The Making of Sandy the Dragon
- Mark McIntyre
- Feb 2
- 27 min read
From a Spark of an Idea to a Published Book
Every book begins with a spark, an idea that grows and evolves into something tangible. Sandy the Dragon was no different. This enchanting tale of friendship, inclusion, and community began as a conversation and transformed into a fully realised book with accessibility features, illustrations, and a structured publishing plan. Here’s how the journey unfolded, from the first discussion to the moment the book hit the shelves.
Index - The making of Sandy the Dragon.
1. The Initial Discussion – The Birth of an Idea
Most stories don’t begin with a structured plan or a rigid outline. They begin with a conversation, an exchange of ideas, a moment of curiosity, or a thought spoken aloud that suddenly takes on a life of its own. Sandy the Dragon was no different.
This one started with an ordinary chat, a meandering discussion filled with the kind of imaginative storytelling that only happens when someone speaks freely, without overthinking. Suzanne, a woman who had always loved fairy tales, was talking about the kind of magical worlds she liked, places filled with fairies, pixies, gnomes, elves, and mischievous trolls. As she spoke, a character began to form in the air between us.
"And then there could be a big dragon... a friendly one, mind you!" she said, her eyes lighting up.
"A dragon?" I asked, leaning in. "What’s his name?"
"I dunno… Sandy, maybe?"
And there it was. A name. A possibility. A nucleus, the moment when an idea becomes something real.
The Realisation – Could This Be a Book?
"You know," I said after a pause, "this could make a great children’s book."
Suzanne laughed. "A book? Me? No chance!"
"Why not?"
"I’m not smart enough to write a book," she replied, shrugging it off. "I wouldn’t even know where to start."
It wasn’t the first time I had heard someone say this. And it wouldn’t be the last.
There’s a strange belief many people hold that writing a book is something reserved for the “super smart” people, that it’s a talent you’re either born with or not. But the truth is, books don’t start with talent, they start with an idea. And if you ever have an idea about anything, you can create a story!
"You don’t need to be ‘super smart’ to write a book," I told her. "You just need a story to tell. And you've got one."
There was silence for a moment. Suzanne considered this.
"Yeah, but I wouldn’t know how to do it."
"That’s what I’m here for," I reassured her. "You’ve already done the clever bit, you’ve imagined something new. The rest is just shaping it into something you can hold in your hands."
Her excitement grew. The hesitation began to fade. She realised that maybe—just maybe, this wasn’t as impossible as she thought.
"Alright," she said, grinning. "Let’s do it."
The Power and Danger of a Promise
That was the moment everything changed. Not because we had the whole story figured out, not because we had a plan, but because we had a commitment.
Suzanne had decided. She was going to do this. But will I really make this dream come true?
Here’s the thing about promises: most people don’t keep them. Especially when it comes to writing a book.
How many people have said, "One day, I’ll write a book," only to never even begin? How many times have people started and stopped, convincing themselves it was too hard, too complicated, or simply “not for them”?
This is where promises become dangerous. When someone promises they’ll do something, but never follow through, but that isn't me!
"If you go for this, I promise we’ll see it through," I told Suzanne.
And so we began.
2. Structuring the Story – Finding the Flow
An idea, no matter how exciting, is still just a thought until it has structure. A story idea is like a lump of clay pretending to be a vase, yes it has the potential, but simply looking at the clay won't create a vase, you need to act upon it! In that way, this story needed to be shaped; a beginning, a middle, and an end. It needs conflict, resolution, and above all, a reason to be told.
With Sandy the Dragon, the concept was there; we had a village of magical creatures, a mischievous troll, and a kind-hearted dragon, but how did they all fit together?
Finding the Core Problem
The first step was defining the conflict. Every great story is built on a problem that needs solving. Without it, there’s no reason for the reader to care. The problem posed by Sandy the Dragon had to be simple enough for young readers to grasp but meaningful enough to drive the story forward.
We asked ourselves:
What is disrupting the harmony of the village?
Why does it matter?
How does Sandy, our central character, come into play?
How do we wrap it up?
That’s when the bridge came into focus.
The troll, Bibble, was the key. He wasn’t a villain in the traditional sense, just a trickster who blocked the way for others. A barrier. A challenge. A reason for Sandy to step in and help.
This conflict had a deeper meaning:
It reflected real-life challenges of inclusion, fairness, and problem-solving.
It gave every character a role to play in overcoming the problem.
It introduced the idea of teamwork—where individual strengths come together to find a solution.
Mapping the Flow of the Story
Once we had the problem, we could map the journey. A good story moves forward in steps, each one leading naturally to the next. We built Sandy the Dragon around a clear progression:
✅ A magical village filled with different creatures.
Establishing the world: the fairies, pixies, gnomes, elves, and their peaceful way of life.
✅ A mischievous troll causing trouble at the bridge.
Introducing the problem: Bibble and his tricks preventing others from crossing.
✅ Sandy, the dragon, helping his friends in times of need.
The hero steps in: Sandy sees the unfairness and takes action.
✅ A journey from trickery to teamwork and belonging.
The resolution: Not through force, but through creativity, kindness, and understanding.
This flow was the foundation. It ensured that every event in the story had a purpose, each scene moving toward the next, keeping young readers engaged and giving them a reason to turn the page.
Why Structure Matters
Structuring the story wasn’t just about making it work, it was about making it meaningful.
A great children’s book is entertaining while teaches something. Sandy the Dragon is about finding a better way forward. It’s about understanding why someone behaves the way they do and choosing kindness over conflict.
This structure made the story easy to follow, yet rich with lessons. It ensured that Sandy wasn’t just a dragon swooping in to save the day, but a character that empowered others to solve problems together.
With this framework in place, we were ready for the next step: bringing the world to life.
3. World-Building & Character Development
If you’ve ever tried naming a character, you’ll know how strangely difficult it is. Get it right, and the name feels like it was always meant to be. Get it wrong, and it sounds like the character has wandered in from an entirely different book.
That was our challenge.
A story filled with dragons, trolls, pixies, fairies, gnomes, and elves who needed names that fit the world they lived in. But how do you know if a name is right? You say it out loud.
"What if the fairy was called Tony?" I suggested.
Suzanne burst out laughing.
"Tony the Fairy?" she repeated, shaking her head. "That sounds like he should be fixing cars, not spreading magic dust."
Point taken.
"Okay, how about Mildred for one of the trolls?"
Another laugh.
"Mildred the troll? No way. Mildred runs a tea shop. She doesn’t block bridges."
That’s when it clicked. Names have weight. They shape expectations. They can make a character feel immediately right or hilariously wrong. A troll called Grizzle? That makes sense. A pixie called Tippy? Perfect. But Tony the Fairy? That’s a mechanic who accidentally stumbled into the wrong book.
Defining Each Character’s Role
With the naming disasters avoided, we focused on who these creatures were, not just what they looked like, but what they added to the story. Each one needed a purpose, a reason to exist beyond just filling up space in the village.
Sandy the Dragon: The warm-hearted protector, gentle but strong, always ready to help his friends.
Bibble, Snub & Grizzle: The troublesome trolls, each with their own quirks: Bibble is the ringleader, Snub is quick to complain, and Grizzle… well, Grizzle just grumbles a lot.
The Pixies: Always up for a dance, their joy is contagious.
The Fairies: The most graceful of the bunch, but not above a bit of fun.
The Gnomes: Treasure hunters and musicians, always finding new ways to keep the village lively.
The Elves: The ones who keep things running smoothly, though sometimes they get caught up in their own magical tricks.
With their personalities locked in, the next question was where do they all live?
Building the World
A magical world isn’t just a backdrop, it has to feel like a real place. It has to have rules, routines, and logic (even if that logic involves fairy dust and flying dragons). We imagined a village where different creatures lived side by side. But what did that actually look like?
The fairies lived in flower-filled glades, their homes glowing at night.
The pixies preferred mushroom houses, easy to dance in and out of.
The gnomes had tunnels beneath the hills, filled with music and treasures.
The elves were the practical ones, their homes woven into the treetops.
The trolls? Well, they lived under the bridge, naturally.
It wasn’t just about where they lived, but how they interacted. What did they do all day? What traditions did they have? Suzanne had strong ideas about this, she saw the village as a place filled with music, laughter, and celebration. It was a community. A world where creatures of all kinds found a way to coexist, despite their differences.
And then, right at the centre of it all, was Sandy the Dragon, the one creature big enough to bring them all together.
Why This Matters
Children don’t just read stories, they step inside them. If a world feels real, they believe in it. They connect with the characters, laugh at their mistakes, and cheer when they succeed.
That’s why world-building matters. It’s not just a setting, it’s what makes the story alive.
And as long as Tony the Fairy stays out of it, everything should be fine.
4. Drafting – One Version at a Time
Writing a book is one thing. Reading it aloud to someone who has very strong opinions about what works and what doesn’t? That’s something else entirely.
