Ask Tania: Picture Book structure--circular, narrative, characters, rhyming--HELP!

Dear Tania,

I've started writing children's stories and am dreaming up some picture books. I've been reading a lot about typical book structures (set-up, incident, events, climax, result, resolution) and I've found reference to other structures sometimes used (circular, concept, cumulative, mirror, parallel and reversal). How strictly should an author keep to these structures? Do you write with this in mind or do you just write? 

On characters, must the main character always have an obstacle to overcome for the story to be successful?

I'm also interested in your thoughts on rhyming books, as I know (particularly emerging) authors are advised against it - and yet, so many picture books still seem to use rhyme and meter.

Paula

Hi Paula,

First thing I have to say is how great it is that you're reading up on book structure and the associated elements that make a story wonderful, particularly picture books. When we were running the Kids' Book Review Unpublished Manuscript Award, so many of the entries suffered from a lack of understanding of story structure, so even when the writing itself was good, the story was little more than an 'account' or a set of descriptions. So understanding story structure is a fine way to embark on your picture book writing journey.

Let's explore your questions--I'll break them down into parts:

Story Structures

The many and varied story styles can be learned about online, as you have already done. Understanding these structures will definitely help you write better stories.

The three most commonly used picture book structures would be:

• linear arc (a classic structure, where we have a beginning, middle and ending, with resolve)

• circular (where the story starts and ends in the same place) 

• episodic (where we present a line-up of concepts or happenings or scenes; the 'concept book'--alphabet books, colours, numbers, etc--falls into this category)

Linear arc is probably the most common of all--it involves setting up a place and character and then taking the story to a peak (often via the rollercoastering of conflict and resolution), followed by a solution, intimation of solution, or some kind of 'outcome', which can also be sad, surprising or negative (ie: not always a happy or fully 'resolved' ending).

I tend to use this structure the most because it's so page-turning, and is a pleasure to write. Having your character, or the storyline, experience shifts and turns and plot twists and challenges, is an engaging technique that not only has your reader championing the characters, but makes them WANT to know what happens next. Books like this are 'repeat reads', and are key to book/author success (sales rely on repeat reads and subsequent word-of-mouth recommendation!).

So yes, stories like this do need characters to overcome things, but more on that shortly.

How strictly should authors stick to structures? Well, like anything in life, learn all the rules, then break them! A general understanding of how story structure works is priceless, and everyone should learn it. Once you learn and grasp it, you tend to write intuitively to a certain style, which you'll get better at doing over time.

For me, I tend to just write the story, once I've set what kind of structure I want it to be (after all these years, this is not a conscious thing). But I also stretch things a little as I go, so the story oftentimes doesn't end up classically adhering to that structure. It might employ two or even three structures.

With Smile Cry, for example, the main structure ended up being episodic because a) it's for very young kids, who respond so well to a series of presented ideas, and b) the subject matter intended to show the varying ways we could smile or cry. A series of independent scenes would best showcase these varying ways, and it worked very well. 

If this book had been written as a narrative, the emotion-exploration would have been far too subtle, and would have become lost within the storyline  (for very young kids, anyway). I wanted kids to be able to point at a page and relate to that ONE singular scene, and kids most certainly do that with this book. Then they eagerly anticipate the next scene.

So, the episodic style really worked for Smile Cry, but I didn't stop there. I mixed things up by creating a flip-book concept, where two opposing (mirror) stories meet in the middle. I also created a kind of resolve (resolves are most noted in a classic arc structure) where the two stories meet in the middle. This centre spread brings the two opposing themes together in a way that melds and shows kids there's no black and white.

For Tottie and Dot, the overarching premise was consequence. So the very best way to achieve this was with a linear arc, though in this case, there is little rollercoasting (ie: obstacles don't keep appearing to make the story go up and down, faster and slower) but rather an incremental build that reaches a really dramatic climax, before collapsing on itself. This works for stories that need to reach the climax right at the end (in this case, two pages before the end).

So, as you can see, even the classic structure can be manipulated to suit story content and purpose.

My suggestion for you, as a new writer, would be to write your story. Write it as a stream of consciousness and then let it sit a while. Once you've let it marinate, go back to it and read it over. What kind of structure is it? Does it have a beginning, middle and ending? Is it circular? Episodic? Once you know what kind of structure it sits in, you can then work on honing the story to ensure it achieves an attractive balance that will enchant the reader.

Story vs Account

This is a good way to understand whether or not your story is achieving its intended purpose--entertaining, enlightening, enchanting or educating the reader (or a blend of all). I call these the Four Es.

A story about a bear who gets up in the morning, makes breakfast, goes shopping, meets a friend for lunch, hangs out the washing, feeds the chooks, reads a book, makes dinner and goes to bed is NOT a story. It's an account. Many, many, many stories are just an account.

A story DOES something to the reader. It makes them feel, smile, cry, understand, learn. Even episodic books that DO simply line-up concepts, have to have a hook or an intention that entertains and delights, even if it's just stunning artwork. Clever, well-thought-out books are the books that do well.

It also takes them on a JOURNEY--whether literal or figurative.

Essentially, in your story, something has to HAPPEN. Something has to occur as a result of something else. There has to be a message or meaning or some kind of delight or even horror. Again, the best way to describe this, is that your story should make the reader FEEL something. I'm not going to feel anything reading about that bear. I want something to HAPPEN.

