PB 23 Bunch Features: DK Ryland

Hello wonderful readers!! I am absolutely thrilled to let you know that I am part of a debut picture book group of wonderful authors and illustrators with books coming out in 2023. It has been a huge blessing to connect with these amazing individuals as we navigate this journey together. You can learn more about our group members HERE.

I am super excited to be hosting blog features for each of our group members so that you can get to know each one of us. Once a month, I'll be interviewing a fellow PB23Bunch group member. And most months we'll have a giveaway in connection with the post! Plus, you'll want to follow along now so that you don't miss these amazing books when they launch (plus many chances to win signed copies once we get our Author Copies!)

But that's all down the road. For now... join me for the very first PB 23 Bunch Feature with DK Ryland!!

Hi DK! I'm so excited to have you on the blog. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing journey?

Of course! I’ve always loved books, storytelling, writing, and art but I never thought it was a real pathway for me. I studied film in college and wanted to make wildlife documentaries – I even got to film on safari in Africa (where my obsession with giraffes began). But I focused most of my time and energy on softball – playing collegiately, professionally, and then overseas. After all that, I did the next logical thing and became a coach. I loved coaching, but not necessarily because of softball but because I loved working with kids. Once I realized I loved to teach, I got my teaching credential in English and that, as well as having kids of my own, led me back to writing, storytelling, and art.

Oh wow! That is all so cool. I didn't know about your life as a softball player and coach. I played through high school, but wasn't anywhere near good enough to go beyond that. We should chat some time about your softball life! I love that coaching brought you to teaching and eventually back to writing. That gave us a good glimpse, but could you tell us a bit more about what inspired your debut book?

Being an illustrator, many times story ideas will pop into my head as a visual image. Usually just a scene. In January of 2020, I took part in Tara Lazar’s Storystorm which challenges authors to come up with 30 story ideas in 30 days. At the end of the challenge, I had 37 picture book ideas and number 11 on the list read “giraffe does not fit into the book.” The image of a giraffe with an extremely long neck that continued off the page popped into my head. And there it stayed for a year and a half. I thought about it often and knew I wanted to make it a picture book, I just didn’t know what the story was yet. During that time, I was having a lot of conversations with my kids about problem-solving, so that theme started to creep into this story and give it some shape. One day I was finally ready to just sit down and write it.

Oh, I love that so much!! I'm a big believer in getting ideas down during Storystorm! And this idea sounds amazing. I'm so glad you made it into a full book! What message would you like for your readers to walk away with?

There are themes in GIRAFFE IS TOO TALL FOR THIS BOOK that I think are super important for kids - self love and acceptance, teamwork and problem solving - but mostly I want them to have fun reading it. The story encourages the reader to engage with the book in an interesting way and I love the idea of challenging the conventional.

I love that so much! Such wonderful layers. When does your debut hit shelves?

Fall 2023!

Eeek! I am so excited! We're going to be Fall 2023 buddies! I am so happy for you and cannot wait to get this book on my shelf! That announcement and those illustrations. WOW! Seriously, so good! Before I let you go, where can we follow you online?

Twitter: @RylandDK

Instagram: @dkryland

Website: www.dkryland.com

Wonderful! Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

I also offer teacher guides for picture books. If you are a picture book author looking for a custom teacher guide, you can learn more about what I do here:

https://dkryland.com/teacher-guides

Oooh! That sounds amazing! Thank you, DK. I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on GIRAFFE IS TOO TALL FOR THIS BOOK!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!!

DK is generously offering a PB Manuscript or Dummy critique - non-rhyming preferred to one lucky reader! To enter:

1. Follow DK on Twitter

2. Follow PB23Bunch on Twitter

3. RT THIS Tweet

For bonus entries:

1. Tag 2 friends in THIS Tweet

2. Comment on this blog post

Good luck! Winner will be announced on Twitter April 6th.

About DK Ryland

DK is an author/illustrator whose debut picture book, GIRAFFE IS TOO TALL FOR THIS BOOK comes out in 2023 with Page Street Kids. She loves to draw animals and nature and enjoys quirky and subversive humor. Before becoming an author/illustrator DK filmed wildlife in Africa, was a collegiate and professional athlete, and taught middle school English. DK received a PBChat mentorship with Cori Doerrfeld in 2019 and was a PBParty finalist in 2020. When not writing and illustrating, you can find DK going on adventures with her husband and kids, playing sports, or reading a good book - while petting a cat or dog.

About PB 23 Bunch

The PB23Bunch is a group of 12 authors and illustrators with Picture Books debuting in 2023. We cannot wait to get our books in your hands!!

Kids' Choice KidLit Writing Contest WINNERS!

Hello wonderful readers!

Well... this has been an amazing two months. I have had an absolute BLAST hosting the first annual Kids' Choice KidLit Writing Contest.

First and foremost, I have to thank you, Kid Judges. You are AMAZING and I could NOT have done this without you! I hope you had a really fun experience and learned a bit more about your taste throughout this process.

Now to our finalists, thank you all so much for your patience. I know the time frame on this contest was longer than most. But with kid judges, it was super important to me to keep the contest manageable for the kids. So thank you all for your patience!

And thank you for just making this entire experience an absolute blast. I am beyond grateful for the kind emails, positive comments, and connections made. What a wonderful thing we have done together. I am truly grateful!!

And now, it's time. Time to announce the WINNERS of the 1st ever Kids' Choice KidLit Writing Contest. Today, I will be announcing the winners. And then, over the course of the next few weeks, I will be sending the kid judges' comments out to our participants. You can choose to keep them to yourself or share them as you desire. I will also be creating posts with some of the general comments from the kids so that everyone can benefit from seeing their thoughts. This will take place over a few weeks as it's a LOT.

For those on this list, HUGE CONGRATS! To those who received an honorable mention, HUGE CONGRATS. And to those participants who were brave and put themselves out there, HUGE CONGRATS!! I am so happy with how this contest played out. Your entries were truly incredible. You should be proud of yourself simply for putting yourself out there.

Now, you are about to see the winners. I will then reach out to each of the winners and allow them to select a prize from our list of prizes. First, I will reach out to all three 1st place winners, then all three 2nd place winners, and so on and so forth until all the prizes are claimed. Please be patient with me as this may take a bit of time. If you are a winner, please have the prizes ranked in your mind so that you can choose quickly.

And now...

The WINNERS of the 1st Annual Kids' Choice KidLit Writing Contest

(For ease of reading, I will only be posting the titles and authors in this post. In future posts where I analyze the winners and kid comments, I will post the samples).

Young Adult Winners

1st Place: I'M NOT THAT INNOCENT

By: Ashlee Hashman

2nd Place: SCREAM QUEEN

By: Jessica Haster

3rd Place: FULL MOON

By: Bethany Walker

4th Place: THE WITCHES OF WONDERLAND

By: S.E. Reed

5th Place: THE NOTE

By: Sabrina Shah

6th Place: YEAR 2070

By: Kala Senthi

7th Place: FIRE GIRL

By: Amy Reitz

8th Place: 1917

By: Raluca Sirbu

Middle Grade Winners

1st Place: THE SECRET OF SCAREMERE FOREST

By: Gayle C. Krause

2nd Place: EVA AND THE CROWS

By: Cheryl MacAller

3rd Place: IT'S A DOG'S LIFE

By: Colleen Fogarty

4th Place: SCHOOL OF SECRETS

By: Penny Nolan

5th Place: PIRATE'S BOOTY

By: Mark Huffman

6th Place: IZZY HOFFMAN IS NOT A WITCH

By: Alyssa Alessi

7th Place: CANDYBOT

By: Ellen Seal

8th Place: SUNSET SISTERS

By: Abbi Lee

9th Place: THE HOUSE THAT ATE THE BOY

By: Sondra Eby Eisenstat

10th Place: FOUR HOURS TO GO

By: Jeannette Lee

Picture Book Winners

1st Place: I WANT A MOOSE

By: CJ Penko

2nd Place: THE SECRET ROOM

By: Becky Walker

3rd Place: TURTLE LOVES WAFFLES

By: Michaela Almeida

4th Place: SIR TOOTS

By: Hollie Wolverton

5th Place: GROWN-UPS HAVE IT ALL WRONG

By: Kimberly Bellanti-Bartho

6th Place: THE RUNAWAY UNDERWEAR

By: John P. Conery

7th Place: PORCUPINE PLOP

By: Katie Brandyberry

8th Place: THE OLD LADY WHO LIVED IN A...

By: Melanie Rowsell-Docherty

9th Place: NEVER-EVER!

By Julie Fruitticher Schroeder

10th Place: THE SUNSHINE CLUB

By: Kimberly Horch

11th Place: TIME TO GO!

By: Sasha Harris-Lovett

12th Place: UP YOUR NOSE

By: Tonnye Fletcher

13th Place: THE GIFT WRAP TRAP

By: Allison Strick

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR WINNERS!! I am seriously so blown away by the stories and by the community and connections made. If any of your Kids' Choice entries go on to find agents, be published, etc. Please let me know!

To all the winners, please check out THIS POST HERE to review the prizes and have your top choices in mind. I'll start reaching out to the winners today, but please feel free to make contact via Twitter DM or through my Contacts Page. If you can send me your email address, that will make this process even faster.

And again, I have to give another HUGE thank you to our Kid Judges. Without them, none of this would have been possible! And to everyone who entered, thank you! This was an amazing year and I'm already excited to host again in 2023!

I hope you'll leave a comment below congratulating our winners and making even more connections! And to everyone, the very best of luck on this journey. I cannot wait to have your stories on my shelves.

About Kailei Pew

Kailei Pew is a wife, mother, and children's book author represented by the amazing Emily Forney of Bookends Literary. Kailei's debut Middle Grade Book, KID MADE will be coming to you from Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan Winter 2024.

Tuesday From The Trenches: Tara Shiroff

Hello wonderful readers! It has been more than a minute since I've share a Tuesday From The Trenches post! While I am not sharing these weekly any more, I do want to share a handful still this year. I know that I would have loved something like this while I was in the query trenches, so I'm hopeful that others feel the same. But, as I am transitioning my blog to new, exciting things (like the Kids' Choice KidLit Writing Contest where more and more votes are coming in), I sadly have to cut down a bit on Tuesday From The Trenches. But that actually makes me even MORE excited to run these interviews. Today, I am thrilled to welcome Tara Shiroff to the blog! Join me in giving her a big welcome!

H Tara!! Thank you so much for joining me today! I’m thrilled to share your story with my readers!

I closed my book to be here. . .so away we go!

Thank you for including me. I was DYING for this kind of info when I was querying! I feel like there’s not a lot of transparency with querying. I was so glad when I finally stumbled upon Tuesday from the Trenches–I’ve loved learning about my fellow writers and their journeys! Thanks for creating a spectacular space for all of this information.

Oh my goodness, it's seriously my pleasure! I love hearing about people who have found it useful. Thank you for being a reader.

Can you share your query stats with us? (as far as you know/remember. It’s okay if some of these numbers are zero):

Time Spent in the Query Trenches: 4 months

Number of Agents Queried: 52

Number of Requests for Additional Work/Full Manuscript: 7 requests

Number of Twitter Pitch “Likes”: absolutely none!

Number of R&Rs: 0

Number of Rejections: 36 (and I had quite a few non-responses!)

Number of Offers: 2

Agent and Agency: Jennifer Herrington at Harvey Klinger Literary Agency (harveyklinger.com)

Wow! 4 Months is actually really fast! But you got a good number of queries out in that time. 52 queries in 16 weeks is really busy! How did you keep track of it all? What was your method for organizing queries? Spread sheet? Query Tracker? Etc.

Last year, I was (glued to an IKEA chair meant for a child) helping my son with second grade for 9 months. One day, I listened to a BIG deal author’s virtual visit with his class. She was so positive and amazing that I thought–THAT is what I should be doing. I’m a lawyer and also a substitute teacher, but I’d always loved writing and kids.

I totally swung for the fences and emailed that same author’s agent. Friends, I was SO proud of myself for including on the email subject line one word: query. I seriously thought, how BLOWN away will he be that a new author knew to include the word query in my correspondence?!

Unearned confidence, dear readers. In reality, I was a ridiculous, unhinged disaster.

Thank goodness, I pumped the brakes and ended up finding out about writer Twitter. I got invited to a large Twitter chat group and one amazing writer asked me to join her picture book critique group (a big hey girl, hey to Chloe Ward!). I was like, hold up, there are OTHER people doing this?! And there’s a website to track my queries?! Query Tracker was a game-changer. I highly recommend using the Query Tracker website for tracking all of your queries, especially for picture book authors where you might be querying more than one manuscript.

Oh my goodness, what an amazing story! I love hearing the unhinged "let's do this NOW" attitude! I had a similar moment a few years ago when I was like "Oh look, I wrote a 1000 word picture book so now I'll query agents and surely this is how this works." haha. SO grateful to the kidlit community on Twitter. Like you say, seriously an awesome place!

So, how did you handle rejections? Did any sting more than others?

The rejections hurt. It felt like querying was next-level rejection and unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Because I’m on the west coast, I would wake up to rejections and that’s a terrible way to start your day! I didn’t like the round-the-clock any-day-of-the-week rejections at all. Happy Mother’s Day, wait no, BAM there’s a rejection. It’s a lot.

My advice: find a crew that is at the same stage you are and have open dialogue about the querying process.

That is seriously really good advice! That rejection is so hard, but people in your corner make all the difference. So after getting through those rejections, how did you ultimately connect with your agent? Did you cold query? Participate in a twitter pitch event? Or connect in some other way?

I know writers hear all the time that you just need one yes and it was INCREDIBLY true for me. I was intending to shelve my first manuscript and move on, but I saw an agent’s MSWL that caught my eye. I sent a very cold and very final query on that first manuscript. THAT query ultimately resulted in my offer from my unbelievable agent.

Oh my goodness, I love that! And what a testament to find an agent who is looking specifically for what you do.

How much time passed between querying your now agent to getting “the call”?

I queried Jennifer Herrington at Harvey Klinger on April 26, 2021 and received a request for more work on May 13.

And then had zero chill. Friends, let me tell you, during that time, I crushed HARD. Ooh, her favorite book of all time is Anne of Green Gables?! ME TOO! Wow, her favorite TV show is Gilmore Girls?! ME TOO!!! She likes coffee?! Decaf. . .but WHATEVER, I DO TOO!! Unhinged, I tell you!

Jenn emailed me and asked to set up a call June 10. We spoke virtually on June 16 and she offered me representation during the virtual chat. I calmed down enough to ask her some coherent questions related to my book and her offer. I think.

Oh my goodness, I love this! Sounds like a perfect match!

Can you tell us more about “the call”? How did you know Jenn was the right choice?

This whole process is about finding the right business partner for yourself–someone who will represent your work well.

I knew I had found the right agent partner for my picture books during my call with Jenn. She had put together a gorgeous virtual presentation for me about why she loved my books and why she wanted to work together. It was a very different dynamic when you’re coming off of many query rejections to hear someone saying how amazing your work is! Jenn had a clear vision for my work, she had a specific plan for where to send my work on submission and she was KIND. I don’t think people get very far in life if they cannot show some kindness. I knew I wanted an agent who was smart and knew the business, but who I knew would have built solid relationships with editors because of who they are as a person. Jenn checked every box I ever could have imagined on a checklist for a dream agent.

That is so wonderful! Could you tell us a little about your book that landed your agent?

It’s a really GREAT thing that people are so into “dad jokes” (especially puns) right now because I am super into them too. My son will tell me to stop being punny and I just roll my eyes at him. I am a grown child and act accordingly.

I think my style of writing is very obviously ME. I get told that my voice comes through on everything I write–that you’d recognize something from me even if my name wasn’t on it. I have a few books on submission and accordingly, I eat a lot of chocolate and play a lot of Wordle.

