It was “just” a college class at Centralia College. It was “just” an extra credit assignment. But it led to CheraDee L. Bacon becoming a self-published author.
So how did that happen? Bacon says, “I was taking a language and communication class. We had to read a ton of books and do book reviews. There was an opportunity to do an extra credit assignment. There were really no criteria though. We really had the freedom to do what we wanted.”
Bacon says her first idea was pretty basic. “We were challenged to come up with our own ideas. My first idea was to simply take pictures out of magazines and use them in a photo album and do a peek-a-boo thing. But what I wanted to use wasn’t very child friendly; it had things that could come off and create a choking hazard.”
“I knew I couldn’t use any Internet characters or drawings because of copyright laws. So I went on YouTube and looked up how you would illustrate book. A lot of people had Bamboo pads, but I couldn’t afford those. I looked for alternatives and found this little machine that I could just plug into the computer. It has a wand and a canvas. I found it used for $10.00. That’s how I came up with my own illustrations.”
But the project changed over time. Bacon had specific criteria she wanted for her book. “The book is repetitive. It’s important for children to see letters, recognize them and be confident that they know what they are. It’s meant to be shared with someone who can read it and teach children. I wanted it to show upper and lower case letters so that children can learn both.”
“At some point, I came up with the idea of it being in English and Spanish.” However, Bacon doesn’t speak Spanish so she had to use Google Translate. “That really took a lot of time and made it the most complicated part,” she laughs.
The book originally had 100 pages, so Bacon cut it down to 80 pages because most print-on-demand publishing companies charge by the page. Finding the publisher was an interesting process as well. Even though she chose to self-publish, finding a good company to produce physical copies of a book can take a lot of research. She searched online, then pitched the book. The book took three years for Bacon to complete, since she was going to college full time. She graduated in December 2016 with an Associate of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education. Right before graduation, a publisher called XLibris responded and said they were ready to publish.
“Oh, no, it’s not ready!” laughs Bacon. So the company asked how soon she could be ready. “I had one month. I did it with five days to spare.”
Working with the publishing company was a back-and-forth process. Bacon’s husband, Bob, said she learned a lot about editing. “CheraDee and the company would send it back and forth for changes,” he smiles.
Bacon said she was struggling with the order of things. Finally the company sent her a hard copy to work with. She took it back to her instructor for help. “My instructor gave me a binder and sheet protectors, so that I could move things around until I was happy with it.”
Bacon says the process helped her learn a lot of new skills, like math for discounts and taxes, and working with digital images on the computer. “It’s the first time I’ve sat down and focused on something from start to finish,” she laughs. She also learned more about herself. “I didn’t know that I could draw – that was a complete surprise,” she smiles.
Bacon is grateful for the encouragement she had along the way. “My instructor and others said I should publish it. Everyone was so supportive. No one ever said it was taking too long, or that I should change this or that. I never had one person discourage me.”
Will she do another one? “Yes, maybe shapes, maybe colors.” What will she do differently? “I’ll look for another company that charges less,” she laughs.
“They are great to work with though,” interjects Bob. “They print on demand and we can usually get them in less than two weeks.”
“But for my first book it was a good experience to have someone else put it together for me. Now that I know how it’s done, I can do it myself,” Bacon confidently says.
The hardest part for Bacon now is the self-promotion. “My publishing agent wanted a book signing. You have to do all your own promoting, but I’m an introvert who doesn’t like the spotlight. It’s hard for me to promote myself. I don’t intend on becoming famous and making a lot of money. Becoming a published author was more of a personal goal.”
When asked how it has changed her or her life, she is thoughtful. “I think it opens a few more doors for what I’m able to do.”
Bacon’s book is titled “PEEK-A-BOO” and is available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback.
