So You Want to Self Publish
by Ruth Willms
While I was writing my first children’s novel, The Lion Tree, I was very apprehensive about getting it published with a publishing house. I learned that publishing companies would only look at my book if an author whose book they published endorsed it or if I belonged to the Writer’s Guild. I did have a well known author read my manuscript but she suggested that I rewrite my book making a lot of changes. I thought what she suggested destroyed what I wanted the book to do in the lives of my young readers. I did not qualify for the Writer’s Guild. Some publishing companies would allow me to send them a one page fax and if they were interested they would ask for a preview of a chapter of two of my novel. I was a bit apprehensive about that. I did not want to deal with one rejection slip after another. So I looked into self publishing.
My editor suggested a local company who for a fee would walk me through the process. It was a good fit. This company gave me the names of reputable and professional graphic designers, artists and editors who guided me through the process of getting my book ready for printing. They answered all my na?Øve questions and gave me tons of information. They put me in touch with a local publishing company who would do a short run for my first printing. So I‚Äôm set to go. In a couple of weeks I hope to inform you of how to purchase my children‚Äôs novel, The Lion Tree, for your child‚Äôs reading pleasure. A Christian fantasy, it‚Äôs one of those family stories, like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which adults will enjoy too.
