I had no idea I had written a "middle grade" story. By definition that's a story for kids between 8 and 12. Those books are in a 9 x 6 format. They are illustrated but not always in color. The text is right and left justified.
The text drove me crazy because to justify it there were often huge gaps between words. Totally normal, so I was told. Mind you I had put my trust in these people. They did add some neat touches like splash marks around the first letter of chapters, representing, I'm sure, drops of slobber. They also put paw prints around the page numbers. They were nice touches and something I couldn't do on my own without investing in a lot of pricey programs. The initial $2500 was a sting unto itself!
The cover was another issue. I was only given two choices. The one chosen was chosen because it was colorful and showed action. I wasn't crazy about the color but I guess it was to compliment the snail. The dog and the snail were extrapolated from actual illustrations.
The next step was proofing the formatting. That was another hassle because many of the illustrations didn't mesh with the text. I went through and placed them where, or at least close to where, they should have been. That was time consuming. So you've got some very lengthy processes involved. I found it had been unwise to anticipate a launch date. However, I was told to keep it in front of my audience and part of that was the telling of its coming.
Once satisfied with the layout, it was ready to be uploaded to the printer. Again, this is a step I left to the pros. Many do it themselves but it must be a harrowing experience for anyone doing it for the first time. Especially when they charge for re-uploads should you find an error after the fact.
Let me say that Ingram Spark charges. Amazon does not.
Next post will be about why we chose Ingram and what all was involved.
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