Call to action

Now that I’m back from vacation it’s time to get back to work. And the work I have in front of me is to make a decision about my book. Should I continue on the road to finding a new publisher or should I self publish?

My tendency is to look for a new publisher (in case you didn’t know, my publisher Lucky Press went out of business at the end of April) and to that end I’ve already sent out seven queries to the publishers suggested by my social network contacts. As has been my experience queries don’t get answered very quickly. And the two answers that I have received already are big NO’s. They were nicely put, though. One doesn’t take any unsolicited manuscripts, and one doesn’t publish memoirs.

I’ve also gotten advice about where to get a self-published book produced and distributed. It boggles my mind: Bookbaby, Lulu, Createspace, Lightingsource. I guess I just need to bite the bullet and look at the fine print for each and figure out if what I need is what they have to offer.

So, where do you my readers come in? I’d like your advice. I’d like to know what publishers you’d suggest for my book, Leaving the Hall Light On: A Mother's Memoir of Living with Her Son's Bipolar and Surviving His Suicide (please click on the link to find out more about the book and read some fabulous reviews). Some of you must know of one or two publishers? Some of you may even be publisher yourself.

I’d also like your advice about self publishing. If you’ve self-published your own book, who did you go with and why?

I hope you don’t mind that I decided to ask you to get involved. I figured if I don’t ask my readers these questions, who am I going to ask?