Name: Susie Kinslow Adams
Book Title: My Mother My Child
Genre: Non-Fiction Self Help
Publisher: Write By The Sea Press
Purchase on Amazon
Thank
you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.
Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and
pen this book?
Susie:
My Mother My Child is an personal account of caregiving and so much
more. I unexpectedly found myself as Mother's full-time caregiver for eight
years and began journaling my feelings from the first day. I definitely felt
God asked me to write the book; it was not something I sought to do. Often I
felt as if I were the only person going through the trauma of caring for an
aging loved one and there was no help available. Therefore, my journaling
became more of an encouraging, how-to account than simply my experiences.
Is
this your first book?
Susie:
This is the second edition of my first book. The first edition did not include
any form of study guide. Encouragement from readers as well as from medical
health professionals led me to add a discussion guide at the end of each
chapter. The guide is designed for both individual and group participation.
With
this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie,
etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Susie:
The first edition was published by a traditional publisher. As this was my
first book, I did not know what to expect. If I were to go with a traditional
publisher again, I would feel more confident in stating my expectations. I
chose a particular traditional publisher because they were a Christian-based
new company and I had confidence in the owners. While I feel I invested more
financially into the publication than I had planned, it did not diminish the
overwhelming joy of opening the first box of books with my name as author. I
took photos of the delivery truck, driver, and first book. I also got excited
with each royalty check, no matter how small.
I
was new to the world of writers and authors and I did not understand the
difference between vanity press, traditional publishers, and other publishing
choices. I did, however, realize the need to choose a different route for my
second edition.
Can
you tell us a little about your publishing journey? The pros and cons?
Susie:
Let's focus on the second edition of My Mother My Child. This time I chose to
go with CreateSpace through Amazon. Not being real tech savvy, I did not want
to invest much time in learning the how-to of CreateSpace. I needed help in
designing a new cover, formatting the book, and in following through with the
publishing end of it. I chose Write By The Sea Press to publish the book
through CreateSpace. I was extremely pleased with the way each step in the
process was handled in a timely manner. I was able to feel in control of the
end product without doing all the work. The actual investment was about 1/3 of
my first edition cost with a much nicer end result.
What
lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and
about the publishing industry as a whole?
Susie:
#1 Stay involved in the process, regardless of who is doing the publishing. It
is your book and you need to be pleased with the end result.
#2
Learn what you can about the publisher or program you are using before you sign
a contract.
#3
Determine what, if any, editing will be done. Although I had several teachers
read my first manuscript, it still lacked some good editing for publishing.
Would
you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Susie:
Yes, I would, especially for those wanting a few books quickly with little
investment and purchasing small quantities and a low price.
What’s
the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Susie: Make sure your work is well-written before
seeking a publisher. Do research, compare prices and check their track record.
Your work represents you and should be your very best. Above all, enjoy the
great gift of writing.
No comments:
Post a Comment