@Zack Bush Great tips!

@Nina Larbalestrier Yea I think kids want to make something fun they like to eat, simple directions (with safety messaging that doesn't preach). Should also be limited ingredients -- parents don't want to waste money on ingredients their kids loses interest after the first time. :)

@Rachel White you can always use AI to experiment with types of illustrations. It’s a great way to play with style, and see your story come to life - even if you already have an illustrator. Think of it like storyboarding. I also used it to help me think through my text - “not show AND tell” so kids discover story in the picture too. Of course I’m brand new so what do I know. But for me, it’s better to move forward every day than feel stuck. You can ask AI “what’s the most popular illustration styles kids live and why” then make the same image in all the styles. See what feels good to you. I was surprised that what I thought would be good did not fit the warmth of the story. And every time you experiment, you get better - your writing improves too. At least it did for me.