Note: this is the third part of my interview with Connie Lapallo, author of Dark Enough to See the Stars in a Jamestown Sky. Today, she discusses her path to publication. Tomorrow, get a sneak peek at her next book!

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Why did you decide to self-publish Dark Enough to See the Stars in a Jamestown Sky? How did you go about doing this?

Since the research took eight years, I was scrambling to finish the manuscript by May 2006, with the 400^th anniversary of Jamestown coming in 2007. I knew I could self-publish and have the book back in a matter of months, not the years it might take to find a mainstream publisher. My aim was to have the book debut at the VaHomeschoolers Conference in August 2006, where I was to be a speaker. I made it by only days! I planned to approach museums and schools during the autumn leading into 2007.

To move forward with self-publishing, I researched POD (print on demand) publishers and chose Llumina for their package and flexibility and their ability to get my book on Amazon and into Ingram’s (the wholesale book catalog).

However, I would bear the risk and expense of production and promotion, and I would directly determine the manuscript quality and marketability of the book, including its format and attractiveness. Although they did the actual formatting, I chose the size (6 x 9) and the font (Garamond)—even the spacing between lines of text. More research—I talked to graphic designers, went to bookstores, read up on the market and learned printers’ terms. I even printed sample pages and passed them around to see how people felt about “the look.”

I did a test run of 200 books—fairly large for POD. When those sold quickly, I took the plunge and printed 3,000. For this quantity, I used offset printing rather than POD. The cost per book dropped dramatically, meaning I could offer the books to bookstores and gift shops at the 40-50% discount they require. I could also send out review copies economically.

Once museums decided they liked the book, things began to roll, and that’s when speaking engagements began coming in as well.

Some people don’t know that writing a book is only the first step; once a book is published, authors step into marketing mode. How can your fans help Dark Enough to see the Stars in a Jamestown Sky succeed?

People have been wonderful. They’ve opened their homes for me to speak, invited me to their clubs, libraries, or historical societies, or presented the book to organizations and schools as a gift. They have talked to newspapers or magazines, or written articles themselves.

Some have shared the book with family or friends. Others have written reviews, or have passed it on to those who write formal reviews or who might be in a position to promote it. (It was in this way that my book fell into the hands of a librarian who was reviewing Jamestown books for School Library Journal. I was thrilled when she recommended it as one of only two fictional books for grades 7 and up studying Jamestown.)

Wonderful folks have posted items on homeschool lists or in their blogs, with a link to my website. (And I do get hits from these!) Others have taken the time to “tag” my book on Amazon—I never even knew how to do this. That means readers searching for a specific topic can find it.

Also, I never understood the importance of reviews on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.com until I became published. Now I get it! Even librarians check these sites to see what readers have to say. I also thought you had to purchase the book on these sites to post a review there. But Amazon and B&N welcome your review, wherever you purchased the book—and so does the author! If you appreciate an author’s work, you can literally “tell the world” on Amazon and B&N.

I could go on and on. I’ve just been so touched by all of this. I never expected it, but it does make a difference—both in book sales and in author morale! This is a great opportunity for me to say thanks for the efforts and kind words of so many. I truly appreciate it.