Eileen Schuh has published two adult Science Fiction novellas: SCHRÖDINGER’S CAT and her new near-future release, DISPASSIONATE LIES. She also has authored three novels in her gritty and contemporary young adult BackTracker series: THE TRAZ, FATAL ERROR and FIREWALLS. THE TRAZ is also available in a School Edition.
She is both a traditionally published author (with WolfSinger Publications and Imajin Books) and self-published.
Schuh, born Eileen Fairbrother in Tofield, Alberta lives in Canada’s northern boreal forests and draws her inspiration from the wilderness, her grandchildren, family, and friends, and her adopted community of St. Paul, Alberta.
How I Got Published
I wanted to be a published novelist since I learned to read at age three. Half a century of living intervened before I would make good on that dream. It all started when I quit smoking.
One of the suggestions of my quit-smoking support team was to use the dollars saved by not smoking to self-indulge. I donated my first $1,000 to the Red Cross but when I connected online with Cheryl Kaye Tardif, an author willing to show me how to self-publish, I decided that is where my next year’s savings would go.
For many months I had been working on a series of young adult novels that followed the life of Katrina, who at the age of thirteen got involved with The Traz biker gang and the drug trade. I had other works in progress, but the first book in this series was the closest to being ready for publication.
Instead of paying for cigarettes, over the next year I invested in consultations, website and blog design, editing, a book cover, a book trailer, formatting, publicity… Just as I was about to launch THE TRAZ, I received an exciting email from WolfSinger Publications out of Colorado. An adult SciFi ms that I had submitted a year earlier (SCHRÖDINGER’S CAT) was accepted for publication and a contract was attached.
That definitely boosted my confidence in my self-publishing endeavour and things shifted into high gear. A few months after THE TRAZ and SCHRÖDINGER’S CAT came out, Cheryl Tardif, the author who had helped me get my feet on the ground, contacted me. She had recently established Imajin Books as a small independent publishing house in Edmonton, Alberta and wanted the eBook rights to THE TRAZ as well as eBook and paperback rights to the sequel in the series, FATAL ERROR. Shortly thereafter, Imajin Books also released a School Edition of THE TRAZ.
Since then, WolfSInger Publications published my second adult SciFi, DISPASSIONATE LIES. I self-published FIREWALLS (the third book in my BackTracker series), and…I remain a non-smoker, free to continue investing in my writing career.
Carol Balawyder 
Thanks Carol, and thanks, Eileen. It’s always helpful to hear how authors go about it…
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Thank you for dropping by and taking the time to comment.
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How wonderful to hear that an unhealthy habit of smoking led to such a healthy–and fruitful–outcome. Congrats to the author on all counts!
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When I first quit smoking I didn’t like people congratulating me, I wanted sympathy! However, I now feel quite proud and definitely appreciate knowing others realize the effort it took to beat the habit.
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I just love reading about author’s successes! And if I were ever to become traditionally published, I would NEVER give up my ebook rights. 🙂
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I didn’t ‘give up’ my ebook rights, I sold them via a traditional publishing contract and receive royalties from ebook sales, just as with the print rights.The advantages of signing a publishing contract for your ebooks are much the same as the advantages of contracts for print books. That is, you receive an advance, you have professionals in the industry with contacts and skills marketing your ebooks, and the publisher foots all the production and promotion costs (book trailers, cover design, formatting, etc.). If anyone ever approaches me for movie rights, or foreign rights, or audio rights I’d work out contracts for those, too, for those same reasons. It is wise to have a lawyer familiar with the publishing industry to review any contracts before signing to make sure they are fair and in accordance with industry standards.
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Thanks, Eileen for this information. I found it very useful.
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Thanks so much for all this sage information. And, no doubt, it’s definitely wise to hire a lawyer to make sure we have ourselves covered. Thanks!
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Way to go, Eileen!
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Thanks! I appreciate you dropping by and taking the time to comment.
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This is a great series. I love reading the paths to authors publications. And it’s interesting that Eileen was motivated by stopping smoking! See, it’s the small things like that, that we don’t hear about. Thanks Carol.
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Thank you to Carol for having me and to you, Rebecca for taking the time to comment.
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This is excellent information and so glad Carol invited you to be here. I find science fiction a whole different genre than I usually read, unfortunately. I do think you are a passionate and interesting person, Eileen! Good luck and hope that your writing career is just beginning, two down and many more to go!
Carol, I enjoyed your featuring Eileen. I always admire blogs that share their time with others. This shows what a caring and thoughtful person you are, Carol! Smiles!
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Thank you for those kind words. I appreciate readers’ preferences for specific genres and have my favourites as well. My SciFi novels are also marketed to fans of ‘women’s issues’ and psychological thrillers because although an interest in science may increase a reader’s enjoyment, it is the emotional lives of the female characters that drive the stories.
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Inspiring tale, Eileen. I love that you donated your first $1000 to the Red Cross.
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Inspired by how Eileen’s publication dream came true. It just goes to show that sometimes just following the flow of your own life and then doing what feels organic can create the right opportunities and openings. It can be so easy to get caught up in writing or doing “what you are supposed to” which doesn’t always lead us where we want to go anywhere.
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You are so right and when young aspiring writers ask for my advice, I always suggest they live life to the fullest and with passionate. I know how tempting it is to hide-away from reality in order to write, but I also know how depressing it can become to view reality and relationships as obstacles to a writing career. In reality, it is the people in one’s life and one’s experiences that nurture and deepen our tales.
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A thoroughly positive tale of success.
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Great story, not to mention a host of wonderful comments throughout. Yes, what is a story, or life, without passion? Live life to the fullest. Thank you for this most wonderful post.
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Eileen is now a non-smoker reaching for the stars – great to read!
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Thank you, Christy and Silvia for those kind words.
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Loved the backstory on publishing. “…draws her inspiration from nature”–that calls to me!
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Thank you for commenting. Much has happened since I wrote this guest blog, but through the years I’ve continued to self-publish and traditionally publish…and I remain smoke-free!
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** waves from Lower Mainland, BC* 😀 … love your response to DG Kaye … no matter how good the publishing offer appears to be, if we choose to go that route we absolutely must have educated ourselves about trad publishing contracts.
Congrats on your success … may they live long and prosper. 😀
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Hi! **Waving back from Alberta’s Boreal forest** Thank you for your kind and encouraging words.
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😀
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