Kathleen Pooler's Blog, page 13

Memoir Writers are Detectives: Researching Family History by Sheri Hathaway

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Sheri Hathaway/@sherismusing

“History is a ship carrying living memories to the future.” Stephen Spender

I’m pleased to feature author Sheri Hathaway in this blog post about researching family history. Sheri is writing a story of how two people, her parents, survived the choices that other people made which impacted their lives in devastating ways. In addition to other’s choices, Dad’s crops were 100% hailed out in 1947 before the days of crop insurance so they also had that loss to recover from.

Welcome , Sheri!

Author Sheri Hathaway

A Researcher is a Detective

I’d like to tell you about my experiences with family research for my book about my parents. It’s my hope that I can give you tips to assist your quest.

The Harold and Louise Hathaway family in 1956. I’m the little blond girl in front.

Ask family members or friends. I wish I’d asked my parents more questions when they were alive ! Do that and record your answers if you can. Many details of my story came from my sister. Being older than me, she was present for events I was too young to remember. She also worked with Dad more, giving good opportunities to talk to him.
Don’t pass up old photo albums or diaries if can get your hands on them . I am fortunate to have had a writing mother. Throughout her life she faithfully kept photos in albums and diaries from a young age. She was also a saver, keeping significant letters from friends and Christmas letters she wrote to others. While living in a seniors’ home, she put together a book of her and Dad’s family trees, including any memories she could recall.

These records helped but didn’t make the research easy. For example, she took photos of their house after each renovation, but it took hours of reading through her diaries to find its original location before they moved it onto a basement in their first year on the new farm. What a triumph when I finally teased out the answer to that mystery!

Harvest Nap: This is one of my paintings based on a photo. My sister, Marilyn, is taking the tractor and combine for a round in the field while Dad takes a nap after lunch in the field, picnic style.

The bad days: The first stories were easy enough to write because they were happy memories, but I faced some tough decisions when it came to the hard times in their lives. Should I put these events in and how do I present them? That was difficult but no one’s life is full of happiness without sorrow and I wanted my book to be about strength and victory over adversity. As I worked through each situation, I struggled with where to stop and how much detail to include. Reading other memoirs helped with this, and I adopted the habit of asking, ‘Is this detail relevant to my parents’ story and focus of the book?’

While I knew the events of my parents’ lives, I needed to understand what influenced their decisions. I needed to examine government programs and social conventions of the time.

Reaching out for research: All libraries and archives are happy to help anyone doing family research. When approaching them, have specific questions in mind. City, provincial and university archives are an unlimited source of information and they will search their records for you in many cases. Some charge a fee and others do not. There is also a program to collect photographs of grave markers across the country to assist in finding lost family members. For this, check out Findagrave.com.
Hitting a road block: In some cases, I couldn’t find an answer, like the time my mother had a difficult delivery and lost the baby in 1947. She was paralyzed from the waist down for two weeks after the birth. Her health records have been destroyed by now and there is no one alive who remembers the exact details. I was able to obtain the baby’s birth and death certificates from provincial health records office and Mom wrote a short description in her family book, but I couldn’t find an explanation for her temporary paralysis. I asked my family doctor for a possible reason and he told me what he thought might be a probable cause. In my book I have said that “reasons for her condition are uncertain but my family doctor has advised that it may have been caused by an injury to her spinal column, causing swelling which blocked nerve function.” If you reach a road block, state any research you’ve done, how successful it was and move on.

I am still struggling with finding specific answers to why they moved from one farm to another. My dad always said it was for better land and that was probably part of it, but I suspect a more truthful answer may be that my grandfather failed to pay the land taxes, thus leaving my father with a huge debt when he took over the farm. I cannot find proof for my theory, either the amount of debt or when he learned of it. He told us about the debt but never mentioned when he was informed. When he took over the old farm, he didn’t immediately buy it, so was it when he took it over in 1940 or when he bought it in 1947? Which government or department to contact is something I’m still exploring. The Alberta Land Titles office provided the titles for these two farms for $10.00 each so it was worthwhile to pay the fee and learn the price my father paid for the new farm and selling price of the old one. In your application for a land title, provide as many details as possible. When applying for the title for the new farm, I stated the land location, year of purchase, my father’s name as buyer and name of seller, found in my mother’s recollections.

Keep records of your research: I keep track of who I’ve contacted, contact information, questions I asked and answers they gave. That way, I won’t repeat myself, waist my time or frustrate others because I forgot I already approached them with a question. I keep a notebook by my computer for this, also noting the date. I also keep a binder where I preserve documents such as birth and death certificates and land titles in page covers. If an email is especially full of information I print it off and also save it in that binder. That way, all the important stuff is together.
Stay focused: The problem with research is to stay on your topic. It’s easy to be drawn down a trail of interesting facts that won’t benefit your current project.

Some answers come easily. Some do not. Just start asking, searching and persevere. Your work is vital for preserving the story of a past generation.

Old Stories: This is another painting of mine, based on two photographs of Dad telling my kids stories of his childhood on the old farm. The house on the left is the house he grew up in.

***

Thank you, Sheri, for sharing many valuable tips when researching family history. I can see that it takes a concerted effort to track down pertinent information You will not only be preserving your family history in writing but also the times in which they lived.

About the Author:

An award-winning poet and author, Sheri is currently writing historical articles for publication in The Western Producer, a Canadian farm newspaper, and finishing her first book. She can be found at sherihathaway.com, her Facebook page at Author Sheri Hathaway or her twitter account,

Twitter: @sherismusing

Facebook: Author Sheri Hathaway

Website: sherihathaway.com

***

How about you? Have you tried to research your family history? Do you have any tips to add to Sheri’s list?

We’d love to hear from you. Please join in the conversation below~

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Published on March 11, 2019 03:00

Workforce Retraining: Becoming a Memoir Writer After Retiring From Another Career by Neill McKee: A WOW Blog Tour

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Neill McKee/@MckeeNeill

“There comes a time in your life where you’re called to not only reinvent yourself but to rebuild your spirit. It’s so relevant today.“

Wilmer Valderrama

Welcome to Neill McKee’s WOW Blog Tour! Neill has a fascinating story of working internationally and sharing the lessons learned through these travels.He recently said on Twitter “Memoir writing has become a means of sharing lessons learned while working internationally.” Neill is the author of Finding Myself in Borneo, a chronicle of his adventures during 1968-70 while teaching in Sabah, Malaysia (North Borneo). Neil shares how he took up memoir writing after he retired from another career. I’m sure that took a lot of soul-searching.

Welcome, Neill!

Author Neill McKee

Workforce Retraining: Becoming a Memoir Writer After Retiring From Another Career

I retired from international development work at the end of 2012, after directing a large USAID-funded development communication project in Washington D.C. I dabbled in the field of innovation and organizational development with a few consulting contracts for a year, but decided that for me, 45 years of such work—as a volunteer teacher and program administrator, filmmaker and multi-media producer, manager and facilitator—was enough. So, I started doing evening classes in creative writing while still living in our wonderful riverside home in Maryland.

Writing gave me time “to stop and stare,” and I also developed a dire need for more sunlight than Maryland had to offer, perhaps due to the fact I’d spent so much of my life working in the tropics. After my mother died in Ontario, my wife and I decided to head west to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where there’s significant sunshine 330 days of the year. On arrival, we joined the Albuquerque International Association (AIA) and ABQ Global Ties, two great organizations which have kept me connected to my past career. It was a great awakening to me that “fly over America” is so active in international affairs with tons of like-minded people. I found five former Peace Corps volunteers on my block, alone, with about 2,500 in New Mexico.

I put a lot of energy into what I call, tongue-in-cheek, “Workforce Retraining.” Senior residents can take courses at the University of New Mexico for $5.00 per credit hour and I registered in a Master’s-level workshop in Creative Nonfiction with a great professor, Diane Thiel http://www.dianethiel.net/. Soon after arrival, I found myself writing my memoir stories to schedules and sharing my prose for critiques with a group of mature students—a fast way of learning. In 2016, I registered in a similar workshop in poetry. I also joined Southwest Writers (www.southwestwriters.com), an active association of over 300 people pursuing “the writing life” here, many have retired from previous careers and others have been writers all their lives. We meet the first Saturday and the mid-Tuesday of every month for presentations, sharing, announcements, and workshops.

Retraining as a creative writer is a lot of work. I hired a good literary editor and learned to revise, revise and revise again. Being a visual thinker probably helped me a lot. After about 50 revisions and reviews, I published my first memoir, North Borneo Sojourns: Finding Myself in Sabah. It’s about my first job out of university as a Canadian volunteer teacher and then program administrator in Sabah, Malaysia (North Borneo) in the late 60s and early 70s, and experiences on a number of follow up visits to Borneo. It’s also where I started my career as a filmmaker. See buy page: www.neillmckeeauthor.com/buy-the-book

I’m working on three others: childhood and youth, a global filmmaker’s diary, and a travel memoir on the search for the stories of my ancestors in Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the US. All are great fun to research and write, while taking breaks to bask in the sun, walk, swim and drink wine with friends! So, with a little “workforce retraining,” I found a new vocation in a great new environment.

***

Thank you Neill for sharing how you reinvented yourself after traveling all over the world. You show how challenging, yet rewarding writing is!

***

Paperback:260 pages
Publisher:Nbfs Creations LLC (January 8, 2019)
Language:English
ISBN-10:1732945705
ISBN-13:978-1732945708

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1732945705/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0%20/?tag=wowwomenonwri-20

Book Synopsis:

Finding Myself in Borneo is an honest and buoyant chronicle of a young Canadian man’s adventures during 1968-70, while teaching secondary school as a CUSO volunteer in Sabah, Malaysia (North Borneo). Travel with Neill McKee on his unique journey through vibrant Asian cultures as he learns the craft of teaching, the Malay language and local customs, and gains many friends in his small community. He climbs the highest peak in Southeast Asia–Mount Kinabalu, has a love affair, and navigates Borneo’s backwaters to make his first of many documentary films. McKee travels by freighter to Indonesia, where he discovers the scars of that country’s recent genocide, a contrast to his hilarious motorcycle journeys in Sabah with his American Peace Corps buddy. They make a hallucinogenic discovery–North Borneo is, indeed, J. R. R. Tolkien’s famed Middle-Earth of The Lord of the Rings! The enterprising duo establish the North Borneo Frodo Society, an organization Tolkien joins.

McKee’s second Sabah sojourn and other return trips offer the reader the opportunity to match the early anecdotes to what in fact happened to the land and people who touched his life, and he theirs.

About the Author:

Neill McKee is a creative nonfiction writer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. McKee, who holds a B.A. Degree from the University of Calgary and a Masters in Communication from Florida State University, lived and worked internationally for 45 years and became an expert in communication for social change. He directed and produced of a number of award-winning documentary films/videos and multi-media initiatives and authored numerous articles and books on development communication. During his international career, McKee worked for Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO), the International Development Ressearch Centre (IDRC), Canada, UNICEF, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; Academy for Educational Development, Washington, D.C. and FHI 360, Washington, D.C. He worked and lived in Malaysia, Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda and Russia for a total of 18 years and traveled to over 80 countries on short-term assignments.

Finding Myself in Borneo: Sojourns in Sabah is Neill’s first Memoir

Find Neill Online:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1839945.Neill_McKee

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MckeeNeill

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neill-mckee-b9971b65/

Website: https://www.neillmckeeauthor.com/

***

How about you? Have you reinvented yourself after retirement? What factors went into your decision?

We’d love to hear from you. Please join in the conversation below~

***

Next Week:

Monday, 3/11/19:

” A Researcher is a Detective by Sheri Hathaway”

Sheri is an award-winning poet and author. She is currently writing historical articles for a Canadian farm magazine aid is working on her first book about the life of her parents.

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Published on March 07, 2019 03:00

Deciding on a Book Cover

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

“A book cover is a distillation. It is a haiku of the story.Chip Kidd~

Photo Credit: Google Free Images, OddysseyOnline.com

Deciding on a Book Cover

The process of defining and refining is complex one. While writing the book is a major accomplishment. Deciding on the right cover will be crucial in appealing to readers and requires a lot of thought and research. It’s been said that you have 10 seconds to appeal to a browsing reader. Some put that that figure at 3 seconds.

The well-known adage “you can’t tell a book by its cover” certainly does not apply to deciding on a book cover. As I grind away at the final edits for my second memoir, Just the Way He Walks: A Mother’s Story of Hope and Healing, I am envisioning the cover and I have to ask myself the following questions:

Photo Credit: inspirationclub.org/uk

*Should I use a personal photo, image, artwork?

*Does this photo, image, or artwork capture the essence of my story and how do I distill 64,000 words into one image?

*What feeling do I want to evoke with the cover?

*What colors shall I choose, including contrasting colors for the title?

*What font shall I use?

* Will the cover stand out clearly in eBook format and on mobile devices?

In summary, what will capture the attention of a person browsing for a good read?

In order to answer that question, I have to be clear on my target audience.

Will this cover appeal to my audience?

How likely are they to pick up this book and look inside?

How likely are they to go online and learn more about it?

How likely are they to buy it for themselves or for a friend or family member?

I will be working with a graphic designer to come up with a book cover that captures the essence of my story and captures the attention of a reader. That’s no small task but I’m excited to be moving forward with this story that has percolated inside me for the past twenty years.

Mostly, I’m excited to give voice to this mother who never gave up hope in the face of her son’s addiction and her own cancer diagnosis and wants to share that hope with the world.

Stay tuned!

***

How about you? Do have any tips to add about deciding on a book cover? As a reader, what kind of cover appeals to you?

