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Publishing My Children’s Book in Six Months: Introduction

January 5, 2023 by Jim Potter 8 Comments

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(To listen to the audio of this blog, use the purple play button.)

(To listen to the audio of this blog, use the purple play button.)

 

Introduction

Copyright 2023 by Jim Potter

It’s a new year, and I’m excited to be on a path to my first children’s book. I expect it to be printed in June 2023.

Six months to go and every day is busy. Editing. Meeting with illustrators. Getting a range of cost estimates for printing even though I’m unsure of the book’s size. Looking for grants or other financial support since it’s an educational book.

Before I share about the present activities, let me tell you about the past. The idea for writing this children’s book began fifteen years ago.

My first law enforcement book was a police memoir titled Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told (2007). It includes true stories from my experience working for the Reno County Sheriff’s Office in Kansas.

Children and youth have read Cop in the Classroom, but the typical reader is an adult. After the memoir was published, I started considering an illustrated or picture book for literary beginners. I called it B is for Badge. It was an introduction to law enforcement, highlighting police vocabulary and organized in alphabetical order, for example: A is for Accident, B is for Badge, and C is for Car.

This is a page from an early draft of my planned children’s book. The working title was “B is for Badge.” Since then, I’ve added a police dog, K-9 Kudzu, as the narrator.

During my workday visiting children as a school resource officer, I kept a spiral notebook in my patrol car with ideas, a draft, and drawings. At one point, I considered presenting the narrative for each word as poetry, but that idea died a quick, painless death.

Today, B is for Badge has returned to my consciousness and is well on its way to being published in six months. The new title is The ABCs of Law Enforcement as Told by K-9 Kudzu. Now, children 10 years of age and up, are the target audience to read the book, but parents and grandparents are potential customers.

As you can see, with time, the title and reading level has evolved. In fact, until recently, I was stuck with this book’s rough draft. Then, Alex, my wife, suggested having a police dog be the book’s narrator. Her idea caused a seismic shift in my thinking. K-9 Kudzu will be an ideal icon for young readers.

Currently, I have illustrators working on drawings of what K-9 Kudzu, a German shepherd, looks like when he’s in different moods.

Meanwhile, I’m editing and planning my marketing.

If you’re interested in learning about my publishing progress, check back often. Tomorrow, I meet with an author-publisher who has a passion for helping people achieve their literary goals. Maybe she’ll offer me one new idea.

Until next time, happy writing,

 

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Comments

  1. alex potter says

    One step at a time!

    Reply
    • Jim Potter says

      Thanks for the reminder. I need it.

      Reply
      • Pat Bussen says

        Best of luck to you in this literary endeavor, Jim!

        Reply
        • Jim Potter says

          Thanks, Pat!

          Reply
  2. Nancy Julien Kopp says

    This is very interesting, Jim. Wishing you all the best in this great-sounding project.

    Reply
    • Jim Potter says

      Thank you, Nancy. It’s pretty exciting and as you know, a lot of work.

      Reply
  3. Miriam Iwashige says

    I think your recently-adjusted goals for this book are on a really great track. The choice of a narrator and a focus on the book’s educational value look like a winning combination to me–coupled with the good writing and drawings that I’m sure the book will include.

    Reply
    • Jim Potter says

      Thank you, Miriam. A friend told me recently that every school library should have this book. I’m a bit like a child at Christmas waiting to open a present. I can’t wait to meet the illustrated K-9 Kudzu. You can be sure, once we agree on the image, I’ll be plastering his mug shot all over the Internet.

      Reply

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Testimonials

Karleen Wilson-Moon

Terrific story relevant to today’s social issues . . . well written . . . likable characters . . . insightful perspective from an insider in law enforcement.

Larry Kruckman, anthropologist

Jim Potter displays ethnographic skills in Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, creating vivid scenes and fascinating characters. The Greeks had a word for subcultures and people’s behavior: ‘ethos,’ or ‘ways of being.’ In colorful, sometimes marvelous detail, this novel captures various people and settings . . . the ethos of rural Kansas: a… Read more “Larry Kruckman, anthropologist”

Steve Becker

I’m impressed. It was an excellent read. . . . I hope you continue with more projects in the future.

Morgan Penner

Taking Back the Bullet is a novel that provides the reader with a window into the world of law enforcement. As the novel unfolds, the reader is able to see how split-second decisions alter the lives of the main characters in the story. Taking Back the Bullet also explores how humanity is impacted by mental… Read more “Morgan Penner”

Sean McArdle, Winchester, England

Retired police officer Potter’s novel centers on very disparate characters and through the tried and tested means of gradually introducing each one, builds a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen to them. This often used methodology is not easy to do well but is superbly handled by Potter who knows how to… Read more “Sean McArdle, Winchester, England”

Jane Holzrichter

I finished it last night around midnight. What a great piece of work. It kept me intrigued all the way to the end.

Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist

Jim Potter has done it again! After his book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, Jim has written another great work. In Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, Jim Potter takes us on an insightful journey into the lives and relationships of numerous characters. Jim is such a talented storyteller… Read more “Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist”

Diana Dester

Good story line, building the characters along the way. Great job!

Wynona Winn, PhD, retired school superintendent

Three main characters walk different paths but with the same destination – each coping with his or her self-discovery, self-identity, and self-realization. Much like their earlier counterparts – Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield – their journeys are often joyous, often tedious and often tragic.

Judy Hawk

. . . I was impressed with the Native American information as well as the depth of character development . . . .

John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement

I enjoyed your book. When I am looking for a new read, I always read the first page, last page and choose a random page somewhere in the middle before I decide to buy it. You had me on all three pages. I also like reading a book where you can relate to the characters… Read more “John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement”

Sheryl Remar

I enjoyed the different stories of this book because Tom, James, and Suanna, the three main characters, represent in their own way the different struggles with themselves and society’s idea of what is normal.

Rebecca Schillaci

As a former law enforcement officer, I found the story very relatable as it details the life of a law enforcement officer and the struggles some face throughout their careers. . . Taking Back the Bullet is a journey of understanding, respect, and forgiveness . . .

Dennis Perrin, educator

Masterful storytelling, exquisite character development, so real as to HURT and HOPE, a real page turner. Begs for stage, screenwriters, and visual episodic development a.k.a. TV series . . . Thanks Jim Potter for telling it like it is AND providing us visions of how it could be. Well done!

Rebecca from Proud Police Wife

Taking Back the Bullet is an emotional, yet captivating novel. Jim Potter does a superb job of intertwining each character and putting their individual identities on display. All law enforcement storylines are a true reflection of Potter’s years as a police officer because they are realistic and relatable. This is a book I highly recommend.

Denise Low, author of Jackalope (Red Mountain Press)

Jim Potter is a cop, retired, but he brings deep understanding of this job to his novel Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery. This layered novel has literary dimensions as characters explore crisis situations. Congratulations to this fine writer for his debut novel.

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Interviews with Jim Potter

Video interview with James Lowe outside Bookends Bookstore July 21, 2022

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