Author/Editor Interview: Traci DePree PART ONE

Plug time. What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

The third book in my Lake Emily series, entitled
Aprons on a Clothesline, released at the end of May. I like this book a lot. Because it’s Virginia Morgan’s story (the matriarch of the Morgan family), this book is a little deeper, a little more soul searching, yet it carries that same sense of connection to loved ones and the land that all the Lake Emily books focus on.

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

I’ve been in the publishing industry for over seventeen years. I began as a customer service representative for Bethany House Publishers. When the phones were quiet I would review unsolicited manuscripts for the editorial department. After a while of doing this I was transferred to the editorial department and given the best training an editor could ask for—hands on experience. I worked for over seven years as proofreader, then copy editor, and line editor, helping develop some of Bethany’s wonderful fiction line.

About ten years ago I moved to a rural town in southern Minnesota and began my freelance editing business. After a while I began to realize that I too had stories to tell, especially as my appreciation grew for all I was experiencing in my home town and the kind-hearted people who had become a part of my daily life. That was really the beginning of the Lake Emily series.

Since WaterBrook was one of the publishers I edited for—I worked on a majority of their fiction line at that time—I sent my proposal to them first. They accepted it right off, no pile of rejections. Actually my editor had left the message telling me that they wanted to publish
A Can of Peas on my answering machine. My husband had heard it first—he sat watching me as I returned from a harried day and went to hit the “play” button. Instead of “play” however I hit “delete” and never got to hear the message! He told me what it had said. I was thrilled!

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

All the time. I simply read my file of fan letters, telling me how much readers have appreciated my writing. That never fails to boost my morale and set me back on the creative track.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

Never stop learning and never think you don’t need an editor. We all need editors, even us editors!

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

I’d heard of a fellow CBA author who told a fellow who’d written his life story to wait until he found a traditional publisher for his book—not good advice. Unless your story is extraordinary or you’re already a famous person, odds are your book will never see the light of day in a traditional publishing house. Everyone believes their life story is amazing.

While it may be cathartic to get it all down on paper, and your family will enjoy reading it, most of these stories are never picked up (except Corrie ten Boom and Joni Earekson). Your options—either fictionalize it and be willing to pare “the true events” from the story in favor of a strong plot, or self publish and give copies to loved ones who will appreciate it.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake System of writing has been helpful lately, although I didn’t us it in writing my first three books. But it has served to hone the basics of plot and theme up front so I feel my future books will be stronger for it.

Do you have a scripture or quote that has been speaking to you lately?

With the adoption of my daughter from Korea, James 1: 27 really means a lot to me. “Pure and lasting religion in the sight of god our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles…” NLT

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

I haven’t any major setbacks. The thing that has been most difficult for me, I would say, is learning to balance the publicity side of writing with the actual writing side (not to mention family). Publicity can eat up months of time and money. Learning that balance is key to success.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

Recent books—The Life of Pi, Peace Like a River, Secret Life of Bees. Classics—To Kill a Mockingbird, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights. Books I’ve edited that I also loved—anything by Robin Lee Hatcher, Jane Kirkpatrick, Christmas Every Morning by Lisa Bergren and Eventide by Cindy Martinusen.

If your authorial self was a character from The Wizard of Oz, which one would you be and why?

This is difficult question! I guess Dorothy, because like her I’m willing to travel an unfamiliar path but I want the security of “home”—my family and my Minnesota cornfields—to comfort me. But unlike Dorothy I’m not looking for somewhere over the rainbow; I’m a very content person in my life and in my skin. I’ve learned gratefulness along the way.

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

Aprons on a Clothesline. This book digs deep on issues we all struggle with—aging, losing a loved one, receiving kindness—and I really enjoyed not only the process of writing it but the poetry that the journey of discovery brought forth.

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

Judgmental attitudes. But it seems to me this is what Jesus had a hard time with too.

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

Because I’m a mother of five I don’t have a typical day! I’ve learned to flex with whatever the day holds, always trying to get a little writing/editing time under my belt. Four hours of writing on any given day is a good thing.

I bring my laptop or notebook with me and write while I wait for kids at the orthodontist or piano lessons or between matches at the High School tennis courts! Somehow I’ve learned to block out all else and focus on my story even in the midst of noisiness. I can also be found writing at the public library or at the local diner—although there I tend to be interrupted by well meaning neighbors who just want to visit!

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

I would have Jane Kirkpatrick’s amazing gift of metaphor and insight and Ted Dekker’s plot twists.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

Other than hitting the New York Times bestseller’s list? Only to write a true thing of beauty—simple, unadorned, but powerful in effect. A book that really matters.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

I’ve thought of it on occasion, but I find myself still doing it! It’s beyond reason.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

My favorite part of writing is the creation, especially the fourth rewrite when I can see everything starting to come together and it’s better than I’d originally envisioned. Least favorite would be a tie between the blank page and signings where no one shows up!


How much marketing do you do? Any advice in this area?

It depends. When I’m launching a new series I do a lot more than I do for the last book in the series. I’ve done it all, from visiting 100 regional bookstores personally to sell my series to sitting atop a float in an area parade.

My advice—do what you can and don’t kill yourself. A single person with time and money to burn simply has more resources to market their work than a busy mother of five (like me!). I keep always before myself the reminder that my work as a mother has eternal value and that’s where I need to concentrate my efforts; the rest is up to God, a good publisher and a faithful readership getting the word out on my behalf.

Tomorrow Traci gives us a look at the editorial side of things.