Justin Parpan (Gwango's Lonesome Trail)

This blog will be an ongoing production diary by the authors and publishers at Red Cygnet Press—a brand new children’s publisher which gives young authors the chance to be published by the time they graduate college.

My own book, Gwango’s Lonesome Trail was one of twelve titles chosen. Getting my first book published has been a real thrill, and like all the other Red Cygnet authors and publishers, I can’t wait to start posting about my experiences.

Since we are the makers of children’s books, and most of us are illustrators, I thought a swell way to start things off would be to demonstrate, through pictures, what this blog is all about.

So without further adieux, I present Gwango!

In the winter of 2005 I drew the first image of Gwango.

A few months later, the story is written, along with the first completed illustration.

The summer of 2006, Gwango’s Lonesome Trail is published.