​The following blog post, written by Carole Duff, was originally published on Brevity Blog on 8/5/2024.

​“Memoir is hard to sell,” the webinar presenter said. “The market is glutted. Does anyone want to read another story about loss, trauma, mental illness, mother, father, son, daughter, spouse, friend, lover, rejection, or failure?”

I nodded at her image on my computer screen. Having heard this message many times before, I expected to come away feeling disheartened. But not this time.

“Being passed over by agents and the Big Five Publishers is an opportunity to leverage your skills,” she said, “to make your own decisions, and market to your audience.”

Turning rejection into opportunity, taking control of the process—that resonated with me. People do want to read stories when they reflect growth and insight, and it’s up to us debut authors of a certain age to learn how to get those stories published. Here’s what I did.

At first, I made a lot of rookie mistakes. I queried random agents before I found my real story and had no clue about book proposals, target audiences, or pitches. To solve the writing problem, I consulted with supportive editors and found my story: My memoir is about building a house with my later-in-life husband, uncovering mysteries and secrets from our pasts, facing hard truths, and finding a home at last. I also attended workshops and webinars, read books and articles, to get my head around the publishing process. Finally, I had a workable book proposal in hand, including a well-defined target audience: women of faith in the second half of life, women who are contemplating major life changes, retirement, or reinvention.

Along the way, I read memoirs similar to mine and noted the agents named in their acknowledgements. I also consulted the databases at Publishers Marketplace, Poets & Writers, and Manuscript Wishlist, searching for agents with specific interest in representing memoir and open to submissions. Then I sent queries to all of them at the same time instead of working in phases and giving myself time to refine my query—another rookie mistake. After months of silence, a few rejections, and a lot of discouragement, I became more realistic. I decided that an agent and Big Five Publisher were not for me. I didn’t need an advance and wasn’t going to have a decades-long career as a writer. Winter, the fourth and final stage of life, would come.

Since I was not comfortable with self-publishing, I researched other traditional presses, including university presses, which I found in the Association of University Presses database. I also explored small presses and assisted or hybrid presses that fellow memoirists, whose work I admired, had used. Then came the time-consuming work of visiting the individual publishers’ sites to see if the books they’d published were in line with my faith memoir. I selected two dozen “good-fits,” sent out five or six queries, waited two months, revised my query letter based on feedback from rejections, then sent out the next batch, and so forth. My online writing colleagues’ stories of silence even after partial or full manuscript asks, rejections, bad-fit experiences—and eventual successes—encouraged me to keep going. Patience and persistence paid off. Six months after my first round of un-agented queries, I received two offers.

The first company, which publishes about one thousand new titles per year, offered short-run publication (less than 2,000 copies), an option between on-demand and traditional, off-set printing, and a maximum of 10% royalties. Type-setting and copyediting fees were at my expense. They would list my book in their catalogue and handle distribution through the major channels for book publishers, a huge plus for authors. But as far as I could ascertain, there was no marketing support other than providing me with promotional flyers. I would have to do the promotion or hire consultants within my modest budget.

​The other publisher, a much smaller press that has both traditional and cooperative imprints, offered me, a debut author, the latter arrangement: a 50-50 shared-cost, assisted agreement which included collaborative manuscript editing, cover design, similar distribution to the first company and more robust marketing support. My cost would be a few thousand dollars—a bit more than the first and larger company’s deal—but the royalty split was far better. I would receive 40% to 60% of the royalties depending on the number of copies sold.

​Both companies were responsive on email, but the second included a 30-minute Google Meet with the owner and the head of marketing. The owner, who’d been in business for decades, walked me through the publication process. At my request, the head of marketing provided me with a list of their authors I could contact if I had questions—and I did. The authors said that although they’d wished to publish traditionally, the collaborative arrangement was a positive experience, resulting in higher quality books than they could have produced on their own. I signed with the latter, Brandylane Publishers based in Richmond, Virginia. The fact that they were accustomed to publishing debut authors and would support my book through the publishing and on-going marketing processes were deciding factors. The editing and design process took about a year; my faith memoir Wisdom Builds Her House releases on August 20, 2024.

Now that my book is soon to be launched, I’m focused on marketing. I’m collaborating with Brandylane’s team and making decisions on how to best reach my target audience. By taking control of the process, as a debut author of a certain age, I’ve learned how to get my story published and out there for them to read.
__________
Carole Duff is a veteran teacher, flutist, naturalist, and writer of creative nonfiction. She posts weekly on her long-standing blog Notes from Vanaprastha and has written for Huffington Post, Mockingbird, Please See Me, Streetlight Magazine, The Perennial Gen now The Sage Forum, for which she is a regular contributor, and other publications. Her book Wisdom Builds Her House is available for order. Carole lives in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband, another older debut author K.A. Kenny (The Starflower), and two large dogs. Contact Carole through her website.

Q: When you first started learning to sail, what aspect (or aspects) did you find most challenging? Was anything easier than you expected?
A: The hardest part of learning anything new is allowing yourself to be a beginner again. It was incredibly humbling to walk into a world I knew nothing about and fail, get hurt, try again, repeat. One of the hardest parts of sailing, beyond how physically demanding it is and the muscle it requires, is the mental shift it asks of you. You can't be "in a rush." You can't force it to be anything other than what it is. You wait for the weather; you wait for the wind; you ride what you have right there in front of you at that moment. 


Q: Do you feel your time at sea was an isolated chapter in your life, or have you considered embarking on another longterm voyage someday in the future? If you were to set sail again, what might you do differently?
A: I think another voyage is in my future, but I think it will look different. Perhaps taking off in a RV to explore our beautiful country! My sailing experience taught me that everything is "figure-outable" if you want it badly enough. 


Q: In writing this memoir, you drew from journals you kept during the voyage, as well as the various audio and video materials you produced at the time. Having revisited these materials with the benefit of hindsight, did you feel that your perspective now differs significantly from your perspective "in the moment?" If so, can you give an example?
A: In the book, I talk about a "re-wiring of self." Motherhood has re-wired me as significantly as this sailing adventure did for me! Now I see the world from those eyes. People ask me all of the time how I would feel if my children did something like this and my answer is, I'd feel the same way we all feel when we're faced with something new and unknown: nervous. But I want adventure for my children, and now I know this valuable nugget: Ask for help! Ask for the resources they're plugging into to feel confident in their adventuring of choice. Also, when I look back on those videos, I have the hindsight of knowing everything would end up okay. I would tell the Sheena in the memoir that "This is not going to end how you think it will. It'll be so, so much better!" 

Sheena Jeffers, MSEd, is a writer, mother, certified wellness coach, doula, and yoga and dance instructor from Virginia. Her work has appeared in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Washington Examiner, Waterborne magazine, Sailing Scuttlebutt, and the anthology Facing Fear Head On: True Stories from Women on the Water. She has been featured on TODAY.com, the Inspired Woman’s Podcast, and the Roanoke Times; and in 2016, she was awarded “Millennial on the Move” by CoVaBiz Mag. During her travels, she was the host of podcasts Breathe Full and Seas Life for Good, as well as the producer of a sailing YouTube channel that gathered over 10,000 engaged followers. Today, Sheena is loving her full days as a mother living by a river, who keeps her lifelong flame for ballet and contemporary dance ablaze, and who, in times of trouble, always remembers to consult the moon.

Q: Can you tell us about your very first “buna bash” experience? It must have left quite an impression on you!


A: The first time I experienced an Ethiopian buna ceremony was about twenty years ago in Jerusalem, at the home of an elderly Ethiopian woman named Muchit. She soon became my adopted “grandmother,” and I found my place as an adopted aunt in her extended family! Today, she is 103 years old, and with the help of her daughter, still serves buna twice a day!


Because I am a coffee lover, I was fascinated to see the Ethiopian coffee prepared right in front of me. I was also impressed by the spirit of this ancient tradition–connecting people in an atmosphere of love and acceptance.


Q: Many authors are so afraid of depicting another culture inaccurately in their work that they hesitate to even try. Can you give a few examples of the steps you took to ensure you depicted Almaz, her family, and the buna bash itself in an authentic, respectful, and empowering light?


A: By the time I wrote The Big Buna Bash, I had already participated in a lot of buna ceremonies, so keeping [the work] authentic was not difficult. I had the most trouble putting myself into Almaz’s shoes. How would she feel? How could I empower her to show other kids that what makes them different can also make them unique and interesting?


Keeping the book’s illustrations authentic was my obsession, and I’m thankful that my dear illustrator Roberta Malasomma was with me all the way. Later, I discovered that she had an Ethiopian sister-in-law!


Q: You recently launched your nonprofit, ReadingMatters Ethiopia, which will print and ship books to the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. What are your broader goals for your new organization, and how can readers help out?


A: Due to the patience and goodwill of Robert Pruett and the Brandylane staff, The Big Buna Bash was recently printed in Amharic. Next, I had to decide what to do with it!


The original English version had opened many doors for me, so I decided it was time to give back. ReadingMatters Ethiopia is a project devoted to helping develop mother-tongue Amharic reading skills in the children of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by distributing free Amharic copies of The Big Buna Bash to needy students and organizations that work with impoverished kids.


Ethiopian children want to read, but don’t have easy access to books—especially books with beautiful, colorful illustrations. In Ethiopia, libraries are few and limited to school campuses. These libraries are filled with textbooks, but storybooks are rare. As the general director of the Ethiopian National Library, Yikunnoamlak Mezgebu, recently wrote to me: “We desperately need children’s books with Ethiopian context and good illustrations.” The Big Buna Bash has both!


I was fortunate to obtain fiscal sponsorship from Humanitarian Social Innovations in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. They are an organization that provides support and resources to social entrepreneurs, enabling them to create programs that have a positive impact on communities—which allows projects like ReadingMatters Ethiopia to have nonprofit status.


We are currently relying on donations to print and ship the books to Ethiopia (and I’m also in the process of applying for grants). Less than one dollar will print one book for one needy child! If you are interested in contributing, please contact [email protected] or visit ReadingMatters Ethiopia - Humanitarian Social Innovations.

When it comes to New Year's resolutions, "write a book" and "get published" are consistently some of the most popular. But what if you've already written a book and gotten it published? This month, we turn to our PR Manager, Ceci Hughes, to discuss New Year's resolutions for what comes next!

Q: What are some manageable, bite-sized first steps a new author can take to market and promote their work, if they don't know where to start?

A: Publicity and marketing can often seem daunting for first-time authors. If you’re feeling anxious, I recommend starting by asking yourself how much time you can realistically devote to promoting your book. Lots of authors have full-time jobs outside writing and promoting their books, so it’s important to be realistic about your goals. You might also consider asking family members and friends, or even hiring an intern to help you with book promotion if you're completely swamped.

Once you’ve decided what is manageable for you, I recommend focusing on four areas: your online presence, events, reviews, and media appearances. Out of those four, I believe building an online presence is one of the most important (and thankfully, the least time consuming). If you can devote ten or fifteen minutes every day to making a social media post, writing a newsletter to send via email, updating your website, or engaging with your followers, you’ll have better luck getting people to pay attention to your events, reviews, and media appearances. A devoted audience is one of the most helpful things for succeeding at book promotion.

Q: Can you give some examples of how authors can organically build their audience?

A: I know it’s all well and good to say an audience is important for book promotion, so of course, the next logical question is: How do you build your audience?

When it comes to social media, think about what your audience would like to see. Obviously, they’re interested in you and your books, but what other content do they engage with? For instance, if you've published a children’s book about dogs, consider sharing content about your pets. Or, if you’ve written a mystery novel, your followers might be interested in what other mystery books you enjoy reading. 

One of the best ways to build an audience is to engage with other authors. Other authors are in the same boat as you, and they can be great for brainstorming new publicity ideas. Other authors might also be interested in reviewing your book if you review theirs, making social media posts about your book if you post about theirs, and so on. You might also consider setting up events with other authors to draw a larger crowd. 

Q: How do you suggest authors set realistic goals for their promotional efforts?

A: This comes back to considering how much time you can put into promoting your book before making grand plans—after all, you don’t want to stress yourself out! I recommend setting aside some time each day (or each week, if you’re very busy) to focus on book promotion, even if it’s only half an hour. Then, set goals for that designated time: for instance, “This week, I will submit my book to five awards,” or “I will reach out to three influencers this week to see if they will share my book with their followers.” 

Once you’ve set a goal, try to stick to it. It’s easy to tell yourself that since you set the goal for yourself, it's okay to let it slide, but when it comes to book promotion, perhaps nothing is more important to achieving success than dedication and persistence!

Q: Of all the disgraced former presidents available, is there any special reason you chose Millard Fillmore to host your ghostly tours through American history? 

A: Why Millard Fillmore? I read years ago that some folks in the city of Buffalo had a tradition of lampooning President Fillmore on his birthday. Scores of people would gather at his grave on January 7th to bask in his obscurity. This struck me as a delightful tribute, and I've carried it with me. In my way, I'd say I was honoring the tradition of giving this man a bit more than perhaps might be expected. In addition, I also carry with me a bit of an asterisk to his legacy. Fillmore's presidency is complicated by, and doomed by, the Fugitive Slave Act. On the surface, he signed it and the case is closed. On a deeper dive, Fillmore (who "detested" slavery) truly believed his oath of office compelled him to sign the Act, albeit reluctantly, because of the existing fugitive slave clause that was already enshrined in the Constitution (that's right, all of the Constitution signers signed a fugitive slave act, and Washington penned another years later . . . lots of signers, clauses, acts, etc.). While all things "fugitive slave" now land squarely and solely on Fillmore's plate, in reality he felt he had to defend the Constitution, for better or worse. With that perspective, don't we want all our presidents to follow the oath to protect the Constitution? At any rate, in signing the Act, Fillmore stated that his reputation would be ruined. He was right. I might feel a bit sympathetic to his unwinnable situation. All that said, probably the main reason I went with Millard Fillmore . . . his name is simply, absolutely fabulous. It's fun to say.

Q: The presidents showcased in The Presidents Did What? and The Presidents Did What, Again? did some truly, famously awful things, which the text never flinches away from. Nevertheless, both books are amazingly lighthearted! Do you have any tips or tricks for striking this notoriously tricky balance?

A: As a host, Millard Fillmore sets the tone of the book. He has good-natured, outsized confidence and bravado, which makes him perfect for lighthearted quips and jabs, although there is nothing lighthearted about the topics! The topics I explore are genuinely traumatic, and everything I cover is thoroughly available in very serious tones amongst countless works. I wanted to create an atmosphere where historical topics that need to be introduced to readers are done so in an accessible way, which, in my case, is a bit of levity. I also believe that the apologetic nature of the presidents themselves helps to convey not only remorse, but an understanding that in today's world, these events most likely wouldn't have happened as they did, and our current presidents wouldn't make such decisions (we'd hope!). The presidents in my books are generally sorry for what they've done. This, combined with a bit of humor, strikes a balance with the weight of the history.

Q: Authors writing politically inclined children's books usually tackle the subject from an inspirational angle. But you've taken a different approach, to say the least! Can you talk about why you feel it's important for kids to be told the bad side of history and politics, as well as the good?

A: In truth, any formative geopolitical literacy requires the unfortunate understanding that nearly all of our relationships are a result of, or were forged in, conflict. The bad stuff. How we relate to ourselves, our neighbors, and our global community has been shaped by, in more times than not, a fairly lousy experience. If we want our future citizens to be responsible, accountable, and prepared players, whether in a global society or in the neighborhood, we have to fully disclose our history. Conversely, some of our crowning achievements as a progressing people came from overcoming our darkest times and most deplorable decisions. Kids need to hear all sides of our story. I'll give the last word to President James Garfield: "The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable."

To learn more about Wag Harrison, check out his books, The Presidents Did What? and The Presidents Did What, Again?.

During my publishing career, I've learned that after a children’s book is published—after the editing, design, printing, and launch—it takes on a life of its own. Through the mysterious machinations of book distribution, copies finds their way to bookstore shelves, library reading rooms, school classrooms, homes, and finally, children's hands—and there, they become something more than just words on bound paper. For those young readers, that book becomes a teacher, guide, or a friend—sometimes for life.  

Stop a moment and think of the books you enjoyed when you first began reading. Perhaps reading them made you aware that other kids just like you were struggling with fear, anxiety, or loneliness—and maybe that knowledge made you feel less alone. You loved those books because you needed the lessons they could teach or the scenarios to which they introduced you at that time in your life—and some part of them lives with you still.

Brandylane is honored to publish books that make a difference in the lives of young readers; and this month, we are proud to present new titles that offer children a way of seeing the world—and themselves—in a new light, allowing them to grow both at school and at home.

written by Robert Pruett, publisher

Q: How did you choose your Six Revolutionary WOW Factor Women? Did you know all of their names before setting out to write this book, or did you set out to research inspiring women of the era and discover them in the process? Which figure did you personally find most inspiring?

