I had the footing of this watch since college (1999) when I made The H5N1 to Z Pie Menu for my children's literature cast (a mass amongst a pie, cost of the pie, in addition to a small-scale pic of what was within the pie). Years later on when I had a brace lilliputian kids of my ain I had that mass on the bookshelf amid other books. When I saw my 3 in addition to i twelvemonth one-time playing amongst my mass in addition to "reading" it (looking at the pictures in addition to maxim yummy) I watch maybe other kids could purpose this. Life got busy but for the side past times side several years (about 6 years I watch nearly it in addition to wrote downwards some goals). In those vi years i mass watch became a serial in addition to I had big plans for Menu Books. My dream is that at that topographic point volition survive nearly 10-15 books in addition to every classroom volition accept the whole railroad train then kids tin play inward small-scale groups amongst them. Kids tin accept fun amongst them at habitation also (of course)!
This brings me to my Tried it Tuesday linky amongst Fourth Grade Flipper
What accept I tried to larn my mass into the hands of parents, teachers, in addition to kids that volition beloved it? Here are all my tried its for the in conclusion 4.5 years!
1. I rewrote it. And revised in addition to asked friends in addition to menage unit of measurement what they thought. There was alone then much menage unit of measurement in addition to I watch it was a practiced idea. I all the same kept the watch of having it become from H5N1 to Z. I finally got some extra fourth dimension to write when my 3rd kid went to preschool (fall of 2009).
2. I joined SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers in addition to Illustrators). They were a wealth of data in addition to I went to my outset big conference the summertime of 2010. I've all the same been an active fellow member aid almost every fifty-fifty I tin around the Los Angeles area. The manuscript looks much amend today because of the much assist from people I accept met amongst this organization.
3. I sent my manuscript off to agents in addition to what lilliputian editors are all the same open--sometimes after coming together them at conferences in addition to events in addition to sometimes after researching what they similar based on mesh sites.
This is my submission breakdown thence far for all my books (I accept some other math related pic books too...
- 2009 I submitted to v agents (it was way also early on but I wanted to regard what they thought)
- 2010 I submitted to 6 (I knew it was all the same a operate inward progress but I was getting some practiced feedback)
- 2011 I felt it was create then 26 that year!
- 2012 Only 12 but actually trying to narrow the search for the perfect agent or editor.
- 2013 28 submissions!
- 2014 12 then far this year.
- That totals 89 submissions (although 57 were for kids carte du jour books)
To assist people sympathise my plans for my carte du jour books I made a sample site at www.kidsmenubooks.com where printable play coin in addition to ordering pads tin survive printed at the readers convenience. By the way, experience gratuitous to purpose the carte du jour coin for whatever play coin needs : ) I am certain it volition survive revised if my crusade gets funded, but y'all tin purpose it similar a shot if y'all like.
Anyway, I am happy to denote my tentative Kickstarter crusade to brand this mass a reality in addition to start the serial of Kids Menu Books! I am slating the crusade to run inward Jan 2015. In the hateful fourth dimension I demand to figure out the budget--so far it looks similar it volition demand to survive at to the lowest degree $50,000.
Things I demand to budget for are the buy of ISBN in addition to barcode, pay an illustrator (even though my drawings are okay I don't accept fourth dimension to create them every bit high measure every bit I would like), pay a someone to format the book, pay a printer (and the complexity of the folds of my format volition hateful I demand to larn an off shore printer in addition to that agency it needs to survive a minimum of a 3,000 impress run), pay to larn onto Amazon in addition to hopefully B&N, pay for website revamp in addition to upkeep.
I am confident at that topographic point are plenty parents in addition to teachers out at that topographic point that volition LOVE this mass in addition to the whole Kids Menu Book serial to come. I'd beloved to remove heed what y'all think.
