Have Swag Will Travel: COW SAYS MEOW and other titles by Kirsti Call

Hi friends. Today, I'm pleased to share an interview with author Kirsti Call, whose darling book, Cow Says Meow, (illustrated by Brandon James Scott, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) launches into the world on March 16, 2021. 

Kirsti was kind enough to answer some of my questions about her book event plans and experiences.  This is Kirsti's second book launch during the pandemic, and third launch overall, so she has lots of experiences to share with us. 

Let's get to it!

Dawn Prochovnic: Thank you for stopping by the blog to share some of your event-related experiences and ideas, Kirsti. 

If I understand correctly, your first book, The Raindrop Who Couldn’t Fall, (illustrated by Lisa M. Griffin, Mazo Publishers) came out prior to the pandemic and your second book, Mootilda’s Bad Mood, (co-authored with Corey Rosen Schwartz, illustrated by Claudia Ranucci (Little Bee) launched during the pandemic. 

This year you’ll be launching two new books: Cow Says Meow (illustrated by Brandon James Scott, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and Cold Turkey (Little Brown). Reflecting on the book events you have facilitated in the past and have planned for the future, both traditional, and remote, are there any elements/activities that stand out that the kids (and/or their teachers/ parents/caregivers) have enjoyed the most? 

Kirsti Call: My in person book launch for The Raindrop Who Couldn’t Fall was incredibly fun.  We sang songs, read the book, ate cake and I signed books! 

The kids loved the interactive STORY IN A BOX activity. 

But for Mootilda’s Bad Mood, we had a virtual book launch where we sang songs, read the book, and offered signed books with stickers! 

My 10 year old son played the part of Mootilda the puppet--and the puppet was a big hit. 

DP: That sounds like a marvelous time. I especially love the bookplates and stickers! 

KC: I’ve got more tricks up my sleeve for my Cow Says Meow book launch where illustrator, Brandon James Scott, is joining me, on Tuesday March 16, at 7pm EST at Unlikely Story. 

The wonderful  thing about virtual book launches is my ability to have the illustrator with me, although he lives in Canada.  It also broadens my audience. Instead of people who live in my area coming to the launch, a virtual book launch includes my family from across the country, and people from all over the world. 

DP: Yay for silver linings! 

Are there any resources you relied upon to plan your event(s) that might help others plan their own book launch events, particularly during these unique times? 

KC: COVID not only opens up who can attend a book event, but also who hosts them. You can host a virtual event from anywhere.  I’ve taken several classes from The Writing Barn, so my MOOTILDA book launch was hosted by them in Texas as I participated from my home in the Boston area. The possibilities for book events are endless! 

DP: Nice job thinking outside of the box (ahem, barn), and what a great photo. I love how you went all in on the cow theme! You've given me some great ideas for my own remote launch in April. 

Shifting gears a bit, you co-host a picture-book related podcast along with Kim Chaffee. What do you currently enjoy most about it? 

KC: We interview authors and illustrators and their editors. We sometimes have the privilege of talking to the book designer or art director also. Sometimes our zoom interview is the first time the author and illustrator has ever seen each other. Bringing the creative team together is a privilege--and I adore talking about how each book comes to life!

DP: That sounds as if it's as much fun to create and participate in as it is to listen to! 

In addition to your podcast, you are involved in MANY kidlit-related “extras,” including co-coordinating ReFoReMo, participating as a "12x12 elf," blogging for Writer’s Rumpus, and judging for the CYBILS award. How do you balance your time between your own creative work and these extra endeavors? 

KC: I’ve always loved being super involved and I truly believe I learned to juggle it all because I have five children. When I have an open 10 minutes here or there, I take advantage of it!  I’ve become super efficient with the time I do have to devote to writing and volunteer activities within the kidlit community.  And I always schedule time for writing, family,  and self care. Sticking to my schedule helps me balance my life in a way that works well for me.  

DP: What a beautiful family! (And folks, let Kirsti be an inspiration to us all as we balance our creative work alongside the other roles and responsibilities in our lives.)

I’ve noticed we share an interest in incorporating songs and music into our book-related activities. I’d love to hear more about how the song for Mootilda came to be, and if there are any songs in the works for Cow Says Meow and/or Cold Turkey? 

