I met Craig Fear in a business networking group, and after we became housemates, we also became great friends. While we no longer even live in the same state, we remain close. Craig was a skilled nutritional therapist when I met him, and he transitioned into food writing and blogging. He now has three cookbook titles to his name, the most recent being New England Soups from the Sea, published by Countryman Press. Craig is meticulous. His recipes are delicious and promote good health. I was pleased to be a taste tester for many of the recipes in the latest book. And while I did not help Craig with his manuscript, I did edit the impressive proposal that got him the agent who connected him with Countryman Press. In this first of two blogs, Craig talks about how he became an author, and he tells us about his new book. In the second blog, he also discusses the differences between self-publishing with Amazon and having a publisher now. (Food photos in this blog are by Lynne Graves.)

Craig Fear, food writer and cookbook author 

What is your background in the food industry?

I started out as a nutritional therapist and consulted with clients with digestive issues for many years. During that time, I created a blog and started writing about digestive health. This morphed into creating recipes, so I was doing both for a while. Then I wrote my first cookbook based on soups for digestive health issues. I started growing my blog audience and slowly transitioned into being a full-time food blogger, food writer, and cookbook author. I stopped meeting with clients several years ago. 

What inspired your writing and books?

One of the foods I promoted to my clients was bone broth, which has a lot of medicinal value for the gut and soothes the gut lining. That’s why our grandparents used to give us chicken soup when we were sick; it has a lot of immune-boosting qualities. I was seeing so much benefit when people would consume these broths that I decided to write a cookbook with some of my recipes. That was back in 2015. My first cookbook was called Fearless Broths and Soups. I didn’t think I was going to write another cookbook, but I traveled to Southeast Asia and fell in love with the cuisine. I had the chance to go back to Thailand a second time, and I studied the cuisine and then wrote The Thai Soup Secret. 

Tell us about your most recent cookbook. What does it offer in terms of recipes?

New England Soups from the Sea includes 80 seafood soup recipes. I decided to write it because, in almost any New England-area restaurant, if they serve seafood soups, 99 percent of them will only offer you New England clam chowder and lobster bisque. Those are delicious. I love them, and everybody loves them, but I knew just from growing up in the Northeast and living in New England and exploring New England cuisine, that there were a lot more worthy recipes. I wanted to bring back these old-school recipes and show people how much you can do with seafood. I’d say half the recipes are maybe old-school chowders and stews, but half are soups and stews I created and had fun with in my kitchen. I teach people how to make different stocks and broths with seafood that can be really creative and have fun. 

How did you develop the recipes in your book? How did you decide which recipes to use?

I researched existing soups, chowders, bisques, and stews and started testing those recipes in my kitchen, putting my own spin on them. I tested them. I also had people test them for me. I even had a few tasting parties where I would have people come over, and I would make anywhere from five to seven different types of soups. I asked for feedback on what they liked, didn’t like. Then eventually, I settled on 80 recipes. What is important to me in addition to the recipes is connecting people with local New England seafood. I want to encourage people to purchase seafood that is local to them. That’s kind of an important message in the book. It’s about soups and supporting seafood that is caught and raised the right way on a small-scale sustainable level. All around the country, we aren’t really buying local as much as we could be and should be. A lot of people are only aware of a handful of different species. Maybe four or five that they’re comfortable with. I wanted to show people that there is a lot more beyond, for example, shrimp, salmon, cod. 

How does your knowledge as a nutritional therapist enhance your books and the information you can offer readers/cooks?

I understand the nutritional difference between doing it yourself and buying store-bought brands. When you make broths yourself, you’re creating a superior product that is nutrient dense and flavorful. I took that knowledge into seafood, which is not as understood. Making fish stock is something I have been doing for years, but very few people do it at all. So I brought my own experience into the seafood realm. 

Next week: The pros and cons of self-publishing with Amazon versus publishing with a traditional publisher. 

