INTERVIEW WITH MY PUBLISHER, LYNDA BURCH OF GUARDIAN ANGEL PUBLISHING

I love learning as much as I can about the publishing world. After perusing Guardian Angel’s website I knew right away I wanted to submit my manuscript for consideration. What caught my attention was the company’s mission statement:

“Welcome to Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. - where our publishing goals are to lovingly create fun, affordable and educational eBook computer & print book experiences for preschoolers and primary age children. And to embed positive, loving and worthwhile meaning into these books.”

As a teacher and parent of three children, I believe it is our responsibility to provide children with well written and wholesome books. To that end, I am proud to be part of the Guardian Angel Publishing Family, and it is with great pleasure I introduce Lynda Burch, founder and owner of Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

Thank you Lynda for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview.

How did you get started in the publishing industry?
I saw a need for children's ebooks. When I started writing musical eBooks to be played on the computer, I got wonderful feedback from big publishers but they didn't know what to do with them. So I started Guardian Angel as an eBook publisher and opened to submissions, but within about a year we expanded our lines of books and we started going to print, too.

In regards, to manuscript submission, what makes a manuscript appealing to a publisher?

Clean, well written mss - which means properly punctuated, setup in a proper paragraph form and stories that are suitable for the GAP market. You’d be surprised at how many sloppy, poorly written, and punctuated manuscripts we see. And I can’t begin to tell you how many are inappropriate for our market of kids 0-12. People don’t even research our website to see what we are looking for.

How do you choose which illustrator to put with an author?

Often when I read a new story the visuals that pop in my head automatically point me toward certain artists. So after feeling out the author for what style they are thinking I will suggest the artist for that style. The authors get some input.

With your knowledge of the publishing world, what do you think aspiring authors should do if they want to make a living as a writer?

I think that today there are probably too many authors to make a living writing. But a true author will write and write and write and hone their skills and be recognized for their storytelling efforts.







How has the business changed since you first started a career in it?

 Oh it has changed just like I predicted it would. Ebooks are here to stay and will assume its role as a major player in both education and personal reading — just look at the Kindle and ebook readers for all the electronic devices. That market will only grow.

What are your thoughts on e-publishing versus traditional publishing?

I think that as an independent small publisher I recognized the importance of ebooks long before the traditional publishers and if those traditional “big boys” don’t jump on the ebook bandwagon they will fall by the wayside.

Where is GAP headed? Where do you see the company in five years?

I want to see Guardian Angel’s artists and authors recognized for the quality work they consistently produce. That is already happening as more and more are winning awards and getting on bestseller lists at Fictionwise and Amazon. I want us to be increasing our production level to over 100 books per year instead of over 50. And I would like to get a grant to encourage our artists and authors to get into more schools and influence our youth to be better readers and accomplish more in their educational endeavors.

Visit Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. to view and learn about their children’s books

Article first published as Interview with Lynda Burch, Publisher of Guardian Angel Publishing on Blogcritics.

