The Bearific Story: How One Author Built a Children's Book Empire

Most nine-year-olds spend their time playing video games or riding bikes. Katelyn Lonas published her first book. Today, at 19, she's the CEO of Bearific LLC, overseeing a catalog of 75+ children's books distributed across 13 countries. Her journey from young aspiring author to publishing entrepreneur offers a masterclass in turning passion into business and proof that age is just a number when it comes to following your dreams.

The Beginning: A Bear Fairy Is Born (2016)

"I was very fond of bears and fairies growing up, so I decided to write a book about a bear fairy called Bearific," Katelyn explained in an early interview. That simple inspiration became "Bearific Adventure," her debut title published when she was just nine years old.

Unlike most children who dream of becoming authors "someday," Katelyn didn't wait for permission or gatekeepers. She wrote her story, created the illustrations, and self-published her book. It wasn't a multi-million dollar launch, it was a young girl taking her creative vision seriously enough to share it with the world.

The character of Bearific, a star bear fairy became more than just a protagonist. It became a brand identity centered on the tagline "Believe Dream Achieve," reflecting Katelyn's own journey of turning imagination into reality.

Building Momentum: Learning the Business (Ages 12-14)

By age 12, Katelyn had published several titles in the Bearific Adventure series, including "Bearific's Bee Adventure," "Bearific's Ocean Adventure," and "Bearific's Rainforest Adventure." But she recognized that creating books was only half the equation and understanding business was essential for sustainability.

She joined the Palos Verdes Young Entrepreneurs Academy, where she learned about business planning, marketing, financial management, and scaling operations. This wasn't just theoretical education; Katelyn immediately applied these principles to Bearific, treating her creative passion as a legitimate business venture.

This period also marked a shift in her catalog. While the early Bearific Adventure books focused on storytelling, she began expanding into educational nonfiction,mythology, history, science, and biography. The decision proved prescient, tapping into the homeschool market and parents seeking books that combined entertainment with genuine learning.

Strategic Partnerships: Expanding Beyond Self-Publishing (Ages 14-16)

As Bearific's reputation grew, Katelyn began attracting attention from organizations seeking custom book projects. This led to the "Collaborate" program, a unique offering where Katelyn writes and illustrates books for individuals, businesses, and nonprofits while maintaining her distinctive artistic style.

Notable collaborations include:

Captain Kate McCue: "Discover the Story of Captain Kate McCue with Bearific" tells the inspiring journey of the first American woman to captain a mega cruise ship. The partnership brought Bearific to the attention of maritime enthusiasts and Celebrity Cruises passengers worldwide.

Marine Mammal Care Center: Books about seals and sea lions help raise awareness for this San Pedro-based nonprofit dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating marine mammals. The partnership demonstrates how children's books can serve missions beyond profit.

DSCW Foundation: Bearific designed the logo for this animal welfare organization and created content supporting their global rescue efforts for elephants, horses, and other animals.

These collaborations accomplished multiple goals: they generated revenue, expanded distribution channels, aligned Bearific with causes Katelyn cared about, and proved that a teenage author-illustrator could deliver professional-quality commissioned work.

Scaling Distribution: From Amazon to National Retailers (Ages 16-19)

While many self-published authors struggle to break beyond online sales, Katelyn pursued aggressive distribution expansion. Bearific books are now available through:

• Major retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and Walmart
• Physical locations: 50+ stores across multiple states
• Cruise ships: Featured onboard Celebrity Cruises vessels
• Events: Regular presence at Southern California street fairs and craft shows

This multi-channel approach is sophisticated for any publisher, let alone a teenage entrepreneur. It required negotiating with distributors, managing inventory logistics, and maintaining quality control across platforms, all while continuing to write and illustrate new titles.

The Numbers: A Publishing Empire by 19

By age 19, Katelyn's achievements include:

• 75+ published books across multiple series and genres
• 13 countries where Bearific books are sold
• 5 mobile apps on Google Play Store based on Bearific content
• Billboard advertising on the 605 freeway in Los Angeles
• YouTube channel (Bearific Studios) featuring drawing tutorials and cartoons
• Featured placement at high-profile philanthropic events, including Richard and Melanie Lundquist's fundraiser for the Marine Mammal Care Center

The revenue model combines book sales, collaboration fees, app downloads, and licensing demonstrating business diversification beyond typical author income streams.

What Makes the Bearific Story Unique

Complete Creative Control: Unlike authors working with traditional publishers, Katelyn maintains 100% control over content, design, pricing, and distribution. Every Bearific book reflects her singular vision.

Vertical Integration: She handles writing, illustration, business management, marketing, and strategic partnerships, essentially running a one-person publishing house with the efficiency of a larger operation.

Educational Mission: Rather than chasing trends or writing what's "marketable," Katelyn creates books about topics she finds genuinely interesting and trusts that curious young readers will too.

Age as Asset: Instead of hiding her youth, Katelyn embraces it as part of the brand story. Her journey from 9-year-old author to teenage CEO inspires other young people to pursue creative entrepreneurship.

Lessons from Bearific's Success

Start Before You're Ready: Katelyn didn't wait until she was older, more experienced, or had industry connections. She started with what she had and learned by doing.

Education Matters: Joining the Young Entrepreneurs Academy provided business frameworks that transformed a creative hobby into a sustainable enterprise.

Consistency Over Perfection: Publishing 75+ books in 10 years requires prioritizing consistent output over perfectionism, a lesson many creative professionals struggle to learn.

Partnerships Amplify Reach: Collaborating with established organizations and personalities expanded Bearific's visibility far beyond what solo marketing could achieve.

Mission-Driven Business Resonates: Aligning with causes (animal welfare, marine conservation, inspiring young entrepreneurs) creates emotional connections beyond transactional book sales.

What's Next for Bearific?

As Katelyn enters her twenties, Bearific continues expanding its catalog, distribution channels, and partnerships. The tagline "Believe Dream Achieve" isn't just marketing copy, it's the lived experience of a young woman who proved that age, industry gatekeepers, and conventional wisdom don't have to limit what's possible.

For aspiring young authors, illustrators, and entrepreneurs, the Bearific story offers more than inspiration, it provides a practical blueprint. With creativity, business education, persistence, and willingness to start small while thinking big, building a publishing empire before age 20 isn't fantasy. It's just what happens when someone refuses to wait for permission to pursue their dreams.