The first time I read the draft of Sandy the Dragon to Suzanne, I thought I had nailed it. The story flowed, the characters had charm, and the village felt alive. I finished reading, sat back, and waited for the inevitable applause.
It did not come.
Instead, Suzanne frowned.
"It’s good… but something’s not right."
I blinked. "Not right how?"
She thought for a moment. "It just… needs more."
"More what?"
"I dunno. More fun. And music."
"Music?"
"Yes. They need harps."
"Harps?"
"And drums."
"Harps and drums?"
"Yes. And what about a song?"
"A song?"
"Actually, no, two songs. And Sandy should have a song too."
"Wait—"
"But not too long."
At this point, I realised my “finished” story was, in fact, very unfinished.
The Back-and-Forth of Revisions
So, I went back and reworked the story. When I read it to her again, I expected this to be the final version.
It was not.
"It’s better," Suzanne admitted. "But…"
Ah. There it was.
"I think the trolls need to be funnier. Like, maybe Grizzle grumbles more."
"He already grumbles on nearly every page."
"Yeah, but more."
So, back I went. More grumbling trolls, more dancing pixies, more drumming, harp-playing, and musical interludes.
The next time I read it, I braced myself.
Suzanne listened carefully, nodding along. When I finished, there was a long pause.
"I like it," she said. "Told you it needed more harps." And you know what? She was absolutely right.
Why Revisions Are Both Frustrating and Necessary
This is the part of writing that nobody talks about enough. The idea that books emerge, fully formed, from the mind of a writer is a lie. They emerge messy, clunky, and incomplete, and then they get fixed.
Fixing Sandy the Dragon meant going through the draft, again and again, adding what was needed and taking out what didn’t fit.
The trolls needed more personality (Grizzle, for example, needed to grumble at least once per page).
The fairies’ dialogue had to be more playful, and less serious.
The songs had to be fun, catchy, and just the right length (which, for the record, is exactly as long as Suzanne says it is).
Every time I thought I had nailed it, Suzanne would have it read and say, "It’s nearly there… but maybe just one more tiny change."
This happened more times than I care to count.
The Final, Final (Really, This Time) Version
After what felt like a hundred rounds of changes, we finally reached a point where everything clicked.
The story was fun, the characters were strong, the rhythm felt right, and yes, there were harps.
Suzanne listened to the last version, nodding at the right moments.
When I finished, she grinned.
"Now it's done."
And that’s when I knew, it really was.
5. Determining the Physical Properties of the Book
Writing a book is one thing. Figuring out what it should look like in the real world? That’s a whole different challenge.
I had spent weeks refining the story, tweaking the dialogue, and (begrudgingly) adding more harps. Now, it was time to answer a practical question:
"What size should the book be?"
Since this was Suzanne’s story, I figured she should have input. So, I asked her.
She thought for a moment, then shrugged.
"Just a normal-sized book."
Ah, yes. The highly technical publishing term: normal-sized book.
What Even Is a Normal-Sized Book?
Her answer, while not particularly helpful, wasn’t exactly wrong either. She knew what she wanted, something that looked and felt like the kind of book you'd expect to pick up in a shop. The problem was, “normal” isn’t as straightforward as it sounds.
A picture book? A chapter book? A storybook with large text?
We needed something that balanced readability, accessibility, and design, a book that was easy to hold, fun to engage with, and worked with the additional accessibility features we had planned.
So, I did what all writers do when they have no idea what they’re doing.
I researched.
Comparing Other Books
I pulled every children’s book off my shelf. Some were too big, some were too small, and some had text so tiny I was squinting by page two.
Then, I checked what successful books in a similar style were doing. A lot of modern children’s books fall into a landscape format (wider rather than taller), which works well for illustrations. But others used a square format, which gave the pages a more balanced layout.
I made notes, measured pages, and compared styles.
Suzanne’s book wasn’t just about the story—it had interactive elements, like QR codes for read-aloud features. We needed to make sure:
✅ The pages were big enough for both the text and smart features to be clear.
✅ The font was accessible for early readers and those with visual impairments.
✅ The spacing wasn’t too cramped, making it easy to follow along.
Final Decisions: Size, Font & Paper Type
After far more measuring, testing, and debating than I care to admit, we locked in the key details:
📖 Size: 20.32 cm x 25.4 cm: Large enough for clear, engaging illustrations but not too big for a child to hold comfortably.
🔠 Font: A clean, readable typeface with generous spacing, ensuring clarity for early readers and accessibility needs.
📄 Paper Type: Matte finish, reducing glare from light sources and making it easier to see the text.
With those decisions made, the book finally had its physical shape.
I turned to Suzanne, ready to tell her all about the careful research, comparisons, and adjustments.
"So, we’re going with 20.32 cm x 25.4 cm, a matte finish, and a font that improves readability."
She nodded.
"Like a normal-sized book then."
I sighed. "Yeah. A normal-sized book."
6. Formatting & Page Layout
If writing a book is like sculpting a statue from a block of stone, formatting is like rearranging grains of sand, one at a time.
At first glance, it seems simple. You’ve got words. You’ve got pictures. You put them on a page, and bam, you’re done! Right?
Wrong.
Formatting Sandy the Dragon turned into a game of microscopic adjustments, where every single detail mattered. It wasn’t just about making things look nice, it was about making sure children could follow along comfortably, that the words and images worked together rather than against each other, and that the book felt effortless to read (even though, behind the scenes, it was anything but).
The Great Word Distribution Debate
The first question was, 'How many words should go on each page?'
Too many words and the pages would feel cluttered, overwhelming young readers.
Too few, and the story would feel choppy and rushed.
Too uneven, and one page would feel like an essay while another looked abandoned.
At first, I tried instinctively placing the text, breaking it up where it felt right.
Suzanne listened as I read it to her.
"Hmm…" she said.
I knew that hmm. That was the hmm of a looming revision.
"What?" I asked cautiously.
"That page has too much talking. And this one is too empty."
So, back I went, adjusting line by line, page by page, sentence by sentence.
I would shift a single line of text over… only for it to throw off the next page. Move the text up a little. Now the bottom looks weird. Change the spacing? Now the QR code is in the wrong spot.
Each change had a ripple effect, like a maddening, never-ending game of Tetris.
The War of Words vs. Images
Once the text was in place, we had to fit in the illustrations.
This was a whole new battle. Where should they sit?
Above the words?
Below the words?
Wrapped around the words?
Should the picture be on the same page as the text, or should it be a big reveal on the next page?
Each option had pros and cons. And naturally, Suzanne had opinions.
"I want the pictures to feel big."
"Okay, but that means less room for the words."
"Well, don’t make the words too small."
"So, I need to fit the same amount of text, in less space, without making it look cramped?"
"Yeah!"
Of course.
Pixel by Pixel, It Takes Shape
This is where the real pain set in.
At this stage, we weren’t making big changes anymore. We were moving things by millimetres.
A word nudged left.
A line dropped down slightly.
An extra space was added to balance the paragraph.
Each tweak seemed tiny, almost pointless, but combined, they transformed the book.
Suddenly, the text and illustrations weren’t competing for space, they were working together. The words flowed naturally. The pictures stood out beautifully. It felt like one seamless reading experience.
The Final Test: Reading it Aloud Again
Once everything looked right, there was only one way to know if it felt right.
I read it aloud to Suzanne again. This time, the rhythm of the pages matched the pacing of the story.
She listened carefully.
At the end, she nodded.
"It’s good."
That was it. No hmm. No, it needs more. Just good.
And after countless microscopic changes, adjustments, and layout battles, that single word was an absolute victory.
7. Character Illustrations – Bringing Sandy to Life
If formatting was a painstaking game of millimetre adjustments, then illustrating the book was an even greater challenge, mostly because I couldn’t draw to save my life. Seriously. Ask me to sketch a dragon, and you’ll end up with something that looks like a lumpy lizard in distress.
This meant that bringing Sandy the Dragon and the magical village to life required some creative problem-solving.
The Great Illustration Experiment
Since traditional drawing wasn’t my strong suit (understatement of the year), I had to find other ways to make the visuals work.
Some illustrations were created traditionally, drawn by hand in the usual way.
Others were engineered via AI, using technology to generate concepts that fit the tone of the book.
Once we had a base image, the resolution was enhanced, sharpening details and making them fit for print.
And then, in some cases, Suzanne manually coloured them herself, adding a human touch to the AI-generated designs.
Each step sounded easy in theory. In reality, it was up there with formatting in terms of awkwardness.
Getting Suzanne’s Approval (The Real Test)
Once an illustration was ready, it had to pass The Suzanne Test.
I’d show her a finished image.
She’d squint at it.
"Hmm."
Not again.
"What?" I asked, bracing myself.
"Bibble’s ears don’t look right."
"They look fine."
"No. They need to be... trollier."
"Trollier? What does that even mean?"
"You know. Like troll ears."
I did not, in fact, know.
