Whatever Happened to that Novel I Was Writing?

Just touching base today before I finish up my next article on AD/HD. I haven't forgotten about my novel, even though homeschooling has taken over my life. I am still steadily working on the back story - something that was simply not ready enough to take advantage of NaNoWriMo last November. However, I have finished a children's picture book manuscript about a boy and his cat's secret and am now preparing it for submission. I just received guidelines from my first victim. I'll be sure to post updates.

I have decided that I will immediately select another publisher and prepare a packet for that publisher to mail the very day I receive a rejection. In this way I can prevent my Depression from holding up the submission process should I receive a rejection, which is very likely. (I'm not being negative, folks. Just realistic. I expect to sell the manuscript, but not without effort) I am also working on a second pb ms that is humorous proof that one truly can have too much of a good thing.

My love is the juvenile fiction novel, however. My kids are begging me to write it. When I am ready, I will do no other projects until it is finished. In the meantime, I am trying to figure out what I should do about Cootey's Critters. Distraction, or worthy pursuit?


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Comments

nihon said…
I think you should try publishing "Cootey's Critters." It's a very creative book and I'm sure there's a publisher out there somewhere that would be interested. I'll be interested to read any of your other books as well. :-)
April 30, 2007 9:03 AM
D.R. Cootey said…
That's very kind of you to say. The problem with "Counting by Critters" was that publishers by and large don't accept freelance coloring books. Those are commodity products, produced cheap and usually with TV tie-ins. Anybody making original coloring books uses inhouse artists. I had created a 140+ page coloring book with NO market. After receiving a handful of rejections and getting personal comments I soon realized that I had nowhere to market the book as is, so I repackaged it as a smaller book and released it under the Creative Commons.

The problem with "Cootey's Critters" was that I didn't like the style I was drawing in. I started that project back in 1996 and my style had matured a lot since then. So continuing in that older style was becoming difficult for me. I just didn't think in those ways anymore. I'm not sure how else to explain it.

I'm trying to decide if the project is worth reinventing with my new style (closer to my older Darkstream work) or if it's just a big old distraction. ;)
April 30, 2007 12:54 PM
nihon said…
Maybe redo it differently: instead of a coloring book, do it up as a set of learning books that are fully colored in the vein of the Dr. Seuss ABC book. One for numbers, and one for letters, a beginning math book, etc.

If you get that to sell, then you could surprise your editor with a tie-in coloring book that could be sold in addition to the learning books.
April 30, 2007 1:02 PM
D.R. Cootey said…
Actually, I have thought about doing something like that. Especially with the book I've already compiled. It might make a nice picture book.

BUT

There are a million counting books out there. I haven't had time to really study the matter properly, but IF I rework the book, I'd have to be certain it added something new to the counting meme. Otherwise, I'm wasting my time.

I'm trying to be realistic here. Once I have a clear vision I will go forward with faith and gusto, but at the moment I'm skeptical.
April 30, 2007 5:05 PM
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