Major Announcement!

It's truly funny how things work out sometimes.

For the past year, since about the time my son began pre-treatment for his bone marrow transplant, my thoughts where publishing were concerned have turned dramatically towards self-publishing. I've seen countless friends self-publish in the past 5 - 8 years, some who even surprised me because of their vehemence towards NOT self-publishing in the same time frame.

I've spent numerous hours in the last year reading popular self-publishing blogs, listening to podcasts, and questioning key friends who have both self-published and been traditionally published. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that self-publishing was for me because of the certainty of having my words and stories in print, and because of the level of control I'd be able to have.

And then, a random post about a month ago turned things on its head.

On my personal Facebook page, I made a comment one weekend about the priciness of ISBNs--those 10 or 13-digit numbers that uniquely identify your book and its edition. I knew I'd need several in the next year or two, considering my plans. But, yikes! Were they expensive!! I'm a stay-at-home mom, and I can't ask my husband for $500 for 20 ISBNs (or whatever the rate is.) We just don't have it in the budget, and I haven't shown him the evidence that I could earn it back yet.

So, back to the comment. I was surprised at how many people responded to my post--all authors, of course (because who else knows what an ISBN is??) It was an interesting conversation, especially because I commented that I almost wished we lived in Canada, where ISBNs are free to authors.

What I didn't know is that they're free in other countries, too. Like New Zealand.

One of my friends happens to live in New Zealand.

She also happens to have her own press.

She also has read my work, and was my mentor when I did the Team PYP challenge about two to three years ago.

And, late last year, I'd asked her advice on a short story I had wanted to develop into a longer piece of work, and she gladly gave me some advice which was key into developing it into a novella rather than a short story.

She also invited me to send her the completed novella to possibly publish it through her press.

My brain turned on its head. Traditionally publish? But... but... but... I've been planning to self-publish for the past nine months!

Still, this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. One thing I've struggled with was the idea that my stories were worth it. Another was what I'd do about editing because I knew I'd need at least a good polish, if not much more. If she was interested in the stories, maybe they do have worth, maybe they are good enough. If not, well, maybe she'd have some input on what I could improve.

I'm not going to prattle on much longer in my story, but long story short is: I sent the novella. She loved them. We talked. We agreed it would be mutually beneficial for us to work together.

A contract was sent. A contract has been signed.

As of March 25, 2014, I'm contracted with Splashdown Books. My editor is the fabulous Grace Bridges. I'm completely over the moon, especially since this is my birthday week. What better present could an author ask for but a contract?? Of course this year, I'm just thrilled to be home on my birthday, with my husband, daughter, son, and dog. But a CONTRACT! Probably one of the best presents ever!

We're still working out all of the details, such as titles and time frame. That information will be forthcoming as it's available. Check here, the Splashdown Books website, Twitter, my Facebook, or the Splashdown Books Facebook page for updates.

So, that's my major announcement! I'm so, so happy to share this with the rest of you!

Until next time...

Hot Buttons: An Interview with Chila Woychik... and our 100th Post!

Today is a momentous occasion here at Word Wanderings: it's our 100th Post! I've been blogging here for a little more than two years, and I want to thank each and every reader for sticking with me.

I have a special treat in store for you. For the third time, Chila (Maggie) Woychik has been gracious enough to join Word Wanderings. Today, she discussed her small press, Port Yonder Press (PYP) as well as the publishing industry in general. And, in celebration of #100, she's graciously agreed to participate in a giveaway! Details are at the end of the post.

Bio: Chila Woychik is a multi-published author, and the publisher/managing editor at Port Yonder Press, a small, multi-genre, traditional press. She lives with her husband in the lovely state of Iowa.

Liberty Speidel: Thank you so much, Chila, for joining us today. What prompted you to start Port Yonder Press?

Chila Woychik: A love of reading & writing, and a too quiet house.  My son had left for college and I was in need of purpose—the result:  a hobby that has since fluctuated between hobby and business.  Right now it’s more of a business, but it’s a job I love, so I don’t really complain too frequently.

LS: How many imprints does PYP currently have? Are you planning to roll out any more in the foreseeable future?

CW: Four imprints: one general market (speculative fiction), two Christian (one youth, one adult), and one catch-all for everything else.  I think we have quite enough at this time, with nary another in mind.

LS: What's the thing people would be most surprised to learn about during the publishing of a book?

CW: The sheer number of hours and hands involved in the process.  Publishing is laborious, especially if a publisher has more than one book in the works at one time.   A smaller press doesn’t equal a smaller outlay of time.  It still takes us as much or more time than that a larger press to cover all the bases.

LS: What has surprised you most as you've taken the reins of a small press?

CW: I’m continually surprised at the almost daily commitment I have to have to keep this barge afloat.  I’m surprised at the learning curve:  I never quite catch up with all there is to learn and do.  And I’m shocked at the difficulty small presses have in marketing their books.

LS: You've been pretty blunt about expecting excellence from writers of so-called "Christian Fiction". What direction would you like to see this aspect of the publishing world head?