KC: My 15 year old daughter, Sydney, writes incredible music. I asked her to write me a song for MOOTILDA’S BAD MOOD and I loved it so much we’re doing a song for each of my books. The song for COW SAYS MEOW will debut at our book launch.  

DP: I look forward to it! 

Do you have any new projects coming up that you’d like to put on the radar? and/or is there something you wished I would have asked you that you haven’t had the opportunity to share? 

KC: My first board book is coming out in the summer of 2022!  And I just transitioned from being a marriage and family therapist, to coaching creatives!  I’m super excited about my GET YOURSELF UNSTUCK program! 

DP: That sounds like an exciting new venture, Kirsti. I wish you continued success. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences with us. 

Friends, the best way to express your thanks to Kirsti is to add one or more of her books to your collection. They are available everywhere books are sold, but you know I'm partial to indies. 

And, if you'd like to win a copy of COW SAYS MEOW, follow both Dawn and Kirsti on Twitter (@DawnProchovnic and @KirstiCall) and reply to one of our tweets with the blog post, tagging a friend before 11:59 ET on March 22, 2021 (US Addresses only.)

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Kirsti Call co-hosts the PICTURE BOOK LOOK podcast and co-runs ReFoReMo. She's a critique ninja and elf for 12x12, a blogger for Writers' Rumpus, and a Rate Your Story judge. She's judged the CYBILS award for fiction picture books since 2015. Kirsti is a therapist trained life coach for creatives. Her picture book, MOOTILDA'S BAD MOOD (Little Bee) released last fall. COW SAYS MEOW (HMH) and COLD TURKEY (Little Brown) release in 2021. Kirsti is represented by Emma Sector at Prospect Agency. 

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Have Swag, Will Travel is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of multiple picture books including, Lucy's Blooms (Spring '21), Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?, Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?, and 16 books in the Story Time With Signs & Rhymes series. Dawn is a contributing author to the award-winning book, Oregon Reads Aloud, and a frequent presenter at schools, libraries, and educational conferences. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com. 

The Marketing (and Making Friends) Part of the Writing Life

Photo Credit: Arianne Stork-Nevdahl

One of my favorite parts of authoring books is the opportunity to meet new people. Some folks I've met in person, and others I've only "met" online or through other remote communication channels. Some of the people I've met and become friends with are "potty people" (or "cowgirl people" or "pirate people") as evidenced by this darling photo.

Many of the folks I've met are "writing people." Tina Cho falls into that category. I first got to know Tina because I started following the blog she writes with a team of other members of the kidlit community. I've read and followed several writing-related blogs over the years, and the Grog Blog has consistently been amongst the most helpful and informative.

Last year, Tina contributed a guest post on my blog where she shared a story time lesson plan for one of her books, Rice from Heaven. Today, I've written a guest post for the Grog Blog entitled "10 Things I Learned About Book Marketing."

It is with great pleasure that today, I can give back to a writing community that I've learned so much from. I hope you will hop on over to the Grog Blog and read some of the great articles they have posted ... including mine, today!

(Pssst, I had so many tips to share, I couldn't fit them into one post. I'm aiming to post a follow-up article on the same topic next month. I'll add a link to it here when it's available.)

Have Swag Will Travel: CHICKEN BREAK! A Counting Book, by Cate Berry

I'm so EGGcited about today's guest post with Cate Berry, author of two hilarious picture books. Today we'll focus on Cate's latest release CHICKEN BREAK! A Counting Book (illustrated by Charlotte Alder, Feiwel & Friends/MacMillan, 2019). Cate's post will crack you up AND bring you a dozen or so unique promotional ideas.

Take it away, Cate:

Have Swag, Will Travel
by Cate Berry

Bawk Squawk!

Thanks so much for having me, Dawn, on your fab kidlit blog! I launched my debut picture book last year, Penguin & Tiny Shrimp Don’t Do Bedtime! [Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins] illustrated by Charles Santoso. It was a wild and crazy and packed year. I learned so much which is why I wanted to chat today about some grassroots marketing ideas I took out for a spin with my second book, Chicken Break! A Counting Book [Feiwel & Friends/MacMillan] which just released October 29, 2019.

