LEVI LEYBA INTERVIEW
Q. Why did you decide to do this interview?
A. I figured this would be the best way to hammer out some questions I’ve been frequently asked in hopes to provide a better understanding with why I started the Young Series and to discuss my two passions of literacy and community.
Q. Why did you start Young Series? And why are they bilingual?
A. The Young Series was an idea I came up with after completing my final research paper when I was finishing my MBA. My research was on early childhood literacy and through my inquest, I came upon some statistics which made me think of how I could not have known literacy was this big of an issue in the United States. For instance, there is on average one 1 book for every 300 children in low-income neighborhoods versus more than a dozen books per child in middle-income neighborhoods. That’s a big difference. And how not knowing how to read is a huge link between academic failure, delinquency, violence, and crime. The reason why they are bilingual is because most of the children at Title I elementary school do not speak English at home. The parental engagement is not there. By bringing home a free Young Series bilingual children’s book, a child can have that interaction with their parent or guardian they desperately need to learn how to read.
Q. Joyce, from Oakland, California, asks: “I have a children’s book I’ve always wanted to write but I just don’t know where to start. How should I begin?”
A. This is by far the most popular question I am asked. Typically, it is from teachers, staff, and parents at the schools I conduct my book readings at. The best way to start is with a pen and paper. I know we live in a digital world and it’s very easy to just open our phone or our tablets and start typing a note or message, but the actual feeling of writing in a journal or composition book with a pen or pencil is like no other. This question is in part a large reason why I decided after publishing 8 children’s books, to write a book on teaching others how to do so themselves. The Quick Guide to Publishing Your Own Children’s Book is available as a paperback and hard cover on Amazon.
Q. Arian, from Garland, Texas, wants to know where you get your ideas for your books.
A. I imagine I’ve always had an imagination…seriously, I feel I’ve just never let go of my childhood-like ways of imagination. To this day I will still look up at the clouds and see objects in their shapes and I continue to reinforce this with type of creativity with my kiddos. But mostly, ideas for my books just come to mind so I’ve never really had any troubles.
Q. Kelsey, from Chesapeake, Virginia, asks: “In your children’s books, besides the main characters who often are famous historical figures, where do you get your characters’ names?”
A. A lot of the names I have in my children’s books come from the research involved with learning about their early childhood life. They are actual names of family members, teachers, mentors, neighbors, cousins, etc. This also lends favor to the locations of where the story takes place. The location will resemble where they grew up as youngsters, hence the name Young Series.
Q. Michelle, a teacher from Tucson, Arizona, wants to ask: “How long does it take you to write and illustrate your children’s book?”
A. To be honest, the writing part of the story can take a few hours. Keep in mind these are not novels but children’s books, so the number of words needed to make up a story is equivalent to writing an online article or blog. For example, Young Frida Kahlo is just over 900 words. When you add the translation part, it comes to about 1,902 words. After my research of the character, I will typically formulate the story in my mind after a long run on the trails and start within a few days of my research. After that, I send the story to the same family who have been translating all my books and I begin the illustration. This is what takes the longest. On average, I would say it takes about 4-6 weeks to do the illustration. Once I’m completed with the images and I have the final translations sent back, I start the formatting part and begin to put all the pieces together. From start to finish, I would say it takes about 3-4 months, sooner if I really focus on getting the book to publish. I’m in no rush since I currently have a full-time career in law enforcement, and I only have a few hours a week to devote to this process.
Q. Layton, from Lincoln, Nebraska, wants to know what software you use for your books?
A. This is another question I often get asked. For the writing, I start with an old fashion pen and paper. I keep those black and white Composition Books handy for my writing because I love the way it feels to actually write on paper. And then I transfer everything to Microsoft Word, which eventually gets sent to my translators for my children’s books. For my illustrations, I have always been a fan of using vector artwork, as a result I use Adobe Illustrator and will export the artwork in a high-resolution PDF directly from Illustrator. For integrating all the verbiage and illustrations together, I use Adobe InDesign. The final book is exported as a high-resolution PDF according to the printer specifications. To further dive into the process, I touch upon this in the Quick Guide to Publishing Your Own Children’s Book.
Q. William, from North Vancouver, BC, Canada, wants to know if you have autograph versions of your children’s books.
A. When I do my book readings at Title I Elementary Schools, I often sign a few copies for some chosen students. This is especially true when I visit a classroom. My book readings have students ranging from 50 to 300+ and it would create some cramps in my hand if I signed every copy. If you want an autograph version, feel free to contact me using the information on this site and we can work something out!