From Idea to Publication!

An interview I'm working on inquires about my children's book process.
Great idea!  I hope sharing a post about my Away We Go! book journey 
will be helpful for inspiring authors and illustrators, and fun for everyone. 

Many of my ideas stem from restless sleep.  
Instead of counting sheep, I'm thinking of new concepts.

The idea of die-cut shapes working into transportation vehicles 

transpired from my original idea, of shapes and animals.

I start off by sketching and brainstorming in my sketchbook.

I don't think my drawings and writing are comprehensible to anyone but me.

Yes, I'm a very messy thinker.

This sketch illustrates my efforts to work the die-cut layers into 

each spread, so they fit together nicely.  The die-cuts make this a novelty book,

and the most challenging process of the book format.

Once I start working on a project, I'm always thinking:

in restaurants, waiting rooms, and in the car at the school pick-up line.

When my sketchbook is not handy, I'll draw on any piece of paper.

After fleshing out the design, and feeling really good about it;
I'll create artwork and put together a dummy, complete with die-cuts, 

cut tediously by hand.  Artwork for Away We Go! was created 

on the computer, in Adobe Illustrator.

Upon completion (a big YAY! moment), I make a video of the dummy 

with page turns, and demonstrate each spread and die-cut feature.

I upload the video and submit a link along with my proposal for publishers,

and hope with fingers crossed, for the best!

Away We Go! was acquired by Scholastic, roughly 8 months

after submission, and published approximately two years later. :)

And the fun starts all over again, with my next restless night!  LOL