About Gene Roberts:
Inspired by the timeless magic of Dr. Seuss and united by a shared love for storytelling, a creative trio came together to write a picture book that speaks to kids through playful rhyme and emotional honesty. Drawing from personal experiences with bullying and friendship, author Gene Roberts collaborated closely with fellow authors, bouncing ideas off each other and shaping each verse with care. Their journey from traditional publishing dreams to a successful self-publishing path is a testament to persistence, creativity, and the enduring power of picture books in a digital age. In this Q&A, they share their inspirations, processes, and advice for fellow writers.
What inspires you to write?
Initially, we were inspired by Dr. Seuss. We thought it would be fun and satisfying to connect with kids the way Dr. Seuss did with us and millions of other kids around the world.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
Dr. Seuss will always be one of my favorite authors, as well as Stephen King and John Grisham.
Tell us about your writing process.
There are three of us who wrote the book together, and it made the process interesting. We would bounce ideas off each other and then agree on the chosen words for the rhyming to make sense. We certainly had fun coming up with the content of the book together.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
We would always try to relate to the characters by thinking of how we would feel and react to each situation. Each of us had been picked on in one way or another, so it was fairly easy to get a sense of how to listen and help the two main characters communicate.
What advice would you give other writers?
To get used to rejection and never give up. We wrote our book a long time ago, and we are finally getting the message out and realizing it is a journey that takes time and persistence to make the dream come true.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
We most definitely wanted to publish the traditional way, but that was not working out for us. We then looked at self-publishing, and that helped us to put our picture book together and allowed us to have control over every step of the process. We were very thankful that self-publishing came along when it did.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Like I mentioned before, self-publishing was a great option for us. I believe that parents will always love to read actual picture books to their kids, even though there are many forms of media options these days.
What genres do you write?: Kids and Family
What formats are your books in?: Print
Website(s)
Gene Roberts Home Page Link
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