Thus, another round of editing began, tweaking details, reshaping faces, and adjusting the colours until every character matched her vision.
The Struggle for Balance
Each illustration had to be fun, engaging, and suitable for children, but also clear and well-defined, working with the text placement (which we had already fought with for weeks).
Things we had to consider:
✅ Making characters expressive but not too exaggerated.
✅ Keeping backgrounds interesting but not distracting.
✅ Ensuring colours popped but weren’t overwhelming.
✅ Making sure Sandy actually looked like a dragon and not a confused bird.
It was a balancing act, one that involved a ridiculous number of tiny tweaks, colour tests, and resolution fixes to get everything just right.
Pixel by Pixel, It Came to Life
In the end, despite all the frustration, trial and error, and Suzanne’s insistence on trollier ears, the illustrations brought the book to life.
Sandy, Bibble, and the rest of the characters looked exactly as they should and as if they had stepped right out of Suzanne’s imagination and onto the page. I showed her the final illustrations. She grinned.
"That’s it. That’s how they’re supposed to look."
At that moment, all the struggles, my inability to draw, the countless revisions, and the AI-enhanced chaos, were worth it.
8. Accessibility Features – Making It Inclusive
By this point, I was no stranger to smart features in books. I’d worked with QR codes before, I knew how to link extra content, and I was comfortable with enhancing a reading experience using technology. But I had never attempted something on this scale.
This wasn’t just about adding a few smart features. This was about making Sandy the Dragon fully accessible, not just a book, but an interactive experience where every page had a read-aloud function and audio descriptions of the illustrations.
That meant a lot of QR codes, more than I had ever dealt with before.
A normal book might have one or two smart features. This needed a linked audio feature for every single page.
And suddenly, I realised something terrifying:
I had no idea how to organise all of this.
The QR Code Chaos
At first, I thought, This should be straightforward.
Generate a QR code.
Link it to an audio file.
Place it on the page.
Simple, right?
Wrong.
If I approached this the traditional way, I’d end up with dozens and dozens of static QR codes, each one linking to a separate fixed file.
That meant:
🔴 No way to update the files without replacing every QR code.
🔴 No flexibility if links need to change later.
🔴 A logistical nightmare if anything broke.
It became clear that static QR codes weren’t going to cut it.
What I needed was a dynamic link system, a way to generate a single QR code format that could be updated and managed easily without having to redo the entire book if something needed changing. This meant diving into link management, cloud hosting for audio files, and testing ways to make sure every page connected smoothly. Which led me to the next problem.
Linking Audio, Page by Page
Each page had its own text. Each page had its own illustration. And now, each page needed its own unique audio file.
I had to:
✅ Record and clean up the narration for each page.
✅ Host the files somewhere stable (so they won’t disappear overnight).
✅ Create a structured way for readers to access them easily.
The problem?
With this many files, the risk of mixing them up, mislinking them, or just straight-up breaking the system was very, very high.
I lost count of the number of times I scanned a test QR code, expecting to hear Sandy the Dragon… only to be met with the wrong page, an empty link, or my personal favourite, absolute silence.
Every time I thought I’d solved the issue, something else would go wrong.
A missing link here, a misplaced file there, or a broken QR code that worked once, but then randomly refused to function the next day.
It was weeks of troubleshooting, retesting, and starting over.
Finally, It Clicked
Bit by bit, the system came together.
A dynamic QR code format was implemented, so updates could be made without replacing physical codes.
Each page had its own structured audio link, making navigation seamless.
Audio descriptions of the illustrations were recorded separately, so visually impaired readers could get a sense of the artwork.
After way too much trial and error, I had something that worked properly.
Why It Mattered
By the time I had everything functional, I had spent more time troubleshooting QR codes than I ever thought possible.
But in the end? It was worth it.
I showed Suzanne how it worked. We scanned the QR codes. The page read itself aloud. She grinned. "That’s magic."
After all the headaches, that one moment made it all worth it.
9. Creating the Online Experience – Video & Audio Integration
If the QR codes were the engine of Sandy the Dragon’s accessibility, then the website was its home base, a place where everything could be expanded, updated, and explored beyond the physical book.
The idea was simple: sandythedragon.co.uk would be the digital heart of the book, a hub where:
✅ Readers could access all the narrated content in one place (not just by scanning QR codes).
✅ Bonus content, like downloadable activities, extra songs, and web-exclusive material could be added over time.
✅ Videos could bring elements of the book to life, making it more interactive for children.
But, of course, what sounded simple in theory turned into yet another long, painful process in reality.
The Webpage That Refused to Behave
Building a clean, functional, and engaging webpage should have been straightforward, except, as with every other step of this project, it wasn’t.
First problem? The layout.
Too much text, and it would look like an essay.
Too many buttons, and it would feel like a maze.
Too many embedded audio and video files, and it would break completely.
Then came the dreaded compatibility issue.
Everything looked perfect on my laptop. Crisp, clean, and user-friendly.
Then I checked it on my phone…
Everything was out of alignment, the audio buttons were misbehaving, and the page looked like it had been designed by an over-caffeinated goblin.
I sighed.
Testing, Tweaking, and More Testing
I went through multiple redesigns, tweaking elements pixel by pixel to make sure the site worked on all devices.
It had to be:
✅ Easy to navigate for kids and parents.
✅ Simple enough for those who aren’t tech-savvy.
✅ Robust enough to handle future updates.
Each test run revealed some new problems, a button that didn’t load, an audio file that refused to play, and a QR code that worked sometimes but not always.
I’d fix one issue, only to break something else in the process.
It was like an endless game of digital Whac-A-Mole.
But after countless adjustments, test runs, and sheer stubborn determination, the site finally started to behave.
The Digital Hub of Sandy the Dragon
The final version of sandythedragon.co.uk became a one-stop hub for everything Sandy-related, with even more extras planned for the future:
🌟 Full narrated book experience: For kids who want to listen to the story in one go.
🎶 Planned additional songs & music: Expanding the world of Sandy the Dragon.
🎨 Planned downloadable activities: Colouring pages, puzzles, and interactive fun.
With the site finally live and working, I took a deep breath and showed it to Suzanne. She tapped around, tested the audio, and explored the pages.
Then she nodded. "This is good. This feels like Sandy's home."
And just like that, all the headaches, all the revisions, and all the screaming at uncooperative web pages became worth it.
10. Page-by-Page Finalisation
Just when you think you’ve finally got the book perfect, everything is in its place, neatly aligned, beautifully balanced, and ready for print, you spot a random image floating where it shouldn’t be. A cut-and-paste error, a stray font change, and a line of text hiding behind a cloud like it’s ashamed of itself. And that’s when you realise, you are not done.
If there is a hell, it is in the form of a page-by-page review.
The Never-Ending Search for Errors
By this point, I had seen this book so many times that I could recite it in my sleep. But that was also the problem.
When you’ve stared at the same pages for weeks, you stop seeing them properly. Your brain fills in the blanks, and you miss mistakes that are right in front of you.
So, I left it for a few days, then meticulously went through every page again.
Checked the text.
Checked the formatting.
Checked the QR codes (do they all still work? Please, tell me they still work…).
Checked the illustrations (why does Bibble look like he's floating?).
And every time I thought I was done, another tiny mistake appeared.
It was like playing whack-a-mole, except the moles were typos and formatting gremlins, and no matter how many I fixed, more kept appearing.
When You Have to Just Let Go
At some point, I had to stop looking for errors and start appreciating the beauty of the book.
Was it flawless? Maybe not, was it finished? Yes.
The thing about books, especially ones with so many moving parts, is that you will never catch everything.
But Sandy the Dragon was ready to fly.
It flowed well. It looked beautiful. It worked as an experience, not just a book.
I took a deep breath, closed the final draft, and said, "This is it."
Then, of course, I immediately worried that I had missed something.
But that’s just part of the process.
11. Designing the Book Cover
After everything, the endless formatting battles, the smart feature headaches, the pixel-by-pixel adjustments, and the soul-destroying page-by-page review, the cover design felt like a holiday.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call it easy, but compared to wrestling with hidden formatting errors and QR codes that refused to behave, working on the cover felt like a well-earned break.
It was also symbolic, the cover would wrap up the entire project, just as it would physically wrap around the book itself.
This was the final piece of the puzzle.
Capturing the Magic of the Story
The cover had to do a lot of things at once:
Be visually engaging: Bright, fun, and instantly appealing to children.
Represent the magic of the story: The world of Sandy the Dragon had to be inviting, full of charm and whimsy.
Highlight the book’s inclusivity: This wasn’t just any storybook, it had interactive elements and was designed for all readers, including those with accessibility needs.
A cover isn’t just decoration, it’s a promise. It tells the reader, This is the adventure you’re about to go on. It sets the tone before they even open the book. We explored several design iterations, testing different layouts, fonts, and compositions. But unlike the interior design nightmare, this part felt creative, rather than frustrating.
