My Debut Book is in the Wild.
My first publication week...ever.
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It’s here. It’s here. It’s finally here! My book is out in the wild. Online, in certain Barnes and Noble locations, local booksellers, etc. it is OUT there.
I swear I have been pushing this book on preorder for longer than my beloved elephants are pregnant. It has been a grind but I have made it. We have made it. And the first of thousands upon thousands of copies of A Day with No Words have hit the the planes, trains, and automobiles on the way to their new homes.
I am exhausted and excited. This has been a long time in the making and I want to sit back and enjoy the ride. And I also want to keep spreading the word about this book that has already made its way into the hands and hearts of so many.
This is a picture book with 48 pages and less than 600 words. And if you know me and have been following my work, one post of mine can surpass 600 words. This was the hardest thing I have ever written because I wanted to incorporate so many things within this story.
I wanted to share unencumbered Black joy. I wanted our joy to be shared that wasn’t an act of resistance, that didn’t serve in opposition to pain. I wanted to share that we can know joy and peace without it serving as this message for someone else.
I wanted to show that Black people exist within this diagnosis. And belong in Children’s Books, period. Regardless of neurotype. Did you know that there are still more depictions of animals in picture books than there are People of the Global Majority (PoGM)? There was a time prior to signing my current contract that I was told that there was no market for my book, and then told by someone else that while they could see the appeal in my story, it would be better told with animals.
Animals?! On a story based upon the lives of myself and my son? Nah.
I wanted to highlight the bond I share with my child. This isn’t just his story. It isn’t just mine. It is ours. For our lives are entangled within one another’s. Separate…and together. Oftentimes, what I experience, he does as well. And what he experiences, I do as well. It was important to me to show how these days play out for both of us. And every single thing that went on in this book, happened in real life. This should have been easy to write, but it wasn’t. It was important to me that I get it right. And it was important to me that he would love it.
I wanted to normalize communication outside of speech. I wanted to convey that my child is just as worthy as other children and his worth shouldn’t be tied in with his ability to produce mouth words. He has so much to communicate. So much to offer this world. And I wanted to tell everyone that he is such a beautiful human deserving of dignity and respect.
There was so much I wanted to accomplish with this book. I want children like mine to not know the pain mine felt when the other children noticed they were different. I want other parents to not know the feelings I felt because my children were cast aside. I hope that this book can help so many families not go through what we did.
Stories are our greatest teachers. I truly believe that. I connect with others through storytelling. I draw them in, I tell them of our needs, and I give them the tools and knowledge necessary to act. It was important that this book be an extension of what I do with Fidgets and Fries. I focused on my son and our bond because I see how Nonspeakers in this world are treated. And their families. I wanted to let them know that they were not alone. They did not have to hide in their homes. They deserve to know this world. And I wanted to show children that those like Aidan aren’t someone to be feared or pushed aside. They are beautiful humans with so much love and light within them. This might be their first introduction to disability, I wanted to do it in the opposite way of what I read in many books on disability that can honestly scare young children in that it talks about disability in such an academic and medical way.
This book has taken off in ways that I would have never imagined. And I have done things I don’t ever think I would have done had this book not been this important for my family. I have done press. Both print and video. Oh, and NPR, which is my most favorite piece of media so far. I don’t think I would have done this a couple of years ago. I told myself the message in this book is important and I put myself out there in ways I didn’t think I was capable of. Proved myself wrong. Grew in ways I didn’t think I could.
Launch Day
This was one hell of a day. I was nervous the whole time. I didn’t know how I was gonna make it through. I had my family with me, and my Manager, Anna. We went to the Blanton Art Museum. They had just remodeled and it was a soft opening. It was a beautiful place to be. At the heart of downtown and an incredible view of the state Capitol outside its doors. We were to have lunch outside in their garden area but it rained on us and we settled on P. Terry’s (vintage burger stand) and donuts and strawberries while at the museum.
As it inched closer and closer until time for my event, I grew more nervous. I was damn near shaking by the time it was 10 til 6pm. I spent about 30 minutes in the restroom cursing myself for wearing a damn leotard. No matter how good I felt I looked, I was uncomfortable as hell. Screw it unbuckle the leo and just tuck it in my pants.
It worked.
At the actual start of the event I walked to the space where I was supposed to sit. And there were only a few people in there. My family and a few others. I closed my eyes as I sat down and the place filled up. Like, where did these people come from?
One of the staff members at Book People read off an introduction that I was not expecting them to do and I became even more nervous. By the time it was my turn to talk I thought I was going to fall over.
But I didn’t.
I opted to read my book in full. That would kill some time. And it did. But not enough. So, I decided to read the author note, as I felt it would burn more time and inspire some questions afterwards.
And it did. I spent about 20 minutes answering questions and another 20 signing books.
It was an incredible experience that I need to recover from. And I would do it again.
Y’all my book is officially in the wild!
The reception has been INCREDIBLE! The reviews, the photos you all send us. The love that y’all have not only for my family but this story and what it stands for. My heart is full. And smiling.
Thousands upon thousands of you have ordered. Many are running into backorders. And soon, many more of you will as well. Should you wish to place an order, you better do so as soon as possible. Or you might be waiting some time before a new print arrives.
Oh, try Walmart and Target online if you are experiencing delays with Amazon, as several have reported that they are.
The importance of reviews.
We authors need reviews to get better placement on searches and to have the algorithm to work for us and not against us. Check out the post below to learn more. And when you’re done, give me a review. Please. Pretty please. And you do not have to have ordered from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. to leave a review.
Book Tour!
Yooooo! I am incredibly excited about going to tour to talk more about this book and my advocacy. This is a self-funded tour so some events might be ticketed. I will let y’all know. I will share more information on the specific dates and locations soon for paid subscribers! Ticketed events I will provide first access to paid subscribers as well. Stay tuned for tour dates. I am starting out west in August. But prior to that I will be doing an event with Peoria Public Library in mid June.
I would not be where I am today if not for the community I have. I am blessed beyond measure. And left quite speechless.
Thank you all. To order a copy of A Day with No Words:
Your book is in Buxton Derbyshire England 💕🎉🎉🎉🎉
Very happy for you, Tiffany. Enjoy your success! You worked hard for it.