Bee-hind The Scenes

The Inside Story of Ruby Lee the Bumble Bee
For new author Dawn Matheson, the dream of getting her children's story published just wouldn't go away. Even though she'd been rejected by one publisher after another, she believed — almost fiercely — that this was something she was meant to do. But what began as her desire to create quality books for children eventually led her down another, entirely unexpected path.

"When the idea of Ruby Lee the Bumble Bee came to me, I had no idea how I would accomplish it, but I just KNEW I had to do it!" Matheson says. "Originally, I thought my mission was to get Ruby Lee published. But after the manuscript had been rejected by every mainstream publisher, the power of the idea still wouldn’t leave my mind. At some point I realized my mission wasn't to FIND a publisher, it was to BECOME the publisher! I can’t tell you how that realization both excited me and terrified me."

Fulfilling her dream demanded qualities Matheson encourages in Ruby Lee: to believe in yourself and never give up.

Moving Forward
Matheson acknowledges the seemingly overwhelming obstacles that nearly kept her from moving forward, and she talks frankly about the risks associated with the project. She knew nothing about the publishing industry and, without the necessary financial resources, had no idea how she would fund the book's production. "The obstacles were a source of great anxiety, but something within me compelled me to move on it and just trust that everything would somehow fall into place. It was truly a risk of faith."

That risk led her to launch a production/publishing company. First, she set out to learn everything she could about book publishing. "The Web was an integral tool in my education of the industry," Matheson says.

With this new knowledge as a starting point, she then hired a team of experts made up of an illustrator, editor, designer, photographer, marketing specialists, warehouse managers, and customer service specialists. Seeing beyond the book itself, Matheson also spent countless hours researching manufacturing companies, and she established a website with an eCommerce shop for the book and related Ruby Lee products that she envisioned.

Although some of her friends laughingly chalk up the project to a mid-life crisis, Matheson will tell you it's a testament to the importance of following a dream.

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