Welcome to the Back Matter Break Down! I am SUPER excited because today I get to share all about back matter in my very own book! I am going to use the same format I use for my other author interviews so this blog series can remain a useful resource. I hope you enjoy learning a bit more about the journey I went on with this book. And stay to the end for a giveaway! Let’s dive in!
Book: Ice Cream Everywhere: Sweet Stories from Around the World
Author: Judy Campbell-Smith (it’s me!)
Illustrator: Lucy Semple
Publisher / Year: Sleeping Bear Press, 2023
Topics: Ice Cream, Geography, Food
Blurb: Everywhere you go, all around the world people are eating ice cream! And while some folks spoon up sundaes and some savor Syrian bouza–one thing is always true: ice cream is joy! Travel the globe and discover a mouthwatering selection of cold, creamy treats. Which one is your favorite?! Ice Cream Everywhere includes a map, an author’s note–and three scoops of fun!
Word Count: 1300
Back matter word count: 275
Back Matter Sections:
1. Map (47 words): In which I wrap up the theme of joy in the book along with an illustrated map showing the countries where each of the book’s ice cream treats.
2. Author’s Note (108 words): In my author’s note, I explain how my time spent in New Zealand eating ice cream and gelato provided the inspiration for this book. I also add that living in Southern California gave me many opportunities to try out the treats mentioned in the book as part of my research. Lucy Semple framed my note in the center of a delightful scene of the books characters sharing an ice cream picnic together.
3. What’s the Difference? (120 words): On this page, I briefly explain the differences between ice cream, gelato, kulfi, Turkish Maraş and Syrian bouza. Again, Lucy Semple added illustrations of each treat to accompany the explanations.
At what phase of the drafting/revising/publishing process did I decide my book needed back matter?
Once I figured out what the structure of the book would be and I finally had a full draft (which took a looooong time), I knew there would be back matter with the book. It just made sense considering how much information was packed into the book and fit in with other books of the genre.
What did the first draft of the back matter look like?
The first draft of the back matter consisted of an attempt at a glossary of terms found in the book and a note showing the difference between ice cream versus gelato. I say “attempt” because it was very messy in the first draft. I also had a list of selected resources which stuck around for quite a while in subsequent drafts.
Why did changes occur? What changes and revisions came about after working with the editor/agent?
The idea of a glossary went by the wayside during my own revision process. A glossary didn’t seem necessary after I pivoted to including factual sidebars to go alongside the fictional stories about each country and ice cream treat.
The version that I queried with and ended up submitting to editors had the “What’s the Difference?” section now expanded to also include kulfi, bouza, and Maraş. It also still had a bibliography of resources and a list of ice cream themed picture books for further reading. When I started working with Sarah Rockett, my editor at Sleeping Bear Press, she recommended removing the resources and the further reading elements with the idea they could be used in in additional materials or teacher guides. I was thrilled when Sarah suggested we add an illustrated map in the back matter. I hadn’t considered that before it was a perfect addition for this book. My first book, AJ’s Neighborhood, features a map at the end, so I thought it was cool that maps can be part of my author brand.
At this point I requested that we add a short author’s note to the back matter because I wanted to give readers a little bit about how my own travels provided the inspiration for the book.
Is my back matter aimed at kid readers or adults? What do I hope readers will take away after reading your back matter content?
I think my back matter is really more aimed at kid readers. I know lots of kids like exploring maps and I tried to keep the text in the back matter short so kids would not be intimidated to keep reading. I hope readers will come away with a growing curiosity about other countries and be inspired to explore new foods.
Reflecting on this process and what you learned, what tips can you offer picture book writers for writing back matter?
My tip for picture book writers is to look at your mentor texts and books in your genre to start thinking about your own back matter. My mentor texts had back matter but also sidebar facts which is what got me thinking about what info would be better used within my spreads and what info should stay in the back matter. From there, think about what else you could add to your back matter–get creative!
Are there resources to share that would be helpful for writer’s wanting to learn more about back matter?
When I was putting this manuscript together, the blog posts at Nonfiction Fest were very helpful. Yes, they focus on nonfiction specifically but there is a lot of great content for dealing with factual presentations in picture books. The Nonfiction Fest blog posts were very helpful to me for a lot of things.
Thank you so much for reading post about my book!
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Time for a giveaway! I would like to offer 1 lucky winner their choice of either A) a 30 minute Ask-Me-Anything zoom chat (to talk about writing, publishing, back matter, etc) or B) a FREE 30-minute max Virtual School Visit (for yourself or gift to a teacher of your choice). To enter, leave a comment on the blog post by 11:59pm PT on March 25, 2024. One entry per person.
Update: The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Donna – you are the winner!
Thanks for reading!
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