Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Confessions of a Middle Grade Indie Author Part 2







Amazon Free Days, Blog tours and other tips to maintain your sanity.

Hi there. Today I would like to welcome back Julie Grasso. I recently interviewed her after the release of her first book.

She has just released her sequel Return To Cardamom, and I am delighted to close off her blog tour today.  Hop on over to the other stops to check out the buzz for her exciting Middle Grade Science Fiction books.

http://amzn.com/B00DTD9YQ6

Julie is going to do something a little different. She will share with us her experience of publishing her first two books. Take it away, Julie.



Thank you, Cheryl, for the opportunity to share with your readers today.


To explain the title of this post, this is in fact part two. I have posted about my pathway towards Indie publishing on a fellow Aussie’s blog a few months ago so for anyone interested in that process. http://wp.me/p1WPf3-v8

However, Today I am going to focus on after I pushed that all intimidating “Publish” button on CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing.

Dalung!

If you can imagine the Law and Order classic one note introduction and that deep male voice over.

Escape From The Forbidden Planet was released on Kindle and Paperback. This article is about the independent publishing experience of Julie Anne Grasso, here is her story. http://amzn.com/B009FXC42A

NB: At this point I didn’t actually know what an ARC was and a blog tour sounded side some weird form of marching slime lol.

Week 1: Amazon Ranking #96,203 Paperback, #899,388 Kindle,

Crickets…

Nothing, nada, zip, not even my parents rushed out to purchase.


All is not lost, I have a few things up my sleeve yet.

1. I started a Facebook page

2. I launched a simple website

3. I joined the Goodreads Author Program

4. I sent review requests to about 40 bloggers that I had narrowed down to taking middle grade and independent books

Fast Forward weeks 4-10: Amazon ranking unchanged, still in the stratosphere, but I had some reviewers agree to take the book.  Still, that takes time and apart from well meaning family and friends, my sales were

MEDIOCRE or shall I rephrase that to non-existent lol.

Buckets of tears… Why did I think I could do this on my own…
 
THEN:

I Read this great article by Jeff Bennington about free promotional days  thewritingbomb.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/how-to-win-in-amazons-kdp-select-program.html?m=1

I decided to do 4 Things
  • Drop my book to 99c
  • Scheduled a 3 day Free Promo that just happened to be over Thanks Giving.
  • Post my Free Promo on the Kidlit Blog hop on www.motherdaughterbookreviews.com
  • Post the info on a few free sites (there are loads, so plan 2 weeks ahead)

Voila: Action stations

3.30 pm, I was #4 in the Free Store for 9-12 free chapter books. My book was being listed alongside Jeff Kinney’s Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, and Rick Riordan’s Mark of the Athena.

How you ask? Because Amazon posts the top Paid and top Free books alongside each other.

The result: EXPOSURE

Over the next few weeks, I managed to rank#1,937 in the Paid Kindle Store, but even better even than that, I began to rank in my Genre.  #48 in Children’s ebooks, Science Fiction. #55 in Children’s ebooks, Ages 9-12

I even hit Number One for a few hours a couple of nights.


I also started getting some much sought after reviews, but how does giving away your book work you ask? Well, when I released book 1, Amazon treated free books like sales, and therefore your book was recommended exponentially.

But that’s not the end of the story obviously.

I have just released book 2, and there are definitely a few things that I have done differently this time round.

  1. I had my book edited again, but I also had it proof read by 7 separate people. You would be amazed at what one person picked up but another didn’t.
     
  2. I had Jo Harrison from http://www.writersblockadminservices.co.uk/ format my book for Createspace and Kindle. She was excellent and it only cost me around $170 AU, well worth spending the money.
     
  3. I did a cover reveal and $50 Amazon card giveaway to coincide with Book week and the Kid Lit Blog Hop Giveaway. I set adding my book to a person’s Goodreads bookshelf the highest entry value.
     
  4. I offered ARC’s to bloggers and Goodreads friends who had actually posted a review for book 1 and let them know a possible blog tour may be happening.
     
