Posted in General, tagged book sales, Books by the Banks, nonfiction, Speaking engagements, writing on November 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Your next opportunity to see me and discuss books will be on November 19, 2022, at Books by the Banks at the Duke Energy Convention Center.
I will sign and discuss my latest book, Christmas in Cincinnati, at Books by the Banks. I’ll be there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., along with several other Cincinnati and Ohio writers.
Come see the Kids’ Corner! Your youngsters will meet some of their favorite authors and can have their books autographed.
Posted in Teaching, Writing Life, tagged Ann Hagedorn, creative nonfiction, get published, manuscripts, nonfiction, process, reading, rituals, writers' retreat, writing, writing workshops, Yellow Springs on June 1, 2018| 2 Comments »
Nonfiction Presenter Ann Hagedorn
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Renowned author Ann Hagedorn will be talking about nonfiction at Retreat to the Springs! October 26 to 28, 2018, in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
Q: What is the difference between creative nonfiction and “regular” nonfiction?
Actually, I call the genre of my books “narrative nonfiction,” which uses storytelling to deliver current issues and sometimes complex histories to the general reader in a compelling way. These are true stories, meticulously researched, that are told by applying the art of literary techniques, such as descriptive scenes, character development, story structure, suspense, and climax. I think of creative nonfiction as being more about memoirs. But, whatever the terminology, the goal for both is to utilize the very best tools of fiction writing and nonfiction research.
Q: Do you have to finish a nonfiction book before you can pitch it to an agent or publisher?
No, but you must write a substantial book proposal that shows the significance, scope, do-ability, research sources (such as people to interview, documents to uncover) and the literary potential for your book idea. Also, in the proposal, you must describe your vision for the story structure, which is effectively an artist’s sketch for how you think you will tell the story.
The better the proposal, the more confidence — and enthusiasm! — an agent and an editor will have in you and your book. I’m a great believer in writing proposals no matter how many books you’ve written or how solid the idea seems. While you’re writing it, you’ll be able to identify the strengths and potential flaws in the storyline.
Q: Do you have a “trademark” or something that distinguishes your work?
I’ve written five narrative nonfiction books — am now in the midst of the sixth — and each focuses on a different topic, but my reasons for choosing particular topics, my methods of research, and my use of literary techniques give them all common ground. For example, whether the stories I select are out of the past or in the present I choose them because they have potential for being significant to us all; because they are stories brimming with what I call “human constants,” meaning my readers may identify with the challenges and triumphs depicted in each of them; and because they are often stories in danger of slipping through the cracks of time and public awareness.
And, no matter what the topic may be, my research process always includes digging deeply for as many primary sources as I can find, traveling to the places where the narrative took place, using chronologies as organizational tools and story structure devices, and trying to re-trace the footsteps of the main players in the story.
Q: When you get an idea for a book, do you “bounce” it off people, like your agent or editor?
Sometimes I do, but typically not until I’ve narrowed it down to three ideas. Usually during the time between books, I come up with a new idea every time I discover an untold story or a significant issue that must be brought alive through nonfiction storytelling or an unknown detail from a story we all know. But I try to refrain from sharing all of my ideas with my agent and editor and explore the numerous possibilities first.
Q: Do you outline your books?
No, I don’t like the restraint of outlines; I think they can smother creativity. But one of my favorite parts of writing narrative nonfiction is to study the various possibilities for ways to tell the story, to experiment with story structure sketches, and then to choose one that becomes a flexible guide for the research and can change as the details of the story surface. There’s the saying, “Art flies if held too lightly and art dies if held too tightly.” I think it was Ray Bradbury who said it. [Yes, he did — based on an Oscar Wilde poem.] An outline is too tight; no sketch at all is death to the project; but a good sense of the story’s components and a sketch of how they might unfold is a map for the writer and also lots of fun to figure out.
Typically I use five parts or “acts,” so to speak, and a prologue and epilogue. With the current book, I’m dividing the narrative into three parts because the drama works best in three “acts.”
Q: How long does it take you to write a book, from research to publication?
For me, it’s usually about three and a half years from the day I begin the research for the proposal and the day I do the book launch and first booksignings. That includes fact-checking, source notes, edits, press packets, etc. Some of my books have flown quickly through the process: one was very early but another one was late because it was a current topic that kept evolving. They each have had different lives!
Q: Which of your books are you proudest of?
To honestly answer that, I will have to steal a line from author Tom Clancy who once said, “My books are like children; I have no favorites.” However, a few of them have main players whose wisdom and foresight had such an impact on me that they could rank as favorites, but I won’t go there!
Q: Do you have a few favorite pieces of advice for writers?
