MuffinToSay - There was a time when my life was filled with terms like high-rise development, TOD areas, and green architecture. Understandable, considering I used to be a journalist for a major property magazine in the capital. My days revolved around sources, press releases about housing projects, and meetings that never strayed far from architecture and interior design. Yet, behind all of that, one thing remained constant—my love for writing.
My personal blog, nininmenulis, wasn’t just a space to rant or vent frustrations. It became a playground, a place where I could recharge after long days covering property projects that, to be honest, were often too stiff to enjoy from the heart. That blog became a home for words that didn’t have to obey journalistic style guides or an editor’s preferences.
Freelancing Isn’t a Shortcut, It’s a New Path
But the world kept changing. The print media company I worked for began to falter, editorial teams shrank, and the digital era soared like a rocket. Eventually, I let go of my title as a journalist and decided to dive into freelancing. It wasn’t an easy decision, of course. But when I really thought about it, it was an opportunity. I had the skills—I could write, I enjoyed drawing (a leftover habit from architecture school, full of sketches and guidelines), and I had the tendency to see the world from a different angle.
So, why not try to turn those two things I loved into a way to earn?
That’s where my new adventure began. I was no longer writing about housing prices and real estate trends, but about a cute cat named Kimi who befriends a chicken, a goat, and a dog. Yes, you read that right. From luxury properties to backyard barns, from property jargon to the clumsy chatter of Kikuk the Chicken.
The inspiration for my very first children’s picture book came from home—specifically from my housecat, who was too active to be called lazy and too spoiled to be called brave. Kimi, that adorable cat, became the main character. Every day, he would “play” with the neighbor’s chicken (who technically wasn’t a neighbor since it lived in a coop behind the fence) and a goat that occasionally escaped its pen and wandered into the yard. From their funny interactions came other characters: Kikuk the chatty chicken, Kiki the goat who dreams of flying, and Kimbo the loyal dog who’s afraid of the dark.
This picture book wasn’t just an outlet for creativity—it was my small way of encouraging children to read. Honestly, it made me a little sad to see how today’s kids know TikTok dances better than the opening lines of a bedtime story. But instead of complaining endlessly, why not create stories that could compete in their digital world?
That’s how The Adventures of Kimi the Cute Cat was born. I wrote the manuscript myself, illustrated it with love (with the help of some drawing apps), and packaged it as a digital book so it could be easily accessed online. I knew kids today were more attached to screens than paper pages. But that didn’t mean books couldn’t look appealing on a screen. What mattered was how they were presented.
Yes, Profit Matters, But Stories Give So Much More
Of course, none of this was as easy as flipping a page. The first challenge was adjusting my writing style. I had been used to writing news—concise, clear, informative, and sometimes too serious. Writing for children? That’s a whole different story. The sentences had to be light, flexible, full of imagination, yet still meaningful. It had to make sense for a goat to talk—at least to a five-year-old—while still not making parents roll their eyes.
The next challenge was just as tough: how to sell it? At first, I thought uploading it to a digital marketplace would be enough, and readers would come. But reality hit—digital platforms aren’t as magical as they seem. Among thousands of eBooks, mine had to compete like the new kid in school who doesn’t know anyone.
I had to learn again. About social media algorithms, marketing strategies, and the importance of adding behind-the-scenes content so readers felt involved. I created a dedicated Instagram account, shared snippets of the story, short videos of my drawing process, and occasionally little updates about Kimi’s real-life antics. Surprisingly, many parents responded warmly. They said the story was funny, lighthearted, and that their kids loved it because the characters felt alive. Some even told me their children had started enjoying bedtime reading. How did that feel? Honestly, warmer than any praise I’d ever received from an editor-in-chief.
But not every day was that colorful. There were times when I felt this effort wasn’t paying off as much as I hoped. Sales weren’t as lively as I imagined. Sometimes it felt like I was talking to myself online. At moments like that, what kept me going wasn’t the numbers, but a simple comment from a mother who said, “My child laughed out loud reading about Kiki the Goat who desperately wants to fly.”
So far, my biggest achievement isn’t the number of downloads or bank transfers, but seeing children laugh. That’s when I realized stories have extraordinary power. And I feel lucky to be part of planting those seeds of literacy—even if it’s just through a talking cat, goat, chicken, and dog.
My Thoughts on Earning from a Hobby
In my opinion, as long as your hobby comes from love, the money will eventually follow—as a bonus. But of course, it takes strategy, persistence, and the ability to adapt to the times. It’s not enough to simply have a great idea; you need to know how to present it, where to place it, and when to be flexible without losing your identity.
The digital world isn’t the enemy of books—it just means books need to dress up to stay attractive. Kids may love screens, but that’s an opportunity. Books can exist there too, competing not with flashy visuals but with strong storytelling and characters that connect emotionally.
Now, I’m working on my next picture book. This one is about adventures in learning to care for the environment, throwing trash in the right place, and protecting the earth. Because even fairy tales can be tools for change. Through simple illustrations and fun stories, kids can learn big lessons in ways that don’t feel like a lecture. And me? I’ll keep writing, drawing, and creating little worlds where a cat, a goat, a chicken, and a dog get lost while playing on Rainbow Hill.
Maybe I’m not rich from selling children’s books yet. But I’m rich in stories, experiences, and a kind of fulfillment money can’t buy. Because in this journey, I’m not just chasing profit—I’m following a calling.
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