By Mrs.D.
While preparing
for a book reading at the local library of one of my books, The Trees Have Hearts, I looked at my
newly printed books on the glass table. Still smelling like fresh ink, they shone
with beautiful colors, reflecting in the mirror on the wall. The adorable
characters jumped from the brightly illustrated covers, making me smile. It has
been quite a journey since I submitted my first manuscript to the publisher in
2011. As a self-publishing author, I choose an uneasy road, one that’s bumpy
and often covered in sharp thorns. There are many articles written by authors
who have shared their knowledge and experience in publishing their books.
However, this article is not about my journey as a self-published author. This
article is about all the wonderful people I have met while working on my books.
Great people, who took interest in transforming my words into printed books.
When
I was a little girl, nobody read us moral stories on how to make a loaf of bread.
I grew up on a farm in a village where every child knew what it takes to make a
loaf of bread from scratch, starting before the seed is planted in the soil. Looking
at my glossy, colorful children’s books, with their images dancing in the sun
with all the colors of the rainbow, I know how much work lies behind every word
I wrote. It took a village, and to be correct, a team of talented people, to
make one small children’s book.
On
my journey as a self-published author, I was lucky to meet many fantastic
people and talented artists, who may not have worked on my books directly but were
gracious enough to give me great advice or encourage me to move forward with my
stories. One of them was Jim Harris, an amazing and very talented illustrator, whose
beautiful art I have long admired. Genial and warm, he took time from his busy
schedule and looked at my ten manuscripts of Carlo the Mouse. Even though he
could not work on my project at that time, he wrote a beautiful note,
encouraging me to look for an illustrator who would meet my needs. If you like
whimsical characters, I would highly recommend visiting his site, http://www.jimharrisillustrator.com/.
I promise you will have a great time exploring his brilliant art.
Searching
for an illustrator for my new books Good Morning, World! and Runaway Clothes,
I met Izabela Ciesinska, a wonderful illustrator who lives in Canada. I fell in
love with her art the minute I saw her adorable illustrations of two of the
cutest babies you would ever see. They melted my heart. Izabela writes, directs,
and produces short films and has illustrated many beautiful children’s books. She
read my stories and gave me wonderful advice on how to improve one of my stories.
She had a great vision for Good Morning,World! and presented it clearly in her descriptions. Unfortunately, her
babies were not available for my project. I am confident that one day our roads
will cross again and we will create a beautiful children’s book together.
Please stop by to see her beautiful art at http://www.izzipics.com/.
I
was fortunate to meet a great editor, Frank Steele, a humble man who helps many
writers bring their work to the world. He is a very devoted editor who works so
hard on all my projects and has made a huge difference in my professional life.
I feel privileged to work with Frank, who takes pride in what he does and is
committed to any project I submit. Because of him, my self-publishing journey
has been much easier and much more fulfilling. Since I’ve met Frank, I’ve
learned a lot about writing and publishing, and we have become good friends. Frank
is very professional, helpful, and never late. Please visit his website, http://www.steele-editing.com/, and you will feel
as if you’ve met an old friend.
I looked at the
smiling Carlo the Mouse, bursting with laughter on the cover of my book Carlo the Mouse on Vacation, and I could
not help but think about a young, talented illustrator from the Philippines,
still waiting for her big break. Chanoa worked on my first two published books,
Carlo the Mouse on Vacation and The Trees Have Hearts. Her amazing
illustrations are full of color and fun. I just want to hug an adorable little mouse
winking at me from the cover of the book. I absolutely adore her beautiful work
on my second book, The Trees Have Hearts.
She brought this book to life. Her illustrations are stunning! I am ready to
dance with a little girl, twirling between three blossoming trees. Chanoa’s
talent is apparent in each stroke of her pen. Her characters and illustrations
are vibrant and vivid. Her work is soft and light, the soft touch of Japanese
art mixed with a Western style. She is an extremely creative and devoted
artist. She likes to create adorable mischievous characters in light pastel
colors. She is also excellent in a realistic style. Experienced with both dark
and light colors,
Chanoa continues to work on my series of books on Carlo the Mouse. She is an
extremely ambitious, creative, and talented young artist. Please visit her
website,http://sketchbookinc.tumblr.com/,
which she is still improving. She will impress you with her beautiful and
unusual art.
I will never
forget a wonderful man with a warm heart and great vision for any project, MikeMotz. This talented illustrator and publisher from Canada is very professional,
direct, and hardworking. He has golden hands and a good eye for children’s
books. As we well know, the major book publishers prefer to publish children’s
books with generic themes that appeal to the broadest global audience. Mike has
chosen to work with self-published authors, those who write not only feel-good
books but also books that deal with sensitive issues. Some of his clients are
elderly or terminally ill, men and women who would like to see their stories published.
His great team of talented illustrators illustrated my book The City Kittens and the Old House Cat.
This book is filled with a heart-warming holiday feeling, winter scenes, charming
characters, and life. Each illustration looks warm, inviting, and very
beautiful. You can contact Mike Motz and his team at motzartwork@gmail.com
I am thrilled and very lucky to
work with the brilliant and exceptionally talented illustrator Eladziem, who
illustrated my children’s picture book, Good Morning, World! and is now working on my second project, The Mysterious Life Inside a Closet.
Funny, creative, and very artistic, he always has some surprise up his sleeve.
His amazing ideas make characters unique and unforgettable. Children love his choice
of colors and the funny characters he creates for each scene. His richly
colored illustrations have a magic feeling and texture. He works in any style
you wish. Please take the time to explore the art of this talented artist at http://eladziem.com/.
Color, mystery, and unforgettable characters will grab your attention from the very
first page! Have fun browsing his artistic site.
Working with Dog Ear Publishing, the
second self-publishing company I’ve used, has been a surprisingly good
experience. Their team is very professional, affordable, and easy to work with.
My new book The City Kittens and the Old House Cat has gone to
print and will be available for sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and as an e-book
in a week. Carlo the
Mouse, Book 1: Too Many Rules
for One Little Mouse,
and Good Morning, World! are still in the publishing stage and will be available in
a few months. Working on my books, I have met many wonderful people who work
for Dog Ear. They’ve created excellent galleys, covers, and e-books. Their
professional team took an interest in each of my books and led me through every
step of the self-publishing journey. I plan to continue working with Dog Ear
and submitting my new projects to them. I highly recommend this company to
anyone who chooses the self-publishing road. For information on their services,
please visit their website,
http://dogearpublishing.net.
Each
book carries a different message, but they all have something in common. It
takes the soul, heart, and labor of many people to create one small book. I may
be the author of these beautifully made books, but it took “a village of
people” to bring them to the reader. I know there are many more people I’ve
never met behind each of my books, people who worked so hard and contributed a
part of themselves to every page.
What
will I tell my little readers when I read them my book, The Trees Have Hearts? I will tell them that I am enormously
thankful to the extraordinary people who put so much effort into this small
book and made my dreams come true. I will tell my little readers to treat books
as their friends, and that when they read this small book, they should look for
the smiles of these wonderful people, watching them reading from behind every
word, page, and illustration.
