Christmas Gift Ideas!

by Tannia Ortiz-Lopés | Home, PatchWords

The Journey:

It is funny how manuscripts find their way into publishing. Many years ago, I wrote, Joey Meets the Tooth Fairy. As life enjoys throwing curved balls our way, I was not the exception. In the last stages of the production phase, I had a disagreement with the first publisher, which placed this project on hold for years. However, I am known for my persistence. Instead of sitting on a corner to cry, I took action.

I asked my younger son, who inspired the character of Joey, to translate the book into German. Once he was done, the book went through several rounds of editing before, Joey trifft die Zahnfee, was published in 2011 by Books on Demand (BoD). Nonetheless, no matter how many eyes reviewed the text, there were some small, unnoticed mistakes. I found those sneaky ones while practicing the text for some book readings at several local libraries. Last year, “Joey trifft die Zahnfee” went through a deep editing process. The edited version will soon be released under the new ISBN: 9783695161140

Moving forward with the long journey of the English manuscript. After self-publishing three books through several self-publishing providers, I decided to take a leap of faith with the English book, Joey Meets the Tooth Fairy.  

Independent Publishing:

 Am I nervous? YEESSS. Who wouldn’t?

Why I chose Ingram Sparks? Many years ago, while attending the Frankfurt Book Fair, I met Robin Cutler, Director of Ingram Spark. I saw one of the printed books and was impressed with its quality and the simplicity of the concept. 

I read several blogs and read reviews from authors who published using the three main players: Amazon, BookBaby, and Ingram Spark. Then I compared my needs and goals vs their services and prices. Although setting up the book for Ingram comes with a cost, I like their flexibility, non-exclusive contract, and, of course, their global distribution.

However, to ensure the quality of the final product, the MS was professionally edited by two separate editors, the interior book designer was an author and illustrator with years of experience, who has published with Ingram and Amazon. That gave me the benefits of having an insider helping me through the process.

Currently, the book is being set up by Ingram. Once the process is completed, the book will be released, realistically, by mid-November.

Advice to Self-Publishing Authors: 

My best advice to ALL self-publishing authors: seek professional help to transform your MS into a “want-to-buy” book. Remember that the best stew, cooks slowly.

What makes Joey’s book different from other Tooth Fairy stories in the market? 

• Joey is a late-toothed boy.
• The Tooth Fairy is mobile-impaired and has dark skin color, like yours truly. Her castle is the smallest shining star in the dark sky.
• Joey and the Tooth Fairy encountered a Solar Storm while traveling with the Shooting Star Express to collect the teeth of the children around the world.
• It’s a fantasy story for the whole family.
• The German book has received excellent reviews.

What makes these books excellent choices for children between 5 and 8 years old?

It’s a gift that sparks your child’s imagination!