Book Publishing 101

This is pretty much a self-serving post😊. If you feel magnanimous, read on and share a part of my life right now.

The book edits for ILLEGITIMATE scheduled by Vine Leaves Press, began June 3^rd. I received an email introduction to Sterling, a developmental editor who is helping me smooth out some spots, help with pacing, and make the story better overall. A phone call with Sterling was followed by an evaluation letter with a synopsis, overall assessment, and specific recommendations. (Thorough and concise.)

I got excited. As I used to be while I was writing the book. Completely absorbed while the past came alive again, the visuals appeared, and emotions arose. This book has been years in the making, and, you can imagine, has been an emotional roller-coaster.

I also felt compelled to reach out, once again, to the loved ones who are in the story with me, asking that they read the entire manuscript and get with me on any concerns. I heard back only positives, so I think I’m good on due diligence. The nicest response came from my German half-brother, who let me know that he understood what I was trying to convey emotionally. It warmed my heart and confirmed his complete acceptance of me in his life. I love my extended family.

After a few grueling days of staring at the computer screen, my eyes felt as if they would bulge out of their sockets. But the writing was flowing, and I knew I had to keep going or I’d miss this streak. Finished for now, I’ll shelve the book for a week, then read the entire manuscript again, checking for: pacing (always!), redundancies, punctuation, grammar, and what I call clunkiness which requires reading out loud. We’ve all run across it when we read—the paragraphs move in fits and starts. This will take a few days.

The manuscript goes back to Sterling at the end of the month and we will spend August doing a back and forth as needed.

On September 1^st, the new version, complete with front and back matter, will be sent to the publisher, where it will undergo line and copy editing. A book cover will be created. Then a final review and off to the printer. The book launches in March after ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) are made available for book reviewers, bloggers, and other influencers many months in advance. In the meantime, I am responsible for building support and being in the midst of the marketing. To promote myself, I arranged a photo shoot and had luck with several shots that I really like.

I’ll be available for readings, podcasts, book clubs and other book events, while trying to post regularly on social media😊. Will also do some book giveaways and I’m working on a cool swag idea—we’ll have to see.

Keep me in mind for any event that may be appropriate.

Here is a short synopsis of the story, as offered by Sterling:

“Maddie Lock, born to unwed German parents, finds herself raised by her Oma until the age of six. When her mother, Susi, returns to marry American army officer, Ted, Maddie is whisked away to America to live with her mother and step-father—a wildly different life than the one she had before with no mother or father to raise her. Decades later, after Maddie’s mom and step-father have passed, she starts to look for her biological father, ultimately forming a relationship with him. Meanwhile, her Aunt Sieglinde makes a discovery of her own: She was a child born for Hitler, a product of the Lebensborn initiative to make the perfect Aryan race.

Told through braided narratives of discovering her father, realizing her family history, and healing the strained relationship with her mom, Maddie uncovers generation-old stories alongside personal narratives and historical accounts of WWII to unravel her own identity as an illegitimate child. In crossing the Atlantic Ocean multiple times a year, Maddie finds her identity, and family, in the German heritage she shunned as a child. Illegitimate is a powerful memoir about the search for family and healing of identity.” 

Thank you for your support. We all have busy lives and I appreciate the time to enter my life for even a few minutes!