The Ending

Another huge part of a great story's structure is the ending. For me, the ending is EVERYTHING. It's that delectable mint at the end of the meal--that moment of pure satisfaction. No greater let-down to read a fabulous book and find yourself looking for more pages because the ending fell so flat or felt unresolved. Someone going to bed at night and going to sleep is not an ending (unless it's absolutely central to the narrative and resolves the narrative).

An ending needs to in some way resolve the story or at least link to the plot line and theme in a way that is delightful, surprising, unexpected, hilarious, shocking, healing, circular--SOMETHING, other than just nothing. Most emerging author picture books I read have no ending at all, let alone a good one.

Think of a wonderful way to end your stories, hopefully with something that surprises or delights or elicits a realisation of some kind, and you'll write very good stories indeed. Remember--a great ending stands between your book and a repeat read.

A Word on Didactic Books

No one likes a book that hammers them over the head with morals. Kids particularly dislike them, even those too young to know what's really happening. Never talk down to your reader or dumb things down, no matter how young the intended readership. If you simply must teach kids a 'lesson' with your story, do it with intense subtlety, cleverness and humour. The lesson should not be in the least bit obvious. 

Word Count

In general, a picture book should not exceed 500 words ... unless it's for slightly older readers, it's a book designed to specifically impart information, or unless the writer has honed that text down to its purest essence and the result is an absolute and unadulterated pleasure to read, from go to woah. There are some high text picture books (for younger readers) that work beautifully, simply because they are a joy to read, the story gallops along, and there are no superfluous words.

To be safe, especially when starting out, make your text as minimal as possible. They say each word in a picture book must earn its place. A general rule is to not say anything the pictures can show, especially in regard to description. For example, do not describe a character's outfit unless it's a central plot point that you need to make super obvious. And never put anything extraneous in a story (read: Chekov's Gun).

Nutshell: keep things succinct and cut any extraneous text (which is most text, in my opinion!).

Characters Overcoming Things

We don't need to have our main character falling over obstacle after obstacle after obstacle until they are a wrung-out wreck, before miraculously rising at the end. The variety of ways we can 'challenge' our characters can be a lot more subtle, and can appear in multitude ways.

In Peas in a Pod, the girls simply try to overcome their sameness. They want to be different. They don't need to go over mountain and dale over thousands of miles, snow, rain and tornado, to get there--they just make a stand, and assert their individuality.

Try not to get caught up in how much conflict or resolution you need to add to your story. It's a broad brushstroke of a technique that can be achieved in many and varied ways, but yes, you DO need your characters to be championed by your reader. Kids need to *FEEL something for them, relate to them in some way, and want them to succeed against all odds. That's what carries the most entrancing stories--that essence of survival against storms, prejudice, even just an aversion to broccoli. Readers want your character to triumph, so this obstacle thing IS a fine tool in storytelling, but know that it can be done in clever and almost imperceptible ways.

*Of course, there are some characters kids WON'T feel for--the baddie, for example--but what they will do is feel something ABOUT that character. The more conflict and obstacles you give all of your characters (good or bad), the more well-rounded and real they will be--and the greater emotional response you'll elicit from your reader.

The Dreaded Rhyme

One thing that's struck me over the years, especially where emerging writers are concerned, is their insistence on penning text in rhyme. Perhaps it's a hark back to their own childhood when rhyme was so prevalent, or their adoration for the likes of Dr Seuss and Lynley Dodd and other (yet few!) truly brilliant rhyming creators.

The fact is this: very, very few people write rhyme well. A lack of understanding when it comes to 'meter' is often to blame, but also the rearranging of sentences and the cramming of unbalanced words to effect end-of-line rhyme. Another big issue is the misuse of syllable stress--featuring the word apple, for example, but expecting it to be read as AppLE rather than as APPle, where its natural syllable stress lies.

Remember, rhyming text is not about end-word rhyme. It's about so very much more.

Jackie Hosking has a wonderful Rhyming MS Editing Service that new writers can look into. You can also learn a lot about this online, and by--of course--reading your text out loud. You should also have someone else read it out loud. It's easy to read our own words in an effective rhythm because we have penned them, and know where the stressors lie, but when someone else reads the text for the first time, you may be surprised how frequently they stumble over the words and rhythm. You do NOT want your reader stumbling over words and rhythm.

Another option is to let your text marinate for a month. When you go back to it, you'll find a multitude of issues to fix.

As Jen Storer says in one of her fabulous Girl and Duck Q+Q Friday videos, publishers don't hate rhyming texts. They just hate BAD rhyming texts! And so do readers. She also mentions a really great point--that rhyming text is very difficult to extend into overseas markets, where translations can falter. So, publishers may also avoid it for this reason.

So, I strongly suggest writing your first picture book attempts in prose. Picture books are hard to write--why exponentially add to the difficulty by choosing rhyme? Practice in prose first, and then study and hone rhyme for later books. 

I must say, I absolutely adore good rhyming works, but I've been writing professionally for almost 30 years and I've only just recently penned my first rhyming book.

Don't be Boring

Some may disagree, but I find most super traditional stories (in terms of content) a little boring. I love unconventional works--works that sit outside the square--and more and more publishers are loving these, too (they're often the award-winners). Think outside the square. Surprise your reader. Do something different.

In Summary!

Essentially, you want readers to feel something when they read your books. And I don't mean in a schmaltzy way. I think a lot of writers believe they need to write sentimental or schmaltzy themes to make readers feel something, but this isn't true. We feel more than just sadness. Our emotions are vast and varied, and we shouldn't underestimate the power of more subtle emotions, even in kids ... those emotions well beyond happy sad angry surprised. 

Writing books about confusion or isolation or trepidation or boredom or contentment or creative satisfaction or thirst or other nuanced topics, can be some of the most successful stories of all.

Writing picture books for the first time can be absolutely overwhelming. An understanding that they are difficult to write is vital, as is the understanding that you WILL get better over time, and--like anything--the more you write, the better you'll get at both the content and structure.

Wishing you the best on your picture book journey!

Tania

See all the questions so far

Book Week 2016 Highlights

I've just hung up my book bag after a full and sensational Book Week here in Canberra. It's such an enriching, fulfilling week of talks, presentations, book readings and conversations with the very people we create books for (and their highly supportive teachers and librarians!).

Each year, it never fails to astound me how dedicated schools are to one of our most fundamental human needs--literacy. And with literacy, of course, comes creativity, understanding, empathy, intelligence (both emotional and mental) and ... very best of all ... pure enjoyment. See my posts Encouraging Children to Read for Pleasure Part I and Part II.

This year, the majority of my sessions were an interactive presentation called I Love Books. The kids learned about the vast and varied types (learning word: genres) of kids' books, target markets and all about book creators, and who is actually involved in the book creation process (including them!). They also learned about drafts and editing and illustrator roughs (another learning word).

The presentation is designed to get the children talking, giggling, sharing and laughing--and we had so much fun, my mouth is actually hurting from smiling!

Of course, costumes and book parades were in full swing all over Canberra, and it's one of my favourite parts of Book Week because it gets the kids so completely involved and enthused. Yes, there were plenty of Cats in their Hats, and Lost Wallies, superheroes and princesses, but each year, things get more and more imaginative and I so enjoyed meeting all manner of interesting characters, including a tornado! Perhaps from the Wizard of Oz?

Who doesn't love a good dress-up!?

I also love how much school staff get into the swing of things. One school even featured a line-up of Mr and Ms Men characters for their staff.

Another school had an Australia! Story Country theme (the CBCA's theme for Book Week 2016) and it was absolutely brilliant. Without being able to rely on costumebox.com, the resulting creations were the stuff of imagination--there was everything from Green Sheep and Alexander Bunyips through to Andy and Jill from the Treehouse series, below.

Some of my absolute favourites were the proliferation of gumnut babies--the costumes were the most darling things ever. I so wish I could show you photographs. And probably my favouritist of all, was the Book Fairy (at the top of this post) whose mum created these divine wings folded from the pages of a book, complete with book cover and Scrabble letter spine.

Genius!

permission granted for this pic of Jill and Andy

On the Wednesday evening, the CBCA ACT Branch hosted the annual Children's Seminar (big thanks to Turner School for hosting--Jo and Norma!) where local authors chatted in rounds with groups of school kids, followed by a delicious afternoon tea and Happy Birthday cake for 70 years of the Children's Book Council of Australia.

CBCA Children's Seminar
L-R: Stephanie Owen Reeder, Tania McCartney, Pauline Deeves, Harry Laing,
Craig Cormick, Jordan Morris

We then held a panel and laughed our way through a series of Q&A. Too much fun.

This was followed by dinner at a local restaurant where I got to hold Stephanie Owen Reeder's CBCA winning medal (it's gold! it's heavy! it's beautiful!) for the Eve Pownall Award (for Lennie the Legend). We're so proud of our local gal.

Thank you to the CBCA for keeping Book Week so strong in our communities, and thanks to the book-loving librarians, teachers, executives and kids for the most wonderful week. I am tired but all-full-up with happy. And thank you to all the parents out there who so enthusiastically make books and reading a big part of their kids' lives. Believe me, every time I spend time with these fresh, bright, intelligent, creative school kids, your commitment shows.

Seeing Stories Finale Event wrap-up

Today I had the great pleasure of attending the Seeing Stories Exhibition Finale Event at the University of Canberra. Organised by the National Centre for Australian Children's Literature (NCACL) and featuring hand-picked originals by some of our finest illustration talent, including Terry Denton, Ann James, Alison Lester and Bob Graham, The Hub was alive with stunning artworks, authors, illustrators, kids and book lovers.

This exhibit is but a small slice of the precious John Barrow collection, now owned by the NCACL.

Bob Graham

Leigh Hobbs

Local creators Emma Allen, Pauline Deeves, Kerry Malone and myself were joined by illustrator Hannah Sommerville (who illustrates Emma's books) for an afternoon of readings and chats and fun. I read Smile Cry and Tottie and Dot, followed by my very first live-drawing session. The kids had to guess what I was drawing, and of course, guessed after 8 or 10 lines--these kids are too clever--or maybe I have to up my game!

Emma and Hannah spoke about their collaboration as author and illustrator, bringing along an impressive dress-ups box, a thread in their beautiful book My Friend Ernest. Pauline Deeves also launched her book Socks, Sandbags and Leeches--an astonishingly detailed historical account of the homefront for kids during the Great War. Kerry Malone spoke on creating stories for kids. Unfortunately, I had to leave early, so don't have photos of these other events.

A face painter charmed the kids with her artwork (see a version of Old Tom, below!) and a table of art supplies was a big hit, while adults (and kids) perused the art. Harry Hartog Booksellers were in attendance (thanks, James!) so creators could sign books.

Alison Lester

Elizabeth Honey

Leigh Hobbs

organisers and creators mingle, including, from right, Kerry Malone, Emma Allen, Belle Alderman, Hannah Sommerville

the face painter did a brilliant job!

Emeritus Professor Belle Alderman and illustrator Hannah Sommerville

face painter at work

a little book reading, complete with Dot glasses

my first ever live drawing - eep!

May Gibbs quilt

Featured at the event was a divine quilt featuring the artwork of May Gibbs (in celebration of 100 years since the publication of her first book).

Raffle tickets for the quilt are available for purchase from anywhere in Australia, and you can find out more about this right here, or you can email Trish Milne at ncaclraffleATgmail.com to organise tickets, just $2 each or 3 for $5. (I'll do a separate post on the quilt on KBR soon.)

The raffle will be drawn at the National Botanic Gardens on Sunday 23 October, and all proceeds go towards supporting NCACL.

kids are so brilliant

A huge thanks to Belle, Rowan and the crew for a magnificent exhibition and celebratory event. This beautifully-crafted, heart-racing display is on show till Friday 26 August, so if you're in Canberra this week, do hurry along before you miss your chance to see something really special. More info can be found here.

Ask Tania: How do I throw an amazing kids' book launch?

Dear Tania,
I'm launching my first children's book soon and wondered if you had any advice to help me? I've never done this before! What's usually expected? And weekday or weekend? How do I throw an amazing book launch?
Thank you!
Katherine

Hi Katherine,

Congratulations on your first kids' book--how wonderful! I would love to help you with some advice for a fabulous launch, and so, below, you will find a full chapter from my Fantastical Flying Creator e-course (more here). I hope you find it helpful ... and I hope you have a wonderful launch!

Tania

The Kids' Book Launch(from The Fantastical Flying Creator)

Your first book launch is a true Life Moment. It's one of the most exciting things you�ll ever do, and will be packed with supporters. The more books you launch, like anything in life, really, the more the shine wears off, but I must admit they�re still a lot of fun and I still do launches for most of my books.

Your publisher is unlikely to throw you a launch unless you�re Jeff Kinney, but don�t worry, it doesn�t have to be complicated or expensive.

You can absolutely have more than one launch, and you can host them locally or interstate. If you have family or friends to stay with, it makes things even cheaper.

To attract guests, you should offer something to your audience�a giveaway, bookmarks, cake, goodie bags, balloons and activities for kids � any of these things will attract people, especially cake. People will come for cake.


The Date + Time

The date is a really important factor to consider, as is the day and time. These things depend on your audience.

For kids, you have Saturday or Sunday to choose from and this can be hit and miss, depending on what else is going on. I�ve found Saturday afternoons or Sunday late mornings best, as these times take sporting and family and sleeping-in commitments into account. 10.30 or 11 in the morning and 2 or 3 in the afternoon tend to be my sweet spots for maximum guests but this could shift, depending on where you are.

You could also host a launch during school holidays but again, this is hit and miss. You�ll either be flocked with families looking for something to do, or you�ll have no one because they�ve all gone on a beach holiday.

Be really thorough when researching your date. I made a massive mistake in booking my Tottie and Dot book launch for the morning of Father�s Day and it crippled my attendance numbers. I can�t believe I didn�t notice this mistake, and my bookstore hosts didn�t either. Live and learn.

The Venue

Bookstores are probably your best bet for venues because they�re generally situated in easy-to-reach places, with parking. If you're supplying your own books, they will take a percentage cut on sales {usually 40�45 per cent, do negotiate, especially if you're self-publishing} but this is worth it because they totally take care of sales. With my launches, I now ask the store to get the books in and take care of all sales, without any direct royalties going to me {though they do filter to me eventually, of course}.

Most stores also help with marketing... advertising in store and sending invitations to their client base. It�s a lovely way to �pay back� our book retailers, too; getting new demographics in store.

You shouldn�t have to pay to host your event in a place that makes money from your books. Sometimes booksellers will charge guests a few dollars to cover wine and nibbles for adult events, and that�s perfectly okay. Most guests are happy to pay. Alternatively, you could provide the wine and cheese, napkins and plastic glasses.

Another option is to ask your local library to host your launch. Some won�t but many love it as it gets new people into their space. Libraries won�t take commission on sales, but you will need to bring along your own books and ask someone to handle the sales for you. The library may offer someone, or a friend or family member could do it.

Some schools also love hosting launches�and they operate pretty much the same as libraries. You might like to donate some of your books to schools and libraries as a thank you.

Clubs, shops, caf�s or restaurants are also options you could explore. Ask them openly about what they would require/expect, and how you can strike a deal on costs.

Community halls and centres can be hired, and parks or other outdoor areas can be used, but you would need to check with the local council about hosting groups of people, and also about their rules for selling items onsite.

Another option is launching at an actual event, like a local market. This would work particularly well with kids� books. When Genevieve from Gnome Knoll at Canberra�s Floriade contacted me about launching Riley and the Jumpy Kangaroo: A journey around Canberra at her Knoll, I jumped at the chance! Image below, and you can see the spectacular day here.

Your last option is to host it at a private venue. Maybe your own home or at the mansion of a generous and wealthy friend! Naturally, this would only work if you knew all the guests well, and it could limit your guest list.

The Guest List + Invitation 

Essentially, you need to invite your target market to your launch because they will buy the book. Yes, invite family and friends and neighbours, but be sure to attract your target market, too.

