The Deploy That Fabric Blog Book Tour is winding down.  I hope you’ve had a chance to hit all the blogs on the tour and enter to win a copy of the book and the eco Messenger Tote.

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Its a very interesting process. I’ll try not to be toooooo long-winded… but if you read my blog or know me in person, you know that just might not be a possibility!  =)  And of course, my case was specific to my experience- I’m sure it’s different for everyone.

October-December 2008: Lets start with the proposal:

I first drafted up a list of publishers that I liked and whose books I actually owned.  I figured, if I liked their other book titles enough to buy one, that would be a good start.  So I made a short list.  Then I sorted and ranked the list based on how my idea would fit in with their demographic.  C&T Publishing was actually my first choice on the list.  I went to their website and followed their book submissions guidelines.  (Sorry, I don’t have any cool secret information on how my book got accepted.)  This was back in October of 2008.  I worked up a sample chapter, with diagrams and photos.  I filled in all their required info.  I included a little market research I had conducted on my own.  I think my proposal was 8-10 pages long.  I had a photograph of every project I’d like to include in the book.  Lots of stuff. I compiled it all and mailed (emailed) it on Dec 5th 2008.  My personal goal was to send it off before the new year.

Dec 2008-Dec 2009 Waiting: Then the wait…  just wait for a bit and see what they think.  Just keep waiting.  Hang in there, I’m sure they are discussing it.  In my case, my book took extra review and consideration since the target market was not just sewing people, but also military people who may happen to also sew.  Wait a bit longer….

I got the GREEN LIGHT!  This was on Dec 10th 2009.  Awesome!  Ok, so it took a year to get approved, which is NOT the norm, but hello, it totally got approved!  And with that green light I also got lots of how-to information and what-to-expect-next information.  I also received a list of deadlines.  Oooh- fancy stuff, right?!

Now- lets talk for a minute, as you’ve been reading along…  It took a year to get the approval & I was certain this book would happen, if not with this publisher, maybe another one.  So what do you think I did during that year?  Pound out patterns for the book?  Get everything organized?  Um… no.  I have NO idea why I didn’t do that.  Anywhooo- now I had a short deadline to send in tons of chapters, diagrams and photos.

Dec 2009- May 2010 Writing: I spent time writing and writing and writing for this little fabulous book.  Ironically, I wrote most of the book up at the elementary school library.  I ordered fabrics and lined up testers.  I made some diagrams and even went to Kansas City to hang out with my photography friend to take some snap shots down near Harpers Fabric Store on the beautiful Santa Fe Drive.

Unfortunately, only one photo from our Kansas City day was used, and that was my “Head Shot”.  During the time when I was thinking about what the book would look like, I also was hopeful that the book could include fashion sketches along with the bag designs.  I hired a fashion illustrator who did an amazing job on the compositions I sent her.  The girls turned out FABULOUS…. but those didn’t make it into the book either.    Turns out they have people who do whole conceptual designs for the book and go off that.  The photos and the sketches, were each absolutely wonderful, just didn’t fit into the overall concept.

May 2010 The Manuscript: What you turn in to the publisher doesn’t look ANYTHING like the book.  It is pretty much just a pile of super-super-boring-looking word document text.  In fact, it doesn’t even look like a pattern.  Sure didn’t look like any of my patterns!  The pile of 60+ pages, printed front and back has zero images included with it.  When I finally mailed it off, I remember thinking- “I’m sure they know what they’re doing…  ”

Well, thank goodness they do!  They have a whole system.

That doesn’t look like too much right?  Well, it was actually all over the place!   I had files to keep track of my files and check lists to keep track of my filed files.  It was a whole organizational extravaganza over here for a while.  Look at the picture below and just guess where I was sitting…. hahahahaha.

Now that is alot of paper.  Don’t worry, I didn’t print it off often.  Most of the work was done on one copy and then transferred back to the digital original files.

July 2011 The Release:  If you are reading the dates, you’re right- it takes a little while to get the book from manuscript form to shelf ready & lovely.  Tons of editors work on a book with you, technical people, illustration/diagram people, photo people, layout/style people.  I love how when they came down to actually laying out the book, it was approached with a “how should the book feel” like a movie or something.  It does a very unified look.  It is amazing.  In fact, having gone through this process with such a great team makes me wonder how people can self-publish?  There’s ALOT of hands in that cookie jar!  Anywhoo, I’m glad C&T and their army could take my word document and supporting files and turn it into something so fun.

After the book release, the fun marketing part starts. Trade Shows, Book signings, Houston Quilt Market (or spring market, should you release in the spring), Trunk Shows, Blog Tour… and of course…. blogging about all the stuff I couldn’t tell you before!

I hope you enjoyed the process.  I know I did!  In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I just *might* be working on another one.  That’s all I can say right now.  Stay tuned!

2 Responses to “The Book Writing Process”

1. Corinne says:

   October 16, 2011 at 4:40 am

   A very interesting insight into the whole process. Thanks for sharing. Although, I must say, I think applying to multiple colleges rivals writing a book when it comes to the organizational process. (Can you tell what I have been helping with this weekend???)
2. Emelie says:

   October 19, 2011 at 9:19 am

   Wonderful process.. better you than me.. I’m awful at taking what is in my head and putting it on paper. Hope the book does awesome for you.

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