What inspired you to begin your publishing journey?
I have slowly come to realize that there have been very few autobiographical accounts of the life that Army brats led during WWII. Several good accounts have been published on Army brat childhoods that included the post-war era, but very little is recorded from the pre-war era and the entrance into
early WWII. As Army brats, we believed that we also served our nation, that we had a duty to do so, and consequently we led a highly purpose-driven life. I have a deep gratitude for the ways the Army folded us Brats into the Army world, and wrote this book to describe that world to the future.
What led you to choose the self-publishing route vs. traditional publishing
Frankly, I wanted to complete the publication of this book in an expeditious manner, and negotiating with traditional publishers was dragging along. The business-like and user-friendly approach of Gatekeeper Press was exactly what I was looking for.
How did you select Gatekeeper Press as your publishing family?
I looked up a dozen self-publishing companies, checked their ratings from BBB and the rankings from users, and GP had by far the universally highest rankings by authors who had published through them. All “A”s and 5-stars.
Were there any moments during your publishing journey where your expectations differed from the actual process?
I was a completely novice author and so had very few expectations
. I needed strong advice and help, and was confident that that was what I was receiving.
What aspects of the process did you find most enjoyable?
The editorial comments and advice were fascinating. I might add that the two editorial reviewers were both enormously helpful and led me to make very major changes in the structure of the book, to its betterment. Also, I am especially delighted with the cover. I did have a concept of what I wanted, and had content to contribute for use with the cover, but the artists really did pull the cover design together beautifully.
What challenges did you encounter during your publishing journey?
It seems a small thing, but I wanted an epigraph and had a specific message I wanted to convey.It was not a novel concept, and I thought I would find a suitable quote fairly
Would you change anything if you could do it all over again?
I might have added a little more information on the specific historic events that were happening right under my feet.However, this is the story of a child’s life, and for some events it was only later that I realized the position in history that I was in the middle of.Examples include the attack on Pearl Harbor as the start of WWII; the rise of a mighty army from the tiny pre-war US Army and the training I was seeing; the warrior-like leadership that was needed to prevail; the transformation of Germany from a subdued and defeated misery into allies; the siege of Berlin and the airlift that sustained its survival which then melted into the Cold War with Russia; the negotiations that led to the creation of NATO; and the effects of PTSD on other family members.After that came the Viet Nam era, the Chinese civil war, and the two Chinas.I decided to resist the temptation to write yet another history of WWII, and constrained the book mostly to what I had known at the time.
What were the most surprising aspects of self-publishing with Gatekeeper Press?
Well, I did expect a high-quality product, but what I have in my hands excels.The photos, in particular, are excellent, the paper is strong, the layout is most attractive, and the print is a perfect size and font.I elected to have an index, which was a wise decision.I have had strong endorsements, and I think that the quality of the publication helped to attract them.
Would you recommend fellow authors self-publish with Gatekeeper Press?
I recommend use of Gatekeeper Press with greatest enthusiasm and no qualifications whatsoever.The help you need is the help you will get.In addition, GP listens well and is a joy to work with.Issues that I had allowed to be fuzzy in my own mind were brought to my sharpened attention.All good.
With your dream book a reality, what goals do you aspire to achieve with your story?
I would particularly like to have military-related organizations and individuals read and comment on this book.I think that, indeed, we did serve the nation as children, which was both a great honor and also strengthened our childhood senses of empowerment and responsibility.That was a wonderful way to grow up, and I would like those benefits to be more widely understood and appreciated by the US public in general, and by the world of military service in particular.This is, in part, a “thank you” for the world I was born into.
Best wishes, Laura T Gutman, M.D.