Monthly Meeting: April 2025 – Author Lori Degman

Lori spoke about her personal journey on the quest to publish, including her spreadsheets of unanswered submissions and many rejection letters, which eventually led to multiple offers, award-winning children’s books and even a contest-winning Cheerios box! Lori shared what to expect and plan for on your own quest.

Lori Degman is the award-winning author of seven picture books: TRAVEL GUIDE FOR MONSTERS (Sleeping Bear Press, 2020) and TRAVEL GUIDE FOR MONSTERS PART DEUX: A CANADIAN ADVENTURE (co-written with Jocelyn Watkinson; Sleeping Bear Press, 2023); LIKE A GIRL (Sterling, 2019); JUST READ (Sterling, 2019); NORBERT’S BIG DREAM (Sleeping Bear Press, 2016); COCK-A-DOODLE OOPS! (Creston Books, 2014) and 1 ZANY ZOO (Simon & Schuster, 2010). Lori was a teacher for the deaf and now writes full time. She lives in a Chicago suburb, but has a strong connection to Austin—her son and family live here.

Meeting Highlights:

You just signed a deal. Now what?

• If you get an offer: time to celebrate!
• Find an agent 
• Get a literary attorney (or agent’s attorney) to review letters of intent/contracts
• You may be offered an advance—typically yours to keep even if sales are not good enough to cover the advance.
• After a book earns out (meaning sales have generated enough royalties to cover the advance), then you begin earning additional royalties on each sale—but royalties are often less than $1 per book
• Keep in mind: once you make it to acquisitions, you know your story is sellable (even if you don't get an offer, you are on the right track)
• Keep writing/illustrating and submitting while waiting! 

Work well with editors/art directors.

• Editor notes sometimes arrive prior to the contract being signed
• Communicate effectively
• Be professional and diplomatic regarding recommended changes
• Meet deadlines!

Promote yourself.

• Write a short and a long bio (include any awards)
• Produce a high quality headshot
• Create bookmarks/postcards as promotional handouts
• Promote yourself online 
• Cross-promote with other authors/illustrators
• Develop a book trailer
• Create teachers’ guides and student activity sheets
• Consider a blog or podcast
• Plan your book cover reveal party
• Video and post your debut unboxing

Plan your book launch!

• Schedule launch months in advance
• Post details and pictures on social media
• Design swag bags
• Tie in local events/connections to the book’s theme

Attend Book Fairs and Festivals:

• Learn from other authors/illustrators and their experiences
• Be warned that these can be discouraging if not many folks attend
• Bring swag

School Visits:

• Start small (i.e. your neighborhood school—the only place you might speak for free) 
• School visits are the main way to make money as a published author/illustrator!
• Branch out to other local schools, but always charge a fee going forward as protocol to benefit all authors/illustrators
• Always charge enough (to benefit all authors/illustrators) (some teachers have budgets)
• Bring a PowerPoint/slideshow/visual aides
• Bring your own tech, rather than relying on the school
• Ask for a mic
• Present multiple sessions (i.e. by grade level: K-1, 2-3, 4-5)
• Make it interactive
• Be relatable: talk about all your failures and rejections (i.e. unfurl a long paper scroll of all the rejection letters for impact)—to teach perseverance 

Book Sales and Signings:

• Contact local bookstores
• Bring signing pens 
• Create promotional/sale flyers
• Some bookstores, including BookPeople, will create flyers for you to send home to parents in advance of your school visit 
• BookPeople in Austin has a QR code, so parents can scan and purchase the book prior to your school visit and have it shipped directly to the school

Website Designs:

• Hire a designer or create your own (gather inspiration from other author/illustrators you admire)

Reviews:

• Ask publishers to submit reviews
• Put reviews on your website and social media

Awards:

• SCBWI awards: i.e. Crystal Kite (local peers)
• Local and state awards
• Ask publishers to submit awards

Pay It Forward:

• Volunteer for local literacy projects
• Speak at local SCBWI meetings/conferences
• Give away books to low income schools (certain programs will pay for a book for every teacher)

Make Mistakes:

• Finding the right agent fit can be rollercoaster
• Sometimes publishers don’t want what you send first, but then may buy other ideas you submit
• Not everyone will be a fan of your work—that’s okay!
• Keep submitting until you get the “Yes!”