Meet Trailblazer Mary Nickum

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Nickum.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Mary. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Saguaro Books, LLC is a publisher of fine middle grade and young adult fiction by first-time authors, opening for business in late 2012. Why first-time authors, you ask? Authors who do not have a publishing record experience difficulties attracting an agent, let alone a publisher. Saguaro Books was founded to address that problem for authors. That’s also why we don’t deal with agents. We prefer to work directly with authors. The editors in our company know these authors are new to the publishing arena. For this reason, our editors take the time to edit the work, making suggestions and changes while providing information as to how the work can be improved. The work passes through the editorial process for as many times as is required to produce a quality book.

However, not all manuscripts make it through the editorial process. If the editors determine the manuscript has been submitted prematurely—the work can best benefit from a critique group or reworking, the author will be advised of this determination. Other reasons for rejecting a manuscript include:
• Topic is not appropriate for the intended audience,
• Author has already published at least one title for a young adult or middle-grade readers,
• Author is under 18 years of age,
• Manuscript has objectionable content,
• Manuscript is unreadable or very poorly constructed,
• Book relies heavily on illustrations,
• Book is nonfiction.

We are dedicated to making reading fun. This sounds like a value statement and it is. What is fun for one may not be fun for another. Therefore, we seek to provide a breadth of fiction that has wide appeal. Saguaro Books offers titles in fantasy, historical fiction, extreme sports, war and military and fictionalized nonfiction, which is a kind of self-help for young people. Saguaro Books will publish its first graphic novel later this fall.

Saguaro Books is a print-on-demand publisher; we are not a vanity press. This means that all the books we publish are in print at all times. There are no delays in between print runs, no boxes of books left over from print runs that were too large, and new editions can run immediately without old editions requiring disposal. We do not charge authors for publishing their books—this separates us from vanity presses, which often charge authors thousands of dollars to edit, print, publish and promote their books.

We adhere to strict editorial and publishing standards. All of our editors are published authors. We utilize the newest publishing technology available. Amazon KDP is our ebook and print publishing resource. The use of Amazon KDP gives Saguaro Books immediate access to Amazon. Saguaro Books operates on a standard publishing business model. We offer authors a contract to publish their work when our editors have determined the work is suitable for publication. When the contract has been signed by the author and counter-signed by Saguaro Books, the author receives a marketing packet of suggestions for assisting the author in marketing the book. Saguaro Books markets the books on social media, our website (www.saguarobooks.com), at book sales and fairs and advertisements in publishing and library magazines. We publish and distribute a semi-annual brochure with our complete title list. Our books are available in print and eBook from Amazon and Barnes and Noble (Kindle and Nook) as well as many other platforms.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The struggles and challenges were what you’d call routine. The solutions involved getting an ‘LLC’ from The Arizona State Corporation Commission, a license to operate and sell books in Fountain Hills and as many other local communities as needed. Setting up a website, blogs, and any other internet sites, including social media, as needed to promote the business.

Working capital is the biggest challenge of all. I did not have a large amount to start and financed the costs from my own savings. The most important need or challenge that I have not yet met is the acquisition of a distributor, which is needed for sales to libraries.

My advice to women starting a business is to begin by having a substantial (which varies depending on the business) amount of working capital available BEFORE you begin the start-up process. It will cost more than you anticipate!

Alright – so let’s talk about your work. Tell us about Saguaro Books – what should we know?
We are especially pleased with our work with first-time authors. We publish new voices, never heard in the publishing world. Our books are new as are our authors.

Beginning Monday, January 14 and for 13 weeks, I will host a show, the “Saguaro Books Radio Hour” on VoiceAmerica Internet Radio at 12:00-1:00 pm. Please visit their site at http://www.VoiceAmerica.com.

Getting your ideas and stories into print and eBook is a fantasy of over 200 million Americans. Tune in to the VoiceAmerica Business Channel every Monday as Mary host’s new discussions about writing and publishing with her company and publishing in general. Among the guests are authors who are fathers, mothers, grandparents, educators, journalists, lawyers, to name a few. We’ll explore where ideas come from for writing these stories and learn how their own life stories have led them to seek a publisher who would consider work from an inexperienced, emerging author.

“Saguaro Books Radio Hour” with Mary Nickum – bringing hope and information to fledgling writers.

Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
I’ve never had a mentor, in the traditional manner. I’ve received advice from several colleagues and small publishers. Having been a career professional librarian, I have always worked in the publishing arena, granted from a different perspective, that of a buyer ‘user’ rather than a producer ‘seller’. It did, however, give me an inside view of book marketing, promotion and sales from the buyer’s point of view.

I have accomplished networking by attendance at national and state conferences for writers, librarians, and publishers. Writers groups were especially helpful to me.

Contact Info:

• Address: 16845 E. Avenue of the Fountains Ste. 325
  Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
• Website: www.saguarobooks.com
• Phone: 480-372-1362
• Email: mjnickum@saguarobooks.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaguaroBooks
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/saguarobooks

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