We were lucky to catch up with Jena Benton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jena, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I have always loved picture books. I think I fell in love from the very first one I ever read and dreamed of writing and illustrating my own some day. Yet life takes its twists and turns and it wasn’t until 2014 that I decide someday should be now. I have always drawn and always written, but by this point I had written and published poetry, as well as weekly movie reviews in a campus newspaper. I thought “how hard can picture books be” as almost every newbie to the genre does. How little did I know!

Writing picture books is no easy feat. These days published picture books hover around 500 words maximum and within those 500 words need to be full character development, full plot arc, and a heart that makes your reader care about your story. And everybody wants to publish at least one, which means the field is extremely competitive.

I started by focusing simply on the writing. I took classes and webinars. I attended conferences and submitted manuscripts to editors and agents for feedback (not hearing anything when I submitted). Nothing happened. No matter what anyone tells you, rejection over and over is much harder than you think.

I kept working. I saw others around me get published who had started after I had. They say it takes 10,000 hours to get good at a craft. I’m also an elementary teacher and thanks to certain world events, the job became incredibly time consuming.

I was beginning to despair of ever succeeding when I decided to change tactics. I had a story another illustrator friend of mine said would never be published because it was too similar to so many other stories on the market. I thought about what had inspired that original manuscript and I focused on a marketing angle. This story had a young rooster who wanted to crow like his dad, but suffered stage fright while looking at all the barn yard animals. Then I remembered my honeymoon in Hawaii and the wild chickens that had inspired this story. I set the story in Hawaii with a wild flock, submitted it to a small publisher in Hawaii, and waited.

Because of certain world events, I didn’t hear back from them for almost a year and a half. By that point, I had almost forgotten about it. They asked if I was still interested and I was. My very first written manuscript had been sold and my very first book contract signed in the fall of 2022. Now I’m on the cusp of it being published. Due to shipping delays, the release date is a little uncertain, but I can’t wait (even if it’s a few more weeks or months) to hold my book in my hands.

Jena, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Jena Benton, author and illustrator, elementary school teacher (1st & 2nd grade), poet, critiquer and editor of picture book manuscripts, and a picture book blogger. I have been on my journey to publishing a picture book since 2014 and have made an incredible amount of writing and illustrating friends along the way. I’m also a blogger of these picture book authors and illustrators with nearly 2,000 followers at this point. I wear many hats!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I haven’t yet had a chance to publish a story I have also illustrated, but part of that is my fault because of misconceptions I held when I first started learning about picture books. Originally I only saw illustrators with art degrees or illustrators who worked digitally. At the time, I didn’t have either of those.

Then I discovered Debbie Ridpath Ohi, a self-taught illustrator who had succeeded. Her journey inspired me to pursue the illustration side of my journey too. Since then, I have bought digital materials and learned to create digitally (though I also learned how to create art and illustrations with watercolor paints).

I think part of my misconception is a common trap all creators fall into: imposter syndrome. Unfortunately, I think I suffer from this on a regular basis because of something I was told when I was very young. I had drawn a picture based on a movie I loved and wanted to show it to my 6th grade art teacher. He told me that I couldn’t be a writer and an illustrator, and that I had to choose just one of those things to pursue and get good at (implying that my picture was terrible). I took what he said to heart and thought I would just enjoy art as a hobby and never really be good at it. I decided I would pursue writing instead.

This is a constant battle I’ve had to fight. I work with other illustrators and remind them constantly that we can’t compare our journey or our art to anyone else’s. We need to have a growth mindset and believe that we can learn to do this. We keep creating and we keep trying so we can ultimately make it to our goal. While it is about hard work and following our own path, it’s also about being kind to ourselves (when others aren’t) and giving ourselves permission to make mistakes along the way. If we don’t start by making terrible art, we’ll never make art at all.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

First, I wish I would’ve known much earlier about this career path. It IS possible to write and illustrate your own work. It is possible to make a living in illustration.

Second, I wish I had known about the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) so much sooner. I volunteer as the Illustrator Coordinator in Alaska for them right now. They really helped to change my wishful thinking to an actual path on which to pursue my dream.

They offer anyone interested in creating children’s books (ages 0-18) classes, webinars, and conferences to learn your desired craft in everything from board books to YA novels. They also bring those industry professionals (editors, agents, art directors, etc.) to you via those same webinars or conferences.

You can get a professional feedback from these amazing experts and one-on-one time with people in the industry who usually work behind closed doors. I’ve heard so many success stories via this organization! They have helped me not only to learn, but to continue to be inspired along the way. Because we all need hope and inspiration too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jenabenton.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenanbenton/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenanbenton
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenaNBenton
• Other: Blue Sky: @jenanbenton.bsky.social

Image Credits
KAUAI’S CALL is illustrated by Kristi Petosa-Sigel and published by Island Heritage Press.