Author Lisa Cortez stopped by the blog to talk with Cat Galeano about the picture book birthday of The Adventures of Marie and LeeLee, illustrated by Laura Watson. Lisa has taken multiple courses with us, including our Crash Course in Children’s Publishing. Thanks, Lisa! We’re happy to share this celebration with you.

Cat:
Your book is now out in the world! How are you feeling?!

Lisa:
I am beyond excited! It feels so special to be sharing this story with the world!

Cat:
Can you  tell us about why it was important for you to tell this story?

Lisa:
This story is based on the childhood adventures of my best friend Marie and I.  Sadly, Marie passed away nine years ago from cancer.  Marie was truly a bright light, and she had a way of spreading happiness and laughter to everyone she met.  I knew for a long time that I wanted to do something to honor Marie and the special friendship we shared. My hope is that this book will be a way to continue to spread her joy.  Marie was involved in a volunteer organization called New York Cares.  I will be donating some of the proceeds from the book to them.

Cat:
Lisa, you self-published this picture book. Can you dive into what that experience is really like? Tell us the steps you took to self-publish from making the initial decision to the publication and everything in between? Like how did you decide to market it? How did you design your cover? etc.

Lisa:
I can truly say I knew almost nothing about the publishing process when I first embarked on this journey.  All I knew was that I had written a book, but I had no idea what to do after that.  I started taking one small step at a time to learn more about the process.  I researched illustrators, and as soon as I came across Laura Watson, I knew that her artwork was perfect for the book.  She is a brilliant artist and the illustrations she created were even more beautiful than I could have imagined.  The image that I chose for the cover is from one of the pages in the book.  I chose that illustration of Marie and I dancing because dance was a very important part of Marie’s life.  In terms of marketing, I am using social media as a platform, I’ve reached out to alumni organizations that Marie and I were part of, and I have also been making connections with libraries and bookstores.  I am a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist, so I’ve also reached out to colleagues, as I included strategies in the book for language development.

Cat:
Can you tell us about your journey and how the Highlights Foundation has played a part in it?

Lisa:
I am so thankful to have discovered the Highlights Foundation.  I have now taken several courses that have covered topics from story development to querying to publishing.  All of the staff members have been very encouraging and knowledgeable and have provided invaluable resources.  One thing I had not anticipated is how supportive the author community is. It has been amazing!

Cat:
What advice would you give other writers out there wanting to pursue a career in children’s literature?

Lisa:
I hope my experience can encourage others to follow their passion, no matter what stage they are at in life.  I would have never anticipated that I would write a book.  My advice would be to take things one step at a time.  There is a lot to learn, but it is so worth the journey!

Cat:
What do you hope kids and teens will take away from your book?

Lisa:
I hope this book brings a smile and a laugh to kids and teens and everyone who reads it and that it shows how it is our everyday activities that we do with friends that turn into lasting memories.  I included an author’s message on the last page that says everyone is special and loved because they are themselves.  It was so important for me to include this because I feel that not all kids hear this message, and that even if they can hear it from a book, no matter what age, it may be able to provide them with the encouragement they need. I will also be creating bookmarks and apparel with this message too 🙂

More about the book:

The Adventures of Marie and LeeLee on Amazon

Instagram: @theadventuresofmarieandleelee