I Wrote a Children's Book: The Story Behind Rita the Cheetah
A side project journey from idea to AI-powered illustrated book
1The Origin Story
Author Nick Loper's kindergarten-aged son invented a vegetarian cheetah cub character who ate glitter toast. Inspired by the Side Hustle Show podcast, Loper flipped this concept to create a story about a 'slow' cheetah. He studied successful children's authors like Julia Donaldson and Mo Willems, incorporating rhymes, humor and surprise elements into his writing approach for this departure from his usual nonfiction work.
2The Writing Process
Writing rhyming animal poetry proved challenging for Loper, who typically creates business content. He drafted stanzas on park benches while his kids played, counting syllables between snack breaks. Favorite lines had to be cut to meet word count targets, applying Stephen King's 'kill your darlings' advice. The process pushed his creative boundaries beyond newsletter and website content.
3Illustration Roadblock
A hybrid payment structure (upfront fee + 70% royalties) with a Boston-based illustrator failed to prevent a 3-year delay. While initial sketches showed promise, lack of clear deadlines and immediate upfront payment created complications. The project stalled until Loper's son asked about the missing pictures, prompting his wife to attempt AI-generated illustrations instead.
4AI Rescue Mission
Using Adobe Firefly, Loper's wife painstakingly created each illustration - character by character, pose by pose. Maintaining visual consistency across pages proved most challenging. Ironically, the unintended 3-year delay allowed AI technology to mature sufficiently for this quality of output. What began as a weekend project required months of meticulous adjustments to achieve professional results.
5Financial Realities
At $9.99 retail price, each sale generates only $1.50 in royalties, requiring thousands of copies to break even. However, the project delivered non-monetary rewards: preserving a moment of childhood imagination, creative skill development, and hands-on AI experience. It demonstrated how evergreen products can create lasting value beyond immediate financial returns.
6Children's Book Market Insights
Successful kids' books share key traits: consistent rhymes, humor elements, and unexpected twists. AI illustration now enables creators to bypass traditional publishing's cost barriers. This case study shows how technological advancements democratize content creation while maintaining quality standards parents expect from repeat-read favorites.
7Side Project Lessons
Key mistakes included: 1) Paying the illustrator immediately, 2) Not setting firm deadlines, 3) Lacking project oversight. The silver lining? Discovering AI tools' professional capabilities. While delayed, the project delivered family pride and creative growth. It confirmed that passion projects may not always yield financial rewards but offer other valuable returns on investment.
8Future Implications
Generative AI lowers barriers for individual creators in publishing, though careful project management remains essential. Rita the Cheetah demonstrates how passion projects require long-term commitment but can yield personal fulfillment and skill development. As AI tools evolve, they create new opportunities for turning creative ideas into tangible products without traditional gatekeepers.
Original article: Side Hustle Nation — Bir Çocuk Kitabı Yazdım: Rita the Cheetah'nın Hikayesi