“Firefighting” by J. R. Poulter – the second poem on Fire.

via “Firefighting” by J. R. Poulter

JR Poulter Honoured to be a part of the group of wonderful poets featured on this exceptional site featuring Australian children’s poets!

via JR Poulter

“Giving” Children’s poem with Teacher notes; Illustrated by Russ Cox https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/2018/12/13/7181/

Gran’s Chooks [with Teacher Nots]

via Gran’s Chooks with Teacher Notes — Australian Children’s Poetry

“Anxieties,” Poem of the Day, Australian Children’s Poetry site

Source: Poem of the Day

“ANXIETIES” is Poem of the Day on the Australian Children’s Poetry website! It deals with the topic in a semi-humorous mode to encourage children to talk out/talk about their troubles. Written to Poem Prompt ‘Yesterday.’ The “Anxieties” Poster poem is the creation of J.R.Poulter. http://ow.ly/d/6IVP Themes – anxiety, depression, worries, concerns, dealing with ‘down,’ childhood anxieties, youth anxieties, #poetry #childhood #youth #depression #worries #problems #troubles #anxiety #education #teacherlibrarian #posterpoem #childrenspoetry #childrensverse #sylviavardell #calliemetlersmith #lulu #WordWings

Guest Post by Dr. Bob Rich: What Makes a Children’s Book Stand Out?

Source: Guest Post by Dr. Bob Rich: What Makes a Children’s Book Stand Out?

Article by an environmentalist Grandfather, Dr. Bob Rich, on children’s books which generously gives “Getting Home,” written by me and illustrated/designed by Muza Ulasowski a plug.

Excerpt from : https://bferrante.wordpress.com/2017/09/01/guest-post-by-dr-bob-rich-what-makes-a-childrens-book-stand-out/

 

Meet the Illustrator – Muza Ulasowski

MUZA’S TOP CREATIVE TIPS: Practise, practise and practise your craft. There is always something you can improve on. Never give up.  Take up all opportunities offered.  You never know where th…

Source: Meet the Illustrator – Muza Ulasowski

Meet the Illustrator – Muza Ulasowski

The Genius of Muza Ulasowski – Her stunning animal images are walk off page lifelike! But her genius is giving them unique ‘talk to me’ live personalities!:)

In Their Own Write

MUZA’S TOP CREATIVE TIPS: Practise, practise and practise your craft. There is always something you can improve on. Never give up.  Take up all opportunities offered.  You never know where they may lead you.

Muza Ulasowski is a graphic designer and children’s book illustrator based in the leafy western suburb of Brookfield in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. She is inspired and surrounded by a vast array of local birds and animals who tend to make their appearances in her book illustrations. She shares her life with her wonderfully patient husband, their charismatic bulldog called Charlie and a black magic cat named Basil.

In 2010, she was invited to illustrate her first children’s picture book and enjoyed it so much that she has been collaborating ever since with Australian and international authors. To date she has illustrated 10 children’s picture books and is currently illustrating several more which will be published in…

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Nifty links to find help Flushing Writer Blockages!

Useful Links to Help Flush Blockages! .

Trends – New bends in the path to publication. By J.R.Poulter

Some time last year, Erica Wagner, Publisher at Allen and Unwin, was reported as having said, in relation to graphic novels, that there was a lot to be gained by submitting a  text already illustrated or mostly illustrated [Allen & Unwin publish purely commission only picture books]. Perhaps this may signal a change in direction that may even extend to those other illustrated tomes – picture books and picture book/graphic novel crossovers.

Some writers/illustrators I know have recently signed contracts for ‘print ready’ books.  This is not self-publishing, nor submission to a print-on-demand house but submission to a traditional, royalty paying publisher of a book that is ‘ready to go’ in publishing terms.

What constitutes a ‘print ready’ book?  It is a book that has been –

• professionally edited,
• proofread,
• designed to industry standards,
• professionally designed cover and,
• if illustrated, has all images appropriately set.

This is a great way to go for authors who are able to pay illustrators and book designers up front. Most authors are not able to do this.  This then means all creators involved in a book project agreeing to royalty share and working between paid projects to collaborate on their book.

What have I gleaned about such ‘print ready’ deals? One company, smaller and reasonably new, offered a small advance and a good contract, by industry standards, with higher than regular royalty share for creators. An offer of help with promotion was also part of the deal. Another company, medium sized and established, offered no advance but better than average royalty shares for creators and help with promotion and marketing of the book.

How does this stack up against what is generally on offer now?

• Small and middle range publishers, in general, do not offer advances.
• Larger publishers offer advances depending on the book, depending on the author, and depending on the agent involved.
• Smaller and middle range publishers often [there are exceptions] expect the author to do it all in relation to promotion, even requiring the submission of a marketing plan.
• Larger publishers vary greatly as to how much promotion they will give a book.
• Generally, publishers will submit copies of their publishing output for major awards, such as the CBCA, and to a selection of leading review outlets.

What’s the down side for author, illustrator, book designer, [often the illustrator], to go down the  ‘print ready’ publishing path?

• It IS a lot of extra work for all creators involved to ensure the book is ‘professional’ standard even before it is submitted.
• There is no money upfront.

Are the rewards worth the effort?

• If you love collaborative work, it is a big plus.
• Creators have much more project control to create the book they have collaboratively envisaged.
• A quality product, ‘print ready’,  is a major bargaining point for creators/agents. ‘Print ready’ saves the publisher heaps!

The first company mentioned does small print runs, sells out their print runs, reprints and even sells out reprints and so it seems to be gradually snowballing.

It is too early to know in the second instance.  [I’ll keep you posted!]

My feeling is that, if Erica Wagner was sensing a ‘trend’ and if these companies make a success of it, we will see more such deals.  It’s something to think about!

My own news –

To be launched end of June – “Toofs!” a collaboration between J.R. and Estelle A.Poulter and illustrators Monica Rondino and Andrea Pucci.