Shana is a passionate primary school teacher of nearly 20 years. This past year she has been particularly busy – adding author, business owner AND podcaster to her growing list of achievements! Read about her self-publishing journey and her beautiful books that I’m sure many mothers and their children can relate to (me for one!). But first…
Shana’s favourite book from childhood?
Goosebumps – Create Your Own Adventure Series
Shana’s kids favourite picture books?
My son (3 years old) loves reading pop-up books and any book about transport.
In this Article
About me
I have always enjoyed reading different genres of books and being immersed in the amazing worlds they can transport you to. They can inspire learning, creativity, and a world of imagination. Teaching has been a massive part of my life. One of the things I love about teaching is working with so many dynamic students and building connections with them while supporting them to gain confidence in themselves. In the classroom, I loved how I could link my love of books with the content I was teaching and see the joy with my students spark.
After I wrote and published my first book, I desired to create more books and look at what else I could creatively do and how I could combine my teaching knowledge into creating valuable resources. Nurturing the whole child is extremely important to me. I wanted to build a space that could be a helpful resource for parents and families, so my business Nurture Connect Play was born after I had begun publishing.
Via the different Nurture Connect Play social media platforms, I share:
- My books
- Educational resources
- Ideas on connection-led strategies when interacting and engaging with kids to help set them up for success.
- Supporting children in feeling valued
- Child-led play ideas
- Chalk and Coffee Podcast. Episodes include guests from teachers, fellow authors, parents, and other professionals who support children’s thriving. You can listen to episodes here!
I plan to create a database with different resources and businesses that people can use to help their children in their learning journey.
My self-publishing journey
Since embracing motherhood, my bond with my child has become one of the most important in my life. This magical connection has been my guiding star and inspired me to begin my author journey. So, I started on this crazy learning journey in July 2023 after writing my first draft of Mama, I See You.
Mama, I See You is an endearing picture book that celebrates the profound bond and timeless love between a child and their mother. The heartfelt tale captures special and sweet moments where a little one finds solace in a mother’s arms, knowing that every unspoken need will be met with a loving touch.
From there, it took at least three months to complete the book illustrations and complete all the steps to getting them printed:
- Hiring an editor,
- learning how to set up a business,
- and formatting the book.
When I first held a copy of my book, it was amazing! It is incredible to have a physical representation of all the hard work you do to get to that stage.
I was beyond proud of myself and extremely happy that I decided to go on this adventure.
Self-publishing course
I was fortunate that I was looking into different ways to possibly publish my book before I shared with anyone what I wanted to do. I came across the self-publishing course by Laura Feldman from Little Ivory Haus. In this course, she breaks down the process in an easy, stepby-step manner so you do not become overwhelmed.
The part I love the most is connecting with others on the same journey. We support each other. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in learning how to self-publish.
To learn more about Little Ivory Haus and to watch Laura’s FREE webinars on Getting Started with writing a children’s book & Marketing for Self-published authors, visit her website here – Discounted price on Laura’s courses are available via Birchy’s Books affiliate links.
Investing in myself
Throughout this journey, I have learnt more about the number of things I can manage simultaneously. I realised that meeting and balancing my needs, being a present parent, and focusing when at work are all important.
Having designated times for each aspect of my business, job, and parenting is essential to ensuring that I continually work towards growing and developing in each of the different roles.
The most significant win I made was investing in myself. Being an author with published books has pushed me out of my comfort zone. I am naturally an introvert who prefers to keep to myself; however, running a business where social media is necessary has helped me become brave and share things about myself and my businesses with others.
The best bits about self-publishing
The best part about self-publishing is that I have been able to oversee the entire process and have creative control over the vision I have and am trying to create in my books.
- I love being able to offer webinars to support and mentor early career teachers’ transition to teaching. More information can be found on my website.
- I’m my own boss and am utilising all the skills and essential elements I have learnt together in the businesses I have made.
Small business things
Starting up a new business is always tricky as it takes money and lots of time to invest in it to ensure it keeps growing. However, I have found that I must wear many different hats and perform various roles for my businesses.
As a sole trader, you are:
- the owner,
- records manager,
- financial record manager,
- advertising specialist,
- and marketing guru, to name a few.
It is a steep learning curve, but it has been fun along the way!
Building a business
I found setting up, running, and maintaining my business challenging; the most significant factor for me is time. I have many ideas and ways to continue growing and expanding my business. Being organised and regularly completing admin tasks helps me stay on top of what needs to be completed. Having a space to work and record upcoming tasks allows me to have fewer thoughts running around.
I have considered publishing through traditional channels, but the progress can take a long time. I will continue to submit different texts created for publishing companies, but I will publish specific stories I write myself.
Seperation anxiety
After I published Mama, I See You, my son experienced separation anxiety; I wanted to create a story that parents could use as a resource to support their children experiencing the same feelings and emotions. The book includes knowledge I have learnt from my teaching experiences and how I want to help my son through his challenging experience.
When I pick him up after being at work all day, he always says to me, ‘Always come back’. He knows I will return. This is included in the book at the end of the story when Joey is reunited with his mum.
Don’t Go is a tender narrative of a child navigating the mystery of separation for the first time. Guided by his mother, Joey feels at ease in her presence; his emotions are embraced and understood. Their unbreakable bond eases his discomfort at her departure, for he trusts and knows she will return.
Aspiring authors
I am so glad that I decided to publish my own books. Anyone else who is wanting to publish their own story, go for it!
Doing something different and challenging is extremely rewarding and you meet many exceptional individuals along the way!
If I can be of any help, please reach out to me!
What's Next?
My passion for self-learning and seeking knowledge has helped me to grow continually. I thrive on building meaningful connections and supporting others.
I have many creative ideas, but I only do one at a time so that I am not spread too thin. I am slowly working on another book, ensuring I can give it the time and attention it deserves. I am excited to collaborate again with the illustrator who created the gorgeous hand-drawn watercolour illustrations in Mama, I See You. If you are keen to follow along with the process, follow me on Instagram.
Working through the entire process and understanding how it all works has been helpful. This time, I can use that knowledge to ensure I am working through each part of the process at one stage at a time. It also helps that I don’t have to create my website and set up my business, as that is already done. This time, I can enjoy the creative process of writing and publishing a book.
Anyone wanting to purchase a copy of Mama, I See You, or Don’t Go can visit my website. My books are available worldwide, and my website provides a list of different options for purchasing copies.
Find more insightful articles from Birchy's Books featured Indie Authors:
If you’re interested in sharing your self-publishing story on Indie Author of the Week – get in touch, today!
Chalk and Coffee – A podcast
You can find and follow Shana on socials – Facebook, Instagram & Tik Tok and visit her website – nurtureconnectplay.com for more!
Thank you for sharing your self-publishing experience with Birchy’s Books, Shana!
