Coming Soon: Roma's Gifts

Have you ever felt as though you didn't quite belong? Or that maybe your gifts are different from or less than everyone else's?

So does Roma. She's just a small plant in a big flower garden. She often goes overlooked despite her desire to be seen and appreciated. She desperately wants Ashley, the girl who tends the garden, to notice her, but her flowers aren’t as bright and colorful as Radiant Rose’s and she doesn’t smell as sweet as Lovely Lavender.

One day, Roma notices a lump. Then two and then three!

The other flowers are worried that her rash and bumps are contagious. Poor Roma knows that now she’ll never be picked by Ashley – she just doesn’t quite fit in.

This beautiful story was written by my aunt, who is every bit as compassionate and gentle as you’d expect. She spent years writing this charming book about how hard it is to be yourself. She wants you to know that not everyone’s gifts are the same and that it’s okay to be different!

When my aunt sent me the manuscript, I spent a year agonizing about style was right for such a thoughtful and sweet story. Once I started though, the pages practically drew themselves. The book is digitally illustrated in a collage style inspired a bit by books by Eric Carle. Someone recently mentioned Lois Ehlert and I was enormously flattered to when I looked her up. She’s wonderful and illustrated, among many other amazing books, Chica Chica Boom Boom. If you haven’t read it, do it immediately. For a while, I had the whole thing memorized since it was my little brother’s favorite book as a child.

I encourage anyone who’s ever felt out of place or unappreciated to read this book. It’s a book about patience, growth, and acceptance. Not just by others, but by ourselves.

See more about the book here.

Attending fairs and events as a Vendor: How to set up an attractive and effective display

Author table at the 2019 Cisco Disco/Monster Fest in Bear Lake Idaho/Utah.

I just attended my first event as an author. I've sold at craft fairs before, but never with book sales in mind specifically and I learned several important things.


Every year, Bear Lake hosts a "Cisco Disco" or "MonsterFest" during which avid fisherman can brave the frozen out-of-doors to catch Bonneville Cisco during their annual spawn. It's the only place in the world where this particular species of fish are found, in fact. 


[Off topic, but if you decide to attend, you'll need an Idaho or Utah fishing license (the lake's a boundary water shared by both states, so either is just fine), a dip net (the longer the better!), and waders. The lake doesn't freeze every year and if there's no ice, you'll have to stand about waist deep in the water.]


The outdoor expo is held at the Utah State Marina on the west side of the lake just north of Garden City. There are booths offering free chili samples in advance of the announcement of the cook-off contest winner, lots of other food items, a sign-up for the the polar plunge (people actually pay to jump in the lake!), and a couple of other local vendor/sponsor booths. 


This year, the Chamber of Commerce offered an indoor craft fair as well. Because it was the inaugural year for the indoor show, I was wary of participating. Many times, attendance is low for first year events. I decided instead to join the outdoor expo so that I could evaluate the indoor event at my leisure, have time to do a bit of fishing, and be part of the main event on the marina (which has been firmly established and is ongoing.)

Lessons learned 

Books don't take up any vertical space - it's hard to see them when they're laying flat on a table. Be sure to include some signs that show what you're selling and make it clear that you're the author.

First of all, be sure to bring a table and a chair. Having done craft fairs before, I've learned that if you set out an extra chair, often people with wander over and sit down. They seem to see it as open invitation to rest. They're not there to shop; they're looking for a place to take a break and people-watch...or chat. An extra chair is almost always more trouble than it is much help.

Bring comfortable shoes and an easily accessible change bag. I always use a cross-body bag so that I can't accidentally set it down or misplace it. It also fits my calculator.

Speaking of change, be sure to bring some! I went to the bank and withdrew plenty of cash to make change. I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I brought several $20s. Considering that almost everything I was selling was $10 or less...this wasn't the most sensible idea. It turned out that I, of course, needed small bills to change $20s. Good thing I realized this and swapped for all the small bills that my family had in their wallets the night before.

I also did away with coins entirely. Everything was sold in an even dollar amount so that I didn't have to fumble with tiny tokens. I loved it! Mind you, you'll be paying the sales tax out of your portion, so take that figure into consideration when you're setting those round dollar amounts. (*By the way, be sure to get a sales tax license from the state!)

I sent away for, and received a Square, so that I could take credit card payments before realizing too-late-to-do-anything-about-it, that my newfanged phone doesn't have an audio jack into which I can plug the Square. So I couldn't take cards and had a few people ask. Be better prepared than I was! Accepting multiple forms of payment is important.

