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!

  • Shapeshifting into a zine 💫

    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.

    The Medium is the Message

    A few years ago I started making artwork with a gallery setting in mind (rather than Instagram.) That completely changed the kinds of things I was making.

    White child sized t shirt on a silver clothes hanger covered in clothing tags of various brands and sizes.

    I started the series My Brain on Motherhood and have been in over 10 fine art exhibitions.

    That never would have happened if I kept making art “for” the Internet.

    The medium is the message.

    The platform that we create work for informs the work.

    Earlier this year, I stopped writing paywalled posts for paying supporters and started sending letters in the mail.

    Processed with VSCO with 1pro preset

    Changing the medium of the message has made that work feel more personal and also more like human connection and less like work.

    So I’ve been wondering how to bring that energy to what I’m making here.

    I’m contemplating the ways in which I might go analogue with my newsletter in the new year.

    To test it out I’ve typed up I am not a brand. I’m a human. as a zine.

    2024-10-25-Zine.jpeg

    This will be going out to my paid supporters this month as an experiment. (You can also order one from my shop.)

    I might alternate letters and zines depending on what I have to say.

    What’s interesting to me is how much this is about intention.

    Once I made the work with an art gallery in mind – I can then share it on Instagram. (My “I’m Fine” cross stitch actually went low key viral.)

    But the frame in which I formulate ideas changes what I make.

    Teal green typewriter with an open carriage for cleaning sits on a wooden desk. Library style drawers and wart supplies are behind.

    So when I say I’m going “analogue” I’m thinking of creating physical zines on my typewriter. That’s the medium. I’ll send paper copies to paying supporters.

    Once I’ve made that I can then archive digital versions of that zine on my website or Internet Archive (like this). I’ll send fewer emails (monthly or quarterly) that point directly to my website and / or compost heap. So the email newsletter becomes a channel to share my work and not the medium of the work itself.

    (How does that sound Seth Werkheiser?)

    I’m less and less comfortable having the work that I make live on someone else’s platform and this is an experiment I am excited to try.

    I’ve been circling around this idea for months now and I finally discovered Mail Blog via Independent Creative and it inspired me to give analogue a go.

    If you’re considering how creating for the Internet in general is informing your work I’d really recommend the book The Medium is the Message by Marshall McLuhan.

    In the Studio ✂️

    Meanwhile here are a few updates from my creative ecosystem.

    First up, Entwined has gone to the editor!

    Selfie holding a copy of Entwined in my studio with my kid playing video games on the daybed behind me. I have on a Rose Apothecary shirt, green corduroy overshirt, and green glasses. I have short brownish hair and blue eyes.

    I’m also taking a course on sensory regulation with my partner. David and I are painting these sensory regulation cards and I’m very excited about them. (I don’t have it handy, but let me know if you’d like an affiliate link.)

    Watercolor cards with sensory supports and spread out on a table with art supplies

    A lot of creative energy is also going into creating spaces for learning.

    And I’m also using our new laser printer to design our own handwriting sheets. (We’re saving the paper for a recycled paper bookmark project I’ve been ideating for about 5 years.)

    I also made this Wheel of Time inspired snowflake for WoTtober

    In the Garden 🌱

    Our garden is completely feral.

    But these volunteer tomatoes are VERY happy.

    Books 📖

    Inspired by Hayley Dunlop I thought I might share more of the picture books we’re reading. This one has been a big hit. (No loose teeth yet, but we’re preparing to understand when it does happen.)

    Bear’s Loose Tooth

    Digital Foraging 🍁

    Enchantment means “to be inside a song.” via Writing Excuses

    Time Travel banner. Hand drawn illustrtation of TARDIS in space surrounded by swirling lines and stars.

    You can see another example of The Medium is the Message by these flashbacks to the time I was a “YouTuber.” I’m exhausted just thinking about trying to mask as much as I did in 2016.

    Seven years past.

    How to Make Leaf Rubbings on YouTube

    Eight years past.

    October Favorites 2016 on YouTube

    via Double Double Toil and Trouble an October roundup post on Substack from 2022.

    Ways to support header includes an illustrated white rabbit hopping into some wildflowers.

    The Compost Heap is free to all. Thanks for exchanging your time and energy. If you’re feeling particularly generous here are other ways you can lend your support.

