May
6
A journey to a book ~ Part 22
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Back on March 9, when I brought this article series up to the time that
Easy Appliqué Blocks went to press last November, I promised I would write a little more about stuff that happens after that.
A lot happens. An author’s work is never done. Fortunately, this is happy work!
Since the book went to press, I’ve:
Downloaded cover images and back-cover copy from the Martingale website.
Designed and ordered postcards.
Sent postcards to contacts at distributors, catalogs, magazines, and quilt shops, plus friends, family, and the Martingale staff.
Studied Martingale’s Author Promotional Handbook.
Created a list of my Favorite Tools & Notions, available for download at Quilt Puppy or Martingale.
Created a separate list of my Favorite Tools & Notions just for quilt shops, with distributor stock numbers included… available for download at Quilt Puppy.
Updated my website.
Pitched to Martingale that we could make the Table of Contents, Introduction, and How to Use the CD available as a download — they thought it was a good idea too, and it’s available at Quilt Puppy or Martingale.
Organized and conducted a blog book tour.
Written interview answers for a couple stops on the tour.
Signed a bunch of Martingale bookplates and sent them out to friend quilt shops.
Purchased a MacBook laptop so I can demo the book’s CD.
Made travel plans for Spring Quilt Market in Pittsburgh, May 15-17, 2009. (More info below)*
Been given the green light to do a Schoolhouse presentation at Market.
Written a short blurb for the Schoolhouse brochure.
Written copy for the Schoolhouse flier that’s handed out to attendees.
Put together packaging for the Schoolhouse handouts… Kay’s Favorite Tools & Notions, flier, postcard, and chocolate (that never hurts) in a white paper bag with a cute sticker.
Worked on my Schoolhouse presentation.
Gotten the green light for a book signing at the Checker Distributors booth.
Edited copy for the Checker handout.
Started an Amazon Connect blog… you can see it on the book’s detail page.
Stitched up another Scottie quilt (Martingale is borrowing the original for awhile).
And that’s not even everything! It’s just the major identifiable things. So, as you can see, a book needs a lot of support even after the production phase is done. Is this interesting to read about? Had you thought of this type of thing?
*Now here’s a little explanation here if you’re not familiar with the model of International Quilt Market.
This huge quilting-industry trade show happens twice a year. In the fall it’s always in Houston, and in the spring it travels. The attendees are largely shop owners, and the exhibitors are companies that create books, patterns, tools, notions, fabrics, etc. for quilt shops. The day before the show opens on the floor, there’s a day of breakout sessions for shop owners called “Schoolhouse.” These sessions are short presentations intended to introduce shop owners to new and interesting books and products.
Spring Market 2008 was in Portland, and I attended. At that time I already had the book contract and was working on the editing process with Robin. I attended a bunch of Schoolhouse sessions to find out what they were all about, and by the time I was ready to go home my head was brimming with ideas of what I would say to shop owners about Easy Appliqué Blocks if I had the chance. All the way home on the plane I wrote notes, and when I was done I had the whole outline for a Spring 2009 Schoolhouse presentation! Now, a year later, it’s almost time… wish me luck!
Until next time,
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
Jan
7
A journey to a book ~ Part 11
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Being the eleventh in a series of posts about a book proposal, from concept to print.
Click on the category ‘A journey to a book’ in the left sidebar to bring up all of the posts in the series.
Just in time for Quilt Market in May 2008, I got Home: A Heartfelt Nap Quilt back from the printers and flew to Portland with it in my hot little hand. It was a fabulous trip. I networked until my networker was worn out.
One of the very best things that happened was that I met Karen, my acquisitions editor for Easy Appliqué Blocks, at the Martingale booth. She introduced me to a bunch of the sales and marketing staff… it was a blur! I told her how thrilled I was that this was all happening and she said they were happy to have my book.
That was an amazing moment. I tried to take it all in… I could actually step into the Martingale booth and say, I’m one of your new authors. Surreal!
The day before Market opens, there’s a series of breakout sessions for shop owners called “Schoolhouse.” These are little 15 or 30-minute presentations about all of the latest and greatest gadgets, books, tools, you name it, in the quilting industry. I attended as many as I could, always thinking in the back of my mind that in a year’s time that could be me up there giving a presentation about Easy Appliqué Blocks!
The day I flew home from Portland I had some time before I had to leave for the airport, so I got out my little notebook and wrote nonstop. My head was brimming with ideas. That’s the great thing about immersion trips like these… you gain so much inspiration and things just connect up in your brain. I got all my notes down as fast as they were coming from the right side of my brain. You guessed it… one of the topics was a full presentation for Schoolhouse 2009! I was all hopped up about it and hoped that Martingale would let me do it when the time came.
Stay tuned!
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
Dec
1
A journey to a book ~ Part 8
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Being the eighth in a series of posts about a book proposal, from concept to print.
_________________________________
Before I get started on the next installment, I have to post the cover! I just received information on how to get it from the Martingale website and I am so excited!!! I absolutely love it.
