Heather Preusser "Beats Out" Revisions -- a Guest Post

Welcome back from your summer adventures!                                     

Today, GROG is thrilled to host guest blogger Heather Preusser for a second post about using Blake Snyder's Beat Sheet as a tool to enhance the drama of her writing -- this time for her chapter book series, Hedgehog Whodunit. Take it away, Heather!

😎

Using Blake Snyder’s “Beat Sheet” as a Revision Tool

by Heather Preusser

Writers often beat themselves up when a manuscript isn’t working (at least I know I do), but have you ever “beat out” a manuscript when you’re stuck?

Back in 2017, I wrote a GROG guest blog post where I applied Blake Synder’s “Beat Sheet” from SAVE THE CAT to one of my favorite picture books, SNAPPSY THE ALLIGATOR (DID NOT ASK TO BE IN THIS BOOK), by Julie Falatko and Tim Miller. I wanted to see if I could take a screenwriting tool, the “BS2,” and apply it to picture-book writing. Turns out I could! 

Now I’m back to explain how I used the “BS2” while revising the first book in my chapter book series HEDGEHOG WHODUNIT, which came out in October 2024 from Andrews McMeel Kids. 

I often create multiple iterations of the “BS2” as I progress through the writing process. Sometimes I use it as a brainstorming tool when I’m stuck drafting, and sometimes I use it as a reverse outline when I’m working through revisions. For the purposes of this post, I’ll focus on the latter and how, after receiving The Editorial Letter, I went back to my last version of the “BS2” to try and figure out how I was going to hammer out a solution (not that any hammers were involved). 

1. Opening Image: In this before-the-adventure-begins snapshot, we read about Hitch hanging around his Hedgehog Hut. He is just about to take his mid-evening nap. This represents the struggle and tone of the story: Hitch is a reluctant sleuth; all he wants to do is be left alone to snooze.

2. Set-Up: This expands on the “before” snapshot. It introduces the reader to Hitch, the hardboiled hedgehog detective who claims to run the joint—the City Zoo—as well as his sidekick Vinnie, a rat and his informer.

Hitch always naps while Vinnie always snacks or rattles on about food. Hitch is observant and quick-witted but slow-moving; he keeps Vinnie on the straight and narrow. Vinnie, on the other hand, moves quickly; he has a predilection for puns, and he helps Hitch get things done. Their personalities complement one another, and they work together to solve crimes. 

3. Theme Stated: Snyder describes the theme as what the story is about; it’s the message or truth. Here’s my truth: I didn’t set out to write a chapter book with a message. In fact, I wasn’t sure I could identify the message even after the book was acquired! I set out to create a rollicking romp of a read. And that’s the thing about chapter books. They’re meant to engage emergent readers, to compel them to turn the page again and again and again. Not once did the acquiring editor ask me about the story’s takeaway, which I found refreshing, especially since I was coming from writing picture books where takeaways are often paramount. So I didn’t worry about theme. This doesn’t mean readers can’t extract a theme (one takeaway could be that there’s a time to follow the rules, and a time not to follow the rules); it just wasn’t central.   

4. Catalyst: This is the moment when the main character’s life changes. Vinnie informs Hitch someone has altered the sign in the panda pen from “Please don’t feed the panda” to “Please free the panda.” Not only is the giant bear missing, but it’s also creating chaos around the zoo. 

5. Debate: This is a brief moment of doubt when the main character—and thus the reader—questions whether or not Hitch will take on the case. 

6. Break into Two: At the end of Chapter One, Hitch agrees to help find the perpetrator and locate the missing bamboo-loving bear. He makes a choice to leave act one, the “thesis” world where he’s in charge, and step into act two, the upside-down world where Vinnie becomes his de facto zoo tour guide. After getting a whiff of fish, Vinnie follows the scent to the penguins’ pen, and Hitch follows Vinnie.

7. B Story: Although it’s not a traditional love story, Vinnie’s love of food is the B Story. Ultimately, his fondness for food leads Hitch to the last clue that allows them to crack the case.  

