June Sobel is the author of 17 picture books. (Note: By the time this is published, there may be more.) Her book THE GOODNIGHT TRAIN is a best-selling series for the very young. She writes at her desk in Westlake Village, California when she is not seeking adventure travelling the world. Learn more at www.JuneSobel.com.
Barbara Bietz is an award-winning author of Jewish books for children. She created the website JewishBooksforKids.com where she interviews authors, illustrators, editors, and more. Barbara has served as chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Awards committee (Association of Jewish Libraries). When she’s not writing, Barbara enjoys reading, playing guitar, and building doll houses. Learn more at www.BarbaraBietz.com.
[…]
We have been friends for many years, starting out in a critique group with other local children’s book writers. After the group disbanded, we maintained a friendship. Sometimes we shared our work, but mostly we shared our lives – meeting for coffee or lunch, attending events, and supporting each other’s milestones. We often toyed with the idea of working on a project together, and during the difficult weeks of 2020, one phone chat started it all. Our first book, APPLES, APPLES, ALL YEAR ROUND was created over a series of phone calls and back-and-forth emails. It was the realization of a long-held dream, but also an opportunity to find joy and meaning during a difficult and isolating time. Our friendship created a partnership, and our partnership deepened our friendship.
Barbara’s Thoughts
Working with a partner is a unique creative experience. What I love most about working with June is the rhythm of our process – we brainstorm ideas together, separate to generate text, then come back together to fine-tune lines and rhymes. Working together, we have the patience to create, refine, and polish our text. The books we write as a team are unlike anything we have written on our own. It’s not just a melding of our styles – together we have created something new for both of us. Our books, APPLES, APPLES, ALL YEAR ROUND and our newest book, CHALLAH, CHALLAH, FOR YOU AND ME, are for very young children who are just learning to love books, and every single word is precious. It is not unusual for us to have a 30-minute phone call about one line or even one word.
Having the foundation of a long friendship provides the trust and respect we need to provide each other with honest feedback to create the best possible work. Writing a book is always challenging, but writing together sparks ideas in a new way. I’ve loved every step of the way – from initial idea to publication. Our editor, Aviva Gutnick at Apples & Honey Press, also provided ideas and encouragement. The illustrations by Ruth Waters perfectly capture the joy we hope to share with readers with her adorable paper-cut woodland animals. Celebrating a new book is an incredible experience – celebrating with a co-author who is always a dear friend is priceless.
June’s Thoughts
Collaborating on an essay about collaboration is a new phase in my writing partnership with Barbara Bietz. As longtime friends and fellow picture book authors, we had always wanted to write a book together. During the pandemic in 2020, we were looking for a new project to fill the long hours of isolation. Barbara’s daughter Jillian’s suggestion about apples’ role in Jewish holidays spoke to both of us. Our first book APPLES, APPLES, ALL YEAR ROUND was born. For months we played a long game of poetry ping pong, sharing ideas, fine-tuning the cadence until we created a text ready for submission. We shared the anxiety of submission as well as the excitement of winning the PJ Library Author Incentive Award. (PJ Library is a philanthropic organization created by the nonprofit Harold Grinspoon Foundation, that sends free Jewish books to families.) This ultimately led to the story’s acceptance for publication by Apples & Honey Press. There were no doubts about our teamwork!
Writing is a solitary pursuit, often filled with doubt and uncertainty. Working with a partner proved to be an enlivening counterpoint to each of our ongoing individual projects. Neither of us had ever experienced the joys of creative collaboration. Partners can teach each other, having two sets of eyes to examine the work in progress. It was refreshing to build on each other’s ideas. Our work process grew organically over time. We developed a schedule of sorts, coming together, working apart, and reconnecting until we both agreed we were done. Best of all, our work was fun! We reached a point where we could finish each other’s sentences. One Sunday morning, my husband eavesdropped on our banter and remarked, “I felt like I was listening to John Lennon and Paul McCartney collaborate on a song!”
The Gifts of Partnering – A Little Advice
Before we started working together, we could have never imagined the pleasure of a creative partnership. Successful partners need to encourage each other when writing seems to hit a wall. With a fellow writer by your side, you are doubling the chances of inspiration and opportunities. This collaboration has enriched our other writing projects with a new confidence and sense of optimism. Having a partner is an opportunity for growth in your craft.
For us, having an established friendship was a perfect foundation for a writing partnership. It’s fun to create and brainstorm ideas with someone you like working with. If you are considering working with a partner, remember that compromise is part of the process and prepares one for working with an editor once your book has been accepted for publication. Give it a try – you don’t have to commit to a specific project right away. Explore the idea and see if it’s a good fit for you.
[…]
