There are some basic things that an author or illustrator of picture books should know about a picture book. The Anatomy of a Picture Book is a pdf file that can be downloaded. It contains some very basic information for those who are new to children’s book publishing. There are many simple concepts that new illustrators or writers miss because those that know the information assume that everyone knows. I hope this diagram will be of use to someone.

There are additional pdf files that can be downloaded and printed from my website Making Books 101

I recently finished my first Children’s Picture book UnBrella. I have been thinking about the information that I needed to ask along the way. Therefore, I have begun to compile some basic information that may be of some use to those who are new to illustrating picture books it is called, Making Books 101.

RUN is the gripping story of a rhino named Rhina and her first sleepover. It will never be at a bookstore near you and was not written by Scott E Franson

As an illustrator there are many that say it is important to have a consistent voice so that your work can be recognized and clients have some idea of what to expect. Well, I like to experiment and wanted to show some of the results. This image was created with a pen and ink drawing that was scanned and then colored digitally. I had fun adding textures to my brushes to create the patterns.

A few weeks ago I was sitting with Tomie dePaola in a hotel in Los Angeles. He asked those of us at the table to relate embarrassing experiences that we have had. As always my mind went blank. So two weeks late, here is a moment from my life.

It was necessary for me to get some blood work at the local hospital. The young lady at the desk asked me why I was getting lab work done today. I said that I wasn’t sure but that I have had the same tests done here before and asked her if she could look it up. After a bit of looking she said. “It says here S.O.B?” I was stunned. What could I have done to have someone write S.O.B. in my medical chart. After finishing the paper work I went to the lab. I couldn’t get over it. I kept thinking back to the last visit and could not think why S.O.B. would be in my chart. I didn’t remember being a problem or complaining during my last visit.

Needless to say I was really bugged about it by the time I arrived home. So I asked my wife, who is a nurse, if I had been grumpy or upset the last time I was at the hospital. She said that she couldn’t remember me being upset and asked me why I wanted to know?

Well I don’t know what I did but someone wrote S.O.B. on my medical chart and it really bothers me because I am sure that I behaved myself.

She busted out in laughter and when she finally caught her breath said that S.O.B. stands for Shortness Of Breath. Then, with great relief, I could laugh too.

Twins. Their names are Sam and Samantha. I am not sure that their own parents can tell them apart:)

Illustration Friday is a great way to keep the process of illustration fun. I look forward to the topic each Friday morning. Thank you Penelope.

Small things matter. Take Kindergarten for example. All in all it wasn’t very nice to me. I can remember my teachers telling me to stop daydreaming. School was hard work for me. For most kids cookies and milk were a great treat. For me milk was torture. Not that I had any allergies, I just didn’t like it. Then one day my friend next to me left his seat after getting the milk and when he came back he had chocolate milk. Now chocolate milk is something I could deal with. The next day when he stood up and walked away from his seat I followed. He lead me to a cupboard in the adjoining room with chocolate milk powder. We added a few spoonful and returned to our seats. After a few days of this the teacher, Mrs Spencer caught on and sent a note home with me that said if I wanted chocolate milk I would need to bring my own. So my mother called the neighbor and arranged a shared can of chocolate milk mix.

The next day was amazing. My friend didn’t bring chocolate milk, he brought Strawberry Quick. What could be better!!

A few days later when adding the delicious mixture to the bland white liquid, I saw something in the can. What luck this can of Strawberry Quick had stickers as a free toy surprise. My hand went in, but just like a monkey once I grabbed the stickers my hand would not come out. I was bound and determined to get the stickers and so I worked and worked until I had them. When I returned to my seat I was so happy that I showed my friend who immediately claimed the stickers because his mom bought the can of Strawberry Quick. He placed the stickers that I had slaved for on his shoes and in moments they were ruined. Now I just had a sore hand but no stickers. It seemed like I wasn’t good at anything and life was just plain unfair.

Until . . .

Coloring! I can still remember Mrs. Spencer telling me that I was doing a great job coloring the spots on my giraffe. I was so proud. I finally did something right. It is the first time I realized that there was something at school that I was good at that was fun to do. I remember staying after class to finish coloring the brown spots.

Small things matter, a simple comment to a lost kindergarten boy made a lasting impact. Thank you Mrs. Spencer.

Well, today I saw and approved the final proof for UnBrella, my first book. It is being published by Roaring Brook Press.

It takes forever to get a book printed and into distribution. The tentative schedule is F&G’s some time in October (F&G=Folded and Gathered, it is a printed book that hasn’t been hard bound yet). The F&G’s are used by the sales staff to sell books to bookstores and libraries and sent to reviewers before the book is bound. The Book should be through binding on December 12 in China. It will then be shipped to the US and arrive mid February. And then the day that we have all been waiting for March 6, 2007, UnBrella by Scott E. Franson will be at a book store near you!!

As a child my mother would not allow anyone to call me Scotty because she hated the name. She later realized (when I got my first drivers licence) that she had actually named me Scott E. Franson (Scott Edward Franson). The story gets even better. Shortly after I was married, my new wife and I were discussing possible names for children. I recommended Edward. Her response was passionate that she hated the name Edward because of some guy that she knew named Edward that she didn’t like. After she calmed down she realized that I was suddenly quiet she recognized her mistake and said “Your middle name is Edward, Isn’t it?” Needless to say none of our children are named Edward and my name is Scott E!

Well I feel like I am in limbo. My day job (teaching graphic design and illustration at Brigham Young University-Idaho) is finishing up for the summer term and this fall I will be on sabbatical. Times of transition are always scary and exciting. I will be spending the fall working full time as an author/illustrator. It will be a chance to see what it is like to spend most days locked away in my studio. I am hoping to have a new book contract and finish the book between now and the end of December. I have a manuscript sent out and have done one round of revisions so far. If the contract doesn’t come through I am planning on making proposals for new books that will consist of a manuscript, dummy and two or three finished illustrations. They will be ready to submit and I will send them out as they are ready. The hardest part of the publishing business is all of the waiting. I need to get enough projects going that there isn’t time to wait and worry and doubt my abilities.