Going Public

A well-respected author friend and I were texting about the nitty-gritty of marketing a new book. Bewildered by some of the details, I lamented, “I just want to write!”

Not true.

When I gave birth to our daughters, it wasn’t just that part that made me proud. I wanted to dress them up and show them off-the proud mama that I was. (And still am, though the showing off has long since ceased).

While children and books are not the same thing, there is the same pink bubble of creation, followed by a lot of hard work.

With my first book, Mabel and Her Bright, Noisy, Prickly, Dizzy Migraine, already available for preorder (go to www.alicewmeadows.com for the links), I am discovering firsthand what goes into launching a book-and how much publishing has changed in my lifetime.

In the “old days” of the 1970s, authors submitted unsolicited manuscripts directly to traditional publishers. Anyone with an inkling to write had a copy of Writer’s Market on their desk. Including me. Manuscripts were typed on paper, photocopied, and mailed with a SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope). Months later, nearly all of us received rejection letters.

If you were one of the lucky ones, you handed your manuscript-and all rights to it-to the publisher. In exchange for an advance and future royalties, your manuscript magically became a book. The publisher handled editing, design, printing, distribution, publicity, and sales.

By the 1990s, literary agents had become the primary gatekeepers. Today, manuscripts are created digitally and submitted by email. Although communication is much faster, review timelines have changed little. The publishing landscape has consolidated into the “Big Five”: Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan Publishers, Hachette Book Group, and Simon & Schuster. Ebooks and print-on-demand technology opened the door to self-publishing.

Independent authors wanted another option. Hybrid publishing emerged to offer creative freedom with professional support.

I found the best of both worlds in working with a hybrid publisher. Unlike traditional publishing, I contribute financially to production, layout, and design. Unlike self-publishing, my publisher provides editing, cover and interior design, production, and distribution services. We share marketing responsibilities, although I shoulder the larger share. Royalty payments are not as high as if I self-published, but higher than traditional publishing. Best of all, I retain all rights to my work.

I never intended to write a children’s book.

The idea came out of nine months of migraine advocacy training with Miles for Migraine, completed in 2025. At the end of the program, each participant presented an actionable project. Some planned community 5K fundraisers. Others committed to advocacy events such as Headache on the Hill. I realized, based on my own experience, that children were an underrepresented patient population.

I wrote Mabel for them.

I wanted to represent the most troublesome migraine symptoms visually, giving young children another way to describe sensations they often cannot explain. Creating the characters came naturally because I still live with migraine attacks myself. Working with my illustrator, K.M. Stenny to bring each symptom to life, we went back and forth until her graphics matched what I had imagined.

Mabel is the young elephant who encounters these symptoms while hiking with her parents. I chose elephants because of their close family bonds. Through them, I could show the importance of family support, rest, and hydration. Most importantly, Mabel doesn’t have to give up something she loves. She can still go hiking.

I loved writing the book and creating the characters.

Little did I know how much work lay ahead to actually get my book out into the world.

There are always tradeoffs. For writers, the fundamental one is between writing something new and promoting what you’ve already written. For me, the promotion started from ground zero. With little social media presence and no website, I have been building everything brick by brick.

Content creation snowballs. You need to write blogs connected to the book you’re promoting. You pitch podcasts and assemble a media kit. You build an email list before you even have a product to sell. Then come endorsements and reviews based on an Advanced Reader Copy that looks like the finished book but isn’t yet in production. You’re asking people to believe in something they can’t yet hold in their hands.

I have learned so much.

I understand the book production process better. I understand my migraine disease better. I have become more aware of the wider world of migraine research and advocacy, where so many people are working to improve life for those living with this invisible illness.

And I am delighted to have discovered a little elephant to help children and families better understand, describe, and talk about migraine.

Love,

Alice