8 things I've never told you about how I published my book
Why the secrets? I felt like a fraud. But what I didn't do just might inspire you.
This is the first installment of Not Til Now, a series that features never-before-told stories or first-time feats from artists, innovators, or anyone taking creative risks.
You’re about to find out that I have a penchant for breaking the rules. But when it comes to vulnerability, there is one unspoken code I will always follow:
If you ask someone else to publicly share a secret, you should go first.
In other words, before I unleash what the world-famous Gardiner Brothers have dished with me or how Anna Rollins got a book deal after decades of hoarding her most tender stories (and more juicy Q&As), I’ve gotta start the string.
I don’t want to share what I’m about to, but I know I need to.
For the sake of all aspiring authors and creators who feel held back by popular rules or mental red tape, I feel called to show you a different path.
But first, some background:
In February 2022, I started Mama Be Present, an online community for tired toddler moms who desired ways to connect with their kiddos and reconnect with themselves. Along with weekly questions and encouragement, I posted a joy prompt every Tuesday.
After the 30th prompt, I decided to put these little nudges into a book.
However, summer break with a toddler had different plans for my productivity, and when I was invited to run a golf foundation in the fall, I thought that curveball was meant to be. But after six weeks of working full-time hours that were supposed to be part-time and simultaneously helping care for my ill mom-in-law, I fell apart and quit. A few weeks later, Colleen left us.
After a month of feeling numb, sad, and foggy, a wave of unexpected motivation came crashing into me. It filled me with the most intense sense of urgency.
Here’s what it whispered to me:
Life is too short to hide your art. Just get it out there.
I knew this meant publishing that book. I also knew I’d need some serious fire under my butt to stay accountable. So, I booked a date ‘n’ place for the book launch and immediately posted a save-the-date.
Five months later, on 5.24.23, it happened:
One hundred women gathered for the debut of Mama Be Present: 40 Simple Yet Magical Ways to Find Joy in The Toddler Days. It was an unforgettable night of connection, inspiration, and experiencing what the book is all about.
Not long after self-publishing — which I did via Amazon KDP and Ingram Spark through my own imprint Moon Pollen Press — Mama ranked in the Top 100 on Amazon under Motherhood and Women’s Health as well as the Top 10 on Ingram Spark under Family & Relationships.
To this date, close to 500 copies have made their way across the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia, and India.
Reader feedback has been super encouraging, too. One recent reviewer said this reinvigorated her ability to enjoy all the moments of motherhood. Another said that the first page alone brought her to tears. I also can’t tell you how many said this book is for ALL moms — not just those raising littles.
So, there’s a quick glance at the What, When, and Why.
Now, for the fun part:
The secrets of my HOW.
I kept a lot of this under wraps because I basically broke every rule in the book on books. I felt like a cheat and a fraud.
But doing things differently made it possible.
Doing things my way made it really fun.
And it still made an impact.
So…
If you want to write a book or do something new,
and conventional rules are stifling you,
I hope these secrets light a fire in you.
I hope what I didn’t do inspires you.
1. I didn’t hire an editor
Had this been a full-blown novel or science-y health guide — or had I not spent the last 20+ years in jobs involving writing, I would’ve enlisted some professional eyes.
But this was a compilation of personal, short stories followed by simple prompts that I couldn’t fathom anyone changing the direction of. I didn’t want any opinions getting in the way of my true voice. And let’s face it: I didn’t have TIME for someone to change the scope! Ha!
All that said, even if you’re a strong self-editor, it’s wise to have *someone* scan your work before it goes to print. So, I asked my beta readers to keep an eye out for glaring stuff, and then, my dear father-in-law did a final read-through. Boom.
Side note: No matter how many times you edit something, it’ll never be perfect, and that’s actually quite a freeing concept. There will inevitably be a typo (I found two post-printing!) and not everyone will jive with what you write. (I got five two-star reviews on Goodreads!)
But wouldn’t you rather have something done and OUT in the world than waiting for it to be perfect and, well, in hiding forever?
2. I accidentally hired a friend to illustrate it
At the beginning of this journey, I was playing around with all kinds of formats and could NOT decide if I should use black and white pictures of my own or seek out an illustrator.
Then, my pal Jerry, who is the Jill-of-All-Trades, showed me a calendar she was making for her boyfriend, which featured clever line-art drawings of his dog. I was in total awe.
I loved the simplicity and how she chose what to highlight from the real-life images she based the art off of. So, I asked her to try her hand at some existing pics of me and J-Dub.
Here was one of the samples:
I was immediately sold. And yes, that image is in the book!
While it was risky to weave a super close friend into a project like this, I knew we’d communicate super well. I knew we’d have fun. And that we did.
3. When I posted the save-the-date, only a few pages had been laid out
Ballsy move, huh? But I knew the only way I’d follow through was to have no other choice to.
