Over The Transom

— Over the Transom —

Cover Girl

By Sandy Raschke

Don’t ask me how it happened. I simply sent in a few of my country poems to Horsefly, a regional equine and family event newsletter that also publishes the occasional short story, cowboy/country poetry, and articles about local personalities. In my cover letter, I mentioned that I was working on compiling a mini-collection of country and nature poems.   Shortly after the editor accepted my submission, she asked if I’d be interested in being interviewed as one of the “featured personalities” in the newsletter. As a relative newcomer to Central Oregon, I was flattered to even be considered a “personality.” Nonetheless, being a rather private person, I hedged, and suggested that we speak about it again after I completed the chapbook.
        I hemmed and hawed for almost a year, because I hadn’t completed the poetry book, but finally I got it together and asked June Bailor, the publisher/editor of Horsefly, if she had any suggestions for finding a good commercial printer. She did, and, she added, how about that article? She had space in the March 2010 issue for it, together with the last of the four poems I had sent her.

I’ve never been good at promoting myself, especially when I’ve had to face an audience, but how difficult could it be to share some of my thoughts about writing, etc., on paper? So I sat down and conducted an “interview” with myself—about the creative process, comments about editing vs. creative writing, and working for fifteen years now with Cynthia on Calliope; I added a few publishing credits, my business background and some personal information, and emailed it to Horsefly. I thought that would be it, but June wanted photos, of “the writer at work.” With most of the people she features in Horsefly, she goes out to their businesses and takes photos of them in their stores, etc. In my case, she offered to come out to the house to take them.
        The first question I asked myself was: “How much make-up do I need to cover up what needs to be covered up?” But it really wasn’t necessary. Horsefly is produced on newsprint. No color photos. No one will see the wrinkles, the no longer auburn hair and the ravages of time, but they will see me at my desk, and with Arnie, our German-Wirehaired Pointer (he likes to keep me company when I’m writing).
        After June took the photos, my husband and

Calliope
5975 W. Western Way
PMB 116Y
Tucson, AZ 85713

I invited her to lunch, but she had a few more stops to make—potential advertisers, the life-blood of the publishing business. So we spent a while chatting about the publishing business, life in Central Oregon, and ranching and farming. She knows a lot about publishing, having started in the newspaper business in the mid-1960’s, as well as ranching, where she used to run cattle, but now mainly raises and sells horses and tends to other critters on her 35-acre ranch in Prineville.
      The article “A Real Balancing Act,” came out on March 4, and my husband and I drove 25 miles into Redmond (Horsefly doesn’t have a distributor in Madras), where we stopped at Big-R, a home and ranch supply store, to snap up a handful of Horseflys to send to pen-pals and friends.
        And that was my fifteen seconds of fame. The chapbook, Prevailing Winds, finally made it to the printer and will be released soon.

I describe my adventure for two reasons. One, if you are serious about promoting your work, it helps to expand your contacts whenever and wherever you can—and how better to gain exposure than through a local publication. Look for newsletters, monthly advertisers, weekly newspapers—and submit an article, or a commentary—or a short piece about your community. Mention that you are a writer and provide some background. You won’t get paid, but you will get a byline. Last, one byline leads to another. Your community will get to know you—you might be invited to the library or a coffee house or a “poetry slam,” to read your work.
        You might also, if you have self-published a novel or poetry book, set up a table at your local supermarket (after asking permission from the manager), or in the local park during summer months when the “Farmers’ markets” are in session, and sell your work there. A retired police chief in the area did just that. After being profiled in our weekly newspaper, he made himself more visible by selling his novel at various Christmas boutiques, nearby markets, and other public venues.

Although the conventional publishing business is still in the doldrums because of the Great Recession, that doesn’t mean there aren’t alternatives, such as self-publishing, to explore. Be creative, and reap the rewards.
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