Story & Lesson Highlights with Aimee Jackson

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Aimee Jackson. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Aimee, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I start each day with water and green tea, a meditation and grounding practice that often also includes some reading or study, and a short walk or some light yoga. I usually make something warm for breakfast then transition into my work day. At my desk I start by tidying up my space and making a to-do list. I love, love, love mornings!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I have been a children’s book editor most of my career. Before working in publishing, I was also a teacher. I worked for several traditional children’s book publishing companies before buying Book Bridge Press about fifteen years ago. Book Bridge is a children’s book production company that specializes in helping independent authors and non-profit organizations publish beautiful books. What I love about Book Bridge is getting to work with authors who are motivated to become their own publishers. Instead of waiting for the industry to catch up with them, they are paving their own paths. There are many book production companies and custom publishers who help authors create books. What makes us different is that we specialize in children’s books, and everyone at Book Bridge has direct experience working in traditional publishing. We bring the process and no-compromising quality of traditional publishing to a custom-publishing platform that allows authors to create the book of their dreams on their terms.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
I think what has taught me the most about work was the time I spent teaching as a Peace Corps volunteer in. It was one of the hardest times of my life, but also one of the most formative. About myself I learned toughness and resilience, but also flexibility and that it’s okay to have limitations. About work I learned that it’s not only possible to have a meaningful job that incorporates my talents and passions, but that having a meaningful job is the only kind of work that will ever be satisfying and fulfilling for me.

When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
Perhaps this is a bit on the nose, but the honest-to-goodness truth is that when I felt sad or scared or even lonely as a child, I found my peace in books. Books could be a distraction and an escape from the world. Or they could be a way of finding a character or a story that helped me better understand myself and my experiences. And as an army brat constantly moving from new school to new school, they provided consistency and even friendship in the characters who felt so alive to me—Ramona, Stuart Little, Wilbur, Pooh, Scout, and so many others.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
This is an interesting question, and perhaps the main reason why I decided to transition from traditional publishing to a hybrid publishing model where authors, not sales people, are the driver. The lies, or I’ll say it softer, the myths of children’s book publishing that I heard throughout the early part of my career were many: boys won’t read books about girl characters, but girls will read books about boy characters (both boys and girls like to read books about, you guessed it, both boys and girls!); white children won’t read books featuring brown characters but brown children will read books featuring white characters (again, not true, and all children deserve to see themselves reflected in the books they read and the toys they play with); people won’t buy books from unknown authors (the industry overestimates how well the average children’s book buyer knows who is a “known author” and who isn’t); and the biggest myth of all is that kids are no longer interested in print books. Kids continue to love and prefer physical books, they love to cuddle up with the adult in their lives and read together. They love to take their time and pore over the pages again and again, finding something new each time. They love the tactile experience of a physical book. And yes, even in a world ruled by digital media, kids still, and I believe always will, love books.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I only had ten years left, I would immediately stop worrying. I would trust that things will work out, that life is on track, that everyone I care about will be fine, and I would realize what I absolutely understand but still struggle with daily, that worry takes precious time away from being present for my life right here, right now.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bookbridgepress.com
• Instagram: @bookbridgepress
• Linkedin: @editoraimeejackson
• Twitter: @bookbridgepress
• Facebook: @bookbridgepress
• Youtube: @halfstreetmedia

Image Credits
all images ©Book Bridge Press