The following are the words of Donna Fantacone, author of Officer Tony Says, “Be Careful.”  Check out her website here for more info about the author and her book. Download the Archway Publishing free publishing guide for more information on our supported self-publishing services. 

There is nothing more satisfying than holding the completed and published book in your hands.  However, the road to publishing is not an easy one.  It started out that I had a promise or a great interest of a publishing company, one that was in constant contact with me, expressing interest in my idea.  They told me it was a go; I then had to produce the “mock copy” of the book.  The “Mock Up” is an entire work, with a number of complete illustrations in the exact format of the book.

Working with my illustrator was a pleasure, she had great patience.  But she is a working mother of young children and like myself, although I have always been an aspiring author, I am a mother first.  Needless to say, the “Mock Copy” took some time to produce.  With edits to illustrations and then final illustrations that needed to be painted and completed this was a rather lengthy process, again because we were not “full time” writers and illustrators, we had jobs and children to raise, this process took months and quite close to a year.

With great excitement when the “mock copy” was complete along with a series of paperwork to complete for the publisher, I submitted the completed work.  There was quite a waiting period, quite similar to the “initial review” and then came the dreaded “rejection” how could this be? I was so sure there was such an interest, not to mention the time involved and for me, and the cost of what I had to pay my illustrator?  A flat out rejection…. A year’s time and that simply “we have decided not to move forward at this time” was not acceptable to me.

The idea to “self-publish’ was suggested to me by a friend, another fellow author.  It sounded like the right thing to do since I saw my Children’s Book as something that needed to be completed.  I did a little research and found Archway Publishing, a division of Simon and Schuster.  Upon completing my research I contacted them, and began the process they refer to as “assisted publishing.”

The people were easy to work with.  Different representatives had been assigned to me along the way for each step of the process.  I now have a Marketing Manager and I am very happy with the end result.  The dream of publishing my Children’s Book, “Officer Tony Says Be Careful” goes back quite a long time and I could honestly say there is nothing like holding your completed published work of art in your hands.  But the process does not end there. I now have the task of promoting the book.  I have done a series of presentations at organizations and a book signing of which I am in the process of setting up another for the Fall.  I enjoy reading to children at libraries and I visit local schools to read and teach “safety” tips as advised by “Officer Tony”.

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