We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Glenys Nellist. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Glenys below.

Glenys, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

To be a children’s author is a wonderful privilege, but it’s also quite daunting. Words, when written down, whether in a text, an email or a book, can never be erased. Therefore, it’s very important to me, when considering what legacy I’m hoping to build, that I leave one that truly reflects my values, both as a human being and a Christian. Beyond being remembered by my family as a loving wife, mom and grandma, I hope to be remembered as an author who brought joy and hope to my readers through my words.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

In a nutshell, I’m a children’s author of over thirty titles, published with four different publishers. Although I’ve loved writing all my life, I never, ever thought I would be an author one day.

My journey began in 2011 when I nervously attended a Writers Conference, clutching my first ever manuscript and its carefully crafted proposal. I could hardly believe it when the editor I met with that day was actually interested in my stories, but one year later (you need to be very patient in the publishing world!) I had a book contract in hand. Love Letters from God, containing 18 Bible stories and 18 love letters from God (published in 2014 by Zonderkidz and just recently updated) was my first book. I vividly remember the sheer exultation of achieving that seemingly unattainable goal and feeling that ‘I had arrived!’ Never did I really anticipate that this book would become a series of four, or that I had so many more books inside me, or that one day I would be working with multiple publishers, but that is what happened!

Since 2014 I have published picture books for children aged 4-8 and board books for babies and toddlers with four top publishing companies, including Zonderkidz, Our Daily Bread, Beaming Books and (soon to be) Paraclete Press. It is still amazing to me that I have award-winning titles for moms, dads, grandmas, teachers, and children’s ministers, and five popular series to my name including Love Letters from God, Snuggle Time, ‘Twas, Good News and Little Mole.

Although I write mainly for the Christian market, the Little Mole four-book series, published by Beaming Books, contains no faith-based language and consists of simple stories about kindness, generosity, finding your gifts and appreciating friends and family.

It is such a privilege to write for children and my goal, as an author, is to help them, and readers of all ages, find joy and hope in the world.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

It was 2008. I had fallen in love with the creative writing process and woke each day to a blank canvas upon which I could paint my words. I looked forward to what each new day would bring, and the surprises that awaited me once I sat down to pen my stories. My goal was to get my book published by one of the top five publishers. I was driven, focused and intent on achieving my dream.

But one day, I quit.

I quit writing because I had a visitor. I never saw him, but I heard his voice whisper in my ear as he tapped me gently, but persistently, on the shoulder.

“What are you doing? You can’t write a children’s book. You’ll never get it published. You’re wasting your time.”

I listened to that voice. It was hard not to. Obediently, I put my half-finished manuscript on the shelf, where it sat. For a long time. Gathering dust. If it hadn’t been for my husband who stepped in and encouraged me to finish that book, I wouldn’t be writing these words now. I would never have got that first title published (by one of the top five publishers) and I would never have been the author of over thirty more.

I’ve no idea why that voice of discouragement rings louder than any others, but when I hear it, as I often do, I have to remind myself of that story, and how important it is to be resilient, to push through and keep focused on my goal.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Since publishing my first book, I have learned SO much about marketing, building my audience and establishing my presence on social media. I often wish I had known then what I know now. So, I hope the following tips might help others who are just beginning their creative journeys.

1. Begin establishing your presence on social media BEFORE your book publishes! Don’t wait until release day to launch your website or Instagram profile! Use your time to immerse yourself in the world of children’s literature (or whichever genre/ age group you write for.) Start a blog and write about books that you like or have reviewed, (You don’t have to buy them… just borrow them from the library.) Begin to build your email list. They will be your most valued followers.

2. Choose 2 social media platforms (or 3 at the most) and focus on building your presence there. I am most successful on Facebook, where I have a separate author page, and Instagram, which is a great visually driven platform for children’s books. I also see a lot of authors on TikTok. The key is not to overwhelm yourself by trying to keep up on every platform.

3. Connect, connect, connect. No matter what creative endeavor you’re involved in, relationship building is key. Make connections with other authors/creatives in your field and support them in their work: follow them, like and comment on their posts, share their work. (They will be your cheerleaders down the road as you have been for them.)

4. Be authentic in your interactions. Determine what it is that YOU can offer your audience and be genuine in your rapport and relationship with them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.glenysnellist.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glenysnellist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlenysNellistAuthor/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenysnellist/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlenysNellist
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GlenysNellist/featured
• Other: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8066123.Glenys_Nellist