Testimonials

Your Loving Son, Philip

Helene Herzig, author of Legendary Long Islanders; Your Loving Son, Philip; A Father’s Dream Through a Daughter’s Eyes: How to Raise a Wonderful Family; This Old House—A Love Affair; Family Recipes.

“Leah Abrahams was recommended to me as an editor when I was struggling to consolidate and produce a book of my interviews with famous residents from the Hamptons to New York, written when I was a feature editor of a Long Island Magazine. She quickly advised me on how to organize the book and document my legal rights to use the material. She obtained additional photos, solicited endorsements and provided a graphic artist to produce a cover and layout. That book became Legendary Long Islanders, and was the beginning of a fruitful relationship that produced three books (the other two are A Father’s Dream Through A Daughter’s Eyes and Your Loving Son, Philip: Letters From an American Soldier in World War II, the latter endorsed by Joseph Ellis and Ken Burns) — and a lasting friendship.

“Leah is a joy to work with. My early attempts at self-publishing were a struggle, trying to communicate with a company sending cut and dried instructions via computer, while a human being was rarely available. Producing your first book is akin to giving birth and needs a guiding hand—at least mine did. Leah’s professionalism steered me through, her calm and warm voice always there to answer questions, and she had all the answers, including the marketing of my books through Amazon and other venues. All of this was done while Leah lived in Wisconsin and I lived in Long Island. In spite of distance, this was a personal approach to publishing, and Leah has made it a pleasurable one.

“Needless to say, I highly recommend Leah.”

Ethel Merman, Mother Teresa and Me

Leah Abrahams was essential in putting together all aspects of my book including a beautiful cover for Ethel Merman Mother Teresa… and Me which became a 2014 International Book Awards finalist. Her encouragement and knowledge is something I will always be grateful for. She was also a joy to work with.

I Like to Make People Smile

I want to thank you for the wonderful job you did writing my father’s biography. My dad enjoyed having you interview him and allowing him to recount his favorite memories.
My dad is 90 and his stories and remembrances changed somewhat during the process.  I truly appreciated both your patience and your ability to weave several interviews into a comprehensive story.

You also did an excellent job in selecting, among the very many pictures he presented, those which were the most significant and then integrating them into the book.

My family is thrilled with the result.
Regards,
Iris Friedlieb

A Glimpse of a Life

Every life is special and memorable. Clearly, Leah Abrahams genuinely feels that, and it comes through in her wonderful work. Leah is an extraordinarily gifted editor. Her ability to organize my father’s reminiscences into a treasured record of his remarkable life is a gift my family will cherish for generations.

Lynn Cullen

Emmy Award-winning reporter.

Robert G. Bush Imagineer and
Family Man

I cannot tell you how fortunate we are to have his book. You did us a huge service. A lasting legacy for all of us. 

Again, we appreciate your effort in getting Dad to relive his life for us!

Tracy Arndt

Conflicts of Interest

Because I was new to this process, I decided to get help.  A friend put me in touch with Leah Abrahams…Leah was infinitely kind, patient, and encouraging… She said it was important to get at least three endorsements for the back cover to add credibility to the book.  This required some thought.  I turned to former colleagues who had visibility in Boston political circles, and I was heartened by their willingness to help.

At Leah’s suggestion, I added questions at the back for book clubs, as well as contact information for authors’ readings and discussions, initially confined to ZOOM because of COVID.  

I considered using Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (kdp.amazon.com), but also looked at IngramSpark (www.ingramspark.com).  Both cater to self-published authors and offer print-on-demand.  Because IngramSpark is used by libraries and independent bookstores, I chose IngramSpark.  Through their website, I learned how to get ISBN numbers for print and e-books from BOWKER, the official ISBN agency for the United States.  These unique numbers enable a book to be easily located and ordered.

Then Leah put me in touch with a tech-savvy colleague who designed the cover and navigated the layout both for paperback and e-book.  I faced a flurry of decisions about paper specs, cover template generator, weight and spine width calculator, pricing, etc.  Out of three possible covers, I selected one, then mulled over background colors to make the book “pop” on bookstore shelves.  

The process took about three months—remarkably speedy when compared with the traditional route, which can take a couple of years.  In anticipation of the holidays, I set an October 7, 2020 launch date and crafted a brief announcement, including a picture of the cover, which I emailed to over two hundred friends and colleagues.  The announcement gave a preview of the plot, told how to order online or at local bookstores, and invited readers to offer comments on Amazon.  So far, fifteen reviews have been posted…”

Diane Kessler, author of Conflicts of Interest

(Excerpts quoted with permission from actsofrevision.com)