The Making of an Author - Part 3

Giovanni the formatter, who’s responsible for preparing the files for uploading into KDP and IngramSpark (the companies which will produce the paperback and hardcover versions, respectively), is also responsible for ensuring that the files meet that “page count must be divisible by four” requirement.

In doing so, he copies the spread of the zoo map which appears at the front of the book and puts it at the end of the book as well.

This leads me down the rabbit hole again. Questioning everything I know about page count and page layout and pagination (really, I think they’re all the same thing).  My nightmare continues.

There are more sleepless nights. More breakdowns. And my head will absolutely not stop spinning.

Somehow the moment (who am I kidding? It was days!) passes. And I’m ready to order my first proof.

I can’t believe it!

There is a process for each, the paperback, and the hardcover. To order a paperback proof, I need only view the electronic file, then order the print. It’s a quick process and the proof arrived just a few days later.

But the hardcover proof? Well … that’s an entirely different animal. You have to wait 3-5 days for the electronic version to arrive, before deciding if you want to approve it and order a physical proof.

The paperback proof comes in. I open the envelope. I’m practically in tears and the emotions are indescribable.

My first response, “There’s a lot of words in here!” And Ashleigh says, “Yes. There are a lot of words.”

And there are some things that need to be tweaked.

And therein begins what my friend and fellow author, Elizabeth, described as “the most painful part of self-publishing.”

The files are are sent back and forth between Ashleigh, Giovanni, and myself.

When I look at the thing that was wrong the first time, I miss something else. When I look at the thing that was wrong the second time, I miss something else. And so on. And so on. And so on.

My Quality Assurance background has failed me.

“It’s okay. I can still get the book out in time for Christmas!” I think.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was that by the time I received the files, I was seeing text that was cut-off. It was particularly bothersome as it didn’t appear on Ashleigh’s files and Giovanni said he saw no cut-off text. But. I. Was.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? I could neither find an answer, nor could anyone explain it to me. 

My friends’ query about how my book was going was met with a sigh. A very BIG sigh.

The printer’s deadline for the Christmas rush was looming. And I finally had to admit to myself that I wasn’t going to make the deadline.

I remember seeing posts from other authors, saying that their journey had been long, they’d been at this for a year, and their book was finally released. Yea!

And how I (somewhat arrogantly) thought, when Ashleigh and I signed our contract on January 30, 2023, that there was no way my book was going to take that long.

Sometimes words are meant to be eaten.

Elizabeth was right!  This. Is. Painful.

It was also Elizabeth who reached out to remind me that the joy of putting out my first book would return the closer I got to my release date. And how it would all be worth it.

As Ashleigh, Giovanni and I worked through each issue we encountered, I was also keeping myself busy.

I put together a Press Release. And a digital copy of my book to be shared with my launch team. And a consignment contract for any bookstores that wish to accept my books on consignment rather than just purchasing them outright. And an introductory letter for schools, libraries, and bookstores that might persuade them to let me come in to do a reading. I filed for my copyright.

And I put together a PowerPoint presentation with slides showing my book. This is to be used in case a school wishes to have a larger assembly with multiple classes attending my reading.

Have I mentioned I don’t like public speaking?

I needed some headshots; a nice one to include on the info sheet that gets sent to schools/libraries/bookstores (Marketing!  Remember?)  and to put on my website. 

I have a sister who’s pretty handy with a camera and as luck would have it, I had a trip planned to see her. 

Success! I have several to choose from and have been using them interchangeably, often updating them just for grins.

I urged Ashleigh and Giovanni to get me the latest file before I left for vacation.

The next set of files came in. And there was one letter that was cut-off. 

One. Stinkin’. Letter.

I asked Ashleigh, “How many times have I looked at this thing?” My book, now the bain of my existence. I don’t think she ever responded.

It was the letter “D” near the end of the book. We were SO close!

The next set of files came in. Still more letters cut-off.  Wait. How can it be that the last file only had one letter that was cut-off, and now I’ve got several??? This doesn’t make sense!

I don’t have a lot of hair on my head, and I wanted to pull out every last one of them!

