First Interview on My New Book

I was happy to see an interview by Paul Lam of The Elders Tribune about my new book, Seniorwriting, on his site this morning. Check it out at http://www.elderstribune.com/writing/senior-writing-ten-questions-marlys-styne-seniorwriter/. Thanks, Paul.

My book is now out and available at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/Search.aspx?kw=Styne&typ=Author/.

I'm Back! The NFPW Conference, Part I

Attending the National Federation of Press Women's 2007 National Conference and 70th Anniversary Celebration in Richmond, Virginia, this past weekend was a great experience. These are the women (and a few men) who work "in the trenches" of the writing profession, from newspaper columnists to public relations professionals to book authors, and they are an interesting lot indeed! It's apparent that many women keep writing long into old age, so I felt right at home at this conference. I'll tell more later, but for now, here are two highlights of my personal experience:

On Friday evening, September 21, a main feature of the program was the "Bold Women of the Past: Models for the Future" presentation, sponsored by the Illinois Women's Press Association. The commentator and script writer was Marlene Cook, the director Jill Miller, and the coordinator Cecelia Green. The rest of us were models from periods dating from 1880 to the future, and I represented Jane Addams in the 1900-1910 period.

As the oldest model in the group, with no acting or modeling ability and walking problems, I felt a bit worried and insecure. However, I made it down the runway in my long skirt and gray wig (see the picture above). The most interesting characters, in my opinion, were Marianne Wolf-Astrauskas (Illinois) and Julie Slaymaker (Indiana) as Flappers from the 1920-1930 period, Mary Ellen Kearns (Illinois) as a WAVE in full uniform and Cecelia Green (Illinois) as Rosie the Riveter from 1940-1950, and Lisa and Craig Bishop ( South Carolina) as Elvis and Priscilla Presley for 1970-1980. In fact, everyone who participated was wonderful!

The second big event for me was the final banquet and awards presentation on Saturday evening, September 22. I received two national awards from Meg Hunt, NFPW President, a first place award for 2006 contributions to this blog, "Never too Late!" and a third place award for my first book, Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor (Infinity, 2006). Old as I am, it was still a thrill to walk across to receive my award certificates as the cameras flashed. The procession of winners was long, but I felt that I was in good company, especially since I've been writing for only a few years.

So there you have it. I think the lessons I learned included more about the joys of writing, the wonderfully friendly relationships among writers, and the benefits of keeping active past age 70. I'm glad I attended the conference, and I may attend again in Idaho in 2008. I hope all seniors will considering joining groups devoted to their special interests, whatever those interests may be.

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Photos: Upper left, a happy winner.
Upper right: With NFPW President Meg Hunt.
Lower left: "Jane Addams" with "Flapper" Marianne Wolf-Astrauskas.

I'm Off to the National Federation of Press Women's Conference Tomorrow

I'll probably not be posting here for a few days; tomorrow morning, I'm on my way the the National Federation of Press Women's national conference in Richmond, Virginia. I'm going to receive my two 2007 national awards, first place for this blog and third place for my book, Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor.

One of the more interesting features of the conference promises to be the "Bold Women of the Past: Models for the Future" event on Friday evening. Models from various state chapters will model the fashions from various stages in the organization's past, beginning with the 1880's period. Cecilia Green of our local Illinois Woman's Press Association and Jill Miller of the Witchita, Kansas, Professionakl Communicators (mother and daughter) are the co-chairs.

To my surprise, I am one of the models, portraying Jane Addams in the 1900-1910 period. Jane was an early member of IWPA. Despite my lack of modeling talent and my less-than-authentic costume, I am actually looking forward to the experience.

Come back next week for a report on the conference. I see the fact that I'm actually going and participating as further evidence that "It's Never too Late!"

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

My New Book is Coming!

My new book, Seniorwriting: A Brief Guide for Seniors Who Want to Write (Infinity, 2007, $9.95), will be out in early October. This is not a book for those who already write; it's for non-writers who have life stories to preserve for their families and friends.

This book attempts to simplify the process. It contains twenty short chapters in 81 pages. Part I discusses the benefits of writing about life's experiences and challenges to discover, to heal, and to reinvent. Part II presents ten short examples of some of the kinds of writing assignments mentioned in Part I, while Part III is designed to help with the finishing touches and with self-publishing and/or sharing.

Unlike some other guides to life story writing, this one presents no rigid rules, no specific method of organization, such as a year-by-year or decade-by-decade approach. The idea is to promote creativity and self-expression without fear of writing errors or prescribed formulas.

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Good News of the Month

I mentioned in an earlier post that since my book and this blog won first-place awards in their respective categories in the Illinois Woman's Press Association's Communications Contest for 2007, both would be sent on to the parent National Federation of Press Women's national contest.

Yesterday, I received the surprising news that both were prize winners at the national level: first place for this blog (Web writing, Personal) and third place for my book (Nonfiction, Biography/Autobiography).

I am elated! The awards will be presented at the NFPW's annual conference in Richmond, Virginia, in September, and I hope to be there. Writing is such fun!

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

A Look at the Printers Row Book Fair on June 10, 2007

And here I am (above)! I can't say that my book sales were spectacular, but the Printers Row Book Fair in Chicago's South Loop area was great. It's encouraging to see so many people of all ages who are actually interested in buying or looking at books, talking to real, live authors famous and not-so-famous, people who retain their festive moods after a long day of walking about.

These aren't generally the same people who hung out at the Wells Street Arts Fair right in front of my building this weekend: the young, beer-drinking crowd. Fortunately, I still remember being young, but I was never inspired by the idea of drinking large quantities of beer. I still have faith in the younger generations. There were young people at Printers Row too.

One of the best parts of the fair for me was talking to my fellow IWPA authors at our booth. Many types of books were represented: business manuals, children's books, histories, novels, memoirs (including mine), and on Sunday, a tribute to long-ago IWPA member Jane Addams of Hull House fame (see photo below).

The weather was wonderful this weekend: not too hot, not too cold, just right, and sunny! And if you're one of those people who read only books by famous authors, look around a bit more. Books are really the people behind them, the authors, and they are worth meeting. Explore a book fair in your neighborhood, or participate in one if you're a writer!




Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne
Photos by the Author

See me at the Printers Row Book Fair!

If you're in or near Chicago, meet me at the Printers Row Book Fair this Saturday or Sunday, June 9 and 10.

No, I won't be one of the featured authors. That honor is reserved for known authors like Joyce Carol Oates, Sara Paretsky, even Jen Schefft of TV's The Bachelor fame.

You'll find me at the Illinois Woman's Press Association booth, FF, near Clark and Polk Streets at the south end of the fair. Come visit us! You'll find some interesting books you may not have heard of, all kinds, all topics, by Association members. We'd love to talk to you.

The hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on the fair, go to www.printersrowbookfair.org.

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne
Photo from the IWPA PenPoints newsletter, Jan Lisa Huttner

Awards and Good Feelings: the IWPA Awards Luncheon

It's official: both my book, Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor, and this blog, "Never too Late!" were awarded first place in their respective categories in the IWPA's Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest yesterday. Both will go on to the National Federation of Press Women's national contest. Winning awards, whether major or minor, feels good! For more on the luncheon, read on.

On May 19, 2007, the Illinois Woman's Press Association (Incorporated 1907) held its annual awards luncheon at Chicago's Union League Club. The food, the conversation, and the address by sports writer Melissa Isaacson, of the Chicago Tribune, were all excellent. The main purpose of the meeting was to present awards to high school journalists and IWPA members.

I was especially impressed by the young student winners, who told a bit about their entries. They were bright and articulate and charming. They gave me hope for the future, especially the future of journalism and writing/photography in general.

Of course my fellow IWPA members were impressive too. These are the women who work "in the trenches" of journalism, public relations, advertising, and related fields, and they can and do write very well indeed! They make me wish that I'd had the courage to write more when I was younger, but as my blog title says, "It's Never too Late!" Today, I feel like a writer.

Come see me at the IWPA booth at the Printer's Row Book Fair on June 9.

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Publishing with Infinity

This is the cover of Infinity Publishing's free guide, my "bible" for the information I needed to format my book and get it into print. You can get a copy from the website, www.infinitypublishing.com. Check out that site for valuable information, and see the slide show from the 2006 conference.

