Meet Nancy and Julia Glen of Glen Creations in North County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy and Julia Glen.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My sister, Julia, and I both work with children. I am a teacher and she volunteers with local schools to help struggling readers. Julia is an artist. She came up with the idea to write a series of children’s books that focus in on individual cities in the North County area. We both felt our books could serve a number of causes. We would bring to life the unique history of each community. Each story would have the message of diversity and inclusion. Also, a percentage of the proceeds would go to local literacy programs.

Once we came up with this great idea, we didn’t have a clue where to start. We reached out to local, small business support groups. There were licenses and permits to obtain. Julia spent a lot of time setting up our website so that people could buy our books online. In the midst of all this, we were both working full time and collaborating on our stories. Whew… it’s been a journey.

One of the best parts of this project is getting to the core of each community we write about. We have met such incredible people. We did online research, as well as visiting local businesses and simply stopping people on the street. There is such a rich element of joy when people share their home with you 🙂

We are just about to launch our third book: Carlsbad Adventures. Our first book was Oceanside Adventures, then Encinitas Adventures. We sell online and through local businesses in each city we write about.

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?
There have been some bumps along the way. A major challenge in taking on this project was the cost. Neither of us realized the high price of self-publishing a book. Thank goodness we found a reliable printer: Steuben Press.

They gave us a fair price with solid advice. Another issue we struggled with was promotion. We started with author visits to grade schools. The local libraries have been amazing. We asked for an opportunity to share our work. Both Encinitas and Oceanside librarians put us into their summer schedule and paired a reading of our book with a watercolor art lesson. We set up tables to sell at multiple community events. Also, we ask that the small businesses mentioned sell at their location. There have been so many great connections made in the process. One example of success came with a small coffee shop in Oceanside called the Kona Hut. It is a comfortable, welcoming place to gather and word of mouth brings people in search of our books.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Julia and I are self-published authors of children’s books focused on the communities in North San Diego County.
I think our books are original in that they give a fun history lesson woven throughout each story. We honor the past while celebrating the present. Our characters are animals beautifully illustrated by Julia. Most are modeled after children of family and friends. Our books can be appreciated by both children and adults alike. We are both proud of the fact that we can give back to each community we write about.

What were you like growing up?
Julia and I grew up with a large extended family in Tacoma, Washington. My dad built our house on acreage with our grandparents next door. We were surrounded by nature and lots of family pets. Our books reflect appreciation for landscapes and animals. Our parents were all about education–daily reading was encouraged. It’s no wonder we were drawn to creating children’s books. We did not grow up wealthy. Mom and Dad thrived by modeling creativity, problem-solving and thinking outside the box. This has helped us in every aspect of Glen Creations.

Contact Info:

• Address: www.glencreatons.com This website will give them info on where they can purchase books!
• Website: www.glencreations.com
• Email: glencreation@gmail.com

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