The post Learning from a Cookbook Author who has Self-published with Amazon and Recently Published with Countryman Press appeared first on Beetle Press.

How do you come back and thrive after your husband dies four days after you are laid off from a job that was supporting your family?

It’s not easy, but I did it, and my new book, Willful Evolution: Because healing the heart takes strength, shows how. My hope is that it will inspire others to get stronger, too.

In 2010, I was laid off from my full-time job as a communications specialist in a hospital while I was on a family medical leave, taking care of my husband in his last days. I heard my boss tell me my position had been eliminated as I stood on my front steps; Ed lay in a hospital bed in my living room just inside the door. He died four days later. I had no income. No partner, and two teenaged children to raise.

I told the story of that devastating loss in my first memoir, Divine Renovations, which was published in 2011. Willful Evolution is a sequel, and it is poignant, inspiring, and at turns, downright funny. The book shows how I reinvented myself, building not one but two successful businesses and otherwise turning vulnerability into strength.

Willful Evolution offers stories of my travels to far-away places, shows me meeting some wacky men while online dating, and also lets readers see how I used yoga, exercise, and adventure to gain physical and emotional strength.

My book is about wrestling fear, building and repairing relationships, and finally growing up—in my mid-fifties.

Think Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert because the book touches on travel and love.

Think Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle because I write about empowerment and metamorphosis. I show it more than tell it.

Think Daring Greatly by Brené Brown because so many of the moves I made involved daring, pushing myself to do things that frightened me.

My book is as motivating, amusing, and powerful as these works. It’s available in my shop and as an e-book on Amazon.

My hope is that people who read my book will find new strength in their own lives, take risks, set new goals, and reinvent themselves!

If you read it, I feel confident something will resonate and make you feel creative and inspired.

The post “Willful Evolution” Now Available on Janice Beetle Books appeared first on Beetle Press.

Recently, an author who was considering the idea of hiring me to edit and help self-publish his memoir asked if I could connect him to Judith Kelliher, the author of “A Wartime PhD,” so she could serve as a reference. 

He knew I had provided similar services to Judy when she published her book about her brother Bobby’s two tours in Vietnam. He specifically wanted to speak with Judy as we three were once all colleagues at the Daily Hampshire Gazette. What follows are the author’s questions for Judy and her answers.

What did you consider the most valuable part of working with Janice on your book? 

What was invaluable was that I had worked on this project for six years, and my book needed a keen eye and fresh perspective. Janice brought both. She has the experience of working on other books so she knew the process and what else I would need besides editing of the manuscript (such as obtaining an ISBN and copyright, identifying what goes in the front matter of the book, etc.) Janice also brainstormed with me to come up with the title, which I am very happy with. She designed the cover and the layout. Her experience was hugely helpful. She prepared all the files for the printer, too. 

What kinds of suggestions did she make? Did you act on all of them? If you had differences, how did you resolve them? 

Janice edited the manuscript for grammar, clarity, and flow. She used track changes, and the Comments feature in Word to note her edits and questions/suggestions, which made reviewing the document easier for me. In the vast majority of cases, I accepted her suggestions for rewording, but there were a few times I felt strongly about keeping the writing as is, and she respected my view and agreed with me. Some of her suggested edits made my writing more powerful and punchy. 

In what way did your book turn out differently from what it would have been if you had not worked with Janice on it?

Overall, I would say my manuscript was in pretty good shape (for example, I didn’t have to move chapters around or large chunks of text). BUT all the things I mentioned above made the book a cleaner read with additional clarity. I was too close to the book after six years, and it really needed that professional eye, which Janice has!

How did Levellers Press help you get the word out about your book? Was your experience with them positive? 

I hired Levellers to handle the printing. They also collaborate with Amazon and fulfill book orders. I had a very good experience with their team. They did not help me promote the book. So far, my only promotion has been through Facebook and word of mouth. There was a story about my book in the Wilbraham-Hampden Times and we are waiting for a MassLive story to come out. I plan to do more promoting when I come up for air from work!

