- What inspired you to begin your publishing journey?
I have been inspired since my childhood by many of the persons in my numerous villages. My villages were very self-sufficient in many ways during some very segregated times. There were usually persons that had skills and professions I admired and I could count on getting inspiration and words of wisdom from them. I wanted to document some of those experiences and the words of wisdom they often shared. The first poem that I wrote with the intention of keeping and sharing was the poem I wrote for my high school graduation. I was the valedictorian and had to give a speech and my poem was part of it. It is a poem in my first book. I had some very strong bonds with my teachers and many students throughout my public-school years. My former teachers remain some of the people I admire most because of their dedication and commitment to motivate us as students. They made us believe they had confidence had in us and wanted us to have confidence in ourselves. Much of what I write about and wanted to share, is what I feel I gained from the relationships I had with people who cared for me and others in my villages. A desire to share what I gained from these relationships is what started me on my publishing journey.
2. What led me to choose the self-publishing route vs. traditional publishing?
I looked at the publishing route that some others had taken and the assistance that would be available if I took the self-publishing route and it seemed to be an approach that would work for members
3. How did you select Gatekeeper Press as your publishing family?
I looked to see who was the publisher of some books I bought and saw Gatekeeper Press was the Publishing Company. I made some calls to Gatekeeper Press and was pleased with our conversations and decided to go with Gatekeeper Press for the two books I’ve published. I’m working on two more that I hope to have published very soon.
4. Were there any moments during your publishing journey where your expectations differed from the actual process?
I don’t think there were moments during the process that differed from my expectations. I initially started with a different publisher and was not pleased with that process and decided I needed to change and did change to Gatekeeper Press and my publishing expectations have been met.
5. What aspects of the process did you find most enjoyable?
Seeing my books in print is the part of the process that I found most enjoyable.
6. What challenges did you encounter during your publishing journey?
I think the editing process is the most challenging part of the process. Taking the time to ensure that you have said what you intended to say in the way that you wanted to say it. If that hasn’t been done, be willing to go back and make changes that can improve what you were intending to say to make it more meaningful and impactful.
7. Would you change anything if you could do it all over again?
I’m sure there are some things that I might say differently and potentially some things I might add because life is a continuous learning process and I hope there are some things I know now that I didn’t know when I wrote my first books, and can incorporate those things in my future books. I would also give more thought earlier on how to most effectively promote my books.
8. What were the most surprising aspects of self-publishing with Gatekeeper Press?
I don’t think there were surprising aspects of the publishing process. We discussed what the process would be and that is the process we followed.
9. Would you recommend fellow authors self-publish with Gatekeeper Press?
I would recommend Gatekeeper Press to fellow authors. Gatekeeper Press has published two books for me and I have two more books to be published and expect them to be ready for publishing soon.
10. With your dream book a reality, what goals do you aspire to achieve with your story?
I don’t think my dream book is yet a reality. My dream book will allow me to share my life experiences and what I have learned from others and their experiences in ways that will have significant positive impact on the lives of the persons that read my ideal book.
Website address: samharrisonassociates.com
Amazon book page: https://a.co/d/6DwXVSs