Local authors take advantage of changing field – Self-publishing puts writers in control
February 20th, 2013 Comments Off
Many local authors are taking matters into their own hands by self-publishing their writing, and not working with a traditional publishing house.
“It really is becoming a trend,” said Adam Veile, a local children’s writer. “The process was more difficult than I imagined, but I realized if it’s not hard, then I’m probably not doing it right.”
Released Oct. 17, Veile’s book “The Dreamcatcher Adventures: Greedy Jack Wallace,” follows the adventures of a seventh-grader and the ghost of his rowdy Wild West ancestor.
Veile tried the traditional publishing route, but realized there are only so many major kids publishers.
“I realized I had the resources I needed to put my book together, so I took the bull by the horns,” he said.
Veile’s book is printed ondemand. He said self-publishers are fortunate these days because many don’t have to pay for an amount of printed books outright. Books are printed immediately after customers place their orders.
“The quality really is amazing,” Veile said. “It makes publishing so much more convenient these days.”
Judy Wieberg, a counselor at Spring Grove Counseling and a local author, has self-published four books. When her first book, “Self Upgrade,” was published in 1995, it wasn’t printed on-demand.
“I paid to have it printed,” Wieberg said. “But, I found I couldn’t keep up with the demand.”
Over the course of the 17 years she’s been a published author, Wieberg said the publishing industry has become more user-friendly.
“Self-publishing has changed the industry a bit,” she said. “There really are more opportunities now, it’s just a different world. With selfpublishing, publishers can no longer say yea or nay, because there’s so many opportunities for writers.”
Charles Palmer, author of “Follow the Lewis and Clark Trail in Missouri,” said he worked directly with his printer when deciding how to best self-publish his book.
“I went to see what my options were,” Palmer said. “I had some experience with publishing and printing, but needed to know what some of my limitations were.”
Don Carter, a licensed therapist and author of four books involving his therapy model, publishes his books in print and as e-books via Amazon. He said self-publishing is a great, relatively inexpensive way to get a message out to the public.
“There is a huge, ready-made market through Amazon,” Carter said. “Traditional publishing houses take forever, and most (books) get rejected.”
All of the authors agreed that marketing is the most difficult task associated with self-publishing.
“Marketing really is like starting at the bottom of the hill and pushing the rock up,” Veile said. “People don’t think about it. I was prepared for it, but was still surprised that you can’t let up one bit.”
Veile works in marketing as his day job. To market his book, he is hosting book signings, talking at schools and is holding an essay contest for fifth- and sixth-graders.
Carter, who also does consulting for authors who want to selfpublish, said he has seen authors use a variety of marketing methods, such as a website or blog, Facebook advertisements, Google Adwords and other paid advertising.
He said it’s important for authors to ask for help, if needed.
“There is a steep learning curve, but lots of people are willing to show you the ropes,” Carter said.
Sometimes, help comes in the form of writing groups, such as the one Veile and Wieberg attend at the Missouri River Regional Library.
“I advise writers to look for people who will tell you what’s wrong with your book, not what’s right,” Veile said. “It’s great to find supportive people online and offline.”
New hospital’s form begins to take shape
February 20th, 2013 Comments Off
With nearly 28,000 work hours complete on the project, construction on the new St. Mary’s Health Center is on schedule and on budget, according to hospital chief operating officer Tony Houston. The new building is expected to open by January 2015.
The concrete foundation of the building, which is located at Mission Drive and Missouri 179, is complete, including the stairwell and elevator shaft, which serve as anchors of the structure.
“Now we go into the steel phase,” Houston said. “It’s very exciting and very visual for people who drive by.”
Houston said there are also smaller things going on besides the steel work, such as the arrival of the building’s generators.
Inside a warehouse located a few blocks from the current health center, 100 St. Mary’s Medical Plaza, engineers are drafting life-size mock-ups of patient rooms.
“They look just like patient rooms, so that we can go in and sort of kick the tires,” Houston said.
The mock-up rooms are expected to be complete by the end of December.
These rooms are different than the Styrofoam models built more than a year ago. The current ones are made of the actual materials that will make up the ones at the new hospital. The mock-ups even include the electrical wiring.
“It’s great because it gives us a chance to test and determine whether what we picked throughout this process is going to work in real life,” Houston said. “It’s an exciting milestone for us.”
Hospital officials are working with a broker to help find a reuse for the health center’s current campus. Houston said there has been some interest from outside parties, but the officials want to ensure they transfer the property in a good way for the community.
Houston said the intent is to be as open and transparent as possible in sharing the construction process with the public.
“It’s exciting for everyone who lives in Mid-Missouri,” he said. “We’ve been here since 1905, and we’re looking forward to another century or more of great things.”
Visit www.lethealingbegin.com or www.newstmarys.com to view photos of the construction, watch progress on a live web cam or to view story boards highlighting the project.
