Go Out and Meet Your Readers: Author Interview with Jennifer R. Lee

What made you decide to start writing picture books?

I was reading a book to my kids one evening, which we did all the time when my kids were little. This particular book was one of the poorest written books, stupid plot, and just garbage. I said to myself, “wow…I could write a better book than this!” So, that’s what gave me the thought that maybe I actually could.

How long did it take for you to complete your first book? 
I wrote my first little manuscript about 15 years ago after that bedtime-story epiphany. It took me a couple of days to work it out. It is a 10 page little rhyming book called, Whose Toes Are Those. It is meant to be a lift-the-flap board book for toddlers. I sent it out to some publishers but got rejected. I didn’t really know where else to go with it, so I just shelved it. I came across it again when I cleaned out my office during Covid (lol) and thought, “This is a good little story!” That ignited my passion again for writing!

The second book I wrote, The Antelope Ate My Cantaloupe, is actually the first one I published. It is a paperback/hardcover picture book which I wrote about over 2-4 weeks. Rewriting, wordsmithing, rearranging, etc. Thesaurus.com is my best friend. It is also a rhyming book and that takes a lot of work to get the cadence and rhythm right without forcing the rhymes.

Then my illustrator took about 4-5 months to complete the pictures (36 + the cover). My publisher took about 3-4 weeks to get it print-ready and uploaded to book sites. So about a 6-7 month process for my first one start to finish. My next book, Mike Crashed My Motor Bike was done in about 4 months and is now available on Amazon.

 Are you active in any writing critique groups?

No. I am a teacher, a good proofreader and editor so I do a lot of that work myself. But I do have many family members and friends who help me get another set of eyes on my stories and give me advice on how to improve my stories or offer suggestions.

How did you go about finding an illustrator?

For this first book, Whose Toes Are Those, I used the in-house illustrator that came with my publisher. For my other books, I found one on Fiver.com that fit my vision. I’ve worked with that illustrator for two of my books and soon to be a third one.

What was the hardest part of putting together your books?

For me, it was finding the right illustrator to work with. I went through about 3 others and they just didn’t share my vision for the pictures. In a picture book, it’s so important that the images help propel the story along and they can be used to explain parts of the writing that words can’t necessarily express.

Give me more details on what the process was like in publishing your books.

I wrote my manuscript in a Word document. My illustrator sent me his digital files in PDF form and I sent all that to my publisher and they did the book layout. My illustrator also designs my book covers. The fee I pay to my publisher covers that layout cost and then I know that the book is in the right format to be uploaded to the various book distribution sites and Amazon for Print-On-Demand orders. I know the books will look good when printed and delivered. My publisher helps with font style and color choices as well and placement of the text, so that is also a nice feature. 

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had from readers? 

My favorite story is from a friend who bought my book, The Antelope Ate My Cantaloupe. This is actually my first official published book that is available. But she bought it for her 2 year old grandson. It also came with a little plush baby antelope toy. She said he kept begging for a real cantaloupe to feed to his “antelope”! So, when cantaloupes were in season, she bought one and her grandson was pretending the antelope was actually eating it! I thought, “that is what reading can do….help kids be imaginative, immerse themselves in a silly story and just have fun with it! So that’s my goal with writing - to just bring joy and happiness to people! 

Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produced more sales rather than just clicks?

I have had the best success at book fairs and school visits. I find that the more people can connect personally with the book, they are more likely to buy it. When I read to students, it gives me a chance to read it to them how I intended the story to unfold. They immediately gain a connection to the characters. We get to point out the silly funny parts together. 

At book fair events, people like to flip through the book and my amazing illustrations capture their hearts and they’ll buy it! I think it’s tough to just be on a bookshelf competing with so many books. That’s where a good title and cover can help you stand out from other books. 

What do you know now about publishing you wished you had known sooner? 

That it really isn’t too intimidating and if you just start doing some research online and asking other authors, you can find the right publisher to help you get done what you need to get your book out. 

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give? 

