Banana Peelin' with Tara Lazar

Happy Banana Peel Thursday! Wait a minute...it's still Wednesday! But I am having issues with Blogger. So Thursday it is. (It's Thursday somewhere, right?) If you missed Wednesday's post, it's down there, past this one.  It's me blabbing about Povember. And if you are asking, "What the heck is Povember?", well, you just need to scroll down to check it out!

Today's post is from the archives, from way back when, in... January.
But first, a WINNER! The winner of Janee Trasler's masterpiece, Caveman: A B.C. Story, is...

                                                              ROMELLE BROAS

You go Romelle! (Which really means, you go and send me your address right away so I can forward it to Janee! Yay!)

And now, let us revisit the post where the brain behind PiBoIdMo shared some of her most humbling experiences while writing for children! 

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Do I even need to introduce today's guest author? If you are involved in the online, children's writing community or perhaps have needed a 3AM boogeyman assassin, I highly doubt it.

Ladies and gents of  BaPeTh (AKA Banana Peel Thursdays)...may I present to you, the slips of PiBoIdMo's own Tara Lazar!

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Banana peels? I've got a bunch.

Some of you know that my debut picture book, THE MONSTORE, will be out with the Aladdin imprint of Simon & Schuster in 2013. Well, about six months before I signed the deal, I brought the manuscript to a conference to have a picture book consultant give me a critique. She read the story and then slowly, silently pushed it back across the table. Uh-oh. She called it "a practice manuscript" and recommended that I put it aside to work on something else--it was unsellable as-is. While I was extremely disappointed, after talking to this consultant for the next half-hour, I realized she was not the humorous-quirky type of picture book editor. She liked sweet and sentimental. Our styles didn't connect. I ignored her assessment and it's a good thing I did. So I call this slipping on a peel but landing on a bean bag chair. Remember that this industry is very subjective. Believe in your work.

I once began talking to an editor by telling him the name of his favorite book (I had researched him online). No hello, no pleasantries, just BOOK TITLE right in his face. Talk about stalkerish! No wonder he didn't talk to me for the rest of the conference.

I also made a total fool of myself while talking to an agent at another conference. I asked her a question and she leaned in, interested to engage in conversation, but her answer was terse. I had no follow-up question! My mind blanked. We stared at each other for an awkward moment. End of conversation.

I was convinced that the first thing I ever wrote would be published by the first editor who read it. I couldn't believe it when rejections piled up (and then toppled over). But I sent out a 1200-word manuscript about a homeless man with no child protagonist. DUH. Submitting too early happens to everyone. I just didn't think it would happen to ME. Wrong-o again.

I also submitted a middle grade novel to a first page session---and the attending agent requested the manuscript! I was so excited! But at the time, the manuscript wasn't done. It wasn't even near done. In fact, I was just two chapters into it. I missed out on a great opportunity by submitting something unfinished. At the time, I didn't know an agent won't work with you until something is completed, polished and ready-to-sell. Now I keep early work to myself.

And one of my biggest banana peels? Keeping my agent waiting for an answer. Ammi-Joan Paquette offered me representation in a phone call and I was excited, but I still had submissions out with four other agents. I knew to inform those agents, but I didn't know to give them a deadline to respond. So poor Joan is waiting for me, and poor me is waiting to hear from the other agents. Joan even sent me a message saying that she wanted me to be as enthusiastic about working with her as she was about working with me--and I was!!!!--but I didn't realize she was biting her nails waiting on me. ME?! You really want ME?! So I think I almost lost Joan due to my ignorance of how to deal with these things. And that would have been a tremendous FAIL because she is the BEST AGENT IN THE WORLD (for me).

I am sure there will be more banana peels. After all, my first book isn't even out yet! I haven't ventured into the world of book signings, school visits, appearances and the like. There is always some new mistake to make. But banana peels are great because you always learn from them. And if you're lucky, slipping on one means that someone nearby baked banana bread and you can nom on a slice.

Tara Lazar is a children’s book author, mother, foodie and boogeyman assassin (currently booked at 3am nightly).

