It’s been a busy couple of months since presenting my children’s bookWho’s got a Normal Family? at the self-publishing marquee at Byron Writers Festival.

The festival opened many doors and I have been thrilled to see Who’s Got a Normal Family? appear in bookstores across the Northern Rivers. I have also been delighted to talk to other self-published authors and aspiring writers looking to travel the same non-traditional path to publication.

I have been asked about all facets of self-publishing and co-publishing and I have been very happy to share my experience bringing Who’s Got a Normal Family? to life.

Most of the questions repeat so I am pleased to announce a series of blog entries about my experience. During this series I will also present Q&A’s with other talented self-published authors from a range of genres.

I’m an open book, a terrible but honest pun. If I can give you the courage or that extra nugget of information to help you achieve your publishing dream, I’m happy.

To keep up-to-date with the series, you can follow me on twitter, instagram and facebook

Photo by Natalie Winter, Captain Honey.

Over the weekend the cover of Sydney Morning Herald's Spectrum caught my eye and it reminded me of a small piece I wrote on a now extinct blog. The Spectrum article in question was and it inspired me to go back and find my draft post to see if my feelings about emerging writers had changed. Turns out, it is as relevant as ever and I post it now for your contemplation.

The following words were first published in 2015 and I’m 199% sure I was supposed to be writing something else as the time…

Last week I was amongst a very appreciative audience listening to Matthew Weiner talk all things Mad Men. Were there any emerging writers in the house? Judging from the audiences’ questions, I would say a fair few.

I don’t think I’ve heard the question “What advice would you give emerging writers?” reconstructed so many times in my life. Ok. That may be a slight exaggeration but I get why emerging writers are so desperate to ask that question.

I am an emerging writer. I heard Alan Ball and George RR Martin talk at the Opera House, Vince Gilligan and Matthew Weiner at Sydney Town Hall and up until last week I was one of those people who would have asked the same question.

I’ve read The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters – Insider Secrets from Hollywood’s Top Writers by Karl Iglesias and wondered a) why is the title so long and b) why none of these habits worked for me.

What I have learnt is there is no secret formula and the only sure road to a writing career is to glue your butt into a chair and get writing. So hop to it fellow emerging writers, if you want to be a writer, write! Or to quote Matthew Weiner, “…if you can write, you can change your life.”

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Belinda Nowell is the author of the children’s book, Who’s Got a Normal Family? She still reads every self-help book about writing out of sheer procrastination.

I am so excited to announce that I’ve been selected to appear at the 2016 Byron Writers Festival running August 5 – 7 in Byron Bay, NSW. Alongside 28 other talented writers, I will present Who’s Got a Normal Family? in the festival’s self-published marquee. The purpose of the tent is to not only promote our books but also be available to share our publishing journey with other aspiring writers thinking about taking an alternative publishing route.

It is an amazing platform to introduce Who’s Got a Normal Family? to readers in the Northern Rivers region and I can’t wait to meet the other writers and compare notes, but I am particularly excited to meet people curious about the self-publishing process.

It took me five years to get Who’s Got a Normal Family? into the hands of families around Australia and I am so happy to answer any questions about my experience if it helps another writer achieve the dream of seeing their story in print.

I hope you’ll pardon the pun but I am an open book. If you’re at the festival on Saturday the 6th of August, pop by the self-publishing marquee from 12 – 2pm. I can’t wait to meet you.

Big thanks to Byron Writers Festivaland their partner in the self-published marquee, Captain Honey. I appreciate your support of our book and your recognition of self-published writers in the industry.

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Who’s Got a Normal Family? will be available to purchase from Belinda at the self-published marquee, Saturday 12 – 2pm, as well as The Mary Ryan festival Bookshop open all three days.

See the full self-publishing marquee program here

Six years ago I moved to Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Moving from a share house in Redfern, I was a little apprehensive. Everyone, it seemed, had a child and I quickly became the brooding writer of choice to mind prams outside cafés.

Fast-forward to the present and my northern beaches community is one of my biggest supporters so it was with great pleasure to officially launch Who’s Got a Normal Family?at the Harbord Literary Hall.

Sydney winter turned on the rain but our guests braved the weather and showered the book with love. I was humbled to receive such a positive reaction and appreciative that no one mentioned how much my hands shook as I read the book in my best Playschool voice.

After the reading I acknowledged some special people who helped along the way and I mention them again in this post because without them, there would be no Alex, and no search for a normal family.