CW: 1) I’d like to see the phrase “Christian fiction” dematerialize—undergo an implosion, a falling in on itself, due to its inherent lack of heart, soul, mind, and strength. 
2) I’d like to see people with a Christian worldview dedicate themselves to becoming the best writers on the planet, writing across genres and for all audiences.
3) I’d like to see followers of Christ begin to work together to develop their skills and marketing tools, and help one another in new and never-before-experienced ways to truly integrate into the entire world of writing, not just the “Christian” writing world.

LS: How do you define "preachiness" in Christian Fiction and what would you prefer to see instead? Any examples you'd like to share?

CW: I had actually planned to give an example or two on a blog post about that at one point, but have delayed it due to other projects at hand. 

I define preachiness as that which would make an unchurched reader uncomfortable in the same way a sex scene might make a churched person uncomfortable.  I see the only real purpose of “Christian Fiction” as being Christians wanting to write for other Christians, and I balk at that.  Sure, we have the right to do so, but the questions I must ask myself are, “Why? Why should I want to do that? Why not write for the larger world in general and have a potentially greater audience and impact?”  But then that would mean I would have to actually know what it’s like “out there,” actually get “out there” and mix with real people, and actually risk getting a little “dirty” as I listen to “their” jokes and swearing and hard luck tales of broken relationships and their resultant despair.  My God.  Why would anyone want to do that?  Maybe so we can love “them”?  What an amazing and utterly foreign concept to most Christians.

What would I prefer to see?  Real fiction with real characters acting out real scenes in believable ways (and yes, all that can be handled with grace; it shouldn’t have to red flag us with “smut”).  And in that, I’d like to see occasional glimpses of how or why someone would choose Christianity while on a natural search for meaning—a genuine quest for truth that leads here and there before one character comes full circle and realizes Christianity is by far the most peaceful and productive and apologetically viable of all religions.  But there’s the rub:  few Christians nowadays can actually do that.  It’s so much easier to have their character pray a prayer or indulge in a “salvation scene,” neither of which are honest biographies of who Christ really was—they don’t go far enough. 
But most books can and should be written, I think, without a noticeable Christian element at all, while at the same time, most Christian lives should be lived with a strong Christian element.  The difference is in the living of it vs the reading about it.  The most powerful witness of all is Christians who love unconditionally, lived out in their daily lives.  Quit writing about it and DO IT.

With the faux-genre of “Christian Fiction” out of the way, writers would be writing for everyone—a marvelous opportunity to let a non-preachy faith integrate into the very essence of one or more characters on the page.

LS: Many authors want to share their personal views in their writing. In your opinion, is this a good use of their energies? How should they go about doing so without being overly "preachy"?

CW: Great question.  No, I think it’s a flagrant misuse of their energies.  Just as you’d love to read a fantastic book without the intrusions of a preachy Islam or atheism or Eastern mysticism, or graphic sex scenes, so would others love to read great works by Christian authors without feeling they’re being “evangelized.” It happened in the past with a number of books which have since become “classics,” and it can be done today:  strong stories with strong characters, and no preaching, no salvation scenes, no spiritual “thread” secretly woven throughout, though our society was strongly Christian at that time.  So why didn’t we see more of the “preachiness” back then, though our society was so blatantly Christian?  Why, indeed.

Throw in a few random “Christian” this and that’s and you might as well include a gospel tract free with each book—those sort of things are little more than cheap Hollywood sales efforts; true Christianity delves much deeper than that, into the very essence of a person’s character, lived out more than spoken.  Writers of the past knew that inherently; they didn’t have to “preach.”  What’s available today as “Christian Fiction” would have shocked and sickened them, I think.

My suggestion:  get out in the real world among real people and notice how well preachiness flies.  It doesn’t.  Instead, learn what does, then emulate that in your writing.  People hate being preached at; so do I.  I despise it when writers think they can try to sneak “gospel tactics” into their books and then slap the label “Christian Fiction” on it, ostensibly to garner the Imprimatur of American Christian society—viola! Now the book is spiritual, and now both the author and readers are spiritual … God is pleased!  Umm.  I highly doubt that, though God is much more gracious than I am.  I still believe, however, he’d like to see us rise above cheap Christianity cloaked in mediocre writing, and instead strive for the highest quality books available, books that will be read across audiences, and books that are written by, yes, Christians.  Books of depth and beauty.

LS: How do you blend your job as an editor-in-chief with your role as an author published through your own press?

CW: How do I justify it, or how do I assure the same quality I demand of other writers?  I justify it by not needing justification.  I work hard at what I do, and am only taking advantage of some of the fruit of my labors.  Other writer / press owners have done the same and if I strive to write as good or better than my own published authors, I feel I’m setting a positive example for all writers.

I subject my own personal work to at least 2 qualified editors.  With “On Being a Rat,” I used 3 editors (2 not from PYP) and about a dozen readers.  I laid that manuscript out to more scrutiny than anything PYP has done thus far.  If it can be seen in the finished product, I owe much to my tremendous helpers.  Where it has failed, I take full responsibility.

