The RUBY LEE & ME Blog Tour: Interview with Shannon Hitchcock!

Shannon Hitchcock's new middle grade novel Ruby Lee & Me is out this month and getting all kinds of lovely buzz: Booklist, in a starred review, calls it "a heartening and important offering for younger readers."

And here's the summary from Goodreads:

"Everything's changing for Sarah Beth Willis. After Robin's tragic accident, everyone seems different somehow. Days on the farm aren't the same, and the simple fun of riding a bike or playing outside can be scary. And there's talk in town about the new sixth-grade teacher at Shady Creek. Word is spreading quickly--Mrs. Smyre is like no other teacher anyone has ever seen around these parts. She's the first African American teacher. It's 1969, and while black folks and white folks are cordial, having a black teacher at an all-white school is a strange new happening."

I adored Shannon's first book, The Ballad of Jessie Pearl (she spoke a bit about that book's journey to publication here). Today, I am so pleased to have her back On the Verge.

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Jody: The Ballad of Jessie Pearl is set in the 1920's and inspired by a true event in your family history. Is there a true story behind Ruby Lee & Me?

Shannon: There is. In 1967, I started first grade. That was also the first year that the school system in Yadkin County, North Carolina became integrated. Mrs. Pauline Porter was Fall Creek Elementary School’s first African American teacher. She taught first grade in the classroom beside mine.

Mrs. Porter had a special gift for working with reluctant readers. So every afternoon, she changed classrooms with my teacher, and worked with those of us struggling to read. Mrs. Porter had a beautiful cadence to her voice, and it reminded me of poetry.

Jody: Isn't it amazing how life-changing our first teachers can be--especially ones like your Mrs. Porter? I had a librarian like that in my childhood and recently tried to track her down. Have you ever thought about reconnecting with Mrs. Porter?

Shannon: I did. Several years ago, I heard that she was in failing health. I went for a visit to let her know what an impact she had made on my life. During that visit, she reminded me that white children had been uneasy about having a black teacher.

To ease our concerns, she had asked each of us to touch her face and hair. As Mrs. Porter spoke, my mind drifted back to that time. I remembered how soft her skin felt and how she loved all children regardless of color. As a writer, I wanted to tell a story I hoped would pay tribute to her gentle dignity. I wrote a picture book that I hoped would do just that.

Jody: So, this story started out as a picture book?

Shannon: Yes. I read the manuscript out loud to Scholastic editor, Andrea Pinkney at an SCBWI conference. She ultimately rejected it, but asked me to write a Middle Grade novel using those same themes.

Jody: Wow. That's a potentially huge revision!

Shannon: That's what I was thinking too. After much wailing about how I couldn’t possibly turn a picture book into a novel, I managed to do so, and that’s how this novel came to be.

Jody: How do you tackle a directive like that? Do you outline? Just plunge into writing?

Shannon: A bit of both. My usual process is to start with a very rough outline, but once I begin writing, the manuscript takes on a life of its own. For my current WIP, I used Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat to get started.

Jody: I've never read that, but you're probably the tenth writer friend who's suggested it, so maybe it's time for me to check it out.

Shannon: It's been helpful.

Jody:  I'm a big believer in writing craft books. But I also realize they're not for everyone, and somewhere along the way each writer figures out the writing process that works for them. I know, from speaking to you in the past, that you've had years of practice taking a manuscript from idea to revision to publication.

Shannon: I started out by writing magazine articles and picture book manuscripts. Several of my magazine articles were published, but none of my picture book manuscripts ever made it to press. I’ve lost count of how many manuscripts before I got a book deal, but a lot! All of that was good practice though, because my first novel attempt, The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, was published in 2013.

Jody: Has your writing process changed since then? I'm sure you're busier now.

Shannon: It depends on what else is going on. Like December—it seems I never get any writing done around the holidays.

Jody: Me neither. My schedule goes right out the window and then it's back to work in January. Is it the same for you?

Shannon. I don't have a regular schedule. When I’m in the zone, I’ll write like a fiend, all day every day in my pajamas. I literally do nothing else, and then when I’m finished, I do all the things I neglected when I was writing. I don’t necessarily recommend this approach, but it’s what seems to work for me.

Jody: I tend to do that too, especially as I'm nearing the end of a project. And we haven't talked about promotion yet. Promoting a book can feel like a full-time job in and of itself.

Shannon. It does... I have trouble multi-tasking.

Jody: The writing process, for me, takes so much sustained focus. It's hard to juggle events and travel. Some of that's died down for me, but here you are gearing up again with a second book. Are you approaching promotion the same way you did with Jessie Pearl?

Shannon: You know, I tried everything I could think of to promote that book. I had a curriculum guide prepared, had a book trailer made, sent postcards, gave out bookmarks, wrote a press release, and probably about 100 other things I can’t recall at the moment. I’m of the firm opinion that none of it made much difference in sales.

Jody: For the record I still have the postcard you sent me! But I suspect you're right that it's difficult for an individual author to move the needle on sales numbers in a substantial way. We do what we can do and what we feel comfortable doing...

Shannon: That's what I've decided this time around. I've taken a much more low-key approach. I updated my website, I’m doing interviews like this one, and I will of course do everything my publisher asks me to do, but I am not going to spend a small fortune like last time. I learned the hard way that it doesn’t pay off.

Jody: What are you working on now?

Shannon: Another Middle Grade novel. I’m not ready to disclose the subject yet, but my editor has  the first draft. I’m anxious to get her feedback on whether or not it passes muster. Cross your fingers!

Jody: I will! Thank you so much, Shannon, for chatting with me today.

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Shannon Hitchcock grew up in rural North Carolina on a 100-acre farm. Her extended family and love of the South are integral to her stories. Her picture book biography, Overgrown Jack, was nominated for the Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award. In addition to her novels Ruby Lee & Me and The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, her work has appeared in Highlights for Children, Cricket, Ask, and Children's Writer. She currently lives in Tampa, Florida, with her husband and teenaged son.

You can find Shannon at www.shannonhitchcock.com
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Her books are available in bookstores, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Pathways to Publication: Interview with Shannon Hitchcock

Have a manuscript you think might be worthy of publication and not sure what to do next? Maybe you're wondering if you need an agent and how to go about finding one. Or you're confused about what kind of money is involved--does someone pay YOU or do you have to sink some of your own savings into this venture? What does an editor do? Will you have to market this book yourself?

Last month I wrote about my first feeble attempt at publishing a book. Now I'm interviewing other writers on their SUCCESSFUL pathways to publication--from self-published to traditional, debut writers to a writer who's published 130 books, and everything in between. 

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Children's author Shannon Hitchcock on finding success with a new publishing model


Jody: You wrote a book that you felt was worthy of publication, what were your next steps?


Shannon: When I first started out, I had this vague notion that I wanted to write a children’s book, but I didn’t really know what that entailed. After two years of subbing picture book manuscripts and accumulating a pile of rejections, I took a correspondence class through the Institute of Children’s Literature. My instructor at ICL suggested I join the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Through SCBWI and ICL, I gained a wealth of knowledge.

It took me about ten years of working on craft before I was offered a publishing contract. In hindsight, it didn’t have to take that long, but in the beginning; I didn’t realize how much hard work goes into a publishable manuscript. Because I underestimated how stiff the competition is, I didn’t work nearly hard enough.

Jody: That's a lot of work behind the scenes and leading up to writing a publishable book. Was it smooth sailing from that point on?

Shannon: Not exactly. I started work on The Ballad of Jessie Pearl in late 2009 and completed the first draft in about six months. Many drafts later, I acquired an agent, but she couldn’t sell the manuscript. Most of the feedback we received went something like this: “My main concern is that this is straight historical fiction which is a really tough sale in the marketplace right now.” Being a bit stubborn, I didn’t give up. Instead I took my novel to a Highlights Foundation Whole Novel Workshop.

For those unfamiliar, at a “Whole Novel Workshop,” an editor reads and evaluates your novel in its entirety. Industry veteran, Stephen Roxburgh, who had recently started namelos, a small, independent publishing company, critiqued my novel. He expressed interest in publishing it, and after two rounds of revisions on spec, we signed a contract. The Ballad of Jessie Pearl was published on February 1, 2013.

Jody: You mentioned your agent. How did you find her? What does she do for you?

Shannon: I got an agent the traditional way by sending out query letters, but when my prior agent resigned, Deborah Warren, at the same agency, East/West Literary, inherited my manuscripts. Deborah subs my manuscripts to the editors she deems most appropriate, follows up with those editors, and negotiates contracts on my behalf.

Jody: What does a book deal look like with a small, independent publishing company like namelos?

Shannon: I will call my publishing deal a hybrid. It’s not quite traditional, and it’s a long way from self-published. My publisher does not pay an advance, but he does pay for all publishing costs. I have a 50/50 royalty split arrangement. My book went through multiple rounds of edits, copyedits, was professionally designed, and The Ballad of Jessie Pearl was submitted for professional reviews to all the major review journals. You can read the resumes of the people who worked on my book here.

Jody: Are you required to do a lot of your own marketing and promotion?

Shannon: The marketing strategy at namelos is to sub the books they publish for professional reviews and awards. They printed 150 copies of The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, and Nancy Hogan, head of publicity and foreign rights, sent them to the appropriate people. I have not been required by namelos to do any marketing, but they are appreciative of what I have done on my own. Basically I updated my website, had a book trailer made, and a Curriculum Guide for teachers. You can view all of those things at my website. 

Jody: Any thoughts on the future of publishing or what's going in the industry, as far as mergers, e-books, bookstore closings, etc., go? Do you see any of these issues as affecting you now, or in the future?

Shannon: The publishing industry is in a state of flux. Bookstore closings, which mean less shelf space, aren’t good for anybody. I don’t pretend to have a crystal ball and know how it will all shake out. Still, it’s a good time to be an author because there are more publishing options than ever before.

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Shannon Hitchcock's stories have appeared in Highlights for Children, Ask, and Cricket magazines. Richard Peck, Newbery Award-winning author, shared this high praise about The Ballad of Jessie Pearl: "With the poetry of plain speaking, Shannon Hitchcock recreates the daily drama of a vanished world."

You can find more about Shannon at www.shannonhitchcock.com