What's Cooking? 2024
Delicious picture books. Every recipe is different.
Hello Pagers,
Welcome to 2024. So lovely to have you back. If you’re new, it’s lovely to have you too. If you’d like to think about writing resolutions, I considered that last month here.
This newsletter has two parts. First, a whiney reflection about social media which has no answers so hopefully you can help me find some. And second, What’s Cooking? 2024, a look at my 2024 publishing line-up with some insider insights.
I took a break from social media in December. I did the same thing in 2022 and last year I didn’t want to come back. There’s a certain peace to life without the socials. This year, I’ve returned with vigor because I have a book scheduled for release on January 31; that’s two and a half weeks away. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, I may have been saturating your feed with Little Book Baby photos. Apologies. But I’m excited.
It's a tricky thing, social media. Every creator (possibly every human) acknowledges that it sometimes makes them feel terrible. We know it’s all a carefully curated shopfront but the How-come-their-life-is-better-than-mine? comparisons seem unavoidable. (When I write it like that it seems completely ridiculous.) What I’m feeling is not so much about the comparisons but a sense that I’m pedaling too much of my life. I’m not sure when it changed but what used to feel like fun now feels like soul-selling. Maybe it’s because the rules of the game are always shifting, and platforms are always changing. It’s annoying. Maybe it’s an age thing. I mean, Threads. Who can be bothered? Maybe it’s because I like my day job and am not prepared to invest the time in online content that a full-time author might. I want to use my writing days to write. I don’t want to be an influencer. The social media space feels louder and cheaper than ever before. It’s hard to be authentic when you’re trying to stand out. Maybe there are only so many years you can cry Look at Me!
At the start of this year, I posted on Instagram a selection of photos of me with my family enjoying the holidays – with our dog, bushwalking, at the beach. Then I deleted them. Why was I sharing them with a couple of thousand strangers? For the likes? It felt wrong, yet it seems okay to post one here in my newsletter. I’m not completely sure why. (Sorry! This newsletter has no answers. Just questions!) Maybe it’s Substack that’s made social media feel a little off. Here I have space. I enjoy the time and even though strangers can still subscribe (please do!) it takes more of an investment from readers than a quick scroll. So here’s one of my happy snaps just for you.
Instead of the candid holiday shots on social media, I started posting photos of beloved family members with advance copies of Little Book Baby and that feels alright. The photos are posed and purposeful. I’m being very intentional and it’s turning into a sweet collection. Sometimes social media is a lovely nook for storing memories and thoughts. I’m also grateful for the support I receive online, especially on Facebook where over the years I seem to have built a loyal following of teachers, parents, librarians, and grandparents. Their continued interest is humbling. I know it’s also led to speaking engagements and book sales. On many occasions, it feels like a warm place to connect. So, I don’t know. For now, I have a brand-new book and it seems a silly time to step back. Or maybe I’m just annoying everyone with the promotion.
That’s the other thing about social media – if you’re using it, you’re going to get it wrong sometimes. Of course, we are. Anytime you put yourself forward, for any opportunity really, there’s a chance you’ll be too bold or too dull or just too embarrassing. It’s hard not to look back on previous posts and cringe but I tell myself I was doing my best. It’s learn-as-you-go but it’s a very public way to learn. Learn and be judged. Oh, listen to me, so whingey.
At the end of 2023, I signed off the socials with a quick video which I shot in selfie mode during my morning walk. One take. No make-up and probably a sweaty face but it felt okay. There was no script. No plan. I think I might do more more simple reflections from my morning walk. What do you think? (If I can be bothered!) We’ll see. I used to feel frustrated when friends ignored free social media opportunities. You’ve spent all this time creating an amazing book don’t you want to share it with the world? I’m not sure anymore. Possibly a good book will sell itself and life is better simplified. I lost count of how many Substack posts I read last year by people reevaluating their social media usage. For now, I have a new book (Did I mention the new book?) and I’m going to tell people about it. I’ll stick with the socials but if anyone has wisdom, please share.
What’s Cooking 2024?
Here's a round-up of books I have in production. It’s not intended as a thinly veiled humble brag (or a subtle flex as my son would say). I think it’s interesting to see how books move from author to market. The 2023 post is here. I’ve removed the paywall in case you’d like to compare them and see how things move in my world. I’ve copied the intro from last year followed by the 2024 list.
Books in the Oven
Us authors are frequently asked, Have you got any new books coming out? It’s how people show a polite interest, but it can send creators into a spin, especially when we’ve just published a book because well, a new book! A brand, new book! Can we just talk about that for a while? It’s also the reason why it’s sometimes hard to enjoy a new publication because all of a sudden when people ask, What’s next? you’ve got nothing to say anymore, and you start feeling like a fraud again.
So this newsletter is an answer to that question. (And I really do appreciate people asking. Thank you for showing an interest.) I thought it might be helpful to look at different books because every recipe is different. So, come with me. Let’s see what’s cooking.
Little Book Baby (Illustrated by Cheryl Orsini, HarperCollins, 31 January 2024)
The illustrations and design of this book are more than I could have hoped for – perfectly adorable for a baby book. This is the fourth book I’ve created with HarperCollins and I love their attention to detail. While many of my picture book submissions are managed through my agent sometimes I’ll send work directly to an editor whom I have a relationship with. I shared this story with Lisa Berryman along with another text for preschoolers which I thought she’d like. She didn’t but she loved this one so, hooray! I can’t wait to share this little book baby with the world. (See what I did there?) Keep it in mind for new babies and first and second birthdays.
My Dad Thinks He’s a Scream (Illustrated by Tom Jellett. Walker Books, October 2024)
The fifth book in the My Dad Thinks He’s Funny series. A Halloween book! Not something I planned when I wrote the first one but the style and characters of the others in the series lend themselves to it so perfectly. It’s shaping up to be a mighty fun book. Tom Jellett’s art is as humourous and clever as always. Readers often ask about writing a picture book series and I keep promising to write a newsletter about it, but the short answer is that sometimes when a picture book sells ridiculously well the publishers ask you to write another one. I’m not boasting. That’s the truth. It’s about sales.
Fabulous Frogs (Illustrated by Suzanne Houghton, CSIRO Publishing 2024)
My second non-fiction book. This is a companion title to Wonderful Wasps. All of the frogs in the book are Australian (We have so many! ) and it’s another small nod to biodiversity. I promise it’s not just another lifecycle book. Suzanne Houghton and I hatched a plan to present this one as a possibility to the publishers because we felt so happy and proud of Wonderful Wasps. We sent an email to our editor who liked the idea and encouraged us to submit a formal proposal. CSIRO has a proposal form on their website. I’ve tried unsuccessfully to dodge it twice. Nothing goes ahead without the completed proposal form! Suzanne’s art for this is looking every bit as amazing as Wonderful Wasps. Also, how great are frogs?
Birthday Book (Affirm Press 2025)
This one is not really called Birthday Book but I think the actual title is clever and I’d rather not share it until closer to the release date. It also has an illustrator but I’m not sure if she’s started yet or told anyone what she’s working on so I’m going to keep that quiet for now too. Her work is vibrant and gorgeous. I am excited! The word count for this book is tiny. It took me ages. I love it. It’s my first book with Affirm and was submitted through my agent. I’m enjoying the process and can’t wait to watch this book bake.
Girls Like (Midnight Sun 2025)
I’ve pasted below some of what I wrote about this one last year. We now have an illustrator, and I am beyond happy; her work is delightful. But it’s her news to share and I’m not sure if she has. The publisher, Anna Solding, is Adelaide-based like me and we know each other socially. I emailed this submission directly to her BUT that’s no guarantee of publication. (I sent her something this year which she quickly turned down.) Connections can help get work read but they can’t help with contracts. Offers of publication are based on the quality and marketability of your work (unless you’re a celebrity then marketability can compensate for quality).
I wrote Girls Like following a conversation with a friend whose eight-year-old daughter has short hair and apparently that draws continual comment and confusion. This text is a joyful celebration of all the different ways to embrace and enjoy girlhood.
And that’s it. I have some submissions to follow up on and more work to send. Hopefully, some of those projects will appear on next year’s What’s Cooking? (I feel like I need a theme song.)
Please ask any questions in the comments and share any projects you have baking. I’d love to hear.
Peace and Love
Katrina xxx
So many wonderful books coming – huge congratulations! As for social media, I struggle with it. I go through stages where I can happily share things and stay consistent, and then something happens, like the referendum last year. I had so many things I wanted to say but I just ... couldn't. I needed to sit with how I was feeling in a private space, but also not sharing my thoughts and using my voice made me feel that I couldn't share anything else on socials either. It's the same with other awful things happening in the world. I retreat from social media because it feels too complex. I take comfort in my little real-life bubble of people and sometimes that's all I can do at the time. So tricky because I have some exciting projects coming up and I do feel that I need to get back to social media to share info about them, but I'm still grappling with getting back into it. I know I will get back there, but I'm trying to be okay with not always being able to be consistent. Not really a helpful comment from me, I'm sorry, but I do think social media is hard for many of us.
Like you, Katrina, and many other author friends, I took a social media break for at least a month at the end of the year. Why? I hadn't been posting much so why did i pull back? It was because i was tired of reading. My reading of social media felt thinner and thinner. What was I getting from it? What was I spending my time doing? Some people hog social media. And that had the effect of sending me skimming right past. I enjoyed your wandering walk video and I enjoyed your family pics with your new book. Why? It was promotion and excitement about your new book. But it was genuine and spoke about the people in your life who've been there for you or had some influence in your career. Maybe other posts are equally genuine, but after a while I find myself asking why am I following this person's life? So, what is the answer? I often think back to when there was no media promotion for books, like way, way back. How did the people get to know about your books? Perhaps through newspaper reviews? Perhaps through teacher-librarians? Perhaps word-of-mouth? Whatever, we have social media. But how we use it is a constant changing platform. I guess it comes down to your own sense of purpose and integrity. xx