Mary Keilman Writes about Achieving Her Lifelong Dream
“Hi, Leah,” I said into the phone receiver. “What can I do for you?”
As a property manager, I pride myself on excellent customer service and relations.
“Mary, is there a package for me in the office?” she asked.
“Actually, yes there is. Would you like for me to put it in your apartment for you?”
“No … I want you to open it!” she exclaimed.
I asked her to hold on as I peeled back part of the perforated cardboard. It looked like the size of a book. Indeed, it was a book. I examined the six-by-nine-inch paperback and took in the title. And then it hit me. She was the author!
“Oh my gosh, Leah! Congratulations! This is great! I’ve always wanted to write a book … how did you get published?”
“I used AuthorHouse,” she said very matter-of-factly. I was so excited to see the name of someone I knew, right there on the front cover of a book. After all, I had always dreamed of becoming a published author, only to be disheartened by the thought of being rejected by countless agents who were already overburdened with manuscripts far less creative than mine.
As a child, I loved using words to share my creativity with the world. I thrived on short-story-writing assignments in school and wrote poetry as a hobby. It was just there, in the pit of my belly, waiting to spill out onto the paper. This must mean I was meant to be an author, right?
My manuscript practically created itself as I wrote in my journal during a very sad and poignant time in my life when my family and I cared for my mother during her final stages of life. When I revisited the journals months and even years later, I found laughter and tears and life lessons worth sharing. I know people will benefit from this, I thought. This is going to be my first book!
Leah referred me to AuthorHouse.com. She could not say enough great things about her experience with the AuthorHouse process, and encouraged me to contact them. Since I work fulltime and have a demanding schedule, I liked the fact that I could request information online, without giving too much of my personal information and without initially talking to a salesperson. The packet arrived in a timely manner, and after perusing the materials, I was on my way to learning all about the world of self-publishing.
I decided to give them a call. I immediately felt at ease with my author services representative, Wes. He was thorough in sharing his knowledge of the publishing process and always patient. I liked the fact that all of the AuthorHouse options were á la carte. Over the course of the next several weeks, I spoke with Wes numerous times, all the while gathering more information and mulling over which options would best satisfy my publishing goals. I never once felt pushed to add more options. I truly felt like it was all about me and what suited me best.
As my appointment with the design team approached, I had a good idea of what font size and type I wanted and what size book I wanted. In addition, I had gathered some ideas for the cover design. During the appointment, my design consultant, Bob, and his design team brought my personal formatting choices together. He listened to my ideas and gave his professional opinion on what he thought would work best for my book. I was so excited to see the first galley!
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Most of the process was done online, but a proof of the cover design was physically mailed to me. I actually cried when I opened it, and there it was … my cover, front and back, with my design, my font choice (I chose all lowercase on the front cover for impact) and a beautiful picture of me and my mom on the back of the cover. The words jumped from the cover against a beautiful blue sky with white clouds and puzzle pieces. It was exactly what I pictured. Just perfect. Great job, AuthorHouse! It was all coming true. I am an author. A life dream come true. The first step to touching the lives of others with my story. |
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Over the next few weeks, I would tweak my galley, moving sentences and paragraphs around, all the while depending on AuthorHouse to ensure that the corrections were made in a timely manner. Finally I was ready to let it go. All of the hours I had poured into this project had finally paid off. I signed off and anxiously awaited the arrival of my first book in the mail.
Any first-time author knows the sheer excitement and satisfaction that comes when you hold your very first book in your hands. I will never forget that feeling. Since then I have signed hundreds of copies of my book, and each time I hand one to an expectant reader, I feel certain gratitude.
I initially wrote the book as a means for self-therapy. I was not thinking about selling a million copies. I had an innate desire to help others who have traveled a similar path or have known someone who has journeyed a similar journey.
A few weeks ago, my husband and I joined our friends in attending the annual Policeman’s Ball, a local fundraiser. We are active in our community and have a vast circle of friends. A young woman approached me—someone whom I did not recognize.
“Hi,” she said with a bright smile, “you don’t know me but I know you. You’re the one who wrote the book, right?”
“Yes, I am,” I said, smiling back at her with an inquisitive look on my face. To date I had sold about 250 copies and was anxiously awaiting a statement from AuthorHouse to find out how the Internet sales were going.
“Thank you so much,” she said as she shook my hand and introduced herself and told me who had given the book to her as a gift. “I just loved your book. It really touched me … I couldn’t put it down!”
We conversed about the book for a few minutes before she returned to her seat. As I took my seat I wanted to laugh and to cry. This was not the first time someone had thanked me for sharing my story. It is amazing …
I always thought if I could finish the book, I would feel finished. But now I know this is really just the first chapter in my life as an author.
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