I attended the Express Yourself Writers Conference sponsored by Infinity Publishing in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, last fall. Infinity is the publisher of my book, Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor, published last summer, so I was eager to learn more about this company and the whole business of publishing. You may see my previous account of the conference in my October 9 post here (in the October 2006 archives).

One thing that I didn't emphasize in my earlier post was the joy of meeting my fellow Infinity authors. I was impressed by their enthusiasm, their diversity, and many of the books they had published. The authors represented all age groups and parts of the United States, although there was a concentration of writers from eastern states reasonably near the conference site. As I recall, I was the only Chicagoan there.

To continue the spirit generated from conference discussions, one of the writers compiled a list of the e-mail addresses of many attendees, and members of the Infinity Authors Group have kept in touch occasionally during the past six months. Infinity Publishing has been very cooperative. Now, several members have included all or nearly all of us on their impressive websites. The purpose is to bring attention to books that are not generally known to the public, but deserve to be. While I can't endorse all of them, not have I read all of them, I can endorse the spirit and creativity of the Infinity authors. These are people I am happy to know.

I am glad to have my book included on at least three of these web sites. To see one of them (I hope to have links to others later), click on "links to this post" (below) and then "Infinity Authors-Infinite Talent ." You may be amazed at the variety of books and authors presented there. If a book sounds interesting, order it! And if you're writing a book, consider Infinity Publishing.

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Unknown Authors and Internet Reviewers

I've read good reviews, mediocre reviews, bad reviews, and mixed reviews. An unknown author learns to rejoice in all of them if they indicate that someone has at least read his or her book and expressed honest opinions of it. However, today I noticed what may be a new kind of review: the "I didn't really read the book, but I'll write a review anyway." I don't object to the negative parts of the review (it's not technically a "bad review") but to the fact that it clearly indicates ignorance of the book's contents and some very basic facts.

After correctly listing my name and the book's title, the reviewer repeatedly refers to me as "Dr. Stone." First, my name is not Stone, and second, I do not have a doctorate. Then he refers to my long teaching career at "St. Olaf's College." My father graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and my brother taught there for many years, but I did neither. My forty-year teaching career was at Wilbur Wright College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. The reviewer could have found the correct information on the back cover of my book. He even implies that I retired from my lofty position as a professor and then became a lowly secretary, and he wonders how I feel about that. Well, I do some secretarial work for a neighbor occasionally, but it's hardly a career--and the whole matter and how I feel about it are explained on pages 95-96.

The reviewer does say that I am a good writer (Thanks!), but he shows little understanding of what I tried to do or why. As an occasional book reviewer myself, I never review a book unless I've read 95% to 100% of it and formed some idea of who the author is and of his or her purpose. And I always take time to get the basic facts straight!

I shall not identify this reviewer or the relatively unknown web site, since I have no desire to recommend either, and fortunately, there are several more valid reviews of my book on the Internet. Were I to judge this reviewer as superficially as he apparently judged my book, I'd say that he's an intellectual snob who has a problem with older women who write--but that's not fair to say, is it?

(My title was suggested by Lord Byron's satirical poem "English Bards and Scotch Reviewers," 1809.)

Readers: how about adding some comments about this post and/or the art of book reviewing? Click on "comments" below.

Copyright 2006 by Marlys Marshall Styne

A Brave New, Brand-New, Brand-You World?

When my former neighbor and long-time friend Margot Wallace told me that she had written a book entitled Museum Branding (AltaMira Press, 2006), my first question was, "What's that?" Margot teaches at Columbia College, Chicago, and she worked in advertising/marketing for many years before earning a master's degree and becoming a teacher in her field. She's good at what she does. She cheerfully explained to this outsider that museums need identities, or brands, to promote their institutions to visitors and benefactors. The book's subtitle is "How to Create and Maintain Image, Loyalty, and Support." O.K. Museum branding makes sense.

