tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post9109742122934257086..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: You read queries all day, right?Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-67721111981875034702017-08-24T10:12:22.178-04:002017-08-24T10:12:22.178-04:00Julie F - thanks for your response and congrats on...Julie F - thanks for your response and congrats on snagging an agent so quickly. Sounds like you certainly put in the hard yards. <br />Snappsy looks like he's equal parts cool and adorable, so I'm sure lots of mum's will 'snap' him up and their kids are sure to 'devour' him!MA Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11055543285024785889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-67366675715251584862017-08-24T09:34:02.919-04:002017-08-24T09:34:02.919-04:00Thanks again, Julie F!
Thanks for your time, for ...Thanks again, Julie F!<br /><br />Thanks for your time, for sharing your experience, and for being such a nice person. Best of luck with Snappsy and all!BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-81120827913273150672017-08-24T08:02:10.556-04:002017-08-24T08:02:10.556-04:00Yes to what Barb said about the SCBWI Blueboards! ...Yes to what Barb said about the SCBWI Blueboards! They are an incredible resource and how I found my first critique group.<br /><br />AJ and Colin: as far as I'm concerned, there's no need to stop reading picture books, EVER. My kids are 7, 9, 11, and 14, so definitely some that are firmly still in picture book category, and some that aren't. But I love seeing the different take my olders and youngers will have on a book. Plus I know some middle school teachers who use picture books as mentor texts for writing, since they are so accessible.<br /><br />YES PLEASE ON SNAPPSY FLASH FICTION CONTEST. That is such an amazing concept that I don't know what to do with myself.<br /><br />Hi Panda! Yes, you're right, the illustrator (and, to a certain extent, art director and editor) dictate the page breaks, but I think it's important for the author to keep them in mind, since they are such a fun way to play with tension and storytelling. And yes too on the illustrator telling part of the story. I love what Mo Willems says about how the text should not make sense without the illustrations, and vice versa.<br /><br />Author/illustrators have special advantages, and special abilities. I do not think visually at all, and am in complete awe of illustrators' abilities to tell a story through pictures. People often ask me if Snappsy looks like what I thought he would, and my honest answer is that I didn't picture him looking any way. Who the narrator is in Snappsy is a surprise in the book, and was a surprise to me. I left that up to Tim to figure out, and it was a big moment the first time I saw first sketches and got to figure out who my narrator was.<br /><br />I will say also that every publisher goes about the illustrator process differently. Some editors keep the author informed about who they are considering, and whether people are interested or not, and some don't. Some choose the illustrator after the text has been through all of its edits, and some choose the illustrator right after the text is acquired.<br /><br />And YES on The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken. That book is AMAZING. I love it so much.<br /><br />MA Hudson: I queried what I think is a shockingly low number of agents: 11. I spent about two years writing picture book manuscripts at a frenzied pace, trying to bump up my craft. And then another year honing the best stories. But that year-of-honing was also to get to that place of having submittable manuscripts, and also delaying what I knew would be inevitable rejections. I would see people getting rejected and would be jealous of them, because I wanted to be ready to submit, let alone get rejected. So when it finally came time to submit, I did a ton of research. I wanted to make sure I was submitting to an agent who loved picture books. Also, my stories are kind of weird. So I needed an agent who not only liked picture books, but liked weird ones.<br /><br />Kate: thank you! And yes, as the author/illustrator you have more work to do, but yes also more royalties and more control over the finished book. KEEP WRITING! You're so close! And what an incredibly frustrating story about the publisher pulling your book.Julie Falatkohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08976000893125010608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-9840041057958066552017-08-24T03:01:04.078-04:002017-08-24T03:01:04.078-04:00Talk about eagle-eyed, John! But as it's guara...Talk about eagle-eyed, John! But as it's guaranteed your assumption that Janet, being QOTKU, nailed the crossword, then it would appear Colin is the answer. And while your guess at the question is undoubtedly also accurate, I like to think it may also be: Who has spent the most time at Carkoon?AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-71832677678346650072017-08-24T02:48:36.463-04:002017-08-24T02:48:36.463-04:00Darnit, I picked the wrong day to show up at the b...Darnit, I picked the wrong day to show up at the blog after midnight. Pesky clients keeping me busy. Grrr. <br /><br />Last month I saw Colin in Writer's Digest, and now it appears he's made the New York Times crossword. Friend of Will Shortz, are you, Colin? <br /><br />I can't read it from here, but my guess is that the clue for 6 Across is something like "Future NYT bestseller"<br /><br />The answer, assuming Janet is correct (and to avoid a fin slap, you better believe I'm making that assumption!), is CDS. <br />John Davis Frainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18020019400599228492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-276596687678843842017-08-23T22:26:08.929-04:002017-08-23T22:26:08.929-04:00Finally time to read through and absorb this comme...Finally time to read through and absorb this comment path. <br /><br />Thank you, Julie and Janet and Colin and all the questioners. <br /><br />And I vote yes for a Snappsy the Alligator FF contest. Lisa Bodenheimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17809067722921953857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-1898600701491620502017-08-23T21:05:59.710-04:002017-08-23T21:05:59.710-04:00Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This F...Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This FF contest) - but I vote yes!Claire Bobrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15666082441972111293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-43442452456850960802017-08-23T20:09:28.123-04:002017-08-23T20:09:28.123-04:00Hi Julie, I love Snappsy!
