What a process this continues to be. We now have funding (thanks to a 401k loan), and are setting up a new DBA company “2 Roads Publishing”. The idea is the wide and narrow road in the Bible. I like it because it’s not obviously religious, but does have that meaning. As well, when sorted with other publishers, it should go right near the top. We bought www.2roadspublishing.com and www.tworoadspublishing.com just to be sure there was no mistakes or other companies using this.
So now we are talking with printers (These are real printers, that print for Scholastic and other major publishers. Unless you only want a few books, don’t go to a vanity press as the books will be too expensive to sell). There is lots to learn about paper thicknesses, CMYK vs. Jpeg images, book layout, special printing effects, binding types, print signatures, and more. The printers have actually been very helpful, but then ask questions like “will you have a fork-lift to remove the books from the truck, or should we use a power tailgate?”. That would be a ‘yes’ on the power tailgate.
My wife will be taking a leave of absence from her part-time job to work on publicity, we’re trying now to get the bound galleys made (pre-release sample books) for reviewers, and seeing who might do a review from a new ‘self’ publisher.
God is making what appears to be some amazing connections. One is with childfund.org (formerly Christian Children’s Fund). We made a friend from there, and it turns out she actually previously wrote and printed a children’s book (100,000 copies). What a story she had. She convinced me to not deviate from the simplest retelling of the Biblical story for kids. She also wrote a very nice review that I’m planning to put on the back cover.
Another, we just found out today is that our daughter’s new teacher (at a Christian School) has published several books, some co-authored with Chuck Swindoll. Wow. Perhaps he will do a review for us as well.
Please continue to pray for us. I made that request on Facebook last week, and several people I don’t know said they would. That’s comforting to us, and I hope frustrating for our adversary.
