Mother’s Thoughts for the Day AND More Mother’s Thoughts for the Day
Twenty-Five Years of Wisdom by M.C. Sungaila
To get to the point of publication, I had to get over quite a few mental blocks, and learn some new things. I figure other authors may be having the same experience. This is my effort to demystify the process, and to encourage others to follow their instincts and share their ideas with the world.
Get outside your comfort zone. Step one is to become comfortable with the uncomfortable. To grow, you need to take chances and explore the outer boundaries of what you are capable of. Never published a book before? So what. Every author had to start somewhere.
Trust your gut. I kept most of the daily notes my Mother had mailed to my office over the past 25 years on stationery created precisely for this purpose- “Mother’s Thought for the Day,” it said across the top. I also saved many of her text messages which contained similar daily advice. One day I started compiling a running list of my favorites in the notes section of my phone. I realized I had enough for a book. I had a gut feeling that this book could help other women and girls. My Mother is very good at knowing exactly what to say at the right time, and using this talent to uplift and encourage others. Perhaps her words would be just the thing other women needed to hear too.
Be creative. Think outside the box when determining what kind of book to write. Creativity often consists of combining things in new ways, rather than inventing something entirely new. I wanted the reader’s experience to be similar to the experience I had when I originally received the advice: bite-size morsels of encouragement that could be randomly flipped to each day, or read all the way through if the reader wished to. I wanted the book to be vibrant and attention-grabbing in its design, the kind you can leave on your desk or coffee table. I read a lot, and enjoy books of quotations and inspiring gift books- these forms, I thought, could be applied well here. This led me to a brand new genre: a gift book full of wisdom, parental advice, and meaningful quotes.
Amplify others. The books came into being because I had a gut feeling they would serve others, and help them achieve their best. The books amplify my Mother, whose wisdom will now help countless others beyond me. The books amplify the contributions of readers, who will more fully share their gifts with the world, in part because of my Mother’s encouragement. (I have been happy to learn that both mothers and fathers share the first book with their children, and female executives keep the books at their desks to inspire themselves throughout the day as well.) And the books amplify charities. A portion of the net proceeds of the first book supported Sir Bruno Serato’s Caterina’s Club, which feeds motel kids, houses them, and trains them for careers in the restaurant industry, and the community and youth programs of Pacific Symphony.
Do your research. Once you have decided to move forward, you will need to decide how to publish. There are many options these days- from traditional publishing to self-publishing. Because I wanted to maintain all rights to the content of the book, I wanted to maintain more control. But because design elements were integral to the book – and I am no designer- I knew I needed help. I searched Amazon for book covers and designs that resonated with me and tracked down the excellent Girl Friday Productions to assist with book production. And the rest is history.
Title: More Mother’s Thoughts for the Day
Author: M.C. Sungaila
About the Author
M.C. Sungaila lives and works in Orange County, California, where she grew up. Her mother does too.
M.C. is an accomplished appellate lawyer, honored for her sustained commitment to community service and pro bono work. In 2017, she was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for her combined professional achievements and humanitarian and pro bono work. This is her first non-legal book.
