The Origin of “Kuya Hugs”
Something I want you to know about me is that I am of mixed races - a “mutt,” “hapa,” “mestiza.” I am proud to have Filipino, Irish, English, and Indigenous blood running through my veins. Growing up, this identity confused, challenged, isolated me. But more than that, it enriched, uplifted, embraced, and enlightened me. I was strongly influenced the Filipino family I have shared my life with. All of my interactions with other Filipino family members, three trips to the Philippines, and pretty much most relationships I’ve had with other Filipinos have taught me about the Filipino heart & soul: Family, Food, Faith, Love, and Respect (arguably Music should be in there as well!). For Filipinos, respect is not earned. It is expected. That’s not such a bad thing. Think about it - if we all showed respect to other human beings and the earth, there wouldn’t be so much turmoil, war, or devastation! Many might agree that learning to show respect starts when you are a child. Filipinos totally get this. So much so, that they have an honorific for children to address their older siblings. Ate for older sisters and kuya for older brothers. The culture goes even farther to show respect through various other customs. If you’ve ever been to a Filipino gathering, you might have noticed that everyone seems to be a tita (auntie) or tito (uncle). Guess what? They likely are all not blood relatives, but the inclusive nature of Filipinos deems everyone who gathers, eats, and connects to be part of the family. And you don’t have to be Filipino to be an “auntie” or “uncle!” Well, I chose to make a picture book that features the word kuya because the meaning sheds light on more than just a literal translation - it is an insight into the heart of Filipino beginnings. Baby Carlos is the main character who, through his infant perspective, describes his experiences of being the youngest brother. Shortly into the book the reader will see that his kuyas mean the world to him. I think it is easy to take our siblings for granted sometimes, but I hope this book will show readers the innocent simplicity and importance of (in this case) brotherhood. “Kuya Hugs” ultimately is a children’s story about about respect, responsibility, and of course, love.
Read Before You Self-Publish
I was once a naive young writer who thought it would be a piece of cake to self-publish a children’s book. That was two months ago. I took one look at the Kindle Direct Publishing program on Amazon and thought, “wow, I can self-publish my book for free AND have access to a world-wide market? Yes!!!” Yeah, right, lady. I learned the hard way that nothing is as easy as it seems.
After hours of formatting, re-formatting, and formatting about ten more times after that, and uncovering layer after layer of items to add to my project to-do list, I admit that I huffed away from my computer at least five times, and declared, “I give up!” I’d go to my room, flop onto my bed and bury my face into my pillow until I couldn’t breathe anymore. A cool drink of water and a hug from my 3 year old were enough to set me back on track. I had to remind myself why I was choosing to put myself through this torture. Oh yes, it was because I have a dream of becoming an acclaimed children’s book author! Or…I’d settle for selling at least 100 books or so. Or maybe just 50. In any case, I had to remind myself of my vision, put my big girl panties on and go right back to that computer.
There are a lot of helpful blogs out there that provide valuable insight into various aspects of self-publishing. Formatting is just one hurdle. There is also marketing, social media, websites, distribution, printing, copyrighting, and much more. My suggestion for any brave soul that is thinking about self-publishing their own book would be to first write down your vision and a mission. Your vision is a short statement of what you want to accomplish. Your mission is 3-6 bullet points describing how you plan to achieve that vision. Take your time with developing this, and do it before you start anything else. This may seem silly, but any time I felt lost or ready to throw in the towel, I went back and read through my vision and mission. If I was going off track, I’d steer myself back in the right direction.
Here is my own personal vision & mission to share with you as an example:
VISION
To become a leading self-publisher of children’s books that inspire all readers to cherish the earth.
MISSION
Produce culturally relevant books that reach a global audience
Engage readers in conversations about the connection of storytelling, art, and nature
Connect with readers by sharing playful illustrations and relatable life stories
Instill in people the great sense of responsibility for the health of our planet
Have patience with yourself and do your research. Make lists. Keep organized. Learn new vocabulary - like trim, bleed, or DPI. Watch YouTube videos. Read articles and blogs from other self-publishers. Join a #WritingCommunity. But above all, reach for the stars! If you don’t make it to the stars, you’ll still land on the moon. You might have heard that a million times but it is the truth! And don’t forget to check back in with me in 6 months to see if I’m still sane (winky face!).
Here I Am
Here I am, fumbling through Squarespace at my first attempt to create a website for none other than….myself. I’ve never been a person who has been comfortable promoting oneself. Now after having been laid off (from a job that some days had me staring at the computer, wide-eyed, shaking my head, then returning home defeated by Bay Area traffic), I have made the (crazy?) choice to write and illustrate my own children’s books. And, if I am to get my stories out to the masses then I must learn to talk about myself a little more I guess. I am in love with storytelling and with drawing pictures to go along with it. Now, here I am, wrapping up my first blog with the hope that this website will bring me closer to sharing my stories with you.