Starting Pieces: From My Computer to the Publisher's Desk

"What excerpt do you want on your hardcover jacket?" 
"Please provide a synopsis of your book for your paperback."
"What excerpt do you want featured on Google, Amazon, and the like?"
"Please provide us with your personal bio."
"What categories does your book fall under?"
"Please provide a 300 word count summary of your book."
"Please provide a 100 word count summary of your book."
"Please provide us with an author photo."
"Please provide us with details or .jpeg files for your book cover design."


These are just snap shots of the publisher's requirements for the author. Yes, the publisher is designing, publishing and distributing the book, but there is still so much to be done on the part of the author.

Once all of the requested information was submitted along with my signed contract and completed manuscript, I had to wait several weeks to receive electronic proofs of my book. This process is the same for all areas of publishing: traditional or self-publishing. Every proof had to be reviewed and noted for errors. The more errors discovered, either on the part of the author or the publisher, the longer the process is for the book's completion in print form. The first proofs I viewed were for the book's cover. I could not believe my eyes when I saw it for the first time on my computer screen. I was literally in awe. My husband and I both were blown away by it; it far exceeded our expectations. Immediately, we shared the cover with our closest friends, and I made sure to submit a copy of it to my friends who I thought were a part of my P.R. team. My initial shock could not be long-lived because I had to scan every inch of the cover to find something that did not meet my standards. When I discovered flaws, they had to be noted on my Proof Correction sheet. No changes would be made by the publisher unless it was typed on that form. Then, I was responsible for surveying each and every page of my manuscript to ensure that every word was as it was intended to be prior to publication. Often times when the publisher is configuring a manuscript for printing, errors could occur due to the shifting of font, graphics, etc. In a matter of a few hours, I found all that I was trying to find. I am quite sure that a few items were overlooked on my part, but as I stated previously, I was beyond tired of working and reworking my manuscript at this point.  So, when the time came, I submitted the forms back to the design crew of the publishing house and waited. And, waited. And, waited some more. I contacted the design crew several times to find out the progress of my book. Each time, I was greeted by a generic emailed reply. I received emails even when I requested phone calls. When I took it upon myself to initiate a call, I often received a voicemail that welcomed me to leave a message that, of course, was never returned. On three three separate occasions, I  approved the final proofs of my book, set the price that I wanted it sold as, and confirmed my mailing address, and after each time my book was never sent to the printer. Finally, I reached someone on the phone to express my displeasure and that was when my book finally went to print. It was during the week of Christmas 2009. Three weeks later, I received my first review copies in the mail. And, another three later, I received several promotional items for my press kits: Scattered Pieces business cards, bookmarks, and post cards. Now, all I have to do is successfully market my blessed book so that I can begin to recoup some of the money that I put out to have it self-published, which brings about it's own set of unique challenges. Can't wait to share them with you next Tuesday.

Until I blog again,

Flora Season

Editing Pieces: The Role of the Editor and the Author

If a writer desires a preview to how the public may receive her work, she should submit it to an editor. I definitely was unprepared for the response I received. I found my editing company online. It wasn't the cheapest company by far, but it also wasn't the most expensive. The owner of the company, a current university associate professor, kept in constant contact with me. He seemed as if he was hungry for my business. I liked his approach. Some of the editors I contacted came off as pompous as they read me their tiresome professional resume as an answer to whether or not they'd be willing to negotiate on their price. I needed someone who I could have a working relationship with. Someone personable. The proprietor of the editing company I selected requested a sample of my work to determine the cost for services. He sent me an original response, not some template, and gave me a brief critique of my writing. He said that he saw my message as timely and necessary. From there, he assigned me to one of his associate editors who specializes in biographies.

