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1 Summer of 2007. I tell a short short story about Mrs.McGillicuddy to my seven year old granddaughter, who likes it.
2. I come home and record it on my computer, adding a few more ideas. 3. over weeks I add more words and start to read it to anyone who will listen! 4. Finally I share it with a friend who is a writer in another town. She encourages me to work on it...says it has the makings of a book someday, and I should attend a writers conference with her in May.
5. I miss the first day of the conference because I get very sick, and thus miss out on some things that would have been important. 6. I continue to write. People tell me to choose a new name as McGillicuddy has connections. What a chore. How I came up with
the new names I will never know.
7. Now it is Mrs. Annathena Gilly Gully from Puddle Rumple Tilly Willy. 8. It is suggested that I have the story critiqued by a couple of writers. One charges, one doesn't. They are moderately supportive, but one states that the children's book market is so saturated I may never get anywhere with it. How's that for encouragement?!
9. A librarian friend invites me to come and read to several classes in her elementary school. The children love the story as does
the principal and the librarian. Encouraged, I come home and make appointments at two other schools near me. Soon a teacher
at my church invites me to come and read to her second grade class. This is spring 2008. All are successful, and I am invited back
in the spring of 2009 by both the librarian and the teacher from church.
10 I am encouraged to take some classes on writing and publishing from a local well known teacher/author. I take several. I am further encouraged and learn a few things. She suggests that I write to several famous people and see if they would be interested in writing
a forward for my book.....Carol Burnett is one name. I send two letters to her and get pictures back but no personal response. I give
up on that idea.
11. I buy some books on Childrens' Writings. I read parts to my husband who just doesn't understand why I am doing this.
12. I find a local and frequent gathering of writers and we meet and share our thoughts and writings. 13. I start putting together Query letters to send out and start a card file for Publishers and Agents. In the year and a half I only get one positive reply from a small publisher in Montana. She can't take on any more, but I should keep her in mind
when it is published because she has a young daughter.
14. I keep working on refining the story and decide at some point to quit trying to reach publishers and agents. I ask my son, who has a Fine Arts degree, if he would like to do the illustrations. I decide to self-publish. I buy several books on Self Publishing.
15. December of 2008 - a writer/teacher goes over my entire manuscript of over 3000 words and makes some suggestions for which I pay her for her time. She suggests Annathena should have a pet, since Annathena comes into her house talking to herself
(which is shown by words printed in italics). I am told the children would not understand what that means. I did not want a pet nor
did I want to change my story.
16 I think about it for several days. Finally I go through my manuscript just to see if there would be places for a pet. There are.
I decide she wouldn't have a cat or dog. Sitting on my desk is a dvd about Australian parrots. That is it, I realize. I create a
companion for her, a big green parrot. NO name yet.
17. The next day I go for an appointment with my Oncology doctor. I talk with his his pharmacist and realize he has the perfect name for the parrot...Maurice. I ask him if he would mind if I honor him in this way. He laughs and says "Fine."
18. Now comes re-write time...going through the entire story and creating in a green parrot named Maurice. The story eventually jumps from over 3000 words to almost 7000 words. This means that there are enough words to make it a Chapter book. Hooray!
19. I ponder re-sending the story out to Publishers and Agents, but decide to continue my pursuit of the glory as an independent published. I contact the owner of Fairwood Press who says he will be glad to take my book when it is ready. The financial sacrifice, and the
hours and hours at the computer will be worth it. My husband doesn't understand why I want to do this and says I will never be
famous. We do love each other, but at times it takes great patience to explain to him why this has become so important.
20. My son, Paul, is now starting to send some picture ideas, which are constantly changing. One night my husband and I are driving somewhere, and lines for a poem come into my head: "we might even get to be friends."Wow..could I make this into a song?
Another new project...the words start forming and I play around with a tune.
21. I try my hand at recording the story on a tape and then a friend makes some cd's and I buy a gadget that will make cd labels. However, the story grows some more and the cd is abandoned.
22. My husband thinks I am glued and tied to this computer. He may be right. I think I have the story totally done, and then more changes. I have so many copies in my file cabinet I need to find a different place to put them.
23. I love reading to the children. My last reading is the spring of 2009 to the ALPAC school library filled with about 100 third graders. They love Maurice! He is a wonderful addition to the story. Afterwards I receive a book of thank you letters and pictures from the librarian.
One girl says"I've read all your books"...and this is the first one I have ever written! Another boy draws a picture of a lawyer and mayor
and labels them: John McCan and Sara palin. Where does he hear all this?
24. Time keeps passing. My artist son now decides to try his hand at designing the cover and the entire book. The emails and phone
calls keep flying back and forth to California and to Bonney Lake, WA (the publisher's home base). I am invited to read my story to a
special gathering in Olympia at the Borders Bookstore which is fun. I continue to think I have finished the story and then read it through
after several weeks of absence, and find I make changes, which does not please my son too much.
25. You don't want to see my desk, filing cabinet or the floor...there are papers everywhere, and finding the important one I want is
at times frustrating. I decide to record the story again and invite John Toth from church to do the narration while I will do the voices.
We try it with a good but borrowed tape recorder and have too many problems.
26. Summer becomes busy with visitors, yard work, and veggies and fruit to take care of as we acquire them. By the end of August we have picked over 100 pounds of blueberries, not to mention green beans, tomatoes, and peas, from my husband's garden. The IRS
decides to invite us to submit certain records from 2007, and that paralyzes me for 3 weeks solid. Need I tell you I lost a lot of valuable
time on the book.
27 I hand out business cards to anyone I can mention the book to, follow leads of people to talk to, and places where I might display or read my book when it comes out. I have set early September to have the book done and time creeps closer.
