FAQ

FAQ Categories: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:
About Debbie – For Beginning Writers & Illustrators – Getting Into The Biz – More How-To Basics – Reviewing Your Book, Art Use, and other Requests – Social Media (incl. Bluesky)

About Debbie

Q. How do I contact you?

Q. Where can I find your press kit with book covers, headshot photos and bio?

Q. How do you pronounce your last name? What are your pronouns?

Q. What are you working on right now?

Q. Where can I find more of your art, like your found object art and broken crayon gallery and comics?

Q. Where do you get your ideas?

Q. Where were you born?

Q. How can I get your autograph? How do I get a signed bookplate?

Q. How did you get started in the children’s book industry?

Q. How do I book you for a school visit or other event?

Q. How do I hire you to illustrate my book or do some art for me?

Q. Will you donate art or a book to a good cause? Or do a free visit with my students? It would mean so much to them.

Q. Where can I buy your art / cards / prints / bibliophile jewelry?

For Beginning Writers & Illustrators

**Also see my Resources For Book Creators for templates, how-to advice and more. Posts marked with 🗞️ link to my Substack posts, including my free Picture Book 101 series.

Q. Where can I find your free Picture Books 101 online posts?

Q. What are your top seven tips for getting started as a children’s picture book writer or illustrator? 🗞️

Q. Any advice for someone who wants to write or illustrate children’s books someday?

Q. How do I get started as a children’s book illustrator?

Q. I have a GREAT picture book idea! What should I do next? 🗞️

Q. In my picture book text, how do I tell the illustrator what to draw? Why do some editors hate art notes? 🗞️

How To Break Into The Biz

Q. I just finished writing my picture book story. What should I do next? How do I find an illustrator?

Q. As a picture book writer, why don’t I NEED to find an illustrator before I submit my manuscript? 🗞️

Q. Where should I send my story? How can I get my story in front of an editor? Do I need an agent? How do I get an agent?

Q. Do I need to paginate my picture book when submitting it?

Q. How many rejections is typical before getting my first book contract? I’m considering giving up.

More How-To Basics

Q. Why do publishers keep the author and illustrator apart during the creative process?

Q. How do I develop an illustration style and gain confidence as an artist? 🗞️

Q. Is it better to use physical or digital art when illustrating children’s books? What about using AI art? 🗞️

Q. Why is 32 pages the standard for picture books? Could you please help me understand picture book format and construction? 🗞️

Q. Why are some picture book editors leery about rhyme in picture books? 🗞️

Q. Any tips for conveying authentic emotions in my characters? 🗞️

Requests For Book Reviews, Guest Posts, Website Updates, Art Use

Q. May I offer your readers a guest post / infographic?

Q. May I use/share your art?

Q. Will you help me promote my book on your Bookstagram? Or interview me on your Inkygirl blog? May I send you a copy of my book for review?

Q. Will you help me promote my upcoming in-person event?

Q. Will you help me promote my upcoming virtual event?

Q. I am a children’s book publicist. May I put you on my mailing list?

Q. I am a children’s book creator. May I put you on my mailing list?

Q. I notice that you wrote a blog post about xxx. I happen to have a great online resource related to xxx. Could you please update your post to include my resource?

Q. Your FAQ used to have so much more information! Where is it?

Social Media Questions

Q. Where is your most recent list of Bluesky Tips?

Q. What and when is KidLit AMA?

Q. Where do you hang out most often in social media these days?
Bluesky and Substack are my favourite places to chat for fun, get involved in conversations that may or may not have anything to do with work. For work-related and promo-related posts, I sometimes also post on Instagram, Bookstagram, my FB Page, X, and Threads.