Markette Sheppard never planned to become a children’s author. She started as a journalist, but over time her work expanded into books, learning materials, and stories for young readers, especially stories that help children see themselves reflected in the world around them.
During the pandemic, Sheppard noticed that the educational materials sent home to her son did not reflect children of color. She responded by creating her own flashcards, worksheets, … Read the rest
After five years of development, Akilah Green, also known as Akilah the Genius, is ready to introduce the world to her debut children’s book, Wash Those Hands (Page Publishing, August 25, 2005). With an accompanied coloring book, book tour, and catchy jingle underway, Green is determined to finally make her mark in children’s publishing.
She once wrote an unreleased poetry book (as well as other stories) and even pursued … Read the rest
When Emmy-winning television host, marketing executive, and bestselling author Markette Sheppard returned to SBC in support of her new children’s book Ninja Nate (Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, September 26, 2023) illustrated by Robert Paul Jr., we asked if it starts with an idea or confidence.
It was during this topic that Sheppard revealed the success story of a book idea of hers that had gotten … Read the rest
Often, when people share that they have written a book, they are met with congratulatory responses. While the reason may seem obvious, let us unpack an author’s perspective on why this is common. New York-based entrepreneur, educator, and debut author Cheyenne Gadsden recently appeared on SBC in support of her children’s book Dream Big Young One: Believe it and It Will Come True.
“That is a milestone,” she says. … Read the rest
What would legendary book editor Maxwell Perkins (F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe) tell his great-granddaughter, public relations guru and debut author Jane Owen today? “I think he would say ‘Keep working at it,'” she tells So Booking Cool. “I definitely don’t think that I’ve done my best work yet. I’m very, very proud of the book that I’ve written. I think that it’s great; I actually read … Read the rest
As many of us know, the world has been mourning the loss of the late great Kobe Bryant. Award-winning novelist, writer, and former world-ranked squash player Ivy Claire Pochoda who collaborated with Bryant on their number one New York Times bestselling series Epoca shares her perspective on his passing while working on Book 2, The River of Sand (Granity Studios, December 15, 2020). “It’s been really hard, I mean, … Read the rest
Among the first things award-winning author and founding member of the The Brown Bookshelf Kelly Starling Lyons did when she knew she wanted to write children’s books was study the craft, especially after realizing her seasoned background in print journalism was a different style of writing compared to children’s literature. “Though I was trained as a feature writer, and, though I had written poetry for fun and other kinds of … Read the rest
When asked for advice about what authors should look for in agents, editors, and publishers, award-winning and Charming As A Verb (Balzer + Bray, October 13, 2020) author Ben Philippe, encourages finding industry professionals whose emails they are unafraid to receive. “I have friends who are also writers, they have that fear of their own editors and publishers,” he tells So Booking Cool. “They’re like ‘Oh, I made too … Read the rest
The advice Booki Vivat, author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling series, Frazzled, has for other authors and illustrators is to not discredit their creative work. “… Doodling, I totally dismissed it as not being creative,” she tells So Booking Cool. “I grew up writing fanfiction, and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s not writing, that’s not really writing.’ But it is. And all of these things people … Read the rest
A lesson that 15-year-old entrepreneur, storyteller, performer, and podcaster, Ssanyu Lukoma, has embraced amid the journey of her nonprofit organization, Brown Kids Read Inc., is that the worst thing someone can say is ‘no.’ “Whenever I want to ask people to help support Brown Kids Read or I want to ask people to get people involved in this contest or do something, I always think that it’s best to … Read the rest