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You are in: LITTLETON - EDUCATION & SCHOOLS - CHILDHOOD EDUCATION LITTLETON CHILDREN'S AUTHOR TALKS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF WRITING FOR CHILDREN ~ Nicole Weaver The Children's and Teens' Book Connection Guest Blogger: Nicole Weaver, Author of Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle   Today’s special guest is Nicole Weaver, author of the trilingual book, Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle/María y su amiga la Tortuga del mar/Marie et son amie la Tortue de mer. This story is about the love that developed between a little girl named Marie and a stranded sea turtle. The story tells the struggles Marie had as she helped the sea turtle back out to sea. Esta historia es sobre el amor que se desarrolló entre una niña llamaba María y una tortuga que vino a tierra para poner sus huevos. La historia cuenta las dificultades que tenía María para regresar la tortuga de nuevo al océano. Cette histoire est au sujet de l’amour qui s’est développé entre une petite fille qui s’appelait Marie et une tortue de mer qui est venue sur le sable pour pondre ses oeufs. L’histoire raconte les difficultés que Marie a rencontrées pour remettre la tortue dans l’océan. The Challenges of Writing for Children by Nicole Weaver I once heard the statement “Writing children books is a lot easier than writing novels and other books.” I cringed and thought to myself, the opposite is true. Unfortunately this is the sentiment of many people who are not familiar with what it takes to write an engaging book for children. My challenges as a children’s author are numerous. The pressing challenge for me is making sure my manuscript is well written in English. I get tons of ideas, but as a non-native speaker of English I have to make sure the way I write is clear and concise. Once my script is ready I can easily translate it to French and Spanish. I grew up speaking French; consequently it is very easy for me to translate the text. I learned Spanish as a fourth language. French and Spanish are similar because they both are derivatives of the same root language–Latin. I recently read Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul. This book is a must for anyone serious about learning the craft of writing for children. I am about to start reading the book Picture Writing by Anastasia Suen. A second challenge is finding time to write. I am a full-time French and Spanish teacher at the middle and high school levels. I am quickly finding out in order to stay abreast and get better as a write, I need to write every single day. It is not good enough to write during my summer vacation, spring break and Christmas vacation. Writing every day has afforded me more fluidity with my thoughts. It takes less time to write a manuscript. I always carry a little notebook with me. Once I get an idea I write it down and during my lunch period I start working on the manuscript. My second children’s book due to be published by Guardian Angel Publishing was written during my lunch. After I visited my half-sister for the first time, I could not help but wonder why destiny kept us apart for so long. Thinking about the fun we could have had if we were raised together led me to write a story about her being my best friend. My Sister is My Best Friend will be published in 2011 A third challenge is finding time to promote my book. Getting published is great, but the real work starts with promotion. No one will buy your book if you do not promote it. I promote through many channels. I use Facebook and Twitter, and I post media releases on free sites. I have joined various writers groups as well. To date, the most important step I took towards self-promotion is when I joined The National Writing for Children Center. The founder, Suzanne Lieurance, makes available weekly teleclasses on many useful topics on promotion. Suzanne is a great coach, and the rest of her team is pretty good as well. The members are all very helpful and supportive of each other. I have learned so much since joining the group. Lastly, creating a good website is an essential part of promoting a book. I knew very little about blogging and creating a web presence. Thanks to fellow authors from Guardian Angel Publishing I have learned a ton about blogging and creating a web presence. I work hard every day to overcome challenges, but I still have a lot to learn. I am thankful to my friends at Guardian Angel Publishing and The National Writing for Children Center. Without their unrelenting support and help I would be totally lost.

WHY DO YOU LOVE YOUR SISTER /S?

I love my sisters because...
Being the youngest they spoiled me,  and when I got  married and had children they spoiled my children too.

Feel free to tell why you love your sister/s:

ROLE OF SIBLING RELATIONSHIP

SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS

Sibling relationships play an essential role in our development as individuals. Relationships with brothers and sisters are typically also the longest that we will experience in our lives, since most siblings outlive parents and they begin earlier than those we establish with friends.

RIVALRY

Did you know that rivalry among siblings has its place in the natural order of things?  Some experts believe the rivalry can actual be a form of training for what people can expect to experience as they get older.  Some competitions among siblings  is healthy because   it serves as an opportunity for each sibling to do well in different areas.

My oldest son got his black belt in martial arts.  My daughter decided she would excel in academics while my youngest son made the decision to excel in sports.  What I have observed, is each child has unique gifts.  My job as a responsible parent is to support and encourage each child to be the best he or she can be.

