Meet Lulu Buck of Buck’s Books Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lulu Buck

Hi Lulu, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Lulu Buck, and I’m an award-winning children’s book author. I have published 3 books that are titled “Sue’s Sky”, “El Cielo de Susana” and “Magical Golden Whistle”. My journey as a writer began suddenly during the pandemic. Just two months before the world went into lockdown, I experienced the profound loss of my husband. As you can imagine, the grief was overwhelming, and the isolation of the pandemic only deepened those feelings. During this time, I turned to writing as a way to cope, to find some sense of relief and clarity amid the heartache.

Writing became a sanctuary for me. It offered me a much-needed break from the intensity of my grief, allowing me to channel my emotions into something creative and turning my pain into purpose. The isolation caused by the pandemic cut me off from many resources, and at that time, writing was the one thing I could control. What started as a personal escape eventually became a passion for storytelling, and from that passion, I began to write children’s books.

I am also an educator, which I believe has had a significant impact on my work as a children’s book writer. As a teacher, I spent many years working with young minds, watching them grow and develop. It gave me a deep understanding of how children process the world, how they learn, and how they connect with stories. That experience allows me to create books that not only entertain but also help children navigate their own emotions, challenges, and the complexities of life in a way they can understand.

I truly believe that my experiences, both as an educator and as someone who has walked through profound grief, have shaped the way I write. My goal is to create stories that resonate with children and offer them tools to understand their feelings and experiences. Writing, for me, became not just a healing journey but also a way to help others, especially children, find comfort and understanding through the stories I share.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When I first started my journey as an author, I quickly realized that traditional publishing wasn’t going to be an easy path for me. I heard “no” more times than I could count, and it felt like I was constantly hitting brick walls. As a person of color, I found that the publishing world was often more focused on money, status, and following a very specific set of rules, rules that didn’t always leave space for my voice or the stories I wanted to share. So, after facing rejection time and time again, I decided to take matters into my own hands and self-publish.

Choosing self-publishing wasn’t easy, but it felt like the only way forward. I was tired of being told no and feeling like I didn’t fit into their mold. I wanted to control my narrative, to tell my stories the way I envisioned them. But it hasn’t been a smooth road, by any means. One of the biggest challenges has been navigating the systems and processes of publishing on my own. There’s so much to learn, cover design, formatting, marketing, and distribution and it’s all on me. The weight of managing everything from start to finish can be overwhelming. When I finally got done publishing my first book I felt like I just got another master’s degree. It still is the highest level of achievement I have ever felt.

Another challenge is that, in a world that’s so heavily driven by money, it feels like if you’re not following the established paths or appealing to certain mainstream expectations, you’re at a disadvantage. The rules of the game often don’t account for the diversity of voices out there, and for someone like me, that has meant figuring out how to stand out without compromising my authenticity. I will never sell out. I write for kids.

The journey has required a lot of persistence, and at times, I’ve had to face setbacks and frustrations, but I wouldn’t change it. It’s been empowering to know that I control my destiny, even if it means taking on the harder path. There’s a lot of learning and growing along the way, but at the end of the day, the stories I write are mine to share, and that’s something that no one can take away from me.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I believe what sets me apart from others is my knowledge and passion for children. They do inspire all that I do. I want something better for them. I offer more than just books. I create an entire experience for young readers. Along with my stories, I offer a menu of workshops and training sessions that align with the themes of my books. These workshops are designed to engage kids in a hands-on way, helping them explore the emotions and ideas in my stories through activities that inspire creativity and self-expression.

In addition to my workshops, I love to connect directly with kids through author visits. These visits allow me to bring my books to life, engage in interactive discussions, and create activities that allow children to explore the characters and themes more deeply. I want to encourage kids not only to read but to think critically and creatively about what they’re reading.

One of my true passions is painting, and I incorporate this into my work as well. Art, in all its forms, is a powerful tool for self-expression, and I’m committed to helping children explore their creative outlets. Whether it’s through painting, drawing, or other artistic activities, I believe that helping kids express themselves through art can be just as valuable as the written word.

What sets me apart is this holistic approach to storytelling. I don’t just write books—I create an interactive, immersive experience that combines reading, art, and self-expression. I’m proud to offer kids a space where they can learn, create, and reflect on the world around them in fun, engaging ways and be themselves.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Oh my goodness, this question makes me laugh. Those who are closest to me know that I always say, “I am the luckiest-unluckiest person on the planet”. I’m smiling. When it comes to luck in my journey, I’d say it’s been a mix of both good and bad, and honestly, it’s all been part of the learning process. I’ve had my share of unlucky moments like losing my husband just before the pandemic hit and being thrust into a period of deep grief, compounded by the isolation of the world shutting down. That was tough, and I couldn’t have anticipated how challenging it would be to navigate such a personal loss during such a global crisis. There were times when it felt like everything was working against me, and even trying to get started as an author seemed like an uphill battle.

But then, in a way, that bad luck turned into good luck. I didn’t expect that grief would eventually spark my passion for writing, but it did. That unexpected twist in my life led me to a creative outlet that became a lifeline for me, and through self-publishing, I found a way to tell the stories I wanted to tell. The luck of discovering writing as a form of healing was certainly a turning point.

In terms of business, there have been moments where I’ve felt “lucky” to have found the right community of readers and supporters, but there have also been struggles. The self-publishing world is tough, and it requires a lot of persistence, learning, and overcoming setbacks. The lack of a traditional publishing platform or a team behind me has meant that I’ve had to figure everything out on my own, which can feel like bad luck at times. But in reality, it’s also forced me to grow, to be resourceful, and to find creative solutions that I might not have considered otherwise. These other roads have led to so many lucky moments in meeting other authors, having very lucky experiences, and feeling very lucky in my success.

My latest “lucky” moment involved reviving a manuscript from 25 years ago. My original book idea didn’t happen because I was naive enough to give a hefty down payment to an illustrator who robbed me. 25 years later, I published my newest book “Magical Golden Whistle” with my current illustrator Chrys Zyx who is much more talented.

Ultimately, I believe that luck plays a role, but it’s how you respond to it, whether good or bad, that shapes your path. I’ve had my fair share of challenges, but I’ve also experienced moments of serendipity that have propelled me forward. It’s been a balance, and through it all, I’ve learned that sometimes, what feels like bad luck is simply an opportunity to grow in ways you didn’t expect that bring on that feeling of being very lucky and very grateful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lulubuck.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lulubuckster/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BucksBooksConsulting
• Twitter: https://x.com/c_lu_lu