From the Compost Heap header. A pencil style illustration of a compost heap with flowers and plants growing around it. A bee buzzes by and a white rabbit hops by.

  • Our first picture book proof!

    Here’s an update, on How it Feels to Me, the picture book about neurodiversity I’m co-creating with illustrator Gracie Klumpp.

    We’ve reached the proofing stage!

    I couldn’t be more excited to share a peek our progress!

    Before finalizing color palettes and fonts we decided to order an early proof to see how everything looks on paper. Something I’ve learned about self publishing is that early proofs can really help save time by identifying problems early on before they multiply.

    Gracie put together a few spreads to test colors, fonts, and print quality. (Pinch & zoom to really get a good look on mobile.)

    A rose colored background with various figures hand illustrated under a tree and notes about the different brushes and styles. The character is wearing a sweater vest and plaid pants and is illusrated with a variety of different hair textures and face shapes. One is hanging upside down from a tree branch.

    Lucky we did because we’ve completely changed our printer! (But more about that later.)

    Here’s a really fun spread we’re experimenting with.

    This is a visualization of sensory modulation that invites the reader to turn the book upside down to see how the levels change.

    Volume level and dials across the page. Sounds in the red include siren and wind. Handwritten text reads: Try turning the book upside down! (Then, upside down.) Need to perfect this but, see how the levels are better now? That's sensory modulation. A note compares hard contrast buttons and lower light effect.

    The next spread continues on from the first page, “All brains are different.”

    “Just like all bodies are different.

    We can see some differences, like if someone is tall or has curly hair, but we can’t see people’s brains.”

    A cream page with a layer of grid paper cutout to depict a city skyline. Characters are illustrated in different body types, races, and ages. Some are quick sketches and those toward the front are more complete. To the right is a dark skinned character with curly hair and a blue halo of photographed objects surrounding them. The objects include: blue objects including seaweed, shells, and a ticket stub.

    Here’s one more peek at some of the character work Gracie has been doing. I love seeing the concepts I’ve written about come to life!

    Cream page with pencil style illustrations of a character in a plaid sweatervest. They have curly hair and mid tone skin. One vignette shows them looking through a kaleidescope. Another holding a teacup and tasting the tea with head turned and lips pursed. Another squatting down and smelling a flower. One holding a bunny on their shoulder. One holding a soda and listening to the bubbles with little popping stars around their head.

    These aren’t even finalized illustrations, but I’m already in love.

    Two days before my birthday I opened a box to find this beauty inside…

    My pale hand holding a copy of How it Feels to Me. A dark skinned human standing at the center is surrounded by a halo of objects: tokens, leaves, a traffic cone, seashell, and more color swatches. Written by Sarah Shotts. Illustrated by Gracie Klumpp.

    Holding the proof in my hands was absolutely magical. It’s real. We are making this book.

    And (unfortunately) it’s more needed than ever.*

    Imagine my surprise when I opened the cover found someone else’s book inside.

    The first 2/3 of the proof were pages from a completely different picture book. 🤯

    I immediately texted Gracie to check the second proof. It had a completely different (but equally egregious) error. That edition had a huge white bar down the center.

    The way this printer works these books were considered “final” and not “proofs.” †

    Needless to say we are investigating different printers.

    We’re currently exploring 48 Hour Books.

    There are some pros and cons.

    The quality will be excellent. We’re very happy with the sample book they provided.

    But, the books are going to cost more than we budgeted. We haven’t finalized how much this will be yet. 48 Hour Books just invested in new printers and updated prices aren’t out yet. But the difference is considerable.

    We’ll also be required to purchase a full print run (with a minimum of 100 books) rather than print on demand. This is the only way for the price of each book to come even close to our original budget.

    There’s also the small matter that each proof will now be $40 instead of the budgeted $20. But this price difference ensures books (and proofs) are made with care.

    I’m prepared (and able) to cover the difference in cost, but if you’d like to pitch in you can send donations via Venmo. I’ll share more concrete information about the pricing differences once we have that.

    Is this the first time you’ve heard about How it Feels to Me?

