Getting the word(s) out

The experiences of two writers offer guidance in the challenging world of self-publishing.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005
By KIA HALL HAYES
Journal Staff Writer

The words of Bristol author Hannah R. Goodman's teenage protagonist, Maddie, could provide inspiration for first-time authors going it alone in the maze of self-publishing.

"How am I going to get through this?" Maddie's sister asked on her wedding day.

"You just are," Maddie replied.

Thousands of writers may have that exchange in their heads as they enter the self-publishing jungle with no agent, no editor, no marketing scheme and no experience.

The journey toward getting published isn't easy. There are millions more would-be authors than there are traditional publishers who pay to print, market and distribute their books. Publishing companies can afford to be picky, taking a fraction of the aspiring authors and leaving the rest in the cold.

Thus self-publishing, where authors pay companies to print their books, is growing. It can bring a sense of autonomy and control for authors who wish to make their own marketing and production decisions. Many of the new self-publishing companies provide editing, but few distribute, making it difficult for authors to make a name for themselves, or even a profit.

Few major bookstores carry books by self-published authors. Thus, self-publishers must navigate not only the publishing world, but also the world of marketing and distribution.

Goodman, 29, a Middletown High School teacher, found her way last year with the release of her novel, My Sister's Wedding, about a 15-year-old girl coming to terms with her family's history of alcoholism.

Goodman's experience attempting to get a publisher might have sent other writers running. She sent companies hundreds of letters pitching the idea for her story, and many expressed interest. When they saw the manuscript, however, they waffled, making countless editing suggestions and then turning her down.

They all said some version of the same thing, said Goodman, who lives in Bristol: "The manuscript isn't coming together for me."

So she decided to go it alone. Through an online search on self-publishing, she found iUniverse, a printing company that sells books through larger distributing companies like amazon.com. She also set up her own Web site, and does her own marketing.

Bringing the character Maddie to life was a long time coming. Goodman created Maddie when she was 15, after experiencing her first heartbreak and seeing her friends submit to peer pressure.

Ten years later, at Middletown High, Goodman's students often shared with her their experiences with peer pressure, and Maddie was reborn.

"Maddie was speaking to me in my head for years," Goodman said.

Thanks to My Sister's Wedding, Maddie has spoken to hundreds of others. Last November, iUniverse told Goodman that the company had sold 500 books.

Last year, Goodman won a self-published book award from Writer's Digest magazine. She was recently asked to appear at Hope High School, in Providence, where she will donate some of her books.

Goodman, who now consults for new writers and teaches writing, hopes to share what she's learned in the self-publishing process.

"I have a bigger picture now. It's not just the book," Goodman said.

Fellow self-publisher Debra Crippen, 57, of Tiverton, has also moved from one challenge to another. After caring for her father, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease; her mother, who suffered from dementia; her husband, who had brain cancer; and her ailing mother-in-law, Crippen knew so much about caretaking that she figured she could write a book.

So she did.

Last December, she published Red Flags, a book that explains warning signs signaling serious physical and mental problems in older adults, and how to care for ailing loved ones.

With her book, Crippen -- who spent about $250,000 over eight years on nursing homes, assisted living facilities and daily expenses -- hopes to pave an easier road for others taking her same journey.

"If I can help people ease the stress of caregiving, that would be a wonderful reward for me," Crippen said.

Crippen started the book two years ago, in the form of a journal she kept while caring for her husband and parents. After they died, she saw her notes as a way to help others.

Crippen decided to self-publish so that she could control marketing of the book. After three months of searching, she found a company in Iowa that was willing to print Red Flags. It sells in Portsmouth, Providence and Westport, Mass., as well as Arizona and Illinois.

Readers have responded, most notably U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, who sent Crippen a favorable review after she sent him her book. Crippen is also considering sending a copy to U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, whose ailing mother recently was found injured in Boston.

"I just thought it would help him," Crippen said.

Now that she is published, she is considering writing a book on the warning signs in romantic relationships.

"If you've got this dream and you want to do it ... you just got to do it yourself," Crippen said.

Online at: http://www.projo.com

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