Jacey Verdicchio
Author of the new book, A King’s Decree and the Brave Three
After deciding I wanted to write Christian children’s books in the summer of 2007, I went back for my third year at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. That fall, I took a course called Storytelling as an elective. The class was geared toward Liberal Studies majors, future elementary school teachers who would be able to use the art of oral storytelling to teach their classes anything from science to social studies to math. We watched a video of a professional storyteller tell a rhyming version of “Jack and the Beanstalk.” I don’t even like “Jack and the Beanstalk” but I was drawn in by the consistent rhythm and patterned language. Immediately I thought, “I could make a biblical record rhyme.” I had recently been particularly encouraged and inspired by the record in Daniel 3, the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. I read this record many times before setting pen to paper. Then I kept my Bible open, (well, several Bibles, as I consulted many versions) to constantly check my rhymes against the truth of the Scriptures.
People often ask me how long it took to write the book, and sometimes I’m embarrassed at the answer. Including the time I took to edit the story myself and to work further with my editor at Tate Publishing, I spent several months. However, writing a draft (which is dangerously close to the bound, finished product I hold in my hands today) took little more than three weeks. Writing with this apparent ease and efficiency has less to do with my abilities and more to do with God. I prayed each time I picked up the pen, (yes, I wrote it by hand initially,) and those prayers were answered.
A habitual early riser, I set my alarm a half hour to an hour earlier each morning, depending on my homework load the night before, and gave myself this time to work on the story. I relished and luxuriated in that time. Every book I have ever read about writing stresses the importance, no, vitality of making time to write and I learned by experience just how true those books are. If you don’t set aside time to write, it doesn’t happen, similar in that way to cleaning your refrigerator or polishing your shoes. Setting aside the time to write and asking God to help me make the most of that time proved fruitful. During Christmas break, I finished the first draft of what was then entitled, “Daniel 3 poem.”
On New Year’s Eve, I planned to attend a Christian fellowship followed by a Family Night, which entailed a variety of performances. People performed music, short skits, and dance routines, for the purpose of edifying one another and sharing a sweet time together. I decided to memorize the poem I had written and perform it, utilizing some of the skills I had learned in my storytelling class. The performance went well, despite a bout with the flu that had threatened to keep me offstage. As we were leaving, someone said, “You could market that!”
I had seen firsthand how much the story blessed people. It was time to take the next step. Submitting to publishers can be daunting, especially when you consider rejection rates. Many publishers don’t even accept unsolicited manuscripts. I attacked this task in several steps. First, I researched publishers who specialize in children’s books or who publish a significant number of children’s books each year. Then I looked for ones who specialize in Christian books. I read that many authors face rejections simply because they don’t do their homework. The goal is to find a publisher who is looking for what you have to offer. A rejection- or fifty- doesn’t mean your work isn’t worth publishing. It just means you haven’t found the right fit yet. The small amount of research I did saved me from a lot of rejection. I submitted my manuscript to two publishers, and got a call back from Tate Publishing three weeks later offering me a contract. (I eventually did receive a rejection letter from the other one.)
The publication process has been a humbling and educational one. I still have so much to learn about the industry. I continue to pray for guidance from God in each step of the process, and am so thankful for His hand in A King’s Decree and the Brave Three.
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