Publishing Newsletter for Independent Authors



July, 2015 - Vol 5, Issue 4
In This Issue
Summer is Here (Finally)
Rules and Writing
Welcome News
New Books
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Classes
Author News and Awards
Maine Bookstores
Join Our Mailing List!
Contact Information

Summer is here (finally) 

View from Sebasco Harbor Resort (Photo by Genie Dailey) 

 

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter  

to give it sweetness."  

--John Steinbeck                      

  

Summer is here and all the sweeter after the long Maine winter. Our authors are going to be busy this summer with book signings, fairs, festivals, and much more. Make sure to stop and say hi while you are out and about during the next few months. You can keep updated about upcoming author events by following us on social media or by checking out our events section below.  

    

 

Thank you to all who attended the Publicity and Marketing Conference for Independent Authors! It was a success despite the rainy weather. It was great to see our authors, meet already established authors, and get to know those who were just getting started in the process. Best of luck with all your writing and marketing endeavors!   

(Staff from left to right: Jane, David, Dan, Kristine, Nikki, Lindy, and Genie took the picture!) 

    

Rules and Writing by Lee Heffner  

 

 "There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like  

drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges."


Writers who read books about the craft of writing are bombarded with rules. Successful authors (those who have sold tens of thousands of a single title) have been asked to share their rules. Neil Gaiman, Hilary Mantel, Stephen King, and Elmore Leonard (my personal favorite) have complied. Leonard is my favorite, because for every rule he lists he gives an example of a writer who has succeeded in breaking it.

 

Are rules and the creative process counterintuitive? Yes and no. When we write a first draft, rules are a hindrance. A first draft is the Wild West. It is the time to get every word, thought, and character related to your fledgling project on the page. Without judgment. Without rules. Can you feel your internal editor cringe? Good. A first draft is no place for an internal editor.


Draft complete; now what? Let the editor out of the dungeon. Read your draft through as a reader, and as you read listen to the voice of your internal editor. This is when rules
are helpful. Who do you admire as a writer, or what writer's work is aligned with your style and genre? Check to see if they have published their rules for writing. If you can't find a set by your favorite author, Elmore Leonard is a good fallback resource. Review the rules not as commandments sent down from on high, but as identifiers for decisions you want to make to help you refine your second draft. This is where you add exposition, refine transitions, and broaden or delete characters to move the story along. Remember, the first draft is about creation--no rules, no holds barred. The second draft is about making decisions about what you have created. Who among us couldn't use the wisdom gained from those more experienced?

Lee Heffner, Writer, Writer's Coach, Instructor, and Consultant for Maine Authors Publishing

lee@maineauthorspublishing.com

 

Welcome Kelly Brooks-Bay to MAP staff

We are pleased to welcome Kelly Brooks-Bay (author of The Rainbow Pants) to Maine Authors Publishing as a part-time Events Coordinator, kelly@maineauthorspublishing.com.
Kelly is a Maine native and earned her Master's degree in counselor education from the University of Maine in 2009. She has organized large community events and festivals as the president of her school parent group. She has also helped local businesses raise money for families and scout groups in need. Kelly will be working closely with bookstores, schools, libraries, and festival staff to promote the amazing MAP authors. You can visit her website or find her on Facebook for more information.

 

 

 

New Book Arrivals by Authors in our MAP Cooperative Plan

All books in the cooperative plan are available for purchase on our website or from your local bookstore.

       

Chainsaw Mama: Life on a Northern Maine Dairy Farm, Lee-Rae Jordan-Oliver. Memoir. Craftily weaving humor throughout harrowing and heartwarming true stories, this memoir shows the everyday challenges a dairy farmer must overcome to survive.

Susan's Suitcase, Francine McEwen. Children's. The "suitcase talk" helps a young girl understand and cope with her questions and feelings about loss. Teachers, counselors, and medical professionals will find this book helpful and inspirational in their work with grieving children and families.  
  

New Book Arrivals by Authors in our Indie Author Plan 

 

Available on Amazon or from Indie Author Warehouse.

 

 

What do you do with a Mushy Banana?, Adele McCormack. Children's. Young readers will fall in love with this tasty tale as they follow along with Banana to learn the stages of baking a simple banana bread recipe. 

 

A Day at Maine Maritime Museum, Alfred Tyrol. Children's.Tommy is excited to go to the Maine Maritime Museum with his father. But when he falls asleep, he finds himself on a whole new adventure.

 

Cross Border Tales, Charles E. McGowan. Memoir. Accounts, legends, and yarns from Maine and Atlantic Canada.

