12×12 – May Update

So did I get a draft done for May?

Short answer: No

Long answer: Normally my first draft are like skeletons. Just a story arc but not much character development or writing style to show. My stories are typically short, humorous or with a twist. But I wanted my May draft to be quiet, emotional, and eventually maybe even poetic. The story was inspired by my girls experience of watching two ducklings raised at school (waiting for the eggs to hatch, watching the ducklings grow, to the sadness of when they left for they farm). I got half way through the story when I realized I didn’t have the faintest clue about how a person takes care of a duckling nor how the children bonded with the ducks. What to do … RESEARCH! I am in the process of interviewing several staff members at my kids’ school about the duckling experience. This is new territory for me as I am a bit on the introverted side, unless the topic is something I am passionate about. My June goal is to finish the interviews and the first draft.

What else did I do in May … interviewed fellow 12x12er Joann Marple about her new book Snow Games (must check out if you haven’t), submitted a pitch to Susanna Hill’s “Would You Read It” Series, attended SCBWI NorCal’s Illustrator’s Day which was jam-packed with useful information, guest blogged for the Tuesday 12×12 series, and I did squeeze in a re-submit of my Feb 12×12 draft to Rate Your Story. Keeping my fingers crossed for a top score so I can do a conference submit to an editor from Illustrator’s Day.

Oops, almost forgot. I took the plunge and I am now a Twit. You can follow me on Twitter at @darshanakhiani .

So what’s on tap for June:

1. Finish interviews and my May draft.
2. Taking Anastasia Suen’s Intensive Picture Book Workshop #1-6
3. Listening in on “Teacher’s Write” Virtual Summer Writing Camp by Kate Messener

Seems like a fairly full schedule to me.

Lastly, here is a pic of what is currently on my TBR shelf.

Which of these books would you like to hear more about ?

My Writing Journey

Julie Hedlund our fearless leader for the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge runs a a Tuesday series featuring the pre-published authors in the group.

I am up today! Want to learn about my writing journey. Hop on over and check out the post. Would love to hear what squiggly path you are on.

Thanks!

Illustrator’s Day: From the Eyes of a Picture Book Author

This past Saturday, May 19th, the SCBWI CA North/Central had their 1st ever Illustrator’s Day in the Sacramento area. It was wonderful, definitely worth the 2-hour drive for me each way. (that part wasn’t quite so much fun, the California sun streaming into the car kept enticing me to fall asleep)

This event was unique in that it had a two-fold audience, not just PB illustrators but also PB authors as well. This was a great opportunity for me to learn about the marriage between art and text. Below are the highlights of what I learned.

Patti Newman (co-regional advisor, author of Nugget on the Flight Deck and Jingle the Brass)

- Good to write what you know, but sometimes it is better to write what you want to know. She frequently takes on topics she knows nothing about, and digs in and interviews folks. One of her special writing traits is being able to use the jargon for the subject.

- Road to success isn’t a straight diagonal line to the right but a squiggly road. There will be slow periods, and fast periods.

The panel’s response on the question of “Leaving Space”, advice for PB authors.

- A Picture Book story should be 1/2 done by the author and 1/2 by the illustrator

- Too specific text or art notes restricts the illustrator’s ability to create their art, hence making them less passionate about your manuscript.

- the final PB may not be what you envisioned

Rotem Moscovich (editor from Disney/Hyperion)

- The picture book is greater than the sum of its parts, art and text. It is a unique collaboration that only comes alive when being read out loud.

- Think of a picture book as a lap-sized theater.

Book Examples:

One Special Day by Lola Schaefer and Jessica Meserve – only the picture conveys the animal of the characteristic. Ex: “He was as strong as a –” art show a beehive – page turn – art show a bear. This book probably had art notes listing each of the animals associated with each of the lines. This is okay, as it is critical to the story.

Eddie Gets Ready for School by David Milgrim – the text is straightforward, down plays the story. The pictures convey the upbeat and humorous part of the story. Ex: “Pack a snack” art shows him packing a watermelon into his backpack. This book was done by an author/illustrator.

