It’s been three years, and I’m down to a couple dozen copies of Tamaishi. It’s been two years since I did any in person events, but I sold a fair number of books recent weeks. I started considering a reprint.
Live and Learn
Looking back at the book, it’s clear there is room for improvement. I still love Tamaishi and its core story and characters, but I learned a lot from Where All the Little Things Live, from the illustrations, to the typesetting and words.
So rather than just hit go, I’m revising everything for the second edition.
Revise, not redo
This is not a complete overhaul. I’m looking at it with fresh, critical and constructive eyes. I’ve already revised some passages to be more “show” and less “tell”. It’s remarkable how much I missed back then, and how much I could improve the words, but it’s been worth every agonizing moment.
For instance:
1st Edition
Tama took his hat back to the place he called home, a miniature forest of tall mushrooms. They seemed excited at the new addition, but Tama just sort of lopped it on top the pile of his collection and propped himself next to it.
2nd Edition
When he arrived home, the mushrooms and grass followed the silent shiny thing strolling across the ground until Tama popped out from underneath. Some leaned down, pointing to Tama’s collection of tiny trinkets, hoping the new addition would end up next to them. But Tama let it flop down in front of him and turned around without another word.
Instead of telling that the grass and mushrooms “were excited” I describe what they are doing instead, which puts more of it in the minds eye. It can end up making things longer, but it’s a fun challenge to revise like this, because everything ends up so much more vivid.
I’ve also been updating some of the line work and spot channel colors and it adds more depth and subtlety to the illustrations.
Tayoki (1st Edition) 
Tayoki (2nd Edition, work in progress) 
The Three (2nd Edition)
It’s about process
It’s true I could move on and write another book. I still want to do that, but both Tamaishi and Zōsan were all part of the broader, slower process: each one helped me learn something new about writing, illustrating, layout, and recording/producing. Indeed, I don’t think I could have finished Where All the Little Things Live, a book and audiobook twice the size of Tamaishi, without these other two books as incremental steps. Looking back at it, it all makes sense.
And at the time, I rushed through some things, in part because I wasn’t exactly sure how to realize what I wanted, but also because I just wanted to finish it. Both books were an exhausting undertaking, and it was an achievement to have gotten it done in the first place.
I see this as just one more step, and I don’t see this kind of f revision as unprecedented. I see it a “director’s cut”.
Looking forward to sharing this with everyone when it’s ready. I plan on being close to press by early 2022. Stay tuned!
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