Today we’d like to introduce you to Author Felicia Lee.
Felicia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve always had a big imagination and loved to create things. In elementary school, I would try to write my own rap songs because I enjoyed rhyming. After completing an assignment in middle school, I realized that I also enjoyed writing stories. My mother was the first to notice this talent and encouraged me to continue writing. After earning a business degree from Augusta State University, I started a career in residential and commercial property management and wasn’t too focused on writing and publishing a children’s book, even though I was still writing stories on my days off. My father also encouraged me to continue writing after receiving a Father’s Day poem I had written for him. I finally decided to share my stories with the world and released my debut children’s book, “I Can Be”, in 2017. My second book, “Audrey Lost Her Shoe”, was released about a year later.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One of the biggest challenges was marketing and getting my books in the hands of readers. I had to properly brand myself as a children’s book author, and make sure people understood the overall goals of my books. My friends and family understood why it was important for my books to have diverse illustrations and experiences represented, but I had to get comfortable with explaining my “why” to others. I had to learn how to explain it in a way that connected to readers while highlighting the books and making it all tie together.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
Each of my books are rhyming books and each has received an award. It’s such a great feeling when someone reaches out to tell me how one of my books helped their child. I love reading reviews and getting feedback from teachers who use “I Can Be” as a teaching tool to explain various jobs to their students.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I would love to have a cartoon series one day, but that’s not in the near future. For now, you can certainly expect a few more rhyming books.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.authorfelicialee.com
- Instagram: @FleeWrites
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorFeliciaLee
- Twitter: @FleeWrites
Image Credit:
For the personal photo only: @emoryrosephotography
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