8. Fun and Games: We see the penguins chillin’, enjoying the vast amounts of sardines, as well as the hippos, who have a predilection for selfies, and the lions, who appear to be just lying around. After visiting the suspects, Hitch and Vinnie arrange a stakeout. From their high vantage point, Hitch spots two lemurs carrying a bucket of red paint. They’ve caught the culprits red-handed, but the lemurs make a clean sneak!

9. Midpoint: Hitch leaves his post and follows Vinnie through the Woodland Garden and around the Snack Shack, where they encounter a slippery situation—literally. Vinnie and Hitch both slip in pigeon poop. This is a false defeat, a “down” beat. 

10. Bad Guys Close In: It would appear things can’t get any worse than falling in pigeon poop, but then Bad Guys Close In in the form of a squadron of pooping pigeons. The pigeons chase the detective duo, and one even poops on Hitch’s head! Exhausted, Hitch rests on the ground in false defeat. He thinks he sees stars, but—thanks to his lazy ways—it turns out he’s uncovered another clue: fresh, red paint drops, which lead them around the Snack Shack and into Lemur Lounge. 

11. All Is Lost: Initially, Hitch and Vinnie came across the missing giant panda at a disco party at Lemur Lounge, but—with no foolproof evidence—they simply let the panda go. After reading The Editorial Letter, I realized this beat was too easy, too convenient. There was no confrontation, so of course I needed to expand and adjust the scene. It’s the crux of the story, the moment when the main character realizes they’ve lost everything they’ve gained (all those clues that had Hitch thinking he was close to solving the case and taking a nap!), or everything they’ve gained now has no meaning. So I moved things around in act two and inserted more tension. I added a panda in a lemur costume at an A Capel-LEMURS concert as well as a game of hide and seek. This had me laughing out loud while I wrote it at my local coffee shop, and I chuckled again when I saw Gal Weizman’s hilarious illustrations of a ridiculously adorable giant panda trying to hide behind a bush (almost), under a table (kind of), and behind a flamingo (sort of). Since the panda is so bad at hiding, this beat is a false victory, an “up” beat that contrasts with the midpoint.  

12. Dark Night of the Soul: During this beat, the main character hits rock bottom and wallows in hopelessness. Initially, Hitch did wallow. In anything. After some rejiggering, I made him wallow in stink—literally—after engaging in a stink fight with the lemurs. Then someone in the zoo turns the lights down low, puts on a slow song, and it seems like Hitch will rock himself right to sleep. But Vinnie misconstrues Hitch’s dozing for dancing, which results in the prime suspects pointing and laughing at the detective’s dancing skills (or lack thereof).

13. Break into Three: In chapter seven, it turns out Hitch and Vinnie have their culprits right where they want them. The lemurs are red-handed. Literally. They’re hands are covered in red paint! The lemurs plead not guilty, but when Vinnie and the troop leader trade secret family recipes, Hitch starts to put all the clues together. After all, this is the world of synthesis. He notices the index card for “Grandma Gansu’s Famous Soup Dumplings” and realizes the only secret to this secret recipe is it’s not the lemurs’. Hitch suspects they’re in cahoots with the footloose and fancy-free panda. 

14. Finale: Hitch reads the culprits their rights and brings them to the big house. Vinnie tells a half-truth, explaining how he and Hitch saw the lemurs in the act. Hitch also points out the lemur has been avoiding eye contact during the entire investigation, further proof she’s guilty. When Vinnie attempts to write this on his notepad, the lemur fixes his spelling mistake and lets it slip that she is, in fact, guilty. 

15. Final Image: Hitch hangs around his Hedgehog Hut again with his feet up when Vinnie barges through the door out of breath, announcing the wooden cheetah on the zoo’s carousel has disappeared. This image echoes the opening image and hints at the animal antics in book two. 

So the next time you feel like beating yourself up about a manuscript you can’t seem to get right, try channeling your inner Blake Snyder and “beating it out” instead. Perhaps it will help you re-envision your writing and ultimately hit the nail on the head (not that any nails are involved). 