The Final Cover – A True Reflection of Sandy
The final version captured exactly what it needed to:
🌟 Bright and welcoming: The colours were bold but not overpowering, drawing in young readers.
🐉 Sandy at the centre: The friendly, big-hearted dragon was the star, setting the tone of warmth and adventure.
🔊 Inclusivity showcased: The cover hinted at interactive elements, making it clear that this was a unique reading experience.
When the design was complete, I looked at it and felt something I hadn’t felt in a while.
Relief.
Joy.
The book was wrapped, both literally and figuratively.
I showed Suzanne the final design.
She nodded, grinning.
"That’s it. That’s the one."
And for the first time in the whole process, I didn’t need to make a single change.
12. Final Assembly – Testing the Book
Before the book could be published, there was one last test, the final hurdle.
This was the moment where, after months of meticulous formatting, countless revisions, and more QR codes than I ever wanted to see again, everything had to work together perfectly.
This was it, the last run-through.
The Ultimate Test – Did It All Work?
I went in expecting problems.
There was no way that something this complicated with smart features, narration, audio descriptions, intricate formatting, illustrations, and dynamic QR codes was going to pass the final test without issues.
And yet…
Page after page, everything worked.
✅ QR codes? Scanned flawlessly.
✅ Narration? Clear, perfectly timed.
✅ Formatting? No rogue text floating into space.
✅ Illustrations? All in their proper places.
Of course, there were a couple of tiny tweaks, a slight adjustment here, a misplaced comma there, but nothing that would cause a major disaster.
For the first time since starting the project, I breathed a sigh of relief.
The book was ready.
The Real Cost of Making a Book
Finishing a book isn’t just about hitting "publish."
It’s about time, energy, patience, and persistence.
By the end, I had spent over 300 hours on Sandy the Dragon.
That’s something many new authors don’t fully appreciate, the sheer time commitment behind making a book the right way.
And if you’re doing this professionally? Time is money.
But here’s the thing:
I didn't charge Suzanne a single penny for any aspect of making this book. Not one.
I did it because the story mattered to her.
Because Sandy the Dragon was worth it.
Because Suzanne deserved to see her imagination come to life.
And in the end, that’s what made it all worth it.
Relief. Pride. And the satisfaction of knowing that, after months of hard work…
The book was finally done.
13. Publishing to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
You’d think that after months of painstaking formatting, endless revisions, and QR code-induced nightmares, the actual publishing step would be the easy part.
It is not.
If anything, this is the moment when anxiety decides to launch an all-out attack.
After spending 300+ hours building the perfect book, hitting the submit button on KDP feels like stepping off a cliff.
What if I missed something? What if an error somehow slipped through?What if I accidentally uploaded the wrong version?
There was only one way to find out.
The Long Road to Submission
Before I could even upload the book, KDP wanted all the details.
✅ Metadata:
Title? Easy.
Subtitle? Simple enough.
Categories? Ah. Now, this required actual strategy.
Selecting the right categories makes a difference in how Amazon ranks and recommends the book. Go too broad, and the book gets lost in a sea of others. Go too niche, and it won’t be found.
After some research and tweaking, I found a balance that made sense for Sandy the Dragon, a mix of children’s adventure, inclusivity, and interactive books.
✅ Authorship & Credits:
Suzanne had to be credited as co-author as this was her story.
I listed myself as a ghostwriter & creator of smart features, formatting, and publishing, because, well, I did everything else.
✅ Description & Accessibility Notes:
The book’s listing needed to highlight the read-aloud QR codes and accessibility features.
This wasn’t just any children’s book, it was designed to be inclusive for all readers and non readers alike.
After double-checking every detail, it was time to upload the files.
Proofing (A.K.A. Second-Guessing Every Decision Ever Made)
KDP has a proofing tool that lets you preview exactly how the book will look once printed. Which is great. Except it meant I had to go through every single page yet again.
What if:
A line of text shifted?
A QR code ended up too close to the page edge?
A weird formatting glitch decided to make an unexpected appearance?
I checked every page, expecting some horrific mistake to jump out at me.
But after yet another painstaking review, the book still looked perfect.
At this point, I had to accept that if there were errors, I had done everything humanly possible to prevent them.
But just as I was about to submit, KDP threw one final hurdle at me.
The Mandatory Cover Adjustment
This is almost a rite of passage when submitting to KDP.
No matter how carefully you size the cover, Amazon will always tell you that it needs a slight adjustment.
Too big? Too small? Who knows? They want you to suffer one last time.
So, after resizing, re-uploading, rechecking, and probably ageing five years in the process, the cover was finally accepted.
