Children's picture book writer seeking agent

[Louise]

What do you mean 'it'? That's me you're talking about.

 

[Lex Black]

Thank you so much Lex! I see that you write for children too which makes it particularly lovely to meet you, albeit virtually.

I...have no idea how you got that notion. When I did write it was sci-fi, fantasy and horror, certainly not children's stories! But, nice to meet you nonetheless.

 

[Louise]

I...have no idea how you got that notion. I stopped writing years ago for lack of talent, and when I did write it was sci-fi, fantasy and horror, certainly not children's stories! But, nice to meet you nonetheless.

Oh that's funny - I read the urban fantasy bit in one of your posts and therefore had a Philip Pullman sort of vision of you! No golden compass about your person then?

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Welcome, Louise! I see I'm late to the party. It's summer vacation here, so I was off adventuring. Some of us are early morning weirdos, are seasonally divergent, AND we live a day ahead of the rest of you...We're extra strange.

 

[Louise]

Welcome, Louise! I see I'm late to the party. It's summer vacation here, so I was off adventuring. Some of us are early morning weirdos, are seasonally divergent, AND we live a day ahead of the rest of you...We're extra strange.

Oh that is definitely most peculiar! And I LIKE peculiar. Welcome back!

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Hello

Thank you so much Mary! And apologies for some of the hilariously peculiar ratings of your comments as I was noseying my way round the forums last night. My inner child just had to try out that long line of multi-coloured buttons. What is that flappy brown bird and why would I rate something a Yorrick (other than the obvious 'alas poor...')?

The Derek, the poo-brown dragon next the the skull of Yorrick, is an emoticon of doom, and bestows a negative rating on the recipient.

 

[Howard]

Hello



The Derek, the poo-brown dragon next the the skull of Yorrick, is an emoticon of doom, and bestows a negative rating on the recipient.

Derek is a dragon?! I thought he was an owl or a cockerel or something? How is a dragon bad?! Disgraceful! lol

 

[Kitty]

Hello and good luck with the agent hunt

 

[Island Writer]

Welcome to the mad house!

 

[Louise]

Hello



The Derek, the poo-brown dragon next the the skull of Yorrick, is an emoticon of doom, and bestows a negative rating on the recipient.

Hello Katie-Ellen! That does seem rather unfair on poo brown dragons like Derek, doesn't it? But thank you for explaining and it's a good job you did or I'd have poo brown dragoned one of you! What about fishy and scary? I'm hoping they're not negative as I've already handed out a few of those. That'll teach me to get over-friendly with multi-coloured buttons.

 

[Louise]

Derek is a dragon?! I thought he was an owl or a cockerel or something? How is a dragon bad?! Disgraceful! lol

I thought he was a soaring eagle. But that's what Walt Whitman does to you.

 

[Louise]

Hello and good luck with the agent hunt

Thank you so much! Today I made two submissions so I'm rolling. At least compared to December when I attended four nativities and did not a lot else.

 

[Louise]

Welcome to the mad house!

Thank you so much! And I love the idea that you live on a mysterious unnamed Caribbean island. That is so exotic! Do you write on the beach rum in hand? You can tell me to mind my own beesax but I'm intrigued as to how one works when the sea is constantly calling.

 

[Louise]

Hello



The Derek, the poo-brown dragon next the the skull of Yorrick, is an emoticon of doom, and bestows a negative rating on the recipient.

P.S. I upgraded all my happy rainbow fishes and enthusiastic wet dogs to plain old likes. Sighs... Can we start a petition for equal rights for all furred and feathered things?

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Derek is red in the story books. Poor Derek. It's only the poo dragon that gives someone's public profile rating a thumbs down....(I THINK) shown as a red minus and then a number for how many poo dragon votes one has received.

But @AgentPete is baddest of all, last time I noticed, so I really wouldn't worry, @Louise

 

[Andrew Okey]

Hi Louise, welcome to Litopia

 

[MaryA]

Thank you so much Mary! And apologies for some of the hilariously peculiar ratings of your comments as I was noseying my way round the forums last night. My inner child just had to try out that long line of multi-coloured buttons. What is that flappy brown bird and why would I rate something a Yorrick (other than the obvious 'alas poor...')?

@Louise, I have no idea what most of the emoticons mean and suspect they go back to the long history of Litopia and its wackier moments!

