These DPI Alumni Are Helping Kids Become Published Authors

According to Denver Publishing Institute (DPI) alumna Kelly Baptist, a publishing contract shouldn't be limited by age. After graduating from DPI in 2025, Baptist set out to build something she would have loved as a kid. 

This past June, Baptist teamed up with fellow DPI alumni Brenna Faricy and Mike Whalen to launch Camp Kejeba, a youth writing camp for students ages 10-17. Held in Southwest Michigan, the camp operated with the intensity, focus, and discipline of a sports camp, Baptist said. Campers worked through writing exercises and competitions, met with published authors virtually, and ended each day with hand massages from a physical therapist — a small touch meant to treat writing as the physical craft it is. 

The camp was designed to sharpen students' writing, but Baptist took it a step further: she awarded two participants publishing contracts through her company, Kejeba Ink Publishing, helping them reimagine writing as a fruitful career path.  

“If the students are serious about writing, I want this to be a job for them throughout their education,” Baptist said. 

Baptist will work with the contracted students to bring their stories to publication; in return, the students can earn royalties as well as payments upon signing and completion. A published children's book author herself, Baptist created Camp Kejeba to offer young writers the opportunities she wished she'd had; a way for their passion to also be their paycheck.  

Baptist’s source of inspiration for her own writing and encouraging others to write comes from a simple belief: "Story is everywhere, and writing is my way to squeeze out everything I've seen and experienced. It's a medium to connect and inspire," she said. 

Baptist credits her participation in the four-week summer program at the University of Denver that teaches students of all ages and academic backgrounds the ins and outs of the publishing industry through graduate-level lectures and access to a nationwide network of publishing professionals. 

"DPI showed me the importance of collaboration and meeting people in multiple areas of publishing — marketing, production, grant writing — people who have skill sets different from mine," she said, making her a more well-rounded publishing professional overall.  

During her early years as an author, Baptist had many questions about the business side of publishing. The Denver Publishing Institute not only filled in those knowledge gaps for Baptist but also positioned her as a source of advice in the field. When asked what she gained most from the experience, she cited two things: confidence and a deeper appreciation for collaboration. 

Now, with her contracts secured and a growing foothold in the publishing world, Baptist looks back on her time at DPI with gratitude.