Writing Across Genres & Empowering Indie Authors: Author-Publisher Donna L. Martin

I met children’s author and indie publisher Donna L. Martin through a #BookHero school library book drive I coordinate every March with fellow kidlit authors Karen M. Greenwald, Nancy Churnin, and the Reader to Reader 501(c)(3) organization. And I was immediately struck by her generosity. Donna didn’t just donate one or two of her books — she donated a copy of every one of her books to the elementary school we sponsored this year in Revere, Massachusetts. It was obvious to me that she believes stories are meant to be shared widely and joyfully.

When I learned that Donna not only writes award-winning children’s books across multiple genres — picture books, early chapter books, middle grade nonfiction, and young adult fantasy — but is also helping other authors become independently published through the help of her independent press, Story Catcher Publishing, I knew she’d be a wonderful guest for us here on the Writers’ Rumpus blog.

Donna’s newest release in her History’s Mysteries historical fiction chapter book series, President Lincoln’s Balloons, takes readers into the clouds of the Civil War, where young Annabelle meets the real-life aeronaut Thaddeus Lowe — and sees history unfolding from an entirely new altitude. It’s factual and heartfelt: full of courage, curiosity, and just the right “lift” (pun intended) of imagination.

Her new picture book, Hildie and the Beastie, takes a lighter, fairy-tale turn — exploring emotions, empathy, and those “beastly” moods every child can recognize.

I’m excited to have her here today to talk about storytelling, indie publishing, and her unique journey in kidlit.

Hilary Elizabeth Margitich (HEM): Hi, Donna! Welcome to Writers’ Rumpus. It’s so great to have you here today.

Donna L. Martin (DLM): Hi, Hilary! So glad to be here! I’m honored to be chosen to speak to your readers on Writers’ Rumpus.

HEM: Donna, you’ve said that you love uncovering little-known events from the past. Your History’s Mysteries books are such a lively blend of creative storytelling and historical education for kids. What first sparked the idea for them?

DLM: The idea for the first book in that series, History’s Mysteries: Ship of Dreams, was born after I visited the nearby Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. I’ve always been fascinated with that tragedy, and when I uncovered a little-known historical event during some general research, I decided to create this series to help children (and adults) become excited to learn more about history. I’ve always loved learning new things myself, and I want to help instill that love of learning in others.

HEM: Your adorable mascot, Amelia Earmouse, really does make history feel friendly. How did you come up with the idea for her?

DLM: My series mascot was created with the adventurous Amelia Earhart in mind. That historical figure lived her life with gusto, and I wanted my Amelia to dig up those little-known historical events—much like an archeologist—while maintaining some of Amelia Earhart’s character traits. While Amelia isn’t in any of the stories, she does connect with readers at the beginning of each story.

HEM: President Lincoln’s Balloons is very well-researched. How do you manage to balance fact and feeling in this kind of historical fiction writing?

DLM: The first thing I establish is exactly what historical event will be showcased in each book. Most of each story generally takes place within a week leading up to and including the inciting event. Once I determine that, I figure out how many historical figures and fictional characters I need before using my imagination to “reenact” what might have happened back then. The more detailed research I do for each title in the series, the better I can get a feel for what it was like to live during a certain time period.

HEM: Donna, you’ve written for decades, been traditionally published, and decided to step into self-publishing, too. That’s a big leap! Tell me about that decision and that journey for you.

DLM: It’s been an up and down journey for more than fifty years! I began writing short stories at age eight. I won my first writing contest held by my hometown library at age eleven. My first place prize was the [Newbury Honor] book Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. Reading that book helped me start a dream to become a children’s book author. I became traditionally published in my twenties through poetry anthologies, and by 2013, one of my short stories was picked up by Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels Among Us.

That was followed by my entering a Twitter [now known as ‘X’] manuscript contest where an agent sought me out to represent me. The acquisition my debut picture book, The Story Catcher, happened soon afterwards. This book was picked up by a small publishing house, but unfortunately it was not a good experience for me. That company quickly folded their children’s imprint division, but my contract was legally locked up in a three-year battle with no sales or marketing support.

While I waited for my contract to expire, I continued to develop other stories and started doing a lot of research into indie publishing. In 2018, I opened Story Catcher Publishing when I finally got the rights to my story back. I immediately gathered a team of award-winning, talented people to begin releasing my catalog of books. And in 2022, I expanded into Author Services as my way of giving back to the kidlit community.