Know your Audience

This particular event is a non-traditional fair (it was outside in 20 degree weather, for one thing), and consequently the audience was atypical. A lot of locals were there to fish - and, while they might enjoy a book about the area, they weren't there to shop.  Some of the crowd was there to enjoy the "polar plunge" into the icy waters of the lake. They were dressed up in costume and ready to get wet, so they didn't have wallets. The rest of the attendees seemed to be out-of-towners who own or rent cabins in the area. They were there to watch the plunge and eat free chili. Again, they weren't there to shop, per se. (And even if they were, they could take a free shuttle to the indoor fair where they could look in comfort at their leisure.)

I was one of only two retail booths with items/merchandise for sale. I really hoped this would give me an edge. I was also on the end - great for visibility! How'd that work out for me?

I have mixed feelings. It was a lot of effort and energy in order to basically cover the booth fee and break-even. I'm glad I got a bit of visibility for the book - a few Chamber members came over to say hello and it was wonderful to meet them. They expressed some interest in the project.

The most important thing I came away with was this. VISIBILITY.

Too many people were in a hurry. They kept their heads down and avoided eye-contact. They didn't want to shop and they made that clear. The books were laid flat on the table in a fan-shape, which looked nice in terms of design but failed to grab attention. I did have three free-standing vertical signs advertising my products, but they just weren't big enough to be SEEN and READ at a distance.

Also, because I'd previously participated in craft fairs, I had some leftover merchandise. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. I had hoped that these items would draw in women with a bit of disposable income who enjoyed shopping. The result? A bit of mixed bag. The people who stopped for the jewelry stopped specifically for the jewelry and missed the books anyway (on the other end of the table). Also, it was cold! No one had wallets and no one had a bag into which place their pretty wares once purchased (another lesson learned - bring bags for people who buy enough items to make it worth it!)

Another thing you should do is clearly mark prices. Personally, there's almost nothing I dislike more than when things aren't labeled. If the vendor is talking with someone and I have to wait in order to ask for a price, I get bored and leave. Even if the vendor were free to talk, I don't like asking. What if it costs five times more than I'm willing to pay? There's a painfully awkward and uncomfortable moment while I put the item back. Conversely, what if it was cheap and I'd have bought two or three?

Who knows? You lost that sale because you didn't make it convenient for the buyer.

Actually, that moves me to me next point. Have a variety of things for sale over a range of prices - that way, there's something for everyone's budget. One thing that did work for me was to have a couple of extremely inexpensive and quirky items that drew in all ages and worked as a bit of ice breaker. People come over, laugh, and then stay to browse.

In the future, I'll place my books IN THE MIDDLE of the table flanked by the jewelry on either side. People who are browsing for something pretty will see the books as they (hopefully) move from one end of the booth to the other. Or perhaps, it will be dedicated only and entirely to my books. People who come over know what to expect and are shopping for books.

Most importantly, I'm going to work on signage. I need a large, legible banner, flag, or photo that clearly shows what books I'm selling. Maybe even two. Vertical space is key! Books are small and flat and if people are scurrying by trying not to make eye-contact, they're going to be easily missed.

Biggest Takeaway

The most surprising thing I learned is that I need to make it clear that I WROTE and ILLUSTRATED the books myself. I had a few people stop and flip thru the two (polar opposite) books I was selling and leave without comment. Once I started sharing that I'd made them, they were much more interested and willing to talk (converting to sales was still an issue).

If/when I do make a sign or two, I'll be sure include language like, "Meet the author and illustrator!" "Get your books signed by author/illustrator." "Have an author/illustrator visit your school."
Something like that.

