It's been two years since I started of Alli Brydon Creative,
my children's book editorial and writing business!
Here, have a slice of cake with me
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
The first year was incredibly successful, with such projects as editing/project managing
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo (which keeps on going and going), writing nonfiction for Scholastic Clubs, and signing on with my agency, Painted Words. Feel free to click back to my blog post from last year celebrating my 1st birthday.
Well, the second year possibly outshone my first!
OK, so I’m going to come right out with the #1 most exciting thing...
I’M GOING TO BE A PUBLISHED CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR!!!
Open your mystical map and get ready to travel through time with 21 extraordinary myths, legends, and folktales that will transport you to every corner of the globe. Meet gods, goddesses, serpents, talking fish, and clever spiders. Cavort with sea nymphs, mystical women, terrifying beasts, and volcano people as you discover different tales of how the world began. Retold by ME! and with dazzling illustrations by Julia Iredale, these stories will link you to the past and introduce you to people who preserved their tales through oral history.
Publishes on October 1st, 2019 (Lonely Planet Kids)
Links to pre-order on IndieBound, Amazon, and B&N
2nd highlight: I've started a children's book imprint called Upside Down Books that will launch in January 2020 publishing picture books, activity, and nonfiction chapter books that focus on mental health, well-being, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence.
Upside Down Books is an imprint of Trigger Publishing, and here are just a few of the amazing books planned for next year and beyond:
Read more about it in The Bookseller.
3rd: I signed on as freelance developmental editor with Scholastic/Branches to work on the amazing Press Start series, by Thomas Flintham.
<-- This one comes out in December 2019, and we're now working on books 9 and 10 of the series.
Super Rabbit Bonus: my own kid really loves these books.
Some other work I've been busy with in year two....
I helped develop the all-new Buttercup Babies series, published by Gakken
and distributed by Simon & Schuster in the US.
A client's self-published series is starting to show its beautiful, friendly face to the world...
And there's more to celebrate! I’ve loved working with many picture book authors and illustrators to develop their stories and writing chops. Some of them have become repeat clients of mine, and it’s been a pleasure watching their craft become stronger. I was absolutely delighted to cheer for two of my clients whose picture books were recently sold to trade publishing houses and announced in Publisher’s Weekly.
Oh my goodness, it's been a very busy year! There are a few more things I can't mention just yet, including some exciting kidit writing projects I've got up my sleeve. I feel so fortunate to work with some of the most talented folks: publishers from the US, UK, and beyond, and hard-working, driven kidlit writers and illustrators from all corners of the globe.
To say thanks for bolstering my business and cheering me on for the past couple of years, I am offering a 10% discount off my picture book manuscript and dummy critiques until October 31st, 2019. Mention this blog post in an email to me at allibrydoncreative (at) gmail (dot) com, and I look forward to working with you in year three!