Thinking about the Journey again
Today in an online workshop I shared my journey as a self-published author. When I opened all my old folders in my laptop, I recalled different parts of the process that I had forgotten. Even I didn’t remember the sheer amount of effort I had put in. Of course, Allah SWT, Al-Mueed (The Counter) is the only One who has a complete count of all the steps that went into it.
Without going through the process, it is not possible for anyone to realize how much effort goes behind the scenes for every single page of a children’s book. Just the text goes through tens (if not hundreds) of rounds of editing and proofreading. Then comes the illustration stage. It begins with trying to decide the overall colour palette. Then the search for an illustrator starts. After contacting many illustrators, a contract is signed with one who seems the most suitable for the project. Before the illustrator starts working, the book size and margins are finalized. Then discussions about the vision behind the characters begin. One-by-one it is decided what each page should look like. Alongside, the text placement, cover page, font, and other details are finalized. After that, the paper quality, binding type, and printer are finalized. I remember having an email thread of over 150 emails with my illustrator, going back and forth about each page and the changes required.
Finally when it seems that the whole book is finalized and sample copies are even printed, asking for final reviews from a number of people leads to numerous more changes. A punctuation mark error somehow might be missed. The text positioning on a certain page may be looking a bit off. And a certain character might need to say a few more words in order for the message to be complete and clearer.
I remember one of my friends being really surprised that I was asking for and accepting feedback just a week before my launch as well. Although it was hard for me, it was also a huge learning experience. I actually felt grateful for having so many eyes on my book so that the end result is of top quality.
I hope that my journey becomes a source of inspiration and guiding light for other aspiring authors and that Allah SWT accepts all this effort in His Name. Ameen.
