Today we’d like to introduce you to Yobe Qiu

Hi Yobe, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

Yobe: I’ve always had an avid interest and stake in children’s education and development. Having studied Education at The New School, and Childcare Management at New York University, I was 100% committed and ready to give back to my community and help educate the new generations. I got a job as a preschool director right out of college. I learned so much during those years about what kind of person and educator I wanted to be, and I used those skills to open up my own schools and childcare centers. Throughout the first half of my career, one thing that became so apparent to me was the huge vacancy in schools for diverse books and stories. This gap is what led me to write my own children’s books, focusing on the diverse Asian American stories.

Serena: My journey has been quite different from Yobe’s. At the age of 14, my family relocated to a suburb in Houston, TX. I arrived with no knowledge of English, in a city that wasn’t as diverse back then as it is now. I vividly recall my neighbors and classmates sincerely asking me, “Do Asians speak Asian?” The path to immigration was definitely hard, but I managed to navigate it, and make it work. As a 1.5 generation Chinese American, I embrace both my Chinese heritage and American identity equally.

Now as a mom to 2 little Asian girls, I really believe that representation in children’s literature is crucial to their development. Having books that feature relatable stories about different cultures provide little readers like my daughters with validation, cultural insight, and opportunities for exploration. By promoting diverse representation in books, we create a more inclusive and enriching literary landscape that benefits all children, fostering a generation that values diversity, empathy, and cultural appreciation. It’s this shared belief that led both Yobe and myself onto the path of self-publishing.

Yobe: Serena and I started out as strangers on the internet during the pandemic. I had just finished my book “I Am an Amazing Asian Girl”, and I wanted to find an Asian American editor who is as passionate as I am. Serena understood the assignment, and that was the foundation of our relationship, which grew to create a platform to help authors connect with the schools and educators.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Yobe: The road has been a long one, to say the least, but it would be a mistake to call it difficult. I spent a really long time in the childcare/education business, and while I gained a lot from those years, I knew that that wasn’t going to be the peak of my career. I always knew that diversifying literature and creating inclusive spaces for my students and kids was important to me, and every school I worked with was a stepping stone to get to where I am today. It wasn’t a bumpy road, so much as a somewhat steep, but scenic hike.

Serena: It’s been a journey to nurture the ecosystem we have created with Book An Author, especially now that it is up and running. Yobe and I have done our best to make sure that the platform creates a smooth experience, and it’s going to be an ongoing process from here on out.

We have many conversations to iron out the more tedious parts of finding a school to visit or an author to invite. Just like any agile tech start-up environment, we also put a lot of thought into solving many of the problems people would run into. It took a lot of delicate mapping.

It’s incredible to think that all of our prior experiences have positively contributed to this project, as they all provided valuable insights into the user experiences on both the supply and demand sides. We’ve been there. We understand.

Yobe: I am extremely grateful for our partnership because we are equally as passionate, but we are also so different. We complement each other very well. Serena brings a lot of branding and marketing experience to the table, while I bring a lot of the education and business experiences into the team. We both don’t care about titles, but we make sure one of us focuses on the big picture, while the other makes sure the execution is flawless. We are both drama-free, resourceful problem solvers. Running a business at this speed is bound to have problems, but as long as we are good communicators, as long as we trust each other, problems will not bog us down.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Book an Author?

Yobe: I am the cofounder and CEO of Book an Author, a new literary marketplace for authors and institutions. We make it easy for schools, nonprofits, and indie bookstores to discover and book authors for events, as well as buy in bulk from authors directly.

I am also the CEO of By Yobe Qiu, Inc., which specializes in multicultural children’s books and toys.

Serena: I am the cofounder of Book an Author. With Yobe, we are dedicated to making authentic storytelling accessible for more people. I am also the founder of Duck Duck Books + Eco Goods, and Duck Duck Publishing + Production, our newest agency that empowers self-published authors and entrepreneurs.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?

Yobe: I learned that if you want to go far, you have to go together. My greatest achievement, in my opinion, is the ability to identify, attract, and collaborate with the best talents in the industry. If we don’t work together, we will all be fighting over a piece of the pie, a sliver of the market share. If we work together, we can combine our knowledge and insights to achieve greater things, and be the movers and shakers of the industry.

Serena: I completely agree. When we launched Book an Author, if we only work among ourselves, it can only go so far. Instead, Yobe mobilized the publishing industry, rallied their fans and community to achieve the mission together. With 500+ beta users, and 100+ schools and nonprofit champions, the literary community of Book an Author raised $6,550 for schools and nonprofits across 20 cities in America within 10 weeks.

Yobe: We aspire to make author booking, and any literary service booking easier for everyone. Not just booking Yobe or Serena, but booking all the amazing hardworking , passionate authors in the entire industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bookanauthor.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookanauthor/