MAY 15th, 2024, FEATURE INTERVIEW WITH CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR FAITH PRAY, CONDUCTED BY KIDLIT WRITER, BLOGGER & LIBRARIAN CHELSEA DICICCO 

It’s no surprise that I’m excited to share my monthly guest with you. Every guest is exciting in new ways, but today’s guest is especially sentimental to me because I just love her writing so much. I won’t give it all away in the intro, but you’ll hear more on this later…

If this is your first time visiting Chelsea’s World of Books literary blog, or the first feature interview segment you’ve read, welcome! You have stumbled upon something truly special. So, what are Feature Interviews? And what makes them so special?

411 ON FEATURE INTERVIEWS

In a nutshell, Feature Interviews are a free resource for writers and illustrators at every stage of the publishing journey.

Every month, I sit down with industry professionals –authors, illustrators, editors, and agents– (many of whom are also educators and librarians) and we discuss everything publishing.

We share tips and resources for querying agents and submitting direct to publishing houses, we share about upcoming conferences and workshops and where to find the best writing community, as well as specific things like free and paid writing memberships, crafts workshops, writing contests, and more.

My guests share their experiences, offer advice and support, and give readers an up-close-and-personal look at the world of publishing from a unique perspective.

AND… if that’s not enough, every guest offers at least 1 giveaway prize- sometimes more.

Which means… every month, you have multiple opportunities to win prizes!

Not that we’ve shared a little about what’s in store… it’s time to jump into our interview!

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Faith, thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to be here today. We’re thrilled to have you!

Thank you, Chelsea! I’m honored to be here.

Let’s start with the why. WHY did you pursue publishing? What about it drew you? Was it always something you were interested in pursuing, or did that happen later in life?

I grew up steeped in books and art - my dad is a fine artist and a children’s book illustrator, and I think I just always loved stories and art and wanted to make my own. 

As a young teen, I submitted stories I’d written to my dad’s editors and got some very kind rejection letters back. And then, I spent a number of years doing other things, traveling, working odd jobs, leading summer camps, getting married, and didn’t really return to writing until I was on a lengthy bed rest, pregnant with twins. I wrote a middle-grade fantasy manuscript, sent that manuscript out to editors, and received a ton of rejections and one request for changes from Maria Modugno, an editor at HarperCollins. But by the time I sent my revisions back, she had moved publishing houses and was not working with middle-grade fiction anymore. I spent several years after this writing, rewriting, and trying to get published, until in 2013, I had a stroke, followed by heart patch surgery.  After that, I struggled to find a way back to writing again and took a visual storytelling class through UCSD - “Thinking in Pictures,” taught by esteemed book designer Joy Chu, to see if I could dislodge some of those words. Thanks to that class, I fell in love with the dance of art and words in picture books and set out to grow into a children’s book writer and illustrator.

I didn't know your dad was a children's book illustrator. How wonderful that it runs in the family! I can only imagine the influence that must have had on you toward children's literature growing up. And I just love that you submitted stories to his editors as a teenager. 

Next, let’s explore the HOW. Tell us about your journey here. How did you end up where you’re at now? What route to publication did you choose and why? And can you explain the steps involved in that route?

After that visual storytelling course, I spent time sketching and writing every day, attending writer’s conferences, reading picture books, sending illustrated postcards to art directors, and sharing my work on social media. Which is how I ended up with an agent who saw my work on Twitter, and helped me prepare and revise one of my story ideas until it was ready to send on submission That book became my. author-illustrator debut The Starkeeper, published with Random House in June 2020.  Since then, I’ve made six books and am in the process of making the seventh. 

Wow! So, your agent found your work on Twitter? That's incredible. Such an inspiration for others too.
How are the steps different for an author-illustrator versus text-only?

An author-illustrator needs to work at the craft of both writing and illustration. The excellent part about doing both is that you have an awareness of that balance of art and text when you’re thinking about Story.  The harder part of working at both disciplines is that doing both sides of crafting a picture book takes a great amount of work and time. 

I can only imagine. I think of it like being ambidextrous and trying to use both hands at the same time. 
Now, you work as an author-illustrator but also as an illustrator. Can you explain what this means for our readers? And which one was your first “step” into publishing? 

