When author Sharon Giltrow found herself at her book launch with no books available from her overseas publisher, she knew something had to change. Now, she's regained her rights and taken back control.

In episode 14 of The KidLit Pod, Sharon Giltrow, children’s author, shares how she grew up as the youngest of eight on a South Australian farm and spent 30 years working in play-and language-based early childhood and special needs education, which led to her love of language and passion for storytelling.

Sharon shares how her experiences as both a teacher and a parent motivated her to write her humorous role-reversal picture books Bedtime Daddy (launched via Instagram Live during COVID), Get Ready Mama (shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Australia Picture Book Awards) - both published through EK Books, and Let’s Go Shopping, Grandma, with a UK publisher.

She then went with a US publisher for her junior fiction Utility Belt series—Samara Rubin and the Utility Belt, and Toby King and the Utility Belt. However, Sharon soon found herself in a unique situation - lots of booked events and school visits, with no books to show or sell.

Sharon realised something had to change, and made the decision to regain her rights and shift to hybrid authorship, self-publishing in Australia, where she shares her experiences including product development, distribution, marketing, and school visits.

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Mentions:

The Utility Belt Junior Fiction Series (Samara Rubin, Toby King)

SCBWI WA (Western Australia)

Everglade - Rise of the Witch by Kitty Black

Love, Death and Other Scenes - Memoir by Nova Weetman

Sharon Giltrow Website (signed Utility Belt copies available)

Utility Belt Series Teaching Notes

Sharon Giltrow Instagram - @sharongiltrow1

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Follow The KidLit Pod on Instagram (@thekidlitpod)

Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here:

Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett)

Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)