Meet Kacy Burke | Author and Publisher, Buckaroo Beau Books

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kacy Burke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kacy, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
At first, I really didn’t plan to start a business. At least not as a children’s book author. My fiance and I were 35 and 42, respectively, when we had our son, Beau, and I think parenthood changed us in ways we never expected. I remember waking up in the middle of the night with something of a poem in my head. I shook it off that night, but it followed me around for a few days, so I gave in and wrote it down and tinkered with it for a few weeks.

When I realized it might make a decent children’s book with positive messaging, I decided I owed it to myself and Beau to at least give it a real effort. That’s really how the first book, “Buckaroo Beau Lives on a Ranch” came to be.

I had heard of people self-publishing, which seemed like the most logical route for me personally but was determined to either do it right or not at all. It took months of research, planning, networking, and landing the most amazing illustrator, Mel Schroeder, before it was ready to go, and even then I made so many mistakes. In hindsight, I think that’s just part of the journey.

Creating something that was artistic but also valuable to parents and enjoyable for small children was a top priority. I knew I would have to invest in artwork, marketing, and production to be able to offer that, so I decided early on to approach this like a business. I have learned so much in this process and, after selling over 5,000 copies in my first year and a half as a (self) published author, feel empowered to continue growing this venture and invest in myself and my family in other ways.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve worked in marketing for the bulk of my career, predominantly promoting Western Sports and the horse industry. The marketing landscape is changing constantly, which does wear on me at times, but it’s a privilege to be able to express myself creatively and support my family comfortably.

While I consider myself to be somewhat creative and have a deep love of the arts, I don’t really think of myself as an artist (as much as I would love to be!).

I try to set myself apart by always considering who I am speaking to, whether that be through marketing endeavors or writing children’s books. I am not important – the children I write for are important. My goal is to always give people real value. With my books, the main goal is to give children the joy of reading and learning about horses and farm life, while giving their parents the comfort of knowing their kids are learning things like responsibility, caring for animals, and overcoming or coping with some of life’s more common challenges.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting, I would definitely take her to the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame in Fort Worth. It is incredible to see how so much of our local and national history was built by women from so many different backgrounds. “Cowgirl” is a surprisingly inclusive word, contrary to how I felt about it when I was younger, and the Cowgirl Museum does a great job of showcasing the many ways women have contributed to, well, everything.

I would also take her out to eat at Hard Eight in Stephenville, as it is my favorite of the Hard Eights, though we would appreciate it but joke that it has nothing on Carolina barbecue (where we are from). But that would really just be for our own amusement, as both are delicious and “apples to oranges,” as they say.

Otherwise, I absolutely love the parks in Mansfield and the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth. You also can’t match the energy of a Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium, if you happen to be here during football games.

I haven’t gotten to experience Dallas as much as I would have liked, but it’s definitely on the agenda for the coming year!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Mel Schroeder is an incredible illustrator. She is patient, understanding, and immensely talented. When it comes to children’s books, especially, I am often saddened to see illustrators not receive as much credit as authors. I wholeheartedly contribute the success of “Buckaroo Beau Lives on a Ranch” and “Vera Vaquera Gets a New Horse” to Mel. She understands the spirit of the stories and how to illustrate in a way that entertains and inspires children of all ages.

I’ve also been immensely blessed with friends and family who believed in and supported me from day one, even when I thought maybe I was being a little silly. My fiance (Sam), mom (Tina), Nana (Judy), and aunts (Woody and Vandy) all cheered me on and helped me to make edits along the way. My friend Tracey Austin-Ivy also helped get me out of a rut when writing “Vera Vaquera,” for which I am deeply grateful.

So many other friends and family members were a huge part of following my social accounts, sharing, purchasing, and leaving reviews that continue to make a difference in the success of Buckaroo Beau Books as a business.

I’m also grateful to all of the families who’ve bought these books for their children, grandchildren, and little ones they love.

Website: www.buckaroobeau.com

Instagram: @buckaroobeaubooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuckarooBeau/

Other: Flipbook, Vera Vaquera Gets a New Horse: https://www.flipsnack.com/7EDADBEEFB5/vera-vaquera-gets-a-new-horse-hcfwj331ci.html Flipbook, Buckaroo Beau Lives on a Ranch: https://www.flipsnack.com/7EDADBEEFB5/buckaroo-beau-lives-on-a-ranch.html

Image Credits
Image of my son, Beau, as a baby, by Tori Dobbs
All illustrations were created by Mel Schroeder