I’d love to hear from you. Please join in the conversation below~

***

This Week:

Thursday, March 7, 2019:

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Published on March 04, 2019 03:00

Why Did I Write My Memoir? by Fran Macilvey

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Fran Macilvey/@franmacilvey

I spend my life living as if poised astride a fence, with one leg in the world of the “able bodied,” the other inhabiting the world of the “disabled.” Because I have never felt “disabled,” when I was a child I believed that one glorious day I would get to do most of the ordinary things that you do. Instead, growing up became a slow, heartbreaking awakening to the understanding that choices which others seemed to take for granted were forever destined to remain one tiny inch beyond my reach. To cope with my disappointment, I learned to adjust the brightness of my expectations so that they would not always blind me with tears.~ Excerpt from Trapped: My Life with Cerebral Palsy, Fran Macilvey

Photo Credit: Pixabay Free Image

I am very pleased to feature memoirist Fran Macilvey who will share her reasons for writing her first memoir, Trapped: My Life with Cerebral Palsy. Fran and I met through a Facebook group called We Love Memoirs, a great place meet and chat about memoir with writers from all over the world.

Welcome , Fran!

Scottish writer Fran Macilvey, pictured in her home city of Edinburgh.

Why Did I Write My Memoir?

When someone announces, “I’m gonna write my memoir”, I usually envisage that they have in mind several thick volumes running to several hundred thousand words.

So, when I started writing seriously – in 2007 I would have been only forty-two – maybe I felt I hadn’t yet lived long enough to justify anything particularly expansive. But something in me wanted to try and write about my experiences, both to help me reconcile myself to the life-hand I have been dealt, and to reassure others that they are not alone: As a timid, introverted woman still coming to terms with a birth diagnosis of cerebral palsy caused by medical negligence – yes, that took me decades to accept – I was deeply wary of boring people with my ‘personal problems’. I could barely get beyond first base: “My name is Fran, and I have CP”, a singularity which I hated mentioning. I felt at times like a metronome, unable to decide whether it would be very grown up and dignified to mention my impairment (and ‘get it out of the way’ as one of my friends put it) or to opt for silence and discretion.

I rarely talked about what I felt, taking solace in reading thousands of books – I don’t despair at that, it taught me how to write – and in penning short stories about girls who were as angst ridden as I was. So far, so teenage, but even then, I suspected that writing would be my way forward, my way to explain what I hardly talked about. And by writing Trapped: My Life with Cerebral Palsy I did indeed become more reconciled.

As I’ve grown, I’ve also had to acknowledge that people deserve to know me better – I deserve to give myself a chance too – and that I can write; so I should write about the challenges of being impaired, and living in a world that still makes so few real concessions to the additional challenges that poses: “Hero crip” and “tragic crip” are two models that we are allowed to apply for. For the rest? Socializing, getting through life, earning money, finding a life partner, having kids? We are left to negotiate most of that for ourselves. As I have previously said in my blog:-

There are millions of people in the world who suffer in silence, who endure cruelty, exclusion and neglect, and who have no-one to speak for them: millions of children who are misdiagnosed, misunderstood, pigeonholed, forgotten and overlooked: millions of adults who can do nothing about the places they find themselves in.

And since I can write and talk about that now without feeling embarrassed or ashamed, I will keep doing so.

In the course of navigating through the writing of my first book, Trapped I realized I would have to find a passage beyond mere acceptance and survival to something better, so put into order a book that took, in total, ten years to write. Happiness Matters brings together the spring-board of lessons that taught me how to move, offering ideas to help us make something positive and tangible out of hardship. As a mentor of mine once said, “You know all about the theories of happiness, but you’re not living it.” Happiness Matters has been both a teacher and a challenge: to stop merely reading about the theories of happiness and start living joyfully.

Making Miracles, my third book, was brought into focus by my dream journal, which, again, showed me many patterns in dreams that I simply couldn’t ignore. There are consistent threads of meaning in all our dreams, that I was asked to share, and so I have. I hope you enjoy reading my books.

Thank you so much for inviting me onto your blog today, Kathy, I’ve really appreciated to opportunity to reach out to you and your readers. I bless the day I met you, and thank you for your faith in me.

Fran Macilvey

***

Thank you Fran for sharing your journey to memoir. Your ability to overcome shame and find happiness despite life’s challenges is a source of inspiration and hope for all of us. You have transformed your pain and suffering into gold nuggets of wisdom. I’m happy you have found this peace.

***

Author Contact Information

https://www.franmacilvey.com

https://www.facebook.com/fran.macilvey

https://www.facebook.com/Fran-Macilvey-Author-705688986170564/

https://twitter.com/franmacilvey

franmacilvey@fastmail.fm

About the Author:

Fran Macilvey is an author and speaker based in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Her memoir, Trapped: My Life with Cerebral Palsy (Skyhorse, New York) is a gold medal winner and an Amazon international best-seller, described by John Pring, Editor, Disability News Service, as ‘a tough, bleak book, beautifully written and unremittingly honest…an important addition to the field of disability studies.’

Fran has written a radio play of Trapped and is writing the stage play.

Fran’s second book Happiness Matters and her third, Making Miracles explore how we can all find more happiness in challenging times; what Fran calls, ‘gleaning something valuable from forty years of making mistakes’.