HEM: You’re basically a Thaddeus Lowe for indie authors, helping them get airborne! What kinds of products and services do you offer children’s authors?

DLM: Our Author Services program is twofold. On one side, we offer everything from illustrations and cover design to formatting and basic website design. On the other side, is our Pay It Forward division. This keeps the cost of our services thousands of dollars less than most other companies providing the same services, and gives any author working with us free access to me, so they can basically pick my brain about writing, publishing, promoting, etc. My expertise is based on sixteen years of working professionally in this industry. My goal is to help as many other authors succeed as possible!

HEM: Many of our readers are curious about independent publishing. Do you have any advice for them?

DLM: I’ve created my own kind of mantra over the years. I call it BELIEVE:

Be true to yourself. Even beginner writers have an internal compass dictating the core type of writer they will become.

Elevate your writing skills. Do everything you can to learn more about writing strong stories. Take classes. Join a critique group. Read up on tightening your writing. Practice, practice, practice!

Line up with positive mentors. Search out authors you admire and study their work. Go to book events and soak up the knowledge/atmosphere while asking questions of those who are already on this journey.

Insist on honest feedback. When you ask for feedback, do NOT seek out the comments of friends or family, unless they are professionals in the writing industry. Be open-minded and thick skinned. Don’t take anything personally as this blinds you to the GOOD parts of the feedback that could elevate your story.

Equip your writing space. It doesn’t matter if it is a corner of the dining room table, or an entire writing study. Gather the resources you need to perform your best when writing. This is a business, not a hobby, so treat everything you do with the respect it deserves.

Victory comes in small steps. Make a point to keep track of the joyful moments during your journey. The messages of encouragement. The free publication in a local magazine helping to strengthen your writing skills. The local award encouraging you to stay focused on your end goals. Those little steps eventually add up to a big win.

Eventually give back. Never forget your own beginning. There will come a time in the future when some newbie writer looks to YOU for inspiration. Lift them up with honest, encouraging words and share your own experiences while traveling this publishing path.

And when you follow these simple guidelines, you will not only BELIEVE you can pursue a career in independent publishing, but others will also begin to BELIEVE it too!

HM: That’s beautifully said. I have personally subscribed to those pearls of wisdom, myself, on my author journey.

Donna, what kinds of things do you hope young readers take away from your stories?

DLM: For the readers and listeners of my picture books, I hope my stories inspire them to use their imaginations to go on magical adventures of their own. To the readers of my award-winning History’s Mysteries series, I hope my stories inspire them to learn more about the past. It just might inspire them to change their own future. And for the readers of my young adult fantasy, memoir, or inspirational essays for anthologies, I hope my stories are entertaining enough to give them time away from the difficulties life can throw their way.

HEM: Can you share a sneak peek of what’s next for you? And where can our readers follow you on social media?

DLM: Now that I’ve successfully released my next two children’s books, I’m taking 2026 to focus on the next book in my Lunadar trilogy. This young adult epic fantasy began as a potential standalone story, but quickly turned into three books about the life of Princess Ariana and the waterfall city of Lunadar. I can hardly wait to return to the fantasy world I created!

Anyone wanting to connect with me can check out these options:

Website: www.storycatcherpublishing.com

Facebook: Story Catcher Publishing

Amazon Author Page: Donna L Martin

X: @donasdays

Instagram: @donasdays

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Email: storycatcherpublishing@gmail.com

HEM: Thank you so much for joining me on Writers’ Rumpus today, Donna. It’s been lovely and uplifting to talk to you!

DLM: No, Hilary, thank you for this lovely opportunity to share my love of books with your readers. It’s people like you who helped me when I first started out years ago, and you are a blessing to the kidlit writing community!

And if Donna’s generosity has inspired you, please consider joining our #BookHero school library book drive (details will be forthcoming in the new year), because (seriously) aren’t the best stories the ones we share with kids who need them?!

Donna L. Martin has been writing for over fifty years. Her genres include poetry, flash fiction, short stories, picture books, chapter books, young adult fantasy, memoir journals, and inspirational essays for anthologies. In 2010, her first story was traditionally published, and since then, many of her books have won awards. In 2018, Donna decided to open her own publishing house where she continues to publish her own stories while helping other writers on their journey to become indie authors themselves.