Editing and Creating a Cover

The Premium Package I purchased had editing services and custom designed covers included.  However, I went with my original idea to have an editor with military thriller experience and had the cover designed by a graphic artist for "Behind the Lies."  I am glad I did, but for my next four books I used the editing services of Xlibris and my wife's photographs for the covers along with the templates I selected available in the package.  I found Xlibris's editing and the way they created the covers very satisfactory.  In July of 2008, I met the editor.  She agreed to review the manuscript and promised me the finished work in three months.  Unfortunately she wound up having surgery and it took six months to receive the edited manuscript.  I sent everything to Xlibris in January of 2009 and the book was published in April of 2009.

Contact with Xlibris

I e-mailed Xlibris two days later in May 2008.  I received a phone call from their customer service representative named Mary Jervis.  Mary was totally different in her handling me compared to the other two customer service reps I had spoken with.  She explained in great detail how Xlibris works with authors and was pleased to learn that I was refereed by another author.  She spent quite a bit of time explaining the seven publishing packages that Xlibris offers to authors.  She promised to send me information to review and promised to follow-up with me.  I made her aware that I was searching for an editor.  After receiving the information I reviewed the packages and decided I was willing to spend the money for what the Custom Package offered.  I didn't stop there.  I called the author who lives in Colebrook, NH and asked her if she wouldn't mind telling me which package she chose.  Susan told me she chose the Custom Package because she was thinking along the same lines I did cost wise.  However, she told me in the middle of the publishing process she added some additional features for her book which of course costs additional money.  She said if she published another book she would go with the Premium Package as that had all of the features she added plus some more for the same total of money she spent on her first book.

The following month being June, Mary Jervis called me back as she promised she would.  She asked if I had found my editor and I told her I did but we couldn't meet until July.  Mary said the second reason for her call was she wanted me to know that Xlibris was offering a fifty percent discount on its packages for the month of June.  The wheels in my head began to turn.  Here I had a good recommendation of this company and that month I could sign a contract to receive more benefits than if I had purchased the Custom Package at regular pricing.  That was a no brainer.  Mary and I discussed some other items and I signed a contract that day. 

If anyone is considering self-publishing I strongly recommend you consider Xlibris.  I now have five books with them and am in the process of completing my sixth manuscript and begin working on my seventh.  I would definitely ask for Mary Jervis at 1-888-795-4274 x 7156.  Mary is wonderful to work with and if you need any additional support she goes to bat for you and things are accomplished. You cannot get a better customers service rep anywhere else.

Learning About Self-Publishing

My first resource for learning about self-publishing was the city library.  There are numerous books on the subject.  After reading two books, I contacted two companies for what is called digital publishing or also known in the industry as "Print on Demand," books.  I spoke with customer service reps from both organizations advising them I was in a investigative mode.  What I also found was they were hyped up to sign me up.  I wanted to make sure I was valued as an author not merely purchasing a publishing package.  I didn't feel comfortable with either company.  This was April of 2008 and I attended the yearly event held by NH Writers Project.  The day-long event begins with a key-note speaker.  Then hosts a choice of various workshops for writing skills, publishing, developing in various areas to become successful.  I met a lady who lived in Colebrook, NH.  She had recently had her first book published by a company called Xlibris.  She couldn't say enough good things about them.  I decided to contact them on Monday.

The cover of Behind the Lies

An agent and an editor

The manuscript for Behind the Lies was completed in January 2008.  The search for an editor who understood military thrillers began and it wasn't easy.  It actually took six months to find one and I had to wait three months to get an appointment to meet with her.  While searching for an editor I began looking for an agent.  I contacted the five agents who handled big name authors most of us who read military thrillers are aware of.  I received five rejections saying they were not looking to work with new authors.  Understandable!  My search continued by using the Internet for agents who listed military thrillers on their website resumes.  I found thirty-six, I sent each of them an e-mail inquiring whether or not they would like a synopsis or query of the manuscript.  I received thirteen responses.  I also received thirteen rejections after submitting what each requested.  However, this time I learned another lesson.  Two rejections were women.  The first one said the manuscript will make a good book but she was not the right agent for it.  The second said the book will sell but she too was not the right agent for it.  There was another place to turn and I began to consider self-publishing.

How I Started My Writing Career

Toward the middle of 2005, my wife and I began talking about what I would do when I retired at the end of 2007.  She said, "You're a salesman, full of words.  Why don't you consider writing?"  "I can't write." I told her.  "Why not?" she said.  "You do articles for the Jewish Reporter newspaper and you have a column in the local Catholic magazine.  What you should consider is going back to school and taking an English composition class to brush up on your grammar."  I followed her suggestion and signed up for a twelve week English Comp course at the local community college.  I was sixty-four years old in a class full of young twenty year old adults.  We had a woman professor who made the class very interesting.  Over the twelve weeks we had six writing assignments.  Believe it or not I received an A.  The important thing was I not only learned to improve my grammar but that I liked to write and could write.   After the class was finished I had to consider what my next step would be.

So You Want to Write!

The director of a local senior center called me.  She had heard I was an author and asked me if I would be willing to do a presentation.  She further explained that she receives numerous requests from attendees about how one starts to write.  I told her I would think about some topics and e-mail them to her.  If she liked what she saw we could arrange something.  Two days later I received her call telling me it was more than she envisioned.  Yes, she wanted to schedule a session.  We listed it for the fall.  She posted it in the community mailer that was sent out and we waited to see what would happen.  She received eleven reservations.  The program went over so well I was asked to return for a second session because of interest in the topic.  Another interesting situation occured, the sister location of the senior center in another community saw the posting and called me to ask if I would do the same program at their location.  They had twenty-four reservations.