Hi friends,
Snippets and Sketches is a year old! I’ve been sending this newsletter out once a week for a year straight! A lot has happened during that year, not the least of which is that I sold and published my first novel in verse, which I also illustrated. Sending out a newsletter every week along with one of my sketches has helped me grow as an artist over the past twelve months. And I have you to thank for that! Whether you’ve been with me for 1 week or for 52, I am very grateful for you!
One way I’m marking this occasion is by creating a new Snippets and Sketches logo. The one you may have seen before, with the two little red wing black birds, was basically a “filler” logo. I created it kind of in a rush when I first launched this newsletter using a clipping from an illustration I had done previously. But I’ve been bouncing a real logo design around in my head for a while, and decided that it was time to actually get it done, especially now that I’ve learned all the ins and outs of the Procreate app. Here it is!
But back to the anniversary business! I thought I’d share a roundup of the most popular posts here on Snippets and Sketches. If my readers have good taste (and of course they do), then either of these posts would be worth the read if you missed them before.
First place goes to this one, which I was concerned might be a little bit divisive, but it turns out a lot of people dislike preachy picture books as much as I do!
Second place is the book trailer for my novel in verse, Mari in the Margins. If you’d like to know more about the book, check it out if you missed it! Or just rewatch it for fun.
And third place goes to a fairly recent post about why adults should read picture books!
And just for fun, here’s one of my favorite posts:
And now for the GIVEAWAY!
If you’ve read this far, I have a treat for you! In celebration of one year of Snippets and Sketches, I’m giving away a signed copy of Mari in the Margins, my middle grade novel in verse (and doodles) published by
, to one of my subscribers. For a chance to win, all you have to do is subscribe and leave a comment on this post (or reply to the email) telling me something you enjoy about Snippets and Sketches. I’ll draw a name on Sunday, July 14 and announce the winner in my next newsletter.There are some limitations: 1) You must have a U.S. mailing address and 2) you must be at least 18 years old to win.
Easy, right? Good luck!
Here’s to another great year!
Aw, I'm behind on Substack posts, so I missed the chance to enter the giveaway! I've enjoyed following you for the past couple of months and hearing about your writing process. I found your post on picture books helpful and was able to check out John Ronald's Dragons and Home in the Woods.
Just discovered this substack but I'm thinking of sticking around :) Beautiful!