"An emu stole Gar's chippies,
And we don't know where he's gone.
An emu stole Gar's chippies,
But he won't have them for long."
And we don't know where he's gone.
An emu stole Gar's chippies,
But he won't have them for long."
The Great Emu Chase tells the story of a Grandfather's
hilarious adventure through an Australian wildlife park, as
he attempts to get his chippies back from a menacing,
flightless bird....THE EMU
"Told in rhyme, the story includes a fun refrain that is likely to be embraced quickly by young readers. "
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As an unsolicited writer, I found it very difficult to get my manuscript accepted by a traditional publishing company, hence the reason why I chose to self publish. The advantage of self publishing, was that I was able to maintain creative control over the production of my book, however as a first time self publisher, there was a lot for me to learn about the several differnt processes involved in publishing a childrens picture book. Hopefully this section will assist other first time writers / self publishers in the process of publishing their own book.
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Manuscript Assessment
I began by sending my manuscript to have an assessment and a full copy edit done. I received specific suggestions and advise on my manuscript at a very affordable price and the whole process occured via email. The simple payment methods made it very easy from start to finish and the turn around time from initial manusrcipt to polished edited story was extrememly quick.
Affordable Manuscript Assessments
"Affordable Manuscript Assessments offers manuscript assessment, editing, mentoring
and writing workshops at an affordable price. Check out the website for our
services, and also for the contests and projects we offer from time to time".
Sally Odgers
http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com
Illustrations
Finding an illustrator can be difficult if you do not know anyone in the industry, which was the case for me.
By doing a google search online, I found the Illustrators Australia website whcih promotes Australian artists and illustrators. It allowed me to search particiular styles / categories or look for specific individuals by name / keyword / style. I was able to view the portfolios of each artist and view their contact information. The work of Emma Stuart was the perfect style to represent the liveliness and high energy of the story.
www.illustratorsaustralia.com
Emma Stuart
Emma Stuart has been illustrating Children's books for the past 8 years. In this time she has illustrated over 20 books. Emma works primarily with water colours, but also works with acrylics, oils, pen and ink and pencil. Her characters are full of life and bring a real sense of 'light heartedness' to the reader. Emma can work in a large range of genre's and styles, from highly detailed realism to simple character based illustration. Recently nominated by “Luerzer's Archive magazine” to appear in “Best 200 Illustrators worldwide” 09/10 issue. As well as illustration, Emma also exhibits work regularly.
emma-stuart.com/
Image Scanning
The original artwork for TGEC was done in watercolours so the images needed to be scanned before moving on to the typeset and design stage of the book. High end drum scanning was a very effective method in reproducing the original images to a high quality and ensured that the final pictures showed the full detail of each one.
www.splittingimage.com.au/
Book Design
The typeset and design of the book was a major factor in the production of the book, particularly the cover. It needed to represent the story and look effective so it would stand out from other books and capture the interest of children.
Emma Borghesi
Emma Borghesi has many years experience in the Childrens Book Publishing Industry. She runs an independent book publishing company and offers a range of pre publishing services to self publishers.
www.brollybooks.com
ISBN & Barcode
Thorpe Bowker
Next, I had to apply for an International Standard Book Number (ISBN), a requirement for your book before it is publsihed. This is a 13 digit number that goes on the imprint page and the back cover of the book. This allows your book to be identified in Australia and around the world.
A barcode is only required if you intend on selling your book in a book store or having it available in libraries for loan. It should be put on the back cover in the lower right hand corner.
I was able to apply online for an ISBN and / or a barcode at
http://www.thorpe.com.au/isbn/
National Library of Australia
CIP Information
Once I had received my ISBN and my barcaode I was able to obtain Cataloguing-in-Publication, a catalogue record for new publications. It is an optional free service offered by the National Library of Australia.
I was able to apply for CIP online at
http://www.nla.gov.au/services/cip_form.html
Legal Deposit
Once the book was complete, I had to send a copy for Legal Deposit, a requirement under the Copyright Act 1968. The requirements for each state may vary, but in NSW, I had to send a copy to 4 libraries. For information on State Deposit in your area go to the National Library Australia website;
http://www.nla.gov.au/services/ldeposit.html
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Other helpful links for writers
NSW Writers Centre
I am a member of the NSW Writers Centre and I have used this site for a range of services and resources including resorce sheets, electronic weekly newlsetters, E-tutorials and short courses in writing and self publishing, information on competitions and festivals.
Courses I have completed online include:
1. Successful Self Publishing by Sherryl Clark
2. Creating Picture Books by Libby Gleeson
http://www.nswwriterscentre.org.au/
Buzzwords Online Newsletter
I subscribe to Buzzwords to keep informed about what is happening in the industry of childrens books. It cost $44 a year and I subscribe online at
http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com/
The Great Emu Chase is Sarah's first book to be self published.