Interview About Our Publishing Proccess

The following is from an interview with Kara Gonzalez-Howard, the newest author at Brave Brothers Books. We want people to become more informed about our mission and publishing process, so we asked Kara a couple of questions.

1. How did you decide traditional publishing (as opposed to self-publishing) was the right way for you to publish your book?

I didn’t want to go the self-publishing route because the market is flooded, and I know I am not an expert by any means in editing/publishing, or the marketing that is required to have a successful book launch. While it can be done, I wanted to work with someone who is an expert and knows how to get a very high-quality book in front of its intended audience.

2. When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?

I didn’t. I wrote something that I loved and meant something to me, and decided to take a chance and submit!

3. What do you think made your manuscript fit for Brave Brothers Books? And how do you think others can ensure their manuscripts align with the company’s mission?

I like the idea of working with a company that is interested in a variety of authentic voices and stories. Brave Brothers Books is a publishing company in my region, and I felt very comfortable working with Shawnta and highly valued her feedback and mentorship through the process. She was very helpful, but also let me take the lead in my own creative process. She worked with my vision rather than trying to manipulate my work into something it was not intended to be. I really appreciate that as an artist and writer, as so many companies seem to be more interested in fitting the work of their authors into a certain mold that they believe will sell rather than allowing the work to speak for itself!

4. How did you work with the editors and illustrators to ensure they captured your vision?

It was a collaborative process from start to finish! I got to see a couple of samples of how different editors would handle my work, and then see what felt most authentic to my voice as far as their editing style. As far as illustration, I got to see samples of a few different illustrators and decided which style would be the best fit. From there, I also got to have input on the individual characters and how they would appear in the book.

5. What did you find to be the most difficult part of the publishing process, and how did you overcome it?

I struggled with the editing phase the most. I actually started off with an editor who I didn’t feel captured my vision or voice, and changed quite a bit of the “feel” of the book to something I would not have written. Shawnta was able to find another editor on her team who was a better fit for my work, and it was night and day how much closer to my original manuscript we were able to get. I am so happy with the final direction!