From Bookstore Aisles to the Author Shelf

By Lisa Jacovsky

There’s a kind of magic that lives in bookstores, especially for the kids who grew up finding themselves tucked between the pages of a good chapter book. For me, that magic lived at Barnes & Noble.

It was a sacred place, where I spent countless afternoons browsing, reading, and dreaming. I would run my fingers along the spines of books, wondering what it would feel like to see my name printed there one day. Fast forward to adulthood, and that dream has not only come true, it’s exceeded every expectation I had.

Now Self-Published

Today, I’m a self-published, award-winning author of twelve books. Ten of those titles, ten!, are now listed for sale on Barnes & Noble’s website. The same Barnes & Noble where I bought my first Anne Rice chapter book. The same one where I discovered the power of storytelling and the comfort of getting lost in fictional worlds.

Now, it’s where readers can discover my characters, my words, my heart on the page. There’s a surreal kind of joy in typing your name into the Barnes & Noble search bar and watching your books pop up. Not just one but a whole lineup. Each title a reminder of late nights writing, quiet mornings editing, and all the moments of doubt that were eventually silenced by perseverance.

These aren’t just books, they’re pieces of a journey that began when I was a little girl wandering bookstore aisles, wondering if I’d ever be able to get on those shelves too. Would I be good enough? Or would I be able to figure out how to do it? Questions I would routinely ask myself as I walked the aisles, looking for my next obsessive read.

Self-publishing wasn’t the easiest path, but it gave me control. It allowed me to tell the stories I believed mattered, in my own voice, on my own terms. And to see those same stories now validated by awards, reviews, and the literal digital shelves of Barnes & Noble is a full-circle moment I could have only dreamed of.

For a love of reading

Being an avid reader played a huge role in the kind of writer I became. I’ve always believed that those who read deeply learn to write from the soul. I didn’t go into this hoping for fame; I just wanted to reach into someone’s soul the way the books I loved did to me.

I wanted to create books that kids and parents and educators could connect with, books that open conversations and hearts. The little girl who used to sit cross-legged on the floor of the children’s section, clutching her next literary adventure, would be proud of me. Not because of the accolades, but because I never stopped believing in the power of stories. I never stopped showing up for the dream.

Cheers to Never Giving Up

Yes, I still scroll through Barnes & Noble regularly but now it’s to see where my titles land. It’s to smile when I see “award-winning” next to my name. It’s to remember where I started and honor how far I’ve come.

Being an adult is cool in ways I never expected. But being an adult who turned her childhood dream into a reality, who found her books in her favorite store where her idols are found, that’s not just cool. That’s everything.

Never give up, because anything is possible.

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