Seams Like a Story

April 3, 2024April 3, 2024

An Indie Author’s Pathway to Publishing

A Book is Born

Good News! You may soon hold a copy of my new book in your hands! My story is going from my imagination to words sent out into the world! Ever wonder how that happens? There are many ways to publish. As a proud indie (independently published) author, I’m in charge of all aspects of publishing my book. It’s exciting, but can be daunting at the same time.

In this post, I share my experience as an indie author who is about to publish her second book. Here is my Pathway to Publishing:

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Editing

After the last sentence of a rough manuscript has been typed (Anne Lamott calls this the “shitty first draft”), the real work begins. Editing.

Stephen King says “2 drafts and a polish.” Draft one is a closed door; the author goes over the manuscript by her- or himself. Draft 2 is an open door; the manuscript goes out to others to see for the first time. This is where being a part of a writing community pays off. I am fortunate to have a group of close friends who are talented writers. We spend time together, going over each other’s work. Considering the feedback, I edit my manuscript. This process (developmental editing) takes time, but is crucial to creating a well thought out and cohesive manuscript. (By the way Stephen, I’d be happy with 2 drafts…my manuscript has had many, many more…)

The “polish” then is the line editing. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, spacing. No stone is left unturned. Again, my writing friends come to my rescue. One of my critique group friends is an excellent line editor. Her work is invaluable to me. Back to the manuscript I go.

The Book Takes Shape

So, at the time of this writing, my manuscript is ready. Now on to formatting: This is the nuts and bolts of the book…sort of like building a house. Here is where I consider the size of the book, font style and size, line spacing, chapter headings, margins, buff or white paper, placement of page numbers. eBooks have their own format. There are tutorials and templates out there, but for me (she who has limited tech skills), I trust this to a professional. I contract it out. My formatter takes my manuscript and cover ideas and gets them ready to submit to KDP/ Amazon.

A Book by its Cover

And speaking of cover…this step is crucial. The cover is the face of the book–it’s first impression. It holds the power to make a reader stop and pick up the book, or walk on by. Colors, images, text all play a part. I’m a visual person and love designing my own covers. I start with a stock photo (purchased on Shutterstock). Then, with the help of my formatter, or programs like Coverjig, I play with the text to create the look I’m going for.

And don’t forget about the back. Back cover blurbs are the book’s second chance to grab a reader. Notice the next time you are browsing in a bookstore. Don’t you look at the cover first, then flip it over to see what the book is about? Yep, that’s intentional. There is an exact art to writing a back cover blurb…part word smithing, part psychology. The goal is to draw the reader in without revealing too much.

Upload

Almost there. Now, the book needs an ISBN (international standard book number). That little number on the back cover uniquely identifies the book. Amazon and other publishers will assign one for free, but then they technically own this number which may limit who you can sell to. This time around I am purchasing my own ISBN through Bowker.

Once the formatting is in order, I upload the book to Amazon. If everything meets their standards, I will order an author’s proof copy. It’s an exciting day when this arrives on my doorstep. This is when the book becomes real for me and I can see it as the reader will experience it. If everything looks good, I go back to my Amazon author’s account, press PUBLISH and…(drumroll please) the book is released into the world!

It seems like this should be the end of the story…but there’s one more thing. Amazon has an estimated 32 million published titles. Publishing a book is like dropping a tiny pebble onto a beach covered in 32 million tiny pebbles. No one will ever notice my book…unless I tell people about it and show them where to find it. Now I need to…

Market the Book

There I said it. For any author, but especially indie authors marketing is critical. There are many ways to do this: word of mouth, friends and family, social media, blogs and newsletters, book signings. I like to think of this as another outlet for creativity. Each book has its own personality, and it’s up to me to find a way to connect to its audience.

So there you have it. A long process, yes. Why do I do it? Well, why does a painter paint or an actor act or a quilter quilt? It’s a way of expressing myself, of creating something that didn’t exist before, and maybe, just maybe I will connect with someone who will relate to my story.

“When you make it real, it can gloriously travel to all sorts of places. Even a seemingly tiny story can deeply affect other people” -SARK

So, Watch this space…Book #2 is coming soon! I can’t wait to share it with you!

