Finally, my book is now available through Trafford Publishing. It has been a long road to get to this point. 3 years of working, revising, and proofreading have finally got my baby out there. How did I get here? I think it came down to one year of being rejected. Thinking, how does a new writer get started? The New York Ivory Tower editors just don't take chances. Heck, a lot are too scared to admit that the hardback cover book is going to be obsolete as the 21st century progresses. That people don't always go to bookstores to buy books. The new way of books is underway. Print to order and on-line ordering, and most likely, Ebooks.
I've self-published my book through a print to order book publisher called Trafford Publishing. They were writers, tired of the year-decade wait to get a book sold. They started a company to help get unpublished writers a push towards a market. I can now get books sold, do book signings, and work on promoting the book and myself, and get some numbers. This I can show to future publishers for a possible 2nd edition with a US publisher.
It is all this great experiment that I'll blog the process on. I've seen other writers to Ebooks, but I do like the idea of a hard 3-D book that can be carried around. Plus, with children, it is better for them to have a copy they can carry around.
I am noticing the distribution on my book is still at the publishing snails pace. It will be 4-6 weeks before Amazon.com will have it listed. Barnes and Nobles.com has to have its buyers pick it off the list and stock it in the warehouse before it is listed. If it is chosen at all. Not much different than normal small publishers. But at least my message is out there and children now have a new fairy novel option besides Disney. Options for readers is always good. New worlds for children to explore their imagination, even better.
For those thinking of self-publishing, be warned that you are the EDITOR. All choices for getting the artwork, proofreading the manuscript, etc. are all yours. For someone who likes that control, this might be your option. I have retained all copyrights, and the book is under Canadian copyright law. If an American company wanted to publish it, I can now show them sales numbers, etc. on a quarterly basis.
For more info on how I did it, visit Trafford Publishing's website at:
http://www.trafford.com .
For my book, here is the link to it's website listing for purchases and info:
http://www.trafford.com/07-2000 .
Good luck and I'll update on how the self-publishing experiment is going. I've learned that writers have to support and share their experiences. We're all in this together, right?