Writing a book is only the beginning.Author coach, and publisher Brenda Cortez shares the biggest mistakes new authors make and the most important lessons she teaches writers before they publish their first book.Brenda works with authors from the earliest idea stage all the way through editing, layout, publishing, and bringing books to market. Through BC Books, she and her team of editors, illustrators, and designers help authors transform their ideas into professionally published books—while allowing authors to keep full rights to their work.In this conversation, we discuss:• The most important advice every new author needs• The biggest mistakes first-time authors make• What writers need to understand about editing and publishing• How working with a professional team can simplify the publishing process• The ripple effect a book can have on readers and communitiesIf you're writing a book, thinking about writing one, or navigating the publishing journey, this episode offers practical insight and encouragement from someone who has helped many authors turn their ideas into published books.To learn more about Brenda: https://www.bcbooksllc.com/coaching__________________________________

📲 LET’S STAY CONNECTED: https://linktr.ee/joannmdickinsonautho 🌐 Visit my website: ⁠https://www.joannmdickinsonauthor.com⁠ 📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/joann.dickinson.author/ 📘 Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/JoAnnDickinsonAuthor/ 📺 YOUTUBE “Watch full episodes on YouTube and Subscribe” https://www.youtube.com/@JoAnnMDickinsonAuthor?sub_confirmation=1 🎧SPOTIFY “Listen on the go”: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mjhykL1T0fAuSJzcw6Tia LEARN MORE ABOUT BECOMING A CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR: https://www.youtube.com/@AuthorHarleighRose #selfpublishing #indieauthor #childrensbooks #writingtips #kidlit

In this episode children’s author Leigh Ann Hughes shares her inspiring journey back to writing after years away.

Leigh Ann opens up about how motherhood reignited her creativity and how she builds engaging elementary chapter book series like Cob & the Kingdom and the Hart Girls Adventure Series.

This conversation dives deep into chapter book writing for young readers, pacing, character development, and what it takes to create stories kids want to return to again and again. A must-watch episode for aspiring and established children’s authors.https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BJXHJ9HB/allbooks___________________________________________📲 LET’S STAY CONNECTED: https://linktr.ee/joannmdickinsonautho 🌐 Visit my website: ⁠https://www.joannmdickinsonauthor.com⁠ 📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/joann.dickinson.author/ 📘 Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/JoAnnDickinsonAuthor/ 📺 YOUTUBE “Watch full episodes on YouTube and Subscribe” https://www.youtube.com/@JoAnnMDickinsonAuthor?sub_confirmation=1

🎧SPOTIFY “Listen on the go”: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mjhykL1T0fAuSJzcw6Tia LEARN MORE ABOUT BECOMING A CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR: https://www.youtube.com/@AuthorHarleighRose #selfpublishing #indieauthor #publishedauthor #writingtips

How does a children’s book character grow beyond the page and into a bigger brand?

In this episode, I sit down with award-winning Elizabeth Retter, creator of the beloved Easton series, to talk about brand expansion, animation, stuffed toys, school visits, and the heart behind her mission.

Elizabeth shares how Easton’s children's books grew into a plush toy, how she used AI to create animation, why consistency matters when creating author products, and how her work with rescue animals continues to shape her stories. We also talk about what authors really need to know about building a successful children’s book business — one rooted in connection, purpose, and long-term growth.

If you’re a children’s author, self-published creator, educator, or parent, this episode is packed with insights on storytelling, business, and building a world readers connect with deeply.

Website:https://elizabethretter.com/

______________________________________________________

LET’S STAY CONNECTED: https://linktr.ee/joannmdickinsonautho

🌐 Visit my website: ⁠https://www.joannmdickinsonauthor.com⁠ For FREE downloads!

📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/joann.dickinson.author/

📘 Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/JoAnnDickinsonAuthor/

📺 YOUTUBE“Watch full episodes on YouTube and Subscribe” https://www.youtube.com/@JoAnnMDickinsonAuthor?sub_confirmation=1

#ChildrensBooks #SelfPublishing #kidlit #brandbuilding

How do faith, farming, and science come together in a children’s book?

Award-winning author Sarah Philpott, PhD, talks about how life on her family’s cattle farm inspired her new lift-the-flap board book Wake Up, Little Seed.

Sarah is an ECPA award nominee and Selah Book of the Year winner, and she shares how her experiences as a farm mom, author, and PhD graduate in education shape the way she writes for children.

http://allamericanmom.net/IG: https://www.instagram.com/sarahlphilpott/

📲 LET’S STAY CONNECTED: https://linktr.ee/joannmdickinsonautho

🌐 Visit my website: ⁠https://www.joannmdickinsonauthor.com⁠

📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/joann.dickinson.author/

📘 Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/JoAnnDickinsonAuthor/

📺 YOUTUBE“Watch full episodes on YouTube and Subscribe” https://www.youtube.com/@JoAnnMDickinsonAuthor?sub_confirmation=1

🎧SPOTIFY“Listen on the go”: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mjhykL1T0fAuSJzcw6Tia

Not every child learns to read the same way, and some children need stories written with their unique learning challenges in mind.

Children’s book author and speech-language pathologist Carole G. Barton shares how her books are designed to help children build confidence, communication skills, and emotional intelligence.

With over 25 years of experience as a speech therapist, Carole uses storytelling to support children who struggle with reading, social communication, and learning challenges.

Whether you’re a parent, educator, speech therapist, or children’s author, this conversation highlights the powerful role books can play in helping kids succeed.

https://www.brunosfriendshipchronicles.com/meet-the-teamIG: https://www.instagram.com/carolegbarton/

_________________________________________

📲 LET’S STAY CONNECTED: https://linktr.ee/joannmdickinsonautho

🌐 Visit my website: ⁠https://www.joannmdickinsonauthor.com⁠

📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/joann.dickinson.author/

📘 Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/JoAnnDickinsonAuthor/

📺 YOUTUBE: Watch full episodes on YouTube and Subscribe” https://www.youtube.com/@JoAnnMDickinsonAuthor?sub_confirmation=1

🎧SPOTIFY: Listen on the go”: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mjhykL1T0fAuSJzcw6Tia

Can something as simple as five basic colors help children understand complex emotions?

Award-winning children's author-illustrator and teacher Katie Gigliotti shares the inspiration behind her Colors of Emotions 5-book series and how she intentionally uses color, mood, and visual storytelling to help children recognize and express their feelings.

Katie also discusses her creative process as both author and illustrator, how emotions influence her artistic decisions, and how she involved her audience through social media polls to help name characters and share the book’s creation in real time.https://www.katiegigliotti.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/katiegigliottibooks/

_____________________________________________________

If you enjoy bringing STEM, creativity, and emotional learning to life for kids, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to Beyond the Book with JoAnn Dickinson. I interview children’s authors, educators, and creators who share how storytelling sparks curiosity, emotional growth, and lifelong learning.

Connect & Explore:

🌐 Website: https://joannmdickinsonauthor.com

🔗 All Links: https://linktr.ee/joannmdickinsonauthor

📺 YOUTUBE“Watch full episodes on YouTube and Subscribe” https://www.youtube.com/@JoAnnMDickinsonAuthor?sub_confirmation=1

How does an author turn lifelong friendships into a children’s book series about diversity and inclusion?

Author, professor, and researcher Dr. Kimberly A. Matthews shares how her first children’s book was inspired by her real-life friends, reimagined as kindergarten classmates on their first day of school.

What began as one story grew into a series celebrating cultural representation, diverse backgrounds, and the powerful common bond of friendship.

This meaningful kindergarten story highlights the importance of inclusive children’s books, social-emotional learning, and helping kids understand that while we may look different, our first-day-of-school nerves, excitement, and desire to belong are universal.https://secretingredient.fyi/

_________________________________________________

I’m JoAnn Dickinson, an award-winning children’s book author who has successfully self-published 16 books in just 4years, and now I’m sharing everything I’ve learned along the way.

This channel is dedicated to helping aspiring children’s book authors, illustrators, and indie publishers bring their stories to life through real conversations about writing, self-publishing, marketing children’s books, and everything in between.

LET'S CONNECT:

LINKTR.EE: https://linktr.ee/joannmdickinsonauthor

🌐 Visit my website: https://joannmdickinsonauthor.com

📺 YOUTUBE

“Watch full episodes on YouTube andSubscribe” https://www.youtube.com/@JoAnnMDickinsonAuthor?sub_confirmation=1

What starts as grief doesn’t always end the way you expect.

Author-illustrator Heather Boschke shares how returning to drawing during the pandemic, after nearly 30 years away, unexpectedly became a source of healing. What began as simple bird sketches led her back into nature, into birding, and ultimately into writing Little Birdie Buddies of Love, a children's and parents' book that has brought comfort to readers experiencing loss.

Heather opens up about feathers as symbols of presence, hope, and love, the emotional story that inspired this book, and how listening to those quiet “whispers” in her heart shaped her creative path. This conversation is a reminder that creativity can heal, and sometimes the smallest act can lead to something far bigger than we ever imagined.🌿

Learn more: littlebirdiebuddies.com

______________________________________________

Connect & Explore:

🌐 Website: https://joannmdickinsonauthor.com

🔗 All Links: https://linktr.ee/joannmdickinsonauthor

Are you writing too many words in your children’s book?

Children’s book author and former elementary school teacher Ashlee Yates shares one of the most common children’s book storytelling mistakes new authors make: forgetting that illustrations do the heavy lifting.

If you’re learning how to write a children’s book, this conversation breaks down why kids connect more deeply with images than text, how illustrations support literacy and engagement, and how authors can write picture books that children actually want to read again and again.

Perfect for aspiring children’s book authors, educators, and self-published authors.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0DK9VG6LVIG: https://www.instagram.com/ashleeauthors/

__________________________________

Connect & Explore:

🌐 Website: https://joannmdickinsonauthor.com

🔗 All Links: https://linktr.ee/joannmdickinsonauthor

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@JoAnnMDickinsonAuthor?sub_confirmation=1

Before you self-publish a children's book, there are three questions every author needs to answer, and skipping them can lead to confusion, wasted money, and stalled progress.Kim Eley, CEO, writing coach, and publisher at KWE Publishing, shares how she helps new and seasoned authors create a clear publishing “GPS” before moving forward.This episode is especially helpful for children’s book authors and first-time authors who want clarity, strategy, and a trustworthy path to publishing.https://www.kwepub.com/

________________________________________LET'S CONNECT: LINKTR.EE: https://linktr.ee/joannmdickinsonauthor 🌐 Visit my website: https://joannmdickinsonauthor.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joann.dickinson.author/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoAnnDickinsonAuthor/ 🎧 Listen on the go - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mjhykL1T0fAuSJzcw6Tia

#childrensbooks #selfpublishing #authortube #indieauthor author