Author Chooses Orange Frazer to Publish her Custom Book
I asked one of our custom book clients, Nadine Huffman, author of "A Cincinnati Night Before Christmas," what inspired her to write her book and why she chose Orange Frazer to publish it. Here is what she had to say.
I wrote A Cincinnati Night Before Christmas because I believe no other city “does Christmas” like Cincinnati: Our Christmases are filled with family, traditions, and the incredible generosity of Cincinnatians. I had two specific sources of inspiration for the book. First, on an out-of-town trip, I happened to see a book about Christmas in a certain city. The book seemed dull, caricatured, and lifeless. I leafed through it and thought, “Cincinnati Christmases aren’t like this at all – they’re heartwarming and special, and I could write about that.” At the same time, friends of mine were in the process of adopting a long-awaited baby girl from Guatemala, and I imagined what it would be like if she came home on Christmas Eve. So through these two events, I developed a storyline linking the unique qualities of our city’s holiday celebrations with a story of amazing love.
I published A Cincinnati Night Before Christmas for several reasons. It seemed to have market potential. There was nothing else like it, and as far as we know, it’s the first children’s picture book about Cincinnati. I also thought it would be a great way to showcase our city, which sometimes gets negative press, but is actually a wonderful place to raise a family. And by giving all the proceeds to adoption charities, it was a great way to give back and leave a legacy to my adopted hometown.
My friend, illustrator Marilyn M. Lebhar, partnered with me on the project from the beginning. We decided to publish with OFP because our goal was to produce a beautiful, keepsake gift book. With the high quality of Marilyn’s gorgeous watercolor illustrations, we knew we had to be selective in entrusting them to a publisher. Plus, we knew we needed book design expertise. Seeing OFP’s catalog of books, particularly Dayton Air Show – A Photographic Celebration and Beauty in the Grove, convinced us that OFP’s creative vision and standards were as high as our own. And OFP could manage the entire production process, from design to finished product warehousing, thereby freeing us to focus on the marketing and business aspects of the book.
Our experience with OFP has been, in a word, superb. The wonderful folks at OFP made the book of our dreams come to life through their design talents. They also gave us the knowledge, encouragement, and insight we needed to make our project successful. They always met deadlines, and sweated every detail. They were patient when we asked ignorant questions, and understanding when we had to push back our initial timeline. Most importantly, they are people of honesty and integrity, which shines through everything they do. The fact that they’re genuinely likeable, bright, and enjoyable to work with is a delightful bonus. We’ve been blessed to work with them.