    Here’s a video from our crowdfunding campaign sharing the inspiration behind the book and our goals for self publishing.

    If you haven’t preordered a copy yet you can preorder here.

    Changing printers will definitely extend our timeline.

    But we’re confident it will be worth the wait.

    While we wait for 48 Hour Books to update their printers Gracie will continue refining the illustrations. Allowing me bandwidth to focus on proofs for Entwined & Ember (this is a big year for me!)

    THANK YOU SO MUCH, each and every one of you, for all the ways you’ve supported this project!

    We appreciate you.

    P.S. If you’d like to support the project and don’t need a copy of the book you can also choose to donate a copy which will go to a school, library, or a neurodivergent family in financial hardship.**

    preorder or donate a book
    footnotes

    * The US Government has recently categorized autism and ADHD as “epidemics” and is spreading harmful misinformation. I addressed it briefly in my new post titled, What is Autism?

    † The printer was Ingram Spark, for the curious. We’d already dismissed Amazon for the hardcover edition. (Although we plan to release a paperback through Amazon later on to make the book as easy to find and accessible as possible.)

    ** If you donate a book we are happy to find the book a home or to send it to the school or library of your choice.

    Read more: Our first picture book proof!

  • Self Pub 101 Bonus (Personal Reflection)

    The timeline of my process self publishing Discover Your Creative Ecosystem.

    2019 or “The Before Times”

    When I am writing a rough draft I absolutely do not make any corrections. This includes spelling, grammar, or rewrites of any kind. As Miss Frizzle would say, “Take chances, make mistakes, GET MESSY!”

    I take this approach as a person who can spend hours rewriting a single email. If I let myself start editing I’ll never finish a draft.

    So in 2019 I started making notes and doing research for the book I wished I had to read. Davy was less than a year old and I was struggling to connect with Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way which felt absolutely inaccessible to me at the time. (I love Julia Cameron, but it did not work for me during my postpartum life.)

    This was a book about creativity and motherhood and I was trying to make space for all of the varied human experiences within parenting.

    I wrote a chapter about “creative ecosystems” that kept getting longer and longer.

    At some point I realized this was its own “thing” but I wasn’t sure what that “thing” was. I pulled it out of my creative motherhood draft and set it to the side.

    Then the pandemic happened.

    2020 or “The Long Break”

    When new motherhood collided with the pandemic I collapsed.

    During the early adrenaline infused weeks I pushed out a single draft of the creative motherhood book. At this point we all thought the situation was somehow “temporary”, but when it didn’t let up I hit overwhelm pretty quickly.

    I had almost a whole year between drafts. The time away from writing actually did more to inform the book that follows than any amount of “bum on seat hands on keyboard” ever could.

    I learned that time and space between drafts is actually essential to my creative ecosystem and makes my writing better. I’ve found this to be true for both nonfiction books and novels that I am drafting.

    There are two benefits to time between drafts:

    1. Actual life experience you can bring to the book.

    2. Time for your subconscious to unravel some of the book’s problems.

    3. Distance from the material.

    Coming back to a draft I found that the person I had become had new things to add to the book.

    I find that the time I’ve spent thinking about my book or the themes of my book adds more depth to the writing. And that time away from my writing gives me the space I need to make ruthless edits. I feel less precious about it and also have more clarity on what I want to say.

    March to June of 2021

    When I came back to my draft I thought I could adapt it into a group coaching program. I asked a friend if they were interested in being a beta reader for a virtual creative retreat. I edited and emailed one chapter a week believing I was creating a group coaching program.

    (Full transparency: I definitely missed several weeks in there because we were sick most of the time my son was enrolled in school. For school giveth time and school taketh time away. My beta reader was understanding and encouraging and I kept at it.)

    I knew by now I wanted to write a book about creative ecosystems, but thought it should be longer and more complex than what I was working on.

    September to November of 2021

    I made some further edits and ran a Creative Ecosystem group coaching program in autumn of 2021. Hearing feedback from the creative kindreds in the group really helped me see the value in what I’d already written and realize that the simplicity was actually a strength.

