What inspired you to write your book and how did the idea come to life?
My background, in that I have a bachelor’s degree in forestry, extensive experience in the field and spent years doing technical writing as a planner, gave me the tools and the inspiration to write a novel where working in the wilderness was an underlying theme. But the actual story came to me in a flash, where I decided to write about what it would be like for a forester from out west to have to begin his career anew on the east coast. This idea gave me a framework to write about the adventure of working in the forests and pursue also underlying themes such as ecology, environmental protection and social responsibilities.
2. Can you share your initial goals for publishing your book?
From the very beginning my goal was to write a commercially successful series regarding the lives of people who work in nature.
3. What made you choose Gatekeeper Press as your publishing partner? How did the experience meet or exceed your expectations?
Good god! I spent over two years sending out queries to ‘top-rated’ agents. Most of whom never even bothered to respond. All in all, I only received a half dozen lukewarm responses. I finally decided to go independent and immediately got more offers than I could shake a stick at. One of the agents at Gatekeeper mentioned looking at the Alliance of Independent Authors (look up, ALLi) website. I spent a month tearing through it and developed a list of eleven candidate firms. Gatekeeper best met all the criterion that I considered most important – and I have never found cause to question my decision.
4. How would you describe the process of working with Gatekeeper Press, from manuscript submission to publication?
It has been smooth. I’ve worked with Rob Price and his staff extensively. Turnaround times have been met, and the quality of the work has been first class. But I should add that the effort that you put in as an author is the key to getting a successful outcome.
5. What challenges did you encounter during your publishing journey, and how did Gatekeeper press assist in overcoming them?
I think there is only one challenge that an author needs to overcome; and that is self-confidence. From the initial edit review onward, I realized that Gatekeeper knows how to do their job and do it well. In the end, when I completed my final manuscript review, I found myself asking if my writing was worth all the effort that so many people put into making this thing happen. They’ve certainly done their part; now we’ll see if I’ve done mine.
6. Were there any aspects of the publishing process that surprised you or differed from what you initially expected??
I was surprised by how briskly things moved along. Gatekeeper is a fairly large company and the turnaround time for individual project elements kept me on my toes.
7. How do you hope readers will receive your book, and what do you hope readers will retain from it?
I hope they will love my book, tell all their friends about it, and can’t wait to get their hands on the sequel. With respect to what they retain, I hope they will gain a greater appreciation of the natural world and the value of a diverse society.
8. What was your favorite part of the publishing experience with Gatekeeper Press?
Interaction with people from around the world who are experts in this field.
9. Would you recommend Gatekeeper Press to other authors? Why or why not?
Absolutely! But first, consider what your needs are. Based on my own research, I think Gatekeeper’s pricing is reasonable, but not cheap. If you are more concerned about getting published at the least cost, there are other routes to follow. You also need to consider what kind of marketing approach works for you. You can certainly save money on advertising if you do it yourself, but then you really need to know how to go about that by yourself. What I have found is that Gatekeeper press is a great choice if you are concerned about what is going to happen with your manuscript.
10. What advice would you give to aspiring authors considering self-publishing their work??
Despite how frustrating the traditional publishing market is, if you are serious about your work, it will help you better understand the industry as a whole if you pay your dues and send out query letters. Once you see that this is a dead end, by all means, start with ALLi and develop a list of criteria that best suit your needs. Make phone calls to independent publishers and compare notes. Don’t be fooled by flashy websites, select the best quality at the most reasonable price. I wish you the luck of the Irish.
Discover more about Between a Rock . . . and purchase a copy here.
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