Children’s author “walked away from rat race of traditional pub” to self-publish sloth book
If you’ve published a book, do you remember what it felt like to hold it in your hands for the very first time?
My BFF, Janey Merry, wrote a children’s picture book about a sloth who is tired of being the slowest one in school. I’m trying to help her reach her publishing goal so she can hold Ready, Set, Sloth! in her hands for the first time — so she can smell that new-book smell and cry sweet tears at seeing her characters in full color.
I have authors who have been where she’s been — three years in the making, rejected queries, silent agents, numerous rewrites, unconstructive feedback. It’s hard work.
And Janey’s book isn’t just about a sloth. It’s about someone who cannot under any circumstances change himself (i.e., make himself faster). But that doesn’t stop his classmates from pointing out the obvious: Sloth is very slow.
It’s through Sloth’s weakness that he finds his inner strength. I don’t want to spoil the end, but if you have kiddos struggling with “being good enough,” this is the story they need to hear. It’s the story I needed to hear.
You can donate to the Ready, Set, Sloth! Kickstarter by Janey Merry so she can make her dream a reality!
Oh, by the way, it releases on October 20, which is National Sloth Day.
Below is my interview with Janey Merry, and there is just so much gold.
Q&A with Self-Published Author Janey Merry
1. You originally pitched your children’s picture book to agents. Why did you stop? What made you decide to self-publish your book?
I pitched and queried Ready, Set, Sloth! for about one and a half years.
A couple bites — “revise and resubmit” — but mostly met with silence.
I could have kept going. The rejections didn’t sting as badly as they used to, and a lot of writers query for years and years before landing an agent and/or getting attention from a publishing house.
My main supporters from the Yukon Writers’ Society were worried at one point that Ready, Set, Sloth! had transformed into something else entirely. I had lost my voice in the sea of feedback. My story wasn’t mine anymore as I kept revising and changing it to suit the opinions of others. [CLICK TO TWEET]
A major life-changing moment was winning “The Gong Show” at DFWCon 2019. The query letter of Ready, Set, Sloth! I had submitted received zero criticisms from the agent panel.
Everyone at the conference, 600+ attendees, cheered and applauded — bringing me to tears!
I was blown away by how many kind people came up afterward (and found me on social media) to share words of support. Every single encouragement convinced me that Ready, Set, Sloth! needs to exist, whether an agent wants it or not. These people want it, and they’re who I wrote the story for. I found my voice again! [CLICK TO TWEET]
2. What was the biggest misconception you had about self-publishing? About traditional?
That self-publishing meant “all by yourSELF.” Wow, was I ever wrong. I have an amazing team working alongside me! From my young and crazy-talented illustrator, Cami Vollmer, to my interior formatter / tech superhero, James Woosley.
I knew before jumping into the “scary” waters of self-publishing that I’d have to learn what I was getting myself into first. So I turned to my BFF, Shayla Raquel.
[DISCLAIMER: I begged her not to do what she’s about to do, but she is wildly disobedient, this one. I edited it down.]
People. PEOPLE. I’m legit pumped to get my book out in the world because of her. She convinced me that my story is worthy. I’m somebody who needs a lot of encouragement to make up for my lack of self-esteem. Well, Shayla is your girl if you need gentle nudging like I did.
As far as traditional pub . . . honestly, the more I learned about that side of the industry, the more disappointed I was. [CLICK TO TWEET]
I have a successful author friend (traditionally published, children’s genre) who’s written over 35 picture books. She makes less than a dollar on a $17 hardback! Let that sink in. Her agent gets around a quarter. So, that publishing house (definitely one of the Big Five) rakes in the rest.
So, sure, higher royalty percentage is alluring for self-pub. But I’m not writing for money. I walked away from the rat race, because readers are the “gatekeepers” — not agents, not publishing houses. [CLICK TO TWEET] It clicked when my writers’ group loved the first (unpolished) draft of Ready, Set, Sloth! It clicked again at “The Gong Show” at DFWCon with those words of affirmations from the attendees. People are waiting for Sloth’s story, and I’m giving it to them on October 20.
3. You chose to launch a Kickstarter campaign for Ready, Set, Sloth! Why did you choose this route?
I’ll quote the charismatic Liza Minnelli, “Money makes the world go ’round!” Books are not cheap, my friend, and picture books are especially expensive to produce with all those lovely illustrations.
I am a stay-at-home mom, so that means my family is living on a single income. I didn’t want my book baby to be a financial burden, so to take away the pressure of $5,000 out-of-pocket expenses, I learned how to crowdfund. (Huge thank-you to author Stacy C. Bauer for offering guidance.)
4. What are the pros and cons of running a Kickstarter campaign?
Pros: People throwing their money at you! No, no, I kid. I am truly honored my campaign has taken off as well as it has. It’s been very validating to me, and I see it as another marketing tactic. Kickstarter is a (large) venue I’m using to get Ready, Set, Sloth! in front of people.
I have thoroughly enjoyed how I’ve been able to customize practically everything about my campaign. Down to every little detail, I’ve had control. It’s very soothing for my type-A personality and still a lot of fun!
Cons: Kickstarter uses an “all-or-nothing” approach, so it’s a high-pressure, time-sensitive fundraising strategy. Especially if you choose a shorter campaign period like 30 days, but, statistically, that urgency produces more results (aka more backers and funds). (Huh . . . this con turned into more of a pro.)
It’s a ton of work. I put in months of research, planning rewards, tracking down partnerships, scheduling timelines, budgeting incentives, creating promotions, filming a video, primping appearance/headshots, updating social media platforms, and all the legwork I could possibly think of.
5. Why is the sloth your favorite animal?
They are the underdog of animals. Scientifically, you’d think they should be extinct. The slowest mammal on the planet, diet includes poisonous leaves, it takes 30 days to metabolize one leaf, can’t control their internal temperature (like all other mammals), muscles can’t push, only poop once a week (causing serious constipation), and traveling to the ground opens themselves up to predator attacks. BUT in spite of all this, the species is alive and has captured the heart of the world!
Because I love sloths so much, I knew I wanted to use one as the main character in the story. And the moral of the story — that it’s okay to take your time rather than rush — was a reflection of my own life. They are truly my spirit animal. They seem so content with exactly how they are. I’ve struggled with accepting who I am for most of my life. I’ve strived to fully embrace myself. Who cares what the world says? Who cares if someone is watching? We can’t change how we are made. Sloths are slow. They can’t change that. Janey is Janey. I can’t change that either. [CLICK TO TWEET] And I have finally grown enough to say that I don’t want to!
6. In your book, Sloth’s classmates get annoyed with him because he’s not fast enough. What lesson do you hope children will learn after reading his story?
You are always enough. Always. It breaks my heart just thinking about how harsh people can be. It’s absolutely fine to try to better yourself, but when outside factors try to change things about you that you literally can’t . . . that’s just plain cruel.
My hope is readers will fall in love with Sloth like I did. I have had him in my head (and heart) for the past three years. He goes through hardships just like all children do, so perhaps they can draw on his strengths, such as perseverance. He doesn’t give up. Although, he definitely wants to! He keeps at it anyway.
7. You started the self-publishing process in the middle of a pandemic. What advice do you have for other writers seeking to do the same?
- Allot a good amount of time for each stage of the process. There’s a lot of “hurry up and wait” between each step.
- Keep communication open with your team. It doesn’t hurt at all to keep everyone on the same page!
- Change of scenery helped me a ton! Best thing about being a writer is always having access to your phone or notepad. Go outside, visit a park — heck, moving rooms in your house will jog your thinking muscles again.
- Give yourself grace. This pandemic is driving everyone mad, and I know I wrestled with poor mental health several times this year. It’s absolutely necessary to take breaks and watch for when you’re feeling stressed.
- Writing with a toddler at home is challenging. Writing with a toddler at home during quarantine is next to impossible! I squeezed in my work during his naps and after his bedtime, but soon he had outgrown naps (uh-oh!). God bless grandparents. I’d drop my Luke off with them once a week for a couple hours, and rush home to work like crazy. You just make it work. Writers — we are great at adapting. Hey, just like sloths!
Help Janey cross the Kickstart finish line!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/janeymerry/ready-set-sloth
An expert editor, best-selling author, and book marketer, Shayla Raquel works one-on-one with authors and business owners every day. A lifelong lover of books, she has edited over 400 books and has launched several Amazon best sellers for her clients.
Her award-winning blog teaches new and established authors how to write, publish, and market their books.
She is the author of the Pre-Publishing Checklist, “The Rotting” (in Shivers in the Night), The Suicide Tree, and The 10 Commandments of Author Branding. In her not-so-free time, she acts as organizer for the Yukon Writers’ Society, volunteers at the Oklahoma County Jail, and obsesses over squirrels. She lives in Oklahoma with her dogs, Chanel, Wednesday, and Baker.
