Elizabethtown College Early Childhood Education major Alyssa Marzili ’22 recently published her first book, “The Sea of Paper.”

Her book can be purchased on Amazon and is available in paperback and as a Kindle ebook.

Marzili, who penned her book under the pseudonym Maggie O’Casiry, first started writing this story in 2014 when she was in the eighth grade and has been preparing to publish it since.

“My book was inspired by an incident in middle school when I dropped my papers all over the floor, and my teacher jokingly said, ‘looks like you’re in a sea of paper,’” said Marzili. “We had 10 minutes of free time in the beginning of my next class, so I immediately started writing my ideas down about a book inspired by the words my math teacher had spoken, and so the series was born.”

The independently published children’s book tells the story of an 8th-grade girl who wants to be a singer. One day, she drops her papers on the ground and writes a song about a sea of paper. The next thing she knows, she is in the land her song described, but she doesn’t know how. She tries to find her way home while her parents desperately search for their eldest daughter.

Marzili credits her minor in English: Professional Writing for helping her learn about the process of publishing and how to better revise her work. She is especially grateful to the Director of the English Creative Writing Program Erica Dolson for her support.

“Ms. Dolson has been the most helpful in this process,” said Marzili. “She initially sent me resources to find publishers and provided a description for each resource. She also provided feedback whenever I got lost.”

Marzili is happy to offer advice to any other students who have a passion for writing and encourages them to pursue their interests.

“Do not use the excuse that there is no time, or that you are too busy,” she said. “Although it takes time researching publishers that fit your work, submitting, and waiting, it is simple and easy to self-publish, as I did. Everyone has a story to tell; don’t be afraid to share yours with the world.”