Jill Jepson is a writer, writing coach, college professor, and linguistic anthropologist. She is the author of Writing as a Sacred Path: A Practical Guide to Writing With Passion & Purpose, published by Ten Speed Press. She runs Writing the Whirlwind, a business that offers workshops and coaching for writers, activists, caretakers, and others (www.writingthewhirlwind.net). Her personal website can be found at www.jilljepson.com.

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

A: In addition to my new book Writing as a Sacred Path, I have two books out: No Walls of Stone: An Anthology of Literature by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Writers and Women’s Concerns: Twelve Women Entrepreneurs of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. I was a free-lance magazine writer for years, and I published around seventy articles in magazines and newspapers, and my work also appears in A Woman’s Path: The Best Women’s Spiritual Travel Writing. I was also a columnist for The Modesto Bee for more than two years. So my writing career has been quite varied.

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

A: My first book was No Walls of Stone. It is a collection of essays, stories, and poetry by deaf and hard of hearing writers, and was published by Gallaudet University Press.

Q: 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?

A: Actually, none. In fact,I never even went through the process of looking for a publisher for that book. My publisher heard about my book before it was finished and asked to see it. It was in the days before the Internet, and I’d placed advertisements in various magazines asking for deaf writers to submit their work for an anthology. An editor at Gallaudet saw one of the advertisements and wrote me asking to see the manuscript. They accepted it, so I didn’t even try to find a publisher—they found me.

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

A: Although my first book was published very quickly, I have had many articles and stories rejected during my years free lancing. The rejections can feel very bad, but I believe it’s important for writers to accept them as part of the writing life. All writers get them, and if you can’t handle them, you need to find a different profession. I think I’ve been lucky in having work published early in my career, so I could always think, “Maybe this didn’t sell yet, but that other book or article did—so I must be doing something right.” When I was doing a lot of magazine work, I’d get enough acceptances mixed in with the rejections to keep me going. Just when I felt like the rejections were getting me down, I’d get an acceptance and feel buoyed up again.

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

A: As I mentioned, my first book was published by Gallaudet University Press. Gallaudet University is the only institute of higher education for deaf people in the world, and the press is the largest publisher of books on deafness and the deaf community. When they came to me, I was delighted. I felt they were the perfect place for my book.

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

A: It felt very validating. It made me feel that I really had something to offer the world, and that I was appreciated for the hard work I do.

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

A: I did very little promotion on my first book. My publisher took care of that. No Walls of Stone was reviewed by several major newspapers, and got good word of mouth, and I had little need to do anything.

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

A: No. It worked out very well for me.

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

A: My most recent book, Writing as a Sacred Path, is a vastly different work from anything else I’ve written. It is the culmination of a lifetime of exploration, and it combines the two major threads of my life: spirituality and writing. I spent many years in a spiritual quest that took me all over the world, including Japan, India, China, the Middle East, Central America. Everywhere I went, I delved into the spiritual traditions of the culture. I spoke with practitioners of different religions, read the sacred texts, studied, and, when appropriate, engaged in the spiritual practices myself. I also wrote my entire life—I began to make up stories at three and have never stopped. At some point, I began to realize that my spiritual journey and my writing were part of the same process—that writing really was my spiritual path. That was the birth of my book, Writing as a Sacred Path. More than anything else I’ve done, the book is an expression of who I am and what I want to say.

Q: 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?

A: In terms of publishing my shorter work—magazine articles and stories, for example—I probably made every mistake in the book, from not taking the process seriously enough to getting too wrapped up in getting published fast, rather than taking the time to develop. But those mistakes were really a gift: I learned a tremendous amount from them, and every step I took contributed to my understanding of the writing process. I use that understanding both in my work as a writing coach and in Writing as a Sacred Path. So I don’t actually think I’d change anything from the past. I treasure my early mistakes.

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

A: One of my greatest accomplishments, other than publishing my books and articles, is building my business, Writing the Whirlwind. I offer coaching to writers, activists, caretakers and others, and I also offer online writing and journaling workshops. Turning my love for helping writers into a business was an enormous challenge, but it was worth every minute of work. It is really the work of my soul.

