Today we’d like to introduce you to Mercades Lias.
Hi Mercades, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My business started honestly as just a pop up thought of me writing a book with my kids about them. Ever since I was a kid I loved thinking up and writing stories. So one day after work I came up with the idea of writing a book about my children and their pets. The first book I wrote was Aspen and the Bee, Spider’s Lunch. Basing that book character off of my daughter Jade and my God daughter Aspen, who always played with insects at that time. After I wrote it, I remember sitting down with my children and reading it to them and they immediately loved it. A few weeks later, my son came to me and with his ideas for The Adventures Of Donut And Joe, based off his pet geniua pig and there adventures. After writing those books and publishing them through Amazon, I had a conversation with one of my life long friends Jinise Bonnet, who had already been in business fora few years who had purchased the kids books for her daughter. We discussed the ends and outs of business and shortly after her helping me figure things out I started my business. My YouTube Channel Mercades Readings and social media platforms came soon after I had written two more books and published them, thanks to one of my friends daughter’s who helped me with my illustrations and video work. Laya who does my editing and Egypt who does my illustrations. Can’t forget baby Aaliyah and my two kids who contributed to our social media platforms with Jade adding ASMR and Joe doing his gaming channel. A few weeks later, while I was at the park with my children, I met Phyllis and her family from Phonomenal U. They offered to put my printed independent books that weren’t on Amazon into their new boutique. Shortly after that we began branching out putting our printed books in boutique and online stores, including walmart.com and other major online companies.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Has it been a smooth road ,absolutely not! As a single parent working two jobs and raising two children on my own, I can honestly say no. I think with anything you want to be successful with it’s going to be harder as things continue to get greater. One of the most difficult things for our company has been like all other small businesses, since pandemic is finance and time. It takes time to write and it takes finance to get illustrations to publish the quality of writing, that our company has, along with printing the books and trying to find ways to market and add more products to our businesses portfolio.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What set our family ran company apart is family. I think that when you see a lot of family-owned businesses there’s really only one major person that is doing all of the leg work. With Mercades Lias Publishing, it really is a family ran business. With my children, myself and the young ladies that help run all the social media platforms, and does all the editing and illustrating. We do everything together. No one has a true set task. We all chip in to the companies success. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything without the help of us being a family and working as a team. I am most proud that we specialize in family fun.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The characteristics that I feel are most important to our success will always be family and giving children the chance to make education fun again. Each book that our company writes has an activity book that goes along with it to help challenge children’s minds by using their favorite storybook character.
Pricing:
- Aspen And The Bee, Spider’s Lunch $2.99-5.99
- The adventures of donut and Joe $ 3.99-7.99
- Bella Bella series books $ 5.99-9.99
- The hen that laid chocolate covered eggs $4.99-6.99
- Aspen and the Bee, Surprise Birthday $5.99-7.99
Contact Info:
- Email: Mercadesliaspublishing@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Mercadesliaspublishing/
- Facebook: Facebook.com/Mercadesliaspublishing
- Twitter: Twitter.com/mercadesliaspublishing
- Youtube: YouTube.com/channel/UCY9ddfdtrJbb9s_hlJq6wSw
Image Credits:
Aaliyah
Jade book character
ASMR
Co-author Joseph book character, Gaming channel, Co-author The Boatclub Co. Merchandise and products.
