My 3-year old Book FINALLY Gets Released!

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

I have amazing news!!! After almost 3 years since I started working on this book entitled "Without Excuses: Big Gifts for Little Gamecocks", IT FINALLY GETS RELEASED!!! I never knew this day would come.

https://www.amazon.com/Without-Excuses-Gifts-Little-Gamecocks/dp/1684014050/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=without+excuses&qid=1595325174&sr=8-3

I completed the book in 2017 but the production was halted because the book's main character was the licensed mascot of University of South Carolina and the school didn't like my initial design despite the book being already completed. The project stayed in bureaucratic limbo for almost a year. In turn, they also withheld my payment for a year. I was patient with the publishing team tough. It wasn't entirely their fault but after that year, I felt it was time to ask for my dues. This was in 2018. They paid me. They were very apologetic. They knew they were also at fault so everything was fine. When the school finally came back to them, the school wanted the main character to be redrawn exactly like their mascot in order to get the go ahead. They asked me if I was available. Unfortunately, I was just very busy with school so I declined.

Fast forward a few more years. It seems like they found another artist to redraw the main character. I just found out yesterday that the book was already out. AND I'M SO HAPPY! I'm not confident this book will be a hit but I'm really relieved that it's out there in the world.

I'm really proud of this book. I did this when I was still starting out. I can see a few wonky elements here and there but considering how my only artistic training during this time was youtube, I'm very proud of it! I've attached a few spreads below (featuring my initial mascot design). I drew the outlines on a piece of paper using a brush pen since I found it almost impossible to ink using my small wacom intuos. Then, I painted it in my Photoshop using the program I got from school for free. I'll say it again. Given how green and ill-equipped I was, I'm very proud with how it turned out.

I hope you like them too. Thanks for stopping by everyone!

[carriecopadraws]

@Nyrryl-Cadiz Happy Book Birthday, and CONGRATS on your first published work! So cool to see SVS members blossoming out there.

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@carriecopadraws Thank you! It's not really my first book though. I think it's my 5th or 4th.

[carriecopadraws]

@Nyrryl-Cadiz Well, still must be exciting to have it finally released. 3 years seems like forever!

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@carriecopadraws DEfinitely! I can sleep soundly now.

[Johanna Kim]

What an ordeal! I'm so happy for you that's the book is finally going to be enjoyed by readers and of course, that you were compensated for your efforts. These images look fantastic.

Do you mind if I ask a question about your experience? Please only answer the following only if you're comfortable. Was the hold-up in payment also a result of a poorly written contract? Or did the publishers simply ignore the payment schedule, in which case, you could have sued them. But that would have been a huge hassle?

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@Johanna-Kim Well, it wasn't really much our fault but more on the University's. They gave us permission to use their mascot only to rebuke their initial statement when the book was already complete. To my knowledge the authors showed my sketches to the school and they gave us the go ahead. Our contract stated that I was to be paid once the illustrations were finished. Since the school did not give us the approval, the book was technically not finished and we had to wait for the university to tell us what they wanted changed. I thought they'd get back to us in a few weeks or so but it turned into a year. By the time they told us they wanted the mascot's designs to be revised to fit exactly with their current mascot, I was already very occupied with my last year in college that I had no time. I had to decline their request. I politely reasoned with the authors that since I've waited for more than a year, I think I deserved the payment. Luckily they obliged. They were actually really nice.

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@Johanna-Kim I think of the perks of this projects that the clients were actually really nice.

[Kevin Longueil]

@Nyrryl-Cadiz This is great!! Congratulations - Just ordered my copy

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@Kevin-Longueil Oh no! DON'T! As much as I say I'm proud of it, there are also parts I'm super embarassed! You don't need to really. I'm not getting any royalties either way.

[Kevin Longueil]

@Nyrryl-Cadiz alrighty then...cancelled... make sure to post your next book here so we can buy that one!

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@Kevin-Longueil well, the book I did with HarperCollins is out since last month. Here's the link.

https://www.harpercollins.ca/9780008379537/collins-big-cat-phonics-for-letters-and-sounds-tim-did-it-band-01apink-a/

here's a sneak peek

[jdubz]

Awesome! Congrats!

[Jeremy Ross]

Congratulations @Nyrryl-Cadiz! Great to see a project make it through the legal challenges!

[Jordi Ventura]

@Nyrryl-Cadiz Congratulations!! Looks beautiful ! You are hard worker !

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@jdubz @Jeremy-Ross @Jordi-Ventura Thsnks everyone.

[LauraA]

Wow! I'm so glad this finally came to a satisfactory end! As a former South Carolinian (and Southerner in general), I can only say that, yes, they take their football very seriously down there! The book is cute, though, with well designed kid characters, and I like your mascot, even though I know the original Gamecock is a darker red .

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@LauraA thanks! I'm glad you like it too. I'd have to agree my mascot design is really off from the original. I was hoping to give it my own spin.

[Heather Boyd]

@Nyrryl-Cadiz Congratulations!!!!

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@Heather-Boyd thanks