More about Heather Preusser

Growing up in Maine, Heather Preusser read all the Nancy Drew mysteries. Every. Single. One. Now she writes her own mysteries featuring a hardboiled hedgehog detective and his tireless rodent sidekick solving animal antics at City Zoo. 

HEDGEHOG WHODUNIT, the first book in her chapter book series, released in October 2024 from Andrews McMeel. The second book, THE CAROUSEL CAPER, came out in July 2025, and the third book, THE PROTECTIVE ORDER OF PEANUTS (P.O.O.P.) will be available in 2026. She is also the author of the picture book A SYMPHONY OF COWBELLS (Sleeping Bear Press, 2017). When she’s not writing or teaching, Heather plays with her five-year-old, a budding boxitect. She and her family live in Colorado. To learn more, please visit her website (www.heatherpreusser.com) and Instagram.

Big thanks to Heather! GROGgers, if you try the Beat Sheets approach to your work, let us know how it goes in the comments. And a big welcome back as a new school year begins. 

Interview & Give-away! Carol Baldwin tells the Whole Truth

by Sue Heavenrich

Welcome Back from your Summer Explorations!

This week GROG has invited Carol Baldwin to share her experiences writing a historical novel. Plus we have a book give-away. So read on...

Carol has published articles for children and nonfiction books for adults. This spring her debut YA novel hit bookstore shelves. Half-Truths (Monarch Educational Services,  April 2025) is a historical novel that takes readers back to 1950. The main character is 15-year old Kate Dinsmore, who lives (and works) on her family’s tobacco farm in rural North Carolina. But Kate has dreams of a future far beyond the tobacco fields. She wants to become a journalist, and the editor for the local paper encourages her to follow her dream.

Kate decides that to get to college where she can study journalism, she’ll need the financial support of her wealthy grandparents. So, she crafts a plan to live with them in Charlotte, only to discover that there’s more to high society than going to school and getting good grades. She’s expected to attend lessons in the social graces so she can become a debutante. Meanwhile, and despite their racial differences, she forms a tentative friendship with Lillian, her grandmother’s teenage maid. When Kate discovers an old family photo while exploring her grandmother's attic, she unearths a secret that will not only threaten her friendship with Lillian and her status with her new society friends, but will cause her to question whether she has what it takes to be a true journalist.

This is a perfect book for kids who love stories but say they don’t love history. It’s a story that will get kids thinking (and perhaps talking) about racial discrimination, segregation, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), racial violence, injustice, and societal norms. And, even though Carol started working on this story 18 years ago, it’s a great springboard for discussion about what’s happening in our country at this time. So, I was happy that Carol accepted my invitation to chat on the GROG about her writing…

Me: What inspired this story?

Carol: I give a lot of credit to Joyce Moyer Hostetter for encouraging me to discover a story in my own backyard. [Joyce writes middle grade historical fiction] I live in Charlotte, but I didn’t grow up in the South and I wondered what life was like back before the Civil Rights movement. I started digging for stories, asking questions like: Where were the old plantations and graveyards? Who were the debutante girls of 1950? I wanted to know about the history that is under our streets. Meanwhile, I had this idea in the back of my head that I wanted to write about a girl who moves from a farm to Charlotte and into a higher social class. 

Me: I imagine you did a lot of research to lay the groundwork for this story. 

Carol: One of the reasons it took me 18 years to write this book is that I enjoy meeting people and talking to them. When I started, there was so much I didn’t know so I took myself on a self-guided African American Heritage tour.* I interviewed as many folks as I could, including former debutantes, Korean War veterans, and people who picked tobacco as kids, and many more—about 100 altogether!

*go to http://landmarkscommission.org/local-history/driving-and-walking-tours/ 

then click on "African-American Heritage Tour."

I remember visiting a community center that had been a former Rosenwald school, and looking at photos on the wall. Seeing the people in the photos triggered an idea that the girls could have been related. In my conversation with Vermelle Diamond Ely, we talked about how she knew light-skinned Black girls who had passed. I considered including that as part of Lillian’s story, but ultimately decided against it. 

