My Business Plan: Paw Books
Children’s books hold an appeal that transcends age, gender, preference, and everything else.
Children in their formative years need books to help them expand their imaginations, develop critical thinking skills, and connect with the world around them. The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance even compiled a full list of reasons why kids need books.
In understanding the importance of children’s books in a child’s early development, it was a no-brainer to invite Katie Melko, owner of Paw Books and author of the Paw Elementary Series to grace this month’s edition of My Business Plan.
Different Careers, Same Passion
Author Katie Melko is a dental hygienist and a clinical educator at Goodwin University. She has been practicing dental hygiene for over a decade now and loves working in public health and contributing to her community.
In 2014, while in her master’s degree program, Katie found another passion – writing. The moment she started, Katie knew there was no turning back. Since then, Katie has been writing for publications and soon after, her own romance novels and children’s books.
Katie enjoys working with children, loves nature and animals; all of which inspire her to write stories and create characters that she brings to life through her words.
“I love being creative and having the ability to build a place for readers to escape to.”
One of the biggest, if not the main inspiration that compelled her to step out of her comfort zone and put her writing out into the world was her dog, Roxy. Unfortunately, in 2017, Katie lost her beloved furbaby to cancer.
But Roxy’s memory lives on, and Katie has found the perfect way to preserve it and share it with the world through the Paw Elementary Series.
The Paw Elementary Series
Created to help families and children tackle fearful first experiences, the Paw Elementary Series features characters from Katie’s past and present: family, friends, pets, and of course Roxy.
“I want kids to find a friend in Roxy and understand that it is okay to be afraid, but it’s also important to be brave.”
The children’s books include stories meant to encourage young ones to face their fear of going to the dentist for the first time and learning how to swim. Katie shares that the latter is, by far, her favorite.
“I had fun creating this book and interviewing swimming schools and instructors, lifeguards, and children that just learned how to swim. It’s also a cute and fun thing to get creative with, a lot of colors and clothing changes that made this book really fun to create. It challenged me!”
Drowning and fear of an open body of water is a big challenge that many children struggle to face. Through her book, she hopes to help them find the courage to overcome it.
Find Courage, Pass It On
We have heard it many times; the start is often, if not always, the hardest part. Most of us fear the unknown, the grips of what-ifs, and the possibility of failing. Katie had to go through the same hesitations and even admits that she waited too long before finally braving through the uncertainties. Her advice to people struggling to break free from the fear? Do it!
“…it can be scary and a lot of work—– it will be rewarding and the feeling of holding your first book in your hands is unlike any other experience I’ve ever had.”
It’s true, there is no one recipe for success, but there are ingredients that Katie is happy to impart:
“Do your research, surround yourself with like-minded people, whether it’s a book club, Facebook group, or writing club. You need support from people who understand what challenges you are facing and will be your cheering squad for each success.”
In addition to Paw Books, Katie has also ventured into writing romance novels. Her first, entitled Bottle of Uncertainty, is a mixture of all the things she loves: animals, wine, and romance.
She says that the book is her way of reminding readers that they can accomplish anything if they’re not afraid to try again and to keep on trying to achieve their goals.
“I find writing about real life situations and showing readers that no matter how bad you think it is, you can always grow and come back from. Mindset, motivation and drive all are factors that help people succeed every day.”
Stories of Success
It’s hard to tell if the things you do and are passionate about impact the people they are meant to reach, empower, and inspire. Thankfully, readers are more than happy to let Katie know how her books have helped parents and their children through scary new experiences.
“I have had parents tell me how much of a difference my book made for them during their first experience to the dentist. They were so worried about how the appointment would go but their daughter did awesome. She kept referencing what Roxy did in the book!”
And it doesn’t stop there. Not only do her stories make a difference, but also her decision to publish her works inspires others to gain confidence in doing the same. Readers reach out to let her know how she motivated them to pursue their dreams, no matter how scary that might be.
Paw Elementary Series inspirational cards
The PrintRunner Experience
Being a children’s book author has its fair share of challenges and successes. It’s been quite the journey for Katie. In addition to writing books, she must promote them as well. This pushed her to be more than just a dental hygienist and an author. She needed to be an entrepreneur, too.
In doing so, Katie came up with a brilliant idea to reinforce the messages of the Paw Elementary Series by printing inspirational postcards that highlight the values of bravery, positivity, creativity, and courage. And with the postcards’ adorable designs, they are a hit.
We asked Katie how her experience was with PrintRunner’s postcard printing.
“Love the quality and customer service! Looking forward to continuing a working relationship with PrintRunner for all my printing needs!” Click To TweetAnd we would love to print more of Katie’s Paw Books postcards.
Do you want to know more about Katie and Paw Books?
Visit the website or catch her latest updates on Facebook and Instagram.
You can also support Katie’s Kickstarter Campaign
to create her new book.
How has PrintRunner helped you and your business?
Tell us your story at blog@printrunner.com
