Here is my behind-the-scenes story and process behind my self-published book, "The Panda is Fat and Other Panda Haikus" which I wrote and illustrated. I wanted to share some behind-the-scenes information on how I created a self-published book based on my own original IP.

The book was inspired one day when I noticed on Twitter that it was Haiku Poetry Day. For some reason, I decided to think of a haiku and illustrate it with my character, the Punching Panda, a fat lazy panda who wears boxing gloves. Below is the first haiku that I posted which I made in Photoshop with a Wacom Cintiq.

I posted the image on social media and received a good response from my followers. I thought of another haiku and made another illustration. I found myself thinking of more haikus and illustrations in my spare time and started documenting them in Evernote. The haikus became an interesting theme that I could express some creativity and storytelling. One thing that helped me to write the haikus was to imagine myself reading a bunch of fortune cookies written by a wise old man who happened to be lazy. To be honest, it is much easier for me to illustrate than it is to write, so more time was spent writing than creating the artwork.

Eventually the thought entered my head about putting these haikus together in a book. Up until that point, I had made a couple of sketchbooks and zines that I would sell at comic conventions, but I had never made an official book that would be found in a bookstore. I decided to use these haikus as a way to learn about self-publishing.

One of the things that helped me develop the final look of the book was to research other books that were similar to tone and style. After looking at several comps, I found that my book felt more like a coffee table book, so it needed to be a book that anyone could pick up casually and read a few pages without needing to know the entire narrative of the book. I researched the other elements found in a book that most people would not pay attention to like the page layout, the publication info, the ISBN, the barcode, etc. I noticed that having these elements really helped give the book a more professional look that would be more attractive to bookstores and retailers. I also separated the haikus from the illustrations to help give the book a better sense of spacing visually.

In addition to creating the book, I also needed to self-distribute it. I debuted the book at Emerald City Comicon in Seattle in March of 2018, and at a few other comic shows later that year. I also approached several local bookstores and gift shops and was able to have them carry some of my books. For those interested in self-publishing, it is important to be on the look out for retailers and store owners who can be potential partners in helping sell your book. Eventually, I was able to list the book on Amazon through Ingram, a global print-on-demand service which helps me with not having to store a lot of inventory.

I learned a lot through publishing this book, not only from an art perspective but from a logistical one too. It helped me to develop a theme that I could be creative with and that I can envision into an end product. Most importantly, it gives me much joy and pride to see a product start from a simple concept to a spot on a bookstore shelf. Please feel free to comment if you have any questions. Thanks for reading!