The practice of children screaming “trick or treat” when visiting your home on Halloween evening didn’t begin in America until the 1940’s. Usually there wasn’t a trick because most homes offered their ghoulish visitors a treat, even though my Dad insisted on handing out apples.  Growing up I was embarrassed by his healthy handout, now, I recognize he was ahead of his time.

This week author Ruth Ozeki  is the guest the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  The campus coordinates a program called ‘Go Big Read’.  A book is selected each year for study by the entire campus (+42,000 students).  All 5000 entering freshmen were given a copy of Ozeki’s latest novel A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING.  For a week there have been discussion groups across campus that Ozeki participated in and 60 courses offered to students on her novel.  Any writer would be envious of both the book sales and attention Go Big Read generates.

Part of Ozeki’s duties for the week included making a presentation to a room of 1200 readers and I was one of the mega-audience attending.  We didn’t learn until she began speaking that she had no intention of talking about her novel, instead, she lectured us on “How To Be A Better Time Being”, which she read directly from notes.  In a forty-five minute presentation she shared only a thread of information on writing A TALE . . . It wasn’t even obvious that she had six points to share with us on ‘how to be a better time being’ until she announced number three and told us there would be a total of six.

Ozeki is a Zen Buddhist priest and had us spend +10 minutes meditating.  Again, not at all what I expected in an author’s book reading.  I’m not against meditating, but I am against being put in a position that I have to meditate with 1198 strangers, it was inappropriate and offensive.

At the close of her presentation 30 minutes was allocated to a Q & A.  The professor moderator, of  course, had to start with his own question – not that 1200 people in a college setting would need any prompting to ask questions.  He only wanted to show us how important he was, that he had to lead the questioning.  We once called that pompous and self-important.

All of the questions posed were about A Tale . . ., not a single question about how to be a better time being.  She didn’t answer a single question.  She stuttered and danced around any direct, meaningful answers. 

So, this Halloween we received a trick from author Ruth Ozeki.  My recommendation is, if you have a chance to attend one of her author readings, skip it.       

Plain and simple, here it is . . .

10/18 received electronic proof of book

10/21  received  physical proof of book

10/21 to 10/25 review proof,  make corrections, upload corrected proof

10/28 review and upload final book cover with spine

11/5 receive corrected proof

11/12 approve final proof

11/12 approve final cover

11/12 select regular and extended distribution

11/12 MURPHY’S TROUBLES sent to Amazon distribution

11/19 receive author’s complimentary copy

11/20 MURPHY’S TROUBLES available on Amazon for purchase

Part of the schedule is based on milestones Create Space provides to accomplish their tasks and part is dependent on me.  Having this timeline makes it real, concrete.  I began down the meandering road to publication in April 2010, it has taken 44 months.   

This past Monday I took one giant leap closer to releasing Murphy’s Troubles on Amazon.  I had a telephone conference with my design team at Create Space.  I panicked when my manuscript file was converted to a book format came in at 501 pages.  I attempted to change the formatting and physical dimensions of the book (called trim size) to reduce the page count.  It became clear that I had stumbled into the realm of graphic design experts and I was lost.

For a $349 I purchased the Create Space interior design package.  They sent me a document with recommendations for:  trim size, body copy font, accent font and fleuron (that squiggly thing separating major paragraph breaks within a chapter).  Before purchasing the package I was asked three times if I would like to try to do the interior design myself.  I appreciated not having a hard sell but I knew I needed help.

My graphic designer, Anna, led me through a series of questions to make the decisions that will shape the physical book.  I didn’t hesitate to ask for recommendations.  First choice – trim size.  Originally I chose 8.5 x 5.5.  Anna recommended 8 x 5 because it was more common for my genre.  She was able to tell me that size would result in a 330 page book, perfect.  I reviewed the various font options with my cover designer because I trust his judgment in the visual appearance of the book.  We chose Mercury for the body copy font (interior paragraph font); Charlemagne for the accent font (chapter headings) and a simple fleuron.  Next I was asked if I wanted the right page chapters.  That means each new chapter would always begin on a right hand page.  At first I thought that was a good idea.  However, Anna pointed out that could add 30 pages to the total page count.  I didn’t want to do that and she explained that most fiction books don’t have right page chapters.

