Thank you for an insight to how much energy it took to write this book. I look forward to reading it. Thank you for all of your uplifting, insightful ways of looking at the world.
Thanks Bobby for sharing your book’s journey. My book of poems will arrive in November of 2025 - published by a small press in Kentucky - Finishing Line Press. I took 130 poems and selected 75 for submittal. It took 6 months before the nice handwritten, two sentence rejection arrived. While waiting I rewrote 60 of the poems and sent them to FLP in December of 2023. I received an acceptance letter in February and signed a contract. I don’t have an agent or editor. Most of work has been through group critiques and public readings. I’ve been writing business and technical docs. since 1990. I started writing poems in 2012. I’ve had 7 poems published in journals and magazines. Competition is heavy and at first it was a big ego boost. The last 2 poems published I enjoyed writing, they’ve been well received by maybe 20 people, so the ego is tamed. I’m pleased that a book is coming out, I’ll probably be on some type of reading circuit, unpaid. It’s a line on a CV, but3 I’m a retired IT worker, with an incredible family, that’s what brings me blessings. I’ll keep writin because I enjoy it.
Very exciting, Brian! And...very much appreciate some of your own backstory. And while its hardly been smooth, it's great hearing how group critiques and public readings (as well as your own professional background) have played an instrumental role. Best to you on the tour! And yes, at the end of the day... writing for the joy of it does seem to be the secret (and best) sauce :)
Loved the inside story! Congratulations on your first book. Really like how you leveraged the gifts of coaches/editors to make your final product so compelling.
Congratulations! I appreciate this behind the scenes of the details and timeline for putting your together your book. Looking forward to reading it and spotting essays I’ve seen on the substack.
Thanks for this, Jen! (and apologies - thought my reply to this thread had happened a few days ago!). Also, I look forward to hearing the latest on your writing endeavors - and kudos to tyhe great intro "letter from the editor" in Kindred Characters. I, too, very much enjoy seeing the children's reading nook, and I love the way you harnessed that to help highlight the same sense of connection that is built through the stories of Kindred Characters. Thank you!
Thank you for an insight to how much energy it took to write this book. I look forward to reading it. Thank you for all of your uplifting, insightful ways of looking at the world.
Thank you for the encouragement (and faithful readership), Nora!
Thanks Bobby for sharing your book’s journey. My book of poems will arrive in November of 2025 - published by a small press in Kentucky - Finishing Line Press. I took 130 poems and selected 75 for submittal. It took 6 months before the nice handwritten, two sentence rejection arrived. While waiting I rewrote 60 of the poems and sent them to FLP in December of 2023. I received an acceptance letter in February and signed a contract. I don’t have an agent or editor. Most of work has been through group critiques and public readings. I’ve been writing business and technical docs. since 1990. I started writing poems in 2012. I’ve had 7 poems published in journals and magazines. Competition is heavy and at first it was a big ego boost. The last 2 poems published I enjoyed writing, they’ve been well received by maybe 20 people, so the ego is tamed. I’m pleased that a book is coming out, I’ll probably be on some type of reading circuit, unpaid. It’s a line on a CV, but3 I’m a retired IT worker, with an incredible family, that’s what brings me blessings. I’ll keep writin because I enjoy it.
Very exciting, Brian! And...very much appreciate some of your own backstory. And while its hardly been smooth, it's great hearing how group critiques and public readings (as well as your own professional background) have played an instrumental role. Best to you on the tour! And yes, at the end of the day... writing for the joy of it does seem to be the secret (and best) sauce :)
Loved the inside story! Congratulations on your first book. Really like how you leveraged the gifts of coaches/editors to make your final product so compelling.
Thanks! Yes...definitely a team effort
Congratulations! I appreciate this behind the scenes of the details and timeline for putting your together your book. Looking forward to reading it and spotting essays I’ve seen on the substack.
Thanks for this, Jen! (and apologies - thought my reply to this thread had happened a few days ago!). Also, I look forward to hearing the latest on your writing endeavors - and kudos to tyhe great intro "letter from the editor" in Kindred Characters. I, too, very much enjoy seeing the children's reading nook, and I love the way you harnessed that to help highlight the same sense of connection that is built through the stories of Kindred Characters. Thank you!