Marching Up and Down

   March began with a trip to see grandkids in Seattle, which was wonderful,
and going out after the first round in the March Madness poetry tournament, which was disappointing.  (I realize it's a poor craftsman who blames his tools, but my assigned word "distribution" just didn't inspire me.)
    I got a 6 from Rate Your Story on my Mom Dot Com--may be time to give up on that one.  It involves a child pulling mom away from the computer, and technology has changed to where she probably just uses her tablet or phone.
   I'm waiting to hear from Kathleen Hayes at High Five/Hello about two poems I sent, and I entered Cowboy Shorty in a RYS contest.  I sent Confetti the Yeti to a British publisher looking for diversity. 
   The best writer news in March was my copy of Appleseeds--I love the five illustrations that accompany my three page story!  My "Interview With a Roadrunner"  features Lance Lizard interviewing the New Mexico state bird, and the artwork was both accurate and humorous, just perfect.

   I wrote to find out the name of the in-house artist, John Sandford, and e-mailed him a thank you.  He said he loved my story and he hopes we can collaborate again sometime!  This piece was rejected by Highlights, so it feels good to have it recycled and treated so well.
   So nice to have a little success amid all the disappointment and waiting!
   
   

WooHoo!  My submission of the month for February, Biscochito Man--

Feeling Encouraged!

      This has been a good week so far.  On Monday, I got a 2 from Rate Your Story (highest score I've ever received) on my rhyming PB, Trashing Through the Snow.  On Weds. I got a very encouraging critique on another rhymer, Confetti the Yeti from Danielle Davis of fiverr.com, zeroing in on some clunkers I'd missed.  I tried my hand at a mystery for the Highlights contest--so now I have something else to revise during Meg Miller's ReviMo next week!  I also submitted this week--a rebus and Trashing--to Joelle Dujardin at Highlights.  But I'd still love to see it as a picture book.
     My strategy this year is to pick my 12 favorite manuscripts and choose one each month to send out to several publishers.  Trashing is my January centerfold!

It's all in how you look at it...

   I reviewed my list of 2014 submissions, and I can either view it as "52 submissions and only 2 sales," or--"Woohoo!  Two sales this year--to Highlights and Appleseeds!"  I'm proud to appear in both magazines.  This will be my third rebus in Highlights, and my third piece for Appleseeds.
    So, I won't let the other 50 submissions get me down.  I'll celebrate the two that were purchased!  Happy New Year, everyone!  May we all have a successful 2015!

This is What You'd Call A Good Day...

...even though I'm not a finalist in the Halloween contest.  I got a contract in an e-mail from Highlights--they are purchasing another rebus!  Then the snail mail came, and I got a bear card from Kathleen Hayes for a poem I subbed to High Five, and it seems that about 70% of the time, a bear card leads to a sale.  (It's a postcard with a family of bears that says "Thank you for bearing with us while we review your manuscript.") And, a royalty check (for the astronomical sum of $9.02) from Continental Press from sales of my easy readers.  I  mailed off a submission, and entered a manuscript to be critiqued by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallenin the next Plotting Webinar, so all in all I felt quite authorly today!

It's Time for a Halloweensie Poem!

   Every year, Susanna Leonard Hill holds a contest where writers can submit a 100-word poem, and here is mine: (93 words)

                   Halloween Moon
   One dark and moonless Halloween night,
the ancient witch wished for some light.
    Her eyes could barely see the knife,
but carving was her joy in life.
    She cut the mouth and heard a cry.
The pumpkin screamed, "I want to fly!"
     The witch snarled, "Pumpkins shouldn't speak!
But my old bones now tremble and creak.
     I give you my broomstick, now fly like a loon!"
So the pumpkin flew off--and turned into the moon!
     The pumpkin knew the joy of flight,
And the witch kept carving, by silvery light.

   Find links to the other entries on Susanna's blog,
http://susannahill.blogspot.com/ 

   Oh, and the cat in the picture is my new (15 years-old) cat Nellie that I adopted last weekend.  She's posing with one of the pumpkins I grew this summer.  Happy Halloween, and remember that chocolate can be dangerous for pets!

Time again for...PiBoIdMo!

I love this time of year--not only because the weather here in Colorado is gorgeous, but because I get to start thinking of crazy ideas for new stories, and I have to write them down!  It's time for November's Picture Book Idea Month!

 

Here's the link for more info on PiBoIdMo

   While I'm here, I'll report that I have no news to report on the submissions front.  I'm taking a terrific class on picture book plotting, offered by Sudipta Bardan-Quallen, so maybe that will be help.  But life is good, and my new grandbaby Dylan is wonderful!