While she was in seventh-grade, Lily Hope Hoffman-Suder, ‘27, published her first book called “The Archtree Academy.” She wanted to write something that she could relate to and share with others.

“I really wanted to write a fantasy book as the first book I got published,” Hoffman-Suder said. “A book that took place with characters my age and [with] an interesting setting.”

Hoffman-Suder’s book is about a young girl, Gwendolyn Sallow, who lives in a world centered around magic. With her new friends, Gwendolyn fights against the evil that is trying to rid the world of magic.

“I recommend my book to anyone who likes to read fantasy; and it’s pretty fast-paced because there’s a lot going on,” Hoffman-Sudar said.

After looking all over for a place to write peacefully, Hoffman-Suderfinally found one that worked for her. And with the right kind of music to motivate her, she was ready.

“I really like to write in coffee shops because [of] the music and [because] it’s nice and chill,” she said.

After finishing the book, Hoffman-Suder had to find a way to get her product to people. Since she is a student author, she has limited publishing options.

“I got it published through the Junior Authors Program,” she said. “They did mostly the technical stuff for me. I [just] had to meet with the cover artist and see what I wanted for the book.” 

Along with writing, Hoffman-Suder also enjoys reading. 

“I like realistic fiction, I’ve really gotten into that recently. It’s nice to see a fictional story that’s played by real-life events,”

Hoffman-Suder is now a published author and sells her book to peers and other student authors looking for inspiration. Hoffman and many other students have published their books using the Junior Authors Program, which allows students ages 10-17 to publish their own stories.

“You can get it on Amazon, and sometimes I’ll have book signings for it.”