It’s been a while…again.
As these things usually go, I didn’t intend on there being a month of silence following the last post, but between day jobs, turkey (and pie), the approaching Christmas holiday, and completing all things Maggie related, things have been busy. But one thing is emerging as a solid truth for me and Christian the more this whole thing unfolds: We could (and we will) happily do this for a living. Being busy with Maggie has been a great sort of busy. Sure, it’s had its moments, but we’re looking at those moments as opportunities for learning (and if that’s not nauseating optimism, I don’t know what is).
Either way, work is work, and we’re up to our chins in sprinkles and paper and plans. But right now you’re probably thinking “great, you’re busy making the book, now let me see it!” and, if so, that’s fair. So we’re going to give you a little taste that you don’t get from most books. A behind-the-scenes look, if you will. As we highlighted in the Kickstarter video, all of these illustrations start with nothing more than a couple of pencils and a stack of paper, so we thought it would be cool to show you a page with all stages of the process in place.
I’ve known Christian for nearly nine years. I’ve seen plenty of his work, including some personal projects he’s worked on for me here and there, but this book is the first time we’ve collaborated on something and it’s been an incredible experience for me to see how he works. To learn how he approaches everything from an entire spread to the smallest details. He is a true designer, artist, and talent. His skill continues to amaze me and I could not have asked for a better person to bring this story to life. The above is just a small example of his creativity (and a great example of how my words and his illustrations mix throughout the book).
So at the end of the day, when you close this book after reading it for the 57th time at the request of your children (or yourself), remember one thing: Maggie and the Sprinkle Tree is more than words and pictures on a page, it’s a book created with an unending desire to make something for others to enjoy.
With that said, it’s time for some news:
Books
Remember that trick up my sleeve? Well, we’re doing it. Though we hadn’t initially planned on it, we’re ordering this first printing with book jackets featuring an EXTRA illustration! Now, if you’re a parent, you might be cringing. Book jackets, for those with kids especially, can be obnoxious. Even more so when they don’t really seem to serve a purpose. But this one will serve to provide a second piece of cover art, creating a nice before-and-after before you even open the book. And while this is an exciting addition to the first printing, it’s also extra work. And extra time. And extra printing. With that said, we might be slightly delayed in our shipping. No, don’t panic, just slighly…a week or so tops. And we may not even be delayed but you know what? We’re all about transparency, so we wanted to put that out there as a possibility well in advance of our end-of-January deadline. So…we hope you’re as excited as we are about this little (not-so-little) addition. And we’ll keep you posted as things progress.
As for selling books on our website, that’s still in the works. I probably got a bit ahead of myself by mentioning it too soon with everything else that’s going on, but I promise it’s coming. When? Shortly after the start of the new year.
Note Cards
These will ship this month as planned to everyone who backed at the $8 level. We’re both practicing our penmanship.
Stickers
What? Stickers? Yep, we went ahead and ordered some adorable acorn stickers (say it with us now: “That’s so on-brand!”) to seal the envelopes and add a bit more fun to the mix! So yes, something else to look forward to!
That’s all for now, but I promise to make these updates a bit more regular and keep you all in the loop.
-John