Finally, we reviewed the image size of my book cover.  When I uploaded the cover file several months ago we guessed at the trim size.  We downsized the book so now the image needs to be adjusted.  I notified my cover designer and will have a properly sized image in about a week.

With all these decisions behind me the book seems much more real because it’s taking on physical shape in the real world.  I’ll be sent an electronic proof on 10/28 but I asked to be sent a physical proof which should arrive in early November.        

I have been down the path of working with a traditional publisher and it didn’t work out.  After two and a half years of many versions of my manuscript, my former publisher didn’t meet two publication dates they set in 2012.  Each time a date was missed there was no explanation.  I tried to negotiate a publication date in 2013 but the publisher refused to negotiate.  I threw up my hands in disgust and terminated that contract.

When I started my journey to publication in early 2010 I was hell bent on traditional publishing.  I felt there was a dark cloud over self-publishing.  I was convinced that I wouldn’t be a legitimate author if I self-published.  Check the definition of author, then you’ll understand.

For years self-publication meant vanity press but now there are legitimate alternatives.  I was approached by a subsidy publisher but after careful analysis I concluded only the publisher benefited from that relationship.

For self-publishing I selected Amazon’s Create Space because the Linkedin groups I belong to rated their experience as very good to exceptional and because my friend and author, Marshall Cook, selected Create Space after his publisher of many years went out of business.

Create Space is completely transparent in the services they provide at no cost and those that have a fee.  I have called them for help and written e-mails.  They are patient with me and always offer a solution.  When my browser didn’t work to upload my manuscript file, they did it at no cost in the format they needed for publication.  They offered this solution to my problem, I didn’t ask.

My goal is to publish MURPHY’S TROUBLES in November; I’ve been assigned a Create Space publishing assistant to guide me through the publishing maze.  I consider myself fortunate to have the services of Create Space to help a novice publish my debut novel.  A few years ago, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity. 

Traditional literary agents and the publishing industry is risk averse because they are in the business of making money, not encouraging literature.  Create Space has developed a publishing model where there risk is minimal and the cost to the writer is only what they can reasonably pay yet have a high quality book produced.  So what if Amazon is the 600 pound gorilla in the room?  I like gorillas.   

Several years ago I became interested in traditional oral storytelling.  I thought  oral storytelling would be a natural extension of my writing fiction.  I felt that learning to tell oral stories would deepen and enrich my writing.

A local librarian was working to establish a storytelling group where people could learn the art, be supportive and refine their presentation and stories.  The first meeting included an eclectic mix of people all with different reasons for wanting to be storytellers.  As part of the meeting attendees were asked to volunteer to tell stories.  The first was the librarian who told a story of a family canoe trip.  While she told the story dramatically (read melodramatically) it was neither interesting nor humorous.  A second couple told a story about a trip they took in the Caribbean.  They laughed throughout their own story; they were the only ones in the room that were laughing.  Do you see a pattern? My idea of true storytelling wasn’t about folks sharing their own life experiences;  that should be confined to family reunions or professional comedians.

 This past weekend there was a Wisconsin Storytellers Get Together at a local library.  The cost for the day was $40; I wasn’t sure what the money was to be used for but spending that amount wasn’t going to break the bank.

About 25 people attended of which 21 were women that had been retired for at least 10 years.  Of the four men attending only one looked young enough to still be holding a day job.  In the very first session I learned that most attending performed storytelling for money.  I was shocked and surprised. I didn’t want to tell stories to add to my income, but for the art.  It began to feel bad in my gut.

It became crystal clear that these folks were not interested in stories, they were interested in performing.   I’m not interested in performing; I’m interested in storytelling as an art.  I had a strong reaction in my gut.  That part of you that says:  get out now, this isn’t for you.

After the first session I quietly walked out.  I didn’t get my forty bucks worth, or maybe I did.  I avoided what could have been a major detour on my journey to become a better writer.  I’m a writer, not a performer; at forty bucks I guess it’s a cheap lesson.