Ashleigh asked, “Have you looked at the file on your brand-spanking-new iPad?” OH! You mean, the one that replaced the 2^nd generation one that was sitting on my desk?

Hey! Let me try!

The e-proof for the paperback looked … perfect. Oh happy day!

So many of the issues *I* was seeing, maybe for months and months, were due to old technology.

Lesson learned.

As I anxiously awaited the e-proof for the hardcover, our desktop computer was giving me fits. Our super-duper, ultra-powerful gaming computer that was, in our estimation, only five years old. 

Keith maintained I need only clean out my older files. And as we were doing so (because he had a lot of old files on there too), the thing basically died.

Well … maybe it wasn’t exactly dead, but it was certainly in critical condition.

I don’t dare ask what else could go wrong.

Keith asked his tech-guru son to look into a new hard drive for us. And much to our surprise, Josh informed us our computer was over 12 years old.

And now ALL of my tech is up-to-date.

We were leaving on a three-week trip to Asia soon and I was hopeful the e-proof would arrive before we left so that I could order my physical proof of the hardcover. It did.

And it was perfect. And for the first time, I was able to order the physical hardcover proof.

That would arrive while we were gone.

Throughout this journey, I had read countless posts about other authors using other printing companies for their copies of their book (known as “author copies”).

Shortly after arriving in Hong Kong, I decided to request a hardcover proof from one of these other companies. As Alexandra (the illustrator with whom I consulted initially) had told me, it’s always good to have options.

The proof from the second printing company arrived in just a few days, while the proof from the original printing company (the one I ordered just before we left) arrived the day we arrived home.

In comparing the two proofs with a fine-tooth comb, I got near the end and discover that the book from the second printing company has the single cutoff “D”.

I had uploaded the wrong file.

And I was sick.

I couldn’t get out of my own way.

I thought for a quick minute about just uploading the correct file and placing my bulk order with the second printer, but then thought that could be a risky business decision to the tune of several thousand dollars.

And so I made sure to upload the correct file and order yet another proof from them. It was due to arrive the following week.

Only it didn’t.

When I outreached them, they claimed a shipping delay and said, “it’s on the way.”

A quick calculation of printing + shipping dates told me that due to the upcoming Easter holiday and other family commitments, I was looking at launching the book at the end of April.

A quick call to the printer changed everything. They had the perfect solution:  print part of the bulk order and use rush shipping – just enough to get through my launch party and a couple of school visits, with the remainder printed and shipped using standard processing.

The clouds parted.  The sun shone through. There may have even been angels singing.

And I’m scheduled to release my debut children’s book on March 25^th.

Some 13 months and 25 days after Ashleigh and I signed our contract.

It’s been one heck of a journey, that’s for sure. 

Has it been easy? No.

Did I learn something? Yes! Lots of things!

Is this my first self-published book? Yes.

Will it be easier the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th times? I do believe so.

I have a new friend in Ashleigh from Zimbabwe. She took a risk working with a rookie author. I took a risk working with someone on the other side of the world. She has stuck with me even in my most unpleasant moments. 

We have shared stores. We have laughed together. And cried together. And we both still have hair on top of our heads.

And we’ll be forever bonded over this experience and our beautiful Finley.

Some would say the work is just beginning. Because marketing and getting my book out to the world is the bulk of the work. And that’s fine.

For now, I’m just going to enjoy this moment.

I’ve gotten my book into print. My first shipment of my bulk order has just arrived. My release date is less than 48 hours away. The joy of publishing my first book has returned.

I am officially an author.

The Making of An Author - Part 2

Is an author ever really done with their edits?  I suppose so.  But only when the book is PUBLISHED.

If I thought I was “done”, I was sadly mistaken. (The Making of an Author - Part 1) 

After drafting the book, I inserted “illustrator notes” in my manuscript (i.e., my vision for what I thought the book would look like).  Ashleigh, however, had full reign to design it how she saw fit.  She IS the professional after all!

As each sketch arrived, I couldn’t believe my eyes! Pinch me! This is MY book!

