About this item
Highlights
- If you want to get your manuscript published, read this book.There's no secret handshake or golden key in these pages, but Imagine a Door offers a more equitable and empowering prize: information delivered with gentleness.
- About the Author: LAURA STANFILL is the award-winning publisher of Forest Avenue Press and the author of the historical novel Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary.
- 518 Pages
- Language + Art + Disciplines, Writing
Description
About the Book
"Foreword by Beth Kephart, author of Handling the Truth. Imagine a Door intersperses craft insights, case studies, and checklists with personal stories about publishing and the emotional complexities of sending your work into the world. Is a writing routine worthwhile? How do you pinpoint the why behind your storytelling and use it to improve your manuscript? What makes a query letter stand out? What exactly is distribution? Does success mean selling a certain number of books or can we reframe our expectations in a less capitalistic way? While prioritizing genuine community over platform building, Laura Stanfill, publisher of Forest Avenue Press and author of Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary, explores these questions from both sides of the desk. She peppers her material with original interviews with authors Fonda Lee, Amy Stewart, Wendy Chin-Tanner, Keith Rosson, Rosiee Thor, Kesha Ajose-Fisher, Emme Lund, Omar El Akkad, and agents, editors, and publishers"--Book Synopsis
If you want to get your manuscript published, read this book.
There's no secret handshake or golden key in these pages, but Imagine a Door offers a more equitable and empowering prize: information delivered with gentleness. Author and publisher Laura Stanfill started working on this project in 2016, ultimately interviewing more than seventy-five authors and industry experts, including Wendy Chin-Tanner, Tove Danovich, Omar El Akkad, Erin Harris, Ari Honarvar, Juhea Kim, Dan Lazar, Fonda Lee, Emme Lund, Daniel A. Olivas, Rosanne Parry, Keith Rosson, Amy Stewart, Sonja Thomas, Addie Tsai, and Lidia Yuknavitch.
Is a writing routine worthwhile? How do you pinpoint the why behind your storytelling? What exactly is distribution? Can we reframe success in a less capitalistic way than defining it by sales numbers? While prioritizing genuine community over platform building, Imagine a Door intersperses case studies, sidebars, and checklists with personal stories about writing, revising, and the emotional complexities of sending your work into the world. Foreword by Beth Kephart, author of Handling the Truth.
Review Quotes
Foreword by Beth Kephart, author of Handling the Truth
A Powell's Books best-seller and staff pick
Featured New Release, Annie Bloom's Books
"Radical empathy runs throughout, making Imagine a Door a likely mainstay on writer's shelves throughout the whole of their careers--a supportive reference to return to again and again."
--Foreword Reviews
"Reading Imagine a Door is like taking a course in book publishing with field trips into the writing process and a writing life itself. Author Laura Stanfill is our warm and generous teacher and guide who answers our questions with knowledgeable insight, real-life examples, and sincere caring about the art and the artist."
--Judy Reeves, author of A Writer's Book of Days
"This book contains vital information, especially if you are anxious about putting your work into the world. Imagine a Door is a guide, a balm, and a blessing."
--Mo Daviau, author of Every Anxious Wave and Epic and Lovely
"The new essential guide for writers."
--Kevin Sampsell, bookseller at Powell's Books
"This sunshine of a book is sure to shine a light for many."
--Kari Luna, author of The Theory of Everything
"A treasure trove for writers."
--Nancy Townsley, author of Sunshine Girl
"This is a generous guide that aims to help writers unlock the story they were meant to tell."
--The Bookmonger, Discover Our Coast
"Full disclosure, Laura is a friend. But I can honestly say if you are looking for the insider's guide to publishing, this is it."
--Lori Tobias, author of Storm Beat and Wander
"Offers readers a gentle method for setting realistic and sustainable goals."
--Christina Vega, publisher at Blue Cactus Press and author of Decay, Vega, and Maps
"Stanfill holds tremendous wisdom and empathy."
--Joe Biel, author of A People's Guide to Publishing
"Authentic, honest, vulnerable, and encouraging."
--Michael Gettel-Gilmartin, Project Mayhem
"With the wisdom and thoughtfulness gained from her experience as an author and publisher, Laura Stanfill provides answers that writers haven't even thought to ask. As a bookseller I am so happy to confidently offer this book to writers seeking practical, honest guidance as they pursue their goals."
--Cheryl McKeon, bookseller, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza
About the Author
LAURA STANFILL is the award-winning publisher of Forest Avenue Press and the author of the historical novel Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary. She's a graduate of Vassar College and the Yale Publishing Course, which she attended thanks to a scholarship from the Independent Book Publishers Association. She lives in Portland, Oregon, where she wishes on bookstores like stars and wears a sparkly top hat while walking her dog.