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Author: Alison Reynolds
TROTTING AROUND WITH RUDOLPH!
To celebrate the release of THE DAY RUDOLPH’S NOSE TURNED BLUE we’ve been hitting the shops of Melbourne.
You still have a chance to come and see us!
Saturday 16 November 2019 Dymocks Doncaster Storytime 11:30
Wednesday 20 November 2019 Dymocks Southland Storytime 11:00
Saturday 23 November 2019 Dymocks Eastland Storytime 11:30
Friday 29 November 2019 Port Melbourne Festival Signing & Activities 5:30 & 6.30 (Mary Martin’s Bookshop)
Tuesday 3 December 2019 Dymocks Highpoint Signing & Activities 11:00
Saturday 7 December 2019 Collins Moonee Ponds Signing & Activities TBC
Saturday 14 December 2019 Pictures & Pages Coburg Storytime 10:30
Animal books, Australian books, Australian Christmas Books, Australian illustrators, Australian writers, Christmas Books, Rhyming Australian Christmas Books, Rhyming books
THE DAY RUDOLPH’S NOSE TURNED BLUE
All books are special but The Day Rudolph’s Nose Turned Blue is very special for me. It’s the first book I’ve written with my partner, Alan aka Mr X.
I wanted to write a book which was pure fun to write and I came up with the idea that Father Christmas would be already to go off on his epic present delivering journey but the reindeer were all reclining in the barn and unable to pull the sleigh. Al and I ended up trading lines to make each other laugh and from our jokes Rudolph emerged.
The fabulously talented Shane McGowan agreed to illustrate and he entered into the fun and we’ve ended up with a quirky, funny rhyming picture book.
We hope readers enjoy it as much as we three enjoyed working on it.
And if you want to know why Rudolph’s nose turned blue, you will need to read the book! (It may be because he had the flu.)
A big thank you to our Christmas elf, Mabel!
OUT NOW!
Lake Press 2019
Available Big W and Bookstores
assessments services, Australian illustrators, Australian writers, Meeting Literary agents, Meeting publishers, Pitching publishers, Writers Festival, Writing conferences
Conferences and Contracts
At KidLitVic Meet the Publishers, we’re making the final arrangements for our conference on 25th May, 2019. From all over Australia, publishers, agents, editors, writers and illustrators will converge at the Melbourne Town Hall for a packed day of publisher panels, illustration showcase, pitches, assessments and up, close and personal sessions.
From a tiny idea that Melbourne, especially as a City of Literature, needed a conference for creators of children’s and YA literature, we are now one of the biggest conferences for creators in Australia. The support of the Australian publishing industry has been amazing and humbling.
One of the impetuses for the conference was to give attendees the chance to hear from the publishers themselves what they are seeking and how to improve their work. KidLitVic has a policy that you do not need to present a finished work to the publishers, giving attendees an opportunity to improve their work and learn the craft. The publishers do just that, by providing honest and invaluable feedback.
Sometimes it’s hard to deal with expectations when you are having an assessment. If the publisher doesn’t flourish a contract immediately, does this mean that you’re a failure and they hate you? Of course not. The chances of being offered a contract immediately are as likely as me climbing Mt Everest! (My ears pop when I go in a lift)I believe that an assessee will gain much more if they go into an assessment with the headset of what can I learn and what can I improve. And who knows, it could be the start of a long-time relationship with a publishing professional. You may not have exactly what they want, but they like your writing style and want to see future work. Gold!
This opportunity for feedback from industry professionals is priceless! It worries me that many assessment services are springing up in the Australian literary community. Some are fabulous and offer amazing feedback. Unfortunately, some are started up with the best of intentions but the knowledge and experience isn’t there and people are spending hundreds of dollars on manuscript assessments that will not help them hone their craft nor give them wise advice on where to go next.
Having an assessment or giving a pitch is an act of courage. No matter how well you write, not everybody is going to like your work. It doesn’t mean your work is bad, but it’s just not the cup of tea that the publisher craves. The taste of chai is revolting for me and even the most well-made chai in the world won’t make me change my mind.