I was surprised to find that most of my “illustrator’s notes” had seemingly been tossed out the window. But oh, what a pleasant surprise it was.

My book was still without a name.

I bounced ideas off of my friends, my family, really … anyone who would listen.  At one point, I had a half-dozen names I was playing with. But none were giving me “This is it!” vibes. Finally, Ashleigh suggested “Finley Finds Her Way”. I sat on this for a bit, before deciding it had a nice ring to it.

I had a title. My book. Had a title.

After a time away from the manuscript, I picked it up again.  Traditionally, children’s books run between 500-700 words. Mine?  Oh no! Ever the over-achiever, mine was over 1550!

I tried to cut words.  But then kept hearing a little voice in my head repeating a tip I had gotten from another author/editor: make sure every word you use is necessary to tell your story.

And honestly, I feel like they are.  All 1557 words.

Bolstered by the fact that my Grands are into books with a little more verbiage (as long as there are pictures, right?), I think I’m going to be okay.

When Ashleigh sends me a picture of all the sketches laid out, I start counting pages. It doesn’t line up perfectly with how I envisioned the pages to be laid out.

I think, “she’s the creative genius, she knows what she’s doing!” But there’s something inside of me that just won’t let it go. Perhaps my A-type personality or the control-freak within, that wants desperately to understand page layout and whether it’s divisible by four, and where the interior bar code from the printer will go (which they like to fit on the last [blank] page which is included in your page count) and … and … and … .

I’m so out of sorts, I can’t sleep. My brain will not shut down. I’m obsessing.

Ashleigh acknowledges my anxiety by saying, “This book is turning you inside out!” 

Why yes. It is.

After 48 hours of internal hysteria, I decide to leave it to the professional and trust the process.  She’s an author herself with a healthy portfolio (both written and illustrations).  And I let it go.

For now.

After the sketches were done, it was time for the real fun to begin: cutting and painting paper!

Once again, I’m blown away from the tidbits of paper I’m privileged to see. The colors. The work. The cat having fun amongst the scraps of paper left on the cutting room floor.

Ashleigh’s vision and her creativity is the real reason my book is going to look amazing!

When she tells me she feels like this is her book, I feel like she’s treating it like her baby. She’s taken such pride in making this her best book to date (just ask her very cool 16-year old son!)

She's even put in a nod to our respective homes: monkeys that are native to Zimbabwe and a taco truck which is native ... uh ... commonly seen around San Antonio.

Every so often, I start to think about the potential for my book.  The potential success. The potential failure.

Have I written a “good” book?

Will children like my story?

And will parents like it enough to buy it and read it?

In the world of authoring, this is what’s called “imposter syndrome.”

As if being my illustrator isn’t enough, Ashleigh has taken on the role of cheerleader and therapist too.

She reminds me that “(I’m) one of us (authors)”. That I’ve written a gorgeous story. That I am, in fact, the real deal.

As she is nearing the end of paper cutting, I know it’s time to start looking at font styles.

I’m an “Arial” girl at heart, having used it as my preferred default font for as long as I’ve been using a computer (and had a choice of fonts). But I know I need something that’s going to pop! 

I also know I need something that’s going to be easy to read. Afterall, this is a book for early readers too. Taking my suggestions, Ashleigh found the font available to her in ProCreate that is closest to what I’m looking for. With a little pizzazz thrown in for good measure.

Looking at the text leads me down that old familiar rabbit hole. Trying to reduce the word count.

A word here. A word there. An entire piece from the monkeys spread.

After all is said and done, and after multiple edits (and I thought I was done when I handed it off to Ashleigh! HA!), the word count totals just over 1500.  It’ll have to do.  Every word helps to tell the story (or is part of the repetitive theme within the story).

I also need to decide who to dedicate it to. This question has been at the back of my mind since I finished the initial draft.

My Grands are the first to come to mind. But I actually have three books I plan to write, inspired by each of them.

After much thought, I decide on the three people who have given me an enormous amount of support. Not only through my life, but throughout this process.  My husband, mom, and son.  All together now …

AWWWWW

When Ashleigh sent the first mockup of my book cover, it wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned.

