Book release: Today!
For now, it is released locally on Bainbridge Island at Eagle Harbor Book Company, and is available for purchase by readers everywhere.
You can also purchase the book online through Amazon.com.
Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Population-One-Autism-Adversity-Succeed/dp/1938686543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378245080&sr=8-1&keywords=Tyler+McNamer
Thank you again for your patience! I am excited for people to read my book.
The kickstarter.com project is fully funded!
The money goes straight to the printer and will soon print over a hundred copies of my book Population One: Autism, Adversity, and the Will to Succeed.
This does not mean that the copies will be printed right away, on the kickstarter.com project there are 8 days left. With those 8 days, everyone will have the opportunity to be mentioned as a bronze sponsor for my book and will have their name added in the book as a trusted loyal sponsor.
After the 8 days, the opportunity will no longer be valid and the printer will print the copies of my book.
Now is the chance to be mentioned in the book and to praise for Population: One! Thank you for all the support.
Book Release: TBD
I’ll give you the update as of 5/29
The kickstarter.com funding attempt failed because time was up for that project to be funded all the way. So my Dad and I had an idea of restarting the project and work on a smaller goal of $5,000.
Book release: TBD
Here is the link that goes to the restarted kickstarter project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tylermcnamer/population-one-autism-adversity-and-the-will-to-su-0?ref=live
Thanks again for the awesome support.
I will give you the update for my book and what is going on.
The manuscript is all done. Once I get the fundings for my book on Kickstarter.com, it will immediately go to print. Then we will have the chance to print over a hundred copies of my book. The only thing about that part is who are the lucky hundred that will get the chance to buy the first hundred copies. I just can’t wait.
12 days to go until the support ends. Become of something amazing! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tylermcnamer/population-one-autism-adversity-and-the-will-to-su?ref=live
The quicker the fundings, the quicker the book will go up to sale. Thank you again for all of your support.
Tyler McNamer didn’t start to speak in full sentences until he was about 10, his father, Jody, remembers. Now, as a senior in high school, Tyler has written an entire book, an exploration of his life with autism.
“Instead of speaking, writing was the way he always expressed himself,” Jody said.
The book, “Population One: Autism, Adversity and the Will to Succeed,” took Tyler a few years to write. In it, he details his experiences and perspectives from someone diagnosed with autism at 18 months old.
“Because this book is about my life with autism, I want to show people what it’s like to be inside an autistic mind,” Tyler said. “To show people and to help people.”
The manuscript is now complete, and the McNamers have created a project on Kickstarter.com, the crowd-sourced funding website for independent books, films, businesses and more. Their goal is $25,000, to be raised by May 26, to fund the book’s printing, distribution and an online monthly magazine, called Autism Works, that would feature writing from other autistic teens and adults.
“They have so much to teach us,” Jody said about his son and others with autism. “When you read the book, it’s full of stuff you’d never think about. It’s brilliant.”
McNamer lives in Gig Harbor but attends Bainbridge High School, where his mother lives and where he’d developed a comfortable community at school. He grew up speaking little, first uttering recognizable words when he was about 6.
Tyler wrote down his thoughts in a notepad he carried with him at school and remembers first being captivated by a writing assignment in third grade. From there, Tyler slowly started to develop an individual voice, along with, as his father described it, a progression toward understanding that he viewed the world differently than did most others.
In the past three or four years, Tyler said his writing has taken off as he sought to articulate that worldview.
“One of my challenges has always been finding my words and putting them together,” Tyler said.
More than 40,000 words later, and after working with a publishing coach, editor and cover art designer, Tyler’s book is ready for distribution. The McNamers hope their Kickstarter fund can offset some of the costs of those services, as well as help with the primary goal of getting “Population One” into schools.
“We want to help teachers understand how to help kids with autism,” Jody said.
He added he thinks his son has tapped into something both important and unusual that will be of real assistance to educators and others who want to reach out to those with autism.
“It’s hard to find someone who can actually verbalize what it’s like to have an autistic mind,” Jody said, describing as an example scenes in the book about Tyler’s photographic memories from when he was only 11 months old. “And Tyler has that ability.”
Tyler said the title “Population One,” explains a perspective he’s come to in reflecting on his life with autism, and how it can serve as a lesson for all readers.
“For a lot of years, Tyler spent a lot of time in his own world, and he’s come to the realization that he can interact with others,” Jody said. “We all struggle with that, to have tolerance and acceptance for everyone.”
“Everyone has their own little world, a population of one,” Tyler said. “But no one is ever alone, and they can choose to share in someone else’s world. There’s only one universe. That’s what I’m trying to say with this book.”
The “Population One” Kickstarter project had 57 backers and had raised a total of $3,681 as of press time. Click here to visit the Kickstarter page, and here to visit Tyler’s website and personal blog.
I couldn’t quite remember exactly what the reporter asked, but he asked me about…
He asked a bunch of questions yesterday and I was proud to answer them with my Dad’s help cause he’s really good at explaining things better then I am half the time.
I couldn’t remember what I said on these questions, but the newspaper article that will be talking about me and my book will be released probably on Wednesday and I am excited to see what the Gig Harbor paper has to say about this.
Peer pressure! That’s right. It’s a common two worded saying. The definition of peer pressure is when a kid or a group of kids get another kid or a group of kids to do something. Usually that something isn’t good like steeling doughnuts. Stupid idea, yet funny. Personally I like funny things, but that kind of funny is something that is to be done in movies. Even funnier when steeling a doughnut truck. But seriously, when peer pressure goes to something serious like drugs or drinking, that’s when it’s more than peer pressure, it’s a sign of bullying.
Take it from me, I was an open target for peer pressure. People thought I was pretty dumb because they don’t like my looks, and they don’t like the fact I forget words sometimes. I am an active dude, and back in school, people thought that I can do anything. One time in high school, some kid dared me to streak on the football field during the marching band. Streaking means that you take all of your clothes off and run all over while a lot of people see you. Sick isn’t it? Luckily I didn’t forget my words on this one, I knew what to say. I looked at the field, and looked back at him with as smug on my face saying “I’d rather have you get the glory from these people. Come back to me when your ready to speak for real.” and then I walked away getting myself a Snickers bar.
When it comes to that kind of peer pressure, it’s another way of saying “I want someone to do my bidding.” Then when the deed is done, they are proud that they made someone did that bidding. People support that kind of embarrassing thing by cheering them on. I don’t want to be cheered on by something like that. Because it’s too small of a crowd. If I want to be cheered on, my audience would not be immature adolescence I want to be cheered on by something good… like writing a book. Ha ha! It’s something not a lot of people do in high school, and I think that’s pretty cool.
There was another time when a group of kids wanted me to fight. This was back in the day when I shadow fought myself for fun in public. I wasn’t suppose to do that, but I didn’t know better back then in the Freshman year. So these kids, told me “Hey Tyler! This guy called you names! Can you believe that? They called you a jerk, and that you suck. You should teach him a lesson.” After hearing that, I got a little surprised and offended. So what I did was give a stern look at the boys saying “May I see this kid?” The kids were excited and couldn’t wait to see a fight. They brought the kid to me real fast, and I told him “Please don’t say mean things to me.” And then I walked away.
The group of boys were like “what?” They were all confused and shocked that I walked away from a soon to be fight like that. I didn’t really think that the kid didn’t really call me names, but the group who went up to me said it. I would of said “please don’t say mean things to me” to them, but I address it to the boy instead. After all, I did walk away from a soon to be fight.
This is one of the things I’ve included in the book. It’s all about self control when it comes to social situations and the pressure among peers. The kids that go to my high school who have autism doesn’t have that kind of self control. They get defensive in a non-positive way, and I never support that kind of defensive strategy. It’s the reason why there’s more bullies to people with autism that way. But with my way on being peaceable with others and staying true to myself makes things a lot calmer and better on my opinion. It’s like I say sometimes, don’t be afraid with the enemies, be friends with them, there’s always good in them.
Sometimes I wonder why there’s peer pressure in the world. I always wonder why kids can’t be like their parents or family member… oh yeah, even on that part there aren’t very good influences when it comes to family members on some cases. But what I mean to say is why join a group when the kids want others to do bad things like jumping off roofs or something. I’ve heard the “fact” that it makes kids “cool” when they do those daring activities. I tell ya, being cool doesn’t mean doing the daring like jumping off of roofs. It would be cool to jump off a roof and land on a bouncy house or a pool or anything that’s going to catch you for safety. Safety isn’t all that bad really. I hit my head while snowboarding and I have to wear a helmet. At first I was all “Aw man, I look silly.” But snowboard helmets are pretty cool on my mind when continuing doing spins and flips. I’m a Snowboard Average man, it’s one of my strengths. But if I was told to go down the danger zone of the mountain, I wouldn’t do it. Although it looks cool and fun, I can do the same tricks outside the danger zone.
On my mind, I think peer pressure is a way to kill boredom, because kids allow the pressure to flow. I like to follow my own advice and my family’s advice. I used to think that I have the perfect family, but then I learned not so long ago that nobody’s perfect.
