The "Showcases, Media Coverage, and Shout-Outs" Part of the Writing Life

I'm not gonna lie...it feels good when my creative work receives positive recognition—or even just a little press! In fact, I keep a running list of media coverage, here. It's a nice page to stroll through on the days I need a pick-me-up. 

Some recent media highlights include my Story Time with Signs & Rhymes series being included in a Book Riot round-up of books about sign language for toddlers, and my hometown newspaper including Lucy's Blooms in a roundup of children's books by Oregon authors.

Today I learned that the Children's Book Council included Lucy's Blooms (illustrated by Alice Brereton, published by West Margin Press) in their #LoveMakesTheWorldGoRound summer showcase. I'm quite delighted that this book of my heart has been included in such an esteemed list! I hope you'll check it out. (While you're there, take note of two other books in particular: Made for Me and The Proudest Color, two fantastic books published by Familius, the publisher of my next scheduled book.)

If you're not familiar with Lucy's Blooms, you can view/listen to the book trailer here (with original music written and performed by Maiah Wynne, the lead vocalist for Alex Lifeson's new band, Envy of None): 

 

and you can view the book reading I recorded for my book launch here:

 

Lucy's Blooms is available wherever books are sold. You can support my creative work (and your local indie bookseller) without leaving the comfort of your home by purchasing your books through Bookshop. 

Thanks for celebrating with me! 

The Seasonal Tie-Ins and Promotional Pairings Part of the Writing Life

It's hard to believe, but today marks the one year anniversary, or "book birthday" for Lucy's Blooms. 

On this date last year I shared a blog post entitled, "The Book Launch Part of the Writing Life," where I talked about the activities leading up to a book launch. Today's post is about creating opportunities for extending the book buzz beyond the initial launch through seasonal tie-ins and promotional pairings. 

The marketing copy on my publisher's website describes Lucy's Blooms as "a multigenerational story about a young girl who learns from her grandmother about the enduring nature of love, the strength in rejecting labels, and the wisdom of standing with those who are different." In the story, "the town's annual flower contest is coming soon, and a young girl puts her heart into growing a lively bunch of flowers she finds in a meadow. As her grandmother guides her in nurturing a garden, the girl learns that winning ins't the true reward—it's the special love found in caring for something or someone." 

These are the words that help booksellers and librarians make book buying and collection development decisions—but these words don't necessarily help a book get hand-sold, placed face out on a retail display, or incorporated into a library storytime. This is where seasonal tie-ins and promotional pairings can come in. 

I maintain a running list of potential promotional connections for each of my books. Some seasonal tie-ins (such as the spring equinox in March and Earth Day in April are easy to come up with. I broaden the list by browsing web-based resources such as the "There is a Day for That" calendar, the "Today is" calendar  and this list of national days, along with taking note of observances recognized by literacy organizations such as Every Child a Reader. 

There are quite a few different connections that can be drawn for most of my books, and although it's not reasonable for me to set a goal to amplify each tie-in every year, the running list of seasonal tie-ins and promotional pairings does help me maximize my promotional opportunities. 

Here is an example of my current running list for Lucy's Blooms and some examples of the promotions I developed to go along with some of the observances:

The Great Kindness Challenge (January)

Random Acts of Kindness Day (February)

International SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Day (March)

Plant a Flower Day (March)

World Planting Day (March and October)

International Women's Day (March)

The Spring Equinox (March)

National Weed Appreciation Day (March)

Dandelion Day (April 5)

Good Deeds Day (April)

Earth Day (April)

May Day (May 1)

Mother's Day (May)

World Bee Day (May)

Grandparents Day (September)

International Day of the Girl (October)

World Kindness Day (November)

I also maintain a strong supply of book-related resources and enrichment materials here, including a robust collection of Pinterest boards with categories such as:

Grandparent’s Day

Earth Day and World Bee Day 

Kindness and Good Deeds

Fun Facts About Dandelions

Weeds: Metaphor for Resilience

Garden Tours, Virtual Visits, and Other Experiential Opportunities

Gardening with Kids

Gardening Tips and Info

Picture Book Pairings for Lucy’s Blooms

 

The past year has flown by faster than the seeds of a dandelion. Thank you to everyone who continues to read, share, and help Lucy's Blooms flourish and grow. 

The "Virtual Book Launch" Part of the Writing Life

Today marks the book birthday for my 20th picture book! 

I'm so grateful to everyone who has had a hand in the making of this book, from my family members who inspire, encourage and support my writing life, to my critique group and fellow SCBWI members who helped me shape and polish the manuscript, to the wonderful team at West Margin Press that acquired the manuscript, paired me with a fantastic illustrator, and provided TLC and immense talent throughout the editorial, art direction, and book design process. I'm also grateful to my friends and colleagues who have helped shine a light on this book, and now to the parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, and booksellers who will help get this book into the hands of young readers. Thank you all. 

Lucy's Blooms was written and revised over a period of several years. West Margin Press acquired the manuscript long before the pandemic hit, and the editorial process wrapped up pre-pandemic as well. Alice Brereton's beautiful illustrations were created and shared with me during (what I now realize were) the early months of the pandemic. Seeing the thumbnails, sketches, and final art emerge during months and months of quarantine (and amidst pandemic-related disappointments) helped me focus on the future and focus on the positive. 

During this time, another positive experience was working with the incredibly talented musician, Maiah Wynne, to create Lucy's Song. I wrote the lyrics in collaboration with Maiah, then she composed the music and performed and recorded the song. After the book illustrations and song were completed, I created the animated video for Lucy's Blooms:

Lucy's Blooms created happy places and spaces for me to retreat into, and these creative tasks kept me grounded and focused during an otherwise uncertain time. 

I've launched many books into the world, and I've long created and curated enrichment materials for young readers, teachers, and librarians who utilize my website as a resource, but this is my first virtual book launch experience. The situation we find ourselves in caused me to push myself outside of my comfort zone and learn and do new things, such as: 

Conducting a Goodreads giveaway (with 1810 entrants and 1651 readers adding Lucy's Blooms to their "Want to Read" shelf.) I've not done a giveaway on this platform before, so I don't know how it compares with others' experiences, but I feel pretty good about it!

Collaborating with author friends and colleagues to create enrichment materials for my books. For example, my friend and colleague, Lora Heller, and her team at Baby Fingers LLC created video clips of sign language interpretation of Lucy's Song. You can find those on the Lucy's Blooms playlist on my YouTube channel.  (Lora and her team offer a wide range of classes for Deaf and hearing students of all ages--and their classes are now available on virtual platforms from anywhere in the world. I encourage you to check them out!) Likewise, my friend and colleague, Kathy MacMillan recorded a wonderful flannelboard rhyme activity that teaches several ASL signs and is a great pairing for a story time featuring Lucy's Blooms. (Kathy has heaps of other story time resources on her StoriesByHand website!)

Writing press releases (that resulted in at least a couple of local newspaper articles.) 

Sending postcards to friends, family, and "book people" in my network.

Recording a virtual story time hosted by Green Bean Books--you can view it at 11 AM, Tuesday, April 20 (Pacific Time), or afterwards via Green Bean Books' YouTube channel.

Preparing Grab-n-Go activity bags for Portland-area readers who participate in the virtual book launch event at Green Bean Books.

Creating GIFs, videos, and images for social media posts, such as:

Much of what I learned in this process required patience, perserverence and love, similar to what Lucy and her Gram cultivated in Lucy's Blooms, and much of what I've learned will be incorporated into future book launches. Thank you for walking with me through this journey. May your seeds of love take root and grow, Lucy's Blooms! Happy Birthday to you!

The "Developing Enrichment Materials" Part of the Writing Life

Recently, I had the opportunity to write a guest post on my publisher's blog, where I shared childhood memories of gardening with my Gram, and I provided instructions for an indoor planting activity to do with kids.  

I had so much fun putting that post together, I thought it might be nice to share another indoor planting activity here. As with the first, this activity uses supplies you likely have at home, or could easily obtain from your neighborhood grocery store. 

Here is the activity:

Observe the Germination Process of a Seed, Bean or Pea

Supplies Needed

Old canning jar (or clear plastic cup) 

Paper towels 

3-5 seeds (bean and pea seeds grow quickly.) You can also try using dried, uncooked beans or peas from your kitchen pantry that have been soaked in water overnight. 

Spoon or small measuring cup

Water

Sunshine

Steps:

1. Squeeze several sections of paper towel into loose wads, then stuff the paper towel wads into the canning jar, until it is full. 

2. Add spoonfuls of water to moisten the paper towel. The paper should be very wet, but not so wet that the water pools at the bottom of the jar.

3. Place the seeds into the canning jar, positioning each seed so that it can be seen through the glass and fits snugly between the jar and the wet paper towel. Be careful that each seed rests on a wrinkle or fold in the paper towel and does not fall to the bottom of the jar. 

