What happens after you sign with a small press?

Today’s guest post is by the amazing Katie, whose book, KIYA: HOPE OF THE PHARAOH, came out yesterday with small press Curiosity Quills. I’m excited to have her here as the first stop on her blog hop to celebrate the book’s launch. You can find out more about that at her blog.

Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh

Thank you so much Cass for having me on your blog today.

So Cass asked me to talk about my process of publication after I signed with a small press.

For a start, I needed to format my manuscript for their standard requirements. Curiosity Quills has a handy author’s guide to say what they use for font etc. So once I’d gone through and implemented that, I sent my manuscript to my coordinator.

My coordinator manages everything. She picked the release date and assigned me my editor, cover designer, proofreader and so forth, and is my liaison for each of them as well as everyone else working behind the scenes. She does a very good job too.

So once she had my manuscript I filled out a cover outline. It asked what I wanted to see on the cover, and if I had any ideas I could draw them up too.

Then, I waited. For several months.

When my number came up, everything seemed to just jump into action. My editor contacted me and we began my process. I only did two rounds of editing, but some other I know do more. It depends from author to author. Editing was intense. My editor was fantastic though, and walked me through the whole process. She was always just an email away if I found myself stuck, and was my cheerleader on Facebook when I got frustrated.

My CPs were also a great help during this time, as I bounced emails back and forth with them. Their patience with me is astounding!

During my edits, my cover design came through. Let me just say, I loved this cover from the moment I saw it. It was brightened a little, the sun in the background was added, but it still looked awesome. I’m so happy with it.

Finally, my editor told me she sent my final to the proofreader! Hooray! After that, all I needed to do was check the manuscript one last time with the proofreader’s notes, and add my dedication and thank yous.

All in all, I survived. I was a bit stressed through edits while trying to meet deadlines, but it wasn’t a bad experience. I learned a lot from everyone involved and I believe it’s made me a better writer.

About the author:

Katie J Teller (nee Hamstead) was born and raised Aussie, but now live in Arizona with her Navajo husband and their beautiful little girl. You can find her at her blog or on Twitter.