Yes, I do. Read. Read. Read. And … Write. Write. Write. Set up a routine. Carry a notebook with you at all times. And teach yourself how to walk the delicate line between discipline and creativity.
Q: Any favorite quotes from writers about writing?
I haven’t read a lot of books by writers about their writing, but I did read Stephen King’s book On Writing, which is excellent, by the way. And his quote is one of the best imaginable; I’ve actually memorized it and here it is, as I remember it:
“On some days writing is a pretty grim slog. On others, I feel that buzz of happiness, that sense of having found the right words and putting them in a line. It’s like lifting off in an airplane: you’re on the ground, on the ground, on the ground … and then you’re up, riding on a magical cushion of air and prince of all you survey. That makes me happy, because it’s what I was made to do.”
Retreat to the Springs! is a roaming writers’ workshop. In 2018, it will be held October 26 to 28 in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Go here for more information and registration.
Posted in Teaching, Writing Life, tagged Ann Hagedorn, creative nonfiction, creative writing, Donna MacMeans, fiction, get published, Jason Sanford, manuscripts, nonfiction, process, romance, scifi/fantasy, self-published book, Speaking engagements, traditional publishing, Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, writers' retreat, writing workshops, Yellow Springs on February 27, 2018| 2 Comments »
The countdown to our writers’ Retreat to the Springs! in Yellow Springs has started: only four more months! To whet your appetites, here is a Q&A with presenter Donna MacMeans. As you can tell, she is very personable!
WHB: When did you first want to be a writer?
Romantic fiction writer Donna MacMeans
DM: I always thought I’d be an English teacher, not a writer, but I changed that plan after taking my first education course (grin). I switched to journalism so perhaps that was the moment. I was on a two-year scholarship at OSU. When my two years were up, I went home. I got married, moved to Cleveland and went to work at a company that would pay my way through school if I majored in Business. That’s how I ended up in Accounting. I finished up at OSU and became a CPA. I wrote a lot of inventory memos, but I’m guessing that’s not what you had in mind. 
Fast forward to the 1990s. I’ve always been a big reader, but not of romance. As a business executive, clinch covers were frowned upon. Then I read a book named Outlander. I loved it!!! Accolades of how this was a great romance filled several pages in front of the book. I figured if this was a romance, then I was a fool. I went back to bookstore and looked for a similar story. I found a romance with a similar premise that wasn’t a time-travel. However, I wanted to throw that book against the wall. I knew the solution to the story question by the end of the first chapter. Surely, it wouldn’t take a whole book to come to that solution—but it did. I figured I could do better, so I tried. My third complete manuscript won this big contest. I was called by an editor at a NY publishing firm who was interested in publishing that story. I didn’t say “yes” but I did call an agent. She sent the work to another publishing house that wanted it. A third house also was interested. My book was in an auction! Very cool. I think I considered myself a true professional author in that moment. Before that, I thought of myself as a writer, but perhaps more as a hobbyist. Either way, it’s been a fun journey!
All that said, I met the author of Outlander, Diana Gabaldon, many years later. She swears her book is not a romance. Go figure.
WHB: What were the first meaningful things you wrote?
DM: Other than those long thank you notes that I wrote as a kid, and a short story that I wrote in high school that made my classmates think I was contemplating suicide (I wasn’t. It was fiction, people!), I wrote two full romantic suspense manuscripts that didn’t really go anywhere. Then I was invited to contribute a short story to a paranormal anthology. I did that and earned my first publishing credit—and total royalties of $50. I faced my first reviews! Fortunately, they were all good. Bad ones would have devastated me at that vulnerable time. I give away that short story to entice readers to sign up for my newsletter. No story is ever wasted!
WHB: Is there anything you wish you had not written?
DM: Not really. I write the sort of stories that I want to read. I do wish, however, that I had published the stories in a different order. We’ll talk about that later.
WHB: Do you read your books after they’re published?
DM: LOL. Not really. You read the story to death while writing it, then you read it again in revisions, then again in the printing proofs. By the time the book is published, you’re really sick of the story. It’s lost its magic. But here’s a funny story. I recently got the rights back on two of my early books: the one that won that contest years ago and the first sequel. Because those were written in a time of paper revisions, I had to re-read the books and make corrections before I could put them back out as independently published books. I read the first book, The Education of Mrs. Brimley, and thought—I can’t believe I wrote this book. This is a really good story. The pacing is good, it’s funny, I like it. (It’s a Victorian Striptease, btw). After I published that first book, I started re-reading the second, The Seduction of a Duke. I thought—This book really stinks! Why didn’t someone tell me that the pacing was so slow! It’s taking me forever to get to the action! Fortunately, it did improve and it has a really good ending. Whew! I noticed it also had a lot of typos in the original published version—I don’t know how that happened with all the eyes editing the thing. But I fixed everything except the pacing and put it out there. The reviews have been good so I’m satisfied.
