We had the good fortune of connecting with Danielle Marietta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danielle, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
I think a lot of people believe it’s very easy to self publish. It definitely can be, if you take a few shortcuts! But, if you truly want your product to stand on shelves next to other, traditionally published books, there is a lot to learn. As a children’s book author the text is important, but the illustrations bring the words to life. Finding the right illustrator for your story who can capture your vision and your budget, can take months of research. To successfully self publish, you need to know your goals, believe in yourself and invest in the process. It’s not as cheap or as easy as most may think!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

The Holly-day After is a book that pushes the idea of the common Christmas stories. This story starts where most of them end — after the presents have been delivered. The book showcases a Black Santa and his family. It tells us how Santa celebrates and his traditions in the North Pole. Since we are lacking in representation in all books, and very much so in holiday books, this story and its illustrations spoke to many. Parents and children were able to see themselves in The Holly-day After and it allowed me to fill a void in the representation levels in children’s books. I then wrote Mr. Maloof, the story of a young goof who turned into a grumpy old man. When a strand of blue hair shows up one day, he is reminded how to be silly again. That book went on to be awarded the International Children’s Book Award in Children’s Fiction. What sets me apart from others is that my stories are completely new ideas, with representation. We need more books showing black characters that aren’t just about their hair or their struggles. Black children need to be able to see themselves in everyday life, simply learning lessons, being heroes and being kids. I chose to self publish because I wanted complete control over my characters and what they looked like. When authors sign with publishing companies, they sign away those rights. I refused to do so. Instead, I decided to invest in myself, start my own publishing company, Books & Things Publishing, LLC, and make sure I had complete creative control.
Under Books & Things Publishing, I hope to bring on other BIPOC authors who will write stories for their children and their community. We will diversify bookshelves one book at a time!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in Northern Virginia, we have so many great wineries! We would definitely be touring the vineyards, listening to live music and soaking in all the beautiful scenery. A day or two would be spent touring DC and some of the museums there. Most importantly, the cuisine! DC has some of the best restaurants and food selections of any city.

A few of my favorite places:
The Winery at Bull Run http://www.wineryatbullrun.com/
International Spy Museum https://www.spymuseum.org/

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who helped me at different steps and phases in my journey. Shoutout to my girlfriends who were the first to hear me say out loud that I wanted to publish a book. They continued to encourage me through our annual vision board get together and girls’ nights out. Special shout out to my mom for being there during every edit, every illustration, every high and every low. She has always told me I can do anything I put my mind to and I owe so much of my accomplishments to her. And, of course, my kids! My first official book is because we were all pushing each other to think outside the box. Never stop pushing the limits!

Website: https://www.daniellemariettabooks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniellemariettabooks/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-mckinnon-a747a635/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielle.marietta

Other: https://booksandthingspublishing.com/

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