The difference between being an illustrator vs being an author-illustrator is that an author-illustrator both writes and illustrates a book.  An illustrator receives an author’s final text  from a publisher and creates the visual side of the book.
My ”first step” into publishing was an offer to illustrate Lynn Parrish Sutton’s Once Upon a Timely with Kane Miller books. That book came out in 2019, and was sold exclusively through Usborne Books.  

About how long were you in the writing/illustrating field before your first book was acquired & then published? 

About 13 years.  From the time I decided to be a picture book writer and was actively pursuing this dream, though, about five years.

Are you currently represented by a literary agent? And were you for your first book deal (and forthcoming deals)?

Yes! I LOVE my agent Molly O’Neill at Root Literary.  

She has represented me through these book deals: 
Once Upon a Timely by Lynn Parrish Sutton, illustrated by Faith Pray, Kane Miller 2019. 
The Starkeeper, Random House 2020. 
Perfectly Imperfect Mira, Little, Brown 2022. 
One Day, written by Joanna Ho, illustrated by Faith Pray, Harper Collins 2023.
Finding Grateful, written by Dianne White, illustrated by Faith Pray Chronicle 2024.
The Day We Got Lost, Little, Brown, August 2024. 
And The Bear Who Became a Book, by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Faith Pray, Holt 2026. 

For some of our readers who may be contemplating going the traditional route and seeking representation from a literary agent, could you share what some of the benefits of that are? Why is it important and how can it help them and their career?

There are soooo many reasons I am grateful for my agent! Here are just a few: 
●	pep talks, encouragement
●	representation, advocate, insight into publishing industry, marketing, contracts, connections that I can’t possible hope to have
●	always someone in my corner!
●	writing coach! Every phone call with Molly is like taking a writer’s master class 

SETBACKS, COMMUNITY, RESOURCES, AND MOTIVATIONS

Were there any challenges or setbacks you faced throughout the road to publishing, or perhaps challenges you still face- and how were/are you able to overcome them?

My biggest challenges in this journey: trying to pursue a career as a writer while caring for four kids, and then overcoming numerous health obstacles, stroke recovery, and trying to find my writer’s brain again post-stroke. For a couple of years before I was published, I worked as a paraeducator at an elementary school, and it was extraordinarily challenging to come home exhausted from a day with kids, then care for my family, and eek out time for writing and illustrating in any extra snatches (usually early, early  mornings and late, late nights!). 

Any words of wisdom you’d like to impart to readers who may be facing similar challenges on their publication journey?

●	nothing is wasted
●	don’t give up
●	become a learner
●	enjoy the journey


Speaking of challenges… I know how invaluable my writing community is when I face bumps in the road. Can you tell us about your writing community and how they’ve helped you to grow and continue moving forward?

●	My community continues expanding and connecting the more I continue in this career path. Children’s book people - librarians, booksellers, authors, illustrators, educators, editors, art directors, literary agents - are just the best people - and they all love books! 

●	I meet regularly with a group of author-illustrator friends for both critique and encouragement. These are peers who understand the unique challenges that come with this career. It is invaluable, perhaps even essential for writers and/or illustrators to meet regularly with peers who have a similar focus. It helps you from feeling like an island! Critique partners can really help you level up your work. But most of all, the more you expand your community, the more you find you’re cheering for each other all the time. You’re on the same team. I LOVE it when friends get book deals or book awards, because we are connected, and their happiness is my happiness. 

●	Here’s something I learned from debuting as an author-illustrator in June 2020. Remember June 2020? All the publishing houses were closed. All the bookstores were closed. All the libraries were closed. So since I would not be going to any book launch parties or book promotion opportunities for my book, I reached out to some respected author friends I’d met through SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and asked if they could help me host a book launch party for my debut The Starkeeper on Zoom. Remember when Zoom was new? I made Starkeeper-themed decorations that guests could print from home, fancied up my studio with stars and balloons, and had a pretty fantastic online party. A piece of advice -  Create the community you wish you had. Don’t have a local writer’s group you can join? Make an online one. Need a book launch party? Make your own.

Are there any places or groups that you’d recommend other author-illustrators, in particular, check out to find that community, or maybe other helpful resources? 