4. Place the jar in a warm place that gets plenty of natural light, such as a windowsill. 

5. Observe your seeds daily, adding water to the paper towels as needed to keep them moist. It will likely take three or more days for your seeds to begin to sprout. 

6. Record and discuss your observations as the seed sprouts begin to open, develop roots, and grow stems and leaves. 

7. Consider completing this activity with multiple jars, using different types of seeds in each jar.  Observe and compare which seeds sprout the fastest and which grow the tallest. 

8. For added learning and fun, fill an additional canning jar 3/4 full with potting soil, and gently press 2-3 seeds into the soil. Fully cover the seeds with 1/2 inch of additional soil, then moisten the soil with spoonfuls of water. Place the jar with the soil next to the jar(s) with the moist paper towels. Hypothesize what is happening to the seeds beneath the surface in the jar with the soil, as you observe what is happening to the seeds germinating in the jar(s) with the moist paper towels.

9. Consider pairing this activity with a storytime filled with planting-themed books, such as Lucy's Blooms and other titles from this list I've compiled.

by Dawn Babb Prochovnic and Alice Brereton

May you make many happy memories exploring the wonders of nature with a child you love!  

The Book Trailer Reveal Part of the Writing Life

Hello friends! Just a brief post today to share my excitement of the BIG REVEAL for the book trailer of my next book, Lucy's Blooms (illustrated by Alice Brereton, published by West Margin Press.)

The book is beautiful. I can't wait until it launches in April, but in the meantime, you can watch this lovely video (that I designed and produced!) using illustrations from the book by Alice Brereton, and backed up by gorgeous, original music by Maiah Wynne (more on our collaboration later!) 

(Update: Here is the direct link if the embedded video won't show: https://youtu.be/csoF_xhUTuI )

And, since today marks the start of The Great Kindness Challenge, we're doing a giveaway of an advanced reader copy of Lucy's Blooms. Enter to win by commenting below (or on Instagram) about an act of kindness you’ve received or witnessed (enter before noon, PST 1/29.) Bonus kindness points if you share this post, and/or tag a friend! 

Love the song? Go out and give some love to Maiah Wynne. Love the illustrations? Go out and give some love to Pickled Alice Art! 

Love the book? It's available for pre-order everywhere books are sold (though I’m highly partial to supporting your local indie bookstore directly, or by shopping online at Bookshop.org. 

The Publication Date Part of the Writing Life

I can't hold it in any longer... the publication day for these two fun books is tomorrow!

Photo Credit: West Margin Press on Instagram 

The path to publication can be long and winding.

Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? has been in my "Works-in-Progress" file since this kiddo of mine (now a senior in high school) was a toddler:

And Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty? emerged from a writing exercise inspired by this image of my other kiddo, now a junior in college:

Yesterday, I got to hug Jennifer Newens, the person who said, "Yes," to my books. She leads the amazing team at West Margin Press that made them so beautiful.

I also got to hug Angela Zbornik, the creative wizard, clever wordsmith, and fellow punster (aka Marketing Manager) at West Margin Press. She heads up the team that will help my books find their readers. Angie introduced me to Rob Pine, with Ingram, who shares my sense of humor and said so many nice things about my books. I left my conversation with him feeling certain that booksellers (and through them, readers) will have every opportunity to join the potty humor party!

Earlier in the day I was able to attend a series of educational sessions, meet some wonderful booksellers, and celebrate other authors who are welcoming their new books into the world alongside mine:

Author, Elizabeth Rusch

Author, Cindy Baldwin

Author/Illustrator, Kevan Atteberry

Author, Jane Kirkpatrick

Author, Kate Messner

Today I find myself reflecting on all the people behind the scenes of every book that is made. For example: editor Michelle McCann (who is bringing one of her own books into the world this week); editor, Olivia Ngai; designer, Rachel Lopez Metzger; and illustrator, Jacob Souva. My books simply would not "be" without them. Likewise, my books were helped along the way by my critique group (thanks, Sara and Claire!), and the SCBWI International, SCBWI-Oregon, and Portland KidLit communities. And my husband, who is my biggest fan, and who works in a traditional career job that pays the bills and provides the health insurance.

I'm also reflecting on the many folks who have helped me get the word out about the books: Family members, friends in my local neighborhood, indie booksellers, school and public librarians, teachers who have taught my kids (and invited me to teach theirs), and so many kind and enthusiastic fellow authors and book bloggers who have visited my blog to share their stories and hosted me on my blog to share mine (more on this in a future post). And the musicians ...  the wonderful musicians ... Annie Lynn/AnnieBirdd Music, LLC and Marshall Mitchell who brought the music to these wonderful book trailers that Jacob Souva designed and animated:

Cowgirl Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/VCC90qkNk7I

Pirate Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/ADvqDGvMDds

Today, I get to return to the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Trade Show event, where this evening I will get to share my books (and my silly props) with booksellers and other trade show attendees.

