Recounting My Writing Journey - Chapter 7

Especially You / 2024

Happy Easter, everyone! Today, I will be sharing the piece of my writing journey surrounding my most recent children's book, Especially You. 

After the publication of What I Do Know, writing and putting out Especially You was much easier for a lot of reasons. The biggest one? I wasn't afraid of it anymore. I wasn't afraid of putting out such a short piece of writing, and more importantly, I wasn't afraid of illustrating anymore. 

The idea for Especially You came to me in the summer of 2023, as I was finishing up my day's work for the UURC. I was thinking about my son as I logged off my computer, and I was so inspired that I pulled out a blank piece of printer paper that I had beside my desk, and I scribbled down a poem.

Initially, Especially You was going to be about eight pages longer. However, as I worked to create the character - which I named Owlie - it was clear that I needed to cut and rearrange some things and really streamline the message. So, I did. When I first started illustrating, I went back and forth quite a bit between the idea of having my character be a tan bunny, or a gray owl. I ended up going with the owl, and the illustrating process somehow got even easier (though I definitely find owls to be a lot more complicated to draw than bunnies).

Once I had a good idea of what I wanted my character to look like, I began going through and figuring out what I wanted on each page. Then, I created some very rough sketches. Over the next several months, I sat up with my husband late at night, watching movies, listening to MrBallen, or watching my husband play video games as I illustrated after we put our baby to bed. I challenged myself to learn more about using texture in my illustrations, and stuck with a very specific, kid-friendly color scheme. 

Finally, I had colored, textured illustrations for every page in the story. I added text, keeping my font consistent throughout the story. Then, I did another consistency check - I made sure that every version of Owlie that appeared had the consistent details I wanted him to have. I went through the story and worked on backgrounds, so that even the patterns of the sky's appearance were cyclical, and I added shadows to my illustrations. 

In my proofing process, I made minor tweaks to the page sizes several times to get them to look exactly how I wanted to, and I added a darker outline to my main character so he would stand out against his surroundings more clearly. After adjusting my pages so many times, I realized that, when I combined my page files, I forgot a layer, so when I resized, the outlines were off. I went in and fixed that issue, and resubmitted and reproofed my document. I also worked to develop a handful of different descriptions and synopses for the book. ​

After the document was all squared away and ready for release, I started something I hadn't done before. I gathered together a "street team" to push my marketing and spread the word in ways I've never known, or dared, to do. Mandi Lynn's "My Book Launch Planner" was a huge help in figuring out how to spread the word about my new book. 

I wanted to do something special for my street team, and I also wanted to give them all Advance Reader Copies of the book. I printed and bound each of them a hard-cover edition to read and review. I sent them weekly prompts for things to post on their social media about, including their favorite page, their favorite quotes, cover reveal, and even some fun drawing challenges. It was an experience that I loved and will definitely be doing again! 

In addition to utilizing an amazing street team, I designed stickers and book marks, and began reaching out to local libraries and bookstores to inquire about hosting book readings and signings. I am still working to set up events and find fun, new ways to promote my book. As of right now, I'm looking into commissioning someone to make little Owlie stuffed animals to go with the book, and I'm looking to create a coloring book version for kids to have even more interactivity with the story.

I am loving the challenge that comes with every new area I look into. Illustrating this book has continued to inspire me to hone my digital artistry, which I've found incredibly useful in designing the cover and promotional materials for my next book.

Today's post brings us through my most recent published work. I'll post another chapter of my writing journey when my new novel, Bound releases later this year. For now, check back weekly for other things I've learned about writing, publishing, marketing, and more.