JELLY BEAN SELF-PUBLISHING RECOGNISED AS LEADING WELSH SELF-PUBLISHER

Candy Jar imprint, Jelly Bean Self-Publishing is delighted to have been awarded Self-Publishing Company of the Year at the 2020 Welsh Enterprise awards.

The Welsh Enterprise awards recognise the contribution of small to medium sized businesses to the Welsh economy.

Since its inception in 2013, Jelly Bean Self-Publishing has provided a range of publishing services to independent authors all around the world. Head of Publishing Shaun Russell is delighted to have received the commendation:

“Self-publishing has grown enormously as an industry over recent years. Thanks to the Internet, the rise of eBooks, and the refinement of Print on Demand technology, it is now viable both economically and practically for independent authors to find engaged readerships in an incredible variety of ways.”

“It’s this flexibility that is at the heart of self-publishing’s ever-increasing success, and it is something that we have always put at the heart of what we do. We never try to pigeonhole our authors or force them into a one-size fits arrangements. We tailor our work to an author’s needs, budgets and ambitions.”

“And whatever the services they require, we provide them to the same standards as we do for our award-winning traditional imprint Candy Jar Books. Not only is this, of course, only fair to the author, it’s an investment in the long-term viability of self-publishing as an industry.”

“We are delighted SME News has recognised our efforts to provide a quality self-publishing service. We see it not only as recognition for ourselves, but a testament to the many companies around the country that are working so hard to establish self-publishing as a viable route to readership for independent authors, as part of the wider publishing environment.”

“Mark my words, thanks to these efforts, in the coming years you will read more and more about authors finding success through self-publishing.”

If you want to publish your book click here.

INSPIRATION BEHIND THE OSCAR BOOKS

Hope and friendship can be found in the worst of situations. Things don’t always go to plan. Sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes we get lost and we can’t find our way back. Often this leads to unexpected meetings, friends, adventures, and a brand new life. 

The wonderful children’s book Oscar the Ferry Cat written by the talented Molly Arbuthnott, is heart-warming picture book that explores how we come to terms with loss and the positives that can be gained from this.

Loss is an unpleasant part of life that people don’t want to talk about, especially with children. As a primary school teacher, Molly Arbuthnott feels this is a missed opportunity. Loss is inevitable, we will all experience it.

But how we cope with it will make a difference to how it will shape the rest of our lives. She says: “I wanted my pupils to be able to read something that would help them understand the realities of life. And to teach them that hope, love, belonging, and friendship can always be found.” Her books achieve this in a masterful and light-hearted way that makes it very easy for children to understand.

Oscar is a Siamese cat with an adventurous streak. When he runs away from his family to explore, he loses his way and realises that he may never be able to get back. Although upset, he tries to make a new life for himself and meets lots of fantastic and interesting characters along the way. In the next part of Oscar’s tale, he and his new found friends explore the beautiful Hebrides and find themselves risking everything when they notice a girl in danger on a beach. 

This daring book series challenges the concept of the ‘happy ending’ with a rewarding outcome. Molly Arbuthnott teaches children and adults alike that life takes some unexpected twists and turns. You may not end up where you wanted, but you will always find your way. Her exploration of loss is a beautifully crafted piece of work full of emotion, inspiration and hope. 

Molly has written and published three Oscar books so far through Jelly Bean Books. These are Oscar the Ferry Cat, Oscar the Hebridean Cat and Oscar the London Cat. Molly Arbuthnott is currently working on her next book, the anticipated Angus the Robin, which will prove to have just as much depth, insight and meaning.

If you like to publish a picture book with us and take control visit: www.jellybeanselfpublishing.co.uk

THE BEES KNEES! PASS THE KLEENEX!

As of 2019 bees are currently at a higher risk of extinction than ever before. Pesticides appear to be the main culprit for this growing issue and with her new book Little Bee’s Sneeze Nerys Beattie hopes to send an important message to children and adults alike. 

Nerys has taken time away from her three-year-old son, husband and small pack of dogs, to write and create her first ever short children’s fiction book. It follows the journey of a small bee with terrifyingly allergies to flowers. This means she cannot take part in day-to-day bee life, subsequently isolating her from the rest of the hive.

Having always wanted to write, but never having had the time before, Nerys was finally emboldened to start her labour of love after deciding to prioritise the idea she had been holding onto for as long as she can remember. She says: “Once I had thirty minutes to myself and I sat down at my desk, all of the ideas came spilling out. I started at 1pm and by 8pm I had written the entire book!”

Her first venture into children’s fiction is a real treat, shining light upon the trials and tribulations children may face, up against the backdrop of a walking, talking bee hive. Having always suffered from hay fever herself, Nerys wanted to incorporate this into her story. She also tackles issues such as bullying, running away from home and feeling excluded.

