Things I Have Learned Since Becoming a Publisher : A Guest Piece by Sarah Walden

Setting up Noodle Juice in May 2020 came out of adversity. I’d lost my previous corporate role when the business had fallen into administration and was struggling to find a suitable alternative. I had also reached a moment in my life where I very much felt as though I should be working hard for me and not anyone else.

I had spent five years commuting around the M25 and staying away from home during the week and it was definitely time to spend more time at home with my family.

All these things combined into a desire to set up my own business… but doing what? Well, my entire career had been based in publishing, mainly children’s. I had an MA in Children’s Literature and I thought I had a pretty good idea about what sold.

But did I know enough about how to make a book? Well, we decided to give it a try.

Two and a half years on, we have books in a warehouse and on sale. We have a rights agency and a sales team. We have marketing and PR on board. We nearly have distribution arrangements in countries the other side of the world!

So, we’re getting there… but there are a few things I have learned along the way…

1. Always buy envelopes bigger than you think you’ll need… You won’t then spend extra minutes trying to gently ease your review copies into the tightest fitting envelope in the world.

2. Always back up your work… Adobe has an unfortunate habit of updating itself and crashing just at the wrong time!

3. Royal Mail is your friend – currently they’ll collect parcels for free which means you don’t waste time heading to the post office when mailing out said review parcels… (Other postal services are available.)

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The children’s book community is well known for being supportive and without that support, we would have struggled on several occasions. And without the support of family and friends, we certainly wouldn’t be where we are now.

5. Have faith in what you’re creating. We know that we are making great books that kids will enjoy and respond to. We just need to keep believing in ourselves.

Speaking of our books...

We make books that will fizz in your brain, fuel your noggin, and get you and children all over the country thinking REALLY BIG THOUGHTS whilst laughing at silly jokes or marvelling at stunning illustrations. We truly believe that children today want to see books that compete head-to-head with the media that they consume on screens and devices, and that are filled with silliness and fun.

We have philosophy for five year olds, careers advice for six year olds, an ABC as you’ve never seen it before, and hilarious animal friends teaching kids about manners. If you’ve got older children, then All The World’s A Stage is a practical guide to all things film, TV and stage and celebrates the creative industry. Coming in Spring 2023, we also have activity books teaching kids how to draw and how to bake, as well as perplexing puzzles for 5-8 year olds.

We’d love to hear your feedback about our books! So please do let us know what you think either on our social channels: @noodlejuicebooks @noodlejuicebks or on our website www.noodle-juice.com/our-books