But how to be tactful about saying “It’s not what I envisioned”?

I’m not quite sure what I said. Maybe "It's not what I envisioned." But Ashleigh understood the assignment. And returned to me, a bright, colorful, and engaging book cover that I think will draw the attention of any child (including those of the kid-at-heart variety).

Once the book cover was well and truly “done”, she says to me, “Now you can start outreaching bookstores, and schools, and … and … and …”

Wait. What?

As if writing isn’t daunting enough, there’s a LOT of work that goes into self-publishing.

Because there isn’t a traditional publishing company behind me with a big budget for advertising (I AM the publishing company), I’m going to have to market this myself. Where to start?

Well … I officially had a book cover. So why not start with a book cover reveal? I spent several days putting together a video that in the end announced my book to the world (or at least those who were willing to sit through 18 seconds of frogs croaking as the leaves slowly disappeared.)

I needed a launch team!  A “launch team”? What’s that? A group of people who will review my book ahead of its release date, then provide a (hopefully ultra positive) review on Amazon. Launch team members are also those who are willing to spread the word about my book – shout it from the rooftops, tell your friends, your family, hell – even tell your enemies – about it. Yes, I’d like to sell books, but I’d really like an “Amazon Choice” banner attached to my book.

Many authors in the various fb groups use Google Forms in order to recruit and keep track of the people who want to help out. Google What?

This is a whole lot like work. And I’ve been retired for seven years! 

There’s still time to join my launch team.  Just sayin’. (Finley Finds Her Way - Launch Team)

When Ashleigh tells me the cutting and pasting are done, I can’t help but feel a certain type of way. All bubbly inside. A smile creeping across my face. My book is coming to life.

And it's GORGEOUS!

Once done, it’s time to drop the text in. There are messages flying back and forth.

Ashleigh: Here’s the 1^st giraffe page.

Me: Can we put some more space in between lines 2 and 3?

Ashleigh: Done.

Me: OK

And so it went. Page after page. Move this. How about a different font for this word? Great font choice on the word “Thunder!” Can we flop the illustrations to better match the text? And on. And on. And on.

We were feeling pretty good about the way things were looking and were ready to send it to the formatter.

Until … we spotted was a glaring mistake on page 3! Or not-so-glaring since it took us this long to see it!

Finley’s mate, Foster’s name, was not capitalized. Oy vey!

When both Ashleigh and I have looked the file over no less than 252 times, now it’s time to hand it off to the formatter. A guy who lives in Italy (truly – my book is becoming an international effort!).

I immediately think his name must be Giovanni or some such romantically-Italian name. Ashleigh says she envisioned a Vespa-riding, scarf-wearing, hair-blowing-in-the-wind type of guy named Giuseppe.

But no. He’s a punk-rock loving Croatian, living in Italy, who speaks Arabic (among other languages) and his name is Chakib.

Henceforth, he will be known as Giovanni.

Until he had done his job (the first time), told me everything was uploaded to the different websites, but they weren’t (we still don’t know what happened – maybe he missed a button without saving it?), and told me I could “upload it myself”.

To say I took offense to this was an understatement. I was upset. I think the word “livid” might’ve even been thrown around. Because uploading everything was his job!

Henceforth, he was known as Chakib. Because we weren’t sure he was deserving of such a fine Italian name as Giovanni.

Looking back, I think he was simply trying to say, “you’re able to do it yourself – I trust you can”. But for a few minutes (or hours), I was none too happy with our imaginary Vespa-riding formatter.

Ashleigh had long tried to encourage me to have a paperback version.  Nope. Nope. And Nope. I was set that I wanted an eBook and a hardcover. That’s it.

But when Giovanni returned the files, he included files for a paperback too.  So guess what? I’ll now have a paperback version on offer as well.

There was also a glaring mistake on the back cover: my website was wrong. And so we’re back to the drawing board.

I dare say there’s a huge learning curve when self-publishing for the first time. And Ashleigh and I agree we’ve both learned so much already.

Something tells me we’re not done learning yet.