Valuing my words by Leanne Dyck

"dogwood--I think" photo by ldyck

I finished writing my first book (Novelty Yarn) and thought...

I'm brilliant; it's brilliant.

I re-read it...

It's not bad.

I re-read it again...

Well... Hmm

Again...

This needs work and this and this.

Again...

I can't write. I don't have any talent? I'm a joke. This is a joke.

Listening to this negative self-talk paralyzed me, preventing me from submitting my work to any publisher. I didn't elect to self-publish Novelty Yarn. I hide in self-publishing.

But then came the reviews...

'Novelty Yarn contains a collection of small, tasty morsels that will continue surprise you right up until the last bite... Ranging from childhood memories about 4-H knitting and lessons from Grandma to night dreams about wild women knitting in the forest, each segment evokes a different mood. Many of the stories made me laugh out loud, while others made me pause...to mediate for a few minutes. The stories are separated by brief interludes of acoustic guitar music... The guitar intervals are just long enough to let your mind rest between the stories. The sensation is like cleansing your palate after sampling each vintage at a wine tasting. The total experience was delicious.' Donna Druchunas (Ethnic Knitting Discovery)

This review--and others like it--slowly began to transform me.

Today I submitted a manuscript to a publishing house. Will this publisher validate me? Will they accept my manuscript? Maybe, maybe not. That's not the point. The point is, by submitting my work, I'm validating myself.

*Revised from some a piece written in April 2007.

"blue sky" photo by ldyck

Next post:  Blue Skies (short story) about coping with anxiety and depression. Published on Sunday, May 6th at (approximately) 5 PM PST

"dog and wood--I know" photo by ldyck

Sharing my author journey...


This April I...

How I Wrote My First Book by Leanne Dyck

The following article was published in the West Coast Knitter's News in November 2006. The newsletter was edited by Paulette Lane.

How I Wrote a Knitting Book

Like all journeys, this one began with a single step. I was at a house party and innocently told a friend, "I'd like to start a writing group."

"Well," advised the friend, "you should talk to (name withheld to protect the innocent)." And a few short weeks later the Mayne Island writers' group was formed.

I immediately began to benefit from the group. The first lesson I learnt was in order for skills to be sharpened, you have to practice them. So I made a commitment to write daily.

I had tried this strategy before and had failed miserably. Not wanting this same fate, I decided to go public by way of a blog.

Daily writing is difficult. I began to run out of ideas. When that happened, I had to dig deep. I had to carve off the fat to reach the bone. What really mattered to me began to be exposed. I began to write from my heart.

I began to write about my passion: knitting. Each time I did this, my readership grew. People were actually logging on to read my writing. Go figure? It amazed me. 

The idea of writing a book began to percolate in my brain.

Still, the sheer volume of writing scared me. Even a short book is 100 pages. How could I write 100 pages?

Day after day, I wrote. I kept the good bits and forgot about the bad.

I shared my best stuff not only with my blogging readership but also with the talented writers of the writers' group. They gave me the feedback I needed in order to grow.

I soon began to realize that my goal of writing a book was attainable.

Living so closely with my story endeared it to me. Visualizing a stranger, an editor, moulding and forming my baby under the direction of another stranger, a publisher, made me churn. At the time, I was unprepared to take that leap of faith. The only solution for me was self-publishing. I wanted to tell my story in my words in my way. 

I have always thoroughly enjoyed clicking my knitting needles to the sound of audiobooks. I knew there were many other knitters who felt the same. I was surprised that I was unable to find an audiobook written by a knitter for the knitting community. An audiobook that celebrated knitting called out to be written. How could I publish it?

Fortunately for me, the man I married has considerable computer skills. It is due to his patience, dedication, and talent that Novelty Yarn has such high-quality sound. 

The family I married into is jam-packed-full of talented musicians—such as my brother-in-law Tim Dyck. He composed and performed the beautiful instrumentals that knit the readings together. 

Self-publishing is a misnomer. Many hands were involved in the creation of Novelty Yarn. From the members of the Mayne Island writers' group who carefully edited it, to Mayne Island's Alea Design and Print, who designed the CD cover.

Recently, a friend, clutching the CD in her hands, said, "You should be very proud."

Know what? I am.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." LaoTzu

Don't be afraid to take that step.

Next post:  
The Lure of Yarn (short story)is from Novelty Yarn--my first book.
It's a tongue in cheek look at being addicted to knitting. 
Published on April 22nd at approximately 5 PM PT

'Abby beachcombing' ldyck

Sharing my author journey...

Self Publishing? Ah, nope by Leanne Dyck

"dreaming of spring on Mayne Island" ldyck

 Questions...

"Hey, Leanne, it's taken you so long to publish a new book. Have you ever thought of self-publishing?"

And...

"Hey, Leanne, have you published anything recently?"

And...

Answer...

I began my career as a self-published author. I published fiction and non-fiction for adults. It was a fun experience that challenged and informed me. I'm glad I started that way, but I have no plans to return to this path to publication.

Why?

I like the idea of joining a team of professionals. 
(meaning, I don't want to assemble a team.)

And

I don't like the idea of shelling out money in order to be published—especially when there's no guarantee I will earn it all back. 