Just Start! For me, especially as a teacher, I see kids just stalled and stuck when starting an assignment and if they just type something down, the rest will come. For writers, same advice. Just start…write something down…put the first words on the page, and trust yourself….the words will come. The story will unfold. It can all be changed later so it doesn’t have to be perfect to start! 

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add? 

Writing is so fun! It’s a great way to express ideas, be creative, and share something wonderful with the world! 

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me some details?

My next book is called Mike & Chip Build a Rocket Ship! I just finished the manuscript and will be getting it illustrated. It should be out by the end of the year. This is the 3rd book that includes my cute characters, a boy and his friend Antelope. I really like this one for its imaginative plot! I can’t wait to see what my illustrator does with this one! Stay tuned! 

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Jennifer's stories, here are two links to get you started.

Website: https://www.jenleebooks.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jennifer-R-Lee/author/B0BJ9RMXD1

And here's a bonus for my readers. Leave a comment on this post and next Tuesday we'll pick one winner from all those who left comments to recieve an eBook copy of Whose Toes Are Those. It's an interactive book that can be viewed on a tablet,  phone, or computer with a Lift-the-flap style interaction! . So what are you waiting for? Leave a comment now!

Around the Web: Best Posts on Writing I've Discovered This Week

 I subscribe to and follow several authors, blogs, and writing sources throughout the week.

Each Friday, I include links to FIVE sources to improve your writing that I found useful.

Here are my offerings for this week. Hope they inspire you to start writing and continue writing! 

Take a look at these before and after comparisons. Hope you'll notice the white spaces. That's a big part of making your book more readable.  https://blog.bookbaby.com/how-to-self-publish/book-design/why-does-my-book-need-interior-formatting

If you want to indie-pub a children's book, start your search for an illustrator. It takes time to find the right fit plus you need to know the costs involved so you can have the money ready. https://www.laurenranalli.com/new-blog/2019/9/19/how-i-found-my-illustrator

If you want to go the traditionally published route, you will probably need an agent as many publishing houses don't accept unsolicited manuscripts. They figure they have a better chance of finding a good story if someone in the business - an agent - thinks the story has merit. So here's a good breakdown of how to search for the right agent for your writing. 

https://authorspublish.com/how-to-find-the-right-agent-for-your-book-2/

If you don't define your characters well enough, the reader will get lost in who's who and stop reading your book. You don't want that! https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-structure-stories-with-multiple-main-characters/

If you write mysteries, here's some tips for you on how to create a strong hero, which doesn't mean he's perfect! https://www.livewritethrive.com/2022/07/25/11934/

Being an "Accidental Author" - An Interview with Wendy Monica Winter

What inspired you to write Where’s My Joey? When did you actually start writing your book? 
I taught grade 8 Math and Science in Perth, Australia in 2007. I wanted to send some pictures to my young nieces in Arkansas. I bought a furry kangaroo album (photo of which is at the back of the Where’s My Joey? book). As I started to put some photos of Australia in it, the story just appeared (I call it downloaded) and I then had to figure out how to put each of the pictures and the dialogue into the story that I had in my mind and heart. 

I felt this story had potential to be a book but it wasn't until 2019 when I was visiting my sister-in-law, Aurora Winter of Same Page Publishing, that she told me the steps to making a picture book and publishing it independently. Aurora has helped me with all the steps in the process of writing Where's My Joey? and that is why I have dedicated my first book to her. Due to my "downloading style," I didn't have any rewrites before the final proof.

Prior to this picture book, what was your publishing and writing background?
I have a Bachelor in Science (Specialist in Computer Science and Major in Mathematics) and a Master in Mathematics Education, in other words, I am more of a numbers rather than words person. I consider myself an "accidental author." I didn't set out with the goal of writing a children's book but I just got excited about a story that came to me. This is my first but not my last book. I am very excited about the next one I am working on this summer.