Self Publishing: The good, the bad, and the ugly

My fingers slipped as I titled this post and this entry was briefly described as "self punishing," rather than self-publishing. I'd say that Freudian slip just about sums it up.
I write children's books. It's fun. Amazing. And hard.
I'm my own boss, so I'm responsible for everything. My schedule, or lack thereof, deadlines, marketing, sales, projects...everything.
Recently, I had this idea - inspiration, let's generously call it. I set everything else aside and I wrote this dumb limerick in a week. It made me laugh and, after I finished, I realized that I quite liked the art style. It was bold and blocky and from that book, the idea for The Bear Lake Alphabet Book was born. I had loads of things I needed to finish before I addressed this idea. Unfortunately, that's not the way I work. It was the only thing I could focus on and it's taken 2 months to finish it.
In fact, I have a terrible tendancy to start projects and then abandon them midway through in favor of something I'm even more excited about at the moment. It's frustrating! I have several books started and two that only require minimal work to finish, but I'm too busy starting something else to finish them. 
That's neither here nor there, in terms of self-publishing, but it's a character flaw that certainly makes the job even harder. This is my full-time job. I'm just trying to "make it work," as Tim Gunn, would say.
Writing and illustrating the books is the fun part. And even that can be a drudgery when I have to keep myself on task. About three-quarters of the way through a book, I get bored. It's all formatting and editing, and corrections. I have to come up with a sales description and a blurb. At that point, I'm dying to do something else. Anything else.
That's a problem. Aside from the cover, the description and blurb are two of the biggest selling points of a book. If it's not marketable, it's not going to sell, and I need it to sell, because, as I said - this is my job.
I read a strategy, discussing novels, not children's books, but it's still interesting and applicable, I think. Start with the blurb. Find what's selling and write your idea. What would you buy? Work from there.
My biggest issue currently may be that I'm writing for myself. That's not bad, per se. These are ideas I'm excited about, but they're not necessarily my best ideas, just the ones I'm most obsessed with at the moment.
So, I just finished The Bear Lake Alphabet Book. Now what?
Well, I have to choose a publisher. Createspace, my current printer, is closing. I'm being forced to migrate to a competitor and it's down to IngramSpark (who offers hardcovers) and KDP Direct (who offers a better Amazon outlet). I spent 4 hours yesterday doing research. Of course I'm able to read and use the resources and experiences that others have compiled and shared online - that's helpful! However, I'm still responsible for the final decision. It's hours of work and uncertainty. Right now, I'm torn. If I print through Ingram, I can not only offer hardcover, but I'll make ever-so-slightly higher royalties. But. (This is a big but). Sometimes other printers' books are listed as "out of stock" on Amazon. If someone finds my listing and the product is not available, I've just lost that sale. It's frustrating that Amazon does this and it forces many people to choose KDP (an Amazon owned company), which is, I assume, why they do it.
Along these same lines, I have to do marketing research. I'm learning a bit of Search Engine Optimization and advertising, among other things. 
I have to keep track of my expenses, my income, and all other business related matters. It's not the part I love doing and these are things which take the majority of your time.

Self publishing. The Good.
I set my own hours and schedule. This is a bit of a double-edged sword. I tend to procrastinate and, as I mentioned earlier, I also tend to have a hard time focusing on a single idea or project at at time. I work about 60 hours a week. It's nice to be able to break up my day with tasks around the house and walk my dog, Lily. It's also wonderful to work from home right next to the coffee pot.
I love learning new things, so the challenge of mastering Photoshop (although, I believe, impossible) is hard but very rewarding. In the last year, I've really progressed in my ability to get an idea out of my head and onto paper. Learning new software has really helped that process.
It's been frustrating, too. I seldom get to work with watercolor, something I enjoy and wish I could better master, in favor or using digital color.
Let's move on to The Bad.
I draw on physical paper with pen and ink. I scan images into Photoshop and everything else is done on a computer. Eh, I'd rather be drawing. And, with my last project, It Wasn't Scary, I've come to realize just how much of my work is being lost in the scanning process. I'd like a tablet.
Which means that I've spent about 24-36 hours this week trying to familiarize myself with the options. There are so many. Every time I think I get a handle on the tablet market, I find another alternative. Or learn something new about the models I'm currently considering. It's been overwhelming. Plus, when I finally do choose a tablet, it's going to take weeks and months to learn how to use it.
Moving on to a more touchy subject, money is something that not many people aren't comfortable discussing. I'm no different; I'm not exactly excited to report that, under this pen name, selling and writing children's books, I've made zero dollars. That's not surprising considering I haven't released a book yet. But, the time I've spent branching out into something I really love doing has a high opportunity cost. Money. I could be working on a project which is lucrative and more marketable. Instead, I'm gambling my time on something I'm not sure I can make money at, but which I really enjoy.
Thankfully, my husband has been patient, supportive, and understanding. He wants me to succeed. Having a strong support system in place when embarking on a risky venture has been invaluable to me. 
My sisters are another source of support. I doubt very much that they like self-publishing. I don't have an agent or publishing company, and sometimes (okay, daily), they're thrust into that role. I send them drafts, revisions, weird sketches, book ideas, issues, concerns, and frustrations, because they have impeccable taste and because there's no one else to listen or bounce ideas off of.
It's also hard to market to family and friends. You really put yourself out there when you self-publish. It's scary. You feel very vulnerable and exposed. It's nice to have a network of people who'll support and champion you and your work, but you can still feel pretty sheepish doing it. 
Speaking of trying to make money, let's discuss The Ugly. 
The business side of the venture has, for me, been a challenge. I consulted an attorney and an accountant and formed an LLC. It was huge learning process. 
I've built a huge excel spreadsheet which is tracking my costs and income. 
It hasn't been cheap. To file my LLC and a few ABNs, I spent $176. I have to pay Abode $30 a month for InDesign because the version of Photoshop I have won't export my files as a PDF. I bought a new scanner when my old one died, $84. I invested in an external hard drive so that I wouldn't lose my files in the catastrophic event that my computer died, $70. I bought a block of 10 ISBNs, $300. I have to pay an editor to review each of my finished books and, of course, order copies of proofs. Trust me, the costs add up. Quickly.

