In her self-published political memoir, The Total Nobody Who Ran for Office, Silky reflects on those critical moments in one’s life when they step outside of their comfort zone… even if it means nearly dying from embarrassment!
2018 was the year that a record breaking 528 women ran for congress. Many of these women won their seats, including Ilhan Omar and AOC. Silky was not one of them. She ran though! This book is her story.
Silky’s Book Done Timeline
🐣 Idea hatched: July 2019
✍️ Writing started: July 2019
🎨 Files ready for editing, design and layout: September 2020
✔️ Book done (released): October 2020
Silky’s Book Done Take-Aways
Here are my questions to Silky about self-publishing her memoir.
How did you come up with your book's title?
Weirdly enough, my title came to me as I was falling asleep one night. If I’m being honest, I came up with the title first, and that set the outline for how I wanted my book written.
Did you use a print-on-demand printer?
Yes, I used Ingram Spark (for hardcover) and Amazon (for softcover). Both were easy to use, and allowed me to ensure my book would be printed and shipped to customers in a timely manner.
Which part of your book project was the most fun or rewarding? Which was the most challenging?
I’ve never felt more excited than when I finished my first draft. It was a surreal moment and I let myself celebrate for a whole day! Then I got back to work and started the editing process, which proved to be more challenging than writing the book in the first place!
What was the biggest surprise during your book project?
Ensuring I made time to write every week was hard. Rewrites and editing are arduous and suck the fun out of writing. But if you do it right, you end up with the best version of your work possible, and that’s worth it!
Which partners did you have in producing your book?
Red Shift Writers were my editors, David Drummond designed my cover, and Julie Karen Hodgins designed and formatted my book’s interior. I would recommend each of these folks a million times over if I could! They made my dream of writing a book a reality, and helped ensure I put my best foot forward and produced my best work. I was thrilled to see how their creative talent kept my voice authentic, while ensuring their ideas were really capturing the essence of my book.
Silky’s Book Done marketing tips
Build a professional website to drive potential readers to! (Silky’s fun website is a great example: SilkyJMalik.com) 💻
2. Create a mailing list and email your subscribers with updates about your book! ✉️
3. Post on the social media platform your readers are most likely to use about your book (before, during and after the release!) I used Instagram.
4. Ask people who have purchased your book to write a review on Amazon.
5. Look for opportunities for interviews about your book within your network! 🎤
Silky’s Book Done technical details
Amazon KDP and other print-on-demand printers offer a limited number of paper types and book sizes. If you need an unusual size or paper, you may need to print with a traditional printer.
Quantity ordered: no minimum quantity (print on demand)
Page count: 174
Dimensions (page size): 5.25 x 8 inches
Binding: Paperback
Interior details
Ink colors: Black ink
Paper: White bond
Bleed: Yes
Cover details
Cover stock: 100# white paper with matte finish
Ink colors: Full color
Silky originally came to me after reading this article about how to make your book look longer than it really is! She partnered with me for interior design and layout and ebook conversion for her 33,000 word book, which ended up being 174 pages long.
How is your book project going?
I hope Silky’s tips are helpful on your journey to book done. ✔️ Find out if you are ready to work with a book designer or sign up to get more of these case studies in your inbox via my newsletter!