You can send invitations by hard copy or email. Hard copy are really memorable and rare {do this if you want to stand out!}. Make sure you add any catchwords that might attract guests, like �balloons + goodie bags� for kids and �wine and nibbles� for adults.

Create a blog post featuring your invitation {make it really visual, as above} and use this to spruik the event online�on Twitter, Facebook and within your literary groups.

Create a Facebook event invitation, too. You can selectively invite all the Facebook friends you have within 100km of the venue!

Start blogging about the event well in advance. It will build the excitement, and consider writing an event press release which you can send to your local media (see The Press Release).

Another idea is to send notice to schools, clubs, your local writer�s centre, any associations affiliated with your type of book, subject matter or intended audience.

Don�t forget to have your launch host spread the word, too, especially if they are a bookstore. It�s in their interests to attract as many guests as possible.

Sponsors

While living in Beijing, I launched my first picture book, Riley and the Sleeping Dragon: A journey around Beijing, with a slew of �sponsors�. These people provided food, champagne, prizes and all manner of wonderful things. In return, I featured their logo on all my launch promotion and had their business collateral on display at the launch. I also had the backing of several expat language magazines with huge audiences, so that did help in terms of exposure for the sponsors.

When I came home to Australia, this sponsorship deal didn�t work so well because it seems every man and his dog and cat and budgie are hitting up Dan Murphy�s for event booze.

I did manage to score some sponsorship from small businesses, including some brilliant cakes made by pARTy Cakes in Canberra {left} for my Riley and the Curious Koala: A journey around Sydney launch. Liz made me cry with her stunning cupcakes and cake tier�it was so utterly gorgeous. In return, I plugged her business like crazy.

So, while it is possible to secure sponsorship, it does take a little bit of work and tenacity, and you do need to make the effort to ensure your sponsor is well recompensed.

Other than caterers, local food producers and wine merchants, you could perhaps strike a deal with local photographers or videographers, entertainment for kids, music for adults. You could also look for items for goodie bags and prize giveaways but remember, all of this needs to relate strongly to your book and its themes.

Another thing you can do is to affiliate with organisations or charities you support. For example, for Riley and the Curious Koala, I had The Koala Foundation on board. They provided some sensational stickers and tattoos for my goodie bags and I featured their collateral and a donation tin at the launch.

Lastly, there's nothing like a good old contradeal. I support my colleagues at their launches {say, by taking photos} and they do the same for me in return. This works so well and is a lot less pressure!

Timeframes

For most launches, the event should run for no more than 60 � 90 minutes. An hour all-up is ideal for kids. A reading should go for no more than 20 minutes and leave around 20 minutes for signing {though I�m hoping you�ll need a lot longer}. For my Riley and the Dancing Lion launch {below}, I had extra entertainment provided by a sponsor--Kelly Sports. This was after the reading and signing, in a space outside the bookstore, and it went a little over time. In this case, no one complained!

Schedule

Give an arrival time and an actual launch start time on your invitation, and get started right on time if you can. Kids are not good at waiting around.

Give a short introduction, have your launch person speak, if that's what you're doing, say a few quick thank yous, then outline what will happen, including food and prizes, and the all-important book signing. Remind guests not to forget to collect their goodie bags on the way out, and that there will be some fun activities for the kids while you sign books.

The book reading is next. Make it quick. No need to linger.

Ask if anyone has a question.

Have a prize giveaway if you want to, and make it quick. Try not to give away the book; choose something else. I use raffle tickets for this, which are handed to people as they arrive {kids--your own or some friends--are great at handing out tickets). You could also do a lucky door prize.

Food and activities should now commence while you sign books. Parents will be happy to peruse your books and queue for signing if the kids are happily occupied.

Denote a clear end time on your invitation. Be sure to finish by the end of the hour.

Activities for Kids

You can have these on hand as kids arrive, but ensure there�s going to be enough for them to get stuck into during the book signing, too.

Make it something non-messy. The last thing you want is Clag glue all over the floor and on the venue�s books. I suggest colouring pages, word searches, paper folding and making masks and headbands and hats out of cardboard and staples or sticky tape. Use pencils instead of crayons and textas. Other options are little activity books featuring your characters, singing songs and doing actions, line-em-up games or memory cards.

A great option for kids� launches is to have an illustrator demo or other entertainment. Kieron Pratt (the Riley the Little Aviator books) would often do live drawings and they were SO popular. You could also have someone affiliated with the book come along�perhaps the RSPCA could visit with animals if your book is about lizards or frogs.

Create something that will look great in your launch photos. Face masks are perfect because they look sensational when all kids are wearing them, and you can take photos and not worry about putting their faces online! I�ve printed off really simple koala masks made of grey card, and wombat ear headbands made from brown card. You can find such templates online. All the kids need to do is cut and staple.

You could also ask kids to dress up in theme. I did this for my Australian Story launch {below} and the best-dressed kids won prizes. It was sensational.

Decorations

You can go all out with kids� launches and make them look incredible. For my first few launches, I invested in helium balloons. They may cost a dollar per child but they are all you need decoration-wise and kids ADORE them. Along with food and goodie bags, they�re crowd-pullers, you'd better believe it.

Being a little launch jaded {!}, I don�t do helium any more but I always have balloons�most often on sticks or just in goodie bags. They�re always popular. For balloons on sticks, I stick the stems into upended sieve-like crates. Or you can just poke them through upended cardboard boxes like we did at Floriade, below.