I was excited to discover that the Blue Willow china that is featured in my book, was a popular pattern at the time. There’s a story painted on the china, and I was able to incorporate that story into my own story. I happen to love stories within stories, and there are several in Half-Truths.

Me: How did you manage to keep focused on your story over all those years?

Carol: I definitely went off track a couple times. At one point I had Lillian’s brother dying from a racially motivated incident. Then I realized that had nothing to do with the heart of my story. I spent two years writing the book from both girls’ points of view per an editor’s suggestion. Although it definitely helped me see my story through Lillian’s eyes, I went back to the original idea of writing it from Kate’s POV. 

As for the research, I wanted to make my story authentic. But that tendency to over-research became part of the problem, and in the end, there were stories that didn’t make it into my book. One thing I did to keep me focused on the kernel of my story was to remind myself that Half-Truths is about the relationship between the two girls, Kate and Lillian. If I were to give writerly advice, it would be this: Research wide, but keep in mind the focus of your story so that readers can say, ‘this book is about ___.’ In my case, the book is about a White girl and a Black girl who discover they are second cousins while coming to grips with who they are as young women in the 1950s.

Me: What’s next for you?

Carol: I’m working on another historical novel set in the late 1800s. It’s the story of Kate’s paternal grandfather who is a glassblower’s apprentice. I’ve already done some research on glassblowing – including a hands-on experience in a workshop in Charlotte. As much as I relish diving into the research, I’ll try to be mindful to stay focused on the story!

You can catch a glimpse of Carol’s new project at her blogpost here (which is where I grabbed this photo!)

Thank you so much, Carol. And now, for everyone who’s managed to stick with us this far, go find a story in your backyard. It might be history … or it might be (like so many of mine) about something in your garden! 

You can find out more about Carol, her books, and workshops on her website, carolbalwinbooks.com

enter the GIVE-AWAY! 

Carol is giving away an autographed copy of Half-Truths to one lucky person. You need to live in the US to be eligible. Simply leave a comment before August 26th to be entered! Make sure you include your name somewhere in the comment if you want to be entered in the drawing. We’re doing the drawing old-school, in a manner that Kate and Lillian would be familiar with: putting names in a hat and drawing a winner. Winner will be announced in the first September post, with instructions on how to claim your book! 

Becky Scharnhorst and Best Buds: A Cool Summer Read by Kathy Halsey

As we move forward into summer, the GROGers are going on a summer break until mid-August. We hope you take time to rest, refresh, and find new leafy friends like author Becky Scharnhorst did in her book BEST BUDS. Keep growing with new reads.

Best Buds Book Review

In our last post before summer break, I’m excited to share Becky Scharnhorst and illustrator Jiarui Jiang’s upbeat, delightful book about moving, making friends, and growing new ones.

Lucky me,I discovered this book when Becky and I worked together to enhance her school visit presentations for the 2025-2026 school year. (Yes, it’s summer, but as a former school librarian, I used part of my summer breaks investigating authors for the upcoming year.) School librarians, this would be the perfect book and author for a fall or spring visit! 

Friendship stories are “evergreen” topics in children's literature. So how do you take this time-honored trope and make it new? Author Becky Scharnhorst and illustrator Jiarui Jiang’s combined skills create a story that cultivates a different POV when examining friendship.

While Spencer’s mom is worried about him making friends when they move, Spencer’s happily making friends with an array of plants: Fred's an excellent listener, Dottie’s a bit wild, and Eugene’s a jokester. Spencer has chosen excellent friends for all the right reasons. He takes his friends to lunch, storytime, and the playground, adding new friends along the way.

Can you find a friend in a box? What if your friend is another species? What if your family doesn’t understand? BEST BUDS answers all these questions and lays ground for rich conversations about friends that teachers, librarians, and family will enjoy reading and discussing with young readers. Spencer may be  “late bloomer,” as his mom says, but Spencer’s open-minded attitude reveals friends come in all shapes and sizes! Whimsical art, and plethora of plants with personality make this a great read-aloud. This picture book encourages readers to find their own plant companions and see nature as a loving entity that needs care, like best buds do! The last few spreads at the end make for a sweet, surprising ending! (Still time to preorder this book!)

Craft Chat with Becky Scharnhorst

Kathy: I’ve read your first three books: My School Stinks (2021), This Field Trip Stinks (2022), and How to Get Your Octopus to School (2023).  How do you see Best Buds  similar to your other books?  How is it different? 

Becky Scharnhorst: I love books that make me laugh, so I always try to incorporate at least a little humor into my writing. I think that is one way in which all of my books are similar. However, I would say the humor in Best Buds is more subtle than the humor in my other books. Also, all three of my first books feature a character who is feeling a bit nervous and unsure about something. In my first two books, Stuart is nervous about going to school with wild animals and then he’s nervous about taking a field trip IN THE WILD! In my third book, the octopus is anxious about going to school. In contrast, the main character in Best Buds is quite confident. Even when the adults in Spencer’s life question him, he remains true to himself and his choice of friends. That’s one of the things I love most about him!

Kathy: This is a book about plants and friends. How did you begin putting these two concepts together?  What were your inspirations in sparks?  Do you have any favorite plants?

Becky Scharnhorst: About a year before the pandemic, my family and I moved across the country. Making friends can be difficult in the best circumstances, but trying to connect after a move and during a pandemic was nearly impossible! A couple years later, I realized I still didn’t have a strong community around me. It was about this time that I decided to buy a gorgeous Aloe Vera plant I spotted in a local store. I did this despite my dismal record for keeping green things alive. To my amazement, Dottie thrived! And so did our friendship. My family thought it was ridiculous how much I talked to her, but I didn’t have any other friends to talk to, and it felt odd NOT talking to this beautiful, living, growing thing sitting right next to me. Soon, my whole house was filled with plants and taking care of them brought me so much joy! I eventually found human friends in my new town as well, but my plants kept me company in the meantime. So this story is very much inspired by my own move and my new best buds. Dottie, in particular, holds a special place in my heart, and while I don’t ever say this around the others, she is my favorite. 

Becky w/her Best Bud "Dottie #1

Kathy: I love how you explore the POV of friendship through adult and children’s lenses. Parents sometimes want their children’s friends to be “a certain way“. You brought this out in a subtle way. Was this comparison of adults vs. children’s views always in the story?  

Becky Scharnhorst: I’m so glad you picked up on that because this was something that was there from the beginning, and it was something I felt passionate about including. I wanted Spencer to be confident in who he was and in his choice of friends regardless of what the adults around him were saying. It’s clear from page one that his mom is worried about Spencer’s ability to make friends. But he’s not worried at all! It’s easy! And he’s not concerned about his ability to make more friends either. Spencer knows what he is looking for in a friend and he gently challenges anyone who questions his choices. He knows more about friendship than the adults give him credit for, which I think happens a lot. Often, adults think we know what’s best for the children in our lives, but kids have much to teach us if we are willing to listen. That was one of the things I wanted to explore in this story. 

Kathy: The ending was a twist for me. Did you envision this ending early on or did it change over time?

Becky Scharnhorst: Oh my goodness. I wrote so many different endings! I had an ending where Spencer doesn’t make any human friends, he just sticks with his plants and is perfectly happy. I had another ending where it looks like he and Daisy are going to become friends, but instead they both end up hugging Eugene (the tree). I had an ending where Daisy and Spencer bond over their mutual love of plants, not plants and insects. And I had many variations of this ending. So. Many. Endings. But I landed on this one because I wanted to show that Spencer wasn’t against having a human friend. On the contrary, Spencer is open to all kinds of friendships and he recognizes the value of each unique friend. He even refers to Daisy’s caterpillar as “your friend” because he knows right away that’s what Raymond is to Daisy. The reason Spencer and Daisy are a perfect match is because they both know love and friendship can bloom in unexpected places.

Kathy: Tell us about the way Jiarui Jiang’s illustrations add to and expand the story. Did you have any input on that?  It's such a beautiful book – words and pictures together! 

