Proud to be Publishing with RMB!

It’s true what everyone tells you – writing a book is not easy. But that’s only the half of it. Once you’ve written your book, there’s still the task of getting it published. Since A Story of Karma is my first book, the world of publishing was new to me and I couldn’t fully appreciate all the nuances and challenges of the industry until I was head deep into it.* 

A selection of some of RMB’s finely crafted books

My initial thought was to go straight to New York – to find one of the big publishing houses – and although I gave it my best, I soon discovered that this wasn’t necessarily the best path for me. I learned that getting published is not only about finding a publisher who will publish you – it’s also about finding the right fit. Some of the best advice I received was from a literary guru who advised me that when looking for a publisher, size and location are secondary. Most important, she said is to partner with the publisher who is most passionate about your book (this is the same when looking for an agent).

While most books may be shorter term projects for the larger publishing houses (primarily due to the sheer volume of books they publish each year), I realized that it would be critical for me to find a publisher who’d have my back for the long haul. It took me three years to write my book and get it out there into the world (and an entire lifetime of experiences) – the last thing I wanted was for my book to get ‘shelved’ after six months. And for a publisher to give it an honest effort, they’d have to be in love with it. 

My journey to New York brought me back to my own neck of the woods on the West Coast of Canada. It was here I realized that the answer was right next to me all along (quite literally), since on my bookshelf, were books I’ve long cherished by Canadian publisher RMB (I’d been reading their books for over a decade). For over 40 years the boutique publisher has published award winning books from around the world.  They’ve produced some of the highest quality and well crafted books I’ve seen. When I connected with them, it became clear that they were the perfect fit. 

And the more I’ve journeyed down the publishing path with them, the more my gut feeling to partner with them has been confirmed. No matter what stage we’re in - the editing, design, publicity, marketing and distribution – they’ve been beside me each step of the way, making me feel like part of a family. 

I know it may be tempting to jump at a publisher’s offer - especially if they have a big name, or if their offer is the first you get after a heap of rejections. But remember, your story is built on a lifetime of experiences and hard work. And if you want it to live a long life into the future, you owe it to your book to find it the best home you can – don’t settle and don’t stop turning the stones until you find the right fit. Find the team you can trust, whose values align with yours, and one you know will have your back through thick and thin for years to come. Your story deserves it. 

Learn more about RMB

*Note here I only refer to the traditional publishing path (there are also self publishing or hybrid models you can consider as well).