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

A: My work as a writing and life coach is my other profession. It is work I love and find tremendously fulfilling. It is so closely tied to my work as a writer that it is hard to separate them.

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

A: I couldn’t give up writing for anything. It is too much a part of who I am. But I don’t have to make that choice. I’ve been able to combine writing with coaching and teaching. Although it keeps me a little too busy sometimes, I’ve been very lucky in being able to fulfill many of my dreams.

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

A: If I could be doing exactly what I’m doing now—writing and helping other writers reach their full potential through my books, workshops, and coaching—then I would be blissfully happy.

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

A: Two words: just write. What I mean by that is to write for the sake of writing itself, write because you love it, and keep writing no matter what. It’s the most important thing you can do as a writer. Talent is important. Training helps. Learning—from teachers, editors, other writers—focus and discipline, all of that is important. But if you want to succeed as a writer—succeed both in the sense of getting published and in a deeper, more personal way, the absolutely most essential thing any writer can do is to write out of the sheer love of writing, even when it seems like you’re going nowhere. It should be every writer’s mantra: just write, just write, just write.

Debora M. Coty is a seasoned raconteur (storyteller), a raqueteer (tennis player) and a racketician (loud laughter). Also a freelance writer and newspaper columnist, she’s had over eighty works published in international magazines, newspapers, trade journals and anthologies. You can visit her website at www.deboracoty.com.

In no particular order, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook…the latter two with sporadic results. A former contributing editor to Christian Parenting Today magazine, Suzanne’s work has appeared in many magazines. Her first novel, Copper Star, a World War II love story, received three literary awards. Since then, she has published two more books and has five books under contract. Suzanne is a popular retreat speaker and teaches Precepts at her church. Find Suzanne on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

Joanna Bloss is the author of God’s Gifts for the Grad (Barbour, 2009) and has written for a variety of publications including Today’s Christian Woman and Discipleship Journal. She is a certified personal trainer, graphic artist, and currently working towards her master’s degree in clinical psychology. She lives in the Midwest with her four children. Keep up with her busy life at http://joannabloss.blogspot.com.

Faith Tibbetts McDonald, a former contributing editor to Christian Parenting Today magazine, a newspaper columnist, freelance writer, professional speaker, and lecturer at Pennsylvania State University, received the Reader’s Pick award for an article published in Today’s Christian Woman magazine. Faith has contributed to numerous books including Women Ask, Women Answer: Questions Women Long to Ask, Answers They Need to Know (Thomas Nelson, 2008). Faith lives with her husband and three children in Pennsylvania. Visit Faith on Facebook.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Suzanne, Debora, Faith and Joanna Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published? Can you give us the title(s) of your book(s)?

Suzanne is the author of Copper Star and Copper Fire. Her novel, For the Love of Dogs, is due out in February. She is contracted with Revell/Baker for four books. The first is the non-fiction Amish Peace in an English Life, and the other three are novels about the Amish.

Debora is the author of The Distant Shore and Billowing Sails and is totally excited about Mom Needs Chocolate: Hugs, Humor and Hope for Surviving Motherhood, Regal Books’ featured Mother’s Day release in 3/09. Everyday Hope (Barbour Publishing) will follow in 8/09 and Barbour has recently initiated discussion concerning a book project for 2010.

Joanna wrote God’s Gifts for the Graduate (Barbour, 2009) and has contributed to a number of anthologies. She has a novel and several non-fiction projects in the works.

Faith is waiting for replies from magazines regarding articles submitted for publication. She uses her waiting time to work on an epistolary novel with a co-worker and is also writing a book of personal essays entitled Lose Weep, Find Keep.

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

Joanna: I wrote my first book, Simply Transformed, after receiving positive feedback from a class I taught on healthy living, specifically weight loss and nutrition. I talked with one editor, but he passed on it because it didn’t have the “wow” factor—i.e. didn’t offer a magic solution guaranteeing results. He said I was a good writer, but because I didn’t have a pre-existing platform they weren’t willing to take a risk on me. I was a little disheartened by that, and for a while seriously considered self-publishing. I’ve since put it on the back shelf, but occasionally print out excerpts to share with my personal training clients.