Here are some resources that have helped me:
1. SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators)
2. UCSD CFA program - “Thinking In Pictures,” taught by Joy Chu
3. Jolie Stekly’s Writing for Children class
4. Befriending my local children’s librarians
5. Befriending my local booksellers
6. Going to local author events, meeting local authors
7. Starting a critique group with writers/illustrators who write in a similar genre 
8. Befriending kidlit peers online through hashtag searches, Twitter events,  and through following other authors /illustrators and engaging with the things they post about. 

● nothing is wasted
● don’t give up
● become a learner
● enjoy the journey

MARKETING STRATEGY & TIPS: PRE AND POST PUBLICATION

Let’s jump into a few marketing strategies. For an author-illustrator, or an illustrator only, do you have any suggestions on how to go about marketing your work for prospective editors or agents to see?

●	SCBWI publishes a yearly resource for members that contains publisher info and addresses. I used this to send illustrated postcards to art directors, and through this, received an offer to illustrate my first book Once Upon a Timely, by Lynn Parrish Sutton, published by Kane Miller for Usborne books in 2019. 

●	Instagram and Twitter events like #colour_collective, #kidlitart, #kidlitartpostcard. I’ve received book jobs from showing work on my Instagram account. 

●	Writing conferences, retreats, and showcases is a solid way to have your work seen by agents and editors. 

●	You can also look up an agent’s submission page and submit your work via their submission requirements.   

Wow. Your first tip here about using the info in the SCBWI to send art directors illustrated post cards is absolutely brilliant. What a creative idea! And so clever! 

How important would you say having a prepped portfolio is?

I think a prepped portfolio is key. It’s really important to have a cohesive portfolio and to share only your best work- even if it’s just eight pieces. HERE is a great post about building strong portfolios from my friend Polina Gortman.

Thanks for sharing this article, Faith! I've included the quick link under 'HERE' in the sentence above.

What constitutes as “enough” ready material to begin querying/submitting?

I think that’s really up to the writer/illustrator. Sometimes it helps to just jump in and see what happens, while also simultaneously trying to learn and grow your craft.

How important would you say an online presence prior to publication is?

Writing can be a pretty lonely job. With or without publication, I think it is very helpful to have a connection with other authors and illustrators, and book lovers online. Cheering for friends and being cheered on by them when good news arrives makes every part of the journey happier. It’s also an excellent way to find out about what’s happening in publishing if there are new opportunities, conferences, hashtags, or online events that you might want to be part of, and then once you finally publish a book, your good news can be shared among the community you’ve built. 

Do you recommend any specific platforms for illustrators to display their artwork?

1. It’s crucial for illustrators to have a website with a contact page to reach you quickly and easily. 
2. Instagram is an image-centric platform that is a pretty standard way to connect within the children’s publishing industry. Many illustrators use Instagram as a portfolio extension.  

Any tips, hashtags, or otherwise you’d like to recommend that illustrators use to help agents/editors find out about their work?

Social media events are a constantly changing mark. I think it’s a good idea to do some searching to find out about currently trending hashtags relevant to your genre. You can follow #kidlitart on both Instagram and Twitter (X) to see popular posts show up and do a little detecting to see if there are any events (art sharing, portfolio challenges, pitch contests, etc.) upcoming that you might want to be part of. 

Okay, now let’s say you’ve found your editor or agent (or both), and you’re on your way to publication. Now what? How can authors and illustrators stay busy and help themselves prepare for a debut book launch?

The best thing you can do while waiting for a book to launch is to write the next book!

My local SCBWI author friend Sarah Jane Marsh shared with me her six month plan of how she set up posts and events as she neared book publication day. I now do the same for each of my books. I write a few essays on themes I want to focus on as I talk about my book, and I create graphics with art from my book to use for online posts. 

Speaking of book launches... one thing I know to be very beneficial is getting yourself out in the community and finding your local libraries, schools, and book stores. Can you tell us about your experience with this? 

Have you done any book events in your local area? And if so, do you have any recommendations on how to get your foot in the door with your local bookstores, libraries, and schools? And what would you say the benefits are in collaborating and connecting with local places in your community? 

I haven’t done many in-person events. I love to host or do live interviews and sometimes team up with other authors and illustrators who have books arriving around the same time for online events like Instagram Live “launch parties.”

