5 Sleeps 'til Publication Day

It's exactly a month ago today that I began Twittering my preparations for publication day on Thursday 5th Feb 2009.

For those of you who have yet to discover the picture book writer's equivalent to blogging, Twitter is the place to answer the question 'What Are You Doing' - in no more than 140 characters.

So this is my diary of doings as they appeared on Twitter
- starting with my latest entry (spelling mistakes and all).

10.22 AM 31st Jan
glasses to hire, gallery to visit - 5 sleeps till publication day-I may pass out/implode with excitement soon - walking the dog to calm down

08.42 AM 30th Jan
planning the dog Naming Day and World Book Day event. It's only 2 weeks till school half term holiday and then it's nearly March mmm Spring!

2:16 PM Jan 29th
off to prof series PB event with An Vombraut at SCBWI via and Covent Garden and noodles, before doodle discussions.

6:13 PM Jan 28th
time to wash up last night's dishes - haven't seen a scene like this since student days-shame on us-at least nothing's had time to grow.

5:50 PM Jan 27th
chasing my Noisy Dog tail-emails-phone calls-phone calls-emails-tail dog noisy my chasing

10:44 PM Jan 26th
back from SOA. Axel Scheffler sharing his doodle books - great self-portrait, pinned down by The Gruffalo - 2 million sold, no escape

11:17 AM Jan 26th
organising a Name The Dog Puppet competition to celebrate 'The Quiet Woman And The Noisy Dog' book launch on 5th Feb

4:24 PM Jan 20th
off to watch Obama - get in!

4:34 PM Jan 14th
back from the Kirkdale Bookshop, Sydenham. I like bookshops with children's picture books facing out - mine will look good there.

8:40 AM Jan 13th
going to see a woman about a Noisy dog book and the launch at the illustration cupboard www.illustrationcupboard.com

4:26 PM Jan 12th
made bone-shaped biscuits for the dog and I just had to eat one, they are so good

6:34 PM Jan 10th
just confirmed the venue for my book launch on the 5th Feb

12:12 PM Jan 8th
unpacking a box of new hardback books - it's getting Noisier in my house

2:31 PM Jan 7th
trying to decide where in London to have my book launch - a gallery, a bookseller or a room above a pub? Whatdoido! Whatdoido!

1:39 PM Jan 7th
just made scones for afternoon tea. I made soup for lunch - I wish writing was this easy

1:20 PM Jan 6th
reading the hardback copy of The Quiet Woman And The Noisy Dog that arrived in the post today - Hey! Oi! Beep! Beep! Woof! Woof!

6:09 PM Jan 4th
planning my picture book launch venue - any ideas?

Creation To Publication

It's a year and a half since I posted rejection to creation.

For the last two months, I have been joyfully announcing the imminent publication of my second picture book, The Quiet Woman And The Noisy Dog (illustrated by Ailie Busby). The response has been amazing and supportive from fellow writers and illustrators who are very familiar with the rocky journey to this day. Family and friends are excited for me and some people I've spoken to want to know more about the whole process.

I've written a children's book, I should get mine published, er - how do you do it?

For those unfamiliar with the current children's book market, the Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook is a directory packed full of advice from agents and established authors. There are hundreds of names and addresses in the book and you could submit your story to every publisher that covers your age group. This takes weeks, sometime months to work methodically through the listings and get replies.


For the first picture book text I submitted, I recieved 11 rejections. I abandoned that story and moved on to my next idea. It was accepted after I'd spent 3 months drawing and making a dummy book for the proposed picture book and browsing bookshops and libraries before submitting it. Random House was the only publisher I felt would be interested in my zany story because their imprint, Bodley Head published Where The Wild Things Are. I was right. My first picture book, HIC! was published by Bodley Head in 2003.

In the end nothing has been as effective for me as immersing myself in the genre and meeting editors, agents and other writers. I joined the global organisation for published and unpublished writers and Illustrators, The Society Of Children's Book Writers And Illustrators(SCBWI), and attend professional events organised by the British SCBWI.

I found a publisher for The Quiet Woman And The Noisy Dog because I was part of the Children's Book Circle and I met the submissions editor by chance at an event. I'd always wanted to be published by Andersen Press and now I will be!

The book launch will be on the 5th Feb 2009 at The Illustration Cupboard in Central London. I didn't have a book launch for HIC! , as I was under the misapprehension that only established authors held book launches. True, publishers only organise them for certain books but there is no reason why an author or illustrator can't arrange their own celebration for publication day. I hadn't realised it would be so time consuming with emails to write, places to visit and people to see. The Illustration Cupboard has kindly agreed to exhibit some of Ailie Busby's original artwork for The Quiet Woman And The Noisy Dog and to sell copies of the book at the event for me to sign. Unfortunately, Ailie is unable to attend the launch in London. We hope to do an event together later in the year, so we will get to meet for the first time, then.

It can take time to place your work, even if you have an agent. Don't be discouraged. With patience and perserverance and a good story, you'll find someone to publish your children's book. When you are published, join the Society Of Authors and their subsiduary, Children's Writers' And Illustrators' Group (CWIG) because there'll be many more questions and people to meet. The journey continues.

My doorstep, My Dog And Little Me

My Dog And Little Me

My daughter and I were looking through old photo albums the other night - OK - sifting through a box of loose pictures, and we found the photo of a 2 year-old me with the family dog. I was obviously practising for this day...

My Little Dog And Me

The front of my old family home was a great stage. I would often stand on the top step shaking a washing-up liquid bottle full of dried peas or something and singing Carpenters' songs with the neighbourhood kids. Anyone else remember singing 'Top Of The World'? Karaoke anyone?

Lynne Chapman's Courage and My Curiosity Shop

I've just read Lynne Chapman's excellent blog post about sketching in public and it reminded me of one of my first experiences of drawing in the street when I was a teenager.

It takes more nerve now for me to sketch with people stopping to look over my shoulder. I have to stop myself from judging my own work while I'm still creating it. But when I was teenager, it didn't bother me and I didn't have as many passers-by as Lynne experienced in Vietnam. I was sketching the Porch House in a village in Wiltshire in the 70's. After about an hour, the owners of the antique shop (as it was then) came out and said they'd been watching me and could they have a look at my picture. They liked it and asked if they could have it in exchange for something from the antique shop.
I chose these pots - for salt and pepper at one time, I believe. I thought they were beautiful but really, I was flattered that someone appreciated my drawing. I wonder what I'd think of my drawing now and I'd love to know if the owners kept it.

Anyway, click on picture gallery and look over Lynne's shoulder - go on - you know you want to see what she's drawing.

Pick A Book - Any Book and Look Inside!

Pick a book, any book, from the paperback pack! My presentation copies of The Quiet Woman And The Noisy Dog arrived this afternoon and these have an advice note -

not for sale before the publication date of 02-July-09!

Still - you can buy the Hardback edition in 3 weeks time - (from the 5th Feb) and if you click on The Quiet Woman and the Noisy Dog
- you can look inside the book for a sneaky preview.

Playing bookshops

Now there are 6 hardback picture books sitting on the shelf - with an advice note -

Not for sale before publication date of 05-FEB-09.

Hardback Copy Of My Picture Book Arrives in the Post

The post has arrived. Andersen Press sent me the hardback and paperback editions of The Quiet Woman and the Noisy Dog
Can you tell I'm excited!

I'm trying to be calm and prepare for the book launch on 5th Feb but I'm a little distracted. Each time I read it, I see something different - the muddy paw prints, the snowman in the picture on the wall, the rabbit on the grass. Thanks Ailie! It's all the illustrator's fault if I don't do any work today and my 2 year-old step grandson, Barney, who made me read it twice and can already say the title. OK, I know publishers always say, don't tell me your children love it (when submitting a book proposal) but I have to say, in this case, it's true. And I can say that because it's not all my own work and I can see the serious expression on Barney's face when he wants a story and I offer a different one and he says

no, read your book!

Oh - OK then. :P

Late at the Tate

Late At The Tate


A pinch and a punch it's the first Friday of the month
A pinch and a beer it's the first happening of the year!

I'm still in the party mood as next month is the launch of my next picture book The Quiet Woman and the Noisy Dog.

First dilemma - where to have it.

Last Friday, I went to the Tate Britain, after hours, for a music and performance evening of light colour and action (as it happens, not a lot) but a great way to soak up the art in a gallery that by day feels a little like hard work to appreciate.

Still, I'm thinking, perhaps a museum or gallery would be a good place to hold a picture book launch.

I'm working on it. Any ideas?