Seven Months. One Wild Journey!

Nat Bannerman
Sep 22
3 min read

Updated: Oct 11

The Beginning of a Dream

One conversation started back in February this year. After my many attempts at writing stories that only ended up being scrapped later, Mum got frustrated. She told me, "Nat, you're overcomplicating it! Just write ten pages, two sentences each." Those words led to the creation of something new: a finished story.

None of us knew those ten pages would snowball into a published children's book, a brand new business, a website, markets, bookstores, and a whirlwind of milestones we never expected to reach in such a short amount of time.

The Challenges We Faced

The first four months weren’t easy. In fact, they were downright exhausting at times. Mum had to step way outside her comfort zone. She juggled all my ideas, navigated autistic shutdowns, and learned entirely new skills. These included setting up social media, creating content, and building a website. There were plenty of “what are we doing?” moments, but we kept going, one small bean-step at a time.

March & April: The First Steps

March & April: We printed our first beta version of You Can’t Rush Friendships. After some trial and error, we sought help to manage socials and start developing a website. We also took part in the Old Bus Depot Markets, our very first public outing! At that time, we had no book yet; the beta version was a rushed copy from before the character and island designs were finished.

May: A Dream Realized

May: Our first Amazon book proofs arrived at our door. Seeing something that was once a dream brought to life in our very own hands felt unreal. That same month, we attended the ANU Psychology Society career fair, sharing our creative journeys with future psychologists.

June: The Big Unboxing

June: The big unboxing moment arrived as we received our very first shipment of books! After months of hard work, it was incredible to finally open those boxes and hold You Can’t Rush Friendships fresh from the printers. Seeing stacks of Magbean’s very first adventure ready to be shared with the world was both surreal and unforgettable.

July: A Milestone Celebration

July: Our official Book Launch! Timed perfectly with Disability Pride Month, we celebrated the release of You Can’t Rush Friendships alongside Logan’s Sydney’s Convicts. It was a huge milestone and such a proud moment.

August & September: Growing Success

August & September: We’ve been busy! The book is now on shelves at three amazing Canberra bookstores: Book Passion in Belconnen, The Book Cow in Kingston, and Harry Hartog in Tuggeranong. We also sold a signed copy for my college library at Canberra College, a very special full-circle moment. This past weekend, over in Book Passion in Belconnen, we held our very first Meet the Author event.

Our Online Presence

And let’s not forget:

We now have a fully functional website (still growing, with e-commerce features coming soon, so watch this space).
Our Instagram community is this close to reaching 100 followers, a milestone that felt impossible back in April when we didn’t even know how to post a reel.
The book is officially available worldwide through Amazon KDP and IngramSpark, making it possible for readers and bookstores across the globe to join us on Beanpie Island.

Reflecting on Our Journey

Looking back, it’s hard to believe how much has happened in just seven months. What began as a simple “just write 10 pages” has blossomed into a published book, a growing brand, and so many wonderful connections.

There have been challenges, shutdowns, learning curves, and late nights, but also so much laughter, pride, and joy along the way. We’re grateful for every bit of support, every reader, every bookstore, and every little milestone that keeps us moving forward.