.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Navigating the KidLit Weather with Editor Lynne Marie PLUS Multiple Giveaways!
- Heather Macht
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Hello, readers, writers, and weather watchers of all sorts! Today is April Showers Day, and what better way to celebrate than with editor Lynne Marie? Lynne Marie, weather guru and #SeasonsOfKidLit Co-Host, too, is here with us discussing her new book Henny Penny's Weather Worries plus sharing tips on how you can navigate the kidlit weather. Want to know more about Lynne Marie, her background as author and editor, and her adorable new book, PLUS want a chance to win multiple giveaways, including a chance to win Skip the Slush passes? Read on...
Q: Hi, Lynne Marie, we’re here to talk about all things weather related with you today and are SO excited! Between being an editor, having interned at agencies, and having a new picture book that features the weather, we wanted to pick your brain and talk about something common in writing: weather worries.
As we know, authors face a lot of weather in their writing journey (i.e. bright and sunny days, dark and stormy days - you name it!). As an editor, can you share tips with our readers on how to navigate weather of all sorts - i.e. the ups and downs - in writing?
A: What a clever analogy - It ties in perfectly with my book! Like in the real world, there is always weather in the kidlit world. There can/will be sun, clouds, rain, storms, snow, tropical depressions, and even catastrophic events.
None of us have control over the weather. So, the only thing to do is take control over what you can – how you prepare, how you walk the path and how you react. Brace yourselves and stay the course (which is a long and winding road with all kinds of weather, so be ready). Staying on the path to success is paramount. Remember, you’ll never achieve your goal if you quit. So don’t be like Penny. Don’t over-react to anything and everything. Focus. Learn your craft, write and read.
Q: The market right now can seem a little gloomy, cold, and even dry (I’ve heard this feedback a lot!). What are you seeing on your end as an editor? What advice do you have for those trying to reach the sunny side of publishing?
A: First and foremost, buy books! Publishing houses are in the market of selling books, so if consumers are not buying books, they will wither and disappear. As writers and authors, we want them to stay and can be a part of keeping them afloat so when we are ready to submit our well-written and well-told stories, they will be there – ready, willing and able.
As an Agent Assistant, I saw more and more houses become closed to submissions and slower responses, if any at all. Editors are overworked, underpaid and overwhelmed.
As an Editor, I see first-hand the poor quality of submissions and failure to follow guidelines. It would be impossible to respond to all of these. So, many editors will just respond to those they are interested in, which, unfortunately, can be few and far between.
So, my advice – really learn your craft. Like wine, don’t uncork (submit) a story before it’s time. A NO might have been a YES! if the story was actually ready. And realize, there will be long dark days and stormy weather, but if you stay the course, learn your craft and develop a story that’s well written and well told, there are sunny days ahead!
Q: Can you share more about your new book, Henny Penny’s Weather Worries? What gave you the idea to write this? What takeaway do you think readers of all ages will get from this adorable book?
A: I wanted to write a second book in my Fairy Tale Elementary Series which I began with The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project. I sifted through elements to mash up and came up with weather (which I find fascinating), chickens and peas. Then, I drew upon my experience with a daughter who had seasonal integration disorder and would overreact to all kinds of weather. Henny Penny made a perfect surrogate for my child, and honestly, everything else just fell into place, including combining weather myths I learned as a child.
I hope that readers will learn that it can be catastrophic to overreact without qualifying the “threat” and that they will take a deep breath and remain calm, instead of jumping to false conclusions.
Readers can get a FREE copy of this book by attending my Henny Penny Launch and Learn Webinar Event, being scheduled for Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025 at 7 PM EST - 8 PM EST. Cost $20.00 (includes non-returnable book to be received, gifted, or donated to school, library or shelter). Email RYS.CyberOffice@gmail.com for more information.
Q: How does Henny Penny relate to the publishing world and your experience navigating it?
A: I think that I stay pretty grounded, but in all my experiences, including as Director of Rate Your Story, I have seen many, many people overreact to the publishing industry and put their attention and efforts into the wrong thing. I will share that early in my career, we were told by professionals that the picture book was dead. Instead of giving up, I put my nose to the grindstone, learned my craft, kept on the path and went on to publish twelve picture books.
Q: What’s next on the horizon for you?
