Category Archives: Australian authors

Book review: Actually, I Can

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Actually, I Can cover_medTitle: Actually, I Can
Author: Nicky Johnston
ISBN: 9780987092670
RRP: $16.95
Type: picture book
Publisher: Rough Draft
Publication date: 3 August 2013

Amelia is confident and loves going on adventures. Her friend Connor is shy, and worries about everything; he’s a ‘worry bunny’.

Amelia tries to entice Connor to try new things and be adventurous, but he worries about what might happen: what if they get into trouble for playing where they shouldn’t? What if those plums are poisonous?

With his friend’s help, Connor eventually realises that he doesn’t have to worry so much, and that he can have fun.

This is Nicky Johnston’s third book. She self-published her first, Go Away, Mr Worrythoughts!, to try to help her son overcome anxiety; her second, Happythoughts Are Everywhere …, continued with that theme. Both were quite successful, which isn’t surprising considering how many children deal with anxiety and worry. Actually, I Can is published by Rough Draft, and is a great follow-up to Nicky’s first two books.

Nicky manages to capture what goes on inside a child struggling with anxiety: wishing you could be different, a churning tummy, not wanting to eat. She also cleverly deals with Connor’s realisation that he can be adventurous, without being preachy. Her gorgeous illustrations complement the text very well. One or two words within the dialogue jumped out at me as being words a child probably wouldn’t say, but this is a very minor point in what is a lovely book, very accessible to children.

I recommend Actually, I Can for parents whose children are anxious or nervous – but children without this problem would certainly enjoy it too.

Ampersand Project submissions open soon

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Fantastic children’s publisher Hardie Grant Egmont has announced that its Ampersand Project will begin accepting submissions in November for its 2013 collection.

For those unfamiliar with this, the Ampersand Project looks for YA manuscripts set in the real world, written by unpublished authors. I love their commitment to publishing books based on real life, because they’re not so easy to find these days and that’s a shame.

This is a great opportunity for YA authors, so get cracking on those manuscripts because you’ve only got a couple of months!

For more information, go to the Hardie Grant Egmont website.

Opportunity for picture book authors

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One of our clients, a Melbourne-based children’s media company, is looking for an author to write a six-book picture book series aimed at two to six year olds. This series will be based on a concept that they have developed.

The client has big plans for the picture books, wishing to expand the concept to other media platforms if all goes well.

If you are interested in this opportunity, we’d love to hear from you. We’d like to be able to see examples of your writing, so if you have one or more manuscripts to show us, please get in touch, by email in the first instance. Please send us a brief summary of your experience and areas of interest, one manuscript, and any specific questions you may have.

We look forward to hearing from you.

CBCA Book of the Year 2012 winners announced

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Big news today for the Australian children’s book community – the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year 2012 winners have been announced!

Here are the winners:

  • Older Readers Book of the Year: Scot Gardiner for The Dead I Know
  • Younger Readers Book of the Year: Kate Constable for Crow Country
  • Early Childhood Book of the Year: Nick Bland and Freya Blackwood for The Runaway Hug
  • Picture Book of the Year: Bob Graham for A Bus Called Heaven
  • Eve Pownall Book of the Year: Alison Lester and Coral Tulloch for One Small Island: The Story of Macquarie Island

See the CBCA website for full details of the winners and honour books. Congratulations to everyone!

John Marsden Prize for Young Australian Writers

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If you’re a writer who’s under 25, you might be interested in entering the John Marsden Prize for Young Australian Writers. Entries have just opened for this prize, which is being facilitated by Express Media and funded by Marsden himself.

The competition offers the following prizes:

  • Short Story prize (18–24) $3000
  • Poetry prize (18–24) $1500
  • Short Story prize (under 18) $500
  • Poetry prize (under 18) $500
You also have the chance to have your work published online and in the December issue of Voiceworks.

See Express Media for more information, and for entry forms.

Skills needed for self-publishing

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Here’s another interesting article that I stumbled across today, this one about the effort required for those wishing to self-publish. Australian authors Hazel Edwards, Tony Park and Khyiah Angel discuss the need to work hard at distribution, marketing and getting involved online, to try to build your profile and increase the number of readers interested in your book. Writing guest posts on blogs, maintaining a website and learning ebook technology are just some of the things required of self-publishers.