I'm so happy to announce the publication of my poem,
Bubble Trouble, in
Highlights/High Five magazine, July 2008,
pg 12 & 13 illustrated by Holli Conger.
Yay!
If you're interested in the submission process - Read on. Bubble Trouble from idea to published poem took 4 submissions and 7 years. Note: there is more to my life between 2001 and 2008 than this 6 line poem but that's all I'm blogging about here.
I first thought up Bubble Trouble in 2001, scribbled down the rough draft and posted it on a corner of my drawing board. All the better to keep an eye on it while I worked on illustrations /graphic design assignments, other ideals, life, etc. Every now and then I'd tweak a word or line until it took pretty much the same form as it is today -a 6 line poem. I also thought it would make a cute rebus and created a double spread layout.
Submitted my BT poem & suggested sketch layout along with sample
illustration and SASE to Ladybug magazine fall of 2001. Why Ladybug? Because they were publishing my
In the Garden, illustration and counting activity. And I thought it was perfect for their readers aged 2 - 6. Waited - way past the 4 months they said it took to review & return submissions before finally sending a query. It is the spring of 2002 when I get a reply that they don't keep records of unsolicited subs but I may resubmit. I do. More months pass - finally my SASE comes back at the end of 2002- REJECTED! Albeit a personal rejection. They have a surplus of bubble submissions!
After some sulking, I revamp art for a single spread and submit to Highlights Magazine 2003. They do use rebuses but I still think it's a longshot. More months of waiting - but it does come back - form letter rejection. Well I did think it was a long shot.
BT submitted to Turtle magazine July 2003 and is rejected that December. I sulk, indulge in massive quantities of chocolate, file it away.
2006/2007 - I read in my newsletters:
Children's Book Insider and
Children's Writer that HighLights will be coming out with a new publication. High Five magazine will be aimed at 2 - 6 year olds. I make a note to myself to submit art samples and maybe create a proposal. One day it dawns on me that I have a perfect project for them in my files. BT is: reviewed, tweaked and submitted July 2007. September 4,2007, my sketches are returned but they are interested in publishing my poem. I'm a bit surprised as I always thought that my art sold my writing but I accept. A month later, the editors send me edited copy to review and a publication date of July 2008!
Hamster Resolves - © 2009 Diana Ting Delosh.