    • Leave a comment (it’s free!)
    • Share on Substack.
    • Buy my book.
    • Forward this email to a friend.
    • Pledge for monthly snail mail from me.
    Drawing of a tin can telephone and the words Let's chat

    The Internet is like a tin can telephone. It’s just a rusty can until someone talks back.

    What are you making? What are you growing? What are you finding inspiring?

    I appreciate you.

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S

    Illustrations by Gracie Klumpp of Leave the Fingerprints. 🐞

    Read more: Shapeshifting into a zine 💫

  • Entwined Blog Hop

    Entwined weaves together stories of creativity and motherhood from mothers on the west coast of America, to Canada, Mexico, and the UK. Contributors include painters, writers, potters, visual artists, musicians, poets, and multipassionates.

    Every mother has their own creative ecosystem. By sharing our stories we hope to inspire you to entwine creativity and motherhood in your own way.

    PREORDER

    If you want to know more about this project check out these posts from our virtual blog tour!

    Blog Hop

    Podcasts

    New around here? Subscribe for updates from Sarah Shotts about pursuing creativity as a neurodivergent parent. 💌

    Shoutout to all of the contributors! 🥰

    I’m so honored to have such a brilliant constellation of mothers involved in this project. There are over 55 mothers involved from the writers and cover artists to our editor.

    Creative Team: Twiggy Boyer, Annie King, Emily Jalinksy & Jocelyn Mathewes.

    Anthology Writers: Alexa Villanueva, Anong Migwans Beam, Autumn Fox, Bethany Howard, Christina Marshall, Claire Venus, Emily Perron, Faith Shaw, Hayley J. Dunlop, Joanna Wolfarth, Jocelyn Mathewes, Lauren Oakey, Lindsey Smith, Lisa Mabberly, Mariah Friend, Marisa Pahl, Marina Gross-Hoy, Mary Beth Keenan, Megan Driving Hawk, Natalie Ward, Odeta Xheka, Shelley Wallace, Sheree Mack, Susan Chiang, Vanessa Novissimo Wright, and Zoe Gardiner.

    Ember Contributors: A. Westgate, Alexia Cameron Casiano, Amy Walsh, Catherine Fortey, Chanel Riggle, Ciara Froning, Claire MacKinnon, Daisy Thomasstone, Devon Bennet, Emma Carpendale, Erica Settino, Genevieve Beech, Grace Esteignhagen, Jordan Haley, Kati Overmier, Katie Gresham, Katherine Mills-Yatsko, Kayla Huszar, Lindsay Joseph, Lucy Beckley, Marissa Huber, Mindy Wara, Claudia Plata, Rebecca Potts, Tamsin Chennell, Melanie Webster & more. (Still accepting prompt submissions!)

    Read Entwined’s Origin story.

    The Five Year Origin Story of Entwined 🌿
    Entwined Anthology with collage of mother and child on desk with typewriter, magazine clippings, teddy bear toy and Hot Wheels car

    I’ll be turning into goo next week to recover my energy. (Like a caterpillar in a cocoon.) Even gentle book launches are a lot.

    Thanks for your patience with the extra emails. We’ll go back to our normal creative compost heaps next month. I just want this book to reach as many mums as possible.

    Cheers,

    Originally Published to Kindle Curiosity on September 29, 2024

    Read more: Entwined Blog Hop

  • The Five Year Origin Story of Entwined 🌿

    I’m so excited to (finally) open up preorders for Entwined & Ember an anthology and art journal for mums. This passion project has taken a lot of my energy this year along with 55 other mothers who submitted stories, prompts, and art.

    BUY OR DONATE A BOOK

    I’ve been working at on this book for almost five years.

    Here’s the origin story as documented on Instagram.

    If you’d rather read more details about the books you can find those here.

    It started when I was seven months postpartum.

    “Last week when I was journaling I accidentally started writing a book. It’s a creative handbook for new mums. Not a one size fits all method, but a series of reflections and prompts to help other mothers nurture their inner artist.”

    Blue journal and pen sit on a desk with sunlight coming in through sheer curtains

    I read SO MANY books about motherhood as research.

    Books that affirmed creativity is good for mental health. Books that explained the myth of equal parenting. I read about burnout and overwhelm and “the art of doing nothing.”1 I read The Artist’s Way and immediately put it down because I needed sleep more than I needed morning pages.

