Very soon now, I’m going to be able to show you the book cover for my upcoming fantasy novel, Bits of String too Small to Save. It’s being created by a brilliant UK artist named Phillip Harris. My vision for the book is to have it clothbound and peppered with beautiful, detailed pen-and-ink drawings.
This is not a graphic novel at all, but it will be illustrated. I had a version of Alice in Wonderland, as a child, which surprised me every once in a while with a really breathtaking illustration, right in the middle of a chapter, as if the publisher wanted to say, “I know you’ve got your own idea of what the caterpillar smoking a hooka looks like, but I just really, really, really want you to know how I’m picturing that, too.” That’s the kind of real treasure of a book I’d like to create.
Buy Physical Books!
These days, when it’s so much more convenient to buy any book electronically–takes less shelf space, easier to carry with you, can’t lose your bookmark, etc.– I feel like people who actually buy physical books should be rewarded. Y
You deserve something special that makes you glad you bought this real object. It should stand on your shelf and make you want to read. It should be a conversation piece. After all, when you visit someone’s house for the first time, don’t you peruse the bookshelf or record collection first?
Illustrated Books are Treasures
Wouldn’t it be great to come upon a real treasure of a book? It’s a great story, but it’s so much more than that. A book like that feels good to hold in your hand, it’s great to share the pictures with children and adults alike, and it’s that cult, underground, still-undiscovered “where did you find this!?” book. That’s my ambition for Bits of String too Small to Save. Coming Soon!