Village Idiot

Every single day, parents do their darndest to keep their little ones alive.  

“Don’t eat those poison mushrooms!”

“Leave that bear cub alone!”

“Don’t jump in the deep end of the pool without three pairs of floaties on!”

But what happens when the parents have done all they can? What happens when parents need help preparing their young for survival?

Well, the old adage tells us that the local butcher, baker, and even candlestick maker step in to help teach children as well. Because, as we’ve all heard- it takes a village to raise a child.

I understand this on a few different levels now. Firstly, thank goodness for good teachers who are helping my little ones learn things they refuse to let me teach them.

And secondly, I now realize how imperative it is to have a team of people who are amazing at their job to get a book ready for market. Because, as I extend the village metaphor, as a parent of a new book, I am now the equivalent of the village idiot.  

Example 1: My editor asked me to send her some ideas for the cover. Since I cannot even draw a straight line with a ruler, I am extremely grateful that there is someone out there who can take my fractured, vague ideas and makes them into a real-life picture to turn into a real-life cover.

Example 2: It turns out I know very little about the English language. I had no idea how many mistakes my manuscript had. So, thank goodness for the editorial grammar ninjas who actually paid attention in English class when the rest of us were writing notes to each other.

As it is with children, it takes a village to get a book ready for market survival. And being the equivalent of the village idiot on a book team isn’t so bad if you’ve got great people around you to make up the difference.

I’d love to hear from any traditional or self-pub people out there! Who has helped you in your journey to market?