Meet Sarah Allison | Author & Publisher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Allison and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started my own publishing company to maintain creative freedom over my work. There are many paths to becoming a published author, but for me, maintaining creative freedom over the characters and illustrations in my books was immensely important. The characters and stories are deeply personal to me, and I wasn’t willing to risk having them changed just to have my stories published. Now that I have my own publishing company I am able to hire editors, illustrators, and designers that make the most sense for each individual project.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I truly believe that children’s books provide a unique opportunity to expose readers to big ideas, life lessons, and new topics in an age appropriate way. They can be an entry point for incredible lessons and discussion, and because I firmly believe this, I was willing to invest in writing and publishing stories that matter to me. My belief in the impact children’s books have is what continues to drive me. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as an author and publisher is that writing the book is often much easier than navigating the publishing process. From ISBN’s and barcodes to illustration feedback, pricing, and marketing – there is MUCH more to publishing a book than people think. Once the book is finally in your hands, the next process begins. Books won’t just sell themselves, so after the publishing journey is complete the work that must be done in order to promote the book begins.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Houston is such a unique city, and there is so much to see in do. My first “must see” would be the mural art on the walls and buildings across the city. I absolutely love the color, the variety in designs, and adore how they can be found tucked away in neighborhoods all across the city. Around every corner is some delicious local place to get a meal or a drink, so I always tend to pick local/small businesses to support. My favorite food spots include Trattoria Sofia, Superica, Bludorn, and Fiori. My favorite spaces include Memorial Park, Levy Park, and the Bayou trail. My favorite jalapeño margarita is at Cyclone Anaya’s, my favorite local micro-brewery is Great Height Brewing Company, my favorite steak in the city is from B&B Butchers, and my favorite place for dessert is Three Brothers Bakery. You could spend weeks eating, drinking, and enjoying the wide open spaces around Houston.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Without the love, encouragement, and support of my husband and friends I absolutely wouldn’t be where I am today. They continue to inspire and encourage me to engage in this work.

Website: https://authorsarahallison.us/

Instagram: @Author.Sarah.Allison