Ten Steps to Publishing Success

By Chana Stiefel

You’ve written a children’s book and you’d love to get it published. Now what? 
First, congratulations! You’ve taken a huge first step—getting your story on paper. No small feat! And the world needs to hear your story. But patience is key: The road to publishing is long and twisty and there’s a lot to learn along the way.

My picture book career began more than 10 years ago when I wrote the first draft of my debut picture book, Daddy Depot. That book took eight years—and more than 50 drafts—until it hit bookshelves. Daddy Depot taught me the ropes of children’s publishing, and I’m still learning. 

Other kidlit authors will tell you that this is common. On average, it takes two to four years to publish a picture book with a traditional publisher. If you are determined, if you love children and books, if you believe that kids need to hear your story, buckle your seatbelt and read my tips below. (BTW Everything I’m sharing is from the perspective of a traditionally published author. I have never self published. There are many other resources if that’s a route you’re considering.) 

I’m posting helpful links beneath this post so you can read through the entire post without distraction. I also encourage other authors and publishing professionals to add their advice in the comments. One thing I know for certain is that there is no other community more supportive and uplifting than the kidlit community. If you believe in yourself, if you treat publishing like a job, if you do the hard work, you too can become a published children’s author.

1. Join SCBWI. Joining the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is the place to start. SCBWI membership benefits include professional webinars, regional and national conferences, ways to connect with other authors around the world, and so much more! SCBWI’s online publication for members, The Book: The Essential Guide to Publishing for Children, is packed with everything you need to know from preparing your manuscript for publication to publicizing your published book. 

 2. Learn picture book basics. What is a picture book? How many words does it have? Should it rhyme? How many pages are there in a picture book? Do I have to hire my own illustrator? Learn the nuts and bolts. I highly recommend posts by authors Tara Lazar and Josh Funk to get you started. See below!

 3. Find a critique group. While your family and friends may love your story, it’s essential to have other authors read it and give helpful and constructive feedback. Organizations like SCBWI can help you connect with other authors who meet online or in person and share manuscripts on a regular basis. Many highly acclaimed authors offer critique services for a fee. (Check qualifications and references first.) At the very least, find another author willing to swap manuscripts for critiques.

 4. Write & revise. Every manuscript needs revision. That’s the hard work of writing. The original draft of Daddy Depot had too many characters, it rhymed (badly), and was 1,500 words. (The standard is 400.) Two great resources on writing picture books are:

• Writing Picture Books: A Hands-on Guide from Story Creation to Publication (2nd Edition) by Ann Whitford Paul 
• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books (3rd Edition) by Harold Underdown

 
5. Read books in your genre. I can’t stress this enough. Read, read, read. Know what’s being published for kids right now. Learn the trends and try to stay ahead of the curve. (If unicorns are trending, you may have missed your moment.) Read reviews. Collect your favorite picture books and delve into why you love them (and kids do too). Learn from them. Connect with librarians and indie booksellers and see what books they’re promoting and why.

6. Attend writing conferences and workshops. While the pandemic has kept us home, many professional writers organizations have gone online. Check out webinars from SCBWI, the Highlights Foundation, the Writing Barn, the Writers’ Loft, the Picture Book Summit, and many others. See below!

 7. Join kidlit author groups, blogs, and podcasts: Children’s writing is all about  community—learning and growing together. Follow groups like Kidlit411 and We Need Diverse Books on Facebook. You’ll find groups within groups. For example, I belong to Jewish children’s authors groups, like Jewish Kidlit Mavens and The Book Meshuggenahs. Some groups provide challenges and motivation to keep writing. Two groups that I find invaluable are: 

• Storystorm: a free group started by Tara Lazar that inspires picture book authors to come up with an idea per day in January (sign up in December). It includes daily posts from kidlit professionals and prizes, including books and critiques.
• 12 x 12 Challenge: a membership group started by Julie Hedlund that challenges authors to write 12 picture books in 12 months. 12 x 12 includes webinars, opportunities to pitch agents, critiques, & more. Join in December.