Her first two picture books, The Monstore and I Thought This Was a Bear Book, will be published by Aladdin/Simon & Schuster in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Tara is represented by Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

Her last name rhymes with “bazaar”. She’s not Tara Laser-beam (although that would be awesome).

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Keeping early work to myself? Shnikies! I wish I had that advice a few months ago! WOOPS!


Thank you so much Tara for taking the time participate in this week's BPT.  I am so eternally grateful to have had you as a guest. You are wonderful. I know I am much wiser having read this as I am sure many other readers are. =)  I wish you the best of luck in any future banana peels you may encounter.

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! =)

Banana Peelin' with Tammi Sauer

Don't you ever just wish you could go back to the good ol' days when life was a little more simple?  When we didn't have to worry about things like traffic jams, computer malfunctions, too many choices on the shampoo aisle or tiny, wild children tugging at parents' heart's strings over wanting certain, eccentric pets?

What? Kids did that back then too? Nevermind. I guess the brilliant children's author, Tammi Sauer has discovered evidence from way back, when we all lived in caves and communicated by shifting our bushy unibrows up and down while shouting "Ooga!". Her new book, Me Want Pet!  offers some extremely rare, illustrated documentation of an actual cave boy wanting to bring inappropriate animals home to live as pets.


What's that? The same Tammi Sauer has also had some humbling/embarrassing experiences in her writing career? 

I'm impressed!

From cave boys to banana peels, let's give a big cave people welcome to the well rounded Tammi Sauer, today's Banana Peel Thursday guest author! (Ooga!)


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Banana Peels:

Whew. I’ve been in this business since 2003, so I have had a lot of banana peels. Let me just share three:

I drove over an hour to get to a school visit only to arrive and realize I was wearing mismatched shoes.

At my daughter’s basketball game, a lady recognized me from a newspaper article. She brought her son over to me and said, “Garrett, this lady is an AUTHOR!” I pretty much did a hair toss in front of my friends because it was cool for them to see me in my author groove. Then Garrett said, “Are you ROSEMARY WELLS?!” Uh, no.

The Oklahoma SCBWI RA is Anna Myers. Anna does countless things for our group, including having her good-spirited husband Johnny help out behind the scenes at every conference.  Our most recent one was held at the First Baptist Church in a small Oklahoma town. Prior to the start of the conference, Anna and I were visiting in the church parking lot when a pick-up truck pulled up next to us.  Glancing at the driver and assuming he is Johnny, I say, “Hey, handsome. Come join us.” Turns out the driver wasn’t Johnny. He was the minister.

And now I’m forever known as the person who tried to pick up the minister at the SCBWI Conference.

Bio:

Tammi Sauer has sold eleven picture books to a number of major publishing houses. In addition to winning numerous awards, her books have gone on to do great things. Cowboy Camp was developed into a musical by the Katy Visual & Performing Arts Center in Katy, Texas. Mostly Monsterly was selected for the 2012 Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories® program. And Chicken Dance was recently released in French which makes her feel extra fancy.

Tammi’s latest book is Me Want Pet!, illustrated by Bob Shea. OOGA!

Bawk and Roll, illustrated by Dan Santat, will be available at a bookstore, library, or barnyard near you on April 3, 2012.

www.tammisauer.com

Tammi’s Books:

Cowboy Camp (Sterling, 2005)

Chicken Dance (Sterling, 2009)

Mostly Monsterly (Simon & Schuster, 2010)

Mr. Duck Means Business (Simon & Schuster, 2010)

Me Want Pet! (Simon & Schuster, 2012)

Bawk and Roll (Sterling, 2012)

Oh, Nuts (Bloomsbury, 2012)

Princess in Training (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012)

The Twelve Days of Christmas in Oklahoma (Sterling, 2012)

Nugget and Fang (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013)

TBA!!!(TBA, 2014)

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 Did you notice a trend on Ms. Sauer's book list starting with Me Want Pet!? The year 2012 seems to be a pretty busy year for Tammi!  I am so grateful that she agreed to share her experiences on the Banana Peel Thursday series. 

