Picture Book Author: Nancy Tupper Ling

I first met Nancy Tupper Ling three years ago, when I accompanied her to New York to meet with agents and editors. The trip was part of her prize for winning the Writer’s Digest Annual writing competition. I’ve kept up with Nancy ever since and was so happy to hear she recently published a picture book, My Sister, Alicia May. Here, Nancy offers some advice on breaking into the challenging picture book market.

1. Can you offer me a summary of how things went for you in terms of publishing after our trip to New York?
I wrote an article for Writer’s Digest after my trip to NYC and its focus was on this whole publication thing being an incredible journey. NYC was part of that journey—an out of this world fantastic part, but the journey goes on. The contacts I made there have been invaluable. Besides yourself, Jen Rees, Senior Editor at Scholastic, has proven to be the best ally. As we all know revision is essential and Jen has helped my stories shine. And while I didn’t meet Jean Cochran (the publisher of My Sister, Alicia May) on my trip, she was definitely impressed with my Grand Prize.

2. How are you finding the market for picture books?
Let’s just say it’s like taking a summer vacation in Canada. Don’t expect the water to be warm. Right now the market is unbelievably tough. It’s definitely possible, but getting published won’t be easy.  I think that many people equate children’s books with love and sweetness and gentility. As I heard Ann Tobias (agent) say once, “It’s a puppy eats puppy world out there.” I don’t say this to discourage anyone, but to encourage authors to get their work boots on. Don’t submit your first draft. Work those manuscripts to be irresistible. And if I could say one thing to the publishing world, “Accept Unsolicited Work!” Every author shouldn’t need an agent to move their manuscript off the slush pile.

3. What advice would you offer other writers who are interested in cracking the children’s market?
It’s like working on a jigsaw puzzle. There are so many pieces that you’re trying to make fit. But little by little they fall into place and suddenly you can see Monet’s Water Lilies coming into full view.

In other words, get out there and work on all the pieces: the networking, the classes, the SCBWI conferences, the contests, the research, etc. You can’t be an island writer. Every connection I’ve made has proven to be invaluable. Even those that seemed useless at the time. I waited one year for an agent to reply. Initially she showed interest in taking me on as a client, but a year later she declined. Talk about disappointing! But I learned something. Never wait a year for a response. Keep sending out and sending out until you get the reply for which you’ve been waiting.

4. You won the WD contest in the poetry category. How does your poetry play a part in your writing for children?
I’m biased but I think every children’s author should be a poet. The best ones are: Nancy Willard, Jane Yolen, Linda Sue Park. There’s so much in common with poetry and picture books: short power-packed ideas, each sentence and line having significance. It’s helped me tremendously, although I find it hard to write poetry while I’m working on children’s story.

5. What are you working on now? Another picture book?
I hate to tell you how many “finished” manuscripts I have in my file drawers. Right now I have a list of about 20 ideas of stories I want to write. As always, time’s a factor. I have been asked to write a sequel to My Sister, Alicia May.

The story is based on two real sisters, one of whom happens to have Down syndrome. The sequel is about Alicia May and a pony named Summer. Right now Alicia takes riding lessons as therapy and this program inspires confidence in children with special needs. So I’m incorporating this into the story and hopefully my illustrator, Shennen Bersani, will apply her wonderful talent to it as well.