Jenelle French: Her 3 fabulous books cover 5 core competencies for social and emotional learning.
Can you start by telling me a little bit about yourself?
I am a mom of two daughters, 9 and 6 years old. I have a BA in Journalism and Master of Education in Counseling. Having spent several years as an elementary school counselor, my favorite thing is helping kids grow and develop socially and emotionally.
When did you first realize that you wanted to be an author and when did you publish your first book? How many books you have published so far?
As a former school counselor, I used books all the time in the classroom and for individual counseling. Books are a great way to connect with students and keep them engaged. When I was teaching a lesson on ‘I Statements’ I was looking for a book I could use to supplement my lesson plan. I looked everywhere and came up empty handed. It was not until the March 2020 when the pandemic hit that I was able to finally sit down and write my first book, I Can Use an ‘I Statement’. Since then, I have released my second and third books in the I Am A Problem Solver series. My hope is to release another book in the series this summer.
Where do you get your inspiration from and can you tell me about your writing schedule? Like how many hours per day do you spend on your books?
My inspiration comes from my experience working with students as a school counselor and as a mom. These experiences have helped determine which lessons/topics I would like to address in my books. The hours I spend on my books varies greatly from day to day. Typically, I spend anywhere from 2 to 5 hours per day. Some days I’ll spend more or less depending on what I have going on that day.
Can you tell me a little bit about your books? What do you intend to achieve through your books
and where can people purchase them?
There are currently three books in the I Am A Problem Solver series. The books cover five core competencies for social and emotional learning. My hope is that parents and educators will be able to utilize the books to spark important conversations with their children and to help navigate important topics on social and emotional learning.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I enjoy spending time with my family. As a family we enjoy riding bikes together, playing golf, and having family game/movie night.
What have you learnt in creating your books so far?
The biggest thing I have learned about publishing books is it takes a lot more time than I initially anticipated. However, I would not have it any other way…I truly enjoy it! Writing is my creative outlet. Through self-publishing I learned that connecting with other authors is so important. I have made so many wonderful friends through this journey who support and encourage one another. It is a beautiful thing to see! I also learned so much from other authors and it has helped me tremendously as I navigate through the self-publishing journey.
What advice would you give to other authors?
The biggest advice I can give authors is to not give up. Self-publishing takes a lot of time and hard work but hearing from readers and parents makes it all worth it. I would also encourage authors to connect with one another. We can all learn from each other, no matter where we are in the journey. We all rise when we take the time to support and encourage one another.
How do you market your books?
I market my books through Amazon Ads, and I am currently working on getting my books in a local store. I also reach out to my target audience (school counselors, psychologist, and teachers) on Instagram to see if they would like to review and share my book.
What are your plans for the future? Do you have more publications on the way?
I hope to release the fourth book in the I Am A Problem Solver Series this summer. I also have a goal to translate my books into Spanish. I would also like to reach out to more stores to see if they would be willing to sell my book.
Follow Jenelle here :
Amazon Author page: Amazon.com: Jenelle French: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
Website: https://www.jenellefrench.com
Good luck Jenelle French.