Still, when I encountered Jeninne Lee-St. John's article, "It's a Brand-You World," in the November 6 issue of Time, I was startled to learn about "personal branding." According to Ms. Lee-St. John, personal marketing consultants apply "the language, philosophies and strategies of Madison Avenue to the brand that is you." According to the experts she quotes, we need to be "packaged," our images overhauled, in order to get ideal jobs or to find life partners. "The majority of [job-seeking] kids coming out of college are essentially generic," according to consultant D.A. Hayden of Hayden-Wilder. As a long-time college professor, I question that, but I'll concede that some graduates may need advice: relax, don't say "uh" or "like" so often, dress appropriately, and so forth. But do they need to pay $2,950 for Hayden-Wilder's "Illumination" branding package? I don't think so. There's even a New York company, PersonalsTrainer, that will rewrite your on-line personals or dating service ad for $159.95!

I don't especially need or want either a job or a date these days, but this article interested me for two reasons: a short-lived experiment with a senior on-line dating site (no dates), and the publication of my book, Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor, earlier this year.

I wasn't serious about the dating site for senior citizens. I just wanted to explore, and I wouldn't have minded meeting someone in my age group for coffee and conversation if, indeed, there are any seventy-ish men out there who are interesting, single, straight, healthy, and not looking for a housekeeper, cook, and/or nurse. I was truthful. I did not claim to be beautiful or vivacious or eager to find romance. The two or three tentative responders lost interest quickly, as did I. And when one mentioned sex as his main interest or activity, I concluded that he must hit the Viagra a bit too hard. Possibly a personal branding consultant could have improved my image and found me a date, but I might have told the guy to get lost. There's not much wrong with being single.

Then, there's my book. I've learned about marketing and publicity packages that cost many thousands of dollars: possible radio and TV interviews; book tours; public appearances. How about an image consultant for an "extreme makeover"? A media consultant to improve my radio or TV performance? No sale. My book is mainly for seniors, whom I assume to be quite oblivious or resistant to such efforts, and I do not expect it to be a best seller. Its readers have been appreciative, but it's a book with a limited audience. Why waste money on the impossible?

I've grown up believing that I should be myself and not care what others think. I'm an individualist and a loner. Those qualities have never made me popular, and perhaps they helped make me the depressed recluse I became for a while after my husband died; some reinvention was necessary. I've improved me teeth and my hair, and more importantly, become a volunteer, joined writers' groups, and made a few new friends. I've attempted to market my book on line (where many seniors never venture). But as for aggressive and expensive personal branding? I don't think so. I wouldn't mind meeting a few new people or selling a few more books, but I won't buy a new image in order to do so. I know who I am, and I'm content with the imperfect brand that is me.

Copyright 2006 by Marlys Marshall Styne

The Illinois Womans Press Association Book Fair

On Saturday, October 21, I was one of thirty Illinois authors, most of us little known, presenting our books at the annual IWPA fall book fair. This event was one of the many Book/Author events featured in the city's and the Chicago Public Library's Chicago Book Festival, October 2006. As a relatively new author, I enjoyed the fair very much. Does that mean that I sold a lot of books? No, but I still found the event very interesting.

For one thing, the setting, the Randolph Cafe of the Chicago Cultural Center, is a wonderful place. The Cultural Center itself, where I am often an information desk volunteer, is a building worth visiting for its architecture, mosaics, and marvelous Tiffany dome, as well as for the many exhibits and events presented there, most of them free and open to the public.

On Saturday, the cafe featured thirty large tables covered by purple cloths (the IWPA color), and each of us set up his or her own book and information displays. Fifteen of us were IWPA members, and the rest other authors and publishers from throughout the state. Many visitors passed our tables, and many stopped to chat with us and look at our books.

The emcee, Cheryl Corley of NPR's Chicago Bureau, did an amazingly efficient job of interviewing each of us on stage. She was able to interview thirty of us with interesting questions and good humor throughout. I'm sure that my lack of media experience showed in my interview, but Cheryl's skills really saved the day. I was impressed.

Another feature of the fair that impressed me was the diversity of both the authors and their books. Various races and ethnic groups were represented, and our books ranged from children's books to fiction to self-help to inspirational and spiritual topics, as well as other non-fiction titles. Chicago's diversity and the diversity of Illinois writing were on display.

The officers of the IWPA, including president Suzanne Hanney and event chair Marianne Wolf (also an author); my fellow Cultural Center volunteers; the staff of the Shop at the Cultural Center: all deserve praise and thanks for their hard work.