Inspired by her time as a solicitor, Fran is writing a series of three novels about women and the law, the first two of which, Lisa Somerville and The Seduction of Susan Scott are complete. The third, Pip is underway.

***

This Week:

Monday, 2/25/19:

February 2019 Newsletter: Updates, Memoir Musings and Max Moments:

“Creativity Challenges”

If you are interested in receiving this monthly newsletter in your inbox, please sign up in the right side bar. I’d love to have you along!

Next Week:

Monday, 3/4/19:

“Deciding on a Book Cover”

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Published on February 25, 2019 03:00

Getting into the Flow of Rewriting and Revising

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

“I work very hard on the writing, writing and rewriting and trying to weed out the lumber”. ~David McCullough

Getting in the Flow: Rewriting and Revising

David McCullough and James Michener are two of my favorite authors for their ability to draw me into their stories and keep me suspended until the end through their rich sensory details. As I face the current phase of my memoir writing, I am taking my lessons from these masters.

For starters I’ve lost track of the number of drafts I’ve gone through. And with each change, the story takes on a new direction. I’m on the tail end of the writing process–the polishing stage. I just received the edits from my developmental editor and will be decluttering and streamlining–killing my darlings. Ouch! Oh, so painful but so necessary.

There’s lots of work ahead and in order to see this to the end, I need to get in the flow, in the zone, one with my computer…

and therein lies the challenge. I’ve spent the past six months on hold.

Where do I start?

The best laid plans…

I started by decluttering my writing space upstairs. That was no small task and took the whole day.

I set up my work zone with my computer,a Yankee candle, a notebook and a pen. I copied twenty pages of edits to work on the next day. My echo dot is nearby to listen to Andrea Boccelli.

The next day, I sat down and started working on the edits. I started feeling myself get into the rhythm, like I feel when I sit down at the piano and hit the right notes. Oh what a feeling. After about an hour of rewriting, my screen froze before I could save it. I lost all my changes. Well, tomorrow is another day…

When tomorrow came, I discovered that my computer charger did not work. My computer, a MacPro 2011, has been a work horse but it’s time to get a new computer. I hesitate to buy a new computer right in the middle of my edits. I had to drive to the Apple store, 45 minutes away to purchase a new charger and think about a new computer.

As I get back into my zone, I’m determined to write for at least two -three hours a day.

Establishing a routine will help me stay on track.

***

Here are some thoughts on getting into a flow of rewriting and revising:

Accept that changes–sometimes major changes–may be required. That means killing our darlings. I cut and paste all my deletions into a new file, “deleted scenes”. You never know when you can use them in the future for another project.

Take care of yourself so you can take care of your writing. Know when it’s time to walk away for a while.

Find a dedicated writing zone and organize it to for better work flow.

Establish a writing routine that is workable for you.Two-three hours is my daily limit to work on my manuscript. I think it’s because of the emotional nature of the material. This a personal decision.

I have a goal to finish and publish my memoir this year. All I can do is give it my best by setting myself up for success. Some days will be easier than others but having a plan and sticking to it will help.

It all starts when I decide to make it work.

***

How about you? How do you get into the flow of rewriting and revising? Any tips to share?

I’d love to hear from you. Please join in the conversation below~

***

Next Week:

Monday, 2/25/19:

“Why Did I Write My Memoir? by Fran Macilvey”

Fran is the author of Trapped:My Life with Cerebral Palsy, a revealing account of one woman’s life with cerebral palsy and her attempt to have a “normal” life.

View more on Kathleen Pooler's website »

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Published on February 18, 2019 03:00

You Have a Book Deal–Now What? by Memoirist Linda Strader

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Linda Strader/@desertplantlove

“Publishing a volume of verse is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo. ~Don Marquis (Brainy Quotes)

I am very pleased to feature memoirist Linda Strader again. Since she was last my guest, she has published her memoir,Summer of Fires: A Memoir of Adventure ,Love and Courage. She will share her thoughts on getting a book deal and publishing.

Welcome, Linda!

Memoirist Linda Strader

You Have a Book Deal–Now What?

Is it a dream of yours to publish a book some day? It wasn’t always the case for me, until somehow I actually wrote one I thought had potential. From the moment I decided to publish, I knew I would take the traditional route. Not only because of the prohibitive costs with the other options, but because I wanted the recognition of having been traditionally published. What a tough road. When I reached over 100 rejections from agents and small publishers, I thought briefly about giving up. But then I decided to do everything I could to improve my story to the point that someone would want to publish my book. And it worked. Several small presses made an offer, and I accepted one.

I’ve already written about how to find an agent or small publisher. This time, I thought I’d share what transpired after I signed the contract.

Contract is signed: Now what?

I’d read that publishing traditionally meant a long lag time from the signing of the contract to publication, and was okay with it—until my publisher told me on January 20th, 2017 that my publication date would be May 1st, 2018. I swallowed hard. Eighteen months. An eternity. What would I do with those long eighteen months? Well, as it turned out, plenty.

Up first: Book cover design. My publisher asked if I had any ideas (I did), and then after many months of tweaking, we selected one we both liked.

I knew that most book promotion efforts would fall on my shoulders. No problem—except I wasn’t sure what to do. My publisher explained their role, which was to distribute my book nationally and internationally. They also would enter my book into award competitions. I shared with them what I’d done so far (booking speaking engagements, and furthering social media connections). They asked me to promote locally as much as I could, and gave me suggestions who to contact.

My book marketing and promotion checklist:

While I could have hired a publicist, the reality is, I couldn’t afford one. I stumbled onto a Facebook group with a focus on helping authors do their own marketing. I also found a website that held regular podcasts on book marketing strategies. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I could do this! This is what I did:

Contacted bookstores. Using a 300 mile radius (my comfortable travel distance), I arranged book signing events at both indie and chain bookstores. It was a good thing I planned ahead: some were scheduling a year out. Hint: Make sure to ask how they handle sales. Some ordered books from a distributor, which I would sign for buyers. Others consigned books I purchase at half-price from my publisher, offering a 60/40 split. And yet others let me sell copies I purchased, letting me keep all profits.
Contacted my local library. Mine has an author event once a month. They were booked until 2019, so again, it was a good thing I called early.
Contacted local news media . I contacted newspapers, radio stations, and television stations, sending a “pitch letter” about why their readers and viewers would be interested in my story. This landed me a TV interview, and a book review in my local newspaper.
Contacted national media. Because my story is about firefighting, and wildfires were raging last summer, I took advantage of current headlines. I wrote pitch letters to all national networks. I also sent out pitch letters to national magazines. You may be asking…would national news media want to talk to me? Actually, they do. But you need to find a current news event you can tie into. This will take research, but it is well worth your time.

End result? Parade Magazine published an excerpt from my book, and I have an interview with my local PBS station this coming spring.

Social media . I continued to be active in Facebook groups, landing podcast interviews, guest blogs, and even selling some books. While I’m not a fan of Twitter, I do post on occasion. How that translates into sales, though, I have no idea.
Speaking engagements. I found women’s groups were interested in how I handled a man’s job in a man’s world, and outdoorsy organizations were fascinated by my adventures.

Lessons Learned.

My book has been out for seven months. I was a finalist in a southwestern book award. I wish I could say that I sold thousands of copies, but no, I didn’t. When quarterly sales numbers came in, my heart sank. My publisher insists my sale’s numbers are quite good, especially for an unknown author. While I’d tried hard not to have expectations, I guess I still did. However, the upside is that I have garnered some great reviews, and people continue to show interest.

Meanwhile, I keeping looking for promotional opportunities. They are out there. Recently, a national book club contacted me, which could result in valuable exposure. Next fire season I will again send pitch letters to the news media. Just because they passed last year doesn’t mean they will this year.

As for selling books on my own, it’s more profitable to sell books I purchased at half-price, but it’s difficult to judge how many books to have on hand. I would never consign books again—way too much hassle for minimal profit.

Eight years ago I never dreamed I would write a book. Six years ago I never dreamed I would try to publish the book I did write. Five years ago, I wanted to find a publisher more than anything. And I did. While I didn’t know what to expect after publication, all in all it’s been a positive experience.

If you are worried your dream will never come true, or that if it does, you can’t possibly handle the marketing—I say stop worrying. I’m proof that with hard work and determination, you can do this.

***

Thank you, Linda for sharing your valuable tips and lessons learned about publishing and marketing a book. Publishing a book is a different dimension, separate from the writing. and one that requires preparation and hard work.

***

How about you? What are your thoughts on publishing? How do you decide which route to go?

Linda has offered to give away an eBook version of her memoir to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing.

We’d love to hear from you. Please join in the conversation below~

About the Author:

Originally from Syracuse, New York, Ms. Strader moved to Prescott, Arizona with her family in 1972. In 1976, she became one of the first women on a U.S. Forest Service fire crew in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson.

Summers of Fire: A Memoir of Adventure, Love and Courage is her first book, released on May 1st, 2018 by Bedazzled Ink Publishing. In September, she became a finalist in the New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards. She is currently working on a prequel.

In addition to writing, Ms. Strader is a landscape architect, certified arborist, and watercolor artist. She lives in the same area where her Forest Service career began.

Book Synopsis::

Linda Strader is one of the first women hired on a fire crew with the U.S. Forest Service. A naïve twenty-year-old in the mid-1970s, she discovers fighting wildfires is challenging—but in a man’s world, they became only one of the challenges she would face. Battling fire is exhilarating, yet exhausting; the discrimination real and sometimes in her face. Summers of Fire is an Arizona to Alaska adventure story that honestly recounts the seven years Strader ventures into the heart of fires that scorch the land, vibrant friendships that fire the soul, and deep love that ends in devastating heartbreak.

Author Contact Information:

Blog address: https://summersoffirebook.blogspot.com/

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/LindaStraderauthor

Twitter: @desertplantlove

Amazon US: Summers of Fire: A Memoir of Adventure, Love, and Courage

Amazon UK: Summers of Fire: A Memoir of Adventure, Love, and Courage

Barnes and Noble: Summers of Fire: A Memoir of Adventure, Love, and Courage

***

Next Week:

Monday 2/18/19

“Getting in the Flow–Revising and Rewriting”

View more on Kathleen Pooler's website »

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Published on February 11, 2019 03:00

Rejection: Dead End or Opportunity?

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

Everyone experiences rejection and if you’re a writer the sooner you get used to it, the better.

I feel like a bear in springtime who has awakened from a long hibernation. I’m ready to move forward with my manuscript that has been marinating for the past six months. As soon as I stepped out of my den, I got smacked with a rejection from the publisher. Did it sting? Of course. But my pity party only lasted a day because I’ve been around this block before and I know that it’s part of the process. I also know that it’s an opportunity to polish my story, the one I’ve been working on for the past twenty years.

Not all memoirs take twenty years. But my story had to play out and I’ve had to be sensitive to the needs of my children. Time has helped us all to accept and buy into the story that aims to share hope that recovery from addiction is possible.

So back to the drawing board I go with fresh eyes and a willingness to revisit and revise. I have hired a developmental editor for one more round of story editing.

Now to decide on my route to publication.

We as writers are so fortunate to have many choices. I have gone the traditional route with a small press and I don’t have the time nor the inclination to seek an agent. I’m exploring taking a leap into self-publishing and am investigating companies that serve self-publishers.

Here’s what I like about self-publishing…

I will maintain creative control over the story I want to tell
I will have the same level of professional services as anyone who traditionally publishes –editing, graphic designer for the cover, eBook formatting and distribution.

Writing a memoir is hard work, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done due to the emotions and sensitivities involved in telling my story. I want to give this story that has been nagging at me for the past twenty years every chance to make a difference.

Before I decide on a route to publication, I will take another deep dive into the recommended edits.

I trust I will know when it will be ready to make a publishing decision.

Rejection is evidence that I have stepped out of my comfort zone, pushed myself to the limit and put myself out there. (Click to Tweet)

If I view rejection as a necessary set-back where I can look objectively at my manuscript and work on ways to improve my story, I will be doing my story justice.

There’s no question that rejection stings but it does not mean I have failed. I need to treat myself with compassion. This is a difficult journey and I want to last in the long haul.

Rejection does not define me but if I remain open, I can learn from it.

***

How about you? How do you handle rejection? Do you feel it is a dead end or an opportunity?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.Please join in the conversation below~

***

Next Week:

Monday, 2/11/19:

“You Have a Book Deal-Now What? by Memoirist Linda Strader”

Linda is the author of Summers of Fire: A Memoir of Adventure, Love and Courage, an Arizona to Alaska adventure story that honestly recounts the seven years Strader ventures into the heart of fires that scorch the land, vibrant friendships that fire the soul, and deep love that ends in devastating heartbreak.

View more on Kathleen Pooler's website »

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Published on February 04, 2019 03:00

Jumpstart the Magic of Storytelling Through Unique Travel Experiences by Sonia Marsh

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Sonia Marsh/@SoniaMarsh

“Africa changes you forever, like nowhere on earth. Once you have been there, you will never be the same. But how do you begin to describe its magic to someone who has never felt it?” – Brian Jackman

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Published on January 28, 2019 03:00

Jumpstart the Magic of Storytelling Through Unique Travel Experiences by Sonia Marsh

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Sonia Marsh/@GutsyLiving

“Africa changes you forever, like nowhere on earth. Once you have been there, you will never be the same. But how do you begin to describe its magic to someone who has never felt it?” – Brian Jackman

This is such a treat for me to welcome my good friend and writing colleague Sonia Marsh back to share her latest adventure. Sonia and I met on online in 2010 and developed a lasting friendship and connection through our writing. Since we first met, Sonia has gone on to find her purpose as a travel guide for a Safari Company, organizing women’s writing retreats into the heart of Africa. Her true entrepreneurial spirit has led her to varied and unique adventures which she will share today.

Welcome back , Sonia!

Author and Entrepreneur Sonia Marsh

Jumpstart the Magic of Storytelling Through Unique Travel Experiences

I finally found my purpose after my 28-year marriage fizzled in 2015.

I took the easy way out by escaping – something I’ve done several times when I wanted to start a new chapter in my life. I feel more alive when I’m out of my comfort zone, forced to rely on myself and make decisions that teach me to think differently.

So I followed my gut and applied to serve in the Peace Corps. This had been in the back of my mind since my sons were in high school. My roots were in Africa and Europe, where I spent the first twenty-five years of my life before settling in California in 1983.

My decision to apply for the Peace Corps was based on fear – the fear of staying in Orange County. At 58, looking for a job in familiar surroundings seemed far more challenging than moving to a hut in Africa.

During my marriage, I published a memoir and two anthologies, and blogged full-time, while taking care of my family. My husband considered my writing a “hobby” as I did not make a living from my book sales, despite all my social media endeavors.

After several months, an e-mail arrived offering me a position to serve in a tiny landlocked country called Lesotho. About 2.2 million people live in “The Mountain Kingdom,” which is the size of Vermont. Surrounded by South Africa, it lies above 3,200 feet, which meant adapting to high altitude. It even snowed in July, Lesotho’s winter. I lived in a tiny village, 6,000 feet in the mountains, and taught orphans and vulnerable children in a Catholic school. With no electricity, running water, toilet or shower, my only comfort was my laptop, and I started writing daily, sharing my life with all my friends and blog followers in the U.S. On Saturdays, I would catch the overcrowded taxi van to the capital city, squished between Basotho women, men and children as well as live chickens confined in plastic grocery bags. I’ll always remember the Saturday I had to scoot over as a live ram was propped in between our legs. Life was colorful, unpredictable and offered me insight into a culture and language so unfamiliar to my comfortable life in the U.S.

I returned to California in January 2017, after serving fifteen months, and was contacted by Jim Holden, an expert on Africa. He owned a small, boutique Safari travel company in Orange County, California, and discovered my blog. He happened to be looking for someone “international” who knew Africa, Europe and the U.S., to help with social media and to promote custom Safaris.

That was when everything came together, and I discovered my purpose. I wanted to inspire others, especially single and divorced women like myself, to travel and get out of their comfort zone. Africa may seem like a scary place to most people, but it can be a life-changing experience. I led my first group of ten women from Orange County to Kenya in October 2018. Several of them were going through a loss or other tragic event in their life and found that getting out of their comfort zone, and connecting with others, helped them find a new purpose in life.

Women on retreat in Africa

One of the women on my Safari to Kenya is a bestselling author, Janis Thomas. This was her first time in Africa and she was so inspired by the wildlife, elephants, leopards, lions, cheetahs and the unforgettable viewing of the pristine nighttime skies that I suggested we lead a writers’ retreat together in South Africa. Janis agreed, and decided on a theme: “Discover the Magic of Storytelling.” A transformative writing experience with Janis Thomas. Be moved and inspired in the midst of the Big 5 and the spectacular Smoke that Thunders, Victoria Falls. You can view the digital itinerary we prepared by clicking on this Writers Retreat link and hitting the “Enter” button.

This is how I started “We Travel With A Purpose” and I lead themed Safaris for small groups of ten people. I plan to offer writers’ retreats in different parts of Africa with well-known workshop leaders and would love to know if this sparks your interest. I cannot wait to lead a group, this September, on a brand new themed Safari: “An Elephant in My Kitchen, A Safari to the Home of the Elephant Whisperer,” based on the legacy of Lawrence Anthony, author of the Elephant Whisperer. I believe that we love to learn and engage in social responsibility, so I try to combine a learning experience with renowned elephant and rhino conservationists, local community interactions, visits to local schools where we interact with the children, and combine this with a memorable Safari experience.

I believe that “Africa changes you forever, like nowhere on earth. Once you have been there, you will never be the same.”

***

Thank you, Sonia for sharing your latest adventure with us. You show us that the sky is the limit when we follow our dreams and make them come true.

***

How about you? Have you ever considered traveling to Africa or stepping outside of your comfort zone to find your purpose?

We’d love to hear from you. Please join in the conversation below~

***

Next Week:

Monday, 2/4/19:

”Rejection: Dead End or Opportunity?”

View more on Kathleen Pooler's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on January 28, 2019 03:00

Jumpstart the Magic of Storytelling Through Uniques Travel Experiences by Sonia Marsh

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Sonia Marsh/@GutsyLiving

“Africa changes you forever, like nowhere on earth. Once you have been there, you will never be the same. But how do you begin to describe its magic to someone who has never felt it?” – Brian Jackman

This is such a treat for me to welcome my good friend and writing colleague Sonia Marsh back to share her latest adventure. Sonia and I met on online in 2010 and developed a lasting friendship and connection through our writing. Since we first met, Sonia has gone on to find her purpose as a travel guide for a Safari Company, organizing women’s writing retreats into the heart of Africa. . Her true entrepreneurial spirit has led her to varied and unique adventures which she will share today.