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My Journey as
a Writer

See where it takes me.

MY BOOKS ON AMAZON

My Journey as an Author: Research

10/26/2014

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When I decided to write The Great Camel Experiment of the Old West, I knew it would take an enormous amount of research to get it right. Not only was I concerned about the event itself, but I needed to understand the politics behind it, how the camels were imported and from where, how they were cared for, and what kind of reception they received when they arrived. 

I started like most beginners at the library. I searched the catalogs for books the event itself, and found several books written on the subject. I ordered every one listed in WorldCat.org from libraries across the United States. Then I read them. By the time I was done, I knew my first step was to access the camel files from the U. S. National Archives.

Once I read through the Congressional Records of the 1853 decision to import camels for use by the military in the Southwest, I had a list of over 50 possible resources I needed to access.  Since I wasn't sure what information I would use, I checked every one of them. Some articles, newspaper accounts, and personal diaries were in government collections. Others were held by historical societies. I wrote letters, collected historical maps, downloaded pictures of the terrain the camels traveled through, joined Jstor  (www.jstor.org/
) and Newspaper Archives (www.newspaperarchives.com), sought out every biography of the people involved, and contacted Texas Camel Corps to check my accuracy. I even spent the day with a camel so that I could conceptualize some of the diary entries.

In all my research took several months and hundreds of hours. The result was a clear, condensed, historical account of the importation of camels for military use in 1856 in the form of my book, The Great Camel Experiment of the Old West. 










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Lisa Umina: An Author on a Mission

10/20/2014

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Thirteen years ago, Lisa Umina suffered a tragic set back in her life. An accomplished singer and comedian, she developed a problem with her vocal cords. Suddenly, her life changed, and she found herself in need of the comfort only her faith in her relationship with God could provide. That faith led her to write her fist book, Milo and the Green Wagon. 

Once written, Lisa, like so many of us, tried to find a traditional publisher. She made the rounds, talked with agents, sent out proposals, and talked with editors. Her response? "Lisa if you remove God from your illustrations and keep your main character fee of religion, we may be able to work with you."

Knowing that there was no way she was going to "sell" out her reason for the book, she decided to go on her own. She knew absolutely nothing about self-publishing, but Lisa was determined. She researched, researched, researched, and discovered China had the most inventive ideas, so she went there. The result of all her hard work was the creation of Halo Publishing International and the release of her award winning Milo and the Green Wagon. 

But Lisa didn't stop there. She toured radio stations with her green wagon filled with supplies for the homeless, visited shelters, and spread the word all over the world about caring and helping others. Milo was a hit! Lisa was once again the entertainer she was destined to be, but this time it was with Milo and her message of the value found in a friendship with God. 

That brings us to Lisa's mission. Halo Publishing International was not just created for Milo. It was created to help other writers who have something to share see their books in print, and she has been doing just that since 2002.

Lisa is a hands on publisher. her won experience with Milo has taught her how important it is for a publisher/editor to guide and encourage new authors. She actually wants her authors to be the best they can be, so she is there from the start to the finish and beyond. Her advice to authors is simple: Don't be afraid. "I hear it in their voices. They are afraid, and their fear shuts the door to their dream."  


Lisa's mission to help authors overcome that fear and find their voice. 


You can learn more about Lisa and Halo Publishing at 
http://www.halopublishing.com/

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Partner Published and Proud of it!

10/10/2014

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I realized something today that I had not thought of when I decided to publish Oliver's Hunger Dragon. I realized how lucky I was to find a partner publisher to work with me. Did I say partner publisher? Yep. You heard me right. Let me explain.

Yesterday, I received a rejection of sorts for a review because Oliver's Hunger Dragon didn't meet a certain standard that few "self-published" books meet. That got me started thinking. What is wrong with self-published books? I have numerous ones on my shelf and downloaded in my Nook, and I have only been disappointed by a few. For the most part, each book has been well written, and thoroughly enjoyed. Now, I know there has been a stigma attached to self-published books for a long, long time. Frankly, that line of thought needs to change, and I am happy to say it is--gradually, anyway.

Today, I opened my latest issue of Writer's Digest and found an article on Partner Publishing. The article defines it as "a publishing option that blends the creative control of self-pub with the quality, curation and distribution of the traditional path". Or, simply put, it is self-publishing with a company that offers editorial support, design, marketing, and collaboration so the author can publish a quality book while controlling the creativeness.

The article points out that a partner publisher will also help the author develop a crowdfunding effort to raise the money to create the book he/she wants. 
Well while my publisher is not listed as one of the "most prominent players in this new publishing arena", it is one of the best in my opinion.  I was lucky to have found them (Thank you Beth!).

I tried to go the traditional way at first, but by the third rejection that listed the reason for not publishing my PB as "not a big enough audience", I was disgusted. How can almost 16 million kids going to bed hungry each night not be a big enough audience?

I called Halo Publishing International on a whim, and asked multiple questions, but I could not afford to publish the book I envisioned that would share the proceeds with organizations feeding kids. That is when the publisher and editor, Lisa Umina--an award winning author herself. suggested crowdfunding. I signed up for Fundly right away, and the results were staggering. It seems I am not the only one who thinks 16 million kids does create a big enough audience.



With the money raised, Halo worked closely with me to provide everything and anything I needed. Lisa offered suggestions, found me an editor to tighten my text, helped me find the perfect illustrator for a book with dragons (Thank you Amy Rottinger), spent countless hours helping me understand the need for a social media platform, answered all of my questions by phone, through videos, and in email, and most of all supported me all the way. She was the perfect partner publisher.


While partner publishing might not be right for everyone, it sure was right for me. If you want to know more about the industry, read the November/December issue of Writer's Digest--or you just call Lisa Umina at Halo Publishing International. Thanks to her, I am Partner Published and Proud of it!

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    Photo bySamuel Ferrara on Unsplash

    Sherry Alexander

    Dreamer, believer, reader, writer

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