Small celebratory moment here in my little room in Zambia! I just submitted my first book manuscript to a publisher! Boom! I know rejections (and lots of them) are standard, but I'm pleased I've sent it. I started this book in 2007, sitting in an MA course on Biogeography in Africa...or was it biodiversity? Something like that. I don't really remember too much from that class because I was, you know, writing a story. I also remember the teacher was Simon Loader, and he really likes frogs.
This book has nothing to do with frogs, or Africa. It's a picture book manuscript that will take a good illustrator (and, let's be honest--probably a good editor, too) to make it cool. It's about being in a new country, and encountering the unfamiliar with expectancy and persistence. It's for 3-7 year olds. Don't worry, I don't use any of those big words in the story.
This book has nothing to do with frogs, or Africa. It's a picture book manuscript that will take a good illustrator (and, let's be honest--probably a good editor, too) to make it cool. It's about being in a new country, and encountering the unfamiliar with expectancy and persistence. It's for 3-7 year olds. Don't worry, I don't use any of those big words in the story.
Next up:
ReplyDelete"Simon Loader and the Frogs of Africa", By Dr. S.A.Bishop
Congratulations! Did you submit it straight to the publisher, or via an agent? And how did you pick the publisher?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stephan! I submitted it to Bergli Books, partly because they are so accessible and you can just email a manuscript straight to them without an agent. I also submitted it to them because I like the books they publish and I think they do a good job with their graphic design and illustrators. And finally, after being unhappy with a particular part of the story for years, I realized this week that if I changed the setting to Basel, I knew how to fix the problem and the book made a lot more sense. So if they don't like it, I'm not sure where I'll send it next. Maybe I'll have to rewrite it again.
ReplyDeleteGood idea, especially with the story set in Basel! I wouldn't have thought of Bergli Books - I thought they'd gone out of business, but I guess that was just the storefront.
ReplyDeleteDo you know how they do in terms of distribution, i.e. if their books reach the US or UK markets? Though of course a foot in the door is a foot in the door... Have you thought of joining the SCBWI?
Not sure about their distribution. I think it's probably limited, but I was kinda thinking a published book, regardless of where, is an advantage later when trying to get an agent or trying to get in with any other publisher who has more hoops. I have recently thought about SCBWI, but wasn't very taken with what I found about the Swiss chapter.
ReplyDeleteI've just recently joined, despite not having submitted anything yet. It seemed a little slow when I looked at it last year, but the president's changed and the current one is organizing more stuff than I can attend.
ReplyDelete