Today we’d like to introduce you to Wes Bennett.
Hi Wes, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Like most new parents, my wife and I spent as much time as we could reading to our child at bedtime. Books by Dr. Seuss such as “Green Eggs and Ham” and “The Cat in the Hat” were our daughter’s favorites. She slept with a lanky stuffed cat that I called “The Kitty of Knoxville.” That was the character that inspired me to write my own children’s book. For awhile, I just didn’t know what the story would be about. After doing some research, it became clear that Knoxville itself needed to be the star. In my opinion, the city didn’t have a book that truly highlighted the University of Tennessee, as well as the many downtown landmarks such as the Sunsphere, Market Square, Gay Street, Tennessee River, the JFG sign, and Neyland Stadium.
Writing the story and adjusting the rhymes took a lot longer than expected, but we eventually found an amazing illustrator, and took the chance of self-publishing. Today we sell the books in many different stores across town, including Bliss, Nothing Too Fancy, Union Ave Bookstore, Knoxville Visitor’s Center, Ijams, Bennett Galleries and the KMA. I often read the book at Elementary Schools across town whenever I get the opportunity.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I had never written a children’s book, so there was a lot of trial and error. The biggest challenge was incorporating all the city locations into a story that would both make narrative sense, and appeal to both children and their parents. When creating something, there is always a real fear of failure and rejection, and it was especially tricky with this, because readers want something that is new, but also feels familiar.
At the time we were sad that a local artist was not available. But doing a exhaustive search ended up being an absolute blessing, as Finn Dean’s illustrations almost always receive the most compliments of anything in the book. Not going through a traditional publisher is scary, because we started out with a room full of boxes of books, and it was up to us to get out there and find stores interested in selling them, as will as contacting Newspapers and local media to cover the story,
I also had to conquer my fear of public speaking, and at local Elementary schools, will sometimes present up to forty minutes at a time in front of large groups. I used to just consider myself an author, but now I feel like I run a tiny corporation, where I have to do sales, accounting, delivery, promotion, and media relations.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our goal for “The Kitty of Knoxville” is to be the definitive children’s book about the Scruffy City. I’m a dad, I grew up here, and am officially licensed by the university to use the Power T. We tell a very relatable and universal story about going to school, getting a job, falling in love and starting a family.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Although it sounds simple, I would recommend to anyone starting a children’s book to really, really take your time. Maybe the only tiny advantage that an average person has over a famous writer, is the lack of a deadline or any real pressure to finish. Give yourself a number of years to get it right. In addition to having other writer’s critique the story, you have to ask yourself if there is anything that can be done to make the story any better. If even a single word can be moved or tweaked to improve it, then it’s not done.
The advice that was given to me, was that the world will not care that you have written a book, you have to make them care. And that was definitely true. So be prepared to get out there and promote your story non-stop.
Pricing:
- The retails for $25.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kittyofknoxville.com
