HELLO! Welcome to Chapter 22 of The Happy Book—one of a series of shorter podcasts to provide inspirational content during this Covid-19 shutdown. Things are tough right now. Staying home, sticking together, being connected, diving into books – it’s vital. We have lots of fab questions to get into in this chapter. Fire up your device, cram in those earbuds and enjoy this foray into the magical world of kids’ book creation. If you have any questions or comments, you can say hello at books@taniamccartney.com. I’m Tania McCartney and I’m an author, illustrator and editor of children’s books. I ..read more

HELLO! Welcome to Chapter 20 of The Happy Book, the last in season two. In this very special chapter, we’re going to talk promotion. Promoting you as an author, illustrator and creator, and of course, promoting your books. We’ll cover branding, online exposure via websites and blogs, online illustrator portfolios, author/illustrator bios and photos, book blurbs, straplines, collateral, how to stand out from the crowd and heaps more. As a special bonus, I’ll reveal Kids’ Book Review’s best tips for getting your books reviewed. Fire up your device, cram in those earbuds and enjoy this foray i ..read more

HELLO! Welcome to Chapter 19 of The Happy Book. In this chapter, I’ll be talking to author/illustrator Kylie Howarth about the author/illustrator journey. I’ll be chatting to Kylie about her wonderful books and how she creates them—you’ll actually hear a behind-the-scenes rundown of how she does it! We’ll also talk about thinking outside the square when it comes to book ideas, about illustration techniques, combining writing with pictures, the importance of visual narrative, character consistency, finding your voice and so much more. Fire up your device, cram in those earbuds and enjoy this ..read more

HELLO! Welcome to Chapter 18 of The Happy Book. In this chapter, I’ll be taking your questions. And answering them! I’ve had loads of queries and suggestions for podcasts, and I thought it might be fun to respond directly to as many as I can. I’ll cover rejection (in its many forms), dealing with rejection letters, writing cover letters and crafting an irresistible synopsis for your book, getting your unpublished work and your published books ‘out there’. I’ll also talk about websites and social media, agents, and how to both find and pay illustrators. Fire up your device, cram in those ear ..read more

HELLO! Welcome to Chapter 17 of The Happy Book. In this chapter, I’ll be talking to author Penny Harrison about the emerging author journey. I’ll be chatting to Penny about her route to publication, and about the challenges she’s faced along the way. We’ll also cover working in magazines, about working with illustrators, attending events and getting industry involved, writing across genre, exploring different creator roles, and so much more, including the most challenging and the most rewarding parts of the emerging creator journey. Fire up your device, cram in those earbuds and enjoy this f ..read more

HELLO! Welcome to Chapter 16 of The Happy Book. In this chapter, I’ll be talking to illustrator Penelope Pratley about the emerging creator journey—as both illustrator and also a bit of author. I’ll be chatting to Pen about her route to publication, the challenges she’s faced, the highs, lows and joys. We’ll also cover working intuitively, dedicating time to our work, passion projects, your inner critic, visual narrative, the perfect picture book ending and a lot more. You’re going to love it, especially if you’re new to this journey. Fire up your device, cram in those earbuds and enjoy this ..read more

HELLO! Welcome to Chapter 15 of The Happy Book. In this chapter, we’re going digital, baby! We’re going to grab our paintbrushes and our pencils and our cameras and our textures, and we’re going to launch our software and create some digital illustration magic. You’ll learn about software options, techniques, brushes, patterns, working with colour, light, texture, colour modes, iPads, fonts, finishing art, and how to protect your body from this gruelling creative task, because it can be very hard on the body. Guests appearing in this chapter include: Heath McKenzie, Danielle McDonald and Ky ..read more

HELLO! Welcome to Chapter 14 of The Happy Book. In this chapter, I’ll be talking to author/illustrator Matt Stanton, all about funny, kooky illustrated fiction. We’ll chat about the huge popularity of such books and why they resonate so well with kids. We’ll also talk about the creation of these books—combining illustration with text so seamlessly and effectively, how illustrated books help with juvenile literacy, and loads more. Fire up your device, cram in those earbuds and enjoy this foray into the magical world of kids’ book creation. If you have any questions or comments, you can say he ..read more

HELLO! Welcome to Chapter 13 of The Happy Book. In this chapter, I’ll be talking to you about money money money. How to make money in this kids’ book game, optional revenue earners—both as author and illustrator—and unexpected sources of income you may not have heard of. I’ll also be covering accounts… yes, yes, groan. But they are important, and there are ways to stay on top of them and still retain every hair on your head. If you’re keen to make this career a fulltime one, this podcast is for you. Fire up your device, cram in those earbuds and enjoy this foray into the magical world of kid ..read more

HELLO! Welcome to Chapter Three of The Happy Book. In this chapter, I’ll be talking to author and friend, Cate Whittle. Cate is a junior fiction queen, and I’ll be chatting with her about the inspiring way she creates her books, how she plots and plans so well, yet still manages to pen such evocative and beautiful language, even for younger readers. I’ll also talk to Cate about how she creates her gorgeous characters, about passion projects, about career trajectory and so much more. Fire up your device, cram in those earbuds and enjoy this foray into the magical world of kids’ book creation ..read more