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Can anyone help please.
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Message
Posted
Ok , I know I’m usually the know it all but on this occasion I would like to pick a few brains , this is not usually a topic for an art forum but I’m sure someone may be able to help.
Robert is a good possibility. We are in the process of compiling a small book. Sams Tale.
A story about a rescue dog.
Not especially a childrens book as there are sad bits and it’s more of a descriptive story of Sam.
We have quite a few illustrations as sometimes seen here and we have written some verbiage from Sams point of view . Still more to be written.
Question , please.
Self publishing, how do I go about it well Sam ,not me ? Roughly how many words must he write ? Layout ? I have put some of it into Word but we do get in a bit of a muddle .
Can we just print off script and pics and put them into order then find a publisher to publish for us.? . And put in post. I can reach the post box, he can’t.
Anyone, any pet publisher they know of and….just any know how really.
Thank you from me and Wuff from him .🐾
Edited
by Sylvia Evans
Posted
As a first foray...have you thought about writing to a magazine editor( I looked up dog magazines, there are a few) to ask if they'd be interested in a short feature? Or a dog charity? Or the local newspaper? Start " gently", the above might give you some ideas. I will continue to think....you don't want to be shelling out unnecessary money....
Posted
As a graphic designer and editorial artist (ret’d thank goodness) I know exactly how I would approach it. It’s bread and butter stuff in the right hands.
But I can’t do it for you as I no longer have the necessary design/layout programmes required on my iMac, mainly Quark Xpress and Adobe Illustrator.
So… as long as the text is in Word or Pages that’s a start, this can be transferred onto the layout pages along with your hi-resolution images if you have these, otherwise they will need to be scanned, basic stuff again.
All printers have their own designers, as long as you give them a rough layout to work to, then all should be plain sailing.
That’s the best advice I can offer, other than to keep it reasonably short. As a guide, a four page feature in TA has around 1500/1700 words plus six illustrations, so work on that basis, you may need more than that.
Type face and size will largely depend on your market, the choice of a serif or sans serif font is important. A decent printer will help here, it’s their job.
This all costs money! An alternative is to look at some of the suggestions that Marjorie has put forward.
Edited
by Alan Bickley
T
Posted
Yes, that’s your first thing to consider, it’s verging more on a children’s book, but that will depend on the narrative!
I would utilise plenty of illustrations, visual is good, particularly your coloured pencil drawings that I’ve seen.
But… you’ve got to recover your outlay! Once you have everything done it may be worth sending draft copies to potential publishers, they’re always on the lookout for new stuff.
Or, say a mini series in some doggy magazine - no outlay and they will pay. You could put out the feelers on that before it’s completed. Send the editor a chapter along with drawings, you’ve nothing to lose!
Finally, you need a really punchy title!
Edited
by Alan Bickley
Posted
Yes the audience is a concern. It has bothered me. I think older children and doggy people . My thoughts were not huge numbers and a lot woukd be for gifts Sam had got a little following through his cards I was thinking up to 500and that might be ambitious .
Title
SAMS TALE
Story of a rescue dog .
Posted
Self-publishing used to be:
Find a 'vanity publisher' (Not my words!) and let them handle it all. They will of course charge for this, and somewhat handsomely.
Amazon have a scheme whereby you do the whole journey yourself using their software, and before I fell ill, I was finishing my own book (A novel) with the intent of going to market via Amazon. These books are usually marketed as books for the 'Electronic reading devices', like Kindle, but you can have paperback editions if you wish.
I have a long-standing friend in New York, who is now earning a living from publishing his novels with Amazon, and who is going from strength to strength. If you don't intend to get that serious about writing you can still use Amazon to get your book to market.
I have given up on my novel, not because it isn't marketable, but at my age now, it's a little late to venture into a market I should have concentrated on years ago.
I read it myself occasionally, just to remind myself I can finish a novel, and would have done better, but for distaff disagreement!
Regards John