Wherefore art thou, Storybook/Picturebook Crowd?

[stararcana]

I've recently finished a Storybook project "The Mute Princess" and I'd like to know if any of you do anything similar? I know Tapas is a mostly comic platform but I'd like to think that there are way more open about that sort of thing as well.

Feedback is welcome and I'd love to know where y'all at!

[joe_galindez]

Wherefore art thou, Storybook/Picturebook Crowd?

Hiding from people who use the word "wherefore."

[Mr_B]

It's lovely. The art is wonderful to look at, as it should be in a picturebook, and the story is nice and simple, as well as heartwarming. Well done! Do you plan on doing more books like this? Maybe with a story told in separate entries?

I don't think I've ever tried to do a picturebook in the true sense of the word. I did do illustrations for a couple of colouring books about recycling and biodiversity for kids, but nothing more than that.

[ashriott]

I have done one picture book project in the past, and absolutely loved doing it. Though I'm more comic-based these days, I love collecting picture books.

I've read your story, it's very sweet and sincere, with lovely art. I hope you get the chance to do more stuff like this in the future!

[MoonSquid]

I aspire to do picture books, and am scripting out a few! I'm just trying to allow myself the time to work on them beside my comic... I've been difficult to convince. I can be a harsh task master x__x

Mute Princess was absolutely adorable and beautiful! <3

[anim8or2000]

I recently became a parent. As my child grows, I would like her to read picture books i have written for her. Time is short these days but once i have finished my current work load, I would like to start on some picture books

[stararcana]

Ouch lol
At least, it got you? haha

[stararcana]

Thank you thank you! I'm probably gonna turn it into a series of sorts but in a "you don't have to read one to understand the other?" kinda sense? I'm kinda scripting one right now and it's generally pretty fun! I also got a bunch of stories of others in my head and it's already hard to put it down on paper haha

You should definitely give picturebooks a try! It doesn't necessarily have to tell a story, in can be quite informative if you want it to be! McCloud did Comic-making comic books, don't see how this is any different!

[stararcana]

A Picturebook from parent to child sounds lovely! <3 Definitely do it! It doesn't have to have words even!

[TheThoughtfulBoxful]

Wherefore art thou, Storybook/Picturebook Crowd?

I've self published 3 picture books to-date (writer/illustrator)! going to be on book 4 when the year is over.

(maybe that's why my comic is taking so long? hmm... )

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@stararcana the mute princess looks good! i'll have to sit down and give it a better critique later!

edit: I really enjoyed your story!! One thing I'd like to critique in regards to formatting: (I know you've printed copies already, but for the future) try letting the illustrations stand alone and have the corresponding text on it's own white page. it's in a good format right now since it's online, but in a print book, doing this will make the story easier to follow/focus on. plus, it'll make the story longer (on average, a picture book is about 32 pages minimum.)

other than that, great job! is this your first picture book? the illustrations are lovley

[stararcana]

Yeah that initial part is pretty difficult. The scripting is definitely the hard part. I would suggest just writing the story on a word doc and separating them by paragraph to indicate a page. Don't worry about making a complicated story. Sometimes a simple one is all you need and sometimes you might not even need words!

Thank you so much!! <3

[stararcana]

Formatting was definitely something that I had to think about because this is my first story that is actually pretty long. I've seen that format used before but I don't think it'll be good for long stories, especially with how The Mute Princess is 48 pages total. Though I can definitely see this format being used for a 32 pages min (which would make 16 illustrations total) so I'll keep it in mind!

Thank you so much! It is my very first successful attempt and I'm thinking of turning it into a series where each book is standalone. I'm already in the scripting on the second one and I already have an idea of what the conflict is!

[TheThoughtfulBoxful]

Formatting was definitely something that I had to think about because this is my first story that is actually pretty long. I've seen that format used before but I don't think it'll be good for long stories, especially with how The Mute Princess is 48 pages total. Though I can definitely see this format being used for a 32 pages min (which would make 16 illustrations total) so I'll keep it in mind!

you could also try going back and fourth! like some pages have text and then others have the text on a corresponding page. but it's your choice! edit: also I believe the maximum of a picture book to be between 50-80 pages? I'm trying to remember. once you pass 50 you're walking into chapterbook/early reader territory)

good luck with your series! and thanks for this thread! (i was starting to feel like a loner XD)

[stararcana]

Thank you! I'm also trying out to do comics and I already have so many ideas. I'm more of an artbook collector myself (though mostly for games and movies haha) so hearing someone be a picture book collector is pretty interesting.

Thank you again! This is a really fun so I hope to turn this into an ongoing thing.

[stararcana]

good luck with your series! and thanks for this thread! (i was starting to feel like a loner XD)

No problem buddy! I knew I wasn't the only one but some confirmation is lovely. <3

edit: also I believe the maximum of a picture book to be between 50-80 pages? I'm trying to remember. once you pass 50 your walking into chapterbook/early reader territory)

Just saw your edit lol I think once it reaches past that range it becomes "graphic novel" no?

[TheThoughtfulBoxful]

oh no, a graphic novel can be over 100 pages! lol
I was reffering more in the case of picture books/children's stories.

edit: wait, I read your post wrong, sorry! Yes after that, you're going into the category of longform comics, graphic novels.

[stararcana]

edit: wait, I read your post wrong, sorry! Yes after that, you're going into the category of longform comics, graphic novels.

Ah okay! And just saw your edit haha

Though whenever I hear the words "chapterbook", I think of a book that illustrations for each chapter rather than each page?

[TheThoughtfulBoxful]

well if you'll look early reader's or chapter books like, I don't know, Ramona & Beezus, you'll see that the illustrations are usually a combination of spot illustrations (which are smaller, less detailed illustrations) and splash illustrations (pictures taking up the whole page)

kind of like this (note, NOT Ramona and Beezus):

browsing amazon and checking out a said title "look inside" previews should provide more examples. do some research!

[emkay]

Yup, if you consider kid's books to be storybooks! I work as a part-time children's book illustrator, so I've done about nine books so far and gotten them published.

[lunaartemisasama]

Wow I like the story. I love storybooks since I was little

I would agree with the design thing, I think the parts in the little boxes is a minus to the pictures that are really cute. It's like they don't complement eachother, maybe like a transparent cloud or like scroll? or with the white background like it was suggested.