Flow charts

As an illustrator, I often rely on imagery to help me convey what I am trying to do via words. Though I LOVE to write, it does NOT come naturally and therefore I struggle with it, draft after draft after agonizing draft. In contrast, illustrations are constantly popping into my head at all hours of the day and night, and sometimes I can’t draw fast enough to keep up.

So, I created this visual flow chart to demonstrate the repetitive nature of this book publishing process. What the take home point is, is that re-editing content, re-copy-editing, re-writing and re-illustrating happens over and over as we creative persons try to assess what might not have been working with our manuscripts and illustrations, that garnered the latest rejection. Of course there are phenoms like Oliver Jeffers who send out to the top ten publishing companies and get the huge bite in the first round. I’m the first in line to acknowledge his genius in both storytelling and illustrating, but also to say that there are many other talented authors out there who frankly don’t experience this process in that way.

So when the time comes for you to enter this loop, always keep in mind that it’s all about faith in your work, faith in your message and faith in yourself.