Well, how things change!  As of my last post in November 2012, my plans were to self-publish my book Seekers of the Lost Boy.  I’d done a fair bit of research into traditional vs self-pubbing and it seemed, at face value, that self-publishing was the better option for me.  I had had quite a few interactions with traditional publishers and – aside from the obvious rejections one is supposed to expect (but are, none-the-less, always discouraging) – I found that those who did, in fact, want my book had some pretty hefty expectations from me in terms of time, future books and adjusting my book to fit their schedule.  Self-pubbing, on the other hand, meant that I had full control over the project.  I could choose the cover art, take the photos (like below), design the layout, decide on a release date and even set the retail price.   It also meant that I could dictate my own schedule completely and therefore not let The Book interfere with the homeschooling time-focus of this season of my life.

And then I prayed.

Well, I had been praying quite a bit about the project prior to that, but this time I prayed something rather specific.  I asked the Lord to stop my progress dead in its tracks if it weren’t right that I continue down the self-publishing road.  I asked that if I should put this book baby back on the shelf for now, that it would be abundantly clear that I should not carry on.  And I asked that if traditional-publishing was indeed the better route for the book and my family, that He would make the way clear for that too.  It was kind of like, Lord, it looks to me like self-pubbing is the best route to go, so I’m going down that road.  If it’s really not the best option, please stop me before I do something stupid!

I’m not kidding when I say that I received an email the day after I prayed that prayer.  I had sent out a last-ditch pitch to a few publishers I hadn’t approached yet a few days prior.  One of these publishers came back to me – interested.

To cut a very long story short, interest turned into a contract offer.  And the contract offer has turned into full production of a book that should be released by May 2013!

And I’ve been totally blown away by the the Lord’s hand in it all.  While there are many advantages to self-publishing, the things that Naledi Publishers can offer me I would never have been able to do on my own – a thoroughly edited, proofed and professionally put together book; distribution in major bookstores in South Africa, media interviews and reviews I may well have not been able to secure on my own,  And these guys are hands-on, author-friendly people!   I’m really happy to know that my book is in their more-than-capable hands.

So, it would seem that once again I’m reminded that the Lord is ultimately in control.  And, knowing that, I look forward to seeing Him work through this book to spread His good news.

Please join me in praying that this book reaches the hearts of those who most need to hear the message of Jesus.

~ Taryn