Conversations with Emily Rosen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Rosen.

Hi Emily, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have been a writer my whole life. From writing plays as a kid to being on the school newspaper in high school. In college, I studied communications and have built a career as a copywriter and creative director at advertising agencies in LA, working with clients that include Google, The Obama White House and the band Depeche Mode. The last few years, I’ve worked freelance, collaborating with ad agencies as well as brands and startups directly.

In 2019, I became a mom! I had my son Max, who arrived six weeks early and had to stay in the NICU at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica for 16 days. Leaving the hospital without him and waiting for him to come home was incredibly difficult. One of the only things my husband and I could do as new parents that felt somewhat “normal” was read books to Max while he was in the NICU. But I had trouble finding stories that felt like mine. So I decided to write one.

“Waiting for Max: A NICU Story” is my first picture book, out October 21, 2025. It’s published by an independent publisher in northern California called the Collective Book Studio, and distributed by Simon & Schuster.

The book basically channels all the feelings I had of wanting Max to come home, and shares them from the perspective of an older sister of a NICU baby. Not wanting to wait herself, she uses her imagination to come up with her own plans to bring her brother home, as she learns about different elements of the NICU.

This book is for all the older siblings, cousins, neighbors and family friends of NICU babies to help them understand what’s going on and express their emotions about the situation.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Publishing a book is definitely a long process. From writing multiple versions of my manuscript, to submitting it to dozens of publishers. I’m so grateful that the Collective Book Studio saw the importance and need for my book in the market. It’s been wonderful to work with them, as they really listen to authors in terms of thoughts on illustration, marketing and more. They found me a fantastic illustrator, Esther Diana, who brought the story to life so beautifully. I’m incredibly proud of how it all turned out.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Until recently, I’ve been focused on my advertising and branding work. Doing everything for clients from naming their company and establishing their tone of voice, to creating big 360-degree ad campaigns.

Throughout all my work, I try to make a positive impact as much as possible, especially when it comes to empowering women, moms and families. Whether it’s naming and promoting a women’s summit with the Obama White House and turning it into a gender equality movement, helping the brand Frida Mom celebrate that pregnancy is a marathon with a full-page New York Times ad on the day of the NYC Marathon, or creating a campaign with Google that shows girls can be astronauts, and anything.

Now, I’m excited to get my name out there as an author. And creating my book, “Waiting for Max: A NICU Story” is what I’m most proud of to date. Because of all the writing I’ve done, I always said I wanted to be a children’s book author one day. And, I’m really proud of myself for taking a difficult experience and trying to help others by sharing my story (more on that in the next question).

What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most is helping NICU families with my story.

My hope is that this book offers some empathy, information and smiles to any kid (or grown-up) going through a NICU experience and waiting for a baby to come home. With 1 in 10 babies going to the NICU, which is over 350,000 in the U.S. alone each year, there are so many families that could use a book like this.

But beyond helping with the story itself, I will be donating some books as well as some proceeds to hospital NICUs and NICU charities around the country. To help support the families going through it even more.

The book will be available everywhere books are sold, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local bookstore. Learn more about me and my book on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrosencreative

Contact Info:

• Website: emilyrosencreative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrosencreative
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyozanrosen/
• Other: https://thecollectivebook.studio/products/waiting-for-max

Image Credits
Emily Rosen Headshot Photographer: Kelly Osterholt “Waiting for Max: A NICU Story” illustrations: Esther Diana