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Now back to the saga…
December 2007 through February 2008
A manuscript doesn’t look like a book.
When I make my own books I work in Adobe InDesign, where I write and lay out at the same time. It’s a visual, intuitive way to work, and I can see things take shape as I go.
What I’m working on now is a long Word document with no illustrations, no photos, just a bunch of coding where the illustrations and photos are going to be. It’s hard to picture the end result. I mutter to myself, “This is the way it’s done,” and press on.
The author guidelines warn that it may be easier to number the illustrations after you’ve finished the manuscript. I try, but I fail. By the time I’m done I think I’ve revised the numbering about eight times. I’m poring over everything in my usual attention-to-detail (it’s a curse) over-achiever manner to make sure that the illustrations are in the right order, they’re numbered correctly, and coded into the manuscript the right way. And then there’s ditto for the separate photo list. Of course my book concept has to be a little “different” than most quilting books so the guidelines don’t cover my scenario perfectly. The author liaison at Martingale is an angel as she fields questions for me and quickly lets me know the answers.
For the illustration list (and remember, they only want print-outs), I created an InDesign file and plunked in all of the Illustrator block-pattern thumbnails (which are considered illustrations for coding purposes) plus all of the instructional illustrations, numbered and in order, so I could print them out to send with the manuscript. On a few of the illustrations I balked, because I am no good at drawing body parts. I asked whether I could request photos for that section. The answer came back that illustrations are better because they’re more flexible if changes are needed during production. Okay. Where hands are involved I staged the shots and sent photos instead, pleading help from the in-house illustration staff.
I created another file for the photo list, using my crummy home shots of the stitched blocks as placeholders. (Take photos of all your stuff before you send it in. Remember, Martingale has my blocks, so it’s a good thing I had the presence of mind to photograph each one before they went in with the submission.)
I plugged away at the text, pulling my notes for freezer-paper-on-top and back-basting hand appliqué into the manuscript and fleshing them out. For raw-edge fusible-web machine appliqué, I started from scratch on an overview. I also needed to pen an author bio and start thinking about a photo of me. Gack. (Okay, it turned out fine, see Post #1 in the series.)
After it was all finished to the best of my ability, I sent everything in. I’m done done done! (Yeah right.) The next step is to be assigned a technical editor and wait to hear from that person. Stay tuned!
Until next time,
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
Oct
26
A journey to a book ~ Part 6
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Being the sixth in a series of posts about a book proposal, from concept to print.
Since the plan was to not include any projects in Easy Appliqué Blocks, Martingale returned my sample quilt. Now I needed to stitch up those eight blocks independently to complete the stack of 50. I also started working on my writing sample and Table of Contents. They had sent me the set of Author Guidelines, which included information on how the manuscript was to be coded. I actually loved coding the manuscript! It’s a way of indicating what’s a heading, what’s a subheading, what’s a caption, what’s a box, where the photos and illustrations go, etc. Fun! (If you’re a little nerdy like me.)
During this time I sent a couple questions.. The first was, did we name specific products? The answer was no, they preferred not to name specific products or fabrics. Not a problem, just needed to know.
Second, per their author guidelines, did they really want me to send just printouts of all of my patterns and illustrations? Surely they would want me to send them my computer files…??
The answer came back no. Just send printouts, and their illustrators would take it from there. I was puzzled. That was going to be a lot of work for them, and actually I was a little apprehensive that the patterns would lose some little essence of “me” when re-rendered. But, I knew going into this that I would not have control, so I rolled with it.
Before my December 7 deadline, I sent in the eight blocks, the writing sample, printouts of the illustrations that corresponded, and the Table of Contents. I also had to send my date of birth for the Library of Congress. ( How exciting! Well, I already have an authority record actually, but it’s pretty cool to think about.) Plus a copy of my schedule. I pulled together all of the show dates for the next year when I would be busy with my booth, plus one measly vacation (that never happened) and Shop Hop, etc. I thought it mighty considerate of the company to ask for my schedule so that they could work around it.
The next step would be to receive feedback from Karen about the sample chapter and my coding skills. Stay tuned!
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
Oct
1
A journey to a book ~ Part 4
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Being the 4th in a series of posts about a book proposal, from concept to print.
After sending in the proposal for “The Little Book of Big Appliqué” to Martingale & Company in July 2007, I started working on Teapots 2 to Appliqué. The work involved in putting out my own books is a quite a bit different — but that’s a whole ‘nother story!
As I worked on the teapot designs, a month went by, two months, three months, and I really tried not to obsess over it. On October 17, 2007, I was at my computer when I received a phone call from Karen, acquisitions editor for Martingale & Company. She told me that they had decided to proceed with my book, CD and all!
How lucky am I, to have my very first proposal accepted by my first choice of publisher. Thank you Martingale & Company!
Karen told me she would be sending me the contract and author guidelines, and after I received them I could call her with any questions that I had. I hung up the phone and did the happy dance. :)
Stay tuned,
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
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