I'm Back! And Forlorn Corn Has a Launch Date!🌽
Dear Friends,
I owe you an apology and an explanation for my silence these past few months.
When I first shared my excitement about Forlorn Corn: A Farm Fresh Adventure for Kids Who Love Words!, I had no idea the journey ahead. What I naively believed would be a smooth path to publication turned into a masterclass in patience (those who know me understand how difficult this was) and problem-solving.
The short version? My illustrator situation fell apart, leaving me with files that had visual and punctuation errors, and were miles away from meeting publishing specifications. I spent weeks teaching myself “photoshop” (Procreate), as well as technical skills I never knew I'd need, like all that is required to format a book correctly to Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) standards: pixel dimensions, bleed margins, spine widths, and more. I’ve questioned more than once whether I could actually pull this off.
But I did. And I'm so proud to announce:
Forlorn Corn launches January 31st, 2026! (And with your help, could become an Amazon.com #1 best seller on launch day - more on that later)
This book is still everything I dreamed it would be - a rhyming adventure that teaches kids ages 4-8 advanced vocabulary words like "forlorn," "trepidation," and "bereft" through loveable vegetable characters. With help from Literate Ladybug, young readers will expand their vocabulary while following Forlorn Corn's journey from lonely corn stalk to beloved friend.
I excitedly received my book proof last week, and the thrill I felt opening the envelope was intoxicating. Unfortunately, I realized I had even MORE to learn about formatting, because I’d miscalculated the bleed margins and there was an uneven white border on all of the pages.. At this point, I was determined to get it figured out quickly, and thankfully was able to fix the issues and re-submit it the same day. It will now arrive Tuesday, and if all looks good in this copy (I’m feeling confident!), I'll have author copies available soon for media, influencers, and educators. If you're a teacher, librarian, or blogger interested in reviewing Forlorn Corn, reply to this email (or send directly to brandi@forlorncornandfriends.com). The good news is that, problems aside, the colorful illustrations are GORGEOUS, and the book itself looks better than I dared to even dream.
Thank you for sticking with me through this quiet period. Your support means everything, and I can't wait to share Forlorn Corn and his friends with you and the young readers in your life.
As for the note about becoming an Amazon.com best seller in the children’s book category, all that will take is for everyone who is interested in purchasing the book to do so on launch day. If you’d like to be a part of that, please stay tuned for confirmation on the planned launch date (because if I’ve learned anything, plans can change)!
I look forward to sharing images from the book once I receive the proof, and appreciate all of you for reading and subscribing to the newsletter. I’ll be talking to you again very soon!
With gratitude,
Brandi