This is just one of the stops she is making along her week-long blog tour. Please make sure to check out the other sites to learn more about the author and to enter to win her new book....Wait, what? Others are giving away her book, Me Want Pet?  Maybe I should too! 


BOOK GIVEAWAY....


Here is the deal. The thing that I have really liked about communicating with Tammi is that she has a great sense of humor. I have never seen or participated in so much cave man talk since buzz of her book began. 

So.... as a person that:

a) is fascinated with languages
b) loves to laugh

I am proposing that the person who creates the most humorous comment in reaction to Tammi's post in "cave man" language will win this wonderful new book!

(You can just devote a piece of your commentary for this purpose. Please indicate if you are interested in the book giveaway. Just post it below in the comment section by the end of Sunday, March 11th, PST.)

FINE PRINT: Contest results will be measured by a laugh-o-meter bought especially for this event. Know that objectivity is highly valued. Any complaints in regards to conduct or suspicions of foul play must  be directed to Lana Pinebane, official spokesperson for BPT.

Me Want Pet! Blog Tour

Monday, March 5th:       Literary Friendships

Tuesday, March 6th:      Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)

Wednesday, March 7th:  Random Thoughts

Thursday, March 8th:     Banana Peelin’ ...(That's me! Eeek! I mean, ooga!)

Friday: March 9th:         Jama’s Alphabet Soup 

Banana Peelin' with Ann Haywood Leal

I don't know about where you are, but where I live, the weather has been absolutely amazing. Yesterday, as I was riding my bike home from work, with the warm sun shining on my back, the cool air hitting my face, my half-filled insulated mug of coffee spilling onto the most inconvenient of places, I thought, what better a time to host a banana peelin' author who writes so beautifully, than this? 

Welcome Ann Haywood Leal!

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We all have ways to clear out the sticky literary cobwebs, and one of the ways that I “up” the sanity meter in my writing life, is by running.

I’m not trying to give anyone the impression that I’m some fabulous fitness goddess or anything.  In fact, I am so slow, passersby have told me to have a good “walk”.  But I’m sprinting, I want to tell them. 

I ran the New York Marathon one year in a torrential downpour.  It took over five hours, and I’m sure the elite runners had already showered, packed, and flown home to a faraway country by the time I finished.  Race volunteers passed out orange wedges and bananas along the route, and I was so slow, the wet ground was completely saturated with orange and banana peels (great segue, huh?!) from the runners before me.  I was slipping and sliding all over the place.

So I’m using this sad little metaphor to illustrate the fact that there really is no right way, and part of the fun of the process is in the slipping and the muddling.  At least it gives you something to laugh and cringe about later on with your friends, right?

I went to my first SCBWI conference way back when my youngest was still in a stroller.  It was at P.S. Number-Something-or-Other on the Upper West Side, and I schlepped the entire family along.  They went in search of hot chocolate and to play in the park, and I unwittingly went inside to make a fool of myself.

I’m pretty sure that the SCBWI office has a poster in their back room with my face on it.  It’s of the What Not to Do variety. 

I had my manuscript in tow, which I fully planned to hand deliver to some poor, unsuspecting editor or agent.  I actually approached an agent with my rambling, unintelligible story pitch.  She was gracious as she searched out an opening in the crowd and got away from me as quickly as possible.  The only thing that makes me feel a little better now, is that I remember her as being elderly, meaning she may no longer be with us, or she’s deep in the throes of dementia and has no recollection of me.  Or she’s in the old folks home, still doing imitations of me for her friends.

But the embarrassment didn’t end there.  Ahead of time, I had submitted a query letter for a panel.  I was thrilled when mine was chosen!  …Until I realized they were using it as an example of What Not to Do.  I had even included a bit about how my kids had liked my manuscript, so I knew that other kids would like it, too.  The crowd was roaring by the time they finished reading it. 

So here’s the good that came out of all of it.  First and fortunately, I hadn’t put my name on that sample query letter!  Second, I didn’t let all of the banana peels give me a concussion.  I joined SCBWI and learned how to write a good query letter. I kept going to conferences and became an SCBWI sponge.  I’m still slipping on the peels, but I’ve learned to look for the dry pavement in between!

--Ann Haywood Leal     

 

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Ann Haywood Leal comes from a long line of musicians, artists, and teachers.  Since she’s never been able to carry a tune, she was always given plenty of writing supplies and allowed to use the sharp scissors.  Eventually, she put those writing supplies to good use and wrote her middle-grade novels, ALSO KNOWN AS HARPER and A FINDERS-KEEPERS PLACE. 

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Ann now lives, writes and teaches elementary school in southeastern Connecticut.

           

ALSO KNOWN AS HARPER was chosen by the Chicago Public Library for their Best of the Best List of 2009-2010 and was an ABC Good Morning America Summer Reading Choice for 2009.  It is currently on the Arkansas Charlie May Simon Master List, the Iowa Children’s Choice Award Master List, and the South Carolina Book Award Master List.  

Thank you SO much Annie for sharing your banana peel experiences. I am so glad to hear you have not suffered a concussion as a result of those slips.  Thank you for the SCBWI sponge analogy and for the tip to not mark anything submitted for What Not To Do workshops with our names! =) I am so incredibly grateful for your contribution to this series! Thanks again.

Banana Peelin' with Iza Trapani

So, I just can't believe my luck. I have no idea how, but these gracious authors open my emails, read them, write me back, and then send me such lovely banana peely moments.

I love my "job" of being "Bananabeth".  This week's guest author is the talented author/illustrator Iza Trapani! I hope you enjoy her story as much as I have.

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This year marks the 20th anniversary of my first published book!  

How well I remember the day my agent called to tell me she had found a publisher. I jumped and whooped and ran around in circles like a crazed puppy and called everyone I knew, and then I raced into my  studio and stayed there for  the next five months, maniacally writing and rewriting, sketching and re-sketching, painting and repainting, pouring my love and sweat into the book. I wanted it to be perfect.

Dedicating it "to my friends and family," figuring that would cover everyone in case it was the only book I'd ever do, I sent the  finished art to my publisher. And then I waited, and waited some more. A year or so later, a printed hardcover copy arrived in my mailbox and I was overjoyed!

That whole year I had lived in a state of tingly anticipation, wondering how my book would turn out and how people would perceive it. While knowing I should be realistic, I couldn't help but entertain blissful thoughts of  rave reviews and major awards, of movie rights being sold... Hey, you never know.

Reality's icy hand pulled me out of my dreams. I was lucky to get two or three reviews from the major reviewers. None of them bashed my book, but they didn't glorify it either. And I did not win the Caldecott, nor any award for that matter.

Nonetheless, my first book had a nice long run of fourteen years in print with my main publisher, and is still available through the Scholastic Book Club. And, in all those years I've had the joy of reading my book to children at  countless school visits and story times, and getting letters from fans, both young and old telling me how much they enjoyed it. And I've had the joy of meeting my fans at numerous festivals and conferences and inscribing the book to little readers all over the country.

Good reviews and awards are a nice tap on the back. It feels wonderful to get them They are great to use for promotion. But we have to remember that a review is basically one person's opinion. More important is how the book is perceived by our readers at large:  children, parents, early educators.

I was lucky twenty years ago in finding a niche in the market with my nursery rhyme extensions. They have been very popular in schools and I've had wonderful, positive feedback both from my readership and  from most reviewers.

  

I say most, because there was one major review group that used to give me some pretty rotten write ups. It felt like a kick in the gut. Luckily, after a few books they stopped reviewing me altogether because I was so useless and such a waste of their time ( I know, I know, you're smelling sour grapes. I can't help it. It's my babies we're talking about.)

Here's some things they said about my books:"rhymes are uneven at best," "not worth a second look," "saccharine," "predictable," "preachy didacticism."

Ouch.

Worst of all their reviews were posted on Amazon for everyone to see: THIS AUTHOR SUCKS!

