Do you know someone who dances along the paths of life, instead of walking? Then this book is for them and all those who don’t take things too seriously.
Seth is an author, copywriter and poet living in Seattle with his wife and daughter. He studied linguistics at the University of Oklahoma and worked as an advertising creative director for many years. He advocates for silliness, joy and individuality. You can learn more about him at his website or follow him on Instagram.
HERE’S TO THE SILLY ONES is a picture book homage to all the kiddos (and adults) who love to find pockets of joy wherever they go. They might sing their response to a question or put olives on their fingers before they eat them. This book is a celebration of silliness and will make readers smile at all of the antics on the pages.
Welcome Seth!
Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey? When did you start writing picture books? How has that brought you to writing this picture book?
Seth: After a long career as an advertising creative director and copywriter, I found myself unfulfilled. I wanted a more personal creative outlet. Inspired by the books I read to my then two-year-old daughter, I challenged myself to write one short children’s poem per day in December of 2023. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up writing 60. This exercise proved to me that I might enjoy writing kidlit enough to commit. And that I might have a knack for it… Three of those poems have been (or will be) published in some form, including my debut, Here’s to the Silly Ones. I’ve experienced pretty rapid success: I published a poem 2 months in, sold two manuscripts (unagented) to Lucky Rabbit Publishing 8 months in and earned representation from Jess Gilbert at D4EO Literary Agency less than 2 years into my journey.
Me: I love all of the different types of silliness you include in your book. What gave you the idea for this story?
Seth: The inspiration is twofold. First, it’s a description of my daughter. There’s something really special about seeing a kid skip in a context that absolutely does not call for it, or the over-the-top joy they get out of simple creation: baking, coloring, making up dance moves, etc. Witnessing these moments of joy led directly to some of the lines in the book, but it also goes a little deeper. Seeing that reminded me that I can also be silly and joyful. I like to say having a kid helped me rediscover my silly. Second, it’s a parody of Apple’s famous Here’s to the Crazy Ones commercial, often cited as the best branding-focused commercial of all time by advertising creatives. From my perspective, I “fixed” it. Yes, being a little off-kilter helps, but the commercial is missing a key ingredient: the joy!
Me: Your text is deceptively simple as it flows from page to page with such skillful rhyme. Did it undergo a ton of revisions to get to its finished state? Or was this story a gift from the muse that was good from the first draft?
Seth: Believe it or not, I actually expanded it a little bit from its very earliest form. Here’s to the Silly Ones was originally part of a poetry collection I was refining that will probably never see the light of day – it’s called ‘Please Stop Rhyming, Dad.’ It wasn’t originally intended to be a picture book, but I eventually recognized its picture book potential when I saw how other minimal book texts made it work, like They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel (very minimal arc), and Margaret Wise Brown’s work. I’ll admit it’s a break from the norm – it’s an ode or a toast rather than a story.
Me: Can you talk about your book’s journey to publication? How did it come to be published by Lucky Rabbit Publishing? Did you have any difficulty selling a story that didn’t have a traditional arc?
Seth: Annette from Lucky Rabbit Publishing chose it without a real query and we only discussed the lack of an arc once it came time to select an illustrator. I met her in a coffee chat breakout room at the 2024 SCBWI Summer Conference (online). I saw that Lucky Rabbit was accepting submissions and sent a manuscript on the spot. She didn’t prefer that book but asked to see everything I had. She picked Here’s to the Silly Ones and Misfit (a story about a sock that has an existential crisis that debuts next year) from a set of seven manuscripts.
If there was any selling, it was in that breakout room. Many of the other writers in the room were frustrated with the conference so far and were asking for guidance. I was happy to help and offered resources and advice to four or five aspiring authors. I think Annette noticed.
Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this story?
Seth: We ran a promotion offering early delivery on early preorders, so I’ve gotten a little bit of feedback already. I was pleasantly surprised to hear from two different grownup members of the LGBTQ+ community that they saw themselves in this book, and that fills me with joy. In my opinion, it speaks to the power of minimalism in picture book texts. When you say less you leave more room for the reader to see themselves in it.
Me: The illustrations by Valerie Hamill are pitch perfect! I love the variety of mice shenanigans involved all throughout. Did you imagine your story with mice? Were there any illustration surprises for you? Any favorites?
Seth: I didn’t necessarily imagine it with mice, but I tried to keep an open mind. One interesting surprise was the olives. I don’t like olives very much, but I think it’s an incredibly artful move by Valerie – they’re an underexplored silly food. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier with Valerie’s work!
Me: Do you have any advice for new picture book writers?
Seth: Yes! Drown yourself in the craft. Fall in love with the craft! Learn everything there is to know about picture books. Learn the history. Read the news. Read the books voraciously and analyze them as you go (read recently published books but do not make the mistake of ignoring the classics). Read Writing Picture Books by Anne Whitford-Paul and take her advice about typing out the books you admire so you can see what they look like in manuscript form.
Writing and editing are practice. Do a bunch of both. Every day if you can! Learn how to help other people edit their work – even if it’s in another genre or something. Take your time – put real effort into critiquing and editing others’ work. It will make you a better writer, even if it feels like it’s taking away from your personal writing time.
And learn all the rules. The book I recommended above lists most of them. Then – and this is important – learn how to bend and break them artfully. Lose the arc if the story in your heart calls for it.
Good advice Seth. Thank you for stopping by my blog today.
Dear readers, this book published last week. Keep an eye out for it. It’s a delightful tribute to silliness and all who love it. Trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss it.