If you prefer to listen and learn, some popular kidlit podcasts include:

• Writing for Children with Katie Davis, Institute of Children’s Literature
• The Yarn with Travis Jonker and Colby Sharp
• Picturebooking with Nick Patton
• The Children’s Book Podcast with Matthew Winner

 
8. Research agents: Do you need an agent to publish a picture book? My short answer is: yes. Agents open doors for authors, support & build our careers, help manage the business side of publishing, dry our tears, celebrate our success, and so much more. Research agents online and read The Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market 2020. Also follow Manuscript Wishlists from Agents and Editors #mswl. Kidlit411 spotlights agents as well. Learn about submission guidelines and make sure to follow them. Most agents will want to see more than one manuscript so be prepared.

 9. Query: How do you submit a manuscript to an agent? With a query letter. Writing queries is an art in itself. I’ve included some resources below but the basic recipe to follow is: The Hook, the Book, and the Cook. Capture an agent’s attention with a great hook (something that leaves them wanting more), describe your book in a few short sentences, and tell a bit about yourself (the cook) and your writing history.

 10. Keep writing! This information is a lot to take in at once. Think of it as a journey—or an endlessly loopy, scary, but thrilling roller coaster ride. Take it one step at a time. I am often juggling several manuscripts at a time and for every book that I publish, I have a dozen more that may never see the light of day. Why do I do this? Because I love to write. Because I care about children and literacy. Because I have stories to share. If that describes you too, then keep writing! 

Wishing you the best of luck on your journey.

Kidlit authors! What tips would you include for budding authors?

Resources: Where to Start

SCBWI
The Society of Children’s Book Authors & Illustrators https://www.scbwi.org/

Picture Book Basics
Tara Lazar’s Blog: Writing for Children While Raising Them: https://taralazar.com/ 

Picture Book Layout Dummies: 
https://taralazar.com/2009/02/22/picture-book-construction-know-your-layout/

Josh Funk’s Guide to Writing Picture Books: https://www.joshfunkbooks.com/resources-for-writers

Workshops 
The Highlights Foundation https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/

The Writing Barn https://www.thewritingbarn.com/

The Writers’ Loft https://www.thewritersloft.org/

The Picture Book Summit https://picturebooksummit.com/

Podcasts: 
Writing for Children with Katie Davis http://writingforchildren.com/

Children’s Book Podcast with Matthew Winner https://www.matthewcwinner.com/

Picturebooking with Nick Patton https://picturebooking.libsyn.com/

The Yarn with Travis Jonker and Colby Sharp https://www.mrcolbysharp.com/

Groups
Kidlit411 http://www.kidlit411.com/

We Need Diverse Books https://diversebooks.org/

The Brown Bookshelf https://thebrownbookshelf.com/

The Book Meshuggenahs https://www.facebook.com/TheBookMeshuggenahs/

Challenges
Storystorm https://taralazar.com/storystorm/

12 x 12 Challenge https://www.12x12challenge.com/

Reading for Research Month (ReFoReMo) http://www.reforemo.com/

Agents
Manuscript Wish Lists from Agents and Editors
https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/

Query letters
How to write a query letter:
https://www.janefriedman.com/query-letters/
https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-query-letter/
https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/the-10-dos-and-donts-of-writing-a-query-letter

Important Things About Chana Stiefel: Chana has written more than 25 books for children about stinky castles, exploding volcanoes, and creepy critters. Her upcoming picture book, MY NAME IS WAKAWAKALOCH! illustrated by Mary Sullivan, (HMH)--about a spirited cave girl who wants to change her hard-to-pronounce name--will hit shelves on August 27! Great for back-to-school! Chana co-blogs at Kidlittakeaways.com with author Donna Cangelosi.  Visit her at chanastiefel.com and @chanastiefel on Twitter, FB, and Instagram.

 By Chana Stiefel
Hello, listeners in radio land! For the release of my new book ANIMAL ZOMBIES!...AND OTHER REAL-LIFE MONSTERS, my publicist from National Geographic Kids arranged a 16-city radio media tour in cities including Bend, OR, Fargo, ND, Los Angeles, Dallas, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. It didn’t matter that some of these were small towns. I was petrified. I’d never been on the radio before and public speaking makes me sweat. But I decided to face my fears and give it a try. NatGeoKids also provided some media training, which was extremely helpful. Here’s what I learned from the experience and some tips that I hope are helpful not only for radio interviews but also for any type of book promo:

1. Just do it! We can never really know what moves the needle when it comes to book sales. When a new opportunity arises, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. For radio, no travel was involved. All I needed was a landline and time. I spent two Wednesdays on the phone doing back-to-back 15-minute interviews. (Because ANIMAL ZOMBIES has a monster hook, we scheduled the interviews around Halloween.) The publicist made all of the arrangements in advance. All I had to do was call in. An operator gave me prompts each time we were about to go on the air.
   Now back up a sec. Don’t have a publicist? Why not pitch your book to radio stations on your own? Here’s an article to get you started!
2. Relax! Be yourself. Don’t feel the need to control the interview. The radio jocks have got this down. They’re helping us with promo & we’re helping them fill the airwaves. The questions will be fairly straightforward: What inspired you to write this book? Where do your ideas come from? What’s your favorite chapter/creature/character? Where can people buy your book? What’s coming next?
3. Breathe! When I saw the list of cities I nearly fell over. How could I speak to a LIVE audience of 3 million listeners in Los Angeles? What if I get tongue tied? One trick is to know that you’re simply having a conversation with one person on the other end of the line--not thousands of listeners. Another tip is to know that if you goof, … so what? There will be other interviews. Everyone messes up sometimes. Shake it off and move on. (Also, some of my interviews were taped. If that’s the case, when the interview ends, you can ask the interviewer to edit out the mistake. They might agree!)
4. Prepare! Write down a list of possible questions. Then pull out two or three key messages you want to relay. Write them down and keep them in front of you during the interview. If you need to cite statistics (like the fact that humans kill millions of sharks each year, while sharks kill five humans on average & not the other way around), make sure you have them ready.
5. Practice makes better! Talk to yourself in the shower or in the car (or pretend you’re on the phone when talking to yourself in public). Ask your friends and family to throw some questions at you. For example, a friend asked me what inspired me to write about monsters in nature. By talking to myself, I realized there was much more to it than collecting a bunch of creepy science articles in a file. Why DID I write such a chilling book? My fascination with nature goes way back to my childhood, which brings me to…
6. Make it personal! Don’t be afraid to share personal stories. Offer tidbits that the audience will connect with & will make your interview much more memorable. I shared stories about going on “swamp tromps” in the Everglades with my parents and growing up with a turtle skeleton in my closet (an artifact of my father’s days in biology lab), details that might explain my sense of wonder with the natural world.
7. The book, the book, the book. While it’s ok to get personal, stay on message. The interview isn’t just about you, it’s about your book. So while you’re talking, always make sure to circle back to the book. Try not to veer off track.
8. Watch out for curve balls. Sometimes it’s the interviewer who veers off course. First you’re talking about the book, next thing you know you’re talking about that trip to the Bahamas. If you feel like you’re way off track, try bridging, the technique of regaining control of the interview and staying on message. Bridging is a way of pivoting, a gentle way of turning the question back to your subject. Phrases you might use are:
   * The important thing to remember is…
   * Let me put this in context…
   * Funny you mentioned that…
   * If we look at the big picture…
   * While that’s important, it’s also important to…
   * I’m not sure about that, but what I’d love for you to know is…
   My interviews went pretty smoothly. One time I felt the need to bridge when an interviewer asked which critter in the book I would want as a pet. Instead of saying, "A pet?! Did you read the book? Would I want a lamprey, hagfish or wolf as a pet?" I simply laughed and said, “I’m not sure I’d want any of these creatures as pets, but I will say that I’ve gained a lot of respect for them because…” And we were back on track.
9. Assorted little expert tricks:

• ​​Repeat the name of your book so it sticks in listeners’ minds long enough for them to pull over and order your book. (Many of my interviewers did this too!)
• Mention that your book is already on shelves and share where it’s available. (I made sure to mention indie booksellers and public libraries.)
• Try not to talk about competing publishers (I made that mistake in a practice interview.) It’s ok to mention what book is coming next but try to stay focused on the current book.
  
  10. Have fun! These opportunities don’t come around often. Chill out and enjoy your 15 minutes of fame! 

Listen to some of my radio interviews here, here, and here!

AND FOR ALL YOU RADIO LISTENERS, WE HAVE A GIVEAWAY!
How’d I do? Comment below and share this post for a chance to win a signed copy of ANIMAL ZOMBIES! (U.S. only). Drawing at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018.

Learn more about me at www.chanastiefel.com. Follow me @chanastiefel on FB, Twitter, and Instagram. Let's end with a little Donna Summer, "On the Radio!"

