending out submissions until you get the call or the email. And then there’ll be dancing. But first. Submissions.

So, here’s my plan: (Because yeah, this is totally me.)

Pages and pages of printed words make me nervous (except if it’s a story, then it is awesome). I need summaries, lists, and calendars where deadlines are clearly marked. I drew up a sheet to summarize the basic agent/editor info. On the calendar section, I mark each editor’s deadline, so I don’t miss any.
The final column on this sheet, is where the real work begins. I pour over all my submission-ready manuscripts, and research each agent, or editor and their publishing house to find possible manuscripts matches. It’s okay to have more than one manuscript next to someone’s name at this stage. The more research you do, the clearer it will become which agents/ editors are good matches for your work. Some agents or editors will NOT match any of your work, or your personality. It’s okay. You don’t have to submit to everybody.
Please, don’t submit to everybody.

Make information cards for each person you research, marking down what they represent, what they like, and when and how you connected with them (e.g. NESCBWI 17). As I narrow down my choices, these cards are invaluable. I check and recheck them until I know which one (because “There can only be one") manuscript to send to which editor or agent.
Next, I used this page:

Here all my submission ready manuscripts are listed, along with the agents or editors I plan to submit to, and their deadlines. This page makes it easy to focus on one manuscript, finalize that specific query letter, and then send out a batch of personalized queries.
Write and polish the query letters, following the exact submission guidelines as given on the conference printout, and submit. Yes. Click send.

No more excuses. This year, grasp the wonderful opportunities provided by SCBWI. Put the flashlight down, creep out from under the covers, and send your stories out into the big wide world of publishing. We promise, we will hold your hand when the rejections come in. But one day you’ll get the call. And then there’ll be dancing! Lots and lots of dancing.

Downloadable pdf files:

submissions_calendar.pdf
File Size:	114 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

submissions_plan.pdf
File Size:	157 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Picture Books for Summer & the 4th of July

6/21/2017

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By Annie Cronin Romano
Oh, the lazy, hazy days of school vacation! On this first day of summer, what could be more fitting than gathering up some picture books with Fourth of July and summertime themes? (Besides slathering on the sunblock and hitting the beach, of course!) This list features picture books of varied reading levels for your child's summer reading enjoyment. Pick one or all of them and dive into stories of Independence Day or summertime rituals with your young readers! No matter what books you choose, keep the stories flowing all summer long!

4th of July themed stories:
THE STORY OF AMERICA'S BIRTHDAY, by Patricia A. Pingry, Illustrated by Meredith Johnson
FOURTH OF JULY MICE! by Bethany Roberts, Illustrated by Doug Cushman
RED, WHITE, AND BOOM! by Lee Wardlaw, Illustrated by Huy Voun Lee
APPLE PIE 4th OF JULY by Janet S. Wong, Illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
IMOGENE'S LAST STAND by Candace Fleming, Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
INDEPENDENCE CAKE by Deborah Hopkinson, Illustrated by Giselle Potter
THOSE REBELS, JOHN & TOM by Barbara Kerley, Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham
THE JOURNEY OF THE ONE AND ONLY DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE by Judith St. George, Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand

Summertime themed stories:
SUMMER DAYS AND NIGHTS by Wong Herbert Yee
THE WATERMELON SEED by Greg Pizzoli
MOUSE'S FIRST SUMMER by Lauren Thompson, Illustrated by Buket Erdogan
DUCK AND GOOSE GO TO THE BEACH by Tad Hills
HOW MANY STARS IN THE SKY by Lenny Holt, Illustrated by James E. Ransome
ICE CREAM SUMMER by Peter Sis
THINK COOL THOUGHTS by Elizabeth Perry, Illustrated by Linda Bronson
MONSOON AFTERNOON by Kashmira Sheth, Illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi
NIGHT OF THE MOONJELLIES by Mark Shasha