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The Self-Publishing Starter Pack: What I Wish I Knew Before Publishing My First Book
✨ When I first started dreaming of Hello Petal, the idea of self-publishing felt like standing at the bottom of a mountain with no map. There were ISBNs and barcodes, printing specs, marketing materials, distribution options… and no one telling me where to begin. What I wanted most back then was a gentle roadmap. Something that could break the process into steps without overwhelming me. Something honest and practical — but also encouraging. This is that roadmap. Not a strict “rule book,” but a starter pack: part guide, part lived experience. It’s what I wish someone had handed me when I began. 🌸 Step 1: Laying the Foundations Before you…
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Juggling Motherhood, Bookmaking, Self-Publishing and Big Feelings — What I’ve Learned
🌸 Juggling Motherhood, Bookmaking, Self-Publishing and Big Feelings — What I’ve Learned When I first started dreaming of Hello Petal, it was during maternity leave — in those hazy, in-between hours where days blurred and ideas quietly sprouted. It felt impossible then, and even more impossible now that I’m back at work, balancing another layer of life alongside motherhood, creativity, and business. How could I write, illustrate, and publish a whole book — while raising two small children, working, running a household, and trying to hold onto myself in the middle of it all? The truth is, it wasn’t tidy. It was messy, slow, and often overwhelming. But it also…
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Things I Thought I Was Too Late For… But Wasn’t
🌸 Things I Thought I Was Too Late For …and why I’m doing them anyway. Sometimes the hardest part of starting something new…is believing it’s still possible for you. For a long time, I told myself it was too late. Too late to begin.Too late to change paths.Too late to follow the creative pull that had been quietly waiting in the background. I thought that kind of courage belonged to younger versions of me — the ones with fewer responsibilities, more sleep, and maybe a bit more confidence. But over time, I’ve learned something soft and powerful: 🌿 It’s never too late to begin again. 🕊 The Lie of Being…
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✏️ 5 Things I Didn’t Expect About Self-Publishing a Children’s Book
A peek behind the scenes of creating Hello Petal When I started Hello Petal, I thought I was just writing and illustrating a story. I knew it would take time, love, and a lot of drawing — but I didn’t fully understand that I was also becoming a publisher, a designer, a production coordinator, a marketing assistant, a shipping manager… and more. Self-publishing has been full of surprises — some beautiful, some challenging, and all of them stretching. Here are five of the biggest things I didn’t expect: 1. 📚 You become your own publishing house When you self-publish, you don’t just write the book — you become the entire…
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Why I Wrote Hello Petal
🌼 Why I Wrote Hello Petal And why emotional literacy is at the heart of every page. When I first sat down with the idea for Hello Petal, I didn’t have a publishing plan. I had a bunch of one liner phrases in a note in my phone, some haphazard attempts racked up at digital art on my old iPad, and a gentle longing to capture emotions through story — and a deep sense that our children need spaces to feel, name, and grow through their big feelings, not rush past them. ✿ A story sparked by emotions (and flowers) Like many parents, I was navigating the ups and downs…
