I am happy to be able to go indepth today and give you a glimpse into the publishing world by posting an interview with Editor/Publisher of Guardian Angel Publishing, Lynda S. Burch.
Hope you find some great tidbits…
Welcome to FreePass Friday. Today I am interviewing Lynda S. Burch, Publisher/Editor of Guardian Angel Publishing.
T: Hello, Lynda.
L: Hi Tracey
T: Would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself and your publishing house?
L: I’m the sole owner/publisher of Guardian Angel Publishing.-Where our publishing goals are to lovingly create fun, affordable and educational print books and ebook computer experiences for your preschoolers and primary age children. Guardian Angel Publishing believes we can change the world by investing in children one child at a time. The seeds of the influence from our books will live longer than we do and a harvest of knowledge and vibrant faith will help transform a time we may never see.
T: Guardian Angel Publishing was producing eBooks before the bigger names ever thought about going to this line. What made you decide to go into eBooks?
L: I saw a need for children’s ebooks. When I started writing musical eBooks to be played on the computer, I got wonderful feedback from big publishers but they didn’t know what to do with them. So I started Guardian Angel as an eBook publisher and opened to submissions, but within about about a year we expanded our lines of books and we started going to print, too.
T: What different formats are Guardian Angel Publishing’s eBooks available on?
L: Our ebooks are in PDF, Flip book format on CD, many are in video TV formats, Adobe Digital Glass Books, Mobi & prc- for Kindles, epubs, and are presently working on new formats for the iPhone, iPad and android generation- like the Demibooks which are in Beta testing. We also have books available at BeThereBedtimeStories where you buy a book and record yourself with your video cam reading the stories and playing them back to your kids or grandkids wherever they live- an awesome ebook product for traveling, military families and more.
T: Where can you find Guardian Angel Publishing’s eBooks?
L: Our ebooks are available at Follett Digital Resources for schools and libraries, B&N ebookstore, Fictionwise ebookstore, and ebook distribution networks globally and some are at Amazon- but not all until they come out with a color Kindle. We also sell heavily in the homeschool market at The Old Schoolhouse Store.
T: Do you feel as if you have a leg up on the competitors? Even the bigger houses because you have been doing eBook formatting for a much longer time period?
L: Yes undoubtedly and we also share in the bestseller market even though we are a small independent publisher and are positioned to change and expand our ebook market and formats with much more speed than most companies.
T: Guardian Angel Publishing has printed books available. What made you go into printing?
L: Buyers still wanted to hold books in their hands so we accommodated them.
T: How has the conversion to eBooks come across to you? Have you seen more respect? How are people taking it all in?
L: Yes of course- the big boys are scarmbling to catch up particularly since the ebook market exploded and so many people are self-publishing their own ebooks.
T: Guardian Angel Publishing is a labor of love for sure. How do you decide what type of books you accept?
L: The simplest description is they have to grab me. I need to be able to “see” the art for a story. Or I have to feel my heartstrings get tugged.
T: Are there any major turnoffs?
L: Yes too many submissions of poorly written stories. Or people don’t even look up what kind of publisher we are. We only publish for 0-12 year old children. But you wouldn’t believe some of the submissions we see. Also a big not- not everyone can write rhyming stories.
T: What types of things really stand out and catch your attention to a storyline?
L: Its not one thing in particular but I do love an educational value added or a story with a moral built-in but nothing preachy or domineering.
T: What piece of advice do you wish all writers would take?
L: Hone their writing skills. Writing in an evolutionary process. We are constantly growing and learning new skills and techniques. Join writing groups. Learn their market and see what is published.
T: How many submissions does Guardian Angel Publishing take in during the times you are open?
L: 800- 1000 submissions and we are only open 6 months a year for submissions.
T: I know that it is tough to get published. The amount of submissions you receives gives us a glimpse of the staggering numbers that are against us. Of the submissions you receive, about how many do you offer contracts for?
L: I publish about 60-70 books a year. Do the math.
T: What is your goal for Guardian Angel Publishing? Where do you see the company in 5 or 10 years from now?
L: Onward and upward. We are already establishing ourselves with national and international award winning books and always hope to achieve more.
T: Any other tips or tid bits you would like to add here? Include the magazine?
L: We expanded our internet presence in January 2010 with our free monthly online magazine-
Guardian-Angel-Kids.com where kids can read, be read to by the computer, play online games, download free books & coloring pages, read articles, stories, poems, watch book videos and more. Its pretty cool and all for free with no commercials or popups to take the kids into unwanted territory.
Thanks bunches, Lynda. I really appreciate all you have done for the publishing industry and having the forethought of eBooks.
Til next time,
~t
That being said, I would do it all over again, pay all the dues, hit all the bumps and dips along the way, just to get back to where I am today in my writing career. I <3 it that much.
*haha*
