Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Women Writing the West: A Wilder Rose Goes to the Library


One of the best things I have done for myself in the past year is join Women Writing the West. As a writer born in El Paso, Texas,  raised in northern California and now, though living in Mexico City, writing about Far West Texas, for me, it's a perfect fit. The listserv discussions and the blog-- anyone can read the Women Writing the West blog, do check it out-- have been invaluable. And some of the most useful information for me, as I embark on my adventures in publishing Metaphysical Odyssey Into the Mexican Revolution, has come from WWW member Susan Wittig Albert. Today on the WWW blog Susan shares her tips for shepherding a self-published book into libraries. As an ex-literary journal editor and previous self-publisher (with The Visitors / Los Visitantes), I can tell you, dear reader, getting self-published books into libraries is truly a species of alchemy. Herewith the arcanum:

The Wilder Rose Goes to the Library
By Susan Wittig Albert 
I’ve been writing traditionally-published fiction and nonfiction for nearly three decades. But this year, I decided to publish a stand-alone novel—A Wilder Rose—under my own imprint, Persevero Press. All things considered, I’m glad I chose to take this route, but there have been bumps. A few potholes. Big trees across the road. Getting the book into libraries, for example... CONTINUE READING