Becky Scharnhorst: I don't think I can overstate how much depth and beauty Jiarui's illustrations brought to this story. One of my favorite examples of this is how we see Spencer's room change throughout the book. Right after the move, Spencer's room is empty and lifeless. But as the story progresses, and Spencer makes more and more friends, we see how full and colorful his life is becoming. I don't know if this was Jiarui's vision or Lauren’s (the Art Director), but it was absolute genius! Originally, I imagined Spencer and Fred sharing a drink outside after they met. However, placing them inside gives the reader a chance to revisit his room and see the dramatic growth (both literal and figurative) that is happening in Spencer's life. 

Another small detail I love is how many straws there are in the glasses of water his mom brings in at the end. In the beginning, she is questioning whether he might want a friend who could talk. But by the end, she has come to see the value of all his friendships. That one small detail shows how Spencer is changing the world around him and influencing others in a positive way. And that’s just one of the many ways Jiariu’s detailed illustrations bring richness and depth to this story. I am so grateful to have partnered with her on this book because I feel like she really understood the story right from the beginning and she brought so much more to it. I only added art notes where they were necessary for clarity. 

Kathy: What are you working on next? 

Becky Scharnhorst:I have three upcoming picture book projects in the works, but unfortunately, I can’t share any specific details yet. I will say that one is a rhyming manuscript (my first, and perhaps only, one) and the other two include some fun nonfiction elements even though they are both fiction picture books. I hope I can share more news soon! If you’d like to stay informed, you can follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my newsletter. Thank you so much for having me on the GROG blog, Kathy! I appreciate your support and kind words about BEST BUDS!

Get your new friends here!

Still time to PREORDER your own BEST BUD! Check out these stickers!!!!

Anyone who preorders Best Buds through Bound to Happen Books in Stevens Point will receive two sticker sheets with plants from the book. Please include a note at checkout if you'd like your book signed and personalized. Here's the link! 

https://www.boundtohappenbooks.com/item/uhkEB3h562vFH3VtdGNtEA

"Dottie #2 . . .look how she GREW!

BIO

Becky grew up in Northeast Wisconsin and spent most of her childhood playing in lakes and reading books. Shortly after graduating from Luther College, Becky spent a year working as a children’s bookseller at Barnes & Noble and soon discovered she enjoyed reading picture books more than anything else. Much, much more! Now Becky spends her days writing children’s books and working at her local library. She is the author of My School Stinks (2021), This Field Trip Stinks (2022), How to Get Your Octopus to School (2023), and Best Buds (2025). When she’s not reading or writing, Becky can be found hiking through the woods or baking something sweet. She currently lives in central Wisconsin with her husband and two children.

SOCIALS

Instagram: @beckyscharn (https://www.instagram.com/beckyscharn/)

Bluesky: @beckyscharn (https://bsky.app/profile/beckyscharn.bsky.social)

See you mid-August. Hang out with your best buds for now!

Behind the Scenes of a Picture Book & a Giveaway by Tina Cho

 Yesterday, my 6th picture book swam into the world.

illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns, published by PRH Waterbrook

Before a book publishes, authors are busy behind the scenes along with the publishing team. Today I'll share some of the many things I have done. If you have a book, you can relate. Or perhaps you'll pick up an idea or two. I love reading how other authors prep! Here we go and not in any sort of order~

1. Work on finishing touches with your editor: You might have to do some last minute copyedits, especially when you see how text works with illustrations. Some words might be deleted.

2. Proof jacket copy & sales copy: You might be asked to proofread the sales text for the jacket cover of your book and text that would be on the book's page at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the publisher's page, etc. Check out the sales copy text on this Amazon link. 

3. Write a teacher's guide: You might be asked for ideas for a teacher's guide. I helped write the teacher's guide for this book. It will be available real soon!

4. List influencers: You might be asked for a list of people who can help spread the word for your book. 

5. Write an influencer letter: You might write a letter that is put on nice stationery to be included with the book they receive from the publisher.

