Today, we’d like to introduce you to Rachael Bush.
Hi Rachael, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My writing journey has been years in the making. I have been writing romance for over twelve years. Writing is a very isolating activity. Authors spend a lot of time in their heads, hunched over their keyboards, working tirelessly by themselves. Eight years ago, I took a writing class from Johnny Worthen, and the instructor encouraged me to join a writing organization.
He said we all need cheerleaders because writing is hard work, and other writers would understand us like no one else could. That’s when I joined the League of Utah Writers. Within a month of joining, I was elected to be the chapter president for my local chapter. By the end of the year, I served as the marketing chair for the organization. Now, I’m serving as the president of the League! The League of Utah Writers is my community. I have met some wonderful people who not only cheer me on but also understand me. It is the best thing I’ve done for my growth as an author.
Pre-pandemic, my day job was teaching botany to kids from kindergarten to eighth grade. Sharing my botanical knowledge with kids was the highlight of my day! When the world shut down, I looked at my lesson plans and tried to figure out how to get them in front of a larger audience. With the knowledge I gained from the League and the people I met who guided me through this process, I turned my botany curriculum into a series of books titled Botany for Everyone.
These books are aimed at educators, home school groups, and parents with inquisitive kids. Each book covers a single subject and is short enough to present material without losing kids’ interest. They cover anatomy, form, and function and are written in a way that’s accurate without being overwhelming. I illustrate them with vivid images that are artistic and accurate. Each book includes an activity to do with adult and a glossary with IPA pronunciation for words people may not be familiar with so they can read with confidence. Because they are based on the curriculum I created while teaching, they all cover various Next Generation Science Standards.
When I was in classrooms, I found that teachers weren’t covering botany in their lesson plans because the information and vocabulary was so foreign to them. There aren’t many places to expand on botanical knowledge, and there weren’t any easy-to-present resources for teachers to use in class. Not to mention the time it would take for a teacher to seek out this information on their own and try and figure out what’s important and what’s not. I created my books to support teachers and share my love of plants with a wider audience. All of this was possible because of my writing community support.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve been working on the Botany for Everyone series for four years. I spent the first two years querying my books, but every agent and publisher I reached out to said they weren’t a good fit.
One agent explained to me that they couldn’t find a home for it because I’m writing textbooks. Most agents and publishers are looking for narrative nonfiction, which is not what I write. But I didn’t give up. I knew there was an audience for these books, and I knew there were teachers who needed resources like these in their classrooms. So, I spent the next two years learning how to format and publish them on my own. It has been a long process, and I’ve relied on my writing community every step of the way.
Along the way, I’ve gotten feedback from people telling me that kindergartners won’t be able to understand concepts like photosynthesis and erosion, but I disagree. If they can name their favorite dinosaur, giving their full Latin name, they can understand concepts about the living world around them. People are so disconnected from nature and plants that the idea of learning more about them doesn’t even cross their minds. Plant blindness is a real problem, and I intend to change that one classroom at a time!
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’ve taken my botany degree and turned it into something I can share with a wide audience. I titled my series Botany for Everyone because everyone should know the basics of botany.
I use alcohol ink to create all my illustrations, which are botanically accurate and pretty all at the same time. There aren’t books like this available and it is my mission to bring botany to every classroom.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Ogden is a diverse city with a thriving art scene. The Monarch and the Local Artisan Collective are two of the coolest places I’ve ever been, and they’re in my city!
Pricing:
- Ebooks are $4.99, paperbacks are $14.99, hardbacks are $19.99.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://botanyforeveryone.com/
- Instagram: @botanyforeveryone