I love my local librarians and booksellers. The first thing to remember about making friends with book people is that it’s not about me and my books. It’s about relationships. About the humans behind the “job.” I like to ask them questions - what they’re reading, what they care about, how their day is going, what’s challenging them, and offer thanks and encouragement. 

A great way to mutually support each other is for authors to buy books from local indie bookstores. Sometimes I bring them small art tokens to say thanks for being there. I am not a fan of just walking up to someone to demand something of them, and I think it’s important that we cultivate friendships with each other with no expectations of getting something in return. 

I mean that both for booksellers and also for relationships with other authors and illustrators. I want to become the kind of person who supports and uplifts others, regardless of what happens in return. I like to do combined book launches with other authors because then we can cross-promote our event and, hopefully, each bring a few guests.  

I just love that attitude. I couldn't have said it better myself. It's about relationships and cultivating friendships with each other with no expectations of getting something in return. YES!! No doubt your kind spirit is warmly appreciated not only by those in your local community, but all around the world! *After all, the writing community has no global barriers!*

But while we're discussing your home community- I was so excited to learn that you were located not far from my childhood home in the BEAUTIFUL Washington State. 

Living just outside of Seattle the (at that time) small town of Bremerton, I have so many wonderful memories of weekend trips with my family to your lovely town, Port Townsend. Veering back to publishing- can you share some of your favorite moments or experiences while connecting with local places in your community? 

How fabulous that you know Washington, Chelsea! It’s such a beautiful place to live!

I just finished a week leading the most fabulous creative workshops with Port Townsend elementary students. We played with storytelling and sticky notes, and I have all the hope for our future after seeing kids’ creativity absolutely ignite! 

One of my favorite parts of being a children’s book creator in my community is that every year, our library asks a local illustrator to design their Summer Reading Program t-shirt, and I got to design the fairy-tale-themed reading shirt the year my first book came out. That was definitely a highlight! 

How fun! I bet that was a blast. For you and the students. :) And being a librarian myself, I love that you're finding ways to connect with your local library. I can't imagine a more exciting time to participate than for summer reading program!

It’s crucial for illustrators to have a website with a contact page to reach you quickly and easily. Instagram is an image-centric platform that is a pretty standard way to connect within the children’s publishing industry. Many illustrators use Instagram as a portfolio extension.

I think it is very helpful to have a connection with other authors and illustrators, and book lovers online. Cheering for friends and being cheered on by them when good news arrives makes every part of the journey happier. It’s also an excellent way to find out about what’s happening in publishing if there are new opportunities, conferences, hashtags, or online events that you might want to be part of, and then once you finally publish a book, your good news can be shared among the community you’ve built.

THE HEART OF IT ALL … AND BOOKS!

At the beginning of our interview today I asked two questions: why and how. We touched on the why briefly. But I think the why tells so much about the heart of it all. Why are we here, doing the work we do? What is it about publishing that speaks to us? 

Can you tell us in more depth about your motivations in writing and illustrating and what you hope YOUR stories and artwork will impart?

In some ways, I think the reason I create this is constantly shifting. I mean, as a writer and illustrator, my fingers are constantly itching to create. And each new book pulls out a facet of something I’m curious about, almost like walking on the beach and finding new rocks or shells to examine, different themes or questions come into focus at different times and I want to center those in my work.  

Speaking of what you hope to impart… we’d love to hear about your books- both ones you’ve written and illustrated as author-illustrator and ones you’ve done the illustrations for. 

My most recently published book, FINDING GRATEFUL, written by Dianne White, illustrated by me, came out in April with Chronicle Books. FINDING GRATEFUL is about looking for wonder and gratitude in every day moments, and I can’t imagine a text more suited how I want to live my life. Finding beauty in the every day dirt is pretty much what I’m all about, so when I read Dianne’s text, I instantly felt like a puzzle piece clicked into place. 

And then later this year, my next author-illustrated book THE DAY WE GOT LOST comes out with Little, Brown August 20. THE DAY WE GOT LOST is about a wonderfully busy and chaotic family who are sort of disconnected from each other. They go for a hike in the woods, and get a little bit lost and sort of find each other along the way. I spent a ton of time hiking in the Pacific Northwest while writing and researching this one, and now I’m kind of obsessed with taking my puppy on hikes in the woods.