Get more information about IWPA and its parent organization, the National Association of Press Women, at www.iwpa.org or www.nfpw.org. I'll hope to see you at next year's fair!

Copyright 2006 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Amazing Amazon!

If you haven't shopped for a book on Amazon.com lately, you should take a look. I am continually being amazed by the new features I find there. It's taken me a long time to discover the many things an author or publisher can do to promote a book and communicate with potential readers. Of course there are bare-bones publishers' listings on Amazon too, but I've had a lot of fun trying out the features, both old and new.

Of course I have a profile page with a picture and probably more facts than anyone wants to know about me. I have a "Listmania" list: "Inspiring and Interesting Books for Senior Citizens." I have forty-plus tags, from "aging" to "writing as therapy," to help readers looking for certain book categories, and I've added customer tags to other authors' books, too. I have a growing list of search suggestions in the "books for seniors" category. There are three customer reviews of my book (averaging 4 1/2 stars). I have written customer reviews for a few other books. I have references to this blog and to other web sites that mention my book, Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor. All this is interesting--and free--but it's the newer features that really amaze me.

The "Search Inside" feature leads the way to the rest. With "Search Inside," the potential buyer can see large views of the front and back covers, the copyright page, the table of contents, and several excerpts. How do book listings get these features? Some publishers submit their books for "Search Inside," but authors can do so too. The only cost is a copy of the book, sent to a special address after Amazon has verified that you are, indeed, the author, with rights to the book. If the publisher retains the rights, it's up to him or her.

Just a day or so ago, I discovered four new additions to my Amazon listing: Condordance, Text Stats, SIPs, and CAPs. Perhaps only English teachers find such things fascinating, but at the very least, they show the power of computers. Concordance lists the one hundred most commonly-used words in the book, excluding the common "a," "an," "and," "the," and similar short words. The words are printed in sizes representing their prominence in the book. For my book, the largest is "time" (119 times), followed by "years" (99) and "remember" (98). That seems predictable for a memoir. By putting the mouse pointer over the word, one can find out how many times it was used, and by clicking on the word, one can see the page numbers and parts of the sentences in which the word appears! For example, "time" first appears on page three: "Having unusually well-educated parents for that time and place . . ." Why would anyone need to know this? For a book like mine, it's unlikely that anyone would care, but for a more scholarly book, the concordance could provide an easy way for a student or a writer to find relevant references. It's a new world out there.

Text Stats reveals information about readability, complexity, and number of characters, words, and sentences. It shows the book's standing on the Fog Index (11.8), the Flesch readability scale (56.3), and the Flesch Kincaid scale (9.8). My book is apparently about average in readability, as intended. These stats might be important for English or reading teachers checking on fiction or non-fiction books appropriate for their students.

Finally, what in the world are SIPs and CAPs? SIPs are "statistically improbable phrases." In my book, there is just one listed: "cat sitter." I wonder why that's so improbable? There are a lot of cat owners out there, and who takes care of our cats while we're out of town? CAPs are "capitalized phrases." Twenty-five are listed for my book, from "Old Town Pump" (my late husband's old place of business) to "St. Olaf College" (my late father's alma mater and the main location of my brother's teaching career).

Clicking on a CAP leads to information on what other listed books, if any, include that phrase. The "Signature Room" (one of my favorite Chicago restaurants) has two references in my book and three in Lonely Planet Chicago, by Chris Baty. "Wells Street" has five references in my book, and is also mentioned in at least twenty-two other books about Chicago. Clicking on a CAP also leads to a link to A9.com, where I found that most references to "Old Town Pump" refer to actual water pumps across the country, but number twenty-three is a quote from my book and a link to me!

I am fascinated and amazed by these features on Amazon.com, but it's too early to judge their effectiveness. I'm sure that the academic world, of which I am no longer a part, will let us know. My book's unimpressive Amazon sales ranking doesn't suggest any effect so far--but did you know that, according to Amazon's Fun Stats, my book offers 2,290 words per dollar (when sold at list price)? At the holiday discount price, you get 3,366 words per dollar!

Copyright 2006 by Marlys Marshall Styne

The "Express Yourself" Authors' Conference

From September 29 through October 1, I attended Infinity Publishing’s “Express Yourself” Authors’ Conference in Valley Forge, PA, near Philadelphia. Most conference attendees were those of us whose books have been published by Infinity, but the conference was for anyone interested in marketing his/her books, regardless of publisher.

