IAm(A) Dave Horowitz, author and illustrator of a dozen childrens' books.

I got excited when I confused you with Anthony Horowitz...

I get that a lot : (

Are you related at all?

We have the same publisher?

just wanted to say i love your books!

Thanks! Couldn't ask for a better welcome.

Hey Dave! (I'm Dave too)

I'm a graphic designer and I've been working on a picture book on the side for the past few months. I've been researching different ways to publish, but the options are overwhelming. Some recommend self-publishing, while others say getting an agent to pitch to a publisher is the way to go. What would you suggest is the best route?

I'm so glad you asked this.

I spent too many years trying to get published the traditional route (sending work to editors, art directors and agents).

In the Fall of 2001, I decided screw this. I had an idea for a book that would be easier to execute than describe, so I just made the whole damn thing (something most people would advise against). I made the art, set the type and built a dummy. I sent full color working dummies to publishers and in months I sold that book, A Monkey Among Us, to HarperCollins. Once I had one in the bag getting an agent was easy.

But that was way back in the nineteen hundreds. Today's publishing landscape is very different. If I were trying to break in today I'd be making and publishing my own eBooks.

You can produce them and promote them yourself. If one takes off, you can be sure the traditional publishers will find you.

P.S. If you've got the skills, here's a guide I made to walk you through self-publishing eBooks.

Thanks for the answer!

I'm taking a similar route - writing, illustrating, and marketing myself. I will definitely put out an eBook version, but I'd like it to be available in as many formats as possible (including print).

Assuming I self-publish, what would get a publishers attention? Some large quantity of sales? A good response from the online community? An assortment of baked goods?

If you're interested, I'd love to show you a bit of what I'm working on to see what you think.

Don't bother with the baked goods, publishers only care about "the bread".

I'd be happy to give you my 3¢ on your stuff. Send it to the eMail on my website.

Another tip: Don't blindly send your work to just any old publisher. Find books that are similar to what you are doing, and send a query with samples to the editors of those books. Look on the title page to figure out the imprint (The imprint is not the publisher. Penguin is a publisher, but Viking, Dutton, Putnam, Dial, etc. etc. are all imprints of that publisher).

Also, a smart author will thank his editor in the acknowledgments, so that's another lead for you.

Is there any other children's books illustrator you think is really good?

Most of my heroes are dead—but of people working today: I love Laurie Keller (Arnie the Doughnut), Michael Rex (Goodnight Goon) and Bob Shea (Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great).

I'm sure it doesn't hurt that I've met them all—and they are wicked nice people.

my girlfriend is studying illustration at university at the moment, if you could give her one piece of advice regarding becoming a profesional illustrator.. what would it be? :)

Study Graphic Design!

If you can draw, you can draw—but graphic design is the how and why behind art. Also, graphic designers, can pick up work a lot easier than illustrators. I paid my dues as a design/production grunt at HarperCollins, and the connections I made there, led to my first book.

What book do you always want to write, but never got the chance to?

Someone else here mentioned my character, "Humongous" ... I want to make a wordless picture book, with Humongous as antagonist, that is the kid's book equivalent of a 1970s Godzilla movie.

Why haven't you gotten the chance to write the wordless picture book? Could you just do it in your spare time and then worry about shopping it around to publishers later?

I guess I interpreted the question as what book would I want to "publish". I do have a few drafts of the above, that I tried to sell, but no takers.

What made you decide you wanted to write and draw children's books? Was it a conscious decision, or did it just sort of, I don't know... Happen?

I think it was when I was a kid and Steven Kellogg visited my kindergarten. I was pretty good at drawing, so that seemed like something I could aspire to.

What is the biggest challenge to writing for children?

Getting good work passed the grown-ups. Many in the business treat kids like they're idiots.

Yeah, I just had a baby myself, and have been perusing what kids these days watch and read. I generally do not think that children are given enough credit for what they can handle.

It's true. Whenever I hear someone belittling a kid's emotions, by telling them they don't know what's like to be a grown-up, with real things to worry about I laugh. Sure paying bills sucks, but compared to being three feet tall and being new at EVERYTHING, it ain't nothing.

p.s. Congratulations!

Hi Dave, just wanted to ask how you got into writing for children and how much of a challenge it was to do so successfully. I am going into my last year of university next year and hope to become a teacher at primary school level here in the UK whilst also writing in my own time as i don't want the dream to die! Thanks.

If I was smart I would have had a fall back career, but apparently I'm a go big or go home type of guy (aka a moron). My 2¢: Get your degree, become a teacher AND write. It sounds cliche, but if you must write—you will write.

How do you come up with new ideas for books? Do a lot of them get scrapped?

I keep sketch books going all the time, so when an idea strikes me I draw something or make some quick notes. The ideas and characters that keep showing up, usually make good books.

Yes, a lot of ideas get scrapped. The trick is figuring out if they should be scrapped or if you should keep pitching them until you find the right editor. My very best sellers (the Ugly Pumpkin, Five Little Gefiltes, Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again, and Twenty-Six Princesses) were all rejected once or twelve times.

Off the top of your head, what's the most important business advice you can give to an illustrator?

Remember that art and illustration are NOT the same thing. When you do art you answer to no one but you; illustration, on the other hand, is a product.

What has been your most rewarding experience working in childrens' literature?

Seeing my books, next to Clifford, in those Scholastic book club magazines was awesome.

Do you read a lot of books in your spare time? What genre do you enjoy the most and which author?

