My Publishing Journey Part II
Continued from last week’s blog, My Publishing Journey Part I, the first week of February, I submitted the last changes and entered the next phase of identifying potential interior layouts, cover design ideas, and submitting the book for copyright. By the end of the month, I was reviewing the interior layout, and the publisher suggested a cover design contest for which there were 21 total designs that I slowly narrowed down to the one that overall felt right to me by the start of March.
The first round of proofreading the book content was completed by me as well as the publisher’s proofreader to cover all the bases. I received the Copyright certificate on the 11th. That day, the next interior proof came back for a final pass along with identification of the next steps.
This includes setting up both Amazon KDP for kindle publishing and IngramSpark for connection to many retail and library book sites for when the book is ready for upload. This is also when the writing/designing of the back cover is discussed and pricing to set up the barcode.
The following day, I met up with a local photographer for the creation of headshots for the book and finalized the interior proof by the end of the week. There were also the steps needed on my end such as lining up my author account on Amazon, Goodreads, and other sites.
Since mid-March, more pieces have been falling into place both with the book as well as within my inner self. Some shifts have been tiny and others giant leaps from the perspective of seeing myself. Lots of creative energy goes into not only the writing, but also the pieces leading one to launch with the setup of my author/book page and the ways to handle the various components behind the scenes.
Next up as I walked through the final days in March and ventured into April were reviewing the launch schedule with the publisher along with my task items for the project. This included the social media marketing which is a process in working through the algorithms of the various platforms for the cover reveal and pre-order.
In this time frame, I also was charged with identifying, inviting, and sending advanced reader copies to my launch team which is tasked with writing honest reviews of the book once it is live to help it be picked up by Amazon's marketing algorithms and assist with the public identifying what it is about from their perspective. For me, this is a mixture of people - many from before I began the pet companion business as well as those who have walked beside me in some way since.
Now as I walk the final steps towards the official launch to the general public of Whispers of Love: A Journey to Self-Love Through the Guidance of Animals and Spirit, it is both amazing and unbelievable how close it is after what will be 17 months to the day at launch. The nurturing, love, gratitude, and compassion I have felt along the journey, with the beings who have walked beside me on the trails of life in their various forms, and learning to share these with myself.
In just five days on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, the book will be live on Amazon for eBook download and paperback purchase!
I want to share my gratitude of you: members of the Dream Pet Care family, my clients, friends, and family as some of my experiences you may recognize even though no names or location identifiers are utilized within the book. It is an honor to be of service to you and your four-legged friends wherever they are. 🩷