A book could be a must-read, but if no one knows about it, it won't become a best-seller.

Successful self-publishing, in my opinion, relies on deep pockets and a big name. I have neither. And so I seek to team up with a recognized and trusted name publisher.

Please don't get me wrong. I'm not cautioning you against self-publishing. If it makes sense to you, I say go for it. It doesn't make sense to me, so I won't.

The downside is you'll have to wait a long time to read my next book. (Estimation: about two years after I sign a contract). In the meantime, I hope you will continue to read this blog. Thank you for your interest and for supporting my author journey.

"dreaming of spring on Mayne Island" ldyck

Next post:  Sunday, February 20th (5PM PST)
I'll share a slice of life from my days as a knitwear designer. 

Sharing my author journey...

"Abby enjoying her human pillow" ldyck

4 books that changed my life by Leanne Dyck

What are the books that changed your life?

Here's my answer...

I can't remember life without a pen. And before that I told stories to puppies and kittens. When I wasn't telling the stories I was listening to them. All this listening and all this writing inevitably lead me to want to write a book.

1st Question:  Can I write a book?

It seemed like an unreachable goal. In a blog post I wrote 'even a short book is over 100 pages'.

So how did I achieve this goal?

By writing one short story after another.

an audio book a collection of knitting-themed short stories

published in 2006

2nd Question:  Can I sell my book?

is a short (approximately 35,000 words) mystery 

set on Mayne Island 

published in 2009

As I wrote the final chapter, I worked on the marketing plan. I envisioned my target reader and devised plans to reach her. These plans included a book launch featuring Mayne Island musicians. This book served as an introduce to the publishing industry. I learned what is involved in the publishing and marketing of books. I sold over 200 copies (through several bookstores and directly to readers). Maynely A Mystery was a Mayne Island best seller.

3rd Question:  Can I find a publisher?


The success of Maynely A Mystery inspired me to take (what I viewed as) the next step--finding a publisher for The Sweater Curse a novella-length paranormal thriller. Novellas are challenging to place. I searched the Internet. Bono Bookstore (imprint of Decadent Publishing) taught me how to work with a publishing house. My writing benefited at the hands of skilled editors. I worked with other authors to develop marketing plans for our books. 

Link to a YouTube video of me reading from this book

4th Question:  Can I build a writing career?

Novelty Yarn taught me that I could write a book.

Maynely A Mystery taught me that I could market a book.

The Sweater Curse taught me that I can find a publisher.

You, dear reader, taught me that I can build a supportive community.

And now I'm ready to work with publishers to build a career in writing.

(photo by Leanne Dyck)

More...

Please click this link for my complete publishing history

?

Next post:  July 17th (around 5 PM) 

(a clue from me to you) Logline:  An operation to increase intellect fails, but the experience teaches a man with down syndrome that there are more important things than intelligence. 

The book is... 

(photo by Leanne Dyck)

Picture Books in Canada

'Victoria Children's Literature Roundtable is one of many Children's Literature Roundtables across Canada. We are a varied group of educators, librarians, parents, authors, illustrators and other professionals who meet 5-7 times between September and June to celebrate and promote children's literature. Our programs are varied and offer something to everyone. Children's literature enthusiasts are always welcome.' -quote from the Victoria Children's Literature Roundtable website 

For more information, please click this link and this one 

  Sharing my author journey...

A black blanket, studded with a sliver moon and twinkling stars covered the earth...

Self-publishing, traditional publishing--pick one by Leanne Dyck

In his article, Sir Hugh and the Snail, Porter Anderson asked, "How...can we, as an industry, get past this idea that we're in a fight?'

My answer:  Simply put -- with respect.

Self-publishing is not lesser or greater than traditional publishing--and visa, versa.

As Porter Anderson wrote:  '[T]his is not about self-publishing vs. traditional publishing...it's about the author deciding what is right for him or her, and for the readers.'

From 2006 to 2009, I self-published paper backs, E books and audio books. The tasks an indie author must perform are many. They include but are not limited to...

-writing the manuscript
-hiring an editor(s)
-hiring the cover designer
-formatting the manuscript
-hiring the printer
-financing the print run
-deciding on the size of the print run
-planning and carrying out marketing activities such as the book launch, book readings, etc.
-soliciting book reviews

-contacting the press
-direct selling to booksellers and readers.

There are many reasons why I choose to self-publish. Ranked high on this list was to learn about the publishing industry.


From 2005 to present, I've sent manuscripts--large and small--to publishers. Sometimes these manuscripts were accepted but mostly they were rejected. Sometimes it took longer than I'd ever imagined to receive that acceptance letter. But once accepted I worked with an established team of professionals to publish my story. This team included publisher, editors and other authors. 

(for a complete account of my publishing history (in traditional publishing), please visit this page)

There are advantages and disadvantages in both routes to publication. 

From these experiences I've grown to understand what I need, as a writer. And what I need is to be traditionally published. That's my decision. 

Other horses for other riders or other pens for other authors...

I'll bookend this article with a quote from another Writer Unboxed article--5 Things I Wished I Knew Before I Published My First Book by Catherine McKenzie: Even though we're artists...that doesn't mean your book business isn't your book business. Whether you go indie or traditional publishing doesn't change this.
***
Sharing my author journey...