28 We decide to have it professionally recorded at Blissman Studios in Browns' Point. It proves to be a good decision, as what I have heard sounds good. The CD also includes my song. Progress!.
29.Paul sends the "finished " book to the publisher, who then works on it, makes a few corrections and sends it back to us for review. I pay my son for his illustrations, and let him know that everyone that sees them thinks they are great.
30. I am having a hard time trying to put a price on the book and the CD because I want it affordable for children. Yet I'm told I should
price my book about 3 times more than what it costs, because I have to have room for other expenses and a bit of profit. Because this
is my first book and not put out by a known book publisher, the price will be a little more than books that can be printed by the thousands. 30. I have made the decision to print 500 books to start with and am getting very anxious to know if it has finally gone to the printer, which
is Lightning Source. This printer only deals through publishers that deal in indiependent published books.
31 I'm now the proud owner of both a city and state business license, and a account for the book. Have to find mailing envelopes ,
figure out shipping and handling charges, and work on press releases, and advertising. I am anxious and apprehensive. Will I fail?
Will I have a lot of books on my hands that never sell? Will my efforts to get the in the hands of children dry up? OR, will hard work and
determination help this endeavor be successful? I have no desire to be famous...only to get this book and cd in the hands of as many
children as I can, because I know they will enjoy it....they already have. The proof copy will come to look over. After approval, the printer gets the big order and in 10 business days I will have 500 books! Now I really am excited and a bit panicking to think of all the things that need to be done and organized.
32. September 10, 2009. Last night Patrick called to say the proof copy has arrived and he will mail it today. I am too excited and anxious
to see it, so I drove up to Bonney Lake after dinner. So much to do, everythig coming to a point and I don't know where
to start. Where are my casual friends when I need them? I know...working at the Fair, substitute teaching, cheering on our Rainiers Baseball
team in the BIG finals, and my dear husband who is down at the church putting up the plexiglass covers over our stained glass windows that
he brought home the other day and cleaned because we have a big Centennial Celebration coming up the end of the month ( he hesitates at
helping on things he doesn't know anything about, like writing books)...
33. From our house to Bonney Lake and return was about 46 miles and I stayeday to talk with Patrick about pricing and other details. Hardly ate all day so stopped at the market for "something". I saw a lot of things that I should have bought....but that half a lemon pie just kept
calling me....well I did bring it home and share with Chuck!
34. The Book....it's lovely. Thinner than I expected so no wonder there couldn't be a "spine" to it. I'm numb looking at it. Will people like it?
Will it have a price that will satisfy people who want to buy it for their children, nieces and nephews, grandchildren, friends or even themselves?
I do hope so. It was such fun to create and in two weeks I will have a lot of books and CD's just waiting to make someone happy.
35. Today I made the rounds of the Proctor District and found interest from a variety of businesses for several ideas. Now to brainstorm.
36. Paul got his copy of the book on Monday the 14th. He is happy with it. I had to do a total read through word by word, and ...alas,
on Tuesday I found two errors.
37. I told Patrick and he worked on them Wednesday and sent it back to Lightning Press. Unfortunately they can't just make changes on a
single page, but it has to be the entire book re-copied. It will cost me an extra $40. But, I am told that if we only had two errors that is really
amazing as most proofs come up with more.
38. So now we wait. Books probably won't be here til the end of the month, which is too bad, but I am trying to get ready for them. , I
resolved book and CD prices today which is a big weight lifted off of my shoulders. Tomorrow is my Stadiium high school class luncheon (our 56th
gathering) and I am going to pass out flyers on the book. You have to use any opportunity for marketing. I am also working on a postcard
that will be mailed out to many people who have said they want a coy of the book. Patrick emailed today with a link to the Barnes and Noble
website, and there is Annathena in all her glory. Now this really is getting exciting!
39. There was a lot of interest in the book during the luncheon so hope people decide to order soon.
40.Today is Sunday. Had a call from Artondale Elementary School in Gig Harbor wanting me to briefly speak on Sept. 30th for their Honor
of the Month assembly. The theme is Thoughtfulness. I can have 10 minutes and also talk about my book. My first official appearance,
and all because someone at the luncheon on Saturday told their daughter who is a teacher at that school.
41. Several days later I receive a check for my first order. I sure hope those books arrive soon. They're coming from Tennessee.
42. Bank checks arrive today. I really feel ready! I have not mentioned Kelly in all this. A lady I could not do without. She has become
a dear friend and I hope she sticks around forever, because she is the creator of this website. It would not exist without her. As I write this
I already know she will have to fix some errors I made today.
43. Sept 25th - email from Pattrick...books coming from Tennesee and arriving on Friday Oct 2nd
44. Sept 30..Chuck drives me over to Artondale School in Gig Harbor. It is the first Honors assembly , and 22 children are being recognized for thoughtfulness. A few of the very small children seemed hurt that they weren't selected....they just didn't understand. After the certificates were handed out, I was introduced. I spoke briefly about Thoughtfuness and told them it was the nicest thing someone could say about them, 'Then I introduced Annathena, read part of the first chapter and sang the song. I only had about 8-10 minutes and the kids all sat on the floor except 5th graders who brought their chairs. Parents were also present. Charlene Stecher (librarian) and Teresa Butler(4th grade teacher) want to help me make the book available for children and teachers to buy, which is wonderful. Books are arriving tomorrow...I hope...am really getting anxious!
. So the end of all this is really just the beginning and I look forward to the journey....good word. But beyond all else, is never forgetting that I have a loving husband who may not understand all this, but who is a part of my life and this entire journey. A toast... Here's to the future and the journey! |