Category: Publishing and Editing

It used to be that self-published books were the poor cousin of traditionally published books. They looked and read as if they needed some serious editing and design help. My British friend has a phrase for such projects: “Loving hands at home”.

The quality and success of self-publishing depends on how much work the author wants to put into the process.

Louise A. Jackson and I want Trail of Promises to look completely professional. Completely. Our goal is perfection, or as close to perfection as we can get with our current level of skills and knowledge.

There is self-publishing and then there is assisted self-publishing.

The folks whose story Louise is telling planned to do assisted self-publishing. When I got involved, I suggested real (unassisted?) self-publishing so they would not have to pay for a package deal that cost an arm and a leg in addition to buying the books to sell.

In all this wrangling and deciding, we decided that I am the publisher!

So are they traditionally published by Cabinart Books? Or is it Louise who is getting traditionally published by Cabinart Books? Or are Louise and I self-publishing together?

Who cares? Trail of Promises promises to be a beautiful book that tells an intriguing story of 3 people who packed the John Muir Trail with mules. It didn’t turn out the way they planned.

I’m hoping the book will turn out the way we planned, as we continue awaiting the proof copy.

Coloring books will be available again on July 1, 2016. You may order, but it will involve a wait.

This photo will appear in the book in black and white. It is one of my favorites. The photos are really quite amazing, and all 144 photos and maps are necessary to make the story come alive.

Louise A. Jackson, traditionally published author of 5 books mostly on the history of the Sierra, has a new book coming out soon.

We don’t have the exact release date for Trail of Promises. There are a few more details to hammer out, a proof copy of the book to get made and then to be read through by Louise, the 3 people whose story she told and by me, probably a couple of last minute changes, then more waiting.

Louise likens writing a book to having a baby. She used the words “throes”, “labor” and “delivery” multiple times throughout the process. I haven’t had a baby, but I have published 2 hard cover books and 2 coloring books, so I agree with her choices of words.

I think it is like having a baby and then not being allowed to see it until it is an adult.

Together we chose photos, edited those photos, edited chapters, rewrote paragraphs and sentences, struggled over the right way to phrase things, scooted paragraphs and entire chapters, named the book, examined minutiae of the design, struggled with misbehaving technology, and laughed our heads off.

It was a privilege and a pleasure to spend time with this very dear friend, making this book come to life, working out all sorts of difficulties.

I hope it is a pleasure for all to read this story, Trail of Promises.

More details to follow tomorrow.

Coloring books will be available again on July 1, 2016. You may order, but it will involve a wait.

Hours, days, weeks, and months of book design, and at the end I said to myself, “SELF!”, I said. “YOU HAVE NOT FINALIZED THE COVER DESIGN!”

Yes. I was shouting at myself in my mind.

We judge books by covers. How else will we decide whether or not to pick them up and read the words on the cover, the back, the flap or the interior?

Presentation is EVERYTHING.

DRUM ROLL. . . . . . . . . . . *********!!!!!!!!!

 

Doesn’t this look like a real book?? ISBN, bar code, publisher name. . .

More will be revealed in the fullness of time. . .

Coloring books will be available again on July 1, 2016. You may order, but it will involve a wait.