For my An Aussie Year launches in Brisbane and Canberra, illustrator Tina and I made really simple speech bubbles from firm paper and pieces of dowel from Bunnings. Kids used these in photographs and they looked absolutely gorgeous.

Other options are simple paper chains or tissue paper pompoms that you can buy or make yourself. I tie the colours in to my book cover.

Another great idea is to print characters from the book onto paper and cut them into triangles. Sew these together with a sewing machine to make quick and easy {and gorgeous!} bunting.

It�s ideal to use colour-themed items {such a simple concept, but so effective}, including tablecloths, and bring along any affiliated objects like a wombat toy or a tin plane.

Food

You can have a lot of fun with the food at kids� launches but don�t do too much�it won�t get eaten and kids prefer goodie bags, anyway.

Consider the venue�don�t feature food that could damage carpet or stock. Go for items that can be popped straight into the mouth or aren�t �messy�. At most of my launches, I�ve just had a lolly bar, providing paper bags for the kids to snaffle their treats.

At my Riley and the Grumpy Wombat launch, I had the cutest wombat cookies {above left} made from purchased Marie biscuits and fondant which I tinted, rolled and cut out. I glued this to the biscuit with icing then piped on eyes and mouth and a lolly nose. We also had chocolate crackles and {nut-free} rocky road pops stuck into apples. So easy.

One of my favourite things were the poppers with straws {above right}�far less spillage. I simply designed and printed out �labels� onto paper and glued them to the front of regular juice boxes.

ENSURE ALL FOOD ITEMS ARE NUT-FREE at children�s launches. Announce this in your intro. You might also like to include dairy and egg free options. The best are lollies or little jelly cups {make them small and firm!}.

Think thematically and use appropriate colour. For my Riley and the Curious Koala launch {below}, I had a lolly bar which looked expensive and cost barely anything. I added little signs saying Sydney Opera Houses, Gum Leaves, Mini Koalas, Gumnut Berries, Wombats {these were store bought lamingtons with lollies pushed in for legs, noses and ears}.


I recommend offering water for all guests, rather than soft drink or juice, and tea and coffee for adults if you can.

Prizes + Goodie Bags

Prizes are always an attendance drawcard {as are helium balloons}, so think about having something, but make it short and sweet.

Goodie bags are a HUGE hit with kids and don�t have to cost much. For my Tottie and Dot launch {below}, I had a lemon drop tree {I borrowed a decorative tree from a friend and hung little cello bags full of lemon drops on it; a lemon drop tree features in the story}. The kids also had a little paper cup filled with marshmallows and a straw, with a marshmallow tea recipe, also featured in the story.


When you make your goodie bags, think thematically: small toys, pencils, balloons, bookmarks, wrapped lollies, notepads, stickers, tattoos and sponsored items. The $2 Shop is your friend. Most publishers won�t pay for launches, so keep all receipts and claim them as tax deductions {you do need deductions as you earn}.

Photographs

These are so important for documenting your event but also for post-event promotion�and for your blog! Everyone loves to check out a launch.

Have someone take photos and brief them really well on what you want. I suggest asking them to take lots of people shots but also lots of product shots and all the finer details, like my wonderful photographer Nicole Godwin did with the lolly and goodie bag photos, above. If you are asking a non-pro friend to take photos and are pedantic like me, try to take some yourself before the event starts.

Ensure you�re photographed while reading the book, and ensure the cover can be seen. Ask the photographer to take multiple shots when you�re speaking or reading�otherwise every shot will have your eyes closed or your mouth hanging open like a drongo. Literally ask them to take shots non-stop because only one in ten will be useable while you�re speaking.

Have some shots taken with family, friends, kids and other authors.

Get crowd shots but be sure to announce you will be using these photos online and if anyone has any issues with this, please let your photographer know. This is especially important with children. Ensure they know the photos will only be used for personal promotional purposes, nothing else.

Take �social pages� shots to send to magazines and newspapers�these shots are always close up, with people standing in a line, looking at the photographer. Ask them to note down their full names, and check the spelling. The photographer can match the right people to each shot by taking note of the photo�s number sequence in the camera�s display window, or take notes on what people are wearing.

Ensure your camera is on correct setting!! I have had not one but TWO disasters because the camera was on a low light setting. I prefer NO flash be used, as it can be unflattering. Natural light photos can be achieved by using the correct setting and by editing photos afterwards, but only do this if you have a photographer who knows what they're doing. Ask other friends and family to take back-up photos.

General Launch Tips

• Ask for help. Bookstores are great at lending a helping hand, but also have friends, family, kids and colleagues help you out on the day.
• Make sure there�s easy access to a bathroom, especially if kids are involved.
• Ensure there will be a signing table; there�s nothing worse than having to ask someone to lean over so you can use their back.
• Make sure you take the time to sign a personal message in each book; also be wary of chatting too long while people are waiting in line to have a book signed.
• Have lots of book displays; consider having your past books for sale, too.
• If you have sponsors, set up a table to display their business collateral.
• Place your own business cards, bookmarks, any handouts, teachers� notes, business cards or website blurb on your signing table, or consider placing them in goodie bags.
• Have someone rally and rescue you�it�s easy to get caught up chatting at events, which can delay things considerably. Have someone on hand to �rescue� you so things run on time.
• It�s an obvious thing, but I�ve spent entire events without a single sip of anything, let alone a nibble. Make sure someone keeps you hydrated because you won�t have time to source anything yourself. I usually have a bottle of water with me at all times.
• Consider a small gift for your host�this isn�t really necessary if they�re making money from you {bookstores} but it can be nice if you�re building a relationship or if they�ve gone out of their way for you.