Question: I asked what if this story had been done by an author, how would he/she convey that the humorous part of the story in the manuscript without putting art notes everywhere.

Answer: Put the synopsis art note at the beginning of the manuscript with an example. (this is advice is specific to Rotem, as I have heard from other sources to put this type of info in the cover letter. Rotem doesn’t read cover letters and often goes straight to the manuscript.)

Question: If an author/illustrator submits text and you like the text but not the art will you still consider it or reject it.

Answer: If the letter indicates that the art and text can be separated, then yes she will consider it. Otherwise she will reject it.

Mary Kole (Senior Literary Manager at Movable Type Mgmt, formerly was at Andrea Brown)

- Takes a long-term view on her clients, wants to help develop their careers. (hence make sure you have a portfolio of work to show before querying her)

- More, more pressure to be commercial and have a book off to a running start. Most sales of a book occurs from 3 months before a release date to 3 months after.

- Most board books are done in-house,  are about licensed properties, or a scaled downed version of a best-selling hardcover PB. Board book are expensive to manufacture but have to be at the price-point of a paperback, hence they have to be a high-volume book.

- Think of “hooks” as articulate sales tools.

Thinking Like a Writer

- “First line of a story teach us how to read it” by John L’Heurex

- Read your story out loud (I have heard it is a good idea to record yourself reading, and play it back)

- Shorter sentences, easy syntax, and words accessible to your target audience

- Readers mature differently from Pre-K to 3rd grade. Avoid complex sentences with lots of clauses, keep dialogue simple

- Avoid long scenes with talking heads. Hard to illustrate.

Ashley Wolff (Author/Illustrator of Baby Bear Sees Blue)

- Characters and Action on a page should move from left to right.

Too Shy for Show and Tell

Title: Too Shy for Show and Tell

Author: Beth Bracken
Illustrator: Jennifer Bell

Publisher: Picture Window Books, 2012
Book Type: Fiction
Ages: 3-6
Themes: Shyness, School

Excerpt:

“Sam was a quiet boy. Nobody knew much about him.

Sam loved trucks, but nobody knew that.”

Synopsis (from Capstone website):

Sam is a quiet little boy who hates show-and-tell. Just thinking about it makes his stomach hurt. Sam must find a way to conquer his fear of show-and-tell.

Activities:

Show and tell of course.

Games for shy kids for getting kids to interact in a non-competitive environment.

Shykids is a website that discusses shyness in kids/teens and resources on how to help.

Why I Like This Book:

Perfect book for young children. The basic plot surrounds Sam’s fear of public speaking, however there is a deeper underlying theme about opening up to people around you and friendship. In the opening scene, a sad Sam is keeping to himself not saying hi to anyone as he walks to school. Nobody knows anything about Sam or what he likes. In contrast the end scene, shows a happy Sam waving good-bye to his friends as he heads home.

The author effectively uses short, simple sentences to emotionally connect to Sam. The reader will immediately be able to feel Sam’s fears and concerns, and will cheer for Sam in the end. The illustrations are visually appealing with a soft sketch-like feel and the animals have a roundness to them. Both qualities bring a warm endearing quality to the cast of characters.

This book is part of Capstone’s Little Boost series, that look to tackle early life lessons in a funny relatable manner. Check out the other books.

This review is part of Susana Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book series. Visit her site to see the other books recommended.

Picture Book Details:

As an aspiring PB writer, I often analyze a book for its text and illustrations to learn from it. Here are some of the details I liked from this book:
- The opening and closing scenes of Sam going to school/home being sad/happy. Nice parallels.
- Mention of the truck, cake, and dogs in the beginning, that later tie into the ending.
- Repetitive use of the line “Everyone clapped when he was done.” after each kid did his show-and-tell. This helps build up Sam’s confidence for show-and-tell and gives the young reader confidence that everything is going to be okay.
- Otto saying “weaf” instead of “leaf.” Realistic speech, young kids (like my 4year old) often have a hard time with L’s and R’s. Also it shows Sam that is okay to do be imperfect.

Interview: Joanna Marple on uTales

Thank you for joining me today as I interview fellow 12×12′er and Perfect Picture Book Friday contributor, Joanna Marple. It has been about ~7 months that I have known her through the blogosphere, and it has been delightful. She is a school librarian in the South of France and has a special place in her heart for animal and cultural diversity around the world. She runs a wonderful blog, Marple’s Musings, be sure to check it out.

A week ago, Joanna published her first book Snow Games. Yeah!! I read the sample pages, loved it. (see my review) So I signed-up for a free trial, was impressed with the ebooks I read and liked the idea of working with an illustrator on a story. So now I have like a ton of questions on uTales and the creative experience. Joanna was gracious in agreeing to be interviewed on such short notice. Thank you so much!

Snow Games is Joanna’s first book, but she was also a contributor to the Friendship Alphabet book, which was a collaborative project with over 30 authors and illustrators from around the globe. Pretty cool, right. I think so.  Now on with the interview. Enjoy!

1) What benefits do you see with the uTales platform for parents of young kids?

I believe the uTales eBook platform is a wonderful complement to printed picture books. For those who sign up for the monthly subscription (and they are doing a very special deal of $4.99/month right now) kids have access to a mini library of books on their/their parents’ iPads and iPhones (or computers) at all times, making reading even more accessible. There is a complete range of topics and styles, both fun and more educational, and from a very international group of authors and illustrators. The discreet use of animation and sound can also enhance the reading experience for many children.

2) Any personal uTale book recommendations for parents with kids in the 2-5 or 6-8 range?

Absolutely! uTales is more focused on the younger group, but there are stories for the older children too, and we are also in the process of creating more educational book. For the 2-5 range I recommend: THE UGLY DUCKLING by Hazel Mitchel, THE BOY WHO CRIED SHMUTZ by Sandi Hershenson, illustrated by Claudia Fehr-Levin and THIS IS MARCY by Mark Weinstein. For the 6-8 range, do read: THE SEA CAT DREAMS by J R Poulter & illustrated by Muza Ulasowski and PROMETHEUS by Mark Weinstein (yes, he has written several that I love).

Thanks for the recommendations, I will need to go check them out!

3) What about the uTale platform appealed to you as picture book author?

Firstly, the opportunity to have something published (that has had some editorial input), and the encouragement this brings, while waiting for the agent contract and illusive traditional publishing contract. I will be agent hunting soon and am committed to the more traditional publishing route, but for me it isn’t an either or. This is offering me the best of all worlds; I retain the rights to my book and yet am learning about: my craft, editing, e-publication, book promotion etc. Secondly, I love the collaborative and international aspect. Thirdly, I am very happy that a percentage of profits can go to Pencils of Promise.

Pencils of Promise is a non-profit charity that builds preschools in developing countries.

4) I understand since you are picture book author only, you were able to collaborate with an illustrator you met through the uTales Collaboration Facebook page. Can you briefly describe the collaboration process? What challenges or benefits did you experience?

It took me a little time to find an illustrator, hence releasing my winter book as summer approaches! I had posted on the uTales Facebook collaboration page and approached around 4 or 5 illustrators, all of whom loved it but were too busy. It was actually Emma Dryden, whose freelance editorial services I have used, who suggested I approach Maja. We had both seen her Owl illustrations on the ‘O’ page of the friendship book and felt she would be a great fit for SNOW GAMES. Emma pointed out to me that mine was a fairly detailed book to illustrate, with the four animals, and that it would need to be an illustrator with a bit of extra time. Maja just happened to be in a lull in her freelance work. I don’t mind having had to wait a little, as I believe Maja was just the perfect illustrator for SNOW GAMES and we hope to collaborate again in the future. She was wonderful about sending me the illustrations as she went along and soliciting my opinion. This was only a positive experience for me, and an opportunity for communication with the illustrator that you will very rarely find in traditional publishing.

