Hi:
Quite some years ago, I starting writing some thoughts about a character in a notebook. Soon the notebook was too small so I started putting them on my 386 (screaming) computer with all of 8meg of RAM. I wore that one out and moved to a laptop which I actually still use with its 24 meg of RAM and 500 meg hard drive. Hey, it works.
All those notes soon became a book. Took a Saturday morning workshop where they encouraged me to continue as the character sounded interesting. Took a few more workshops. Learned more. Worked more. Wrote more. Created - Choices Made. After putting together 160,000 words, I had trouble with the first chapter. You know - where to begin to catch the reader. It didn't work in one chapter so wrote another book. Choices Made: The Street Years which is my character's beginning.
After a lot more work, Book 1 changed enough that I had to toss all of the original 160,000 words of Choices Made.
If you are not bored - keep going.
I began working the Agent/Publisher route with the query letters and got my share of rejections. Watched the e-book evolution and the Print-On-Demand revolution and decided the watching had to end and I had to be part of it.
I found a great self-publishing company, Trafford Publishing (
www.trafford.com) and signed with them in December 2004. (By the way, if you want to self-publish, drop them my name (Christine McMahon) as they have a great referral program!!)
They were super in giving me the needed information to get my book published. I decided to save money so did the formatting and layout myself and also created the oil painting for the cover. From start to finish the book is MINE. MINE. MINE.
Do I sound possessive and proud? It also came about by asking friends to read it. Thankfully some did and they all encouraged me to keep going.
On Tuesday, I received my proof copy (a real, physical document with a colored cover and everything - in my hand) in the mail.
Talk about surreal experiences - I am carrying around a book with my name on it as the author.
Yesterday, I signed off on the proof which means - full steam ahead.
I don't know how many they will print on the first shot or when they are off the press but stay tuned and I'll keep you posted on where it goes from here.
If you want to know more about my first book: Choices Made: The Street Years you can go to my website (which I also did by myself)
www.choicesmade.com and read a longer synopsis and some excerpts.
I am sitting here with a BIG smile on my face.
See you.
