Today we’d like to introduce you to Kirsten Henry.
Hi Kirsten, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been in early childhood education for over 20 years. I have been everything from an assistant teacher to a director. Over that time and after reading countless books to my preschoolers and my own children, I wanted to try writing my own stories. After the pandemic and some significant changes in my personal life, I decided to go for it. I really had no background in writing but I took several courses online to help me in the process. My stories focus on common experiences for children ages 3-7. Getting a literary agent and publisher is a long and difficult process so I decided to start off by self-publishing. I have published two books so far and have several that are “simmering” on the back burner.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Learning the process of a story going from a rough draft to an actual published book has been very interesting to me! Most of it has been fun and exciting but there are a couple of things that I struggled with and continue to challenge me. Deciding whether or not to self-publish or try to get an agent and a traditional publishing contract is a big one. It can take authors years to get a traditional publishing contract. There are countless query emails going out and a lot of times you won’t even get a reply. I decided not to wait for my first couple of books and I self-published them. (I do have a couple of other stories that I am sending to agents and hoping to hear something someday.) The other main struggle is that self-publishing children’s books can be expensive. There is the cost of editing and then finding a quality illustrator is a must!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My children’s books focus on issues that I am familiar with after working with little ones for so many years. My first book, Quieting Hazel’s Heart, deals with separation anxiety and what Hazel experiences as she starts preschool for the first time without her mom. Hazel Halts the Humphs is a follow-up book in which Hazel learns to handle her strong emotions of frustration and anger with some help from her teacher, Mrs. Pearl. A few more “Hazel stories” are in the works.
I am proud of these stories because I think they cover real-life issues that families and educators can relate to. These stories are useful in homes and in the classroom. Many children are struggling with social-emotional issues. My hope is that my stories can help children learn that what they are feeling is completely normal and maybe offer a tip to help them learn how to manage those feelings.
My books are available on Amazon and other online book retailers.
How do you think about happiness?
When I am not working my day job as a early childhood special education administrative assistant, or writing Hazel’s latest preschool adventure, I can be found working and volunteering for The Free Book Buggie. This important, local non-profit provides free books for children of all ages. As their Inventory Manager and Volunteer Coordinator, I am happy to help get books into the hands of children across the Twin Cities. For more information on The Free Book Buggie and how you can help, go to www.thefreebookbuggie.org.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kirstenlhenry.com
- Instagram: @authorkirstenlhenry
- Facebook: @authorkirstenlhenry