Earlier, I mentioned that today’s guest was exciting because I loved her writing. And I really do. One of my favorite books, that sits facing out on my wall in my writing room is PERFECTLY IMPERFECT, MIRA. I remember the first time I picked it up. I cracked open its pages, and there it was. This familiar weight. A weight I’ve known since childhood and carried with me to school. A weight I’ve kept in my pocket at ballet class. A weight that, even when I tried to leave it at home, somehow followed me wherever I went. The weight of worry.

Mira really spoke to my heart. Her anxieties and insecurities of not being good enough were something I knew all too well, and I remember taking in a deep breath and thinking, “Oh my goodness, I wish I had this book as a little girl.” And I feel like that is such a powerful story because it’s ageless. It is an ageless human feeling that everyone, in some way or another, can relate to.

The fear of not being good enough to try can be such a debilitating emotion, and if we’re not careful, it can not only suck the joy out of living… but, worse still, prevent us from even experiencing life altogether. Sitting on the sidelines because we’re too worried about the “what if I fail?” can be such a dangerous and heartbreaking thing. Being in the line of work that we are as creators, it’s a huge “heart on your sleeve” industry filled with rejection, waiting, more rejection, more waiting, and sometimes, that fear can creep in and dampen our spirits and even tempt us to give up. And I just love how Mira’s discovery of falling down isn’t the end of the world. She can keep trying, and that’s okay. But I love that she goes through those motions… the fear in the beginning and seeing how she progresses to eventually “try” and how that really is the key. The secret in life is to keep trying. And Mira’s story so beautifully illustrates that. 

Okay, so I’ve talked your ear off about the story. But I’d love to ask you personally, what was the backstory of this story? How did you come up with Mira? And why did you feel it was important for her story to be shared? Explain.

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT MIRA, published by Little,Brown in 2022  is about a girl who wants to be good at something, but everyone else is already better. Think - growth mindset meets gymnasts. The story was inspired by my daughter, who, at the age of eleven, decided she was sick of being in a soccer family and wanted to try gymnastics. Gymnastics? At the age of eleven?  I figured all the other gymnasts would have been tumbling for years. What if they laughed at her? What if it made her feel bad about herself? But my quiet, independent daughter braved it anyway. She stepped through the gym doors and was instantly welcomed into her gymnastics family. She grew confidence. Stood taller. Gained inner and outer strength, and she stuck with it. Not in hopes of achieving medals or recognition, but just because she loved it. I shared a little blurb about my daughter’s gymnastics story on social media and my agent wrote and said, “I think this might be your next book.” Which is how I ended up writing PERFECTLY IMPERFECT MIRA. 

Any last words of wisdom or advice that you’d like to share with authors and/or illustrators?

Read heaps of books in the genre you want to write - preferably, books published in the last 5-10 years. Keep going! Try to work on your craft every day. Cheer for your kidlit community! Enjoy the journey! 

Thank you, Faith. Now it's time for the last item on the agenda... THE GIVEAWAY!

Faith Pray is offering the following giveaway prize: A signed copy of her most recently published book FINDING GRATEFUL

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

1. Subscribe to the blog
2. Like this blog post
3. Comment below, letting me know you’ve done BOTH. (Please note: If the guest is offering more than one prize, please specify which prize you’d like in your comment.)

Deadline to enter: May 31st, 2024, 11:59 PM CST

And that’s it!

FAQ:

What if I was already subscribed to the blog? Does that mean I won’t qualify for the Prize Giveaway? Not at all! If you subscribed before this month, all you’ll need to do is LIKE this Feature Interview and leave your COMMENT below this post within the deadline (the current month/year entry was posted).

Did you enjoy this interview?

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Looking for a specific topic? Browse this list to find a link to one of these topics/questions.

• Where to find FREE and PAID for writing memberships, craft workshops, contests, and other resources.
• How to query agents and editors and what they’re looking for.
• Where to find kidlit community and support from other writers or illustrators.
• Diversity, empathy, and kindness in kidlit and why it matters.
• Writing across genres.
• Pros and cons of small publishers, hybrid (or indie) publishing, and being agented vs. unagented.