Book Production
At Creative Cat Media, Inc., we believe every story is an exciting journey. Our mission is to help you bring your ideas to life through vibrant illustrations, thoughtful layouts, and beautiful designs. From the moment inspiration strikes to the final publication, we focus on celebrating every detail. Let’s work together to transform your unique story into a captivating experience that delights readers of all ages.
We offer Publishing Assistance and Support to writers and illustrators in the areas of:
- Technical Guidance
- Picture Book Dummy
- Colorist for Picture Books
- Illustration
- InDesign Layout and Design
- Cover Design
- Files Prepared to Upload for Publication
- Production of Support Materials, including book marks and banners
- Website Development
Creative Cat Media’s Cindy Rodella-Purdy was indispensable in getting our project finished on time and of the highest quality. We were impressed by the creative ideas Cindy brought to the project and her expertise in not only designing our book but providing valuable information about how to make it the best-looking book possible. Many kudos to Cindy for her patience, expertise, and creativity.
I worked with Cindy on two children’s books and love how both of them turned out. She used her knowledge, creative eye, and experience to publish my books and make them competitive in a crowded marketplace. Cindy is easy to work with and her services are competitively priced. I can’t imagine publishing a book without her. She is my go-to professional for book production and art direction!
Cindy Rodella Purdy of Creative Cat Media is an indispensable part of my publishing journey. Her ability to take my writing and illustrations and pull them together to make a book allows me to breathe, de-stress and to know that I can rely on her years of experience and expertise. Cindy guides me and leads me through all of the intricacies of publishing. I am so grateful and highly recommend her to others who need such services.
Clients and Projects
Design and Illustration Process
All of our projects follow the same steps, whether for print or interactive media. It’s good to be flexible about deviations, but the key is to have a plan in the first place. Below, I’ve outlined a process for developing illustrations for use in a picture book or other interactive media. Although your project might be different, the basic steps still apply. If you are or have an illustrator then we can skip to the final step of layout and design.
- First we chat to determine if we are a fit for each other. This can be done over the phone or Zoom.
- Then we determine what your project needs are. For instance, what mediums would work well and what format you would like the final delivery to be in (for example: iPad, iPhone, Web, Kindle, Print, or Video).
- If both parties think it is a fit, I will then provide a quote for your specific project needs.
- The process is broken down into stages of development, giving you the flexibility to develop as much work as you like in your preferred time frame to match your budget.
Steps for Illustration
- Thumbnails or Storyboards (determine all the pieces to be created and which elements are included in each scene)
- Refinement of Storyboards
- Final Image Creation (creating all images in preferred medium and combining into a final high resolution image)
- Prep files for delivery or programming
Character Design
This has to be one of our favorite parts of telling a story: the creation of a character – whether human, animal, or object. It’s not uncommon to develop one type of character and end up with a completely different type of character at the end of the process.
Characters are rarely static – they dress in different clothes, and interact with different people and items. Sometimes there are many characters within a scene that have to work together visually.
Steps for Layout and Design for Print Production
- Scanning or photographing and prepping illustrations for page layout and design
- Type font selection and layout into designs
- Layout pages in Adobe InDesign (this will provide the final file that can be uploaded to a print on demand service or sent to a traditional print house)
- Proof and review all pages
- Revisions to proof
- Final file delivered in .PDF form ready for print.
Books We've Illustrated
Katy’s Trail
When separated from her owner during a move to a new city, Katy the bike is faced with life-changing events that put her in a rack of forgotten bikes. Will Katy join her sad group of new friends in their belief that she too has been forgotten? Or will Katy find a new path that leads to happiness and joy? Join Katy on her quest to find happiness on the trail of life, where there are many hills to climb.
Available Today!
The Adventures of Leonardo the Drone – Book 1: Photos from the Sky
Leah loves to take pictures. Every month, she submits her photos to the library’s photo contest. So far she hasn’t won. The limited subjects and ground-based view of her neighborhood are frustrating. Until… Leonardo the Drone comes into her life! Leah practices flying Leonardo, and by way of several anxious moments, learns how to be a good drone pilot. Together Leonardo and Leah take amazing photos and videos that view the world from a whole new angle. She gets excited again about her pictures and knows her next photo contest entry will be quite unique!
Kirkus Review
An engaging, well-illustrated invitation to look at the world from a different—and higher—angle. Read More
The Bed Ate My Sock!
“The Bed Ate My Sock!” exclaims Johnny to his mother. Mom doesn’t have time for games and wants Johnny to go and get his sock. He tries to tell her that he did all that he could do to find it. Johnny called in doctors, detectives, firefighters, a dragon, pirates, a construction crew, superheroes, cowboys, and astronauts to join the quest. Can Johnny convince his mom that he did all he could do and that the bed did indeed eat his sock? Or did something else get it?
The Little Gray Squirrel
The Little Gray Squirrel causes quite a problem for Grandpa and Grandma when they find him in their house during the night. He runs around their bedroom and over and under many things. They are not able to catch him. He escapes under the door. He runs upstairs and into another bedroom. Grandpa follows and is finally able to capture him. Grandpa is exhausted once he puts the little squirrel outside.
There’s A Bug In My Rug
UGH! There’s a bug in my rug! Where did this crazy bug come from? And how did it get here? This first book in Ten Story Books’ “Color-Me-A-Story” series brings you an ALL-IN-ONE coloring and picture book for young children. The engaging story keeps children entertained while helping them build early phonics skills by incorporating words that share the same spelling pattern. Inside are thirty-two beautifully illustrated pages full of fun and frolic. The book includes an easy-to-read font for early readers, and “BUILD-A-BUG,” a drawing activity after the story! Have your kids pick up their favorite crayons, colored pencils, and markers, and unleash their creativity!
Never Tickle a Gorilla
by Herb Spanier and Illustrated by me is now available for purchase at the Dallas Zoo, in addition to:
Dog. Cat. Chicken.
A light-hearted tale of love for children of all ages. Dog. Cat. Chicken. is a children’s eBook that includes 20 pages of an interactive story, with playful sounds and fun animations, and a multi-level matching game. Written, illustrated and developed by Cindy and her husband John Purdy of Creative Cat Media, Inc.
The Creative Cat always Lands on its Feet.
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