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.