Meet Jake Lockett and enter to win My Life as an Asthmanaut!

The timing of this post turned out to be perfect! Even though Jake’s book launched in April, we had a tight blogging schedule, and I asked Jake if he minded if the post ran on May 1^st. His answer was: “May 1st is even better, as May is Asthma Awareness Month.” Then there was another switch in the schedule and I had to let him know the post was changed to May 5^th. His response: “May 5th works even better, because that’s World Asthma Day.” So, as you can see, not only is Jake great to work with, but this post releasing right on World Asthma Day was meant to be. Oh my gosh, I’m popping in on May 5th to add this line because I’ve just heard on the radio that today is also National Astronaut Day–unbelievable! In even more good news, Jake has generously offered to share a free copy of his book with one lucky winner. Details to follow!

I really enjoyed reading Jake Lockett’s new picture book My Life as an Asthmanaut which was published by Free Spirit Publishing as part of their Disability Books for Kids. Since May is Asthma Awareness month, this would be a great time to find out more about this important topic.

Here’s my review of My Life as an Asthmanaut. What a beautiful, important book! In a gentle, soothing voice, young Jacob pulls us right into his story, his fears, and the way he conquers them. Many asthma sufferers and their friends will feel seen in My Life as an Asthmanaut. Meeting Jacob and seeing how calmly and wisely he deals with his asthma attacks normalizes what might have previously felt like isolation. This special book shows there’s so much more to each individual than meets the eye. Delightful illustrations are bright and cheerful. The inspiring author’s note and glossary are wonderful, too. This book will help all kids find the courage to be their best selves and is a great choice for public, school, and home libraries, as well as pediatric offices. My Life as an Asthmanaut is like a breath of fresh air!

Marcia Strykowski: Hi Jake, welcome to Writers’ Rumpus. It’s wonderful to have you here today. Let’s get right to it! Have you been writing long, and what inspired you to write this particular book?

Jake Lockett: I’ve been creating stories ever since I was little. I started by writing and illustrating my own comic books in elementary school. After watching The Lord of the Rings trilogy as a teenager, I was inspired to write a fantasy book series for older readers, though I never got beyond creating the extensive outline for those books and writing the first few chapters of Book 1. Fantasy novels proved to be a tough mountain to climb! As I grew up, I had always dreamed of writing stories for younger kids, but I didn’t pursue it until I encountered health issues in my early 20’s and was reminded that I didn’t have forever to accomplish my dreams. It still took several years to get stories published, first in digital publications, then in print magazines, and now finally in books with my debut, My Life as an Asthmanaut. This story was ushered into existence in 2023 after I discovered Free Spirit’s call to writers for their Disability Books for Kids series.

MS: Did you do much research or mostly just write from your heart and lived experience?

JL: I pulled directly from my experiences of living with asthma as a kid and dealing with other health issues as an adult when making My Life as an Asthmanaut. It may sound weird, but I often struggle finding the right words to say when writing stories. But the words came out pretty naturally for the early drafts of this book. It then went through several rounds of revisions during and after acquisition, which were challenging but ultimately made the story so much more inspiring and helpful. I had to do extra research for the glossary. It was mind-blowing to see how asthma management has changed since I was originally treated for the disease over twenty years ago.

MS: Do you have a writing schedule? Could you briefly share your writing process?

JL: I write whenever I feel inspired. I don’t really write whatever comes to mind anymore, as I’ve learned the hard way that not every idea is worth years of revisions and stress over submitting widely to publishers and literary agents. I gravitate only to ideas that really resonate with me, or that could help empower readers. I want to craft stories that can make a change in someone’s life or their heart.

I’ve learned the hard way that not every idea is worth years of revisions and stress over submitting widely to publishers and literary agents. I gravitate only to ideas that really resonate with me, or that could help empower readers.

MS: Do you have an agent? Was it difficult to find a publisher? Did you face any other difficulties on the road to publication?

JL: I don’t have an agent currently, but I’ve been querying steadily for years. I made My Life as an Asthmanaut exclusively for Free Spirit. I felt so blessed that they understood my vision and wanted to share my book with the world. What an honor to be published alongside such brilliant authors like Miso Kwak, Rasha Hamid, Jenna Elyse Johnson, Alicia Meyers, Melinda Gonzalez, and Korie Leigh.

MS: Since many of our blog followers write books for children, they might be curious to know what your initial word count was and if you included any art notes.

JL: The initial draft that I sent to the publisher was in the 400’s range, which was a new feat for me at the time because all of the other pb manuscripts I had worked on up to that point were much longer. When the publisher got back and requested additional revisions, I ended up expanding the word count into the 600’s, and it was that version that got accepted.
I had included tons of art notes to go along with the text during these early submissions, but I now know not to overload a book with art notes, as they can limit the illustrator. Some art notes for my illustrator remained through production, while others were changed or removed.

MS: Were you involved in choosing or working with the illustrator, and were the illustrations how you had imagined they might look?

JL: My publisher asked me about what illustration styles I’d prefer for my book early in the process, then they later selected the talented Adriana Predoi as my illustrator. I was over the moon because I had seen her beautiful art before in children’s magazines. It felt very surreal. I worked with the illustrator through the publisher. If I had notes on sketches or finished art, the publisher sent them to her. I’d love to personally meet Adriana one day and tell her that I’m so proud of her illustrations. They are truly stellar and beyond anything I could ever imagine.

MS: How and when was the amazing title of your book decided? Did you choose it early in the process or perhaps your editor came up with it later, or did you both brainstorm together?

JL: My brain naturally thinks in puns and wordplay, and the word “asthmanaut” popped into my head when I was originally developing my story’s space theme. I thought the word sounded so interesting. It actually gave me the idea to use an astronaut metaphor. I included “asthmanaut” in the story text itself, but it was later removed. I was eager to use this term in the title somehow, and eventually landed on My Life as an Asthmanaut during the early drafts. I wanted the title to explain that it’s a book about Jacob’s life living with asthma, but it also could apply to anyone reading the book who has asthma.

Free Spirit was unsure about the title at first. My editor and I worked together to come up with some alternatives, but the publisher eventually came around and embraced it.

MS: Any tips you’d like to share with other writers? They can be directed at those well on their way or others who are hoping to break in, or both.

JL: Know the genre that you want to get published in. The children’s stories I first queried in the picture book space turned out to be too much like short stories and didn’t mesh with the picture book format. Always be willing to learn and grow!

MS: What’s next? Do you have any more books planned or any news to share?

JL: I’m currently submitting a Christmas picture book, which took about a year to get right. I have a few other picture book ideas that I want to develop, but I’m starting to steer towards writing middle-grade as my next adventure, as most agents and publishers in the industry are closed to picture book authors who don’t also illustrate their work.

MS: Great answers! Best wishes for your continued success, Jake, and thank you so much for joining us here on Writers’ Rumpus.

Find out more about Jake Lockett by following him on his new Facebook author account, and also on Bluesky and his website.

The giveaway winner will be randomly drawn from all who comment by May 19th and will then be contacted the next day. GOOD LUCK!