Welcome fans and followers. We're so glad you have taken the time
to stop by the JLB Creatives Blog.
You're just in time to begin our 5 week mini series of posts. Over the next 5 weeks we will be introducing you to the JLB Creatives Publishing Team members to give you a feel for those who are willing to dream with you.
Because we see no team member more important than another, and the fact that it takes this entire team to bring to fruition the professional publications they do, the #JLBCP team members will appear in alphabetical order:
Week 1 Feb 17, 2014 ~ Dar Bagby Senior Executive Editor
Week 2 Feb 24, 2014 ~ Janet Beasley Founder/Owner and CEO
Week 3 Mar 3, 2014 ~ Jean E. Lane Senior Financial Director
Week 4 Mar 10, 2014 ~ Connie Thompson Graphics Design Director
Week 5 Mar 17, 2014 ~ Elise VanCise Media Director
Welcome to Week 1: Dar Bagby
I LOVE MY JOB!
I'm Dar, head of the Manuscript Editing and Proofreading
Department at JLB Creatives Publishing, and one of my favorite things is
reading new output from dedicated authors. It's my privilege to see unpublished
material before anyone else, and believe me, it IS a privilege. So many people
harbor unbelievably wonderful stories, and so few get to share those stories
with the world of readers.
Our publishing team wants to get your story “out there” as
both a paperback and an ebook, but we refuse to do it any way other than the
RIGHT way, and that involves combining the best of both trade publishing and
self publishing. We insist on selling our business through our quality service leading
to quality products. Our books are, without a doubt, the best on the market,
and that is because of our communication with our authors. We deal with writers
one-on-one. We know that each author deserves to have his/her story told, and
readers deserve to have it presented to them in the most professional manner
possible.
How many times have you picked up a book or downloaded an
ebook only to lose interest in it after the first few chapters, or even the
first few pages? Have you ever wished the print size was a bit larger or the
lines were not so close together? Does it frustrate you when you have to spread
the book apart in order to read the portion closest to the spine? Do you end up
seeing more errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, missing or repeated
words, or other similar things that grab your attention more than the actual
plot? If so, you're not alone. Most readers aren't even aware of their reasons
for closing a book permanently before reaching the last page.
JLB Creatives Publishing accepts submissions to be
considered for publication on the basis that an author has written something
worthy of the reading public, and if your manuscript is accepted, we give our
solemn promise that it will be RIGHT before it reaches the readers. Our team members
have all written books and know how important it is to you, as the author, to
have a top-notch, professional end product that you can be proud of. I can't
tell you how thrilled and proud I am to see your project reach the final steps
and know that I was a part of getting it there. What a fantastic way to make a
living!
After you get your thoughts on paper (or on the computer
monitor), the manuscript must be properly edited. If you choose me for that
procedure, it becomes my responsibility to see to it that it all makes sense. I
make sure you've presented it in a chronologically ordered manner (which
doesn't mean you can't move back and forth from one time frame to another, it
just has to be easily understood by the reader). I make sure you've maintained
the story from the correct point of view. I make sure you didn't add too much
“fluff”—stuff that's extraneous to the story and could possibly bore the
reader. I make sure you've kept the tense the same within sentences and
throughout the entire story. I make sure that, when you decided to change a
character's name halfway through the book, you went back and changed it from
the beginning of your manuscript to that point (Oh yes, it happens more than
you'd think!) And I do all of this by SUGGESTING changes, additions, or
corrections. Then I work directly with you so we can come to an agreement about
each of the suggestions. When it comes to proofreading, I've been an English
Language Specialist since 1990, so you can count on the spelling, punctuation,
and grammar to be correct. Best of all, each of our departments—Author
Contacts, Contracts, Design/Layout & Pagination, Printing, and
Marketing/Media—works the same way.
I'm chomping at the bit to read what you've written. Please
check out the various departments and team members on our web site www.JLBCreatives.com and learn how your
book can be the best possible representation of your work. While there you'll
also find a link to the submission guidelines page to find out the kinds of books we publish, as well as the
actual submission form. I'd love to read
your story and help you get it out to the public through JLB Creatives
Publishing.
Dar
~ ~ ~
To learn more about Dar you may visit the Meet the Team page of our website:
www.JLBCreatives.com
Until next week - stay casual, live life to the fullest, and have a piece of chocolate for me.
Your Blog Host
Author Janet Beasley