For a recent author visit, I was asked to talk to kids about advocacy, which is funny, because I mostly write silly fiction, as well as non-fiction books about weird science & history. But a quick glance at my library … and I was ready for action. I decided to show the students how to be good advocates using examples from recent picture books. I also explained that advocacy begins with:

1. A passion for something meaningful and important in your life
2. The ability to listen before you speak
3. Making your voice heard (without shouting--unless you’re at a rally, in which case scream your head off), and
4. Taking action.

Here are a few of my favorite picture books that accomplish these goals by illustrating the lives and actions of remarkable individuals who embody the spirit of advocacy.

One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of Gambia
By Miranda Paul, Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon
Advocacy lesson: Environmentalism

When Isatou discovers that plastic bags are polluting her village, killing goats, and giving mosquitoes a place to breed in dirty pools of water, she decides to take action. She and her friends cut the bags into strips and roll them into spools of plastic thread. Then they use the recycled thread to weave purses, which they sell. Soon Isatou has earned enough to buy a new goat. The pile of plastic bags grows smaller and the village returns to its original beauty.

The takeaway: Sometimes problems seem insurmountable, but one person’s creativity and actions can make a big difference.

​I recently attended a Disney and Pixar short films festival featuring two Pixar shorts Feast (2014), showing the culinary adventures of a Boston Terrier and Piper (2016), ​​a baby sandpiper's quest to overcome her fear of the ocean. Both character-driven movies, like all Pixar shorts, serve as excellent reminders of good storytelling, demonstrate perfect story arcs, and have instructive qualities for picture book writers.

Get to the point...and quick!
In the opening scenes, Pixar shorts introduce charming characters facing big challenges. In Feast, a small Boston Terrier, Winston, searches the streets for something to eat. In Piper, the baby sandpaper approaches the ocean to find food for the first time. Both are simple introductions with big impact. They pull viewers in and have them rooting for the main character right from the start. Director of Piper, Alan Barillaro said, "You're trying to tell a story visually, as quickly as possible, something that's easy for the audience to get but also humorous and character-based."
The Takeaway: Use opening lines that introduce the character, identify the problem and pull the reader in. 

​Create endearing characters 
Pixar is known for its adorable characters. In creating them, the animators rely on facial expressions, body language, and fine details to show emotions. For instance, the pacing of Winston's movements, tilting of his head and body positions portray his satisfaction with various foods. The use of personified facial expressions gives the audience a glimpse into Piper's internal experience of shock and fear when she is drenched by a huge wave. Her quick retreat, ruffled feathers, and quivering elicit empathy and a strong emotional tug.
The Takeaway: Use strong verbs and to show your character's expressions, body language and emotions.

String together strong plots with satisfying endings
Pixar animators rely on movement to tell the story. One scene quickly follows the next. Without dialogue, the audience must infer what's going on. This means that every scene must drive the story forward. There are no unnecessary details or detours--just a clear story format where the main character is faced with challenges that must be overcome to reach a goal. The end result...a beautiful story with a satisfying ending. And Pixar never fails to deliver heart-warming films, which make the audience walk away feeling touched, inspired, and looking forward to the next masterpiece!
The Takeaway: Don't be afraid to cut characters or scenes that don't drive your story.

Try watching more Pixar shorts with fresh eyes--as a writer on a quest to learn more about storytelling!

Happy Takeaway Tuesday! We're delighted to welcome Alayne Kay Christian, creator and teacher of ART OF ARC, an online picture book writing class that addresses the elements of a traditional story arc. Back in 2015, I was a beta reader for the course and found it invaluable. Here's an inside look.
​
​Welcome Alayne! How did you come up with the idea for Art of Arc?
After critiquing hundreds of picture book manuscripts, I saw the same issues repeatedly. As my professional critiques include mini lessons, I found myself recreating the same lessons but customizing them for each story I critiqued. There had to be an easier, more efficient way to do this. And a course was born. The reason I created a course that focuses on the classic arc is because 90% of the stories I critique are built around that structure. It is the number one structure in picture books.

Describe how the class is taught.
Art of Arc is a self-study course. Students work at their own pace. It includes 217 pages with ten lessons, seventeen supplements, and eighteen worksheets. Plus, bonus materials and resources. The course materials are delivered all at one time via email in PDF and MS Word formats. Students have access to a private Facebook group where they can ask questions and get support.