    I took notes on my iPhone. I journaled. I cobbled together the bones of the book I thought I needed. Starting in January of 2020 I went to the library each week to turn these notes into a book while my mom watched David.

    Then COVID quarantine hit.

    I started navigating a deep depression. I wrote my way through it.2

    By June of 2020 I had a rough draft,

    “It turns out the three months I took away from this work were actually very helpful. I’ve had enough distance it’s much easier to make cuts and changes. I’ve also spent that time doing more visual art like pottery and weaving and this is informing my book in a good way… This pandemic is teaching me to honor my creative rhythms and that’s no bad thing.”

    Mother Maker Manifesto first draft typed document with giant bulldog clip holding pages together.

    I made it through one round of edits before I crashed into burn out. Whatever resilience and hyperfocus had propelled me through the early months of the pandemic vanished. My world shifted into survival mode and my manuscript got set to the side.

    When I picked it up again it was like a different person had written it. But that space let me see that my manuscript was actually 2-3 books crammed together.

    I took the first chapter and expanded that into my first book Discover Your Creative Ecosystem. I launched that book in autumn of 2022 and met my goal to break even with self publishing costs.

    Overhead shot of my desk adding library pockets and red maple leaves to the inside cover of my book Discover Your Creative Ecosystem.

    I still wanted the book that I needed as a new mum.

    I just wasn’t sure I had written it.

    Over the next year I considered a lot of avenues for reviving my “creative mama” book. Meanwhile, I was cautious of centering my own narrative because every mama needs different things. Early on in the process I knew I wanted alternate voices in the book, but I wasn’t sure how to weave them in.

    Then I considered an anthology.

    It was the perfect solution! I completely scrapped 30,000 words of my own and started reaching out to mothers I’d like to collaborate with. When Twiggy Boyer agreed to be our cover artist my vision snapped into place.

    The visual team expanded to include Annie King as cover artist for the workbook, Emily Jalinsky for interior illustrated elements, and Jocelyn Mathewes for cyanotype textures.

    Truly a dream team!

    Ember: an art journal for parents. The cover is a burned piece of wood layered with transparent white paint.

    It was my honor to curate the stories and prompts that came rolling in for Entwined & Ember.

    The last year I have been hard at work creating this book, designing the layout, printing proofs, preparing for the crowdfunding campaign, and sending sooooooo many emails to my collaborators.

    This book baby has been gestating for almost 5 years and the last year has been one big “push” process.

    I am so excited (and exhausted) to reach this phase.

    Now I need your help.

    Here are the best ways to support.

    1. Buy a copy. 📖

    Your preorder signals “social proof” that this is a trustworthy project. The first 30% of preorders almost always come from people who know you directly. Then pledges tip into friends of friends. So it’s more important to pledge now and share later.

    1. Donate a copy! 💞

    If you don’t need a copy you can donate a book to your chosen library or nonprofit. This was a huge hit for our picture book project last year so I’m offering it again. You can also donate a copy to be made available to a mum in financial hardship.

    1. Write a review. 🔥

    After reading the the best way to help books reach new readers is to post a review on Amazon (even if you didn’t buy it there). Once a book has 100 Amazon reviews it gets an algorithmic bump which will help new people discover it. If you don’t have an Amazon account you can tell a friend, write a blog post, or ask for a local bookshop to carry it.

    Entwined ebook mockup on iPad

    Yes, there is an ebook version! It is free for parents in financial hardship.

    Shoutout to all of the contributors! 🥰

    I’m so honored to have such a brilliant constellation of mothers involved in this project. There are over 55 mothers involved from the writers and cover artists to our editor.

    Ways to Support drawing of a white rabbit hopping into flowers

    We need your help to bring this project to life!

    Here are the best ways to lend your support: preorder, donate a copy, or share!

    buy or donate a book

    Brownie points for interacting with posts on social media. Every comment, heart, emoji, or save helps signal to the algorithm that this is worth reaching more people. If you don’t have capacity to write a thoughtful comment I welcome a string of celebratory emojis! 🥳🌿🥰💫

    I’m really excited to bring this to life! If you’d like to chat with one of the mother artists on your podcast, Instagram Live, or blog please reach out. I’d love for this project to reach as many mamas as possible.

    Cheers,

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S

    P.S. If you haven’t watched the crowdfunding video yet do it now! It took 7 hours to edit and was a hyperfocus delight. There are dozens of short clips of everyday life woven together with a peek at our newest proof.

