Children’s books are beautiful, impactful, and a whole lot of fun! Children love all of the pictures, the rhymes, and funny stories. You can probably remember some of your favorite children’s book stories from when you were little. I certainly can.
I loved The Bernstein Bears books, Dr. Seuss, Harold and the Purple Crayon, and many others. They are classics! When I thought of the creativity that was used to make something so special, I wondered what all went into it. Now that I am a children’s book author, I can share a little bit about what I’ve learned.
Creating a children’s book can be an exciting experience. It can also be a very long process. It requires patience, teamwork and collaboration, and a creative mind. In part one of this series, I’ll discuss patience.
Patience:
Have you ever heard someone say, “Patience is a virtue?” It’s biblical, and it’s very true. Patience is necessary for your personal and professional growth. It helps you be still, while you wait for results, and carefully reflect on your next steps in the process. Without it, you may find yourself miserable, edgy, and not producing your best work.
During a childrens book development process, you’ll spend lots of time in the following ways:
1. Perfecting your manuscript
2. Finalizing illustration sketches after a round or more of modifications
3. Finalizing your pages for layout and print
While these three areas may seem simple, they all require time and attention to detail.
You may spend a lot of time waiting for sketches to come back.
You may spend lots of time writing and rewriting your manuscript— because writing for children is not as easy as you may think!!
You may spend lots of time making changes before you’re ready to move forward with the next page! This process can take six months or longer!!
I like to set the right expectations when I talk to authors about book production. It is exciting, but be prepared to go to work— especially if you’re going to publish your book independently.
But while you’re working, enjoy the journey! Children come to life, as we read stories to them. It’s even more special when it’s something we’ve created. So, be proud of your work, communicate clearly and effectively to your design team or anyone else helping, and have fun!!
Learn more about my first childrens book at www.iturnedmymomintoarobot.com!
Sincerely,
Kennisha
Create and Blossom Studios 