| |
| Worth Reading |
| |
| Each of the individuals I will introduce to you in this section was, at one time, in a class I was privileged to teach. I am please to share their success with all of you. |
| |
| Carol Bodensteiner |
| Congratulations to Carol Bodensteiner of Des Moines, IA, on the publication of her first book Growing Up Country: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl (Rising Sun Press, 2008). Years ago, Carol helped with promotion of my first book, She Taught Me to Eat Artichokes. Later, we re-connected through a week-long class at the University of Iowa Summer Writing Festival and our paths now cross frequently through workshops, writing and shared interests in Iowa life. |
| |
| Comments from Carol Bodensteiner |
| |
| The Backstory: I intended to write about my parents’ lives - from The Depression to one-room country schools. The more I wrote about them, the more memories of my own childhood surfaced. Mom encouraged me repeatedly to write down my stories. And we try to do what our mothers want, don't we? |
| |
| The Travails of a First-time Author: Workshop leaders like Mary Kay helped me learn the art and craft of creative writing and provided bursts of inspiration. My writing group sustained that inspiration with encouragement. Without them, I doubt I could have completed the task. Their every-two-week deadlines ensured I applied the "butt glue" that kept me at my computer. Also, readers-my writing group, friends and family - helped me see the holes, the unsupported leaps of logic, the boring back-story. |
| |
| The Issue: Agriculture and America were on the cusp of great change in the 1950s, the timeframe of this memoir. Farmers have always been hard working and self sufficient. But in the 1950s, everyone in the family played a role in the farm’s success. My stories center around when I was 8-11 years old, an important time on the farm because my sisters and I took on increasingly adult responsibilities as each of us turned 10. |
| |
Self Publishing:
My first choice was a traditional publisher, but I was unsuccessful in attracting one by my self-imposed deadline. I explored assisted self-publishing services, but couldn’t keep the book’s price accessible to my rural audiences. So I established Rising Sun Press.
You have to do everything-choose type face, do layout, select a printer, buy the ISBN # and barcode, and figure out distribution, from warehousing to collecting and paying tax. But there is help, including www.selfpublishing.com.
Now I have a published book I am proud of, within my deadline, at a price the market can afford. And I make money on it, too.
|
| |
| What's Next: Marketing the book. I schedule signings and speeches, contact the media, write releases and arrange interviews. And I’m researching and working on the story line for an historical fiction book. |
| |
|
Growing Up Country
Carol's memoir delivers a treat as delicious as oatmeal cookies hot out of the oven - a memoir of a happy childhood.
Growing Up Country is available at www.carolbodensteiner.com, through Amazon.com, and any bookstore. Cost: $13.95 with free shipping in the U.S. from her Web site.
|