Other than getting your book published, what has excited you the most in being a published author?
I really love how being a children's book author has given me the opportunity to connect with some special people. In this past week, I had so much fun playing Where's My Joey? with a 6-year-old girl where we would take turns hiding a stuffed Joey and then with our stuffed Mamma Kangaroo have to look for him. I also love spontaneous giving the book away.

I love the whimsy of your front cover. How did you to find your illustrator? 
Thank you. I also LOVE the front cover and all the other illustrations of Roxana Antochi (now Chitanu) as well. She is currently working on her own children's book. I found her by reaching out to several illustrators that I found on various Internet sites. 

In the end, she was the one who really stood out with her artistic talent, her ability to communicate and her professionalism. I wrote all the text but Roxana had many suggestions for layout. I am so grateful to her because her work far exceeded what I was expecting. Her illustrations were the key component to Where’s My Joey? winning so many awards.

What has frustrated or surprised you the most in putting together this book? 

This book came with ease and flow so I didn't get frustrated as I was putting it together. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy the process to independently publish a book through Amazon's KDP was. It was so thrilling to get my first book delivered. 

Now, I am working on how to get the word out about the book. That is a whole other science. I am really happy with the sales, but there is still so much more for me to learn about reaching potential readers. The teacher in me prefers to use the word "stretch" rather than "frustration." My current stretch is there is so much that I can do at this stage of the book that I find that I have many things on the go at once on my computer instead of just finishing one thing at a time and finishing it. My current challenge is finding the time to do all that I want to do with this book. Can any other authors relate to this? :)

Marketing is always the biggest challenge for indie-authors. What type of promotions have you done for this book? 
With Aurora's guidance, I got a Featured New Release with Bookbub and I have done some advertising with them. I also have run some Goodreads giveaways. I am on Amazon Kindle Unlimited so I run a free eBook promo every 90 days. My next one will be from August 10th to 14th. I will run a Featured Release with Bookbub for this promo. I found that Freebooksy was a really worthy venue to advertise the free book.

I just started a social media blitz of pictures of Mamma Kangaroo searching for Joey. I'm inviting kids (of all ages) to send photos of Joey with the hashtag #WheresMyJoey to help her find him.

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given that you’d like to share?
Keep your audience in mind. Where’s My Joey? has some challenging words in the book (specifically echidna, quokka and emu) but, as an educator, I feel it is good to stretch children especially when an adult is there to support them in their learning. I have a page on my website that gives more information about Joey's friends including how to pronounce their names.

What other works do you have in the process?
I have written my second children's picture book. It is about the power of choosing love and not fear. I am in the process of searching for an illustrator.

I'd also like to add that Where’s My Joey? has a coloring book to accompany it.  The book has just been released in Italian and Spanish, French and German and should be out before the end of this summer.

What message would you like parents and children to take away from your books?
SPOILER ALERT: My hope for the reader is that the message of "the important answers are within us" reaches into their hearts.

I've dressed up in my kangaroo costume and have had a lot of fun reading the story to school children. "Mamma Kangaroo" has often asked after reading to school children, "What in life do we look for outside ourselves and in the end, we have to first find it within ourselves?" She has gotten many answers such as:

* Glasses when they are really on your head.
* Cellphone when it is in your bag.

As well as some deeper insights such as:
* Where does happiness need to start?
* How can we love another person if we don't love ourselves first?
* We have to be peaceful within if we want to be creating a peaceful world.

What future plans do you have for writing?
I am independently published and if a story "comes to me" I will continue to author more children's books. My book was only published this year so I am very new to being an author. I would like to reach as many readers as possible so I am open to working with a publishing company if it will help reach that end.

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to buy this book or learn about her upcoming books, here are some links to get you started.

