| Susan Chodakiewitz is a writer, composer and | | | | make the publishing plunge. |
| producer. She is the founder of Booksicals | | | | Since I compose music and lyrics for musical |
| Children's Books - Encouraging the love of reading | | | | theater I was looking for a way to combine my |
| through the arts. Through her company Booksicals | | | | passion for musical theater with my love of |
| she has created the Booksicals on Stage literacy | | | | writing of picture books. In the process of revising |
| program which is currently presenting musical | | | | Too Many Visitors for One Little House I started |
| performances of the picture book Too Many | | | | thinking up songs for the characters. One morning |
| Visitors for One Little House at schools, libraries, | | | | I woke up the words BOOKSICALS in my head. I |
| and special events. Too Many Visitors for One | | | | suddenly realized I had found my path! |
| Little House is Susan's debut book. | | | | That´s how I decided to start my own line |
| Thank you for this interview, Susan. Can you tell | | | | of books called Booksicals with the mission of |
| us briefly what your latest book, Too Many | | | | creating and publishing books that would |
| Visitors for One Little House, is all about? | | | | encourage a love for reading through the arts. |
| Too Many Visitors for One Little House is a | | | | Too Many Visitors for One Little House would be |
| children´s picture book about 3 crabby | | | | Booksicals debut picture book. |
| neighbors, a new family on the block, a big family | | | | And that´s how I found my publisher. |
| reunion and the importance of being included. | | | | How has your publisher been to work with? |
| Can you tell us who or what was the inspiration | | | | Even though I am my own publisher I am very |
| behind your book? | | | | strict about revising and re-writing. I get outside |
| Too Many Visitors for One Little House is based | | | | help from free-lance editors and have a business |
| on the crazy summer we moved into our new | | | | partner who critiques my work and helps me to |
| house in Beverly Hills and ALL THESE VISITORS | | | | get to the heart of the story. |
| came to stay. | | | | I really enjoyed the publishing process with Too |
| First my sister arrived in a giant BOUNDER (the | | | | Many Visitors and especially enjoyed working with |
| biggest camper on the market) with 4 children, 1 | | | | illustrator Veronica Walsh. |
| husband, 1 housekeeper, a set of grandparents | | | | When you work with an outside publishing |
| and an uncle from Russia. They brought a ton of | | | | company writers and illustrators hardly ever get |
| blankets, pillows, piles of laundry, toys and lots of | | | | to confer with each other. Since I played BOTH |
| clothing. | | | | the role of writer and that of publisher I had to |
| Then my sister-in-law called that she was arriving | | | | work closely with the illustrator. |
| from Houston. She was getting a divorce and was | | | | As a preparation for character sketches, together |
| moving to LA. Where else could she go? She | | | | Veronica and I discussed characters, their |
| arrived with 3 kids, a housekeeper, a tons of | | | | relationship to one and other, character flaws, pet |
| suitcases and lots of psychological baggage. | | | | peeves, and lots of things that I did not put in the |
| Then my mother-in-law who was in a wheel chair | | | | actual story. This was a very interesting process |
| moved in with her nurse. | | | | for me and taught me a lot. I compare the |
| Things were not quite complete until a scraggly | | | | process to that of director working with the |
| dog followed me home from the supermarket | | | | actors to develop the back story in order to |
| one day while I was walking home pushing a giant | | | | better understand the characters and bring out |
| wagon filled with food for all the VISITORS! The | | | | their nuances. |
| dog decided to camp out on our front lawn for 2 | | | | Can you tell us how long it took you to write and |
| weeks until we brought him in. | | | | publish your book? |
| The neighbors were NOT at all happy to see their | | | | I wrote the actual story out in one sitting. Then I |
| once quiet neighborhood transform into a | | | | spent about a year revising and re-writing to get |
| cacophonous carnival of celebration. The police | | | | it to the level where I would consider publishing it. |
| were summoned anonymously on several | | | | Once the decision to publish was made it took |
| occasions. | | | | about one year before the book was released. |
| It took 16 years for the story to germinate and | | | | Do you have any words of inspiration for other |
| finally be set free as the picture book: Too Many | | | | writers who would like to be wearing your shoes? |
| Visitors for One Little House. | | | | If you believe in a story pursue it. Don´t |
| Is this your first published book and if so, can you | | | | give up. |
| tell us your experiences in finding a publisher for | | | | In my case rejection was the catalyst that led |
| it? | | | | me to create Booksicals and set me on this |
| I'm thrilled to say, Too Many Visitors for One | | | | exciting new path. |