WHB: How do you feel about self-publishing?
DM: This will be long, so go refresh your drink. I’ll be here when you come back.
Back when I won that contest, there was a real stigma to self-publishing. The only, and I mean only, way to publish was through a traditional publisher or a small press. For a traditional publisher to sign you, your story had to fit in a rather narrow box. They had to be liked by thousands of people, which meant you had to write in popular tropes. Self-publishing was very expensive. There were a few small presses that published ebooks, but that concept of reading on a device didn’t catch fire until Amazon entered the market with their Kindle ereader. Amazon needed stories to fill those Kindles so they actively solicited authors to independently publish their stories on their platform. Many people who had stories rejected by the New York publishers tried their luck on Kindle. Some of those writers were really good, but they wrote stories (like Vampire stories) that appealed to smaller audiences (according to NY). Suddenly, no story is wasted. If NY didn’t buy it, it could be self-published at a minimal cost.
The traditional publishers weren’t about to let the ebook market go untouched. They issued paperbacks, but they also uploaded books to Amazon—grumbling all the way. Soon people would go to a brick and mortar bookstore, check the shelves, then order a book they liked on Amazon. The brick and mortar stores began to disappear due to lack of sales. Some of the independent authors were racking up big bucks (but still had a chip on their shoulder about NY).
About three or four years ago, independent publishing hit a tipping point. Traditional publishers quit giving author advances except to their bestsellers. They started handing out digital only contracts—no print books. Authors realized they could publish their books independently without New York’s blessing. There’re still a lot of crappy books in the indie-world, but there’s some really good ones, too. Independent authors can generate print books through Amazon’s CreateSpace, but many bookstores won’t carry those books in their stores. They haven’t forgotten what Amazon did to their market share. I can’t think of a single traditional published author now that isn’t planning to independently publish some books. But it’s a bit scary to make the jump. It’s a whole new world for publishing.
For what it’s worth, I’ve traditionally published six books with a NY publisher, one of which is digital-only. The rights have reverted on three of my traditional books, so I’ve indie-published those to really good results. (One thing I forgot to mention is that I only get paid every six months from NY and until recently, didn’t have access to any sales information. With indie-publishing, I get paid monthly. Big difference!) I’ve sold one book and one short story to small presses. Fortunately, my rights reverted before they went bankrupt, and I’ve indie-published those stories as well. I’ve written one time-travel, one paranormal novella, and two historical short stories that have been indie-published from the start. I guess I’m a mixed bag.
WHB: From when you first started seriously pitching your first book, how long did it take to be picked up?
DM: I’m not sure how to answer this. Are we talking my first written book, or my first book purchased for publication? My first written book has never been published. Let’s face it. An author’s first book is a massive learning curve. You learn a lot by getting to the end, but there’s still a lot of craft to learn. The brain can only absorb and process so much information at a time. Heck, I’m still learning and I’ve published nine books at this point. Now my first book purchased for publication is interesting in that it was rejected by every New York house—including the editor that later purchased it. I’d say I collected rejections on that book for a couple of years—but I kept working on it, revising it, improving it. Personally, I think many of the rejections had to do with the fact that it was a historical romance. Historicals were not popular around 2004 & 2005. In fact, I once received a rejection from an agent that was the standard rejection with a handwritten line at the bottom that said “This book has a lot of promise. Too bad it’s historical.” What the heck? It’s a Victorian striptease. It HAS to be historical. Historicals were a hard sell back then. Then the pendulum swung the other way and I sold the book. Sometimes a rejection has to do with the writing quality. Sometimes a rejection has to do with market issues. Sometimes a rejection has to do with sending a query to a firm that doesn’t handle the kind of book you’ve written. The problem is that editors and agents rarely tell you the real reason they are rejecting the book. I’m not sure that time matters.
As for pitching, I’d like to pass along this advice from the NY editor that purchased my first book. I had pitched this book at a reader’s event in Cincinnati. She seemed totally bored by my pitch. I figured submitting my work to her was a futile experience, but I did it anyway. After the auction was over, she called me. I told her, “I must admit, I was really surprised that you offered for the book. From that pitch session, I didn’t think you were interested.”
She said, “I do that on purpose. Some people can really pitch an amazing book, but when you read their pages, the writing is not good. Some people can’t pitch at all, but their pages sing. When I hear a pitch, I don’t think it’s fair to react either favorably or not because I haven’t seen the pages. It’s all about the pages.”
Amen.
WHB: What is your writing routine? Do you have one?
