As a first time children’s book author, I knew I wanted to get it right. The right words. The right illustrations. The right publishing route. The right marketing plan. But as a newbie, I knew that would be a tall order.
From the beginning, I needed to check my eagerness and excitability at the door if I was to truly create a quality story worthy of such investments. From writing, rewriting, editing, beta testing, more beta testing, and critique grouping before I even signed my publishing deal and passed my book baby along to a professional editing desk, I was feeling pretty confident by the time we stamped the FINAL approval for the manuscript.
I not only felt confident in the story and characters, but also in the overall concept, and my goal to create a meaningful series and book materials to support parents, teachers, and ultimately, our kids.
But what came next was equally as daunting - finding an illustrator. For a picture book I know it comes as no surprise to imagine the illustrations being as important, if not more, than the words themselves. And having a somewhat picky and particular style in mind, I imagined finding “the one” would be like finding your wedding dress. When you know, you know.
And know, I did. Not only was she one of countless portfolios that I’d flipped through that immediately caught my attention, but I also quickly found myself falling in love with each of her pieces and her overall style. It was kind of like the cherry (or veil) on top when I realized she was also right down the road. Out of amazing illustrators from around the world, I happened upon one that was also here in Texas. One that I felt could perfectly capture the rolling hills of our setting’s farm house, and the peculiar personalities of our slew of animals that I dreamed being depicted throughout the series.
And just as imagined, with some patience and pickiness, my crazy story idea came out to be a perfectly published book. Which just so happens to be written, illustrated and printed here in Texas. My little piece of home is now ready to travel the world.
Blooming Rose Blasts Off is illustrated by the amazing Kristen Humphrey. Her portfolio with Astound can be found here.
Thank you to Kelly from Lady Hawkeye for inviting me to guest post on her blog. The original post can be found here.
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