    Setting aside the idea of writing a 100,000 word thesis on creative ecosystems I decided to restructure the weekly emails as a book and self publish.

    I downloaded a 6×9” book template and started formatting the book as I redrafted. I adjusted the language with a book reader in mind, but tried to keep the conversational tone I had established in the email versions. I also added additional images and prompts.

    January 2022

    I ordered the first proof for Discover Your Creative Ecosystem in January of 2022. This began the lengthy process of formatting and copy edits which took most of the year. There was quite a delay between ordering proofs and receiving them. And again, we were sick for much of the spring semester.

    February 2022

    My original plan was to create a printable workbook as a newsletter magnet that I would mention throughout the book. But I got carried away designing the workbook with full color illustrations and it turned out to be more than the average home computer could handle. So I decided to order a paperback copy and see how it turned out.

    March 2022

    I wasn’t happy with the paperback proof of the workbook so I added some pages and ordered a proof in hardcover. I was much happier with the quality and decided to offer it as a bundle.

    April 2022

    I recorded the audiobook. I did this before finalizing the final proof based on Austin Kleon’s suggestion that you always find mistakes when recording the audiobook. And I did.

    When the penultimate proof came in I did a photoshoot and launched Indiegogo preorders. I wanted to complete the crowdfunding campaign before people went out of town for their summer vacations.

    By this point I had a draft I was mostly happy with, but also a list of changes I wanted to make to tweak images and formatting.

    October 2022

    A lot happened in October. My final proof arrived and I made one last round of edits. I decided against one further proof copy (even though my heart wanted one) because I really wanted to get my books out before the holiday shipping rush.

    So I ordered my books and received them just before Halloween.

    November 2022

    When the books arrived I scouted out an autumnal spot to photograph them and to sign all of the preorders. The ground was carpeted in red maple leaves so I tucked one into each book. I took some photos and videos for Instagram.

    I took my time packaging up the books so I could personalize the library pockets and wrap them each with tissue. It took several different sessions while someone else was watching Davy to get this done.

    Finally they all went out in the mail! Once the books started hitting doorsteps I sent out the PDF ebook. I wanted people who preordered physical books to have a chance to hold that in their hands first.

    December 2022

    Two weeks into December I finally had the two days it took to finish editing the audiobook and set up all of the meta data correctly.

    I sent that out today and sat down to turn my self publishing experience into creative compost. So writing the “rough rough draft” of whatever this project will be while Davy builds DUPLO blocks at my feet. (I can’t believe he is letting me work on my laptop. This changes everything!)

    So that’s it!

    Around three years from start to finish with a one year pandemic gap. The self publishing part of the process itself took about one year. I’d originally hoped to get the books out sooner, but would definitely allow myself more time in the future.

    This isn’t a template to follow. I’m just pulling back the curtain on what exactly I did and how long this process took for me.

    Read more: Self Pub 101 Bonus (Personal Reflection)

  • More Reaching Than Rooting

    Gray green rabbit hopping over the text "down the rabbit hole" in a typewriter font

    First off, a quick update for local folks!

    I’ll be attending my very first book festival as a self published author this Saturday! I’ll be doing a reading and signing at NWA Book Fest and would love to see you there! It feels surreal and I’m not sure I quite believe it’s real yet.

    Find all the festival information here. (Catch me on the main stage at 2:30pm).

    in the studio header

    A peek into my creative process and current works in progress.

    This week I’ve had more “reaching” energy than “rooting.”

    Along with preparing for the festival I’ve also applied to two more art exhibitions at Spilt Milk Gallery and The Anthropology of Motherhood.

    You can download either of these printables (Reach & Root or 100 Submissions) here.

    100 Submissions printable has a willow tree on top and gold stars in the first three boxes. A date stamp and keys also sit on the desk.

    I recorded a podcast episode with Kiki from Heiter Magazine. (Coming your way in April.) Podcast interviews take a lot of energy so I am experimenting with quarterly guests this year. In the past I’ve tried weekly or monthly and that has been too much. This is part of my seasonal planning approach and slowing down to find my own pace.

    I’m also undertaking a just-for-fun puppet alteration project for a Wheel of Time parody contest. I haven’t done any crafting or fan art in a really long time so this has been fun.

    Also Davy is fascinated.

    Maybe I’ll share a peek at that next week.

    of shoes and ships and sealing wax header

    Other bits and bobs I’d like to recommend…

    Watch

    “I used to think that art had to begreat to be worthwhile. Now, I only think it has to be to be worthwhile.” John Green. Maybe Art Only Needs to Be. Feb 21, 2023.

    Me too, John, me too.

    Listen

    The On Being podcast is BACK and I am loving it! These two episodes were amazing.

    Janine Benyus Biomimicry, an Operating Manual for Earthlings on natural organisms as mentors and peers… learning from them rather than about them.

    And Rick Rubin Magic, Everyday Mystery, and Getting Creative. I have SO MANY quotes from this one because I listened while parked in the car while Davy napped:

    • “The real practice of the artist is a way of being in the world.”
    • “It’s hard for me to finish projects because I always see the possibilities of what else we could try and I want to try everything…”
    • “What I came to realize is that there is a time for this open play. And it’s in those first two parts of the process, the seed phase… and experimenting.”
    • “By working with sensitive artists, we resonate together in that we’re feeling things that not everybody else is feeling.”
    • “There is no connection between the amount of time invested and how good something is.”
    • “The sustainable part of the practice is: start with things that are easy to do.”

    Read

    Reflections on shapeshifting and reframing “scattered” by Cody Cook-Parrott

    That’s all for this week, but I’d love to know what you’re up to.

    Feel free to drop a link or comment below.

    Cheers,

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S
    Read more: More Reaching Than Rooting

  • Self Publishing 101

    Welcome to Self Pub 101

    You’ll find all of the course content and resources linked below.

    I originally created this course for paid subscribers. After one year I decided to remove the paywall. If you’d like to support my work you can pledge as little as $5 a month. Paid supporters get snail mail zines from me (in your actual real life mailbox) once a month.

    Please remember this course is for personal use only.

    Do not screenshot, share, or cite without asking my permission.

    Thanks for respecting the time and energy it has taken to create this resource.

    Transcripts

    Each module includes a short podcast.

    If you need transcripts download them below.

    SS-SelfPub101-TranscriptsDownload

    Part One (Making the Book)

    This first half of the course will take you from the reflective space after writing a book through the publishing process for physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks.

    Each module will have a short podcast. You can listen or tap transcript to read. I’ll also include a short summary with some reflection prompts and links to any resources I might have mentioned in the module.

    Self Pub 101 (Space)
    Self Pub 101 (Reflection)
    Self Pub 101 (Funding)
    Self Pub 101 (Choose Formats)
    Self Pub 101 (Binding)
    Self Pub 101 (Printer)
    Self Pub 101 (Shape & Size)
    Self Pub 101 (Book Cover)
    Self Pub 101 (Editing)
    Self Pub 101 (ISBNs)
    Self Pub 101 (Selling Your Book)
    Self Pub 101 (Shipping Your Book)
    Self Pub 101 (Pricing)
    Self Pub 101 (Printing)
    Self Pub 101 (Look at a Book)
    Self Pub 101 (Audiobooks)
    Self Pub 101 (Ebooks)
    Self Pub 101 (Print Books)
    Self Pub 101 (The Copyright Page)
    Self Pub 101 (Bits & Bobs)

    Part Two (Selling the Book)

    This module will cover the process of selling your book and telling people that it exists.

    Self Pub 101 (Intro to Marketing)
    Self Pub 101 (Inspiration)
    Self Pub 101 (Why)
    https://sarahshotts.com/2025/03/self-pub-101-preorders
    Self Pub 101 (Sharing the Process)
    Self Pub 101 (The Long Game)
    Self Pub 101 (Expand Your Reach)
    Self Pub 101 (ARCs, Blurbs & Reviews)
    Self Pub 101 (Events)
    Self Pub 101 (Mental Health)
    Self Pub 101 (Book Signings)
    Self Pub 101 (SEO)

    Part 3 (Crowdfunding)

    Here’s a separate course for crowdfunding any creative project.

    Crowdfunding 101 (Start Here)

    Guest Speakers

    This section includes modules by guest speakers sharing their own expertise and experience in the realm of book publishing.

    Please reach out if you’d like to contribute a video or podcast.

    How to Collaborate with a Cover Designer
    How to Work with a Book Editor

    Author Spotlights

    Punk Ethos & Autonomy in Self Publishing
    We are all storytellers.

    Bonus Material

    I’ll keep this page updated with resources you may find useful.

    Self Pub 101 (Additional Resources)
    Self Pub 101 Bonus (Personal Reflection)
    IG Timeline
    Read more: Self Publishing 101

  • Self Pub 101 (Additional Resources)

    I’m always reading and listening to content about publishing – both indie and traditional. I’ll keep this page updated with resources you might find helpful as you find your own way within the publishing landscape.

    Books About Publishing

    These books are from hybrid authors who have worked inside and outside traditional publishing and I find that perspective very insightful. Both pull back the curtain to how it all works.

    Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book by Courtney Maum

    The title alone is a master class in SEO! From an author who has both self published and been traditionally published.

    So You Want to Publish a Book? by Anne Trubek

    From an independent publisher who is also a traditionally published author.

    I don’t agree with everything Trubek writes – specifically her views about which books are “worth” being published (it’s a capitalist lens) so if you’re feeling imposter syndrome maybe don’t dig into this one yet. But I learned a lot about the nuts and bolts of how publishing and bookshops work from this book.

    Editing Process

    The Art of Proofreading by Anne Trubek

    Self Publishing

    Here’s a collection of resources specific to self publishing.

    Podcasts

    Writing Excuses Season 18, Episode 40 How to Make Money from Your Hobby

    A masterclass in how Howard and Sandra Tayler turned a web comic into a self published book series.

    Cover & Book Design

    Book Design Resources by

    Nathaniel Roy

    The best book covers of 2023 are the ones you’ll never see (Fast Company)

    Butterick’s Practical Typography

    Diversifying Income Streams as a Writer

    Funding the Writing Life (Writing Excuses Season 18, Episode 53)

    Authors as multi-hyphenates (Writing Excuses Podcast Season 18, Episode 26)

    Marketing

    This post has some great ideas and examples of how to market your book right here on Substack.

    How to sell a book on Substack

    The following post has a paywall, but it’s a good resource if you want to know how blurbs work in the professional publishing world.

    Blurb writing etiquette by Courtney Maum

    Leonie Dawson Marketing without Social Media

    If you want more strategic support for marketing I’d highly recommend taking a course from Leonie Dawson.

    Her course 40 Days to a Finished Book (affiliate link) includes practical tips on how to become an Amazon Bestseller. And her Marketing without Social Media workshop (affiliate link) is full of creative ideas to market your work outside the algorithm. Leonie is an autistic and nonbinary multi passionate and has a very accessible and colorful teaching style. You can also join their Brilliant Bit & Life Academy to get access to both courses and everything else they has to offer.

    Hybrid Publishing

    Catherynne Valente has been traditionally published, self published through a wildly successful Kickstarter, and then that self pub book was picked up and traditionally published. She is a great example of how authors can move between worlds.

    Twenty Years Ago Today, My Life Began by Catherynne M. Valente

    It’s also worth listening to Catherynne Valente talk about her publishing journey on these podcasts. She wrote and published The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making as a marketing material for another book. Because it won awards before it was traditionally published it was never edited. 🤯

    How Bestselling Fantasy & Sci-Fi Author Catherynne M. Valente Writes (The Writer Files May 16, 2017)

    Interview: Author Cat Valente! (Felicitations, April 19, 2022)

    Do you have any resources you’d like to share? Drop them in comments below.

    Read more: Self Pub 101 (Additional Resources)