They didn't say that, of course. They were much more eloquent in their denigration , choosing words that would sting and bite and crush. Words I would never forget. Saccharine. Why couldn't they see that my books were created with love?

But their reviews proved to be a good thing. They prompted one anonymous reader to write this:

"Who are the grumps at (The Mean Reviewer) who never like any of Iza Trapani's work??? How could you not like this incredibly imaginative story and the lovely illustrations that go with it??? My daughter and I adore the three Trapani books we have (this one, Itsy Bitsy Spider and I'm a Little Teapot) and I am online now to order everything I can find by this masterful storyteller and artist. Maybe if the people at (The Mean Reviewer) spent  a little more time reading Trapani books, they wouldn't be so grumpy!"

Wow, was I vindicated!

Now here's a sneak preview of my new book coming out on April 1, 2012 , and that's no April Fool's joke!

A short book trailer.

You might also enjoy this "banana peel" post about my terrifying first school visit and a sweet little boy who saved the day:  The Mayor

Thank you, Elizabeth, for featuring me on your wonderful site! It's such a great idea!

If anyone has a question or comment, I'd love to talk to you!

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Thank you so much Iza for contributing to the Banana Peel Thursday series.

You are so lovely and so are your books. I really would like to meet that nasty group of reviewers in a dark alley, or just watch them slip on a few banana peels! Hmph!

Best of luck to you with your April book release. Can't wait to read it!

Banana Peelin' with Natasha Yim

Icing on this writer's cake is Thursday's Banana Peelin' author, the wonderful, Natasha Yim!
After reading this, I have to wonder, is there anything this woman can't do? Persistence must be her middle name.

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ON REJECTIONS—AND OTHER LITERARY DISASTERS

By Natasha Yim


We’ve all heard those success stories, right? The ones where debut authors wrote their 300 page novels in 6 weeks, sent their manuscripts to the first agent they found in the Writer’s Market, got a response in two days, and an offer for acquisition a week later. The stories that make you want to gag, cry, rip your hair out in frustration as you continue to labor over Chapter Three in a novel that’s taken 5 years out of your life. And if that success story belonged to a friend, you battle the demons of ambivalence as you graciously congratulate your friend and wish her the best of luck, while behind closed doors, you scream, “Why couldn’t it have been me???” at the writing Gods for all the literary injustice that you—and only you—have suffered.

Well, I’m here to tell you I’ve been there. And back. I’ve tumbled into the black hole of despair when it seemed like my writing was on the train to nowhere, and obsessively checked my email 20 times a day in the hopes that today was the day I got a positive response from an editor or agent (waiting for the mailman is soooo last decade). But perseverance is the name of the game in this business, and all good things can come to those who wait.

Take my picture book, Goldy Luck and the Three Chans, for instance. It’s a multi-cultural twist on the Goldilock tale. I first began writing the story in 2005, and revised and re-revised it for over a year until I felt confident enough to send it out to 5 different publishers. A couple rejected me rather quickly, two others made me wait 3 months, and the 5th, Tricycle Press, I never heard back from. Finally, after 7 months, I wrote a letter of inquiry to the editor, and received a fairly quick response from another editor that Editor 1 had left the company, but had passed on my manuscript before she left. Editor 2 really liked it and wanted to take it to acquisitions. I was on Cloud 9. Somebody liked my work! She had some great editorial suggestions, and we made several rounds of revisions. We revised, we emailed back and forth, then...nothing. My emails went unanswered. No more communication. I panicked. Did my last revision suck? Did she hate it so much she couldn’t bear to tell me, and decided that if she just ignored me, I’d go away?

