One of the books I have referenced while writing my novel about the Declaration is American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence by Pauline Maier. Fairly early into my research I found her book, and when I still had a question or two I e-mailed her. Within a day, she responded.
Her enthusiasm will be missed. In her book, she writes of being able to see the Declaration in Washington for the first time. “Curiosity more than anything sent me rushing through the hot summer air across the mall to the National Archives.”
By Karen A. ChaseMy Underwood typewriter on Ted’s old roll-top desk in our living room.
Typewriters. We writers love them. Historian and author David McCullough writes all his books on a typewriter for fear he will hit the delete key and wipe out a whole novel. Tom Hanks wrote an ode to typewriters for the New York Times this week. Famous authors have had their babies–specific typewriters upon which they tapped out their best work. You can see a list here.
I, too, have typewriter. It’s a 1935 Underwood. We found it in an antique store for $20. I paid another $100 to make it work. I don’t use it often because the keys are clunky and heavy, and I could seriously break a nail typing my name. But I do go to it for one reason. Beginnings.
When I’m on a regular computer I can crank out about 75 words a minute. (My brother said, “Yeah, 75 words a minute, but half of those are the delete key.) At that speed my thoughts are flying, but I’m not always discerning about the words. Word choice, to me, is never more important… imperative… paramount, than at the beginning of a book, of a chapter, or a scene.
How those moments start must fully engage the reader, so my mind must fully engage too. And that lovely old, black, heavy typewriter simply slows down my thinking. Besides, I feel like a writer at that typewriter. I feel all Hemingway. All Faulkner.
Now when I want to feel all Austen, I pick up a pen.
By Karen A. ChaseTai-wei, a foreign exchange work-visa from Taiwan, is staying with us, learning English and building street-cred.
Now through September, Ted and I have a houseguest staying with us (now considered a friend) from Taiwan. Tai-wei is working in the US on an exchange visa, and already speaks Chinese, English and Spanish. He has been sharing with us about his languages and we’ve been sharing ours. The one thing we’re all learning, is how often we use phrases that don’t make any sense at all.
Tai-wei has heard us say, “This will be great for getting some experience under your belt.” Or, “Well, it’s hump day.” Or, “Take a load off.” There is no way for someone new to the language to understand that these phrases mean he’s building a resumé, suffering through Wednesday, and sitting down. So we’ve had to explain some of them, and we’ve had to quit speaking in phrases and movie quotes.
Tai-wei has a really good English vocabulary already, so the most fun we’ve had language-wise is sharing phrases that we think are really funny, and are used casually. So we’ve been teaching him, “Fugettaboutit,” “Yeah, right. Yeah, sure,” “Don’t bust my chops,” and even the much more crass, “Don’t bust my balls,” and “Eat my shorts.” We’re certain his parents will be thrilled with this education.
In exchange Tai-wei’s teaching us some very important Chinese phrases (some of which I will not repeat here). My favorite is, “Mei quan xi” (pronounced may kwan shi). It’s kind of like saying, “fugettaboutit.” So next time someone insults you, or leaves you high-and-dry (stranded), just say, “Mei quan xi.” It’s no problem.
What other phrases do you think we should share with Tai-wei, eh?
By Karen A. ChaseThe Dunlap Broadside first printed on July 4th. From the held at the Yale University Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
As you fire up the BBQ and ready your fireworks, you should realize you are technically not celebrating “independence,” but celebrating the Declaration of Independence. Here’s why.
The day the founding fathers voted to approve the resolution for independence was actually July 2nd, 1776. On that day, Americans agreed to kiss the Crown goodbye. (They didn’t agree unanimously–note how that word is missing on the above image–until July 15th though, because it took New York a while to agree to the resolution.) After July 2nd, came the drafting of a formal declaration which Congress debated and edited for a couple of days. By the time they had approved the document, it was July 4th. That’s the date that appeared on the first printed copies of the Declaration, also known as “broadsides.” (A sheet of paper printed on one side.) There were about 200 or so of those printed by John Dunlap of Philadelphia.
All along we’ve celebrated independence on July 4th, because that’s the date the public first saw printed on the broadsides. There were no signatures on these copies, because they were typeset. The big Declaration of Independence, the parchment most of us recognize with the signatures at the bottom, didn’t come until later.
As for those original 200 broadsides, there were 24 known copies up until 1989. Then a painting was bought for $4 at a flea market for the frame. Behind the canvas was a 25th copy. It sold for $2.4 million. A 26th copy was “found” in the National Archives is Kew, England in 1990.
The panel of authors at the James River Writers Show. (Left to right) Julie Geen, me, Deb Dudley, and Meg Medina.
The tables have turned a bit with my writing, and I’ve recently been asked to speak at writing workshops. The first show was at the Roanoke Regional Writing Conference Series (see pics here), talking about taking a blog to book. My second was here in Richmond at the James River Writers Show on a panel about building an author platform. In both cases, I discovered that although I had been asked to come share my expertise since I published my first book, I still have so much to learn.
The publishing industry is changing rapidly, so that the old models about publishing are not the same. It used to be that there was traditional publishing (book deal, advance, royalties) or there was self-publishing. But now… there are more and more groups springing up in between, and so many more options for authors to craft their career path, instead of waiting to be picked up by agents and publishers.
