The Independent Publishing Journey—’Moments of Love’

This morning, the April sun shines brightly, and I wake up with excitement knowing that our new anthology, Moments of Love, is coming together nicely.

Since 2012, I have been on an independent publishing journey, publishing my memoirs and novels through CreateSpace and Word2Kindle. (With my own imprint Writing Circle Press.) Moments of Love is our Women’s Writing Circle third anthology. The first, Slants of Light, was produced by CreateSpace, and the second, The Life Unexpected, was published by Lucky Stars Publishing, a small independent publisher.

The journey from writing to publishing a book is filled with challenges. However, like any endeavor fueled by passion and commitment, it becomes rewarding in itself. Selecting a cover that truly embodies our theme of love in its many diverse experiences and facets was particularly challenging. I initially used AI to find an image I thought might work, but we quickly learned that AI-generated images often lack the resolution needed for a book cover. In the past, I have used my own photographs for covers.

I found an image of a room with slants of light that I thought would be perfect for our cover. However, Eileen Denny Alexander, a graphic designer and the sister of Marilyn Gilpin—one of the four members of our organizing committee—advised us that the image’s quality was insufficient. We eventually discovered another AI image we preferred of a gate, which we conveyed to Word2Kindle to help design our cover.

The numerous stories and poems included in the book have been read and reread by both myself and organizing committee member Karen S. Mittelman. Our developmental edits saved the group over $600, and proofreading by Marilyn saved us over $300. This was significant, especially since we were working with a budget of about $1,300. Flo Shore, who has attended the Women’s Writing Circle since its inception in 2009, offered insight into improving stories and poems in our collection.

We also went about the painstaking process of finding black and white photos for the interior of the anthology that represented the stories. This mermaid photo was taken by me in the lobby of the Flanders Hotel in Ocean City, New Jersey to accompany my short story named after that hotel.

The many facets of independent publishing require thoroughness, experience in writing and editing, and great attention to detail. Yet, in the end, what could be more inspiring than a labor of love? Mental health experts consistently say that such endeavors are greatly beneficial for those wishing to remain young and vibrant.

We are thrilled to have received two wonderful endorsements for our book. One is from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, who lives in Chester County, where we also reside. The other is from Marian Beaman, who grew up in nearby Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Marian has a large blog following and is the author of two well-respected memoirs.

I would especially like to express our gratitude to our writers for their patience as we navigated numerous edits and rewrites. They showed a willingness to produce their best work.

Ultimately, this beautifully crafted anthology of short stories and poems pays tribute to love in its many forms and expressions. The collection of fiction and memoir includes reflections on mothers and fathers, lifelong friendships between women, and the challenges of marriage—offering readers a compelling glimpse into life and love through the eyes of a diverse group of women writers.

Our cover will be ready in the next ten days or so. Stay tuned! After that, we will review the manuscript again with a fine-tooth comb. We hope to have the book out by late spring or early summer.

My final thought on independent publishing is just how exciting it is, opening the doors to writers from all walks of life who may never have seen their work in print without it.

For those who have gone the independent publishing journey, what are your insights and experiences?