Authors – Page 3 – Judy Campbell-Smith

Back Matter Break Down: Interview with Razeena Omar Gutta

Welcome to the Back Matter Break Down! Today, we are all in for a treat! I’m bringing you an interview with author Razeena Omar Gutta to talk about the back matter in her debut, Hana’s Hundreds of Hijabs. The back matter in this book is informative, fun and really unique–but also a perfect addition to this story about creativity and culture! Let’s dive in!

Book: Hana’s Hundreds of Hijabs

Author: Razeena Omar Gutta

Illustrator: Manal Mirza

Publisher / Year: Barefoot Books, 2022

Topics: Fashion, Creativity, Muslim Culture

Blurb: “Hana has a humongous collection of hijabs and accessories – and her hijab is always styled superbly. But when her overflowing collection gets a little out of hand, Hana knows something needs to be done . . . and comes up with a clever plan for sharing her talents and possessions with her community! Young makers will chuckle along with this humorous tale of creative problem-solving and learning to help others.”

Word Count: 524

Back matter word count? Around 300 words

At what part of the writing/revising/publishing process did you start working on your back matter?

Once most of the editing of the manuscript was done, and the illustrations were well underway giving us a good feel for the book, we started looking at ideas for back matter. There were a few things not reflected in the manuscript that I needed to clarify and explain in the back matter, and we had also been given some great feedback by beta readers within Barefoot Books that made us realise we needed some further explanation.

How did working with an agent or editor affect your back matter?

Being my very first traditionally published picture book, and first time working with an editor, it was great to have some guidance on the matter. We discussed a few options and then decided on the interview style.

Why did you decide to do a greeting in the voice of your main character to explain more about hijabs instead of a more typical author’s note or fact box?

Hana is such a vibrant character and the way she’s illustrated by Manal made her a character that I felt kids would just resonate with. By the end of the book, we just loved her personality (and readers have said the same) and so it was just natural that she should flow on into the back matter.

How did the interview section come about? Was that your idea or the editor? Who came up with questions?

The interview was my idea, and I came up with the questions, but it was after some prompting from my editor that it would be great to make the back matter a bit creative. Also, hijab is something personal – and since Manal and I are both hijab wearing Muslim women, I felt it was a good way to get our own points of view across and our own journeys too. In a world that doesn’t always understand hijabs, or the choices Muslim women make, it was a good opportunity for us to speak up and make our views heard.

Did any other books help inspire your back matter content?

I can’t say that they did. We wanted it to be unique.

What do you hope readers will get from your back matter content? Is your back matter aimed for kid readers, adults or both?

It’s definitely aimed at both. I think Muslim kids really resonate with our interview answers, and it helps non-Muslim adult readers explain the hijab to non-Muslim kids in a way that accessible and authentic to our experiences.

I hope Muslim girls in particular will feel inspired and confident in the choices they make once they’re older, with regard to the hijab. And I hope non-Muslim readers close the book with a better understanding and appreciation for Muslim women and girls.

What advice do you have for any picture book writers who are working on their back matter?

Keep the back matter authentic and true to yourself and the book. If there’s a strong connection between yourself and the story, it would really enhance the experience of the book if you’re comfortable to share that. But also, only share what’s comfortable to you. Make it concise and accessible to readers in creative ways does help readers connect with the book. We have had many compliments on the back matter of our book.

What picture book with excellent back matter would you recommend to writers who want to study a good example?

I do love the back matter of Halal Hot Dogs by Susannah Aziz because we get to see the author’s family pictures and learn more about her. I also really loved The Night Before Eid by Aya Khalil for the same reason.

Thank you, Razeena! I think you will inspire other authors to explore new and creative options in their back matter…and I think Hana would approve!

Please support Razeena!

Follow me on Instagram @razeenareads where I share books for all ages.

Purchase copies of Hana’s Hundreds of Hijabs: https://www.barefootbooks.com/hanas-hundreds-of-hijabs

Purchase Maymoona’s Moon: https://www.hardiegrant.com.au/au/publishing/bookfinder/book/maymoona_s-moon-by-razeena-omar-gutta/9781761211898

Thank you for reading!

Don’t miss future posts! Subscribe to my blog:

Back Matter Break Down: Interview with Brentom Jackson

Welcome to the Back Matter Break Down! I am so glad to bring you an interview today with Brentom Jackson, a debut author whose picture book brings together Easter, creativity, fashion, Black history, and faith traditions all in one delightful package. Enjoy this interview, but make sure to stay all the way to then for details on a how to win a free, signed copy of Elijah’s Easter Suit! Let’s go!

Book: Elijah’s Easter Suit

Author: Brentom Jackson

Illustrator: Emmanuel Boateng

Publisher / Year: Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2024

Genre: Fiction

Topics: Easter, Fashion, Black History

Blurb: “Elijah is on a mission to find the perfect church outfit for Easter. But when failed attempts at his town’s stores leave Elijah disappointed, an important conversation with Deacon Brown and Mother Green about tradition, culture, and clothing gives him the courage to create his own Easter masterpiece: a patchwork of perfection that tells his story with style.”

What is your manuscript word count? What is your back matter word count?

My manuscript word count is 539. The backmatter word count is 504.

At what phase of the drafting/revising/publishing process did you decide your book needed back matter?

Back matter came as a suggestion from my editor. During the pagination process we realized some of the historical information that I wanted to convey in the story interrupted the rhythm of the text. Using more creative ways to express these thoughts in the manuscript and using back matter to provide more in depth information was our solution.

What kind of research did you do for the back matter?

Autobiographies served as primary sources and scholarly articles were secondary sources. I also spent a lot of time reading fashion magazines and looking at old advertisements/catalogs, etc.

What did the first draft of the back matter look like? Can you show us snippets?

Ha! My first draft of back matter was simply a list of research and sources I’d gathered during the manuscript writing process. I sent that to my editor and she was like, “Um…this is great. Now let’s turn it into back matter.”

Tell us about the back matter revision process. Why did changes occur? What changes and revisions came about after working with the editor/agent?

I worked to turn that list into actual back matter with the help of my editor. My biggest challenge was defining such serious topics (enslavement, African Diaspora, segregation, and Jim Crow laws) for young readers. After that the copy editor took over and provided much needed help with the grammar, punctuation and citation.

What was the process for selecting and securing the rights to publish the photos that appear in your back matter?

My back matter centered upon one particular photo: “Negro boys on Easter morning. Southside, Chicago, Illinois 1941” by Russell Lee. This photo was one of my biggest inspirations for writing the book. I would have been happy if only that photo was included in the back matter. However, my publisher was able to secure other images from that photo essay.

Is your back matter aimed for kid readers or adults? What do you hope readers will take away after reading your back matter content?

There is a biographical portion of the back matter that I aimed at parents. I wanted them to feel that sense of nostalgia I enjoyed while writing this book. The photos in the back matter are aimed at grandparents and history enthusiasts. I wanted them to see those images and be reminded about this time in our history. The more informational content is aimed at kid readers. I wanted to convey the same lesson that community members in the story impart to Elijah about the tradition of Sunday’s Best, with a little more historical context.

Reflecting on this process and what you learned, what tips can you offer picture book writers for writing back matter?

Save all the things you come across while researching during the manuscript writing process. During the revision process: constantly repeat the phrase “There is always back matter!” This will help you kill your darlings more effectively.

Are there resources or comp titles you can share that would be helpful for writer’s wanting to learn more about back matter?

The 12×12 Community page Backmatter Matters was a great resource. Always turn to your editor, critique partners and mentors who have experience with back matter.

Thank you, Brentom! It was fascinating to read how your back matter grew from a list of sources into the compelling material that it became!

Please support Brentom! Follow him – @brentomjackson on all social media

Purchase copies of Elijah’s Easter Suit! https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/722293/elijahs-easter-suit-by-brentom-jackson-illustrated-by-emmanuel-boateng/

Now for the giveaway! Brentom has generously offered to give one lucky person a signed copy of Elijah’s Easter Suit! To enter: Leave one comment on this blog post by February 6, 2024 at 11:59pm Pacific Time. A winner will be chosen at random and notified on February 7, 2024. One entry per person!

Update: The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Lisa–you are the winner!

Thank you for reading!

Don’t miss future posts! Subscribe to my blog!

Back Matter Break Down: Interview with Jessica Whipple

Welcome to the Back Matter Break Down! I’m excited to bring you a really insightful interview with author Jessica Whipple, author of Enough Is… and I Think I Think A Lot. You’re going to love getting a peek at the behind-the-scenes process of writing the back matter for her latest book. Jessica is also giving away a 30-minute Brain Picking Session via Zoom, so make sure you read to the end of the post to find details on how to enter. Let’s dive in!

Book: I THINK I THINK A LOT

Author: Jessica Whipple

Illustrator: Josee Bisaillon

Publisher / Year: Free Spirit Publishing, 2023

Genre: Fiction

Topics: Social-Emotional, Mental Health

Blurb: “I think. I think a lot. I think I think a lot. More than most other kids.” A young girl notices and wonders about the ways she and her classmates approach doing good work, caring about people’s feelings, and showing they’re grateful. She comes to accept herself just as she is and celebrates the differences between herself and her classmates. “I care a lot. Not more than other kids, just in my own way.” Inspired by the author’s experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), I Think I Think a Lot can be a starting point for discussions about overthinking or obsessive thought and about the many ways individuals see and experience the world. The neurodivergent main character allows readers to see themselves and others in the story and emphasizes self-acceptance in the face of comparison.

What is your manuscript word count? What is your back matter word count?

JW: I had to look back! Word count is about 500 for the story text and the back matter is about 850 words, perhaps more.

At what phase of the drafting/revising/publishing process for I Think I Think a Lot did you decide your book needed back matter?

JW: My book proposal to Free Spirit with back matter included. (Free Spirit requires a full book proposal with writing credits, a market analysis, and thorough comparative title research included.)

What did the first draft of the back matter look like?

JW: When I made the book proposal, the back matter was simply an author’s note of perhaps two paragraphs plus a few non-specific online OCD resources.

Tell us about the back matter revision process. How did editor/agent input cause changes, if any? How did you get to the final version we see in the book?

JW: Free Spirit wanted to include discussion questions–it’s one of their trademarks, so to speak. So I worked with the editor to write relevant questions that satisfied her requests and my own hopes for the book. Lastly, rather than a list of resources, we included a note about OCD including a definition and how to contact the International OCD Foundation online. So it was even better than my proposed list of resources.

Did you feel any concern or hesitancy about talking about your own OCD experiences in the back matter?

JW: No hesitancy, however the question was how to limit the many facets of my complicated experience having OCD. But the book already focuses on just one aspect of my experience, so that helped me focus my author’s note.

Reflecting on this process and what you learned, what tips can you offer picture book writers for writing back matter?

JW: One thing that comes to mind is to let yourself feel free to be your authentic self.

Thank you, Jessica! I love the advice you left us all with and appreciate you letting us see a bit of the process you went through to bring this back matter together!

Please support Jessica! You can purchase I Think I Think A Lot and Enough Is… wherever books are sold and she asks that you please consider your local independent bookseller.

Signed copies here: AuthorJessicaWhipple.com/books

Follow Jessica Whipple: @JessicaWhippl17 on Instagram and X/Twitter. She’d love to connect there!

Now for the GIVEAWAY! Jessica has generously offered a 30-minute Brain Picking Session via Zoom to one lucky person! To enter: Leave one comment on this blog post by January 23, 2024 at 11:59pm Pacific Time. A winner will be chosen at random and notified on January 24, 2024. One entry per person!

***** EDIT: The giveaway has now closed! Congrats to Kate R! ****

Thank you for reading!

Don’t miss future posts! Subscribe to my blog!

World Read Aloud Day 2024: Book a Virtual Visit with A Self-Published Author or Illustrator

I’m so excited about World Read Aloud Day 2024 coming on February 7, 2024. This is a day when authors and illustrators celebrate the power of reading aloud by volunteering their time to read to children around the world via Zoom! This event was founded LitWorld and Scholastic, and I am so excited to be once again organizing the self-published authors and illustrators who are volunteering their services to read on WRAD 2024!

If you’re reading this, I hope you are interested in scheduling a visit by one of the amazing authors on my list. If you’re new to WRAD, here is what the typical visit entails, as stated by author Kate Messner:

WRAD VISITS AREN’T LONG OR FANCY PRESENTATIONS. USUALLY, THEY LAST 10-15 MINUTES AND GO SOMETHING LIKE THIS:
– 1-2 minutes: Author gives a quick introduction & talks a little about their books.
– 3-5 minutes: Author reads aloud a short picture book, or a short excerpt from a chapter book/novel
– 5-10 minutes: Author answers a few questions from students about reading/writing
– 1-2 minutes: Author book-talks a couple books they love (but didn’t write!) as recommendations for the kids

TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS, here’s how to connect with an author or illustrator to Zoom with your classroom or library on World Read Aloud Day:

Check out this List of Self-Published Authors & Illustrators, and visit their websites to see which ones might be a good fit for your students.
Contact the author directly using the email provided or clicking on the link to their website and finding the contact form. Please be sure to provide the following information in your request:
- Your name and what grade(s) you work with
- Your city and time zone (this is important for scheduling!)
- Possible times to connect on February 7. Please note authors’ availability and time zones. Adjust accordingly if yours is different!
- Your preferred platform (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.)
- A phone number where you can be reached on that day in case of technical issues
Please understand that not all authors will be available at all times. It may take a few tries before you find someone whose books and schedule fit with yours! (As authors become fully booked, there info will disappear from the list, but only as fast as receive updates.)

IF YOU ARE A SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR OR ILLUSTRATOR WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST, fill out this form to sign up: SIGN UP: World Read Aloud Day 2/7/24

VOLUNTEERS, once your schedule is full, please send an email & I’ll remove your name from the list as soon as possible.

My list is only for self-published folks, but the amazing author Kate Messner has a list of traditionally published authors volunteers. To check out that list, visit Kate’s website! (Also, shout-out to Kate Messner for all of her hard work and for keeping me in the loop with WRAD stuff — she’s the best!)

Have fun, everyone!

World Read Aloud Day 2024 – call for self-published volunteers

It’s that time of year again! We are getting ready for World Read Aloud Day which will be held on February 7, 2024. For those unfamiliar, World Read Aloud Day was founded by an organization called LitWorld to “celebrate the power of reading aloud to create community and amplify new stories, and to advocate for literacy as a foundational human right.”

One of the big/amazing/fun things that happens on WRAD each year is that authors and illustrators volunteer to do free virtual visits with children around the world. The amazing Kate Messner is organizing traditionally published authors & illustrators who would like to participate…

And, once again, I am organizing the self-published /non-traditionally published volunteers!

IF YOU ARE A SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR or ILLUSTRATOR, I hope you will sign up to participate in WRAD 2024! Last year was so fun, and many of our participants said they were able to connect with kids and reach new readers by having their name on the list.

WRAD virtual visits are not elaborate or time-consuming to plan. Your presentation should last 10-15 and should go something like this:

1-2 minutes: Author gives a quick introduction & talks a little about their books.
3-5 minutes: Author reads aloud a short picture book, or a short excerpt from a chapter book/novel
5-10 minutes: Author answers a few questions from students about reading/writing
1-2 minutes: Author book-talks a couple books they love (but didn’t write!) as recommendations

I hope you will join us! If you’re a self-published author or illustrator who would like to offer free virtual visits for World Read Aloud Day (February 7, 2024) please click this link and fill out the form:

WRAD 2024 – Call for Self-Published Volunteers

And, if you are a traditionally published author or illustrator who would like to sign up, visit Kate Messner’s website!

TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS: In a few weeks, the list of volunteers will be made public for you to see who is available to join your group. Check back soon!

For more info, visit the WRAD website: https://www.litworld.org/learn-more-about-wrad

World Read Aloud Day 2023: Zoom with a Self-Published Author or Illustrator!

World Read Aloud Day 2023 is just around the corner! This year’s annual celebration will be on February 1 and is brought to us by LitWorld and Scholastic. On World Read Aloud Day, authors and illustrators celebrate the power of reading aloud by volunteering their time to read to children around the world via Zoom!

I learned about World Read Aloud Day from author Kate Messner who is coordinating author and illustrator volunteers who are traditionally published. To check out that list, visit Kate’s website! (Also, shout-out to Kate Messner because she already figured out this whole process & I’m 100% copying her–THANK YOU, KATE! )

Here’s Kate’s description of what a WRAD visit looks like:

I’m so happy to be coordinating the self-published authors and illustrators who are volunteering their services to read on WRAD 2023! I know there are some amazing authors and stories on this list, and I hope they all get a chance participate in WRAD this year!

TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS, here’s how to connect with an author or illustrator to Zoom with your classroom or library on World Read Aloud Day:

Check out this List of Self-Published Authors & Illustrators, and visit their websites to see which ones might be a good fit for your students.
Contact the author directly by using the email provided or clicking on the link to their website and finding the contact form. Please be sure to provide the following information in your request:
- Your name and what grade(s) you work with
- Your city and time zone (this is important for scheduling!)
- Possible times to connect on February 1st. Please note authors’ availability and time zones. Adjust accordingly if yours is different!
- Your preferred platform (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.)
- A phone number where you can be reached on that day in case of technical issues
Please understand that not all authors will be available at all times. It may take a few tries before you find someone whose books and schedule fit with yours!

IF YOU ARE A SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR OR ILLUSTRATOR WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST, fill out this form to sign up: SIGN UP: World Read Aloud Day 2/1/23 – Call for Self-Published Author Volunteers

VOLUNTEERS, once your schedule is full, please send an email & I’ll remove your name from the list as soon as possible.

Have fun, everyone!

World Read Aloud Day 2023 – A Call for Self-Published Author & Illustrator Volunteers!

World Read Aloud Day 2023 is coming! On February 1, 2023, authors and illustrators from around the world will do virtual visits for schools and libraries.

LitWorld, which created World Read Aloud Day, explains it this way:

LitWorld founded World Read Aloud Day in 2010 to celebrate the power of reading aloud to create community and amplify new stories, and to advocate for literacy as a foundational human right. Since then, World Read Aloud Day has evolved into a global movement of millions of readers, writers, and listeners from communities all across the world coming together to honor the joy and power of reading and sharing stories, and continue expanding the definition and scope of global literacy.

Author Kate Messner has been organizing a sign-ups for traditionally published authors & illustrators who want to volunteer their time on World Read Aloud Day. Here’s her description of what a WRAD visit looks like:

I saw Kate putting out a call for authors & illustrators to volunteer, but she wasn’t able to include self-published volunteers at this time. SOOOOOO, I decided to go ahead it do it!

If you are a self-published author or illustrator, and you would like to be listed as a WRAD virtual read-aloud volunteer, please fill out this form to sign up: SIGN UP: World Read Aloud Day 2/1/23 – Call for Self-Published Author Volunteers

Teachers & Librarians, please stay tuned because I will post the list and you will be able to get in touch with any volunteers who fit your needs/time zone.

Are you a self-published picture book, middle grade or YA author?? I hope you’ll sign up and spread the word!