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I’m sorry, I fear that is a little gluttonous to say — and so I apologize in advance to anyone struggling to get published, hoping to fulfill a dream, trying to earn a living. It is so hard out there, so much rejection and disappointment. I know that feeling.
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I mean to say that I don’t take my good fortune, truly my good luck, for granted.
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I am now on the verge of entering my 40th year as a published children’s book author. Amazingly, I currently have 9 books under contract, 7 of them fully written, waiting on art & production. 2027 will see most of them published, ranging from easy-to-reads (And a Moose! series) to a traditional picture book (What Dogs Don’t Know), to a young graphic novel series (Bigfoot and Dodo, co-written w/ the hilarious Audrey Vernick), to a middle-grade adventure series (The Survival Code).
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Yesterday, I caught my first glimpse of the cover to my second “Choose-Your-Own-Adventure” title, coming in July 2026.
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These “choose-your-own-adventure” books are bananas to write — requires a map! The endings don’t really matter. It’s the reverse of everything I ever learned about writing, or even the reason for telling a story in the first place. Think of a tree. The trunk is the set-up. It has to be sturdy enough to 
support many branches, with each branch representing a path and an ending. And there is no “true” story, no real message to get across, though each choice must feel meaningful and each conclusion satisfying. It’s all counter-intuitive to write and, hopefully, fun to read. It’s good to try new things. And kids really enjoy this format.
support many branches, with each branch representing a path and an ending. And there is no “true” story, no real message to get across, though each choice must feel meaningful and each conclusion satisfying. It’s all counter-intuitive to write and, hopefully, fun to read. It’s good to try new things. And kids really enjoy this format.–
Thanks for stopping by!
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Hi James,
Thanks for the post, and congrats on your 40th year in publishing! Writing a Choose Your Own Adventure sounds like a huge undertaking, thanks for sharing your insights on it.
Safe and Merry Christmas to you and a Happy and Successful New Year 🙂