Then one day, while considering whether I should attend the Book Passage Children’s Writer’s Conference in Corte Madera, California, I noticed that Editor 2 was on the faculty list. That was it. I was going to the conference. I was going to find out what happened to my manuscript. I was going to hulk around in dark shadows and stalk this editor. As it turned out, I didn’t have to be the creepy writer trapping the hapless editor inside a bathroom stall while she made empty promises to get me a contract so she could escape back into the Land of the Living. Coincidentally, she sat at my table for lunch and we got to chatting about Goldy Luck. She was really nice...and warm...and generous. She spent an hour with me giving me line by line feedback, and invited me to re-submit to her when I was done with revisions. See, it pays to go to writers’ conferences. I was back on Cloud 9. Three months later, I sent her my revisions. Then...nothing. I emailed to ask if she had received my manuscript, and got a quick response from the publisher’s assistant. Editor 2 had also left the company. Crap. And Double Crap. All that work! All that time!

However, not to be deterred, I asked for the name of another editor. I emailed Editor 3. Had she heard about Goldy Luck? Tricycle Press was, after all, a small publishing house. Editor 3 wrote back. Yes, she had. She was at the acquisitions meeting when it was presented. And Editor 3 was interested. But nobody could find the manuscript, so could I send another copy?

To make a long story—well, not quite as long—Editor 3 and I worked on the manuscript for another year and a half, then in August 2010, I finally got the phone call every writer dreams about. I got to hear those beautiful words, “We want to publish your book!” By this time, Tricycle Press and it’s parent company, Ten Speed Press, had been purchased by Random House, so it was now an imprint of RH. Not only was I getting a contract, I was thrilled to say I was going to be published by Random House, one of the Big 6 publishers! How exciting was that!

Not exciting enough, the literary Gods decided. We’ll just throw a few more bumps her way so she’ll really appreciate what it takes to get published. A week after I signed my contract, RH decided to close down Tricycle Press. My path to publication suddenly stalled Big Time. Contract cancelled. End of story. Well, I could have let it end there. But I didn’t. Did I wallow in drink? Hemingway would have. Tennessee Williams would have. But I’m a teetotaler. So, I did what any sober writer in her right mind would do. I sent the manuscript back out. This time to my former editor at Charlesbridge Publishing who had published my first book, Otto’s Rainy Day. Editor 4. Charlesbridge doesn’t publish many folk or fairy tales, but the editor was intrigued by the multi-cultural angle.

Two months later, in March 2011, Editor 5 (Editor 4 had now become head honcho since I’ve worked with her so passed the story on to Editor 5), contacted me. She loved the story. More revisions. Another acquisitions meeting. Another stall. Now, it’s the Marketing Department. Folk and fairy tales aren’t usually Charlesbridge’s thing. Do they want to take Charlesbridge into a different realm? Oh, to be a fly on the wall of that discussion. In the end, they decided to table any decisions till the fall. Another 3 months of waiting!

Finally, in October 2011 (Oct. 5, at 8:05 am. to be specific—you tend to remember these things), my agent Karen Grencik (Red Fox Literary Agency) called and told me Charlesbridge wanted to publish the book! As of this writing, she is still negotiating the contract which we hope to finalize and have signed by the end of the month.

The moral of the story: Believe in yourself as a writer, believe in your story, and never give up. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Richard Bach, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” Enjoy the journey!

Natasha Yim is the author of Otto's Rainy Day (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2000), Cixi, The Dragon Empress (Goosebottom Books, 2011), and the upcoming Sacajawea of the Shoshone (Goosebottom Books, Oct. 2012) and Goldy Luck and the Three Chans (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2014). She has also been published in the children's magazines, "Highlights for Children", "Appleseeds", and "Faces", as well as in adult local and regional magazines and newspapers. Her ten-minute plays have been performed in venues around Northern California, Los Angeles, and at the Short+Sweet Ten Minute Theatre Festival in Sydney, Australia.

natashayim@natashayim.com
www.natashayim.com
www.natashayim.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/natashayim.author

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I am so thrilled to have had you on the series Natasha! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences.  Becoming a published writer appears not to be for the faint of ! (I think I need to start working out!)  Good luck to you and congrats on your new book deal! You Deserve it, and that's with a capital "D".

My Very Own Brain Burp...

Yeesh I'm tired. How about you?