Threads of Thought

You play an important part in this process! Readers can help authors by purchasing their books, writing a review on Amazon, attending local author book signings, liking or commenting on a social media or blog post. Even a friendly “hey, I loved your book” goes a long way!

I’ve learned a lot since publishing my first book three years ago, but this debut book will always be close to my heart. The story of my transition from teaching to writing sets the stage for book #2. It’s not too late to get your copy here! http://amazon.com/author/debravandeventer

March 11, 2024March 11, 2024

Tucson Festival of Books 2024

Reflections from an Indie Author

The author at the Tucson Festival of Books

The Tucson Festival of Books: Imagine a Disneyworld for authors and book lovers! Every spring, thousands descend on the campus of the University of Arizona for a weekend of workshops, author meet and greets, books sales, food , music, and fun. This is the third largest book event in the nation, and I look forward to it each year. But this year was special. I participated as an author!

How did this happen? First, I had to submit my self-published book to the TFOB Indie Author’s Committee for review by October 15. In January I received notice that Out of the Crayon Box had been accepted as one of the books to be featured in this year’s Indie Author’s Pavilion. I was thrilled to be given this opportunity to sign books and meet readers face to face!

Did I sell some books? Yes! Enough to fund a European vacation? Well no, but enough to cover the cost of my registration fee and a nice dinner out. (or maybe lunch at the local sandwich shop, when you factor in cost of the promotional poster I had printed and the blue top and crayon earrings I bought to wear because they matched my book cover, ha-ha…) But here’s the real payoff:

Being Part of a Literary Community

Writing, putting thoughts to paper, is a solitary act, but to be a writer you need a community. This means being there for writers, learning from those who have more experience, encouraging emerging writers, participating in critique groups and writing organizations, buying and reading books, attending workshops, and yes, celebrating reading and writing. At the Festival of Books, I truly experienced this. Friends and family came to cheer me on, and I met new people, fellow published authors, who had come from all over the country. We shared tips and celebrated each other’s successes.

The Festival of Books gave me the opportunity to send my words out into the world.

My book went home with retired teachers who connected with me as we shared common experiences, young teachers who responded to my book’s dedication “to all past and present educators and the stories they hold in their hearts”, and to a man who hoped my book would inspire his wife to write her own stories. To send my words out “gloriously traveling to all sorts of places” (SARK) and touching the hearts and minds and imaginations of other people….this, this is why I write.

A Nametag

A simple 3×5 piece of plastic hanging from a black lanyard that reads: Tucson Festival of Books 2024: Where Words and Imagination come to life: Debra VanDeventer…Indie Author. I know, I know, it sounds silly, but I kinda teared up when I put it on and took my spot in the pavilion. My nametag now hangs on the bulletin board by my desk, there to remind me if I ever doubt myself, or struggle with my latest manuscript, or worry about sales, or wonder why I’m writing… I AM AN AUTHOR

The author with her nametag from the Tucson Festival of Books

Threads of Thought

Be part of the literary community! Celebrate reading and writing! Support local authors and local bookstores. Buy their books and leave a review. Write your own stories or books. Be a part of the 2025 Tucson Festival of Books! Maybe I’ll see you there next year! http://www.tucsonfestivalofbooks.org

A bright blue book with a border of crayons across the bottom and the title OUt of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life

Help this little book “gloriously travel.”

http://www.amazon.com/author/debravandeventer

February 26, 2024February 26, 2024

The 52 Hike Challenge Begins

holding a patch that reads :52 Hike Challenge

January 1, 2024. Christmas was over, the kids and granddaughters were on their way home. Post-holiday lethargy had set in and I was mindlessly scrolling through my phone when an ad for the 52 Hike Challenge caught my attention. I thought it might be a fun way for my husband and I to get out of our routine, get some fresh air and exercise, and spend time together.

“Hey, would you like for me to sign us up for this?” I showed the ad to Ed.

“Sure, why not?”

The 52 Hike Challenge

Why not?! One hike a week for 52 weeks. The “Official rules” state that your hike should be at least a mile outdoors. You may start the challenge anytime during the year. My personal goal is to seek new adventures and try to do 52 unique hikes, although there will most likely be repeats. So far we’ve hiked in nearby state and national parks, a Sandhill Crane observatory, a reclaimed wetlands preserve, and a converted railroad trail. All have been 1.5-2.5 miles with easy terrain.

Note: If you’re interested, there’s a link in the “Threads of Thought” section at the end of this post. I am not affiliated or sponsored by the 52 Hike Challenge. The site will direct you to several “Packages”, that include various perks, but I signed up for the free version that included a free hike tracker. I purchased a 52 Hike Challenge patch separately. (Because who doesn’t love an official patch?)

Going the Distance

To log the milage of each hike, my son helped me download the Strava app on my phone. This is an excellent resource , but it took a hike or two to figure it out. Looking back over one of my first hikes, I noticed that I’d neglected to turn the app off and it continued to track me walking around my house and running errands for many days. (weeks?) It recorded the hike as 135.52 miles with a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour. I should delete it, but it looks rather impressive. I’m keeping it up for a while. Actually, my mph is very slow, much to the annoyance of others we sometimes hike with. Blame it on the fact that while hiking I’m stopping to take pictures and…

Write the Hikes

So here’s how my brain works: I’m a writer, can I write the hikes? Yes, of course! I try to take a journal, or record some impressions once I get home. I record the date and distance, and who we hiked with. A recent hike inspired a poem. The world is full of stories and poems if you know how to look for them!

And then, my brain said…I’m a sewist, so what if could…

Quilt the Hikes

I dashed off to the quilt shop to buy bits and pieces of fabric, then a friend helped me cut out lots of triangles. I’m not a quilter, but I had so much fun with my friend’s rotary cutter and she helped me figure it all out mathematically. The plan is to earn a triangle for each hike. I’ll sew these together into squares, then fashion a wall hanging at the completion of the challenge. Sounds ambitious, but this keeps me motivated to see how the quilt grows.

We’re two months and eight hikes into the Challenge. So far, so good, but the year is young. Will we complete the challenge? Stay tuned!

Threads of Thought

Live creatively! “There’s a time for certain ideas to arrive, and they find a way to express themselves through us.” (Rick Rubin)

Are you inspired by nature? Go for a hike!

http://www.52hikechallenge.com

BIG NEWS! Out of the Crayon Box is going to the 2024 Tucson Festival of Books! Look for me at the Indie Author’s Pavilion on Saturday, March 9, 1:30-4:30! or get your copy here: http://amazon.com/author/debravandeventer

February 8, 2024February 8, 2024

The Timekeepers

The Lost Art of Clock Repair

the front of a shop with the name "Ye Olde Clock shoppe" in red letters

The name of the shop gives the first clue you are traveling back in time. Four months ago my husband dropped off a clock at Ye Olde Clock Shoppe. Ed is not a clock enthusiast usually, but this timepiece has sentimental value. He purchased the clock in Switzerland when he was a student studying abroad, and had it shipped back as a gift to his parents. It moved from place to place, resting atop various shelves and side tables, never running properly, then stopping altogether. When Ed’s mother passed away this spring, we became the keeper of the clock .We’d almost forgotten about the repair shop until we got a call. “Your clock is ready. You can come pick it up.”

Although the shop appears to be an ordinary place of business set between others in the shopping center, once you open the door you enter a world where time tics and tocks–stands still and moves forward. In the dim light I see half dozen Grandfather clocks guarding the door, making it nearly impossible to approach the counter. The walls are packed with scores of cuckoo clocks–their hands still and their whimsical characters silent behind shuttered doors. Past the counter are shelves and shelves filled with clocks of all kinds waiting their turn to come back to life. More clocks create a maze on the floor, making passage through the shop difficult. Thoughts of Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley run through my mind and I am expecting a clock wizard to appear when I ring the bell for service.

And indeed, a woman with long gray hair, a long skirt and shawl, and wire-rim glasses walks from the back room to greet us. When Ed gives our name, she heaves a large black ledger onto the counter, scrolls through several pages, then taps our name with a bent finger. “Yes, yes, the Anniversary Clock. She’s a beauty. I’ll get her for you.” And she disappears into the back room. After several minutes, she carries the timepiece gingerly through the clock maze and eases it onto the counter.

She takes her time to tell us about our clock and how to care for it–how to make adjustments when it runs fast or slow. “You only need to wind it once a year…that’s why they call it an Anniversary Clock” she informs us.