Another thing that makes peer pressure possible is because a lot of people want to fit in. Even if it means sometimes to do the daring. Sad I should say, but if people of all kinds want to fit in for being who they are, they can join me, in a population of ONE! 😉
I wish the process is easy and quick, but this kind of thing is a lot longer and harder then it sounds. If I could sum it up it in simple words it would be…
Well, I’m still a little new to this, but I think it’s good enough for the process. Did you know that #1 is the hardest part of the whole process? That’s right! Writing the book is the hardest part. It’s where most of the work goes as a matter of fact.
Telling others is one of the the most important ones in the process. Why is that you ask? It is because it’s all in the advertising business The more know you and love you, the more likely they will buy the book. Be friends with lots of people and tell them about your upcoming book. But you have to write it first.
There are a lot of editors who are willing to help you make the book better. Here’s how I did the process with my Dad.
Quite a lot of stuff there is to know on how to get an editor isn’t it? It was all worth it. I’m glad Tyler Tichelaar was my editor for Population One. I thank him for all of that hard editing work.
On the cover part of the book. It all happens similar to getting an editor. Mr. Snow knew this woman named Shiloh Schroeder. Amazing name isn’t it? She has been doing book covers for other best selling books, and she was the right choice for my book. We talked about the book, and what the main theme is. I showed her pictures of the concept of what the book was about. I got the photos from istockphotos. It’s a website where great photographers capture amazing photos and people can look them up and buy them or print them.
Printing the book is used with a special printer that makes books look like books. Not the 10 ring office printed stuff. But books that you see in book stores and in libraries.
Must I say more about the selling part? Sell it everywhere possible. Before making the cash, the book must always be advertised as free copies. Especially to the ones you love. Unless if they are willing to pay for it, still refuse the money. Let’s put it in a different way, if you set up a stand for your tiny book selling business at a school, kids who heard about the book and are eager to read it would stand in line and buy your book.
The final part of the list is collect. Collecting the cash seems silly to me, but collect as in collect the support and appreciation on the book itself. You feel proud that you’re book became a huge success and your team helped you make it up to the top. In fact, right after I did the writing part my Dad said “You won!” After hearing that, I can see the future of my book being read by people from all over the world. Collecting that great feeling of victory, that’s worth more then money on my opinion.
For a while, I’ve been keeping this book a secret and wanted to surprise my peers, but my Mom always said “Tell it to the world, they would be excited to see this new book of yours.” For that, I did, and I did a blog on it.
This is what I did to create an amazing book, and all that time getting it put together was worth it.
“The best kind of freedom is the freedom to do good. It’s what makes heroes.” – Tyler McNamer
Different. That word alone is extremely common in everyday life. Especially when it comes to living beings. The way I used to see the word “different” was that it’s a lonely thing, and because I am different, because I have autism, I felt like I didn’t need anybody and needed to isolate myself from everyone.
Overall, because I was different I felt as if the planet needed me as a hero. That’s what I thought before writing this book. In reality, I can’t self-proclaim myself a hero. I’m just an individual. Are you an individual? If you are, then you are never alone. There are great people in the world we live in. People are great when they do good to themselves and to others. That is why, with this book, I want to prove that being an individual with or without autism can affect the world in a positive way.
All these years of being alone with freedom, I discovered something I wrote as a quote for my high school graduation: “The best kind of freedom is the freedom to do good. It’s what makes heroes.” I kept that quote as a reminder that doing good makes me feel like a hero to anyone and to anything. When I was little, I felt like a hero giving flowers to girls. It felt great. When creating this book, I felt like a brave hero because I was open to the thoughts coming from my heart and mind when writing and had the courage to help people young and old.
So many people in the world can write about anything, but only one person can write a book about me, and that is me. This is an autobiography about my childhood and how I viewed the world and what challenges I’ve faced over the years. Maybe most of you can relate to me when it comes to childhood stuff.
This book is not in an orderly fashion in terms of its chapters. I wrote what came up in my head. Most of the people I know are not named in this book.
This book can be described as many things. It can be a journal, a diary (not really), a survival kit, and a guide for everyone with or without autism. It can even be a comic book, but I can’t draw comics. Although they look so cool! See, that’s the thing about books and stories, there’s a lot of imagination that’s realistic most of the time.
With my help, I hope you can show great leadership, determination, and ambition. My book will give you examples of how to do that. Feel free to use my examples. If not, that’s totally cool, because everyone is different and entitled to the choices he or she makes in life.
Enjoy the book.
“The best kind of freedom is the freedom to do good. It’s what makes heroes.” – Tyler McNamer