Although it probably isn’t wise for picture book authors to waste a lot of time thinking about it, somewhere along the way most of us begin to wonder: “Do I even have a chance of getting my debut picture book published?” Part of me wants to scream: “NO!” Getting a debut picture book published by…
Author: jackikellum
How Big is Penguin Random House – The #1 Publishing House
According to my research, Penguin Random Hous is Numbe 1 of the Big 5 Publishing Houses as follows: 1-Penguin Random House 2-HarperCollins 3-Simon & Schuster 4-Hachette Book Group 5-Macmillan How Big Is Penguin Random House? To begin with, Penguin Random House is located as New York City’s 77th tallest building, at 1745 Broadway. The Random…
What Are the Big 5 Publishing Houses & A List of All the Major Publishers
While I have been writing most of my life and while my debut picture book, The Donkey’s Song, is scheduled to be published by one of the Big 5 Publishing Houses, I hate to admit it, but my effort to understand the hierarchy of the publishing industry is baffling. I have decided to try to…
Looking Ahead for 2020 Twitter Pitch Events for Picture Book Writers and Illustrators
I can finally say it, my debut picture book is scheduled to be published, and here is the most magical thing: My Debut Picture Book Was Discovered in a Twitter Pitch Event The funny thing is that a year ago, I didn’t even know that Twitter Pitch Events existed. I thought that others might like…
Autumn As A Symbol in Writing – Quotes about Autumn
J.R.R. Tolkien wrote the famous novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. You may not realize it, but J.R.R. Tolkien wrote short stories, too. Many years ago I discovered his story Leaf by Niggle. Among other things, Leaf by Niggle is a story about a painter who senses an urgency within himself…
Leaf by Niggle – A Short Story by J. R. R. Tolkien – Thoughts about the Worthiness of Writing & Making Art
Last night [or actually at 4:30 a.m.], I still had not gone to sleep, and in my restlessness, I recalled a story that I discovered about 50 years ago–Leaf by Niggle–by J.R.R. Tolkien. You see, I am one of those people who knows that they love everything about Tolkien, but I have never been able…
Sometimes A Word Simply Seems – The Language of the Birds – Expressing That Which Is Beyond the Realm of Words
If you think about it for a moment, you will probably realize that the words that humans have codified to convey meaning are clumsy, at best. Yet, that is the construct of writing. We writers form letters together, and we expect our readers to take a leap of faith and to connect those letters to…
The Rooster, Who We Have Always Counted Upon to Wake Up the Sun, as Symbol
Last night, I was watching an old movie, and Robert de Niro, as one of the stars, held an egg in his hand and said: “You know, some religions think that the egg is the symbol of the soul, did you know that?” – Angel Heart I immediately thought about a picture book that I admire, First the…
New York Times Article from 1910 Explains the Tradition of Getting New Clothes for Easter
When I was a child, in the 1950s, not an Easter passed that I did not get a new dress, a new pair of white cotton socks [the stretchy, frilly ones came later], white gloves, white shoes witb a matching purse, and an Easter bonnet to wear to church. Although I still practiced this tradition…
Rabbit and Egg and Easter Picture Books That I Consider to be My Favorites
I am suspicious of any picture book author and/or illustrator who cannot admit that they have been greatly influenced by several authors and illustrators who came before themselves. MANY authors and illustrators have impressed me, and today, I’d like to tell you about several picture books that somehow fall beneath the hood of Easter books….