Meet Guest Pre-Published Author, Traci L. Kenworth…

Posted on by Chris The Story Reading Ape

Finding Your Way

Our journeys are rarely a straight path. I know, for sure, mine hasn’t been. Though I’ve written stories as long as I can remember, it never occurred to me that I could do this writing thing growing up. I came from a family riddled with poverty. If I needed money, I worked for it on my own. I held down paper routes, two at once. In the summers, I worked for a county program when I turned sixteen. For me, college was the hoped-for way out. Except when you don’t have money, it’s hard to finance it. Loans only went so far. I lasted a year-and-a-half. I came home feeling defeated, like I’d never escape this black hole called poor. Except, around that last half of college, I went to a movie with some friends called Stand by Me. When Chris Chambers’s character says to Gordy that he was born to be a writer, I felt like he was talking to me.

Somehow, when the low-paying jobs I could find then, not having a driver’s license at the time and depending on my dad to drive me to my jobs, I held on to those words. I began to write what would become the first of four books. I didn’t know anything about series back then. I only knew this story was burning inside of me. I had some success in fan fiction at the time and had stories published. I also had a story published in the local newspaper. Hope spurred my writing. I could see a way out, if I didn’t give up. Unfortunately, I met my ex about this time and dreams took a back seat to his wants and needs. It was a nightmare of a marriage and finally, with my son and daughter, we went to the courts for help.

When it was over, I’d found a good-paying job and the kids, and I moved into a small house. I wish I could say things went smoothly from that point, but they didn’t. I was injured on the job and ended up in the office where I spent about four years before they decided they no longer had a position available for me. Things spiraled downhill from there and I had a breakdown. By the time it was over, I learned I had bipolar, something that ran in my family on my dad’s side. Once again, I feared the blackhole would swallow me and my children. Thanks to the mental health agency I went to, and the advice of a lawyer they recommended, I thankfully got disability. I was able to stay home with my kids who’d been through a slew of bad babysitters and I needed to find something else to focus on. That something turned into writing. The world of writing had changed since I’d wanted to write that first story. Back then, I scraped the money together for a word processor, now I had a home computer.

I discovered to my panic that despite the craft books I’d read, my knowledge of writing was limited at best. I spent years studying, trying to get things right. It’s only been in the last couple that I feel I have. I met a critique group that helped take my writing to new heights. Now, I’m trying to determine if going with a publisher or self-publishing is right for me. I really can’t afford the funds to do self-publishing well. I guess I’m at a crossroads. I’ve been blogging since 2009 but haven’t had much success with it until the past couple of years. I’m meeting more and more writers and heeding their advice. This year, I want to make an effort to strive to put myself out there as best as I can. Finding your way can take a long time, the paths can become jagged, but if you stick with it, you can make it. That’s my hope.

Traci Kenworth Bio:

I write all genres of YA as well as the occasional historical romance. I live in Ohio with my son and daughter and four cats. I have been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil.

Writing saved me from a dark period in my life. I will be forever grateful to God for this.

It gave me a way to bring in the light and conquer the darkness. That’s the type of hero/heroine I write about. A survivor and those they love. I want to give others hope, and a way back when they think everything is lost.

Some other things I enjoy: genealogy, riding horseback, and, of course, reading.

I hope you will all follow me on my adventure of getting published.

Blog (WordPress) –  Blog (BlogSpot)

Facebook(personal) – Facebook(Writer Page)  –  Twitter

Goodreads – Pinterest – Google+

61 thoughts on “Meet Guest Pre-Published Author, Traci L. Kenworth…”

  1. Hi Traci – many of us are grateful for the stirling work you do on behalf of us authors and this time it is great to meet you- the woman herself. I genuinely think your post here is not an uncommon story. (At least from my point of view) . There is a lot of strong independent talent in the community- who deserve the big break and who sadly might never get it. (Me included!)
    But you know even in trad publishing with this bevy of experts behind talented and established authors you still find their books in the bargain book rack. I am constantly seeing some of my favourite historians in a bargain bookshop in the UK called the Works, where their books are at ludicrous marked down prices and it breaks my heart because I have read their books and they are fantastic.
    Equally there many autobiog books by minor ‘Celebs’ there for a £1 or 2. When I see those I wish trad publishers would concentrate on looking after their bread and butter – future authors instead if trying to make a quick buck by giving large advances to ‘TV celebs’ that we don’t really care about. (Am I bitter.. what do you think?)
    I suppose what I really want to say is Trad or Indie… there really is a lot of luck involved -even more so than contacts, or talent. And you are right we cannot give up, because if we do we are forever at the starting line… while as we all know we have to be in a race to win it. It is like you say all we can do it go on and keep trying our best! One day may we all be as famous and rich as JK Rowling! (Actually keep the fame..I’ll take the money and buy my own publishing company!)

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    • Thanks for your kind words, Paul! I know it’ll be a gamble whichever way I go. I’ve always sort of hoped I could get discovered like JK Rowling or even Stephen King. I know big-time authors and I can’t compare myself to their outstanding work. I do hope, if things don’t work out with traditional, I’m looking at small publishers as the advice I’ve been given says that they don’t take as many of your rights as the Big Five do. Another reason I’m considering traditional is the YA market. They read more books than ebooks, I’ve heard.

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      • Hi Traci, I’ve been where you are now and what you need is information, lots of it. The two website URLs below have been invaluable for me:

        http://www.indiesunlimited.com
        http://kriswrites.com/category/business-musings/

        Indies Unlimited is a wonderful resource of how-to’s and what NOT to do’s, especially with regard to companies that scam Indies as their business model.

        Kristine Kathryn Rusch is kind of famous as a writer who’s experienced both sides of the publishing divide. Her business musings should be a must read for all writers, not just Indies. She spells out the terrible contracts that the Big Five now use, and quite a few of the others as well. These contracts will make your hair stand on end so if you do go traditional you /must/ protect yourself AND your writing.

        And finally, if you do decide to go Indie [and want to publish your own print version] I’m happy to send you my How-to book [for the Kindle or using the Kindle app]. Think of it as a welcome-to-the-Indie-world gift. No cost, no mandatory review, no strings of any sort. I can even point you to a website for free images:

        https://www.freeimages.com/

        With these images and the CreateSpace/Amazon online Cover Creator, you won’t even have to pay to get a decent looking cover done.

        I’m a bit of a fanatic, I guess, but going Indie really isn’t /that/ hard. All you have to do is take things one step at a time.
        I won’t say any more but the offer stands. Life can get better from here. -hugs-

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        • Thank you, AC! It’s been because of Kristine Kathyrn Rusch that I hesitate to go traditional. She was an editor who rejected me when she was with Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine way back when I was eighteen. I found her blog last year and I’ve been reading her advice. I already nixed the Big Five but she said that if you were to go traditional, she would recommend going small publisher as you don’t lose as many rights. That was my plan. I still need to pick up a copy of her book on copyrights. What makes me hold back from going Indie, are 1) they say the YA audience doesn’t read ebooks and therefore you can’t reach them as easily as the traditional way and 2) I’m not the best when it comes to tech. Witness, I still have a free website and I’m only able to maneuver that thanks to a couple of the former cps that took pity on me. I’m afraid I’ll mess things up if I do it myself. I would love a copy of your book but I hate to ask since I’m not sure that’ll be the way I go.

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          • I’m so relieved! Yes, small publishers are the way to go if you’re going traditional but…there are small and then there are small and nasty. And Rusch’s advice on contracts applies across the board. As for not being technical, lol you’re exactly the person I write my how-to’s for and I’d be happy to send you a copy but Ineed to know:
            1. do you have a Kindle Fire? because How to Print Your Novel with CreateSpace only works on the Fires or the Kindle app on the pc.
            2. If you don’t have a Kindle, I can send you a PDF file of the book.
            3. I’ll need an email address whichever way you want to go.
            All of that still leaves the ebook side of things. I know a lot of Indies convert Word files to Kindle format but I use a dedicated writing software which does most of that for me so not sure about the ebook.
            Anyway, I am more than happy to send you the how to print book and perhaps that will give you the confidence to look at the ebook side of things as well. 🙂

            Liked by 2 people

          • I’m hoping to avoid the small and nasty, lol. I may not get a shot though in the end. I don’t know that I have enough of a platform for them to want to work with me. Me, I’m happy with the people I get on the blogs. I treasure each one. As I’ve said before, we’re all in this together! I’m glad to hear your books are written for people like me! I’ve been trying for years to get someone to help me further with things on my blog but I haven’t been able to yet. I do have a Kindle Fire! The address is my name at kindle.com. I do so appreciate this! I am interested in the ebook side of things. What sort of software do you use to convert the word files? I’ve heard of Vellum but I don’t have a MAC and another one, can’t think of what it is. Something you pay monthly for, I think.

            Liked by 1 person

          • Excellent! Okay, I just sent you an email with Testing! as the subject. If you get it can you reply so I know I’ve got the right person?
            Now, the ebook. Except for my how-to books, I write all my novels in a program called ‘StoryBox’. It costs something like $35? US and it’s very similar to Scrivener. Scrivener started as a MAC only app but then they brought it across to pcs a few years back.
            Anyway, StoryBox let’s me export my stories in three different formats:
            .rtf [can be read by any wordprocessor
            .epub [for all ebooks except Kindle]
            .mobi [this is not quite ready for the Kindle but it’s close].
            After I get the .mobi file, I open it in a free app called Calibre which does the final conversion for me.
            I can then upload that converted file directly to Amazon.
            Actually…hmm…I have a feeling Calibre can also convert Word files to Kindle compatible but I’m not 100% sure.
            Oh! Just checked a blogger who’s a bit of a guru for me and he has this article about a new Amazon app [free] that is easier to use to convert Word file to Kindle:
            https://chrismcmullen.com/2017/04/06/kindle-create-amazon-kdps-new-free-app-to-convert-from-word-to-kindle/
            I’d definitely check that link out as Chris McMullen is a true techie. 🙂

            Liked by 2 people

          • Um…I’ll gift you the book so you can get it straight from Amazon but I need to be able to give amazon your email address. To do that I need to know that the email I sent you is the right one. Did you receive it?

            Liked by 2 people

          • Eh? That’s odd. Is it possible you downloaded it during that free day I had a while ago? If you can’t find it, give me a yell and I’ll see if I can work out what happened.

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  7. If you approach self publishing through Createspace or LuLu it takes very little money Traci. It does take a little time and a little skill but there are plenty of good authors who can help on that journey like AC Flory

    Wherever your journey takes you next I wish you well. A good website with plenty of followers and some time spent on the Social Networks will help enormously but it looks like you’re ahead of me there.
    xxx Huge Hugs xxx

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  8. Good luck with your Journey, Traci. 😀 … a bit about self-publishing – it doesn’t necessarily take oodles of money to do it well. It mostly takes time, lots of it to get through the steep learning curve and learn all those skills, but that’s all they are skills. (well, time … and courage, and from the bit you’ve written about your Self here, you have a wonderful abundance of that. 🙂

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