What would you do if you saw an alligator on your afternoon stroll? Would you run? Would you warn everyone? Or would you fire up the gumbo pot? That’s what is explored in the children’s picture book “There’s an Alligator in Audubon Park!”
First time author/illustrator Gina Minor Allen lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, where alligators are iconic – both feared and enjoyed as a tasty treat. “There’s an Alligator in Audubon Park!” is a fun-to-read tale for children ages 3-8 that explores the many and conflicting reactions to confronting an alligator in our environment. The book’s official publication date is December 1, 2016.
“Everyone in Louisiana has an alligator story, “ says Minor Allen. “I was just able to visualize mine and set it to rhyme.”
Gina Minor Allen is an alumna of Washington University in St. Louis where she earned her BFA in graphic design and Illustration. She also holds a M.B.A. from the University of Miami. She lives in New Orleans Louisiana with her two sons and her extended family, but no alligators as of yet.
Title: There’s An Alligator in Audubon Park!
Author/Illustrator: Gina Minor Allen
Publication Date: December 1, 2016
Price: $17.95 Hardcover
Category: Children’s picture book, ages 3-8
Binding: Hardcover, 26 pages
Imprint: Impossibility Press • New Orleans, LA
ISBN: 978-0-692-66697
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016905887
Please send all inquiries to
Gina Minor Allen
gina@impossibilitypress.com
(504)430-1233
Hi Gina
Can’t wait to purchase your book . I’m a homeschool teacher and I want to write my own little book as well . If you don’t mind sharing how you got started and what inspired you . Thank you so kindly !!!
Hi, Jasmine,
Thank you so much for your comment! There are quite a few things I put in place to get started. I’ll share a few things now and more along and along through this blog.
I wrote and illustrated “There’s An Alligator in Audubon Park!” myself, so that’s quite a bit different from writing and working with an illustrator or trying to get work as a book illustrator alone. It took me a long time to finish the project – 5-6 years, really, with a lot of breaks in between. I work full time and I have two kids, so I had limited time to devote to completing this project. I do intend to begin work on another book, and I think it may go a little quicker.
In my twenties I worked at a small publishing company and that has given a lot of insight into the publishing and bookselling industry. I think I have a good grasp of what distributors expect and what bookstores expect from authors. So my first piece of advice would be to talk to anyone in the industry who is willing to talk with you and get their point of view.
I also spent a lot of years as a graphic designer so I feel really comfortable with sketching my ideas and translating them into digital format. I also have an MBA so I’m not uncomfortable using a spreadsheet to do some planning (budgeting, figuring out a break-even quantity for selling the book, etc). Having said, that, I don’t think you need an MBA to figure that stuff out – that just happens to be my background.
What inspired me to do this book really was my parents. They were both teachers and loved reading. I used to watch my Mom doodle on the paper that she wrote her grocery list on, and I loved the little pictures she drew. My father told all kinds of tall tales, embellishing his real life experience, so I learned to love stories early on in life. Plus, they both had incredible work ethics, and I’m trying to follow in their footsteps.
The best advice I could give you right now is to try to write everyday (and or draw everyday) so that you become an expert at your craft. Show your work to others and don’t be afraid of feedback. Talk to other writers and artists as much as you can. Read as much as you can. Look at your favorite books and your students’ favorite books and see if you can figure out why they love those stories.
Also, I have no guarantee that this self-publishing effort will be successful – time will tell. So take all my advice with a grain of salt!
–Gina