The Moment of No Return – Hitting "Publish"
There comes a point where you have to stop checking, stop tweaking, and just let it go. With a deep breath, I clicked PUBLISH. It was done.
Now, all I could do was wait for Amazon to approve it.
And, of course, refresh the KDP dashboard every ten minutes to check the status.
But that’s just part of the process, right?
14. Sales & the Journey Forward
The moment Sandy the Dragon went live, the real journey began.
After all the time, effort, and sheer determination that went into creating the book, I expected sales to trickle in slowly at first.
What I didn’t expect was just how slowly.
The first sale took an entire month.
Not exactly the grand launch I had hoped for, but hey, one book in the hands of a reader is better than none.
Then, something changed.
Listed as a "Good News Story" and Sales Grow
The book was featured on a deaf-blind charity’s intranet site as a good news story (I worked for them, but all the work on the book was done in my own time, and published via Write Publish Books). .
A service user had published a book.
The book had accessibility features for blind children.
It was a positive, inclusive achievement.
That listing made all the difference.
Within a week, seven copies were sold. It wasn’t a bestseller, but it was momentum. The book was reaching the right people, and that was the goal all along. But just as things were looking up, everything came crashing down.
The Move That Changed Everything
Sales stopped. Completely. At first, I thought it was just a slow period. Then I found out the real reason. The same charity that had listed the book (my employer at that time), the one celebrating it as a good news story, suddenly delisted it, they suddenly believed a children's book with accessibility features was not something they could support!
No warning. No explanation. Just gone, as of the 19th of January, all sales stopped, the date the charity de-listed the book.
When I asked why, I was met with vague, non-committal answers. Eventually, they simply stated it was a 'safeguarding risk'. No amplification, just that!
A risk? Sandy the Dragon?
A children’s book about a friendly dragon helping his friends?
I fought the decision and demanded an explanation, but they wouldn’t budge. A deaf/blind charity deemed a book, specifically designed for deaf and blind people was too much for their deaf/blind charity to tolerate!
That was the final straw.
I had poured my heart and soul into this book, not just for myself, but for Suzanne and the people who would benefit from it. To see it shut down by the very organisation that should have been supporting it was simply shocking! I couldn’t stay with such an evil organisation, so, I left.
For the full story, stay tuned.
What Comes Next
The story of Sandy the Dragon doesn’t end here.
The book is still out there, and the fight to make it a success continues.
This experience changed everything for me, how I approach publishing, advocacy, and the way I choose to fight for the stories that matter.
Final Thoughts
The journey of Sandy the Dragon was about more than just writing a book, it was about bringing a dream to life.
From Suzanne’s initial idea to the moment the book found its first readers, every step was filled with care, creativity, and a commitment to making an inclusive and magical reading experience. This book stands as an example of what happens when creativity meets structure and when a simple idea is given the space to grow, and when stories are given the care they deserve.
I hope that, as you’ve read through this breakdown of the entire process, you’ve taken something valuable from it, whether that’s an inspiration to start your book or simply a new appreciation for the work that goes into bringing a story to life.
If you’d like to grab a copy and experience the magic for yourself, you can find Sandy the Dragon on Amazon.
Want to Write Your Own Book? Here’s How I Can Help
If reading about the making of Sandy the Dragon has sparked an idea of your own, you don’t have to do it alone.
I offer a range of affordable and accessible ways to help people bring their books to life:
📚 Café Creative Writers: The affordable way to write a book in good company, over coffee (or many). If you’re looking for a fun, sociable, and motivating way to work on your book, this is the perfect place to start.
🎨 Inspiring Minds: A creative writing and storytelling programme designed for people in learning environments and organisations looking to book engaging activities. Whether it’s a school, community group, or creative workshop, this programme helps unlock storytelling potential in a structured and enjoyable way.
❤️ Books for Charities: I also run a fundraising books for causes programme, where custom books are created to support charities and important causes. If your organisation is looking for a way to raise funds through a meaningful, long-lasting product, this could be for you.
✍️ 1:1 Book Creation Service: Have an idea but don’t know where to start? I offer a one-on-one book creation service, where I help bring your concept to life, from planning, writing, and editing, to formatting and publishing.
The Power of Stories
This journey has reinforced one thing: stories matter.
They bring people together, they give voices to those who might otherwise go unheard, and they create connections that last a lifetime.
Here’s to more magical adventures, and to the power of stories that bring us all together, to enjoy adventures and live our dreams.
Buy Sandy the Dragon here....
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