Art Appreciation Week - Picture Book Author Lori Degman

Today we're talking with Lori Degman, author of 1 Zany Zoo, illustrated by Colin Jack and which just came out in July!

Thanks for signing 1 Zany Zoo for me at the SCBWI (Society of Book Writers and Illustrators) Conference! And congrats on winning the Cheerios New Author Contest! 1 Zany Zoo reminds me of Seuss’ If I Ran the Zoo, with its wild imaginings of what could happen in that enchanting place. What inspired 1 Zany Zoo?

Thanks so much, Sue!  I love If I Ran the Zoo - maybe it was an influence, I'm not sure.  Actually, one day about 20 years ago, the sentence, "You'll never believe what I saw at the zoo" popped into my head.  I thought it had a good rhythm and could be a great premise for a picture book.  That sentence was the first line and title of the story for a long time.  It was a lot of fun coming up with funny things for the animals to do.

This is your first picture book, and Colin Jack is a first-time illustrator. What was it like, having someone interpret your words onto the page? Did you work collaboratively with Colin, or did he work independently to come up with those wonderful illustrations?

I am so in awe of Colin's talent!  I love how he interpreted the story and included so many images that were not in the text.  I think his style matches the style of the text perfectly.  Colin and I did not work together but I was able to suggest a few small things, which he included, and I changed some of the verses to match the illustrations he drew. Colin and I have emailed and spoken on the phone but have not yet met in person.  We're hoping to meet in New York sometime soon.

One of the things I loved about the conference was finally connecting with many of my cyber-friends - and finding they were even cooler in person. 1 Zany Zoo is published by Simon & Schuster for Young Readers. Who are the “3 J’s” you mention in your acknowledgements?

All three "J"s were very instrumental in the making and marketing of 1 Zany Zoo!  The first "J" is Joyce Johannson, the PR person for Cheerios who did marketing for the book.  The second is Jamie Weiss Chilton, with Andrea Brown Literary Agency, who became my agent after I won the Cheerios contest.  The third is Julia Maguire, my editor at Simon and Schuster. I always had to double check names and addresses before sending out emails because I was always mixing up their names.   
Now that you and your three-J team have 1 Zany Zoo launched, do you have more picture books on the way? Any other works-in-progress?

I have two completed manuscripts my agent is trying to sell - There's a Cow in the Kitchen and Company's Coming and Rooster Flew the Coop, and I'm working on a sequel to 1 Zany Zoo called 1 Funny Farm.

I’ve heard before that it is difficult to get an agent for a picture book. I imagine that winning a contest worked in your favor! Can you tell me the story of how you connected with your agent?

As I mentioned above, I signed with Jamie Weiss Chilton after I won the Contest.  I had sent her some of my work several months before winning and she had suggested I write something in prose as well as rhyme.  I took her advice and started working on a new story in prose.  Then, when I won the contest, I contacted her again and sent my new story, along with improved versions of stories she'd previously seen.  I was so excited that she offered to represent me - she's a fantastic agent.  As a matter of fact, she was just named one of the top 20 Picture Book Agents in Publishers Marketplace!

That's a great story about how persistence pays off. But like most published authors, you are still day-jobbing. Do you feel like being a teacher has influenced your writing? Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

I think my teaching job helps me keep in touch with what kids like and how they think.  I think the biggest influence to my writing has been reading good, rhyming picture books and poems.  I have five pieces of advice for aspiring writers: 

1 -Join the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) - I've learned so much from their programs and other members and they've given me so much support.

2 - Sign up for Verla Kay's message board - the blueboards.  You can find the answer to almost any writing-related questions you have.

3 - Find a critique group in your genre - you can meet in person or online.  There is information about how to find a group on both of these sites.

4 - Make sure your manuscript is the best it can be before sending it out.

5 - Have faith in yourself and your writing.

That advice is as solid as it gets. Thanks so much for taking the time to interview and share your experience!

More interviews to come! Remember to leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a copy of Amazing Faces.