Father and daughter team up to create children’s book

by Michelle Watson

Willy Green has had a lot of practice telling stories.  His children and grandchildren have mainly been the benefactors of his storytelling skills, but now, thanks to some help from his daughter, Amy Palmer, everyone can experience Willy’s imagination.

The father-daughter duo have combined their talents to publish one of Willy’s stories called, “Frosty Saves The Day.”  Willy supplied the story and Amy the illustrations.  The story is about young Willy and his constant companion, Frosty, an adorable white cocker spaniel, who saves the day in the fictional town of Wilmerville.

“At some time or another, my three kids and all of my grandkids have been entertained, and sometimes bored, by Grandpa’s bedtime stories,” said Willy, who now lives in Mason City.  “They would sometimes ask, ‘Grandpa, did that really happen?’ For this book I chose a story that was the closest to actual events that occurred in my youth.”

The process has been a long one, but one that neither father nor daughter would trade.

“This project ranks right up there as one of my favorite things I’ve ever done,” said Amy.  “Dad was so easy-going about it all and he gave me a lot of freedom and support.  It was, and will continue to be, a great bonding experience that I cherish.”

“Anyone that knows my daughter, Amy, knows she is a go-getter.  Not only did she do a great job illustrating the book, but she also did all the legwork to get it published and ready for sale to the public,” said Willy.  “Even though I’m her dad, the extent of her God-given talents never cease to amaze me.”

The process began with Amy drawing a storyboard laying out the pages with rough drawings and ideas.  She then downloaded a drawing application on her iPad to use for the illustrations.  She designed the first book just for family on mixbook.com and had it printed.

“There was a learning curve, but I was excited to complete it by my Dad’s birthday in October.  Once we saw it in print, we decided to get some honest feedback from family and friends as

[wlm_nonmember]To read more of this article, please login or sign up for our E-Edition[/wlm_nonmember]

[wlm_ismember]

to whether we should attempt self-publishing,” said Amy.

The pair took the feedback, made some changes, and Amy began to research where to self publish.  In talking with local author Rachel Smith, she learned about the possibility of self-publishing on CreateSpace, a division of Amazon, which does not charge for the print-on-demand service.

Amy, who works at the Clear Lake Mirror-Reporter, had previously worked on development of the Mirror-Reporter’s new history book, “Remember When - Around the Lake.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to attempt the book, if I hadn’t already had my experience with the history book.  I was also very thankful for my fellow Mirror-Reporter staff for their patience with all my technical questions as I created the book using the same software we use in publishing the newspaper.”

Amy said she thought the hard part would be publishing the book, but now she thinks marketing the book may be the biggest challenge, because she still has so much to learn.

“It can be difficult and humbling to promote something you’ve created because it feels so personal,” said Amy.

“Frosty Saves the Day” is available in Clear Lake at the Mirror-Reporter office and at the Clear Lake Arts Center.  In Mason City, the book can be found in the Mercy Hospital Gift Shop.  The book is also available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites.  Book signings will also be planned in the future.

[/wlm_ismember]