Wow...and what a discovery for me it was! Early this morning I was 'Googlin' some things and out of curiosity decided to 'Google' myself...it was in this search that I discovered that I really need to learn and understand about the book industry...how it works from a writer/illustrator perspective...especially since I am a writer/illustrator of a children's story "The Rose In Floralsopar"...and this children's story...my book...was listed in so many 'online' bookstores all around the world!! The shocking part to me was the listings that priced my book from $38 up to $58 per book! I was so stunned mentally by this...still am actually...and I don't know what to do...don't even have a clue!! A part of me feels flattered that they would feel my humble little children's story would even be worth that much...but on the other hand...I feel a little cheated. (*So if anyone has any advise on this matter...I would greatly appreciate it!)
I actually began writing this story and started developing the characters in the early 2000's, in 2003 I spent most of the year with the illustrations and in 2004 had self published it. I was planning to do a book launch party and everything...but then shortly after recieving my first batch of copies along with posters, postcards and business cards and being sooo excited to promote this book...my grandma became very ill and died...which sent me into a 3 year deep depression/mourning stage of life...I could not even look at my book, my artwork, my scrapbooking, all the things that made me happy...I couldn't do...it was really a hard time of my life.
However, my creative spirit did not die completely...it was just that I had to do things differently...for some reason I was able to be creative in the digital scrapbooking media and I even designed digital scrapbook kits for a couple of years. Thankfully this helped me get out of my 'pit of despair' and eventually I began to paint again and enjoy being creative once more. Of course there is so much more to this...due to all of the layers that needed to be pulled off and even sometimes burned.
So this year I have been trying to decide if I should do something with my book...was even thinking of redoing it but my husband and sister felt I shouldn't waste my energy revising the old book...but to work on a new one...and we all agreed that it was time to at least promote my book somehow. So I feel that even though I was totally not expecting what I found this morning...around 7 pages of links to my book at different online bookstores for varying prices...I realized that this was a sign that I need to do something with this story...that it wasn't created for nothing...and whether 'I' do something with it or not...others ARE...so even if I was planning to get involved in the book industry or not...it's kind of too late...I am out there...this children's story...'The Rose In Floralsopar'...my book...is out there as if risen from the ashes.
I actually began writing this story and started developing the characters in the early 2000's, in 2003 I spent most of the year with the illustrations and in 2004 had self published it. I was planning to do a book launch party and everything...but then shortly after recieving my first batch of copies along with posters, postcards and business cards and being sooo excited to promote this book...my grandma became very ill and died...which sent me into a 3 year deep depression/mourning stage of life...I could not even look at my book, my artwork, my scrapbooking, all the things that made me happy...I couldn't do...it was really a hard time of my life.
However, my creative spirit did not die completely...it was just that I had to do things differently...for some reason I was able to be creative in the digital scrapbooking media and I even designed digital scrapbook kits for a couple of years. Thankfully this helped me get out of my 'pit of despair' and eventually I began to paint again and enjoy being creative once more. Of course there is so much more to this...due to all of the layers that needed to be pulled off and even sometimes burned.
So this year I have been trying to decide if I should do something with my book...was even thinking of redoing it but my husband and sister felt I shouldn't waste my energy revising the old book...but to work on a new one...and we all agreed that it was time to at least promote my book somehow. So I feel that even though I was totally not expecting what I found this morning...around 7 pages of links to my book at different online bookstores for varying prices...I realized that this was a sign that I need to do something with this story...that it wasn't created for nothing...and whether 'I' do something with it or not...others ARE...so even if I was planning to get involved in the book industry or not...it's kind of too late...I am out there...this children's story...'The Rose In Floralsopar'...my book...is out there as if risen from the ashes.
