It's been raining the past couple of days in Phoenix; what we call winter. It's still 63 degrees out, but the overcast skies and pattering of rain definitely give the winter vibe. It also makes things gloomy (said captain obvious), and this sense of gloom, it's hard for me to shake right now.
There's been medical issues ailing my mother, which I think in the end will be okay. It's just a lot of unknowns for her right now. Jack had a cold that induced asthma, and the poor guy had an inhaler for the past five days. He's doing a lot better now, and the cold seems to be almost gone. The rain always causes swelling and inflammation for my joints and sinuses, so yet another reminder that my body isn't in tip top shape.
All these things accumulate as a reminder that I'm doing a job that is just a job; my job brings no satisfaction or career path. If I only have a finite number of days left on this realm, then I want my work to be somewhat enjoyable to me. I know it's such a US privileged way of looking at work, that we should be doing something we like, but I am too sad about my job to think of it in any other way. I'm ready to move on from the work job blues, and have my winter blues be only about the weather.
If you didn't know, I one thing I really enjoy is writing, so much so, that last year I published my first children's book, Annie Aardvark, Mathematician. The book publishing date was January 19, 2017, and to celebrate the book's "birthday," I've set up a giveaway on Amazon! Just following the link below for a chance to win 1 of 2 books that I'm giving away. A celebration among the dreary winter is a good pick me up.
I do hope to follow up Annie with a sequel later this year (probably much later this year), and that next book will temporarily stop the unhappiness I feel about my job. I am much fulfilled outside of my day job with Jack and Bobby, friends and family, and my writing. These blues are temporary, much like most things in winter (snow storms, dead trees, gray skies, etc). Until the second book is out, I do wish you all a good winter, and that the spring breezes sweep away the blues, but really the grays, of winter.
Now for the celebration--
BOOK GIVEAWAY LINK: https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/dcabeb461efc536d
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Friday, February 16, 2018
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
2/6/18- Reading List 5: Women of Color STEM Picture Books
Another author recently tweeted about moving past "'Here's a list of diverse books!' and progress to a day where ALL of our lists- about science books, mysteries, romance, etc. - are diverse." But I think to get to subconscious diversity and inclusion in books, you have to take deliberate and conscious action. A list purposely showcasing kick-shark Women of Color (WoC) in STEM is needed-- it is what facilitates the discussion of diversity and inclusion in books and gets authors writing diverse characters into their stories. And it's the same with engineering. Our industry has to deliberately take action to increase the number of women and people of color because honestly, I don't think diversity and inclusion would happen in engineering without conscious action.
Alright, enough philosophizing and more showcasing. Here's my list of picture books featuring kick-shark women in STEM in honor of Black History Month. And if I missed one of your favorites WoC in STEM picture books, please call me out on it. I want to know; I want to add that book to my list! Thanks in advance!
1) Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
Written by Margot Lee Shetterly and Illustrated by Laura Freeman
The story of NASA mathematicians Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden and their contributions to America's first journeys into space.
2) The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath
Written by Julia Finley Mosca and Illustrated by Daniel Rieley
Dr. Bath is responsible for a game-changing treatment for blindness.
3) Mae Among the Stars
Written by Roda Ahmed and Illustrated by Stasia Burrington
The story of young Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel in space.
4) Fly High!: The Story of Bessie Coleman
Written by Louise Borden and Mary Kay Kroeger and Illustrated by Teresa Flavin
Bessie became the first African-American to earn a pilot's license.
5) Shirley Ann Jackson (part of the My Itty-Bitty Bio series)
Written by Virginia Loh-Hagan
This book examines the life of physicist Shirley Ann Jackson, a National Medal of Science recipient for Physical Science.
6) Sweet Dreams Sarah: From Slavery to Inventor
Written by Vivian Kirkfield and Illustrated by Chris Ewald
The story of Sarah B. Goode, one of the first African-American women to get a US patent.
7) The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague (coming Fall 2018)
Written by Julia Finely Mosca and Illustrated by Daniel Rieley
Raye Montague worked as a mathematician for the US Navy and forever changed the design of ships.
More books that mention WoC in STEM:
1) Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
Written by Vashti Harrison
Although this book covers women in professions outside of STEM, Alice Ball, a chemist who performed research on Leprosy, a well as Bessie Coleman and Katherine Johnson, are highlighted in the book.
2) Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World
Written by Rachel Ignotofsky
And although this book covers white women and women of color in various STEM fields, NASA mathematician and computer scientist Annie Easley and psychologist Mamie Phillips Clark, who performed the Doll Experiment (which lead to proof that segregation damaged children), are featured in the book.
I wonder without Mamie Phillips Clark's research if authors today would even be thinking about representing children of color in their books. And speaking of books that represent children of color, 2 fiction picture books that have girls of color as the main character are How to Code a Sand Castle and Ada Twist, Scientist. Both are great fiction picture books to check out in addition to the non-fiction books listed above. Happy reading everybody!
Alright, enough philosophizing and more showcasing. Here's my list of picture books featuring kick-shark women in STEM in honor of Black History Month. And if I missed one of your favorites WoC in STEM picture books, please call me out on it. I want to know; I want to add that book to my list! Thanks in advance!
1) Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
Written by Margot Lee Shetterly and Illustrated by Laura Freeman
The story of NASA mathematicians Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden and their contributions to America's first journeys into space.
2) The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath
Written by Julia Finley Mosca and Illustrated by Daniel Rieley
Dr. Bath is responsible for a game-changing treatment for blindness.
3) Mae Among the Stars
Written by Roda Ahmed and Illustrated by Stasia Burrington
The story of young Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel in space.
4) Fly High!: The Story of Bessie Coleman
Written by Louise Borden and Mary Kay Kroeger and Illustrated by Teresa Flavin
Bessie became the first African-American to earn a pilot's license.
5) Shirley Ann Jackson (part of the My Itty-Bitty Bio series)
Written by Virginia Loh-Hagan
This book examines the life of physicist Shirley Ann Jackson, a National Medal of Science recipient for Physical Science.
6) Sweet Dreams Sarah: From Slavery to Inventor
Written by Vivian Kirkfield and Illustrated by Chris Ewald
The story of Sarah B. Goode, one of the first African-American women to get a US patent.