DM: I’d like to lie and say I have a sharp disciplined routine, but that wouldn’t be true. Once I get caught up with the story and characters, I can’t stop writing. Until I get to that point, I can’t stop procrastinating. I’m basically a pantser (the opposite of a plotter). I know the structure of a book. I tend to know my turning points before I begin. But until I really understand my characters and fully work out their motivations…it’s a slow go.
I think the best motivation for sitting down and writing every day is a contract. If you decide to indie publish, then you need to set your writing goals and stick to them. Right now, my husband and I are babysitting my one-year old grandson for his young parents. That really kills my writing output as he’s here when I’m normally writing, but I’m not turning away this opportunity to spend time with the best grandson in the world. These times don’t last. I’m trying to change old habits and write at a different time of the day. We’ll see how this works.
WHB: If you didn’t write in your genre, what would you be writing?
DM: I’d probably be writing cozy mysteries. I even have a basic plan for a series of three connected cozy novels. But I love romance and don’t plan to write in a different genre for the moment.
WHB: What was your harshest rejection? What was your best?
DM: I hate to keep harping back on that first NY published book, but that’s when I received rejections. I understand editors don’t send out rejections anymore. They simply don’t respond. If they want your book, you’ll hear from them but no news is no longer good news.
You’d think my harshest rejection would come at the beginning of this journey, but those were actually gentle. The only rejection that brought me to tears came when I knew I was close to selling my book. Central Ohio Fiction Writers had brought in a NY editor, Kate Duffy, to take pitches at one of their events. Kate had purchased books of some of my friends. I really thought she’d like my story. At the event, she mentioned that she thought the next big thing would be historicals. I sat up straighter. She held up a historical romance by Lisa Kleypas and said, “bring me something like this and I’ll buy it.” I’d already read that book. It was funny and sexy, just like my book. I pitched my story to Kate and she requested a partial (three chapters and a synopsis). I volunteered to drive her back to the airport so I could talk further with her. At one point she said, “Well heck, just pull over and I’ll write you a check!” I laughed and said, “Just wait, you’ll see. You’ll love this book.” I sent the chapters she’d requested in the October 2005 convinced that she’d be my editor. Then I heard…nothing.
In April 2006, I learned that my story was a finalist in that prestigious contest. I sent an email to Kate reminding her that I hadn’t heard anything from her and that this story was a Golden Heart finalist. In late May, I got a reply. It was a rejection. A very kind and complimentary letter, but it was a rejection. I was so close…SO CLOSE…but it was a rejection. I called a published author friend whose editor was Kate Duffy and we talked, and I couldn’t help it, the tears flowed. My friend was encouraging. She pointed out the good things Kate said…but it was a rejection and it really, really hurt. That was in May. In July, I left for the RWA convention where the winners of the Golden Heart would be announced. Kate’s rejection convinced me that I would always be a runner-up, I wouldn’t be a winner. I didn’t bother writing an acceptance speech – what was the point? I didn’t buy a new dress or wear spanx to the ceremony. I figured if I was going to sit in the audience, I might as well be comfortable. I didn’t expect to win that contest, but I did, and everything immediately changed.
About four years later, I heard from a group of writers that Kate Duffy spoke to their local chapter. Someone had asked her if she ever regretted rejecting a book. She said that a few years ago, she’d had the opportunity to hop on the Victorian bandwagon but she passed on the book. She regretted that. The author said, “she was talking about you.”
Kate Duffy died in 2009 at the age of 56. Many of her authors were released from their contracts. Others were reassigned to other editors who may or may not have wanted them. In hindsight, I was fortunate not to have been purchased by Kate Duffy, but I sure didn’t feel fortunate when I opened that rejection letter.
My best rejection letter was one that I received for that same book probably around 2003. I had written two Romantic suspense novels at that point and had built a sense of suspense around the opening chapters of my historical. That editor sent me a rejection letter but strongly encouraged me to include more humor. She said not everyone can write humor but that she thought I could. I took her suggestion to heart. I think her suggestion made the book more fun for me and more unique to the market. I’ll be forever grateful for her comment, even though it was a rejection.
WHB: Where do you think your genre is going? What are the changes you’ve seen?
DM: Romance continues to have more market share of fiction books sold than any other genre. I don’t think Romance is going away any time soon. But the pendulum continues to swing as to which sub-genres are popular. A few years ago, erotic romance was the big thing. Now, it sells well but not as strong as it once was. LGBTQ romance is growing. I think there’s a big push right now for more bi-racial and more diverse romances. So the sub-genres are expanding to reach new markets and it’s all good.
