The Small Decisions That Make a Big Impact

“Let’s go out to dinner tonight – you pick!”

“What movie should we see?”

“You choose the time and I’ll meet you there!”

Our days are full of small, ordinary decisions, so it’s no wonder that being the decision-maker can sometimes feel impossible.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m opinionated and passionate about plenty of things. But I’m also a people-pleaser who genuinely enjoys making my family and friends happy by going along with their top picks.

When it came to my debut children’s book, though, that was a different story.

I wanted to make every decision myself – from cover to cover. That’s why I chose to work with Hillary, the owner of Wilson Lindberg Books, a boutique publishing company in Illinois, and my illustrator, Robin.

I’m grateful for the flexibility and creative freedom that working with these incredibly talented women has given me.

What I didn’t realize was just how many tiny decisions would land on my plate – each one shaping the book in a lasting way.

Thankfully, my team has been fantastic to work with, offering suggestions and context, and plenty of answers along the way.

Here’s a look at some of the tiny-yet-mighty decisions I’ve made:

• Character Appearance: The way characters are portrayed visually is a big deal, and even the smallest details can make all the difference. For example, I wanted my characters to have a specific eye color because it added something extra special to the story.

  
  

• Font: It’s funny – this is the one thing I’ve never paid much attention to when reading any story. Not because it wasn’t important, but because I always took it for granted. But a font says so much about a story. Robin gave me a sheet with eight options she felt worked the best, and after much pondering, I’ve narrowed it down to two finalists.

  
  

• Book & Font Size: These seem like minor decisions in theory, but they matter more than you’d think. The book size has to be finalized before the illustrator can begin, because every specification guides her work. And the font size? That can absolutely make or break the reading experience.

  
  

• Text Layout: The arrangement of text on the page seems like it’s a simple decision to make, but once again, it can say a lot about your story. Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make it legible and visually appealing. Should it be positioned straight, or should it be more expressive in a wave? Turns out, text layout is very impactful.

• Formats: This is another area where there are numerous options to choose from. You’ve got the standard board book, shaped board book, lift-the-flap board book, standard hardcover, paperback, and several digital formats. And each one of these formats requires its own International Standard Book Number, or ISBN for short, and price because the production costs are different. Luckily, I tackled this early on so I’m all set!

  
  

This journey has taught me so much about the industry, but I’m grateful it’s helped me embrace decision making. Now if only I can choose the next restaurant with more ease!