Isaac Stewart was all ready to go. His book was just about to be published. His dream of releasing a children’s flap book was right around the corner. All he had to do was sit back and wait.
Something didn’t feel right, though. It wasn’t the deal he wanted. Sure, the idea of releasing a new book — a children’s book that wasn’t well sought after from publishers — excited him. But there was something about the deal he couldn’t shake. Something he just didn’t like.
So he left the publishing company days before publication. They cut the deal.
“We got to a point where we just said, ‘this isn’t working,” he said.
“We kind of left them at the altar in a way.”
Stewart — who has worked with Utah author Brandon Sanderson as his art director — saw another path to release his book, one he decided to take with his agent, Ben Grange.
And so they aimed to release the book to the world. And they’ve paved a way to release the book in the way they wanted. They bet on themselves, and it seems to have paid off.
The book — called “Monsters Don’t Wear Underpants” — is a lift-the-flap book about a monster who wonders what kind of monsters wear underpants. The monster is often reminded that monsters don’t wear underpants. There’s also a side plot — yes, a kid’s book with a side plot — about dragons and underpants, too.
The idea started with his daughter, who would often make monster noises around the house. Soon enough, the idea popped into Stewart’s head about what it would be like tell a story about a monster who doesn’t wear underpants.
So he began crafting the book. Stewart has had experience working in novels, since he’s been the art director for Sanderson, and has crafted middle school-aged books for children. He’s tossed several drafts into his desk drawers, knowing they were good enough for his own peace of mind, but not good enough for publication.
But this idea really struck a chord. It was more than a drawer book, he said.
So Grange and Stewart went to work, seeking out a publisher who would take on the project. They reached out to many publishers, but finding a true partner proved difficult. Publishers told the pair the book was too similar to other books in the works. And it’s not like there was a huge market for flap books like this one, either, Stewart said.
Eventually, they found a publisher, and all seemed to be working. But those problems popped up again. Stewart wasn’t specific about what problems he and his agent had, but it was enough to inspire them to leave the publisher and find another option.
A Kickstarter campaign became that option. The self-publishing route appealed to Stewart because he could be free to do whatever he wanted with his book. He could release it on his own terms and sell as many copies as he deemed necessary. Discussions over profit did not come up in my interview with him.
Releasing a book through a Kickstarter campaign was a daunting task.
“I didn’t know what to expect, though, going into this. I knew that I just needed to keep it simple,” said Stewart.
Simple included asking for enough money to sell 500 books. So they put the donation goal as $14,000. So far, they’ve had more than 600 backers and received more than $24,000 in donations. It only took 12 hours to reach the full funding goal.
Stewart and Grange hope the book will be shared with families who are in need of a good kid’s book during the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s as funny as the title suggests and especially perfect for parents who struggle daily to get their children to perform the simple act of putting on their underpants,” Grange said on the Kickstarter page.
For Stewart, the point was always to release a book — one for his children, one for his family and one that told a unique story — in his own way without any outside influence.
He wanted to make the world laugh, too. He told me that selling the book during the pandemic was especially important because it’s such a grim time, where few things get people to laugh and the world is full of seriousness.
A book about monsters and underpants? That’s bound to ignite a chuckle or two.
“I wish I could say there was some grand scheme to take over the world with an underpants book,” he said with a laugh. “There isn’t.”