“It’s truly rewarding to pair authors with the perfect editor or illustrator so that magic results.” In the latest edition of our Meet an Employee Owner series, we introduce Astra Crompton, our Editing & Illustrations Coordinator. An experienced author in her own right, Astra has helped guide literally thousands of author projects since joining FriesenPress in 2015.

For 25 years, Sonia Palleck built a career in dentistry. Then, one quiet morning, she felt compelled to sit down to write and kept at it every day for the next 15 months. That decision eventually led to more than 600,000 words, a four-book series with FriesenPress, and a publishing deal with Penguin Random House. We sat down with Sonia to talk about her jump from dentistry to full-time author, what she learned navigating the self-publishing world, and much more.

Is publishing a memoir on your bucket list? Creating a full-length memoir can be a daunting task for a first-time writer, but we can help. Watch the full replay (with transcript) of our free webinar with FriesenPress’s Jamie Ollivier for a slew of writing, publishing, and marketing advice to help you make your dream a reality.

“I love that I’m part of a team that empowers authors’ creativity and helps them find a path for their books.” In this edition of our Meet an Employee Owner series, we introduce Marketing Manager, Brian Cliffen – one of the longtime voices behind the FriesenPress blog – educating aspiring writers on all things self-publishing and celebrating the successes of our many published authors.

What started as a desire to live a more creative life became an award-winning children's book series, a thriving coaching business, and more than 10,000 books sold. In an interview with FriesenPress children's author Sherry McMillan, we discuss her journey from business analyst to author, the mission that guides her work, and what she's learned about publishing, sales, and success along the way.

June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to learn, reflect, and celebrate the histories, cultures, and resilience of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. Each June, we proudly spotlight a selection of books by Indigenous FriesenPress authors published within the last year. We hope this year's selection offers an opportunity to connect with the stories, perspectives, and experiences shared by Indigenous authors.

How do you know when your book is truly done? Every writer reaches that point of uncertainty in their manuscript. Award-winning novelist and FriesenPress editor Kevin Miller offers his insights to help you avoid the endless revision loop and move forward with confidence.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is providing my authors with a confidence boost and acting as their cheerleader.” In this edition of our Meet an Employee Owner series, we introduce Rebekah Caris. A Promotions Specialist with an infectious enthusiasm that always gives a big boost to authors as they promote their books to their readers.

“The past, present and future are interconnected. If we want to grow and evolve into positive, healthy human beings, we must learn from our past.” This Asian Heritage Month, we interview FriesenPress author Parabjot Kaur Singh  about her historical children’s book Alicia’s Journey to the Past. We dig into Parabjot’s personal connection to the Komagata Maru incident as depicted in her book – including why she believes it’s so important for young people to engage with history early.

It’s Canadian Children’s Book Week! A time to celebrate the stories that spark imagination and support young readers as they grow. To mark the occasion, we asked 14 FriesenPress children’s authors to share what publishing their book has meant to them. Their reflections are full of heart, honesty, and inspiration.