I do read a lot, but like everyone these days, my attention span has suffered because of Reddit the Internet.

Kurt Vonnegut is my favorite author ever, since you asked.

what's your "process" when writing for children? Do you focus on the story, a lesson learned or the art work. Is there a pace in structure that works better in childrens books than in adult books?

I consider myself an illustrator, first, so I usually start with a character that I want to draw, and then try to figure out their story.

I'm not of the school that kids books need a lesson; only a Truth.

As for structure, picture books are generally 32 pages (because of the printing/production process) so there is a definite geometry to properly pacing a kids book.

Does it ever get boring writing books that take 10 minutes to read? Or is it not boring because you get to teach kids life lessons.

Does it ever get boring writing books that take 10 minutes to read?

When you are limited to 32 pages, every word counts.

Or is it not boring because you get to teach kids life lessons.

I don't do life lessons. I make books for kids, not their grown-ups.

Do you do school visits? Some of my favorite memories are when Dougal Dixon, Bruce Coville visited and talked to us. It inspired me to write. I hope you can fuel the passions of kids like that. It's special shit.

Absolutely! I love visiting with kids and teachers. It's the best part of the game.

Any teachers/librarians wishing to schedule a visit, should send me an email via my website. I don't advertise it, because I rarely say no.

If you've got great ideas for writing children's books, particularly picture books, but are complete rubbish at art, where does one begin?

Unless you are the author AND illustrator, you don't need to concern yourself about art.

In publishing, when there is a separate author and illustrator for a book, it is the editor and art director who finds the illustrator. The author and illustrator will never meet or even talk about the project. I thought that was weird when I found that out, but since we're all control freaks, it makes sense.

What was your favorite book to write Dave? Sorry if this was already asked.

It was asked already, and I said I considered Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again my best bit of writing. As for fun though, I'm happiest when I'm making the art. In that regard, Twenty-Six Princesses and Twenty-Six Pirates were an insane amount of labor, but very satisfying.

*How is the children's book business doing?

*How important are sales to libraries and schools?

*Do bookstore talks/promotions work for you?

Well... the business of it is not good, but anyone who publishes to make money is a fool anyhow.

That said, my books do very well in the school and library markets (Scholastic Book Fairs/Clubs, Junior Library Guild, etc), and that's probably why they keep letting me make books.

What's been your favorite book to write? What was your favorite children's book as a kid?

Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again, was my favorite to write, and I think it is my strongest story. I was going through some pretty heavy stuff at the time so it was very cathartic.

Richard Scarry was probably my favorite artist as a kid. (I loved books, but didn't really like to read. His books were awesome because you had all these bizarre characters driving pickle cars, and crashing bicycles, or running from the cops, or whatever—I could look at those books for hours and make up my own stories).

As a grown-up, I think James Marshall (George and Martha), was the greatest kids book artist ever.

what other work would you do if you would be a writer ?

I'd like to be a fisherman.

If Peter Dinglish were really out there with a little black book full of Children's stories about fruits....would you steal it?

No. I have zero love for biters. I recently had an idea stolen and published, and it pissed me off beyond words.

That said, I would steal Dinglish's dog. I saw a picture of them posted on Reddit a while ago and his dog is a carbon copy of my beloved Blackfoot, who died last year. Goddamn, I miss that dog!

Did you collab at all on "Go The Fuck To Sleep?"

No, but I tried to pitch something very similar years ago, called Goodnight Already Moon! My agent (whom I've since fired) told me it was stupid idea.

Sorry to hear about the poor "advice" you got. I'm a 30 year old bachelor so I don't know shit about kids' books, but that story completely blew up. Anyway, all the best in your future endeavors!

If I had a nickle for all the bad advice I've got from the "pros," I'd have about $82.75.

[deleted]

Thanks: here's HUMONGOUS for the lazy.

Is there any chance you're the same Dave Horowitz that hosted a TV show called "Fight back! with David Horowitz"?

No and I'm also not that Fox News jackass, David Horowitz. In retrospect, I should've come up with a pen name.

My question was already answered. Just wanted to say it's a good thing you do. Something really for kids.

Thanks, I try to keep that in mind whenever I'm dealing with the less fun aspects of the business. Visiting schools always keeps it real.

Was Ed Emberly an influence for you?

Holy Cow, YES!

I was an adjunct at a local college for a few years, where I taught Graphic Design. I used Emberly's books to teach students how to use Adobe Illustrator.

Do you have plans for writing in other genres?

Yes, I have two novels I'm trying to get published. Unfortunately they are pretty terrible.

What is your favorite color?

Blue. No, yellooooooooo ....

Have you ever thought of collaborating with a paper engineer to create a pop-up book? It sounds like the wordless HUMONGOUS would be a great project for it!

That is a great idea! If you know anyone send 'em my way.

What has been the best part of working with Netflix to bring back Arrested Development?

It was tough in the beginning because we had to figure out the whole "season" right out of the gate. Once we got the idea that each episode would focus on one character though, it was a piece of cake.

... at least that's what I overheard uncle Mitch say.

If there was a zombie outbreak, what would be your zombie plan?

Play dead.

I'm a preschool teacher (jewish) and I adore Five Little Gefiltes!! I always read it with a heavy New York accent. Such a nice book!

Thanks! I was working on another Yiddish themed book all last year, but I had some editorial differences with my publisher and I had to pull the plug.

Send complaints to Penguin Young Readers Group, NYC!