Faye Rapoport DesPres is the author of the new
memoir-in-essays, Message from a Blue Jay.
She earned her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Solstice MFA Program at Pine
Manor College. Her essays, fiction, poetry,
and reviews have appeared in Ascent, International Gymnast Magazine, Platte
Valley Review, Superstition
Review, In the Arts, Fourth Genre, The Whistling
Fire, the Writer’s Chronicle, and other journals and magazines. Faye
was born in New York City and has lived in England, Israel, and Colorado. She
currently lives in the Boston area with her husband, Jean-Paul Des Pres, and
their cats. www.fayerapoportdespres.com
Thank you for your time in
answering our questions about getting published. Let’s begin by having
you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Faye: I have been a writer all
my life – first as an amateur poet, then as a journalist and
business/non-profit writer, and finally as a creative nonfiction writer.
Writing a book has been my life-long goal.
Is this your first book?
Faye: Yes
With this particular book, how
did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you
choose this method?
Faye: I was offered several
options, but I published Message From a
Blue Jay with the small, independent press that was the most passionate
about my project and promised the most support in every aspect of the
publication process, including marketing.
Can you tell us a little about
your publishing journey? The pros and
cons?
Faye: Like most writers, the
journey toward publication was not easy for me. After earning my MFA degree, I
started submitting individual personal essays to literary journals. That
process involved the usual rejections much more than the less usual
acceptances. When the acceptances did start happening, I began to work toward
combining the essays into a book-length manuscript. An agent sent the
manuscript to a variety of presses of all sizes, and got some interest,
including two acceptances. In the end, however, I chose a
What lessons do you feel you
learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing
industry as a whole?
Faye: Persistence, believing in
yourself, and not taking rejection personally are all part of the process. I
went in knowing that I had to expect a significant amount of rejection. Essay
collections are difficult to publish because they don’t tend to be huge
sellers, and when you’re a new writer without a “name” with a manuscript of
personal essays, you’re facing an uphill battle. Some publishers liked the work
but felt they wouldn’t have the market for it. I learned that it’s a tough
industry, but if you are committed to making the work the best it can be,
accepting suggestions for revisions (such as re-organizing and editing the
essays into a book that can be read as more of a narrative, even if it’s an
unusual kind of narrative), and submitting until you find just the right
publisher, it can be very rewarding.
Would you recommend this method
of publishing to other authors?
Faye: I followed pretty much
the usual method of publishing, so yes, I’d recommend it. Of course there are
other options, and every writer has to find his or her own way.
What’s the best advice you can
give to aspiring authors?
Faye: Don’t let your ego get in
the way of improving your work. Listen to early readers, accept suggestions,
consider options, and be open to revision. These things don’t have to mean
giving up on your own artistic vision. Certainly fight for the things you
really believe in and want to keep, but be open to the experience of hearing
other opinions and perhaps getting better. Then, be persistent and just keep
trying.
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