Got a headache. My computer is just about to crash again and I just got to relive my brain burp. Yes. That's right. My brain burped very appropriately on the Katie Davis podcast show, Brain Burps About Books, and I have listened to my own personal disaster two whole times now because my husband wanted to listen... and then listen again. 

Now, am I eternally grateful to have been featured on Katie Davis's show with amazing authors and other figures in the children's literature world? Heck yes!

Would I take the opportunity to do a do-over in 1/8th of a second...you betcha!

What have I learned from this experience other than our fellow human beings are extremely giving and patient (aka Saint Katie Davis)?

Well, that I need to constantly have an idea of what I am trying to sell to the world...my books. In case you missed it, which you quite possibly could have if you coughed or took a potty break, it went something like this:

Saint Katie Davis: So what kind of books do you write?

Little Me: Uhhhh...ummm..I have like tons of manuscripts. Picture books, fiction and a couple non-fiction.  Uhhh...I also have a middle grade idea. Oh and I have business cards, etc, etc.

NEED I SUBJECT YOU TO MORE?

Next time, if I am ever asked about my writing again I shall whip up something like this....

FANTASY INTERVIEWER: So what kind of books do you write?

LITTLE FANTASY ME: Well, Mr. Duchovny (I did say this was a fantasy, right?), I would say that my manuscripts, which are mostly intended for picture books, could be described as bridge-theme books. In my writing, I seek to build bridges, between people divided, those who sit on one edge of a perspective, hoping to connect them with those who sit on the opposing end. Most tend to be centered around social justice issues, homelessness, poverty, gender and racial equality. Although, I have been known to dabble in writing terrifically witty, lyrical books about the struggles of young homo-sapiens, attempting to understand the complexities of  the planet they inhabit, otherwise known as Earth.

WARNING: END OF FANTASY, BACK TO REALITY

If you did miss it, you really should listen to the entire podcast because it is just filled with valuable information on how to promote your book. (You can listen to the episode by clicking here.) I learned SO much. In case you are wondering what NOT to do in an interview, you can listen to the podcast's grand finale guest, moi! (I am on right after Dan Santat!!! OMG!)

I don't know about you, but this week was extremely EXHAUSTING.

Besides doing things like calling poison control because my toddler decided to eat wall spackle for dessert, I have been involved in quite a few projects that make me feel writery.


1. Brain burpy podcast interview and participating in Katie Davis's blog tour, promoting her new book, How to Promote Your Children's Book: Tips, Tricks and Secrets to Creating a Bestseller

2. Finalizing two critique groups' details (including being assigned my new nickname, Bananabeth by Angela Dahle...love it!)

3. Contacting authors to beg them to share their banana peel slips...Anyone, Mr. Santat, Ms. Crum? (Cue pin drop sound effect)

4. Communicating with an amazing artist friend, Seth Ahonen (et al.) for the design of my very own blog banner...eeek!) Isn't his art beautiful?

(Check out his AugustEve store here!)

5. Contacting my dream non-fiction subject for possible interview (aka...running into amazing rock star in club's bathroom and asking her for an interview for children's PB biography...she agreed! Double eeek!)

6. Drawing a name from my smelly hat for the book giveaway...Come on down Penny Parker Klosterman! Woo hoo! (Thank all of you so much for promoting Banana Peel Thursdays.)

7. Submitted three stories to Rate  Your Story. This free site allows your work to be submitted and rated by published authors who volunteer for the good of the cause. Love this site. I can't believe it's free. Such a smart idea.

8. Preparing for this week's Banana Peel Thursday with Natasha Yim! You HAVE to read her encounters with banana peels. I learned SO much. Wow. She is a trooper and an inspiration. I can't wait to share her story.

After such a week, I am feeling slightly sentimental and just want to say thanks.

Thanks for reading this. Thanks for returning especially if you have listened to my squeaky-voiced, uninformative interview.

I have met an amazing community of writers over the past couple of months and am so grateful for your support and inspiration. =)

Make sure to stop back by tomorrow for Natasha Yim's amazing Banana Peel Thursday story!