August 2022 Update!

Summer is ending, so I decided to say a great big "Hi!" with a fun update about what I'm working on! Spoiler alert: There is A LOT!!

#1: A Dinosaur Made Me Spill: A Water Cycle Adventure is scheduled to release in October! We are hoping to get copies out to all our Kickstarter supporters at the beginning of September, but I am waiting on shipping news to get a final date out! This has become a two-year project, so I am particularly excited about seeing it finally available!

#2: I am a Dinosaur is the first book in a new early reader series...and it is delightful! Beta readers have told us they love the characters, the story, and the artwork, and we are working feverishly behind the scenes to get it ready to release. Hopefully, it will be available in time for Christmas!

#3: A Very Yeti Pumpkin Pie is in the middle of layout and design! Everyone's favorite yetis are back to bring you a Thanksgiving/Halloween/Fall themed story, and it is also getting rave reviews from our beta readers! Problem-solving, pumpkins, STEM, and a quick rhyming story are all part of its irresistible charm! It should be available in paperback by September!

#4: Do You Have a Heart is my newest non-fiction science book! It is perfect for new readers, preschoolers, and anyone who loves a little animal science! It is a supplemental part of my growing Kindergarten science curriculum, and it is now available on Amazon!

Right now, I am pausing a lot of projects as we get ready to start school this week! This is me sending you and your families lots of excited back-to-school energy for the year!

💖 Carla

Books by Carla Mae Jansen:

"A Dinosaur Made Me" Books:

 

"Little Fingers Big Science" Books:

  

Yeti Books:

2022 -- A New Year!

 {What is your plan?}

I see a lot of posts in writing groups where people ask something similar to "How do I get started?" or "What do I do next?"

I've been thinking about this a lot because... well, it's January, and I have a lot of New Year ideas floating around. January is a great time of year to look at where you've been, where you're going, and what your plan is to get there. I've been working on this myself, and I thought I'd share in case it is helpful to anyone. I'd love to see your plans too--share it to make yourself accountable and help others with ideas!

Where I've been:
2020: A year of learning. I learned SO much! I started my little publishing company, hired an illustrator, ran a month-long Kickstarter, and published A Dinosaur Made Me Sneeze, the first in a fun Earth science meets fiction series. My books arrived the last few weeks of the year.
2021: Try everything! I learned SO much more this year! I think bulk printing on off-set printers is the best way to publish, but I wanted to know what everyone was talking about with KDP. So I started a nonfiction series for preschoolers and published When Will Cicada Sing? and Who Needs a Volcano? as paperbacks and ebooks on KDP. I prepared A Dinosaur Made Me Spill and ran a 2-week Kickstarter for it (my Kickstarter backers should get it this spring and it will probably be released to the public in the fall). My girls pushed me to publish Ten Very Merry Yetis in December (and we sold out of it at the one Christmas event I did)! I did school visits, street fairs, and festivals...and I LOVED it!! I sold about 1800 books this year, and actually made a profit!

Where I'm Going:
2022: (Keep Trying New Things!) and Scaling UP! I want to sell more, reach more people, and keep making books! I have at least one more dino book coming, several more nonfiction preschool books, and a new decodable series for early readers. I want to work with more people and other publishers. I want to learn everything (yes, everything, lol!), try new things, and grow my little business!

My Plan: This is clearly the abbreviated, goal-oriented version. 
=> Finish setting up A+ content for my KDP books.
=> Figure out how to make higher return ads on KDP.
=> Finish up A Dinosaur Made Me Spill and release it in an epic, exciting launch.
=> Finish writing the next dino book.
=> Write two more nonfiction preschool books.
=> Outline the rest of the nonfiction preschool series.
=> Write a kindergarten science curriculum based on the nonfiction preschool series.
=> Have an epic, nation-wide launch for my new early readers.
=> Grow FB & IG.
=> Do more school visits, festivals, street fairs, and other events!

Soooo... what's your plan?! What are you working on?!