“I can’t wait to read your book!”
The exciting (and terrifying) thing about publishing your first book is that there are no expectations. All anyone has is your cover and the blurb on the back. That’s it.
All things being equal, until it’s released (on October 4, 2022 😉) your book could either be fabulous or a flop… kinda like Schrödinger’s cat.
For the record, I don’t think Strong Strings will be a flop, but generating buzz for a book that’s still under wraps is pretty challenging… especially for a first time author.
I’ve received a lot of advice from friends and family and almost everyone has made the following suggestion:
“Give consumers a sneak peek of the main characters!”
Ahh, yes… the sneak peek. It makes sense when you think about it. Consumer curiosity is a powerful force and given the absence of reviews, it’s natural to want something big like a character to sink your teeth into.
Unfortunately, my reply is always the same: “I’d love to, but I can’t.” A look of confusion usually follows and I have to explain… “The two main characters in my book (the little boy and his grandma) are not pictured, only their emotions are.” [Insert more blank stares from my would-be advice givers.] I realize my explanation doesn’t clear up their confusion, but there’s no other way to say it.
In hindsight, choosing not to illustrate the main characters has definitely complicated my marketing strategy, but the book was designed this way for two very important reasons…
Reason #1
My grandmother was my inspiration for this story, but words and pictures do not do justice to the memory of her that I hold in my heart. If I had tried to use her likeness, the illustrations wouldn’t have captured the warmth of her smile or the laughter in her eyes and, let’s face it, when you love someone, there’s just no substitute for the real thing.
Similarly, I chose a little boy for the story instead of a little girl because I couldn’t write myself into the book. I didn’t have the stomach for it.
Reason #2
While I will always picture my grandma when reading this book, I wanted to give my readers the opportunity to imagine their loved ones as well. So, I left out character names and faces and focused on the one thing everyone has in common: emotions and the people we share them with. I know that might not make a lot of sense but suffice it to say, this story applies to every relationship there is… grandmas, grandpas, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, neighbors, etc.
The message is universal…
The best way to take care of your heart
is to protect and strengthen the relationships that are tied to it.
Speaking of ties… I said that the main characters were not pictured, but somehow I still managed to illustrate their emotions. Huh?
Three Something from Nothings
When I was a kid one of my favorite books was call Something from Nothing, By: Phoebe Gilman (1992). In it, the main character, Joseph, receives a handmade baby blanket from his grandpa.
As he grows up, the blanket gets old and worn out, so the boy takes it back to his grandpa to fix. His grandpa recycles the blanket and makes him a new jacket out of the scraps.
When that gets worn out grandpa makes him a new vest, then a new tie, etc. …all the while the remnants of the baby blanket get smaller and smaller. I won’t spoil the ending for you, but one of my favorite things about this book are the illustrations.
Each time grandpa cuts up the blanket to make something new, tiny pieces of fabric slip beneath the floorboards and a family of mice make them into clothing, curtains, and blankets. It’s a story within a story and I love it to this day!
When we began planning the illustrations for Strong Strings, I wanted a story within a story and I believe we ended up with three… one anchored in reality with puzzles pieces, coffee, and Mac & Cheese… one traveling across the page as the characters’ heart strings… and one that pushes the boundaries of the reader’s imagination, challenging them to examine their own strings.
I hope you like it, but we’ll know for sure after October 4th… when the cat is out of the box.
If you enjoy reading this newsletter, please do me a favor and forward it
to someone who might enjoy learning more about Strong Strings. As a first time author (without main character illustrations 😜) I need all the help I can get!
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