After much research, I found several publishers who had already acquired a CLC license. I knew the next step was trying to find the best fit for my book. To determine this fit, I had to call the publishing companies, shop the book, and discuss terms. Armed with a great idea and the belief that if my son needed a UVA book, many others would too, I jumped in. But sure enough, disappointment was there to meet me.
The first publisher I contacted had fees that rivaled all four years of my undergraduate education (granted it was in-state and almost a decade ago!) and also kept more than a third of the proceeds when royalties and the like were said and done. My economics and business analysis training (and common sense) kicked in and I quickly realized that I would have to sell nearly 4000 books just to break even. I knew we couldn’t afford that option and continued on to find another publisher.
The next publisher on my list was Mascot Books. Mascot Books is a Virginia company with lots of experience working with first time authors. They specialize in children’s books about schools and universities. After perusing everything I could find on their website and finding that I really liked their vision, I contacted them. After a week of discussing my vision for the book, learning about their in-house illustration options, and negotiating terms, we decided that "Sweet Dreams UVA" would be a great fit as the newest addition to the Mascot Books family.
One of the things I most liked about this publisher was the way they made it a priority to bring to fruition my vision for the book. It seemed that they were there to guide and lend their expertise, but ultimately “Sweet Dreams UVA” would be my baby for my baby.
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