6. Update your business card: You'll want to update your business card to include your newest book!

7. Update your website: Include your new book cover, description, any awards & reviews, teacher's guide

8. Update your bio with your new book: Places like  your SCBWI member page and Amazon Author page should be updated. I once landed a book contract from my bio at SCBWI! (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators)

9. Schedule blog posts: People want to know nitty-gritty about your book. Writing blogs such as this one are good to schedule ahead of time. 

10. Schedule podcasts: This is something your publicist might do for you. If not, you might inquire with your publisher or podcasters. I spoke on two podcasts: CHRI Radio Ontario and Reading with Your Kids (my part is at 37:44). 

11. Fill out interview questions: Some bloggers will send you questions to answer. 

12. Do photo shoots of your book: You want some fun photos and videos of your book. Where would be some great settings? Or use Canva or photo apps to put your book in creative backgrounds.

at my sister's swimming pool

13. Buy props & swag: If you're having a book event, you might want to order fun things ahead of time like stickers, bookmarks, a stuffed animal that goes with your book to use at story time, a puppet, items to giveaway with your book, food for events. For example, I found a cute beach bag at Target to go with my book and a $5 shark stuffy at Kohls. 

Beach bag from Target dollar bins. Here I used an app called Photoroom to remove my ugly background and put this cute bag on the beach

14. Create reels: If you're into this sort of thing, you might create fun, short videos of your book. I made this fun reel on Instagram, using my book as a baby gift.

15. Post to social media: Once you've created photos and videos of your book, posting to various platforms takes time, at least for me! Here's an adorable IG post of my friend's grandson with the shark from Kohls and my book. I also like to make a list of creative posts. Follow me on IG to see what I do with Oceanographer.

16. Unbox: Once you get YOUR box of books from your publisher, you can make an unboxing video.

17. Plan giveaways: What blogs or social media contests will you hold?

18. Set aside money (perhaps from your advance) to mail those giveaway books. Keep all receipts!

19. Come up with a signature line. For each of my books, I like to not just autograph my name, but I like to write something thematic or heartfelt that goes with each book. My husband came up with the line for God's Little Oceanographer. If you want to know what it is, you'll have to have me sign your book! :)

20. Be flexible for whatever is thrown/given to you to spread the word of your book. Something special about this Big Adventures for Growing Minds series is that I have been privileged to write a 5-day devotion plan for the You Version Bible app. The plan for God's Little Oceanographer is coming! I've already written it. Here's the plan from God's Little Astronomer if you are curious. 

So there you have it. A list of 20 things that authors might do to prepare for their book launch. I'm still learning. And if you have other ideas, please list them in the comments! 

What's next for me? 

God's Little Zoologist 2027

God's Little Botanist 2029 I think

The Princess & the Grain of Rice Feb. 10, 2026

An unannounced picture book

Would you like to win a copy? Be sure to follow this blog and leave a comment. Contest ends Sunday, June 29th, 8:00pm CST. 

my friend's grandson

Tina Cho is the award-winning author of six picture book--RICE FROM HEAVEN: THE SECRET MISSION TO FEED NORTH KOREANS, KOREAN CELEBRATIONS, MY BREAKFAST WITH JESUS, THE OCEAN CALLS: A HAENYEO MERMAID STORY (4 starred reviews, JLG, Freeman Honor Award), GOD’S LITTLE ASTRONOMER, GOD’S LITTLE OCEANOGRAPHER, and the forthcoming THE PRINCESS AND THE GRAIN OF RICE (Feb. 2026) and GOD’S LITTLE ZOOLOGIST (2027). Her lyrical middle grade graphic novel, THE OTHER SIDE OF TOMORROW received five starred reviews (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal, The Horn Book), an SCBWI Golden Kite Award, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, SLJ Best Graphic Novels List 2024, Kirkus Best Middle Grade 2024, & Booklist Editors’ Choice 2024 & the Freeman Book Honor Award/NCTAsia). She’s a kindergarten teacher by day and an author by night. You can visit her website at www.tinamcho.com. 

Instagram: @tinamcho

X: @tinamcho

Facebook: @tinamcho

To order God's Little Oceanographer click here