7) The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague (coming Fall 2018)
Written by Julia Finely Mosca and Illustrated by Daniel Rieley
Raye Montague worked as a mathematician for the US Navy and forever changed the design of ships.
More books that mention WoC in STEM:
1) Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
Written by Vashti Harrison
Although this book covers women in professions outside of STEM, Alice Ball, a chemist who performed research on Leprosy, a well as Bessie Coleman and Katherine Johnson, are highlighted in the book.
2) Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World
Written by Rachel Ignotofsky
And although this book covers white women and women of color in various STEM fields, NASA mathematician and computer scientist Annie Easley and psychologist Mamie Phillips Clark, who performed the Doll Experiment (which lead to proof that segregation damaged children), are featured in the book.
I wonder without Mamie Phillips Clark's research if authors today would even be thinking about representing children of color in their books. And speaking of books that represent children of color, 2 fiction picture books that have girls of color as the main character are How to Code a Sand Castle and Ada Twist, Scientist. Both are great fiction picture books to check out in addition to the non-fiction books listed above. Happy reading everybody!
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
1/2/18- New Year's Resolutions
2017 was a pretty good year for me. I released a book, traveled twice to Disneyland, wrote about awesome engineers for STEMedia, enjoyed my work some days, and spent blissful time with my friends and family. Although the past 2 weeks have been a bit busy and emotionally draining (there were some good times and some not good times this Christmas), 2017 was a good year for me on a personal level. I know some bat shark stuff happened in the US this year, shark you Hurricanes Harvey and Maria, but for me, I enjoyed 2017.
I believe 2018 will also be a good year (for me), and I'm not setting New Year's resolutions. That's right no resolutions. I have some writing goals and some personal goals, but if they don't happen this year, I'll get them done in 2019. I've seen too often my parent friends stress out and feel time poor with all that is on their and their child's plates. I've talked with my chronically ill friends about how some days the only energy you have is to eat and watch TV. So this year I've decided to not sweat about my goals. Because goals are nice to have but are not a need to have.
What are these goals that are nice to have but not a need to have? I'll tell you:
1) Write every week-- If for some reason I don't write for one of the weeks, no big deal, I can do it some other time. Since my income to pay for food, shelter, etc doesn't come from writing, I've got the flexibility of when I write. It's nice to write, but it's not a need. Gasp! I'm sure other writers are horrified at this idea, but I don't want writing to be a chore. I want to write because I want to do it. Writing started to feel mandatory at the end of 2017, and I want writing to stay fun and continue to make me feel happy.
2) Submit queries to agents and publishers-- If for some reason I don't query an agent for the whole year, there will be agents to query in 2019. A list of agents to query seems to be a pretty steady fact in the writing business, and as much as I'd love an agent sooner rather than later, I know that it takes time. And if part of the reason it takes time is because of me, then so be it.
3) Take a vacation-- I'm like 99.9999999999999999999% sure that will happen this year, but it might not be some fancy vacation at a nice resort on a tropical island. It might just be in the next city over at a Holiday Inn Express/Best Western/Comfort Inn/etc. I don't really care where it, as long as it is time off from work and somewhat relaxing.
That's it. Those are my goals. They're pretty achievable. I asked a friend if she had any New Year's Resolutions, and she had a pretty good answer: sleep more and eat more. Those are also very achievable goals. So that's what I'm going to encourage us all to do this year-- set the bar low because you'll feel great when you easily trip over your goals. In seriousness, I want to encourage you to set goals or resolutions, or whatever you want to call them, that you know you actually achieve. Goals that you won't sweat about. Even if it's just eating more.
Happy New Year's and best wishes!
Monday, December 11, 2017
12/10/17- Every Once in a While, I Like My Job (Part 2)
Not that long ago, I talked about how much I enjoyed attending and presenting at a conference. That I actually liked my job. Not more than a week later I found myself again enjoying my job. But this time it was my writing job (which I like 98% of the time anyway, so no surprise there).
I was selling copies of my book at the Tempe Book Festival. I needed some help; someone to accept payment while I signed books. This setup is optimal for any author working a festival, fair or any other place where you're selling directly to patrons. I enlisted the help of my friend and fellow engineer Sara (hi Sara, thanks again for your help!). We've done multiple science fairs together, and she's great at getting kids and adults interested in our (science and engineering) booth.
Since the Tempe Book Festival was outside, and you have to bring your own gear, I decided that a tent canopy, in addition to the standard table and chairs, was a good idea for a festival in the Valley of the Sun. It's a rather large canopy, so Bobby volunteered to help Sara and I set it up. Set up was faster with 3 people, but only 2 people need to work a table/booth at a book festival. Having Bobby there for set up also meant that Jack would be there.
Jack is at the age where I have no idea if he'll be sitting still while watching Mickey Mouse, running all over the festival grounds, or begging us to go home. To my pleasant surprise, he was really into the book festival, yay! While we set up, he played an ABC game on a tablet. And when we finished set up, he took Mommy around to all the booths, then Sara around to all the booths, and finally Daddy around to all the booths.
Next, he sat at my booth, telling people about Annie Aardvark, handing out candy to other kids (it was more of a mandate: "you don't want that, you want Starburst"), and also enjoying some of this candy himself. He stayed the entire 6 hours of the festival and seemed to enjoy all 6 hours. He was a little tired after we packed it in and feel asleep on the ride home.
On a parenting note, remember when I said I had no idea how Jack would act? When I'm not sure how he'll act someplace new, I hesitate (big time) on bringing him with me. I don't think I'm alone on that hesitation--running a book festival booth goes a little smoother if there's not a cranky toddler sitting at it. Shark, doing anything without a toddler present usually goes smoother.
However looking back, I think about how Jack and I might have both missed out on this experience had I let that hesitation rule my decision. It was awesome for me to have him be a part of my work--for him to see me work. It's that thought, of him seeing me work and being a part of my work, that has changed my mindset. I definitely plan to bring him to more events like this (like when Sara and I volunteer for another science fair). It's just making sure to have a contingency plan, like having daddy or a friend on hand to help out, since I am an engineer after all (got to worse case it, ya know?).
As I hinted in the paragraph above, it meant the world to me that I got to share my work (my writing work) with my son. And that he liked it! I'm convinced that he thinks I don't work, as all of my work, both engineering and writing, is performed on my laptop. I'm pretty sure Jack thinks the laptop is a toy, and toys equal play, not work (although play in a sense is work for kids, just don't tell them that). Therefore, mommy plays, not works, on the laptop (okay, sometimes work feels like play to me, which circles back to every once in a while, I like my job).
