For Jenny Marshall, her passion for reading and writing started as a child, when she created her own in-house library. “My family all received a makeshift library card so they could borrow. Even at a young age, I wanted to make sure the stories in my library were diverse enough to cater for all of my borrowers. All three of them!”
Her love of storytelling continued through to adulthood too, as Jenny completed multiple courses at the Australian Writers’ Centre, helping her to not only launch her own freelance copywriting career but also – thanks to the Writing Picture Books course – publish her debut picture book, Cami and the Lost Letters.
A lifelong passion takes shape
“I loved writing at school, often bringing my notebooks filled with poems to class or writing plays for my friends to act out at lunchtime,” Jenny explains.
Even as she embraced motherhood and a teaching career, Jenny never abandoned her writing dreams. “I loved championing children as they wrote stories and learned to read. During my time teaching, I never stopped being a learner.”
Jenny’s breakthrough came when she discovered the Australian Writers’ Centre courses.
“The freelance, content and copywriting courses armed me with the tools, mindset and plan to start my copywriting career which led to my first paid assignment,” she says. “And I haven’t looked back.”
The impact of the courses was transformative across multiple areas of her writing – with Jenny going on to complete more than 10 courses! “To be honest, I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the courses I've completed through AWC,” she says. “And they've all had a profound effect on my writing journey, in different ways.”
Combining learning and writing
It was Jenny’s expertise as a learning support teacher that drove her to create something meaningful for struggling readers and their families.
“As a learning support teacher, I’ve seen many children with reading difficulties and disabilities struggle to access the curriculum, affecting their self-esteem and often, over the years, their engagement in their learning,” Jenny explains. “Throughout my teaching career, countless parents approached me to ask how they could support their child’s literacy development at home. There were so many resources out there for teachers. I wanted to provide support for parents.”
Her debut picture book, Cami and the Lost Letters, addresses this need beautifully. “In the book, Cami’s determination to find the letters and persevere with her journey of learning to read, even when it gets hard, mirrors the experience of so many children with reading difficulties and disabilities and I hope children can identify and empathise not only with her struggle but also her resilience.”
Taking control of her publishing journey
Jenny chose the self-publishing route for strategic and creative reasons.
“I started working on this concept over three years ago. It took a long time to work out how to embed the learning experiences into the story and make the concept ‘work’ as a picture book,” she says. “When I was ready to pitch the idea to a publisher, I researched and approached a few educational publishing companies who told me they had in-house writers and rarely took unsolicited submissions.”
Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to take control of the entire process. “So, I researched self-publishing with the help of another fabulous AWC course, joined as many social media groups as I could and started the self-publishing process, one little step at a time. I also loved the idea of maintaining some creative control over the process and being involved in every part of the journey, from concept to print.”
By taking this approach, Jenny has also been able to create more than just a picture book – developing an integrated learning system for families.
“All of the resources are fully integrated with the picture book to create a multi-sensory element and increase engagement,” she says. “There are parent-friendly teaching notes included with each resource and they work together to present a comprehensive early literacy pack for parents working with their children at home. This set of resources can so easily become a beautiful part of a family’s routine.”
Her distribution strategy is direct via her website (see below) and local markets, the latter allowing her to connect with families and offer direct support and guidance.
Passion meets persistence
Jenny’s experience highlights the power of continuous learning and multiple revenue streams in a writing career. By using her copywriting skills to secure regular work, she has been able to build a sustainable foundation for her literary ambitions. “It was my copywriting side hustle that made my self-publishing journey possible,” she notes.
Her many AWC courses have also continued to bear fruit in unexpected ways. “I’ve recently had a story published by The School Magazine that was written as part of a writing task when I was completing the Writing Picture Books course!” she says.
You can find Jenny’s book and educational resources at www.learntoreadwithcami.com.au.
Courses taken at AWC:
