Read my 3-part interview with Rita Sexton on self-publishing...

Welcome back to my interview with first-time author, Rita Sexton, on the pros and cons of ‘self-publishing’:

Self-Publishing:
An Interview With Someone’s Who’s ‘Been There, Done That…Bought The Book’’
Forward:
I’ve known Rita Sexton for many years. We worked together; I saw her on a regular basis. So imagine my surprise when I heard she’d written a book. I read the entire book in one sitting, alternating between tears and laughter. The contents of the book are not the topic for discussion today, but let me say, it’s definitely a ‘journey’. My interest today is the process involved in self-publishing a book, and Rita has graciously agreed to this interview:

SDU: Rita, thanks for agreeing to do this interview. As you may be aware, ‘self-publishing’ is a hot topic among writers today. The very process of submitting to agents/publishers is daunting, to say the least. Let’s get past the experience of the first draft and re-writes; did you ever consider the ‘normal’ submission process?

Rita: You’re welcome and I appreciate the opportunity. To be quite honest, I had no idea of the difference between ‘self-published’ or ‘normal’ once it was time to submit my manuscript. However in recent months I have found the route taken in the ‘self–publish’ method was one which yielded more benefits for the first time author. It was at times exasperating to say the least. While my story was one of a personal journey, it wasn’t one that I chose to do freely-- that in itself was extremely difficult. So in answering your question, “no” the path I took was one chosen for me. However, now that I’ve experienced the ‘self-published’ route, I would, if I choose to submit for publication again, entertain or investigate the path of ‘normal’ publication.

SDU: How much control did you have over ‘edits’? Can you describe that process to us?

Rita: I had total control, although suggestions were made. Because the staff at the Company I chose was such a professional team, I moved in favor of their suggestions unless it changed the meaning or truth. In actuality, not many changes were suggested by them. However, it was left up to me totally – the suggestions were there for consideration. From a legal standpoint they watched out for my benefit due to the very nature of some of the personal events.

SDU: Can you describe for us the process from submission to proof of final product? And how long did it take?

Rita: Once I began writing, I stopped frequently to recover. The pain and re-surfacing issues at times were too much to handle... As I mentioned in the book, often times I would sit typing with my eyes tightly closed, I just didn't want to revisit what I was writing. The process was a long one, but the publishing aspect was the longer of the two, editing approval, cover approval, content approval...everything was managed tightly, which was very professional. It took approximately 18 months from start to finish.

Join us next week for part two of Self-Publishing: An Interview With Someone’s Who’s ‘Been There, Done That…Bought The Book’’