It takes a village to raise a child... and publish a book!

Today, just over four months after the publication date of My Llama Drama, I want to reflect on and share with you the myriad of people involved in the process and the important roles they've played. 

Thank you to the following people. They all come highly recommended, so fellow authors, feel free to reach out to them!

Tamara Rittershaus, Editor. 
I once heard someone say, 'Surround yourself with people smarter than you if you want to be successful in business.' Being an author is a business as much as us creatives want to deny it, and making smart choices about the people you surround yourself with in the business of publishing your book matters. I was SO lucky to find Tamara at just the right time! I'd been sitting on my manuscript for a few months, unsure of what to do next but knowing I needed to find a trusted, respected and smart editor to help me out. Tamara was just that person! Not only is she an excellent editor, she is a brilliant poetry coach, so my manuscript and I were in expert hands. 

Bear With Us Productions
Publishing a book can be daunting; editors, illustrators, book design, marketing! Where to start? Who to turn to after your manuscript is polished? Thankfully I found Andy and Richie at Bear With Us Productions (BWUP)! BWUP offers the full package, for the debut author with little to no experience right up to authors simply looking for an awesome illustrator to bring their story to life. I was immediately drawn to the range and quality of illustrators on their list, and was lucky enough to request and commission the work of a fabulous illustrator through them. They also took care of all the formatting and design of the book, including selecting fonts, composition of the page spreads and cover, some marketing material and taking care of the final files ready for print. It made the process so easy!

Eduardo Paj, Illustrator.
Finding the right illustrator is CRUCIAL to the success of the book so this process is not one to be done quickly or taken lightly. As mentioned above, I found Bear With Us Productions first and did some research before getting in touch with them. Before I reached out I already knew Eduardo was the illustrator I wanted to work with. His talent for illustrating different subjects was a perfect fit for My Llama Drama and I love his 'Disney-esque' style! Working through Andy at BWUP I was able to provide my 'vision' for the overall book at the beginning of the process and with regular check-in points throughout Eduardo brought my story to life! He worked his magic and without a talented illustrator like Eduardo those little llamas could have been in all sorts!

Of course, it would be remiss of me not to mention my family, friends and writer/author groups in the process! Without their support, love and shoulders to lean on I could have easily put the manuscript in the drawer never to see the light of day. 

Lisa xx