Sue Sunshine here, Hello!

Subject: Sue Sunshine here, Hello! Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:04 pm

Hello, Everyone,

I am a 57 year old woman who currently lives in the Midwest. My first book, Life is Like Making Chocolate Chip Cookies, has recently been published under the genre of Motivational/Self Help/Spiritual. Sonia Choquette and Dr. Steven Farmer have endorsed my book. I am currently working on finding marketing avenues for my book and intuitive consulting business.

I am also working on a website for my book.
http://lifeislike.suesunshine.com

I started a publishing company in March, 2006. Currently the website is under construction.
http://weavingdreamspublishing.com

I look forward to sharing all types of things with all of you!

Blessings from my spirit to your spirit!
Sue sunny

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Subject: Re: Sue Sunshine here, Hello! Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:33 am

Hi Susie,

Welcome to the forum! Great to have a bit of sunshine around! Very Happy

~Shelagh

Subject: Re: Sue Sunshine here, Hello! Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:35 am

Hi Sue! Send a little sunshine my way--I am tiring of this cold and dreary winter. I love the title of your book!

Subject: Hi, Zada Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:38 am

Thank you for the warm welcome, Zada. No pun intended. LOL Your book sounds interesting. Are all 3 in one book? Is it your first?

It is cold here too. In the single digits with a windchill of 20 degrees below. But the sun IS shining!!!!! *smile*

Subject: Re: Sue Sunshine here, Hello! Sun Jan 20, 2008 7:02 am

Thank you Sue. sunny

It is my first, and, yes, all 3 parts are in one book. It is in 3 parts, because there is one for each generation. Kind of a baby boomer's answer to the 'Peyton Place' of the 60's. I am currently working on a companion to it for a different side of the same family. It was many years in the 'thinking' stage, so the second much requested book is taking a little longer to get written down.

I should probably not complain too much about the cold, as we are finally getting some rain and the temp is above freezing now. It is just dreary, and I am ready for spring to pop her head up. Perhaps a change in address is in order in the near future. Smile

You have many projects going and I wish you much success with all of them. What type of consulting do you do?

Subject: Re: Sue Sunshine here, Hello! Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:27 am

Hi Sue,

Congratulations on your book (sounds tasty) and on your publishing company. I'll be interested in hearing what led to your decision to form your own company rather than going with an established publisher.

(I think about this question myself all the time, so I have an ulterior motive in asking that.)

Nice to meet you here on the forum.

Malcolm

Subject: Hi, Again, Zada Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:58 am

I do intuitive consulting. I am a six-sensory. That means I use all my senses, not just the five most people use. I trust my gut, is another way of putting it. And I live by trusting it. It hasn't failed me yet. sunny

Subject: Hi, Malcolm Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:08 am

I like your picture! It is so nice to see a smiling face such as yours. Zada has a nice smiling one too.

I chose to start a publishing of my own because of all the pitfalls of getting a 'big' traditional publisher to pick me up. I am Murphy's Law. I was concerned about either not getting an agent or getting one that wasn't up to par. The length of time it took to get from hiring an agent to getting my book published was another issue. Also, I wanted more of a voice in what my book looked like, when it came out, and I didn't want it to go out of print. Those are just a few of my concerns. There were others.

Also, I knew that I was to learn the book business from top to bottom and inside out. In order to do that, one needed to be a publisher. I started my company in March, 2006 and am just now getting it up and running using my book as the first (and trial) one. I am glad I went this way.

The only difficult part for me is I am on a very limited income and finances are not what they should be for marketing and such. Also, I can't hire someone to help me or hire out work so I have to do it all myself. Therefore somethings don't get done in the time frame they should. I have been told I am already 2 months behind in marketing and that was almost 3 months ago.

However, I have seen things happen with this book that were beyond my imagination, so I know it will go where it is suppose to go and when it is suppose to get there. As Peggy Collins, author of HELP is not a 4-Letter Word, told me, "Your book is pushing you out of the way to get published. I HAS to get out there." She is so right on that!

I hope I answered your questions, Malcolm. If you have more let me know.

Subject: Re: Sue Sunshine here, Hello! Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:13 am

Hi Sue,

I have many of the same considerations about book publishing as you. Getting an agent is difficult, staying out the slush pile is difficult, and then who wants to hear that if accepted the book won't come out for three years?

