Although I haven't provided an update in a while, we've been working like crazy behind the scenes on this book. Just a quick re-cap:
When last we spoke, we decided to change the title of The Odd Dog's Guide to Making Friends to The New Dog. This meant going back to the beginning, which included scrapping the illustrations that were already underway, re-thinking the writing, and basically getting to know our new main character.
Well-- that took a WHILE. It's interesting how much baggage you can have with a book when you've got it almost completed. There were so many beautiful moments in the original version of the book that were, frankly, tough to let go of when we got down to business. That said, we are SO close on this one, so I thought I'd give you a glimpse into the book.
Our 'New Dog', Tiny, made a few appearances in The Odd Dog...
In The New Dog, we foreshadow Tiny as a puppy being given as a gift. When Tiny gets too big, he finds himself in a shelter before meeting Odd and becoming part of Odd's Family. We wanted to give Tiny a few quirks of his own, so we decided that he would chronicle his first three days, three weeks, and three months through scrapbooking.
Each significant period (three days, three weeks, and three months), will touch on elements of the 3/3/3 rule before moving on to Tiny's unique experience. We ended up with forty REAL dogs in this book, so many of the dogs are sprinkled throughout the book, interacting with Tiny and Odd at various locations.
Now here's the exciting part!
Since this book touches on 3/3/3 versus being a user manual for it, we've made the decision to create a three month journal that families can use to create their own memories. It'll include prompts that are age appropriate and fun activities kids can do that involve their new dogs. We'll be providing a QR code that provides a free digital version in every hardcover copy or a $5 downloadable version on my website. I'll also add it to Backerkit once it's closer to being completed as an option for those who backed previous campaigns but not this one.
Obviously all backers for this project will receive a free early release copy as part of your support!
My hope is to eventually do a print run that includes a sticker sheet and other fun scrapbooking touches so it can be a beautiful memory book kids keep of their new dogs FURever.
A lot of my work on The New Dog is now in Shannon's capable hands, so I'm taking this little breather to work on the journal. It's my hope that the digital version will be available around the same time as the digital version of The New Dog is in your hands.
As always, thank you so much for your support and patience on this project. You'll be seeing more previews and announcements as we cross the finish line on this project, and I'll be able to provide more concrete dates on when you'll receive your books soon!
I wanted to provide a few quick updates on The Odd Dog's Guide to Making Friends.
First-- as I hinted at with my last update, we've decided on a different name for the book.
The new name is...
The New Dog
Believe it or not, we spent quite a few days arriving at this name. We went back and forth on whether to keep odd in the name somewhere, but decided that maintaining 'the' and 'dog' would give us more of a series feel. We also felt this gave us a chance to expand the universe beyond Odd, opening up the possibility for more dogs to share their stories.
This did bring up an interesting point however; who should tell the story?
Interestingly, after we renamed the book, we took a hard look at the writing and realized something.
It no longer fit.
Although we were in the storyboard phase (i.e. when the writing is done and you start to illustrate), it still wasn't quite right. That was when we realized it needed to be from the new dog's perspective.
This may seem like a small thing, but the characters in a book only have as much life as you give them. This meant that I needed to go back to the drawing board and get to know the new dog.
And I realized something...
I had no idea who Tiny (AKA The New Dog) was!
I'm actually really grateful we went back to the drawing board, because I realized that Tiny was more like a prop than his own character. So, in short, we've scrapped the story and we're nearly finished with the new iteration. Because, honestly, this topic means a lot to me and I want to get it right.
So here's what you can expect.
We're hoping to have a new cover very shortly. We're planning to re-start storyboarding in the next month or so, during which you'll get exclusive first looks at the book. I'm hoping to have an eBook ready as soon as possible, with books getting printed in the interim.
That means that, ideally, the book should be ready late spring if not sooner.
As I reflect on 2025, a year with a lot of highs and lows, this book has definitely been weighing on my mind. I'm so eager to get it in your hands and in the hands of rescues and shelters, but I want to make sure it has the time and space it needs to go from good to great.
I appreciate your patience on this journey. Right not, The New Dog has my full attention until it's completed, and once it's at the printer, I'll be able to announce the follow-up book which, if I'm honest, has given me significantly less trouble.
But in the end, isn't is the difficult dogs we love the most?
Thank you, as always, for listening to my ramblings.
Have a safe and happy New Year's, and here's to a 2026 filled with Odd Dogs!
It's been a busy few months for The Odd Dog. Since launching we've won several awards and have been able to donate more than $3,000 to local shelters and rescues as well as books to local nonprofits serving families and children. My personal goal is to surpass $5,000 in donations by the end of the year, and I believe we'll get there!
Meanwhile, Odd Dog Guide is continuing onward. Shannon will be starting illustrations soon, and as that progresses I'll do my best to share tons of in-progress pictures.
While Shannon is creating, I will be rolling out some fun Odd Dog holiday merchandise and a special Odd Dog holiday bundle.