                               

SISTER QUOTES

 I thought I would share some of my favorite sister quotes:

A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life.  ~Isadora James


In thee my soul shall own combined the sister and the friend.  ~Catherine Killigrew


Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet.  ~Vietnamese Proverb


A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double.  ~Toni Morrison


Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply...  ~Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814


What's the good of news if you haven't a sister to share it?  ~Jenny DeVries


Sisters is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship.  ~Margaret Mead


Bless you, my darling, and remember you are always in the heart - oh tucked so close there is no chance of escape - of your sister.  ~Katherine Mansfield


A sister smiles when one tells one's stories - for she knows where the decoration has been added.  ~Chris Montaigne


More than Santa Claus, your sister knows when you've been bad and good.  ~Linda Sunshine

In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips.  ~Author Unknown


When sisters stand shoulder to shoulder, who stands a chance against us?  ~Pam Brown


The mildest, drowsiest sister has been known to turn tiger if her sibling is in trouble.  ~Clara Ortega


A sister is a forever friend.  ~Author Unknown


The best thing about having a sister was that I always had a friend.  ~Cali Rae Turner


An older sister helps one remain half child, half woman.  ~Author Unknown


An older sister is a friend and defender - a listener, conspirator, a counsellor and a sharer of delights.  And sorrows too.  ~Pam Brown


There is no better friend than a sister.  And there is no better sister than you.  ~Author Unknown


Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk.  ~Susan Scarf Merrell


I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers.  It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage.  Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at.  ~Maya Angelou


A sibling may be the keeper of one's identity, the only person with the keys to one's unfettered, more fundamental self.  ~Marian Sandmaier


Our roots say we're sisters, our hearts say we're friends.  ~Author Unknown

MY TWO SISTERS: DANIELLE & ROSE

"The primary cause of unhappiness is not the situation, but your thoughts about it. Be aware of the thoughts you are thinking. Separate them from the situation, which is always neutral, which always is as it is." ~Eckhart Tolle

 I love the above quote because it helps put into perspective how I dealt with what happened to me as a little girl.   I left Haiti and moved to New York to live with my mom, two sisters and brother.   Being the youngest they took very good care of me.  Both sisters, Danielle and Rose helped me adjust to life in New York.  They basically spoiled me rotten.   It took me around six months to learn to speak English well. 

As I got older,  I learned to put away the bad memories and concentrate on the good ones.  Even though my life in Haiti was not ideal and my father abandoned us, I grew to appreciate the positives in my life. 

Meeting my half-sister Rachelle inspired me to write My Sister is My Best Friend, and growing up with my sisters Danielle and Rose helped shaped me into the person I am.   Thank you Danielle and Rose!



 MY FAVORITE PICTURE OF MY OLDEST SISTER DANIELLE

My sister Rose

This is a picture of Rose taken in Arizona.  I remember too well how sad I was when she  moved.  She relocated to Arizona to be with her husband, who was  serving in the Airforce.

INSPIRATION BEHIND: MY SISTER IS MY BEST FRIEND

Three years ago I met my half sister Rachelle for the first time.  She grew up in Haiti and I grew up in New York.   My parents went their separate ways before I was born.  My dad remarried and my mother moved to New York.  As a kid I never fully understood why my father totally abandoned me and why we never kept in touch.    Much to my delight I finally got a chance to meet my sister Rachelle.   I went to visit her in Fort Lauderdale where she currently lives.  Later that same year she came to visit me in Colorado.

 After meeting her, I could not stop thinking about her.  I had vivid dreams of us playing together as little girls having tons of fun.      I was so emotionally moved that I began to wonder what it would have been like if we were raised together. My imagination went wild.   One day during my lunch hour I picked up a pen and began writing.    I wrote everything I was feeling that day and by the end of lunch I had created  the manuscript for this book.  Next I  translated the script to French and Spanish. 

A month later, I submitted the trilingual manuscript to a publisher and much to my surprise she  liked my manuscript and only requested a few revisions.  It took me a month to think things through before making revisions.  Quite frankly, I was still concerned that she would not accept the revised manuscript.   I mustered enough courage and made the revisions.  I resubmitted the manuscript and within a short period of time the publisher emailed me offering me a contract.

This book is very special to me.  I thank God for His infinite goodness to me.  I also want to say, through meeting my sister I have been healed  from the emotional distress  of being abandoned by my father.  



A Picture of my sister and me.  I took her to visit  Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado