LifeWriters Talk About LifeWriting

Peggy Grose decided that self-publishing using a traditional book printing company was the way to go with her first book, Love and Lemon Pie: Recipes for the Body and the Soul, a collection of recipes accompanied by her own wisdom garnered from more than 40 years as a mother and communications professional. The Journal interviewed Peggy by email at her Austin home to find out about her self-publishing experience.

Story Circle Journal: SCJ: Where did the idea for Love and Lemon Pie come from?

Peggy Grose: I think it came from God, because I'm not that smart. In a section called "A Letter from Home" in the book, I tell about growing up on the farm in Georgia, where we had little money but had food that money could not buy. My mother was a dedicated and talented cook who spared no effort in putting scrumptious meals on the table. What I don't say in the book is that she didn't serve it up with love. Suppertime was her time to berate my daddy for something—"I see you're putting up another tobacco barn!" (as if that's not what farmers do)—or me for shaving my legs or bleaching my bangs (as if that's not what teenage girls do).

I was a mature woman with my own children when I finally realized that food on the table was my mother's way of showing love but that we had completely missed the point. What a tragedy. That's why I wrote the book.

SCJ: What was the biggest challenge you faced in writing the book?

PG: Imagine 50 years of collected recipes, some on neat little 3" x 5" cards, many on the back of envelopes, scraps of paper and paper napkins, and clippings galore. I had to choose 120 of my favorites. A dozen were given by friends and relatives for the book.

Realizing that young women don't take home-economics anymore, I wanted to be precise in my instructions and not leave anything for novice cooks to guess at. I wanted them to be successful and enjoy the process. I decided to spell out the words "cup," "teaspoon," "tablespoon," etc. rather than abbreviate. I had professional help from my cousin Beth, a professional food writer, making sure my instructions were completely clear, that the ingredients were listed in the order in which they were used and that they were in the same order as the instructions. It was tedious.

I had to cook many of the recipes again in order to check the measurements and directions, including the ones I had made up. My husband ate very well that year.

I worked on the recipes for at least six months, not counting the reviewing, revising, and making corrections. The recipes for the soul came easily, as they were already in my head and heart. I keep files with notes and ideas for writing, so I drew on many of those earlier thoughts.

SCJ: Did you look for a traditional publisher for your book? What went into your decision to self-publish?

PG: I knew from journalism class how to write a query letter but didn't know where to start. At the bookstore, I went to the book and gift sections and made a note of the publishers of books most similar to mine. As each rejection letter arrived, I put the manuscript back on the shelf for a year or so.

Then I met a publisher's assistant, who suggested we self-publish. I mentioned it to my brother, Gene, who suggested that I ask his son, Sammy, to publish it. Sammy is a professional magician who also publishes books and magazines about entertaining children with magic. Sammy agreed and did an excellent job of typesetting and coordinating the printing. The whole project, from start to finish, was like birthing an elephant.

My advice for those seeking to self-publish is to expect to put in a lot of work but that the payoff will be worth it.

SCJ: If you were to start over, would you go the self-publishing route again?

PG: I have written my memoir and am facing this very question again. I recently attended a presentation at the Writers' League of Texas on self-publishing, where I learned that, for an unknown author, self-publishing seemed the better way to go, for several reasons: you make more money, you have more control, and you get the job done much more quickly. The drawback is that you have to pay from your own pocket, be your own publicist or hire one, and you still have to do the footwork of selling the book.

When I self-published Love and Lemon Pie, I didn't have an agent or editor, but friends and Sammy served well as editors. Self-publishing has turned out well for me because I have promoted the book myself and have sold about 3,000 copies through distributors and my own efforts, probably more than if I had had a publisher. All the bookstores and many gift shops in Austin carry my book, but I have to constantly follow up on their supply. Through bookstores, I make only half of what I make at fairs, bazaars and out-on-the-sidewalk kind of places.

SCJ: What would you do differently (if anything)?

PG: I can't think of anything that I would do differently. It's great fun meeting and talking to people. Because of the nature of the book, people sit at my space and visit, often telling me interesting stories of their lives.

SCJ: How have you promoted your book? What has worked well and what hasn't?

PG: In order to get the book into most bookstores I had to have a national distributor. By the time they take their cut, the bookstores take theirs, and I pay postage, I don't make much money. Yet, I do it for credibility and would do it again.

In placing books into independent bookstores, I have learned to not leave them on consignment. The managers don't have any money invested in them, so will not promote them. I recently reclaimed five books from a store after four years of sitting in the back on a lower shelf. I had to go personally to collect the check for the three they had sold.

And, sadly, I have quit dealing with church book stores because they consistently lose track of the books and don't reimburse me.

Having a lot of nerve and audacity, I sell books everywhere—at restaurants, Genie Car Wash, fairs, bazaars, festivals, on the airplane, at women's groups and conferences—you name it. I still haven't gotten a write-up in the newspaper, but am working on that. John Kelso [a popular columnist for the Austin American-Statesman newspaper] knows about the book and where it's available. A write-up in the Life section would be fabulous. I even sent a copy to Oprah (talk about nerve) but didn't hear back from her.

I've had my website remodeled, with a blog, which will give a new "recipe for the soul" on a weekly basis. That should bring in some sales.

SCJ: How did you choose which recipes to use?

PG: I went through my pile of recipes and picked out my favorites—the most interesting ones, and those that I thought other people would like most. I'm not a bland person and don't care for bland food, so the recipes are interesting, I think. I have Tex-Mex recipes, recipes from the Deep South where I grew up, some from Southeast Asia where I lived, and a lot of simple but good, wholesome, and comforting American food.

SCJ: When did you write the recipes for the soul?

PG: I wrote most of the recipes for the soul in a few days, then added and embellished as the process unfolded. I regularly add to files of ideas for writing and thoughts along the line of "recipes for the soul." God—or wherever these inspirations come from—gives me a new recipe for the soul regularly. Sometimes, overhearing or hearing about people's difficulties in relationships, I have a thought about how to communicate better or simply how to be more loving.

SCJ: What is the most important thing your book has to offer?

PG: My readers report consistently that, while they love the "recipes for the body," they find the "recipes for the soul" most meaningful. I see many people hurting from dysfunctional relationships, which I believe come largely from poor and destructive communication. People who buy the book and actually read it report good results in their relationships.

The part that is most meaningful to me is meeting and talking with people who come to my booth at fairs and sit, telling their stories. This amazing thing happens every single time I have a book signing. Perhaps the next book, after the memoir, will be a collection of personal stories that I have heard while signing books.

I seldom meet a person that is not interesting. The only people who are boring for me are those who are being phony or insincere.

SCJ: What did you learn from writing and self-publishing your book?

PG: I learned not to rush something this important. I typically want quick results, so I grew anxious when the project seemed to drag. I had to wait for Sammy to get his part done according to his schedule, but I was eager to start promoting.

I have learned much about the publishing and marketing business and where not to place books. I have met and made friends with a lot of other authors.

SCJ: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

PG: I believe that my memoir, Celebration: A Woman's Story of Courage, Endurance and Transcendence will be helpful to women of all ages. I'll get the memoir published. Just watch me!

One thing I cherish most is my group of women friends who are supportive and encouraging and who don't feel threatened or diminished by what another woman accomplishes. Thank you, Story Circle Network.

—Email interview conducted by Lisa Shirah-Hiers.
Edited by Lisa Shirah-Hiers and Jane Ross

Visit Peggy's website.

Last updated: 05/23/2008