As a female engineer (and writer) who wants to raise a feminist son, it's very important to me that Jack not only understands that I work, but that he sees me do it. Sharing the book festival with him, not only is a precious memory, but a demonstration of my ideals to my child. So yeah, every once in a while, I like my job. Might I say, I even love it? Na, let's not get too carried away! 😃
Hey friends and family-- what do you like about your job? Let me know in the comments. I guess you can also tell me what you don't like about your job, although hoping to have some positive comments too. 😃
I was selling copies of my book at the Tempe Book Festival. I needed some help; someone to accept payment while I signed books. This setup is optimal for any author working a festival, fair or any other place where you're selling directly to patrons. I enlisted the help of my friend and fellow engineer Sara (hi Sara, thanks again for your help!). We've done multiple science fairs together, and she's great at getting kids and adults interested in our (science and engineering) booth.
Since the Tempe Book Festival was outside, and you have to bring your own gear, I decided that a tent canopy, in addition to the standard table and chairs, was a good idea for a festival in the Valley of the Sun. It's a rather large canopy, so Bobby volunteered to help Sara and I set it up. Set up was faster with 3 people, but only 2 people need to work a table/booth at a book festival. Having Bobby there for set up also meant that Jack would be there.
Jack is at the age where I have no idea if he'll be sitting still while watching Mickey Mouse, running all over the festival grounds, or begging us to go home. To my pleasant surprise, he was really into the book festival, yay! While we set up, he played an ABC game on a tablet. And when we finished set up, he took Mommy around to all the booths, then Sara around to all the booths, and finally Daddy around to all the booths.
Next, he sat at my booth, telling people about Annie Aardvark, handing out candy to other kids (it was more of a mandate: "you don't want that, you want Starburst"), and also enjoying some of this candy himself. He stayed the entire 6 hours of the festival and seemed to enjoy all 6 hours. He was a little tired after we packed it in and feel asleep on the ride home.
Jack visiting an author's book at the Tempe Book Festival
On a parenting note, remember when I said I had no idea how Jack would act? When I'm not sure how he'll act someplace new, I hesitate (big time) on bringing him with me. I don't think I'm alone on that hesitation--running a book festival booth goes a little smoother if there's not a cranky toddler sitting at it. Shark, doing anything without a toddler present usually goes smoother.
However looking back, I think about how Jack and I might have both missed out on this experience had I let that hesitation rule my decision. It was awesome for me to have him be a part of my work--for him to see me work. It's that thought, of him seeing me work and being a part of my work, that has changed my mindset. I definitely plan to bring him to more events like this (like when Sara and I volunteer for another science fair). It's just making sure to have a contingency plan, like having daddy or a friend on hand to help out, since I am an engineer after all (got to worse case it, ya know?).
As I hinted in the paragraph above, it meant the world to me that I got to share my work (my writing work) with my son. And that he liked it! I'm convinced that he thinks I don't work, as all of my work, both engineering and writing, is performed on my laptop. I'm pretty sure Jack thinks the laptop is a toy, and toys equal play, not work (although play in a sense is work for kids, just don't tell them that). Therefore, mommy plays, not works, on the laptop (okay, sometimes work feels like play to me, which circles back to every once in a while, I like my job).
As a female engineer (and writer) who wants to raise a feminist son, it's very important to me that Jack not only understands that I work, but that he sees me do it. Sharing the book festival with him, not only is a precious memory, but a demonstration of my ideals to my child. So yeah, every once in a while, I like my job. Might I say, I even love it? Na, let's not get too carried away! 😃
Hey friends and family-- what do you like about your job? Let me know in the comments. I guess you can also tell me what you don't like about your job, although hoping to have some positive comments too. 😃
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Pointed Monster
Billy trembled as the angled shadow drew closer. I’ve got to get out of here! thought
Billy. “Help, help! There’s a monster coming for me!” he
screamed. But it was pointless; the monster had already turned the
corner. “Please don’t eat me!” shouted
Billy, tightly squeezing his eyes shut. “I won’t eat you,” kindly replied the
monster. Billy’s shoulders dropped and slowly his eyelids lifted. Blink.
Blink. “Oh,” said Billy, a wicked smile
creeping across his face. “That’s too
bad for you because candy corn is my favorite,” Billy
stated. Crunch….
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
9/26/17- My Second Writers' Conference
This past Saturday I attended my second writers' conference. The first writers' conference I ever attended was the SCBWI LA 2016 conference, and I learned lots of useful information. And while the LA conference was cool, the Arizona conference (also hosted by SCBWI, which any aspiring children's book author should check out the org) was more intimate. I really enjoyed being able to network with more authors, including the ones I consider friends, and the connections made at this conference feel like they are going to last longer (probably because most of us are local, unlike the LA conference, although I did make a friend or two at the LA conference).
There were also some great presentations from editors and agents. Kat, from Feiwel and Friends, provided great tips on the business side of writing, including "Know Your Genre." That means read, read, read the books (especially current books) that are in the genre you write. I'm hoping I can accomplish reading more Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Chapter Books, as Jack, Bobby and I read lots of Picture Books together. It's hard to squeeze in reading time when you have like 4 different jobs. But reading is fun for me, so I am very much on board with this tip.
Russell from Little Brown Books gave a really fun presentation about humor in picture books. He gave us tips and suggestions for humor, but what I liked best, was that we had to implement these tips and suggestions through 2 writing exercises. The engineer in me likes taking the subject learned and applying said subject. I also want to thank Bobby for always sharing "Dad Jokes" with me (which I love by the way; most of them make me chuckle), as his jokes came in handy for the humor writing exercises.
Any budding writer/author should attend at least one writing conference early in their career; that's my advice to you all. The connections you make with other authors and all the knowledge you learn about writing (the "craft") and about the publishing business are pretty invaluable. Plus, you might win a door prize (I did, woo-hoo)! Happy writing to all (whether it's a blog, a book, or an office memo)!
