Not entirely true, but pretty much no idea. I read them to children the end. So with a bit of help from Sam she explains that
# a children's book should be no more that 32 pages (includes end papers)
So after 32 pages the child or even adult gets bored! Not true, it gives yourself a guide line to work within, so you are not ranting on about stuff that's not important. The story needs a beginning, a middle and an end. End papers! Did you ever wonder what the blank pages in the book are called, End Papers apparently.
# the pages are in multiple of 4
Its no magic number, but in writing a book it is. so you do not end up with odd pages.
# square books are good
We both agreed on this one, from a story telling point of view its just easy to hold for a lengthy time, its not top heavy and sits comfortably in your hand.
# keep the design simple (negative space)
I wanted Snow Globe to stand out, I like frames within frames. I wanted it to feel like you are looking through a window, and negative space, well to the average person that's just blank space. The bits round the edges, Sams going to kill me if I don't start using the technical terms, Ill try, promise.
# only send the final design to one agent at a time
So this is an interesting one. In my eyes I thought we could just send off as many as we liked. I had this image that we would be taking a picture of us posting big brown envelopes in a post box. Not so. The rule is you send of one and then wait for a reply. This is going to take months, back up plan self publish.
Yep lots to take in there! So think me naive but I honestly didn't know any of this.
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