Three teachers turned children’s book authors team up to help others get published

Home Author business aims to make publishing easier for would-be children’s book authors

GURNEE – Local author Vicky Weber always wanted to write children’s books but thought that dream was unrealistic.

One day, she decided to dive headfirst into the industry. What she found through her research was a lot of overwhelming and conflicting information – and none of it could be easily found in one place.

“It was like trying to put a puzzle together without knowing what the picture looked like. It was defeating at times, but I was determined to make my dream come true,” Weber said in a news release.

Weber became a bestselling author within nine months of publication and later went on to be published by Disney.

In a conversation with fellow teacher and award-winning author Brittany Plumeri, Weber realized it wasn’t just her who felt paralyzed with fear and overwhelmed with information at the start of the publishing process. Plumeri had felt that way, too, as did countless others in the author community.

“As licensed educators, we wanted to help. We wanted to do what we do best: teach!” Weber said.

In January 2021, Weber, Plumeri and Scholastic author and teacher Chelsea Tornetto created Home Author, a coaching and consulting company specializing in children’s books to help current and aspiring authors navigate the publishing world and achieve success.

“I wanted to provide a safe place that was lacking in the author community,” Plumeri said in the release. “One that others could trust and know that at the end of the day, they’d walk away with exactly what they need – no loopholes or smokescreens. Just facts and support.”

With Weber as the self-publishing expert, Plumeri as design and social media marketing strategist and Tornetto as the traditional publishing specialist, the company already has helped hundreds of people write, publish and market their children’s books and make them stand out from the crowd.

For more information, email contact@athomeauthor.com.

Shaw Local News Network

Shaw Local News Network

Shaw Local News Network provides local news throughout northern Illinois