LIHU‘E — The parking lot outside of Borders was packed with cars late Saturday morning and it was no surprise to find Dr. Terry Carolan and Joanna Carolan had sold some 150 copies of their new children’s book, “A President
LIHU‘E — The parking lot outside of Borders was packed with cars late Saturday morning and it was no surprise to find Dr. Terry Carolan and Joanna Carolan had sold some 150 copies of their new children’s book, “A President from Hawai‘i,” in almost record time after their presentation and book signing.
The turnout was “exceptional,” said Helaine Perel, general manager of Borders, who even helped find an extra copy of the book — after it had already sold out — for a visitor from Germany who worried she might have to return home without one.
“It was wonderful to have that support today,” said Joanna, who illustrated and helped design the book in collaboration with her pediatrician husband, Terry.
Decorated with quotes from Obama’s past speeches, the book provides a brief history of the islands, along with the culture and customs of kama‘aina.
“In every speech he (Obama) gave, we could really feel his upbringing,” Terry said, regarding why they chose him as a centerpiece for the underlying aloha spirit message the book exudes.
Terry, also known as the “Irish wordsmith,” has written six other children’s books, all of which have Hawaiian themes and are illustrated by Joanna, including “Goodnight Hawaiian Moon” and “This Is My Piko.”
The rich blend of artistry and words in “A President from Hawai‘i,” however, promises not only to appeal to children, but adults too.
“This is our first book that will probably have a greater appeal,” Terry said, pointing out the book’s added bonus of a CD with narration by Amy Hanaiali‘i and music by Keli‘i Kaneali‘i.
“It really should be in every elementary school classroom in America,” Perel said in reference to the first book to be published about the president and the place he grew up.
“We wanted people to have the message of Hawai‘i values; it was really important to us,” Joanna said.
No strangers to the publishing world, they make the book-writing business look easy. While personally deciding to go the self-publishing route, Joanna and Terry explained it is not for the faint of heart.
“It’s really hard,” said Joanna, who worked seven days a week, 12 or more hours a day for months. “I really encourage people to do it if they can, but it’s not as easy as it looks.”
Not only is there a high investment — upwards of $30,000 in some cases — but cost can be incurred long after a book is printed, such as travel expenses for marketing.
“It’s an investment and a lot of responsibility,” Joanna said.
Cost recovery usually requires the sale of up to at least 5,000 books, but would depend upon a number of factors, including how many pages were printed and the amount of color used.
Nevertheless, she would still recommend self-publishing over finding another company to publish a book, as it allows the writer and/or illustrator the freedom to make their own decisions and puts them in control of their product.
“Nobody’s going to feel more passionately about your book than you are,” Terry said.
The Carolans feel strongly about their new book and said they have already been receiving a promising response throughout the Islands.
With a slew of TV appearances, radio interviews and book signings lined up over the next two weeks, the Carolans admit they will be extremely busy promoting their new book, but the rewards are seemingly outweighing the extra time and effort.
“This is a wonderfully fulfilling thing,” Joanna said.
For more information, visit www.apresidentfromhawaii.com or www.bananapatchpress.com.
• Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com
