Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

It’s always hard to approach an expert to ask for their time and expertise. And when you don’t have a track record and published titles to prove you’re bonafide, the real deal, worthy of trust, it can be truly daunting. In this post, debut author Becca McMurdie shares her approach and the sample letter that got her on the path to BUILDING A BEAK: HOW A TOUCAN’S RESCUE INSPIRED THE WORLD.  

GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of BUILDING A BEAK: HOW A TOUCAN’S RESCUE INSPIRED THE WORLD!

How to Get an Expert Interview for Your Nonfiction PB   

by Becca McMurdie

I spent my early lockdown days much like many inspiring writers, joining my first critique groups, querying, receiving rejections, and doing lots of picture book reading and studying. I was especially drawn to narrative nonfiction of unique untold stories. Impressed with an author’s ability to uncover first-hand information to then share in their story, I’d wonder how they’d get in contact with the experts, or people central to the story? How did authors build trust and get permission to share the stories they shared? Was that something an un-agented, pre-published author could even try to do? I’m here to tell you that the answer is YES! Here’s my story….

In the winter of 2021, I was on a two-month sabbatical from my elementary school principal position. I spent the time in Costa Rica, volunteering at a local school, going on lots of hikes in the rainforest, and of course, writing. I had been writing and querying my fiction manuscripts for a while, but had ambitions to write nonfiction if I came across the right story. It was on a birdwatching trip during that time that I saw my first wild toucan, and the guide told me the story about Grecia, a toucan who had received a prosthetic beak. I was intrigued. That night in my AirB&B, I began researching the story. I found out that not only was the groundbreaking prosthetic beak that was made for Grecia successful, but it inspired an anti-animal cruelty movement that eventually led to legal protection of rainforest wildlife. Wow! From there I could feel not only a narrative plot about an injured toucan and a collaborative scientific breakthrough to save it, but also an emotional arc: humans are capable of harm and destruction, but also compassion, collaboration and love.

While there had been lots of news coverage about the incident, and a documentary by Animal Planet in 2016, there were no traditionally published children’s books about the story. I knew I wanted to turn it into a picture book. I also knew that in order to make my story worth buying, and ethically-executed, I would need the permission of the people who made Grecia’s beak. I would also want to weave in unique information that wasn’t otherwise publicly available.

In breaking into the publishing industry, you can find a lot of “samples” of letters, and proposals to help you get started. For example, through a simple Google search, you can find lots of examples of query letters, of nonfiction book proposals, of picture book manuscript pagination templates, and more. Through my research, I could find the name and location of Rescate Rescue Center in Alajuela, Costa Rica, where Grecia was cared for. What I couldn’t really find were examples of how a no-name writer like me could go about reaching out to a first-person interview prospect and ask them to let me interview them. So, I just trusted my gut and wrote an email as best I could, and send it to the general address I could find for the Rescue Center on their website.

Here’s the email I sent them (my original email was in Spanish, I have translated it in English for the blog):

Dear Rescate Team,

I am reaching out to inquire about Grecia, the toucan. Earlier this week I was on bird watching tour in Monteverde and my guide told me about her story. I was immediately captivated and looked up old news articles that evening. I was touched to learn about the care and innovative efforts of the Rescate team, and the impact it ultimately had on anti-animal cruelty laws.

I am the principal of an elementary school in New York, and I am on sabbatical leave in Costa Rica until February. I also aspire to be a children’s book author. I know that the history of Grecia has been covered by television documentaries, but I see that there are currently no children’s books available in the United States about her. I would love to write her story for children so that her legacy can live on.

I would love to connect with someone on the team that supported Grecia. If you have interest and availability, I could easily connect by email, in person, Zoom or by phone, to ask some questions and learn more about the story to support my research on Grecia for a children’s book. If you wish, I would be happy to provide more information about my credentials.

Thank you for all the work you do for wildlife. You all are an inspiration.

In solidarity,

Becca McMurdie

And, to my surprise, they responded the next day, with an invite to the center. Two years later, after this story earned me entry to the #PBParty finals in 2022, and landed me an agent and my first book deal, I returned to Rescate this past June to host several public events to promote the book. I have also donated a portion of my book advance to Rescate. It was a beautiful collaboration, and it all started with a cold e-mail!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below to be entered in the GIVEAWAY for BUILDING A BEAK: HOW A TOUCAN’S RESCUE INSPIRED THE WORLD! (US addresses only, please. Winner announced 8/30/24)

AND 😃 when you enjoy a book, please support authors and illustrators by posting reviews online. 

BUILDING A BEAK: HOW A TOUCAN’S RESCUE INSPIRED THE WORLD, follows the true story of Grecia, an injured toucan in Costa Rica who received a groundbreaking prosthetic beak and inspired legal protection for wildlife. It released this June with Page Street Kids.

You can find Becca here: www.beccamcmurdie.com

X: @BeccaMcMurdieBooks

IG: @BeccaMcMurdie