Indie Author Day 2016 in Our Local Library
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life. Libraries change lives for the better.”
― Sidney Sheldon
I have always loved libraries so when the opportunity arose to participate in Indie Author Day at The Amsterdam Free Library on October 8, 2016, I jumped at it. It was a lot of fun!
Book table at Amsterdam Free Library for Indie Author Day, 2016
What is Indie Author Day?
It was billed as an opportunity for indie authors across the country to collaborate with their local libraries.
As described on their website:
“Indie Author Day is an opportunity for libraries, indie authors and publishing industry specialists to connect in both a local and global way. Over 275 libraries will host local events across North America for this international celebration. At 2 pm EST, a panel of publishing industry leaders was live-streamed from the Indie Author Day YouTube channel and watched by all participating libraries. The panel will feature Jon Fine, previously from Amazon, as the moderator, and panelists Kiera Parrott of Library Journal, Robin Cutler of IngramSpark, 2012 Mover and Shaker award-winning librarian Jim Blanton and BCALA award-winning author L. Penelope.
After October 8th, we will continue to keep the Indie Author Day spirit alive with scheduled webinars and other programs that will help support indie authors and libraries all year long. Then, libraries are invited to get involved again.”
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From Amsterdam, NY:
Our amazing librarian, Nicole Helmsley, was on board and gathered local authors for a panel to share our process of both writing and publishing our works.
L-R: Sandy Lane, Maureen Hand, Kathy Pooler, Bob Cudmore, Judith Prest
Meet the Authors:
Sandy Lane is a horticulturist turned writer. Her Great Great Aunt Lucy Ladd Stratton traveled all around the world painting wildflowers and journaling about it from 1882-1914. Sandy has photographed many of these paintings and inserted them into her aunt’s prose to bring her story alive again and make it available for future generations. Part One, The Trail of Wildflowers covers the period 1882-84 when Lucy traveled Through Vermont and Great Britain. Sandy is planning Part Two and Three which will cover her travels throughout Europe until 1914. Her 1500+ paintings were given to the Library of Congress. Sandy can be reached at her email: se23lane@nycap.rr.com
Maureen Hand taught high school English and writing–including memoir writing and poetry writing workshops in Amsterdam and Saratoga, NY. Her writings have appeared in magazines, journals, newspapers and she is the author of Write the Snapshots of Your Life, a book on memoir writing and Lemon Meringue Pie at Midnight, a potpourri of poems that showcase the human condition. Maureen’s poems portray a panorama of emotions felt from birth to death.
Bob Cudmore is a native of Amsterdam, NY, who has written a regular column for the Daily Gazette for over ten years. He is a radio and talk show host in the Capitol District and the host and producer of “The Historians”, a weekly audio interview podcast. In 2000, he published You Can’t Go Wrong: Stories From Nero, NY and Other Tales, a satirical look at Upstate life. He has published a series of Stories From The Mohawk Valley through The History Press. To learn more about Bob’s books, visit his Amazon Author Page. Bob also has a website at bobcudmore.com.
Judith Prest is a poet, mixed media artist and expressive arts practitioner. She is a certified facilitator of SoulCollage. Since her retirement from school social work in 2009, Judith has been doing her “real work”, which is conducting creativity and healing workshops in retreat centers, prisons, addiction treatment facilities, community agencies and schools. Judith loves working with individuals and groups to help them discover their “inner artist/poet.” She believes creativity is a healing force and that creative expression is our birthright. She has authored several poetry books, which include her own photography, Elemental Connections, Late Day Light, The Geography of Loss, Sailing on Spirit Wind. Judith’s website is Spirit Wind Studio
Kathy Pooler– for those who don’t know — is a retired family nurse practitioner turned writer who has published one memoir, Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away From Emotional Abuse and is working on her second memoir about being the mother of an addict. She believes that hope matters and that we are all enriched, inspired and enlightened when we share our stories. She blogs weekly about the memoir writing process and features other writers and their work on her blog twice a month.
What We Talked About:
We discussed our individual paths to publication which included small presses and self-publishing through Create Space and Troy Bookmakers.
Questions from the audience focused on legal aspects of publishing, the factors that make a book compelling and the process of writing–where to start, how to keep going. Writing is a marathon, not a sprint.
We all agreed that marketing was the hardest yet essential part if you want to reach readers.
Our takeaways for our audience:
Writing is hard work. We all have stories to share but if you want to write a book, it requires a commitment to learning the art and craft of writing.
Reading is an excellent preparation for being a writer.
If you want to write, keep writing.
While there are many activities a writer can learn to do themselves, hiring a professional editor is essential to ensure your work is vetted.
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It was a great discussion with readers and writers and I look forward to participating in more events at our local library.
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How about you? Did you participate in Indie Author Day at your local library? If so, I’d love to hear about it. Please leave your comments below~
Next Week:
Monday, 10/17/16
“Transition: A Doorway to a Deeper Sense of Self by Memoir Author Barbara Techel”
Barbara is the author of a newly released second memoir, Wisdom in the Pause: Joie’s Gift.