With one's own company, one can manage the work to ensure quality, from the marketing approach to the way the book looks. My intuition is that it's probably more realistic to start a publishing company with nonfiction than fiction. Readers are more likely to seek out tips and inspiration from unknowns than they are to read a novel by an unknown.

And, as you said, you're going to KNOW the business by the time everything is running smoothly!

Malcolm

Subject: Fiction vs Non-fiction Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:20 pm

You know I was seriously wondering that myself, about the difference of fiction vs non-fiction as to publishing companies. I have a couple of fiction books I am working on and have been concerned that they will not work well the way the non-fiction book has as far as publishing and marketing. I guess I will have to cross that bridge when I get to it. *sigh*

Have you made any decisions as to which way you are going to go with your fiction?

Subject: Re: Sue Sunshine here, Hello! Sat Jan 26, 2008 9:22 am

Sue, great to see you on this forum! Welcome! And nice to finally see your cover, I know it has been a lot of work for you. Congrats!

Subject: Re: Sue Sunshine here, Hello! Sat Jan 26, 2008 9:39 am

Hi Neighbor,
I’m in over in Elgin. Good to see you here!

Good Luck, Much Success!

Subject: Hey, Flash! Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:40 pm

So good to see and hear from you, Flash!!!!! Every time I look at my book I think of you!!!!! Glad we can connect on here as well!

Subject: Hi, Don Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:41 pm

Thanks for the warm welcome, Don! I have to look at a map to see where Elgin is. *grin* Can you tell I am not originally from Illinois? *smile*

Subject: Re: Sue Sunshine here, Hello! Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:58 pm

Nice to meet you, Sue. It's interesting to read that you just started your own publishing company. I just sold a publishing company (Star Publish LLC) that I founded and operated for 4 years. I am still the Publishing Consultant for Star. The publishing business is a very difficult business to be in but also very personally rewarding in the sense that you get to make other writers' dreams come true by publishing their works.

I am still in the book industry (beyond being an author). I now have a company (Book Covers and More!) where I design customized book covers, create video book trailers, and press releases.

Subject: Hi, Kristie Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:20 pm

Thank you for the response, Kristie. I basically started the company for my books because I knew there was going to be more than one. Then I thought perhaps I could help others. I don't know if I will publish other people's books. Though I think it would be nice to be able to publish someone's book that normally wouldn't be able to have it published. But at least I can give them the in's and out's of getting their book published and give them options other than just my company. I know that it is not good to say I am not in it for the money, but I am not. I am in it to help others and if the money comes then that is an extra. (My husband is always hounding me to be in it for the money.) In previous businesses this outlook of mine has served me very well. So why change now? *smle*

I have so much more to learn on the publishing business. I know I have just skimmed the surface. I look forward to hearing more from you if you care to share.

Thank you again for you kind post!

Subject: Re: Sue Sunshine here, Hello! Mon Jan 28, 2008 5:22 am

Hi Sue

One thing I must share with you about having a publishing house and publishing for others besides yourself...DON"T DO IT if you don't want to keep the publishing house around for a long long time. Once you take on other authors, then you need to stay in business so their books won't go out of print. And another thing, authors take a lot of care. They are sensitive souls. This is not a bad thing. If they weren't, then they probably wouldn't be in the book writing business.

Do you have a website for your publishing company? I would love to look at it if you do.

Subject: Good Advice! Mon Jan 28, 2008 9:02 am

Thank you for the good advice, Kristie! At this point in time I am not leaning towards publishing others. I think that I was suppose to learn all of this to help guide others and to appreciate what I have received with my book through all the hard and difficult processes.

One of the things that I was interested in doing with the company, though, was to publish books by people who weren't interested in going "big time". They only wanted books for family, memoirs, nothing with ISBN #'s who are on limited income and just wanted to see their name in print or who wanted to pass things down to the next generations. I haven't seen a book publishing company for that. I know it won't make much money but it would be helping others and giving some happiness to them.

I have had quite a bit of problems with my WDP website. The woman who was going to do it, didn't. She just handed it over to me last week and I have been trying to work on it myself. I know there is a lot more I would like to add to it, however, as with all of us, time is at a premium right now. I have had several sales from it though. Here is the link to it:

http://www.weavingdreamspublishing.com

I can use all the advice anyone is willing to share with me! I am easy.

Thanks again, Kristie!
Sue

Subject: Re: Sue Sunshine here, Hello! Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:24 pm

Sue, I just read through the January newsletter on your site, and must say I am impressed. It is easy to see why you have such a sunny smile! sunny