More Updates! (Picture Book Launch Date: 13 May!)

So a lot of things happened over the last couple of weeks and I haven't had a chance to update as I have a lot of other things going on. I am currently juggling tutoring and writing up teaching resources, a freelance project, as well as all this indie publishing stuff, which involves a lot of marketing, social media, website design etc. I can't even keep up...

Getting the Proofs

My proofs of the paperback arrived. It was such a complicated process trying to get Amazon to deliver them to HK. Basically, they could not deliver them from the US store and there wasn't a store in Asia I could choose from either. I even Tweeted Amazon to ask what I should do. They were not helpful as they only linked me to their help page which didn't help. Then I posted my problem in several Facebook groups for indie authors self-publishers and asked if anyone could give me some advice. Some of them suggested I launch it and then purchase my own book as a customer (they deliver for purchases but not for proofs). Another suggested to deliver it to someone who lives in US or UK to check for me or have them deliver it to me. Then someone posted a website for a shipping service called Shipito. They have warehouses all around the US and they assign you to a warehouse address where you could have your items delivered. They then collect it for you at the warehouse and get them to deliver it to your address. This is a good option for people living in countries outside of US or UK when international shipping isn't available. It is expensive though, especially if you want to get insurance and have a tracking option or get express delivery. So, my proofs cost less than $10 USD. The delivery? Around $40 USD. Yes, I paid for this. It was painful. The proofs did not meet my expectations either. The cover is flimsy, the colours are all a bit too dull and dark, the interior pages are a bit thin. I'm hoping the paperback and hardcover prints from IngramSpark will have better quality.

Formatting Issues

After fiddling around with the formatting of the picture book, I finally found a formatter to do it because there were just too many issues I couldn't figure out how to fix myself. I had spent two weeks on it already. Even the professional formatter had to do five revisions to get a version of the file to show up correctly on the previewer and the Kindle app. How could I have done that myself? Now, the correct file is uploaded onto KDP and IngramSpark and they are accepted by both platforms without errors! I won't bother ordering any more proofs though. I'll just go by faith that they are ok...

Early Reader Updates

I received the final cover design for the early reader after weeks of waiting and lots of back and forth due to a lot of miscommunication. Their initial designs were totally not what I had requested in my form and I emailed them back asking for revisions and a faster turnaround. So all that is left is the formatting of the interior. Hopefully, they can get it back to me soon so I can release it in early June.

Picture Book Updates

The picture book ebook will be released on 13 May! It's all up and ready! The hardcover has also been approved by IngramSpark so it will also be available by then! If you make a purchase and download the book, PLEASE leave a review! Reviews are like gold to indie authors! We need every single one of them - even if it's just one sentence! The picture book is available for pre-order, in case you didn't know. It was in the #1 spot for a few hours in two categories. It has moved down quite a bit since then. Hopefully, it will rise up again soon, especially on Launch Day! So those reviews really matter!

There have been a lot of requests for print copies in HK so we thought it would be better to get them printed locally rather than getting them through Amazon. We have contacted a few printers for quotes and will be meeting with one of them next week to discuss further and look at samples and options. It's all very exciting! I'm so grateful that this story is getting out there! I can't wait to share it with you all!

Link to the book on Amazon: mybook.to/CanYouHearMeDaddy

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Update:

I have recently set up a services page and offering proofreading services. It's still not running the way I want it and won't update the confirmation emails. If you want to make a booking, please also email me directly with your details. The times and dates you click are not significant or necessary to book either but I can't get rid of it. I just need to know the length of your manuscript, genre, and title, and I will make an estimate on time frame and rate.