Hello, Pagers! Happy Book Week!
How’s your August going? Mine is big. I was delighted on Friday when Bev and Kev was named an Early Childhood Honour Book in the Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Awards. Gosh and goshness. Being on the shortlist had always been a dream of mine and I’d never hoped for more. But I’ll take it. Such lovely recognition. I feel very lucky.
As I was explaining (without complaining) in the previous newsletter1, August brings Book Week author visits, which means meeting various school staff who’d like to publish a book. Schools are brimming with aspiring authors. (Maybe every industry is?) Often they keep their publishing dreams secret because teachers like to be right and they’re worried they may never be published and then they’ll look silly. (Little tip - if you don’t tell someone about your book it can never become a book. You won’t look silly. You’ll look genuine.) It makes sense that educators are writers. We’re creative, booky people. We like to connect. We love words and stories and finding meaning. Plenty of authors begin their working lives as teachers. So, the more schools you visit the more plucky adults you meet with questions about how to get their writing published. Happy to assist where possible.
Here’s one recent example. (I’ve changed some details.) Let me know if you think my advice is useful.
Hi Katrina,
My name is Linda and I’m a Primary School teacher at Sunnyvale Primary School. Yesterday I heard you speak to our students and absolutely loved what you had to share. I wanted to ask you a question on the day, but had to race off with my class.
I’m currently writing a book that I’d love to see published. It’s about my cousin’s life and advocacy work. He lives with a disability in a small rural community. I realise that this kind of story isn’t a children’s book but would you be able to point me in the right direction of where I should go/who I should contact in order to get this story published?
Again - your talk was so good and I really love the messages your books convey. I particularly loved the one about wasps. I told my husband about the ‘wasp paralysing the huntsman for their babies to eat’. Fascinating!
Kind regards, Linda.
I responded with four suggestions. (They’re short but hopefully useful. I was working from my phone during a brief lunch break.) Linda hasn’t responded so maybe she was hoping for something else.
Hi Linda,
Thank you for your kind words. What a shame we didn't get to chat in person. I'm not experienced outside of children's publishing but happy to help if I can.
Probably the best place to start would be with your state writers centre. For us, that’s Writers' SA. They do offer one on one advisory consultations to members and you can