Sales and Market Bullets

• A DEEPLY PERSONAL ART: Devoted to the highly personal nature of tattoo art, Chris ruminates on the intimacy of permanent body art and its relevance in pop culture.


• THE SHOP: Under My Thumb Tattoo Shop is one of Toronto’s best-kept secrets, offering high-quality tattooing for more than 15 years. It was featured in a Toronto Star article and has 7,600 Instagram followers.


• AN UNSTOPPABLE TREND: Tattooing is the sixth fastest-growing American industry and, according to market research, it generates $1.6 billion in revenue a year. There are 21,000 tattoo parlors in the U.S. and 42% of U.S. citizens have at least one tattoo; 38% of Canadian citizens have at least one tattoo, and 35% of UK citizens aged 30–39 have at least one tattoo. Older millennials are the most likely to get a tattoo.
  
  • Countries where tattoos are popular: Italy, Sweden, USA, Australia, Argentina, Spain, Denmark, UK, and Canada
  
  

Audience

• Members of the tattoo community — both tattoo artists and people with tattoos


• People buying gifts for friends/family who are into tattoos


• Readers interested in art


• Readers who enjoy insider accounts of different industries

Chris MacDonald is a tattoo artist and the owner of Under My Thumb Tattoos, a respected tattoo studio in Toronto, Ontario. He is a songwriter and a guitarist with LeBarons. Chris lives with his wife and daughter by the lake. The Things I Came Here With is his first book.

“At its core, The Things I Came Here With is a story about family; it’s a story of art, of loss, of grief, and of passion. It is raw and heartbreaking and funny at times—often within the same paragraph. And it is especially a story about love and finding your way home.” — Urban Info Girl blog

“The way Chris tattoos is awe-inspiring — a truly beautiful expression of the craft. The work he does elegantly dances the line of art and technique, gentle and strong, just like him.” — India Amara, indiaamara.com

“I look at Chris as a real deal songwriter and lyricist. Am I surprised he’s now an author? Hell no, a talent like his would never go unnoticed. I’m proud to call Chris a friend, and I’m sure you’ll be as amazed by his writing as I’ve been over the years.” — Cone McCaslin, Sum 41

“This gorgeous picaresque story of home, loss, art, love, city, music, skateboards, and ink came to me via a friend’s goodwill PDF — ‘Do you think you can check this out? Tell me what you think of my buddy’s writing?’ — and, from the first few pages, I could sense the gift of Chris MacDonald’s voice, vision, and poetry. A beautiful debut.” — Dave Bidini

“It might seem unusual to be publishing a memoir in your mid-forties but when you’re an old soul with miles of experiential wisdom to impart, it works beautifully. This is a genuinely inspirational story of perseverance and resilience … I can only applaud Chris for his perseverance, and for using the talents he came here with.” — Ottawa Review of Books