When author, Janet Shaw, took the first steps towards publishing and marketing her book outside Australia, she never saw her total blindness as a barrier. Backed up by her friends and mentors, Janet pursued her dream of sharing her story with readers in the international market. It was a steep learning curve for the blind author, who knew nothing about publishing and internet marketing. Now with her own websites that she manages with the aid of a speech program on her computer, she is well on the way to reaching her target audience.

Perth, Western Australia (PRWEB) February 20, 2007 - Blindness is no barrier to the world of printed book publishing and international marketing for an Australian author who believes she has something to share.

Janet Shaw, author of 'Beyond the Red Door', was published in Australia by Allen and Unwin in May 2004. In just over two years, the autobiographical book sold nearly six thousand copies in Australia. Back then, the first-time author knew nothing about the publishing and marketing industry.

"I thought the publisher handled the promotional side," Janet said. "I didn't realise that authors were responsible for marketing their work."

When Janet decided to reclaim her book's international and domestic rights with a view to reprinting and selling her book outside Australia, she didn't consider her total blindness as a barrier. Equipped with a speech program on her computer and a scanner to convert text to speech, Janet set out to research the sometimes daunting area of publishing and marketing.

"I got pretty scared when I read the introduction of a book on self-publishing which stated that publishing was about marketing, not printing," Janet said. "I knew nothing about marketing--it was a foreign world to me."

But Janet was no stranger to facing challenges. She'd survived a life-threatening eye cancer as a baby, coped with limited vision for most of her life, adjusted to the sudden onset of blindness, and struggled with the complex issues of being adopted.

"My friends kept telling me that people outside Australia would be interested in my book," Janet said. "So even though the publishers didn't want to give it a go, I thought I would."

The blind author launched into this project about six months ago. Now looking back, she can see she's come a long way. "I couldn't have done it without some strong mentors and friends behind me," she said. "I had help setting up websites that I can manage myself, and learned about the tools that are available in internet marketing. I'm feeling much more comfortable with it now; I think I know what I'm doing."

For additional information or to purchase a copy, visit http://www.beyondthereddoor.com

Contact:
Janet Shaw, Author and Speaker
Insight Out
(+61) 8 9386 3730
http://www.beyondthereddoor.com

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