He got up and sat on the edge of the bedstead with his back to the window. “It’s better not to sleep at all,” he decided. There was a cold damp draught from the window, however; without getting up he drew the blanket over him and wrapped himself in it. He was not thinking of anything and did not want to think. But one image rose after another, incoherent scraps of thought without beginning or end passed through his mind. He sank into drowsiness. Perhaps the cold, or the dampness, or the dark, or the wind that howled under the window and tossed the trees roused a sort of persistent craving for the fantastic. He kept dwelling on images of flowers, he fancied a charming flower garden, a bright, warm, almost hot day, a holiday—Trinity day. A fine, sumptuous country cottage in the English taste overgrown with fragrant flowers, with flower beds going round the house; the porch, wreathed in climbers, was surrounded with beds of roses. A light, cool staircase, carpeted with rich rugs, was decorated with rare plants in china pots. He noticed particularly in the windows nosegays of tender, white, heavily fragrant narcissus bending over their bright, green, thick long stalks. He was reluctant to move away from them, but he went up the stairs and came into a large, high drawing-room and again everywhere—at the windows, the doors on to the balcony, and on the balcony itself—were flowers. The floors were strewn with freshly-cut fragrant hay, the windows were open, a fresh, cool, light air came into the room. The birds were chirruping under the window, and in the middle of the room, on a table covered with a white satin shroud, stood a coffin. The coffin was covered with white silk and edged with a thick white frill; wreaths of flowers surrounded it on all sides. Among the flowers lay a girl in a white muslin dress, with her arms crossed and pressed on her bosom, as though carved out of marble. But her loose fair hair was wet; there was a wreath of roses on her head. The stern and already rigid profile of her face looked as though chiselled of marble too, and the smile on her pale lips was full of an immense unchildish misery and sorrowful appeal. Svidrigaïlov knew that girl; there was no holy image, no burning candle beside the coffin; no sound of prayers: the girl had drowned herself. She was only fourteen, but her heart was broken. And she had destroyed herself, crushed by an insult that had appalled and amazed that childish soul, had smirched that angel purity with unmerited disgrace and torn from her a last scream of despair, unheeded and brutally disregarded, on a dark night in the cold and wet while the wind howled

The Blog

  • 20 Mistakes Children’s Book Authors Should Avoid image of tag icon

    Hey there, budding children’s book writer! I know the magic and whimsy that writing for children can bring, but like any genre, it has its quirks and pitfalls. I’ve seen a ton of talented writers stumble, trip, and sometimes get lost in the wonderful world of children’s literature. But don’t fret – I’m here to […]

     Read More
  • Let Mentor Books Guide Your Children’s Book image of tag icon

    If you’ve been around the block a few times (and by block, I mean the ever-captivating world of children’s book publishing), you’ve probably come across the term “mentor books.” If not, you’re in for a treat! I’ve delved into this topic, chatted with some of our favorite authors, and dug up real examples just for […]

     Read More
  • 9 Subjects That Don’t Belong in Children’s Books image of tag icon

    All four topics below I’ve personally seen in children’s books I’ve edited, and I’ve had to gently tell authors they don’t quite work. It’s easy to forget your audience when writing a children’s book, and accidentally put something in there that’s only appropriate for a much older audience. Now, I know that some people think […]

     Read More
  • 10 Steps to Writing a Memorable Children’s Book Character image of tag icon

    Characters are the heart of any story, and that includes children’s picture books. Even if you only have 500 or 800 words, you still have to make the reader feel like this is a real life child (or a real animal, depending on your story!). Here are ten fantastic ways you can take your children’s […]

     Read More
  • 9 Tips to Get Your Children’s Book into Libraries & Bookstores image of tag icon

    Guest post by Courtney Langdell You’re holding your published children’s book in your hands—so exciting!—but how do you get it from your hands to library and bookstore shelves? Here are our top nine tips for getting your children’s book into schools, libraries and bookstores: 1. Use a Wholesaler Libraries and bookstores won’t buy your book […]

     Read More
  • How to Self-Publish a Board Book image of tag icon

    Guest Post by Courtney Langdell Board books are a no-brainer for the 0-3 age group. Those thick, laminated, impossible-to-rip pages are perfect for sticky, unpredictable little hands. But they’re also expensive to print one at a time…so expensive that companies like Amazon KDP and IngramSpark refuse to print them on demand. But that’s no reason […]

     Read More
  • How Children’s Book Authors can Land Agents image of tag icon

    Guest Post by Vicky Weber If you’ve decided on traditional publishing for your children’s book, you may be considering a literary agent to represent you. The thing is…you don’t just hire a literary agent—they have to accept you! But that can be trickier than you’d think. In this post, we’ll answer your burning questions about how […]

     Read More
  • Book Marketing Ideas for Children’s Book Authors image of tag icon

    Guest Post by Vicky Weber When I first started in the publishing industry, I was surprised to find that most children’s book authors had no idea how to market their books. That’s understandable, since they’re writers, not marketers—but it’s also a big reason why so many children’s books go unnoticed in the sea of publications. […]

     Read More
  • How Much Does it Cost to Self-Publish a Children’s Book? image of tag icon

    So you’re thinking about self publishing your children’s book, but you’re a little worried about how much it will cost you. That’s totally understandable. You don’t want to get too deep into the process and then realize that you can’t afford to finish. What I’ll do in this post is lay out the average costs […]

     Read More