And this is where the wizardry happens. The clock runs all year on the force of the pendulum–four golden balls that rotate, left and right, by centrifugal force. No batteries, no electricity, no internet connection. Of course it’s science, not wizardry. But what minds figured out how this works–how the minute hand and the hour hand move with surprising accuracy? It’s the timekeepers of the world who are keeping this lost art alive. The tinkerers of tiny parts, levers and gears.

The shop has a tremendous backlog of clocks needing repair, as there are few left who understand the craft. They are a dying breed, these horologists, in our high-tech world. While we are waiting, a woman comes in to complain. “I brought my clock in two weeks ago! Why isn’t it done?” A product of our “I want it now Amazon world”, she doesn’t understand it takes time to make time.

As we finish up, the wizard woman wraps our clock with great care. “Keep her steady, hold her on your lap on the way home.” And so I do, as if I were carrying a newborn on my lap. Once home we place it on the shelf we’d cleared in the living room, so we can enjoy it. We’ve made a few adjustments– a few minutes too fast, then too slow–she’s sensitive. But what a joy to watch. The pendulum moves silently around, back and forth at the perfect pace, and the hands keep time in sync with the rhythm of the Earth.

Here’s to the timekeepers of the world.

a glass domed clock with golden ball pendulum

Threads of Thought

Do you have a clock story to share?

How to you keep and measure time? By your phone, Apple watch, Fitbit, digital, analog? How has this changed in your lifetime?

Time has a different quality to it now that I’m a writer. Learn more about my transition from teaching in Out of the Crayon Box, Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life http://amazon.com/author/debravandeventer

January 27, 2024January 27, 2024

5 Reasons I (still) Blog

a computer with a sign that says "Writer at Work" and a jar of colored pencils

This month marks the third anniversary of my blog, Seams Like a Story! My debut post “Creating a Space to Write and Sew” was published on January 4, 2021. Since then, I’ve published 104 posts (59,201 words) and generated 13,885 views.

Some influencers and social media experts say blogging is dead. You’ll get no traction. No one reads blogs anymore. Go to Tik Tok. That’s where the cool kids hang out, they claim. Yeah, maybe. But here are 5 reasons I still blog.

1. Through my blog I share my writing with others.

The bio on my sidebar reads : I designed this site to feel like a cozy conversation with a friend over a cup of tea or coffee. It’s a place where you can read articles that you can relate to, stories that make you smile, think, or encourage you on your own writing journey. I remind myself of this each time I sit down to compose a post.

2. My Blog is a creative outlet.

Composing, editing, and sharing 104 posts has helped me hone my writing skills in creative ways. Now when I’m out and about, I use my writer’s eye to zero in on things I might have passed by, and find ways to bring these stories to you. Using my own photographs to enhance my posts, I see the world with a photographer’s lens as well. Though sewing isn’t the main focus of my blog, I share snippets of projects that I’m working on. Creativity takes many forms and you, my readers, are a talented bunch.

3. My blog posts generate fertile ground for future writing projects.

Though I like to keep the content of a post concise, many of the ideas can be further developed into stories, magazine articles, or books.

4. Writing my blog helps me discover my audience.

Believe it or not, writing for you through my blog helps me discover my audience and my voice as an author. Each post ends with “Threads of Thought”, a place where I encourage you to respond or think about something. When you leave a comment, when my words reach you in a specific way, when we make a connection, my heart sings and I know I’m on the right track.

5. Marketing

There, I said it. The dirty word. Full disclosure, I began my blog prior to the release of my first book in hopes that I would gain exposure as an author. Blogs travel not only to subscribers, but out into the world on the wings of the SEO (search engine optimization) gods, thus expanding my reach. This is crucial for a self-published author. Pretty soon, friends and family tire of buying, or hearing about my book. To take the pressure off of you, at the end of each post, I add a link to direct new customers to my author’s page.

So my friends, I’m not going to TikToc myself. I’m happy right here, blogging for you, and for myself , for as long as the mood strikes me. Three years! Wow! Happy Anniversary, Seams Like a Story!

Three pink balloons with the title 3 years!

Threads of Thought

How did you discover this blog?

Do you have a favorite post?

Send a birthday wish to Seams Like a Story!

Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life is soon to be featured in the 2024 Tucson Festival of Books! Stay tuned for mor details or grab a copy here! http://amazon.com/author/debravandeventer