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From Idea to Bookshelf: Authors Share Their Publishing Stories

by Thomas Kilduff

Our first Writer's Life series (four Wednesdays in April) featured three authors on how they wrote and published their first books: Meredith Hall, whose bestselling memoir "Without a Map," was made possible by a $50,000 grant from a Room of Her Own Foundation, Julian Houston, a former associate justice of the Superior court of Massachusetts, who late in life penned "New Boy," a young adult work of fiction about being a black student at a boarding school and AC Kemp, a lecturer on foreign languages and literatures at M.I.T. who has just published the snarky and hot-selling "The Perfect Insult for Every Occasion"- a parody for word lovers. Each author spoke for five to ten minutes each on her (and his) path in creativity, writing and publishing. Each literary path is unique and not-always-linear for every author and that even in older age, success is attainable. Starts and stops were common for most of the authors but they each found the grit to continue in their literary pursuits.

Meredith Hall: This Maine native graduated from Bowdoin College at age 44 and entered a really poor job market. Friends told her "it's a recession, do what everyone does and go to grad school." She went to UNH, where upon receiving her masters, had been invited by the administration to teach writing composition for undergraduate creative nonfiction. The more she taught, however, the more her writing desire began to fade. "I wanted to write sometime, it was a vague thing, sometime in another life." By her mid 50s she still was not writing.

Finally she was invited to join a writing class and came out with her first published essay called "Shunned," which won the Pushcart prize. "Encouragement ignites your life," she told the audience. Shortly thereafter, her second essay "Killing Chickens" was published in Creative Nonfiction literary magazine. Hall applied for a grant from the Room of her Own Foundation and was awarded $50,000. She took a sublet in San Francisco for two years. During that time she gave birth to her memoir, "Without a Map."

Tips/Observations: Hall found it easy and "lonely but drug-like" to write for ten hours a day, seven days a week with this grant situation. She called it "descending into a tunnel from all attachments to people; it was an absolutely isolated place." Without this unusual privilege of isolation, Hall doubts that her memoir would have been penned. Since then, Hall has tried to overcome her shyness while promoting the book on such avenues as CNN. "Hundreds of people contacted me, there was something being triggered and wisely or not I had guts to tell these stories − we all desperately want a blueprint for how to be a human being. I thought of myself as a conduit for these stories − that they had been written before." In another stroke of luck, her literary magazine editor introduced Hall to his agent, who sent Hall's work to Beacon Press, who ultimately published "Without a Map."

Julian Houston: Houston first developed an interest in story telling when he worked as a judge in Roxbury court: "I was intrigued by what I saw and wanted to record it in some way." His first writing class was coincidentally at the CCAE. Houston lived next door to Lesley Epstein, the chair of BU's creative writing department who read one of Houston's stories and really liked it. Epstein advised that Houston should take a course if he wanted to get serious. The budding writer then enrolled in a Harvard Extension course with Pam Painter and joined a writers' group where each member wrote one story once a month. This schedule proved too tiresome for Houston so he shelved the writing thing for ten years.

Later, he walked into Brookline Booksmith where he read a poster: "Interested in fiction writing? Grub Street wants you." He took a 12 week course there and found that he wrote much more fluidly and confidentially that he had in past. He then worked for six years with his own teacher, who was able to give him personal criticism. Houston once received a handwritten favorable response letter for the New Yorker who wished to see more of Houston's work. He didn't follow through because his mother died shortly thereafter. At a brunch setting, he spoke with Wendy Strothman, former executive editor of Houghton Mifflin, who had just started her own agency. She liked what Houston had given her to read and became his agent. "Having my own agent has made things a lot easier for me." Two weeks later there was a contract from Houghton Mifflin. In less than a year, he developed his short story into a young adult novel called "New Boy." In August of 2006, Houston retired from the courts and is now a full-time fiction writer.

Tips/Observations: Strothman convinced Houston to write "New Boy" for a young adult audience because it would extend its shelf life. When the author wished to write his second novel for an adult audience, his agent said "You already developed an audience and do not want to lose them." She convinced him, ultimately, to write a trilogy, thereby reaping commercial value and keeping the integrity of the "adult voice" in his third installment. Julian's tip: "listen to your agent."

AC Kemp: Since 2002, AC Kemp has been both a lecturer at M.I.T. and the director of SlangCity.com, a fun and informative clearinghouse for urban lingo for young people, parents and teachers. Three and a half weeks ago "The Perfect Insult for Every Occasion" was published. Kemp was recently listed at #56 for the "61 Best Things about Boston" in Boston magazine.

Tips/Observations: Kemp (who filled in for the last moment as a panelist) scribbled her top ten tips for writers looking to be published.

10.) No one wants to publish a book that won't make money.
9.) Being a writer doesn't mean you get to hide in your apartment and read glowing reviews.
8.) Having an audience is more important than having a book.
7.) It is better to give an agent 15% of more than keep 100% of less.
6.) Agents and publishers are easy to get if you follow the rules.
5.) You need a solid understanding of legal contracts even if you have an agent. Kemp got advice from a National Writers Union contract advisor that proved invaluable.
4.) There are no editors − only layout people.
3.) The publisher is sometimes right.
2.) Having a publicist is a really good thing. 1.) It never ends. (Lots of time spent in pre-promotion and promotion after the book deal is finalized!).