Have you ever considered writing a children’s book? I’ll admit that I’ve thought about it, and it might be a new endeavor in my future. Writing a children’s book takes creativity and planning, and much perseverance is required to navigate the publishing process. Join me as I talk to a longtime friend who has been through the process and published two children’s books.

Our Featured Guest

Amy Jivani

Amy is a childhood friend of mine who has become a children’s book author. Her latest book, Meera’s Flowers, tells the story of a young girl celebrating an Indian holiday while living in America. She also wrote More Than Words: A Book About Body Language, a story about body language and feelings. Amy is a former first-grade teacher who is inspired by her students and her cultural background to write children’s books with ethnically diverse characters. Amy shares with us where she gets ideas for books and how the creative process works. We also discuss the concept of self-publishing compared to the traditional publishing route. We wrap up with Amy’s insights into the hardest part about writing and releasing a book during a pandemic.

www.amyjivani.com 

You’ll Learn:

• Where Amy’s inspiration came from for Meera’s Flowers
• Amy’s advice for other aspiring writers:
• Write something you can champion.
• Storyboard your ideas as you begin.
• How the traditional publishing route requires resilience and seems like a “closed club”
• Why Amy decided not to self-publish her first book
• How Amy realized that creative stories could teach and reinforce important concepts to children in more memorable ways
• How Amy gives herself creative space to think and produce rather than setting aside a disciplined time slot
• The hardest part of what Amy has accomplished: getting publishers to see the quality of what she wrote and releasing a book during a pandemic when typical book promotion is a no-go
• How Amy handles the newfound attention of being a published author with humility

Resources:

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