I'M SO GLAD
YOU'RE HERE.
HI, I'M KJERSTEN
I am a wife, a mom of two wonderful daughters, a published children's book author, and Founder of PublishSmart Academy. My passion is helping aspiring authors achieve their dream of publishing a children's book! Through PublishSmart Academy, I coach people around the world how to write, self-publish, and market their children's books so they can become successful children's book authors.
MY STORY
I've always had a creative mind, and from a young age, I loved writing. I spent many days lost in my imagination, writing short stories about make-believe lands and stories based on my real-life experiences. I'm fortunate my parents never threw away any of my old literary masterpieces so I can re-read them whenever I want to take a walk down memory lane. Thanks, Mom and Dad.
Technically, I authored my first children's book in first grade. The book was titled Little Beaver, a short story about a baby beaver my family found under our canoe. Finding a baby beaver at the age of 7 was hands down the best moment of my life at the time, so of course, I had to write about it. Illustrated with my stellar stick-figure drawing skills, I'm sure it would have made all of the bestseller lists nationwide, but it sadly never made it to print.
Writing has always been one of my creative outlets, but it wasn't until I became a mom that I decided to attempt writing and publishing a children's book. I spent countless hours researching how to self-publish my book and realized there was much more to it than just a few steps. After months of writing and editing my manuscript, working with an illustrator, and checking off all the steps needed prior to launching, I was finally ready to publish my first children's book, E is for Elephant: An Animal Alphabet from A to Z! To this day, getting published is one of the most fulfilling moments of my life.
WHY I TEACH
After publishing my children's book, so many people contacted me for help to get their book ideas published. They had an idea or a fully-written manuscript but were stuck trying to figure out the next steps to getting published. All these people were in the exact same shoes I had been in, and I knew I wanted to help. If there were so many people with fantastic book ideas that could make an impact but didn't know what steps to take, I could combine my passion for writing with my passion for helping others and guide them along their self-publishing journey. That is how PublishSmart Academy was born!
IN THE NEWS
Kjersten has been an amazing resource in my research on book publishing. She provided a clear and thorough step-by-step to-do list which made the seemingly overwhelming process seem possible, and she has been available and encouraging all along the way. I can highly recommend her services and support!
____ Anna Keville Joyce, Buenos Aires & NYC
Kjersten provided me incredible insight to get started as a first time author. She covered everything from how to negotiate royalties, to where to find barcodes, and how to build a marketing plan. If I had needed to research it all on my own it would have taken months. I was able to successfully publish my book on time and sell thousands of copies. I cannot recommend working with Kjersten enough!
____ AK Ratti, Tampa
First-time author of award-winning children’s book, My Travel Alphabet: 26 Magical Places on Earth
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