Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Meadows.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I fell in love with writing in college—mostly embarrassing poems and bad stage plays. After school, I moved to Los Angeles, became a bellman, assisted writers, covered scripts for producers, and wrote at night.
I stumbled into an idea for an animated screenplay and was entranced by the whimsical world of children’s storytelling.
Family pulled me back home to Atlanta, but I wasn’t done writing. With a stack of scripts that would have required millions of dollars to develop, I wanted a project I could complete on my own. Enter the picture book. A picture book is largely a visual medium—much like a film. It was a match made in heaven, and I didn’t have to wait for anybody’s greenlight.
I wrote my first picture book, Bob the Bed Hog, with a friend and illustrator, just to see if I could actually self-publish. From there, I started my own imprint, Pinky Toe Press. Since then, I’ve published four picture books for kids ages 3–7.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Writing is hard, but writing is the easy part.
I’ve spent so many hours learning the intricacies of self-publishing. Whether navigating the many requirements to design and upload pictures, files and pages, or spending hours with illustrators transferring a vision from inside my head onto the page, the self-publishing road is not for the faint of heart.
By far, the hardest part is getting my work out into the world and telling people about it. In a media landscape that allows anyone (myself included) to create, the abundance of publishing platforms makes it hard to stand out. I’m not a marketer, publicist, graphic designer, creative director, editor, or publisher by trade—but I’m learning. For better or worse, that seems to be what it takes to self-publish today.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I write in many genres and mediums, but I keep coming back to storytelling for children and families. I wish I could write Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, or The Big Lebowski, and maybe one day I will, but my strengths tend to lie in zany, heartfelt stories for kids.
Which work am I most proud of? Do I have to pick? It’s probably my latest book, Matzo Ball Party. Matzo Ball Party is a funny book about a little girl who goes to her grandparents house for dinner. The traditional family meal turns wacky once the matzo balls come out.
The book was inspired by my mom and Bubbie. I like to think about my mom as a young girl, laughing and cooking with my grandparents. Plus, remembering my Bubbie’s matzo ball soup makes me smile.
(Honorary mention to A Sock’s Tale and One Good Flap. Both books were floating around my head for many years and have a special place in my heart.)
What matters most to you? Why?
So many things matter to me, but at this point in life, I want to spend time with the people I love and tell great stories. I love to create. I love to write. I think storytelling makes us uniquely human and connects us as people. Stories, books, and movies can do so much. They can help us escape, they can teach us about the challenges we face, and they can make life just a little more joyful and meaningful, even when it’s hard.
Pricing:
- Hardcovers on Barnes & Noble, from $19.99-$21.99
- Softcovers on Amazon, from $9.99-$12.99
- Amazon Kindle options, from $5.99-$7.99
- On either platform, search Daniel Meadows for my author page
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pinkytoepress.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkytoepress/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Pinky-Toe-Press-61562057044008/
- Other: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Daniel%20Meadows%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall
