Writer Sanctum Book Fair

Summertime is for reading! Check out the wide variety of books from the self-publishing (SP) forum--Writer Sanctum--I belong to here: — A.L. Hawke (alhawke.com) and happy reading! If you are interested in publishing your own books, this is the place to be. The members are interesting and gracious and fantastic storytellers!

A Conversation with Andrew Barton

Today I'm so happy to have Andrew Barton of Heyward the Horse series to talk about his writing journey, the business of self-publishing, and what sustains him. I met him through SCBWI when we started our picture book critique group in Dec. 2018. He brought his first book and I was immediately struck by how bright and engaging it was. How FUN! The Heyward books are in rhyme and this is the hardest to write well, but Andrew delivers. The books are beautiful and I hear that little kids ask for it over and over. And these books aren't just for kids. They make wonderful gifts for grown-ups who love Charleston. Over these past four years, it's been a joy and delight for me to get to know Andrew better. He's never without a sketchpad and a pencil and is always doodling something and I'm always impressed with how much he captures with a few deft strokes. And it's been great to see how he develops a book from scratch. So without further ado, you can hear it all from the horse's mouth yourself.  

Please tell us the path you took to get that first book published, the challenges and obstacles you faced, and how you overcame them.

First – thank you so much, Vijaya, for the opportunity! I want everyone to know that you are a wonderful person, an admirable writer and a fantastic critique partner. One of the most frequent compliments I receive about my second book was an idea that came from you. You suggested that I call my backmatter “hoofnotes” instead of “footnotes” (the main character is a horse) and it has made a lot of readers chuckle. Thank you!

[Vijaya curtsies] My pleasure, Andrew. I’m delighted about hoofnotes.

To your question, a very successful serial entrepreneur once told me that he would never ever try and make money in publishing. He said something like, “It’s almost impossible to make it in that industry”. He was two years too late! I was already heavily invested in changing the world with my first children’s book, Heyward the Horse Loves Charleston, Of Course.

Flashback two years earlier – my first child, Lucy, was just learning to walk. My wife and I were acquiring (and reading) children’s books to her at a rate that would surely set her on a path to straight A’s and a guaranteed full ride at an ivy league school. To the upper-class, and beyond!

But as I read, I quickly realized that all children’s books are not equal and would occasionally say to myself, “I could make this”. About that same time, I began looking for ways to increase my income to pay for that ivy league education just in case Plan A fell through. I’m a self-employed graphic designer and the thought of hiring employees to grow a big company sounded horrid. I’m an artist – not a manager! With a little encouragement from some mentor types, I decided to take a stab at producing my own intellectual property.

I hear you. As much as I love the idea of having a team of people at Bodach Books, I don’t really want to manage it all. I can barely manage myself, lol. Last year I got two books that really resonated with me since we've been pondering the beauty of the small family business, whether it's growing bok-choy, baking bread, or making books, and I think you’d enjoy them too. Company of One: Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing for Business by Paul Jarvis. And small is still beautiful: economics as if families mattered by Joseph Pearce.

I reached out to a successful local author, Jonathan Miller, and he gave me a great piece of advice. Before you start your book, write a business plan. So I did. As I wrote my first book, I was laser-focused on who would read it and how it would get into their hands. Two years later – about the time I received that great advice from the entrepreneur – my book was selling in a dozen local stores. It was a start.

I don’t mean to make it sound easy. It wasn’t. Could I write? Barely. Rhyme? Kinda. Draw? Yes. But I was not overly confident in any of these skills. I had no notion that such a thing as a professional critique group existed. I tend to be a learn-or-fail-on-the-job type of person so I worked intuitively while heavily relying on feedback from family and friends. The feedback, to my great delight, was overwhelmingly positive.

It's how I've learned most things too, Andrew. And how wonderful it is to finally find your tribe.

Birthing a children’s picture book requires a zillion little decisions and I stuck to my mantra – Keep It Simple Stupid. My other mantra – Don’t Reinvent the Wheel – pulled its weight too. In fact, without my friend Jonathan’s advice (and contacts), I might still be working on that first book.

The biggest mental obstacle for me was financially investing in my own business plan. Sweat equity is all well and good, but eventually, you have to pay someone cold hard cash to print your book. That was way out of my comfort zone. I bit the bullet, got a loan, and ordered 1500 copies. To get me through that decision, I relied on the positive feedback I’d received, encouragement from my wife, and a little bit of desperation.

Such good advice. And it’s great that you trusted yourself in publishing Heyward. I see that you've sold over 3,000 copies! That's fantastic! I love that you are NOT a starving artist. You make a living through your art.

As a graphic designer, my job is to create stuff that promotes my client’s message. My goal with Heyward was to make stuff to promote MY message for a change. Equally important, Heyward needed to be profitable. And after an astonishingly short amount of research, it became apparent that self-publishing would be the path of least resistance – particularly for a hyper-local subject like Charleston, S.C.

That said, I’d love to work with my “soul-publisher” one day if the opportunity presents itself. The opportunity should present itself to my email address here. ;)

I still feel like a newbie when it comes to self-publishing and marketing has been my nemesis. I admire how you've cultivated relationships with local vendors who sell your books. What advice do you have for those who'd like to do what you are doing?

Marketing is the big behemoth for nearly all of us, isn’t it? The truth is, I’m no expert marketer. As a graphic designer, I am well equipped to create all the visual assets and content. I created my website, email newsletters, social media posts, flyers, and business cards. I am particularly proud of the book trailer I made with my daughter’s help for my most recent book.

So I’m blessed to have the advantage of creating marketing fodder, but knowing how and when to use those assets to drive sales is the tricky part. That’s where the expert marketer shines. I’m still figuring that out and I ask for help when I need it. For example, I hired a PR consultant, Fisher Creative, to help me with press releases, copywriting, and strategy.

For Heyward, marketing is only part of the story. My main focus has been Wholesale Distribution. From the beginning, I’ve tried to get my books into local shops. It can be intimidating to walk into a store and ask for “the buyer”, but it works! Stores are always seeking new and exclusive items to stock the shelves. In that sense, the retailer and author are working together in a partnership to make the end consumer happy.

There are a few drawbacks though. For one, I have to be able to sell my books at a low enough price for the retailer to make a profit. The margins are much slimmer than selling a book directly from my website. Volume is key.

Bottomline - marketing (and distribution) is hard work. There’s no way around it.

Thanks, Andrew. It's so great to see your kids involved in the creative process. You have a young family. Can you give us a glimpse into a typical day?

Make beds, dress kids, scramble eggs, brush teeth.

Make beds, dress kids, scramble eggs, brush teeth.

Make beds, dress kids, scramble eggs, brush teeth.

What was the question again? Sorry, I’m exhausted.

For my wife and I, the typical day starts between 4:30 - 6:30 AM. Several times a week we take turns getting up early to work out. Then begins the Whirlwind of Monotony to get the kids off to school. Then begins the workday followed by another Whirlwind getting the children fed and in bed. The sameness of every day can be excruciating.

On the plus side, I believe there is no duty on earth that can surpass the beauty and gravity of raising children. The rewards of parenthood are beyond words and reach deep into the heart. Parenthood requires a near-complete sacrifice of self and it is terrible and worth it. In full transparency, as I type these high-sounding words my kids are banging on the other side of a locked door demanding my attention. I’m doing my best to ignore them.

Life with young kids is a short season and I’m very grateful for it. My wife, Erin, is a wonderful mother and partner. She’s also very supportive of my children’s book business. The days aren’t easy, but I feel very blessed.

Blessings upon blessings, indeed. And what a beautiful family picture--we don't often get snow so it's lovely to play in it. You bring back both the sweet and sour memories. I love everything you said, especially the essence of parenting. Your life itself is a work of art. Please give us some advice on how to create and maintain an artful life.

If my life is a work of art, it must be an abstract impressionist piece composed of dirty diapers, existential anxiety, sleep deprivation, coffee, and Disney+. I like abstract artwork so I’m cool with it.

Regarding your question, here are three things that have made a real difference in my life:

Prayer. In my twenties, God became a reality in my life primarily through earnestly seeking answers at church and in the Bible. The God that met me there was, to my great surprise and relief, a Loving Father. Ever since I have continued seeking Him and praying for wisdom in my decisions. Prayer is not typically a quick fix from my experience, but as I look back, I see God’s guidance at work. I love Proverbs 3:6. “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Routine: For Erin and me, routine is paramount. We’ve been married nearly 14 years and have learned, though we possess very different personality types, to work well as a team. We communicate frequently about all the wants and needs in our house. We even have a recurring Monday night meeting where we go over the business of the week. A routine does not come naturally to me, but it has contributed immeasurably to our lives.

Journaling: I highly recommend journaling with the aim of goal tracking. In 2019 I listened to an audiobook that changed my life. In a way, it’s just another goal-setting self-help book. But for some reason, Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt spoke clearly to me and, more than that, it felt achievable. Goal setting can be extremely overwhelming, but Hyatt’s approach and writing style inspired me. I’ve been journaling and tracking my goals ever since. At this point, I can’t live without it. I wrote a blog post about this topic if you’d like to know more.

This is amazing: these are three of my favorite things too, though I came to the faith much, much later in life (13 years this Easter Vigil). Michael and I often wonder what it would’ve been like had we had this beautiful faith God has given us in our 20s (we're pushing 60). But thank God He never stopped chasing us. And thank God for bringing you into our lives.

Thank you, Vijaya for the opportunity to speak with you. You are one of the most interesting and enjoyable people I’ve encountered on my author/illustrator journey.

Thank YOU for taking the time, my friend, to share so generously. I've enjoyed it very much and maybe one day, the right story will present itself to us to make together. Here we are in our matching tees and your books! I think children's book creators have the best time ever. 

Readers, over to you. If you have questions or comments, I'm sure Andrew will be happy to respond.

My First Picture Book

This is the first picture book that I ever wrote and sent out. The story itself stands up to scrutiny after nearly two decades but not my cover letter. I can use this as a teaching tool. Let's spot all the ways how one ought not to write a cover: 

Dear ____

The tender friendship between my cat and son from birth through two years is documented in candid photographs.  I am sending a manuscript (180 words) and a rough dummy for a 32-page picture book titled, Kali and Baby Max based upon it. [In another letter I offer to let the illustrator use my pictures as inspiration for art.]

Kali and Baby Max is targeted for the youngest readers (age 1-5).  It shows the joy of having a pet.  Although there are many books on the market with this theme, I have not found a picture book that is as realistic as mine.  And it is the reality of the antics that Kali and Max do together that is so fresh and appealing. [Any more adjectives?]

My professional background is in the sciences (B.Sc. Microbiology; Ph.D. Biochemistry) and I have published in scientific journals.  I write stories and poems for my children and take writing courses and believe that I will succeed in this new venture. [Brimming with confidence! What relevance does a PhD have for a book for with babies and toddlers, I have no idea.]

I am submitting Kali and Baby Max to other publishing houses but I will promptly notify you if I hear from the others.  I appreciate your time and consideration and look forward to your reply. 

Sincerely,

I received lovely rejection letters with compliments for having a cute baby and cat. They all encouraged me to continue writing. I'm so grateful my silly submission was rejected because Midnight and Baby Max is way better! My homemade books (I wrote several) were a favorite with my kids along with books by Eve Bunting, Eric Carle and Leo Lionni. But as the children grew, they went on to read other books. And I went on to writing magazine stories and other books for the school and library market. They were fun to write and taught me so much. I didn't pull this baby out again until I started compiling some short stories for my EZ book, Max and Dagny. And the story holds up. So, after a few tweaks to the text, I published it myself. I learned so much, not just about story, but choosing trim size so as to make it affordable. Color printing is expensive. I don't know how people will find this book in the sea of books but I do hope parents find it and read it to their children, delighting in their delight. I love the flexibility of self-publishing especially for highly self-indulgent projects like these. Please note that my pictures are not even close to being professional. Perhaps I should take my own advice that I wrote to a few editors. Alas, I'm no artist so the photos remain as they are, untouched. 

I know many writers will not look back on their old work, but I'm discovering that many of my early works, though not polished, have tremendous heart and soul. I'm always chasing the next new idea but I think it's good to return to old stories when they bring themselves to the forefront and give them a spit-shine. I've actually sold many old stories, simply because it was the right timing. I saw a call for a certain type of story and voila! 

Let's talk about old stories. What do you do with yours?  

My Short Books for Kids

I have drawers full of short stories and poems and decided that this is the year I will make them available as a collection--only a couple have been previously published in magazines. I'd almost finished finalizing the collection of EZs when the kids returned home for the remainder of the semester due to the pandemic. So I turned into an art director, hiring my daughter to make some original line art for this collection. I love it so much and it was well worth the wait! I thought I'd have all this a month ago but she's been busy with school and it took her some time to get into the groove. You can't rush artists. lol. This is her first published work and I'm so pleased I'm going to hire her again for the chapter book I'm working on too. What a joy it's been to remember our days together when they were little. I thought with so many families homeschooling and hunkered down at home, this would promote the simple joys of childhood and encourage families to create art of their own.

Max and Dagny is a collection of 20 easy-to-read stories, poems, and fun facts for beginning readers. It's available as a paperback (recommended) or e-book with darling little illustrations from my daughter. Free preview here. 

So the Emory contest. We didn't win. But I loved the winning story, its simplicity and focus on helping others. Well written and illustrated. I also liked two of the honor books. How I wish we'd received an honorable mention too, but I know how subjective this business is. I'm so pleased to be able to publish it myself. However, I was not allowed to publish this on Amazon because "Due to the rapidly changing nature of information around the COVID-19 virus, we are referring customers to official sources for health information about the virus. As a result we are not offering your book for sale.  Amazon reserves the right to determine what content we offer according to our content guidelines." I get it. There's always junk science. But our book is a very basic treatment of virology and immunology for young kids. I have appealed but we'll see. It struck me how easy it is for large companies to control what's available. Already this happens in the media. So I'm grateful that I could upload our book to Draft2Digital. It's a distribution service and all my self-published books are on there because it's a lot easier than making separate account for all the different ebook outlets. And they are poised to provide printing services soon. So yay!    

Why in the World? is a nonfiction book about the Coronavirus pandemic for children aged 6-12. It covers basic virology and immunology, brilliantly illustrated by Kris Manning. It's only available as an ebook at this time. 

Despite the setbacks, I'm loving all the creative aspects of self-publishing. The freedom is phenomenal and some day I want to be able to publish the books I love that I've read in manuscript form. Maybe one of my kids can learn accounting and all that business stuff :) I already have an artist on board! I have still much to learn, especially when it comes to formatting ebooks with art, but I'm getting there. And we won't talk about marketing :) I love designing and making covers, formatting the paperback so that the interior is easy to read and pleasing to the eye. It's great learning new things even though I see myself hiring a lot of this out because there are still so many stories I want to tell and not enough time to write them all. I'm so thankful to God for this beautiful writing life.

On Disappointments and Surprises

March for Life weekend coincided with the annual ALA meeting when the awards are announced for the best books published in the previous year. Youth media award winners here (I've not yet read a single one, but our librarian is wonderful about stocking the major award-winners, so will remedy this soon). Even though I spent much of my time in prayer that weekend, I was aware of a little hollow. There was no phone message for me. See, I had entered Tongue-Tied for the Schneider Family Award. It didn't even make the honor. I wanted to cry. The previous year, I entered Bound. Yes, I cried then too. The sticker you see on Bound is the Seal of Approval from the Catholic Writing Guild, just the first step towards the Catholic Arts & Letters Award.

Why do I do this to myself? Because I think they could've won. Yes, I'm biased. But I'm also a big reader and my books are comparable to the ones who've won in previous years. We're told to not compare ourselves with others, to do the best we can do, but seeking comparable titles is something we should do. Why am I looking for more validation? The biggest reason is for gaining more readers, having a wider audience. If I get that shiny sticker, it's vetted by people in the business. I know that kids don't care about stickers or whether a book is work-for-hire or trade. They just want a good story and they are discerning. You can't fool kids. But the people who put those books in the hands of kids are adults--parents, teachers, librarians, grandparents--so you have to woo them too. Thankfully, Tongue-Tied is marketed directly to schools so it will get in the hands of kids, still I would've appreciated a sticker. I know, vanity, vanity, it's all vanity.

In other news, I went to my KDP dashboard and was surprised to see a spike--10 paperbacks sold of Bound! On Friday, Jan. 22nd, the day of the March for Life! I assumed it must've been a youth group leader or teacher who wanted to use it for discussion. I thought for sure I'd hear from this person and if they were within driving distance, I'd visit their group. But there were no such calls or emails. Then I thought, I should look up where the sales came from on my Author Central account. People, if you are not using this wonderful tool, you are missing out on data that Amazon collects. I discovered that the sales were spread throughout the country. What a coincidence. I wonder what prompted ten people to purchase a copy of Bound because I've observed that unless I run an advertising campaign, there are no sales. With self-publishing, discoverability is low. And I'm giving up on advertising because I lose money. Let's face it, I'm a writer, and I need to focus on the writing, but something somewhere triggered ten people to buy a copy and I'd like to know what it is. Maybe it was the recent magazine article in Shalom. That's the only thing I can think of. If you have any ideas, let me know. Regardless, I'm delighted that ten more people will read BOUND and share it. My readership will grow slowly. We write to change the world, to make a difference, one person at a time, and what a privilege it is to have this beautiful writing life.

Your thoughts on awards? Do you read award-winners?
ETA: Jan reminded me how personal it can be so adding a link to the time when I served as a judge for the SCBWI Magazine Merit Awards.  

I Apologize...

Why is it that dogs often look contrite but cats never?

...for the numerous typos in Bound. How did they sneak past me, even when it's been copyedited? That's because, my friends, I can't ever seem to leave a manuscript alone, tweaking this, fixing that. And that's how it happened. My fault, not my copyeditor's. I've been fixing them as Michael and my sister and a couple other friends discovered them, and it appears I can't seem to learn my lesson because I tried editing in the Kindle software and introduced even more mistakes. For example, I thought psychologists might be offended by my use of the term "shrink" so I replaced it in a hurry, misspelling it. Gah!  

This kind of carelessness is what gives self-publishing a bad name. Shoddy work. Upload. But lesson learned.

To the reviewers who rejected my book for the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval, thank YOU, not only for mentioning the reason, but marking every typo you found. This is above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you for making it easier for me to find my typos.

I am thankful to all of you who are still willing to read anything I write. I've spent this Thanksgiving copyediting. Eating humble pie now...not a pumpkin or apple or pecan in sight. The one good thing about self-publishing is that I can fix my mistakes. Onwards!

But in good news, my interview with Daniel Island Life was published. It turned out beautifully! And the reaction from readers has been lovely, not a single word about my typos.

 

Showing Off My New Book Baby with Formatting Tips

Lookie...my teenage girl is reading BOUND. I received my first set of author copies yesterday and can't get over seeing the product of my imagination in such a tangible manner. It's got weight. I have to share some pictures for those of you who won't get to see the paperback. The kindle version looks good too, but it's just not the same. 

You don't have to fiddle with the formatting as much with the kindle. The software takes care of most of it if you've used Styles to format your Word document. It's a trick I learned way back when I used WordPerfect for writing my PhD thesis. It made the document navigable on the computer. Of course, back then, there were no kindles, but it makes revising so much easier, and when you're keeping track of a hundred details like tables and graphs and pictures and footnotes, being able to link all these things makes life easier. Of course, the learning wasn't smooth. Just ask Michael. I wanted to smash the computer more than once when it didn't do what I wanted it to do. Does anyone here remember Sigma Plot or Corel Draw? I'm getting flashbacks. Anyway. If you have to learn the most useful feature of Word, it's Styles. And if I can do this, so can you.  

I made the kindle version navigable and had chapter titles so that if readers lose their place, they can easily find it again. This happens to me often--I blame the cats--and hate having to scroll. But for the print version, I got rid of anything that might distract from the story. So, no table of contents, chapter titles, headers of any kind. Just page numbers (and what a headache it was trying to number just the main part of the book, lol, but I done did good). I want the magic to happen, for the pages to disappear. I want the reader to be lost in the story, for time to disappear. I also made it easier to read by adding just 0.1 more to the spacing between the lines. There's just that extra breathing space. I love Georgia (the font I use on this blog) for it's roundedness but that would've put the book in excess of 300 pages and page count matters for pricing. So I switched to Times New Roman. The default for many paperbacks is Garamond but it is harder on the eyes. Once I settled on these things, I had so much fun making the pages look good. It's what makes holding the book such a pleasure. 

  


These first five copies will disappear quickly. I just know it. But for now I've placed them on *my* shelf. Don't I look like a new mother with her bookbaby?  It was a tough day with a rotten migraine but it was so great to just hold the book and flip through the pages. I spent a couple of hours reading my favorite bits. I would love to see pictures of BOUND being read by teenagers or even adults, so pretty please share.

 

On Migraines, Death and Dying

A few years ago, when the migraines were really, really horrible, and I knew that the risk of dying from an aneurysm very high, I sent a polished copy of BOUND to Nancy Butts. She knew the story and more importantly, had also published a little book for a writer's revival: Spontaneous Combustion. Don't you just love the title? I told her that if I died, to please publish BOUND and send the bill to Michael. I figured he'd have many other things to arrange, like my funeral. I still haven't made an appointment with our pastor about it but Michael knows I want a simple Gregorian chant High Mass. 

Yesterday after Mass, I met the widow of a man I've been praying for a couple of years. He was a friend of a friend and although I cannot do many things, I can always pray. It struck me to the core, learning of his death, just a couple of months ago. The family is doing okay. They are so brave. But it warmed my heart to know that he wrote two memoirs, one about growing up, and another of raising their son. What a treasure his words must be for this beautiful family. 

I write this so that if you have a project of your heart that you've been sitting on for months or years (as it was in my case) that you evaluate it. If it's good enough, share it. Do not let perfection be the enemy of the good. We are not guaranteed the next day, even our next breath. Carpe diem. 

I have so much peace knowing that BOUND is out in the world. If I were to die tomorrow (I'm still at a very high risk for aneurysm), I know I've done my best to bring Rebecca and Joy to you. And I am sure I will hear the words: "well done, good and faithful servant." I did the work; the rest is in God's Hands. 



I know how to write. I know how to publish. I still need to learn how to market. I'm taking baby steps. My health is better these days without the monthly cycle (yay manypaws :) I've weaned off the preventative medicines (low dose beta blocker and antidepressant) that I've been taking for more than three years. Pain is easier to manage and when it spirals out of control, I let go of the day's plans and crawl into bed. Having the pets nearby helps. I take a daily supplement that helps with maintaining good brain health (it's got all the vitamins and herbal additives that have shown to help reduce migraines. I've tried several supplements over the years and Migraine Max has given the best results but what a terrible name--they should've called it Migraine Min.)

ETA: A couple of links for pain relief that don't involve taking medicines with all their side effects. I discovered Biofreeze at the chiropractor's last year. The massage therapist would use it on my neck and shoulders. I rub it into my scalp and even my forehead--but you have to be careful not to get any into the eyes. Menthol burns. I bought the biggest bottle I could find and now my whole family uses it for any aches and pains. The other menthol based product is Therapain. It's a spray and it cools the head instantly to reduce the pain. I've also used it on my knees. And I always have a Migrastick in my purse and choir bag. Never leave home without it. Of course, you can always use an old-fashioned ice pack or a bag of frozen peas :) 

BOUND Cover Reveal

This is a long time coming but I am insanely happy to see this gorgeous cover of BOUND designed by Derrick Alderman. It's finally available to anybody who wants to read it and so close to our Independence Day!!! So much to celebrate, including the right to publish stories. July 4th plays a major role in my book so the timing is perfect.

Here's the description: Seventeen-year-old Rebecca Joshi, an adopted girl from India, burn survivor, and primary caretaker of her intellectually disabled sister, Joy, has one dream—to be a physician. Her traditional Indian father relies upon Rebecca to care for Joy while he buries himself in work to drown his grief over his wife’s death. Leaving home is the only way Rebecca can envision reaching her goal. She helps Joy develop greater independence, and is devastated when Joy becomes pregnant. Rebecca tussles—with her father and with herself—over who is responsible for Joy and her baby. When Rebecca discovers the truth of what happened the day she was burned, she struggles to hold onto her dream while wrestling with questions of life, love, and responsibility.

Set in the beautiful Palouse, the little town of Pullman, WA, home of Washington State University, where I spent 14 years of my life as a high school and college student. When people ask me why I stayed so long, I always say, I never mastered English 101 :) 

Click on this link for a free preview.


I just love this country, how many opportunities we have, how free we are to live and pray as we wish. I can't get over what a privilege it is to be an American (I got my citizenship at 19). Here are some pretty fireworks from our celebration last night. I think even the gators of Smythe Park were in awe. God bless America!

 

Photo Shoot

With Max home just for a few days, I wanted him to take some author pictures. He brought out the Canon--I should've taken a picture of him! Here are some of the bloopers with errant hair, mosquito slapping, trying out a serious pose and dissolving into laughter.

 

 

 

But there were lots of good pictures. The clouds rolled in at the perfect time, reducing glare on my glasses. In fact, this was the first picture that Max took. We were done in 20 minutes but I spent 2 hours playing with the software for fun. I went with the head tilt :) Feeling very professional. So grateful to have my Max home.  

 

June Celebrations

I never get tired of the view from the choir loft. Today we celebrated the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. He is the patron of our diocese, our little Latin Mass choir, and also my little blog. He's the only created human being besides Mary whose birthdays we celebrate in Church, given their importance in salvation history. All other saints, it's their death day that's the feast day, for it's their entry into heaven. Fr. Tomlinson gave a beautiful homily but the one thing that touches my heart is that although some, like John or Jeremiah, were called from their mothers' womb, so are we. Every human who's ever existed has a unique purpose. But millions of children are aborted because they are inconvenient. We speak of choice, but it is Satan's choice. Evil. We must fight it however we can. I pray and write.

Max has been interning in DC these past six weeks and I hope he will fight the good fight if he chooses to become a politician. He's on his way home. Michael and Dagny went up there to see him in his element.

So I've had a quiet four days, reading, writing, praying, and formatting BOUND. Oooh boy, I can see why people hire out the print formatting. It truly is a pain. But I'm learning, the cats my constant companions. But Sundays I rest. Went to the beach after Mass. Tide was high, hardly any beach at all, so sat on the rocks and enjoyed the salty spray. So, so beautiful.

 

Bodach Books

This is my new publishing venture--Bodach Books--books to elevate, enlighten, and entertain. I just love this logo that Derrick Alderman designed for me. I'd wanted two Bs back to back and a cross. My little sketch looked like a beetle but Derrick's design is more than I could ever have dreamed about. It denotes and connotes so many things, besides just the name. The suggestion of the cross is magnificent. It even matches the cross I wear that belonged to Michael's paternal grandmother, Tilly. The there's the V for my Christian name, which means Victory (through Jesus Christ our Lord). The Bs also remind me of a butterfly and transformation.
  

The first book to be published will be BOUND, a YA contemporary, cover and details to follow soon. Sooooo exciting! BB will be a great avenue for my YA and adult books, and also niche books. I tell you, there's not been a better time to be a writer than now because there are so many avenues for publication.   

I've been praying about self-publishing for over a year now. BOUND has been submission-ready for the past five years. I kid you not. I tried getting an agent for a couple of years but even the very complimentary agents didn't want to take it on. One agent was especially helpful; he planted the seed to self-publish. He felt the industry had changed and less open to a counter-cultural book like mine. Surely there would be one publisher, I thought, who'd like to invest in my book. I started sending it out to publishers. Again, a few great rejections--what an oxymoron--but I kept trying off and on. Mostly off, though. I was busy writing other books (I will have three new picture books out in 2019!!!) I told myself last year that I will try again in earnest to find a publisher for BOUND, but when I was down to micro-presses, I thought I might as well take all the risk and publish it myself. And now I wish I'd done this five years ago!!!

I'm learning a lot about self-publishing and hope to share good resources with you. Two of the most helpful have been Joanna Penn's Successful Self Publishing and David Gaughran's Let's Get Digital. A new edition is available but this first edition on my kindle was comprehensive. I especially enjoyed many of the success stories of midlist authors. It gives me great hope for my venture as well. Of course, there's so much I don't know and I don't know what I don't know, so please do educate me. Thank you!