What I’ve learned since publishing my first children’s book.

When I wrote Max the Gemstone Finder, I thought the hard part would be writing it.

It wasn’t.

Finishing the manuscript is creative work.
Publishing is operational work.
Marketing is emotional work.

You move from storyteller to salesperson overnight — and that shift requires a different kind of resilience.

A few reflections:

1. The market is crowded — and that’s a privilege.
There are extraordinary children’s books being published every week. The quality of storytelling, illustration and production is high. It forces you to raise your own standards.

2. Visibility is not the same as value.
A book can be meaningful and still require serious effort to be seen. Distribution, reviews, school visits, bookstore relationships — none of it happens by accident.

3. We are competing with screens.
Encouraging children to slow down, imagine, and fall into a story feels more important than ever. When a child lights up talking about what they love, you’re reminded why books still matter.

4. The author community matters more than I expected.
Publishing can feel solitary. The writers who support, encourage, and share generously are the ones building something sustainable — not just individually, but collectively.

Most of all, I’ve learned that storytelling is not just about producing a book.
It’s about building connection — with children, with parents, with educators, and with other creators.

The learning curve has been steep.
The reward — seeing children recognise themselves in Max — makes it worthwhile.

More reflections to come.