By Rob Justus
As a debut picture book author and illustrator, I didn’t know that “book birthdays” were a thing (I like to operate in a nice little bubble). We were told that we could write about anything that celebrates this momentous occasion in an author’s life. It’s a big deal! GUYS! I’M PUBLISHED!!!
I thought about doing a light-hearted post focusing on the evolution of a particular spread in KID COACH that started as this:
And turned into this:
But I didn’t think it did my journey to publication justice.
A lot of people think it’s easy to make a children's book. Getting published is a marathon, not a sprint.
When I found out an offer was being made on KID COACH in September of 2018, I was sitting alone in my small one bedroom apartment, eating McDonalds in the dark.
Ottawa, Canada — where I live — was in the middle of a mass blackout after a strong storm and a series of tornadoes ripped through several parts of the city. Oddly most of my friends and family were out of town. My partner had taken the car for the weekend for a bachelorette party, so I was relegated to hanging out by myself.
My agent called to tell me the good news, then told me to go celebrate with people, but there I was . . . alone in the dark eating a Big Mac.
At first it was funny. Of course no one would be around to share this news with! But as the weekend went on it gave me time to reflect on the five-year journey it took to get a book deal. The second night without power, I had decided to have a beer in the park overlooking the Ottawa River.
It was at this point that I had a good cry.
I was feeling such a mix of emotions. I was over the moon that I had finally accomplished my goal, my dream! I’d been through numerous submissions, rejections, and loads of self-doubt, but also my life had completely changed in those five years.
One of the reasons I took a shot at becoming a children’s book author and illustrator was because I’d been laid off and couldn’t find a job in my field. My industry had shrunk and I was losing job opportunities to people who had 20 years more experience than me as they scrambled for employment. It was shortly after this that my marriage suddenly came to an end. My ex-wife encouraged me to get into children's books, and I’m forever thankful to her for that, but I know it also played a role in the end of our marriage. Soon after this, my dad relapsed after 30 years of sobriety. I’m not sure what was harder. Going through my divorce or seeing my dad fall off the wagon so hard.
I could have given up then. I was broke. I had no real place to call home. It was just me and my dog, but I knew this is what I was supposed to do. The feeling was and is SO strong inside of me!
Thankfully during that time I met the most beautiful and supportive woman. She believes in me, even when my commitment “to make it” waivers. Without her support I wouldn’t have found my agent. Without her support I wouldn’t have written new stories. Without her support KID COACH would not have made it to publication, and it certainly wouldn’t be the fun read-out-loud it is today.
Needless to say, that night by the river all these emotions poured out of me. It had been such a long journey, but without all that I wouldn’t be here. It made the good news and that weekend so much more powerful. It made me appreciate where I was, what I had been through, and where I was going. Those five years taught me perseverance, persistence, and hard work.
Now here I am, a year and a half later. A new dad, engaged to the love of my life and prouder than anything that it’s my first book’s birthday! Not only that, I’m hard at work on the next three books to be released over the next two years (a second picture book with Page Street Kids and a series of middle-grade graphic novels named Death & Sparkles). FOUR books in three years!
It’s funny to think that this next phase of my new career started alone in the dark. Thankfully my future seems so bright.
Thanks, and happy birthday, KID COACH!
(Now go buy five copies of KID COACH!)
Rob Justus is a guy who does this and that. When he’s not doing things, he’s probably doing stuff. His debut thingy, KID COACH, was born out of his love of doodads. He lives in that place where that guy with the air lives.
Follow Rob:
www.robjustus.com
Instagram: @robjustus
Indiebound
Indigo
Book Details
KID COACH
by Rob Justus
Pub Date: February 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-6241-4886-6
Publisher: Page Street Kids