THE POETRY OF MURDER by Bernadette Steele

Determined, personable, and imaginative are the words used to describe, Bernadette Steele. Throughout her life, Bernadette has used her persistent nature and quiet strength to navigate the hills and valleys of life.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Bernadette moved into the International House at the University of Chicago in 2004. The multicultural environment and gothic architecture of I-House and the U of C campus inspired her to write her first murder mystery novel, The Poetry of Murder (Oak Tree Press, January 2008).

You can visit her website at http://www.bernadettesteele.net/.

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

I am a first time published author.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

The name of my first book is The Poetry of Murder.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

I received over 80 rejections from agents and publishers before I received one acceptance.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

Naturally, I was disappointed but not deterred. I continued to submit query letters and to explore other publishing options. For example, once I exhausted all of the potential agents and publishers in the United States, I was going to submit query letters to English speaking foreign agents and publishers. I knew going in that getting published was a numbers game and that if I submitted enough query letters eventually I would get published. I believed that my novel was good enough to be published. I just had to find someone else who also believed in my novel.

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

My first novel, The Poetry of Murder, was published by Oak Tree Press in February 2008. After I determined that Oak Tree Press was a legitimate publisher, I accepted their offer because it was the only offer that I had. Oak Tree Press is located in Illinois and had published over twenty books prior to mine.

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

It felt great. I accomplished two goals. I completed my novel, and I got it published. I celebrated by treating myself to a nice dinner, and I celebrated with a friend by having dinner and seeing a movie.

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

I created my author website at http://www.bernadettesteele.net, and I sent out an announcement to my warm market of friends and co-workers.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

The route that I choose was the traditional route and I believe that this is the best route. I have nothing against self-publishing, but I think that it lends creditability to a writer’s work when someone else has enough confidence in your work to invest money in its production.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

I have only had one novel published. Having completed one novel, I have a better understanding of how to go about writing the novel and doing the research. I have also learned how to think beyond the novel with respect to future works and how the elements in the novel can play a part in the promotion of the novel.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

I would have selected an editor with more connections in the publishing world, and when I was negotiating my publishing contract, I would have asked for more complimentary copies.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

My biggest accomplishment has been to create my author website. This task involved researching other author websites to see what the most important items were to have on it.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

I have always been interested in architecture. I would have been a residential architect.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

No, I would not have given up being an author. If I had become an architect, I would still be writing.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Because I believe in thinking big, in ten years, I see myself as a best selling author, the winner of at least one Pulitzer Prize, and the writer of at least one screenplay and one television show.

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

My words of wisdom for those who dream of being published would be to seek feedback from others. But try to pick people who don’t know you very well. And then pick and choose very carefully what advice you follow because when you try to please everyone, you please no one. In addition, be open to criticism but don’t let it destroy your dreams. I find that people who destroy the dreams of others, don’t have any of their own.

Bernadette Steele’s Virtual Book Tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion and choreographed by Cheryl Malandrinos.