Just like children, it takes a village to make a book and my co-publisher Little Steps has been a great support. I asked a lot of stupid questions and they answered most of them without laughing. Prior to Little Steps, my manuscript assessor, Virginia Lowe, was amazing and I am so appreciative.

As always I sing the praises of our illustrator Miša Alexander. She did an incredible job and is so very talented. She lives in Bangalow so couldn’t attend the launch but you will see more of her work in the very near future. She has an incredible project, Fergus and Delilah, coming out in October and it is sure to change how we view disabilities.

And now for the thank yous…

Thank you to my mother. Without her, there would be no book, and not just for the obvious reason. She is an amazing mother and is so very passionate about family. My mother has five children but has been a parent to so many more who have come into our lives over the years. I wouldn’t have launched this book without her by my side and that goes for future projects too.

To my little family, Scott, Max and Frances. You are my everything and I wrote this book for you. My husband, Scott, has supported every creative project I’ve dreamt up and this book is no exception. I love that he reads my work first and even though I get moody when he gives me notes, it does make it better. Most of the time.

And finally to my friends and family, I can’t tell you how much I value you. Our community is a family and we all play our part. I think that’s beautiful and how it should be.

Signed editions of Who's Got a Normal Family? is now available from Boabel and book stores.

Belinda Nowell still looks after prams outside cafes but never gets any work done because she talks too much to be classified as a brooding writer.

One fine afternoon late last year, I created an uncoordinated dance move and named it “Miša Alexander said yes to illustrating Who’s Got a Normal Family?”

This was an extremely big deal. I’d first worked with Miša a couple of years back when she’d created a beautiful family of characters for a different book proposal. Even though that manuscript was lovingly placed in the bottom drawer, I knew, just knew, I had to work with her again one day.

So let me introduce you to Miša (pronounced Meesha). Miša was born in Vancouver, Canada where she studied at Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design but she made her home in Australia after traveling abroad.

Her talents have seen her work across Australia’s eastern states and design studios internationally but she is now settled on the Northern Rivers where she continues her art practice in ceramic, paintings and illustration whilst maintaining her graphic design business and attending to her young family of three boys, one of whom is autistic.

Needless to say, she’s a little busy so I’m stoked she took time out to answer some questions about creativity and her career so far.

When did you first realise you were a creative and how did that impact your life?

I realised from a young age that I liked to draw, and as I got older it became more prevalent that I was going to have a creative career & life.

It's impacted my life by the choices I made in school; what courses I excelled in, and what I was to study after high school. I always wanted to be a full-time painter, but the practical and wise folks steered me in the direction of graphic design as a fall back. So design has been my creative outlet for the last 20 years ... and finally I am passionately illustrating & painting.

What are you working on right now?

Right now I am working on Fergus & Delilah, a children's book changing a generation view on disabilities and a project I created for my autistic son. It's a book series developed to create more awareness and social inclusion for kids who require extra support.

What is your career highlight thus far?

My career highlight would be working for the United Nations as a designer. I worked in East Timor in 2002 and in Afghanistan in 2005. In both of these locations I worked in the Electoral Commission where I designed the ballot papers. I also worked in the Community Education Unit to help develop materials so nationals would have a better understanding of the process of voting.

It was an amazing experience that no ad or design agency could ever give me.

What are the tools of your trade?

My computer, a pencil, acrylic paint, wine and coffee.

Do you have a muse or influencer?

My kids, my husband, my mother in-law and my mother.

When you have lots of creative ideas, how do you choose what to work on next?

Money. Either it pays, or I have money to create it.

How do you get into the creative mood? Do you have a creative habit?

I don't think I get in the mood, I think it is every part of my life. Everything from arranging weetbix in bowl and the sprinkle of muesli, to making sandwiches, folding laundry, creating a beautiful dinner for my family… sometimes an idea floats in randomly and needs to be expressed in a visual art form.

What advice would you go back and give yourself when you were starting out?

Don't be scared to stand up for self worth.

What’s your chosen method of procrastination?

Cleaning toys off the floor.

What’s your favourite illustration from Who’s Got a Normal Family?

It would be Alex by the window at night, writing/doodling his thoughts by the light of the lamp.

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Who’s Got a Normal Family? is Miša Alexander’s first published children’s book. She is currently working on Fergus & Delilah

Oh baby, do I have some news for you! Last year I co-produced a segment for Sesame Street with an amazing director, writer and extremely talented friend Kelly Boulton.

It’s been under wraps so you can imagine my joy when it aired last Friday on Sesame Street’s 46th season. The segment is called ‘B is for Baby’ and features a rap song written by Kelly about, you guessed it, babies.