Moonbeam's Halloween Wish - Joan Enockson

In the summer of 2015, I had an experience that I believe was planned by God. I was stressed about an upcoming job change, and I went for a walk on a foggy, pre-dawn morning. A conversation between two owls stopped me in my tracks, and I listened to them for a while. After that, I couldn't get the owls out of my head, nor would the frequency of seeing snowy white owls stop. During that foggy morning walk, I wrote a little rhyming poem about the owls. For the next four years, I pushed the signs away, even as the frequency of them increased. By 2019, with stories constantly swirling in my thoughts and battling intense insomnia, I finally decided to embrace the idea and start my educational journey. I knew it would be a lot of work, but I had already had experience of what life was like when you don't listen to God. It's not fun. I spent three years clearing my mind of ten stories and dedicated myself to learning everything I could about the self-publishing industry. This included building a website and creating my accounting sheets using Google Sheets. The deal that I made with God is that I will grind and do the work, and He will take care of the results. After all, this was His idea. The result has been one blessing after another. "Know the plans I have for you, to prosper and not fail." I am excited that He chose to prepare me for such a great retirement mission. It's so important to have a purpose and add value in life. I am looking forward to see what He has in store for Tall Girl Publishing.

Moonbeam's Halloween Wish tells the tale of a lonely black cat who wanders the streets at night, looking for a family to love. One night, she encounters a group of children trick-or-treating, and one little girl, who is dressed as a black cat, chooses to give Moonbeam her forever home.

Honestly, I have no idea other than they all contain either a part of my personality or share in the emotions of an experience I've had.

It varies. Sometimes it's during breaks at work, or I settle in my office with a blanket and coffee. When traveling, I write with a pen and a notebook.

Signing my name in every book. When I do that, it's finished.

Blocking out everyone who wants to help promote your books. Companies are looking for their cut of your business. I don't like that. You have to ask for wisdom and practice discernment.

For my picture books, I write the poetry in a Google Doc, but for my chapter books, I use Atticus.

Do your homework. Research what others have done, and after you have gathered as much information as you can, zoom out in your thinking and choose the right path for you.

This is tricky because you can lose a lot of money by believing what others tell you. Everyone wants to promote your book for a fee. Start with family and friends, and network out from there. Also, know that a visible author sells more books. Don't call or email libraries. Show up at their door and have a relationship-building conversation with the Director. Tell your story and your book's story to spark interest. I sell the most books by creating a pop-up store and attending vendor shows. It's also important to have your books available on Amazon and a personal website. People always ask where they can find your books. Another way I promote my books locally is to develop relationships with store owners who sell gifts. Some purchase my books outright, and others have consignment deals. Experiment with different avenues, but I don't recommend just sitting in your basement.

I am always working on the next book or books. As a children's book author, I also work with illustrators. That takes time, so working on multiple projects at the same time works for me.