My kid's story

 So my 6-year-old wrote a story.  This isn't her first time.  She's been writing since she was 3 and loves to hand out her books to teachers, friends, and anyone she can convince to read them.  Recently, she decided she wanted to to do a lemonade, book, and cookie stand where she could sell her books.  She did the same last year and made a chunk of cash so I was happy to support her in this endeavor.

Next came this conversation:

G: Why can't I get my book in a real store

Me: It's a lot harder to do. It takes time.  Maybe when you're older you can do that.

G: I want my book in a store. 

Me: I understand.

So I thought about it and I realized this is the age of indie publishing.  Yes, she is 6.  Yes, her book reads like it was written by a child.  Yes, her art is still developing (though better than my own at this point).  However, what's stopping me from putting her book up on Amazon and sending a few copies to family?  It's true she wouldn't sell any copies aside than a few to friends, but that's not really the point.  The point is that we could go on Amazon, search for her book's isbn, and purchase the book just as if it were in a real bookstore.  It's fairly low cost with lots of gain.

So after some contemplation, I decided to try it out. We'll get her proof in a few weeks. Meanwhile, she is bouncing off the walls because she has written a "real" book that is available for sale.  

Through all of this she has learned to type on a computer, edit, match illustrations to her story, and much more.  She's gained lots of confidence and pride in her work.  

She's also told me that she never plans to stop writing books.  Needless to say, I'm excited, too.