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?

Suzanne: For my book Copper Star, I received rejections from virtually every single Christian publisher. Most didn’t even consider it—I had no name, no agent, and I’m sure my proposal wasn’t as polished as it should have been. I had a connection with one major publisher, and the book traveled fairly far into the company’s selection process…but then it was rejected. Right at that time, I received a contract from a small press, and an agent picked me up…she liked my writing. She recommended that I go ahead and get a book published, and the small press was a good way to start. I did so, and that book ended up winning three literary awards and was the best seller for this small press. I don’t think I would have had that kind of recognition at a large publishing house, and I learned so much through a small press—a crash course in book publishing/promotion, which has served me well.

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

Debora: I try to review rejection slips like jockeys view horse-poo: a vocational hazard. Just step over the piles, wipe the nasty off your boots and keep moving forward, always forward. One editors loss will be another’s delight.

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

Suzanne: I chose Vintage Inspirations, a small press, and a very ethical, well-run company. I knew it would be around for a while, and I have really admired the positive directions and enthusiasm that the editor, Dawn Carrington, throws behind the company. I would recommend Vintage to any author, and I do.

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

Debora: I carried the first copy of The Distant Shore around the house, sobbing. In fact, I cried for three days, totally overwhelmed by God’s grace and mercy. The cover was the most beautiful I had ever seen – an island sunrise – it blew me away.

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

Suzanne: I sent out promotional postcards and an e-mail newsletter to everyone I knew, and offered my books to them at a low price. I asked for their help in spreading the word, with stamped postcards, making suggest-a-purchase requests at their library, etc. I spoke to all of the bookstores in my area, and offered consignment sales to them, as well as having events at their store. I did a talk “So You Want to be Published” at Barnes & Noble, with another author, that was very well attended and very successful.

Faith: I market my book on Facebook, mention it to my students, and take every opportunity I can find to either give a copy to an influential reader or sell at bookstores or other venues. The key is being creative and look for opportunities wherever they may present themselves.

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

Debora: Not in the least. I feel that the potholes and delays in my path to publication were no accident. Every single bump and rut helped me learn and became in integral part of being able to help others on their journeys. I started submitting articles for magazines and worked my way up through a monthly newspaper column to books (9 now, with a 10th under negotiation). Each step was a higher rung on the ladder and essential to reach my final goal: book publication.

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

Suzanne: I am constantly growing as a writer, and hope I will always be growing. There’s so much to learn! Currently, I have four published books, and four under contract to Revell/Baker. Also, I’ve contributed to many non-fiction books, most recently to Barbour Publishers 365 Daily Devotions’ series. Much credit goes to my agent, Joyce Hart, who has provided very helpful and strategically savvy guidance.

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?

Debora: I wish I had books like Grit for the Oyster to enlighten me about the nuances of the publishing biz and encourage me to persevere through the early stages of finding my literary voice. It would have been a terrific asset in gaining self-confidence and realizing I was not the only aspiring author with enough rejection slips to wallpaper a banquet hall.

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

Joanna: I’ve just survived the most emotionally intense year of my life, but in spite of that I’ve signed a contract for another book, finished my bachelor’s degree (after a 20 year hiatus) and started graduate school. Being a published author has been a dream of mine for a very long time and accomplishing that dream has given me the confidence and inspiration I need to pursue other dreams.

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

Faith: I can’t “not write” – I can’t imagine anything else on earth I’d rather do.

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

Suzanne: I would never, ever, ever give up being a writer. Ever.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

All four of us hope to be healthy, active, busy with our families and our hobbies and living in homes lined with bookshelves full of our best-selling books!

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

Suzanne: If you take that dream very seriously–learn, grow, challenge yourself, be willing to learn from criticism, and stick with it–it will be a reality. Just remember, the process is more than half the fun! The growth you’ll see in yourself, the relationships you make, the stretching of your life experiences…it’s all good!

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