I originally started writing two novels, neither are complete, but I hope someday to get back to them. As a mother of two young boys I was reading lots of picture books though, and I they inspired me to get my book out there. My husband and I had so many issues with the books we were reading and I think that helped me with designing my books.
How did you come up with your Effie character?
Effie came to me in a dream back in 2008. I woke up and wrote about a little hedgehog in a pink dress going to school for the first time.
How did you go about finding an illustrator?
I spent a few years interviewing illustrators and then decided to shelve Effie Goes to School. During the pandemic, I decided that life is short and I need to make this book come to life. I interviewed about 12 illustrators on Fiverr, narrowed it to 3 and requested a test cover. When Hameo’s cover design came back I only had 2 small changes and so I knew she got my vision and now we’ve completed 11 books together.
When I first started I was doing all the work on my own, except the illustrations of course. After 4 years, I now have a team of people who I work with; a virtual assistant that helps with some of the marketing, an Amazon Ad specialist to manage my ads, Hameo is still my amazing illustrator, and I use an editor and a book designer too.
What do you know now about publishing you wished you had known sooner?
I would have taken more time to publish. My first book was a bucket list dream but I look back on it and there are many things I would change in a future run of them. Quality is important and really focusing on all the details make a big difference. I actually delayed my new T-Rex collection a full year because I realized it needed more work and I am so grateful for how it came out.
What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Not every author will succeed but if it’s your dream, go for it. Life is too short to not take the risk. Find a group of people who you can trust to be honest about your work and can support each other on the journey.
I just released a 6 book set of rhyming books for preschoolers called Adventures with T-Rex a few months ago. The books are inspired by my son’s imagination that his toys are real. Each book also includes an element of learning like opposites or how to draw T-Rex. The books also include close to 100 drawings submitted by kids of all ages in the US and Canada as a way to express their imaginations too.
That's all for today's interview. If you would like to learn more about Jennifer's books, here are some links to get you started.
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