Nerys continues: “I wanted to include issues that were integral for parents to talk about with their children, but can often be tricky to handle. This book will hopefully help start the conversation. I also wanted to include bee poison as a representation of the pesticides that are killing bee communities, however, it needed to remain subtle and flow well within the storyline.”

Her collaborator on this project has been Inge Van Der Ham. Inge is a fellow colleague from over twenty years ago who reconnected with Nerys after the author posted her elation at finishing Little Bee’s Sneeze. Inge reached out and offered her skills as the illustrator for the book, and the pair then began to work alongside to bring the story to life.

Little Bee’s Sneeze is an adorable short rhyming story that shows children how our differences make us special. Nerys Beattie invites us to follow the story of a small bee who, by realising her potential, can achieve miraculous things. It is the perfect read for your children during this run up to Christmas.

If you like to publish a picture book with us and take control visit: www.jellybeanselfpublishing.co.uk

HOME SWEET HOME? OR MAYBE NOT...

Gemma Greening never had plans to become a published author. It wasn’t until a string of funny poems she had scribbled over birthday cards to her husband; mainly for the amusement of her two sons, Alfie and Oliver, snowballed into an idea for a children’s fiction book, and all of a sudden ‘Messy Dad’ was born.

Having always had a way with words; often writing short poems when she found the time, Gemma struck gold when she started stringing together silly and satirical rhymes about her frustration with her partner Ben’s lack of initiative when it came to housework.

Gemma says: “It all started as a joke to be honest. My eldest, Alfie, really likes getting involved. After showing the ideas of Messy Dad to some close friends, I gained the confidence, but I needed to decide to share it with an audience.”  

Messy Dad is a cheeky and brassy short rhyming story, with silly anecdotes. Illustrator Matt Prewett successfully heaps on the comedy, matching each verse to an equally wacky cartoon, tying the book together as dessert for your eyes. The story follows our leading man Messy Dad who happens to have some rather questionable hygiene habits and struggles to hold down the fort whilst his wife is at work. 

Gemma continues: “Having such a close bundle of kids in my life; with my three nephews, two nieces and of course my own two boys, I became inspired to create something that they could read and enjoy whilst at the same time pushing me out of my comfort zone. Although the idea came from a real life scenario, I was experiencing with my partner, he knows it’s quite exaggerated and has been really supportive throughout the process.”  

Gemma is already working on new material that continues to shine light on her lovable, funny family and hopes to have two new Messy Dad books out next year. Messy Dad will surely face challenges far trickier than just juggling the kids and the broken dishwasher. Will he succeed and become ‘Super Dad’ full-time, or will ‘Messy Dad’ prevail?

If you like to publish a picture book with us and take control visit www.jellybeanselfpublishing.co.uk

KEREN WILLIAMS JOINS CANDY JAR

Candy Jar is delighted to announce a new addition to their team. Keren Williams joins the company in a newly created role: Children’s Digital Assistant.

In this capacity, Keren will be combining editorial, marketing and administrative responsibilities in relation to Candy Jar’s ever-expanding roster of children’s literature, as well as assisting in the expansion of the company’s self-publishing imprint, Jelly Bean. She brings to the role a lifelong passion for children’s literature, with her two favourite children’s novels being J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan and Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Candy Jar’s head of publishing, Shaun Russell, explains about Keren’s new position:

‘Keren joined us for a work experience placement while completing her master’s degree. We were struck by her energy and enthusiasm, as well as her insightful comments, particularly in regards to one our new children’s titles, The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: Curse of the Mirror Clowns. For those who don’t know, this is a children’s spin off of our Lethbridge-Stewart range, and not only did Keren improve the book editorially, but tasked with marketing it, she managed to introduce the book to a swathe of new reviewers and readers. That was when we realized she had the insight, practicality and creativity we needed to push our children’s range to new levels.’

With a range of recently and soon-to-be released children’s titles, including Lost in Christmas (by Hollywood institution Michael Sloan) and The Bonkers Book of Jobs (an irreverent look at the weird and wacky world of work), Keren is sure to have her hands full right away. But it is a challenge she is relishing:

‘The best thing about indie publishing is you get to pitch in on all sides of things – everyday is a new challenge, which keeps things interesting. Candy Jar, I mean we have got a lot of fun stuff in the pipeline, and I can’t wait to get stuck in.’

Candy Jar Books is an award-winning independent publisher based in Cardiff, south Wales. It’s partner imprint, Jelly Bean Self-Publishing, is a quickly expanding player in the booming UK self-publishing market.