Here are some tips from other sources if you are attending a writing conference for the first time:
Making the Most of Your Next Writers Conference
Do's and Don't's of Attending a Writers Conference
Specific Tips for a SCBWI Conference
There were also some great presentations from editors and agents. Kat, from Feiwel and Friends, provided great tips on the business side of writing, including "Know Your Genre." That means read, read, read the books (especially current books) that are in the genre you write. I'm hoping I can accomplish reading more Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Chapter Books, as Jack, Bobby and I read lots of Picture Books together. It's hard to squeeze in reading time when you have like 4 different jobs. But reading is fun for me, so I am very much on board with this tip.
Russell from Little Brown Books gave a really fun presentation about humor in picture books. He gave us tips and suggestions for humor, but what I liked best, was that we had to implement these tips and suggestions through 2 writing exercises. The engineer in me likes taking the subject learned and applying said subject. I also want to thank Bobby for always sharing "Dad Jokes" with me (which I love by the way; most of them make me chuckle), as his jokes came in handy for the humor writing exercises.
Any budding writer/author should attend at least one writing conference early in their career; that's my advice to you all. The connections you make with other authors and all the knowledge you learn about writing (the "craft") and about the publishing business are pretty invaluable. Plus, you might win a door prize (I did, woo-hoo)! Happy writing to all (whether it's a blog, a book, or an office memo)!
Here are some tips from other sources if you are attending a writing conference for the first time:
Making the Most of Your Next Writers Conference
Do's and Don't's of Attending a Writers Conference
Specific Tips for a SCBWI Conference
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
8/1/17- The Book Festival
About a week ago I attended the Payson Book Festival. This public and free event is a way for adults and kids to meet and greet dozen's of book creators from all over Arizona (and a few other states). Like other book festivals, authors sit at tables and spend the day chatting with readers and signing books. The Payson Book Festival was my first book festival as an author, and I want to share some of the things I learned as an author attending a book festival.
First, if you are indie/self-published, then you will have to register yourself for the festival you want to attend. The registration process for the Payson Book Festival was relatively simple: I filled out their form, emailed it to the organizer, and then paid the fee through PayPal (most festivals have a registration fee for authors to have booths at their festival). If you are a traditionally published author, your publisher may be setting everything up, including registering and paying fees. However, if you're a traditionally published author attending a festival outside of what your publisher has scheduled for you (aka, you're going on your own), then you're going to have to register yourself and pay any fees yourself.
Second, you'll want to find out all the details about the event. Like, are you getting a full booth, partial booth (sharing with an other author), do you get the whole day or just a time slot (2 hours, 3 hours, etc), is table and chairs provided or do you bring your own equipment, are you responsible for sales or will there be a bookstore or other 3rd party that will sell books for you, do you need to have a state and city vendor's license (in most cases, yes), are you responsible for tax remittance, is any food or beverages provided, how many people attended the event in the past and so on.
If your publisher is setting everything up, that's great. If not, then it's really important to know how you'll be selling your books and what the set up is like and what you'll need to bring. Tables and chairs were provided for the authors, and there was an independent bookstore that was willing to sell authors' books at the Payson Book Festival, so technically all I had to bring was copies of my book, many Sharpies (so important to have multiple writing tools), and myself (and Bobby; it is always nice to have a person helping you who is familiar with the book).
Third, sales expectations. This information is probably some of the hardest information to find on the Internet (Bobby and I spent a couple of hours looking for what should I expect in sales). My guess as to why this information is hard to find is because sales are not high at book festivals. Most people (readers) are there because it's a free event, and they have specific authors or books they're looking for, or they already have the book and are going to the event just to get the book signed.
From what I've read from other authors who have willingly shared this information (and from my own experience) is that you're doing really well if you are selling 1 (that's ONE) book per hour. I sold 10 books over the 6 hours of the Payson Book Festival and that was considered really good (the Payson Book Festival has a couple hundred attendees). I read another blog post from an author who attended the Brooklyn Book Festival, which has 10,000 people attend, and he sold only 4 novels. Managing your own expectations regarding book sales is key to determining if the event was successful by your own measures.
And that sentence brings me to my final thought/lesson learned. To me, the point of the book festival is to get your name out there and to connect with your readers. People may not buy your book, but if you have a card or sticker with your name and book on it, when they go to the library or bookstore next, then they may want to ask the librarian or bookstore owner for your book. Or they may want to look you up and find out that you do classroom visits/other speaker engagement events and ask you to come speak to their class. That is why it is a good idea to have free swag.
The Payson Book Festival was my first time as an author at a festival, but it was not my first festival. I've been doing science festivals and other such events for an non-profit engineering professional organization since 2004. From those science festivals and outreach events, I've learned that people love free stuff. I personally have too much shwag from conferences that I've stopped collecting it from booths, but people want free pencils, stickers, bookmarks, chapstick, pens, etc. for whatever reason. I had some bookmarks (with my name and book on them) that I offered to people. I didn't try to sell people on my book; I just said, hi, please have a free bookmark. About 50% of the time, they'd ask me questions about the book and 5% of the time, they'd buy a book. Another author at the event was handing out bags of dried basil and bay leaves, as her book was about holistic health. She got a lot of traffic at her booth.
Offering something for free draws people to your booth (of course so does a good looking book cover, but you'll have to Google to find posts on how to design a good looking cover). Kids especially love picking up stickers and bookmarks each booth, so it was a success to me that I only had 25 out of 100 bookmarks left. Potentially 75 kids now know who Annie Aardvark is!
If you're an illustrator, you can also consider selling some of your art or giving out small postcards with your art. If you're the author, you can consider selling some other product that is associated with your book. For example, the author I shared a booth with, she sold stuff animals that related to the animal characters in her books. Just be aware that children (and their parents) might not understand the product or art is for sell, so it's a good idea to have a sign clearly stating a price. If you're an author/illustration, you can consider selling both art and products. Make sure to check with the festival about selling things other than books (and also if you'll need a vendor's license).
Another idea that may sell books, is to offer a special festival only price. Aka, a discount. I offered a 25% discount on my book just for the festival (it could only be done at the festival, not online; although an all day online discount that correlates to the festival could also be considered). I think the free stuff had a bigger impact on sales than the discount, but it's worth exploring if you're selling the book yourself (or can price it at a discount with the third party who's going to sell your book that day).
Finally, if you are handling sales at your booth/table, be prepared to accept as many forms of payment as possible. Square is one of many providers that makes it incredibly convenient to accept credit/debit cards. All you need is a smartphone and the app, but if you plan ahead, you can get swipe readers for free from Square or you can pay for readers that can even accept Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and other contactless forms (know your customer). But don't forget cash is still the preferred payment method for many customers as well.
In summary, I had a good time at the Payson Book Festival. I always enjoy interacting with children and their parents at events, and the Payson Book Festival was the same. It's important to remember that the goal of the festival is the interaction with readers. You are there to connect with your readers. It's also a good opportunity to network with other authors and illustrators. I now have another author friend that I can ask questions and seek guidance from. I highly recommend that any author (or illustrator), whether self-published or traditionally published, attend at least one book festival (or fair) in their writing career. The experiences and connections will at least make for some good writing fodder, but will also hopefully get your name out to the public. Plus, it's fun!
If you have any further questions for me about book festivals (like what is this vendor's license thing I keep mentioning), please leave me a comment or reach out to me on social media (Twitter or Facebook). Happy reading everyone!
First, if you are indie/self-published, then you will have to register yourself for the festival you want to attend. The registration process for the Payson Book Festival was relatively simple: I filled out their form, emailed it to the organizer, and then paid the fee through PayPal (most festivals have a registration fee for authors to have booths at their festival). If you are a traditionally published author, your publisher may be setting everything up, including registering and paying fees. However, if you're a traditionally published author attending a festival outside of what your publisher has scheduled for you (aka, you're going on your own), then you're going to have to register yourself and pay any fees yourself.
Second, you'll want to find out all the details about the event. Like, are you getting a full booth, partial booth (sharing with an other author), do you get the whole day or just a time slot (2 hours, 3 hours, etc), is table and chairs provided or do you bring your own equipment, are you responsible for sales or will there be a bookstore or other 3rd party that will sell books for you, do you need to have a state and city vendor's license (in most cases, yes), are you responsible for tax remittance, is any food or beverages provided, how many people attended the event in the past and so on.
If your publisher is setting everything up, that's great. If not, then it's really important to know how you'll be selling your books and what the set up is like and what you'll need to bring. Tables and chairs were provided for the authors, and there was an independent bookstore that was willing to sell authors' books at the Payson Book Festival, so technically all I had to bring was copies of my book, many Sharpies (so important to have multiple writing tools), and myself (and Bobby; it is always nice to have a person helping you who is familiar with the book).
Third, sales expectations. This information is probably some of the hardest information to find on the Internet (Bobby and I spent a couple of hours looking for what should I expect in sales). My guess as to why this information is hard to find is because sales are not high at book festivals. Most people (readers) are there because it's a free event, and they have specific authors or books they're looking for, or they already have the book and are going to the event just to get the book signed.
From what I've read from other authors who have willingly shared this information (and from my own experience) is that you're doing really well if you are selling 1 (that's ONE) book per hour. I sold 10 books over the 6 hours of the Payson Book Festival and that was considered really good (the Payson Book Festival has a couple hundred attendees). I read another blog post from an author who attended the Brooklyn Book Festival, which has 10,000 people attend, and he sold only 4 novels. Managing your own expectations regarding book sales is key to determining if the event was successful by your own measures.
And that sentence brings me to my final thought/lesson learned. To me, the point of the book festival is to get your name out there and to connect with your readers. People may not buy your book, but if you have a card or sticker with your name and book on it, when they go to the library or bookstore next, then they may want to ask the librarian or bookstore owner for your book. Or they may want to look you up and find out that you do classroom visits/other speaker engagement events and ask you to come speak to their class. That is why it is a good idea to have free swag.
The Payson Book Festival was my first time as an author at a festival, but it was not my first festival. I've been doing science festivals and other such events for an non-profit engineering professional organization since 2004. From those science festivals and outreach events, I've learned that people love free stuff. I personally have too much shwag from conferences that I've stopped collecting it from booths, but people want free pencils, stickers, bookmarks, chapstick, pens, etc. for whatever reason. I had some bookmarks (with my name and book on them) that I offered to people. I didn't try to sell people on my book; I just said, hi, please have a free bookmark. About 50% of the time, they'd ask me questions about the book and 5% of the time, they'd buy a book. Another author at the event was handing out bags of dried basil and bay leaves, as her book was about holistic health. She got a lot of traffic at her booth.
Offering something for free draws people to your booth (of course so does a good looking book cover, but you'll have to Google to find posts on how to design a good looking cover). Kids especially love picking up stickers and bookmarks each booth, so it was a success to me that I only had 25 out of 100 bookmarks left. Potentially 75 kids now know who Annie Aardvark is!
If you're an illustrator, you can also consider selling some of your art or giving out small postcards with your art. If you're the author, you can consider selling some other product that is associated with your book. For example, the author I shared a booth with, she sold stuff animals that related to the animal characters in her books. Just be aware that children (and their parents) might not understand the product or art is for sell, so it's a good idea to have a sign clearly stating a price. If you're an author/illustration, you can consider selling both art and products. Make sure to check with the festival about selling things other than books (and also if you'll need a vendor's license).
Another idea that may sell books, is to offer a special festival only price. Aka, a discount. I offered a 25% discount on my book just for the festival (it could only be done at the festival, not online; although an all day online discount that correlates to the festival could also be considered). I think the free stuff had a bigger impact on sales than the discount, but it's worth exploring if you're selling the book yourself (or can price it at a discount with the third party who's going to sell your book that day).
Finally, if you are handling sales at your booth/table, be prepared to accept as many forms of payment as possible. Square is one of many providers that makes it incredibly convenient to accept credit/debit cards. All you need is a smartphone and the app, but if you plan ahead, you can get swipe readers for free from Square or you can pay for readers that can even accept Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and other contactless forms (know your customer). But don't forget cash is still the preferred payment method for many customers as well.
In summary, I had a good time at the Payson Book Festival. I always enjoy interacting with children and their parents at events, and the Payson Book Festival was the same. It's important to remember that the goal of the festival is the interaction with readers. You are there to connect with your readers. It's also a good opportunity to network with other authors and illustrators. I now have another author friend that I can ask questions and seek guidance from. I highly recommend that any author (or illustrator), whether self-published or traditionally published, attend at least one book festival (or fair) in their writing career. The experiences and connections will at least make for some good writing fodder, but will also hopefully get your name out to the public. Plus, it's fun!
If you have any further questions for me about book festivals (like what is this vendor's license thing I keep mentioning), please leave me a comment or reach out to me on social media (Twitter or Facebook). Happy reading everyone!
Monday, July 3, 2017
7/3/17- Hello Impostor; I See You've Failed
I thought I was done feeling like an impostor; 13 years into my job as engineer, I do not doubt my engineering skills anymore. I doubt the place that I work, but I do not doubt that I've got something to offer as an engineer. For the first 5 years of my (engineering) job, I doubted my engineering capability. Being sick and discovering I had RA, made those feelings of impostor and fraud linger a little longer than I felt they should have. But as soon as my health issue was figured out, and I got project experience under my belt, I no longer felt like a phony. Every couple of years, I'll acknowledge that there are engineers who are smarter than me (on my team), but I am not a dummy; I know the work and how to do the work. I can do it in my sleep now (ugh, sometimes I dream about analyzing completing systems reliability tickets). So I have said good-bye impostor syndrome.
Or so I thought. Two years ago, I decided I would write a blog. And then I decided I would write and publish a children's book. I've done just that-- I published a children's book. I have also published pieces with Highlights and STEM Media and guest blogged for Tech Love. Technically, I am a published author. But I don't feel like one. I feel like I am another silly, stupid, and annoying person who thinks she can write in the same school (not class) as great, amazing, best selling, and world-renowned authors. But I'm not one of them. I am not in the same class as them.
I'm pretty sure I don't belong in the writing and publishing industry. After all, I'm just an engineer-- what right do I have asking to be in the writing and publishing industry? I have no degree in writing, my only formal (college level or higher) writing classes were English 101 and 102, and technical writing does not equate to creative writing. I haven't toiled for decades in perfecting my craft to finally land a book deal. How can I, after just a couple of years of playing around and pretending to be a writer, expect to get an agent/book deal/traditionally published book? I am naive and stupid in thinking that. I don't belong here. I am an impostor in the book/writing/publishing industry. And I feel like such a failure. A big, fat failure.
It doesn't matter that people have bought my indie published children's book. It doesn't matter that friends and family share with me that they book the book and how much they like the book. It doesn't matter that I get photos of smiling kids reading my book. It doesn't matter when bloggers and book critics write positive things about the book. It doesn't matter that the book got featured on podcasts. It doesn't matter that my book has received a couple of awards. I still feel like a failure. I feel it's time to hang up my author hat, pat myself on the back, and tell myself, you tried, but now it's time to move on. Time to stop fooling yourself and others; time to acknowledge that you are an impostor.
This irrational feeling of failure and impostor, well, I know it's irrational. I never expected to make the New York Times Best Seller list, and my selling expectation was in the low hundreds (which close at 85 sells so far). I also know it takes a long, long time to find an agent and get a book published traditionally, and I knew indie publishing my book wouldn't bring agents and publishers knocking on my door. I just knew that I loved the story and had the means to share it. All I could hope for is that others would it love too. And when the rational voice in my head is speaking, I know that my hope, of others loving the story, is true.
All the stuff I said above that doesn't matter, well, rational voice knows that it does matter. People liking/loving the book, the awards, and the best part, photos of happy kids reading my book, that all matters. I'm so appreciative of all that; those things are huge and wonderful accomplishments. When I let the rational voice talk, and remind me of those huge and wonderful accomplishments, I don't feel like a loser, a failure, an impostor. If I truly look at it, I've accomplished some pretty cool things in the writing world. And I have so many other stories I want to share. No way am I done yet with this industry. I'm here to stay.
I just have to keep working at this writing thing and to tell the irrational impostor voice to shut the shark up! Impostor voice, where you see failure, I will embrace the mistakes and see a chance to learn and grow. Where you say I've accomplished nothing, I see many kids enjoying the book and great reviews. Where you say, it's time to quit, I remind you that writing is fun and that you have another story to write. Where you sing Beck's "I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me", I change the lyrics to "one day I'll kill it".
One day (hopefully sooner rather than later), I will kill it in the book world, and stop doubting my capability as a writer, and my impostor syndrome will subside again. Until then, hello impostor, I see you've failed (in making me completely doubt myself). So shut the shark up already! I have writing to do!
Need more info on the impostor syndrome, check out this:
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/26/your-money/learning-to-deal-with-the-impostor-syndrome.html
And this:
https://www.dailyworth.com/posts/5-tips-tackling-impostor-syndrome
Or so I thought. Two years ago, I decided I would write a blog. And then I decided I would write and publish a children's book. I've done just that-- I published a children's book. I have also published pieces with Highlights and STEM Media and guest blogged for Tech Love. Technically, I am a published author. But I don't feel like one. I feel like I am another silly, stupid, and annoying person who thinks she can write in the same school (not class) as great, amazing, best selling, and world-renowned authors. But I'm not one of them. I am not in the same class as them.
I'm pretty sure I don't belong in the writing and publishing industry. After all, I'm just an engineer-- what right do I have asking to be in the writing and publishing industry? I have no degree in writing, my only formal (college level or higher) writing classes were English 101 and 102, and technical writing does not equate to creative writing. I haven't toiled for decades in perfecting my craft to finally land a book deal. How can I, after just a couple of years of playing around and pretending to be a writer, expect to get an agent/book deal/traditionally published book? I am naive and stupid in thinking that. I don't belong here. I am an impostor in the book/writing/publishing industry. And I feel like such a failure. A big, fat failure.
It doesn't matter that people have bought my indie published children's book. It doesn't matter that friends and family share with me that they book the book and how much they like the book. It doesn't matter that I get photos of smiling kids reading my book. It doesn't matter when bloggers and book critics write positive things about the book. It doesn't matter that the book got featured on podcasts. It doesn't matter that my book has received a couple of awards. I still feel like a failure. I feel it's time to hang up my author hat, pat myself on the back, and tell myself, you tried, but now it's time to move on. Time to stop fooling yourself and others; time to acknowledge that you are an impostor.
This irrational feeling of failure and impostor, well, I know it's irrational. I never expected to make the New York Times Best Seller list, and my selling expectation was in the low hundreds (which close at 85 sells so far). I also know it takes a long, long time to find an agent and get a book published traditionally, and I knew indie publishing my book wouldn't bring agents and publishers knocking on my door. I just knew that I loved the story and had the means to share it. All I could hope for is that others would it love too. And when the rational voice in my head is speaking, I know that my hope, of others loving the story, is true.
All the stuff I said above that doesn't matter, well, rational voice knows that it does matter. People liking/loving the book, the awards, and the best part, photos of happy kids reading my book, that all matters. I'm so appreciative of all that; those things are huge and wonderful accomplishments. When I let the rational voice talk, and remind me of those huge and wonderful accomplishments, I don't feel like a loser, a failure, an impostor. If I truly look at it, I've accomplished some pretty cool things in the writing world. And I have so many other stories I want to share. No way am I done yet with this industry. I'm here to stay.
I just have to keep working at this writing thing and to tell the irrational impostor voice to shut the shark up! Impostor voice, where you see failure, I will embrace the mistakes and see a chance to learn and grow. Where you say I've accomplished nothing, I see many kids enjoying the book and great reviews. Where you say, it's time to quit, I remind you that writing is fun and that you have another story to write. Where you sing Beck's "I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me", I change the lyrics to "one day I'll kill it".
One day (hopefully sooner rather than later), I will kill it in the book world, and stop doubting my capability as a writer, and my impostor syndrome will subside again. Until then, hello impostor, I see you've failed (in making me completely doubt myself). So shut the shark up already! I have writing to do!
Need more info on the impostor syndrome, check out this:
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/26/your-money/learning-to-deal-with-the-impostor-syndrome.html
And this:
https://www.dailyworth.com/posts/5-tips-tackling-impostor-syndrome
Thursday, March 30, 2017
3/29/17- Happy Birthday to Me!
Yay! It's my birthday! This week I'm all about the positive and focusing on celebration. I have a lot to celebrate too. Family and friends. A published book. People writing about my book on their blogs. People buying my stories. Cake. A good paying job, even though I don't get paid the same as my engineering peers. Oh that's going down the negative path.
Let's look at the cute picture instead of my Jack and Bobby (and me) that my friend, Enthusiastic About Life, took:
Every since I released my book, all I wanted was a picture of Jack reading my book. That's easier said than done with an on-the-go toddler. Luckily, my friend not only captured Jack looking at the book, but it's family photo too!
My friend was also kind enough to share my journey as a published author and giveaway another copy of my book on Enthusiastic About Life. And a fellow STEM mom wrote such a positive review on her blog, Mamas Organized Chaos, that I'm again on cloud nine. Seeing and hearing about how your book makes children happy, well, that's a dream come true. Pinch me.
I also had Highlights, the children's magazine, buy my poem! I don't know when it will be published, but one of the editors found out about my background in STEM and left the door open (or maybe it's a window) for me to submit science activities. I also have a potential byline with a different STEM website, and the story is about my amazing, engineering friend Style Kemistry, so I really hope the outlet picks the story up.
And there's a radio interview (eek, I hope I don't say something dumb live). And book festivals. And another published, children's book author is taking the time to read and review my book right now as we speak. It's all so crazy and humbling.
And this weekend, dear husband is throwing me a birthday party and book launch party with family and friends. That's the sweet icing on the cake. And there will be cake (I think he's getting the cake to look like Annie, but I think that's supposed to be a surprise, but, he told me he had to run to the baker and was holding a copy of the book, so yeah). To paraphrase Fillmore from our house's favorite movie "Cars", like, feel the love man. I'm one loved birthday lady! Happy birthday to me! 😍
Let's look at the cute picture instead of my Jack and Bobby (and me) that my friend, Enthusiastic About Life, took:
Every since I released my book, all I wanted was a picture of Jack reading my book. That's easier said than done with an on-the-go toddler. Luckily, my friend not only captured Jack looking at the book, but it's family photo too!
My friend was also kind enough to share my journey as a published author and giveaway another copy of my book on Enthusiastic About Life. And a fellow STEM mom wrote such a positive review on her blog, Mamas Organized Chaos, that I'm again on cloud nine. Seeing and hearing about how your book makes children happy, well, that's a dream come true. Pinch me.
I also had Highlights, the children's magazine, buy my poem! I don't know when it will be published, but one of the editors found out about my background in STEM and left the door open (or maybe it's a window) for me to submit science activities. I also have a potential byline with a different STEM website, and the story is about my amazing, engineering friend Style Kemistry, so I really hope the outlet picks the story up.
And there's a radio interview (eek, I hope I don't say something dumb live). And book festivals. And another published, children's book author is taking the time to read and review my book right now as we speak. It's all so crazy and humbling.
And this weekend, dear husband is throwing me a birthday party and book launch party with family and friends. That's the sweet icing on the cake. And there will be cake (I think he's getting the cake to look like Annie, but I think that's supposed to be a surprise, but, he told me he had to run to the baker and was holding a copy of the book, so yeah). To paraphrase Fillmore from our house's favorite movie "Cars", like, feel the love man. I'm one loved birthday lady! Happy birthday to me! 😍
Friday, January 27, 2017
1/27/17- Everything is Coming Up Milhouse!
Fellow Simpsons' fans probably recall when Milhouse declares, "Everything is coming up Milhouse!" If not, I've provided a clip below. That is how I am feeling right now, that "everything is coming up Milhouse!"
My picture book, "Annie Aardvark, Mathematician" came out last week! It's been over a year since I first drafted the story, and now it's a physical book. I'm so excited about the book! I'm also excited to get it in the hands of kids. especially minorities and girls, to promote STEM. It's a dream come true, and I'm truly thankful to all my friends and family who are supporting me and buying the book. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Special thanks to my hubby and son. Jack is the most beautiful thing that I (and Bobby) have ever created, and "Annie Aardvark, Mathematician" is the second most beautiful thing that I have created. The opportunity for me to create beauty again is priceless....or $9.99 on Amazon. :-D
And finally, someone who was in the same grad program as me started the really cool company Tech Love, and long story short, I wrote a blog/op-ed for Tech Love about what it is like to be a female engineer. Check it out here! https://techlove.io/female-engineer/
And so yeah, I'm on cloud nine! Even the lack of career progression (at my company) isn't getting me down. Even a toddler's "no, Annie! Blue train!" request (for which book to read at bedtime) isn't getting me down. Because everything is coming up Suzie, I mean Milhouse! I've got flood pants, and I've got the geek charmed life right now. Happy weekend to you all!
My picture book, "Annie Aardvark, Mathematician" came out last week! It's been over a year since I first drafted the story, and now it's a physical book. I'm so excited about the book! I'm also excited to get it in the hands of kids. especially minorities and girls, to promote STEM. It's a dream come true, and I'm truly thankful to all my friends and family who are supporting me and buying the book. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Special thanks to my hubby and son. Jack is the most beautiful thing that I (and Bobby) have ever created, and "Annie Aardvark, Mathematician" is the second most beautiful thing that I have created. The opportunity for me to create beauty again is priceless....or $9.99 on Amazon. :-D
And so yeah, I'm on cloud nine! Even the lack of career progression (at my company) isn't getting me down. Even a toddler's "no, Annie! Blue train!" request (for which book to read at bedtime) isn't getting me down. Because everything is coming up Suzie, I mean Milhouse! I've got flood pants, and I've got the geek charmed life right now. Happy weekend to you all!
Thursday, March 31, 2016
3/31/16- Happy Easter Birthday!
This week was busy, crazy, and fun! Easter happened, which in our house means lots of chocolate, yum! Hubby had to go to NM for Ty's funeral. :-( And hubby finally got the pins out of his broken hand (from his bike accident in January).
My birthday also happened! This is my last year in the 25-34 year survey demographic range. I better eat lots of cake while I'm still in that range.
I took my birthday off, got a massage and pedicure, watched some TV and read a non-picture book, and then had a nice dinner with family and friends. Taking the day off though meant there was lots to catch up on at work this week.
I did submit one article to a kids' magazine this week, and hopefully it will make our friends' daughters kid magazine famous (the girls were pictured doing the science experiment I wrote about).
So this week's blog is short. I'll try to make it up next week by writing some long, lengthy (possibly boring if too long) blog.
In the meantime, enjoy the geeky Easter card I got:
My birthday also happened! This is my last year in the 25-34 year survey demographic range. I better eat lots of cake while I'm still in that range.
I took my birthday off, got a massage and pedicure, watched some TV and read a non-picture book, and then had a nice dinner with family and friends. Taking the day off though meant there was lots to catch up on at work this week.
I did submit one article to a kids' magazine this week, and hopefully it will make our friends' daughters kid magazine famous (the girls were pictured doing the science experiment I wrote about).
So this week's blog is short. I'll try to make it up next week by writing some long, lengthy (possibly boring if too long) blog.
In the meantime, enjoy the geeky Easter card I got:
The inside reads, "Warning: Egg hunts may bring out the dark side in some people." Haha!
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
3/15/16- First Rejection
I have another writer's badge-- my first rejection! The city writing contest I entered (in February) has officially contacted me, informing me that they did not choose my essay. I'm a little bummed of course but also relieved. My understanding about being a writer is that you struggle and get rejected. A LOT. So this rejection is all part of my path to becoming a professional writer. Wee?
On the flip side, since the city politely declined (it was a very courteous rejection letter) my essay, I can submit my essay to another contest or even a magazine. I've already gone ahead and submitted the essay to a magazine that publishes fiction and nonfiction for teens. In fact, I've got 3 different manuscripts (stories/essays) out to different magazines. And I plan to submit a couple more. I just need one to get published. Just one. :-)
About 2 week ago, I wrote and submitted my first query letter to a literary/book agent. Since I haven't heard from the agent, I plan to send out a couple of queries to more agents this weekend. I am also going to my first SCBWI meeting this weekend. It will be a great opportunity to meet other children's authors and illustrators in the Valley.
I'm excited and a little nervous. I know how judgy engineers can be if you're not an engineer but work in the tech industry (ask accountants at Google or such if they feel just as valued as the CS and engineers). Are writers the same? Fingers crossed they'll be a little more open. I just want to be welcomed into the community (residual childhood feelings of being a dork/being left out).
Final note is that I've actually attempted to illustrate a board/picture book. Everything I've read about children's writing is that agents and publishers are more eager to have a packaged deal for picture books than to have a separate writer and illustrator. But the thing is I'm not an illustrator; I know this much about my talents. Sitting down and drawing out a picture book yesterday only reinforced my self awareness. I mean, some of the drawings were okay, but others... yeah...And then I have to figure out how to turn the drawings into digital images/manuscript. I think I have an old copy of Photoshop around somewhere. However, I have doubts that turning these drawings into a digital manuscript are going to somehow magically improve them. Poof! (I wish it was that easy.)
Thanks for reading about my adventures of transitioning from engineer to writer and stay tune for more. Because if I know one thing about writing is that there will be more rejection, which will supply plenty of material for future blog posts. Take care friends!
On the flip side, since the city politely declined (it was a very courteous rejection letter) my essay, I can submit my essay to another contest or even a magazine. I've already gone ahead and submitted the essay to a magazine that publishes fiction and nonfiction for teens. In fact, I've got 3 different manuscripts (stories/essays) out to different magazines. And I plan to submit a couple more. I just need one to get published. Just one. :-)
About 2 week ago, I wrote and submitted my first query letter to a literary/book agent. Since I haven't heard from the agent, I plan to send out a couple of queries to more agents this weekend. I am also going to my first SCBWI meeting this weekend. It will be a great opportunity to meet other children's authors and illustrators in the Valley.
I'm excited and a little nervous. I know how judgy engineers can be if you're not an engineer but work in the tech industry (ask accountants at Google or such if they feel just as valued as the CS and engineers). Are writers the same? Fingers crossed they'll be a little more open. I just want to be welcomed into the community (residual childhood feelings of being a dork/being left out).
This drawing is one of the better ones
Final note is that I've actually attempted to illustrate a board/picture book. Everything I've read about children's writing is that agents and publishers are more eager to have a packaged deal for picture books than to have a separate writer and illustrator. But the thing is I'm not an illustrator; I know this much about my talents. Sitting down and drawing out a picture book yesterday only reinforced my self awareness. I mean, some of the drawings were okay, but others... yeah...And then I have to figure out how to turn the drawings into digital images/manuscript. I think I have an old copy of Photoshop around somewhere. However, I have doubts that turning these drawings into a digital manuscript are going to somehow magically improve them. Poof! (I wish it was that easy.)
Thanks for reading about my adventures of transitioning from engineer to writer and stay tune for more. Because if I know one thing about writing is that there will be more rejection, which will supply plenty of material for future blog posts. Take care friends!
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