My decision to self-publish my memoir followed months of writing cover letters and pitches to publishers and agents. All told, I sent more than 100 email queries, many with a detailed book proposal and marketing plan.
Unfortunately, my efforts failed to pitch my story of an adoptee seeking justice and equality. I knew it would be hard to draw interest in an adoption tale that did not celebrate “adoptee reunion,” while also giving a critical look at the American adoption system as a public health issue. As a new author, I also lacked a massive social media profile or celebrity/notoriety status that publishers demand of any author who wants a backer. If you are not famous, you will not stand out in a crowd, and you likely will not make a profit for a publisher.
So, in the fall of 2017, I decided to self-publish my story, You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are.
I quickly learned that self-publishing is a marathon, and an indie author can’t do it alone. An indie author/publisher will need other business partners to create a successful final product.
This is my way of saying thanks, with a smile, to the team I assembled for helping me put together my memoir. Thanks. (Photo taken in 2007, after a great trip to Australia.)
Luckily, I was able to find great collaborators to successfully finish my book with the highest-possible standards associated with respected publishing houses. It was not cheap, and it was worth every penny I spent.
Book Cover: I worked with a graphic designer I already knew, Darren Cools, after soliciting quotes nationally from graphic designers. Darren does great work and was a pleasure to work with. We settled on a simple design that used one of my childhood photos—something I wanted to generate empathy from potential readers.
Editing and Proofreading: I found a great copy editor and proofreader by posting an RFP on the Editorial Freelancer’s Association website. I received more than 100 replies to my query. From that pool of qualified applicants, I found my primary copy editor, Kathryn Hancox, owner of Hancox Editorial. I also found my proofreader, Julina Small, who owns Signet Editorial Services. Both provided great editorial work.
Indexing: Because my book covers a large number of issues concerning adoption, adoptee rights, public health, and related topics, I knew I needed a comprehensive index to make my work useful for all researchers, the media, and adoptee advocates. I used the American Society for Indexing to hire Cynthia Savage, owner of Savage Indexing and Online Librarian Services. She did a fabulous job creating an index with dozens of headings, totaling almost 30 pages. The index will be invaluable to any reader of my book.
I want to thank all of my collaborators for their quality work to ensure You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are is enjoyable and accessible to the general reader, the expert, and perhaps the policy-maker who is seeking information to help reform the country’s outdated laws that continue to deny millions of adoptees their basic human rights.