But first! People always ask me about how I get my ideas. And Chicken Break had an especially fun backstory.

I usually make up absurd, imaginary stories but this little nugget was ripped from the headlines of my real life!

Our family ordered baby chicks from mypetchicken.com and they provided gleeful entertainment for many months— until they grew up. Our chickens wanted to live inside the house with us! They would line up and watch TV through the window on our back door! This really made me fall in love with chickens and their hilarious personalities.

Our neighbor had politely asked us not to let the chickens near her beautiful yard until one day, they escaped. I drove up and they had de-headed her freshly planted begonias and dug a three-foot hole in her mulch. Needless-to-say it looked like a Chicken Spa Day. That night a rerun of Ocean’s 11 was showing and—voila!—the whole things blended into a picture book.

Now that you know how this whole book was hatched, let’s talk about marketing. Or in my case, how to not think about marketing but rather, have fun…

I decided this time around I wanted to celebrate my book release in connection as much as possible. I spend a lot of time alone, writing. When I launched this book, I wanted to use it as an opportunity to build community, and yes, have fun!

My publisher was wonderful with getting me into events and conferences. But I don’t think that’s enough these days. I didn’t have any illusions that I, personally, could move the needle very far regarding sales, but I could widen my audience and develop deeper relationships with book sellers, schools and libraries. That’s what matters to me the most anyway: connection (See above! It’s my theme!).

So I invited several writer friends over, that lived near me, for wine and cheese. And Team Bock Bock was born. We had a lot of fun brainstorming outside-the-box, grassroots marketing ideas. For example, we came up with the idea of #CoopTroop, where I asked other authors with chicken-related books to band together and bond with our books. Another great idea that surfaced was making a Chicken Carpool Karaoke video. We had lots of ideas, some I’ll be rolling out over the next few months. Team Bock Bock was also particularly helpful in narrowing down my focus. You can’t do everything. And friends help other friends prioritize.

Now about that video…

I’m a huge James Corden fan. When we thought of Chicken Carpool Karaoke, I really worked hard to make that a reality. I hired Diem Korsgaard to film and edit the video. She mounted several cameras to our windshield for close up action shots. A Team Bock Bock member had a friend who volunteered her chickens. As the filming day approached, I’ll admit I was nervous. The reality of all that chicken poop in my van, the thought of them going crazy inside the vehicle while I was driving, the sheer mayhem of it all, had everyone on edge. I know my husband, who played ukulele in the video, was sweating it. But amazingly, they were very chill! And there was hardly any poop.

I will say, we had some hilarious out takes getting the chickens out of the car. Perhaps I’ll post those one day.

They really wanted to break out for a spin!

Another thing I did this time around was to host a Pub Day Party.

I invited friends and family over for an open house on the actual publication date, Oct. 29, 2019. It was an all-day affair from 8 AM until 6 PM. I wanted a slow steady stream of guests, so I’d have time to sit down and really talk with people. And thank them for all their support.

Sometimes your release date can come and go and it feels a little anti-climactic. But this was very special, having people drop by all day long and celebrate in a very real way.

I also set up a Review Table. Friends and family could log onto Amazon, Goodreads, Indiebound and other retailers offering customer reviews, and leave a quick review for the book, right there! As we all know, reviews are so important for a book, especially during the first week of sales. It was a fun way to connect with folks, especially those who wanted to buy but couldn’t make the official launch at Book People.

Oh! And my kids took initiative and wrote several “ready-made” reviews which we cut up and put in a jar in case anyone got stuck composing a review on the spot. Most of them were silly but it added to the fun.

Some sites did block a few reviews (they are very particular about who they verify!) but that didn’t matter. The spirit of the idea made the day a success.

And then came… #CoopTroop.

I reached out to several women authors (I love funny female authors!) who released chicken books this year (2019). Everyone was game to join forces, boost our books and shake a tail feather on social media.

#CoopTroup consists of Tammi Sauer (Tammi Bawk Bawk), Martha Brockenbrough (Party Fowl) and Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen (Her Egg-cellency) and myself (Hen Solo).

