The Boom: News & Specials
[Boom - a spar extending from a mast to hold the bottom of a sail outstretched; a long beam extending as from an upright to lift or carry something and guide it as needed]
MAY QUARTERLY UPDATE, 2010
Greetings from the Port! We're enjoying lilac bloom and hosta-mania here in Iowa (just off the coast, you know). I love the variety life offers me this time of year - being able to get outdoors awhile, then work inside on computer projects, then into domestic mode, and back outdoors again. It's change that brings mental stimulation and release, healthy diversity, exercise, sun.
Okay. Portside. Here we go:
We want to thank our departing editor, Lorna Poston, for assisting us these past six months or so. We've really appreciated her insights and handling of several manuscripts, her enthusiasm and honesty. Thank you, Lorna! We hope to possibly bring you back on board again in the future, when time allows you such an extravagance. Best of luck to you on your many current projects and critters.
And now, to our newest staff additions. Please help me welcome Aidana WillowRaven to Port Yonder Press.
Aidana (pronounced "ā-don-a"), mother of three, and Art Director for three small presses, was trained in Fine Art, Studio Design and 2D Animation at Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University. In her freshman year, her art placed second in a nationwide college competition hosted by the Stockley Gardens Fall Arts Festival. First place went to a sixth year grad student.
She started designing book covers and illustrating professionally in 2007, and her first published work was a children's book. It won The Author's Lounge's Reader's Choice Best Children's Cover Illustration for May 2008. In 2010, her collection of published work placed 6th in Predator and Editor's Best Artist of 2009 international competition.
Her portfolio of covers and illustrations for books has grown since to include more children's books and book cover designs for novels. Her company, WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus, now boasts over fifty finished published works and magazine illustrations, with many more works-in-progress.
Anyone interested in her work can view samples on her website: http://willowraven.weebly.com/
Aidana will be helping us with book covers, interior illustrations and design. I've already got Aidana on the very first stages of a project and look forward to many profitable and fun years together aboard this vessel.
I'd also like to welcome a new editor from sunny Florida:
There's a myth that Susan Price was born with a book in each hand. As far as we know that isn't true, although she did become a voracious and eclectic reader at an early age. While in college, Susan served as their newspaper's feature editor. (She was awarded both a First Place Poetry and First Place Photography award in another college's statewide literary magazine competition.) Then after graduating from college in 1975, Susan worked at a publishing house in Denver as an editorial assistant.
In 1979, she married Harry Price and they moved to Portugal where she tutored Portuguese youth in English. She has taught reading and writing in elementary schools, middle school, home school classes and tutoring sessions. She worked for several years as a stringer for the local newspaper writing feature articles and neighborhood news on her beat.
Susan currently resides in Florida where her favorite activity is walking on the beach. She felt drawn to Port Yonder Press the first time she investigated the web site, and looks forward to working with PYP. She feels energized by the goal of this publishing house to build a reputation for fine, literary works, and anticipates being able to offer encouragement and support to other authors as they hone and increase their writing skills, while growing in her own writing craft.
Well, we're looking forward to working with you as well, Susan! I've currently got Susan learning book design and plan to ease her into the editing part of things within the next year or so.
As you might imagine, we're pretty excited about the continued growth at Port Yonder and look forward to supplying you with books worthy of your time and money, with lovely covers / interiors and content you can read again and again. Please visit our Staff Particulars page(http://portyonderpress.com/StaffParticulars.aspx) to meet the rest of the team if you haven't already.
As with any new company, it's taken us time to get up to speed, and we still have much to learn. Please be patient; we believe the wait will be worth it.
FROM THE SHIP'S LOG
Terry Burns' first in his Sagebrush Collection, On the Road Home: Stories of Love and Life, has released to positive reviews. Endorsed by the likes of Jerry Jenkins and Joan Hochstetler, you will love these short stories and poems by easy-going literary agent & cowboy, Terry Burns. You can order it from your local bookstore, visit Terry's site at www.terryburns.net, or stop by Amazon.com and make your selection. Are you seeking publication? If so, you'll be thrilled at Terry's next release: The Survival Process of Getting Published (tentative title), to be released late this year or early next through Port Yonder. Terry addresses all the common questions plus much, much more, in an author's road to publication. Keep up with these books on Facebook's Sagebrush Collection fan page, and Terry Burns - Author fan page. And if you enjoy an adventure, you'll absolutely love The Caribbean Chronicles! Eddie Jones' first in the series, The Curse of Captain LaFoote, will release this fall. Adventure, comedy, and a touch of romance mingle together to make this one whale of a good story. Though written especially for young adults, all of us over here at the Port loved it. Here are links to the official Curse of Captain LaFoote website and Facebook fan page. And if you have time, take a gander at Across the Bay, the poem Eddie calls "A Mermaid's Song" by yours truly, which he has graciously added to his site. And last, but certainly not least, if you have or know boys (though girls will like this too), make sure you introduce them to the brand new Sam Cooper Adventures series of books. With a target audience of 8-12 year olds, author Max Elliot Anderson is working on making these a winning collection of books your children will love for years to come. The first in the set is Lost Island Smugglers, due to be released in August. Visit www.samcooperadventures.blogspot.com for updates or better yet, head on over to the Sam Cooper Facebook fan page here, and join to show your support for Sam and the gang. This series has been endorsed by Bill Myers (think "Eli" and "McGee & Me"). Your kids will love keeping up with Sam, Tony and Tyler, their mishaps, adventures, and fun! We have several other books in the works; visit www.PortYonderPress.com to keep up with all our excursions at the Port. And in the meantime, we'd love your input. Reply to this email or on the one of two or three places this will be posted on Facebook (either Monday or Tuesday, May 3 &4) and I'll randomly choose 1 of you to receive Eddie's book once it's released. Tell me why you love a good pirate yarn, why you love Port Yonder Press, or why you love Captain Maggie! (I'm being somewhat silly, but I do welcome your comments, always.)
