Happy Thursday Critters! Today we have an interview with author Susan Lendroth, whose newest book, PIPER AND PURPA FOREVER, illustrated by Olivia Feng, just released this month with Yeehoo Press! I adore the cover of this book— it makes me want to snuggle up and read. I’m thrilled to have Susan with us today to share her road to publication, process, and Piper!
So without further ado, please welcome Susan Lendroth!
Where do you live?
Southern California.
How many years have you been in publishing?
My first picture book came out in 2005, so 16 years from that date or 19 years if you count from when I began writing PB in 2002.
How did you first get published?
I sold a book on my own to Tricycle Press, which was an imprint of Tenspeed. It no longer exists because Tenspeed was acquired by Random House, but there are other smaller presses out there who give unagented authors a chance.
Do you write full-time?
No, with a book released every couple of years, I also work full time for the Los Angeles Public Library.
What inspires you to create picture books?
I love the final product! I love trying to find the essence of a story and editing away the extraneous bits. Even if it's not in verse (which I have a terrible tendency to write), a PB is very much like a poem, sparing of words, but often rich in feelings. Plus, an artist draws picture for it, which is the icing on the cake for me.
What surprised you the most working as an author?
Until you try writing story arcs that conclude in a few hundred words, you do not realize how tough a challenge it can be.
What is your favorite thing about being an author?
From my standpoint as an author, one of my favorite aspects is seeing for the first time how the illustrator envisions the story.
What do you find difficult working as an author?
That only a few stories I have written will enter the publishing chrysalis and emerge as that winged wonder we call a book. Many manuscripts never find the right publishing home.
What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?
Every time I think of an idea -- even if it is only the smallest wisp of one -- I whip out my phone and email it to myself. Those ideas now comprise a very long potential story list. And if I look at that list, and none of those ideas feel ready to germinate, I sometimes just let my mind dance all over the place to see if there is some other idea ready to surface that feels like the right match for the moment.
Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?
Editing. And editing again. And again. And again. That may sound counterintuitive, since we associate creativity with the juices flowing and editing as snipping and paring. But editing, really strong editing, burnishes the story so that the imagination and creativity shine through.
Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?
I have spent half my career submitting on my own and half with an agent. When submitting on my own, some kind editors still read my unagented work even when their publishing house policy stated no unsolicited manuscripts.
Recommended reading?
Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls. Beautiful PB with amazing illustrations by David Litchfield. When I read what they created, I feel more creative myself.
What has been the highlight of your career thus far?
I'm glad you added the words "thus far" as I like to think there are highlights (plural) still to come. But I did find it exciting when my book HEY HO, TO MARS WE'LL GO was read by an astronaut on the International Space Station for Story Time from Space.
What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started writing?
Enjoy your moments, whatever they are, such as seeing your book in a bookstore for the first time or having someone ask you to sign a copy. Don't compare your success to the greater fanfare you think someone else is receiving. Enjoy YOUR moments!!
Can you tell us about your newest book?
PIPER AND PURPA FOREVER, illustrated by Olivia Feng, is about a little girl named Piper whose constant companion for years is her favorite purple sweater. Piper finds it in a box of hand-me-downs at age 2, and simply falls in love, saying "purpa" because she can't yet pronounce the word "purple." Knowing how attached my own kid was to her lovey, I found the humor in Piper's determination to hold fast to a sweater that has become far more than a piece of clothing. But inevitably the day comes when Purpa no longer fits, and Piper must find a way to let go while still holding on to an old friend.
What’s up next for you?
I hope that I will have news to share in the near future about a new project.
Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?
Study the craft and you will be far ahead of the curve with your submissions. Join the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) to read what they have to offer and attend some of their events. Subscribe to Publishers Weekly's free children's newsletter to see what titles editors are buying RIGHT NOW (not 20 years ago) and to read articles about the industry. Study interviews with editors and agents and authors -- like this one! And, of course, read recent picture books. Read them at the library, and buy a few you find inspiring. Not only will you be supporting the children's writing community -- and your local bookstore -- but you will also always have on hand books you admire to spark your own creativity. And, finally, learn what to say and what NOT to say in a cover letter.
And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?
"Star Trek IV" when Kirk and crew go back in time (coincidentally to the 1980s) to save humpback whales and Earth's future. It is a funny, funny movie, so even if you are not a Star Trek fan -- though how could you not be?! -- it's an enjoyable romp.
Huge thank you to Susan for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on your new book!
Susan Lendroth’s picture books range from science to history to children finding their place in the world because she loves science and history and is still finding her own place in the world! She has nine published PB with her most recent, PIPER AND PURPA FOREVER!, inspired by her kid's childhood love of purple. Susan works for the Los Angeles Public Library and devotes her spare time to a needy cat named Kitten.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, follow Susan on social media:
facebook/susanlendroth
Instagram: @susanlendroth
BUY THIS BOOK To order PIPER AND PURPA FOREVER, click here.
WIN A COPY! Want to win a copy of PIPER AND PURPA FOREVER?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, March 3rd! US addresses only please.