Thursday 11 December 2014

SOOOOOO Close!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When 2014 started all I knew was that come hell or high water my book "My Writer" would be published by the end of the year.  The book itself was written in complete frenzy in 2010.  By the end of 2011 the third draft was complete.  During its creation I began to make tentative enquiries with agents and publishers alike  and once the third draft was finished, I stepped up the search and began approaching various agents and publishers.  I met with brick walls left right and centre.  So I had an editor take a look at it.  She absolutely loved it and got almost as excited about it as me.  She loved the originality of it, the twist in the tail, the whole kit and kaboodle and said to me  "This will get published!" Yet more and more brick walls greeted it and sent it crashing.

Around a year ago, I began to think about self-publishing it.  I had published a number of poetry books myself and also the Young Writers' book "Word Magic" .  A few years before when a traditional publisher took the Yucketypoo book and commissioned two more, I had to do a lot of the promotion myself so I already had an idea of what was entailed.  I looked at at least a dozen sites on the internet that catered for Indie-Authors; some offered an excellent service but charged a lot. Others did a basic package that could be free, but I was new to this game with a book this size and really did not know where to start.  I considered other options.  Should I set up a new blog and just publish it bit by bit on that?  No.  I wanted the book to go out to as wide an audience as possible as a proper book because that is what its very nature demands.  Wattpad seemed a good idea - but they don't really cater for children's books and again - I wanted children to see it, feel it, smell it and treasure it as a book that would hopefully both inspire and entertain them.

I decided on Publish Nation.  I thoroughly researched it first and I was impressed with their range of services and their attention to detail.  I bought a couple of other children's books they'd published and, although one could see that the authors had limited knowledge about proof reading and editing, the books themselves were of good quality, printed on good paper with nice glossy covers.  I also thought they offered much better value for money than some of the other self-publishing companies so that was that.

Publish Nation has been amazing.  I am currently reading my second actual proof copy (having read through three copies on the laptop); so far so good. Each time I have spotted an error, it has been rectified and its excellent presentation is thanks largely to them and in particular to David Morrison who has been my advisor all along.  I will be signing it off very shortly as long as no errors present themselves to me and it should be available both in paperback and e-version before the end of the year, which has been my plan all along.

So I am almost there with it.  I'd have liked to get it out in time for Christmas so it has taken me slightly longer than I anticipated.  But I am going to arrange a proper launch (either February or March) and some book-signings and then ... well ... we'll just have to see.

This is what happens when one truly believes .   Wish us luck - the book and me.  And have a great Christmas.

Hang onto that dream!

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