My Journey into Picture Book Creation
When I decided to become a children’s book author, I had no idea just how much goes into creating a picture book. As a brand‑new “newbie” in the publishing world, I quickly realized that hiring a professional illustrator was out of the question. So, I rolled up my sleeves, purchased a Canva license, and designed my very first picture book, Sticks and Stars, using their pre‑made elements.
And honestly? It was a lot of fun.
I learned so much — not just about illustration, but about writing, formatting, barcodes, copyright, marketing, publishing, uploading, downloading, EPUBs, PDFs… the list goes on and on. There is truly a LOT involved in self‑publishing a book. But I stuck with it, step by step, and seeing my first book, Sticks and Stars, come to life made every challenge worth it.
Now I’m deep into my second book, One Rainy Day. This time, I wanted to push myself further and create the illustrations digitally from scratch. After some research, I decided to try Affinity — a free, easy‑to‑use program that works similarly to Canva. So far, I’m loving it. The entire book is formatted, the text is locked in, and I’m currently illustrating pages 22–23. Things are moving right along!
I’m especially excited about One Rainy Day. It introduces two lovable friends who feel completely differently about the rain — one loves it, one doesn’t — but they remain friends through it all. I think young children will relate to their personalities and giggle at their interactions. If everything continues on track, you can expect to find One Rainy Day just about everywhere books are sold in October 2026.
It’s been a wild, wonderful learning experience so far, and I can’t wait to share more of this journey with you as I grow into the world of children’s books.
Happy Reading!