Sketches

I just received some black and white sketches for my latest bilingual picture book due out in 2010. It is very exciting to see the progress of a book from manuscript to sketches to final art form. Because of the illustrations, some books take as long as two, three, or even four years before they are published and in bookstores. As I mention to the children during school visits, a writer has to have a lot of patience. While waiting for the book to come out in final form, a writer is always writing something new. Children are usually amazed when I tell them how long the process takes.

I invite you to take a look at Jon Bard's free video on Jacketflap's Web site. Jon is the managing editor of The Children's Book Insider - The Newsletter for Children's Writers. You can view the video on "Do you have what it takes to make it as a children's writer?" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5vnuSLhrAE. It offers great guidance for writers. I invite any comments you might have.