chapbook Archives - Larada Horner-Miller, Author

Delays have hampered the release of my new poetry book, Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry. The reasons vary: publishing issues and the effects of the dog attack.

Dog Attack Causes Delays

Today is three months since that vicious dog attack that has altered my life and caused the delay of the release of this book. First, I hurt too much to work at all on this book. Then my life filled up with doctor’s appointments and just trying to get everything figured out with the wound. During the early weeks of this trauma, my thoughts and concentration suffered with the pain and the horror!

Recently, the nerve damage pain in my foot and ankle and now my leg has overtaken my life. So, the orthopedic doctor prescribed gabapentin for the nerve pain, causing me to feel fuzzy and have trouble thinking clearly. All of this affected the way I handled the specifics of self-publishing which now has caused further delays.

Publishing Issues

I originally planned to release this book in August. At first, I received the book cover on June 26 and gave them a page count for the book but didn’t get back to them until September 5. Then I changed the page count and needed them to adjust it. I also had neglected to get them the book description and my biography. So more delays!

I received the book description on July 16, timely enough. Because of a planned family get-together in Colorado, I neglected to look closely at the book description and forgot I hadn’t. Then on July 21, my life changed with the dog attack.

The cover company, 100covers.com, has been a dream to work with. Patiently, they have let me alter the requirements so far.

As I waited for the paperback cover, I wondered about the delay. On October 12, 2024, I emailed them because I had been waiting to release the paperback but hadn’t received the final cover. Today I got an email from them saying they sent me the covers on October 2, 2024—see the effect of the gabapentin. I couldn’t believe it I missed it, delaying another two weeks.

So, this afternoon, I checked the paperback cover and found two mistakes in the book description and my biography. I just emailed them to see if we can correct the mistakes that are my fault! Yikes!

I’ll let you know. What’s so frustrating for me about this—early in April when this four-book poetry book series became a reality, in my over-performing mindset, I thought about publishing maybe two or three of these books this year. Yes, I realized quickly that was far-fetched, but taking all this time to just publish one goes against my work ethics!

As I lamented to Lin, my husband, today about the delays, he reassured and said, “So, if you don’t release it until November, what difference is it?” His relaxed attitude helps me as I labor over these delays.

Update on Chapbook and Title

Last week, I shared about my chapbook I’m creating and offered some possible titles. Well, after my book coaching session this last week, I threw those titles out because they had nothing to do with the topics of the poems I write about in this chapbook. My book coach reminded me of four ways to title a nonfiction book. One of them was using the title of a poem from the book. I did that with Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir and my new poetry book I’m getting ready to release, Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry.

So, here’s the new title and the cover I created. I need your opinion on the difference choice of fonts.

Please help me out! Make a comment in the Comments section on which number you like or email me at larada@icloud.com but respond!

Finally,

Self-publishing a book has so many moving parts. Add the insanity that the dog attack had on me and my abilities and it equals delays, delays, delays!

Podcasts & My Interviews

Listen to an interview released Wednesday, August 7, 2024 on Hump Days Calls podcast
Check out my written out interview at Southwest Writers
Enjoy my interview on the podcast, T he Writing Table

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir audiobook cover

Lead Magnet Explained

“For authors marketing their books, giveaways (which we shall refer to as ‘lead magnets,’ for reasons that will become clear) work on multiple levels. They will:

Make readers more aware of your work and your ‘brand’;

Operate on the psychological principle of reciprocity — people innately wish to “pay you back” when you give them something for free; and

Give you access to their contact details.”

Lead Magnet for My New Poetry Series

As I have listened to my book coach, Derek Doepker, and book coaching group, I realized I needed a lead magnet for my new poetry series. In the book industry, the lead magnet is usually is an e-book.

At first, I was going to make Book #1 of this series (the one I’m about ready to release) the lead magnet and have it FREE to entice poetry readers to join my email list. But another poet in our book coaching group gave me an idea—she created a chapbook as her lead magnet.

So what’s a Chapbook?

A chapbook is “a small book containing ballads, poems, tales, or tracts.”

A chapbook’s size varies, but usually isn’t more than forty pages.

“From where would this chapbook come?” I wondered one day as this idea took root and sprouted. I have enough poetry I’ve written and more for the three other books in this series. Could I grab some from those three books not finalized yet? I needed a theme—something to organize this chapbook around!

Then it hit me! As an English teacher, I taught a poetry unit each year and wanted to grow as writer/teacher. So in 2002 & 2003, I attended poetry classes put on by Continuing Education, affiliated with University of New Mexico. These classes stretched me as a teacher/writer and ultimately as a poet later.

What a great theme! The teacher becomes the student! So, I sat in those six weeks classes and at time wondered—what was I doing! I had never been a poet who wrote rhyming poetry or formatted poetry. These classes focused on formats and forms. I had embraced Free Verse as my poetry of choice for writing. In this class, I felt challenged, stretched and wondered about my creations. The teacher encouraged me; my fellow students did, too, so it was an affirming experience. That’s why I wanted to feature them in this chapbook.

Help Me Select My Chapbook Title

Because you support my writing, I want you to have a part of the selection process for the title to my chapbook. Remember, it’s a short chapbook featuring poetry I wrote for two poetry classes I took.

Here’s the title possibilities:

Two Poetry Classes, One Lesson: A Teacher’s Poetic Enlightenment

Two Poetry Classes, One Insight: A Teacher’s Journey to Poetic Enlightenment

Chalk Dust and Stanzas: Lessons from Both Sides of the Desk

Chalk Dust and Stanzas: Lesson from the Other Side of the Desk

Help me decide! I like all of these choices. Make a comment in the Comments section and identify which title you like the best by the number.

	Larada Horner-Miller on Let’s Celebrate Poetry: April…
	Krishna Chamling on Let’s Celebrate Poetry: April…
	Larada Horner-Miller on Bird Watching in Panama
	Lisa on Bird Watching in Panama
	Larada Horner-Miller on My Super-Busy January—Glad It’…

Tag: chapbook

Delays, Delays, Delays: Not My Choice!

Dog Attack Causes Delays

Publishing Issues

Update on Chapbook and Title

Finally,

Podcasts & My Interviews

Buy My Audio Books:

Goodreads reviews for Coronavirus Reflections

A Lead Magnet—What’s That? And Why Is It Important?

Lead Magnet Explained

Lead Magnet for My New Poetry Series

So what’s a Chapbook?

Help Me Select My Chapbook Title

Finally,

Historical Fiction & Family Saga Book Giveaway!

Podcasts & My Interviews

Buy My Audio Books:

Goodreads reviews for Coronavirus Reflections