sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Eggs – and a Challenge

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The lovely Tania McCartney has started a 52 Week Illustration challenge on her blog and on Facebook.
She invited me to join and (after I stopped laughing) I thought ‘why not?’

The thing is, I can’t draw to save myself, and whilst I’ve often heard people say ‘anyone can learn to draw’ I think that’s about as true as ‘anyone can learn to write’ –  ie a bit true, but to do so requires a dedication which I don’t have (in regards to drawing, but not to writing).  I want to be awesome at writing, and trying to get there takes almost all my time, so for the forseeable future I won’t be taking up art.

However, I paint with words, or at least I try to. So I wondered if I could join in the  challenge by contributing a little poem on each week’s topic. Of course Tania, being the lovely person she is, thought that sounded fine, so I’m in.

You can read all about the challenge here or on the Facebook page here.

And, for my first effort, on the topic of eggs, I decided a  haiku migt be appropriate.

Egg

You may look quite plain

but I know your shell  conceals

miracle of life. 

 

A Visit from Tania

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I’m happy today to welcome Tania McCartney to my blog, here to talk about her excellent new book Australian Story. Over to you, Tania.
 
I adore non-fiction books. Always have. And I’m particularly obsessed with history books . . . anything from fat, scantily-fonted tomes on Julius Caesar through to Horrible Histories laugh-fests for 8- to 12-year-olds. I love them all – and, having studied modern history at uni, it’s forever been a pipedream of mine to pen something of a historical nature.
Isn’t it so lovely when pipedreams come true?
It was both heartening and heart-wrenching penning a concise history of our country for AustralianStory. The one thing that struck me about its compilation and composition was how utterly emotional the process was. I thought I knew a thing or two about Australian history, but let me tell you, I learned plenty during the hefty research processes undertaken for this book. Plenty that shocked, plenty that made me laugh, plenty that made me sit in wide-eyed wonder, and plenty that made me bawl like a baby.
Because this book is aimed at primary school aged children, it was important to research events that appealed to the very young. Naturally, there were some events deemed too graphic or inappropriate for this age group, and there were some deemed too ‘boring’ or ‘convoluted’, but all of the larger events that helped shape our country – such as major wars – were left in.
My first draft for Australian Story was 19 pages long and over a third of this text was cut for the final draft. Culling these entries was tough. The text then had to be simplified, shortened, clarified, and sent to professionals like historians, teachers and Indigenous advisors for accuracy. Once this was done, proofreaders then set about aligning the text and its ‘voice’, fixing any possible nuance that could cause altered meaning.
It was a laborious process, but an important one. Accuracy and clarity was paramount with this publication, and it took many people to ensure it was done well.
I’m sure all writers of non-fiction books have a process they use to get through the many elements that comprise this type of work. For Australian Story, I kept spreadsheets that could be crossed-checked with running Word documents and I created the manuscript in several drafts to avoid anything being lost or missed.
Being organised overall was high on the priority list for this book, because not only did I have a heck of a lot of historical research to complete, I had visuals to sort through, too.
Australian Story is essentially a visual timeline of our country’s past, from the dawn of time to our very first saint. It encompasses a wide variety of themes, from politics to entertainment, invention to war, land formation to land rights. In order to illustrate the complex tales of our past, I needed to use a variety of images from the National Library’s vast Digital Collection. These images include photographs, paintings, sketches, maps, diagrams and ephemera – and number almost 130,000, and counting.
Sifting through this Collection was a lengthy but inspirational process. After finalising the historical text entries for the book, I began looking through the Collection for inspiration, and quickly found many wonderful examples I wanted to use.
Alas, wanting to use images and being able to use them, are two different things. This is for many reasons, but the main ones were copyright issues and whether the image was able to be adequately digitised for book use.
Finding age-appropriate images was also prohibitive – and of course, we wanted to use bright, colourful, attractive pictures wherever possible. This necessitated the use of a handful of images that were sourced outside the Collection – some sourced by me, some suggested by book designer and illustrator Peter Shaw, and some by the library staff, historians or other professionals.
Once the images for the book were approved (this often involved lengthy processes), the book layout began. Although Peter took control of this, I was fortunate to have running input in regard to the design – and so Australian Story became a true collaboration. As the book was put together, I was also called on to help finesse and fact check and hone this amazing timeline, and so was able to be involved in virtually every part of its creation.
I’m phenomenally proud of Australian Story and although it was, by means of creation, a lengthy process, I loved every minute of it. I not only learned more about the history of our extraordinary country, but I learned even more about the processes of book creation and design – something I’m passionate about.
As Australian Story hits bookstores and libraries and schools, I’m hoping the hard work and collaborative effort will be appreciated by those I wanted to impress the most – kids. Yes, this book has romance. Yes it has rollicking adventure, controversy and struggle. Yes it has celebration and sporting triumphs. It may be just a ‘history book’ but boy am I hoping it makes history ‘cool’.
Book Details
Take a trip into the past––from the explosive beginnings of our planet to modern day Australia, in this fascinating journey through time. Featuring succinct entries on historical moments over the past 47 billion years, Australian Story covers ecological change, politics, invention, war, immigration, celebration, culture, modern technology and more.
Illustrated with a striking collection of photographs and images from the NLA’s digital collection, this is history for children like never before, and is a fascinating snapshot of our country. Australian Story tells who we once where, who we are today . . . and where we are going. Australian story is aimed at children in both Key Stage I and II.
National Library of Australia, ISBN: 9780642277459
About the Author

