The following are the words of Angela Adley, Archway Publishing author of “Growing Up without My Daddy” Learn more about Angela on her author website or Facebook page. Download the Archway Publishing free publishing guide for more information on our supported self-publishing services.
Why I Write
In 2014, I set out to publish Growing Up without My Daddy. I wrote this book to share insights from own childhood experience in the hopes of helping those who are going through what I did. With my book, I wanted to teach young girls how to move beyond their hurt through trusting in God’s gift of love. Ultimately, Growing Up without My Daddy is a book which seeks to help parents begin a conversation with their children. My book is a reminder to fatherless girls that they are loved and lovable by their mere existence.
Selecting a Publisher
Upon beginning my self-publishing journey I had no previous experience in the field. However, I knew there were many publishing options. Personally, I wanted to select a self-publisher that was partnered with a traditional publishing company. I spent many weeks researching various self-publishing companies, reading tons of articles and even books to gain insight on how to select the perfect publisher for my book.
Choosing Archway
When researching Archway Publishing I noticed their affiliation with Simon & Schuster, which was impressive. 
Reviewing Archway’s publishing packages was exciting because I realized they accommodated a variety of publishing needs from standard to elite services. I loved that Archway provided professional illustrators for authors requiring illustrations for their books. Finally, I looked at Archway’s pricing. Let’s be honest, there’s a financial cost to creating almost anything – this is even more so when creating a product with the help of experts, professionals, and leaders in an industry. So yes, self-publishing is pricey, but it’s affordable with a bit of financial planning. Honestly, I don’t regret any of the money I spent publishing Growing Up without My Daddy. The product Archway delivered was beyond my imagination!
VIP Experience
I really enjoyed the publishing package I selected through Archway because it provided me with access to premium concierge services. The entire system for creating my book was fairly straightforward. Archway guided me through the process and provided detailed information during each step. They estimated a time frame for every stage, which helped me stay updated. Throughout publishing, I corresponded with Archway by email. I loved that Archway used email because it made communication easy and efficient. My own personal representative assisted me through the entire publishing journey from start to finish.
Working Together
Another detail I would like to note is that Archway is not a company who charges surprise fees. Working with Archway, I was notified of any fees not included in the initial packaging. Additional fees would be charged specifically for revisions outside of the allotted number, or changes once I passed a particular phase in the publishing process. I felt like Archway was very transparent in additional fees and there were never any surprises.
The most challenging part of my experience would have to be the illustration phase/s. Archway matches you with an illustrator, and you only correspond with them through writing. Despite my worry, this step of the production ended up going very smoothly! My book is truly a masterpiece, and I am so glad that I chose Archway to help create and publish it. In fact, I get many compliments on my book; buyers especially love the illustrations.
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