From time to time, Archway Publishing turns over its blog to its authors, giving them the opportunity to share stories and perspectives about their individual self-publishing journeys. The following are the words of Peter M. F. Sichel, author of “The Secrets of My Life: Vintner, Prisoner, Soldier, Spy.” Download the Archway Publishing free publishing guide for more information on our supported self-publishing services.

I have recently self-published with Archway, my memoirs “THE SECRETS OF MY LIFE, Vintner, Prisoner, Soldier, Spy.” It is my memoir of a long life. I was born as a German Jew in 1922 in Germany, where my family had lived at least since the 17th century. We were successful wine merchants, as well as exporters and importers of wine, with branches in Bordeaux, London and New York. I watched the takeover of the Nazis, and the eventual flight of my parents, while I was already in school in England. We all moved to Bordeaux, where the French interned us as enemy aliens at the beginning of WWII. We finally escaped France in 1941 and moved to New York. I spent 17 years in American Intelligence, first with the OSS and then with the CIA, the last few years as a senior official. I resigned in 1960 and joined the family wine business, making BLUE NUN one of the first big international brands of wine. I wrote my memoirs initially for my children, but realized that the story of my life might be interesting to a larger audience. My life reads like a Bildungsroman.

After I was not able to find a publisher, I decided to self-publish. I did quite a bit of research, contacting four publishers who specialized in handling self-published books. I decided to use Archway, because their offerings made more sense to me than the other publishers, enabling me to choose from a menu the type of service I believed I needed. The fact that Archway was owned by a major publishing house also helped me to select them.

My experience with Archway  has been first class. Their method of operation has one person coordinate all the services as they are needed. At the same time the person offering the service can communicate directly with the author. The handling was efficient, timely and courteous, through the entire process, which included two editorial reviews, which were needed and excellent. It also included design of print face and book cover, and the many small details needed to bring a book to market. Now that it is in the market, I am continuing to avail myself of the promotional and marketing expertise Archway offers and am equally satisfied with the service I now get, again having one goal keeper who coordinates each detail.

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