From Scribbles to “Published”! All the steps I took from Zero-to-Author (Chaos Included)

Sometimes the best lesson in self-publishing is this: it absolutely will not go the way you think it’s going to go.
And that’s okay. You can change things right up until the last minute — ask me how I know.

Welcome back to another behind-the-scenes entry of Cheer Chapters! I’m Allison Sack, I’ve spent over 20 years in the cheerleading world, and now somehow I’ve also become an author who keeps spreadsheets full of story ideas like a caffeinated gremlin. Grab your coffee (or your jug of water), because we’re diving straight into the messy, wonderful journey of going from zero to published.

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Starting at the Very, Very Beginning

Before I had book covers, ISBNs, editors — or even any clue what I was doing — I had one thing:

My son asking for made-up stories.

He loves imagination. He loves silly ideas. He loves when I pull stories out of thin air.
But for years, I never wrote them down. Dyslexia + ADHD made my brain feel like a snow globe someone keeps shaking. I’d leave out words, mix up sequences, forget entire paragraphs — it was a whole vibe.

But then I realised:
“There aren’t enough fun, empowering cheerleading books for kids his age…
So why don’t I write one?”

Cue dramatic music, mild panic, and excessive Googling.

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The Spreadsheet Phase (Please Don’t Judge Me)

Most people outline stories in notebooks or fancy plotting software. Me?
I built spreadsheets.

Yep.

Across the top:

• Age group
• Word count goal
• Page count
• Book size
• Overarching theme

Down the columns:

• Lessons I teach in cheer
• Behaviour patterns I see kids struggle with
• Emotions, fears, proud moments
• Character ideas
• Story sparks
• Random scribbles that look like a squirrel typed them

Coaching kids gives me a front-row seat to the messages they need most.
So my stories always start with:
“What lesson matters here?”

Then I pair it with:
“Which kid or character would carry that message best?”

For example, Book 2 (about tumbling twins) literally grew out of a line in my spreadsheet:
“Kids wanting a skill but skipping the reps.”
I was coaching twins at the time and thought: WELL HELLO THERE, PERFECT METAPHOR.

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Titles? Yeah… Those Change. A Lot.

Book 3’s title changed more times than my son changes snack preferences.

Sometimes you name the book at the end.
Sometimes you name it when the illustrations come back.
Sometimes you name it in a mild panic while formatting the cover.

Moral of the story: nothing is final until you hit “publish.”

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Choosing the First Story

After brainstorming about fifty ideas, I chose the one that felt the most “first-book energy”:

Cheer For You
A girl tries cheer for the first time — simple, sweet, relatable.

I read it to my son.
I read it to cheerleaders.
I waited nervously for their reactions.

They loved it.

Cue another wave of:
“Oh no… now I have to figure out what to do next.”

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Business Brain Activated

I love chaos, but I also run a full-time business.
So I looked at this new author thing through a business lens:

• What will I call the brand?
• Is the name available?
• Does it work for SEO?
• Will people searching “cheerleading books for kids” actually find me?

After lots of research (and a few rejected name ideas), I settled on:
The Cheerleader Book Club
— which you probably already know if you’re here.

Next step? Buying the business name.
Then trademarking it worldwide — which took forever.

And here’s my hard-earned tip:
When you create your logo, choose the version with the trademark symbol straight away.
Otherwise you’ll update it three times like I did and cry a little inside.

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The Magical Humans: The Editor + The Illustrator

Finding my editor was like finding the pot of gold at the end of a glitter-covered rainbow.
I send her messy, chaotic, sometimes-missing-actual-words drafts, and she transforms them into clean, polished storytelling. She even sends me two versions back:

1. A fully edited, ready-to-use file
2. A version showing every fix, comment, and suggestion

It’s like watching someone take my brain-salad and turn it into a gourmet meal.

Then came the illustrator hunt…
and oh my goodness, that took ages.
Cheerleading isn’t exactly a mainstream art reference — you can’t just say:

“I need a pyramid with an extension and two supporting preps.”

Artists who haven’t lived in the cheer world stare at you like you just asked for a unicorn.

So I built page guides:

• Page number
• What happens
• What emotion each character has
• Visual references
• Photos of actual cheer stunts
• Silly sketches that look like a potato drew them

When she finally sent back the finished illustrations… I nearly cried.
Then I squealed.
Then my son squealed.
Then we both stared at them for way too long.

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Formatting (AKA: Why I Learned to Do It Myself)

For the first couple books, my illustrator formatted everything.
But eventually I wanted more control — and less waiting time — so I taught myself.

And yes… I format my books using Canva.
Some people gasp at that, but I love Canva. It’s fast, visual, and I can tweak everything instantly.

But you do need to know:

• Trim sizes
• Bleed vs no bleed
• Spine width
• Page count requirements
• Colour profiles
• ISBN rules
• Which printers require what files

Because self-publishing has layers.
And sub-layers.
And secret boss levels.

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ISBNs, Distribution & All the Official Stuff

Quick hits:

• Some platforms give you an ISBN, but it belongs to THEM, not you.
• If you want full control, you buy your own (I do).
• You need to know pricing, printing costs, royalties, and where your book can legally be sold.
• You need to know whether your printing files pass their checks.
• You need to decide where you distribute — Amazon? IngramSpark? Both?
• And you need a system to track all of this so you don’t forget one tiny detail and ruin your whole upload day.

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Final Thoughts (Before Your Brain Explodes)

Here’s what I want you to take away from this whirlwind:

• You don’t need to know everything at the start.
• You can change things right up to the last minute.
• Your systems get better with every book.
• Your confidence grows every time you hit “publish.”
• And spreadsheets?
  Honestly… they slap. Use them.

If I can go from telling silly bedtime stories to publishing a whole series — with dyslexia, ADHD, and a busy cheerleading business — then trust me…

You absolutely can too.

Now go start your own Chapter One and I’ll see you in the next cheer chapter.

Allison xx

If you’d like to explore more — books, downloads, or tools I personally use — you’ll find everything below. Some links are affiliates and help support the blog at no extra cost to you. I only share things I genuinely use or recommend. Content on this website is shared for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not replace professional advice. Please seek appropriate qualifications or professional guidance for coaching, training, business, or financial decisions.

Allison xx