A: Writing is a curious journey. Topics somehow find me, invade my thoughts, and refuse to let me rest. I started out researching an ancestor, Sidney Johnson McMechen, who exchanged her comfortable life in Maryland for pioneering life in wilderness near what later became Wheeling, WV. I wanted to understand how her life must have been, the choices she made, and her methods of creative problem solving. It occurred to me that maybe, if I learned about other women of that time, I might solve the mystery surrounding my ancestor.

At the time, my cousin-in-law was curator of manuscripts and rare books for the library of The College of William & Mary. She introduced me to Ann Wager, the schoolteacher in Williamsburg, whose story appears in my book. She also recommended myriad sources pertaining to women in America’s colonial period. I was at the WOW Women buffet! I chose to study women of various backgrounds who were faced with difficult choices and used creative problem solving to resolve them. My hope is that these women will serve as positive role models for my young readers as they begin to make choices and engage in creative problem solving.

I love all six of my revolutionary WOW factor women. I believe Elizabeth Freeman is the most inspiring, although I do also have a sentimental favorite. My West Virginian grandaddy was a storyteller, and I always loved his tale of how Betty Zane saved Fort Henry. I have yet to understand why Sidney Johnson McMechen chose to be a pioneering woman, but I did learn more about Betty Zane, who lived at the same time and in the same location as my grandaddy’s “Way-Back-Many-Greats” Grandmother, whose story had inspired my research.

Q: I understand one of the more unique jobs on your résumé was leading ghost tours around Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown! How and when did you first become interested in history? How did your enthusiasm for the topic help you engage with audiences?

A: Whether it is through the written or the spoken word, my constant goal is to make the world a little brighter. For those wondrous moments when I engage the young and not-so-young in a story, I invite them to slip away from this troublesome world and into my world, where history comes alive and all things are possible. Although the connection between literature and history always interested me, I became a storyteller, not an historian. Ghost stories evolve over time as folks try to explain the unexplainable. As a teller of ghost stories, I did my best to entertain—not scare—adults and children so they might imagine the strange and interesting events that occurred in the historic homes of Williamsburg and Yorktown.

As I grew as a storyteller, history gradually came alive. Remembering dates was no longer a chore. History had a grip on me. I even became a part of history when I learned, to my surprise, that the cannonballs still lodged in the exterior walls of several historic (and ghost filled!) Yorktown houses were made by Baker Johnson, the brother of my mysterious ancestor, Sidney Johnson McMechen. Those cannonballs were made at the request of George Washington to be used at the Battle of Yorktown, the decisive battle of the Revolutionary War.

Q: Each WOW Factor Woman’s story ends with a short discussion prompt designed to examine the story for its main takeaways. How early on in the writing process did you decide on this structure? What advice would you give other writers to build audience engagement into—or around—their own work?

A: A group of friends, third and fourth grade teachers, helped me brainstorm my idea for this story. They suggested approaching this project as values-based historical fiction, written as a compilation of short stories. These teachers expressed a need for recreational reading during units about the original Thirteen Colonies and the American Revolution. They had plenty of biographies and histories available but lacked historical fiction, especially about women. Thus, the “WOW Factor” was born. When faced with a challenge, each woman had to dig deep within to make a choice and engage in creative problem solving. She may have used courage, respect, perseverance etc., as she discovered her WOW (“Watch out World—I can do this!”) factor. Everyone, no matter what age, can use a little personal insight. My hope is for these women to emerge as role models for readers, and that the world will be a brighter place as my readers, young and old, discover their own WOW Factor!

As I see it, part of building audience engagement is inviting the reader to continue thinking about the story after it is finished. At the suggestion of my teacher friends, I included a pinch of history at the beginning of each story to give context, then ended each story with reflective questions. My hope is for these reflective questions to encourage communication between readers, whether it occurs in the classroom between students, classmates, and teachers, or at home with the family.

Already, I have received encouraging confirmation that the stories live on in readers’ minds once the book is finished. One teacher has expanded her unit on foods of the colonial period to include foods mentioned in Six Revolutionary WOW Factor Women. Another teacher plans to incorporate the WOW Factor women into a class’s annual living history museum trip.

Giving advice is tricky. But once you have your idea, it’s important ask yourself two soul-searching questions: Why am I writing this, and Who is my target audience? When you determine your audience, then you must think outside the box about what fun details you can weave into your story to keep your audience engaged, even long after the reading is finished. Burglars? A battle? Asparagus ice cream? Yes!
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To learn more about Heidi, check out her book, Six Revolutionary WOW Factor Women!