Shattering the Glass Ceiling of Publishing

 

Did you hear the glass shattering? I did. Big time. Of course, we've been throwing our little indie rocks at publishing's glass ceiling for 18 years. Pecking away—book by book—to earn the respect of the industry elite. 

Four out of these six gorgeous novels on our roster are represented by reputable literary agencies, with two more agented titles to follow. (Wow. I better be careful as I dance around my office that I don't cut my feet on the shards of glass!) A dozen years ago, an agent used that age-old glass barrier to expunge us from an author's resume, claiming publishing with an indie tarnished her literary reputation. Ouch. Sweeping up glass with a smile on my face.

Our roster of new novels is spectacular—these talented writers are inspired. Yes, #wymacsisters #wymacauthorsrock #skysthelimit #moviedeals

In the last few months, three authors who were previously published by Wyatt-MacKenzie came back to us with their new books! This means more to me than you can imagine. Two of them brought their New York City agents to the party, which was thrilling, stomach-turning, sleep-depriving, empowering, and do-a-dance fulfilling. I'm so honored to work with these prestigious agencies, and I loved that they were anxious to post the deals. Yes, I'm having many Sally-Field-moments.

In our first two-book deal, we signed Amy Impellizzeri for a quick release of SECRETS OF WORRY DOLLS to coincide with the December storyline, with THE TRUTH ABOUT THEA to follow in the fall of 2017.

When I published Amy's debut novel, LEMONGRASS HOPE, she was working on this secretive new manuscript with a Mayan bent. I knew the name of it and little else, and I was always incredibly intrigued. Wow, my anticipation was met with utter satisfaction. More about this dark and magical drama...

Secrets of Worry Dolls

According to Mayan tradition, if you whisper your troubles to the Worry Dolls, they will do the worrying instead of you—therefore, it follows that Worry Dolls are the keepers of a great many secrets . . .

On the eve of the end of the world—according to the Mayan calendar—Mari Guarez Roselli’s secrets are being unraveled by her daughter, Lu. 

Lu’s worry dolls are at-capacity as she tries to outrun the ghosts from her past—including loved ones stolen on 9/11—by traveling through her mother’s homeland of Guatemala, to discover the painful reasons behind her own dysfunctional childhood, and why she must trust in the magic of the legend.

 

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More info next month on our Spring 2017 non-fiction roster—including our third book with Meredith O'Brien, MR. CLARK'S BIG BAND, which she workshopped in her MFA program. Meredith is currently a professor at Northeastern University in Boston teaching students how to interpret today's journalism. Non-fiction titles in memoir, art, and manners coming next spring as well.

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Also in July, a very cool Q & A with me at Women Writers, Women’s Books. I've always been impressed by this online literary magazine featuring women writers around the world, I was honored and happy to be included.

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And a funny. Speaking of glass ceiling shattering... our 2007 promotional children's book HOW KIDS CAN BE GOOD CITIZENS nailed it! Left to right:  Vice-President Kaine, President Clinton, and President Obama. *cracking up*

2017 Acquisitions + New Cover Reveals

Here's what’s coming the first half of 2017...

In January 2017 we'll release THE WRONG KIND OF INDIAN by Jey Tehya (the pen-name for a Pulitzer-nominated poet). I fell in love with this tough, sexy, and unabashedly raw novel. The fact that Oregon is a character in the story was right up my gravel alley. The writing is funny and poetic, and the author's own thinly-veiled life reflected in the main character is heart-wrenching and literally gut-sucking. Men! Pfft.

Kirkus Reviews wrote: “Author Tehya sprinkles her writing with moments of vivid prose (‘the student loan iron maiden was already inching close’) and portrays the book’s settings—Portland, Oregon; Costa Rica; India—in evocative detail. The author, like her protagonist, is a member of the Cherokee Nation, which brings a layer of authenticity to her narration. Some readers may find the book’s frequent, explicit depictions of sex excessive, the flashbacks to Jennifer’s youth unremittingly bleak, and her reckless behavior more frustrating than compelling. Others, however, will appreciate this story of healing, redemption, and a journey to emotional maturity. A complex and compelling, though often difficult, story of romance, forgiveness, and loyalty.”

In February 2017 our third book with Suzanne Kamata, THE MERMAIDS OF LAKE MICHIGAN, will be released. In this novel, Elise Faulkner is more at home in the waters of her beloved lake than on land where her beauty queen mom is always on her back about her lack of a social life; her sister is dating the boy of her dreams; her favorite penpal—the one who wrote about mermaids in Ghana—has gotten married and ended their correspondence; and no one’s allowed to talk about her glamorous great-grandmother, the deep-sea wreck diver. Elise is biding her time with books until she can flee. But then Chiara Hanover pops into her life, as does Miguel, the man of her destiny.

I'm already one of Suzanne Kamata’s biggest fans; she is a prolific writer, and one of the biggest supporters I have ever seen of other authors. This one comes to us through talented literary agent Carrie Pestritto at the well-respected Prospect Agency in New York City.

To say I loved MERMAIDS is an understatement; the reminiscing of the 1980s had me smiling throughout, and then tears, and then smiles, and then a few more happy tears. We licensed a stunning oil painting for the cover, and the Valentine's Day release marks a life-changing deadline in the story for Elise.

