Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Along Came Sampson

By

A couple of you asked about the children’s book I wrote, the title is “Along Came Sampson.”

It is a basic children’s book, narrated by Sampson with actual pictures of him taken throughout the first year of his life.

Sampson…….not even a week old.

I came up with the idea when I was asked to bring a book to a baby shower and the book I had in mind was no longer in print.  I was between jobs and thought, what the heck, I’ll write my own.

I’ve had two different reviews made on the book, with the last one basically re-writing the entire book for me.  Once she was done hacking it I felt like it wasn’t mine any more.  Still I tried to find a literary agent to represent me and schlep my work off to publishing companies, but I was turned down by three different ones.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not really good with being rejected and so I kind of stopped trying.  The whole intent of this blog was to promote my Along Came Sampson website and get people interested in Sampson and hearing more stories about him and Delilah.

The other thing you should know about me is technology does not come easy.  While I had someone help me design the website I’m not that great at updating and changing things so I basically pay for a website I neither update or promote.  Every month or so I go in and clean all the spam from the blog but that’s about it.

If you’d like to read the book it is up on the Along Came Sampson website under the tab “Sampson Says.”

After the second review I made her revisions and in order to make the book a little more appealing to an agent, I made it into a scrapbook.

The original book was targeted more for children and helping them learn the proper way to raise, train and treat a dog.

I was told, “There’s already training books out there, what makes yours so special?”

Sampson makes it special!

He is a beautiful dog, with a beautiful soul.

Who knows, maybe someday I’ll have the money to self-publish my book, or I’ll be such a famous blogger that I could write anything and people will buy it. 🙂

 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Comments

comments

Comments

  1. I’m not good with rejections either, but I have a writer friend who has had as many as 30 rejections and he keeps sending the books and stories away, He has had five books published. Just saying.

  2. Oh this is the first I hear about your other website. *embarrassed* It looks really good. I like the idea of a book to help kinds understand how to act around dogs. I don’t think most kids are taught that these days. I don’t know of other books like it, at least I haven’t seen them. I could see it being something rescues and petsomethings could recommend for first time dog owners who have kids. Maybe you would consider a slight rewrite? (Not that the book isn’t really cute but maybe with all of the blog writing you could use your own voice for the book with a slight refocus. Does that make sense? :))

    • Don’t be embarrassed, it’s not like I was pushing it or anything. LOL

      Yes you may be right, that might be the way to approach it, when things settle down for me I will look at the book again and see what might be useful.

      Thank you for your thoughts, I do appreciate them!!

  3. Goodness, you’re a busy woman! I could never write a book because I would have a break down if someone told me it sucked. Having a blog is traumatic enough 😉

  4. It takes a brave soul to venture into that world of publishing. What publishing houses accept (Bristol Palin’s biography?) and what sells, and what they reject…it’s all a mystery. From what I understand one does have to just brace oneself for inevitable rejections and just keep plugging away. Good job that you got started on the process!

    • It takes a tough hide. I have to remember that they are rejecting my work and not me. Still my work is part of me and it is tough.

      Really what the hell does Bristol Palin have to say? She’s not the only young woman whose had a baby on her own or the only one whose parent has run for office. Jeepers.

  5. I didn’t know your book was available online! I just read it and I think it is super cute, just like many of the children’s books I used to read as a kid. Good on you for putting it all together! That takes a lot of hard work and courage right there. Rejection always sucks but I am so glad you aren’t letting it stop you from writing. I am not someone who has ever known what she wants and think that if you are lucky enough to have a concrete dream, nothing should stop you from going after it.

    • Thanks Kristine, that is really nice of you to say!! I think with a bit more work and possibly slight revisions it might publishable.

      I do love writing and I will continue to pursue it.

      I will be the St. Bernard!!

  6. All I can say is “Think J K Rowling”. I think Harry Potter was rejected 30 times before she found the right publisher. Good luck! Maybe you could go to read some of your book in schools…..just a thought. If you could take Samson, that would be a bonus but he may steal the limelight 🙂 Avis x

    • Thank you Avis, those are exactly the words my sister-in-law used. When things calm down a bit in my personal life I intend on circling back to the book. Maybe with some revisions it will more marketable.

  8. Hi Jodi,

    Thanks for telling us about your book, I didn’t know you had one – I’ll have to check it out…. 🙂

    My view, for what it’s worth is, if you’re happy with your book, then that’s what matters – I’m sure it’s great – have you thought of having it as an ebook, I think the cost for that might be very low?

    Wags,

    Your pal Snoopy 🙂

    • Thank you Snoopy, since it’s a children’s picture book I’m not sure how it would work as an e-book, but I will come back to the book.

  9. I must admit I was not aware of your book Jodi. I am sorry to hear that it has not been snapped up by a publisher. I do hope it is published one day. if I had written a book I would not be happy if someone told me, “There’s already training books out there, what makes yours so special?” You were quite right Jodi – Sampson makes it special. He is a beautiful dog!

    • Thank you Bassa, I feel so lucky having Sampson in my life and just want to share my little bit of wonderful with the world.

  10. I would like to support what Oh Sew Tempting wrote — “all I can say is “Think J K Rowling.”

    I just read the book and also think it is adorable and engaging and sweet. I would buy a copy. I’d buy multiple copies! Curious — did you to keep a copy of your original text? Before it went through the second revision?

  11. Hey Jodi – I thought I already commented on this post, but wordpress has been giving me issues so now I don’t know. Anyway, what I wanted to say is you’re a good writer and you should keep trying to get published rather than going the self pubbed route. Three agents is nothing – keep trying. The rejections do get easier, its like a breaking in thing for a new writer, plus they make you work harder to find the perfect agent to rep your work.

    I also wanted to suggest the writers digest market guide for children’s books to give you tons of places to submit to. http://www.amazon.com/2012-Childrens-Writers-Illustrators-Market/dp/1599632314

    Good luck with your book!