PJ's Pillow

This is the title to my story that I want to have published to a book. It is a cute little children's story. I am really happy with it and the way that it came out.

I have looked for a publishing company and found one that I thought I would be pleased with. I was hesitant for a while in sending it in. Rejection is not my strong point, so I don't take it well. But after much thought I sent it in to this one company.

I emailed it in, got an email stating that it would be two weeks before I would hear anything from them. Ok, I could wait, I waited this long, so what is another two weeks.

Well, while I was at work on Friday, I received a voicemail stating that they accepted my story, but I needed to get the illustrations in. And when I got home, I got the email stating the same thing. I did send in some of the pics that I had, and then they would give me a deadline on when the rest needed to be in.

Ok, now, I am beside myself over all of this. Number one, I was willing to wait the two weeks, number two, is this really that good for them to call me right away?

I made my calls and talked to everyone about it, I was thrilled. But then I got a message, a very wonderful message from a friend of mine. She was hesitant about sending this out to me, but I am so glad she did.

She took some time to research this publishing company and requested for me to do the same. So, I did. And it didn't take me an hour to realize that this company is a scam.

The Washington Post published an article about this one company. This company does things the old fashioned way, they don't feel that the author should pay for the publishing, they do it for you. They also pay you an advance. All sounds real nice, doesn't it? Nope, it doesn't go that way.

Their advance, after you sign a 7 year contract, is $1. Yes, you read that right, $1 that is all there is to that one. WOW! So,if Random House wants my book,they have to go through this publisher to get the rights. All for $1. If things like that happen, this publisher in the long run makes their money this way. WOW again!

They also don't have to sell your book to places like Amazon, Books-A-Million or Barnes and Noble. They choose which ones will go out in the public. The other books, they post in "their" store and you have to search, hunt and peck for the book you are looking for. Also, since they are a vanity company, libraries will not carry the books.

Gee, once I read all of this, I had seriously thought twice about this. And it didn't take all that long to realize that this is just a scam. They paint a picture that is amazingly welcome, of course that is how they drag you in. But it is sad that they do this to people that really think they have a chance to become something.

I spent the better part of yesterday morning researching publishers,from A - Z. I found 6 or 7 that I can send an unsolicited manuscript to. Ok, I can handle this. And then I will go from there.

If nothing happens, I can always make a few books, and give them away as gifts. It may work better that way anyways!