Books for Little Hands

Picture Book Review of 'Mr Darcy'

2012-02-27T21:21:00.000+10:00

My Darcy is a delightful picture book written by Alex Field and illustrated by Peter Carnavas. It was published by New Frontier Publishing in 2011.

Mr Darcy is a rather reserved and gentle duck and he is used to being admired. After all, he does live on the edge of Permberley Park, and his extraordinary tall hat does make him look like a very distinguished duck.

One day, Mr Darcy receives an invitation to tea with Lizzy and her sisters. But Lizzy lives in a small, ordinary park. Maybe he's far too important to go?

Mr Darcy thinks it's best to avoid the situation and when asked by Lizzy, 'Will we see you for tea on Sunday?' He turns bright red and hurries away. He's in such a hurry to get away from this pressing engagement that Mr Darcy falls in an enormous puddle of mud.

'Do you need help?' his friends ask.
'No, thank you,' replied a polite Mr Darcy.

Deciding that it's better not to bother anybody, he stays shivering in the mud until he discovers that it's okay to let his friends know he needs some help.

Alex Field's great love of Jane Austen's Mr Darcy from 'Pride and Prejudice' inspired her to create Mr Darcy. Mr Darcy has all the great qualities of a gentle English aristocrat.

Peter Carnavas' recognisable illustrations have created a gorgeous new look for the well-loved and much admired Mr Darcy.

Click here to have a look at the updated New Frontier website.

Book Review Our Nest is Best!

2012-02-24T18:09:00.006+10:00

It's always so exciting to receive a parcel in the post, so when I received my first ever board book for review, I was thrilled! The first thing that struck me was the stunning cover. Many of the board books that I read to my children when they were younger, did not look like this.

Our Nest is Best! written by Penny Olsen with Penny O'Hara, was published by The National Library of Australia in February 2012.

Rocky and Rudy Robin, plan to build their own special nest. Before picking up there first piece of straw, they check out their friends' nests to see what nest is best.

Their first stop is at the Magpies nest.

'This nest is nice and large,' said Rocky. 'Strong, too.'
'Looks like a big pile of sticks to me,' whispered Ruby.
'Come on, let's keep going.'

They soon discover that the nests of owls, wrens, swallows and some other friends just don't seem to suit.

The author, Penny Olsen has written several bird books for grown-ups, including The National Library's Glimpses of Paradise and Brush with Birds.

Our Nest is Best! is a delightful new board book; rich in vocabulary, rich in detail and highly suitable for the 0+ market.

Illustrations are from The National Library of Australia collection.

Interview with Children's Author Karen Collum

2012-02-23T21:19:00.000+10:00

When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

I’ve wanted to be an author from the time I was a child and as a teenager. I remember placing ‘write a book’ at the top of my list of things I wanted to do in life. It wasn’t until I was in my early 30s and home with my small children, however, that my dream transitioned into a reality. I had tinkered with novels and picture books over the years but it wasn’t until I was a stay-at-home mum that I decided to go and take some courses and learn about the craft of writing.

What was your first book published?

SAMUEL’S KISSES was my debut book and was released in December 2010.

What was your road to publication like?

I submitted my first manuscript to a publisher when I was 34 weeks pregnant with my twins (my eldest son was 2 at the time) and amazingly enough, they accepted it within a matter of hours. I’d been attending workshops, devouring online ‘how-to’ sites, following industry and author blogs, and writing picture books for over twelve months by that stage, so although the ‘yes’ came rather quickly, there was a long process prior to that. Sadly, that publisher collapsed in the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 and my book never was published. However, that experience gave me the confidence to keep on submitting. I sent a different picture book manuscript to four or five publishers over the next year and in May 2009, SAMUEL’S KISSES was accepted by New Frontier Publishing.

Tell us about your other books.

I’ve written two other picture books – FISH DON’T NEED SNORKELS and WHEN I LOOK AT YOU: A book about feelings. Both of these are published by a small, Christian publisher in the UK and are designed for the Christian market. FISH DON’T NEED SNORKELS celebrates the uniqueness of animals and reinforces to young children that God made animals just right and he made them just right too. WHEN I LOOK AT YOU, is a therapeutic picture book designed to help parents and children explore feelings together. It focuses on what particular emotions look like from the outside in terms of posture, body language and facial expression and is aimed at assisting children develop a vocabulary to name and understand their feelings.

What attracted you to writing picture books?

I’ve always loved picture books. There is something so inherently powerful in the combination of illustrations and text; the end product is greater than the sum of individual parts. A beautifully crafted picture book is a case of 1+1=3 for me. That is, the text is magnificent by itself; the illustrations tell their own unique story, but when you combine them together you get something that is even more wonderful.

I was a primary school teacher for 7 years prior to having my children and I always used picture books in my classroom, even in upper primary. I love the honesty and authenticity of a good PB, along with the way it captures the essence of childhood. When it comes to picture books, it’s a case of what’s not to love, for me.

You created #pblitchat (an online resource for picture book authors) with author and friend Kathryn Apel. Can you tell us a little about it?

#pblitchat came out of our participation in existing Twitter chats such as #yalitchat and #kidlitchat and realising that there was nothing specific to picture books. Kat and I decided that we had the passion and at least some of the experience we needed to run the chats. We meet fortnightly on the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday of the month at 8pm QLD time and have a specific topic we discuss for the hour. It’s been such a great learning experience for me and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of a community of authors and illustrators and appreciators of picture books.

Do you plan your picture books and if so, how?

In the early days of my writing, I didn’t plan at all. I followed the muse and essence of the story and saw where it led. As my writing has evolved and I’ve learned more, I’ve realised that the shape and pacing of picture books is absolutely crucial. I’m gradually learning control over the craft of writing, and for me to do this most effectively requires quite extensive planning. I did a picture book seminar with Writers Digest and US literary agent, Mary Kole, last year and it totally transformed the way I write. Since then, I create a dummy picture book before I sit down to write and can see where the crucial moments in the story are going to happen. It helps me get the right shape to my story.

I’m also going back over some of my previous PBs and using the same process to identify why they’re not working. For example, I had a PB that I really loved but it just didn’t seem quite right. When I looked at the shape of the story I discovered I actually didn’t have a beginning that anchored the reader in the character and the problem. In another story I discovered I had a beginning and an end, but the tension in the middle was almost non-existent.

I’m quite logical and scientific by nature so planning is something that appeals to me in most aspects of life and it’s no different in my writing. I know many successful authors who don’t plan – they instinctively know how the story should go – but for me it definitely helps and is something I have embraced.

Where do you see the future of picture books?

I know there’s a lot of speculation about whether picture books will exist in 20 years’ time because of the surge of e-books and apps, but I must say I’m quite optimistic about the future of picture books. Yes, there is a place of e-books and apps and other fancy ways of reading, but ultimately, in my mind, there is nothing that will replace the experience of cuddling up with my kids and reading a physical book with them.

What would your dream writing area look like?

Not like my real one! I’d love to have a small space that was quiet, had a beautiful view and was decorated with quotes and pictures that I find inspiring. I quite like the idea of a yurt.

When and where do you write?

I have a desk set up in the corner of our second lounge room (which also operates as a toy room). It’s central, I can keep an eye on the kids as I’m writing and I can pop onto the computer while dinner is cooking. I try and get up early in the morning to write before the kids get up, but the demands of parenting four kids under seven mean that doesn’t always happen. I used to work late at night – and the temptation is still there – but if my brain gets too creative then I can’t sleep and I struggle to get up with the kids the next morning. Early bedtimes are now a must in my house (for me as well as the kids!) and I’m hoping that soon I’ll get back into the rhythm of getting up early to write most days.

Recently you did an online school visit via Skype. What was this experience like?

It was fantastic! I visited my nephew’s school in Birmingham, Alabama in the US and got to speak with about 230 students. I was amazed at how dynamic Skype was and how I could still get a feel of whether the students were with me or not. It wouldn’t be ideal for running a workshop-style visit, but for an out-and-out author visit where the kids ask questions and I talk about my writing process, it was fantastic...except for having to be up and in my dressy, author clothes at 2am!

What do you think is the hardest part about writing a picture book?

The pacing! I have no trouble coming up with a good character and a cute/interesting/funny plot, but combining those two elements into a picture book that has shape and tension is another thing altogether. There are so few words in picture books that the control you need over your writing is actually quite intense. I’ve just finished a picture book that I first wrote in September 2009. It’s been through thirteen complete rewrites to get it to where it is now and I finally think it might be right. I hope!

What's new?

In December last year I had something wonderful happen – I signed with a literary agent! I’m now represented by Anjanette Morton of Rick Raftos Management. I firmly believe that having a good agent on my side will improve my writing and my sales so I’m very excited that Anj wanted to take me on. We haven’t got any book news that I can reveal as yet, but stay tuned :)

What advice would you give aspiring picture book writers?

Read a lot, write a lot and invest time, energy and money into learning about the craft. When I decided to take writing seriously five years ago I committed the next few years to doing my ‘apprenticeship’. In hindsight, that was a great approach to take as I quickly discovered you need to have a teachable heart in this business; there are many disappointments and rejections along the way. And now, this far into my writing journey, I’m more committed to learning than ever and try not to be in too much of a hurry. This is a lifelong journey that is a marathon, not a sprint. The funny thing is that the more I learn, the more I realise how much I still DON’T know!

Interview with Children's Author and Illustrator Michael Salmon

2012-02-18T22:59:00.041+10:00

I'm delighted to welcome one of Australia's favourite children's authors and illustrators, Michael Salmon, to Books for Little Hands.

You started your career entertaining children in a marionette troupe called, The Tintookies. What was this experience like?

Fantastic, it was a quickly served apprenticeship into the enchanting world of children's professional entertainment. Engaged originally as a stage manager, I then spent several years as a set designer then became the Company's Artistic Director (1968 - 1976).

When did you make the transition into writing and illustrating children's books?

It was a very amateur, self-published book that started it all back in 1972. 'The Monster that ate Canberra' was released out and tickled funny-bones in the ACT. The monster himself, 'Alexander Bunyip', was indeed the Public Service thinly veiled, couched in a children's book format (vague social commentary).

How many books have you written?

162

What's your secret to writing interesting book characters?

Humour, eccentricity ... sometimes a tad 'surreal'.

Also the fact that I'm visually creating them as well.

What inspired you to write and develop your most popular children's character Alexander Bunyip?

'Alexander lived in Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, our National Capital ... a perfect billabong hideaway. He feasted daily on the iconic Australian buildings and structures by the lakeside ...'

It was a commentary re living in the ACT at that time: The Public Service devoured ALL...
Please also refer to Q2.

Congratulations on the unveiling of The Alexander Bunyip Statue created by Ann Ross in Canberra. Can you tell us about it?

The Gungahlin Community Council proposed the idea to the ACT Government in 2009.

It was seen as a tribute to the book in its role of aiding 'young Canberrians' to read over the last four decades.

It was their very own 'Canberra Book'.

It had popular local support and won approval.

The commission was awarded to Anne Ross (Melbourne).

She did a brilliant job: $175,000 budget and 500kg of bronze.

Unveiled by Chief Minister Jon Stanhope in April 2011, it stands in the Town Park, directly outside both the new Public Library and new Secondary College.

The buildings at the back of the Bunyip statue light up at night!

What are some of the biggest highlights of your career?

*40 years of visiting Australian schools (talking to and cartooning for: over a million and a quarter students).

*Having the 'Alexander Bunyip Show' on afternoon, National ABC-TV for a decade.

*Forthcoming involvement with The National Library of Australia, presenting cartooning 'History shows' there this June ... to ACT School Students.

*Show content will be based on the artifacts, papers and maps on exhibition in 'The Treasures Gallery'

You've visited more than 5000 schools. How do you connect to children during visits and keep them entertained?

Fast cartooning, lots of lively chat, humorous stories and interaction with the student audience. I speak to all age groups at once, usually in audiences between 150-500 Students.

Tell us about your latest book, Bobo, My Superdog.

Bobo is a spoilt little 'White n' fluffy' woofer.... He's my dog! He appears to be a 'normal, suburban Pooch' however looks can be mistaken.... He's in fact a 'super dog' ...... constantly out there on 'BAD-GUY' duty!

But Bobo is always home for dinner!

I've noticed that you have an incredible collection of photography. When did your passion for photography begin?

I'm thoroughly enjoying my 'facebook experience'. I have my own page and eight of my characters have their own individual pages also. I post up interesting and 'odd' pics/photos that I find whilst voyaging around the 'IT Ocean'. I passed the 6000 mark a while ago! It's probably becoming an obsession.... It can join the queue!!!!

Biography: Michael Salmon 2012

Michael Salmon has been involved in graphics, children’s literature, TV and theatre since 1967. He started his career with surfing cartoons and exhibitions of his psychedelic art and then joined the famous marionette troupe ‘The Tintookies’ as a trainee set designer/stage manager in 1968 (The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust).

Since then, his work has been solely for young people both here in Australia and overseas. His many credits include his ‘Alexander Bunyip show’ (ABC TV 1978-88), pantomimes, fabric and varied merchandise designs, toy and board game invention and the writing and illustrating of 162 books for young readers.

Michael has extensively toured Australian schools over the past 40 years. His sessions are lots of fun, with lightning fast cartoons, caricatures, silly prizes and general encouragement for students to develop their own creativity.

Many of these school visits can be seen on his web site: www.michaelsalmon.com.au

Recent trips have been up to the Gulf of Carpentaria Savannah Schools and to the remote Aboriginal community schools on Cape York Peninsula as a guest of EDU QLD.

The Australian Government honoured his work in 2004 by printing a 32^nd Centenary, special edition of his first book ‘The Monster that ate Canberra’ as a commonwealth publication. Every Federal Politician received a copy!

The first official children's book that the Federal Government has ever produced!

In 2010 the ACT Government further recognised his work by commissioning a bronze statue of his first book character ‘Alexander Bunyip’. ‘Unveiled’ in April 2011, it stands next to the new Gungahlin Library in our Federal Capital.

Michael is also the Creator/Designer of ‘Buddy Bear’ for the Alannah and Madeline Foundation (Port Arthur 1996). The Foundation financially supports Children/Families who are victims of violence/violent crime. Currently they are running an anti-bullying campaign in TAS, VIC, and NSW Schools.

Interview with Children's Author/Illustrator Katherine Battersby

2012-02-14T11:45:00.003+10:00

When did you first know that you wanted to be a children's author and illustrator?

I have always scribbled word and images. As an internal kind of child it quickly became my way of processing the world, but I didn't always know I wanted to pursue it as a career. First I grew a bit taller and got a bit older. I finished school; started university worked a lot and travelled even more. At university I studied occupational therapy, specialising as a children's counsellor, and it was working with these incredible children that lead me back to my writing. I was drawn to children's literature as a place where reality could be explored alongside wonder and magic, and for about 5 years now I've been addicted to writing and illustrating for young people.

What inspired you to create your picture book character Squish?

As writers we're often told: 'write what you know'. I believe what is actually meant by this phrase is to 'write to your emotional truths', or write to the feelings you know and understand. Looking back on my childhood, Squish Rabbit certainly captures my emotional truths. I recall vividly what it was like to feel small in a big world. I remember feeling like I had important things to say in a world where big people got listened to first. I felt a lot like Squish, and still do at times (even as an adult!).

As to why he is a rabbit, well that's a whole other story. Firstly my dad was British, so I spent chunks of my childhood in England visiting relatives. Memories of my time over there are quite dreamlike, almost as if I was wandering through some kind of storybook. The countryside was lush and green and home to the kind of tangly forests where adventures where sure to happen, full of wild animals (like snow-white rabbits) unfamiliar to me. It's no wonder to me that as a writer and illustrator for children, when I need to escape to the storytelling part of my mind this is where I go - back down the rabbit hole. I also grew up in quite an extraordinary house that was built into the side of a hill. It was a bit like a human rabbit warren, so I think this has helped me to sympathise with rabbits!

Congratulations on the upcoming release of Squish 2 ( called, Brave Squish Rabbit). Can you please tell us about it?

It's another adventure about Squish's difficulties in being small. Squish finds that there are many big things to be fearful of, like storms and chickens and especially the dark. The dark is so big it's everywhere. But late one day his friend goes missing and Squish needs to confront his fears in order to help. And, if he's brave, he might just find something quite wonderful about the dark after all.

In true Squish style there is a carrot load of quirk, a good dose of cute and plenty of heart. A few favourite little friends from the first book may also make an appearance...

You were awarded the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship in 2010 for two years. What was this experience like?

Amazing - getting the phone call to say I'd been awarded one was definitely one of my most exciting writing days to date. It has really opened up a world of opportunities for me as a creator. In 2011 I got to do a huge trip to New York to meet my US agent, my wonderful publisher (Viking, Penguin) and attend one of the world's largest children's writing an illustrating conferences (the SCBWI Winter Conference). It was an incredible experience, and really boosted my confidence as an author. It has also allowed me to attend a few incredible Australian conferences. I have my final trip to London planned for next year to research a YA novel I'm writing - I can't wait!

How would you describe your writing and illustrating style?

It varies depending on the project, but there are certainly things I'm drawn to as a creator. I've long been interested in the tales of misfits - children who are often overlooked in life but have remarkable things inside of them. As a picture book writer I try to write cleanly and sparsely, letting the illustrations carry much of the story. In fact I like to think of each spread as a haiku, keeping the words very limited. Visually I love white space contrasted with bright (but limited) colours. I also love textured art - images that make you want to reach out and touch them. I tend to use a kind of digital collage - ink, watercolour, fabric, textiles and found objects all combined digitally.

I also write novels, which are obviously quite different. I'm drawn to adventures and coming of age tales and stories that are a little darker. I'd also love to create a graphic novel with more layered illustrations. All things I hope to explore more with time.

What's next?

That's a very good question, Renee! Like many writers, my creative mind is a bit manic and I have so many projects I want to be working on. There are a couple of picture books calling to me, one for the very young and one that is slightly more emotionally complex (for more mature readers). I'm just completing the edits on a middle-grade novel and also hoping to complete my first YA novel. Now if I can only eliminate the need for sleep, I'll be just fine...

Thank you Katherine for sharing your gorgeous picture book Squish Rabbit. You can read more about Katherine on her blog The Well Read Rabbit.

Writing Events to get excited about in 2012

2012-02-02T18:34:00.003+10:00

FEBRUARY

National Year of Reading Launch 14th February

Queensland Poetry Festival closes 22nd February

MARCH

Look! the art of Australian picture books today Brisbane closes 4th March

Somerset Celebration of Literature Gold Coast March 14th to 16th

APRIL

MAY

Children's Book Council Conference 'Multi Storied' Adelaide 17th - 19th May

JUNE

Voices on the Coast Youth Festival Sunshine Coast 2nd - 6th June

4th International SCBWI AUS and NZ Conference 29th June - 1st July

JULY

CYA Conference 2012 Brisbane AUS 6th July Hatchlings, 7th July Alligators

AUGUST

Bryon Bay Writers' Festival AUS 3rd - 5th August

Melbourne Writers Festival 23rd August - 2nd September

SEPTEMBER

Brisbane Writers Festival AUS 5th - 9th September

You're Invited to (12x12 in 2012) Picture Book Writing Challenge

2012-01-14T22:50:00.028+10:00

Dear Picture Book Author

You are invited to: Complete a picture book text each month during 2012. This is not a submission ready piece but a full first draft including beginning, middle, and end.

When: Each month from January 2012 to December 2012.

Where: Write Up My Life Blog courtesy of children's author Julie Hedlund.

Why: This is a fabulous opportunity for picture book writers to get their creative juices flowing, stay motivated, learn from guest blog posts, win prizes, connect to other writers, and write 12 picture book texts at the end of 12 months. What more could you want?

R.S.V.P: January 29, 2012. To be eligible for prizes you must have signed up by this date.

From: Julie Hedlund

I look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers

Renee Taprell (Books for Little Hands).

The 12x12 participant badge was kindly donated by the immensely talented illustrator Linda Silvestri.

Interview with Children's Author Bren MacDibble

2012-01-12T09:20:00.021+10:00

I'd like to welcome children's author, Bren MacDibble to Books for Little Hands.

Thank you so much for inviting me, Renee.

When did you first decide you wanted to become an author?

I think I first decided at high school. I spent my childhood telling stories (and outrageous lies) but at high school when I made a teacher cry with one of my English assignments (and not in despair this time) I was thrilled. I wrote a few more stories in which animals died painful deaths but they just made her look at me oddly. Then I left school early and went to work in a legal office and 40 hours a week of typing cured me of any desire to write anything for around 15 years until my kids were small and I was inspired by the books I read to them. I signed up to do a night class with Rose Inserra on children's fiction writing. That was back in 1999. So I've only been in training for just over a decade. Practically a noob!

What was your journey to publication like?

I'm still on it. I think most writers are. The journey to publication is constant. I want to be like Margaret Mahy and look back on a fine body of work and movies, but even Margaret Mahy is still on her journey to publication because she's still writing and, presumably, still looking for publishers (though it may be easier for her than most). I suspect I may be on a journey to publication until I die.

My first publication came after I did the course with Rose and sent a couple of educational fiction submissions out to Nelson ITP and had them accepted. I did another course with Australian College of Journalism and sent out another fiction submission to Blake Ed and had that accepted too. I kept on writing and Blake Ed kept snaffling them up. I submitted to other publishers both educational and trade but none liked my sense of humour as much as Blake did. At the moment, we're up to nine books together.

Early on, I started writing short science fiction for magazines and had a few publications in that area as well. I really am a bit of a quiet plodder on my continuing publishing journey.

A lot of writers get a novel or picture book published early in their career and then find out they're only as good as their next book, then their next. There's a lot of pressure in trade to keep that brand name out there. So starting out slowly may not have been my initial plan but it's not a bad one, in terms of learning about writing and the marketplace.

Can you please tell us about your most recent book?

There's No Such Thing! Was published last year by Blake Ed. It's for children of 6 ½ plus to read alone. It's about a boy that finds a tiny alien in his backyard and tries to tell his mother, but she is busy, he can't make her look up from what she is doing to actually see the alien. He decides to keep it but his teenage neighbour counsels him against it. The neighbour points out the very obvious flaws in its anatomy, like the fact that it blasts things when it is frightened. Then he helps to put out the garden shed. I adore the book because it has full colour illustrations by Rita Voutila. The illustrations are just amazing. Rita made that book come alive!

You've written many school readers. What are the pros and cons to writing for this market?

I love writing for this market. Blake Ed have some wonderful humorous fiction series for all ages. In "Gigglers" especially, I can just go mad with imagination. Blake take my mad story, form it into bite-sized chapters, pick out the words that children might have problems with and add them to the shiny illustrated glossary at the back, pick out the themes for classroom work and create lessons, then employ fantastic illustrators to create beautiful books. In short, they take my mad slice of fun and turn it into a wonderful book. It's a kind of publisher magic.

Educational publishers have a concept and marketing strategy all planned out before they even find a writer so writers have less input into the process and there is no expectation to assist with the marketing. For people who don't like the style of a series, or who are trying to get exposure etc, these may be cons but for me, when it comes to Blake Ed Gigglers and Sparklers these are pros. The books look good, sell well and in multiple ways, and leave me free to pursue other things.

When and where do you find you're most inspired to write?

Writing is easy. Life is hard. It's constantly interrupting the story in my head!

I'm more inspired to write when creating something new: the initial creation of a work, exploring it, telling myself the story, entertaining myself, is great fun... but when I have to evaluate it critically it becomes work. Sadly it takes more writing time to do the editing and rewriting than anything else.

Rewriting is okay when you know you're on the right path, but sometimes finding that path can be an excruciating process. I can write anywhere. I can balance a laptop on nearly anything and hammer away on it. If you ever go on a writing retreat with me, you'll often find me on the floor with my feet on the chair, still tapping away on the keyboard. Ergonomics are for writers who are not hopelessly trapped in "the zone".

Congratulations for being selected for The QWC/Allen & Unwin Manuscript Program. Can you tell us about this experience?

It was a little scary and a whole lot of fun. Editors at Allen & Unwin picked out eight children's chapter book manuscripts from the QWC-organised development program and the writers of those manuscripts got together at QWC offices, with QWC staff, Erica Wagner and Sarah Brenan from Allen & Unwin, and Sally Rippin and Pippa Mason, for a long weekend of getting to know each other, talking about writing, editing, the marketplace and publishing and getting individual feedback on our manuscripts. Of course a weekend is never long enough for writers to get together and talk about writing but we managed. Erica and Sarah really took the time, with Sally (who's been published by Allen & Unwin) and Pippa (agent), to make sure we all understood their processes and how Allen & Unwin work. It was a little bit of writer TLC and we all need that!

I'm very excited to have ordered your book, Become a Children's Writer. What are the most important things to keep in mind when writing for children?

I think the most important thing is keeping a sense of fun and whimsy and surprising kids with twists or unusual situations. You also have to understand that kids are smart. Really smart. Write to entertain them, not to teach them morals, or because you think they're easier to write for than adults. That's just insincere and they'll sniff that out real quick.

What's next?

Well mostly that's up to the publishers. That's the name of the publishing game. My middle grade novel from the development program is back to Allen & Unwin for further consideration soon. I'm also putting together an ePicture book with my 17 year old niece who is a talented artist, we will probably self-ePublish that one as it is a little too odd to fit into mainstream publishing. And once that's done, I'm turning my attention back to some nearly finished YA and middle grade novels, and trying to get some more short stories out to SF magazines.

The Australian Script Centre
The Other 'Other' Tale Of The Three Little Pigs

Tips for not giving up on your writing

2012-01-07T12:24:00.004+10:00

Picture Book Character 'Olivia' by Ian Falconer

The most useful quality you can have as a writer (given a basic amount of talent) is stubbornness, pig-headedness, call it what you will-the insistence against all the evidence that you will produce something worth reading. I'm not sure you can teach that.

I came across this quote in an interview with Phillip Pullman in The Writer's Handbook Guide to Writing for Children  written by Editor Barry Turner.

I've read many books on how to write for children but these few lines resonate with me the most. I wonder how many great writers gave up during the process? Really you could have all the talent in the world but if you're not willing to give it a go, you won't ever know.

The overwhelming disappointment that I felt after receiving a rejection letter in December, made me doubt my ability. It's taken me until now to realise that yes I was eventually rejected after 12 months of waiting, but I made it to the acquisition meeting. I didn't even know what the acquisition meeting was. I've since learnt that the editor would have prepared considerable work to take to the meeting and gone out on a limb for me. That's huge!  So, I've changed my perception on the whole rejection letter thing and found gratitude in a frustrating moment.

My 10 tips for not giving up are:

1. Look at how far you've come, not just how far you've got to go.
2. Pause and consider things from all points of view, (e.g timing, finances, etc).
3. Make a step by step plan.
4. Celebrate your milestones (big or small) and give yourself a pat on the back.
   Do something for you.
5. Visualise what it is that you want.
6. Surround yourself with positives and re divert any negative energy/thoughts.
7. Print out affirmations and stick them in your office, car, etc.
8. Remind yourself of why you even started in the first place.
9. Keep trying. What the worst that could happen?
10. Never give up on you.

Here's another inspirational quote for writers:

You must want to [write] enough. Enough to take all the rejections, enough to pay the price of disappointment and discouragement while you are learning. Like any other artist you must learn your craft—then you can add all the genius you like.

Phyllis A. Whitney

Interview with Children's Author Catriona Hoy

2011-12-28T20:35:00.000+10:00

When did you first decide you wanted to be a children's author?

I think I always enjoyed writing and had dreams of being an author but I took a different path and ended up being a science teacher. After my first daughter was born and I had some time at home, I tried my hand at a few things but decided I really wasn't any good. By the time daughter number two came along, I decided to give it a more serious go.

What was your road to publication like?

A looooong road. I think that's what new writer's don't appreciate; they think that things will happen more quickly than they usually do. When I first began writing seriously, it was 2000. I wrote a few stories and gave them to a friend who was a primary teacher. She told me that most of my writing she'd seen before but that one story was worth working on. So I went with that one and sent it out to a few publishers. I made many of the mistakes that first time writers do, even asking someone to do sample illustrations, which is a no no. My rejection letters were numerous. I paid for an assessment by the Victorian Writer's Centre which was quite positive. Finally, when I'd given up all hope, I had my first phone call from a publisher and nearly had a heart attack!

I thought perhaps that I would soon be published but that was not to be. The search for an illustrator took about a year; the illustrations took a couple of years. In the end, my first book ended up coming out after my second. So from start to finish, around six years. I learnt a lot about patience, met a lot of writers and learnt about networking. I even started to learn how to write as I think I started out with very little idea and a lot of luck.

What's the hardest part about writing a picture book?

Having a beginning a middle and an end. Sometimes I have great characters in my head but can't really see a plot for them, a change, an interesting story line...so they don't end up ever going anywhere. Other times I might have a great beginning but again, unless you can have everything happen in around 600 words, it's not a picture book. A picture book also has to have 'scenes' so I need to be able to see what could go on a page. It doesn't always turn out the way I envision it but if I can't see 16 very different scenes, how will an illustrator? I think another fundamental error by beginning writers is to write essentially a dialogue between two people without thinking about the visual aspects.

What's your secret to writing interesting book characters?

I have to like my characters. I can usually see them in my head, as they may be based on people I know. Most of my stories have been based on my own family or friends. Perhaps they are like able, rather than interesting.

Do you visit schools often, if so, what do you like about presenting to children?

I occasionally visit schools, particularly around ANZAC Day, however being a teacher, my time is somewhat limited to my day off. I'm lucky that in my job, I get to work with students all the time, although they're much more grown up. It's the sort of job that when you've done something well, you know you've made a difference to someone. Working with little children is different though as they are so full of interesting ideas and it's great to see how they think about the world and the way things work. It's often quite different to ways of thinking and viewing things that adults think are obvious.

What's next?

This year I have two books coming out. One is called 'The Little Dinosaur,' and is illustrated by Andrew Plant who also illustrated Puggle for me earlier. Again, that one is with Working Title Press. The other is a Helen Chamberlin book with Windy Hollow, called 'Where Are You, Isla Lu.' That one is being illustrated by Annie White who previously illustrated Mummies Are Amazing. I'm also concentrating on trying to meld my science teaching and writing together by operating a blog where I review picture books in terms of the ways in which they could be used as an introduction to science themes and inquiry learning. It's at www.littlestoriesbigscience.wordpress.com

After that who knows?

Interview with Children's Author Claire Saxby

2011-12-21T16:18:00.001+10:00

When did you first decide you wanted to become an author?

It was more about when I first decided to write really. I was doing a training program at school that was for parents as partners in the journey to literacy (so we could be trained helpers in the classroom) and at the end of it, the teacher running it, suggested I might like to investigate doing more. I think he was responding to my doing too much homework and wanting to go much further than the classes allowed! That was when my first son was in about Year 1 or Year 2 I think and now he's 24.

What was your journey to publication like?

Once I realised that it was children's writing that I really wanted to do, I did a 'Writing for Children' subject at TAFE. I submitted one of the chapter books I'd worked on in class to a small educational packager and they accepted it. (I'd submitted it to other educational publishers without success. About 6 months after that, it appeared. And I thought the reset was going to be easy. I also had a picture book accepted not long afterwards but the company ceased to exist just as the proofs were going to print. It was four years before another picture book was accepted. I did have many educational titles accepted in that time, including one that was accepted by one company, edited by another and published by a third (sequential takeovers)

Congratulations on receiving The Crystal Kite Award for 2011 for your picture book, There Was An Old Sailor. Did you come across any challenges writing in rhyme?

Thank you! It was lovely to win the Crystal Kite, a peer-voted award, with Old Sailor. It is to date, my only book with rhyme! Working in rhyme is like adding an extra layer to the construction of story. It was both really interesting to work with in the rhyme frame, and really challenging. Nothing else that I've worked in rhyme has (so far) worked as well as Old Sailor.

When and where are you most inspired to write?

Usually when I have least time! But I can't really afford to wait for inspiration, I have to seek it. This is a job for me and I try to keep workman hours. If I get stuck in one manuscript, I'll change to another. I tend to have several stories going at any time, in different stages. So if first draft isn't working on one, I'll move to edits on another.

I've noticed on your website that you've written many school readers. What do you enjoy about writing for this market/age group?

I have written quite a few school readers. When I started writing, they were a good place to start. Education publishers have clear briefs and short timelines - good 'exercise' for a writer. It's not so easy now to get work as a writer for Education publishers, but I still do a few.

Do you present to children and aspiring authors, if so, what do you focus on sharing?

Yes, I present to pre-schoolers, primary and secondary students and adults. Every group is different, so I tend to have a broad focus, unless a specific topic has been requested. For aspiring authors, I will have drafts and notes and editor's notes and the like to show. I'll talk about the magic of creating a story, and the challenges. I talk about the importance of reading in learning how to write well. And I tell them what a wonderful thing it is to see others enjoy your stories.

What's next?

I have two picture books in production and due for 2013 release. I have poems accepted by School Magazine that hopefully will appear in 2012. I have manuscripts being considered. I have many stories in draft form, and even more ideas scribbled on paper or in my diary. I'm looking forward to further sharing 'The Carrum Sailing Club' and 'There Was an Old Sailor' with readers of all ages!

Author Interviews for 2011 'Merry Christmas'

2011-12-14T19:53:00.001+10:00

Sally Rippin

Sally Odgers

Libby Gleeson

Peter Carnavas

Tania McCartney

Kerry Brown

Hazel Edwards

Aleesah Darlison

Corrine Fenton

Claire Saxby

Neridah McMullin

Interview with Award Winning Author/Illustrator Tohby Riddle

2011-12-14T19:38:00.000+10:00

When did you first decide you wanted to be an author/illustrator?

I don't recall ever deciding to be an author/illustrator. After art school, I just thought I'd try doing a picture book. Then after my first published book I went and studied architecture. While studying, a publisher asked if I had any more ideas so I did another book. Then every now and then I got another idea for a book - and I just wanted to see how each idea would turn out and so I did more books. So it kind of organically developed into some kind of vocation - which I now do full-time!

Where do you write/illustrate?

In an attic space in our little miner's cottage. With kids and family, you work wherever you can, I guess.

What do you believe is a must for every picture book?

These things come to mind: a well-realised reality; humour, as opposed to humourlessness; a fine-tuned quality of sentiment; musicality and good design.

How do you develop your ideas?

By thinking about them in many different ways to test their soundness and develop their dimensionality.

Congratulations on receiving the2011 CBCA Book Year award for your picture book My Uncle's Donkey. What inspired you to write this book?

It simply came out of making up a story to amuse my then three-year-old niece and her two cousins. I told them I had a donkey in my apartment and they laughed and asked all kinds of questions about what it did there. It seemed like a fun idea that could be developed into a book.

What has been a stand out moment for you?

Well, there have been a few, but most recently I really enjoyed being Illustrator-in-Residence at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2010. It was a very inspiring time.

I read that you will be presenting a Children's Author/Illustrator Workshop in NSW next year. What do you like to teach aspiring author/illustrators?

How to improve their thinking as a writer or artist. So long as there is reasonable technique, good work comes from good thinking.

What's next?

I'm just completing a new picture book called Unforgotten. It is 128 pages long and probably my most ambitious project to date. I'm exploring a lot of new territory with the art, writing and bookmaking. If all goes to plan, it'll be released by Allen & Unwin in September 2012.

Nancy Bentley The First Australian Female Sailor

2011-12-09T16:59:00.001+10:00

Nancy twirled and whirled, dancing to the music coming from the big ship in the harbour-begins this heart warming picture book, published by New Frontier Publishing (2011).

Written by Tracey Hawkins and illustrated by Jacqui Grantford, Nancy Bentley The First Australian Female Sailor, is based on the true story of six year old Nancy Bentley who was the first female inducted into the Royal Australian Navy in 1920. Nancy was born on 6 October 1914. She was the third eldest child of seven children born to Frank and Beatrice Bentley.

In 1920, the HMAS Sydney docked in Port Arthur Habour Tasmania, after routine fleet duties in the Pacific. While playing outside, Nancy was bitten by a venomous whip snake. Faced with the fact that Nancy would not survive the journey to the doctors in the nearby town, Frank Bentley rowed his daughter out to the ship to seek help.

At the time, the King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions didn't allow woman to be on board a naval ship. In order for Nancy to remain on board, she was officially enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy. Eight days later, Nancy was officially discharged from the navy because she was 'required by her parents'. Captain Cayley awarded Nancy the Good Conduct medal and another special gift-her very own sailor's uniform.

Hawkin's has retold Nancy's moving story with beautiful simplicity making it ideal for primary school children. Her previous published books include, Max meets a Monster and Lost in the Last Frontier.

Grantford's illustrations of watercolours, pen and ink, stunningly depict Australian family life in the 1920s. My favourite page is of Nancy peering through the railings of the ship as they head out to sea, just like a true sailor of the HMAS Sydney. The end pages include Nancy Bentley's biography, photo, and her Certificate of service.

Nancy Bentley The First Australian Female Sailor is a stunning addition to any library.

Interview with Award Winning Author Meg McKinlay

2011-11-22T17:06:00.005+10:00

Meg McKinlay is a Fremantle-based author. Her publications include picture books, illustrated chapter books, and novels for upper primary, all published by Walker Books Australia. In a past life, she was an academic, teaching subjects ranging from Australian Literature and Creative Writing to Japanese. Basically, she just enjoys pottering about with words.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

Would it be odd to say that I'm still not sure? I started writing for children because I was reading books to my daughter and had a story idea, rather than because I had decided I wanted to be a writer. Once I had one idea, I kept getting others, and the only way to quiet 'the voices' was to write them down. I guess I'll keep writing until I run out, which doesn't look like happening any time soon! I should add that I've always been a collector of fragments, jotting down interesting sentences and observations about bits and pieces. I never really saw those as the beginnings of anything though, not parts of 'story' as such, so wasn't really thinking they might make a writer of me one day.

What was your road to publication like?

A near miss on my very first submission (a picture book manuscript), which gave me a false sense of how the industry works ie "Write story, send it off to one publisher, who writes back with an editorial report and expressions of enthusiasm. Revise book and wait for launch date." That near miss (brought about by a 'change of direction' in the publisher's list, which I can only interpret in hindsight to have meant 'away from you'), was followed by years of submission and rejection, peppered with the occasional personal note and encouragement to keep going, send future work and so on. That kept me going long enough to eventually snag that first contract in 2006, with the newly opening Walker Books Australia.

Congratulations on being shortlisted for this years 'Young Readers Award' for your book
'Duck for a Day'. Can you please tell us about it?

Duck for a Day is the story of Abby and Noah, and of Max the duck who arrives in their class along with their new teacher, Mrs Melvino. Everyone wants to take Max home for a day, but a duck is no ordinary class pet and there are all sorts of demands that must be met before Mrs Melvino will part with him. Abby, who has never had a pet of her own, wants to be first. But so does scruffy Noah, who lives over the back fence with his chaotic family. And every day Mrs Melvino's demands become more ... demanding. Getting a duck for a day turns out to be harder than Abby had ever imagined. And when she does, things don't exactly go according to plan.

This is a story I'm personally very fond of, so it makes me very happy that it seems to be striking a chord with readers. People often ask me where I got the idea for the story and I think the very beginnings of Duck for a Day formed when I saw an interview with the cartoonist Michael Leunig, who draws lots of ducks. He was talking about how people are sometimes confused by his ducks, wanting to know what they’re about, and he said, “I thought everybody would understand what a duck is about, and it’s just ... there is the duck”.

That line stayed with me. It had a certain weight - the idea of “the duck” who was just “there” refusing to explain himself, but just being. A duck character began to form in my head, and one day the line “The duck was different. The duck had demands” came to me and I stopped in my tracks. Because I knew it was a line that had fallen out of a story, one that I was going to write. I had no idea what it was going to be about, other than that there would be a rather glorious and stubborn duck in it, but eventually other ideas came along and attached themselves to it and slowly, the story began to form.

When and where do you write?

All over the place and in whatever time is available. I was working in academia full time when my first novel, Annabel, Again, was published, but was feeling like it was time for a change. I now do very little teaching work but have taken on other arts-related jobs, which means I usually have perhaps 2-3 days a week of potential writing time, and that is often eroded by other responsibilities. I guess I seize whatever time is available, though when I have a day, I try to discipline myself to make the most of it. Otherwise, I guess I just squeeze it into the cracks of other things.

Location-wise, I'm very fortunate to have recently moved out of a cold, pokey, wall-facing corner into my own home-office, a north-facing, sunny (and warm!) room that looks out onto our native garden and its many lovely birds. I also often work at a kind of treadmill desk I've set up in a corner of another room and on a writing day I try to do at least a couple of hours there. This probably sounds very odd but it's a great antidote to the excessive sitting that is otherwise part and parcel of our work, and I find that moving also helps to shake ideas loose, which is handy.

What in your opinion determines a books success?

Of my own work, I would say the most successful for me on a creative level have been Duck for a Day and my recent novel Surface Tension. What that means for me is that I think those books leave the reader with the feeling I wanted them to have at the end of the book, which of course is not about the ending as such but rather the product of a whole range of things that go on in the narrative itself.

When I start writing, I never know how the story is going to end in terms of the plot, but what I do know is the feeling I want the reader to be left with. And I think I managed to do that in those books, so they feel successful to me on the most important level. For Duck for a Day to have also found success in the marketplace is very gratifying and I can only hope that Surface Tension will find its readers in the same way.

What do you like to read?

I'm drawn to lyrical, quiet books which have at their heart a concern with observations about life, the human condition, the way we relate to each other and the world. I love poetry and even in prose I want to read work that values the medium - the language - rather than simply constructing or advancing a story. I've heard some authors describe themselves as 'storytellers rather than writers'. That's not me. I generally don't care much about plot, or at least it isn't central for me as a reader. This causes all sorts of problems for my own writing. I'll happily write a whole book simply because I've fallen in love with a particular sentence or an idea and the story or plot becomes a rather elaborate scaffolding for that one thing. Likewise when I'm reading, as long as there's one compelling image or observation I can take away with me, I'm not concerned if nothing much happens plot-wise.

How do you develop your ideas?

"Develop" is far too orderly a word for the way I go about things! And mostly I don't start with an idea as such. An image will take hold of me, or a line of prose that sounds interesting, or I'll 'hear' the voice of a character saying something that sounds intriguing. All of those bits get thrown into a massive file I call 'slush' and they bump around in there until eventually something pushes its way to the front, begins to look more like part of a narrative, rather than just an isolated fragment. I find that often what seem to be disparate fragments end up fitting together and that's where a story starts.

Once I think I might have the beginnings of a story, I start a document for that project and I guess I think more actively about that idea from that point. I spend a lot of time throwing bits and pieces that seem like they might go into that story into the document and then when I have a mess that looks like it might have the elements I need hidden in there somewhere, I start trying to shape things in a somewhat more focused way. I'm emphatically not a planner, though. I tend to just dive in and try and work things out as I go. I've tried outlining/planning and find it impossible. I have no idea how to work out what a story needs to do without being in the middle of it. I used to get frustrated with myself for not being more organised (I do a lot of rewriting!), but I've come to accept that this is just my process, even if it feels nothing at all like process and everything like chaos.

What has been the biggest highlight of your career?

I'm not sure. I struggled with this question for a while and realised it was because of the word 'career'. I don't think of what I'm doing in terms of 'career' and I think a word like that leads me to think about more tangible outcomes than really matter to me - sales, industry recognition, that sort of thing. Those things do matter, of course, but I wouldn't want them to sit at the centre of things.

I think really my highlights have been things like finding what felt like the absolute right final line for Duck for a Day, or managing to wrestle Surface Tension into shape when I thought it was dead. That's what matters to me - creative satisfactions; they're the highlights. And I suspect that's as it should be for me, because it's the daily stuff that needs to be satisfying if I'm to keep going. I can't look for that in the external validations that come along with a word like 'career', because I have no control over those things at all.

Time For A Change

2011-11-14T14:07:00.009+10:00

Do you ever get bored with the look of your blog? Well, you might have noticed that I do. This time I've changed the look because I messed with the html with the last template and I couldn't get rid of an annoying grey line-note to oneself (don't mess with the html).

Sometimes change is forced upon us and although we don't want to change-change can be good.

Why? Because it's easy to get stuck in a rut and think that we can only do this or that. I know that it's just a blog I'm talking about, but what's your take on change?

Do you like change? Do you hate change?
Do you change your home furnishing often? Do you eat the same food every day? Do you walk the same path each day? How do you cope with change?

I love this quote:
You can't discover new oceans unless you have the courage to leave the shore. Anonymous

Why Don't We Write Letters Anymore?

2011-11-11T12:46:00.004+10:00

When was the last time you wrote a letter? For me, other than a note to a teacher (cards or diaries not included) I think it's been about fifteen to twenty years. Is it too difficult in this day and age to pick up a pen and paper and write a simple letter? Have we become technological snobs, me included?

Do you know that according to World Vision Website:

Exchanging handwritten letters can have a positive impact on child development, yet as many as one in five children in the UK have never received a letter.

I was thinking, Why isn't there a National Letter Writing Day? Guess what? There is. It's through World Vision and although this is an incredibly worthy cause, I'm looking more at the general art of letter writing as a way to express and share feelings and thoughts on paper. Yes, you can express love and meaning in an email or text, but just like holding a book, holding a letter in your hands is an extraordinary touching and sentimental experience.

Did you have a pen pal when you were growing up? You'd probably have to be over 25 to fully appreciate pen pals. You didn't hook up on the net and have a live chat. You'd wait for that letter to arrive. Some times it would take weeks or months. The anticipation of knowing a letter was on its way to you and the excitement of actually having to wait for something was, and is, 'priceless'.

I had a Japanese pen pal. She'd send me the most beautiful written letters, cards, and stickers. I can't remember now what she wrote about, but I do remember the care and attention she used to write each letter. I also was incredibly lucky to receive hand written letters from my Nana. I still have them bundled up in a special place. I can't part with them just like I can't part with some of my precious books.

I have her letters in the physical sense and the memory of what those letters meant to me as a child will last my lifetime. They made me feel special because she had taken the time to write to me.

So, my challenge to you today, is to write a letter. Go on and treat yourself to some gorgeous stationary and pull out your favourite pen and write.

Here's some suggestions for your letter writing. Write a letter to:

*Your teenage self. What do you wish you'd known back then?

*Your parents, grandparents, or your brother or sister.

*Your old school friend or even the school itself.

*A thank you letter to someone who's been kind and thoughtful.

*A friend in need who needs love and support.

*A love letter to your spouse, partner, girl/boyfriend.

*Your children. Let them know how proud you are and what they mean to you.

*Someone famous you'd like to meet.

*A time capsule. 'If you're reading this then I'll tell you what life is like in the year 2011.'

You can also get creative and give/send your letter in a non traditional fashion. Yes, it makes sense to put it in an envelope (aka snail mail) but what about a glass bottle, wooden box, a scrap book album, a paper plane, paper fan, box of chocolates, or tie it to your dogs collar? Now that's creative. This would make an interesting school activity too.

"You don't understand, I could have been somebody." The Power of One Liners

2011-11-08T20:53:00.003+10:00

I love lines! Not, clothes lines, fishing lines or worry lines, but the lines that connect our brain to our heart. The lines that fall into place, letter by letter, word by word. Lines that can be read, spoken, or sung. What are some of your favourite one liners? Do you have a favourite quote or poem? Why does it appeal to you?

See if you can guess the following movies:

"You don't understand, I could have been somebody, I could have been a contender."

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a dam!"

"You talkin to me?"

"What we've got here is failure to communicate."

"Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale of moonlight?"

"I am not an animal. I am a human being."

Now for Children's Books:

The more that your read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.

There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you'll be free if you truly wish to be.

"Curiouser and curiouser!"

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

“Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't you think?”

It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?"

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”

“I'm right and you're wrong, I'm big and you're small, and there's nothing you can do about it.”

"But the peach ... ah, yes ... the peach was a soft, stealthy traveller, making no noise at all as it floated along. And several times during that long silent night ride high up over the middle of the ocean in the moonlight, James and his friends saw things that no one had ever seen before."

And Novels:

Not all who wander are lost.

Certain things should just stay as they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone.

Does the walker choose the path, or the path, the walker?

In the real world, as in dreams, nothing is quite what it seems.

Life... loathe it or ignore it, you can't like it.

"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy... but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

Investigate your own writing. Can you write what you mean in fewer words? Don't worry you're not expected to write classic one liners like these beauties but it's interesting to look at each word (especially in picture books) to see if each letter, each word, and line is worth keeping or not.

Interview with Award Winning Children's Author/Singer, Craig Smith

2011-11-07T10:01:00.001+10:00

Craig Smith, the author of 'The Wonky Donkey' has children singing his catchy tunes all over Australia. The phenomenal success of 'The Wonky Donkey' has awarded it the biggest selling picture book in Australia in 2010 and 2011.

I was lucky enough to see Craig perform at my local library as he currently tours around Australia. He's here to promote another picture book, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, in which he has recorded the accompany CD.

I'd organised a few days earlier to interview Craig on my blog to which he politely agreed. Needless to say, I was thrilled to chat with him.

Congratulations on the huge success of your picture book and CD, The Wonky Donkey. What has this experience been like for you?

It has exceeded all expectation. The first print run was 3,500 books and the print run now is 340,000.

What inspired you to write, The Wonky Donkey?

The old joke: What do you call a three legged donkey?

A Wonky Donkey!

How long had you been performing before you received your first book contract?

I'd been performing to children at markets and festivals for approximately four years and parents would often ask me,'Do you have a CD that I can buy?' 'No, I don't,' I'd reply. And they'd walk off.

Previous to that, like many musicians, I'd performed in pubs and clubs for about ten years.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Nothing specific, other then watching the kids really enjoy my work. The Wonky Donkey received 'APRA Children's Song of the Year Award' in 2008 and 'The Children's Book Award' in 2010, but the highlight for me is watching the kids have fun!

How did your latest book, All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth, come about?

It's always been one of my favourite Christmas song because my mum used to sing it to me when I was a kid. It was originally written by Don Gardner and Scholastic Books had bought the rights. It also fit well with a song I'd already written called 'Toothless' which is also on the accompanying CD.

What's Next?

I'm self publishing a children's book called, Kaha the Kea. 'Kea' is a New Zealand bird and 'Kaha' means strong. I'm also working on another picture book called, The House that Wonky Built.'

Author of 'The Wonky Donkey' Craig Smith Tours Australia

2011-11-02T13:30:00.003+10:00

I'm so excited to be seeing Craig Smith, the author of the current number one best-selling picture book in Australia, The Wonky Donkey, perform tomorrow at 1:30 pm at the Helensvale Library on the Gold Coast.

Craig Smith is a singer/songwriter and was the co-winner of the APRA Children’s Song of the Year award in 2008 for this song The Wonky Donkey which was later published as a picture book by Scholastic.

The picture book, The Wonky Donkey has had phenomenal success. In Australia, The Wonky Donkey as sold more than 250,000 copies making it the biggest-selling picture book in Australia in 2010 and 2011. The book’s popularity continues to drive its success by currently hitting number one again as the best-selling picture book in Australia.

Craig is touring Australia to help promote another picture book, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, in which he has recorded the accompany CD.

"It's vital to make reading fun whether it's through funny illustrations, cheeky rhymes and a rollicking rhythm. I firmly believe that the marriage of song, word and illustration help children learn to read by offering a visual, kinesthetic, and aural experience", say Smith.

Smith has also penned another picture book with CD titled Willbee the Bumblebee, also released by Scholastic. Willbee the Bumblebee is based on a childhood story told by his mother, who is the co-author. And like The Wonky Donkey, Craig turned it into a song.

All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth which is written by Don Gardner with CD performed by Craig Smith. This Christmas classic is portrayed in the book as a poor monkey with two front teeth missing! The Tooth detective is on the case, but maybe Santa can help. All Monkey wants for Christmas is his two front teeth! The sing-along CD is sensationally performed by Craig Smith with a bonus original track titled, Toothless!

So, if you're a children's book lover or your children love listening to books and music, then don't miss this wonderful opportunity to see Craig Smith as he tours Australia.

Stay tuned for Craig's interview on Books for Little Hands this Saturday.

Here's Craig's tour dates, just in time for Christmas.

Brisbane Tuesday 1 November - Friday 4 November

Melbourne Saturday 5 November - Wednesday 9 November

Sydney Thursday 10 November - Saturday 12 November

Some (Not So Scary) Picture Books

2011-10-31T21:48:00.000+10:00

Whether you celebrate Halloween or not-spooky, scary, fun, and hairy, picture books, are a delight to read all year round. Check out a few of my favourite (not so scary) picture books.

Guess What? written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Vivienne Goodman, is one of my all time favourite picture books. I love how the text flows through a series of questions and the detailed illustrations reveal a clever mix of Aussie icons and clues for its readers.

The Everyday Witch written by Liz Martinez and illustrated by Mark Beech, is a humorous rhyming tale about a boy named Jimmy, who thinks his mum may be a witch.

Sounds Spooky written by Christopher Cheng and Illustrated by Sarah Davis has already sold out of its first print run and has been shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards. It's a spooky tale filled with onomatopoeia and spooky sounds and chants to keep young readers asking, 'What's that noise that I can hear? I'm not scared!'

Check out the Sounds Spooky Website. There's heaps to explore...Wah ha ha ha ha.
http://www.sounds-spooky.com/home/

Unicorn Riders: Where does Children's Author Aleesah Darlison find Inspiration?

2011-10-27T06:40:00.000+10:00

Where did the idea for Unicorn Riders spring from?

A healthy childhood obsession. I was, and still am, fascinated by unicorns. I used to collect all sorts of figurines. And I used to imagine that unicorns were real. Now, when I write my books, I can make them real!

How did you create Avamay, the Unicorn Riders’ kingdom?

I’ve always wanted to write a book that included a map, so I really enjoyed the process of creating Avamay. I found I could be as imaginative as I wanted to be.

I used maps from other books as a reference and just started drawing and adding in landmarks. Coming up with the place names was loads of fun. I really got a kick out creating places like the ‘Effervescent Falls’, the ‘Sea of Desperation’ and ‘Dove Mountain’.

Did you draw inspiration from your own world?

Many of the places in the Unicorn Riders are based on places I’ve travelled to such, as Istanbul (Turkey) and Delphi (Greece). Other Avamayan places have been inspired from places I’d like to visit like India and Cambodia. I used photos from my own album and from the internet to give me visual inspiration when creating these settings.

Do you use props or prompts to help you write?

I do, and I often have these all around my desk to help keep me inspired and focused. Things like unicorn paintings and figurines, charm bracelets, amulets and other jewellery that might feature in stories. Photos, maps and character avatars are all useful, too.

http://aleesahdarlison.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Unicorn_Riders_About_the_Author.27301042.pdf

What's your secret to writing strong and interesting girl characters?

I take little pieces of people I know or admire and build them into each character. Not to be direct clones or imitations, but rather to be a mixture of these people. I also make each character unique, giving her a complete history, a family background – things in the past that shape her personality, her actions and potentially her future. I try to make the girls are realistic as possible. And for the Unicorn Riders, I gave each of them a symbol that reflects their personality so readers can identify with them even more. For example, Quinn’s symbol is a butterfly which represents change and lightness. Over her short but dramatic life, Quinn has had to go through a lot of change and accept some big challenges that have been thrown at her!

How do you want to inspire your readers?

I want readers to enjoy my stories as fun, action adventures. I want them to enjoy the magic, beauty and mystique of the unicorns. But most importantly, I want readers to identify with the strong role models I’ve created in the Unicorn Riders’ characters and see that even if life throws challenges or hurdles at them, that with some inner fortitude and teamwork they can overcome them.

You have created some wonderful teacher resources and extension ideas for Unicorn Riders. Can you please tell us about them?

I can’t take the credit for the Teacher’s Notes, they were created by Leonie Jordan at Walker Books, the publisher of the Unicorn Riders series. I think they’re great! Not only do they give background information about me and Jill Brailsford, the illustrator for the series, they include some awesome activities, such as the Affirmations Game and the Make Your Own Riddle Game. There are a range of downloads and resources that teachers and children can find on my website, including Chapter Samplers, Colouring-in Pages, Character Profile Sheets and the Teacher’s Notes. The link is here:http://www.aleesahdarlison.com/resources__downloads

How did you come to get the series accepted for publication?

Right from the start, I wanted Unicorn Riders to be a series. I wrote a very detailed Series Proposal as well as a synopsis for each story. I also wrote the first book in the series. I sent the series proposal and the ms to a major Australian publisher (unsolicited). It received quite a bit of interest, but no final acceptance. Still, I held out hope because the concept seemed very strong. By this time, I’d secured an agent and she was one who submitted it to Walker Books where it was accepted. I can tell you, that was a very exciting day in my career!

Interview with Children's Author/Illustrator Peter Carnavas

2011-10-25T07:11:00.000+10:00

When did you first know you wanted to be an author/illustrator?

I’ve been writing stories and drawing pictures for as long as I can remember but I think my interest in picture books really began when I was studying to become a teacher. As part of an assignment, I came across An Ordinary Day by Libby Gleeson and Armin Greder and I was fascinated that a picture book could be so deep, so wondrous, so original. After a few years of teaching and reading many picture books, it just made sense that I should attempt one of my own, given my interest in writing and drawing.

How many children's books have you written and illustrated?

I have written and illustrated five picture books, with two more on the way – Mr Darcy, written by Alex Field, and another of one my own stories, The Children Who Loved Books.

What is your writing and educational background?

I initially studied Media Studies at university, which mainly entailed watching movies and talking about them afterwards. It was an enjoyable degree that opened my eyes to some interesting films, though it was a bit of a struggle getting through the 8am screenings of 1940s European films that had running times of around 14 hours. I then studied primary school teaching and thoroughly enjoyed it. Not as many films in that degree but it did lead to a job, a wife and an obsession with picture books.