5) You were also a contributor in the “Friendship Alphabet” eBook, which had over 30 authors and illustrators from 15 countries. “E” and “Y” were among my favorites. Did you get to pick your letter? What was the collaboration process like with so many people?

This was a wild and wonderful experience. It was initiated by Swedish author/illustrator, Anders Lindholm. Our goal was Valentines Day, and we didn’t really get going until after the New Year! We did get to sign up for our letters. I chose E, and our remit was to do a double page about friendship without using the word itself; show not tell!!  Then as we were nearing our deadline we realized that some letters weren’t happening, so I jumped in for Y too, and Manuela Pantengelo volunteered to illustrate my yaks! I had another South African for my E, Rico Schacherl. We had some crazy back and forth on the collaboration page in the final two weeks, adding the pages/animation/sound etc. I joined Anders to help with the names/nationalities of the contributors. It was a fantastic international team project, which I love. It is our best-selling book so far and ALL the proceeds go to the charity, Pencils of Promise.

6) What is the uTales editorial process like?

I would never have considered contributing to uTales if I wasn’t satisfied with their quality control. Their editorial panel is headed up by publishing industry veteran, Emma D Dryden, which is a huge endorsement for me. All books, once complete, are submitted to the panel before being published and you then have an opportunity to revise your story with their editorial suggestions and resubmit two more times.

7) Does uTales keep all digital rights or just the digital right pertaining to the uTales platform. I understand that authors/illustrators are allowed to pitch their stories to traditional publishers. Any plans to get “Snow Games” into a hardcover picture book?

We retain the rights to our books. Maja and I will definitely consider showing agents SNOW GAMES, and yes, I do hope to see it in print one day!

8) Any advice for picture book authors who are considering submitting stories to the uTales platform?

I highly recommend the experience, even if you are published, as I bet you have some manuscripts in your folder that you know would make great uTales stories! I encourage you to browse the uTales books and sign up on the Facebook collaborations page. I will just say that your book needs to have gone through some serious revision (critique groups etc), giving great attention to presentation, punctuation and precision, before you seek your illustrator.

9) Any new books on the horizon that you would like readers to know about?

Thanks for asking, and the answer is yes! I am revising a sequel to SNOW GAMES entitled MIDSUMMER MADNESS (they get into real mischief this time around). I am also getting more critiques for TO BEE or NOT TO BE before sending this to an illustrator friend, who has asked to collaborate on this one. Otherwise, some recent photos of Maja’s trip to Swaziland inspired me to write a story about a warthog, that still needs a lot of work. These are just the stories I am thinking of submitting to uTales!

How exciting, I like the sound of MIDSUMMER MADNESS. Great title!

10) In keeping with the theme of your book “Snow Games”, what is your favorite wintertime activity?

Snowshoeing! I do enjoy downhill skiing, but much prefer to get away from the crowds in the ski stations into a wilder wintry landscape, where I can chat with my fellow snow-shoers, enjoy the stillness, discover the many animal tracks in the snow… it’s magical.

Sounds wonderful! Makes me wish it were winter and I lived on the East Coast again.

If you would like to hear more from Joanna, follow her BLOG TOUR.

Wednesday, May 23rd – Krista Rausin’s blog, Parenting with a Dash of Inspiration - Multiple Characters in Picture Books

Tuesday, May 29th – Sharon Stanley’s blog, Sharon Stanley Writes – Interview

Monday, June 4th - Clarike Bo Jahn, Clarbojahn’s Blog - The Story Behind the Story

Wednesday, June 6th – Diane Tulloch’s blog, The Patient Dreamer – Book Review and mini Interview

Monday, June 18th – Susanna Leonard Hill’s Blog - The Process of Submitting a Story to uTales

Date TBD – Julie Hedlund’s Blog, Anthropomorphism in picture books