Let's say that my only costs for each book are simply editing ($45 - get a good editor! This is the very least you should expect to spend to have someone qualified review your work), an ISBN ($30 each if you bought a block of 10, otherwise $125 each!), and a proof ($25, depending on shipping speed and whether or not you make changes and order a second proof (I almost always do)). Note: If you print with IngramSpark, it costs $49 just to upload the manuscript, if you make any changes, it's $25/revision). That means I've spent at least $100 before release, and, without any revisions, $149 to print through Ingram. So, if you make $3 for each book sold, you'll have to sell at least 35-44 books to just break even. 
Speaking of that, your release on Amazon is crucial to the success of your book. If you can sell a certain amount in the first 30 days, Amazon will push your book higher in the search results, which means increased visibility. Learning to use AMS and Facebook ads is something I have yet really delve into, but can genuinely help in the critical first month window.
You are your product. You're responsible for launch, press releases, social media, social media posts, ads, budgeting...all of it.
It's a lot to take on.
The Take-Away 
I've learned so many things since I started. I started an LLC. I've made Facebook, Instagram, and Blogger accounts. I have an Amazon Author page. I'm looking into marketing at events, like craft fairs, local markets, and schools. That means I'll need a sales tax ID number - even more research I need to thoroughly do.
So, long story short. 
Self-publishing is a lot work. It can be frustrating, nerve-racking, and poor sales can be really hard on self-esteem. But if you enjoy what you're doing and have a passion for the projects, it can be worth it.
The first time I held a proof of my book in my hands, it took my breath away. I was holding a tangible thing, something which months before was just an idea in my head. And then it was real. 
For me, it's worth it. 

The Bear Lake ABCs: A book about the Magic of Bear Lake, Idaho/Utah

Every summer growing up, I spent a month living with my grandparents in Montpelier, Idaho. Several cousins and I would pick raspberries in Garden City, Utah to save money for school supplies and clothes. Ah, the "upper, lower, and baby" patches. It's so sad that they're no longer there.

We spent our afternoons at north beach, exploring at the ice caves, re-reading favorite books from the small library, and hunting mushrooms in the woods with our Uncle Brian. Actually, he'd gather all kinds of amazing things in those woods: chokecherries, elderberries, skunkberries, and of course, huckleberries.

The Bear Lake valley is full of all sorts of things to do. Having once been the bottom of Lake Bonneville, there are fossils and interesting geological phenomena. Bloomington Lake and Montpelier Reservoir are perennial favorites.

Although it's no longer allowed, sledding down M-Hill in the winter was an amazing adventure - many a shin was smashed by an errant runner sled. Fortunately, Beaver Mountain is perfect for skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.

We used to joke that we'd been to Paris (idaho). The tabernacle there is absolutely beautiful.

Garden City has really grown to accommodate all of the tourists and traffic coming through Logan Canyon. We love eating at Zips and Cody's. And, of course, you have to stop and get a world famous raspberry milkshake!

My dad is a wildlife enthusiast and can tell you the name of every butterfly and bird that flutters past. Among our favorites are the Western Tanager and the Lazuli Bunting.

With so many things to do and see, Bear Lake is an extremely sentimental place for me. I'm currently working on a book that captures all of the magic and fun of the valley from A-Z. Shh, don't tell my mom. It's a surprise!

It Wasn't Scary: An engaging picture book illustrated with bold paper-cut silhouettes

It Wasn't Scary. Join Oliver and his loyal dog, Lily, as they take an adventure together. Young readers are sure to enjoy this striking picture book filled with bold black-and-white paper cut images.

I'm just working to finalize the cover images. Although I adore the giant octopus image - it's so bold! It doesn't really "scream" (get it?) Halloween. I'll most likely use the cover on which the children are standing on the roof waving goodnight to the witch riding a broomstick.

What do you think? Which version do you like?

About Pig's Paw Publishing

This is Lily, also called Pig or Piggy. She's a Hungarian Vizsla who loves running, eating spoils that land on the kitchen floor, and playing at Bear Lake in Idaho.

Her favorite book is The Poky Little Puppy (because she is one). She'd much rather be outside than helping write books. She never intended to model and accidentally began her career by being so darn cute.

KD Brown lives in Ammon, Idaho with her long-suffering husband, Tyson, and their loyal brown dog. She loves reading, sometimes writing (mostly the procrastination of it), and occasionally even drawing.

She is currently hard at work on her first picture book.

About the company: Pig's Paw Publishing is focused primarily on children's literature and expects to publish 2 books this year.

To see more about current and upcoming projects, visit our "Books" page.