Interview with Josephine Nobisso
Interview by Jenna Glatzer

Josephine Nobisso's first story appeared in a national magazine when she was 18. Since, then, she has published 19 books for children and adults-- including pseudonymous novels-- and she regularly writes about writing, for professionals. Her greatest authorial pride lies in having been acknowledged in six books by other writers.  Miss Nobisso conducts over 100 writing workshops per year in her unique method, and she is a frequent lecturer here and abroad. Delta Kappa Gamma gave her the “Friend of Education Award” for “someone outside the profession who has worked significantly toward improving the educational opportunities of others, and who has given outstanding service to promoting quality education,” and in 2000 the National Catholic Educational Association named her "Distinguished Graduate."

What drew you to start writing children's picture books?

Her arrival had awakened me from the most densely atmospheric daydream, and even though I was sorry I had caused her grief, I feared she'd yank me away from those books.  "I make up stories," I told her.

She frowned, and leaned over me.  "How?"

I took my mother from spread to spread, recounting the pictures.  When I looked up, I saw that her eyes had gone moist.  "Maybe, if  you learn to read and write," she whispered, "You can make a book, too!"

In all my life, I have never again come across the particular book that I had before me then, but I recall its thick pages that ended in crisp deckle edges, and its red and black type that impressed deep dips into the paper. The typeface was wonderfully fancy--some strange serifed font.  (I'm still a font freak!)  I remember being vaguely aware that the book might not have been in either of the languages I spoke, but I could not ask my mother about this because, at that time, she couldn't read or write well, either.

What were some of the resources you used to learn about the craft of writing picture books?

I attended my first SCBWI conference in early the early 1970s, but found that listening to others describe process and formulae frustrated me.  The experience of writing was a very specific one for me, the way love is specific.  It had to do with things that engrossed me, the grabbed me, that delighted me.  I needed only to hone actual skills-- all grammar-based, before I could really take off, and now I have incorporated some of those skills into a cross-over picture books called Show; Don't Tell, Secrets of Writing.

I admired the titles released by the San Diego based Green Tiger Press.  They put out these very fine, often nostalgic children's books.  I only submitted over the transom.  They sent me a postcard to accept Grandpa Loved for their Envelope Library.  This was a greeting-card-sized soft cover series of booklets.  Instead, years later, they decided to do the title in trade picture book format.  It has been in continuous print for a dozen years now, and is still going strong-- with us at Gingerbread House, its third publisher.

You've written for both big houses and small publishers.  What are some of the differences?  How much does it affect sales?

I much prefer the accessibility of the smaller houses, but I find that it's not the size of the house that makes the sales difference.  It's the size of the commitment to the title.  If the right person at the house loves a title, he will see that it finds readers and that it does not go out of print.

One may have the idea that publishing is an urbane, gentlemanly pursuit in which authors and illustrators are valued as committed artists and nurtured through one project to another.  Perhaps this is so for some creators of books even now, but it is, possibly, more a model that existed in the past. My daughter and I insist on clinging to this ideal so much, however, that we really DO treat our illustrators in this manner, but my personal experience has not followed this course. 

I came into the field in the early 70s when an author submitted to one house at a time, and if there was interest, waited for a decision for up to a year before submitting anything to anyone else.  Soon after, houses began merging, and editors began playing musical chairs. Imagine a 32-year career riddled with these frustrations: no two of my books were acquired by the same editor, all of my books except for one were "orphaned" during one stage or another of  production, and two of my houses went under before paying me royalties. The heartaches inherent in this kind of choppiness have actually made me sometimes wonder if it's better not to be published than to be published poorly!  (Well, I wonder about that only a little!  What author does not want to be published at all?)

I saw that three very strong titles of mine had fallen between the cracks, with two going out of print at a large publishing house.  I did not think there was any wisdom in having them lose the momentum they had gained during their years as stable backlist titles as I supported them out in the field, by doing about 100 school visits a year.  I knew that-- despite my repeated promptings-- none of them had been fully exposed to the the markets that would most appreciate them, and I knew that I had the experience, knowledge-- and this is very important, because going it alone involves an enormous amount of work-- the drive to bring them to those markets.