  5. I made the ARC’s available 9 weeks prior to release, which is not a straight forward process when you are self publishing using Createspace and Kindle Direct publishing. How did I do it?
    • After I uploaded a formatted file to KDP, it gives you the option to download a MOBI and a PDF as a previewer. I used this as my ARC for people who were happy for a digital copy ( thanks to Steve Lothian for that tip)
    • For Createspace I found that once the file was uploaded, you are only able to order 5 copies at a time and to one shipping destination. As some people prefer paperback so I had to go through proof review process so that I could order a new proof each time and ship it directly to the reviewer. NB as I am in Australia, it is much cheaper for me to ship directly from Createspace then to get proof’s shipped to me and then reship them.
     
  6. I planned a Goodreads Giveaway of 5 ARC’s to run 1 month prior to my release. This had an added benefit of when people enter, they can also add my book to their goodreads bookshelf. The catch is that Goodreads will only let you offer paperbacks for giveaways, so I had to have the 5 ARC’s shipped to me first, then on to the winners.  A costly but worthwhile expense due to the exposure it gained me.
     
  7. I planned a Blog tour with the most super awesome, wonderful, innovative, blogger who’s specific reach and readers are Middle Grade. www.motherdaughterbookreviews.com
     
  8. The lovely and super awesome Carolyn developed some great student pages to accompany my books.


NB.

Amazon is seems has now changed the way they do things. Indie writers are reporting that Free book days are no longer effective, and I have to say, I agree. Goliath seems to have won this round but done worry, the David’s of the book industry, ( indie’s like myself will soldier on).

And here we are at the close of the blog tour.


Huge thanks all the bloggers and friends that got on board and supported me by reviewing and interviewing me over the tour. Special thanks to Sue, Steve, Jemima, Christine, Erik and Cheryl and Carolyn for encouraging me, sharing your wisdom and support. You are truly wonderful souls.

To Renee for your unfailing optimism, savvy blogging skills and all round fantastic chick. To my sisters, Linda and Dawn for endless support and to Danny and Gigi, the light of my dreary old life.




Return to Cardamom Blog Tour


About Return to Cardamom

Return to
Cardamom by Julie Anne Grasso

Title: Return to Cardamom (Caramel Cardamom Trilogy, Book #2)

Author: Julie Anne Grasso

Publisher: Independent

Publication Date: July 17, 2013

Pages: 136 (Paperback)

Recommended Age: 9+

Summary: Life is sweet for Caramel and things are finally getting back to normal. Well, as normal as it can be for a telepathic elf who can train trees and control computers, but she soon finds life on Cardamom is not all cupcakes and apple cider. A saboteur is hiding in the rainforest canopy, and the elves’ precious cardamom export has been wiped out. Caramel is certain it’s another trick of Alexander222 and her Aunt Isabel, but no one will believe her, and the clock is ticking. She must expose the saboteur in time to save the crop or the Elves of Cardamom will lose their livelihood. Caramel won’t rest until her theory is proven. While she is on the hunt, she makes a shocking discovery, one that will change everything.


Purchase


The Buzz About Book 1: Escape From the Forbidden Planet

Escape from the Forbidden Planet by Julie Anne
Grasso"Julie Anne Grasso has created an action-packed story featuring a range of interesting and imaginative characters (i.e., elves, the Alexanders, and other creatures), intergalactic travel, advanced medical and scientific technology, and complex environmental and conservation issues. Escape From the Forbidden Planet contains an intricate plot which slowly unfolds until you're hooked and you are left on the edge of your proverbial seat wondering what will happen next." ~ Mother Daughter Book Reviews, 5 Stars

"It's part geeky, part science, and part fun, all brought together to become this awesome book called Escape From The Forbidden Planet. I would recommend this book to reading age kids and adults who like sci-fi kids books. Definitely something different. I really enjoyed reading it!" ~ Michael S., Amazon, 5 Stars

"I loved this book. Super great series for middle graders. I loved Caramel. She has a great attitude and determination. I really admired how she was focused on getting home, saving her family but also made the best of being stuck on an alien planet. Definitely a book with great role models for kids. I really hope there is more to come where this came from. Kids need books like this with catchy stories, solid characters who have good values that they can relate to." ~ Unorthodox Mama, Goodreads, 5 Stars.