I think the big change, though, is the tremendous increase in ebook romance. Some have suggested that romance readers like to hide what they are reading. I think it’s more about being able to have so many romances at your fingertips. Plus, so many brick and mortar bookstores have closed that in rural areas, the only way a reader can find new books is to buy them online. Formerly traditionally published authors are going independent and making big money at it. I see that continuing to grow. There’s tremendous opportunity in romance right now, but it requires hard work and something more than writing skills. You need business skills and marketing skills as well.
WHB: Do you ever think back to your first book and wish you’d done something differently?
DM: My first published book was an author’s dream. I wouldn’t change a thing. However, I would have changed a whole lot of things about my second book. 🙂
As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t think my first book—a straight historical romance—would ever sell. I didn’t know why, but obviously, I wasn’t doing something right, so I decided that I might be better off as a paranormal author. I love paranormal books. I had an idea to set a story about a heroine with a supernatural power in my Victorian world. After all, I’d done all kinds of research for my Victorian striptease. I didn’t want to waste that. So I wrote a book about a woman who turns invisible in moonlight. She can’t help it, it just happens. She’s a little bit of a thief so if your husband is so foolish as to gamble away your jewelry, my heroine will get it back, but there has to be a full moon and she has to be naked. I loved this book and it was practically writing itself—then I sold my Victorian striptease on a three-book contract. The other two books had to be historical, but that was the only condition. My new agent turned the partial of my invisible heroine book and Berkley sent back a check. That was to be my second book.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have set that book aside and written a sequel to Mrs. Brimley. The invisible heroine story was a great book. It won an award for Historical Love and Laughter from Romantic Times magazine. But historical readers aren’t particularly fond of “woo-woo” in their historicals. Plus, my publisher gave me a really crappy cover for that book. The cover made it look like a sweet romance, and it wasn’t. The cover made it look like a contemporary romance, and it wasn’t. The book was a big flop and it shouldn’t have been.
I would have been better off to market strictly straight historicals, but no one told me that doing a paranormal historical would cause me to lose readers. I’ve learned that it’s important to build your reader base in one sub-genre before jumping to another. I’ve written four more straight historicals (and working on number five). I’ve released a contemporary novella that is based on my historical paranormal this year (2017). I did that independently and am hoping that novella will reintroduce that earlier book (with a much better cover). It’s really hard to have a foot in both historical and paranormal, but as I love paranormal, I’m giving it a go.
WHB: Do you recommend getting an agent?
DM: I think the answer depends on what you want to do. If it’s important to you to see your first book in a bookstore, you’ll probably need an agent. If you plan to write young adult or mystery, you should consider getting an agent. If you want to be responsible for just writing and not certain elements of publication, you’ll probably need an agent. An agent will get your work read instead of it languishing in a slush pile. A good agent will negotiate a better deal for your books, than you could by yourself. An agent can run interference between you and your editor when a problem erupts, leaving you free to write.
However, if you plan to publish independently, you don’t really need an agent (you’ll need a good editor). If you plan to sell to Harlequin, it’s possible without an agent (but I’d recommend one). It’s said that it’s harder to sign an agent than an editor. It’s also said that no agent is better than a bad agent. They can really screw up your career. So think about what you want to do. Do your research into agencies and agents and go from there. Only you can know what’s best for you.
Good Luck!
Posted in General, Writing Life, tagged Ann Hagedorn, Capon Springs, critique, get published, marketing, memoir, nonfiction, process, punctuation, Speaking engagements, traditional publishing, West Virginia, writers' retreat, writing, writing class, writing workshops on June 16, 2015| 1 Comment »
Well, the reviews are in and they’re great!
OK, I’ve actually had them for weeks, but I just remembered that I have to send them to Communiversity at UC. In April, I taught a one-day workshop called “Writing to Publish.” We had a great class, with lots of good questions about writing, formatting, and publishing your work.
Here are some of the highlights from the evaluations:
“You learn from a person who actually practices. Thank you. Loved it!”
“I learned exercises to help me unlock my writing blocks.”
“Fantastic! I truly learned so much about the writing market. [Would recommend this class to others] absolutely — so informative and so constructive. Very thorough, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Your next opportunity to hear my instruction on writing and publishing will be at my Capon Springs Nonfiction Writers’ Retreat. Even if fiction’s your thing, you’ll benefit from the beautiful surroundings and the instruction from Ann Hagedorn and me.
Registration deadline is August 15. Make your $50 deposit through PayPal to reserve your place.
Ready to go? Make your deposit with PayPal:
Posted in Writing Life, tagged get published, My books, nonfiction, process, rituals, writing on September 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »
I was invited on a Writing Blog Tour by Trudy Krisher (check out her blog at www.trudykrisher.blogspot.com). I’m ashamed to admit that I was on deadline when my “whistlestop” came, so I hope the train didn’t leave the station without me!
Trudy invited me to answer some questions about my work and writing process. Here are my answers.
1) What are you working on?
I just finished a book for the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing called University of Cincinnati College of Nursing: 125 Years of Transforming Health Care. The book will be published by Orange Frazer Press in time for the college’s 125th anniversary celebration in November. I really enjoyed learning about how UC’s nursing college was formed by a group of Cincinnati’s leading ladies, then went on to become the first to offer a baccalaureate degree in nursing, and is now leading nursing education by offering online nursing degrees and using technology in nursing.
2) How does your work differ from others of its genre?
So far all my books have been in the genre of nonfiction, but I have written for both adults and YA. I’d say that my work differs in that no matter what I write (I’m finishing up my first novel now), I want my readers to come away thinking, “Wow—I didn’t know that! That was interesting!” One of my supervisors also told me once, “That sense of humor of yours is never very far from the surface, is it?” He didn’t mean it in a good way, though. Incidentally, he is in my last book, Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati, but I won’t tell you who he is.
3) Why do you write what you do?
I write what I do for a variety of reasons, but often it’s because I’m asked to and I find the topic interesting. The College of Nursing book will be my eighth book. That means that half of the books I’ve published now were my idea and half were the publisher’s (or client’s) idea. But I have to find it interesting, or I wouldn’t be able to stick with it for an entire book.
4) How does your writing process work?
In almost every case—whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, magazine article or book—I start with a bubble map. I get all my existing ideas down on paper. I get all my “gaps”—my questions, or lack of knowledge—down on paper. Then I start researching, organizing or writing from there, depending on what type of work it is. But I always start with a bubble map. I have about 20 bubble maps going right now for books, essays and articles that I’d like to publish someday. It’s also a good exercise if I find myself stuck in traffic, or a boring meeting, or waiting in a doctor’s office without anything to read. When I finally get to the writing step, I tend to write nonfiction directly on the computer (because it’s less of a visceral process and more of an intellectual one for me). But with fiction, I tend to write it longhand, on lined paper. I spend a bit of time thinking about what type of writing implement I feel like that day. Then I think about what writing position and lighting I want to be in. It’s very organic.
Posted in Writing Life, tagged get published, My books, nonfiction on May 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati has just hit the streets. If you want to hear a little bit about the book, check out the interview I did with Mark Perzel on WVXU’s Cincinnati Edition on May 16, 2014.
Founders and Famous Families starts with a look at the geological forces that made our city the sinus capital of the world that it is, then touches upon the native peoples who were here before the European Americans started arriving from New Jersey, New York and New England. The founding families in Cincinnati have been joined by new faces and new names, but many of them still remain to become the foundational families of the future.
On Wednesday, May 28, we will be holding the official book launch at the Cincinnati Museum Center at 7 p.m. I’ll talk about Nicholas Longworth as part of their regular Insights Lecture Series in a presentation called “a Glass of Wine, a Loaf of Bread, and Wow!” The talk will be followed by Q&A and coffee reception/book signing.
Posted in Book Reviews, General, tagged My books, nonfiction, Speaking engagements, Stephen Gillen, traditional publishing on May 2, 2014| 1 Comment »
The arrival of Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati is being heralded by talks at the annual “Books and Brunch” May 7 and a book launch at the Cincinnati Museum Center May 28.
After two years of research and writing, I am extremely pleased to announce that Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati is now available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com, Powells.com, or a local bookstore near you (like Joseph-Beth, here in Cincinnati).
And if you’re here in Cincinnati, you have two opportunities to hear me speak on topics from the book coming up in May.
First, I will be one of four featured speakers on May 7 at the “Books & Brunch” for the Assistance League of Greater Cincinnati. They’re a nonprofit that helps children and adults with educational and health “gap” needs and helps them succeed in removing themselves from abusive environments. So, given the focus of what they do, I am talking about DeHart Hubbard and his being the first African American to win an individual Olympic gold medal, then winning an Enquirer contest that gave him a full-ride scholarship to the University of Michigan and what a successful, meaningful life he had afterward. Hubbard was the great-uncle of former Cincinnati mayor and Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell.
Second, the official book launch takes place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28, at the Cincinnati Museum Center. I will talk about Nicholas Longworth in a presentation called “A Glass of Wine, a Loaf of Bread and Wow!” The talk will be followed by Q&A and a book signing.
I did a lot of my research for the book at the Museum Center (and of course at the fantastic Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library) and the Museum Center is a wonderful, valuable resource in our community, so I am donating 5 percent of my profits to the Museum Center.
The May 28 event is free (except for $4 for parking; handicapped accessible parking is available). Wood, Herron & Evans is sponsoring a coffee reception during the book signing.
