A Rock Solid Start to 2020

I have been a busy little bee behind the scenes at Inner Compass Books, and I figured it was definitely time I filled you in on the BIG things that are in the works!

January got off to a rock solid start to set the stage for 2020.

After loads of illustrator research, hours of outreach inquiries, and countless emails, I got way outside my comfort zone and learned more than I was ever expecting. Along the way, I found some incredibly talented artists to work with for my upcoming book projects. I couldn’t be more excited to show off these talented illustrators whose art will bring my books to life! I have not one, not two, but THREE children's books lined up!

Obviously if I found illustrators, I needed to have my ducks in a row to get started, right? Right! But, I definitely did not have my ducks in a row. It was time to kick it into high gear to get all of these moving pieces in order, so that’s exactly what I set out to do.

At times, it felt intimidating and overwhelming to consider moving forward with all of these projects but, in my heart, I knew it was time. I felt an urge to take things to the next level and I knew that playing it shy and sheepish surely would never get me anywhere I was aiming to go. So, I mustered up my courage and got my ducks all lined up!

Considering I had some pretty great editing breakthroughs on my two newest children’s books in December, I sent both back to my editor for their final pass. While I was waiting for that, I had a solid sit down in a coffee shop where I planned the illustrations for both books in a four hour stretch. (We’re talking initial plans, but it was still quite a feat!) All the while, knowing that I had two illustrators waiting on me, these projects felt like hot potatoes!

But wait, it gets even more crazy-wonderful. If that wasn’t enough, I had my contract reviewed by a lawyer and updated it, while I simultaneously negotiated terms and conditions, pricing quotes, timelines, and all that jazz with multiple illustrators. Phewf!

By the end of the month, I signed the contract to start with an amazing illustrator on my book called Sweet Dreams Express: a meditative bedtime journey.

"Wait, what?!" you ask, puzzled.

I know, right? You haven’t even heard of this book before.

"What happened to Hazel Mist, Hypnotist?"

I hear you! Do not panic!!

Hazel Mist, Hypnotist is going to be starting with an illustrator right away here. After some major hiccups, the initial illustrator I had lined up backed out in the end of November after quite a few months of waiting for her to get started. This was a major let down and also a major time setback, but it can happen, unfortunately. Apparently it just wasn’t meant to be. I needed some time to process all of this before moving on to find a new illustrator. Then, I really had to rework some of my illustration vision for the book because my pricing quotes were way to high to make it a feasible project. So, after all of that mucking around, I am happy to announce that I have locked down an extremely talented illustrator! I can guarantee the book will be launching this fall, which I am wildly excited about!

Back to the Sweet Dreams Express—this book poured onto my page after my dad helped my daughter get to sleep one night when he was babysitting. I’ve always used unique mindfulness techniques to help my kids get to sleep, but hearing of my dad doing this sparked something in me. Fast forward five months and sketches have begun! More on this book to come.

"So, what’s the third book?" you ask.

The third book is called Anxious Annie Unwinds Her Mind. I completed about 60% of the illustration descriptions before I depleted my creative juices and ran out of gas. So, I shifted gears in the meantime. Anxious Annie is lined up to begin illustrations in April with an illustrator from Switzerland. More details to come! Head to my instagram stories to help me plan these characters!

I also did two big author visits in January—my favourite being a first-time offering where I taught a K-8 school how to write their own books. It was a heart-expanding experience that left me in awe of these students, their teachers, and their imaginations! The whole day was spent learning, getting creative, and pouring it all into working on books. It was a blast!

Prepping for my full day of teaching elementary students urged me to get out of my own way and begin recording lessons for the first portion of The Author Atlas program called Effective Editing for Authors! The course is almost ready to launch. It is packed full of actionable techniques, tips, and tricks that aspiring authors can implement right away to take their manuscripts to the next level. On top of that, there are worksheets and resources so that you can get the most out of each course. Effective Editing for Authors is so close to being complete and Book Distribution for Self-Published Authors will be following shortly behind, so stay tuned! My end goal is to have all 10 courses that make up The Author Atlas launched as they are complete in an a la carte style to help aspiring authors who cannot wait for the full program to be ready!

After I got all of this under control, let’s not forget that I wrote my memoir back in November about my experience with ovarian cancer when I was 21. In five weeks, I poured almost 60,000 words out of my memory and into a manuscript. I couldn’t believe the ease of which the experience flowed out of me, as if it had been patiently waiting its time to come forth. It was such a healing experience. After letting my manuscript sit for over a month, it was time to get back to it. Last week, I finally got some solid editing done. It still has a long way to go, but it has already come a long way. After all, if it weren't for that experience, I definitely wouldn't have been launched into self-development or EVER tried my hand at writing! The manuscript is with a beta reader then will be off to the editor after revisions. The cover is also in the mock up stage, so that has been fun, too! There will definitely be another book coming about all of the healing, processing, and understanding that has come since that summer back in 2007. Stay tuned for release dates.

There you have it. It's needless to say that I have been busy--you should take a look inside my mind! But, it has been a really fun, productive, and exciting kind of busy that will propel my business forward in ways that I can't even imagine.

After writing this update, it is hard to believe everything that happened in January. But, after a relaxing Christmas holiday, I was amped up to get my projects moving and scale my business like I've never done before! I cannot wait to share more about my upcoming books.

Keep your eye on your inbox and my stories on Facebook & Instagram @InnerCompassBooks to help shape my upcoming books, get sneak peaks of the illustration process, reading recommendations, and so much more!

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About the Author:

Kristin Pierce loves chai lattes, inspirational quotes, hunting down incredible kids books, and writing in rhyme. She is an award-winning children's book author, self-awareness educator, and momma of two who is on a mission to spread empowering and inspiring messages about following your passion, thinking outside-the-box, and believing in your big dreams. She is the author of Your Inner Compass That Could, Mayva O'Meere, Creationeer, Magnus O'Meere, Mind Pioneer, and Hazel Mist, Hypnotist (coming 2020).

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