I don’t know if I’m the only one who remembers the ‘What Katie Did…’ series of books? Certainly, they were books that I loved as a child. And, not just because the title character shared my name! You might be wondering why I’m talking about books and not beads here. Well, as with all things, there is method to my madness… You’re about to find out why, as I share with you ‘What Katie Did Next’!
What Katie Did Next
If you follow my beading adventures on a regular basis, you’ll know that I’ve been talking for a while about moving on. Well, I’m not leaving the beads completely…yet…(more on that later). But I have begun a new venture and I hope that I will be able to make it take off, in time.
So, what is it?
What Katie did next is…write children’s books.
For me, this isn’t such a new venture. I’ve been writing stories for as long as I’ve been able to write. I have also written and printed (through the print-on-demand sites, like Blurb) books for my nieces.
In fact, when I was a very small child, if you’d asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would have told you I wanted to be a writer. So, I guess the beading books have been a step on that path. I think part of me thought that meant I would write a novel. But, in fact, I realise, I’ve spent a lot of time practising writing stories for children…and I love doing it!
As with the beading, it’s not just about the writing. I also get to draw. Yes – I’ve finally been brave enough to actually publish a book properly and start trying to work out how on earth I’m going to sell it. And yes, I illustrated it all as well as writing the story. So, let me introduce…
Elf’s Big Adventure…
Or, as I’m thinking of it at the moment, Katie’s Big Adventure!
I’ve published this through Amazon. So, that means I can (hopefully) make use of Amazon’s selling power to help me here. At the very least, it means the book is available worldwide. So, unlike my beading books, you can buy ‘Elf’s Big Adventure’ on your local Amazon. It will qualify for Amazon delivery and free shipping options too. I’m hoping that will be a plus!
Currently, one week after publication, it is residing at a cool 300,000 and something in the ‘best seller’ rankings! Which just underlines the fact that, it’s not enough to just press ‘publish’. The hard work really starts after that, when you (I) have to persuade people to buy it!
So, I am very grateful to a few friends who have almost certainly pushed it up the rankings! And I’m hoping I might be able to do a few of you a favour here…
If you usually give a gift to a small child for Christmas, Thanksgiving, a birthday, or any other upcoming occasion… then, I hope I can save you the trouble of wondering what to get them this year…
…’Elf’s Big Adventure’, by Katie Dean. ISBN 978-1704217932…
Similarly, if you know anyone who regularly buys children’s books, I would be most grateful if you could help me out and tell them about this.
My New Website
Back to that point about the difficulty of selling…
I’ve learned a lot from my beading. Not least, the importance of having a website and a mailing list. So, if I want ‘What Katie Did Next’ to be… ‘write children’s books’, I decided I would need a new website to promote this venture.
So, let me introduce… Katie Dean Children’s Books!
I do have at least five more ideas for books that are fairly well developed. So, yes, that will give me a fair amount of material to justify a website. But, I wanted this to be about more.
You see, my little characters have lives (in my head) outside their books. Plus, I know, as a parent, or a friend or relative, looking after small children, it can be quite a challenge to come up with ways to keep them entertained. (Without also breaking the bank!). In addition to all of that, my mis-spent youth didn’t just involve me writing stories. I used to make games that my brother and I played. (I mean card games, board games – that kind of thing!)
So, I thought I would bring all of that together on my website.
In addition to the book, I’ve just added an ‘Elf Memory’ game. This is something my two nieces love playing. So, I thought probably other children would enjoy it too. And it’s completely free for anyone who joins my mailing list. (In case you’re wondering, the reason I’m setting up the mailing list is so I can distribute more free games and activities, and of course, let people know about new books).
So, as with the book, if that might help you, or help someone you know, please use this link (and share it!) Thank you.
Still beading too…
For the moment, unless ‘Elf’s Big Adventure’ becomes a number 1 best-seller (ha-ha…but a girl can dream!), I’m still going to be doing some beading.
You’ve probably seen, I’ve just created a new Superduo beaded box design.
I can also reveal that I have a project in an upcoming issue of Beadwork…but I can’t say more than that!
And, I’m doing the Toho Challenge 2020. Again, I can’t reveal any details. Although I can give you a sneak peek at some of the beads and colours in my pack. Think tropical… (And yes, this will result in a new beading pattern next year).
So, the beading story isn’t over. But I’m hoping that 2020 will be the start of something new and exciting.
Thank you so much to everyone who has been supporting – and continues to support – my beading journey. I wouldn’t be here without you…seriously! Right now, starting from scratch in a brand new arena – children’s literature (which, I’m told is notoriously hard to get into!) – feels like a big scary challenge. I’ve no idea whether or not I will succeed. But I am hoping I can keep relying on your support to see where all this goes.
So, the future is a blank canvas – or an open book – let’s see what Katie did next…!
