Writing a Children’s Book

Writing my first children’s book has been one of the most rewarding (and challenging!) experiences of my life. The Yak Who Loved Yoga was written in a single sitting, almost like the story was waiting to tumble out of me. From there, I worked with an editor who helped shape and refine my ideas, and I’m so grateful for the changes we made together.

One of the biggest learning curves was figuring out how to actually make a book. I found a short online course by Little Ivory Haus that broke the process down step by step, which was a lifesaver. With their guidance, I managed to format my book myself in Canva — something I never thought I’d be able to do since I’m not the most tech-savvy person!

Finding the right illustrator was also very important to me. I wanted to support an Australian artist, and I was lucky enough to connect with one online whose style brought my yak to life in such a magical way.

Printing was another adventure — I tried a few different options before deciding to bulk print overseas, which offered the best quality for the price. I won’t sugarcoat it: the process was expensive, and if you’re writing children’s books with the idea of getting rich, it’s probably not the right path. But for me, the reward has been in the learning, the creativity, and holding the finished book in my hands.

I feel so proud of what I’ve achieved — not just because I wrote a story I love, but because I pushed myself through a process that was completely new to me. If anything, this experience has shown me that you don’t have to be “techy” to make your dream book a reality.

If you would like to have a go at writing your own children’s book, I highly recommend the course from Little Ivory Haus to support you in the journey!