Self Publishing Myths, Inspiring Curiosity, and Being A Book Nerd with Lauren Ranalli

Please welcome author Lauren Ranalli to the show today! I found Lauren through the kidlit community online and had so much fun talking with her about inspiration, book nerdiness, and all things books and writing. I hope you enjoy the episode! Some Highlights:  She first started writing stories after her son was born. As an interfaith family, her son was given many Christmas books, but she had a hard time finding any similar titles featuring Hanukkah. And so The Great Latke Cookoff began to take root, later becoming her first published picture book. At the time she didn’t know self publishing was a thing (much like myself) and she ended up waiting 6 years before doing anything with the manuscript. Once she learned more about self publishing from a friend, she went for it! Lauren published her first book in  2018 since has published 3 others since, while also having a ton of fun doing it. The myth that self publishing is an option for people who can’t get a publisher. It’s a choice. How much control do you want over it? Importance of creating and carving out quiet time. We’re all researching the same thing–the beauty in sharing resources and spending your precious hours on making your book amazing. Benefits of a business mastermind–not just with authors, but other business owners. Play around with the format, in person, virtual, meeting times and days, adapting as the years go on. Advantages of having control over the whole publication process in self publishing whenever you face obstacles. The myth of self publishing that you go it alone. If you are not an illustrator, DO NOT ILLUSTRATE YOUR BOOK. You can have a team, editors, illustrators, website designers, and more. SCBWI is a great place to start looking for illustrators and other pros on your team. Also this post on Lauren’s site about working with an illustrator. I loved hearing Lauren talk about why she writes–because of the curiosity it inspires. She wants to see more stories out there. Picture books inspire curiosity to learn more which is exactly what my new podcast project, The Curious Compassionate, with Picture Book Peeps is about. More about Snow Day at The Zoo: “What happens when the zookeeper’s children get snowed in with their favorite animals? Find out in this wonderful winter adventure! A rhyming picture book that is perfect for young readers and animal lovers.” Available for pre-order now, out on November 30, 2024. Other Links: Lauren’s Website Snow Day at The Zoo by Lauren Ranalli and illustrated by Mollie Olinyk  All of Lauren’s Books Lauren’s Training and Coaching info Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Lauren’s Free Self-Publishing Guide Book Recommendations: Yellowface by R. F. Kuang Erasure by Percival Everett Tom Lake by Ann Patchett and if you want to revisit Our Town by Thornton Wilder first I Absolutely, Positively Love My Spots by Lid’ya C Moore and illustrated by Niña MataThank you, Lauren! And stay tuned for next week’s episode with author Marzieh Abbas!