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Charlie Weatherburn and the Flying Machine: Now Available!
Last week I made available for sale my first book. It’s a children’s picture book called Charlie Weatherburn and the Flying Machine, and I’m pretty proud of how it turned out.
Because the book is self-published, I don’t have the massive distribution network that other traditional publishers have. I do, however, have the internet, and I’ve been working on the web for long enough to know a few things about online publishing, sales and marketing.
I therefore decided to give the book away, with the hope that it will drive sales of the paperback version. Unless you read to your child every night on your iPad (there might be a couple of you out there), chances are that physical books still have a place when it comes to children’s literature.
Only a few days after the book went on sale, Daniel Donahoo posted a review of the book on Wired’s Geek Dad blog. It was an extremely positive review, and a huge ego boost for me (I used to read Wired magazine religiously as a teenager).
Matt’s illustrations are cartoonish and playful. I love his subtle use of the primary colors. But, his storytelling and ability to incorporate a wide range of mathematical and physics concepts into a book that is suitable for 4 to 8 year olds is where he excels.
I’m so glad that Dan and his kids enjoyed the book, and I hope you will too!
Starting A New Blog
I’ve started a new blog about writing, illustrating and publishing children’s books.
It’s a bit more niche than this one (which really just exists as a kind of home base for me, without any particular focus). I’ll focus on the process that I went through to create Charlie Weatherburn and the Flying Machine, I’ll interview prominent and upcoming children’s authors and illustrators, and I’ll publish the occasional tutorial to empower other folks thinking about creating a kids book themself.
It might be a bit quiet around here while I focus on the book launch and creating content for the new blog. Just sayin’.
Go check it out.
Tags: blog, projectI Wrote (and Illustrated) a Children's Book
I’ve been working on a personal project for the last 18 months—a children’s picture book. It’s very close to being available for purchase, and I’m extremely proud of it. I encourage you to go take a look right now!
I’ll be writing much more about my thoughts, the influences and the process that lead up to the final product. In the mean time, I’m waiting impatiently for some proofs to arrive so I can flip the switch and start taking sales.
If you’d like to find out when it’s available to buy, I’d encourage you to Like the page I’ve set up on Facebook for the book, follow the Twitter account, or sign up to the email newsletter.
Tags: art, children's+book, design, drawing, illustrating, writing