This conference opened a new world to me: I listened to inspirational advice on how to market books, as well as some basic information about publishers large and small, traditional and untraditional. The speakers included many stars of the independent book marketing world: authors of marketing materials, designers of web sites, providers of publicity packages, even a copyright law expert. I was fascinated.

Does this mean that I can or will get rich by turning my book into a best seller? No way. Both my age and my lack on entrepreneurial spirit are against me. I’m sure that the speakers can sell almost anything to almost anybody, but that’s not me. Perhaps I’m too comfortable. Of course I’d like to sell more books, but for me, the necessary expenditures of time and money seem excessive—and probably futile.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the conference, and I learned a lot. I may try a few new book-selling strategies. There are plenty of them out there, including John Kremer’s 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, a book I own. I’ve used a few of Kremer’s easier tips, including Amazon.com’s tagging, author profile, “Inside the Book,” “Listmania,” and customer reviews, but 1001 ways? Talk about over-kill.

I admire the experts I heard: Kremer, Dan Poynter, Jerry Simmons, Penny Sansevieri, Brian Jud, Paul Krupin, and others. I enjoyed touring Infinity Publishing, as well as meeting its president, Tom Gregory, its vice-president, and other employees. I enjoyed seeing a few copies of my own book in the conference bookstore and on the publisher’s shelves. I enjoyed meeting some very interesting fellow writers and hearing about their books. They represent a wide variety of interests, experiences, and areas of expertise.

This conference made me happy to be an author, albeit a virtually unknown one, and reminded me how inspiring it is to learn new things, meet new people, and enter new worlds after retirement. But for me, it’s the writing, not the selling, that matters most.

Copyright 2006 by Marlys Marshall Styne

From the Reviews of Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor

Wonderful book for those approaching retirement: “The Mrs. Styne that comes alive through these essays is someone the reader will genuinely like. . . . If you are approaching retirement, or if you have already retired and now find that you could benefit from some ‘reinvention,’ this book is for you. Learn from Mrs. Styne’s experiences.”

Marcelline Burns for Reader Views

Spirit and talent in a retired widow: “Few people have the spirit and energy to reinvent themselves. Marlys Styne has not only the will but the talent to become a writer. As she, and we, reexamines her life, clearly gumption has been there all along. How many professional women don leather suits, fling a leg over a back seat, and hang on for miles and days as hubby drives his motorcycle all over the world? . . . In the reinventing of Professor Styne, the tense is important. She didn’t reinvent herself in a gush of self-discovery; she’s been doing it quietly all along. . . . Pay close attention. Her style is straightforward and unadorned, which may speed you past the not inconsiderable wit of a life well observed.”

Margot Wallace on Amazon.com

A fine read as a glimpse of a fascinating life: "Lots of us who think we have stories to tell but find it hard to get started will find comfort, advice and inspiration in this book. . . . In a slender volume, the author manages to cover a range of topics from the lighthearted—Sudoku and cats—to the deeply serious—the loss of a dearly loved husband, a fight against breast cancer. She has a lovely voice and a lively pace. . . . This book is an inspiration to those of us who hope to be writers. Styne will tell us that we already are.”

Patricia Pando for Story Circle Book Reviews

A gentle and overall joyful collection: “[The author’s] reminiscences on family, aging, teaching, travel, revelations, and inspirational moments encourage fellow human beings of all ages and senior citizens especially to experience more and partake in the catharsis of writing.”

Midwest Book Review: Small Press Bookwatch,
The Biography Shelf, September 2006

Want to buy my book? Go to www.buybooksontheweb.com (read a "sneak preview" chapter there), www.backoftheroom.com (listen to an audio introduction there), or www.amazon.com (see the table of contents, my profile, and my "listmania" list). To read an interview, go to www.readerviews.com. To listen to an audio interview, go to www.insidescooplive.com.

It's Never Too Late!

Opening the small package to find three beautiful proof and copyright copies of my own book, with my name on the front cover and my picture on the back of each, was a major highlight of my life. When the books arrived in early May, 2006, it was more exciting than winning a lottery. I hope most writers don't wait seventy-some years for this experience, but there is really no time limit. It's never too late to write and publish a book, as I have proved. My book is Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor (Infinity Publishing, May 2006).