Tania McCartney is an author of children’s books and adult non-fiction. Her works include You Name It (Hodder Headline 1995), Handmade Living: a designer collective (Handmade Press 2010) and the Riley the Little Aviator series (latest title: Riley and the Grumpy Wombat: A journey around Melbourne, Ford Street Publishing 2011). She is also an established magazine writer, editor and blogger, and is a NYR12 ambassador for the ACT. She lives in Canberra with a husband, two kids and a mountain of books (especially history books). www.taniamccartney.com

If you want to learn more about Tania and her new book-baby, you can follow her tour at the following blogs and sites:

Australian Story Blog Tour, March 2012
Monday 5 March
Blog Tour Schedule and Book Giveaway
Kids Book Review
Book Launch Party Wrap-Up
Tania McCartney’s Blog
Book Giveaway
Alphabet Street
Tuesday 6 March
Book Review
Buzz Words
Australian Story Research Process
DeeScribe
Book Review and 10 Reasons Why History is Exciting
Soup Blog
Wednesday 7 March
Australian Story Teaching Notes for Key Stage I
Sheryl Gwyther’s Blog

Book Review and Teaching Notes Ideas for Key Stage II
The Book Chook
Book Review
Kids’ Book Capers
Image-Sourcing for Australian Story
Blue Dingo
Thursday 8 March
Book Review
Reading Upside Down
Book Review
Pass It On
Book Review
Bug in a Book
Friday 9 March
Book Giveaway
HerCanberra
The Writing Process for Australian Story
Sally Murphy’s Blog
Book Review
Books for Little Hands
Book Review
ReadPlus
Saturday 10 March
Book Review
Kids Book Review
Book Giveaway
Posie Patchwork Blog
Book Review
Suite 101
Sunday 11 March
Book Review
My Little Bookcase
Book Giveaway
Australian Women Online
Blog Tour Wrap-Up
Tania McCartney’s Blog

 

Tania McCartney: Approaching Publishers

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I am delighted to welcome to my blog today children’s author, publisher and all round lovely person, Tania McCartney, here as part of her blog tour to promote her new book Riley and the Curious Koala. Tania has kindly agreed to guest blog here – and the topic I gave her is one which is near and dear to my own heart – how to approach a publisher. Over to you, Tania.
Approaching Publishers
by Tania McCartney
Congratulations! You’ve written a wonderful children’s book. You’ve spent the time letting it bubble away and enrich like a good pasta sauce. You’ve honed it, tested it (on kids, that is… and none were harmed during the testing process), had it edited and appraised either professionally or via a very clever friend… and now you’re left with an al dente newborn babe, bundled up in snowy white paper, smelling all fresh and new and ready to be launched into the world.
Eeeep. This is where things get hairy. Nerve-wracking. Gut-wrenching. Breathless. And also endurance-testing, patience-inspiring, self-esteem-buffeting and hopelessly helpless… for this is when you hand your baby over to someone else. To prod, to poke, to pull apart… or perhaps even – gasp – gently and quietly put aside, to be forever forgotten.
While all this is happening, you wait. You wait and wait. Perhaps for them to tell you your baby is ugly. Perhaps for them to tell you nothing at all. Perhaps for them to say your baby has promise and may succeed quite nicely upon its 18th birthday. Perhaps – and only just perhaps – for them to say they want to see more… how you live for that moment. Nothing promised – just a glimmer of hope that you might not be nudged further down the priority line as some else’s work appears on the publisher’s desk to tempt them away from your baby.
It’s almost a game of chance, only you are probably gambling part of your heart and soul. Any writer will tell you their manuscripts are part of who they are. Some manuscripts are a powerful and life-altering chunk, others are a small but meaningful slice – but all are handed over with a feeling of anticipation that can only be described as agonisingly bittersweet.
I first began approaching publishers with my work twenty years ago. Things were a little different then. You just sent in an entire wad of paper with a covering letter and kept your fingers firmly crossed for the 3 to 6 months it took for a rejection letter to arrive. Or an acceptance phone call, as was the case with my non-fiction book You Name It (Hodder Headline, 1995). I can still feel the scream of joy rising from my toes and bursting from my mouth. The series of rolling backflips I performed soon thereafter was truly a miracle (I actually can’t perform rolling backflips).
Since that day, I’ve had a rollercoastering writing career and have only half-heartedly and occasionally approached publishers. It’s not been until the past two years that I’ve really made it a full time job – and boy have I made up for it – in a big way. I’ve actually lost count of the amount of publishing proposals I’ve written in the past 18 months. Some have failed, some have worked, and some are in the process of working (squeeee!)
If you’re about ready to launch a baby into the arms of a publisher and are feeling sick with anticipation, I hope these tips I’ve learned on my own journey will help you feel a little more at ease. Letting your baby go is mighty heartbreaking – but remember, our babies must all fly the coop some time – and may they sour and flourish in the world of books. Good luck!
·         Research who to send your ms to; this is vital because it wastes everyone’s time if your book is not what the publisher normally publishes or it doesn’t fit their ‘style’ of book. Publishing houses can be quite specific, so get to know their needs; read what’s already on their list.
·         Find out if your targeted publisher is accepting unsolicited ms. If they’re not, and you are still super keen, try sending it anyway, but be prepared for it to be scooped into the bin, unopened.
·         Learn how your publisher likes to receive submissions and follow it to the letter. Some publishers are now accepting ‘enquiry emails’ whereby you can suggest a book idea to them, so take advantage of these.
·         Research your book’s target market (you should have already done this anyway) and present a marketing outline with your submission letter.
·         If your prospective publisher does not clearly outline their requirements for an ms submission you will need the following – a covering letter outlining (succinctly!) who you are, what your book is called and why you have approached this particular publisher, a marketing plan on why your book would succeed in the market (including books already on the market that might compete with your title), a short synopsis or chapter outline, and the first three chapters of your ms. Also enclose a concise writing résumé.
·         Only submit your ms to one publisher at a time, unless told you can submit elsewhere.
·         Some publishers require you to indicate if the ms has been presented to other publishers.
·         Be open, honest and completely yourself in communication with the publisher. Show your enthusiasm for your ms but always remain professional and don’t rant and rave about how fabulous you are (everyone is fabulous!).
·         Most publishers prefer picture books to be submitted without illustrations.
·         Remember that even though publishers are interested in a wonderful, well-written story, they absolutely require a book to be marketable – they invest a lot of time and money into a manuscript – it has to have financial return.
·         Don’t pester once your ms is in the publisher’s hands. There’s nothing wrong with a polite enquiry email or phone call after some time, but don’t expect an answer and don’t do this often. It can take many months for a book to be approved (or not approved).
·         Remember – publishers are professionals and it’s wise to respect their opinion.
·         Do things with a high level of professionalism at all times.
·         Network with other authors and illustrators – become involved in the writing community and you’ll not only make great friends, you will learn an enormous amount and enjoy quite an astounding level of support.
·         Don’t torture yourself over making your ms ‘perfect’. A successful author once told me publishers are more likely to become enamoured with a brilliant book idea rather than a perfectly honed, endlessly revised ‘perfect final’ manuscript. Don’t send yourself crazy with edits. The publisher will more than likely ask for changes or send your ms to an editor anyway – and it could get seriously chopped to pieces, making all your pedantic agonising for nought.
·         Be prepared for changes; if you can’t cope with that, self-publish instead.
·         Don’t expect a publisher ms appraisal or a ‘reason’ for a rejection.
·         Try a variety of publishers and don’t underestimate small indie publishers – they are producing incredible books.
·         Get to know publishers. Develop a relationship. Ask them if they are looking for a particular style of book and whether you could submit an outline to them. No harm in asking.
·         Don’t take knock-backs personally. I know this is incredibly hard to do! but it’s absolutely true – there are a myriad of reasons why your book could be rejected, and many times, being unpublishable or ‘not good enough’ is not the reason.
·         Publishers, even small indie publishers, are bombarded hourly by an avalanche of manuscripts and publishing requests. Wading through these ms must be truly Mt-Everest-like. The wait is hard, but let go of all expectation, start work on your next ms and never get shirty with publishing departments – you don’t want to burn your publishing bridges!
·         DO. NOT. GIVE. UP. Ruminate. Revise. Resubmit. Did I mention don’t give up? Ever.
·         Emit patience and graciousness like a radiant literary beacon – and let me know when your book hits the shelves!
Tania McCartney is an author, editor, publisher, blogger, book reviewer and mango devourer who loves writing, celebrating and supporting children’s literature – and literacy. She is the author of the Riley series of travelogue picture books, as well as several published and self-published books. Tania is also an experienced magazine writer and editor, is the founder of Kids Book Review http://kids-bookreview.%20com/ and is a Senior Editor at Australian Women Online http://www.australianwomenonline.com/. She lives in Canberra with a husband, two kids and a mountain of books.
Riley and the Curious Koala: A journey around Sydney
Riley and the Curious Koala is the third in the Riley travelogue series of picture books, taking young children on a journey to far flung destinations. Riley’s first adventure began in Beijing with Riley and the Sleeping Dragon, continued on through Hong Kong with Riley and the Dancing Lion, and now enters home turf, with a fun-filled adventure through the beautiful city of Sydney.
Will Riley find this terribly elusive and quite curious fluffy creature amongst the gorgeous watery vistas of one of the world’s most beautiful cities? Panda, Dragon and Lion from earlier books join this little aviator on his sensational Sydney search… and their discovery is a curious (and funny!) one, indeed.
Using stunning black and white photos, pictures of a real life tin aeroplane and hilarious illustrations by illustrator Kieron Pratt, Riley and the Curious Koala is perfect for experienced travellers, armchair travellers or for those wanting a fuzzy little adventure.
Part of the profits for Riley and the Curious Koala will go to the Australian Koala Foundation https://www.savethekoala.com/.
Available Australia-wide from 22 November 2010.
Riley and the Curious Koala Blog Tour Schedule
Monday 15 November
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Monday 15 November
The Book Chook http://www.thebookchook.com/
Crafting a Book Using Photos
Monday 15 November
BOOK GIVEAWAY!
Tuesday 16 November
Marketing a Self-Published Book
Tuesday 16 November
A CURIOUS LIFE
Tuesday 16 November
HOW TO SELF-PUBLISH A CHILDREN’S SERIES AND REMAIN SANE
Wednesday 17 November
Little People Books http://littlepeoplebooks.com/
Reading to Little Ones
Wednesday 17 November
TRAVEL, BOOKS AND CHILDREN
Thursday 18 November
Story Writing Ideas
Thursday 18 November
Bernadette Kelly’s Blog http://www.bernadettekelly.com.au/news/
ILLUSTRATING THE RILEY SERIES
Thursday 18 November
Posie Patchwork: The Blog http://posiepatchworkblog.blogspot.com/
EXTENDING YOUR BRAND and BOOK GIVE AWAY!
Friday 19 November
Sally Murphy’s Writing for Children Blog http://sallymurphy.blogspot.com/
Approaching Publishers
Saturday 20 November
Sue Whiting’s Blog http://suewhiting.blogspot.com/
The Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing
Saturday 20 November
Sheryl Gwyther’s Blog http://sherylgwyther.wordpress.com/
FROM BEIJING TO CANBERRA
Saturday 20 November
LIVE QUESTION TIME WITH TANIA!
Sunday 21 November
Sandy Fussell’s Blog http://sandyfussell.blogspot.com/
An Interview with Riley!
Sunday 21 November
RilEY AND THE CURIOUS KOALA BOOK GIVEAWAYS!
Sunday 21 November, 6pm
Book Launch Party
Thanks so much for dropping in, Tania!
sallymurphy.com.au