My HOPE is to have an eBook version of The Odd Dog's Guide to Making Friends available by the end of the year. I can't promise this for sure, but will do my utmost to make it happen and, at the very least, it'll be pretty far along.
Right now we're aiming to have the book to the printers by December/January. Since most offset (i.e. bulk) books are printed in China (mine are, for example), it's important to keep an eye on Chinese New Year as this can delay printing for weeks if not months if you submit during that holiday. Since it's at the end of February, I'm confident we'll be able to beat that deadline.
Thank you for your infinite patience as this project progresses. Life has thrown both Shannon and I a few curveballs that have delayed the book, but we're both super excited to share it soon!
Please enjoy the fall weather, and thank you for your infinite patience!
Sincerely,
Leia
PS-- While the project is out of my hands a little, I'm re-thinking the name. I'd like to simplify it. Any suggestions?
First off, thank you for your incredible patience as I've been less than frequent with my updates. Long story short, launching The Odd Dog, a family member passing, and just life in general has delayed this project, but no more!
This topic is so important to me, and I think in some ways that has made me question my ability to properly teach it. I'm not a rescue professional, so I've been spending the past few months building relationships with those who live 3/3/3 every day.
The good news is that: * The story is in a great place, with edits getting finalized this month * My amazing illustrator Shannon is on board and will give it that iconic Odd Dog touch we all know and love * We've got tons of great ideas to make this book an incredible resource, with tons of feedback from professionals in the field.
In short, I PROMISE it will be worth the wait!
My new projection is likely March 2026 on the book. My hope is to have an ebook to you in October/November, with the book being at the printer in December/early spring.
Meanwhile, I've finalized the list of dogs that will be in the book, so I will be reaching out to those of you who opted in to get your up-to-date pics and requests.
The fact that I've heard from several of you wanting to know the status of the book is incredibly touching. As a one-person shop things don't always happen as quickly as I would like, but I so appreciate your inquiries about the status of the book.
Have a wonderful day, and I promise more regular updates!
First off, a very important update-- I apologize for the lack of updates! As you might have seen, I ran an enamel pin campaign in January/February and that was all-consuming. Added to that, the first book in the series, The Odd Dog, just arrived and I've been busy with the 'soft launch' for that book.
If you're not aware, offset printing a book like The Odd Dog's Guide to Making Friends usually takes between 9-12 months between conception, illustration, and the printing process. Unfortunately, both Shannon (the illustrator behind the Odd Dog) and myself have had several family events that are pushing the book back even more. This is one of the reasons I chose to run a quick enamel pin campaign; I was able to use the characters from the first book to create a product I thought would compliment Odd really well.
So where is the Odd Dog's Guide? Since I knew Shannon would be unavailable for a while, I've been connecting with several local shelters and rescues to get feedback on the story and the concept. I've also been researching ways to provide an engaging story while also adding educational value. What we've decided to do is a unique fold-out flap style for the book. My friend Nocola (my cross-collab partner) used this style in Bugzee and the Bees. Essentially, it allows the story to flow uninterrupted by providing tactful inserts interspersed throughout the story.
For example, Odd's narrative will be outlining the first three days, three weeks, and three months his new brother Tiny lives with them. There will be fold-out flaps on at least three pages, with the fold-out offering helpful advice and guidelines during those periods.
Why do this? A few reasons:
1) Readability- when communicating new ideas to young readers, it's easier to introduce a story and then have the actual learning occur during the discussion. Using fold-out pages allows the story to flow naturally and then discussion can occur after the fact.
2) Practicality- When speaking to a group of students, it's difficult to gauge their level of engagement for that particular day. The shorter and easier a story is to read, the better chance you have of actually ARRIVING at a discussion. If you need to stop the story to discuss your chance of meaningful dialog can get dicey.
3) Expertise- I'm not a humane education expert, nor do I pretend to be. That said, I'm learning as much as I can and working with experts to create a story that they consider age-appropriate and relevant.
If I was an expert I might write a textbook, but my goal is to introduce the topic so that experts have something they can use as a jumping off point. My hope is that this is also a helpful reference to new adopters or those who need to teach their kids the basics about the 3/3/3 rule. It's not meant to replace humane educators; if a family has a major issue I want to normalize asking for help before getting frustrated and deciding a dog doesn't belong.
All this to say-- the book is being planned and tended to every day, but it will likely be several more months before it's in your hands. Here's what I can promise you:
1) If there are parts of your order that I can fulfill, I will do those in the next few months. For example-- if you ordered The Odd Dog or a partner's books, I'm going to begin fulfilling those. Then, once Odd Dog's Guide is available, I'll wrap those up.
2) I PROMISE that, moving forward, not to wait so long to provide an update. I will be providing them monthly at the least.
3) I will be working to bring on additional shelter and rescue partners during these months and introducing them to you. That way, when you decide who to support, you'll feel really connected to them.
Thank you, as always, for supporting me on this journey. You are so appreciated and I PROMISE this book will be worth the wait!
