The Process: Publishing your work with Dream Write Publishing
Introduction
Our company is dedicated to giving the best possible and practicable service without making promises we can’t keep or assumptions we can’t substantiate. In the upcoming series of blogs, to be posted to this site over the next couple of weeks, Dream Write Publishing owner and president, Linda J. Pedley, will take you through the company’s process from consultation and planning through design and printing the physical book, and then on to how we market and sell your book. It should be noted that Ms. Pedley is a published author, artist, and co-founder of the award-winning writers group located in Sherwood Park, Alberta – The Writers Foundation of Strathcona County. She is also a founding member and treasurer on the board of the newly founded Alberta Authors Cooperative. She has worked in the arts for many years, winning an award in 2012 for the contribution she made to her community in this area. This year (July 31st 2021) celebrates the 11 year anniversary of her dream – a publishing company that dares to be different by catering to the emerging writer who wants to live their dream of being a published author. It is through this experience, meeting excited, passionate literary artists, who dedicate their time and resources to promoting and furthering the written word, that the true journey is fulfilled.
In 11 years of business, Dream Write Publishing has worked with several organizations and 40+ authors to publish over 100 books.
Part I – Live your Dream
How do I start?
There are millions of people who dream to write their story or the “great Canadian/American (other country) novel” based on endless creativity and infinite patterns of story ideas and lives. For many of those, however, it will remain a dream and never become a final written product. The thought is just too overwhelming, exhausting, and even downright fearful, for some. For others, writing is like breathing, it is just something you do because without it you don’t live. It can be that powerful for those bitten by the writing bug. It manifests itself, sometimes the product of artistic genes passed down through birth or a recognized talent encouraged early on, and in one way or another it comes to be what we do. Fighting it is futile, although, at times, you will think the whole world is in a conspiracy to prevent you from ever completing what you start out to do. Accomplishment is sought in one form – words being published!
Dream Write Publishing is driven by writers and artists and other creative people who understand your need to see this obsession to fruition. We are cut from the same creative cloth and are furtively seeking out our place right alongside you while enjoying our own journey to the publishing dream.
Writing – nothing happens without it. Make a commitment to your words and to yourself. If you intend to be published, it is a long road and it needs paving. There will be bumps along the way and, be warned, detours – but if your goal is to see your work in print it will happen.
Sharing – if you are fearful your words won’t be accepted or they might even be dismissed, is publishing truly the way you want to go? Is it your dream, really? You have to be able to share and take criticism and counsel… making your work better is not changing it, if you remain true to your own voice and story. This is where Dream Write Publishing can help and is usually one of the components of the initial consultation. You share your book idea with us.
If an hour consultation (we offer this at a minimal fee) will confirm that the direction you have chosen is the one for you, then there are decisions involved with moving ahead. Discussing your idea and the vision you have for your book is the first step and one that is taken seriously with constructive input, suggestion, and “next steps” direction.
Yes, I have a manuscript – now what?
Dream Write Publishing recommends a written manuscript review – for a fee. We will read your work in its entirety and provide written comment and suggestion as to where you are, what you can expect, and what you need to do in order to move forward. It will include a first basic edit so you have direction on grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Not everyone decides to go ahead from here and we respect that as your choice. You will receive enough feedback to make this decision based on what you see for your work. Not every manuscript is ready, at this point – some need editing and/or revision while others will not make it to print without major rewrites. We tell you up front. We give you options, and provide costs, if applicable. You can decide to go ahead with other Dream Write Publishing services or choose to do the work yourself. The work may just make it back to a box in storage – it’s your story – when it’s time it will be told.
Dream Write Publishing offers a manuscript review option to embrace the size of the work to be submitted. Keep in mind your work is read in its entirety. The only exception to this is if we determine early on that the work is something we wouldn’t consider printing in any manner – it could come to us perfectly edited and formatted but we have the option of refusing any work for any reason. Options include review levels to reflect the manuscript size and complexity: novels, novellas, kid’s chap books, poetry books, kid’s picture book content, and others. We feel that if the content is minimal, our time investment is minimal, too. Our review will always be thorough and professional – and provided in writing.
To submit your manuscript today, use the submission form on our web site to start the process.
Why do we charge for a manuscript review? You receive a full read with a basic first edit either on a print copy you provide or using Track Changes in MS Word. This gives you a good head start on editing, revision, story and character development, continuity issues, etc. You are able to complete this yourself before you submit you work to an editor.
Go ahead. Begin the journey to your dream of being a published author.