Ever questioned what it takes to self-publish a youngsters’s ebook? Effectively, Ladies that Scuba founder, Sarah, did precisely that to launch her new ebook, My Mum’s a Scuba Diver.
Right here’s the complete story in Sarah’s phrases – from the preliminary concept, the highs and the lows, all the best way to publication!
The Thought
I bear in mind precisely the place I used to be once I had the concept for this youngsters ebook. It was late 2021. I used to be in a taxi in Istanbul, having had an unimaginable few months of travelling with Ladies that Scuba on journeys and analysis. This was following a earlier robust patch, with that C phrase almost closing down the group journey facet of Ladies that Scuba.
Regardless of not having my very own youngster but (quick ahead to right this moment – I’ve a 2 yr previous son), I had virtually a maternal feeling of desirous to move on the empowerment I felt being a feminine scuba diver on to the subsequent technology. I needed youngsters to see their Mums, or different feminine figures, doing what we do.
I assume I additionally actually needed to discover a option to introduce Ladies that Scuba to a brand new technology, and a ebook felt like a really natural manner to try this.
With no concept how you can publish or create a ebook, I did what all of us do. I went down a search engine rabbit gap, which led me to pitching to publishers.
The Pitch
My first pitch went just a little one thing like this:
“In Ladies that Scuba’s current being pregnant survey, 51.4% of feminine divers mentioned childcare was the rationale they couldn’t get again to diving after having youngsters, and lately, new statistics of the ratio of male to feminine divers have taken a drop with a ratio of 35% girls to 65% males.
What’s extra, of most divers we all know, if it was their dad and mom who inspired or helped them to dive, it was their Dad who did that.
At GTS we really feel that the strain of childcare and elevating youngsters means feminine divers take a again seat. For us, exhibiting scuba diver Mums is tremendous necessary. That begins from delivery, having optimistic position fashions to look as much as.
My new youngsters ebook concept, ‘My Mum’s a Scuba Diver’, could be a visible ebook with a brief poem-story highlighting the amazement a child sees watching their mum go scuba diving.”
I acquired one reply.
It was optimistic, however with suggestions that it’s seemingly not going to be successful.
Nonetheless, I didn’t ever want it to be “successful”. It was extra about making a optimistic picture of a Mum following her ardour as her child watched on. Even so, I can’t deny that it knocked my confidence. I truly gave up on the concept altogether for almost 2 years.
However this yr – 2024 – I used to be impressed by my very own son, who beloved me studying books to him.
I made a decision to attempt once more, and take a unique route by self-publishing. This meant I didn’t have to get my concept permitted by brokers or publishers. I knew whereas I could not get the nationwide or international viewers they’d entry to, I did have already got entry to our audience, which is us – Ladies that Scuba.
The Course of
So now my web searches modified. I began on the lookout for an organization who might join me with designers and illustrators and assist me with the self-publishing route. At first, this appeared appreciated an absolute minefield.
It took some time to search out the correct illustrator. I actually needed a feminine scuba diver illustrator, however I couldn’t discover one (message me if that’s you!). Nonetheless, I used to be fortunate to finally discover Elisa Varetti. She loves the ocean, and you could possibly inform along with her illustrations.
When engaged on scuba-specific tasks, it’s all the time difficult working with professionals who aren’t scuba divers themselves. A number of edits are wanted to ensure drawings are correct, as a result of everyone knows what scuba divers are like! Nonetheless, because it’s a child’s ebook and never a ebook for knowledgeable divers, we discovered a pleasant center floor. I really like how the Mum character got here out.
The kid character additionally took some time to get to the ultimate one we see now. I needed them to haven’t any apparent gender. It wasn’t crucial for them to have a gender, simply that they had been a child trying as much as their mom. We did this by having a mid-length hair reduce and a shortie wetsuit.
From there it took round 3 months to work on the pages and put the phrases in. I truly acquired the primary draft by way of and didn’t join with the entrance cowl in any respect, so it was re-done. This put the challenge again by just a few weeks, however was SO price it!
The Final result
In October 2024 we had been formally able to go, with two variations of the identical ebook, ‘Mother’ and ‘Mum’. I knew this is able to be tremendous necessary for our worldwide group to actually join with the ebook. So right here we’re – over 2 years, set backs, investments, and curations, and my first ever youngsters ebook has been launched.
This ebook – which you’ll assume could be devoted to my very own youngster – is definitely devoted to you:
This ebook is devoted to the group of Ladies that Scuba.
Right here’s to sturdy girls: could we all know them, could we be them, could we elevate them.
Spot the Ladies that Scuba brand? As a nod to our GTS group there are 5 GTS logos subtly scattered across the ebook, can you discover them?
Need to know extra about ‘My Mum’s a Scuba Diver’?
Ladies that Scuba, the world’s largest scuba diving group for ladies, is thrilled to announce the discharge of a brand new youngsters’s ebook, My Mum’s a Scuba Diver/My Mother’s a Scuba Diver written by Founder Sarah Richard.
This vibrant and galvanizing image ebook is designed to captivate younger readers and introduce them to the ocean’s wonders whereas celebrating the position of sturdy, adventurous girls in marine exploration. My Mum’s a Scuba Diver is out there now by way of the Ladies that Scuba on-line retailer and through Amazon Worldwide with the spelling as ‘Mum’ or Mother’.
Written to empower youngsters and encourage curiosity, My Mum’s a Scuba Diver takes readers on an unforgettable underwater journey led by a fearless mom who dives into the ocean as a pastime.
The ebook invitations younger readers to discover the underwater world with participating illustrations, sparking an early curiosity in scuba diving and marine life.
The ebook is a part of Ladies that Scuba’s bigger mission to advertise variety and inclusion in scuba diving, aiming to introduce a brand new technology to underwater exploration. By books like My Mum’s a Scuba Diver, the group hopes to encourage younger youngsters to dream massive and see that they, too, can turn out to be stewards of the ocean.
My Mum’s a Scuba Diver is ideal for youngsters ages 0-8 and serves as a super reward for younger ocean lovers and future divers. The ebook is at present accessible for buy by way of the Ladies that Scuba on-line retailer (one of the simplest ways to help us!), in addition to Amazon.com
