Books by Debra (DM) Kraft

I’m not quite sure how to start this first edition of my first newsletter. Though I do know a thing or two about writing and formatting news stories, I am not a journalist nor have I ever had the desire to be a journalist – so I hope you will all bear with me if I write this in a more casual, “letter-to-a-friend” language style.

Let me begin by thanking each and every one of you for signing up to receive this, for by doing so you’re expressing an interest in my writing and that means the world to me! Of course, some of you were directly recruited when I went ahead and signed you up myself; but you did have the option to “unsubscribe,” and the fact that you chose not to exercise that option is meaningful to me as well.

Book Availability & Purchase Options:
My first book, “Somewhere on the Edge of Words,” has been officially released, and is now available on-line via www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, and elsewhere. My Author’s Den web site will even do a quick search for you, to find the best on-line pricing (www.authorsden.com/dmkraft).

If you prefer working face-to-face with someone, just head down to your local “brick-and-mortar” bookstore and ask them to order it for you. Provide them with the ISBN number (1-4137-2503-1). They can look it up on their computers in a snap, then order it for you from their usual distribution sources. In fact, this option would benefit me as well, by helping to encourage stores to carry my book on their shelves. They have a lot of books to select from, so carrying my book is not a guarantee. But if customers begin asking for it, they might just decide it could be worth their while to begin stocking it.

Barnes & Noble, as a corporation, has begun working closely with Publish America, Inc., as they also wish to be at the forefront of the digital printing revolution, another facet of the growing trend of “on demand” entertainment. As such, Barnes and Noble franchise locations might be among those most willing to carry my book.

Yet another option would be for you to contact me directly. As of last week I finally received my own bulk order, allowing me to stock copies of the book on my own. Having this inventory will enable me to take special orders from people who would like to receive signed copies. It will also help me to work toward my own marketing and promotional efforts, enabling me to bring my own books with me to sell at readings and signings.

Readings and Signings:
Stay tuned for more on this subject. I simply have not yet had the time to start “pounding the bricks.” I need to work on promotional efforts by encouraging local bookstores and libraries to carry my book and/or to allow me to come in for a reading and signing session. I am hoping to begin this effort locally, then spread outward, first throughout metropolitan Detroit, then out toward Lansing and Grand Rapids. I might even be willing to travel, if friends and family can help me set something up with bookstores that are local to them. I will keep you posted about these efforts.

Recent Poems:
I now have 6 new poems posted at www.authorsden.com/dmkraft, all of which have received favorable reviews from readers there. I believe my personal favorite among these recent works is one entitled “Dream Upon Dream” <http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewpoetry.asp?AuthorID=18919&id=101911>. I did some experimenting with fonts and formats, and am rather pleased with the results. I would love to hear your thoughts on this one.

The Journey into Publication:
As some of you already know, I never intended to publish a book of poetry. Although I have always dreamed of becoming a published author, my dreams were focused on fiction. My poetry was simply that, my poetry. I wanted to share it with friends, but I did not want to open it up to academic scrutiny. So what changed? The very world around me changed, and it changed me right along with it.

First I “discovered” the internet. Then I found email groups and message boards where I ‘fit in’ with the personalities. Friendships were established. Out of those friendships, support groups gained substance, particularly after 9/11 when so many of us were reaching out in need of comfort and assurance. Then I began to post bits of poetry. I was pleased and even honored to find that my words provided some of that needed comfort and assurance to my friends around the globe. After a while, it became second-nature to post my poetry on-line. Only then did I realize it was time to put some of these writings into a traditional, publishable format.

Publish America:
That’s where Publish America came in. I was starting to investigate what it would take to self-publish my work. Remember, I did not want to open up my poetry to academic scrutiny. I did not want to endure the numerous cold-shoulders and rejection letters all authors know to expect when submitting materials for publication. Several publish-on-demand sources now exist, thanks to the digital revolution, thus self-publishing is far more affordable than ever before. Nonetheless, this option was still looking to be cost-prohibitive.

Last fall, I read an article in “Poets and Writers” magazine, in which an author compared his experiences with Publish America to those he’d had with traditional small presses, the primary publication source for academics worldwide. His article was favorable to Publish America, citing it as a publisher with a wider reach than small presses, via distribution sources such as Ingrams and affiliations with the on-line sources of Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I decided to give it a go.

The rest happened very, very quickly. My manuscript was accepted in October. I signed a contract in November. I submitted a final draft in December. They sent me the first proofs in January. By February I had a cover design….

But I still wasn’t sure when the book would be released….

“World’s Largest Author Signing”
Publish America was hosting a gathering of authors in Frederick, Maryland at the end of February. I decided this would be an excellent opportunity to learn more about this unusual and fast-moving publisher, and indeed it was. I met some wonderful authors, with whom I look forward to sharing the ins-and-outs of this wild, new ride I’ve jumped aboard. And I did learn a lot more about Publish America. In addition, I had the chance to participate in a record-breaking event, the “world’s largest author signing.” Over 190 Publish America authors were on-hand at a local mall to sell their books.

Since my book hadn’t been released yet, I went to the mall with the intent to help out some of my new friends with their signings. When we arrived, there were tables spread out the entire length of the mall, and books were everywhere. Unfortunately, there was no ‘map’ to help us find any particular author’s location. I was searching for one author’s book when I made a startling discovery. I found my own! “Somewhere on the Edge of Words” had been expedited through the final phases of publication, and was available pre-release! Stunned, I hurried back to tell my friends, grabbed a large cup of coffee, and took a seat at my table, with my book. My first book, and my first signing session, all at once! It was quite an experience.

Closing:
I’ve held your attention for far too long with this first newsletter, so I’ll end this one here – with one final note from Publish America. I promise upcoming issues will be shorter and more to the point!

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A note from Publish America, Inc.:

“Although it is not unusual for PublishAmerica authors to have other traditional publishing houses requesting to contract their next book, it is just as common for authors from other well-established houses to come and join PublishAmerica.

“Today we are welcoming the following authors in your midst:
*Novelist James W. Bennett came from Simon and Schuster with "Harvey Potter Does Dallas". Mr. Bennett was also published by Scholastic, of Harry Potter fame.
*Richard C. Mears joins us from Simon and Schuster as well. PublishAmerica recently released his book "Anubis Rex".
*Yolanda Smith comes to us from Random House. PublishAmerica will soon release her book "Worry Free Retirement Living".
*And two weeks ago, we also reached an agreement with a top award winning, world-renowned author, who will come to us from Harper Collins. We expect the contract to be signed this week, and an announcement to be made soon.

“All this is happening at a time when more authors than ever are joining [the] ranks. To us, this is plain astonishing and amazing. Just a little over four years ago we built PublishAmerica with hopes to create opportunities for new authors. We figured we'd consider ourselves very lucky if we could help up to, who knows, maybe a thousand authors. How wrong we were. Today, almost seven thousand (7000!) authors call PublishAmerica home. Some are new, others are seasoned, some are relatively unknown, others are celebrities.”
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