We were lucky to catch up with Tiffany Obeng recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tiffany, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a time you helped a customer really get an amazing result through their work with you.

As a children’s book publisher, I advocate for literacy among our children. One of the major benefits of participating in vendor events is the ability to meet these children. I was vending at a local library festival when an elementary-aged Black boy (Xavier*) and his mom walked by my booth. I greeted Xavier and mom and invited them over to learn more about my books. Mom shared that Xavier does not like to read, he does not like books, he just will not read them. The revelation was heartbreaking.

I asked Xavier why he did not like books. He shrugged. I asked if it were because he could not relate to the books. He shrugged. I asked if it were because the books did not have characters that look like him. He shrugged again. I picked up Black Boy Hair Joy, a rhyming book that celebrates Black boys and their hair. I engaged Xavier as I flipped through the book’s pages and read some of the lines. Xavier started talking to me. After a few pages I said, “Okay, I do not want to hold you any longer. Have a great rest of your day.” Mom replied solemnly, “Yeah, he just does not like books.” They left.

A few seconds later, Xavier returned. He said, “My mom asked me to ask you how much are your books?” I said, “Oh sure! Black Boy Hair Joy is $10.99.” He left. A few seconds later, Xavier and mom both returned. Mom beamed, “He said he wants the book!” The news caused an immediate celebration between mom and me. Xavier, the boy who does not like books or to read, liked MY book and wanted to read MY book! We completed the transaction, I gleefully signed his book, and mom took a photo of me and Xavier before leaving, this time, for good.

This customer moment solidified how important representation is. Representation in literature and media has so much power, and this is why Sugar Cookie Books publishing imprint exists.

(*name was changed for privacy)

Tiffany, 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?

I am owner and principal author of Sugar Cookie Books book publishing imprint. We publish enjoyable, quality literary content featuring BIPOC characters in spaces where they have historically been absent, such as in children’s literature, in media and in certain professions. Equally important, we publish universally relatable content featuring Black child characters, especially Black boys, in normal everyday situations. In this way, our children are normalized, humanized, and the world can be made a safer place for them.

As an independent publisher, I identify gaps in children’s literature (particularly in the picture book space), fill those gaps and fill them quickly. For example, in my community, we often treat our children’s darker summertime shades as a negative thing. I created and published “My Summer Skin is Radiant” to change that perception. “My Summer Skin is Radiant” follows two children during their summertime break and delivers an empowering celebration of their darkening summer skin tones. The book is accompanied by a verbal campaign and slogan “If your kids had fun this summer, their skin should show it,” to encourage everyone to love their skin all year long.

We have a diverse collection of children’s books, so there is always something for everyone. From career exploration books to SEL books to seasons books and even Spanish books. Additionally, as a literacy advocate, we create and offer companion activity kits for some of the books. Recently, Sugar Cookie Books expanded to include puzzles, clothing, stickers, notebooks, and more.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I needed a way to work my book business without affecting my fulltime day job. So, I chose to sell my books on a platform like Amazon versus my personal website, because it affords me ease and convenience. Amazon prints and fulfills all of my orders. This is beneficial because I do not have to purchase a large, expensive inventory of books. I do not have to find storage for the books. I do not have to purchase and maintain packing and mailing supplies. I do not have to travel to the post office to mail orders. Amazon also has a built-in customer base and offers affordable marketing opportunities. Amazon is relatively less expensive than other printers as well.

However, as with anything, there are downsides to using a platform like Amazon, and it mainly rests in lack of control. I have limited control over when or how my books show up in search results. I have limited control of my sales pages. I have no knowledge of my customers and have no opportunity to build that customer base outside of Amazon. Worst of all, I am not involved in quality control.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2020, I decided to embark on the journey of becoming an author. After some research, I quickly realized that the traditional publishing route was not readily available to me as a no-name, first-time, minority author. So, I turned my research efforts to creating my own publishing imprint and going at authorship and publication independently. I published my first children’s picture book Andrew Learns about Actors in August 2020. Six months later, I published my second picture book, Andrew Learns about Teachers. I was an author and I was happy.

However, as I would scroll through social media, I would see peer authors post daunting statistics related to diversity (or lack of diversity) in children’s literature. It bothered me that Black main characters only accounted for about 13 percent of children’s literature, far behind children’s literature that featured animals! On top of that, the children’s literature that feature Black characters are overwhelmingly biographies of prominent historical figures or another historical context, or written by non-Black authors. This was a turning point for me as I stared at my son’s bookshelves and recalled my own childhood bookshelves that were dearth of diverse children’s books. I decided that I was no longer writing just to fulfil a bucket list item. I was now writing for so much more.

Determined to make a significant impact in the children’s picture book space, I kicked my efforts into high gear. I was no longer just an author; I was now a publisher with a clear mission. Since October 2020, I have published 13 more children’s picture books (15 books total), all with the goal of educating, inspiring and normalizing our Black children. My books such as Spencer Knows Spring and Scout’s Honor can be seen on various recommended book lists, in magazines, and even on Yahoo’s Best Products list. Andrew Learns about Engineers is a bestselling children’s engineering book on Amazon. At the time of this interview, I am actively in production on four more books to be released early 2023.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sugarcookiebooks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugarcookiebooks
• Facebook: https://www.facebooks.com/sugarcookiebooks
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/tiffanyobeng
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/sugarcookiebooks https://www.teacherspayteachers/store/sugar-cookie-books

Image Credits
mockup of boy in Be Curious shirt done by placeit; puzzle mockup by Printful; image of Tiffany Obeng in yellow dress standing by Bayo Fame; other photos taken by self