HOT OFF THE PRESS!

It is with great pride, and extreme nervousness, that I present to you my first ever book! It's a coffee-table biographical presentation of a few of the people in Eston SK. The town I live in is turning 100 this year and I hoped to be able to showcase some of the awesome personalities that make it a unique place to live.. The process for self-publishing is an unnerving one, and I don't recommend it for the faint of heart! 

First Stage: Is the idea. You set up the idea, and test it with a few people around you. They love it, and it gives you confidence to actually make an appointment to get the shots and interview done. Then life catches up and the project goes to bed for a while..until you look at the Calendar and realize your self-appointed deadline has passed. So you set another one, and get a few more interviews under your belt. REPEAT.

Second Stage: Researching the best means for producing a quality product that won't break the bank and leave you with 500 copies in the basement for the rest of your life. I have to admit, this was a daunting task. There are a plethora of options out there on the inter-webs and I tried quite a few, If it wasn't the price that I didn't like, it was the hoops one had to dance through to get a product done. In the end, I found a Canadian option that also facilitated online sales and marketing. 

Third Stage: Clicking the "upload" button has never been so stressful! I read, re-read and played with the layout more than a few times before I finally settled. And even now, I look at my book and roll my eyes at the obvious (to me) things that I missed. But the point is...its done! One of my bucket list items has been accomplished and I could not be more satisfied in that alone. There will always be ideas in my head for what I could have done better or differently. There will always be feedback that I don't like because honestly- this baby is kind of like a child. And no mother wants to hear how flawed her child is - no matter how true it may be! (haha).

So anyway, here it is. Well, a sneak peak of it anyway! There are 32 pages of photographs and stories that I hope will captivate the reader. As Willard Mitchell, a former administrator at the Eston College I once attended used to say "Everyone has a story". 

LWPhotography Presents by Lavina Wagner | Make Your Own Book

Why did I do it? Because I wanted to - and because I felt this was the time to stop hiding from my goals and dreams and to take them head on. I am a busy mom at home with the kids and it seemed like an impossible goal that I had set before myself. I had to re-examine my "Why" several times along this road, because there were a lot of days it seemed like a foolish idea. What if no one likes it? What if people say negative things about my writing style, or the photos I took, or the people that are featured? And the big one - does it matter if I make any sales? (I admit those would be nice!)
I want my kids to know that they can do anything they dream they want to. Whether its discovering a new kind of dinosaur fossil, raising their own family one day, or singing their heart out on a world stage. Nothing is impossible. Nothing is too big. And Nothing is out of reach for them. ​