Please give examples of picture books with good story arcs.
The main plot points of the story arc usually include the exposition, ordinary world, inciting incident, rising action, climax, and falling action that slips into resolution.

Tammi Sauer's picture books tend to be perfect examples of arc so I have to include one here: 
Mostly Monsterly
by Tammi Sauer and Scott Magoon
Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2010
Ordinary World: Bernadette is a monster who is also sweet.
Inciting Incident: "When it came time to go to school with the other monsters, Bernadette felt a teensy bit nervous..."
Rising Action: Bernadette tries and fails several times to fit in with the other monsters.
Darkest Moment: Bernadette is left alone inside, watching monsters be monsters outside.
Inner Climax: Bernadette gets an idea that might allow her to be herself and still win over the other monsters.
Outer Climax: Bernadette puts the idea into action.
Resolution: Success!

What Do You Do With a Problem?
by Kobi Yamada Illustrated by Mae Besom
Compendium, Inc. 2016
Ordinary World: Some books don't show the ordinary world, and this is one. It jumps right into the inciting incident.
Inciting Incident: A problem appears. Boy has no idea how it happened but it is there.
Rising Action: Boy tries and fails several times to hide from and avoid his problem, but the problem just keeps getting bigger.
Darkest Moment: The problem grows until the boy can't take it anymore.
Inner Climax: The boy contemplates his problem, has a change of thinking, and comes up with a plan.
Outer Climax: The boy puts his plan into action.
Resolution: The boy learns something about himself and his problem.

The Most Magnificent Thing
by Ashley Spires
Kids Can Press 2014
Ordinary World: Girl and dog do all kinds of things together--race, eat, relax. Girl makes things. Dog unmakes things.
Inciting Incident: Girl has an idea. She will make the most MAGNIFICENT thing.
Rising Action: She tries and fails to make the most magnificent thing several times. She attracts some admirers of her failures. But people don't understand. They can't see the magnificent thing she has in her mind. 
Darkest Moment: The girl gets mad from frustration and takes her frustration out on her attempts at the most magnificent thing until she smashes her finger and her temper EXPLODES and then she gives up. "I'm no good at this. I QUIT."
Inner Climax: She takes a walk and discovers a new approach.
Outer Climax: She goes back to work on the magnificent thing using her new approach.
Resolution: She creates THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING.

Thank you for a wonderful interview, Alayne!
Alayne is offering a 25% discount on her Art of Arc course through April 15, 2018 if you mention KidLitTakeaways.

About Alayne
Alayne Kay Christian is the author of the Sienna, the Cowgirl Fairy chapter book series and the award-winning picture book, Butterfly Kisses for Grandma and Grandpa. She is a critique ninja for Julie Hedlund's 12 x 12. Alayne is a graduate of the Institute for Children's Literature and has spent the last ten years studying under some of the top names in children's literature.


Website: http://www.alaynekaychristianauthor.com
Art of Arc info: http://www.alaynekaychristian.compage05.html
Blog: http://alaynekaychristian.wordpress.com

By Chana Stiefel

Welcome back to Takeaway Tuesday! Have you ever noticed that many children's authors are ALSO teachers? With a love of kids and a passion for literacy, the two careers seem to go hand-in-hand. Today we're sharing an interview with teacher-author/author-teacher Ann Marie Stephens, including LOTS of takeaways about juggling two careers, finding time to write (at stoplights!), being famous (among first graders), and much more! PLUS, Ann Marie is generously offering a giveaway of her book, CY MAKES A FRIEND. See details below!

​Which came first—teaching or writing? (Are you a teacher who writes or a writer who teaches?)
 Hey, wait a minute. This is just like the chicken and the egg question, which means it’s debatable. I started playing teacher and writing stories when I was very young. I created characters out of construction paper and would hang curtains made from towels so my stories could be told on a stage, in true dramatic fashion. When I was in elementary school I decided I would become a writer one day, and a teacher, and maybe a pediatrician, while touring the country playing my flute. After narrowing down my options I ended up becoming a flute-playing teacher who writes whenever she can. I’m also a teacher who teaches her students to write.

​What grade do you teach?
I teach first grade at George C. Round Elementary in Virginia. It’s exhausting yet exhilarating. I’ve always loved teaching younger kids. They are magic, and fire, and love all bundled up in little bodies.
 