About the Author

Julie Grasso -
Author Julie Anne Grasso is an Australian author with a background in paediatric nursing. She spent many years literally wrapping children in cotton wool. Every day she witnessed great courage and resilience from the tiny people she cared for, which inspired her to write stories about a little girl elf just like them. Add in some very funky technology, her love of science fiction and desire to impart great values through her little girl elf named Caramel and there you have it, the Adventures of Caramel Cardamom Trilogy was the result.

Julie lives in Melbourne with her husband Danny and their little elf Giselle. Most days she can be found sipping chai lattes, chasing a toddler, and dreaming up wonderful worlds that often involve consumption of cupcakes.


Facebook page: Julie Anne Grasso Books
Twitter: @Jujuberry37
Goodreads Author: Julie Anne Grasso

Return to Cardamom Blog Tour Schedule (2013)

July 17

July 18
July 19
July 20
July 21
July 22
July 23
July 24
July 25
July 26
July 27
July 28
July 29
July 30
July 31

*** Return to Cardamom Blog Tour Giveaway ***

Return to Cardamom by Julie Anne GrassoAmazon $50 Gift Card


 

Prize: One winner will receive a copy (print in U.S./Canada & e-copy interntionally) + a $50 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash

Contest runs: July 17th to August 7th, 11:59 pm, 2013

Open: WW

How to enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send us an email!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, July 22, 2013

Tutankhamen Speaks

I'm excited to announce the publication of my short historical fiction Tutankhamen Speaks.

When we visited Egypt in 2008, I fell in love with and lost part of my soul to Egypt. Since then, I've read all that I can, fiction and non-fiction, set in or dealing with ancient Egypt. When the King Tut exhibit was in Denver in 2010, I went three times! We also went to hear Dr. Zahi Hawass' lecture.

Some of my favorite reads:

Beneath the Sands of Egypt by Archaeologist Donald P. Ryan; non-fiction

Omm Sety's Egypt By Dorothy Eady; a memoir

Discovering Tut-ankh-Amen's Tomb edited by Shirley Glubok; non-fiction

The Lost Army of Cambyses by Paul Sussman; fictional series
 



 
Tutankhamen Speaks is the basis for my current Work-in-Progress Sons of the Sphinx. 
 


A peek at Tutankhamen Speaks:
 
 
Hundreds of years ago, scrolls that would alter the view of Ancient Egypt's most famous pharaoh were lost. Rumors through the ages said the scrolls told of a time that the Pharaoh Tutankhamen spoke from beyond the grave. No one who heard of these scrolls believed that the scrolls had ever existed.

Then following the Arab Spring in 2011, S. L. Wood, an Egyptian scholar, made an amazing discovery in the basement of the Cairo Museum.

Read the story from the lost scrolls that recorded the Boy King's words from beyond the grave.
 
 
 
 
 
An excerpt:
 
 
Dear _________,

    Long ago the old texts of Ancient Egypt alluded to a scroll in which King Tut spoke to the people from beyond the tomb. Many archeologists put this down to an incorrect translation of the ancient Egyptian texts. Others swore to accuracy of the translation. None of that mattered though because the scroll in question could not be found. Scholars labeled it a hoax, something that never existed. It was ludicrous to imagine someone speaking from the grave. They were wrong on both accounts.
    While helping to clean out a basement room in the Cairo Museum after the Arab Spring, I found an old scroll wrapped in linen and stuffed in a box. Upon further examination of said scroll, I decided to translate it myself, being, as you know, an expert in Egyptian hieroglyphs and scripts. What I found convinced me that this was the missing scroll of Tutankhamen’s voice from the grave.
    The condition of the text varies from well-preserved to hardly able to read. In several instances, large chunks of the text were totally eroded away. Some entries had only a beginning sentence or two while others had no ending. It was the details given that convinced me that King Tutankhamen did indeed speak from beyond the tomb, from the Land of Everlasting Life. But I will leave you to decide for yourself. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. If you agree with me, I urge you to publish what I have sent so that the world can see this important time-altering work.