A: I’m working along with illustrator Wendy Carrick-Hadinger (fka Wendy Fedan) on the first book in the Colossal Kids Series, Zeus and the Titanic Pet Problem. In addition to studying fairytales in school, I also studied Myths and Legends and Greek Mythology, so I am very excited about this project!
SO FUN! I love Greek Mythology and can't WAIT to see more. Thanks for sharing and congrats!
Q: BONUS QUESTION: What are some of your favorite weather-themed picture books and/or kidlit books?
A:
Thanks for the suggestions! We'll have to add those to our TBR piles.
Q: Would you like to leave a tip or a treat for our readers?
I'm leaving TONS of Treats:
I’m happy to give away the following treats (one treat per winner) to readers who share the post:
Two Rate Your Story Speedpasses
Two Ask Me Anything Sessions
Two Exclusive Submission Passes (Please comment with a Holiday that you have a story for to be in the running to win this).
Oh WOW!! Thanks again for joining us, Lynne Marie. It was wonderful connecting and hearing all about weathering the kidlit world with you and hear about your new book! And thanks for all these amazing giveaways, too.
Giveaway Details: Readers, to enter to win Lynne Marie's amazing giveaway, 1) share this post on social media, 2) let us know which gift you're interested in (Please follow the directions for the Skip the Slush Passes) and 3) leave a comment below to thank her for stopping by. Whether-themed GIFs are encouraged, of course!
Giveaway winners will be drawn and announced on or about 5/6!
About Lynne Marie:
Lynne Marie is the multi-published, award-winning author of picture books, The Star of the Christmas Play (Beaming Books 2018), Moldilocks and the 3 Scares (Sterling / Scholastic 2019), Let’s Eat! Mealtime Around the World (Beaming Books 2019), The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project and The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project Coloring Book (Mac and Cheese Press 2022), The Palace Rat (Yeehoo Press 2023), BroomMates: A Brewing Boundary Battle, an Anna Dewdney Read-Together Finalist 2025 (The Little Press 2024) and Henny Penny’s Weather Worries (Mac and Cheese Press, 2025) and more, forthcoming.
She’s an Editor at The Little Press, Director of RateYourStory.org, Mentor at ThePictureBookMechanic.com, Creator of March On With Mentor Texts (www.rateyourstory.org/march-on) and Mentor Text Talk, Co-Host of #SeasonsOfKidLit (www.seasonsofkidlit.com) and a Columnist at Children’s Book Insider (https://writeforkids.online/). Visit her at www.LiterallyLynneMarie.com.
For more about Lynne Marie, check out the below links:
AUTHOR WEBSITE:
LYNNE MARIE ON FACEBOOK:
LYNNE MARIE ON TWITTER: @Literally_Lynne
ON INSTAGRAM:
ON GOODREADS:
To purchase Lynne Marie's books on Amazon, or the leave a review for them, click here.
You have so much great stuff going on, Lynne Marie! Can't wait for Henny Penny launch and learn!
This is really great advice. Thank you for sharing it! We should shout it from the rooftops that every author submitting needs to ensure it is submission-ready quality to ease up on those overworked editors! It will help all of us in the end!
I’d very much LOVE a Rate Your Story speed pass if I happen to win!
Thanks for sharing your book journey, Lynne Marie. I love that you're combining classic characters with a very kid-relatable theme. I can't wait to get my copy! I'll share this on (X) and Bluesky.
I'd love to win a submission pass for a Valentine's or Halloween story I have.
Congratulations on your accomplishments Lynne! I have been thinking a lot about the "weather" of the kidlit publishing journey lately and found this shared quote to be so potent: "Like in the real world, there is always weather in the kidlit world. There can/will be sun, clouds, rain, storms, snow, tropical depressions, and even catastrophic events." I am adding a rainbow gif because this journey brings both rain and sunshine--and with that combination, the rainbows follow. I am most interested in an AMA or an exclusive submission pass. If given a submission opportunity, I have a winter holiday mystery picture book that focuses on themes of diverse winter holidays (e.g., Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Soyal, etc.), equity, love of…
Thanks for sharing about your journey, and providing tips and giveaways, Lynne!
I shared the post on BlueSky.
I would be interested in an Ask Me Anything session or a submission pass with a book that connects with Mother's Day and World Art Day.