 

[Louise]

Derek is red in the story books. Poor Derek. It's only the poo dragon that gives someone's public profile rating a thumbs down....(I THINK) shown as a red minus and then a number for how many poo dragon votes one has received.

But @AgentPete is baddest of all, last time I noticed, so I really wouldn't worry, @Louise

Oh that’s funny that AgentPete fell foul of his own poo brown dragon! That definitely adds to the hilarity of multi-coloured buttonitis.

 

[Louise]

Hi Louise, welcome to Litopia

Thank you so much Andrew! And I have to say you have the best avatar photo ever. Is he yours and what would you say are the parallels to you as an author?

 

[Louise]

@Louise, I have no idea what most of the emoticons mean and suspect they go back to the long history of Litopia and its wackier moments!

I love the idea that they’re part of Litopia’s wacky history! All the best writer hangouts have a dubious past and a few poo brown dragons lurking right?

 

[Andrew Okey]

Thank you so much Andrew! And I have to say you have the best avatar photo ever. Is he yours and what would you say are the parallels to you as an author?

Why thank you, Louise, my whiskers are rather fine, aren't they?! I'd like to claim some cunning metaphorical resonance for my avatar, but actually his reality is even more splendid. The little feller is a "Hero Rat": these are rats trained by a charity called Apopo who do quite astonishing work saving lives - some work as mine-detectors (Mozambique was recently declared mine-free on the back of their labours), others work in detecting the early signs of developing tuberculosis and are based in parts of the world where science labs are in short supply (in any case, they are faster and more accurate than lab tests). I know, I know, it all sounds tremendously unlikely, but it's all for real.

On another subject entirely: I guess you write and illustrate your children's picture books? I ask because I am presently a writer of Very Serious Books That Will Definitely Never Get Published, but I recently dreamed an entire children's picture book, in full, with an entirely lucid and coherent and really rather clever plot (which I've road-tested on all the parents I know and they all loved it), so I'm trying to find a collaborator. I can't draw, and I can't make up charming rhymes, but maybe you can? If you're interested (and I won't be offended if you're not), maybe we could hook up through Litopia (though I'm still enough of a newbie to be uncertain how we do that..). A.

 

[Louise]

Why thank you, Louise, my whiskers are rather fine, aren't they?! I'd like to claim some cunning metaphorical resonance for my avatar, but actually his reality is even more splendid. The little feller is a "Hero Rat": these are rats trained by a charity called Apopo who do quite astonishing work saving lives - some work as mine-detectors (Mozambique was recently declared mine-free on the back of their labours), others work in detecting the early signs of developing tuberculosis and are based in parts of the world where science labs are in short supply (in any case, they are faster and more accurate than lab tests). I know, I know, it all sounds tremendously unlikely, but it's all for real.

On another subject entirely: I guess you write and illustrate your children's picture books? I ask because I am presently a writer of Very Serious Books That Will Definitely Never Get Published, but I recently dreamed an entire children's picture book, in full, with an entirely lucid and coherent and really rather clever plot (which I've road-tested on all the parents I know and they all loved it), so I'm trying to find a collaborator. I can't draw, and I can't make up charming rhymes, but maybe you can? If you're interested (and I won't be offended if you're not), maybe we could hook up through Litopia (though I'm still enough of a newbie to be uncertain how we do that..). A.

Your whiskers, Sir, are quite superb. And I love love LOVE the idea of him being a hero rat! That makes him the coolest rat ever. I've heard plenty of tales of dogs sniffing out cancer and other diseases so it would make sense that rats with their great sense of smell would be able to as well. Isn't nature fabulous?

Ah I wish I illustrated as that would open up many more potential agents and publishers but alas I'm a writer only. I do love rhymes but the advice I've had is that if you want to get published then your chances are higher with a) prose and b) either illustrating yourself if you're a professional illustrator or if not then leaving it entirely to the publisher who will have their own preferences and may not welcome 'interference' from an author. I'd love to write you some rhymes though and I'm definitely interested in collaborating. The bits of feedback I've had suggest that my writing style is my strength but my plots and story arcs are my weakness. I've tried to address that in my latest re-writes but I think we could definitely help each other. So yes, absolutely - give me a subject/plot and I'll write you a rhyme!