Banana Peelin' with Jennifer Ward

Not too long ago, I found myself in a rather ironic situation. While my children were in the middle of deep conversation about a very educational TV show, eh hem... excuse me, I mean, while my children were sitting watching TV in erie vegitative states, slightly resembling this one...

 ... I sat on the couch next to them reading, Jennifer Ward's, Let's Go Outside, an excellent book that  describes outdoor activities families can enjoy together. While a whiny little episode or two of Caillou is not the worse thing my children could be watching, you can probably guess I was feeling a slight twinge of mommy guilt. But then, wasn't I doing something right by reading the book in the first place? Huh, huh? Who's with me? Anybody? Somebody? Ping.

 I must admit, that her book is one I feel ALL parents should own, especially parents like me, who need some coaching in the outdoor play department. I am more of a picnickey, go-and-run through-the sprinklers, kind of mama.

I am so happy to introduce today's Banana Peel Thursday author, the very funny, Jennifer Ward!




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When Elizabeth invited me to slip and slide my way down memory lane to share my journey to publication, I was both honored and excited to partake. My first published book, "Way Out in the Desert", came out in 1998, and I've been published consistently since that time - feels like eons ago that it all started - and boy, was I green back in the day. Today I'm still a bit green, but all bananas ripen eventually, don't they?

So I was the typical school teacher having a major love affair with children's books, implementing them to teach every subject in my classroom. Of course, with each book I fell in love with, I also had that nagging, 'I wish "I" had written this book' mentality. But I had no clue about how one could become published, other than knowing that publishing houses existed and writer's existed - but each was a mysterious entitiy to me. I didn't personally know any authors. I didn't know SCBWI existed. This was somewhat pre-world wide web access. And I lived in a bubble, evidently.

So my school invites an author to visit. An amazing author, whose work has received several Caldecott medals, whose entire body of work I admire with deep emotion, adoration, and appreciation. I was over the moon, getting to meet my first "real" author in-person.

-Insert Banana Peel Here - Maybe if I introduce myself, explain that I've always wanted to write children's books, too, she will give me her phone number and help me get published?

Okay - so her response wasn't what I had envisioned. There may have been a subtle eye roll (or maybe that was my imagination), and at the very least, a subdued sigh under her breath. Apparetnly this author had certainly been told by a thousand, overly-eager, enthusiastic fans over the years, "I want to write children's books, too!"

She didn't give me her phone number. However, she did give me a, "Good luck. This is a tough business, and the industry isn't what it used to be." End of conversation.
Granted, this was back in the early 90's, and she had been published since the early 70's. Talk about evolution. I wonder what she thinks about the industry today?

Not to be dismayed or dissuaded, I had a great idea for a book one summer (when school was out), wrote several drafts, went to a bookstore to find a book on how to publish, found "The Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market", figured out the process, sent off my manuscript to one publisher referenced in CWIM, and Wa-La! A few months later I received a phone call and and an offer to publish. No kidding.

-Insert Banana Peel - Wow! This business is easy! ha ha ha

Okay, just throw down a whole mess of peels for me to slip and slide on from here on out. Call it the School of Banana Peel Hard Knocks:

-My editor was thrilled with the book's first wonderful review from SLJ. Me: What's School Library Journal?


-A librarian tells me my book is nominated for a state award. Me: What's a state award?

-A school a few hours away invites me to visit. I take a personal day to do this, leave before the crack of dawn, show up and proceed to present EIGHT back-to-back sessions, a.m. K/p.m. K through- 6th grade, no breaks, no lunch, no time to pee, no time to breathe. I execute each session giving 100%, only collapsing once I get in my car to drive home, unable to sing along with my car radio because my throat is swollen shut from being "on" all day.


-My second book lands a record number subsidiary sale to Scholastic (for my publisher) and I proudly share this sales number with a newspaper reporter who is interviewing me. Number is published in the paper. I receive a scathing letter from the publisher, slapping my hand for divulging such information. That's where I learn the terminology "off the record" for interviews.

-In the early days, I eagerly sent manuscripts off to my editor straight from my brain to paper - no revisions. Ugh. What was I thinking? Ugh. What was my editor thinking I was thinking?


-I've trusted GPS to get me to schools, only to wind up on dead-end dirt roads and the clock ticking toward my first session.

-I've trusted schools to trust their technology works.


-I drove an hour to a B&N for a book signing, only to discover they had ordered copies of a book written by a different "Jennifer Ward", and the book we were supposed to be launching (mine), they hadn't gotten in yet. Good times.


-I've signed contracts without negotiating them. I even had an editor once tell me, during a contract discussion, "Jennifer, you know...we have wiggle room if there are areas you want to negotiate." Can I just say my agent is worth her weight in gold, because I suck at negotiating contracts. (Can I say suck?)

-I have a book that just surpassed 100,000 in hard cover trade sales, and too bad my agent wasn't on board for that book. Live and learn, right?

-I have a typo on my website I can't fix (new site launching soon, though).


-I once had a school ask me if I could cut me fee in half because budgets were tight. Being an educator, I agree. Their response, "Great! Thanks! Now we can also hire XXXX author, because he's expensive!"


-I once had a librarian tell me I was cheap. But I assured her I wasn't easy.


 

-I once saw Jimmy Fallon perform "Whip My Hair" as Neil Young, and I actually thought it "was" Neil Young. Okay, so that's not writing related. Just thought I'd toss that one in, too, because those dang banana peels are everywhere in life.  (I HEART Jimmy Fallon, and I HEART Neil Young, too! : )

So would I change any slips and slides I've experienced along the way? No. The journey has been a fun ride and blessed and a blast, and I expect more banana peels in my life, as long as they help me grow and progress in this profession.

And as a final note: bananas are not only tasty, they're high in potassium.

-Jen

Jennifer Ward is the author of numerous acclaimed books for children, including, Way Out in the Desert, Somewhere in the Ocean, Over in the Garden, Way Up in the Arctic, The Seed and the Giant Saguaro, The Little Creek, Forest Bright/Forest Night, Because You Are My Baby, There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea, There Was an Old Monkey Who Swallowed a Frog, There Was an Odd Princess Who Swallowed a Pea, and, The Busy Tree.Her parenting books include, I Love Dirt! 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature, Let's Go Outside: Outdoor Activities and Projects to Get You and Your Kids Closer to Nature, and, It’s a Jungle Out There: 52 Nature Adventures for City KidsForthcoming titles by Jennifer Ward include What Will Hatch? illustrated by Susie Ghahremani (Bloomsbury/Walker Books), Mama Built a Little Nest, illustrated by Caldecott artist Steve Jenkins (Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane Books), The Sunhat, illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson (Rio Chico), and, There Was an Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish, illustrated by Steve Gray (Marshall Cavendish).

Jennifer’s writing is often inspired by nature. She lives in Southern Illinois with her daughter, her boyfriend, their dog, Bandit, and a cat they call Jaz. When not writing, Jennifer is unplugged and outdoors where you’ll find her canoeing, jogging, meandering, gardening, bird watching, barefoot, and cloud gazing.
Visit her on the web at www.jenniferwardbooks.com

Oh, woe is me...

Oh, woe is me....

It has been three weeks since my first submission.

I thought I could handle the waiting, but you see, I am totally, completely, utterly....FULL OF IT!

I revise, I check my email.

I read, I check my email.

I Facebook, I check my email.

I check the missed call on my cell phone from a mysterious area code, it's that political party needing money to stop the end of the world.

The home phone rings, it's Velma looking for Dr. Mortinson's office.

 Dang!

What if no one likes my baby?
I think I might be sick.
What the heck am I doing with my life?

But I know I don't want to do anything else in the whole, entire universe! I've checked. And for that I say, YAY! =)

Oh, woe is me.

Banana Peelin' with Candy Gourlay

Attention all banana peelers...I must warn you. The list below, what I have coined as The Gourlay 10 Step Program on How to Be an Expert Banana Peeler is not for the faint of heart. Half of the time I was reading it, okay three-fourths of the time, I was thinking, ah man...I DO THAT!?!

Luckily, no one knows except for these guys. Phew!

If you can stomach it, there is some pretty solid advice. If you can't stomach it, no need to sweat it... I am here for you, as I too am guilty of committing many of these blunders along my journey to publication.

Please welcome this week's Banana Peelin' featured author, Candy Gourlay!

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So many banana peels, so little time. My dear Elizabeth, with such a focused theme, how long do you suppose will you be able to keep this blog going? Well ... forever.  The road to publication is LITTERED with banana peels. For every book published, four score and seven commissioning editors lie snoring, bored to oblivion by their slushpile. Let not their sacrifice be in vain. Here are some choice banana peels for the discerning blunderer on his or her journey to the slushpile:

1.  By all means, spend hours ... YEARS ... on that hooking first line to get that editor to read on. The rest of the manuscript may be crap but you sure hooked that sucker.
2. Ditto your covering letter. Craft it, love it, spit and polish it. Hone it to perfection. The phone will ring and you'll hear the words you never thought you'd hear. Send us the full manuscript, please.  Er. What manuscript?
3. Keep an eye on trends. Vampires? Check. Mermaids? Check. Dystopia? Check. Gritty? Check. They say editors don't know what they want until they see it. And when they see your saber fanged mermaid living in an alternative parallel world populated by knife-wielding hoodies, they're going to know exactly what they want. Someone else's book.
4. Authors have to build their own platforms in this digital age. So get on with it ... friend everyone on Facebook, Tweet like the the world is coming to an end, respond to every comment on your four blogs. There's only one problem. Everyone else is doing it too. Being noticed has everything to do with standing out, not hanging with the rest of the sheep.
5. Fed up with sad stories and depressing plots? Go ahead, write a book filled with goodness and light. Let the hero's dreams come true. Let the sun shine on your characters. Let their every desire be met. It will be the first tension-free book! Surely, a world record! Which will be wonderful because it will make up for the fact that nobody's going to want it - nobody wants to read a book with no tension.
6. Cherish your prose. Hold it close, savour every word. Only show it to people who you know will love it, like your children and your best friend, the one who owes you money. Put that manuscript on a pedestal. It will look great up there. Safe from the bitter criticisms of commissioning editors and critique groups. Never to be thrown to the mercy of the undiscerning, unreliable reading public.
7.  Rejected? Again? Tweak that manuscript, tweak it, I say! Tweak it if it takes years! Then reformat the whole thing, print it once, twice, print it three times until it looks perfect. Then send it out again. Multiple submissions, that's the trick. Do everything to get it published. Everything to avoid writing another book.
8.  You have no time to write. You tweet about this sad fact, you blog about it, you discuss it with your friends on Facebook, and  you discuss it on the phone, and on the way home from school and on the way to work. And at bedtime, you have a row with your partner because he or she hasn't been supportive enough to help you find the time. Yes, you definitely have no time. And you definitely have no book.

Photo by Raymund Rivera

9. You're nearing the end of the manuscript! Hurrah! But what's this? You haven't planned for the ending? You were trying to allow the story to develop organically, you say, and now you don't know how to finish? Keep calm, here's what you do. Simply wake your character up. That's right. It was all a dream. Sorts everything out.  Or even better, why not end it at a bad moment and say it's the first of a trilogy. What about the other two books? No point worrying about the rest of the trilogy until you've got the book deal.
10. You've written your novel, perfected your submission, caught the eye of an agent. You've done it! Time to celebrate! What's that? You've got no friends to celebrate with? What about family? Oh I'm sorry to hear that. I could have told you. Alienating your friends and family is one of the slickest banana peels on the road to publishing success.

Candy Gourlay's debut novel TALL STORY made a splash when it was published in the UK in 2010, with nominations and shortlistings to the Carnegie and other major children's book prizes. It won the Crystal Kite Prize for Europe and since publishing in the US appeared on Kirkus' Outstanding Children's Debut list for 2011. Candy was a journalist in her native Philippines. Marriage to a British foreign correspondent brought her to England.

