Katherine Pickett

When I was considering whether to self-publish my novel, use a hybrid publisher, or seek a traditional publishing contract, one of the big factors I kept coming back to was that I wanted a team: a group of publishing professionals who would support me throughout the editing, design, and marketing process.

For me, that put traditional publishing ahead of self-publishing. A traditional publisher has a team ready made to support you. When you self-publish, you have to assemble your own team. Not only that, but you are the top dog. You have to make all of the decisions, and that can be both overwhelming and lonely.

When I self-published Perfect Bound, I partnered with my husband to share the work. We formed a publishing company (Hop On Publishing), and split the tasks to suit our various skills. We also hired professionals to help.

This time around, we decided my husband would not be involved in the publishing part. He is writing his own books now and has other interests. While it is the right decision for us, it made self-publishing look even more bleak. When my attempts at traditional publishing didn’t pan out (see previous newsletters for the gory details), I felt a little … bereft.

But not anymore!

It took a few weeks of research and interviewing, but I have now secured the services of professional editors, a cover designer, and a PR expert to help me publish DEBRA LEE WON’T BREAK. Meet the team!

• Sarah Rutledge is providing copyediting services. Sarah lives in Austin, Texas, and is the copy chief at Slate. She’s been editing in various capacities for 18 years. I’m thrilled to have her expert attention on the manuscript.

• Paul Nylander of Illustrada is designing the cover. With a background spanning physics, engineering, business, and fine arts, and over ten years focused solely on book design, Paul brings a unique blend of creativity, strategy, and precision to every project. I love his aesthetic and easy working relationships. Paul is based in Minneapolis.

• Em Syth will be proofreading the page proofs. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, Em is a writer, editor, and project management consultant. She serves as editor in chief at the Layered Onion, where she edits poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Her enthusiasm for Debra Lee sold me.

• Cherrie Woods of Eclectic PR is providing PR and marketing support. She has worked in public relations for more than 20 years. Based in Baltimore, Cherrie is also an award-winning poet who produced and hosted the “Words, Wine & Wings” series. I really appreciated Cherrie’s local focus for my self-published book set in Maryland.

You might notice that only one of these fine people is from the same state where I live. That’s because location doesn’t make much difference when it comes to editing and design.

For people living on the coasts, it can be financially beneficial to look for professionals who live in less expensive areas. For me, I was searching for people with the right mix of experience to fit my needs (who also fit my budget). I didn’t let geography be a barrier.

Choosing a local PR expert was a conscious decision. I was deciding between Cherrie Woods and a PR group with a national focus. While the costs were approximately equal, the service mix was very different. In the end I chose the person I felt would be a true partner, rather than a service provider who would treat me like any other customer.

Wondering who is going to do the interior design?

While Paul would have been an excellent choice, this time I decided to use a template from Book Design Templates. I used one for the chapter book I wrote and published with my daughter, and I liked the results. It is not as good as a professional interior design, but it’s as close as you can get and it cost one-sixteenth the price of a custom design. Budget is always an issue when self-publishing.

I still have many items on my own to-do list. Staying organized will be key to accomplishing even half of what I would like to do to produce and market this book. But now I also have a team I can rely on. Having the support of publishing professionals is going to make the whole process much more enjoyable, and in the end, the book will be better for it.

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