Our Business Runs 24/7/365

Selling Children's Books on Automatic

I’ve been off on holiday for two weeks and this week, I’m home with a bug or something, feeling poorly (on the mend, though!).

And I’ve been musing that our business, thanks to the internet runs 24/7/365, all day, every day, with or without direct intervention. What a blessing!

Trip to Amsterdam and London

Two years ago, I traveled to Prague and Poland and that trip resulted in two books.

Launching July 7, 2026, this book about Polish astronomer and mathematician resulted from my Polish trip in 2024.

When we traveled to Prague, Czechia in 2024, we saw the Przewalski’s horses at the Prague Zoo. The cover is taken by Miroslav Bobek, Director of Prague Zoo.

But this time, our travel was just for pleasure. Here are a couple photos.

One trip highlight was traveling to Zaanse Schans, about 18 km outside Amsterdam, the village where there are still historical windmills with thatched roofs.

Forget Shakespeare while in London! Instead go to the Open Air Theater in Regent’s Park. This year, we saw Sherlock Holmes, so when we saw this statue, I needed a photo!

Planning for a Break

Before I left, though, I did a couple things to make sure the business didn’t break while I was gone. First, yes, I had email access all the time, through wifi and our mobile provider. That meant, I could quickly deal with urgent items. There were a few small ones, and I was surprised at how easily I could solve things from my ipad. I always bring my computer, but I never fired it up.

Second, before I left, I shut down some ads. I’ve been running Amazon ads this year again, trying to master the beast (hopefully a post is coming later this year). Some of the ads are experimental, unproven. I PAUSED everything except the proven ads. I took other steps to set up automatic payments and make sure the financials were all steady—and wouldn’t need any attention.

Third, I gave myself permission to not write! I’m a writer. Everything I do is to write or teach writing. I’m pretty boring—that’s my only passion, to communicate through words on a page and to help others maximize their communication skills, and connect people to their work. But sometimes, you need to take in things—so you have something to give out.

One afternoon, my husband and I just sat on a bench and watched people walk by for an hour or two. We chatted about the choices of clothing: the heat wave meant belly buttons everywhere. He noticed the crooked houses, the result of failing foundations along the canal, and how were those foundations built anyway and such a waterway? I pointed out unobtrusive bird nesting boxes placed oddly on a roof. What would it be like to live in such a town if you were a bird-watcher?

The Sherlock Holmes play in the Open Air Theater of Regent’s Park was amazing. The stage was a circular structure that had a revolving inner and outer ring, and when there was a chase scene, what an amazing choreography!

Regent’s Park roses were in full bloom, so I literally took time to smell the roses!

The rose gardens of Regent’s Park, London, were in full bloom!

We often need to remind ourselves that our writing comes from filling the well, so there’s something to give out.

And—hallelujah!—while you do it, you’ll still be selling books!