Not long after putting the event deposit down, that mentioned wave of motivation scooped me up and sent me surfing the most focused, determined wave ever. In a matter of six weeks, I designed an entire 156-page book.
I even took two of the original prompts out and added twelve new chapters in the process. (We’re talking typing new paragraphs directly into the tool as I was laying things out.)
It was unbelievable. It was supernatural. And to think I did this in the dead of winter!
4. Most chapters were repurposed Instagram posts
In a negative review I received, one mom wrote:
“I had a hard time with the writing style of this book, she used a lot of whole word caps and spelled a few words like “craaazier”- which really made it feel like I was reading a Facebook post, not a book.”
Welllll, yeah! That’s because I literally copied and pasted most of what I had already posted on the Mama Be Present Instagram and in the MBP Facebook Group. I wanted to keep my original voice and be relatable, conversational, and REAL.
5. I designed the whole thing in a program primarily used for social media graphics
When you ain’t got cash to outsource interior design…
…and the Amazon KDP template isn’t delivering,
…and you still don’t know InDesign,
…yet desire ALL the creative control:
You turn to what you know: Canva.
I absolutely love this graphic design tool. Not only is it super intuitive and mostly free, but they’re constantly adding new features and options. From social posts, videos, and presentation slides to event programs, logos, and flyers, I’ve used this platform for every single marketing ‘n’ teaching visual in my biz since 2014.
Keyword: visuals. Not 156-page content-heavy books.
Yes, people design ebooks and loads of low-content journals via Canva, but it’s just not meant for text-heavy books. Even medium-heavy gets super tedious because the full justification alignment gets wonky, BUT…
That doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Exhibit A:
Pro tip if you go this route: Get all your page dimensions, printing margins, and chapter numbers locked in before you start duplicating pages, or else you’ll be going back and manually changing every. single. page. Oh, and don’t add page numbers until you’re 100% finished.
6. I downloaded a free image for the cover
Most people will tell you to steer clear of this method for good reason. Of course, you want to make sure you have rights to any image you would use — even if it’s free — and the more original you can keep the cover art, the better.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t go to a website like Unsplash (whose license says that all photos can be used for commercial and non-commercial purposes!) and get creative.
When I was nearing the final cover design (Which literally took 77 iterations!), I thought something was missing from these runners-up:
They needed something joyful yet simple.
After holding every book I own, I got inspired by the idea of a colorful spine. So, on Unsplash, I searched for something like “orange, pink, coral watercolor” and not long into my scrolling…
…there she was:
Then, I hugged the spine with a sliver of these rich colors, added a little transparency to lighten it, matched the paint colors with the title letters, and voila. She was complete.
7. I didn’t listen to those who said to change the title, add a comma, change the font, and, and, and
Before I landed on the cover above, I couldn’t decide between using line art or an actual image. So, I dropped into the Moms Who Write Facebook Group and asked the ladies to weigh in.
Well, here are a few gems from the loads of feedback I didn’t ask for:
“I think you need a comma after Mama.”
“Mama Be Present sounds like a rebuke. Mama CAN be present sounds like empowerment.”
“I wouldn’t pick this book because based on the title and artwork, it sounds like a book haranguing people on how they should parent, and books on parenting make my teeth ache. So, if it is indeed a book on parenting advice, it seems you have a great cover.”
When I first read these, I wanted to quit the whole thing and run away for a while. I felt totally misunderstood. But after some encouraging conversations and a few days off, I realized these weren’t my people and you can’t please everyone.
But hey — if it weren’t for the exhaustion of debating over which image to use, I wouldn’t have realized that I didn't even need to use an image.
And if it weren’t for that initial flood of discouraging feedback, my gut would NOT have held strong when people had opinions on the final cover. Some said the cursive-y font was hard to read and the “woven subtitle” was confusing.
Yet my gut was like, “Wait. So what if people need to stare at the cover a few seconds longer and be present with it? Is that not your mission?”
8. I didn’t launch it on the right day of the week
“If you’re self-publishing, make sure not to launch on a Tuesday, because you’ll be competing with big publishers, so launch it on a weekend, but if you’re trying to reach bestseller status, Sunday or Monday is key, and make sure it’s between the 7th and 14th of the month, that you’re barefoot, walking uphill, both ways, and the second it goes live, you should be wearing a blue shirt and hopping on one foot.” —The Internet
Ummm…my book went live on a Thursday towards the end of the month. And guess what? It still sold some copies and the world is still spinning!
Oh. my. goodness. There is somehow so much more I could tell you about this whooole experience, but you and I need to get on with our day.
Before you go, though:
Did any of these things surprise you, inspire you, or do anything cool for you?
Have you self-published? Did you break any rules?
Do YOU have a book you’ve been meaning to write?
Talk to me. Comment below or reply. I’d LOVE to hear from you.
Until next time,
bravery inspires
Love everything about this story behind the story. There is no one path to publishing, just the right path for you!