On Earth Day, April 22, 2017, THE PROMISE OF PIERSON ORCHARD by environmental scientist Kate Brandes is out. Wow, the writing in this family drama is stunning. Kate pulled me into her vivid story about a small-town Pennsylvania family dealing with betrayal, financial destruction, lost loves, forgiveness, and of course, fracking. I encouraged her to get a pre-publication Kirkus review and it was stellar. Yup, I can call ’em. Katie Shea Boutillier at the renowned Donald Maass Literary Agency in NYC represented this title and we've already received film/TV interest after pitching it as “Erin Brockovich” meets “Promised Land.”

Kirkus Reviews wrote: “Brandes checks off all the boxes for quality fiction: the characters are well-rounded, the settings, such as the apple orchards, the crisp Silver Creek, and the rocky outcrops, are vividly described, and the plot is well-organized and crisply paced. The tension between the characters satisfyingly rises to a crescendo that’s in sync with the larger environmental crisis that threatens the town.”

And in May 2017 we're jumping-out-of-our-chairs excited to release RUN, HOLLY, RUN! by Kathy Coleman, “Holly” from the 1970s show Land of the Lost. Agent-to-the-stars Diane Nine at Nine Speakers, Inc emailed me with the title in the subject line and my mind seized up. Wait, what? Is it? Could it be... running from a tyrannosaurus or Sleestak Holly?! No flippin way. In a matter of four days I met one of my childhood idols and signed her for her memoir. Wow. My life is wild.

From behind-the-scenes of filming this classic TV show, to the perils of life for a child actor, domestic abuse, recovery, and rebuilding a life—this memoir is aimed to hit a thriving fan-base who LOVE this woman, and for good reason. I’m ecstatic that Kathy is working closely with professional celebrity memoirist Dave Smitherman to make her story an entertaining, enlightening, honest, fun and satisfying read for all us who are 45+ and remember watching the show every Saturday morning—some of us pretending to time travel, have stuffed monkeys we called Pakunis, and wanted to live in a cave.

And, we have some great titles already signed for June 2017! #wymacauthorsrock

It's Book Award Season!

Spring means award season for the previous year's books, and this year we're beyond thrilled, and so very proud of our finalists and winners!

These indie book awards are a great way for authors to get their books in front of other book lovers, libraries, universities, and buyers. They get opportunities for placement in catalogs and at international conferences. The award adds to the perceived value and proves the excellent quality of the books. And, everyone loves to bling up their covers with gold stickers. We support these indie award outlets, and they support us! You never, ever know what the competition will look like, and when your books place in multiple competitions it magnifies the effect of — "I see their books are everywhere!" — which, to me, is branding success.

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The Foreword Book-of-the-Year Award winners will be announced at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, on June 25. Thousands of books are entered each year, and a panel of over 120 librarians and booksellers take part in the judging, narrowing it down to a group of finalists and winners that represent the best books, all independently published.

YOUNG JANE AUSTEN by Lisa Pliscou is a finalist in "Biography," REFLECTIONS OF A LOVE SUPREME, the second book from our imprint Tom Ingrassia, is a finalist in "Music," and EMILIA-ROMAGNA, ITALY, by Imprints Matt Walker and Zeneba Bowers, is a finalist in "Travel." Cheering them on!

It's the 20th Anniversary of the IPPYS, the Independent Publisher Book Awards which honor the year's best independently published titles from around the world. The IPPYS are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of exemplary independent, university, and self-published titles published each year. 

I was over the moon to learn our imprint Robin Gregory's book THE IMPROBABLY WONDER OF MOOJIE LITTLEMAN won the GOLD in "Cover Design"! And YOUNG JANE AUSTEN won SILVER in "Biography."

 

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest not-for-profit book awards program for indie authors and independent publishers, now in its ninth year, was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books (and they are in Lake Oswego, Oregon, which automatically makes them awesome), gave us three wonderful FINALIST awards. 

MILLENNIAL MOMS was a finalist in "Marketing & PR," and, so happy that WITNESS TO SPIRIT and YOUNG JANE AUSTEN were both finalists in "Overall Book Design" — yes, we took TWO finalist spots!!

And, the National Indie Excellence Awards, a champion of self-publishers and small & independent presses that go the extra mile to produce books of excellence in every aspect, gave Robert Staffanson and his memoir WITNESS TO SPIRIT: MY LIFE WITH COWBOYS, MOZART & INDIANS the WIN in "Biography"! I was so excited to tell the author; at 94 this means the world to him—that his story, and his legacy, is being read and well-received. MILLENNIAL MOMS also WON in "Marketing," and YOUNG JANE AUSTEN was a finalist in "Biography - Historical" and, just as thrilling as the others if not more, THE EVERYWHERE ORACLE was a Finalist in "Poetry"!

 

 

We also had two NIEA Imprint wins and a finalist! (The "Imprint Program," if you don't already know, is our incredible consulting program that has produced award-winning books for 9 years.) RADIANT HEALTH by dermatologist Alan Dattner, MD won in "Alternative Medicine" and REFLECTIONS won in "Music" with EMILIA-ROMAGNA taking a finalist in "Travel."

 

 

Cheers to our incredible authors. Congratulations all!