Yours Sincerely,
S. L. Wood 


Tutankhamen Speaks is currently available only as an eBook on Amazon.





Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Kid Lit Blog Hop #20

Welcome to the 20th Kid Lit Blog Hop. Hope those of you in the Northern Hemisphere are enjoying your summer. For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, I am sending you many rays of sunshine! The Kid Lit Blog Hop takes place on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. This Hop is a dynamic and engaged community of children's books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists, as well as parents seeking out their next great read. So, you are more than welcome to link in and take some time to make some new friends. Before we begin, I just wanted to let you all know (in case you hadn't seen it), that we are joining with Katie from Youth Literature Reviews in hosting the Best of Summer 2013 Kid Lit Giveaway Hop. If you are a children's, youth, or young adult book blogger looking to share copies of a fabulous book that you have read or are planning to read over July and August 2013 you are welcome to join this Hop. Authors, publishers, and publicists are, of course, also welcome to join in as always. In acknowledgement of our friends in the Southern Hemisphere who are experiencing the opposite season, you are more than welcome to grab some of our sunshine and link up as well!

Sign-ups for this fun event are NOW OPEN. Click on the graphic below for more information.

Best of Summer 2013 giveaway hop

Happy Hopping everyone and enjoy the Hop!

Kid Lit Blog Hop
<div align="center"><a href="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/category/kid-lit-blog-hops/" title="Kid Lit Blog Hop"><img src="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Kid-Lit-Blog-Hop-Button-Sep-2012-e1349976901756.jpg" alt="Kid Lit Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
 

Kid Lit Blog Hop Rules *Please Read*

1. We ask that you kindly follow your hostesses and co-hostesses. You can follow us any way you choose (Email, GFC, Twitter, Facebook, G+, Pinterest, etc.), but we've added our preferences below. If you could just give us a quick "follow" or "like" that would be much appreciated! Make sure to leave us a message if you are following us (i.e., on Twitter or Facebook or on our websites) and we will be sure to follow you back. Thanks! :-)

Hostesses:

Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews Twitter * Goodreads

Jaymie @ Snacks for Max Twitter * Facebook

Sue @ Kid Lit Reviews Twitter * Facebook

Katie @ Youth Literature Reviews Twitter * Facebook

Julie Grasso, Author of Escape From the Forbidden Planet/Blogger Twitter * Facebook

Cheryl Carpinello, Author of Guinevere & The King's Ransom / Blogger Twitter * Facebook

2. Link up any Kid Lit related post. This can be a link to a children’s book review, a discussion about children’s literature/literacy, or a post on a recently-read children’s book or one that you love from your childhood.

* Don't link directly to your blog, it must be a specific post*

* For Authors, we prefer you to link to your blog if you have one *

* Make sure you include an image relevant to the POST (e.g., book cover), not your blog button or photo of yourself.*

* Feel free to link more than one post.*

3. Please visit AT LEAST the TWO LINKS directly ahead of your own and leave them some love in the form of a comment. We are trying to build a community of bloggers, readers, parents, authors, and others who are as passionate about children’s literature as we are so please CONNECT and follow any or all of the blogs that interest you! 4. If you like, grab the button above and put it somewhere on your blog, preferably the post you're linking up. If you'd prefer, you can just add a text link back to this Hop so that others can find it and check out all these great book links! 5. It would really help us get the word out about the Kid Lit Blog Hop if you would be so kind as to tweet, share, and spread the word about the Hop!
Interested in co-hosting the Kid Lit Blog Hop? Please email renee @ motherdaughterbookreviews (dot) com and put Co-Hosting Blog Hop in the subject line.
Happy Hopping!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Meet Children's Author Rebecca Douglass

Many times books come from the most unexpected places. This is true for The Ninja Librarian by children's author Rebecca Douglas. Welcome, Rebecca.

First, a bit about Rebecca:


Rebecca Douglass grew up in Idaho, Arizona, and Washington states, and now lives near San Francisco with her husband and two teenaged sons. Her imagination resides where it pleases, in and out of this world. After a decade of working at the library, she is still learning the secrets of The Ninja Librarian. Her passions include backpacking, hiking, books, and running and biking. She works at the library, volunteers in the schools, and drinks too much coffee while writing.




Why did you pick to write books for children?

I have experimented in the past with writing a children’s book—historical fiction, which is probably my favorite sort of children’s lit—but the Ninja Librarian is more an accidental children’s book. I wrote most of it as stories to entertain my fellow library staffers, and it was one of them who noticed that in a lot of ways it was a kids’ story. Once we saw that, I worked to make it more kid-compatible, but I have to say that the audience remains mixed—adults love the Ninja Librarian at least as much as kids do.

Since I do like children’s books, I am continuing to write for kids, but also working on my first adult mystery.
 

What types of books do you like to read?

I have pretty eclectic (or was that eccentric?) tastes. I am a big fan of humor: P.G. Wodehouse, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett. I also enjoy mysteries: Dorothy Sayers, Jacqueline Winspeare, Aaron Elkins, Dana Stabenow, Nancy Atherton, Nevada Barr, Peter Bowen. Likewise juvenile lit (upper elem more than YA, as the latter is usually too full of teen romantic angst for me): Richard Peck, Brian Jacques, Christopher Paul Curtis, Louisa May Alcott, L.M. Montgomery. I incline a lot to historical children’s books, and learn a lot there.

I like non-fiction, too, especially history (with a particular interest in women and children in the settling of the American West), and science/natural science to stretch my English-lit brain a bit.  I read a lot of what I call literary non-fiction: natural history essays, etc.


When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

Aside from reading and writing, I like a lot of active things: my idea of a perfect vacation is a week-long backpack trip. I like long bike rides and dayhikes nearer home, and I enjoy my garden, where I’m working hard to make edible things grow in lousy urban soil in a climate where not much thrives. (I also landscape with native plants, which thrive year-round with no water and minimal attention.) Over the last 11 years, a great deal of time has also gone into our local schools, where I have progressed from PTA mom to member of the School Board. And, of course, raising our boys is a full-time job.

Tell us about The Ninja Librarian and how the story came to be.

The Ninja Librarian is a collection of tall tales that tell the story of a very fictional town called Skunk Corners. All is predictable there, if not very pleasant, until an older librarian gets off the train and proves that looks can be deceiving--and that the town doesn't have to be such an awful place.

Many of the adventures in the book were sparked by incidents at the library. The original idea grew out of one smart-aleck comment by the reference librarian, who bears a surprising physical resemblance to the book's eponymous hero. After that, I kept looking around for the challenges that face a library, many of which are surprisingly similar in 21st-Century suburbia and 19th-Century frontier town Skunk Corners. I would probably never have written a whole book’s worth, though, if not for my co-workers who kept asking when another story was coming.

Here's a peek at The Ninja Librarian:






Skunk Corners is a pretty miserable place when the Ninja Librarian moves in. It's just a dusty, tough town in the dusty, tough hills. Folks there aren't too friendly, and they don't see much need for high-falutin' nonsense like schools--or libraries. But from the moment the unassuming, white-haired gentleman steps off the train and into these tall tales, the changes begin. The Ninja Librarian uses wisdom, patience, book-learning, and a few well-placed kicks and jabs to change the town forever. 





Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Like most writers, I have a trail of not-quite-up-to-snuff MSS leading clear back to childhood, but The Ninja Librarian is my first published book.  I expect to bring out the sequel, Return to Skunk Corners, by the end of April (only two months behind schedule!).

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

In addition to the new Ninja Librarian book, I am working on revising a murder mystery (adult lit this time!), Murder Stalks the PTA, which I hope will be fit to share by the end of the year.  Just to keep sane, I’ve begun a completely new children’s book, a humorous fantasy called Halitor the Hero. I will probably continue writing both for children and adults, and also will continue to write and revise at the same time!

