Cold Lake: Publishing House for BWW Authors?

LOOK! SEVEN NEW PARAGRAPHS ADDED AT END OF THIS DESCRIPTION.

If you're a writer, you already know how win-the-lottery difficult it is to find an agent, let alone a publisher. But what if you had special inside access to a publisher uniquely interested in publishing your book?

That's the dream we want to make a reality, but it won't happen unless you show you want it. We're tantalizingly close. In 2021 at minimal cost, BWW's Cold Lake Publishing printed its first book, Cold Lake Anthology, devoted exclusively to BWW authors and poets. CLP is now preparing the 2022 CLA. (Submit!)

Nancy Volkers, published author, and Elaine Pentaleri, poet, (two of our panelists) aided by two interns figured out all the steps necessary to pull this off, and CLA already shows a net profit for BWW on their groundbreaking work.

Millie Eidson (also on this panel) did the same work independently to publish her own book, Anthracis: A Microbial Mystery, in 2021. Dick Matheson has a vision of what Cold Lake Publishing could be.

Our fifth panelist, Bill Schubart, author, founder and chairman of many Vermont institutions, perceptive humanist, and Vermont treasure, offers extensive experience and insights about the publishing process.

In feedback workshops we help each other become better writers. If we form a CLP workshop of BWW writers willing to help publish books, Nancy Volkers says the steps would not be difficult to learn or complete.

Vote with your feet by Zooming to this discussion. Four of the panelists are on BWW's Board and Leadership Team. Send them the message we BWW writers WANT an in-house publisher of our own. Quite possibly, one of you at this meeting will be the first poet or author published by BWW's Cold Lake Publishing arm.

Our panel: Nancy Volkers, Millie Eidson, Elaine Pentaleri, Bill Schubart, Dick Matheson

You must be a BWW Member. Free and easy sign up if you're new: https://burlingtonwritersworkshop.com/become-a-member/
If you don't see the Zoom link and passcode after signing up, please email dickmatheson44@gmail.com

During this meeting you'll be asked to send Dick a chat message with your name, email address, preferential order of Publishing Teams to work on using the Team letters.

Publishing Handbook Team A: Research, interview, and prepare a well-organized, detailed manual of how to accomplish each step in the self-publishing process for the CL Publishing teams and BWW Members.

Selection Criteria Team B: Decide on the criteria for selecting potential BWW books to publish. Favor BWW Contributing Members; Pub Team members; Manuscripts workshopped in BWW workshops. Negotiate with authors what their commitment and contribution will be. Operate without BWW financial investment. BWW's share of net profits. Create contract agreements.

Editing, Formatting, Publishing Team C: prepare the manuscript for publication and launch when ready. What formats will be created? Print? Audio? Online?

Marketing and Distribution Team D: Coordinate with Selection Team on author's plan and enthusiasm to promote their book. Promotion Plan is part of the selection and publishing process.

Managing Editor(s) Team E: Oversee and coordinate the teams. Shift team members if necessary. Choose name to replace Cold Lake. Include LT in main policy decisions. Help teams set goals with timelines.

Using only the letters of the Teams, include your first, second, and third choice for Team to work on. And if you think you could have a book ready to publish within a year from now, include the genre or type. For example, memoir or poetry chapbook or upmarket women's literary fiction. So, your name, email, Pub Team choices, and book type IF you might want your book considered that soon. For example, EBD means Team E is your first choice, then B, then D. All this in the Chat at the Panel Presentation