    Screencap of video editor for Entwined crowdfunding video

    1 Are you interested in a creative parent reading list? I have all the titles saved here.

    2 Shoutout to my fellow hyperfocus buds Alexander Hamilton and Lin Manuel Miranda. (Also, why do GIFS only move half the time Substack?!)

    Gif of Alexander Hamilton in musical singing "I pick up a pen, and I write my own deliverance." while cast members dance around him.

    52 Likes∙

    12 Restacks

    Read more: The Five Year Origin Story of Entwined 🌿

  • How I Survived My First Author Event

    Last week I attended NWA Book Fest… my first appearance as an author. Indeed my first gathering of any kind since COVID times. I wanted to take some time to share about that experience.

    I’m attempting a bit of writing today while Davy “types” on his new keyboard and iPad app.

    I was so busy the week before I didn’t have any time to be nervous. I practiced my reading a time or two, installed the Square Up app to take credit card payments, and put my books in a box.

    There was a little bit of scheduling confusion and the event was running early so I was rushed right onto stage within minutes of showing up.

    (Not ideal for an autistic. I’m not gonna lie.)

    I also expected to be introduced and had only prepared for a reading. Somehow I managed to introduce myself and my book without rehearsal. I think its down to how often I have talked about my book online. Maybe it does get easier with practice. I wouldn’t say I’m captivating, but I did it.

    Right after my reading I had a group of blogger friends show up to hear me. They just missed me because of the schedule kerfuffle, but we took a photo anyway.

    Five women and a nonbinary author standing against a white brick wall smiling. It's chilly weather so we are all in various sweaters and jean jackets. Three are wearing sunglasses. I am holding my book.

    Then I did a short signing and sold 4 books. 🥳

    (Shout out to my friend Lori Lynn who served as my “emotional support extrovert” and helped me make small talk at my signing table.)

    It was really nice to see people respond to my book in real time. One woman immediately connected my book to The Artist’s Way which completely made my day. So thankful to everyone who dropped by to take a look.

    Some lessons I learned and will be adding to my self publishing course:

    • Print a QR code to purchase the ebook. (My hardcover is a deluxe edition and more people might have purchased the digital bundle at a lower price point.)
    • Print my Venmo code. (Spelling it out did not seem to work.)
    • Have something to hold business cards / stickers so they don’t blow away.
    • Probably bring a book holder as well. The books kept tumbling off the table and one or two may be damaged.

    Here is actual footage of me after the event. 😂

    (That’s Odo from Star Trek Deep Space Nine.)

    It took a lot out of me.

    I realized that this simple brief appearance pushed me to the edge of my capacity and I definitely should NOT sign up for longer events any time soon. (After two hours I felt the way I normally do after a whole convention. )

    I believe this is due to…

    • More sensory overload on a daily basis from parenting.
    • Diminished social capacity due to socializing with my toddler 24/7. (I’m just going to call him toddler till he turns 4, ok?)
    • Not going to any events for 3-4 years during early motherhood / COVID times. I am both out of practice at masking and have no desire to return to that level of social performance.

    Not only am I “re-entering” the world after COVID lockdowns, but I’m also learning how I want to show up as an autistic human. What does it mean to attend events without pressuring myself to mask (performing excitement, facial expressions, small talk, etc.)?

    Even so I was pretty wiped out afterwards. Here is how I reset the next day:

    • Time alone in the studio. I laid on the daybed and watched Netflix for an hour and then made a collage.
    • Time with Davy in the backyard.
    • A long walk with a podcast.
    • Reading in the bath.
    • Playing Cozy Grove with Davy. (More on that below.)

    I’m still pretty tired, but I feel more or less human again. If I hadn’t been able to take that time I would have stayed in a perpetually burned out / shut down kind of state.

    I still struggle with taking time for myself as a parent, but when I do I am reminded of how powerful and restorative it can be.

    Of shoes & ships & sealing wax

    Other bits & bobs to recommend this week.

    Play

    First off, I have rediscovered Cozy Grove. I played this a couple of years ago on my phone, but we just purchased it for the Nintendo Switch and I have been playing with Davy.

    It’s a really cute and relaxing game.

    You’re a scout marooned on an island haunted by (cute) bear ghosts. You run around the island finding things for them and helping them restore their memories. You can also fish and bake and craft and garden. The music and artistic style sets such an atmosphere. Have a peek.

    I’ve heard it’s kind of like Animal Crossing, but in my opinion is cuter and more fun. (I tried Animal Crossing after finishing this game the first time and didn’t connect with it.) If you’re a casual gamer and just looking for a way to relax would really recommend Cozy Grove. 🥰

    Read

    The blog post of the week for me was How to Be a Good Assistant to Yourself by Austin Kleon.

    Muse

    This post by @worry__lines on Instagram is really good food for thought.

    TOO Many Tabs

    I’ve invented this section as inspiration to browse and close the tabs I keep open on Safari. I am always dangerously close to the 500 tab limit. Hopefully these creative breadcrumbs offer some inspiration.

    Illustration

    I absolutely love this 1970’s edition of The Sword in the Stone illustrated by Alan Lee. Merlin’s cottage has always been evocative for me and this is just how I’ve imagined it.

    Vintage paperback cover of Sword in the Stone by T.H. White with art by Alan Lee. Merlin is instructing Arthur who sits at his feet. They are in Merlin's cottage which is filled with ephemera of wizardry including an armillary sphere, an owl, a skull, and a crocodile hanging from the ceiling. The whole cottage is crammed full of objects.

    I made this discovery while looking for images of my teacher muses for home educating. A few weeks later I bought a copy from ABE Books so I really don’t need this tab open anymore.

    Word Nerd

    Etaoin shrdlu was used as a “red flag by typesetters to show an error in text, but sometimes it was overlooked and made it into print.” It is the approximate order of frequency of the 12 most commonly used letters in the English language.” via The Dusty Wheel

    —

    Wait, this is real?

    This tab was open because I saw this butterfly on Instagram and didn’t believe it was real. Fact check!

    It is indeed an orange oak leaf. Perfectly camouflaged on the outside with brilliant colorful wings when open.

    Well that was effective! Maybe I’ll do this again. What do you think?

    Thanks for reading!

    I’d love to hear what you connected with and have a chat in comments.

    Cheers,

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S
    Read more: How I Survived My First Author Event

  • 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 (Archive)

    This archived course is no longer updated and some sections may be out of date.

    Please do your own research – especially regarding crowdfunding platforms. They have changed dramatically since writing this course. Indiegogo no longer allows for flexible funding for example. Other platforms change as well and I have moved on to other projects.

    I’m leaving up these posts as an archive documenting my self publishing process for my first book. Browse my blog for more up to date posts about self publishing.

    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)
    https://sarahshotts.com/1986/11/instagram-timeline
    Read more: Self Publishing 101 (Archive)

  • How it Feels to Me

    How it Feels to Me is a picture book about neurodiversity for all ages. 

    This book explores the science behind how we each experience the world. Readers will learn about differences in sensory experiences and better understand themselves and others. This book is written and illustrated by two autistic creators making the book they wish they’d had growing up.

    Concept art for how it feels to me
    PREORDER OR DONATE A BOOK

    Learn more…

    This self published book is fully funded and in the proofing stage. If you’d like to know more about the inspiration behind this project you can watch our crowdfunding video here.

    Support the project by preordering a limited edition hardcover.

    Or choose to donate a copy to a school, library, or a neurodivergent family in financial hardship.

    PREORDER OR DONATE A COPY

    Meet Sarah & Gracie

    I am wearing overalls singing books. I'm sitting under a maple tree next to a pile of books on a quilt.

    Sarah Shotts (author) is an autistic interdisciplinary artist and author of Discover Your Creative Ecosystem. Their writing has also been published in Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture. Sarah earned a Masters degree in Applied Drama from Goldsmiths University of London and a bachelors in Fine and Performing Arts at Mississippi University for Women (MUW.)

    Gracie has short dark hair and glasses and is wearing a bandana and holding a paintbrush.

    Gracie Klumpp (illustrator) Gracie is an autistic illustrator and writer who lives in an old Airstream, and never runs out of stories. She’s not always the best at talking about them—but that’s why she’s always creating them. Gracie studied Digital Media Arts: Animation at Huntington University, and has used her animation chops to inform her illustration work since graduating. Gracie makes storytelling magic in all sorts of mediums, and doesn’t really mind which she uses so long as it serves the story best.

    Related Posts

    What is autism?
    Our first picture book proof!
    Read more: How it Feels to Me

  • 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)