Today we’d like to introduce you to Hiroshi Sosa-Nakata.
Hi Hiroshi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
My name is Hiroshi Sosa-Nakata and I’m a young author and entrepreneur, based in Texas. I started writing when I was in elementary school (second grade) and published my first book at age eleven. Now my book series, I Saved the World and I’m Only in 4th Grade!, has an epic four books published and there’s no stopping me! I plan to publish ten books in my series and I’m proud to say I’m entirely on track.
Today, you can easily find my book series on Amazon, Apple, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, and Rakuten Kobo. That’s not bad for a kid author. The beauty of my story though, and my stories, is that anyone can follow their dreams, share their passion and creativity with the world, and build a global audience. I’m honored to be able to share my journey with others and help inspire their creativity through the process.
For me, that means routinely speaking to young audiences at educational events, conferences, and local universities. My presentation, How to Save the World, a Kid’s Guide to Conquering the Galaxy, speaks to creativity, culture, and dreaming big. It makes a world of difference seeing and hearing from someone like you, another kid, who also dared to dream big. My mission is to spark creativity in young minds and encourage everyone to embrace the idea that we are all creative in own way.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Believe me, I didn’t always have the confidence I do today. If you were to tell me in second grade that my drawings and short stories would turn into an epic, out-of-this-world book series, I’m not sure I would have believed you. I remember when I first moved to Texas and felt incredibly isolated. I didn’t have any friends and I spent lunch breaks dreaming up stories in my head.
These short stories, usually a page or two, would eventually turn into my first manuscript. That process, as I started in second grade, took me three years to formulate into a rich story with diverse characters, all working together to save the world. My books all focus on themes of friendship and diversity, something incredibly important to me.
Moving to Texas at a young age I quickly observed that everyone is proud to be Texan. That made me thoroughly consider what I was most proud of, which was my cultural background. You see, my father is from Mexico and my mother is from Japan. I speak three languages and I’ve spent multiple summers abroad with my grandparents. These experiences have helped shape the way I see the world and created an individual who celebrates culture every chance I get.
My stories include multicultural characters who work together to, well… save the world. I want kids who read my book series to be proud of everything that makes them unique and read about characters that empower each other. One last thing I’ve struggled with was finding books that focused on the themes of culture and diversity. I’m a huge fan of reading but was not able to find many series written by kids, for kids.
Most books I found were written by adults and I thought there was an opportunity to create stories I would love to read. As it turns out, kids easily relate to multicultural characters and I’m extremely proud to contribute to this field, ultimately inspiring others to embrace their creativity as well.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Sosa-Nakata Publishing?
To support my dream of becoming a young author, I created my own publishing company, Sosa-Nakata Publishing. Through this business, I publish one book per year. The publishing process can be broken down into many smaller parts, including writing, sketching, storyboarding, digitization, editing, proofing, and publishing.
It sounds like a lot of steps and to be honest, it is, but seeing others fall in love with the characters you have written, join them on their journeys, and follow epic adventures across multiple books, makes it the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I’m very proud to announce that book four, I Saved the World and I’m Only in 4th Grade! The Teacher’s Pet has officially launched!
When I speak to others about entrepreneurship, storytelling, or publishing, they seem amazed that I’ve fully committed to this journey and that I don’t intend to stop until I reach my goal of ten books in the series. I just want other kids like me to dream big and embrace what they are most passionate about.
I believe anything is possible with hard work, determination, and a support system to encourage you along the way. If I, a kid author, can start my own company and publish a global book series, then truly anyone can follow their dreams. Who knows where your dreams might take you?
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
To my fans, none of this would be possible without you. It has been my absolute privilege to create stories that other kids can relate to and an honor to meet you in person. I’m not entirely sure what the future holds, but for the next six years I plan to continue this journey and complete the epic saga of “I Saved the World and I’m Only in 4th Grade.” Please continue to join me on this adventure! Thank you. Arigatou. Gracias. Hiroshi Sosa-Nakata.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sosanakatapublishing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sosanakatafamily/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SosaNakataPublishing/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sosanakatafam
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/sosanakatafamily
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B07TJF6B4F