Watch for giveaways, chicken boost and general fowl play on social media. I’m hoping we’re all at a conference soon so the whole coop can peck and play together—in costume!

So how has all this been received?

So far, so good! I’m getting quite a few requests for school visits already, as well as speaking engagements, and I’m on several panels at Texas Library Association conference in March. I also just found out that Chicken Break is listed on the NBC (Today Show) Today.com Holiday Gift Guide website!

I guess this second book really did feel different release than my debut book, Penguin & Tiny Shrimp Don’t Do Bedtime! that pubbed in 2018.

Debut years are crazy. I’ve yet to meet anyone who thinks otherwise. You don’t know anything, you’re worried, you’re excited, you’re a mess.

I made a point to do as much as I could to promote my debut. I didn’t want to feel any regrets the following year. I can honestly say I’m very proud of my accomplishments. I did in-store signings locally, statewide and in bigger cities out of state. I rocked a lot of school visits. I made a promo video with Harper Collins. I presented at the Texas Book Festival and other conferences. I was on faculty for the Austin SCBWI annual conference.

I also think I ran the risk of burnout and overspending (I confess to both of these). I think the thing I’d love to share with other debuts is that mistakes are unavoidable. How can you know what you don’t know? Don’t try and be perfect, try and connect.

Books come and go but the people you meet: booksellers, authors, librarians, teachers are a delight. Don’t forget to enjoy your book with others. Let others help and thank them for their support.

Also keep an open mind. I never dreamed I’d find a deep love for teaching, both online and privately. My book gave me this opportunity, along with finishing my MFA in Children’s Writing, and I’m forever grateful for this unexpected love affair with my students and their work.

Writing, marketing, teaching and promoting is challenging. But the small moments, especially sharing your book with kids, is worth everything.

Just keep going.

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There are so many EGGcellent ideas in this post, Cate (and I can't believe how scrumptious those launch coop-cakes look!) Congratulations on your latest book, and thank you for sharing your "bag of chicks" with us! I especially love the idea of hosting an all-day open house on Pub Day, including a Review Table. I will definitely incorporate something similar for my next launch, which is about 18 months out. I also agree that the best part of this business is the people you meet along the way. I'm so grateful we've had the opportunity to connect through our mutual affection for humorous kids books. Thanks again for stopping by!

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Cate Berry is the author of Penguin and Tiny Shrimp Don't Do Bedtime! (Balzer & Bray/Harper Collins) illustrated by Charles Santoso. It was pinned a Junior Library Guild selection and Publisher’s Weekly called it, "A buoyantly subversive anti-bedtime book.” Her second book, Chicken Break! A Counting Book (Feiwel & Friends/MacMillan) illustrated by Charlotte Adler was praised by School Library Journal as, “Full of wordplay and an extra dose of cuteness, this is a definite first purchase for all children’s collections.” Cate holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She teaches private students as well as classes at the Writing Barn in Austin, Texas. She was a featured author at the Texas Book Festival, West Texas Book Fest, Austin SCBWI Conference (faculty) and the Literacy Library Round-up (Victoria). She speaks at schools, libraries, book stores and conferences year-round. Visit her at www.cateberry.com to learn more.

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Have Swag Will Travel is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of multiple picture books including Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?, Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?, and 16 books in the Story Time With Signs & Rhymes series. Dawn is a contributing author to Oregon Reads Aloud and a frequent presenter at schools, libraries, and educational conferences. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com.

The Blog Tour Part of the Writing Life

Photo by Dawn Prochovnic
Yard Sculpture in Delft, NL, Artist Unknown

One of the many enjoyable aspects of being an author is getting to know other authors and illustrators. I've made many new friends at conferences and online, and I've enjoyed the opportunity to feature the work of other authors/illustrators on the Birth Stories for Books series on my blog.

Likewise, over the years I've had the opportunity to connect with several members of the KidLit community who have been kind enough to invite me for a guest post or interview on their blogs.

I started this post soon after I launched my potty-humor books. I've continued to add to it, as I've shifted attention the launch of Lucy's Blooms, as I continue to participate in guest posts and interviews on others' blogs. Although I typically shared those posts and interviews on social media as they occur, I thought it would be nice to have them linked from one spot on my own blog. I'll keep this space updated as new guest posts and interviews are added.

