Client Mike Curato scores 3-book deal!

Another success story! Our friend and former Business of Books client Mike Curato, a Seattle-based illustrator and designer, has struck publishing gold…and it couldn’t happen to a nicer chap. It all began in January, when Mike won the Portfolio Award at the national conference of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). Agents and editors started calling, and many had interest in an adorable elephant named Elly from his portfolio. “I felt terribly unprepared,” Mike confesses about the immediate attention. He quickly decided he needed an agent to collaborate with, and he found one at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates who was both experienced and nuturing. “She told me to take a breath, and that everyone who was interested wasn’t going anywhere,” he says. “That gave me the space in which to write Elly’s story.”

Several rounds of meetings later–with such heavy-hitters as Little Brown, Simon & Schuster, Random House, and Scholastic–Mike and his agent accepted an offer at auction from Henry Holt Books for Young Readers for a series of three picture books starring Elly. “They are so passionate about the character,” he says with gratitude. “It’s exactly what you’d want.”

And now, to work. Mike’s first book debuts next fall. We can’t wait to see it!

If you’d like a sneak peek of Elly and all of Mikes’ work, check out www.mikecurato.com.

And if you’d like to know how we can help you on the road to publishing success, drop us a line at jenandkerry@gmail.com.

Another Client Success Story: Ellen Bremen

We are tickled pink to crack open a copy of Ellen Bremen’s new book, Say This, NOT That to Your Professor. Ellen was one of our very first students, coming to a Business of Books talk after hearing us chatting on KUOW about how sad it makes us to think of all the manuscripts out there that have been abandoned or put aside, for lack of proposal and submission guidance. Realizing a 10-year-long dream, Ellen made this book see the light of day through passion and perseverance. She dealt with rejection and revisions, she started a blog and built up her platform, signed with both literary and lecture agents to develop her book and her personal brand, and she—and we—now hold in our hands Say This, NOT That to Your Professor.  We couldn’t be more proud.

In the midst of launching her book, Ellen took time out to offer up a video testimony about our services. Check out what she had to say about The Business of Books.