By Kyle Rust
Founder of Roarwood & Author of Welcome to Roarwood

As launch week comes to a close, I find myself sitting here in a bit of disbelief—and a whole lot of gratitude.

It’s hard to describe what it feels like to release a book into the world. You spend months (or in my case, years) imagining it, writing it, rewriting it, designing characters, debating fonts, agonizing over color palettes, and wondering if anyone besides your immediate family will even care. Then, suddenly, it’s out there. On Amazon. With a real “Buy Now” button and everything.

And people actually bought it.

Whether you liked a post, shared the book with a friend, sent an encouraging message, or placed an order—thank you. Your support means more than you know. Really. I read every message, every comment, every order notification, and I’ve probably teared up more than once this week (don’t tell Milo).

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Roarwood Book Launch Goals & Sales

Going into launch week, my goal was modest: sell 30 copies in the first month. That felt like a win to me—a strong enough start to validate the idea, build some momentum, and see if this little jungle kingdom I’d created had legs beyond my own imagination.

But something amazing happened. By the end of the first week, we weren’t just close to hitting that goal—we crushed it. Nearly 50 books sold in just a few days.

Fifty homes. Fifty families. Fifty kids (and probably a few adults) flipping through the pages of Welcome to Roarwood and meeting Koobi the lion cub, Milo the monkey, and Quinny the koala for the very first time.

That’s surreal. That’s humbling. That’s enough fuel to keep me going for a long, long time.

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Unexpected Highlights from the First Week

This week wasn’t just about numbers—it brought a few curveballs and surprises, too.

First, I woke up one morning to find that Welcome to Roarwood had cracked Amazon’s Top 100 New Releases in Children’s Books. I blinked a few times to make sure I was reading it right. It was brief (Prime Week is a beast), but it happened. And for a debut indie book with no big publisher behind it? That felt huge.

Then came the messages. Emails and DMs from teachers, librarians, bookstore owners, and friends of friends who had seen the book and wanted to chat. Some invited me to speak at their schools. Some asked how they could carry Roarwood in their shops. Others just wanted to say how much their kids loved the story—especially Koobi and his big lion heart.

A few even sent pictures of their kids reading the book, curled up on the couch or sprawled out on the floor with giggles and snack crumbs and jungle chaos all around. Those are the moments that hit hardest. That’s when it stops being my story and starts becoming our story.

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Launching a Children’s Book During Prime Week

Let’s be real though—launching during Amazon Prime Week was a gamble.

On one hand, it’s one of the biggest shopping weeks of the year, and more eyes are browsing the site than usual. On the other hand, you’re going head-to-head with Echo deals, Fire tablets, and 60% off robot vacuums. Not exactly ideal for a little indie jungle book trying to make its debut.

I do think some of our early momentum got buried under those algorithmic waves. I’d see impressions stall or dip, even though we were running ads and pushing hard on social. Some days, affiliate clicks far outnumbered actual sales. It was frustrating at times—like shouting into the jungle and not hearing anything back.

But despite all that, it still turned out to be one of the most rewarding and meaningful weeks of my creative life. And honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.

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Lessons from My First Indie Book Launch

I’ve always believed that creative work is part art, part risk, and part leap-of-faith. This week confirmed that.

• People really do want to support creative projects—they just need to be invited in. Word-of-mouth works. You just have to start the ripple.
• Every sale matters. Whether it’s your aunt, your coworker, or a total stranger from Minnesota, every single order helped push Roarwood further into the world.
• Simple stories still have power. Welcome to Roarwood isn’t flashy or gimmicky—it’s heartfelt. And that seems to be resonating more than I ever expected.

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What’s Next for the Roarwood Series?

This was just week one. There’s so much more coming.

I’m currently working on an accompanying coloring and activity book for Welcome to Roarwood, outlining the second book in the series—working title: The Pride of Roarwood—and building a memory match card game to bring the characters to life in a playful new way. I’m also designing some early Roarwood merch, including a plush “Koobi Lovey” and some downloadable digital character prints to brighten up bedrooms, classrooms, or wherever your jungle lives.

The website is still pretty bare right now—just a tree stump and a welcome mat, really—but we’re building it one vine and one branch at a time. My goal is to create a full-on Roarwood experience where kids can read, play, color, and explore. And for parents? I want it to feel like a place you can trust, full of quality stories and safe, joyful content your kids will actually love.

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How You Can Support the Jungle

If your family enjoyed the book—even just a little—leaving a quick Amazon review would be a huge help. Seriously, even one sentence makes a difference. Reviews tell the algorithm that real people are reading and enjoying it, which helps other families discover the story, too.

You can also spread the word by sharing this Amazon link or telling friends with young readers to “join the jungle.” (That’s my new catchphrase. I think it works.)

And if you haven’t grabbed a copy yet—what are you waiting for? The adventure’s just getting started.

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A Final Note from the Jungle

To everyone who supported Welcome to Roarwood this week—whether it was a post, a purchase, a prayer, or a kind word:

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.

This dream doesn’t happen without you.

And I promise, we’re just getting started.

Love,
Kyle, Macy, and KB 🐾