| Little House is my first published book. | | | | I understand that you are touring with Pump Up |
| I wrote several stories prior to Visitors including | | | | Your Book Promotion in July via a virtual book |
| the first story I wrote together with my niece | | | | tour. Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual |
| Lauren Grabois who is a writer and school | | | | book tour to promote your book online? |
| teacher. Lauren and I both had quirky Beta fish. | | | | Virtual book tours are a great way for writers to |
| My fish, Jaws, was anorexic and would spit up its | | | | reach online readers, parents, consumers, |
| food. Lauren´s fish, Mr. Blueberry, was | | | | teachers and anyone who loves children´s |
| paranoid and would always hide under a rock. This | | | | books. Pump Up Your Book Promotion does all |
| became the basis for our first story: Mr. Blueberry | | | | the research and knows the blogs that are the |
| and the Fish From Down the Street. | | | | most suitable for your genre of book. I think |
| We got really good feedback after presenting Mr. | | | | it´s a great publicity and marketing |
| Blueberry at a SCBWI conference showcase in | | | | opportunity. |
| Los Angeles. I started pitching the story to | | | | What´s next for you? |
| publishers. I only got rejection letters back. I got | | | | With the goal of inspiring a love for reading |
| discouraged and decided to move on to a new | | | | through the arts, I recently formed the Booksicals |
| project. When the inspiration to write Too Many | | | | Repertory Company and created a musical |
| Visitors for One Little House came to me I wrote | | | | version of Too Many Visitors for One Little House. |
| it as a counting story from the family´s | | | | We had a debut performance of Too Many |
| point of view. | | | | Visitors for One Little House at the Robertson |
| I sent it to out several publishers but only | | | | Library in Los Angeles on June 2. A mom who |
| received rejection letters back. I was very | | | | was at the performance emailed me that evening |
| disappointed but I believed in the story. I was not | | | | that her 2 year begged to have Too Many |
| giving up. | | | | Visitors for One Little House read to her 4 times |
| At the next SCBWI conference I was determined | | | | before going to bed. She told me that her older |
| to get advice on how to improve the story and | | | | daughter, age 9, went to the Booksicals website |
| was fortunate to get a critique from Editor Allyn | | | | as soon as she got home to hear excerpts of |
| Johnston while she was still at Harcourt. Allyn | | | | the music and wanted to get the CD of the book |
| advised me to get rid of the counting and take | | | | (soon to be available on itunes.) |
| out all the character names. | | | | This level of excitement about reading is exactly |
| I discussed with her the problem I was having | | | | what I set out to accomplish with Booksicals. In |
| with point of view and together we discovered | | | | the near future I am hoping to partner with both |
| that the story was really about the neighbors and | | | | corporate and individual sponsors to help bring |
| their need to be included. I asked Allyn if she | | | | Too Many Visitors for One Little House |
| would consider the book for Harcourt after I | | | | performances and books to kids in underprivileged |
| made the revisions. She said YES. I was elated.I | | | | school districts, homeless shelters, and pediatric |
| went home and revised the story, changed the | | | | hospitals. |
| point of view, took out the counting and tweaked | | | | The decision to write a sequel to Too Many |
| the language. I sent the revised story to Allyn at | | | | Visitors for One Little House came about in an |
| Harcourt. She sent me back a nice letter saying | | | | interesting way. At a two author readings in |
| Harcourt decided to PASS. I was very quite | | | | Arizona the kids asked me to tell them what my |
| disappointed. But I still believed in the story. I was | | | | next book will be about. When I asked them if |
| not giving up. I continued to query the book | | | | they wanted to read more books about the |
| though now I started seriously thinking about self | | | | family on El Camino Street they all said YES! I |
| publishing. | | | | asked them to tell me which character they |
| One day I turned for advice to a former NY | | | | wanted more books about and unanimously they |
| editor who now had a free-lance company called | | | | shouted -- the dog! |
| Picture Book People. I sent her several of my | | | | So that´s when I decided I would write a |
| stories and asked her to advise me. If I were to | | | | sequel. BUT the scraggly dog needs a name! I've |
| self publish which story did she think was worth | | | | posted a contest on the Booksicals website for |
| the effort. She read all the stories and replied that | | | | children to help me name the dog for the next |
| in her opinion Too Many Visitors for One Little | | | | book. The contest can be accessed at |
| House was a strong story with heart and had the | | | | Thank you for this interview, Susan, and much |
| most potential for success. | | | | success to you! |
| So now all I had to decide was if and when to | | | | |