I think that my humor may have been something that set me apart when I was querying–I have a clearly-defined “brand” as an author. My agent said she knew she could sell my funny picture books and didn’t feel like I was trying too hard. (Didn’t I tell you she’s extremely kind?!). I tend to use my stories to say the things that I wish kids could get away with saying but probably shouldn’t. Wacky, unbelievable but true stories about incredible kids are my thing and I love subversive humor. To me, there is literally nothing better in the world than a child laughing while reading a book, and my goal with my books is always to get kids to love reading.

I love everything about this! Humorous picture books really are so fun and we definitely need even more of them!

If you could give querying authors a piece of advice, what would that be?

If you are a picture book author and if you’re thinking you’re ready to query, please make sure you have more than one picture book that’s polished. I read SO many websites about “how to be an author,” but I think they’re mostly tailored for novelists who will get offered representation off of just one book. I wish I would have known that picture book writers conclusively need to have 4-6 manuscripts (really!) ready to go if/when an agent requests to see more work. I didn’t know that AT ALL and was absolutely scrambling when I was first asked for more work. While you’re querying, keep writing. You’ll get better and you may end up with better manuscripts to send out.

Spend as much time as possible at your local library! I visit mine several times a week (not just for the great coffee!) and it’s a great spot to see what’s new/selling and make sure your voice is fresh/marketable. I read about 100 picture books a week and would encourage this great habit. Trying to write “funny” when the world is decidedly not funny right now is a challenge and I love interacting with kids at my local library–they give me a mountain of ideas.

Also, I would encourage writers to break “rules” and try something new with your writing. I like stories (and I know agents do too!) where you FEEL something by the end–laughter, tears, empathy, etc. I recently helped with a Twitter contest called #PitchMe with the brilliant Krista Van Dolzer also from Harvey Klinger and judged about 85 picture books. The ones that caught our eye (and then the eye of the participating agents) were the manuscripts that were unique and fresh and made us FEEL. Think about how you can stand out in the market with your own brand.

Such amazing advice! I love it all. Thank you so much, Tara. Before I let you go, where can we connect with you online?

Twitter: @TaraShiroff

Website: tarashiroff.com

Thanks so much for joining us today! I’ve had a blast chatting and learning more about your journey. Best of luck on this journey! I can’t wait to see your books in the world.

Thank you for the chat! We are all future bestselling authors–I know there’s a place on the shelf for all of our books: yours, mine, and all of your reader’s. Write on, dear friends.

Yes, yes, YES!!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!

Tara is VERY generously giving away a query critique, comp title help (her FAVORITE thing!!!) and a PB MS critique to one person. To enter, follow TARA on Twitter, and retweet THIS tweet!

Thank you, dear readers!!

About Tara Shiroff

TARA SHIROFF is an author of humorous fiction picture books from Henderson, a suburb of the exciting city of Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from the University of San Diego before attending law school at the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV. After law school, Tara worked as a civil litigator, a legal consultant for network television shows (like CSI, Bones, Lucifer and Drop Dead Diva) and a substitute teacher.

Tara writes funny books that appeal to both children and adults. She loves spending time with children and definitely LOVES to read! Her favorite picture books make her laugh and usually have a surprise ending. Tara’s best childhood memories involve traveling to faraway destinations through literature.

She loves to read many genres and is an active member of the Nevada Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). If you want to become an author, Tara recommends joining your local SCBWI and finding a critique group.

In her free time, Tara is obsessed with reading, organizing, Target, coffee, tacos, international travel, indoor cycling, tennis, softball, whitewater rafting and scuba diving.

She feels lucky to have an extremely supportive husband that appreciates her silliness. She first met her husband in elementary school (really!) and they have a super awesome son in elementary school. Tara often volunteers at her son’s school and would bet her son thinks she is a ‘cool mom.’ Sometimes.

About Kailei Pew

Kailei Pew is a wife, mother, and children's book author represented by the amazing Emily Forney of Bookends Literary. Kailei's debut Middle Grade Book, KID MADE will be coming to you from Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan Summer 2023