Book the First (and hopefully not last!)

I did it, guys! I wrote a thing, and I even published it! Well, Amazon did. They published it. But still!

Oh, but I’m getting way ahead of myself. Welcome to the inaugural post of Fireside Chat! This is my blog. My news studio. The place I visit to share things about my (professional) life. Maybe it can also be a journal? To be honest, I’m not really sure. Sometimes I like to ride the waves and see where they take me.

For this first post, I wanted to share my excitement over the publishing of ‘Flight of the Tree Frog’, my first ever book, and perhaps share some juicy details about how it was made! Maybe it’ll be helpful for other authors who are thinking about taking the plunge into self-publishing. It’s certainly a daunting experience, and quite often you may be thinking to yourself… ‘what am I supposed to be doing again?’

Well, the first thing I did was write it. That’s the biggest hurdle. When you’re confronted with the dreaded blank page, you might have the urge to swish your hands around and mutter some arcane words to get… well… words to appear in front of you. It’s crazy. But, eventually, they do materialise.

And so there I was, with a finished story, edited to the best of my ability, wondering where to go next. I chose Amazon. The Kindle Direct Publishing portion, to be precise. It’s a bit complex, but all the information is there, including how to lay out the manuscript, how big the margins should be, how to account for bleed, and so on. What’s bleed? A rabbit hole, that’s what.

I know there are other places that offer self-publishing services, but for my first attempt, I wanted to go somewhere that was easy for people to reach.

The next step was interesting, though. Finding the illustrator. How was I going to do that?! Well, as it turns out, there are actually quite a few helpful websites where you can contact a variety of artists open to commissions. Like Hireillo, for example. That’s where I found Abigail Roscoe, who is both an amazing human being and an incredible artist. They also have published their own children’s book, Yuka’s Way Home, which you should absolutely check out.

I can’t say enough how important artwork is, for kids in particular. It brings the story to life. Makes it feel so much more immersive. And even if they don’t understand all of the words, they do have pictures to help. When I saw Abigail’s illustrations for the first time, it was like she’d pulled the images from my brain and enhanced them tenfold. Basically, I was floored.

The end result is now available to purchase on Amazon. I should probably tell you what it’s about, shouldn’t I? Okay, here goes: It’s about a tree frog who’s afraid of heights! The main themes are of friendship and having the confidence to believe in yourself, to say to your fears, ‘not today’! It’s also about respecting the people and the world around you, and that kindness always wins.

The intended age group is 7-10 years, but I think parents will have a good time as well!

Of course, I don’t think I’d even be writing this post if it wasn’t for the students who encouraged me when I was a Learning Support Assistant. I loved helping them grow and succeed, and in return, they taught me a few things about self-belief. I’m still very passionate when it comes to children’s mental health. They deserve to live in a world that’s positive and full of hope, and even if I bring a smile to just one face, my mission will have been a success.

So, that’s ‘Flight of the Tree Frog’. You can buy a copy now in either paperback or ebook format here!

I can’t wait for you to take a trip to Amazonia!