So if you are fortunate enough to have got a hot little ticket to KidLitVic Meet the Publishers 2019, know that any feedback you receive comes from a place of experience, wisdom and an eye on the market.
http://www.kidlitvic.com
KIDLITVIC MEET THE PUBLISHERS
Many of you will know that I’m fortunate to be part of the KidLitVic Meet the Publishers team. The aim behind the conference is to have an event in Melbourne where YA and children’s writers and illustrators have the opportunity to meet publishers, editors and agents. I think we succeeded brilliantly with publishers, editors, agents and attendees flooding the State Library Victoria at our second conference in May 2017.
This year:
- 180 children and YA writers and illustrators attended
- Attendees came from Victoria, NSW, QLD, SA and Tasmania
- We had 90% more assessments so we could offer attendees the opportunity to book more than one assessment
- Nineteen publishing professionals generously shared, advised and encouraged us all. This was 7 more than the previous year.
- Every speaker returned, who appeared at the conference in 2016,, which makes me particularly happy
- Because we like to mix it up, we offered workshops. These were a huge hit and booked out quickly.
Our team consists of Coral Vass, Jaquelyn Muller, Nicky Johnston and me. I’ve never worked with a team of such all-rounders, tireless workers, super-smart, funny (in the humourous way) women. People have asked me who did what, so here you go!
Pickle and Bree’s Guide to Good Deeds WINNERS
The fabulous Rebecca from Avenue Bookstore Albert Park judged the colouring competition.
First Rebecca looked carefully at every entry. There were over 50! It was an extremely hard decision.
Then she chose the winners! James P, Max and Olivia.
Next The Ranting Man read all the rants. He enjoyed this thoroughly as he loves a good rant.
He nodded his head most vigorously when he read the rants of Jenni Ivins and Anne Gracie.
Congratulations!!! All winners will receive a set of the first two books in the Pickle and Bree’s Guide to Good Deeds series. The next two are being released in August!
Thank you everybody for taking part.
Thank you The Five Mile Press for supplying the prizes.
Copies of The Decorating Disaster and The Birthday Party Cake are available at Avenue Bookstore Albert Park
MELBOURNE MEET THE KIDS AND YOUNG ADULT PUBLISHERS
Last day to enter the Get Your Rant On or Colouring Competition (You’ll have to scan your entry).
AND now is the time for YOU to buy yourself a present! Are you a writer or illustrator for children and young adults?
Have you ever had that feeling that one day you want to write a book or illustrate one. Is there one imprisoned in your computer just waiting to be released? Dee White and I decided that Melbourne should have a conference for writers and illustrators of kids and young adult books and it’s happening!
Why not join in the fun of KidLitVic2016 Meet the Publishers? This one day conference is for beginners through to established writers and illustrators. You will get the opportunity to hear from Australia’s leading kids and young adult publishers and literary agents. One-on-one consultations for 15 minutes (for extra cost) are also available.
So far Black Dog Books/Walker, Hachette, Hardie Grant, Harper Collins, Penguin, Scholastic, Scribble/Scribe, The Five Mile Press, and a leading literary agent are attending. May 7 2016. Any questions, let me know!
http://kidlitvic2016.wix.com/meetthepublishers
Get your rant on!
To celebrate the release of the first two books in the Pickle and Bree’s Guide to Good Deeds series, this is a competition for adults to win a set of The Decorating Disaster and The Birthday Party Cake!
The series has a subtle theme of social etiquette. This is your chance to have a manners rant! Send along your rant in the comments section, and two winning rants will be chosen. (But people that don’t win have to promise not to rant about that!
Mine is people who don’t cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. It’s not hard. I was at the theatre the other night with the person behind me coughing into the back of my head throughout the performance. Without using a hand. Her little germs would have crawled around my neck and in my hair. My neck itched at the thought, and I couldn’t scratch it because (more…)
COLOURING COMPETITION!!!
To celebrate the release of Pickle and Bree’s Guide to Good Deeds: The Birthday Party Cake and The Decorating Disaster, we have three sets of books to win.
A colouring competition for children under 12!
Colouring Competition Pickle & Bree
Di Bates Blog Tour
It’s a thrill to welcome the super talented author Di Bates who was awarded The Lady Cutler Prize for distinguished services to children’s Literature in 2008. She has published more than 100 books in many different genres, including picture books, chapter books and young adult. Here is the inspirational story of how her latest two non fiction books, AWESOME CATS and AWESOME DOGS were published. (more…)