Hi! It’s here! FINALLY, twelve years after the first draft, ten years after the book deal, six years after it was first supposed to publish, Help Wanted: One Rooster is finally out in the world.
There were a few years when I wasn’t sure this day was ever going to come. If you’ve been following along in my making-of essays the past few weeks, you know that one sticking point with this manuscript was the ending. The rooster had a restaurant, the rooster was a traveling musician, the rooster was working in the city, the rooster had an art gallery, the rooster ran a Rooster School, the rooster was disillusioned with work in general. The candidates stayed weird (even when some of them left the manuscript and new ones came in) and it was always a puzzle as to how to get these weird rooster candidates to fit in with the new ending, whichever one it was.
The final ending really took 10 years of revising to figure out. What? No, of course I’m not going to tell you what it is. You’ll have to go find the book and read it for yourself. And when you do, make sure you notice all of the brilliant details illustrator Andrea Stegmaier added into the illustrations.
(Read the previous parts of this series if you missed them: one, two, three, four, five.)
Enjoy this book trailer! I went to an actual farm to film it. I wasn’t sure how the animals were going to be, but they were all complete professionals. They knew their lines, and brought real feeling to every scene. What with being actual farm animals and all.
Buy Help Wanted: One Rooster at any of these places, or at your local independent bookstore.
Print: A Bookstore for signed and/or personalized copies
I was interviewed on the Picture Book Buzz blog, talking about Help Wanted: One Rooster.
I have a few more events scheduled for Help Wanted: One Rooster, check the Events page on my website for details.
Congratulations to the following winners, who were all chosen by a random number generator. You should have received an email from me already.
Ger D. won a copy of Help Wanted: One Rooster
Paying subscribers Mike M. and Louise P. won either a picture book manuscript critique or a 30-minute creative coaching session.1
I have just opened my books to picture book critiques for the first time in…a decade? I’m currently doing them as 30-minute Zoom meetings (where the writer sends me their manuscript ahead of time, so I have time to read it a few times and make notes before the meeting). Let me know if you’re someone who thinks this format stinks and maybe I’ll add regular written critiques.
Print sent me an email this morning saying my copy is on its way! Huzzah! :) So excited!
Congratulations, Julie !!! Thank you for sharing the long journey this book took to hatch and happy book birthday! I look forward to reading it!!