Congratulations on the release of your gorgeous picture book series 'Little Treasures'.
Can you tell us about them?

The Little Treasures are beautiful little reproductions of my first four books, Jessica’s Box, Sarah’s Heavy Heart, The Important Things and Last Tree in the City. Each mini book comes with its own envelope which enables you to send the book as a gift. New Frontier has done an amazing job putting these together.

Was the new 'mini size' format published with a particular age group in mind?

The small format is perfect for little hands but, as always, I like to think my books will appeal to people of all ages. The size, along with the envelope, really turns them into gift books.

I really love how each book touches on a theme such as, love, the environment, family and self worth. How important are these subjects to you?

I can’t help writing about things that are important to me. Each of these stories began as an idea that moved me in some way, whether it was from something I had experienced myself or something I had read about. For example, The Important Things was inspired by a newspaper article but it soon began to cover territory that had always appealed to me: the stories lurking in secondhand stores, the importance of small things in our homes, as well as the theme of emotional respect and how people deal with the same situation in different ways.

What do you want children to get out of Little Treasures?

I’d love children to discover the layers of meaning I try to embed in the stories, not just the aforementioned themes but the subtexts in the illustrations. All of the characters are quiet, independent children who find solutions to their dilemmas through clever thinking or cooperation and I hope young readers can be inspired by that in some small way.

Do you plan your picture books? If so, how?

My ideas begin as feelings or themes and I spend a long time simply thinking about it all before I write or draw anything. By the time I put the text together, most of the structure has already formed and I just push and prod the words into shape over a few hours. I then storyboard the illustrations and spend a long time doing roughs. This is when a lot of changes are made and a lot of the decisions are made. I then paint the final illustrations, usually rushing to meet the deadline.

Where do you like to write and illustrate?

I have a room at home called The Drawing Room and this is where I do everything. I don’t tend to write or draw outside very often as I like to work a lot at night in the company of old records.

What's your secret to presenting to children?

I feel comfortable presenting to children, having been a teacher, though I wouldn’t claim to be an expert yet. I really want children to leave my workshops with something meaningful, whether it’s through stories or their own illustrations they produce during the session. Of course, they need to have a good time, so entertainment and humour is part of it as well. A good balance between fun and instruction is important.

What's Next?

Mr Darcy, written by Alex Field and illustrated by me, is being launched in November. It’s a very cute take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, featuring a rather proud and polite duck as the title character, complete with top hat and bow tie. I’m also putting the finishing touches on my next story, The Children Who Loved Books, which will be released in May. It’s about the way in which books bring us together, physically and emotionally.

Join Peter Carnavas on his Little Treasures blog tour at the following blogs:

24^th October Be A Fun Mum

25^th October Books For Little Hands

26th October Sophia Whitfield's Blog

31st October Reading Upside Down

2nd November Squiggle Mum

3rd November Life In A Pink Fibro

4th November The Book Chook

7^th November Kids Book Review

8th November My Little Bookcase

Peter Carnavas Little Treasures Book Review

2011-10-21T17:48:00.003+10:00

I've been a huge fan of Queensland based author and illustrator Peter Carnavas for a many years now, so you can imagine my delight when I was asked to review his fabulous series of four mini books called Little Treasures.

Released (October 2011) and published by New Frontier Books,
Little Treasures are a collection of Peter's well known and loved picture books in a new mini size-perfect for little hands.

Each book comes with its own handy envelope which makes for easy posting this Christmas or birthday. Forget cards-send a little treasure book instead!

What I especially love about the Little Treasures series
is that each book has a carefully crafted message.

Jessica's Box-Self Worth

Sarah's Heavy Heart-Love

The Important Things-Family

Last Tree in the City-
Environment

The Little Treasures series feature child like characters that experience a range of situations and emotions. Many which are familiar to children and may pose questions such as:

'Am I good enough?'
'Why don't I have any friends?'
'Why does my heart feel heavy?'
'When will my mum or dad coming home?' 'Where will I play now that the last tree has gone?'

To help me on my reviewing quest (with parent/teacher permission of course) I went along to my local kindergarten to share Peter's Little Treasures.

Preschool Book Review

I sat down and introduced myself to three preschool children, Oscar (4) T.J (5) and Rebecca (4). I handed each child a book to look through before asking if I could read to them. After the nods of approval, I began reading The Last Tree in the City. They listened so intently as I read the first few pages.
'There's that duck again!' Oscar cried.
From that moment on they acknowledged Edward's duck friend that appeared on every page. Their faces showed signs of concern and sadness when Edward discovered the last tree in the city was no longer standing.

'What will Edward do now?' I asked.
'He's putting on his garden gloves,' said Rebecca.
'He's going to do some gardening,' replied T.J.

On the last page, we chose our favourite characters including duck who was happily sitting on Edward's head.

I went on to read Sarah's Heavy Heart, Jessica's Box and The Important Things. T.J, Oscar and Rebecca continued pointing out the small characters in the little treasure books such as, a turtle, a bird, and a dog. This proved to me that you can never underestimate the impact that little things can have in providing children with additional heart-felt meaning.

Peter beautifully illustrates his picture books with a mixture of watercolours and ink drawings. His undeniable talent for writing and illustrating oozes emotion and meaning that I guarantee children and adults will adore.

Stay tuned for my interview with Peter Carnvas during his blog tour of Little Treasures, this Tuesday 25th October. Peter will generously share with us what inspired his Little Treasures series and his process of writing and illustrating picture books.

Writing/Editing Checklist

2011-10-15T23:19:00.000+10:00

Let's face it, not many of us are born with the gift to write a novel after one draft. In fact, I think it's fair to say, that most first drafts are pretty bad, crap, dreadful, sh_ _ you can fill in the gaps.

Most writers work incredibly hard to get their writing right and it can take years to become published and develop the craft of writing well.

Many people have misconceptions about the writing process and assume that all writers need, is a flash of inspiration and hey presto: you're the next J.K Rowling.

If only it was that simple.

A quote by American inventor and business man, Thomas Edison sums it up well:

Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.

So, with Edison's quote in mind, I have devised my own personal writing/editing checklist that I thought I'd share with you.

1. Look for evidence of telling. Describe your characters by the way they look, act, and feel. Instead of writing, 'He was angry' you could describe what he did or said to show he was angry. His nostrils flared. 'How dare you?' he spat.

2. Replace weak nouns and adjectives with strong nouns and adjectives. Avoid adverbs to stabilise a weak verb. For example, She smiled happily could be replaced by she grinned.

3. Check that the tenses are right and that you haven't changed half way through.

4. Examine your grammar, punctuation and spelling. Don't rely on spell check especially when it comes to homophones, such as, their, there, and they're. Most writers have trouble areas that they need to work on, such as tenses, commas, dialogue, etc. Write them down on a piece of paper to assist you during the editing and proofreading stages. Go easy on the CAPS 'READ THIS NOW' and the feral exclamation mark!!!!!!!!!! It can sound like you're shouting!

5.Read your writing aloud. Listen for clumsiness, repetition, odd sounding words, or unacceptable word order.

6. Ask fellow writers, a critique group, or beta readers to read your manuscript. They're more likely to give you an honest/objective opinion rather than a sugar coated version from a family member or friend.

7. Proofread with the target audience in mind. Consider your readers age, education, values, politics, background, gender and religion. Who will want to buy your book and what makes yours so different?

8. Check that your writing is clear. You don't need big words and long complicated sentences to impress your reader. Ditch the writing clutter and write simply and clearly to express your message.

9. Rewrite any worn out phrases/cliches. For example, It rained like cats and dogs. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Shock your audience by writing interesting phrases to keep them turning the pages.

10. Make sure your point of view is consistent throughout the book. If you keep changing your characters POV then it jolts your reader and you don't want them going back to try and work out what's going on.

11. Tighten your writing by examining the flow. Do the paragraphs connect? Vary sentence and paragraph lengths and see if you can cut the insignificant words and events that don't move the story forward.

Picture Books Are Interactive

2011-10-06T12:21:00.001+10:00

The magical thing about picture books I believe, is their interactive qualities. Some picture books encourage lots of discussion and frequent pauses to admire the pictures and others encourage less interaction. The rules if any, are decided by who's reading. When reading with children I always follow their lead. If they want to stop at a page and talk about the pictures then I do. If they have nothing to say then I keep on reading.

Picture books are traditionally written to encourage reading and a love of literature but what's equally important is the emotional/social experience and the loving interaction between adults and children.

Here's a list of picture books that have wonderful interactive qualities. I apologise that the links aren't working at the moment.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is the formation of words by imitation of sounds, for example, 'Oink, Cluck, Moo.' Onomatopoeia is a popular literary concept in picture books because children are discovering what sounds that things make. This makes the whole reading aloud experience very exciting and a pleasure to hear. If you've ever read 'We're Going On A Bear Hunt' by Michael Rosen you'll know what I mean by the actions and sounds that children love to re-enact, 'Swish, Swish, Swish.'

*Can you Growl Like a Bear? by John Butler.

*The Firefighters by Sue Whiting.

*Bob by Tracey Campbell Pearson.

*Tiny Little Fly by Michael Rosen.

*Click, Clack, Moo:Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin.

*I Stink! by Kate McMullan.

*The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Laura E.Williams.

Repetitive/Rhythmic Phrases

*Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

*Bear and Chook by the Sea by Lisa Shannon.

*Wombat Stew by Marcia K Vaughan.

Interaction Ideas:

These are only suggestions for interacting with children. It's also nice to just read and share the book and see where the conversation takes you both.

Ask open ended questions

'What's happening in this picture?'
'What do you think might happen next?'
'What would you do if that was you?'
'Tell me about your favourite page.'
'What will happen next?'

Point things out

'Look what's happened here.'
'Oh no!'
'Can you see where... he/she is hiding?'
'Did you notice the...'

Share the book without showing the pictures and pages

This may seem like an odd concept but it's great to allow children to imagine the story in their own minds without looking at the book. When I was working as a Childcare Teacher, I would some times make up stories while the children were settling for rest time. Many picture books I knew off by heart or I would retell the story in my own words. The children really enjoyed this and I know even now when I think of a particular picture book, I can visualise it in my mind and what the pictures look like.

That's the amazing thing about the human mind. We can listen, think, create, imagine and stretch the possibilities.

Share the book by sharing the pictures only

This is obviously the opposite to the above idea. Hide the text with pieces of white paper and try and read the story visually. This is an interesting experience because every book will be different and the pictures may not always represent what's going on in the text.

Extend the story experience

Talk about the book other times during the day for example, driving in the car, during morning tea, or waiting for an appointment. See what you and your child can remember. Discuss a possible sequel. Refer to the story during play time. Say for example, your child is playing in the playground you could suggest, 'Let's pretend you're the big bad wolf character and I'll be the little pig.' Make characters out of playdough. Read a book outside, in a tent, or in the garden.

Rewrite the story

There's nothing like folding pieces of A4 paper, stapling the edges, and starring at blank pages ready to begin a story. This can be an extension activity after reading a particular book or for no particular reason other then for fun!

Interacting and sharing picture books with children is incredibly beneficial, but keep in mind, just like you wouldn't like someone hovering over your shoulder everyday making comments while you turn the pages of your favourite book, I highly recommend just reading the book for what it is-an experience to treasure.

Interview with Author Katrina Germein

2011-09-26T21:29:00.000+10:00

When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

When my ego told me. My first book Big Rain Coming was published more than ten years ago but I’ve only started to think of myself as an author more recently. I began writing stories without a plan. I just wrote whatever was in my head and I still do. It turns out my head is mainly full of stories for children. Of course once you have a book with your name on the cover you want another one, and then another, until eventually you grow quite fond of the idea of being an author!

What makes you passionate about writing?

I’m not special. I’m like most writers and simply write because when I don’t I get cranky. I think everyone needs a creative outlet to be truly happy. Writing is mine and I’m glad that I’m lucky enough to know exactly what it is that brings me peace.

What was your road to publication like?

I had a bit of a dream run at first but then things got a lot tougher. I’ve writtenabout some my experiences on my blog. Here http://www.katrinagermein.com/blog/picture-books-publication-part-1/ and and here http://www.katrinagermein .com/blog/picture-books-publication-part-2/ . I’m fortunate now to have an agent. It makes the whole process less painful.

Tell us about your books.

Because I write about my own experience my work is very Australian. It’s not something I try to specifically to do but my stories naturally reflect my own world. My books revolve around the characters’ relationships with each other and the natural environment. I write about things that children care about and include the repetition and sometimes humour as well. My books are hopeful and fun.

Do you plan your picture books? If so, how?

Sometimes I brainstorm a list of notes on a scrap of paper to organise my ideas before I begin writing any prose. I keep note books handy for ideas that announce themselves at unexpected times but I don’t do any structured planning. I usually have a fair idea of where a story is going before I sit down to write it because the most planning I do is in my head. I don’t start drafting until the idea has been dancing around in my mind for a while. Sometimes a story will still surprise me with the direction it takes on the page. I definitely don’t plan using storyboards or anything like that. I find thinking too much
about the format of a picture book interrupts
the flow of my writing.

How do you present to children during author visits?

I enjoy author visits. I used to be a teacher and have always worked with children in a variety of roles so it’s really nice to connect with kids through author visits. When I visit schools I encourage children to see that everyone has their own stories and their ideas that are special to them. I vary my presentations depending on the age of the children. In Primary school I always show children some pictures of my family and talk about my dog. It helps to build a rapport in a short space of time. I also show them my messy drafts and talk about the writing process. With preschoolers I include singing to keep them involved and use more props which they can all hold and look at at the end of the session. And of course, we read lots of stories!

What’s next?

My next picture book is called ‘Somebody’s House’. It will be published by Walker Books and I can’t wait to see it all finished. Anthea Stead is creating some stunning illustrations and I’m really excited about how the book is taking shape. I love watching a story I have written grow into a book. I think it’s the third best part of the job. The very best part is the actual writing process and the second best part is sharing the finished book with children.

Publishing Terms

2011-09-24T11:22:00.000+10:00

As an aspiring author I don't claim to know everything but I do know that there's so much more to being a writer then just writing a book. Like many new authors, I started out sending a manuscript after a few drafts to every publisher I could find listed in the yellow pages and on the Internet. Little did I know what I was up against with my competitors (other aspiring authors) and their weapons of mass destruction (aka-knowledge).

I've constructed this list of publishing/writing terms (weapons) that will hopefully help you put your best foot (or book) forward, sorry I couldn't help myself. All the best with your writing goals and never ever give up!

Query Letter: Is a one page email or letter to an editor/publisher asking if you may send your book proposal. The query letter has to showcase your writing skills so keep it professional. You don't need a query letter if the publishers website states that they are currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts.

Pitch: A successful pitch sets up your book and the need for it in the marketplace. Try the elevator test and see if you can sum up your book in the time it takes for an elevator to go from your floor to the lobby. You could also set up a timer and give yourself 5 minutes to explain your book.

Cover Letter: Your cover letter is also one page and is structured like a standard business letter. It includes what your book is about, word count, target audience, and your expertise, etc. You need to be careful to sell yourself as a writer but don't beg, bribe with coffee and cake, or be pushy-I'll ring you next week to find out my manuscripts progress. Addressing the letter to the correct person is extremely important. To play it safe you could check on LinkedIn, The Literary Market Place, or ring to find out who to address your submission to.

Author Bio: Your Bio states who you are and why you are the person to write this book. It includes your qualifications, expertise, awards, work history relevant to writing, and is usually written in third person, for example: Rachel is a children's author.

Book Proposal: A book proposal isn't just a longer query letter. It must contain your books content, relevancy, concept, audience, competition, your author platform and marketing strategies.

Target Audience: Who have you written your book for? Who will read and buy your book?

It's essential to have a clear idea of your target audience when approaching publishers. Publishers don't want to hear 'everyone' they want to be sure you have a grasp on your target audience and you know how to reach them.

Multiple Submissions: This is a tricky one and worth looking up the publishers submission guidelines. It is considered acceptable to send your manuscript to a few publishers at the same time as long as you state this in your cover letter. Some publishers do not like the multiple submission approach so make sure to check.

Manuscript: Is your unpublished book. A work in progress.

Solicited Manuscript: Is a manuscript sent through a literary agent or that has been specifically requested by a publisher.

Literary Agent: A literary agent represents your book just like a real estate agent represents your property. The agent presents proposals to publishers, negotiates contracts, and acts as the liaison between the author and publishing company.

Unsolicited Manuscript: Is a manuscript sent to the publisher by you, representing yourself.

The Slush Pile: This is considered the home for all unsolicited manuscripts once they've arrived. It's called the slush pile because it doesn't exactly move very quickly. Don't let me scare you, many authors have been plucked from the slush pile and have gone on to do very well. You can see why you need to stand out and only submit your manuscript at its best.

Not Accepting: No matter how brilliant you think your manuscript is, if it states 'Not Accepting'. It pretty much means that they're not accepting.

Submission Guidelines: The submission guidelines can be found on the publishers websites and will state how they want manuscripts to be presented. It's usually 12 font, Arial or Times New Roman font, double spaced, with a synopsis, etc but it pays to check.

Rejection: It happens to every author and you should wear it as a badge of honour. Welcome to the club! The rejection letter can take on many forms. It can be just a generic send out, it can contain a few encouraging lines, or act as the phantom-and never show up. If you are lucky enough to receive any feed back then that's gold. Editors and publishers are incredibly busy people so look at it as a positive step and that you're working toward your goal of becoming a published author.

Author Platform: Because book publishing is a business, publishers need to be certain that they can sell your book. If you already have a ready made audience then you have a strong start to promoting your book. Face Book, Twitter, Blogging, Websites, Speaking Engagements, are all tools to building your author platform.

Title Page: Is a one page letter that sits in front of your manuscript. It includes your name, address contact details, the title, word count, and target audience.

Contract: Is the legal document between an author and publisher stating the condition of publishing, the authors obligations, promos, and the time frame for completion.

Good luck and keep on writing.

Books for Little Hands

Picture Book Review of 'Mr Darcy'

Book Review Our Nest is Best!

Interview with Children's Author Karen Collum

Interview with Children's Author and Illustrator Michael Salmon

Interview with Children's Author/Illustrator Katherine Battersby

Writing Events to get excited about in 2012

JULY

CYA Conference 2012 Brisbane AUS 6th July Hatchlings, 7th July AlligatorsAUGUST

You're Invited to (12x12 in 2012) Picture Book Writing Challenge

Interview with Children's Author Bren MacDibble

Tips for not giving up on your writing

Interview with Children's Author Catriona Hoy

Interview with Children's Author Claire Saxby

Author Interviews for 2011 'Merry Christmas'

Interview with Award Winning Author/Illustrator Tohby Riddle

Nancy Bentley The First Australian Female Sailor

Interview with Award Winning Author Meg McKinlay

Time For A Change

Why Don't We Write Letters Anymore?

"You don't understand, I could have been somebody." The Power of One Liners

Interview with Award Winning Children's Author/Singer, Craig Smith

Author of 'The Wonky Donkey' Craig Smith Tours Australia

Some (Not So Scary) Picture Books

Unicorn Riders: Where does Children's Author Aleesah Darlison find Inspiration?

Interview with Children's Author/Illustrator Peter Carnavas

Peter Carnavas Little Treasures Book Review

Writing/Editing Checklist

Picture Books Are Interactive

Interview with Author Katrina Germein

Publishing Terms

CYA Conference 2012 Brisbane AUS 6th July Hatchlings, 7th July Alligators

AUGUST