For ten days, I did not allow my phone to leave my side. I checked my email icon every several minutes. The anticipation of waiting for the editor's feedback surely minimized my life expectancy. My husband and I were laying in bed watching a movie one Saturday afternoon when the "1 New Message" icon suddenly appeared on my phone. I pushed the symbol in hopes that it would be an email from the editor, but when I saw that it was, fear and nervousness suddenly overcame me. I laid there, unknowingly biting off my fingernails, one by one. I excused myself from our movie and walked into our home office, closing the door behind me. I needed to be alone to face what I feared--criticism. This editor didn't know me, he never met me; all he knew of me came from the substance of my writing. The email he sent me contained two attachments-- 1) his five page, single spaced report and 2) my manuscript coupled with his editing markings. The first attachment I opened was his report. He gave a very thorough breakdown of the book. He summarized the chapters, commented on the books readability/flow/organization, commented on whether he thought it had a chance at publication, commented on my writing style, commented on my character development and main idea, and finally he interjected his overall opinion as a reader. I completely agreed with everything he advised, but I had a personal problem with his outlook on me. I felt like with all of his education he still completely missed the most obvious point of the book. It wasn't about me trying to list every single wrong that every single person ever did to me and use the book as a platform to shout them out about it. No. The point was to show how I processed things. How I internalized them. How I had these social mishaps because of my early experiences with being subjected to witnessing family violence. It was about how I struggled to fight against my natural inclinations in order to be honorable. To say the least, I was very emotional after reading his comments. But, his comments helped me. He helped me to get prepared for the public's reaction to my work. And, if he wasn't getting my message, it was my job, as a writer, to make my message more clear.

I opened up his second attachment, my edited manuscript. I quickly scrolled through all two hundred pages of it and quickly became overwhelmed. There wasn't a single page that did not have a suggested correction. It was like reading and writing my story all over again. I honestly believe that I spent more time editing my book than I did actually writing it. While I read his editing remarks, I cussed and fussed all the while following much of his advice. By the time I finished, I never wanted to read a single page of my own book again. I was sick of seeing it. I had memorized many of the pages. I was ready to get it off of my computer and send it directly to the publisher's printer. Little did I know, that even required proofing!

Until Next Week,


Flora

Publishing Pieces: To Publish or To Self-Publish, This is the Question?

I, as with most other aspiring writers, would have loved nothing more than to market my manuscript to various publishing agents and have one believe in my work enough to represent it and pitch it to large publishing houses. Seeing an advance check made out to me that displayed more than a couple of zeroes would have been, indeed, lovely. I would have proclaimed from the nearest mountain top, "I am an accomplished author!" before tithing and paying off several of my debts. But, the reality is it could take weeks, months, or even years for a publishing agent to believe in your work as much as you. Completing the manuscript is only half the battle. Getting the book published by a reputable publishing company and not a small press is the war.

Knowing how personal Scattered Pieces is to me, and how quickly I wanted to get my voice out into the open market swayed me to begin looking more seriously into self-publishing. The key self-publishing component that won me over was the fact that I would receive larger royalties. Sure, I would be putting more money out upfront as opposed to the backend, but ultimately, if sales went well, I had the potential to make even more money, I could still get re-published by a major publishing house, and I would be in complete control of my project. And, as a woman who has a naturally aggressive personality, I like being in control. So, as with any good consumer, I shopped around. I read up on several independent presses until I finally chose Trafford. Trafford offered me the most bang for my buck. I said to myself, "Alright. With self-publishing you'll be completely on your own with marketing your work. Is it at all possible that you can do this by yourself?" My immediate answer was, "No". However, I knew several individuals with Public Relations backgrounds who could help me. Also, I was confident that my immediate  networking circle was large enough to provide me with an initial fan base.  I asked my friends and associates with backgrounds in public relations if they'd be willing to assist me with promoting my project, and each of them said, "yes". Their support left no doubt in my mind that I could be a successful self-publishing author. 

After I believed I had my P.R. team assembled, I began allowing others to read the first fifty pages of my manuscript. I selected individuals from various ethnic backgrounds, various religions, and various occupations. It was also important that I was not close friends with them, because I desired to obtain their unbiased feedback. The reception I received for Scattered Pieces was astounding. Their feedback let me know that it was good enough to appeal to a large, diverse audience and that it was ready to be pushed forward to a professional editor. The manuscript editing process was definitely more challenging than I anticipated. I can't wait to tell you more about it next Tuesday, February 9, 2010.

Until I Blog Again,

Flora