What kind of reaction have you had to your book? 

The feedback has been incredibly positive! My brother and I have each received very heartfelt and moving comments personally and via phone, email, text, Facebook, and some people have even taken the time to send handwritten cards! If you go to my Amazon page you can also read comments left there: https://www.amazon.com/Wartime-Ph-D-Soldiers-Vietnam-Learning/product-reviews/1951928113/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews.

I thank Judy for her remarks. The author in question has decided to work with me, and that means you will be hearing more about his memoir as our work together evolves.

The post Feedback from a Client on the Editing Process appeared first on Beetle Press.

As I considered a name for my first book, I went through a process that was methodical but not very productive in terms of getting me to a name I loved. 

After months of thinking and brainstorming words and combinations, I still had nothing that rocked me. Then, I passed by a religious compound in the Berkshires with “Divine” in its name on a walk with my friend Judith Kelliher and her brother Bill. And it came: Divine Renovations. A perfect name for a spiritual-leaning book about a carpenter, a home renovation, and a life renovation.

I went through a similar process in naming my second book. With friends, colleagues, and interns, I brainstormed words and word phrases, and dreamed up titles and subtitles. Nothing felt quite right, but I landed on Core Strength: Because healing the heart begins in the center.

While that name said it all, the people counseling me and I thought potential readers might think the memoir is about physical fitness when in fact it’s about personal growth and transformation. 

Also, “Core Strength” is a common phrase. I wanted a zinger.

One week, over the course of a few days, I was relentless in bringing the book title topic up with my husband, Steve. He’d listen to me, offer suggestions, and listen some more. Still, nothing popped.

Then, I started designing the book’s front and back covers. I sent design options to Steve, my daughters, my interns, and my thought-leader friends. I got big rejection stickers over the images I was choosing, which were from travels only mentioned in the book but which said nothing about the book’s purpose.

My daughter Sally suggested a photo of water—like from the river I boat on in Western Mass, the Connecticut. I played with that idea in designs, using photos that showed an entire landscape—water, trees, the river’s edge. It still felt wrong. 

“Ask one of your designer friends,” my daughter Molly said.

So, I took the whole title-design problem to Maureen Scanlon, who has partnered with me on some client books, such as Seasoned and Hand, Horse, and Motor. In a fifteen-minute phone call, Maureen steered my focus away from Core Strength and random images by suggesting that this second book be marketed as a sequel to Divine Renovations, which indeed it is. The first book tells the story of the death of my late husband, Ed, and the second, the story of the next decade.

Further, Maureen suggested that the image could be parallel to that on the cover of Divine Renovations: something meaningful that also has great detail. I knew it had to be a water shot, as Sally suggested, and then I knew it could be close-up, showing movement, since the book is about getting from one place to another, in my spirit.

I went back to the name-drawing board with poor Steve. Every time a new combination came to me, I’d throw it out, interrupting normal conversation. Then, I threw out Willful Evolution: Because healing the heart takes strength.

Like I saw on the dating app, Bumble, when I was matched to Steve over two years ago, there it was: Boom. Just in my mind and not on my phone screen. We both knew that was the name.

That night, Steve and I went out on the boat, and we both took dozens of photos of just the water—nothing on the landscape. I got the one that appears on the cover at dusk. The engine was running, creating the rings and bubbles in the foreground, and a boat had just passed, creating the waves. 

In the design, I drew out the pink in the water with a magenta screen, and I used the same parallel design from Divine Renovations, which was developed by my friend Lisa Stowe.

Love it.

This book is coming soon. I’m guessing October or November. I was delayed by my move to a new home later this month. 

Soon, I’ll offer an excerpt.

The post The Evolution of a Book Name and Cover Design appeared first on Beetle Press.

My summer intern, Olivia Greeley, a student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, interviewed my friend and fellow author Judith Kelliher this week about the publication of Judy’s book, “A Wartime PhD: One soldier’s story of Vietnam and learning to live again.” The book tells the story of Judy’s brother Bobby’s two tours in Vietnam. The conversation between Olivia and Judy appears below.

Olivia: What was your original reasoning for wanting to share your brother’s story through this book? 

Judy: It started when my brother and I read the book “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption” by Laura Hillenbrand, which shares a soldier’s unbelievable story of survival. Ironically, at the time, I had no idea that Bobby and I were both reading it but as I read, I realized I had never had a conversation with my brother about his time as a soldier in the Vietnam War. He had served two terms when I was very young (around 8 years old), and it was never something my family talked about, because of how hard it was for Bobby. The book was really my inspiration to sit down and have that chat with my brother. Originally, it was going to be an interview that I would write up, with zero intention of sharing it to the public, but rather for Bobby to have for himself. It was after the conversation began that we both realized Bobby had a real story to share and one that could help a lot of people struggling the same way Bobby did after returning home. That was when I made the switch from the interview to writing my book. 

Olivia: Is “A Wartime PhD” like any other book that you’ve written before? 

Judy: Even though I’m a writer, this is actually my first book! My background is in journalism, so I am used to writing for newspapers. 

Olivia: What was the biggest difference between writing a book and writing for a newspaper? 

Judy: First of all, I was always used to interviewing strangers for my articles. This time I was interviewing and writing about my brother, someone I look up to very much. The other difference was that the writing style itself is very different. I was used to writing quick, punchy language that caught the reader’s attention right away. The biggest difference of all was how afraid I became almost halfway through my writing process. I was afraid that no one would want to read it and even worse, that I wouldn’t do my brother’s story justice. I had felt these fears before in past projects but nothing at this intensity. I started making up excuses to not write and kept pushing it off. It wasn’t until I attended the Women and the Art of Risk Conference in Holyoke with a few colleagues, that I had my writing epiphany. There was a panelist there that was sharing a story about a client she had who was a writer, but they had become so afraid of failing that they no longer wanted to continue. This story resonated with me immensely, so after, I spoke with the panelist and shared with her my similar thoughts and feelings. She said to me, “celebrate how far you’ve come and how much you have written, not that you have not finished.” That was the epiphany I needed to keep going. 

Olivia: What has it been like to have your book out in the world? 

Judy: It ended up taking six years to finish the book, mostly because of the fear I just talked about, so right now it feels very relieving. It’s wonderful to know that people struggling with PTSD, or any mental battle at all, can read this book now and feel that they can overcome this challenge with the help of family, friends, and professionals – there is redemption and they can come out on the other side, just like Bobby. Overall, after so long, it feels remarkable. 

Olivia: What is some feedback you’ve been receiving on “A Wartime PhD”? 

Judy: All of the feedback really has been positive. I’ve had so many people reach out via Facebook, text, email, and in person to give their congratulations and positive remarks. Bobby and I have even received hand-written notes in the mail! A common theme in the feedback I’ve received was that readers “read it in one or two sittings” or “I couldn’t put it down!” A lot of friends of Bobby’s said they were really surprised to hear his story. The best feedback came from some of the men that Bobby had served with. He was able to reconnect with them, and they loved the story! 

Olivia: Can you provide some statistics and numbers on your book sales and orders? 

Judy: I did an initial print run of 300 copies, which has already sold out, so we have since ordered a new print run of 200. With the second run, I hope to do more promotion to expand my audience even further. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we couldn’t do a book signing or reading, but hopefully we can do that soon, with the second run. 

Olivia: What are some media interviews you have done for the promotion of the book? Do you have any favorite quotes from those interviews and stories that have been written? 

Judy: I was recently interviewed with my brother for the Wilbraham Hampden Times. It was a lot of fun to do the interview with Bobby, and I really enjoyed how the article turned out. My favorite quote from the story was, “Perhaps worst of all was hearing his internal struggle dealing with the loss of two comrades to suicide and the fight against Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which went un-diagnosed until the mid-80s and nearly cost him his marriage and a relationship with his daughters.” The writer, Tyler Witkop, did a wonderful job sharing the most important aspect of the book, which is the harsh aftereffects of the war – he really got it! Bobby and I were also interviewed by MassLive. That article has yet to be published but we look forward to its release and getting to read it ourselves.  

Olivia: What would you recommend to other authors who feel nervous about publishing their stories? 

Judy: After my experience with fear and everything I’ve learned since, my biggest piece of advice would be to understand that the fear of failure is natural especially for first time authors. If an author feels passionate about their story and feel it would be something others could learn from and be interested in reading – go for it! Now that I’m on the other side and my book is out there, I am so grateful. It’s so worth it!

The post A Q & A with a New Author on Inspiration, Feedback appeared first on Beetle Press.

About a year and a half ago, I asked my intern from Westfield State University to review all the blogs I’ve written over the past decade and compile her favorites. I intended to publish a “Best of the Blogs” book, but I never got to it. I was too busy to spend time on a heart project.

About six months ago, I set two other interns to the same task, and again, their work sat in a “Hold” folder in my inbox.

Then, along came COVID-19, and I had some time on my hands for the first time in many years. I went through each interns’ suggestions and began to make some decisions of my own on which of their selections to keep, and which to discard.

Slowly, as I put these blogs into a certain order, I realized that what I actually had was a second memoir.

“Core Strength: Because healing the heart starts in the center” continues where “Divine Renovations” left off. It tells the story of the past ten years. After I was laid off from a beloved job, and my husband died four days later, I had to reinvent myself and grow up in many ways. 

This new work will take you to places far away—such as the Marshall Islands, where I spent a month several years ago with my younger daughter, who was teaching on the island of Majuro. The book also looks at the importance of family and letting go of fear, so you can have some fun. Tales of online dating will make you laugh, and poignant moments might make you cry.  

The essence of “Core Strength,” though, is found in a concept that emerged for me over the past ten years: We can’t really love others well until we love ourselves, and we can’t make good decisions on a life partner until we know who we are, what we want, and what we deserve.

“Core Strength” tells the story of how I learned those very important things.

At this time, I have shared the memoir with interns, friends who are writers, my husband, Steve, and my daughters. I’ve gotten essential feedback that continues to shape my work and make it stronger. 

Soon, I will design the book’s jacket and inside pages. And after that, well, we print!

I’m very much looking forward to sharing it with you. My hope is that it will help others to reinvent themselves and see all of who they are when they look in the mirror.

The post New Memoir, “Core Strength,” to be Released Soon! appeared first on Beetle Press.

I’ve known Bobby Kelliher for over three decades. He is one of my favorite people.

Bobby is the kind of person who does not specialize in one-word answers. A story about a thing that happened to him might take twenty minutes, but it is sure to make you bust a gut laughing. Because Bobby speaks his own language. A computer, or a cell phone, for instance, would be referred to as “The Machine.” Google isn’t just Google. It’s The Google. 

The Bobby I know is loving and affectionate. He calls me Buglet and makes me feel special, noticed, understood, valuable. He calls himself Roooooberto. That makes him feel special.

Bobby is my dear friend Judy Kelliher’s older brother. Recently, I helped Judy finalize the manuscript for the book she wrote about Bobby and his two tours in Vietnam. I got to read the book several times, and I learned about a whole new Bobby—the Bobby who was torn apart by war—and with the help of others—put himself back together again.

It nearly broke my heart to know and understand what my sweet, funny friend has endured—and survived.

Judy’s book, “A Wartime PH.D.: One Soldier’s Story of Vietnam and Learning to Live Again,” takes a close look at Bobby’s life, growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts, and his young adulthood—hanging out with friends and his girlfriend, Margaret, and spending a semester in college in Florida before his father, unimpressed with his grades, “invited him home.”

Bobby decides to enlist in the U.S. Army, and it’s then that his hell begins. 

Judy well describes scenes from Bobby’s two tours of duty—including one that most devastated Bobby. I must say, though, that the moments in the book that I found most profoundly sad all occurred after Bobby has returned home and doesn’t know how to live with himself, with the images in his head.

His parents must comfort him when he awakens from nightmares, screaming in the middle of the night.

His marriage to Margaret becomes troubled because he is devastated and doesn’t know how to express, even to his wife, the ghosts that haunt him.

His children don’t fully know him.

In a pivotal moment of crisis, Bobby’s sister Mary connects him to help at the Veterans Affairs Center in Leeds, Massachusetts, and the road up—to a PTSD diagnosis, still so new in that era, and to peace and acceptance—begins there. 

While I saw glimmers of the Bobby I know today during the war—in his dedication to his men, his bravery, his modesty, his humor—it is in this second part of the book that I begin to recognize the Bobby I know today.

The Bobby who works at the bank and has tremendous compassion for people who are falling behind in their mortgage payments.

The Bobby who works at the jail and brings humor and empathy to the inmates, who bond with him and miss him when Bobby retires.

The Bobby who works with young people with disabilities.

The Bobby who drives seniors to their appointments.

Although a minor character in the book, Margaret shined out for me. I know Margaret somewhat, having met her at Kelliher family gatherings over the years. I had no idea what grace, tenacity, and steadfast love she brought to her marriage and to Bobby’s healing. I am so grateful to her.

I admire her, and Bobby, too. 

I am so proud of Bobby for sharing his story; of Margaret for giving permission; and of Judy, for capturing it all so well. Writing a book based on someone else’s life and experiences is a tremendous undertaking. It’s time-consuming and all-encompassing, and Judy handled the process with grace, as she handles all difficult matters.

When the project was tough for her, she persevered. 

When she worried she wouldn’t be able to finish, she kept going.

I will be honored to feature “A Wartime Ph.D.” in my NEW! section on the Janice Beetle Books Home page very soon, and in Clients’ Books. In addition to copy editing, I also designed the book’s cover and inside pages. 

As it was for Judy, it was, for me, a labor of love.

The post A Book About Healing That Broke My Heart appeared first on Beetle Press.

Janice Beetle Books LLC centers around book development

EASTHAMPTON—Janice Beetle, a longtime writer and editor from Western Massachusetts, has launched a second business, Janice Beetle Books LLC, which centers around book development and publishing.

The owner of Beetle Press, a PR and communications firm, Beetle has offered the book development expertise through Beetle Press for nearly a decade. She has now built Janice Beetle Books around that creative service line. 

Beetle works with writers of all skill levels—as well as nonwriters—to help them carry a book idea through to publication. She also offers writing coaching services.

“My clients need help with some part of the work—whether it’s developing the idea, writing or editing the manuscript, or navigating the publishing process,” Beetle said. “It’s very exciting to help people bring a long-held desire from book idea to bookshelf.”

The website for Janice Beetle Books is at JaniceBeetleBooks.com and was developed by Danaë DiNicola of Turn Signal Media. The site showcases services, Beetle’s own creative writing to date as well as her clients’ books. 

Others who helped in the development of the business are: Val Nelson, a business and life coach; Mark NeJame, a Northampton attorney who created the LLC; Teresa Adams, a creative writer in the region; and summer intern Anthony Aquadro.

“What I love about the book development work is that there is nurture involved as well as skill and knowledge,” Beetle said. “People come to me, and they think their idea is not worthy, or that no one will want to read their story. They have fears—that they can’t complete a book, that it won’t be good enough, that they won’t be able to get it published after doing all the work. They look to me for validation, motivation, inspiration, and resources.”

Beetle added, “I still love the deep sense of satisfaction I see on their faces when they hold their books in their hands for the first time. That doesn’t get old.” 

The following are recent clients and their book titles: Jim Ricci, author of Hand, Horse and Motor: The Development of the Lawn Mower Industry in the United States; Tom Zink, author of Seasoned: A Memoir of Grief and Grace; and Peter Cichon, who wrote Flight of Integrity with Beetle. 

Flight of Integrity is a novel that fictionalizes a turn for the worst in Cichon’s career at an airline. It will be published by Off the Common Books in Amherst, Massachusetts, in September. 

Beetle, of Easthampton, holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Westfield State College. 

Since 1998, she has operated Beetle Press, offering writing, editing, and digital marketing services to business owners and leaders of nonprofit organizations.

A former journalist, she writes and distributes press releases to local media and also does media consulting. 

She also writes content for print publications of all types, and she writes blogs, enewsletters, and website content.

For more information about Beetle Press, visit BeetlePress.com.

The post Local Entrepreneur Launches Second Business appeared first on Beetle Press.

The goal of Levellers Press, which is primarily run by Steve, a 65-year-old Northampton resident, is to give opportunity and support to local authors, which is why Levellers and the worker-owned Collective Copies also created the Off the Common Books imprint, giving authors the option to self-publish.

Janice’s book, Divine Renovations, a memoir about her late husband, was published by Off the Common Books several years ago, and Janice often turns to Steve for support with client book projects. Steve, Levellers and Collective Copies are important Beetle Press partners.

When a manuscript is selected for publishing through either Levellers of Off the Common Books, authors can also opt to hire Levellers staff to take on the layout, design and early stages of marketing on their behalf, in addition to printing.

In the Collective Copies and Levellers shops, in Northampton and Amherst respectively, many of Levellers and Off the Common Books titles are available for sale, and most books are now available in Kindle, Nook, and Google Play digital versions.

Once the “start-up costs” have been recouped, Levellers Press and its authors share the surplus on each book 50/50. Thanks to the authors’ local reputations and network of friends and family, a Levellers’ title can break even within the first few months, Steve says.

Still, Steve says Levellers’ methods are a bit unconventional as it has no national distributor due to the small-batch printing technique; books are printed on demand, between 25 and 200 at a time, based on need, making it difficult, cost-wise, to distribute on a larger scale.

To date, Levellers has published 60 books—and of those, only two are from outside of Western Mass—and Steve plays a large role in the manuscripts that are chosen. Some of the biggest selling titles are The Curse by Robert H. Steele, The Wealth of the Commons: A World Beyond Market and State, and Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts, by Robert Romer. Romer’s title was the first title released by Levellers.

The name of the press derives from the Levellers in England who, during the period of Cromwell’s England, fought for extended suffrage and equal rights under the law.

Steve has been in the publishing industry for a long time, starting off at the Daily Hampshire Gazette in 1973 as a “pre-press guy.” He learned a great deal about the printing process and eventually started the worker-cooperative Common Wealth Printing in 1977. In 1997, he needed a change and became more interested in digital printing, joining Collective Copies, a worker-owned collective.

Levellers continues to branch out and grow; it is in the process of creating two new imprints at the moment. For poetry, Hedgerow Books is taking off with approximately one or two manuscripts per year. Thornapple Books is taking submissions from all across the country on the hunt for the next great American novel.

For more information, visit Levellers Press online!

The post Filling a Niche for Local Authors appeared first on Beetle Press.

Marian is a mogul in her own right. She has created her own publishing company, or empire as she refers to it, called ALL CAPS Publishing, in which she is the founder and editor, and through which not only she publishes her own books but also publishes other authors’ works. This company was designed intentionally in order to ensure that her books never appear self-published, which is very important to Marian; the books are extremely professional, the covers are designed by a local musician and graphic designer named Max Germer, and she assured that the level of detail and attention that goes into each book is such that they reflect this effort.

The post Local Author Series: Marian Kent appeared first on Beetle Press.