The most important thing I’ve learned from preparing for and doing these talks is that I must continually study the industry. I have to be curious. I have to read–mostly online, because it’s changing too fast to put it into print. I need real-time data. I thought I would share a few tidbits and resources.
Visit AgentQuery.net
The best general info to get the gist on standard things in publishing.
Read Writers Digest and Poets and Writers
Embrace Google and search for:
• Tips for writing conferences
• Developmental editing vs copyediting
• Author Platform
• Author Blogs
• Why authors tweet
• Social media for authors
• Why book trailers
• Createspace versus Lightning source
• Book publishing royalties
• Non-traditional publishers
• (and whatever baffles you about publishing)
By Karen A. ChaseA photo of the flag outside UVA, Jefferson’s University, taken in May. At half-staff, to honor American policemen killed in the line of duty. – Photo by Andrew Eddy.
When Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner, it was because he was inspired. Through bombs bursting over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, he watched from a distant ship and waited for a sign that the British had not defeated the Americans. For twenty-five hours he waited, until finally “through the dawn’s early light” he saw a sign of hope. The flag–then consisting of 8 red and 7 white stripes, and 15 stars–still waving. Tall. Strong. Free. He took a letter from his pocket and wrote the poem on the back that would become the American National Anthem.
Whenever I see the American flag, I have often thought of his words. The poem sums up what our flag should represent; a celebration of not just survival, but our ability to thrive. The flag is a promise. At full-staff, and even half-staff. When I have seen a flag at half-staff, I’ve often wondered “whose life are we celebrating today?” Which long-term giver, social-reformer, or public official has died who helped make America better?
But not lately.
Now when I see a flag at half-staff, I worry. “What happened?” “What tragedy will I see on the news now?” I have seen our flag too often at half-staff, and it saddens me. Has our flag become a signal not of hope, but of our failures? Does it represent lives cut short? Terror? Immense grief for more Americans unable to fulfill the promise and the freedom our veterans helped to secure?
We can do better. We must do better.
So on this flag day, I’ll hope you’ll share the full poem by Francis Scott Key with your family. Tell them the story. I hope we as a nation can focus on the fact it should fly “o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” We can not simply sing the words. Our actions must raise our flag until it is gallantly streaming.
In addition to the three awards for Independent Book Publishing, Bonjour 40: A Paris Travel Log has also garnered a 2013 International Book Award. In all competitions, her self-published book competed against small- to mid-sized independent publishers, university and museum presses, and corporations that publish fewer than 50 titles a year.
Jeffrey Keen, president of USA Book News who hosts the international competition says of the awards, “The 2013 results represent a phenomenal mix of books from a wide array of publishers throughout the world.” Over 1000 entrants submitted not only books but marketing materials. Chase’s self-published book was among those selected by a “distinguished panel of industry judges who bring to the table their extensive editorial, PR, marketing, and design expertise.”
Bonjour 40 also won an IPPY Silver Medal for best Travel Essay in the Independent Book Publishers Award, and in the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards it won a Winners Medal for Best Design Non-fiction, and a Finalist Medal for Best Travel/Travel Guide.
“Needless to say, I’m simply thrilled, and it shows me, once again, that I’m helping to change the stigma for independent authors. Self-publishing doesn’t have to mean unfit to publish.”
While this award doesn’t include a swanky event gala in New York, Chase will be flying high knowing Bonjour 40 is heading into the Book Expo in New York touted by three award companies for both writing and design.
What does this mean? It means a trip to New York City at the end of the month to attend the awards ceremonies (both of them if I can swing it, as they are on the same night). More importantly, I think it shows me that self-publishing is changing. In just the IPPY awards, the book went up against over 5000 participants from small- to mid-sized traditional publishers and university presses. Self-published used to mean unpublishable, but that stigma is changing as we are judged and win among the professionals.
Everything about this book (writing, design, photography, editing, production) was self-published, but I didn’t do it alone. So, a great shout out for those who helped me proof the book, and thank you to Kristen Weber and April Michelle Davis who helped me professionally edit the manuscript. Stay tuned for news and pictures from the trip to New York, and if you haven’t yet read it, I hope you’ll skip on over to Amazon and say Bonjour 40!
My April column on Shelf Pleasure,”Will Travel for Words,” is up and live. Come with me as I explore the Center of the Earth, the “Hidden Cities” of the world according to Moses Gates, and we’ll even take a little dive into dreamland… How writing fiction, bravery and exploration will lead us down the rabbit hole.
Friday, May 3 ~ 7:00 p.m. Main Library ~ 101 East Franklin Street Davenport Special Collections Room
When I first launched Bonjour 40, the blog, I had not intended to write a book based on it. However, once the publishing notion came along, I thought perhaps I would use this book, my first, as an experiment. By navigating self-publishing for both the e-book and print versions, I’ve learned a few things. I wish I had someone over a year ago who knew what I know now.
You can. We’ll chat about:
• Tips for blogging
• Going from blog to book
• E-book versus print
• Amazon, online retailers, and bookstores
• Self versus traditional publishing
• Self-promotion for self-publishers
I hope you’ll join us. Reward? Self-publishing know-how from a been-there, done-that author. Plus, two attendees receive a free signed copy of the book, and one of my Paris photographs.