Here goes:

6/4/2024: Feature Interview on Chelsea's World of Books

5/9/2024: Interview on Oregon Author Project blog. 

1/6/2024: Guest Post on Tara Lazar's Storystorm

12/4/2021: Contributor to 2021 Writing Wisdom blog series (full series linked here.)

11/20/21: Contributor to the Writing Wisdom blog series (where I talk about how I approached the endings for two of my books, including my most recent book, LUCY'S BLOOMS.) 

10/9/2021: Contributor to the Writing Wisdom blog series (where I talk about excavating the heart of a compelling story, and provides insights into the inspiration for a forthcoming book, MAMA'S HOME.)

9/21/2021: Interview with Annie Lynn on author Patrick Adams' Kindie Rock Stars Podcast (where Annie shares some insider info about our collaboration on the song for Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?)

6/12/2021: Contributor to the Writing Wisdom blog series (where I talk about the importance of reading mentor texts.)

6/10/2021: Interview for the Authors Guild's Member Spotlight feature (where I share various writing insights, including the best piece of writing advice I ever received.) 

5/18/2021: Interview on Writers' Rumpus blog (where I answer questions about the writing and editing process, the inspiration behind LUCY'S BLOOMS, and my advice for aspiring authors.)

5/8/2021: Contributor to the Writing Wisdom blog series (where I talk about the long and winding road to publication.)

4/15/2021: Guest post on Kathy MacMillan's Story Time blog (where I provided a gardening-themed sign language story time lesson plan)

4/2/2021: Contributor to the Writing Wisdom blog series (where I talk about how publishing for children is akin to raising and/or teaching children.)

3/10/21: Guest post on West Margin Press's blog,  (where I reminisce about the sweet memories of gardening with my Gram) 

3/11/20: Guest post on the Grog Blog, co-hosted by author Tina Cho (where I share ten tips about book marketing).

10/8/2019: Interview by author, Carol Gordon Ekster, on the Writers' Rumpus blog (where I share what excites me most (and scares me most) about being a children's author).

10/2019: Interview in SCBWI Insight (where I share my thoughts on "boy books" and "girl books" and my general advice for SCBWI members).

10/2019: Brief video introduction of my two latest books (where I share the best way to find out where DOES a Cowgirl go potty?).

9/28/2019: Interview for the "Will Write for Cookies" feature on author, Vivian Kirkfield's, blog (where I share some of my favorite childhood books and a favorite cookie recipe).

9/22/2019: Interview with Annie Lynn on author Michele McAvoy's My Messy Muse Podcast (where Annie shares some insider info about our recent collaboration on the song for Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?)

9/8/2019: Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? book trailer featured on KidLit TV.

8/27/2019: Joint interview with musician, Annie Lynn, on author Tara Lazar's blog (where we share the story of our collaboration for the song that backs up the book trailer for Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?)

8/20/2019: Guest Post on author Kathy Macmillan's Stories by Hand blog (where I share the story of collaborating with singer/song writer and performing musician Marshall Mitchell, and I share "Sign Language Sing-Along Resources" for Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?).

8/19/2019: Interview on author Aimee Reid's blog (where I share my thoughts on and tips for sharing good books with kids).

8/14/2019: Guest Post for the "Five Fun Facts" feature on author Laura Sassi's blog (where I share the origins of my Pirate and Cowgirl books and my affinity for sticky notes).

5/31/2019: Guest Post for Rain City Librarian's blog (where I share a sign language lesson plan called "Cowgirls Don't Wear Diapers").

11/6/2018: Guest post on author Tara Lazar's blog (where I share how one key revision resulted in two new books).

Last but not least, although not a guest post or an interview, SCBWI Oregon does put together a nice flyer of newly released books from member authors and illustrators that gets updated once or twice a year. It was nice to be included in the 2019 Edition of this resource. The most recent version of this resource can always be accessed here:  https://oregon.scbwi.org/pal-new-release-flyer/. Likewise, SCBWI International also puts together an annual reading list, and it was nice to be included in the 2019 Edition. The most recent version of this resource can always be accessed here: https://www.scbwi.org/recommended-reading-list/.