Author
of the Month
The World of Publishing Pat McGrath Avery Does It all "There's no reason to feel competitive. I can't write what is in someone else's head Pat McGrath Avery is a quiet woman who gets
things done. Somehow she manages to juggle her own writing and that of
others most charmingly. She is a director of Authors' Coalition, has a
family. Edits a newsletter called Salute! and also supports our soldiers,
veterans and active, in other ways. She is truly a flag-waver in every
sense. Here's what she recently told me in an interview: Interview Carolyn: You are part of a growing trend. The Author /
Publisher. What got you started as a publisher? Pat: Ten years ago I sponsored a poetry contest. One of
the winning entries was a children's poem. It created a picture in my mind. That picture kept teasing me until I
called the author and suggested we turn it into a book. That was the beginning. Carolyn: Why did you branch out? Pat: I published several children's books. Then I met a
veteran who survived a massacre in the Korean War. He asked me to write his story. At first I told him no, but I
changed my mind after learning what he went through as a prisoner of war. I wrote and published a book with his
story. Soon after that, I met Joyce Faulkner at a book festival in St. Louis. She had just published a book. We
found we shared similar goals. We decided to work together and we've been writing partners since then. Carolyn: What is the reason behind your firm's name,
River Road Press? Pat: Nothing really. I love the water. We lived on a lake
road and River Road was the closest name I liked. Carolyn. Mmmm. Maybe that's how we often arrive at a title
or name. Something that speaks to us. Speaking of things military, is that interest of yours tied to something in
your background? Pat: I have a totally non-military background. But I'm
an example of "opportunity knocking at the door." When the veteran I mentioned earlier asked me to write his story,
my first thought was that I knew nothing about the military. The more contact I had with him, the more I realized
that the military is made up of individuals who give much in the service of our country. After several conversations
with him, I decided that someone needed to tell the story from the point of view of the guys who lived it - not the
strategy or the battles, but what happened to the guy who was there. As we shared his story, we found other survivors
of the same massacre and we knew the complete story needed to be told. From that came the Sunchon Tunnel
Massacre Survivors. Carolyn: Yes, and Sunchon Tunnel was just released
with a massive outpouring of acceptance at Veterans' Week in Branson. How does that reflect in your writing? Pat: I have grown as a person from knowing these men.
They are in their mid-70s and from them, I've learned much about survival, attitude, pain, friendship and personal
growth. Joyce and I have helped other veterans tell their stories. Each one has been a journey for us. I hope
that the respect, love and admiration we have for them has become a part of our writing. One very important thing
I've learned is the importance of personal history - both for the person who lived it and for the person who learns
about life by reading it. Carolyn: You are a director of
Authors' Coalition. I know it is a
labor of love for you. Why do you think it's important to help other authors? Pat: Authors are blessed because it's so easy and
rewarding to work with your peers. There's no reason to feel competitive. I can't write what is in someone else's
head and no one else can write what's in mine. But I can learn from what other authors have experienced, and vice
versa. Our goal at Authors' Coalition is to help other writers and to pool resources to do together what we can't
do individually. It's so much easier to market ourselves - in catalogs, brochures or at events - if a group of us
share the expenses. I find that I learn something from every other writer I get to know. Carolyn: As part of your putsch in the direction of
military and Authors' Coalition's cross-promotional effort to sponsor booths, you spearhead a huge booth /
presentation at Veteran's week in Branson, Mo. (Authors reading this can learn more about this booth at ). Please
share on of the things that makes this effort different from the usual author / publisher participation in a book
fair booth. Or two! (-: Pat:
Veterans Week in Branson draws a
large niche audience - all interested in veteran or military-related events and products. Every year 50,000+ people
come and most of them spend time in the "Command Center" or exhibit hall. They are there to meet and talk - making
it a great place for authors whose books interest them. Although they love books based on historical events, they
buy all kinds of books. The majority of the visitors are 40+ so they buy books for themselves, their children and
their grandchildren. I think the week's veteran theme gives them a feeling of community so they are relaxed and
feel at home from the moment they arrive. That makes it so much easier to talk to them. You can learn more about
the excitement from last October's week at our
Authors' Coalition blog. Carolyn: What do you find most challenging about being a
publisher? Pat: The marketing. No matter how good a book is, it's a
challenge to get it in front of people. Bookstores present a challenge to publishers because of the long return
window. It's absolutely necessary to find other outlets. Carolyn: When asked (like now! Ha!), what do you tell
authors is the most important thing for them to do when querying a publisher. Pat: Edit your own query letter and follow the writers'
guidelines. I've received queries handwritten on napkins. Once I received an entire manuscript handwritten. Those
are extreme examples but I have to admit that probably half of the queries I've received have been so poorly written
that I throw them away. If an author doesn't put effort into a query, I have no reason to think he / she will put
much effort into a manuscript - or in marketing themselves. Carolyn: Speaking of marketing, you did a wonderful job
publishing and co-edting a cross-promotional effort. Do you want to tell us something about it? Pat: It's The Complete Writers Journal. One
hundred authors contributed a quote about writing - some inspirational, some humorous and some technical. It's
great for thank you gifts, journaling, taking notes or selling as an add-on. I use them all the time and I still
read the quotes on each page. The retail price is $15.95 and it can be ordered from
Red Engine Press. For authors who use them for
promotional purposes, we sell them at 50% of list. Carolyn: Thank you for sharing with MyShelf.com, Pat. I
hope everyone will consider Sunchon Tunnel Massacre. It is a part of our military history that so few of
our citizens know anything about. At least, I know I didn't! And congratulations on being MyShelf's Author of the
Month for April, 2008. |
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2008's Honorary List
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