Describe your background in teaching...
My background in teaching came from pure, natural instinct. I LOVED school. I used to beg my teachers for their old teacher’s editions or extra worksheets so I could play school at home. I taught neighborhood kids and one of my sisters. I never let anyone else be the teacher. My sister claims that’s why she became a teacher too, so she could finally have a turn to teach! I graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Early Childhood Education - Family and Child Development.

...and in writing?
My writing background really started in 5th grade. Mrs. Ripol asked us to write a story and I wrote an ode to my dog that had just died. I read it aloud and got choked up. Mrs. Ripol got teary-eyed and the class was silent. I could tell my words had made an impact and that was such a cool feeling. I continued to write letters and poems to my parents and friends, and as you probably predicted, I had a diary. I wrote a ton of love poems to boys I crushed on. I kept those to myself, thank goodness.
 
How does your teaching influence your writing (and vice versa)?
People always want to know if I have a constant stream of ideas because I work with kids. It doesn’t actually happen that way for me. They also think that I read all of my manuscripts to my easily accessible audience. My first year of teaching, I tried. Then I realized my students were never going to have helpful critiques for me. They loved every book I wrote. There were claps and whistles, and woo-hoos after each manuscript reading. So now we just talk a lot about the process of writing because they are writers too. They get to watch my paper manuscripts become real books! Mostly, I think working in an elementary school keeps my mind in the world of kids’ books. We read about 15 or more picture books a week. Reading makes us better writers and thanks to authors, we have a constant supply of books to read. My students are proficient writers by the end of our year together. They “publish” their own books and poems. We even keep their manuscripts in a WIP (Work in Progress) basket like real authors. The writer in me reminds the teacher in me, to let my students think outside the box. That’s where the magic happens. I encourage weird, funny, offbeat, unique, and diverse writing. My students never disappoint.
 
How did you come up with the ideas for your books CY MAKES A FRIEND and SCUBA DOG?
CY MAKES A FRIEND came from my long-time interest in Greek Mythology. As a young girl, I didn’t find myself wanting to learn more about the pretty and powerful goddesses. The evil monsters and the creepy underworld were what fascinated me. I thought it would be great to write a story about a Cyclops, but not a mean one who ate people. I wanted to create a one-eyed guy that would be so sweet he might even be irresistible. I wanted him to make a friend because that would be totally unexpected. It was also exciting to work with the theme of bravery. Putting yourself out into the world can be the hardest part about making new friends. If Cy with his one eye, swoopy bangs, and awkward tendencies can do it, anyone can.
 
The story behind SCUBA DOG is a simple one. A long time ago I saw a cartoon picture of a dog in scuba gear. I thought to myself, “What would a dog do underwater if he could stay down there long enough?” I jotted the thought in one of my journals and didn’t revisit it until years later. As a scuba diver, I find myself extremely comfortable underwater. Much more than I am on land! When I’m down there I meet all kinds of animals. I’m curious about them; they are curious about me. We have many ways of communicating. I stare; they stare. I float; they snap their claws. I blow bubbles; they squirt ink. I even have videos of fish and sea turtles following me. I pretend they actually want to be my friend. Silly, I know. See why I write for kids? But all dives must come to an end so I never really get the chance to form friendships. SCUBA DOG was my outlet for this.

Describe the submission process for your books.
The submission process for my stories is way easier than it used to be. Now, when I finish a manuscript, I send it to my agent. Sometimes she asks for edits, sometimes she doesn’t like what I send, and other times she snatches up a story immediately. After she accepts a manuscript, she does the rest of the work, choosing editors and publishers just right for the story. When I started in this business back in the late 90’s it was much different, though not at first. I landed an agent right away but we weren’t a good fit so we parted. After that I had to put in the hard work researching publishers, editors, and agents. I attended SCBWI conferences (still do) and local SCBWI chapter workshops. It’s super important to understand the market before wasting your time and energy sending to the wrong people. I always had a current copy of THE CHILDREN’S WRITER’S AND ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET book. It was dog-eared, written in, highlighted, and sticky noted to death. It was impossible to live without it.

How did you find your agent?
I am agented by the funny, patient, and diligent Emily Mitchell, at Wernick and Pratt Agency. I used to send my manuscripts to her, starting back in 2002, when she was an editor at Charlesbridge. Even as she rejected me she saw my potential. Over the years, she requested revisions and most importantly she kept asking to see more of my work. We even had a story that came close to a contract, but it didn’t make it past acquisitions. In 2012, she left the kid lit business and I was sad. Then in 2014, I was visiting her book blog and saw that she had reentered the publishing world as an agent. I queried her, sent her a handful of manuscripts, and she signed me. So how did I find my agent? I was persistent, positive, faithful, and did some good old-fashioned online reconnaissance.
 
How do you manage juggling two careers? How do you find time to write?
I will admit it can wear me out, but because I love both careers I keep plugging away. I think it’s the nature of both jobs. When I’m at school I must be tuned in 100%. That’s a lot of brainpower. Then when I write, I must be awake, thinking, plotting, and creating. However, above everything I do, being the best teacher to my students is most important to me. An editor can wait on a manuscript. Not being there for my students is not an option. My grade level and I work closely on the paperwork and planning. I’d be a mess without them. My principal and assistant principal are beyond supportive of my writing career which helps make the juggling possible. Weekends, vacations, and summers are prime writing time. I write in the car on my 40 minute commute each day too. I call it Stoplight Writing. Don’t worry. It’s not dangerous. Rather than thinking about how long my commute is taking or how annoying the driver in front of me is, I think about my latest story, finding the right word, revising a line, or changing a plot point. When I get to a red light (there are some doozies on my drive) I jot my thoughts down. I recently finished a story that’s out on submission now and I wrote 90% of it in my Jeep! I used to be hard on myself because I couldn’t spend hours writing each day like my full-time author friends could. I felt less authorly because I wrote for a shorter amount of time. There was nothing I could do to change that reality aside from quitting my job so I changed my internal dialogue. If you want to write, you will find the time. Every little minute can take you closer to finishing your story.
 
Writers often have to market their own books. Do you feel that you have certain advantages as a teacher in marketing your book? (e.g, a daily audience, connections with teachers and professional organizations, expertise in writing lesson plans, access to librarians, etc.)
When you are a teacher-writer you definitely have insider knowledge to kid trends, their dislikes, their obsessions, and the kind of books they fight over. We read a ton of books and you better believe I’m paying attention to their reactions, which keep me aware of what works. My years of teaching experience does make it quite easy to generate ideas for my books and my friends’ books. I have activity packets for CY MAKES A FRIEND and SCUBA DOG. You can see them on my blog: http://2happyteachers.blogspot.com. Authors meet a lot of librarians. They welcome us into their libraries and we approach them whenever we can. It’s always reassuring to meet a librarian because you know without a doubt, that they love books as much as you do, and sometimes even more.
 
How do you come up with book ideas?
I am the queen of random. Like most writers I pay attention to details around me. I eavesdrop, spy, observe, explore, and allow my thoughts to go off on tangents. Any object can come to life at any moment, and animals always have the option of talking. I record all ideas no matter how embarrassing or seemingly ordinary because one day they could become a story. Unfortunately, some of my most creative ideas come around 3 a.m., which is not good when you get up at 5 a.m. for work. Still, I embrace them, yawning all the way.
 
How do your students react to having a celebrity author as a teacher?
Funny you should ask because when I’m in my classroom is the only time I feel like a celebrity! When I’m in the real world I’m just another starving artist trying to get my work out there. My students think it’s awesome that I have published books and they love that I know other authors. Some of my author friends even come visit for free which makes my class feel pretty special. They think I know the authors of every book we read. Not yet I tell them, not yet.
 
What’s coming up next?
I have upcoming books with Boyds Mills Press called ARITHMECHICKS ADD UP (2019) and ARITHMECHICKS TAKE AWAY (2020). They are books about fuzzy little chicks that like to do math. I am also doing some educational writing for a book by Kwame Alexander. Stay tuned! As usual, I have manuscripts out on submission that I’m hoping will turn into book contracts in the near future. Until then, you will find me eavesdropping on your conversations, writing at stoplights, and pretending to be the celebrity I’m not for a bunch of energetic, book-happy first graders.

CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU for the terrific interview Ann Marie! Enter the giveaway for CY MAKES A FRIEND in the Rafflecopter below!

 Ann Marie Stephens is the author of several picture books including Scuba Dog, Cy Makes a Friend, and forthcoming titles, Arithmechicks Add Up and Arithmechicks Take Away. She has been an elementary teacher for over 26 years. She was a contributing writer for Kwame Alexander’s Page-to-Stage Writing Workshop, a co-writer for Trait Crate Plus for grades 3 and 5, and has had dozens of original ideas published in Instructor and The Mailbox magazines. Represented by Emily Mitchell at Wernick and Pratt Agency, Ann Marie is a seasoned presenter for both children and adults. She co-blogs for teachers at http://2happyteachers.blogspot.com. When she isn’t writing or teaching, she’s off scuba diving somewhere tropical. You can find her on Facebook, Ann Marie Stephens (AMStephensAuthor), and on Instagram and Twitter @AMStephens_.

By Donna Cangelosi

​I recently had the opportunity to see Springsteen on Broadway, a one-man show and intimate look at the experiences that shaped Bruce's life and fueled his artistic expression. A perfect mix of heart-felt stories, humor, and musical genius. I laughed. I cried. I was so inspired!
Most of the experiences Bruce shared during the performance appear in his beautiful memoir, BORN TO RUN, a story about growing up, hardship, dreams, friendship, rock-n-roll, letting go, and heart, heart, heart. Bruce also shares wonderful tips about the creative process that relate to the craft of writing picture books.

Find What You do Best
"I needed to travel light and be able to blow somebody away with just my voice, my guitar and my song. Voice...guitar...song...three tools. My voice was never going to win any prizes. My guitar accompanied on acoustic was rudimentary, so that left the songs. The songs would have to be fireworks. I decided the world was filled with plenty of good guitar players, many of them my match or better, but how many good songwriters were there? Songwriters with their own voice, their own story to tell, who could draw you into a world they created and sustain your interest in the things that obsessed them. Not many, a handful at best."
The Takeaway: Find your own unique style and create the story only you can write.

Write with Purpose
"These were issues that had previously been relegated to the margins of American life. Dread--the sense that things might not work out, that the moral high ground had been swept out from underneath us, that the dream we had of ourselves had somehow been tainted and the future would forever be uninsured--was in the air. This was the new lay of the land, and if I was going to put my characters out on that highway, I was going to have to put all these things in the car with them."
The Takeaway: Write stories with universal, relevant and relatable themes.

Know your Process
"I started with the guitar riff. Get yourself a great riff and you're on your way. Then I'd chug along chording randomly while I'd mumble, mumble, mumble...then, tramps like us, baby we were born to run...That was all I had..."
It wasn't an easy piece to write. I started my title song that afternoon but I didn't finish it until six months of trial and tribulations, images, the road, the car, the girl...what else is there?"
The Takeaway: It takes a long time to create a masterpiece, even for a rock star!

Get to Know your Characters
"When you get the music and lyrics right, your voice disappears into the voices you've chosen to write about. Basically, with these songs, I find the characters and listen to them. That always leads to a series of questions about their behavior. What would they do? What would they never do? You need to locate the rhythm of their speech and the nature of their expression. By pulling these elements together as well as you can, you shed light on their lives and honor their experiences."
The Takeaway: Imagine what t's like to be your characters and write from their perspective

Write with Meaning
"Most of my writing is emotionally autobiographical. I've learned you've got to pull up the things that mean something to you in order for them to mean anything to your audience. That's where the proof is. That's how they know you're not kidding."
The Takeaway: Write about subjects that have personal meaning to you. The best stories are the ones that come from the heart.

Work at It...Over and Over and Over
"Some of our mixes remained on the board for three, four days, a week, as we fussed, mussed and murdered one another in a vain attempt to capture all worlds. We had mixes with three-digit take numbers. We were violently frustrated and puzzled."
The Takeaway; Collaborate and revise, revise, revise.

Write for the Sake of Creating
"I'm glad I've been handsomely paid for my efforts but I truly would've done it for free. Because I had to. It was the only way I found momentary release and the purpose I was looking for. So for me, there weren't going to be any shortcuts."
The Takeaway: Enjoy the process. Write because you love to write, not for fame or fortune.

Find your Tribe
"If we didn't play together, The E Street Band would probably not know one another. We wouldn't be in a room together. But we do...we do play together and every night at eight we walk out onstage together, and that, my friends, is a place where miracles occur...old and new miracles. And those you are with in the presence of miracles, you never forget."
The Takeaway: Don't go it alone. Join a critique group, go to conferences, and build friendships. Magic will happen!