We recently connected with Author S.R.D. Harris and have shared our conversation below.
Author S.R.D. , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
My Publishing Company has been in the creative works since I was a child. Growing up, I didn’t see a lot of children’s book characters that looked like me and that had positive messages. I have always loved reading and basically grew up in the Library. I even volunteered there. I was featured in two Children’s Books as a child, and that really sparked my dream of becoming a Published Author someday.
As an adult, when I was Homeschooling our daughters, I continued to notice the lack of Diverse Characters in children’s books; especially those with positive messages. I would take our three daughters on our weekly Library visit and had a tough time finding books that made them feel seen, heard, included, and valued. We would create our own stories, and make books out of construction paper, and our girls would illustrate them. They would be so proud of their work and I saw the real difference it made in how they related to books.
It wasn’t until our children were older that I finally had the chance to start my own Publishing Company to write and produce uplifting children’s books with Diverse Characters. That is how our Business was created, but, it was always a lifelong goal of mine to become a Published Author! What a dream come true for me to have achieved this goal and be able to create a Family Business as well!
Author S.R.D. , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a married mother of 3 girls and rescue dog mom. I have a passion for books and am currently working in my dream job as an Author. Our Mission is to provide uplifting and empowering Children’s Books that everyone can enjoy! We want to spark a love of reading in all children and also provide books that meet a need that is currently not being met by Traditional Publishing. Statistically, only 12 % of Traditionally Published Children’s Books feature Diverse Main Characters. We are here to empower young children and inspire them to dream really BIG dreams!!
Our 12-year-old daughter Camryn is my amazing Co-Author. She helps me with all of our books! Our books all have positive messages in a fun, rhyming format. We love to hear how much our books are loved by Young Readers, Teachers, School Administrations, Daycares, Parents, and Grandparents! People love the vibrant colors, Diverse Characters, and positive messages we weave throughout all of our books. The feedback we receive from our School Visits has been phenomenal! Children are being inspired to love themselves, tap into their own greatness, and be kind to others through our books.
We absolutely LOVE the Community that we are building and spend a lot of time hosting Story times, Author Events, and School visits, so that we can actually meet our readers and supporters in person. We believe that personal connection has been most important in contributing to our rapid growth. Being able to build genuine relationships with our community of amazing readers keeps us inspired and makes our company stronger! We are always inspired to keep writing and publishing for our wonderful readers and those that love them!!
When you buy, borrow, or gift an S.R.D. Harris Books book, you can feel confident that the story will have a heartwarming message that will inspire your child. Our books have themes of empowerment, healthy eating, proper rest/self-care, dreaming big dreams, being compassionate, and having self-love. We are proud that we are building an entire community of people who also value diversity, kindness, and positivity. All children need these kinds of positive books in their lives! Our books are more than just a story to read once and put back on the shelf. Our books also include go-to-guides, positive daily affirmations, and space for journaling and writing down your ideas. These are tools to use throughout your lives, not just a one-time read.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
My very first book, “Future Miss President,” was halfway through the illustration phase when my previous Illustrator got Covid and could not finish the project. I was devastated. Due to the timing of Publishing the book, I had a very tight deadline to meet. I spent a lot of time and money trying to find the perfect fit for my style, creativity, and messaging. It took me FIVE Illustrators to finally find the perfect artist to complete the project and get the book published in time. It was very stressful and expensive, but I was determined to bring this book to life. I am so grateful I did not give up on it! My husband and daughters were very supportive and kept me encouraged during the entire process. I am so thankful for them!
How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.
Our Award-Winning books are sold internationally by Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Walmart, Target, Books A Million, Bookshop, and more! We are also proudly sold in many Independent Bookstores such as Cover to Cover, Prologue Bookshop, and Gramercy Books. I chose to strive for the broadest availability of my books so that children around the world can be inspired by their positive messages.
Our book, “Bella Loves Her Umbrella,” was recently read by the Duchess of York, Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson, on her YouTube Channel! Our messages are traveling all over the world, and we couldn’t be more inspired to keep working hard at creating more empowering books! We currently have six books published and two more in the works–so stay tuned for “James Plays Too Many Games” coming in December 2022!
I am also working very hard to get our books into as many Libraries as possible also. I grew up in the Library and believe money should never be a barrier to reading/learning for children. We have donated over 500 books to Schools and Organizations throughout Ohio and are always looking for Philanthropic Community Partners who will join our Mission and help us increase access to our books to children across the globe. It only takes one person to change the life of a young person and we all should try!
Contact Info:
- Website: srdharrisbooks.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/
srdharrisbooks - Facebook: facebook.com/
srdharrisbooksllc - Linkedin: https://www.
linkedin.com/in/srdharris/ - Twitter: twitter.com/BooksSrd
- Other: You can view our PBS TV Segment at: https://www.pbs.org/video/
author-srd-harris-fantastical- creatures-qsbt9k/
Image Credits
S.R.D. Harris