Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyranika Abrams.
Hi Tyranika, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My family moved across town during the pandemic, and my then 3-year-old daughter experienced many changes: new home, area, sibling on the way, new friends, and new daycare. One day, not even 7 days into her new daycare, I went to pick her up, and she was sitting in the middle of the floor all alone, playing with her shoes while all the other kids played around her as if she wasn’t even there. I stood back and watched as two kids ran right past her, and the wind blew her little ponytail while she sat. After a few minutes of watching, she finally spotted me, and the tears that filled her little eyes as she raced to her feet to come to me broke my mama’s heart. She hugged me so tight, as if I had just rescued her. I wrote my very first picture book as a result of that experience. I wanted the book to represent her and all the children in the world who are like her and may feel like they don’t belong at some time or another. From there, my picture book publishing house was born. My business, Little Legacies Books for Young Readers, is a minority-owned and women-owned children’s picture book publishing house that offers value-driven parents and educators of young readers ages 0-8 inspiring stories with meaningful messages, allowing children to feel seen, represented, and valued in the picture books they own.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Every business will experience challenges, especially as they are just starting out. One of the biggest challenges, I’m sure is common, is raising the capital needed to operate the business. Even being lean, some things are needed to get a business started, and that very often takes money. Besides that, marketing can be a huge struggle for independently published authors and small business owners. Even when you have identified your audience, it can still be challenging to market to them when so many other independently published authors compete for their time and attention.
Another dare-I-say challenge has been educating my target market on the significance of diversity in children’s picture books. While my brand focuses on providing picture books that feature BIPOC’s main characters and situations that are representative of the BIPOC lived experience, some people fail to see that my target market is not solely BIPOC parents, educators, and young readers. I have had plenty of non-BIPOC parents, educators, and young readers purchase and read the books I offer and love them, and that is intentional. These books are purposefully written to be enjoyed despite your race and ethnicity, but to offer aspects of specific lived experiences so that readers that may not have previously been able to identify with characters in a picture book can finally get the opportunity to do so. Breaking people away from the mindset that “diversity” in picture books means “including a character of color” and understanding that diversity is much more than that has been a welcomed challenge, but a challenge nonetheless.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am most proud of the quality of the picture books that I can provide my customers. Many people believe that traditional publishing with one of the Big 6 publishers is the only way to succeed, and that is definitely not the case. While that is one way to do it, having the creative freedom to include the elements your customers want and exclude those they don’t from your books turns your book from a book into an experience.
For example, our newest release, “Written in the Stars for You,” is an experience. The story itself is inspirational, but it has aspects of nostalgia; it has aspects of Black history, Women’s history, and American history. It introduces children to the American space race but also includes the lyrics to popular Sunday school songs, which can turn story time into karaoke time if you’re not careful. These aspects are purposefully crafted into a beautifully heartwarming book that I believe traditional publishers may not have believed in. Still, so many wonderful families have already experienced it. That is the piece that I am most proud of, and I look forward to offering families more of these types of experiences in the form of picture books.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
Sometimes I love picture books more than my kids. I enjoy Patrice Gopo’s “Picture Books are for Grown-Ups” podcast mainly because it absolutely hits home. Inspiration comes from so many different places. One of my favorite places to draw inspiration is from other authors! I have met many other wonderful authors, and it’s crazy how many well-known, traditionally published authors exist. Still, getting the names of independently published authors out there is so difficult. To name a few, Tiffany Semmons, Amber T. Brogan, and Your Qui all have excellent books (which I offer on my website). Danielle Marietta, I know, is working on a new title that I believe should be released this summer, and I am super excited about it. Patrice Gopo and Tameka Fryer Brown are both traditionally published and have amazing books on the market.
Pricing:
- Where You Belong – Limited Edition $17.99
- Written in the Stars for You – $18.99
- What Did We Miss – $18.99
- My Beads & Me – $18.99
- I Am An Amazing Asian Girl – $17.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.littlelegaciesbooks.com
- Instagram: @littlelegacies_books
- Facebook: @littlelegaciesbooks
Image Credits
Photo 1 (Personal Photo) – Denise Benson, Photos 2-4 (Additional Photos) – Tyranika Abrams, Photos 5-6 (Additional Photos) – Healy Shem-Tov
