Celebrating the Power of Individuality in Children’s Literature
Jennifer Nestor discusses her inspiration for Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality, the impact of her communications background on storytelling, challenges in publishing, and advice for aspiring children’s authors.
Jennifer Nestor is a storyteller whose words resonate with young readers in the most profound and heartfelt ways. A writer with an extraordinary talent for weaving emotion, creativity, and life lessons into her narratives, she has dedicated her career to inspiring children to embrace their uniqueness and find strength within themselves. Her latest book, Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality, is a testament to her commitment to crafting stories that empower, uplift, and celebrate diversity.
With a background in marketing and communications spanning over a decade, Jennifer brings a unique perspective to storytelling—one that captures the reader’s imagination while delivering messages of resilience, self-discovery, and empowerment. Her expertise in content development, creative campaigns, and leadership has not only shaped her writing but also allowed her to connect with audiences on a deeper level. A champion of continuous learning, she holds a master’s degree in Communications from SNHU and is an active member of several esteemed literary organisations, including SCBWI, ALLI, and Authors of the Roundtable.
Jennifer’s passion for storytelling is evident in her carefully crafted narratives, where young protagonists navigate challenges with courage and determination. Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality is a vibrant and imaginative tale that addresses the complexities of self-doubt, bullying, and mindfulness—topics that are essential for today’s young readers. Through the rich, expressive illustrations by Victoria Mikki, the story springs to life, creating a world where children can see themselves reflected and empowered.
In this exclusive interview, Jennifer shares the inspirations behind her work, her journey into the world of children’s literature, and invaluable advice for aspiring authors. Her insights shed light on the intricacies of writing, publishing, and ensuring that stories not only entertain but also make a lasting impact.
It is an honour to feature Jennifer Nestor in Reader’s House magazine and to celebrate her dedication to storytelling that encourages bravery, self-acceptance, and individuality.
Jennifer Nestor masterfully blends imagination and life lessons, creating empowering stories that inspire young readers to embrace their uniqueness with confidence.
What inspired you to write Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality?
There were a few things that inspired me to write Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality. One of those was seeing how common it is for kids to get bullied at school and be fearful to talk about it with their parents or teachers due to not knowing how to handle the situation. I also had a little sister that I mentored for a few years and saw that bullying problems at school and on the bus specifically was a big issue and there was little content in the picture book realm that covered multiple frequent social emotional learning issues like; anxiety, bullying, and learning mindfulness. I thought writing a book that touched upon those SEL topics could help kids understand that it was okay to be different and unique.
How did your background in communications influence your storytelling and writing style?
My background in communications allowed me to look at the project through the reader’s eyes and think about what would matter most to them. When mapping out the storyline, I thought about so many intricate details about what Jane was wearing, what the Jungle of Individuality would be like, and wanted to tell an imaginative story about this intelligent child who has all these wonderful qualities, but can’t seem to pinpoint the good ones, only the negative and you find out that she’s being bullied which has hurt her confidence. So even though it was a picture book, I wanted to create a heartwarming story just like the stories I wrote while working in marketing at a hospital, but with relatable topics that could resonate with children. I think writing all different forms of communications content like emails, interviews, articles, blogs, ads, and more helped me have a writing style that made it easier for my illustrator Victoria to bring those thoughts to life through her illustrations.
What message do you hope young readers take away from Jane’s journey?
I hope that young readers can read about Jane’s journey and make the connection that the qualities that we may be self-conscious about could actually be our own superpowers and something to be celebrated, not embarrassed by.
Can you share a bit about your collaboration with illustrator Victoria Mikki and how the visuals brought your story to life?
Working with Victoria was a great experience. I initially sent her my manuscript and she loved the story which I believe is where the magic came from during our collaboration. She paid attention to every detail and did an amazing job reviewing the illustrator notes and bringing the visuals to life through capturing the emotions of each character. For example, the scene in the beginning of the book when Jane talks to her mom about not wanting to go to school. You could visually see the emotions between both of them without even reading the text. She also did a great job bringing the supporting animal characters in the Jungle of Individuality to life and making them all look unique just as I envisioned!
How do your travels and experiences in different cultures influence your writing?
I’ve been fortunate enough to take quite a few trips around Europe, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Hawaii and every trip has opened my eyes to other cultures, ethnic backgrounds, and the way people live. Some places you could see how much joy they had just by being in the sunshine. It has taught me that happiness is what you make of it. I’ve written a lot while on vacations and I wanted to ensure my book had diversity in the characters at school, on the bus, and in the jungle as well.
What challenges did you face while writing and publishing a children’s book, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge I faced when writing and publishing my children’s book was truly not knowing the distribution portion well enough to understand what I should be investing my dollars in at first.
For example, I used a known company that helped me put my book on Amazon and helped me get into some of the retailers online, but technically I could have done a lot of that on my own had I had more time to do the research there. Most of my time spent researching was more on the writing process, the quality of the book I wanted, industry standards, and the book launch itself.
I also ran a Kickstarter campaign that had some challenges because I set the goal high and there were some personal things that came up during the time of the campaign where my focus could not be promoting that as much. While I did earn a Project We Love Badge and make my goal, it was extremely stressful running the campaign and not knowing whether or not I’d hit my goal. I guess the best thing I’ve learned in both of those scenarios is to be persistent, do the research, talk to other authors and make sure that you are comparing all options before making decisions.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors looking to write and publish their own children’s books?
The advice I would give to aspiring authors looking to write and publish their own children’s books would be to develop a detailed marketing plan for pre-launch, during launch, and post-launch. Most people assume they’ll write a book and it will automatically be visible on Amazon to everyone, but that’s not the case. Developing a marketing roadmap during all phases of a book launch will set you up for more success than waiting until it’s already published to try and figure out what works and what doesn’t. Another piece of advice I’d give would be to know your audience and where they hang out online and in-person! Develop content that will resonate with them and make you as the author relatable, authentic, and approachable. It will help you build a loyal following.
