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February 9, 2011

Meet Karen Orloff!

At last!  The big day is here!
Today I am thrilled to introduce you all to Karen Orloff!  Not only will you get to meet her, but at the end there will be a contest and you could be the lucky winner of a signed copy of I WANNA NEW ROOM!



Karen is an ex-magazine editor, currently  the author of four picture books:  I WANNA IGUANA, IF MOM HAD THREE ARMS, I WANNA NEW ROOM, and the forthcoming TALK, OSCAR, PLEASE!  She also writes two columns for The Poughkeepsie Journal and teaches classes for adults interested in writing for children at Merritt Books in Millbrook, NY. 

Welcome, Karen!  Thank you so much for joining us this morning!

SLH:  How did you get interested in writing for children?

KKO:  When I left my full-time editing job to be a stay-at-home mom, I naturally got interested in children’s books. Since I’ve always loved to write, I thought I could try to do that! Of course, it was easier said than done.

SLH:  What made you choose picture books?

KKO:  When I first started, I had no idea I could write picture books, since I wasn’t an illustrator. So I wrote a middle-grade novel! I got some nice feedback from a couple of publishers but it was ultimately rejected. Discouraged (I also hadn’t yet learned about resilience!) I shelved it. A couple of years later, I went to a conference and discovered I didn’t have to be an artist to write picture books after all! That freed me up to work on stories for younger kids.

SLH:  How did you get your ideas for I WANNA IGUANA, IF MOM HAD THREE ARMS, and I WANNA NEW ROOM?


KKO:  The iguana book came from my real life situation: My kids wanted a dog and we had allergy issues. So we opted for iguanas, something I wasn’t exactly warmed up to. The idea of the letters just sort of popped in my head as a cute format. And I walked around with the title “I Wanna Iguana” on my tongue for weeks before I actually wrote anything down. The companion book, “I Wanna New Room” went through many transitions before I got it right. I knew I wanted to do some sort of sequel but the actual story was hard to pinpoint. When my editor, Susan Kochan, said some eye-opening words – “It doesn’t have to necessarily be about the iguana – you can put Alex into another situation where he wants something” – all of a sudden, I had lots of new ideas. Of course, it still took a while to come up with the idea of having a new baby in the house, forcing Alex out of his room. In one draft, I had Alex asking for a new bike. Susan finally liked the brother dynamic of I Wanna New Room the best.

As far as If Mom Had Three Arms – I think this just came out of the
fact that I was a busy mom. I mean, what mom wouldn’t love to have an
extra arm to do more things?

My newest book, "Talk, Oscar,Please!" (Sterling, to be released March 1, 2011) probably came out of my relationship with Bailey, our dog.  Yes, we did finally get a dog and no one is allergic to her, thank goodness!

SLH:  What (if anything) do you wish teachers, librarians and/or parents knew about writing for children and/or do you have any advice for beginning writers?

KKO:  People are always surprised to know that my books are not always published by the same publisher. They want to know why I’ve “switched.” I tell them I didn’t switch, but for whatever reason, my first editor passed on a manuscript and so I tried to sell it to others. They don’t realize that having one book with an editor doesn't mean every single thing you write after that will get published! It’s that whole perception that writing for kids and getting published is easy that drives me crazy! It’s a struggle. There are many reasons why manuscripts get rejected. It may be too similar a story to something already out there, it might be too “slight” to be worthy of the investment of a picture book, it might just not be that particular editor’s taste, etc. I always tell new writers that you must be persistent! Getting a few rejections is nothing! It’s all part of the process. It actually makes your writing stronger. You must have a thick skin and keep on going if you want to get published in this tough market.
It literally took me ten years of writing, going to classes, attending workshops and conferences, sharing my work with critique groups, and revising my stories over and over before I got my first acceptance. After that, it gets a little easier because you’ve learned so much about your craft. But you are always still learning, still improving, etc. You’ve got to just keep with it!

Thank you so much, Karen!

If anyone is interested in learning more about Karen, her books, and her classes on writing for children, please visit her website.  Her books are available on Amazon, but if you'd like signed copies you can order from Merritt Book Store! (search Karen Orloff or her book titles)
And now, for the CONTEST!  I'm going to make this one easy for you :)
If you'd like to win a personally signed copy of I WANNA NEW ROOM, all you have to do is:
1) be a follower of this blog, and 
2) leave a comment about why you'd like a copy of the book
on this post by Friday, Feb. 12 at 9 AM which is when I will conduct a random drawing for a winner!
Good Luck!

13 comments:

  1. What a wonderful and inspiring interview! Karen, it was great to hear that you spent time going to classes and working at your craft...so often, it feels like we (unpublished authors) hear stories of "I got an agent and contract a month into querying," which can be frustrating for those of us still struggling.

    LOVE the sound of your books--they all sound like so much fun! I will definitely look to get some for my daughter!

    Thanks again (you too Susanna!).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Karen's books are terrific, Jess! You and your daughter will love them! And now you're in tbe running to win one :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Books Books Books!
    We love new books and since my daughter is learning how to read, that would be a nice valentines treat to get a new book!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Karen Kaufman OrloffFebruary 9, 2011 at 12:12 PM

    Thanks, Jess! I have always enjoyed hearing about other writers' journeys in the publishing world. So I'm glad you enjoyed hearing mine.

    Good luck with your writing!
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great interview! Karen is a LOVELY person, and gave some great advice.

    And I want a book because I have 2.5 kids under five-years-old who love to read! If I have to read Llama Llama or Who Loves the Little Lamb one more time I....probably will. New books give me new things to memorize!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I agree with Jess. Karen, your interview gives us all hope of publication. I would love to win a copy of your newest book. I enjoy the humorous way that you approach your subjects. My children can certainly relate to having their rooms usurped by newcomers. Teri

    ReplyDelete
  7. Karen, you are so popular :) Looks like we've got 4 in the running so far. Thanks to everyone who has stopped by so far. Someone is going to be very lucky!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Plus, I was wondering about your middle grade novel, Karen. Are you planning on taking it out of the drawer and trying to submit it again? Teri

    ReplyDelete
  9. I Wanna Iguana sounds like the perfect name for a picture book. The best picture books always have pleasing sentences.

    There's nothing like our own lives for inspiration.

    I'm glad I found your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Karen Kaufman OrloffFebruary 10, 2011 at 9:38 AM

    Thanks for all those nice remarks!
    To answer your question, Teri, about the middle grade -- once in a while I do take it out and re-read. I think with some work I may submit again one day. I've also written other stuff for older kids but I find it's hard to have enough patience to work on longer things. I do hope to expand one day into middle grade and maybe even YA. You never know!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Karen,

    I love your books. The title of the new book, I Wanna New Room, makes me think of my middle schooler, who is always complaining her room is the size of her aunt's bathroom (it is). I think Miranda would really appreciate this book.

    On another note, we really enjoyed your visit at Millbrook Community Preschool a couple of years ago. I would like to invite you back with your new books on a day this spring that works for you (say sometime in March or April). Please let me know if you are interested.

    Best,
    Diane

    ReplyDelete
  12. Karen Kaufman OrloffFebruary 11, 2011 at 4:36 PM

    Hi Diane,
    Sure, I'd be happy to come back to the school. Why don't you email me (orloff@bestweb.net) and we can figure out a day.
    Good to hear from you!

    ReplyDelete

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