After writing Boundary Waters ABC I submitted the manuscript to a regional publisher. Not hearing back after a number of months, I sent the manuscript to Adventure Publications in Cambridge, MN. One day I received a phone call from Adventure.
“I’m looking for Wes Erwin.”
“This is he.”
“Are you the Wes Erwin who submitted Boundary Waters ABC to us?”
“Yes.”
“We’ve been trying to find you. Your contact information became separated from your manuscript. We want to publish your book.”
I practically floated for the rest of the day!
What I didn’t know at that time was that authors, even published authors, often are rejected by scores if not hundreds of publishers before their manuscript is accepted for publication by a traditional publisher. Having the second publisher that I submitted this book to accept it was very lucky!
The second unusual part of the publication of Boundary Waters ABC was that the Publisher was interested in publishing the book in record time. I signed the book contract in November of 2013 and the book was published in April of 2014. That is lightening speed in the publishing business! I believe Adventure wanted to have the book available for the beginning of the summer tourist season in northern Minnesota.
It was only after I wrote and submitted several other books to scores of publishers and heard other authors’ experiences that I realized my first book was a huge anomaly.
However, I’m not complaining. I am very grateful for my first experience with a publisher and pleased that my first experience was such a positive one!
Wes Erwin 