Meet an Employee Owner: Natasha
/
Ask any of our more than 11,000 authors: it's the people who make publishing with FriesenPress so special. Why? As employee owners, we are directly invested in you and your story, bringing a rare level of care to the book projects entrusted to us.
In our Meet an Employee Owner series, we’re getting to know some of the amazing individuals who help our authors publish their incredible books.
A Book Promotions Specialist since spring 2022, Natasha Kelly often begins working with authors toward the latter stages of the publication process, helping them navigate the crucial first steps of book marketing.
What drew you toward applying to join the FriesenPress team?
I, like so many of us at FriesenPress, have always been an avid reader. I have a background in English but also Education, which often draws me towards roles that involve teaching and learning. When I learned of the opening on the Promotions team, I felt like it was a perfect blend of my love of books, learning new things, and helping others learn.
What do you find most rewarding about your role?
Here in Promotions, we’re often working with authors just about to publish or who have just published their books. It’s an exciting point in time where authors are beginning to share about their book with their loved ones and unboxing their first book orders. It’s an honour to get to hear about these moments as I start working with them. I love the coaching aspect of my role as I’ve always been drawn to teaching and learning from my Education background. I love the opportunity to help authors learn more about spreading the word about their book. I often feel as though I’m a little cheerleader getting to cheer my authors on as they enter this new field!
Tell us a bit about your life outside of the virtual office – what are some activities and/or interests that fill your cup?
Since I’m a big reader and also love BookTok/Bookstagram, I’ve been trying my hand at creating bookstagram content centered around my current reads, local events, and books I check out at the library. It’s been a lot of fun creating content as well as getting to meet some local bookstagrammers! It’s an incredibly supportive community and I’ve enjoyed the creative challenge of capturing photos and editing videos.
I’ve also been dabbling in colouring books lately! I cannot draw to save my life, but my daughter is a big fan of arts and crafts so getting to colour beside her is a truly perfect evening.
I am also a part of the small minority who loves winter. I love any opportunity to skate outside, go sledding and sip hot chocolate (although hot chocolate is my favourite drink so much so that I have a Mug & Fits highlight on my Instagram).
What are some of your favourite books, genres, or authors?
After completing my English degree, I had a hard time getting back into the idea of reading for fun, since the only books I had time to read for those years were ones for my classes. During the pandemic, I stumbled my way onto BookTok and saw a plethora of book recommendations that inspired me to prioritize reading more.
Beach Read by Emily Henry was the first romance book that I randomly borrowed from my local library and I am so thankful to past-Natasha for that split second decision. That book propelled me to devour romance novels, which was the main genre I continued to read after having my daughter (thankful for eBooks on my phone with dim brightness for getting me through plenty of all-nighters).
I’ve also always loved thrillers (I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and knew I was a goner for this genre). My brain enjoys the challenge of figuring out what happened, who is responsible and recalculating when my guesses are inevitably proven wrong.
As of late I have also been dipping my toes in literary fiction and romantasy! Some of my favourite authors are:
Sarah Smith - Faker was my first time getting to read a romance featuring a Filipina FMC (female main character)
Shari Lapena - Everyone Here is Lying got me back into reading thrillers
Liann Zhang - Julie Chan is Dead was a twisted book that I still think about
Nisha J. Tuli - I devoured the Artefacts of Ouranos series in two weeks, marking it as the second romantasy series I ever read and finished
Hannah Bonham-Young - Out on a Limb is one of my favourite romance books that makes me cry and smile every time I reread it
What does being an employee owner of Friesens and FriesenPress mean to you?
Being an employee owner of Friesens and FriesenPress is a unique opportunity that allows me to belong to and connect with our company in a way I haven’t experienced before.
I am always inspired to share any new ideas as I know that my contributions can be helpful to our authors, FriesenPress, and Friesens. I have learned so much from my time as an employee owner (honestly, before this, I had no idea what financial quarters even were).
Looking back across all the conversations you’ve had and books you’ve worked on, are there any projects that jump out as being particularly noteworthy to you?
That is so tricky to choose but a few that immediately popped into my head are:
My Song is My Testimony: Autobiography of Bennie Lucille Williams As Told to Jacquelyn Benton
Jaquelyn has created and shared a beautiful legacy of Bennie Lucille Williams. Not only is the book a testimony of Bennie’s life and the lives she has touched, but it also shines a light on the often erased or forgotten history of African Americans.
Chantal’s children’s series was informed by her background as an educator and it shows in the series’ ability to be both fun and educational! I am a big fan of how her books include a “mystery” detective that allows children to put themselves into the story as I believe kids should not just be read or taught to, but rather get to engage hands-on in their own learning.
Rise: Living Life Over Cancer by Betty Jean Aucoin
Betty Jean’s book and journey is a poignant reminder on finding hope and the importance of taking care of your whole self. Betty Jean herself is a ray of sunshine and it was so special to be a part of her book’s journey that has already touched so many lives!
What’s a piece of writing and/or publishing advice that you wish more writers knew?
I wish more authors knew that there isn’t a time limit on promoting your book. When someone first starts learning about promotions and begins spreading the word about their book, there can be many activities that feel like they all must be done immediately. Promotions is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s important that the promotional activities you engage in can be balanced with the rest of your life priorities.
Also: the more fun an author is able to have in their promotions, the more eye-catching it will be to readers!
Asked by our previous respondent, Scott: what’s your favourite book promotion activity and why?
My favourite book promotion activity is author collaborations and partnerships with local artists, businesses, and locations. It’s such a unique way for authors to spread the word about their book while also supporting their local community. Not only can it double an author’s reach (since you would be promoting to their audience as well) but there can be a lot of fun in finding these collaborations and partnerships that tie in to their book’s content.
For example, the aforementioned Chantal Tomé connected with the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls and was able to get her book The Adventures Of The Junior Detectives Butterflies to be available for purchase at their gift shop. There are so many ideas from an artist to create character art, partnering with a crafter to make stuffies of your children’s book character, splitting a market table with a fellow author, collaborating with a local business on a gift basket and more!
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your role helping authors at FriesenPress?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned from my time at FriesenPress is that the book industry is ever-changing, which can be challenging but an exciting opportunity to adapt, pivot, and learn new skills. This is especially true for my promotions role, where promotional activities like social media have platforms popping up into existence overnight and updates that are constantly changing the apps. It can be a challenge to keep up but I’m always open to learning — not to mention being thankful to be a part of a team that is always asking and answering each other’s questions in a collaborative and supportive environment.
