Brad Sugar, once called “Uncle Bad” by his young niece who struggled to pronounce her R’s, decided to turn the nickname into a story.
The book, titled “Uncle Bad,” follows an uncle and his niece as they spend time together. It highlights the importance of small moments with loved ones and the impact those relationships have on children.
For Sugar, “Uncle Bad” is his first published book. While the story itself took only about two to three weeks to write, the process of becoming a self-published author came with challenges.
“I went through Amazon, and one of the things you have to do was they have a specific way they want you to publish it,” he said. “So, I got certain format based off whatever it is, in my book currently, the dimensions are eight and a half by eight and a half. It was originally going to be ten by eight, and they didn't allow that. So, I had to basically resize everything to fit that format.”
He also faced difficulties finding the right illustrator to bring his vision to life, even accidentally hiring an AI artist at one point. Eventually, Sugar found freelance illustrator Moch Fajar Shobaru, who drew the adventures of Uncle Bad and his little niece.
“Their artwork was exactly how I pictured how it would look like in the story. He did a phenomenal job. I was able to communicate with him freely,” said Sugar. “He helped make as many re-corrections and descriptions as until it was, I guess, in my eyes, perfect.”
Once the book was completed, Amazon sent Sugar a copy of his finished work.
“That was a bit of a big accomplishment for me. I always wanted to publish a book and it took me 32 years to finally say, know what? Shoot, I'm going to do it,” he said.
Sugar is already working on his next project, “Apple-Roo Banzai.” A story about a kangaroo working on an apple farm. He hopes to publish it in December.
“I would say for those who have a story to tell, don't be afraid to share it with people because there's always going to be someone out there that will love the story that you have. I think that's one of the best things about, especially these days where being able to publish your own book is getting easier. You can make that happen,” Sugar said.
To purchase a copy of “Uncle Bad” visit Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Books by Sugar website.
To learn more about Sugar and his book, listen to the full interview at BYU-Idaho Radio’s podcast on Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.