I’m supposed to be doing a book signing in June at Joseph-Beth, but the details of that haven’t been firmed up yet. Check back for more info!
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When gazing at the city’s impressive skyline, we too often forget the notable individuals who built these grand and glittering buildings, as well as the nearby museums, parks and neighborhoods we also treasure. Reflected in the character, reputation and even design of our city, the legacy of the early settlers continues on today. Through their efforts, almost always imbued with a civic entrepreneurial spirit, they stamped their mark on our burgeoning regional reputation, while also allowing current leaders to bolster and broaden our national reputation.
Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati brings to life the founding families’ histories, sharing these intertwined and fascinating tales with readers near and far. A charming history of lives lived large — truly the Who’s Who (as well as the When and Where) of Cincinnati — that when considered together, made the Queen City the great place to live and work that it is today.
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Testimonials:
Mary Thomas Watts, writer for the “Gary Burbank Show” on WLW:
“Wendy Hart Beckman’s Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati is an enchantingly fresh, generation by generation narrative of the men and women whose dreams, hard work, governance and philanthropy built the Queen City.
Beckman’s meticulous historical research, her affection for the city she calls home, and her luminous good humor reward the reader from first page to last. Informative, inspiring, entertaining, and a whole lot of fun to boot, Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati is a must read for Cincinnati aficionados, those who live here and those who would if they only could.”
Ann Hagedorn, author of Wild Ride, Beyond the River, and more:
“Have you been to Losantiville? No? Think again. You may live there, for this was Cincinnati’s first name. And it is just one of many fascinating details unveiled in Wendy Beckman’s new book Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati. The names may be familiar but the facts are often fresh in this depiction of the Queen City’s past. Beckman not only shows us Cincinnati’s significance to the nation from the start, both culturally and economically, but she deepens our understanding of the individuals who shaped the city’s uniqueness and spurred its success. The struggles, the risks, the sacrifices, the wealth, the crises, the excitement. It’s all there. Did you know that Cincinnati’s 1813 volunteer fire department was the first in the nation, that 8,000 Cincinnatians perished in the 1849 cholera epidemic, and that 150 furniture factories once thrived in the town? It’s a good read for all of us who love Cincinnati and always want to know more.”
Posted in Writing Life, tagged critique, editing, feedback, get published, manuscripts, marketing, nonfiction, process, reading, self-published book, traditional publishing, writing workshops on March 17, 2014| 2 Comments »
Sunday, March 23, at 2 p.m. will be another of our great Writing Workshop Workshops. As usual, we’ll be gathering downstairs at Olive’s in Cincinnati’s Clifton Gaslight District.
Bring seven minutes’ worth of your writing to read, $5 for the kitty, your books to sell, any publishing or writing questions you’d like to ask, and a friend or two. I hope I will have a big announcement for you!
Head’s up for April: on Sunday, April 27 (same time, same place), at our Writing Workshop Workshop, we’ll be joined by Carol Topp, CPA, author of Business Tips and Taxes for Writers. It’s too late for your 2013 filing, but Carol will have lots of great advice for your 2014 return on how to be a professional writer, in terms of what’s deductible and what’s not.
So put April 27 on your calendar, and in the meantime I hope to see you Sunday, March 23, at 2!
Posted in Book Reviews, General, tagged bookstore, fiction, get published, marketing, My books, nonfiction, self-published book, traditional publishing on December 9, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Looking for a gift for a loved one this holiday season? I’d like to make a few recommendations. You might notice a theme here. OK, I’ll make a full disclosure: the following are books I edited.
Want your mind to be entertained with some food for thought while your stomach is digesting its own food? Then take a look at Benjamin Gorman’s The Sum of Our Gods.
Here’s the description from the author: Joe has been cursed. He mus
t meet with Yahweh, the Creator, once a week for coffee and listen to God complain. Yahweh is a crotchety old deity with a pantheon of family problems. His wife, Frigga, has basically stopped talking to Him, except to nag Him about retiring. His son, Jesus, suffers from crippling depression. Oh, and Jesus’ estranged wife is planning a terrorist attack to start a holy war. God is fed up with all the drama. He’s perfectly tired and infinitely irritable. Though God doesn’t seem to care about human problems, Joe’s little, mortal life isn’t perfect, either. In fact, it’s a comedy as black as God’s coffee.
My two cents: The Sum of Our Gods, Ben Gorman’s first published novel, just blew my socks off in a quirky way. Ben’s paternal grandparents are Catholic and Jewish; their son — Ben’s father, is a Presbyterian minister — as is Ben’s mother. Ben, himself, holds a degree in philosophy, is married to a Quaker, teaches creative writing and calls himself agnostic. How could he not help but write a brilliant novel full of the gods wrestling with their demons and each other? Yes, godS. His working title for the book was “And Lo, God Took His Coffee Black” (in case you wondered.) This is a fantastic debut novel, and I can’t wait for Ben’s second!
If you don’t want to think that hard, or if nonfiction is more what you’re looking for, try Paige Adams Strickland’s Akin to the Truth. Her memoir would be of interest to people in the adoption triad or anyone who grew up in the Cincinnati area in the 1960s and 70s. 
From the author: In 1961 Paige was put up for adoption, a more taboo and secretive topic than it is today. Paige’s adoptive family chose not to focus on the adoption, but instead function as a regular family with natural children. However, being adopted made her feel vulnerable and unreal. She longed to know more about her true self. In Akin to the Truth: A Memoir of Adoption and Identity, Paige tells stories from the perspective of a child and adolescent, growing up with a closely guarded secret. Through vignettes, Paige relates feelings about her adoption to forming and maintaining relationships, caring for pets, moving to new houses and neighborhoods, losing loved ones and entering young adulthood. Her need for acceptance is juxtaposed with her adoptive father’s increasingly erratic behavior. This is a tale of family joys and hardships, friendships, falling in love and the need to belong. It is set in the era of free love, social unrest and unexpected change during the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
From me: Throughout Paige’s childhood, she struggled with feelings of loss, establishing her identity, and tiptoeing through an awkward relationship with her father. Knowing that she was adopted heightened these challenges and added another: finding her birth family. In this entertaining memoir, Paige recounts how she faced her “demons,” and how she learned that she was not alone.
Spreading our interest geographically and chronologically brings us to another memoir, Over My Shoulder: 1931–1945, by the distinguished Ewin Gaby. 
About the book: History books generally avoid the details of human life. They tell of what happened at a time, but not how it affected those living through that time. The depression of the 1930’s and the war of the early 1940’s changed the world, and history books provide great detail as to the causes and of the changes brought about. Still, how families handled these challenges cannot be told in a book of history, because each family had its own manner of living through these significant historical periods. This book is the story of how a young boy and his family live through the depression of the 30’s and the Second World War. Unlike many others, his father is employed, but that employment causes them to live in 145 towns in his first ten years. When the Second World War begins, they move to New Orleans for the next four years. What a way to grow up!
A few notes from me: Ewin’s book is available in paperback, Kindle or CD version. I recommend the CD highly. With his combination Texas–Louisiana accent, Ewin reads his memoir wonderfully. You can sit back and just listen to a time when kids played outside until it got dark, when mothers and kids pulled together to make the family run while fathers were away during the war, when school kids ran paper drives to support the war effort. Shoot, if your father or grandfather is no longer with you, get the CD and it’s as if you’re together again, hearing stories about the old days, when life was simple.
And a little shameless self-promotion:
My first book, Artists and Writers of the Harlem Renaissance (Enslow, 2002) has gone into a second printing. Now titled Harlem Renaissance Artists and Writers, it is available in library binding, paperback and e versions.
In this book I profile ten African Americans who had key contributions to the Harlem Renaissance, an explosion of creativity that started in New York City in the 1920s. The Harlem Renaissance lasted for about 20 years and had even international repercussions.
Here’s one review of the original book:
Children’s Literature
Harlem, New York, was the setting for a cultural upsurge in the 1920’s and 1930’s. During those decades a series of Black writers, artists, vocalists, and poets sprang forth and gave voice to the conditions of African-Americans. At a time when racial prejudice was even more overt than in our own age, it took great courage for Black artists to stand up and honestly portray their lot in America. Artists such as Langston Hughes, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, and Josephine Baker all provided a unique expression to what it meant to be a Black person either living in America or with American roots. This artistic movement came to be known as the Harlem Renaissance and that is the subject covered in this collection of short biographies. In this illustrated selection author Wendy Hart Beckman provides encapsulated biographies of ten artists who participated in the Harlem Renaissance. In each instance Ms. Beckman provides a careful outline of the artist’s background, development, contributions, and later life. This is a good reference tool for readers with an interest in African-American history or specifically Black artists of this era. The Harlem Renaissance was a significant movement in American culture and Ms. Beckman does well to offer readers a summary of some of the leading lights of that period.
Posted in General, Writing Life, tagged bookstore, critique, editing, fiction, get published, manuscripts, My books, nonfiction, reading, Sisters in Crime, Speaking engagements, Women Writing for a Change, writing, writing workshops on May 9, 2012| 1 Comment »
Hey folks! This summer I’m going to be giving some talks and conducting workshops around the Tristate, if you’d like to catch me without signing up for a multi-week class. Check out these great opportunities to hear me!
Wendy Beckman
Wendy on Writing 