On Picture Books and Kitchen Renovations
What do they have in common? They both take. for. ever.
After about 5 years of wavering, Dan and I finally decided to renovate our kitchen in 2025. Why am I telling you this in a blog post about my book?
Because publishing a book is a lot like renovating a kitchen.
The final artist’s rendering of our kitchen from April 2025.
Renovations are complicated endeavors that require a lot of subcontractors with different skillsets: Electricians. Plumbers. Carpenters. Tilers. Painters.
Same with books. You need illustrators. Editors. Designers. Printers. Marketers. Distributors.
In a renovation, you’ve got to get comfortable with a lot of “hurry up and wait.” You are never the electrician, plumber, carpenter, tiler, or painter’s only client.
Same with books. You are never the illustrator, editor, designer, printer, marketer, or distributor’s only client.
Our deconstructed kitchen, ~late June 2025.
Doing a renovation is always going to cost a lot more than you think.
Same with books. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve revised my budget upward.
A renovation almost never adheres to its original timeline.
Same with books. When I started this process 18 months ago, I envisioned launching Morty right about now: Just in time for back-to-school. Plenty of time to market the book before the holiday shopping push.
But by July, it was clear that it just wouldn’t be happening that way.
I’ve tried to keep the same mindset with my book that I had with our kitchen as work dragged on through the summer. The frustration of this moment, of waiting, is real. But in a few weeks, it’ll all be worth it.
My kitchen and my book may not be happening as fast as I’d like. But they will be done. And when they are, they will be beautiful.
Ta-da! The (almost) finished kitchen in late August 2025.