Episode 1: Publishing Secrets from an Author-Illustrator Dream Team

About This Episide

What You’ll Find Here

Every episode, we’re bringing you the real deal about what happens behind the scenes in publishing. From manuscript mayhem to deadline drama, from sketch submissions to final flourishes, we’re sharing our creative adventures and hard-earned wisdom about writing and illustrating for publication. And yes, there will be plenty of cousin banter and laughs along the way.

Whether you’re dreaming of seeing your own work in print or you’re simply a book lover curious about how the magic happens, we’ve got something for you.

How We Got Here: Our Origin Stories

Melissa’s Unexpected Path

“Mine’s a fluke,” Melissa admits. “I didn’t actually ever intend to get into publishing or writing.”

It started in college when a professor gave her an A++ on a story assignment and told her she needed to write. Melissa’s response? “Nah, I’m going to teach.” Fast forward a few years into her teaching career, and she found herself writing stories for her class. The kids loved them. That’s when she thought, “Hey, maybe I’ve got a thing for this.”

But here’s the twist: Melissa discovered she didn’t really care to write children’s stories as much as she enjoyed writing adult novels—specifically Christian romance. Her first children’s book (about her grandparents’ love story) became a learning experience that taught her where her true passion lay.

“I have several high school girls ready to read it,” she laughs about her latest romance novel, “so I’m at least hooking them with some good romance novels.”

Nikki’s Lifelong Love Affair with Art

Nikki’s story starts much earlier—with coloring books and crayons as her toy of choice.

“I had a younger sister who was always into dolls, playing house and Barbies. I gravitated towards coloring books and crayons,” Nikki recalls. “Once crayons lost a point, I wanted new ones. They could still be a crayon, but once that tip was worn, no, I needed new ones.”

She was the kid who drew on restaurant placemats, doodled in margins, and chose art over recess. From figure drawing classes to graphic design work, from library programming to children’s book illustration, Nikki’s journey has been one of constant evolution.

Her first published piece? A children’s book that she illustrated traditionally—something she admits she would “never do that again.”

“It was hard. It was something that, you know, it would be fun to go back and redo some of that stuff if not for anything but a portfolio piece to say look, before and after—this is 20 years ago.”

The Beauty of Constant Evolution

One of the most powerful themes in this conversation is the idea that both writing and illustrating are crafts in constant evolution.

“If you’re not evolving, you’re doing something wrong,” Nikki shares. “You should always be striving to better yourself.” A couple of years ago, her focus was on drawing better foliage. “Who says that? ‘I want to be better at drawing leaves on the bush or grass.’ But you’re constantly evolving.”

For Melissa, it’s about the elements of craft: dialogue, body beats, description, plot structure, climax, reveal, resolution. “How can I improve?” she asks herself regularly.

The Generous Publishing Community

Both cousins discovered something wonderful about their respective corners of the publishing industry: people are incredibly generous with their knowledge.

“What I love, what I have discovered so far, at least in the Christian publishing realm, is that the people ahead of you are so generous with their knowledge,” Melissa says. “They are happy to turn around and give you all of this knowledge from their experience.”

Nikki echoes this sentiment, pointing to organizations like the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) as invaluable resources for both newbies and veterans alike.

“There’s always somebody behind you, and there’s always someone ahead of you. You’re never alone in what you’re doing,” Nikki explains. “One of the most fun things to learn is that everyone’s experience on how they got into the business is completely different.”

Why This Podcast?

The Publishing Cousins podcast was born from the cousins’ collaboration on Melissa’s book cover—a new venture for Nikki that showcased the power of trying new things and helping each other grow.

“That’s our whole goal, right?” Melissa says. “We can share and help people along the way.”

Join Us on This Journey

Whether you’re a writer, illustrator, or simply someone who loves books, we invite you to join us for future episodes. We’ll be covering everything from the nitty-gritty of the publishing process to the creative challenges we face, all served with healthy doses of encouragement and humor.

Have questions about writing, illustrating, or publishing? Send them our way at LiteraryScape@literaryscape.com.

Remember: in publishing, as in family, there’s always room for more stories.

Connect with Us:

• Visit our website: publishingcousins.com
• Explore Nikki’s portfolio and Melissa’s novels
• Follow us wherever you get your podcasts
• Rate, review, and share to help other book lovers find us

Until next time, keep creating!

—Melissa & Nikki, The Publishing Cousins