I'm dressed and ready for a day of celebration.

Over the next few weeks and months, I will have several launch events and activities at various locations. Thank you in advance to all who have attended past events, and to those who will attend upcoming events. I appreciate you beyond what words can convey.

Later this month,  I will begin working on the editorial process for my next book (that comes out in Spring, 2021 ... refer to my earlier sentence above: "The path to publication can be long and winding." )

But today, I'll be plunging into the fun that is potty humor. Yee-Haw!

The "Book Launch" Part of the Writing Life, Episode 1

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If you've been following my earlier posts about "the writing life," (or my Facebook page, or my Twitter posts, or my Instagram account), or if you've seen me at a recent book event, or been waiting in line with me for the restrooms at a concert venue... or at the grocery store check out...you've probably heard that I have TWO NEW BOOKS coming out this year: Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? and Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty? have been long in the making, and I can't wait to share them with you. Can you tell I'm excited?

There are SO MANY fun parts about launching new books into the world. Recently, I got a sneak peek at the cover art for both books. I CANNOT WAIT until it's time for a cover reveal (soon ... soon ...). Suffice it to say that Jacob Souva's artwork is fantastic, and the folks at West Margin Press are brilliant, and I'm beyond enthusiastic for what the future holds for these fun books.

I'm particularly looking forward to themed book events... pirate-themed events, cowgirl-themed events, and, or course, potty-themed events. (In fact, I'll soon be hosting a series of blog posts with ideas for this sort of thing. Please get in touch via the contact form to the left or by leaving a comment below if you've planned/implemented book events (or even parties) in any of these three themed areas--I'd love to gather and share your ideas and experiences in a future interview or via a link to an existing blog post you've written).

Speaking of themed events, I'm also having a hoot of a time exploring themed novelty items, games, craft ideas, songs, interactive links, and swag. Some might call it a waste of time...I call it research! Based on a tip from fellow author, Diana Murray, I created Pinterest Boards for each of these categories: Pirates, Cowgirls and Potty-Humor. You should check them out if you need a good distraction or a laugh.

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So far, one of my favorite finds is this flushing toilet game. You spin the TP roll to determine how many flushes you get (1, 2, or 3). The flushing sound is spot-on... and for added adventure, every so often, the toilet bowl sprays water onto the person who flushed. I'm trying to decide the best way to use this at book events. I'm thinking it will be great attention getting device at multi-table book signing events, giving passersby a reason to stop for a visit. Everyone who spins the TP and/or flushes can have a book mark, and anyone who gets sprayed on can choose from a fancier selection of potty-humor swag! I'm still noodling other ideas, and would welcome your input. Please feel encouraged to comment below if you have an idea or two for me to consider for this game.

I also love this golden poo, and the story behind it (pardon the pun).

These interactive, online resources are fun:

Toilet Flushing Sound Clip and Burp and Fart Piano .

And, THIS SONG. Please join me in downloading it and supporting the work of Lori Henriques, the musician who created it. I cannot think of a better ditty for a doodie-focused book event than one entitled THE POOP SONG.

I'm also loving some of the potty-training related products I've come across such as the Potty Rider (seriously, go check it out), and potty-training guide books for parents such as, Oh, Crap.

And then there are serious products, like the Squatty Potty, with hilarious marketing videos like this (warning: you will not be able to "un-see" this).

Yes...I have gotten a little carried away...but I am having SO MUCH FUN.

Believe it or not, although my new books don't come out until October, 2019, they are already available for preorder (IndieBound/Cowgirl, IndieBound/Pirate, Amazon/Cowgirl, Amazon/Pirate), and you can ask your local youth librarian to pre-order through their book wholesaler.

Not quite ready to pre-order until YOU can see the cover art? No worries....rest assured I'll be reminding you again. In the meantime, you can start thinking about who in your life has kids (toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged kids), a good sense of humor, a penchant for potty humor, a fascination with pirates or pirate-y adventures, and/or enthusiasm for all things cowgirl. These are the readers who will most enjoy these two new books.

It would also be great if you could take a stroll on over to my Pinterest site and leave me a comment below to let me know your favorite swag items so I'm sure to gather up the right collection of silliness and fun.

Thanks, Pardners! Yee-Ha!