For as long as I can remember, stories have lived in my head. Some were inspired by bedtime tales I heard as a child as well as while reading stories to my own six children.  Other inspiration came from quiet observations of the world around me—like a squirrel’s frantic dash across a park bench or the way a child giggles delightfully when a bubble pops. These small moments planted seeds that slowly grew into stories I knew I wanted to share. Still, deciding to publish my first children’s book wasn’t an easy or immediate decision.

At first, the story was just for me—a scribble in a notebook, a daydream while watching my children ride their tricycles, a character sketch on the back of a grocery receipt. I had no formal training in writing or publishing. The idea of becoming an author felt like something reserved for other people: people with agents and publishing contracts. I was just… me. But the stories wouldn’t go away.

The turning point came when I made the decision to just do it.  Yes, just write the children’s story and find an editor and then a publisher.  One of our sons wanted to co-write the book, and off we went!  When we asked a friend about starting down this path, she said something that stayed with us: “This feels like a book kids would remember when they’re older.” That moment was the first time we allowed ourselves to believe that our story might matter to someone else. That maybe, just maybe, it was worth putting out into the world. We were ready to go!

The decision to publish wasn’t just about logistics or timelines—it was deeply personal. It meant overcoming fear: fear of failure, fear of being judged, fear of not being “good enough.” But it also meant choosing to believe in ourselves and in the magic of the story we created.

From there, we started researching publishing options. Should we try the traditional route or self-publish? Maybe a hybrid publisher?  We weighed the pros and cons, connected with other authors, and read everything we could about the process. In the end, we chose the path that gave us the most creative control—because the heart of this journey was about staying true to the story’s spirit. ML Publishing provided both the support and the creative control we sought.

Now, as we hold the finished book in our hands, we think back to the versions of us who were afraid to share a single page. We’re grateful we pushed through the doubt. Publishing our first children’s book has been one of the most rewarding—and vulnerable—things we’ve ever done. It taught us that stories are meant to be shared, and that sometimes the most important decision isn’t how to publish, but simply choosing to say, “Yes, this matters. Let’s do this now.”

And if even one child smiles, wonders, or dreams a little bigger because of our book, then every step of this journey will have been worth it.

Now, it’s time to dive into book two of our children’s series!

– Family Ink: The Mother and Son Storytelling Team