In the shorter term, while developing a cover for Return to Skunk Corners, I’m also working on a new cover for The Ninja Librarian.


What advice do you have for other authors?

I’m not sure my advice is worth much, considering how many decades it took me to get here, but I’ll borrow some from Winston Churchill: Never, never, never give up.  Keep writing, keep revising, keep getting people to read your work. Find an editor, and invest in a coffee plantation somewhere because you’ll be keeping their profits high! In all seriousness, while writing can be a lot of fun, if you don’t find some of it working, you probably aren’t doing it right. Rewriting and revising can be discouraging, but are the difference between good writing and bad.

Anything else you want readers to know?
 
I’d love to hear from you, so drop by my Facebook page or blog and leave a message!


Where to find Rebecca:

Blog: www.ninjalibrarian.com 

Facebook: http://facebook.com/pages/The-Ninja-Librarian/305808032816136 

Where to find The Ninja Librarian:

Amazon 

Smashwords 

Goodreads 


Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Kid Lit Blog Hop #19

Welcome to the 19th Kid Lit Blog Hop. The Kid Lit Blog Hop takes place on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. We have managed to create a dynamic and engaged community of children's books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists, as well as parents seeking out their next great read. So, you are more than welcome to link in and take some time to make some new friends. I have really been enjoying hopping around visiting as many links as I possibly can. My kiddos are now officially off on summer holidays so needless to say, things have gotten a bit busier than normal. I hope to continue to visit as many links as I can fit in. I'll do my best! Keep in touch! Please join me in welcoming back our co-hostess for this Hop, Ang from Juggling Act Mama. Welcome Ang! Please be sure to give each of our hostesses a visit to say a quick hello and we'll be sure to visit you right back!

Happy Hopping everyone and enjoy the Hop!

Kid Lit Blog Hop
<div align="center"><a href="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/category/kid-lit-blog-hops/" title="Kid Lit Blog Hop"><img src="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Kid-Lit-Blog-Hop-Button-Sep-2012-e1349976901756.jpg" alt="Kid Lit Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
 

Kid Lit Blog Hop Rules *Please Read*

1. We ask that you kindly follow your hostesses and co-hostesses. You can follow us any way you choose (Email, GFC, Twitter, Facebook, G+, Pinterest, etc.), but we've added our preferences below. If you could just give us a quick "follow" or "like" that would be much appreciated! Make sure to leave us a message if you are following us (i.e., on Twitter or Facebook or on our websites) and we will be sure to follow you back. Thanks! :-)
Hostesses:
Co-Hostess:
2. Link up any Kid Lit related post. This can be a link to a children’s book review, a discussion about children’s literature/literacy, or a post on a recently-read children’s book or one that you love from your childhood.
* Don't link directly to your blog, it must be a specific post*
* For Authors, we prefer you to link to your blog if you have one *
* Make sure you include an image relevant to the POST (e.g., book cover), not your blog button or photo of yourself.*
* Feel free to link more than one post.*
3. Please visit AT LEAST the TWO LINKS directly ahead of your own and leave them some love in the form of a comment. We are trying to build a community of bloggers, readers, parents, authors, and others who are as passionate about children’s literature as we are so please CONNECT and follow any or all of the blogs that interest you! 4. If you like, grab the button above and put it somewhere on your blog, preferably the post you're linking up. If you'd prefer, you can just add a text link back to this Hop so that others can find it and check out all these great book links! 5. It would really help us get the word out about the Kid Lit Blog Hop if you would be so kind as to tweet, share, and spread the word about the Hop!
Interested in co-hosting the Kid Lit Blog Hop? Please email renee @ motherdaughterbookreviews (dot) com and put Co-Hosting Blog Hop in the subject line.
Happy Hopping!

Meet Children's Book Illustrator Miriam Nerlove

Today we have a special treat. Illustrator Miriam Nerlove joins us to talk about what it takes to be an illustrator. Her newest project is Greenhorn written by Anna Olswanger. A few of Miriam's illustrations for Greenhorn are sprinkled throughout her interview. By the way, Miriam also writes and illustrates her own children's books.

Miriam, tell us a bit about yourself:

I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but have lived in many places. I graduated from Oberlin College and went on to get a masters in printmaking from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. While living in New York, I worked in the Photograph and Slide library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (I always wanted to work there because of the E. L. Konigsburg book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler), and I did editorial illustrations for various publications, including magazines and newspapers such as Barron's and the Asian Wall Street Journal Weekly.

After taking an evening illustration course at Parsons with the wonderful children's book author and illustrator Jacquie Hann, I was able to get my first picture book with Margaret K. McElderry, who was at Atheneum at the time. The book, I Made a Mistake, was based on a children's jump rope rhyme, and I remember the confusion in people's faces when I mentioned the name of my first book. "I Made a Mistake!" I would say.

Which medium do you prefer to work with: pen, pencil, chalk, pastel, oil, watercolor and why?

When I first started drawing and illustrating, I was enamored with pen and ink, which was the perfect medium for cartooning and working on editorial illustrations for newspapers. But as I got more into children's books, I phased out of ink and began working in pencil and watercolor. I loved painting in oils when I was in college, but with my children and space situation, watercolor has been the easiest medium for me to get into, and I fell in love with it. It is a luminous medium, and a lot more forgiving than people realize.

For all those budding artists out there, how did you get started illustrating books?

As I mentioned above, that illustration course with Jacquie Hann was key. Also, I was living in Brooklyn at the time, and my landlord was an aspiring children's book illustrator with a very different style of artwork than mine. I remember we each had a list of the publishers we wanted to show our portfolios to, and after a while we noticed that art directors who liked Catherine's work were not so keen on my work, and vice-versa. One day Catherine told me I should try showing Margaret McElderry my work, as her feedback had been lukewarm.

I remember taking the subway and reaching Margaret's office, which was this cozy and inviting room filled with books and a soft, comfortable couch. Margaret herself was a delightful, incredible woman—no nonsense but warm and brilliant. She "put me through the test" by telling me to go home and work on the jump rope rhyme project I had worked on with Jacquie at Parsons. "See if you can write enough additional rhymes to make a book," I remember  her saying. And so I did. There were many revisions, along with the additional "test" of seeing if I could handle doing my own color separations for the book—something many people nowadays don't know about with all the technologies for color printing.

A couple of things I learned from these experiences that I hold dear are:

a) Don't get discouraged if an art director or editor rejects your work—I always remember how Catherine, whose work was marvelous, and I got very different responses. People (and that's what editors and art directors are, after all) have different tastes. And this extends to good and bad reviews as well, by the way.

b) If an editor or art director gives you feedback that encourages you to revise, to change something for a project they show some interest in, do it! That's what I call a "good rejection"...when there's feedback in the form of suggestions that can turn into inspiration.

Explain for readers the importance of collaboration between authors and illustrators.

I think the collaboration between authors and illustrators depends very much on how the project is handled. In many, and perhaps most cases, the artist and author are kept apart. "Too many cooks stirring the pot," was the expression I always heard. The author would work on the manuscript with the editor until it was completed, and then the story was presented to the artist, who would work mainly with the art director.

However, in some cases an author and artist are able to work together, and thanks to Suzanne La Rosa of NewSouth books, I was able to collaborate with Anna on Greenhorn. This turned out wonderfully for me, as Anna's knowledge and sensitivity, her care for what she had written, significantly deepened what I was able to put into the illustrations.

How important is it for illustrators to read the manuscript first?

Very important. Read and reread the manuscript to absorb it as much as possible, and the illustrations will benefit by this.

If an illustrator is reading the manuscript to decide whether or not they feel like a good fit for the story, then that is another matter.

Once you have decided on what the illustrations should look like, describe for us the creation process of one illustration.





In the case of Greenhorn, where Anna and I were able to work together, I would do an illustration, which consisted of sketching and then painting a scene. The sequence of scenes had already been decided upon with the editor Suzanne, but the key to making sure the paintings were accurate and true to character in their depictions was very much achieved with Anna's thoughtful suggestions. Sometimes I would "tweak" an illustration I had already done; other times I would do the entire picture over. It's not the most efficient way to work, but it suits me.


 

Besides book illustrations, what other types of art do you create?

In the past I did some greeting cards for Recycled Paper Products in Chicago. Mostly I enjoy painting and writing for various projects I set up for myself.

When you are not working, what types of activities do you enjoy?

I live just outside of Chicago with and near my family, and I love being with them. I work part-time at a library, which provides me with lots of material for inspiration. I also read, swim and play piano every day.

Long ago I wanted to be a jazz pianist, and I remember late one night when I was living in New York, a friend and I went into a piano bar in midtown Manhattan. It was deserted except for a few elderly men sitting at the bar. I don't remember how it happened, but I found myself playing the piano for them. Oh how exhilarating it was! But then, my "audience" was quite drunk and probably slightly deaf, which most likely was the only reason I was able to play and to also have people clap. For years I've enjoyed playing for myself, and I always have music on when I'm painting.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to pursue a career in illustrating books?

I brought up the incident of my playing piano in the bar to make the point that there is a delicate balance in knowing whether one has the talent to "make it" or not in an arts field. I knew from my experiences around incredible musicians while I was at Oberlin, that even though I loved playing the piano and thought I was pretty good at it, I didn't have the talent or drive to do what it would take to become a professional musician. Feedback on my artwork and writing had always been more encouraging, starting with work I did for my high school newspaper and yearbook. But when I got to Pratt I was overwhelmed by the talent I saw, and I realized the only way to make myself stand out and perhaps "get the work," such as a magazine assignment or a book, was to be persistent and reliable.

The work I did for the Asian Wall Street Journal Weekly was a training ground, in the sense that I would pick up my assignment after work on a Tuesday afternoon, (this was in the 1980s, in the days before computers and e-mail), read the article and make the drawing that night. Then I would drop the artwork off the next day either before or after I headed back up to the museum. Sometimes the work would be rejected and I would have to do it all over again, only even faster. It was hectic and stressful, but I loved it, and it helped me to become more efficient and to approach deadlines with less fear. I also learned how to collaborate with and for an editor, to listen to the ideas of someone I respected, and to try and incorporate their suggestions into my work. All ingredients, I believe, in working as an illustrator for children's books.

As for the idea of balance, I do believe that loving what you do is the first priority for anyone who wants to pursue a career in the arts. I think talent in the visual arts is not as easily defined as it might be with writing or music, just because the definition of what makes "good art" might have a broader range? Having said that, the balance I speak of is learning how to work for oneself as well as for others. During years where I had no book project to work on, I still made the time to draw and paint, if only to keep learning and growing--and, most importantly, because I loved and love it. If the only validation for my artwork came from the outside, then I would've stopped painting a long time ago. And it's the same with my piano-playing. Even if my daughters beg me to stop, I wait until the house is empty and I play to my heart's content. It might send my husband to the basement and the dogs running under the bed, but I do it for myself first; I do it because I love it.

And now, a peek at Greenhorn:

In Anna Olswanger’s Greenhorn, a young Holocaust survivor arrives at a New York yeshiva in 1946 where he will study and live. His only possession is a small box that he never lets out of his sight. Daniel, the young survivor, rarely talks, but the narrator, a stutterer who bears the taunts of the other boys, comes to consider Daniel his friend.

The mystery of what’s in the box propels this short work, but it’s the complex relationships of the school boys that reveals the human story. In the end, Aaron, the stutterer, finds his voice and a friend in Daniel, and their bond offers hope for a future life of dreams realized, one in which Daniel is able to let go of his box. Greenhorn is a powerful story that gives human dimension to the Holocaust. It poignantly underscores our flawed humanity and speaks to the healing value of friendship. Families will want to read Greenhorn together.



A special thanks to Anna Olswanger for suggesting Carpinello's Writing Pages interview Miriam.

Links:

Amazon Greenhorn

B & N Greenhorn

For a list of books Miriam has written and illustrated, go to Goodreads.

Learn more about Anna Olswanger