Today, I’m chatting with indie kidlit author, marketing expert, and mental health advocate, Jennifer Nestor. We’ll be diving into the ins and outs of self-publishing, marketing, and how to plan author visits and events. We’ll also be exploring anxiety, bullying, mindfulness, and self-confidence in kidlit and why it matters.
Jennifer, it’s so lovely to have you here on Chelsea’s World of Books Literary Blog! Could you share where you’re joining us from today?
Saint Augustine, Florida.
How did you hear about Chelsea’s World of Books Literary Blog, and what made you want to apply for a spot as a Feature Interview guest?
I had been following Chelsea on Instagram and loved everything she stood for, especially her connection with ADHD and helping kids.
Tell us about your intro to publishing! What were you doing before this, and how did you get here?
I was a Director of Demand at a healthcare tech company called Bamboo Health while going to Graduate school at SNHU, and writing has always been the cornerstone of joy for everything I’ve done in my marketing career. While in school, I decided to pursue writing a children’s book and wanted to see if I could self-publish and create a high-quality product that could leave a lasting impact. Once I graduated in 2023, I started doing research on all avenues of publishing, created a marketing plan, and launched my first children’s picture book, Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality, in July of 24’.
Have you always been a writer? And when did you realize that you wanted to pursue publishing as a career?
I’ve been writing since I was a little girl. When I was younger, I wrote song lyrics, poems, and journaled a lot, but then that translated into my marketing and communications career, and even through Graduate school when I had to write blogs, website content, articles, and ten-page papers. I knew in my heart I always wanted to be a writer, but I was always afraid to take the leap until the end of my degree program, when I looked at my ten-plus-year career as a Director of Marketing and still felt empty on a soul level because I wasn’t pursuing the thing that I wanted the most. That’s when I decided to write my first picture book.
What were some hurdles that you had to overcome, and how were you able to stay the course?
One of the biggest hurdles I faced was lack of time to go all-in at the beginning of my author journey. I was working 40+ hours a week in a high-level role where I had a lot of responsibility, and it was hard not to compare myself to those around me who had a lot more free time to make things happen. Once I found more balance, I was able to prioritize by developing a marketing plan and timeline, and I started to take things day by day, instead of worrying too much about the long game. That helped me center more and stay the course. Once I had more time, I was able to do more networking and things that benefited what I was trying to achieve.
Tell us about your indie publishing journey. What was your process like? (Finding an illustrator/formatting the book/marketing/platform/etc).
My process initially was to write the manuscript. Once I had an idea of what the story was about and the goals of the story, I wanted to look for an illustrator who would be the perfect fit to show emotion and had experience with jungle characters. I found Victoria Mikki through SCBWI’s featured portfolio of the month and reached out to her online. I worked with her over the next six months to create magic, and once the illustrations were complete, I worked with BookBaby for the text layout/formatting and print-on-demand distribution online. I’ve done all my own marketing and have tried different online channels like FB/IG ads, TikTok ads, Google & Amazon ads, podcasts, blogs, and then also traditional channels like print media, news interviews, sponsored content in magazines, and radio as well.
What are some things/places helped you along the way?
Building community has been extremely helpful. I recently went to a writing retreat with Story Sirens in PA, and that was amazing, meeting other authors who are just as passionate about writing and want to make this a career-long-term.
What are your favorite writing resources/groups/contests/etc, and why?
Manuscript Academy, SCBWI, and 12×12 Picture Book group. Each of them have given me opportunities to learn, grow, and develop my writing skills. I’ve watched several helpful webinars as well, with agents and knowledgeable authors who have seen success.
What’s something you wish you had known about indie publishing or publishing in general before you started?
I wish I had spoken to more people about options on reducing upfront costs initially, as it’s been an expensive journey.
What’s a piece of advice you have for someone currently pursuing independent publishing?
Make sure to do your research before you get started. Develop a 360 omni-channel campaign where you’re hitting on many facets of marketing and are executing a well-rounded book launch. Surround yourself with other indie authors who have the same goals/passions as you and create community.
Are you currently looking for literary representation for future projects that you’d like to publish traditionally down the road, or are you hoping to continue independent publishing? And why?
Yes. I am actually looking for an agent and querying at this time with my MG Contemporary novel, and am also working on a New Adult Romance. My goal is to be a multi-genre career writer. I think you have a better chance of exposure when represented by professionals. It’s also less of a cost investment up front, and it can provide visibility nationally vs. just locally, when marketed correctly.
What would you say some of the benefits of independent publishing are?
Creative control for things like illustrations, covers, and final say on the content itself.
What would you say some of the cons of independent publishing are?
High costs, a lot of groundwork needs to be done to get yourself out there and visible in markets outside your local area. It can be tiring to do a lot of in-person events, trying to recoup costs.
How have you been able to use your background in marketing and master’s in communication to your advantage when it comes to publishing?
I’ve had the opportunity to develop a full marketing plan for publishing, which helped me see more success with indie retailers, brand visibility, and more based on having a clear understanding of my demographics, channels, and online/traditional strategies.
As a marketing professional, could you share your top piece of advice for writers on how to properly market to their audience?
I have a few pieces of advice here. Don’t just throw spaghetti on the wall and hope it sticks. It’s great to try new things, but you don’t need to do what everyone else is doing. You can create your own path. Be sure to understand who your ideal readers are and develop content related to them. Make sure it always has a purpose and a clear CTA.
Have you been able to attend/participate/host any local/otherwise events? If so, we’d love to hear about them! Don’t forget to shout out the names of your local bookstores/libraries, and if applicable, add their social media website/handles so that we can promote/share them with readers as well!
St. Johns County Library-https://www.instagram.com/stjohnscountylibrary/
Jax Library-https://www.instagram.com/jaxlibrary/
Book stores:
Needful Books and Things-https://www.instagram.com/needfulbooksandthings/
No Shelf Control – https://www.instagram.com/no_shelf_controlsta/
Novel Tea Books- https://www.instagram.com/novelteabookshop/
The Literary Lounge- https://www.instagram.com/literaryloungejax/
ToyTopia *all locations – https://www.instagram.com/toytopiatoys/
Chamblins –https://www.instagram.com/chamblinsbooks/
The Book Loft at Amelia Island-https://www.instagram.com/bookloftamelia/
La Casa Studios in St. Augustine- https://www.instagram.com/lacasastudiosfl/
For some of our newer authors who may be debuting soon *so exciting* could you share more details on how to plan author visits and events?
Typically, it’s good to plan out how many events you have the capacity for from a timing perspective and what you’re willing to invest in from a collateral and financial standpoint. Larger events/markets require a table setup, signage, tents, table cloths, inventory, and more. They also come with an upfront cost, occasionally, or a “vendor fee,” so try to set a realistic limit on what you’re willing to spend to be a vendor. Be strategic. Will there be a lot of authors at this event, or can you find ones where you’re the cornerstone author so that you can make additional connections and revenue? If there are multiple authors, you might not be able to have as many conversations with potential clients due to the speed people breeze through markets when they have their kids.
Author visits require less up-front costs, but you should have a media kit created that has information about your book, any awards, a photo of you with your book, and what your author visits include, your website, social media handles, etc. This will help you appear more professional and organized. Many debut authors struggle knowing where to start, so having your presentation developed and ready on PPT, Canva, etc., and thinking about what type of interactive elements you’ll include will help you on your journey to school visits.
Tell us about your stories! What are they about? What was their inspiration? And what do you hope each story will bring the reader?
Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality is about a young girl who gets bullied on the school bus and goes into this dreamstate where she finds herself in The Jungle of Individuality. There, she meets three animals who help guide her into being more self-confident, resilient, and learning how to take a pause. Jane learns to embrace the things that make her unique due to her jungle friends, who all have unique quirks themselves. I hope that this story helps kids embrace the things that make them special, instead of being embarrassed by them. I also hope it fosters empathy, kindness, and shows them that bullying is not okay. My second book, Jane’s Carnival Adventure, follows Jane and Molly at the school carnival. Jane is excelling at all the carnival games, while Molly is struggling and feels inadequate in her own skills, lacking the confidence to continue to play. Jane passes down the lessons she learned in the jungle and teaches her it’s okay to fail and try again. Perseverance, empathy, kindness, and resiliency are all topics readers can take away from the sequel in The Adventures of Jane’s Imagination series.
Could you tell us more about the themes you explore in your books, such as anxiety, bullying, mindfulness, and self-confidence, and why these topics in kidlit are so important?
It was important for me to tackle topics like bullying, anxiety, self-confidence, and mindfulness so that kids understand they’re not alone with their big feelings. Young children are consistently met with a lot of challenges, so having a book that can address multiple topics in one was my goal.
I saw that you offer activity sheets for 1st-4th graders that accompany your stories. We’d love to learn more about what these activity sheets include!
Yes! For Jane Escapes, I have a 36-page educator resource, and for Jane’s Carnival Adventure, I have a 15-page resource. These resources include activities like vocabulary, crossword puzzles, dissecting scenarios in the story like bullying, friendship, and perseverance, and celebrating the things that make you unique.
See what Jennifer has to offer on TEACHER CORNER!
What is your biggest reason for WHY you write? What does writing bring YOU?
My biggest reason why I write is to help people understand they’re not alone and to bring joy to others’ lives through literature. Writing brings me a lot of creativity, joy, and satisfaction, seeing a story come to life from start to finish.
What have been your greatest publishing highlights? This could be anything that brings you joy from publishing- notes from readers, personal experiences, etc.
Golden Wizard award, Literary Titan award, Reader’s Favorite Five-Star, and a positive Kirkus review that said Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality was “A beautiful celebration of human differences.” My eBooks also jumped to the top of the charts in their categories during the launch week. What I love the most is when a teacher or parent gives me positive feedback where their student or child feels represented or seen in my story.
Any last words of advice that you’d like to share with readers today?
Keep dreaming big. Anything is possible. In all transparency, being a debut author isn’t easy, especially when you’re writing a novel or trying to get published, but if you keep being persistent, everything will work out in time. This is a long game. There isn’t much instant gratification involved since things take time, so you have to be prepared for it.
Thanks so much for joining us today, Jennifer. And now, it’s time for our GIVEAWAY!
For this month’s Feature Interview prize, Jennifer is offering a free signed copy of her book with a Jane doll, coloring sheet, maze, and sticker!
HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
Share a link to the Feature Interview on X/IG or retweet/repost mine (during the corresponding month/year) and tag me X @chellysbooks / @chelseasworldofbooks. If you do not have an X or Instagram account, you may enter by dropping a comment at the bottom of the Feature Interview article.
DEADLINE TO ENTER: LAST DAY OF THE MONTH AT 11:59 PM CST.
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