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Dang. That is all I can say, other than where was Candy Gourlay when I submitted my autobiography on being a saber fanged mermaid living in an alternative parallel world populated by knife-wielding hoodies? NO wonder I haven't been contacted for my own Lifetime movie! =)

Banana Peelin' with Ruth Vander Zee

I would like to begin today with the results from the 10,000 Hit Giveaway. Thank you all for your continued support. I have really loved getting to know this amazing community of writers here on the blog. Thanks for those of you who liked me over this last week. YOU REALLY LIKE ME!?! 

I am in the process of slowly making my writery page more writery and your likes got me over the 68 fan slump. Woo hoo! I would like to congratulate Verbenabeth and Susanna Leonard Hill as they are the winners of the autographed* copies of the book of their choice! Yay! Thank you ladies! 

(* Fine print disclaimer: Reminder that autographs are not valuable in any way shape or form as they are my own. Consider this an investment opportunity. Please do not place any large bets or begin to take out large loans, such as on your house or for children's college tuition based on the fact that you will soon possess this signature.)


We are so lucky today to have the talented Ruth Vander Zee, who I am pretty sure was destined to be an author with such a beautiful name. I used her book Mississippi Morning in my classroom after a professor of mine assigned it as recommended reading. You will learn below, if you don't already know, that traditionally Ruth writes about hard issues. I must say that the week of this post is serendipitous.  Just last night, I had to explain to my little four year old about the sudden death of my mom's dog, who she adored.  It was rough. =( Ruth's books are thoughtful and touch on important issues and events  that create great topics for discussion at home or as extensions for classroom curriculum. What is the best way to talk to kids about the Holocaust or racism? Whether it is death, prejudice, or natural disaster, children's literature serves as such a great resource for exploring sensitive topics.


Please welcome today's featured Banana Peel Thursday author, Ruth Vander Zee.

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Dear Elizabeth,

Do I thank you for allowing me to tell you about my slips on banana peels because slippin’ and slidin’ ain’t fun?

Right now I feel like I have my own personal banana peel that’s right underfoot all the time and it just won’t go away.

Let me explain.  After writing four children’s books all which

·         were accepted almost immediately,

·          received awards

·         are published in foreign countries,

·         sold without an agent

I found that the kind of picture books I write are not highly marketable right now.  My books are picture books for older readers on topics such as the Holocaust, the KKK, and the Vietnam War.  I taught Middle School and had a 7^th grader perched on my shoulder when I wrote.  I knew they loved picture books and I knew I could use picture books to get apathetic students caring about kids living in and through difficult social issues by reading picture books. And when they cared, they were ready to learn more.

So now – to my banana peel.  I am trying to appeal to a new market.  Trying to write for younger children.  And it isn’t easy for me.  The voice I naturally hear is older.  To peel away different layers to find a young child’s voice is making me lose potassium.

And so, because I love picture books, I keep bringing my manuscripts to my wonderful critique group.  And they say things like, “This needs work.  It’s cute but, it needs work.  It has potential.  But it needs work. ”

And that work isn’t all bad.  In fact, it’s good.  Really good because I have to go to different places in my head and heart than I’ve been before.  It’s surprising what turns up when I go there.  All this hard work, of peeling the banana, slipping and sliding on the peel, landing on my butt and getting back up  in my own heart might just result in a great story for a four-year-old.  

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Ruth, thank you so very much for sharing your experiences! I appreciate the work you have done and wish you the best of luck with your young child's voice!

Agents Beware

Get ready, get set, AGENTS BEWARE! Now where did I put that pencil? With my goggles on to shield my one near-sighted eye from all of the banana mush as well as to collect salty tears of frustration and self-pity, I have begun to really submit my work folks.

After some positive feedback on one specific manuscript and an amazingly warm and fuzzy critique with the Picture Book Whisperer, Mira Reisberg, on another, I am in agent research mode. We will see where this takes me. Hopefully to a SBAWOTLC4ME.(Want Ad translation... small boutique agency with oodles of tender loving care for me.). =)

Whatever happens though, I have the strangest feeling that all will lead back to you banana peel blog, where embarrassing moments run the show.  Ahhh...such is life. Or at least, such is MY life.

P.S. Please forgive me for running over Mira Reisberg's Banana Peel Thursday post. I am still learning. I know not what I do....Reeling from her post as well as the 10,000 hit milestone, her banana peel moments did not get the attention they deserved due to my giveaway extravaganza. Please check her post out for it is so wise and worth your time. Also, she is extending a half-off special for her ecourse, Hero's Art Journey, where I am going to explore my creative and wild side this June. (I think I'll keep the goggles handy for that experience as well.)

10,000 Hits Giveaway

All right people....

I am ready to celebrate! My blog reached  just over 10,000 hits yesterday. Yay! Can't believe that back in December, I was happy to have 100, okay well actually, 10 hits. (Added an extra zero in there.) Sure some of those hits have been from those who have been looking for pictures of hedgehogs and banana hedgehogs and banana splits, but hey, I'm not picky!

This month the Banana Peel Thursday series will have some amazing banana peel moments from some stellar talent. We kicked off May with Mira Reisberg. Next week will be Ruth Vanderzee and in the weeks to follow we will read the slips of Candy Gourlay, Jennifer Ward and National Book Award winner, Kathryn Erskine! Super excited.

To celebrate the 10,000 hit milestone and the contributions of some amazing authors this month, I would like to do a giveaway! I started writing for children  after I finished reading the first three chapters of Mem Fox's inspirational book, Radial Reflections (thank you Dr. Bercaw!) and the idea of my blog, Banana Peelin' was conceived after reading Anne Lamott's, Bird by Bird...a must read and a great pick-me-up book that will make you smile. I would like to give away one autographed* copy of each book. (FINE PRINT: Autographed by Elizabeth Stevens Omlor and not by the authors themselves.)

All I ask is that you please "like" my author page on Facebook by clicking on my new, pretty button over there to the right...See it? Yup. That's it. Just click it! Just haz clic.
Leave a comment below and let me know which book you would like if you are interested in the giveaway! Thanks so very much for all of your support. These last 10,000 hits have been amazing!

Banana Peelin' with Mira Reisberg

My beautiful post about Mira Reisberg was sucked into the Blogger black hole. What has worked before, did not work today. An unexplained mystery. Argh!  I sincerely apologize for the delay. =(

Friends, countrymen, lend me your ears...shhhh....we are SO incredibly lucky to have the Picture Book Whisperer, Dr. Mira Reisberg on the blog today. I love Mira and her passion for children's literature. I faithfully watch her blog series, Mondays With Mira: Pleasurable Picture Book Reviews each Monday morning. Monday mornings are now just as exciting and entertaining to me as an instant Netflix Friday Night Lights marathon!

Can I tell you that I will be participating in Mira's ecourse, Hero's Art Journey? Come join me! Writing and art go hand and hand. Both creative, both cathartic, healing even the deepest of paper cuts. In fact, if you are a banana peeler, Mira is offering half off her course! Lucky dogs! Please join me and become part of a creative community of learners!

Please help welcome the wonderful and wise, Dr. Mira Reisberg!

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Mira Reisberg’s Very Own Confessional Slip Ups

Hullo all,

Having been involved in the picture book field for a long time, I’ve managed to make quite a few slip-ups, perhaps more than my share and definitely humbling. And, being a long-time teacher, I am going to share 3 of them, despite the accompanying embarrassment that comes with admitting what some refer to as f*$%-ups, messes, boo-boos, or slips. I’ll just call them “growth experiences” for now.

My first growth experience occurred in 1988 when I was asked to illustrate my first book. Uncle Nacho’s Hat was a book about change and it came just as I was quitting a bunch of bad habits and undergoing many changes myself.

So here I was illustrating a picture book about change and going through a whole bunch of changes myself and by the time I got to one particular painting, I was totally pooped. I tell you these details as a bit of an excuse or as background as to why I messed up and created what I now call my “Painting of Shame.” You see, when I did my research on cows in Nicaragua, where the story is set, I found that they had Brahmins, which are somewhat strange looking animals. But my cows were way stranger than that. Mine were weird pink mutant pig/cows. And even though I knew I should re-do this painting, I was just so tired – so I said “screw it,” or something like that.

Well, of course, it’s now over twenty years later and when I look at that book and that painting, you can imagine what I think.

Fortunately, despite the weird mutant pig/cow thingies, the book received a citation for a UNICEF Ezra Jack Keats award, was featured on Reading Rainbow and read aloud by LeVar Burton (yay!) and reprinted in many languages around the world, selling well over 200,000 copies. And the really good news is that it’s being re-released by Lee and Low in July (yay again).

So lessons learned: Always revise, revise, revise! Whether it’s text or art, and if you get too tired, take a break and come back to it because it might be 20 plus years later and you still have to live with that embarrassing painting of shame.

Growth Experience #2

Years later, I was in graduate school studying for my MFA, working 5 jobs to pay for it and I was asked to illustrate a book for another publisher. Needing money, I said yes. Even though I liked the story, it didn’t thrill me the way my other books had and when the story switched hands to another editor and changed completely, I was less than gracious in my responses to lots of major changes in the art. Coming from an expressive culture of Eastern European Jews who even have an affectionate word for complaining, “kvetching,” I kvetched quite eloquently about my displeasure with the changes and was never hired by this publisher again.

Lesson learned: Always be super gracious with editors and art directors and just say yes to whatever they want. Save your complaining for your family unless you have real ethical or narrative concerns with the book you are working on.

Growth Experience #3

Even more years later, I’m invited to do some school visits as an illustrator/author and present at the local university. While there, I’m talked into moving there and doing a PhD. By then, I’ve done lots of school visits empowering thousands of kids and teachers with my Painting of Shame and stories about immigration, being weird, and how creative people often get their creative ideas by paying attention to what’s  around them. I’d also been teaching children’s book writing and illustrating at UC Berkeley Extension and SF City College and many of my students had been successfully published, so I decided, why not!

It was the hardest thing I ever did writing a 370 page dissertation on children’s picture books and learning about them on a whole other level. This was the good part. Then I got a job in the Midwest and that was the bad part. I hated the systems of surveillance, having to write using obtuse language and publish or perish, the meanness that went on in the institution, and the constant grading to rubrics that left little room for those who were wildly creative but unable to reach the benchmarks. I had no time for writing kids books or making art and I hated who I was becoming.

We’d left a fabulous rent controlled apartment in San Francisco and a fantastic community of friends and even tho we couldn’t afford to move back to SF, we did move back  to Northern California. All in all I took a seven year detour from doing what I truly love teaching for learning rather than the grade, and making art and picture books. I’d followed the illusion of potential financial security with a “real job” and buying a house and then lost it all after realizing that I was not an institutional type of person. During the 9 years that I was not actively in the field, my main publisher went out of business (and was recently sold to Lee and Low) and the industry has gotten much harder to get into to.

I still miss San Francisco and am working on some exciting picture books of my own. I also began independently teaching picture book courses in Sacramento and doing picture book consulting via Skype (ooh and I’ll be launching the Picture Book Academy in August ). But sometimes I feel like I messed-up leaving San Francisco and making that long detour into academia, following my head rather than my heart.

Lesson learned: Always follow your heart and if you have a passion for making children’s picture books - don’t give up on it no matter how enticing something else may look.

BIO

Mira Reisberg is the award-winning illustrator of six picture books and co-author of two award-winning anthologies of stories and art. Mira received her MFA from Mills College in Painting and Digital Art. She received her PhD in Education and Cultural Studies from Washington State University. Mira is also an editor, instructor/mentor and picture book consultant whose students’ award-winning books, including New York Times best sellers, have sold over a million copies. Mira has also exhibited nationwide and internationally.

She now teaches online courses including the Hero’s Art Journey, which explores the archetypal hero’s arc underlying most plot driven books and mythology. To find out more visit www.herosartjourney.com. And for Banana Peelin readers, Mira is extending the half-off special for the next course starting June 4th - simply email her at miraguy AT gmail.com. If you are in the Northern California area, Mira also has 2 spectacular upcoming picture book offerings also in June. To find out more and receive special gifts, join her newsletter tribe here http://eepurl.com/hJCmQ or email her directly.

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I love this woman! What else could you want from a teacher?! Hope to see you in Hero's Art Journey! Thanks so much Mira for your contribution to the series!

Conference #2: A Success Story, Post Confrence Mojo Post

Howdy strangers. It has nearly been one week since my SCBWI region's Spring Spirit extravaganza. I still cannot manage to put all I learned into cohesive thoughts. When I attempt to explain all I absorbed, it comes out all jumbled and sounds something like this:

uggabooksforchildrenackvoicearghahtoomuchcaffieneheeheeshowdon'ttellbyebye.

And looks something like this:

 I'm scatterbrained as you can plainly see, a tad bit overwhelmed and giddy and definitely not in the right place to blog about all the juicy details. Instead, what I have decided to do is to write about what I did RIGHT this time around, at my second writer's conference, as opposed to how I was as a first time conference goer. (Please see Lessons for Next Time post, aka Conference #1: A Disaster Story) Of course this does not mean I did not have a few banana peel slips throughout the day, I mean, I just wouldn't be me without a few of those, but let us focus on the non-humiliating aspects of the experience.

The bestest thing I did was read Meredith Barnes's article, Conference 101: Know Before You Go, just before embarking on my conference journey. Did I wince a few times while experiencing some horrific flashbacks from my first conference? Sure! But it changed my perspective completely on conference-going.

The days leading up to the conference, I began chanting to myself and my husband what I hoped to get from this conference...

"I'm really going to go in and learn all I can from these workshops."
"I am really excited to meet other writers."
"I wonder what kinds of yummy pastries they'll have this time."

Just imagine me repeating these thoughts over and over again aloud about fifty times and you get the gist of the main topic of  conversation in the days prior to me leaving for what here-on-out will be referred to Conference #2: A Success Story.

With the sun shining,  green pastures both to my right and left, some giant big rigs spewing pebbles at my windshield, and The Boss blasting from my speakers (love you Bruce!), I was off at 6:00 in the morning, repeating the my mantra as I drove.

 Learn, meet, pastries. Learn, meet, pastries.

After getting lost while translating my map and ignoring my best judgment, I finally arrived,  ready to learn, meet, and pastry. (Please note that I have created a new verb, pastry (v): to consume large amounts of delicious, doughy pastries by loitering awkwardly around the pastry table for way too long.)

Rather than boring you with a play-by-play here is a list of what I did RIGHT at Conference #2: A Success Story (I owe it all to you Meredith Barnes!):

• I introduced myself to other writers I had seen online and met new unsuspecting writers on the seats next to me.
• Made jokes about how much coffee I had already had.
• Chatted while waiting in line for the restroom.
•  Touched Bitsy Kemper's pink, spunky hair like I had known her for a lifetime.
•  I approached editors and agents about what impressed me about THEIR work, because wowza, were they impressive. Please note: This was truly authentic...It wasn't coming from my own ambitions or hopes to promote my own work, just from an enthusiasm for all things children's literature. Highly recommend it! (Side note: This was NOT how I approached Conference #1: A Disaster Story)=)

EXAMPLE: I listened to an amazing talk on voice, where Sterling editor Brett Duquette, defined voice to be "writing that is smooth and honest." I had NEVER heard it described as this before! It was always more like, "Voice is so abstract, and hard to understand." With excellent and hilarious examples and exercises, I had to tell him how unique, clear, and helpful his presentation was. Did I mention my own work and how I would love to work with him? Nope! Was I thinking it? NOPE! My mantra was ingrained in my mind....Learn, meet, pastry.

• I don't think I mentioned my blog one time in attempts to recruit readers or contributors 
• Nor did I whip out my business cards (which I am thinking of using to kindle summer campfires) 
• I only really discussed my WIP in depth once, at a first pages critique session, where looking at writers' work was the goal.

I just enjoyed myself and the amazingly supportive community of children's authors and illustrators.

Although I am new at all of this, I know that this is the best piece of advice I can offer anyone who is going to their first conference. Enjoy yourself...learn, meet, pastry.

(P.S. Now that the conference is over, please note that I have added some pretty social media buttons, with the help of the amazing Sylvia Liu.  Come slip with me! )

Banana Peelin' with Jill Esbaum

Ohhhhh....how perfect this post is for today, this beautiful Thursday that follows so many SCBWI conferences.

 I have still not completely recovered from my amazing Spring Spirit Conference. My head is spinning with all of the the golden nuggets of information I ingested while sitting in workshops on voice, synopses, first pages critiques (eeek!), not to mention some incredibly humorous tips on writing from the SCBWI goddess herself, Lin Oliver. 

My people, all I know is I love this journey. This is where I want to be.  Even if it means publicly slipping on millions of banana peels along the way. 

One indisputable fact is that if you have to slip up every once in a while, you want to be surrounded by children's authors. It's true! They are such a wonderfully supportive community. So humble. So generous. So patient! Eh hem. With that said, thanks for waiting.

 Jill Esbaum, this week's banana peel author generously shares not only a couple of her banana peel moments, but a hilarious (and eerily familiar) poem she wrote about how to impress an editor, entitled... "How to Impress an Editor".  =)

Please welcome, Jill Esbaum!

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Unfortunately, I’ve had plenty of banana peel moments in my writing journey. The most embarrassing was before I’d sold any books.

In 2000, I was beyond excited about attending my first SCBWI retreat – SO excited that I didn’t sleep at all the night before the trip. The 3-hour drive to the retreat was a 4-hour, white-knuckled nightmare, thanks to a late-spring snowstorm. I soaked up the Friday afternoon talks and enjoyed schmoozing at the evening festivities, but ... no sleep that night either. Saturday morning, I listened to the speakers in a fog, wishing I were a coffee drinker. I would’ve traded a toe for a Pepsi, but I hadn't been able to find one anywhere in the facility.

I'd been lucky enough to score a one-on-one critique with a dream editor (a guy), which was scheduled at 4:15 on Saturday afternoon. By then, I was barely functional. Fifteen minutes before my crit time, I went to wait in the hall and discovered a Coke machine in a niche I hadn't seen before. Yay! I chugged a can of Coke in an effort to wake up. Boy, did I. By the time I walked into the cozy little crit room, I was as wired as Woody Woodpecker. First I fell sideways into an overstuffed chair and chirped, "Let's take a nap and just PRETEND we had a critique, heh-heh." Dream editor, bless his heart, valiantly tried to cover his initial reaction (fear!). He chuckled softly (while easing away), then attempted to tell me what he liked about my submission. I knew I should listen respectfully. Instead, I interrupted him constantly – yap, yap, yap – through the entire crit. I was horrified, yet unable to shut it off. At one point, I slapped a hand over my own mouth. Somebody had to. 

Miraculously, he ended up buying my first picture book – Stink Soup – eight months later. Guess he thought it was safe to work with me, as I lived 1,054 miles from New York City.

Years later, my SCBWI Regional Adviser asked me to write a poem to open one of our conferences – a tongue-in-cheek list of blunders attendees should avoid. By that time I’d been to enough conferences to have seen plenty of other people spook editors, too. And live to tell about it.




How to Impress an Editor by Jill Esbaum

It’s my first time at a conference.
This? My brand new picture book.
Let me hold your glass of wine so you can
take a better look.
See? It’s bound and fully laminated. Here’s the copyright.
Just look at how the silver glitter
sparkles in the light!
My nephew did the illustrations for me.
Aren’t they great?
I’m developing a series. This is number one.
Of eight.
Yes, you are a little peaked.
Let’s go over there and sit.
What? You have to do the schmoozy thing
and “work the room” a bit?
I’ll come with – and show you photos
of Chief Kitchy-coo, my dog. He’s the hero of my story
(written all in dialogue). See, he flies around Chicago
with his mother, solving crimes. It’s a shoe-in for that Printz Award. And check this out ... it rhymes. There’s a song at the beginning. There’s a moral at the end,
and a note reminding children that
the story’s just pretend.
I’ve already got endorsements from the
ASPCA,
and I’ve sent one to the Oprah Show.
I wonder ... do they pay?
Oh, you have to hit the ladies’ room? No problem. I’ll come, too.
While you’re taking care of business,
I can read aloud to you.
...Hon, is everything okay in there?
You need a helping hand?
What? You have a splitting headache? Sure, of course I understand.
You can take my little story to your room
and read it there.
No, it’s quite all right. Yes, I insist.
I want you to, I swear.
Let me walk you to your suite.
Oh, it’s no trouble, none at all.
Well, for goodness sake, we lucked out.
Look!
My room’s just down the hall!
Here’s an Advil for that headache. Here’s my card. Know what? Take two. Now, remind me of your name, hon,
and ... you edit books for who? Take a hot bath.
Take it easy.
Don’t you let the bedbugs bite. Ow, ow, ow! My foot was in there. We’ll talk soon, then. Nighty-night!

*First published in The Writer, April 2008

Jill Esbaum is the author of eleven picture books with major publishers, including the award-winning Ste-e-e-e-amboat A-Comin'!, Estelle Takes a Bath, Stanza, and her latest, Tom's Tweet (illus. by Dan Santat). She is a former instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature, and, in addition to critiquing picture book manuscripts privately, she is a longtime workshop facilitator at the University of Iowa Summer Writing Festival and co-hosts the annual Whispering Woods Picture Book Writing Workshop. Jill and her husband live on a family farm in eastern Iowa.*

*(Disclaimer: Jill's biography is borrowed from Rate Your Story, where Jill volunteers her skills as a published author to rate manuscripts FOR FREE!

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Now if you are like me, after you contain yourself, you will print this out and let this serve as a reminder to control your crazies at the next conference. It worked for me this last time, well, except when I touched Bitsy Kemper's hair (it was pink and spunky!) or when I screamed at some unsuspecting authors deep in quiet conversation, asking if they were looking  to be in a critique group (for scavenger hunt purposes, hence the screaming...).

Banana Peelin' with Amy Novesky

I am a huge picture book biography fan.  Mix this with my love for Frida Kahlo and you pretty much have me floating on cloud nine today. Today's featured author Amy Novesky, whose biographical picture books include Me, Frida and Georgia Goes to Hawaii,  has a real talent for capturing the beauty in the lesser known parts of her subject's lives. 

She has me thinking about everyone I know and how I could possibly turn different facets of their lives into children's books. If I know you, chances are I have already thought about what piece of your life would be inspirational and marketable to children. =) Guy that registers college kids to vote in his bike helmet, what's your story?

I am so honored today to host Amy Novesky's banana peel moments.

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Slip. Slip. Shine.

By Amy Novesky

Writing and publishing picture books—and especially books about real people—is not for the faint of heart. I’ve been at it now for 12 years, actively writing and submitting my work, and while I have three beautiful books—Elephant Prince (2004); Me, Frida (2010); Georgia In Hawaii (2012)—it took a long while before I had something to show for all of my hard work. Along the way, I’ve had many banana peel moments. But if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I am, and that feels good. Humility is an under-rated quality. You have to slip before you can shine.

 I started writing my Georgia book back in 2002. It started out as a very different book: a simple counting book, using Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings as art. It took months of research to refine the concept, to find paintings to fit the one to ten text. When I was finished, I sent the book to a publisher who made me my very first offer. The day after I received the offer, I received a letter from the artist’s estate rejecting my request for permission to reprint artwork for my book, which they called gimmicky. I had to go back to the publisher and tell them that we couldn’t do the book. Slip.

But then I took a trip to Hawaii, and at the Honolulu Arts Academy I discovered Georgia O’Keeffe’s Hawaii paintings, and I was inspired again. I decided to give it another try. No paintings, just illustrations this time. By 2004, I had a contract from another publisher (the first turned it down), but the book wasn’t scheduled to be published until 2009, due to the illustrator’s busy schedule, and was pushed back a few times to boot. The book finally arrived earlier this year, ten years after I started it. I have been talking about this book for so long, people probably thought I was delusional. But it was worth the wait. It’s a gorgeous book. A true collaboration between author, editor, and illustrator—we all worked really hard. Had the first book been published, I might not have written this one; this was the book I was meant to write all along.

 Believe it or not, it’s not the only time an offer has fallen through. The same publisher made an offer on another story only to rescind it the very next day. They had changed their mind. Slip. But, in the end, I’m glad they did. The story had a very delicate subject, and I think I might have regretted it.

 What these slips have taught me is that it’s really important to believe whole-heartedly in your work. You must love your story, because you will work on it for a long time. You will get tired of it. You will have to fight for it and even defend it. You might not want to ever read it again.

 I think we tend to focus on the prize of publishing; who doesn’t want to publish a book? But publishing a book is a huge responsibility. To make public, to put into print something with your name on it, something that kids will read and take seriously, it’s so important that you believe in it, love it, and that it is authentic and as good as can be.

 The hard work doesn’t end when the book is printed. You have to promote it, and that takes time and energy—time and energy away from writing. And if you are shy like me, performing (and it is) in front of a room full of people can be overwhelming and downright terrifying. Public speaking is about as opposite the act of solitary writing as you can get. But once you get the hang of it, once you can relax a bit and enjoy it, once you come to expect and not be flustered by the inevitable glitches—and there will be!—it’s incredibly rewarding to share your book. Shine.

Amy Novesky is the award-winning author of ELEPHANT PRINCE; ME, FRIDA; and GEORGIA IN HAWAII. IMOGEN, a picture book about photographer Imogen Cunningham, will be published this fall, and MISTER & LADY DAY, about Billie Holiday and her beloved dogs, will be published next year. www.amynovesky.com

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I don't know about you, but I am so incredibly excited for the release of Amy's next two books! 

 Thank you so much for your contribution to the series Amy and best of luck to you in the release of  your upcoming books.

Banana Peelin' with Liz Garton Scanlon

I cannot begin this post without mentioning how big of  fans my family and I are of this week's featured author's book, All the World. It is one of my favorite bedtime reads. Sometimes, I will even read it to my children....

With both words and illustrations so peaceful and warm, we point to the lone surfer at the edge of the pier and say how that's daddy, despite the fact he doesn't really surf. It never fails that during each read, my daughter notices that someone forgot their beach ball and my son shouts with excitement, "Tuh! Tuh!" when he spots the old truck, which in two year old means, Tuh-Mater. We are a Cars family. =)

I won't even give you the cheesy rhyming lines I used to try and entice the author to write this post for the series, but just know, they were intended to have the same rhythm of All of the World. (Did I mention I am a delusional rhymer...someone who thinks they rhyme but they really don't?)  Banana peel slip? Yup. More than slightly embarrassing in retrospect? Definitely. 

Lucky for us she was forgiving and kind. =)

Please welcome, the very talented, Liz Garton Scanlon.

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As I got started in this field, I took one banana peel slide after another, in part because I knew nothing about picture books – except that I loved them.

So. I wrote long, rambly texts with irregular rhyme.

I simultaneously submitted to editors who’d asked for exclusives.

I whined impatiently about how long everything took.

(Everything DOES take a long time, and I still whine some, but now I know it as part of the package rather than taking it as a personal affront.)

I revised endlessly – without contracts.

I signed contracts without understanding them.

I did a lot of things for free.

(Until my husband reminded me about the mortgage and all.)

I shared cover images before I was supposed to, got in touch with illustrators before I was supposed to, and lord knows I pressed send before I was supposed to. Many, many times.

And then there was the infamous school visit.

I forgot to get specific directions so I got lost on the way there.

Pre-smart phone.

I forgot to say I could do 3 or 4 presentations in the course of a day.

So I did six.

I forgot to confirm that there would be a projector waiting for me.

So there wasn’t.

I forgot to ensure that there’d be at least 10 minutes to breathe and swallow in between presentations.

I was positively Victorian in my swooning by the final bell.

Oh.

And.

I forgot to say that I speak very, very, very little Spanish.

Unlike everyone else at the school.

I ended up singing the Spanish songs I learned in elementary school, and excitedly calling out things like “palabras” or “escritas” whenever an old scrap of knowledge popped into my desperate brain. But mostly? I smiled. And I said, “Thank you, thank you. Gracias, gracias.”

And at the end of the day, as I stood there with raw tonsils and bleeding eyeballs, that’s what the students and librarian said, too. “Thank you, thank you. Gracias, gracias.”

We’d survived.

Liz Garton Scanlon is the author of the highly-acclaimed, Caldecott-honored picture book All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee, as well as Noodle & Lou, illustrated by Arthur Howard, and A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Her next book will be out later this spring: Think Big is illustrated by Vanessa Newton and it celebrates the many varied forms of art. Future books include Happy Birthday, Bunny, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin, due next year, and The Good-Pie Party and Thank You, Garden, both due in 2014. Ms. Scanlon is assistant professor of creative writing at Austin Community College and is a frequent & popular presenter at schools, libraries and conferences. To learn more, visit her web  site at www.LizGartonScanlon.com

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After reading this, my former teacher self began to sweat. I think most teachers would agree that the only thing that is guaranteed as soon as you step onto a school's campus is Murphy's Law!

Thank you so much Liz for your contribution to the series! Gracias. Gracias. =)

Also, thank you readers for stopping by. Make sure to check out Liz's blog this month where she is writing a haiku-a-day all April in honor of National Poetry Month!

 

Deflated Balloon Effect and Aurdrey Vernick Giveaway Results

The wineth from my cupeth...  IS JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED!

My husband has been gone  performing work and brotherly related duties for the last five days. It was an extremely special time to be with my children and to be able to visit with family and friends while he was gone. But it was Busy, with a capital B.

As soon as my husband pulled into the driveway, I was like one of those cars quickly transforming into into a robot, except I became a deflated balloon. Here I am, the deflated balloon, being carried away by some Russian soldiers, who are probably the same Russian spammers that are responsible for most of my blog traffic here on Banana Peelin'.

I am finally drinking a long awaited glass of sweet fermented grapey goodness and with any luck, will be making that glass plural within the hour.

But enough about old grapes. Let us get to the meat of this post. According to Random.org, the winners of the Audrey Vernick giveaways are:

1. Copy of book,  Brothers at Bat: BETHANY TELLES!
2. Signed Baseball: NATASHA YIM!

Is it possible to be both completely happy for you but envious at the same time? Congratulations! =) Thank you both for your amazing support through this whole bloggin' journey. Enjoy your new goodies.

This week on Banana Peel Thursday...All of World author, Liz Garton Scanlon!

Banana Peelin' with Audrey Vernick

I am just plain giddy here in Bananaland this month. Not only are my local Target and public library getting face lifts (my homes away from home), but I have won a critique with the Picture Book Whisperer, Mira Reisberg! I don't think I have won anything in my entire life, except when I play my kids in a mean game of Hungry Hippos. (No. I don't feel very good about myself. But it's just too easy!)

Oh and here, at this very site, this very month, we have Liz Garton Scanlon, Amy Novesky, and Jill Esbaum, not to mention today's guest, the wonderful Audrey Vernick. There is some award winning talent here folks and I can hardily contain myself. Actually, I haven't contained myself at all. Oh, how my family suffers, as well as the children's librarians, oh and the baristas down the way and that one lady at the gas station.

In all seriousness, what has truly left the largest impression on me that I just have to share has been the generosity and humility of each author listed above. They set the bar high folks in talent and Coolness. (Please note it's Coolness, with a capital c).

In fact, Audrey Vernick, today's Banana Peelin' author has offered to giveaway:

1) Her latest book, Brothers at Bat (Eeek! Lucky ducks!)

2) A ball signed by three of the Acerra brothers (This offer made my heart drop. Literally, it was on the floor. Splat.)

How might one win one of these items?

To enter to win the book, leave a comment below. If you wish to win the ball, please indicate so in your comment and explain what baseball has meant to you and your family. Two winners will be drawn using Random.org.

Ladies and gentleman (Hi Eric!), let us welcome Audrey Vernick.

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I enjoy creating and participating in events that tie in with the themes of my books. I’ve spoken at the Baseball Hall of Fame, celebrated my middle-grade novel, WATER BALLOON, with my kids and their friends in a faux water balloon fight right before its launch party, read IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN? to students in the very classroom in which I was a kindergartner.

So I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to celebrate Effa Manley Day with the Newark Bears. Effa Manley was the subject of my nonfiction picture book, SHE LOVED BASEBALL, the co-owner and business manager of the Newark Eagles, a Negro League team.

I met with the Bears’ new management. We agreed on a date. My publisher graciously donated books to be given to the first 50 kids through the gate. The book trailer for SHE LOVED BASEBALL would be shown on the big jumbo-tron . The team’s manager, former Yankee Tim Raines, would read my book to kids before the game. We even arranged for Effa Manley’s niece to throw out the first pitch.

Now, you sort of have the punchline already in your brain, since you know that banana peel moments aren’t shining examples of everything going according to plan.

It began early in the week when we learned that Effa’s niece couldn’t get to the stadium. I decided my daughter would throw out the first pitch instead.

I invited family and friends, far and wide, and was touched by how many made the trip. But I had a sense, as the gates opened, that things weren’t going to be running smoothly.

There wasn’t a copy of SHE LOVED BASEBALL anywhere in sight. The ticket-takers knew nothing about it. It took a long time to track down my (busy, overworked, stressed) contact at the Bears and have her arrange for the books to be at the two gates.

Tim Raines, it turned out, was letting a player go (aka firing him) at the time he was supposed to read my book. So they sent down a utility infielder of questionable literacy. He was game and an awesome sport, but it was uncomfortable. SHE LOVED BASEBALL had never before seemed like SUCH a long book. But we all looked forward to seeing the trailer on the jumbo-tron once the reading finished. At least there’d be that.

Except he took so long to read that they showed the trailer while we were still in the green room, listening to the longest-ever reading of a picture book. We were told they’d play it again at the end of the game. After the fireworks.

Then it was time for my daughter and me to go on the field. The scoreboard welcomed us with a big misspelling of our names—Anna and Audrey Bernick.

Anna threw a crazy arching shot that miraculously landed right in the strike zone. My sisters were still laughing about Bernick, but everyone else was cheering.

A lot went wrong, but I spent the night in the company of wonderful relatives and friends, doing a better job of not stressing out than I’d have been able to do a few years earlier.

At the end of the night, many had left, but we stayed to watch the fireworks. And to watch the trailer on the jumbo-tron. It was awesome against the black sky backdrop.. It really was.

When I talk about Effa Manley Day, I usually leave out the way her niece dropped out, the books nowhere in sight when we arrived, the sweet infielder who most decidedly was NOT Tim Raines who gamely made his way through my book in about 27 minutes, the way we missed the initial viewing of the trailer on the jumbo-tron. Oh, and in a classic example of how maybe they really didn’t get it over there at the Newark Bears’ ballpark on this particular night, they chose to have the mascot named Effa sit out that night, while her counterpart, Rupert, carried on with mascot antics.

It was a mess. A mess I invited loved ones to witness. But we still had fun.

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Audrey Bernick Vernick, thank you SO very much for being so incredibly kind and participating in this series.  I wish you nothing but the best. =)  

Ms.Vernick has just a few books under her belt.

Recent books:
My next book out is Brothers at Bat, illustrated by Steven Salerno, published by Clarion 2012
So You Want To Be A Rock Star, illustrated by Kirstie Edmunds, published by Walker 2012


Other books:
Bark and Tim: A True Story of Friendship, co-written with Ellen Glassman Gidaro (my sister), illustrated by Tim Brown, published by Overmountain Press 2003
Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten, illustrated by Daniel Jennewein, published by Balzer & Bray (HarperCollins), 2010
She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story, illustrated by Don Tate, published by Collins (HarperCollins), 2010
Teach Your Buffalo To Play Drums, illustrated by Daniel Jennewein, published by Balzer & Bray (HarperCollins), 2011
Water Balloon, published by Clarion, 2011

Forthcoming:
Bogart & Vinnie: A Completely Made-Up Story of True Friendship, illustrated by Henry Cole, published by Walker, 2013
Edgar's Second Word, illustrated by Priscilla Burris, published by Clarion 2014