 

Upcoming Eventsevents

   

  • July 11, 9 am-4 pm, 11th annual Books in Boothbay: Maine's Summer Book Fair, Railway Village on Rt. 27 in Boothbay
    • The children's and young adult authors attending from 9 am-12 pm are Betsey Anderson (Maggie Goes to Maine), Cady Elizabeth Arnold (Tapestry Volume I and Volume II), Joy Cameron (Gabe and the Mystery Light), Paige W. Pendleton (Star of Wonder), John Swan (Pancakes & Fireflies), Christopher Lockwood (The Tennis Ball Trees), Francine McEwen (Susan's Suitcase and Billy Big Ears and Bob the Bully), Ronna Lambiasi DeLoe (Goodbye Monsters), Jane Parker (Lily of the North), Don Denico (Can a Frog Fly?), and Jayne Rowe Jones (Evelyn and the Peacocks and Retsbol Rises).
    • The adult authors attending from 1 pm-4 pm are Christopher Morin (A Tale of Life & War and The Besieged), Joy Cameron (Saving Lauren's Daughter), and Lindy Gifford Doodle-ography Journal).
  • July 11,10 am-2pm, Norway Arts Festival, Book Signings hosted by Books N Things 
    • The authors attending are Kelly Brooks-Bay (The Rainbow Pants), Jean M. Flahive (Railroad to the Moon), Kathy Eliscu (Not Even Dark Chocolate Can Fix This Mess), and Anne B. Gass (Voting Down the Rose).
  • July 23, 6:30 pm, Omer Zamir, Man of Age, Book launch at the Hubbard Free Library
  • July 24-26, 2015 Beyond the Sea Book Festival, Beyond the Sea Books & Gifts, Lincolnville, Maine.
    • Friday, Focus on children's and young adult. Saturday, focus on mystery and Maine fiction. Sunday, focus on non-fiction. Schedule can be found here.
  • July 24-31, The International Women's Writing Guild Summer Conference, Litchfield, CT. Jane Karker is teaching a workshop, Self-Publishing for Independent Authors. Registration is open until July 15th.

 

Upcoming Classes

 

 

Introduction to Book Marketing - Classes held at Maine Authors Publishing, 558 Main Street, Rockland. Class includes a broad range of information and answers questions you may have about marketing as an independent author. The workshop is free to coop members and $20 for non-members. Refreshments and materials are provided! Reservations required by calling 207-594-0091.

  •   Tuesday, July 14, 2:30-6:00 pm
  •   Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2:30-6:00 pm
 

Independent Publishing for Maine Writers classes by Jane Karker being offered for Summer season of 2015 include:

  • Wednesday, August 5, 6:00-8:00, Belgrade Library, Tel. 495-3508
  • Thursday, August 13, 6:00-8:15, Scarborough Public Library, Tel. 396-6270

To sign up for classes, contact the individual schools or library.

 

 

Author News and Awards

 

 
 
 
Carl Howe Hansen, Destiny, featured June 25, 2015, in The Hippo and the New Hampshire Union Leader. Also chosen by the New Hampshire State Library as the Book of the Week on June 8, 2015.  







Peter Pfeiffer
, Hard Chance, excerpt in the July issue of Down East Magazine.







Judith Burger-Gossart, Sadie's Winter Dream, featured June 10, 2015, in the
Maine Antique Digest and reviewed by the Portland Press Herald on June 28, 2015.   





Congratulations to Deborah W. Dykes, Stellarella: Seashells on the Seashore  who was the winner in the Spiritual category of the 2015 Beach Book Festival.

 

  

   

 

   

 


Christopher Lockwood, The Tennis Ball Trees, announced his retirement as Executive Director from the Maine Municipal Association.  

MAP Books in Maine Bookstores  

 

Christopher Morin (author of A Tale of Life & War and The Besieged) submitted some photos of his books in local bookstores. You can also see Sea of Liberty by Kevin C. Mills, Vanishing Act by Brooke Pacy, Margel's Madness by Darcy Scott, and Matinicus by Darcy Scott! 

 

   
   
Thank you to The Mustard Seed Bookstore in Bath (left) and Nonesuch Books in South Portland (center, right)!

MAP authors: If you see your book in a local bookstore, snap a photo and we may include it in our newsletter and on social media.

 

Don't forget to follow us on social media!socialmedia


Keep updated on Maine Authors Publishing and our authors by checking out our social media pages:

Like us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter  Find us on Pinterest   View on Instagram

 

For MAP/BWP Members Only 

AUTHOR FORUM and PRIVATE FACEBOOK PAGE

 

For MAP and BWP Authors that are currently in the Cooperative or Indie Author Warehouse plans, we offer two private author forums. We have recently set up a new PRIVATE Facebook page available by invitation only. The other author forum is also a private forum but is for authors who may or may not use Facebook. It includes information on upcoming awards you can apply for and book sales for the previous month along with questions you can ask other authors.

 

If you haven't joined the forum or the private Facebook page, email Nikki at nikki@maineauthorspublishing.com for information on how to join.     

 

Maine Authors Publishing, located in Rockland, ME, produces and markets books for independent authors. Maine Authors Cooperative is a program within the company that offers catalog and fulfillment services to get independently published books into Maine bookstores.  

 

Boston Writers Publishing, located in Waltham, MA, offers the same services as Maine Authors Publishing for authors and bookstores in Massachusetts. 


Please contact me today if you'd like to learn more about independently publishing your own book.

  
Jane Karker, President
Maine Authors Publishing
Boston Writers Publishing