Email: wendymonicawinter@gmail.com
Website: https://www.wendymonicawinter.com/
Amazon Link: www.amazon.com/Wheres-My-Joey-Heartwarming-Children/dp/1777378907

Indie-Publishing for Picture Books: Author Interview with Ben Wilder

What inspired you to write Big and Small, God Made Them All?
I tell you what, it was a long time coming because I actually had the title in mind years ago. But to go back to my childhood for a second, I've grown up with a love for the outdoors, for animals, the ocean, and nature in general. This environment we get to live in always astounded me, and as an adult now, it still does. So as is the case with any good art, whether it's music, paintings, drawings, literature, it points back to a talented and creative artist. That's what this book is about. The inspiration is the trees, the animals, the ocean, the wild nature that God designed, and it's pretty amazing!

When did you actually start writing your book?
I started writing this book in late summer 2015.

How long did it take to write your first draft?
It's a short book, but I'd say over the course of a couple weeks I had a good first draft going.

Who encouraged you along the way?
I didn't tell a lot of people about what I was up to specifically, but my family knew, so they were very encouraging. As the book progressed, a few close friends were cheering me on as well.

Prior to this picture book, what was your publishing and writing background?
My writing experience  is in television, actually. I started as a production assistant at CMT in 2006 and by the end of my time there I was an associate producer and writing scripts for a few of the highest rated shows on the network. I have always enjoyed writing in it's different forms, but this my first experience in the literary world.

Are you active with any children’s writers groups?
Not at the moment.

The publishing company, Driftwood Tree Press is your imprint, correct? What made you decide to start your own publishing company?
Yes, this is my imprint. The decision to start this publishing company came after hearing advice from people with more expertise than I have, and doing research about the best way to go when an author is self-publishing. The entire process was new to me, so I simply went with what most indie-publishers were doing, and trusting the advice I received.

Did you do your own formatting or did you hire someone?
I knew I needed a team of experts to help this book become a reality, so I hired a designer to come on board for the formatting, page layout, cover and back cover layout, etc.

What was that process like?
It was fun "drafting" a dream team for this project. I ended up hiring an illustrator, editor, and designer. I researched quite a bit for each. I came across a website (Reedsy.com) which is where I found my editor, and indirectly my designer. There's an gigantic world of talented people out there, so it can take some time to find the folks you like, but Reedsy definitely helped, and various professional websites with reviews, portfolios, etc were great to browse through.

Did you send your manuscripts out to other publishers or agents prior to that?
I was in touch with two other publishing companies that had imprints designed for new authors but just didn't feel comfortable going that route, so I decided to indie-publish. I wanted to have more control than I felt like those companies would allow.

I love the whimsy of your front cover. How did you go about finding an illustrator?
Childrensillustrators.com has a huge list of illustrators and after looking through quite a few portfolios, I still wasn't sure I found a match. I researched other sites, other artists, and traded emails with a few artists. But then going back to childrensillustrators.com I came across Laura Watson and that was all she wrote. I knew she was the exact artist I wanted.

What did you look for in an illustrator?
Detail. I wanted a strong attention to detail and the more portfolios I browsed, it really came down to the eyes. What I learned is that a lot of personality can be shown through the eyes of the characters or things being illustrated. Some artists had great illustrations, very talented people out there, for sure, but all the eyes in their creations were the same. In Laura's work, you can almost eliminate everything but the eyes and still know exactly what the emotion of the character is. 

To me, that was huge. For this book, I wanted each animal, whether it was a scary one (like an alligator) or a friendly one (penguin, or elephant, etc), to come across as kind and happy, showing lots of personality. They had to be somewhat realistic, but extremely cute.

Did she work strictly from your text or do you give her suggestions of how you want the story to be done?
The book text definitely lends itself to pretty specific images so I didn't give Laura many notes beyond that at first. I wanted her to have freedom to create without restrictions.

What made Laura Watson the right fit for you?
Her art was the perfect balance of whimsical, yet realistic, full of personality, cute, detailed, artistic without being abstract, and again... the eyes!

How many changes had to be made before you chose the illustrations you wanted? 

Not many changes in the illustrations. i think we went through a few rounds of revisions, but I'd say half of the artwork was approved on the first rough sketches I saw. We spent more time on the cover than any other illustration, because we knew how important it was to have a great cover.

What has frustrated you the most in putting together this book?
I think it was the "not knowing." As a first time author, and indie-publishing, there was (and is) so much I didn't know from book size, to types of paper, image bleed, when to publish, who to publish with, how many pages is ideal, color choices, etc. So many decisions to make!

What has pleasantly surprised you in the process?
Having a team that was as excited as I was to make the book. I know being hired as an artist, editor, or designer can be looked at as just another job, but they were so supportive, offering ideas and encouragement all along the way. It really was a dream team.

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?
I'm not sure I have a good answer to this. I think the most important thing for anyone who wants to take this step of publishing their first book is to take the first step. Whatever that first step is for them. I believe I learned what I was supposed to learn at the time I was supposed to learn it. I will say this, I wish I would have taken the leap sooner. I had the title in my head for many months, but didn't act on it, and I wish I would've done that sooner.

What type of promotions have you done for this book?
I'm trying a lot of things, but it mostly comes down to social media. The majority of sales so far have come from connections on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Other promotions I've done are giveaways on Goodreads and Facebook, a tie-in with a children's organization in Nicaragua, and a couple of posts on blogs designed for parents. The book was published fairly recently, so I still have a few ideas for promoting it the rest of this year. I'd like to have a few book signings, more giveaways, and things like that.

What promotions have been the most successful?
I did a giveaway on Facebook recently and it seems to have drummed up quite a bit of chatter. As far as creating the most buzz, it was the book trailer. I posted this weeks before the book was published and it definitely helped create excitement about the book. I highly recommend book trailers for a new book coming out!

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given that you’d like to share?
My editor shared with me a line that I won't soon forget. We were going over what parts of the book were strong and others that weren't strong, and she said about a particular line, it might be time to "kill your darlings." The phrase (from William Faulkner, I believe) resonated with me, and will help me even in the future as I write.

What other works do you have in the process?
I have the idea for my second children's book. I'm super excited to get started on it. It's very early in the process, but I'm hoping it will be as fun to create as this first book was.

What message would you like parents and children to take away from your books?
I love animals, so I'm guessing any theme in the books I create will come from that love. But going a little deeper than that, I hope that parents and children will become more curious about the things I write and that will lead them to do research on their own about whatever the subject is. Especially for this first book of mine. 

It's a story about animals, but really it's a story about God and his love for us. He created so many amazing things in the world and more importantly, he created mankind and lets us enjoy all the other things he made. Seeing the diversity in nature, the detail and the way animals each have their quirks, reminds me how big God is and yet, he's in the details. I'd love for anyone who reads this book, whether they agree that God created these things or not, to at the very least become curious enough to wonder.

What future plans do you have for the publishing company?

More books!

Any last words or tips?
To the readers and the buyers of my book, whether you know it or not, I am YOUR #1 fan. Keep reading... and thank you! For anyone thinking about taking a step of faith in any endeavor, do it. There may be some downs with the ups, but I doubt you'll regret it.

I like that. Thank you for the interview. If you would like to know more about Ben and buy this book, here's the way to get started.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JQpv10
Website: www.benjaminwilder.com

Helping Children Cope: Author Interview with Esther Adler

You’ve recently published your first two children’s picture books. One is called “Angry” and the other “Sad.”
Actually, three books now. I just published "Happy as well. This is the full list:

Angry: Helping Children Cope With Anger (link)
Sad : Helping Children Cope With Sadness (link)     
Happy: Helping Children Embrace Happiness (just published - link)
Jealous: Helping Children Cope With Jealousy (coming soon)

Who or what inspired you to write on these two topics?
As a practicing Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) specializing in children, I saw first-hand how children struggle with understanding and expressing their feelings. When I couldn’t find the type of book I was looking for on the market, I was inspired to write them myself.

These are part of the ColorFeeling series of books. What do you mean by that?Each book in the series focuses on a different feeling. To help children relate to abstract feelings, I found that it is helpful to associate a feeling with a color. Hence, “ColorFeeling” For example: Angry is red, Sad is blue, Happy is Yellow, and Jealous is Green.

Who helped you polish your story?
I am lucky to have several colleagues in the field that I can turn to for feedback. I also employ a professional editor. And special thanks to my children for all their constructive criticism and input. J

Are you active in any writing critique groups?
Not at this time.

Prior to writing this book, what was your publishing and writing background?This is my first series. I never envisioned myself as being an author. I work full-time and I’m a full time mom to 6 wonderful children. It’s interesting how life takes us down paths that we often do not anticipate. Life is full of wonderful surprises!

Who encouraged you along the way?My family and friends have been a big support.

The publishing company, Bright Awareness Publications is your company. What made you decide to start your own publishing company?  I had a specific vision for how I wanted my books to look (illustration wise) and traditional publishers generally control that (not the author).  It can take years to publish with a traditional publisher.  These days, traditional publishers provide very little marketing support for new authors. By creating my own publishing company, I can afford to spend money on marketing.

Did you send your manuscripts out to other publishers or agents prior to that?
No, for the reasons I stated above, it wasn’t necessary since I had already decided to start my own publishing company.

What are some of the promotions that you’ve done for the book that have been the most successful?My husband has been focusing on the marketing side of the business. (I can do it a lot, but I can’t do it all J.) We have been testing the waters with various marketing channels. However, it’s too early to tell which would be the most successful.

How did you go about finding an illustrator?I found one online. Her name is Shrutkirti Kaushal and she is a pleasure to work with.

What did you look for in an illustrator?For the ColorFeeling series, I looked for an illustrator that was able to draw vivid, uncluttered illustrations and animals expressing a full range of emotions. Based on the feedback I received, I am confident that we did actually find the perfect illustrator for this series.

Do they work strictly from your text or do you give them suggestions of how you want the story to be done?
Both. I provide the text and the overall scene for illustration, but I encourage Shrutkirti to offer suggestions and to be creative.

What has frustrated you the most in putting these books together? How much time it takes! People think that children books are easy to write because there is so little text, but every word has to be carefully considered to meet the desired objective. Since these books are also being used by educators and counselors in a classroom and/or therapeutic settings, I need to take that into consideration as well. Finally, illustrations take a lot of time since it’s an iterative process with a lot of back and forth between the illustrator and myself.

What has pleasantly surprised you in the process?The positive feedback I’ve been receiving from educators, parents and children. There is nothing more gratifying than to be pestered with, “When is the next book coming out already!”

What advice would you give someone who wants to write children’s stories?To keep it simple. In my books, I work with the illustrator to keep the illustrations as simple and vibrant as possible. I found that cluttered illustrations tend to distract children.

What is the writing best advice you’ve been given?To be open to constructive criticism and alternate perspectives.

How much time daily do you have for writing?I write mostly over the weekends. However, I have the books at the back of my mind all the time. Anytime I get an idea I jot it down.

What message would you like parents and children to take away from your books?For Parents: Children often struggle with expressing their feelings. Additionally, when a child does express their feelings, they don’t always identify the correct feeling that they are experiencing. Parents can help their child understand their feelings better by discussing their feelings with them in a loving, caring, and non-confrontational manner (the ColorFeeling books are ideal for this.)

For Children: Expressing thoughts and feelings can be difficult. Keep in mind that when you express yourself to someone who loves and cares about you, the end result is that almost always you WILL feel better. Your loved ones want to help you. Expressing yourself shows strength!

What future plans do you have for the publishing company?I am currently working on the next four books in the ColorFeeling series. I am also planning to publish additional therapy-related series. Stay tuned!

Is there any other tips about writing or publishing you’d like to add?Writing books is a lot of fun, but it takes a lot of time and effort.

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Esther and her writing, here are some options to follow-up.
http://www.amazon.com/Esther-Adler/e/B00IZTGB10

http://www.brightawareness.com

The worksheets from the books can be printed for free:

http://www.brightawareness.com/printables.html