LS: Which project(s) are you most excited about right now? 

CW: Just about everything coming up really:  The elven anthology, the Christmas western collection, Mary Stewart’s vampire story and Cindy Smith’s King Arthur story, as well as Janalyn’s fantasy.  Then there’s CathiLyn Dyck’s piece of nonfiction which has me more than a little psyched, and our writing groups starting in July.  I’m sure I’m leaving something out, but not intentionally.  I’m thrilled too about the great authors and manuscripts I hope to work with in the next few years.  It’s a fascinating time to be a part of Port Yonder Press and publishing.  And thank you, Liberty, for the good questions; I really do appreciate it!  I’d love to return sometime.

Liberty: Thanks again, Chila, for joining Word Wanderings for the day. You've given us great insights and plenty to think about.

Now, the moment you've been waiting for: the giveaway! Chila and I put our heads together and we're both offering a prize each for one grand prize. From me, you'll receive a $10 gift card (via e-mail) to Amazon.com. And from Chila, you can choose any of the books currently offered on the PYP site, or any that will be released through December 31, 2011 (if you really want to wait, of course.)

Entry is pretty easy. You have one of two options: become a new follower to Word Wanderings, or leave a comment to this post. If you're a new follower *and* leave a comment, you get two chances! The winner will be selected at random Sunday, June 26th, 2011 after 8 PM Central, and announced Monday, June 27 first thing in the morning. I wish you luck!

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you to my readers for 2+ years of putting up with me, and the support you've shown as well. I wish I could hug each and every one of you personally.


I am hearing from several readers through the Port Yonder Press Facebook page that many people are having difficulty posting comments. If you are experiencing difficulty, please message me using the function with specifics so I can attempt to get this corrected. Thanks!

Until next time,

From Behind the Publisher's Desk

What a Publisher Probably Wants From You

Guest Post by C. Maggie Woychik, Editor for Port Yonder Press

Much of what I write or read about, I do so because I want to, I like the subject, and it’s what I feel I need to do at the time. My topics of choice are a purely subjective matter. 

But what does that really mean? I make subjective choices based on individual personal impressions, feelings, and opinions rather than external facts. Every single publisher (and possibly editor) makes subjective choices with every single manuscript that crosses their desk.

What this means for authors is that the very slim chance you have of getting published by a traditional publisher is made even slimmer by a publisher’s or editor’s whims.

Okay, so how can we give ourselves the very best chance for publication within that very narrow slice of possibility? I can think of all the usual ways, ways which you’ve probably heard ad nauseum but bear repeating: write well, have a great proposal and opening chapters, have a spectacular marketing plan, platform, and social networking presence.

Well, is that it? Yes and no. You also want to know the specific genres a given publisher deals with, any nuances they may favor (such as our love of the sea at Port Yonder Press, our love of the unique or literary, our love of the bold and brazen without wallowing in the grimy smut of reality’s seamy side), and it certainly doesn’t hurt to know the editor / publisher on a somewhat personal basis (writing conferences are good for that).

Those are the basics.  Now for the specifics of one publishing company, the only one I can address with any authority: mine. And these aren’t “how-to’s” as much as some of this publisher’s whims mentioned above.

1)      "Write quickly and you will never write well. Write well, and you will soon write quickly." -Marcus Fabius Quintilianus  (i.e., take your time and sculpt that manuscript until it’s worthy of our time and our readers’ time)

2)      "I have made this letter longer, because I have not had the time to make it shorter." -Blaise Pascal (i.e., a repeat of point #1)

3)      "The ill and unfit choice of words wonderfully obstructs the understanding." -Francis Bacon (i.e., a repeat of points #1 & 2)

4)      "There is no great writing, only great rewriting." -Justice Brandeis (i.e., a variation of points #1-3)

5)      "There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." -W. Somerset Maugham (i.e., a separate but similar point to those above: format/method is one thing; good writing is another)

6)      “To any aspiring writers out there — write for love, not money.  Only a small percentage of writers will ever be published but that should not deter people from pursuing their dream of writing a book. There is a great sense of achievement to be had from writing one's own book regardless of whether it becomes a commercial success [or not].” –Philip Tatham (i.e., write from your heart; write when you feel no one will read it; write not to impress but to do what you must)

We are looking for the best books we can find. Period. If you write a good story but won’t take the time to make it better than just good, don’t submit to us.

If you’re finicky, hard to work with, have unresolved relationships around you (believe it or not, this *does* show up in the subtleties of a manuscript), find another publisher. We want authors we can live and work with, authors who have shown themselves disciplined and pliable.

Lasso your artistic temperament and funnel it into busting the bronco of mediocre writing: train it to produce works of lasting merit, works which will outlast all of us.

For the specifics, visit our comprehensive site at www.PortYonderPress.com and contact me if you still have a lingering question rolling around in your brain.  Contact@PortYonderPress.com.

Liberty, thank you for the opportunity to visit your fine blog.

Maggie, thanks so much for sharing with us today! 

Until next time,