When Ylleya Fields’ youngest daughter was about three years old, she was a “voracious reader” who devoured popular children’s books Fancy Nancy And Pinkalicious. There was just one problem: Fields, who was born in South America, didn’t see any characters in these pages that looked like her daughter — and she wanted to change that. Fields wrote her first independently published book in 2012 Princess Cupcake Jones Series.
“I wanted my children to be able to see themselves in the books,” says Fields Entrepreneur.
Fields’ first book entitled The missing tutu, focuses on a problem she was facing at the time with her two youngest daughters. “They were very messy,” Fields recalls, “so I wanted to make sure they understood the importance of putting things away and keeping the space tidy so you can find something you really love.”
Image source: Courtesy of Ylleya Fields
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Today, Fields is the mother of six children and has written five other books Princess Cupcake Jones Series, each with a message or lesson that young readers can take away. Each page also has the word “Love” hidden in an illustration, a nod to the meaning of love and to her eldest daughter, whose middle name is “Love,” Fields says.
Five years ago, Fields expanded the brand to include toys, clothing and accessories: plush and vinyl dolls, custom shoes, a book bag, a lunch box and more. She describes it as a full-circle moment for the brand and says the process of bringing the brand to life was “very organic.”
Image source: Courtesy of Ylleya Fields
Despite the brand’s success over the past decade – even Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner own the books – Fields’ journey to becoming a successful children’s author hasn’t been without its challenges. When she put pen to paper, she had no professional writing experience and of course had to balance her creative pursuits with raising her young, growing family.
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“People don’t realize how much work you put in,” Fields says. “First you write the book. Then you have to publish this book, then you have to market this book. Once you publish a book, that’s just one part, then you have to sell the book, and that’s the core of marketing comes in, and then creating those [products], which is a completely different focus, and they all require a lot of effort and a lot of time and energy. But in the end they are all very worthwhile.”
Fields says people often express interest in writing a children’s book to her, and she has some advice for parents who want to give authorship a try — or check off almost any ambitious goal on their list. Above all, you have to “just start,” and the secret is to prioritize yourself sometimes, as difficult as that may be. “Put yourself first,” Fields emphasizes. “Find the time to do it, even if it’s just for a short time, even if it takes forever, just get it done. And in the end, you’ll feel more rewarded.”
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Fields’ young fans also keep her motivated; She remembers picking up her children from school one day and seeing a teacher run up to show her a photo of a little girl dressed as Princess Cupcake Jones. Fields currently has plans for a seventh book in the series, which will explore bullying, “a topic that a lot of kids can relate to,” she says.
“A lot of people call the book evergreen,” Fields adds. “It will continually bloom for a new generation to experience, [and] I love that.”
This article is part of our ongoing Women Entrepreneur® series, where we highlight the stories, challenges and successes of running a business as a woman.