Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brianna Snel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Brianna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.
I’ve always been an avid reader. I can remember winning an award in first grade for reading the most books at the library over the summer. I’ve also always dreamed of becoming an author. Nothing would make me happier than to see a book I wrote on a shelf in Barnes and Noble, or on the table at the Scholastic book fairs in every elementary school. So, it was no surprise when I became an elementary school teacher and fell in love with teaching reading and writing most of all. I’ve been teaching 4th grade for 13 years. While teaching I quickly became a mom to three wonderful children ages 6, 4, and 2.5. My dream of being an author was easily put on the back burner with so many other things taking priority.
During the 2023-2024 school year, I was particularly enjoying teaching a narrative writing unit that involved my students writing a survival story after reading Gary Paulsen’s infamous Hatchet. It was around the week of Read Across America because we had an assembly for grades 3-5 from no other than Beth Ferry. The assembly was during my prep periods, so I could have easily hidden away grading papers, planning lessons, or making photo copies. Something pulled at my heart, and I decided to stay and listen. Beth talked about her writing process, her books, the crazy amounts of edits she could make on one single story, etc. I was captivated and I instantly felt like I wanted to do this. No not want, I NEED to do this!! My mom had told me for years when I first started teaching that I could and should write a children’s book. After my first daughter was born, I did write a book, but I did not know what to do after writing it, and so it sat on my computer for years. I told some coworkers that I wanted to be an author, and while they were super supportive, a little voice in my head was saying when and how, you know nothing about this, and you are too busy.
A coworker sent me a social media post about signing up to take classes to learn how to create, publish, and market a children’s book. I normally don’t fall for things like this, but I thought I had a lot to learn if I actually wanted to see this dream become a reality. So, I signed up for the class. It was 10 modules of videos, notes, etc. to teach me the process. I went to work at night after my kids went to bed. I’d work on a module and then write a story. I was so addicted to writing stories, that I wrote 5 in a very impressively short amount of time. I continued to learn through these classes, and I started to send my first manuscript, my 4th baby, off to publishing companies. From the assembly at my school to this point it had been about a month. I got no responses and then a few responses that did not feel trustworthy, such is the way things are these days.
Then Lucie came into my life. Lucie is the publisher of StarLight Books and the angel that I was meant to meet. I had submitted my manuscript to her which was inspired by my oldest daughter and was about a mom and daughter going through the bedtime routine with a lot of protesting from the daughter. She told me she loved my story and wanted to work with me. Let me repeat that, she loved my story and wanted to work with me!!! Was this real? By the end of April I was working with a publisher and my story was going to become a children’s book, I was going to be an author!
Fast forward to now and on November 1, 2024, when I turned 35, I released my book Sleeping is Boring to the world. It took less time for this dream to come true than it does to create and birth a child. Pretty wild when you stop and think about it. This is not a normal journey, so I truly appreciate the way the stars aligned, and I persevered. It was scary at times, especially before I met Lucie. I remember thinking what if no one likes the story, what if I never find a publisher, how will I afford an illustrator? Pursuing a dream is hard, but I do not regret it. Becoming an author has brought me so much joy. I love writing, but more importantly, I love that children enjoy my book and want to read it over and over again.
My dream isn’t over. I still would love to see a book I write at a Scholastic book fair one day! I still have a lot to learn. My journey is just beginning. When people find out I published a book, a lot of people tend to say first, “When did you have time to do that?” My response to many of them is that when it is something you love, something you really want, it doesn’t often feel like work. I hope that to my own children and my students I can show them that anything is possible. It is never too late to make a dream come true. I have written a book for each of my children, inspired by them, each very different from the other. If nothing else, I hope to leave them a book that they can share with their family and so on for years to come. Sparking a love of reading, writing, and following your dreams is my message to all.
Brianna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As a teacher I think I felt connected to the world of reading and writing. For some authors the act of writing and following the rules of writing, can be a little more daunting. For me it was easy to develop the characters, sprinkle in some dialogue so that it was not overwhelming or confusing. I was working alongside my students, and we were sharing with each other each step of the way. I actually think my enthusiasm created a lot of excitement for them. My class created the best stories I have ever seen from 4th graders.
As a mom of little kids, I felt like my world was back to children’s books. I was reading them and falling in love with them. The adventures, the illustrations, the words so specific. I started to analyze them without realizing it. My brain was so in tune to how many words are just right on a page before one of my kids would be ready to turn the page. How the illustrations need to be eye catching. Relatability was important. I wanted them to feel like the main character or understand where she was coming from. By the same token, I wanted to tell the mom or dad reading the story, I see you, I know bedtime can be long and unpleasant sometimes because let’s face it, not many kids want to go to sleep at night.
I am most proud of taking the time to make this happen. As a working mom of three young kids, time is often not on my side. I always could use an extra 3 hours in my day. This was important to me. I will never complain about being a mom because this role in my life has been the best one by far, but it is without a doubt the hardest role I’ve ever been in. I want my kids to know that at no point in your life is it the end. I love teaching. I love reading. I wanted to share my passion with the world, with children. For the young kids, you might think sleeping is boring until you realize the adventures your dreams can take you on. For the older kids, follow your dreams and make them happen. If they cannot happen right now, then revisit them later. You will not regret it. I cannot wait to keep writing and publishing and sharing more adventures with young readers.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I’m lucky that my job is somewhat closely related to my passion. Becoming a children’s book author was pretty cool because I have at my fingertips the young minds that I am writing to impress. I shared a draft of my story with my students last March when I was writing it. They just looked at me with awe when I had finished. I shared it with some coworkers early on and some of them had tears in their eyes. When I presented my book and shared it with some kindergarten students this fall, they were so excited to meet a real author and ask me questions about my book and the process. They connected with the book, they enjoyed it! Hearing from adults that their child has picked my book over and over again to read at bedtime has been the biggest reward. I told my publisher that I was not looking to become an author for the money. Of course, making a profit is nice, but knowing that I’ve created something that a child will take off the bookshelf over and over again is more than anything.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I would love to become a name mentioned in hundreds of households that are reading children’s books. The author that is well known, so you automatically buy their next book when it comes out because you’ve loved all of the others. I want to meet and work with some of the best authors and illustrators. I want students to see my books at their school book fairs, at local bookstores, big retailers. There are books that you see and you think, “Oh I remember that book!” I would love for that to be me one day. A household name because my work has brought happiness, a sense of adventure and fun, and loving memories.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.authorbriannasnel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_brianna_snel/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-snel-538a4643/
