![\"Me](\"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ZenaTrophyHospital.jpg\")
<\/a>Me with our winning trophies from last year.<\/p><\/div>\n
As some of you may know, last year I asked my writers\u2019 group, the incredible Northern Beaches Writers\u2019 Group, whether they\u2019d like to participate in the Write-a-Book-in-a-Day challenge to raise money for The Kids Cancer Project and the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Since cancer is close to so many of our hearts, the answer was a resounding \u2018yes\u2019. We raised almost $1,500 and wrote, illustrated and printed a stunning book called Scribbles in the Dark<\/em><\/a> \u2013 all in one day. My group consists of a pretty amazing group of writers.<\/p>\n It was then a marvellous surprise to find out that Scribbles in the Dark<\/em><\/a> had won the National Best Book Award, along with National Best Illustrations. It was also the most sponsored book. Yay for us!<\/p>\n So this year I asked my group if they wanted to participate again, and again they said yes. This time, we raised almost $2,500 and wrote another stunning book \u2013 A Dolphin for Naia<\/em><\/a>\u2026 but we never thought we\u2019d win the National Best Book Award again.<\/p>\n Except\u2026 we did!<\/p>\n Me collecting our awards for “A Dolphin for Naia”<\/p><\/div>\n So a couple of weeks ago I travelled out to Westmead Children\u2019s Hospital to collect our trophies for National Best Book, and again Most Sponsorship Raised. Across Australia, the entire challenge raised $150,000 to help fight cancer, and it\u2019s a wonderful feeling to know that we\u2019ve helped in some small way.<\/p>\n So wonderful, in fact, that we can\u2019t wait until next year\u2019s \u2018WABIAD\u2019 challenge to raise more money \u2013 we\u2019re going to start now by professionally publishing both\u00a0Scribbles in the Dark<\/em><\/a> and A Dolphin for Naia<\/em><\/a>, since fifty percent of all profits raised go to The Kids Cancer Project. How cool is that?<\/p>\n So that\u2019s what I\u2019ve been doing. While my own recently-finished novel is with beta readers, I\u2019ve been editing and formatting, designing and laying out both books. Thanks to Zoya Nojin, Sue Steggall and Kylie Pfeiffer for their incredible editing and proofreading also, to Liz Michell for her amazing additional cover illustrations, and to Leah Boonthanom, Tony McFadden and Chris Lake for formatting, designing and laying out both books for epublishing. It takes so much work to get words ready for print than I thought!<\/p>\n And that\u2019s my first insight…<\/p>\n Usually I write in Word, then send my Word document off to publishers. It then magically materialises in print. Wonderful!<\/p>\n Now I know that behind the scenes, hours upon hours are spent creating house and edition styles, creating master pages in InDesign and formatting even and odd pages, searching for the right fonts and converting every \u2013 single \u2013 image into CMYK, then again into RGB pngs for ebooks. I thought it would take me two days to organise everything\u2026 so far it’s been twelve days straight just to get the books to the printers and organise a launch date.<\/p>\n It’ll be worth it though \u2013 to see the books look as good as they read!<\/p>\n Which leads me to my second insight…<\/p>\n Different creators can have very different visions of the same thing! My vision of a mutant donut differed greatly from my son’s when I was helping him design a logo the other week!<\/p><\/div>\n Luckily my group are used to my editing now, which is pretty ruthless. What can I say? I\u2019m a perfectionist!<\/p>\n But since the words in these books were<\/em> created by others, as well as myself, I\u2019ve had to treat them with amazing care and respect. I\u2019ve had to delicately balance the original vision of six or seven authors per book<\/em>, against creating an overall consistent voice that accurately reflects our character and engages readers.<\/p>\n Luckily, that\u2019s something I know a bit about \u2013 so I had my children peering over my shoulders as I was working\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cMummy, can you just read a bit to me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve read this book before, darling.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know\u2026 but pleeeeeeease.\u201d<\/p>\n What more could a writer want than for a reader to want to return to the same story again and again?<\/p>\n And that\u2019s the third insight I\u2019ve had throughout this process…<\/p>\n From what I can tell, they want the same as I did when I was a child \u2013 an adventure that packs a punch… a story that throws them into an experience that gets their imaginations churning.<\/p>\n These days kids have so much to do \u2013 exams at our public primary school start when the kids are eight-years-old! So my kids love a good book that doesn\u2019t bulk them with its length but which lets them escape for a while, such that when they put the book down they can dream of having similar adventures of their own.<\/p>\n Scribbles in the Dark<\/a> <\/em>and A Dolphin for Naia<\/a><\/em> do just that. So please wish the Northern Beaches Writers\u2019 Group luck in publishing these two amazing books.<\/p>\n Why not come along?!<\/p><\/div>\n Our books will be launched by the award-winning multi-published author Susanne Gervay (best known for her “I am Jack” series) at the impressive Dymocks Bookstore at Warringah Mall, 4pm on Saturday 29th November.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to come along, please RSVP to Zoya via scribblesandnaia [at] gmail [dot] com.<\/p>\n After release, the books will be available for purchase at Dymocks Warringah Mall, as well as online through Amazon and all major online retailers \u2013 print copies priced at $15.99, eBooks at $4.99. Fifty percent of all profits will go to The Kids Cancer Project for the first two years, so buy now!<\/p>\n …at least the next NBWG collaborative book is ready for publication, Into Tordon<\/em><\/a> \u2013 a new children\u2019s fantasy set in a future Australia\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Over the last few weeks I have experienced life as a publisher \u2013 and the journey has given me some interesting industry insights. Firstly, I\u2019d best explain that I haven\u2019t changed professions \u2013 I am now and will always be first and foremost a writer. My transition has been a\u2026<\/p>\n<\/a>1. Time<\/h3>\n
2. The responsibility of dealing with other people\u2019s words<\/h3>\n
<\/a>3. What kids want<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/a>As for me, I\u2019m going back to writing now \u2013 which is exactly where I like to be, and where I\u2019ll stay\u2026<\/p>\n