So, I requested and received feedback on my first children’s book, “Dewdrops to Raindrops, A Drip’s Trip to Make Sappy Happy” from the owner of an indie bookstore in the arrowhead region of MN. “A sweet story overall” it began. So far, so good I thought. The review then went on to say I ignored the suggested word count for a children’s picture book. Wait! What?! Oh crap! “The words and pictures should be balanced.” Well, I have to admit, I can improve on that one.
Okay, so honest feedback from an expert in all things books. Now, what to do for the next story in the series? Reduce the word count to 500-700? That is not an easy task for this girl. Obviously, I need more experience in this area! Keep the word count similar and say “It’s my way or the highway?” It is my book, after all. Scrap the first book as a picture book and make it into a chapter book for young readers? Hmmmmm, not sure I am ready to reduce the number of illustrations as the next books’ lessons will be greatly enhanced by the illustrations. I’m pretty visual so that makes sense to me.
I am feeling stressed when working on the next story now. How can I say this in less words? Can I keep the conversation that lays out the science lesson to fewer words and questions from the main character to the older, wiser characters he is asking? Writing is a creative, fun outlet for me and many other people. Do I stay inside the “picture book box” or write outside of it? Since I’m self-publishing these books, for now, do I still have to color inside the picture book lines? More to think about and mull over. I’m a good muller over-er so no doubts that I’ll come up with the answers to my questions. Until next time, this adventure never would’ve begun if I neglected to write the first sentence!
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Meet Sappy, Dropsy, and the Crew 