“What’s Your Story?” is a guest post feature on BCBA’s blog. Indie/Self-Published authors are invited to write about their books, writing journey, creative process, inspiration, rewards and challenges of publishing, etc. They can go in whatever direction they choose. We are excited and grateful for their willingness to share, and we hope you enjoy our guests’ stories. Go here for more WYS? posts.
From the time my three children were born to when they were in lower middle school, I read them bedtime stories and sometimes made up stories for them. As they got older, they started reading chapter book series, and I noticed that few featured characters that looked like them or included people from different cultures as we see on a day-to-day basis in our home in the Houston suburbs. Those books we found that did have prominent African American characters often showed them being downtrodden or dealing with major tragedies.
I’m a former journalist, and I’ve always wanted to write my own book. I thought a story about a little girl from Houston highlighting the unique Texas lifestyle and the diversity of Houston would appeal to kids everywhere. Sophie Washington, a smart and sassy 11-year-old who gets into many funny and heartwarming predicaments as she deals with common middle-grade issues like fitting in with friends, managing her schoolwork, and handling other growing pains, was born from this idea. So far, I have written eight books in the series, and since I started marketing it two years ago, I’ve sold over 11,000 books online and hundreds of copies at schools, book festivals, and events. Several of the books have hit number one spots in their categories on Amazon as well. I’ll be releasing book nine in the next couple of months.
I’m thrilled to get fan mail from children who have read and enjoyed my series, and I love to hear that discovering Sophie Washington has encouraged reluctant readers to pick up a book. I hope that my readership continues to grow, and I am currently bidding to become a preferred vendor in Houston area schools.
Being an independent author is a lot of work. I single handedly coordinate things with my formatting, illustrating, and editing teams in addition to handling the marketing of my books. I truly enjoy most aspects of being a children’s author, but I am exploring the idea of taking on an agent in the future as my responsibilities grow. I am a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, which offers support and training from other writing professionals.
I feel so blessed to be living my dream and hope that I’ll be able to share my stories with children for years to come.
Tonya Duncan Ellis is an award-winning author and member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She is a graduate of Centre College of Kentucky and Washington University in St. Louis and has worked as a journalist and freelance magazine writer.
Connect with Tonya Duncan Ellis
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Sophie Washington Book Series
Sophie Washington: Queen of the Bee
Sophie Washington: Things You Didn’t Know About Sophie
Sophie Washington: Mission: Costa Rica
Sophie Washington: Secret Santa
Watch Sophie’s Video Book Trailers!
Books 1-4 | Hurricane | Mission Costa Rica
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