Dear Abyss, Picture book brewing

 May 2026
Dear Abyss,

It seems that the closer the book comes to being finished, the more bits and pieces I find I need to adjust or add. I’ve painted a whole new picture for the final page, as the original was not quite right.

The cover is almost finished, putting pictures and words together in adobe, and I learnt a few new things as I went along. It seems every time I produce a new book I learn some new things; I’m still playing with some fancy word art to bring the story to life even more. At some point soon I’m going to have to stop playing and get this project finished.

Bye for now

AMS

Dear Abyss ...journey of a self publish book UK

 April 2026

Dear Abyss,

The book is finished (I think), now for all the bits that need adding after the book is finished…

The title page: 

The title is there and my name and publishing imprint name is at the bottom of the page. It still needs an illustration, which may be a version of the cover picture, which I have yet to do. 

The title page verso: 

On the reverse side of the title page, the title page verso is where the copyright information goes, along with publication date and ISBN, which I have yet to apply for, as I have already used all ten of my ISBNs and need a new stock.

The blurb: 

A first draft of the blurb is already written, and will go on the back cover of the book.

The cover: 

The cover is the first thing any prospective reader will see, so it needs to grab attention and convey what to expect inside, as well as a clear title.

So my next job is the cover.

Bye for now

AMS

Dear Abyss, The book is finished, I think... sharing the journey of building a picture book.

 March 2026

Dear Abyss,

The book is finished, I think… all the words and pictures seem to be getting along, so I’ve closed the book (file), and come out from under my rock to have a play with technology.

We’ve already had false spring, and now we seem to be dipping back into winter again, …resisting the temptation to go back into hibernation here, but with a theme of sleep, there is a good deal of yawning involved, from the characters and the author. I really must write something more lively, but it is a bedtime story, so I’m probably on the right track with yawning… zzzz

Bye for now

AMS

Self Publishing in the UK sharing the journey... again

February 2026
February and it’s still raining…

So how is the book coming along?

It’s so very nearly there, and so tempting to just get it finished, but there are some illustrations that don’t quite click as I format them into the book; words and pictures having their usual argy bargy as they settle onto the page together. And I know from experience that this is the easiest time to make any alterations, or even do a new picture, because nothing is yet set in place, things can still shuffle around or be replaced without too much trouble. So it’s back to the drawing board with a couple of pictures.

The theme of the book is sleep, or lack of it, and as the characters yawn their way through their story it’s hard not to join them. zzzz