10 Years Ago, I Self-Published a Book

Now I am the #1 Best-Selling Science Author for Kids

I still remember the day I hit “publish” on my first science book for kids. Would anyone even find it, let alone read it? What I told others was it didn’t matter. This was a hobby. My full-time job was as an academic. In the back of my mind, though, I think I really did want it to succeed.

Fast forward ten years, and… wow! I’ve somehow become the #1 Best-Selling Science Author for Kids. It’s surreal sometimes, but it proves that if you are productive, persistent, and patient, the results can surprise you.

Where it all began

During the day, you will find me as an academic researching and teaching quantum physics, engineering, and computation. By night, I am a husband and father of four of my own budding scientists (and/or professional video game players). And when everyone is asleep, I work on my hobby of writing and illustrating science books.

When it was fully put together in early 2014, I didn’t know what to think about. I had printed copies to read to my children and gift to their classrooms. I even posted the entire book to Reddit. At that point, with all the positive feedback, I was convinced — it was time to make it go live on Amazon.