I was a long-time community college English teacher. I've heard that most English teachers are either frustrated actors or frustrated writers, and if so, I belonged to the writer group. However, I did not teach at a publish-or-perish institution, and I kept very busy grading papers and preparing classes and serving on committees. In my last seven years of teaching, I was a busy department chair. I wrote and published a few short teaching-related articles, and I enjoyed doing so, yet I didn't feel like a writer.

To me, being a writer meant writing incredibly beautiful prose that flowed easily from pen or computer into beautifully-printed works of art. I admired authors from Shakespeare to Dickens to Twain to E.B. White, Alice Walker, and hundreds more. Yes, I really knew that writing involved hard work, but I chose to ignore that. I lacked the courage to try.

The turning point came in late December, 2005, when I returned from a pleasant holiday visit with extended family in Texas to an empty condo. By then, I had been retired for seven years and widowed for six. My beloved old cat, Lyon, had died at an animal hospital while I was away, and now I was really alone.

In an Internet search, I found StoryStudio Chicago, and since the beginning creative writing classes were filled, I enrolled in LifeWriting. I decided to write about what I know best, my life. The class motivated me to write and keep writing for eight weeks. I enjoyed sharing my work with my younger classmates, and I enjoyed hearing their work. Completing a book in eight weeks was not the assigned goal of the class, but I tried it anyway.

I had plenty of time to write, and writing, especially in the early morning hours, seemed to revive me. Words did not flow from my pen or computer in perfect order, but I revised and edited and revised again. I filled my wastebasket many times with discarded attempts. I also rediscovered a few essays I'd written as early as 1988, as well as a lecture on poetry and a commencement address I'd given in 1996. I began to envision not a chronological story of my life, but a series of personal essays old and new that told my story and encouraged others to write.

I really wanted to publish this book, but I realized that traditional publishers would not be eager to take a chance on a memoir by a new, unknown, elderly writer. For me, becoming rich or famous was not a priority, but of course publishers are in business to make money, as they must be. I began to explore the complicated world of self-publishing. Self-publishing had always been treated with disdain in my academic world, and I'd heard horror stories of exorbitant fees and writers' basements full of low-quality, unsold books. Still, computers seem to have changed the self-publishing world.

I discovered that I could publish my book for a reasonable fee that included cover design, retain all rights, and avoid any requirement to purchase copies. Of course I got no free copies beyond the proof copies either, but I didn't mind that. I could buy five or ten or one hundred copies as I chose, my first order at half-price and future orders at forty percent off. If the book sold, I would get modest royalties, even for those copies I sold myself, and if it did not sell, I was out only what I had already paid. Books, in addition to a very small publisher's inventory, could be printed on demand very quickly, and the book would never go out of print unless I chose to withdraw it, which I could at any time. I would be free to go to a traditional publisher if one showed interest later.

For me, independent former English professor and computer enthusiast that I am, it was thrilling to format the book myself according to the publisher's specifications, scan my own pictures, do my own editing and proofreading (with marvelous help from a friend), and submit my book in PDF format on a CD. I had total control. I didn't need to pay for editing or proofreading or formatting, although they are available and may be necessary for some authors.

That beautiful proof copy contained a few errors, of course. Still, making the corrections in my original Word file and submitting a new PDF disc was easy. I won't claim perfection, but except for one unintentionally convoluted sentence and one minor typo, I haven't found any errors in the finished book. I'll trust my readers to find any others that remain.

My book was finished by late March, the proof copies arrived in early May, and my book was published on May 24. I know it won't be a best seller, but just seeing it mentioned on various Internet sites is a thrill. The sales results will come later, but I've already achieved success on my own terms.

For me, self-publishing was a good experience. Seeing the proof book and then the final copies, selling a few copies myself, talking to old and new friends about the book, learning about promotional possibilities on various web sites: writing and publishing restored my enthusiasm and my enjoyment of life. That's why my title begins with "Reinventing Myself." I hope others will follow my example. It's never too late.

Copyright 2006 by Marlys Marshall Styne