Two weeks ago yesterday I was introduced to Courtney. She is my Publication Coordinator for Page Publishing.
A little history is perhaps in order.
I wrote a novel and finished it last year. Afterward the question came up, how do I know if this story is good enough for publication? Around that time I saw a commercial for Page Publishing. Actually it's the only commercial I've ever seen of theirs. I remembered their name and took a look at their web site. Then I sent them an email saying I had wrote this novel and was wondering if they would take a look at it.
A few days later I got a call from Bruce. He is my book agent. He talked to me for a bit and gave me the low-down. I would send the novel to him and he would read part of it. About 20 pages or so. If he liked what he read, he would recommend the book to Page's board. They would read it and come to a conclusion, publish or not.
I sent Bruce the story, and he liked it. He passed it on to the board and told me it would take about two weeks for them to get back to me. One week later I got the next call from Bruce. They would agree to publish my book. Cool! But publication is not without a price. I would have to provide a fee for them to edit, typeset, print, copyright, and otherwise promote the book. At the time I didn't have the money, and it seemed the idea of publishing my own novel was little more than a pipe dream.
In the ensuing months my financial situation changed somewhat, and I was finally able to gather the resources to enlist their services. My check went out to them about three weeks ago. Shortly thereafter I was introduced to Courtney. Bruce is the guy who makes initial contact with potential novelists, while Courtney is the inside contact. She is the one who will oversee the various aspects of publication. Editing the manuscript, of course. Also, cover design and everything else. I've already sent a description of what I think the cover art to be, and my three-line bio. I'm not going crazy on that part. People are working behind the scenes to create my novel. It's a comforting thought.
My experience with Page Publishing is completely a good one. My original contact, Bruce is a very nice guy, personable and has great reassurance in his voice. When I didn't have the money to continue with the book, he would keep in contact, calling every so often to find out how things were going. It was a great pleasure to let him know we could continue. Courtney is equally nice, positive and realistic. If everyone in the company is like them, it must be a great place to work.
Right now I am working on the text for the back cover of the book. I hope to finish this project in the next day or so, and send it to her Monday.
Stay Tuned!
