Does anyone else ever feel like artists are justified in being a bit, shall we say, ‘particular’? We laboriously pour over one piece of work for months, years, ages and then we are expected to simply turn over our creation, a product which we often feel a sort of maternal attachment to, into the hands of a stranger who has the potential power to alter and distort the purity of the message or essence, if you will, of what we wanted so badly to express to the masses. What happened to publishers who helped us through the processes of gestation and delivery? And when will they get with the times and give us an epidural already!
I recently needed help with some editing, actually, it was really ghostwriting (even seasoned writers need help sometimes), and I decided to seek, yet again a new publisher. I have had so many unfortunate experiences in the past such as changed context while in the proofing and editing process or yet another cover design that has been pulled out of the stock cover archives (and I paid full price!) You name it, I’ve gone through the pang of experiencing it when it comes to publishing and printing: ISBN mix ups, printing problems, subsidy printing problems, arrogant editors, pompous artists, impossible management, unattainable employees, etc, etc. So, as I sat down one Saturday to find candidates. I happened upon the number for a small, family-owned company that has remained somewhat cloaked for the past twenty years. There is a growing buzz about this publisher, CSN Books; the small company in California who has worked with prominent authors all over the world, but it is not until recently that this author came across their name. They were incredibly helpful in assisting me through the process that has before, put several gray hairs on my head. This time, however, was different…it was enjoyable and remarkably easy! It seems that I am justified in being a bit ‘particular’; after all, it’s my baby…