Humor columnist Rose Valenta: ‘Everything is going online now, even newspapers and magazines’

Rose A. Valenta is a nationally syndicated humor columnist. Her irreverent columns have been published in Senior Wire, Associated Content, Courier Post Online, NPR, Newsday, USA TODAY, the WSJ Online, and many other local news and radio websites.

She is the author of Rosie’s Renegade Humor Blog. This is the blog for people who would be knowledgeable about current events and politics if only politicians and news anchors didn’t stretch the truth. “What else is there to do, but share an honest laugh?” Rose said.

Rose regularly attends the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop at the University of Dayton, is a member of the Robert Benchley Society and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists (NSNC).

Rose lived in Philadelphia for over 40 years, where she honed her humor writing skills by being married to a Philadelphia Policeman and giving birth to three children. “Times have changed. Now that we have 10 grandchildren, I’m not sure how I feel about children being exposed to the evening news. Humorous things happen, like the time my grandson asked us to come outside to see his version of ‘Frosty the Inappropriate Snowman’ right after Snowmageddon.”

Rose worked for a subsidiary of McGraw-Hill, Datapro Information Services, for 12 years as a technical staff writer, and also wrote freelance articles for other computer industry publications.

She claims that her Italian heritage stunted her growth. She is English on her Father’s side and believes that in a past life, during medieval times, she was probably a trusted member of the Counsel of the Jesters.

Her latest book is Sitting on Cold Porcelain which you can find out more about at her website at www.rosevalenta.com.

Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Rose. Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

Sitting on Cold Porcelain is my first book as a humor writer. However, I used to work as a staff technical writer for a McGraw-Hill company in NJ, and was published there on a monthly basis for about 12 years. I won a McGraw-Hill achievement award for a telecommunications subscription service and was listed in the “Who’s Who in Telecommunications” during the 1990s.

Q: When you were published for the first time, which route did you go – mainstream, small press, vanity published or self-published and why or how did you choose this route?

I self-published Sitting on Cold Porcelain with a print on demand (POD) publisher. I chose this route because the normal process with traditional book publishers takes about two years.

Once I submitted the artwork and my manuscript, the galley was ready for proof reading in a week. Of course, I did a lot of leg work first by asking Ruth McNally Barshaw (www.ruthexpress.com) to do the artwork for my cover. She was terrific. We discussed what cartoon I wanted and she turned the job around in two weeks. She was highly recommended to me by another cartoonist, Steve Kramer, who was ill at the time and couldn’t take on the project.

Q: How long did it take you to get published once you signed the contract?

My book was ready within four months of all submissions.

Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

I was overjoyed! I treated my family to a steak and lobster dinner. Plus, a small bottle of champagne.

Q: What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

I discussed a media release package with my publisher and joined a bunch of social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter to get the word out. I read The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard-Johnson and 1001 Ways to Market Your Book by John Kremer. I had attended one of John’s classes at the University of Dayton, during Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop (EBWW) 2008. I also attended a session by author/humorist, Gordon Kirkland, who wrote the foreword to my book. He has several online courses available on his website (www.gordonkirkland.com). Gordon also offered advice about my cover colors and number of essays. I did everything he suggested, except darken the teal blue. I’m fond of teal *grin*.

During EBWW 2010, I took some sound advice from Nettie Hartsock (www.nettiehartsock.com), the publicist for David Letterman’s lead writer, Bill Scheft. Bill Scheft (www.billscheft.com) also gave me a few pointers and opened up a chat website for all the attendees at the Workshop. This year, I signed up with Pump Up Your Book and will be on a virtual book tour until February 25^th (www.pumpupyourbook.com).

Q: Since you’ve been published, how have you grown as a writer and now a published author?

I can tell you that the writing is wonderful, but the marketing is a real challenge. I author a humor column called “Skinny Dipping” on my blog, Rosie’s Renegade Humor Blog (www.rosevalenta.com). I like it when people leave comments and send me e-mails about my columns. That feedback is important. It allows me to keep writing the material my readers like and eliminate topics they don’t care about.

Q: What has surprised or amazed you about the publishing industry as a whole?

Everything is going online now, even the newspapers and magazines. It is amazing how technology has changed the industry as a whole. I can even be interviewed online or via podcast. I haven’t tried Skype yet.

Q: What is the most rewarding thing about being a published author?

I get to entertain people, which is what I love to do.

Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

Keep writing, but pay attention to detail and the mechanics of marketing your work. If you write daily, even in a journal, your writing skills will improve. You should also read The Frugal Book Editor by Carolyn Howard-Johnson and have someone to review your work before submitting it for publication. Strive for excellence.