Yeah! Finally!!

Today I received the last package containing the first hardcover printing of my illustrated fantasy children`s book Below the Floor (or: “Das Dorf unter dem Fußboden”, as I will publish the German version first). In case you are new to this blog: It is the story of little Leto, a kobold, who lives in a village hidden below a wooden floor. When a host of ruthless lizards threatens the village, Leto must find mighty braves who could safe his home.

It is a cool feeling finally touching the printed and bound book, after all the mistakes and hurdles I had to overcome. And I wish you that you, too, can one day finish your project (in case you have not reached your goal yet).

If you remember, I did not send the book to any publisher, because I did not want to wait one or two years for a response. Patience is not one of my strong sides. 🙂 Publishing a book is a lot more work than I initially had thought it would be. If you are thinking about publishing your own book, check out these posts in which I have written about the mistakes I had made and which could safe you some headaches:

• Lessons learnt from creating a first children`s book part 1
• Lessons learnt from creating a first children`s book part 2
• Lessons learnt from creating a first children`s book part 3

And if you are not quite sure if self publishing is the right route for you, these posts might help you make the decision:

• Self publishing vs traditional publishing part 1
• Self publishing vs traditional publishing part 2
• Self publishing vs traditional publishing part 3

Back to the printed books. 🙂 When I opened the box, I was not sure if the printing company had used the right paper. But everything was ok. The books had been printed on thick paper.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present you the first printing of “Das Dorf unter dem Fußboden”?

Do not mind the panda. It´s just curious.

There are still some details I have to check regarding the distribution. This hardcover print was limited to 100 books (and yes, a lot of people already have made a reservation 🙂 ). There will be a softcover edition available via Amazon, too. So stay tuned 🙂