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A Scottish, English, New Yorker, Texan Year

It's so lovely to see books 2 through 5 in the A Kids' Year series powering along. These books took a lot of dedication and a lot of work, and a lot of falling in love all over again with these amazing places! Remember, if you can't book a flight to the other side of the world right now, you can always travel through the pages of a book ...

I particularly love these reviews on The Mummy Project:

Scotland and England

Texas and New York

I wonder which two destinations will be next in the series??? Two more out in 2017. Post a guess in the comments below, if you like.

One Word Wisdom with author/illustrator Christina Booth

1. What is the best thing about being an author? 
Uniqueness

2. What�s the worst thing? 
Isolation

3. How did creating your picture book Too Many Sheep make you feel? 
Happy

4. What do you hope it brings its readers? 
Happiness

5. What else do you like to do? 
Read

6. Who has influenced your writing the most? 
Dahl

7. What has been your biggest career reward?
Readers

8. What is the most important contribution an author/illustrator can make to the world?
Hope

9. What�s your biggest writing goal? 
Persistence

10. What�s next? 
Words

Christina works from her Launceston studio overlooking a lake and a variety of wildlife. She illustrates her own books and great stories for other authors. A number of her books have won awards including Kip (Windy Hollow Books), the story of a noisy rooster living in the city, which won an Honour Book Award in the 2010 CBCA (Children�s Book Council of Australia) Book of the Year Awards and Welcome Home (Ford Street Publishing), the story of a whale as she returns to her ancestors home, which won the Environmental Award for Children's Literature in 2014.

Christina's latest book, Too Many Sheep, is out now! Learn more about her fabulous books at her website.

Ask Tania: What's the process when someone is commissioned to illustrate a book?

Dear Tania,
What's the process when someone is commissioned to illustrate a book?
Thank you!
Jolanda

Hi Jolanda,

Like most things in publishing, this is a far-reaching question and has many moving parts, but I'll do my best to give you a general overview!

Publishers

Traditionally, publishers (both trade and independent) like to appoint illustrators to books. They use either in-house illustrators whose work resonates with their overall book list, and with whom they have an established relationship, or they commission illustrators they've had their eye on, or whose work might complement the book's text, genre and 'feel'.

Commissioned illustrators may be experienced or emerging--and again, this is dependent on many factors. A lot of the time, publishers like to go with someone who understands the book creation process and how to interpret and add visual value to a manuscript, but this doesn't mean emerging creators can't achieve contracts, especially if they spend time reading and studying picture books (or other types of illustrated books) to familiarise themselves with layout, design, construct and the priceless nuance that imagery can add to text.

Many illustrators submit their work to publishers, and most are willing to receive unsolicited portfolios, as looking over artwork takes just a fraction of the time than reviewing a manuscript. Visit publisher websites and check out their illustration-receipt process. There's absolutely no harm in having your work out there. You can also showcase your work at many children's book festivals and conferences. It's well worth doing this.

If you're unsure how to present your work/create a portfolio, there are countless tips online--just google it. You can also google what publishers particularly esteem in regard to illustration. Being able to effect 'movement', emotion and character consistency are all highly regarded, as is an understanding of attractive colour palettes.

Self-Publishers

As self-publishing continues to gain traction, a greater number of high quality books are being produced without the aid of a trade or independent publisher. If you are asked to illustrate a self-published book, the chances of the book becoming a bestseller are very small, so probably the best route would be to sign a one-off payment contract (see Contracts, below).

ALL books must be formally contracted, even if you're illustrating for your sister or a best friend. Things can easily go pear-shaped, so it's vital that you cover yourself with a signed contract.

Commission Timeline

Here is a generalised guide (remembering that each contract is different!) on what you might expect when commissioned to illustrate a book:

• initial contact from publisher or author
• text sent to you for perusal--I highly recommend only taking on works that resonate with you, and suit your style
• contract agreed upon and signed
• liaison with author about the text and any nuances/expectations (you might also liaise with a publisher or editor)
• page roughs delivered to the publisher
• response to roughs/changes required 
• original artwork created and shown to author/publisher
• advised of any changes/updates to work
• make changes and finalise artwork
• send originals (or files, if digital) to publisher
• work is scanned and made digital; work may go to a finishing artist
• text and imagery are combined digitally by a graphic designer or layout artist, to create pre-press PDF files
• PDFs may be sent to you to look over; editor and publisher go over with a fine tooth comb
• proofs (prints) of the book may be sent to you to look over, though this is costly, and may be done electronically instead; if you can view printed proofs, I highly recommend it, as colours and detail can change dramatically depending on the paper they are printed on
• proofs are sent back to publisher; any changes or updates are made
• finals are gone over once again (digitally)
• digital files are sent to print
• you will receive an advance copy several months prior to publication, and your illustrator copies (between 5 and 10 books, depending on the publisher) will be posted to you

This process will be a little different if dealing with a self-publisher--you may find yourself more involved in the process, or may even do layout and design if you are skilled in such things. Again, any extra work you do should be built into the contract.

Contracts

Contracts are also dependent on various factors, but in general, there are two types of contract: 

• a fixed, one-off payment
• royalties (with our without advance)

A fixed payment can be attractive to new illustrators because the longer you're in the game, the more quantities of book you sell (generally, speaking). When you're first starting out, your book's print run may not be large, and you may not sell a lot of copies, so a contracted, single payment may be a better bet financially.

Of course, you then run the risk of having the book become a bestseller, and you'll potentially miss out on some great royalty payments, but this likelihood is exceedingly rare. Make your decision depending on who you're publishing with... for example, a Top 5 Trade Publisher vs a lone self-publisher... illustrating the text of a famous, established author or an unknown, emerging author.

In your contract, it's also important to cover royalties on any kind of electronic version of the book, as well as TV, film, product, and any other revenue possibility. 

Changes to your artwork should also be built into the contract. Small and reasonable changes are to be expected but should be based on inaccuracy or an inability to convey story, and not just because the author or publisher wants it to look a different way or be done in a different style. If you build expected changes into the contract, you can then charge extra if changes are unreasonable or extensive.

I highly recommend getting to know digital software if you're serious about entering book publishing. Small changes can quickly and easily be made with digital editing, to save redoing entire scenes.

You can also build into the contract whether or not you want to do roughs. Many publishers expect full roughs for picture books, and this can be very time-consuming. Make it clear upfront how you would do roughs, how detailed they would be (perhaps no colour, just outline).

Royalty-based contracts come, most of the time, with some kind of advance. The amount will depend on the size of the publisher, and their revenue. The smaller the publisher, the smaller the advance. A lot of smaller publishers are unable to pay an advance, so you might consider signing for royalties only. This is up to you, but do remember that it could be a year or more before you earn a cent. 

Check with the publisher when their royalty payments are made. You should, at bare minimum, ask for 5% of RRP, with the author also earning 5% of RRP.

ELR/PLR 

Australian authors receive Educational and Public Lending Rights annually, for works that are borrowed and used in libraries and educational institutions around the country. Once you have a few books under your belt, these payments can really add up and become a fabulous source of income.

These payments are ONLY made on royalty-based contracts. One-off payments don't qualify, so this is another thing to consider before signing contracts.

Reprints

If you are going for a one-off payment for illustrations, you could agree on a reprint clause. This would mean that if the initial print run sells out, you would receive a percentage (per book) on any reprints. No royalties would be payable to you on these reprinted books, of course, but at least you would earn a little more for the actual reprinting of the work.

If you have a royalty-based contract, you would not be paid upon reprint, but rather, upon eventual sales that emerge from the reprint.

Copyright

When you sign ANY kind of contract, fixed or royalty-based, you do NOT automatically give away copyright. All copyright for image remains with you, and usage of this imagery is under your guidance. This is why contracts should clearly state what your illustrations can and can't be used for (and it's the same for text). Other than short excerpts or imagery for promotional purposes, your work cannot be used for any other kind of revenue (such as a TV show or auxiliary product) without your permission, and without payment to you. All this should be placed in the contract.

If a publisher or self-publisher wants you to sign away copyright, so that they can use your imagery in any way they see fit, including changing that imagery or using it to create other sources of revenue, they need to pay you for that copyright. The best people to contact is the Australian Society of Authors, for such information. If you have an agent, they could deal with this side of things.

The Creative Process

Many (though this is rapidly changing) publishers take edited text, send it to the illustrator and have them create the imagery. Oftentimes, the author receives little more than a peek, if that. Good illustrators certainly won't 'ruin' a manuscript, but some authors may be hugely disappointed if final imagery doesn't accurately convey the storyline, or is nothing like they imagined.

Thankfully, more and more authors and illustrators are working in tandem to create a more seamless, more detailed and lustrous creation. Two heads are often better than one, and a good collaboration can be priceless. So, if you can work directly with an author on the imagery, I strongly advise it.

An illustrator should pretty much receive free reign to interpret text and add their own ideas and detail to that text--and the style an illustrator works in should only be questioned by the publisher or illustrator if it's way off the mark (unlikely if the illustrator was commissioned, as their work style would already be known) or fails to carry the story correctly in terms of clarity or meaning. 

An author can't cling too tightly to how things 'should' look, because a good illustrator will often come up with something even better than the author dreamed. And just as the illustrator would not insist upon text changes, an author shouldn't insist upon illustration style. Ideally, there's a little give and take between both parties. I have absolutely changed text to suit an illustrator's work, and the book was all the better for it.

Of course, there are some texts that do require author notation or instruction, especially if text is scant or abstract. With my books, I've had to outline several parts of the story for the illustrator, in order to ensure the meaning of the story is carried and that things are clear for the reader, but once I've done that, I've let go and allowed the illustrator to work their magic. I've never been disappointed.

Having said that, if an illustrator is way off point or presents something that just doesn't work for the book, they may be asked to make some changes. Don't be crushed or devastated if this happens--you can't be precious. There has to be give and take. Having said that, if you feel intensely about something, do make a stand for it and state your case, especially if the nuance or gist of the illustration has been missed.

If you find yourself unable to work well with the author (this is extremely rare--I have heard of maybe one or two problematic collaborative relationships EVER), bring in your editor or publisher or an intermediary to help, or act as go-between.

In the end, the book creation process should be a joyful one, and the focus should be on creating the best book possible, all egos and 'wants' aside. If you collaborate in an inclusive way, with open ears and eyes, there's no doubt an illustration commission will be a wonderful experience for you.

Good luck!

Tania

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