Ok guys, so I just read...Hi Julie, I love Snappsy!<br /><br />Ok guys, so I just read all these comments and thought I might out a couple of pennies worth of info out there. A few years ago I accidentally snagged a niche publisher for my picture book. It happened serendipitously, no time for an agent, they wanted the book out for Orville and Wilbur Wright's flight anniversary. The publisher basically has lucrative market on all books that teach, inform and instruct pilots of every kind. <br /><br />I'm an author and illustrator of picture books. When you are PB Chimeric you not only have to write the book but illustrate it too...and be good at both. That also means you have to work twice as hard. And suffer twice the disappointment when they orphan your book. They decided that they couldn't take a chance "...at this time" and pulled it just before it went to catalog. Sigh.<br /><br />Oh, I got to keep my advance and gave back all the legally stuff but the book never got published. I have yet to work up the courage to seek an agent. I've always had the Girl Scout cookie approach to 'selling' my work: "You don't want to buy my cookies do you mister?" <br />I have 3 books written and partially illustrated and about 20 ideas for more but I'm the cowardly lion pulling her own tail. <br /><br />Colin: With many PB agents who request the author/illustrator combo, they want a query and the full text plus 5 or 6 examples of your art and tentative page layout. Good thing is you don't split the royalties, bad thing is it's a basket load of revision, both written and visual.Kate Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09861373649696211491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-85392614929637615462017-08-23T19:17:29.249-04:002017-08-23T19:17:29.249-04:00Julie F - thanks for all the info you've share...Julie F - thanks for all the info you've shared about PB writing. It's wonderful to hear from someone on the other side of the publishing line!<br />Just wondering how many agents you queried before getting a hit? Or did you end up getting an agent some other way?<br />Cheers.MA Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11055543285024785889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-80063342753395305742017-08-23T19:09:24.410-04:002017-08-23T19:09:24.410-04:002Ns:
There was a doctor in Boise who specialized ...2Ns: <br />There was a doctor in Boise who specialized in drug intervention whose name was...I kid you not....Dr Fixx. <br /><br />And a good friend of my husband was going to talk at a an Audubon luncheon. When I started laughing, he asked why. <br />"Because," I said "I can't believe <b>Robin Finch</b> is going to speak to bird watchers!"Kate Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09861373649696211491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-71530423304696515652017-08-23T19:08:53.332-04:002017-08-23T19:08:53.332-04:00I'm late to the party, but I've learned so...I'm late to the party, but I've learned so much from Julie today. Thank you! And thanks to Colin for suggesting it. I love Snappy.Beth Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447148196867821907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-49736835529301721442017-08-23T18:52:30.130-04:002017-08-23T18:52:30.130-04:00Just jumped back in the water at the reef. WOW wha...Just jumped back in the water at the reef. WOW what an awesome day and I missed it.<br />Julie, Janet, Colin AND all the rest love you guys. Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-89115270914253921402017-08-23T18:48:54.119-04:002017-08-23T18:48:54.119-04:00And we should definitely send Colin for a refreshe...And we should definitely send Colin for a refresher course on Carkoon.<br /><br />And I buy a lot of PBs. Can I plug a new favorite? The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken. An idea, Beautifully illustrated.<br />I don't need an excuse to buy PBs. I consider them art books.Panda in Chiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160375490647791433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-63425210700322709482017-08-23T18:45:06.289-04:002017-08-23T18:45:06.289-04:00Pandas are leaping into the conversation late, as ...Pandas are leaping into the conversation late, as per usual! I will be in HUGE trouble if anthropomorphic animals ever go out of style!<br />Heh!<br />Thanks for all this great information Julie and WELCOME from a big fan of anthropomorphic animals! Can't wait to meet Snappsy!<br /><br />From my (small) experience, illustrators are usually expected to figure out the page breaks. The PB authors supply the text and the illustrator figures out how it's going to look and what the illustrations will be. The general rule in PB's is that text tells one part of the story and the illustrations tell the rest. So the idea is not to illustrate exactly what the author has written, but to expand on it. Personally, I think this is much easier when you are doing both writing and illustrating.<br /><br />While what Julie says about authors not getting to pick (or even have any say) in who illustrates, I know there are a few exceptions. I think Candlewick will sometimes narrow it down to a handful of illustrators they think would be a good match for the text, and let the author weigh in. Also people who are both authors as well as illustrators seem to be in demand right now.<br /><br />I'm in an interesting situation in that a writer friend wrote a non-fiction picture book (about pandas!) with a lot of input from me, with the idea I would illustrate it. Fast forward a couple years, and now we are represented by the same literary agency and our repsective agents have decided they think they can sell it, so we said yay! (Rather than indie pub) I'll let you know what happens.<br /><br />Anyway, great discussion today! Keep those anthropomorphic animal stories coming. I want to read the one about the bear in the rock band too.Panda in Chiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160375490647791433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-9309448697245801602017-08-23T18:27:42.756-04:002017-08-23T18:27:42.756-04:00Janet: umm... yes. :)<b>Janet</b>: umm... yes. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21571110246863294942017-08-23T18:22:02.558-04:002017-08-23T18:22:02.558-04:00Do we need Snappsy flash fiction contest?Do we need Snappsy flash fiction contest?Janet Reidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-33052100949044117682017-08-23T18:19:21.756-04:002017-08-23T18:19:21.756-04:00This has been a fabulous day! Thanks Julie and Jan...This has been a fabulous day! Thanks Julie and Janet!Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18165072684559960801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-68622501289970020092017-08-23T17:35:52.712-04:002017-08-23T17:35:52.712-04:00Hmmm. Colin, you are so right! I should still buy ...Hmmm. <b>Colin</b>, you are so right! I should still buy picture books because maybe I will write one, and as they say, read widely in the genre. *wink*AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-58249007841703521372017-08-23T17:05:26.424-04:002017-08-23T17:05:26.424-04:00Jumping back in to say what a fabulous day this ha...Jumping back in to say what a fabulous day this has been on the blog. The wealth of PB info overfloweth the treasure chest. Thank you Janet, Julie, Colin - and everyone else who chimed in with questions and comments re: PB. So helpful!Claire Bobrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15666082441972111293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-51655572658471885802017-08-23T17:03:26.999-04:002017-08-23T17:03:26.999-04:00AJ: When your youngest is 13, you really have run ...<b>AJ</b>: When your youngest is 13, you really have run out of excuses for buying picture books. You have to simply admit "OK, I got it for ME! Happy now??!" Which is what I'll be doing when I place my order for SNAPPSY THE ALLIGATOR DID NOT ASK TO BE IN THIS BOOK. Or I could call it research... isn't that what we do? :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-35865365462460437312017-08-23T16:41:32.686-04:002017-08-23T16:41:32.686-04:00I'm happy to do this, Megan V! It's fun!I'm happy to do this, Megan V! It's fun!Julie Falatkohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08976000893125010608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-39862458877090938502017-08-23T16:41:30.339-04:002017-08-23T16:41:30.339-04:00Would someone please push Australia and America cl...Would someone please push Australia and America closer together so I stop missing all the fun?<br /><br /><b>Julie F.</b> your query for Snappsy totally rocks. My kids are well past pb books, but I still have 3 large packing boxes of pb's in the house (much to The Hub's frustration) because I can't part with them. And my favourites are nearly all anthropomorphic animal books. I wonder if anyone has asked the kids if they are tired of these books?AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-9493119595616265642017-08-23T16:40:25.811-04:002017-08-23T16:40:25.811-04:00Just wanted to pop in to say Thank You Julie! Just wanted to pop in to say Thank You Julie! Megan Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752842865397799428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-68137214744472113732017-08-23T16:40:08.725-04:002017-08-23T16:40:08.725-04:00Thank you, Lynne! I hope your little guy likes it!...Thank you, Lynne! I hope your little guy likes it!Julie Falatkohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08976000893125010608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-46924378197770153662017-08-23T16:38:53.798-04:002017-08-23T16:38:53.798-04:00Oh sure, Colin, I'll write your query:
Guy Da...Oh sure, Colin, I'll write your query:<br /><br />Guy Darkly is a sheep on a mission...a mission to find out who's pulling the wool over his---<br /><br />DARNIT I CAN ONLY WRITE PICTURE BOOK QUERIES.<br /><br />Thank you for linking to and watching my videos!!!Julie Falatkohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08976000893125010608noreply@blogger.com