FROM MY PERSONAL JOURNAL
Jerry continues to offer me valuable insight and a strong frame to lean on, to love, to hold. He is my most loyal supporter, my best listening ear, and the one I look to for comfort and engaging conversation daily. I'm so very thankful for such a fine boyfriend (who also happens to be what that little piece of paper we signed 28 years ago calls a "husband").
I think I'm nearing completion of a personal writing project, at the "fine-editing" stage, and tossing titles around pretty seriously now. I've been calling it a writing memoir, but I suppose it's more like a reader - a collection of vignettes on writing, a few poems, and some sea-themed material for good measure. It's the kind of thing *I* love to read and my hope is that at least a few others will enjoy it too. I'd like to see an early spring (2011) release for this, but we'll see.
I was invited to participate in a rather high-profile writing conference on the west coast this summer, but turned it down. Like I mentioned to those who invited me, I don't feel I have enough to offer at this stage in the game to justify the expense they were willing to pay to get and keep me there for a few days. Maybe next year. In the meantime, I may attend a regional conference in June, as an observer only though, not seeking manuscripts or even attention. I need to learn this business and learn it well. I eventually want to give more than I take, but right now I fear I need to take in from those adept travelers who have been on this journey for many more years than I, before I can even begin to think of giving out to others in that venue.
I've been asked to provide several interviews and guest blogs in the coming months and I'll try to keep you apprised of a couple of those. A few will be announced on the Facebook PYP fan page here. If you happen to need me in this capacity, be sure to let me know. I may also be up for a radio interview or even a midwestern seminar or two. Just let me know what you have in mind. I'm all for promoting small presses, great writing, and great books in just about all genres.
And last but certainly not least, though we don't promote Port Yonder as a Christian press (we accept submissions from most anyone as long as the material is family-friendly to a large degree), I think most of you know I am a resolute and persistent (though very fallible) follower of Jesus Christ. I wouldn't have it any other way. He's an amazing fellow, very much more worthy of anything I could ever offer him. Let me give him public thanks right now for being himself, and for stooping to care about someone like me.
__________
Please contact me with your questions or comments. A note in a bottle will work, but better yet is an email to: Contact@PortYonderPress.com. Though our email list has burgeoned into the hundreds, I will make every effort to respond to you in a reasonable amount of time. Feel free to ask questions, share insights, share your heart for writing. You are what makes us tick.
Yours for the voyage, and good reading on deck,
Maggie
LATE JANUARY / EARLY FEBRUARY, 2010 UPDATES
Changes
We’ve already gone through a few changes here at PYP and likely have a few more ahead of us, as with any new business venture.
For instance, we experimented with a YouTube video update which probably turned out to be more fun than informative. Nevertheless, we may try such modes of expression in the future; we love variety!
Another change: we’ve gone from perpetually open submissions on manuscripts, to open only in January and July of each year, to now only open in January. Which reminds me, we have our 2010 roster of books and authors full and spilling over into 2011, but we still have a few days left in January, and would love to consider your ideas for the next bestseller.
You can equery or phone Maggie on Fridays (another change from Wednesdays) from 1 to 4 central standard time (Iowa). Her number is 319-436-3015. She enjoys helping you realize your goals and dreams, and doesn’t bite even a little bit.
Staff notes
We’ve taken on a couple of short-term associate editors (editors-in-training) who will be working with select manuscripts.
The first is Lorna Poston, a long-time writer who’s working on her first novel. On a personal level, she offers critiques and editing services to both established and novice writers. You can contact Lorna at lorna.poston@yahoo.com for more information and pricing. We’re thrilled to have Lorna aboard!
Feel free to stop by our site, roam around “deck”, and sign up for our occasional e-newsletter. Leave a comment and we’ll be glad to get back to you as soon as we reasonably can!
JANUARY, 2010, UPDATES:
Book highlights
Our third book, On the Road Home: Stories of Life and Love is set for a January, 2010, release. This first Sagebrush Collection is a series of short stories and poems by literary agent and author, Terry Burns.
Following that, we hope to have Max Elliot Anderson's junior boys' book, Lost Island Smugglers, ready to hit store shelves in early summer. This, the first of the Sam Butler Adventure Series, will become an immediate favorite of your 8-12 year olds, and beyond.
Staff Notes
Meet our new in-house illustrator --
Holly Heisey is an artist and illustrator whose work has appeared in various local and national venues. She trained in fine art for ten years before branching out to illustration, and now works in the new wave of digital illustrators. Holly also enjoys playing piano and guitar and writing science fiction stories. You can see Holly’s work at her website: http://hollyheisey.com. We're excited about having Holly on board! Here's an example of Holly's work:
