Publication Date (Australia): 9th May 2022
You may Pre-Order your copy below:
- Australia inc Postage
- International inc Postage
Please click Checkout to finalise your order, or continue to shop.
How is a picture book made? Just how do you craft a great action scene for a children’s novel, or create a storyboard, or research non-fiction without overloading it with information? What does a designer or a distributor do? How can you get published? And what happens next?
This fabulous book will be an invaluable resource and reference guide for aspiring writers, illustrators, editors and designers, and will also appeal to anyone interested in Australian children’s books. An attractive full-colour production, it is packed with tips, advice, illuminating quotes and anecdotes. The stellar list of contributors includes writers, illustrators, editors, designers, publishers, agents and reviewers from across Australia.
Published by UPA Books, the new collaborative imprint of two acclaimed Australian children’s publishers, Christmas Press and Little Pink Dog Books.
ISBN: 978-0-6488154-5-7 (Softcover) Price $29.99
Reviews:
- Please have a look at this wonderful review by Read Plus Here.
About the Compilers:
Sophie Masson was born in Indonesia of French parents, who are themselves of mixed ethnicity – Basque, Spanish, Portuguese, French-Canadian as well as French – and brought up in France and Australia, Sophie Masson is the acclaimed, award-winning and internationally-published author of over 70 books for children, young adults and adults. Her fiction for children ranges widely over genres and age groups, including historical, mystery, thriller, fantasy, chapter books, middle-grade, illustrated storybooks and picture books. Her short stories, poetry and non-fiction have also been published. The holder of a PhD from the University of New England, Sophie is co-director of Armidale-based publisher Christmas Press, Chair of the New England Writers’ Centre, and President of the Small Press Network. In 2019, Sophie received an AM in the Order of Australia for significant service to literature as author, publisher and for work in literary organisations.
Kathy Creamer is an award-winning writer and illustrator who has been published by Oxford University Press, Reed International, Christmas Press, Williamstown Literary Festival and many other organisations. She has a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Creative Writing and Children’s Literature, and a Master of Arts Degree in Children’s Book Illustration from the renowned Cambridge School of Art in England. She has also run her own successful publishing venture, which was based in the UK. Having recently moved to Armidale, and with her husband, Peter, she has set up Little Pink Dog Books Children’s Publishing to help new and emerging writers and illustrators to enter the children’s picture book market.
Beattie Alvarez is a tyrannical commissioning editor. She is tough. She is addicted to coffee. She is generally cranky. In her spare time, she is an author, designer and dragon hatcher. She has several books with her name on the cover, a few anthologies with her name on a story inside, and permanent scars from the dragon hatching (there’s also the editing she does, the shop she runs and the illustrations she occasionally draws).
Peter Creamer is a doctoral qualified mechanical engineer who trained at Rolls Royce. Over 35 years, he worked in power generation for several multinational companies. With a change of sector, he now works as a Chief Operating Officer in higher education in Australia. After he and Kathy met and had children, they developed a joint love of children’s picture books. With Kathy’s expertise in the writing and illustrating of children’s books, it was only natural that they started producing children’s picture books. Their first venture produced 20 books for the UK market. Upon moving to Australia, they formed Little Pink Dog Books to help provide opportunities for new and emerging children’s authors and illustrators. To date, they have published over 30 books that have won many awards. Peter concentrates on the marketing, promotion and production of children’s books for Little Pink Dog Books.
Jen Scanlan is a professional editor and member of the Institute of Professional Editors. She studied Education and Visual Arts at WSU. She later completed two courses, with Newcastle University and Capstone Editing, to become a qualified editor, proofreader and copywriter. Since moving to Armidale in 2020, she has connected with the wonderful world of children’s books, editing picture books to young adult fiction. Jen also edits academic and educational texts. Her freelance business, Heights Proofreading, provides a full range of editing services, as well as other related services such as copywriting and preparing educational materials. In one of Jen’s former occupations as a teacher of English and Visual Arts, she developed her ethos of ‘creativity, communication, cats and chocolate’
Sharnee Rawson is a recent graduate of the University of New England. She earned her bachelor degree in media and communications and completed a Bachelor of Media and Communications with Honours in 2021. Throughout her studies, Sharnee worked at the regional News Corp publication The Daily Examiner and the online news platform Tune!FM. While working as an intern at Christmas Press, she edited the junior fiction book Fil and Harry (by Jenny Blackford). She continues to pursue a budding career in the publishing industry with a particular interest in books for children and young adults.
Rae Ainsworth is creative by nature, and a designer by nurture. She says, ‘I love layout. I find it foundational. Good layout draws your eye to smoothly survey the content hierarchy. Its dynamic tension gets you involved in the dialogue between content types … and I feel that it can “lift the stage” so that all the elements almost feel alive and moving. I love working with illustrators, writers and publishers. It’s an honour. Bringing out the best in good people and in great work empowers my work. And work made for children enlivens my drive to challenge the world.’