Lose Your Job, Write a Book

You hurt your arm. You lose your job. What next?

You write and publish a book.

At least, that’s what Ryan Mayer did.

"It all started as a joke,” said Ryan Mayer, referring to Where is Ziggy?, the children’s book he co-wrote with his wife, Nicole.

Back in 2008, Ryan spent some time in bed recuperating with a torn bicep. With more time than usual, and a precocious 4-year-old daughter who wanted Daddy to write a book, Ryan thought—why not?

Initially, Ryan set out to placate his little girl and wrote a tale about a missing letter living in Alphabetown. His daughter wanted more.

So, becoming more serious, the Mayers brainstormed and created a lengthier story.

“Nicole has an education background,” said Ryan, who lives with his family in Moorestown. “So, she came up with some  ideas to make the book more instructive.”

Ziggy, the letter “Z” in the story, feels sad because he tends to be an under-utilized letter. As the parents of four children ages 4 to 16, the Mayers wanted to incorporate empathy and family values alongside learning.

Ryan reached out to his long-time friend Russ Simmons, a graphic artist from Cherry Hill, to illustrate eye-catching characters in bold colors that embark on a journey.

“Ryan had a good vision of how he wanted the characters to be personified,” said Simmons. “It was an educational tool that really made sense.”

Still having fun, Ryan had the colorful book bound into a hard copy for his daughter. Everyone was happy, and that was that.

Fast forward a couple of months…

One day, Ryan happened to be carrying the book as he was walking through the mall. A woman asked him which bookstore was selling it.

“As she was thumbing through it, she started making a fuss, telling me how good the book was,” said Ryan, chuckling at the thought.

A bit later...

The couple, still unfazed but hopeful, decided to enter the book in the New York Book Festival and “we forgot about it.”

“Then, we get a call that we won honorable mention for best new children’s book,” laughs Ryan. “After that, we thought maybe we have a chance of getting the book picked up by a publisher.”

Then, the unexpected happened. Ryan was laid off from his seven-year job as a police officer in Cinnaminson.

At about the same time, the Mayers found themselves in the relatively complicated maze of publishing houses and literary buyers.

With mixed feelings of uncertainty and optimism, the couple made a bold decision—they withdrew their savings and Ryan’s pension, self-published “Where is Ziggy?” and printed 4,000 copies.

And, the momentum continued…                                 

Through Facebook and e-mail, the couple began promoting their book. They arranged book signings and showed the book at other festivals. Word of mouth spread and requests for it did, too.

Through online orders, the book became available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Local schools bought it for their libraries. And, book promoters started noticing.

Soon, the book will be sold in-house at the Moorestown Barnes and Noble.

Along with victory, Ryan and Nicole think giving back is vital.

The Mayers have partnered with charities so a portion of every sale will be donated. A part of the proceeds from “Where is Ziggy?” is given to Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Their next book Hannah’s Homework will collaborate with Ronald McDonald House. 

And, they are involved with the Kid Are Readers Too (KART) Foundation, a literacy program in inner cities.

Currently, Simmons, who works for a medical education company, is illustrating the third book in his spare time.

“It has really evolved into something that was unimaginable,” said Simmons. "No one expected it to be this good.”