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Local Children's Book Author Pens Third in "Keeno and Ernest" Series

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By Emily Cowan, Editor/Publisher and Local Mom November 29, 2016
Editor's note: Georgetown children's book author Maggie van Galen has just published the third installment in her award-winning "Keeno & Ernest" series. Here's our September 2015 interview with Maggie, in which she shares how her young sons got her into the publishing business. Scroll down to find out how you can get a 15% discount on her latest book, "A New Friend."

maggievangalen
Mompreneur Maggie Van Galen is the Georgetown-based mom of two boys and an award-winning author of two children’s books. Her career path has taken her from sales and marketing to stay-at-home mom to part-time ski instructor to, present day, writer and author. Six years ago, a lucky connection with her son's kindergarten teacher gave her the push she needed to begin publishing her own series of children's books. Based on the stories her father told her, and developed with insights from her own kids, "The Adventures of Keeno and Ernest" is now a popular draw at bookstore readings and school libraries across the country. We asked Maggie about her dad's legacy, her late-breaking second career, and the contributions of her two favorite inspirations: her 10- and 12-year-old sons.

Newburyport Macaroni Kid: Have you always been a writer?

Maggie Van Galen: I had always considered myself a closet writer until I finally published. 

As a child, I remember listening to my father’s stories. He was an amazing raconteur and could bring me right into his stories. I could see the characters and would be transported to the locations and engage in the plots. As I grew older, I was always writing. I used it as a sort of escapism...writing poetry to deal with teenage “stuff”, studying journalism and creative writing in college. 

I grew up in a small, rural town in Northern Michigan. I was an honor student and an athlete. I graduated high school with 25 people…the same 25 I had started kindergarten with! I went to Michigan State University to study journalism, but somewhere along the line I switched to advertising as someone told me that I’d never make any money in journalism. Graduating from MSU in 1991, I lived in Detroit working for a system software company as their sales manager for five years. Advertising turned into sales. I was content and thought I was living up to my high school label as “Most Likely To Succeed.”

Then in 1995, my father died, and my life turned upside down. It made me stop and look around at some of my choices and take stock of what was really important. My path took many new turns. I traded in security for the unknown, moved from Michigan to Boston, and changed careers from sales to marketing. This was the point when I began to realize that climbing the corporate ladder wasn’t the end goal. Although I continued to do it for the next 15 years, I found myself pulling out the pen and paper more and more. I published a book of poetry, An Inside Look…, wrote for a small-town, New Hampshire newspaper, and even formed a business around editing and writing! However, the need to survive and put food on the table always brought me back to the corporate world! In 2000, I moved to London with my husband and worked at The Economist for 3 years. All the while, plugging along and “succeeding” but never feeling really fulfilled. 

keenoandernestcovers.jpgOne day, my son asked me to come to his preschool to share one of the stories with his class. The kids loved it! His teacher came to me after and suggested that I try to publish. She said the content was great and could be used as a teaching tool. Although I was thrilled to hear this, I wasn’t ready yet. I did, however, continue to go into my boys’ schools and tell the stories. After each visit, the teachers would urge me to publish. I found this so rewarding that after years of telling stories to my boys, their friends, and their classmates, I decided to take the plunge into publishing and share them with the world. My initial goal was to leave a legacy for my sons, and I have done that. They are very proud of me! Now that I am a few of years into this adventure, I would very much like to see my books in the hands of all children. I would also like to publish at least one more book in the series.After having two beautiful boys, true happiness began to shine in my life and the stories and words started to flow. I realized that my dad had given me his gift of gab. The stories my dad told were of Keeno and Ernest. Unfortunately, he never wrote them down before he passed away. My memory recalled the characters perfectly, but not the adventures. When my first son was born, I started making up my own stories around Keeno and Ernest, and he loved them! I added a moral to each story (which I’m sure my dad’s never had…his were ALL action/adventure!) that tied in with things my boys were dealing with at the time.

MK: How do you think your stories differ from the ones your dad told you?

Maggie: They are similar in that the two main characters are buddies, but they're different in the sense that they are adventures that tie into some moral dilemma my kids have faced. My dad’s were just action and adventure! So, in the first book Keeno and Ernest learn a lesson about following family rules, in the second book they learn a lesson about stealing, and in the third book (publishing soon) they learn about being yourself and trusting that people will like you the way you are. As my kids get older and their issues and moral dilemmas get bigger the stories are maturing with them.

MK: Is one of your sons Keeno and the other Ernest? 

Maggie: There are definite similarities, but I'll never tell you who is who!

MK: It sounds like a real family project. What's the process for developing a new story?

Maggie: The basic ideas come from what's happening in my kids' lives. I usually start with the message that I want the story to convey. Then I begin to weave the storyline and adventure together. Once I have the story complete in my mind, I tell it to my boys and they give me ideas and suggestions. Only after I've told a story the way I like it do I actually write anything down. Then the publishing process begins which includes submitting manuscripts, editing, getting ISBN, copyrights, etc… My illustrator, Joanna Lundeen, works on the illustrations during this time too. It takes her about 3 months to complete. The process from first written word to published book is about a year.

MK: How did you go about getting published?

Maggie: I realized that I wanted to leave a legacy for my kids so they would have the stories in written format. Finding a traditional publisher can honestly take a lifetime – and you still may never get published. I thought "This is silly, this is not why I'm doing it," so I started looking into different options. 

Many moons ago, I self-published a book of poetry, and I started researching this route. Indie (or Independent) publishing, as it’s called now, is a whole industry now with several companies that offer a range of services. The basic premise is that you pay a nominal fee for them to publish your book. I chose Outskirts Press out of Colorado. They do most of the administrative work for you, from production to marketing strategy. I was impressed that there is a vetting process, which requires quality writing and storyline, plus a full editing process. I could also use my own illustrator, which was very important to me, plus I retain full copyright of my books.

MK: What's your primary marketing strategy for selling books?

Maggie: I have a strong sales and marketing background, but it's a lot harder to sell your own work - because it's YOU. Also, my husband and kids are involved so it's very personal. It's definitely more challenging to put yourself out there.


When I published the first book, the [Georgetown] school system invited me for a reading. I loved every minute of it - I loved the questions, the engagement from the children, the whole thing. By word of mouth I started doing classroom readings at more and more schools in the area, and it turned out to be the best marketing tool for me. As part of my readings, I offer an order form for people to purchase the books, plus I always leave the books behind at the school library so kids can check them out. A reading specialist recently reviewed the books from an academic point of view, and she says the books are ideal for pre-K through mid-elementary readers, even up to 6th grade if you have late readers.

In all, I've read to over 3,500 kids in the last few years! It's been so much fun - preschool up to 5th grade, low-income schools, private schools, and every setting in-between. It's always so rewarding to see the reaction of the kids. It's inspiring for them, too - to see that anyone can become a published author. If I have inspired one kid to pick up a pencil or go to a library, mission accomplished. 

MK: Do you hope your sons will write their own Keeno & Ernest stories some day?

Maggie: I hope my kids tell stories to their kids, and that they know they're welcome to create their own. In the new book coming out (hopefully later this year), my boys will be making a guest appearance as a pair of new characters. All their friends wanted to be in it, too.

MK: Any advice for would-be self-published authors out there?

Maggie: I always sign my books with the tagline, "Always follow your dreams." I say that because that's exactly what I'm doing. Life circumstances may push you in a different direction, but if you keep your dream in mind you can always get there, you just have to work hard at it. I'm following my dreams and loving every minute of it.


anewfriendcover.jpgGet a 15% discount on signed copy of "A New Friend" - just for Macaroni Kid readers! Email Maggie directly at maggie@keenoandernest.com with the subject line "MKMOMS Book Order" in the subject line. Books will be available for pickup or mail delivery. (Note: There is a $6 shipping and handling fee for orders via mail; delivery is expected, but not guaranteed prior to the holidays.)

"Keeno & Ernest" books are available for purchase at The Dragon's Nest in Newburyport and at Little’s Block of Shoppes in Georgetown, among other local retailers. They are also available online at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. For more information, visit Maggie Van Galen's website. Also follow Maggie on FacebookTwitter, and Pinterest.

To find out how you can invite Maggie for a reading at your local school or library, click here!