Thursday, March 15, 2012

Banana Peelin' with Lori Degman

I love Cheerios and I love moms. Both are so different, but they share one unique quality...intuitive geniusness. 

How would Cheerios know that by unleashing Honey Nut Cheerios serendipitously the year before I was born they would produce a cereal that would bring so much joy to my little heart to this day?

Or, more relevant to this post, how genius was it for the same company to sponsor a children's book writing contest and include children's literature with their product, therefore accomplishing their goal to "nourish everyone by making lives healthier, easier and richer"?

Moms are great too, don't get me wrong. They have a long history of being intuitive geniuses. I know this because I have one and I am one. =) Also, I am sitting here to today, alive, surely not from the intuitive geniusness passed down from father to father, who may have sometimes (historically speaking), unintentionally, overlooked things like sharp scissors and permanent markers in the hands of little ones. =)

I digress.

The point I am trying to make is that both moms and Cheerios alike, know things. Like who is who in Children's Literature. To prove it, we are graced with today's Banana Peelin' author, Lori Degman who was not only chosen to be the recipient of the Gold Mom's Choice Award for Picture Book Humor, but she also won the 2008 Spoonfuls of Stories Contest. I feel so incredibly lucky to have Lori here today to share her own banana peel slips!

Please welcome, Lori Degman!


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Let me start by thanking Elizabeth for allowing me to contribute to Banana Peel  Thursday and to apologize for the stress my absentmindedness must have caused her! My most recent banana peel is occurring as we speak (as I type). I had emailed Elizabeth on January 12th, asking if I could do a Banana Peel Thursday post and she very kindly said yes. She scheduled me for February 16th and, on the 13th she emailed asking if I was still planning on posting. I apologized for forgetting about it and she sweetly asked if the second or third week in March would be better. I said either would be fine and she assigned me the 15h. At the end of February, she again emailed and asked me to send my post by March 11th. I apologized again and optimistically said I would get it to her within a week! Then, tonight, she sent me a gentle reminder (sheʼs SO patient) that my post was to appear in three days! I emailed an apology (are you noticing a pattern here?) and swore Iʼd get it to her ASAP. So, here you have it - an unpolished gem of a post! I couldn't have created a better example of the thousands of banana peels Iʼve thrown in front of myself in the past 20 years!

I know, after I send this to Elizabeth, Iʼll think of a bunch (no pun intended) of awesome banana peel stories I could have told - oh well - such is life. I will, however, leave you with the most embarrassing slip I can think of at this moment. After you read it, youʼll be amazed I was brave enough to share it - I know I am!

In March, 2008, I sent out a manuscript to six large publishing houses - on the same day. I was sure at least one - maybe all - would be sending offers within a week - it was that good! When I returned from the post office, I read my story aloud, imagining the editorsʼ delight, when I noticed three typos in the first two stanzas!! When I finally calmed down (several hours later) I came up with a brilliant solution!

CAUTION - BANANA PEEL AHEAD!!

I knew just what to do - Iʼd write a new cover letter and resend the corrected manuscript. It should arrive just a day or two after the first and surely the editor would remember the original version I had sent - it was that good (despite the typos)! But wait . . . an ordinary cover letter would never do - Iʼd need to show them how extremely creative I am! Below is my “clever” cover letter. This takes guts, if I must say so myself! Gulp!

Dear Editor,

Title: Mia Culpa
Main Character: Me
Problem: I sent you the wrong, imperfect version of my manuscript.
Climax: I panic when I realize my mistake.
Resolution: Very understanding editor reads the attached, updated version and discards the original.
Lesson Learned: ALWAYS have someone proofread your manuscript before sending it out.
Main Characterʼs final line of dialogue: “Iʼm sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused!”

Sincerely,

I know youʼre dying to find out how many offers I received - Iʼll let you figure that out for yourselves :-)

Wow, I canʼt believe I just shared that story! I hope it helps you feel better about some of your own banana peel slips!!

Thanks again, Elizabeth for your graciousness and sorry for the added stress! Do I get to put the cool badge on my blog now?!

P.S.

I knew I'd think of another story - Elizabeth was nice enough to add it to my post after the fact. A few weeks ago, I was at a friend's house, waiting to do a talk at her library's Young Author Award Ceremony. Her 7-year old son brought me a piece of paper and asked me to write my name on it. I thought it was so sweet that he wanted my autograph - what a cutie! Of course, I said I'd be happy to. He handed me a pen and as I began to write, a shock shot all the way up my arm! It was a trick pen!! My friend was so sweet for not letting on that she knew I thought he wanted an autograph. It's a good friend who pretends not to notice when you slip on a banana peel!





Lori Degman is a teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students and lives in Vernon Hills with her husband, John. She has two sons, Sean, 25 and Brian, 22. Her first picture book, 1 Zany Zoo, was the winner of the 2008 Spoonfuls of Stories Contest and was released by Simon & Schuster in July, 2010 . It won the Gold Mom's Choice Award for Picture Book Humor in February, 2012. She is represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

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Blogosphere, Lori is so generous! (Doesn't she have just the kindest eyes?) She has agreed to not only give away one copy of her book, 1 Zany Zoo, but also a critique for a RHYMING picture manuscript!

If you are interested in receiving either of the following, please leave a comment indicating so below!

Results will be generated through Random.org ( I think I have reached the end of the Smelly Hat Contest Results Generator) and will be announced early next week, so please make sure to leave a comment before Sunday, March 18th!

Also, you should know that Lori has a wonderful blog to follow as well an author website where she offers detailed critiques for rhyming manuscripts so if you don't win, mosey on over to her site to check out all she has to offer!

P.S. Lori...The badge is all yours! Thanks SO, SO much for contributing your stories to the series! =)

48 comments:

  1. GAH! Sending something out with typos is my personal nightmare. I probably would have done the same thing, Lori! But the question is...do you feel better now that you've shown us your slip? :) I should think it would be a cleansing exercise!

    Thanks for another great post, Elizabeth. I'd love to be entered for the critique, but the chances of me having an ms complete any time soon are pretty grim...:)

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    1. Thanks for the nice comment! Oddly, I do feel better after admitting my goof-ups!

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  2. I forgot to add two things to my post - it's the story of my life!!

    1 - I forgot to mention I am one of the judges at Rate Your Story (http://rateyourstory.blogspot.com) where writers can have their stories rated - for FREE! You won't get a detailed critique but you will get valuable feedback. I encourage you to check it out!

    2 - If you decide to visit my blog, I have a series of posts entitled "Comedy of Errors", in which I tell about personal banana peel-type moments. You may want to read them, since you apparently enjoy reading about other people's mess-ups :-)

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  3. Great Banana Peels and thank you for being brave enough to share them, Lori! Thank you :)

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    1. Thanks, Heather! If I had started sooner and had more time to think about it, I may not have had the courage!

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  4. I am a typo-quin, I mean queen, so I SO appreciated your banana peels, Lori. And I know I would have come up with a wonderful solution like yours!

    Heading on over to read your "Comedy of Errors"!

    Thank you, once again, Elizabeth, and I too would love to be entered for the rhyming PB critique. :-)

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    1. typo-quin - cute!! Thanks for the nice comment!

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  5. Hi Lori, I read your story right out of the Cheerios box to my kids when it came out, they loved it & me too!!! Congratulations on winning and for receiving the Gold Mom's Choice Award!
    Thanks for sharing your Banana Peels with us and for the advice on proofreading!
    A few of mine went out too early as well. Not fun!
    I didn't know you were a judge at Rate Your Story?! I've submitted one recently :)
    Heather, I would love to be entered into the critique and book giveaway!! Great post today!

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    1. Thanks, Jennifer! It's still hard to believe that 2 million people have read my book from the Cheerios!

      They didn't assign your story to me - maybe next time!

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    2. Wow, that is an amazing amount of readers.
      Yes, maybe I'll be lucky enough to get you as my reviewer next submission :)

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  6. Thanks for sharing with us, Lori. It so nice to hear that even though we have sent out some imperfect submissions that we still stand a chance!
    I would love to be a part of the giveaway for the book and critique.

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    1. Thanks, Penny! When I look back at some of the earlier versions I've sent out, I want to hide in a closet!! If there's one thing I've learned in this business, you never know who's going to love your work so you have to keep sending it out until you find them!

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  7. Thanks, Elizabeth and Lori, for another great banana peel Thursday! It is so comforting to know we are not alone in our banana peel moments!

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    1. I love Elizabeth's idea of having us share our OOPS's! Thanks for telling me about it!

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  8. What a great post! It's nice to know that even "published authors" have made mistakes! ;) Thanks for the chance to win the book and critique.

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    1. Have you ever seen the list of famous authors who were rejected dozens of times? If not, here's a link to one of them:
      http://www.examiner.com/book-in-national/30-famous-authors-whose-works-were-rejected-repeatedly-and-sometimes-rudely-by-publishers

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  9. Thanks for your banana peel moment. The autograph one is just funny (and not too painful). Thank you for sharing the other, too! I'd have done something similar as well -perhaps not now but a few years ago. It's so grim when you realise there's an error in something you've sent off. Good luck with your other posts and I'd like to be part of the giveaway, too, please? Thanks, Clare.

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    1. Thanks, Juliet! There's nothing like the moment you realize you've sent off a bad manuscript!! I'm a maniacal proofreader now!

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  10. Thanks Lori and Elizabeth for another great banana peel reveal. Congratulations on the Gold Mom's Choice award.

    I'd love to be entered for the book/critique giveaway. I would like to highlight for others that Lori's website has some terrific feedback from very happy writers who have benefitted from her critique services.

    Not that I'm cyber-stalking you Lori - just stuck on a current MS!)

    Thanks!

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    1. Wow - thanks for the kind words, Cathy - and the plug!!

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  11. Dear Lori,

    It's "mea culpa," not "mia culpa."

    Love,

    Your English Professor Brother Who Took Latin From 7th Grade Through High School

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    1. Man!! I just checked the letter again to see if I just misspelled it in the post - no such luck!! It'd be pretty funny if it weren't so pathetic!! Leave it to a big brother to knock you down a few pegs :-)

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    2. I noticed the misspelled "Mea," but thought you were calling yourself, "Mia," Culpa to personify the word (as sort of a play on words)--and I thought it was so very clever. So there ya go! :)

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    3. Um, yea, that's exactly what I did! I'm amazed at my cleverness :-)

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  12. Thanks, Lori, for sharing your slippage.

    1 Zany Zoo . . . hilarious!
    Congrats on the Golden Mom's Choice!!

    Giveaway please . . . chance for an LG critique too . . . thanks for putting my name in the hat!

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  14. Fun, fun post! I just saw 1 Zany Zoo in the library recently and thought...what?! A contest winner! What a cool start!

    Stick me in the hat, friends!

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    1. Thanks, Carter! I get so excited when I see it in a library! What town do you live in?

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  15. Lori, if I would have received that second cover letter and updated manuscript, I would have signed you in heartbeat. I think that was a great attempt to fix the mistake. Thanks for sharing your banana peel and I would love to be entered into the giveaway contest!

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    1. Thanks, Eric - I accept! Did you see my brother's comment? I misspelled Mea - duh! Hopefully, whoever read it got a good laugh!

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  16. Thanks, Lori, for sharing your banana peel moments. I love 1 Zany Zoo!

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  17. What a great giveaway! Thanks for sharing your banana peel moments with us...why is it other's booboos make us feel better?! And thanks too for the chance to win the book and critique!

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    1. I guess it makes us feel like maybe our mistakes aren't as big a deal as we thought they were. Or, misery loves company?

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  18. Lori, thanks for the laughs! I loved your creative 2nd cover letter, and would love a rhyming PB critique.

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  19. Yes you do have kind eyes :) Thanks for sharing - I have done the same thing but wasn't as clever as you were Lori. I hope I win!!! I want my own copy of 1 Zany Zoo and a pb critique. I sure my 2nd graders will love your book. I'll even let them give you a critique and post the book review on my blog.:) Great blog Elizabeth!

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  20. Great post! For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of reading 1 Zany Zoo, track it down. It's good fun!

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    1. Thanks, Gregory!! Are you going to the LA conference this year? If so, we need to have a veggie lunch again!

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  21. Hi Ms. Degman, :)

    Your story of the 2nd query letter and sub made me smile, remembering how nerve-wracking subbing can be! :) I love the title of your zoo book, 1 Zany Zoo. Please add me to that filling-up hat for the chance to win a critique with you. Wishing you great success with all of your creative projects!

    :) Abigail

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    1. Thanks, Abigail - I wish you tons of success too!

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    1. I can laugh at it now - back then, I was so upset!

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  23. I've given you a blog award!

    http://quidforquill.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/saturday-status-awards-lucky-sevens-and-progress/

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  24. Hi Lori and Elizabeth! I'm a bit behind in reading blogs as you can see, but I laughed my bottom off at your cover letter. If I were your editor I would have made an offer hands-down. So clever!

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