We recently connected with Amy Mucci and have shared our conversation below.

Amy, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Being successful looks different for everyone, but I think the most important thing is to always be willing to learn. When I first started, I knew very little of the process of book publishing. I had to spend a significant amount of time researching and making a plan for moving forward. I found webinars, podcasts, YouTube videos, Facebook and Instagram groups, countless articles and made many great connections with other authors who had already been through the process. Even with all that preparation, there were still mistakes made, so it is important to view each step as another learning opportunity. One thing I love about the writing and book community is that it is much more about collaboration than competition. Helping others spread news about their book, helps everyone involved. I always share this advice to new authors: do your research, keep learning, and always support others.

Amy, 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 mother of two children, and a school behavior specialist/psychologist, I had quickly learned that picture books are an incredible resource. They are a wonderful tool to teach, entertain and develop skills, such as social-emotional strategies. The more I read to my daughters and students, the more I began to think about creating my own picture books.

Having an idea for a book, however, is such a small piece of the book publishing process. There are so many options for each step, so I had to determine what made the most sense for my budget and time. After researching the options, I decided to go through the self-publishing route due to wanting creative control with the writing and illustrations. It has been fun exploring my author voice as well as my illustration style. Through relationships and social media groups, I found editors and formatters to help bring my book to life. Editing takes a significant amount of time in this industry, so being willing to work with feedback is essential.

Although I had several ideas swimming around in my head, it wasn’t until my idea for The Magic of Words book, that I became serious about writing. While reading with my daughters, they would often focus on one word, and talk about a memory or feeling associated with that word. This made me realize how truly inspiring words can be! I started jotting down notes, with the idea that I wanted to write a book that encourages the reader to think about certain positive words. I wanted to create a book that asked questions and prompted curiosity. I also thought it was so important that the illustrations be inclusive and diverse. One example is drawing a character that has an insulin pump and a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) device. I am also a Type 1 Diabetic and use these devices, so having that incidental representation was especially meaningful.

This past September, I published my second book, Thinking of Nature. It has a similar format of asking questions, but this time focuses on elements of nature and promotes mindfulness as well as environmentalism. I still have several ideas for books moving forward—two that I am especially excited about. I look forward to even more opportunities to share my books with others.

Writing a book about positive thinking, mindfulness, and the impact of words, my target audience was parents and teachers. Therefore, I included discussion questions at the end of my books, as well as supplemental activity sheets that readers can download for free from my website (www.brightwishbooks.com). I have received a lot of positive feedback regarding the activity sheets (especially the sensory play ideas sheet), and this helped grow my audience. I also donated my books to local schools and a non-profit organization gift shop. This is a win-win, as it gives back to others, but also helps spread the word about my books. My goal for this coming year is to connect to other local organizations that support my community.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The moment I first held a physical copy of my books and was able to read it to my daughters, felt absolutely incredible. However, I think the most rewarding aspect of being an author/artist, has been seeing how my journey has inspired others to start their own creative journey. When I read my book at a daycare, the teacher shared that the kids were so inspired they wanted to write their own stories to share. There have been several adults who have also shared with me that seeing me reaching for my dreams, has encouraged them to reach for theirs. A friend of mine just started getting into graphic design and shared that hearing my story was the final push for her to really focus on it. Not only inspiring others but being in a position to support their journey and encourage other creatives to succeed has been an amazing experience.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

My Instagram account, @Brightwishbooks has been a wonderful way to connect with other authors as well as readers. The community is extremely supportive, whether you are a traditional or self-published author. The focus on my account was to not only share about my two books and my book publishing journey, but to also share other picture book recommendations. This was a great way for me to engage with my target audience as well as research what picture books market well. I would also share bookish activities and craft ideas that pair well with picture books. I have participated in several launch teams and book tours, which further helps build connections, so I absolutely recommend supporting others as a way to grow your social media presence. My following has been slow but steady, but I have been able to connect with other accounts with a very large following to share my book and my posts, which has been rewarding. I also have made connections with several book publishers, which now send me books to review. My account has overall been a very positive experience, however the algorithm is constantly changing, so it is very easy to get discouraged with social media. I always encourage others to focus on engaging with your followers and not get swept up with the number of likes. I don’t recommend over-analyzing trends, but always be authentic and find what works for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brightwishbooks.com
• Instagram: @brightwishbooks
• Facebook: Bright Wish Books

Image Credits
HJC Photography – Heidi Campoli (for personal photo and first two additional photos)