Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Marie Brown.
Katie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in 2011. After graduating, I purchased an event decorating and planning business which was the catalyst for entrepreneurship. I sold the business after 6 years to start a family with my husband, Scott. I thought my dream and vision was to be a stay-at-home mom. I realized fairly quickly that although I loved every second with my little guy, I missed having a creative outlet. That’s when I started writing little ideas for children’s books. I read to my kids all the time and after reading so many books, I thought to myself, maybe I could write a series. I sat with the ideas and partial stories for over a year. Something changed after I had my second baby, a little girl. I really started to focus on myself and my goals. I didn’t make huge changes, but something in me was fired up to try to make something out of these little ideas. I created a vision board for my year, took my health and fitness more seriously, and decided that I wanted to set a good example for my kids. I wanted to be the best version of myself so that I could be the best mom. In doing so, I decided to take the leap. A lot of times as parents, we tell our kids that they can be anything they want to be if they work hard and don’t give up…but what about us? There is some self-sacrificing that goes into parenthood. I wanted to prove to my kids that no matter what age you decide to work towards your goals–they are attainable! I wanted to prove to myself that I can be a great mother and live a life of intention and purpose while also reaching for my dreams.
So, with some encouragement from my husband and a new laptop, I found an editor for my first story. Then I found an illustrator to work with. Slowly but surely, I started chipping away at what needed to be done in order to self-publish my first children’s book. Taking the step to start another business after thinking I had let that part of my life go was scary but exciting. I created a book that children and families are enjoying. I created a website with a blog that has been inspiring to people and I get to read my book to children at schools and storytime events around the Kansas City area. That has been the most rewarding part by far. Seeing the kids light up and be engaged in the story is not only exciting but a blessing. I am loving this author journey that I am on and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. Any time you are trying something new or stretching yourself in a different way, there will be learning curves. The first hurdle was teaching myself how to create an aesthetically pleasing website on my own. As an author, there’s no guarantee that your books will sell, and there are quite a few upfront costs before being able to sell a product. This made everything a little bit more difficult as I was trying to be as frugal with business expenses as possible and teach myself as much as I could in order to not have to hire out tasks. This made the process more time-consuming, but in my opinion worth it because I understand a great deal more having had to do it that way.
The other challenge in the very beginning was finding the right illustrator to bring my vision to life. There were multiple people that applied that were truly talented but weren’t capturing my dream for the characters. I didn’t want T-Rex to look scary or frankly realistic at all. I wanted Tuck to resemble my little boy since he was the inspiration for the series. I feel so fortunate that Jessie applied–her initial character sketches were amazing and exactly what I was envisioning.
The book industry in general and printing distribution options were a challenge at first as well. You can be as creative as you want and have multiple great ideas, but unless you are willing to do the hard work to figure out what is best for your book, your brand, and your vision–self-publishing can be difficult to navigate.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a writer, but more importantly, a wife and mother. I have one self-published children’s book available, T-Rex and Tuck Explore the Zoo. My second book is currently in pre-sale, T-Rex and Tuck Explore Outer Space. I am passionate about writing my weekly blog posts, that you can find on my website every Friday. I recently started writing a memoir with links to personal development that I hope to have completed next year. I am also in the beginning stages of developing a podcast that my dear friend/co-host and I hope to release this fall. I know I am just one woman, but the power of one person can be magnificent if we aren’t afraid to step out of our comfort zones toward growth. I hope to inspire people. Particularly women, especially mothers, to live intentionally, have the courage to ask for help if they need it, and to realize we are not alone in this motherhood journey.
I am most proud of the fact that I took the leap. That I didn’t just think, maybe someday I’ll write a book. I actually wrote the book. I had the courage to ask, “Why not me?” I think what sets me apart from other writers and content creators in my space is my focus on positive affirmations. I am a firm believer in the magic that comes from building yourself up and using positive self-talk. Whether you are a child enjoying one of my story times or a parent reading my weekly blog, I want my audience to feel seen. I want everyone to be courageous enough to not only have big dreams but to reach for them! I end every in-person story time with the following positive affirmations, “I am brave. I am strong. I am smart. I am kind.” I hope to positively impact how kids view themselves. I hope to share messages that caregivers can implement so they can be proud of their intentionality with their children. I want to build confidence one power pose and self-affirming sentence at a time. I hope through my own vulnerability as a wife, mother, and goal-getter that I can inspire people to be the best version of themselves that they can be.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Of course, my family and friends have been my biggest supporters throughout this author journey, and I have to say a big thank you to my kids for the inspiration behind the book series. But my biggest cheerleader, in particular, has been my husband. I wrote multiple stories on notebook paper just to read to my kids at first. He is the one who pushed me to figure out my next steps to turn my stories on paper into real-life books. He gifted me a laptop along with self-publishing and freelance business reading material for Christmas a couple of years ago to get me started. When I told him I was going to create a website and write a weekly blog, which seemed like a huge commitment at the time, he told me to go for it. Each idea and brainstorming session that I have shared with him has inspired me to think even bigger. He works hard so that my little side hobby and passion project can move toward an entire brand. I have multiple projects in the works, and although he is a logical thinker (he’s an engineer) and not quite the creative dreamer that I am, he always finds a way to help my dreams become a reality.
I also have to say a big thank you to Jessie Johnson, the illustrator for the children’s picture book series. Without her, I don’t think the books would be as wonderful as they are. We have worked together with such ease and I can’t wait to see what we come up with for the rest of the books in the series.
Pricing:
- $10 Paperback Books
- $20 Hardcover Books
- $12.50 Canvas Character Bags
- Pricing varies for in-person readings.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.authorkatiemarie.com
- Instagram: @authorkatiemarie
- Facebook: @authorkatiemarie
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/authorkatiemarie
- Youtube: @authorkatiemarie
Image Credits
Gold + Grain Photography