I also started the house to bring into the light of day some very strong but niche-oriented manuscripts of my own that, despite spectacular rejection letters, I had not been able to place with mainstream houses.  And-- I intend to build the company so that it is secure enough to bring on board other authors in the future.

Another reason I started Gingerbread House has to do with my daughter.  Here's this sensible, responsible young person who has been raised on publishing, and who knows as much-- and often more!-- about it as do many industry insiders.  She's also been vastly interested in the inner workings of design, art direction, production, computers, promotion, marketing and human relations.  Those facts worked on me as I became more and more aware that even though I had already invested 30 years into my career as a writer, a freelancer working in the arts has little or no control over the future fate of her work, ergo, little or no control over the legacy she is leaving her children. 

Starting a house with Maria as my partner made enormous sense:  it gave her a business into which she could vent her capable skills, and it ensured her a future built on a lifetime of my efforts.  One sees a lot of this kind of passing of the torch now in all the arts: second generation actors, writers, visual and performing artists who can prove themselves in their own rights are benefiting from their parents' lives of commitment to the arts, and from their own experiences growing up in homes driven by these arts.

Considering that it would have been much cheaper to go with a vanity press and use a Print-On-Demand service, why did you choose to bear a bigger up-front expense and have the books traditionally printed?

Print on Demand is neither practical nor cost-effective for highly-illustrated, four-color work, and, too, I always hope for enough demand to necessitate having thousands printed at once!

What was the biggest challenge you encountered when starting Gingerbread House?

Are the big online booksellers a blessing or a curse for authors?  Considering they typically place small orders and expect you to pay shipping (plus offer them a big discount), how do you make any money this way?

A bookstore-- online or off-- is not always the best place to sell a book.  For the first few months of Gingerbread House's existence, while we waited for the distributor who had taken us on to complete a new warehouse, we took care of all the small orders from the various trade venues. Were we ever glad to give those details into the hands of the distributor!  Faxes, order-tracking software, packing, shipping, collecting, returns-- the time and effort is boggling!

Distributors do require a substantial percentage, but they MUST because they pass along big discounts to wholesalers, jobbers and their independent accounts.  It is definitely worth it for us to be involved with a distributor because their reps and their activity (order fulfillment, trade shows, foreign representation, etc.) give us a presence in the field, and because they handle all the vagaries of the traditional sales channels.  Acquiring a distributor is akin to acquiring a publisher, however: it's a process of submission with eventual acceptance or rejection, based on the distributor's perception of what can realistically be done with your books.

With distribution in place, we are free to pursue the niche markets that buy non-returnable-- and pay the freight.  These require large discounts, too, of course, but we make it up in volume.  It's as much paperwork to ship one book as it is to ship a carton!

What are the important elements of a picture book?  Must they all have a "message"?

What have been your most successful promotional tactics?

We very, very seldom take out ads.  Instead, we send review copies to likely venues, and they decide whether they will give us editorial space- space which is, of course, intrinsically more valuable than ads.

What advice would you offer new children's writers?

-Do not grind an ax under the pretense of a children's book.
-Do not preach.
-Do not cover tired subjects in tired ways.
-Do not get discouraged.  Anyone who is published was once not.
-When an editor expresses interest in a re-write, jump on it- if her suggestions resonate.
-When you get a rejection say, "Oh, good!  Now I can send this someplace else!"
-And, of course, show; don't tell.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Until Gingerbread House establishes itself  very firmly in the children's book field, we are very sorry that we cannot accept manuscripts. When this policy changes, we promise to put out calls through the usual venues like the SCBWI, Writer's Market, etc. We do accept art samples for our files, however, and to share with other professionals who may visit our offices. Thanks for taking the time to read this interview!  Hang in there!  It's not easy, but anytime you work for something you love, it's worth it!

Read more about Josephine here, or visit Gingerbread House's home page:
http://gingerbreadbooks.com/.

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