Since most of my blogs about writing have focused on novels, I decided I wanted to start dedicating one day a week to picture books, especially because I continue to work hard to get better at writing them and this way I can work on techniques and ideas and hopefully help other writers in the process. So Wednesday will now be devoted to all things picture book.
Also, I’ll be teaching some classes on writing picture books. You can check those out on the calendar on my Appearances page.
I’ve had two picture books published:
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If you read my First Times blog post, you know that Build a Burrito was my first accepted children’s book back in 2001, but it didn’t get published until 2008. Why so long? Well, one reason was because the fabulous and talented, Caldecott-winning illustrator David Diaz had agreed to illustrate and he was backed up. Then there was some turnover at Cartwheel/Scholastic, they went through several ideas for the format…so it took seven years! Luckily I was working on other things and not just sitting around waiting for the book to come out.
Grandmother, Have the Angels Come? was accepted in 2005 or so and was published in 2009.
Since then, I have worked off and on on other picture book manuscripts in between writing novels. I’ve come close a few times, but still haven’t had another book acquired. Sometimes I get discouraged, but I also know the business and how tight the market for picture books is and has been for some years. But I still have stories I like and that I believe are worthy, so I won’t give up!
Next week I’ll highlight two picture books related to Halloween that were written or illustrated by members of my critique group.
Share your picture book publication journey!
