One Year Anniversary of the Launch Challenge that instigated ‘The Mental Health Moles’ Book

It’s hard to believe that the Launch Challenge that instigated ‘The Mental Health Moles’ Book started one year ago today! Read the blog at https://bit.ly/FMTTB22

In April 2021, I worked with Shifties, who help to enable business owners to connect, learn, and grow with their businesses together to take an idea and publish a book.

Six months previously to the start of the ‘Launch Challenge’, I used my love of the Mr. Men books and designed two cartoon moles, one with a bowler hat and one slightly smaller. I accompanied the moles and wrote a 4 page storyboard where the moles talked about different mental health illnesses and posted them on social media channels every Monday. All of a sudden I had around 20 different storyboards and I realised that this was my product!

Over the coming weeks, I researched, wrote and designed further stories, filled with topics, such as anxiety, depression, grief, social media, stress, sleep and many more, combining to make a total of 52 storyboards.

Once the designs were completed and text proof read and approved, I was able to get one hundred copies printed after a successful crowdfunding appeal. I also placed a digital version available on Amazon Kindle.

I didn’t really know who would the book appeal to. But I loved the idea of any generation, both male or female, boy or girl to understand there are lots of different kind of mental health illnesses and recognise in themselves if they are feeling like any of them.

Here are are just a few reviews that I have received after reading ‘The Mental Health Moles’ Book:
 
“I like The Mental Health Moles book because it is funny, colourful and cute. My favourite stories are about Christmas and Children. I learnt that it’s important for adults to talk to children about mental health because they might not understand what they are going through and that we need to talk about our problems when we feel bad like the story about Batmole! I took the book to school and read it to my teacher and classmates and they loved it too.”

“Simple but very effective. There are not many books out there that cover an age spectrum of 5 to 105 and is just as poignant for Male and Female. Every home should have one.”

“I have my signed copy on my coffee table and found my 6 year old Granddaughter reading it out loud today. Love that it is perfect for every age.”

“What is so clever, this is complicated stuff. This book should be huge. In four panels you’ve broken down mental health illnesses which is complicated, which others take chapters to discuss. It’s an artform.”

“You’ve taken subjects that so many people are scared of and you’ve hit the nail on the head, in a simple way.”

“I gave each of my kids (aged 7 and 9) a copy of the mental moles book and they’re really interacting with it. I’m already seeing that it’s opening up the conversations at home regarding mental health.”

“The mental health moles books is helping to normalise mental health more and helping to learn how to interact with others who have any kind of issues.”

“People have shelves of books they don’t read, but I reckon everyone who has this book reads it regularly because it’s so easy to read and so digestible.”

I am extremely proud of what I have achieved within the book over this last year. I am flattered by the amazing feedback that I have received. The next step will be to continue selling it via the ‘For Men To Talk’ meetings, social media, website, market stalls and craft fayres. But after being approached, I would really like the opportunity to talk about the book at local schools to highlight the need for boys and girls to talk about their mental health at early age.

‘The Mental Health Moles’ is available right now via:

£4.99 on Amazon Kindle via https://bit.ly/MHMOLES
£5.99 (+1.99p delivery) printed version via http://www.formentotalk.co.uk/mhmoles/
£10 (free delivery) signed and personalised printed version via https://www.formentotalk.co.uk/mhmoles/

All money goes towards supporting For Men To Talk who give men suffering with anxiety, depression and grief a chance to talk with other fellow sufferers.