Kelly Lenox: The Brightest Rock

Advance copy: Backstories on books by NASW members

Cover: The Brightest Rock

THE BRIGHTEST ROCK
Kelly Lenox
Word Tech Editions, March 2017, $19.00
ISBN-10: 1625492243: ISBN-13: 978-1625492241

Lenox writes:

The Brightest Rock is the realization of a 20-year dream. I’ve always written poetry, and while I studied it in college, I never took it seriously. Rather, it was icing on the cake as I studied environmental science, which I loved. After college, I worked in the field, for the Environmental Protection Agency. Currently, I edit Environmental Factor, the monthly newsletter of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Kelly Lenox

At age 40, I began graduate school in creative writing. All along, my poems have been influenced by geology, drawing on images of tunnels, mines, mountain ranges, caves, and, of course, rocks. Trees, plants, and water in all its forms also provide touchstones for the journeys of the poems.

Debut collections of poetry are typically published by university or small literary presses. First book contests fund publication through contest fees. I spent five years submitting to contests; each rejection led to more revision of the manuscript. I finally received an offer from Word Tech Communications, a small commercial publisher of poetry that relies on authors to sell books. That makes sense from a business standpoint, because nobody makes money from poetry. And yet, in this genre, self-publishing is the kiss of death. Bookstores, reading series, reviewers all want the imprimatur of an editor’s having selected the manuscript.

I owned an encaustic painting by an artist friend, Susan Skrzycki of Raleigh, NC, and thought something of hers might work for the cover. When I asked to see more of her work, she asked for the manuscript instead. Susan completed three paintings on paper in response to the poems. The book designer and I chose the one you see.

For my second book, now in process, I hope to find a different publisher. I’m a passionate supporter of bookstores, and Word Tech’s distribution through Ingram was an important factor. Yet, my author discount and bookstore commissions mean that I break even on bookstore sales when I give readings. Don’t let that stop you from ordering through your neighborhood bookstore or that online place: publishers’ decisions are influenced by total sales of previous works. You can order a signed copy through my website, kellylenox.com.

Contact info:

Kelly Lenox, 919-248-0807; kellylenox@gmail.com
Website: kellylenox.com
Book website: www.kellylenox.com/the-brightest-rock
Publisher’s website: www.wordtechweb.com/lenox.html

NASW members: will your book be published soon? Take advantage of this opportunity for shameless self-promotion. Submit your report for Advance Copy.

Tell your fellow NASW members how you came up with the idea for your book, developed a proposal, found an agent and publisher, funded and conducted research, and put the book together. Include what you wish you had known before you began working on your book, or had done differently.

See https://www.nasw.org/advance-copy-submission-guidelines.

Thinking of writing a book? If you are a NASW member, you may access a list of more than 150 books and online resources to help you craft your book proposal, find an agent and funding sources, negotiate your contract, learn about self-publishing, publicize and market your book, and more at https://www.nasw.org/article/write-book.

Send book info and questions about book publishing to Lynne Lamberg, NASW book editor, llamberg@nasw.org.

Advance Copy

The path from idea to book may take myriad routes. The Advance Copy column, started in 2000 by NASW volunteer book editor Lynne Lamberg, features NASW authors telling the stories behind their books. Authors are asked to report how they got their idea, honed it into a proposal, found an agent and a publisher, funded and conducted their research, and organized their writing process. They also are asked to share what they wish they’d known when they started or would do differently next time, and what advice they can offer aspiring authors. Lamberg edits the authors’ answers to produce the Advance Copy reports.

NASW members: Will your book be published soon? Visit www.nasw.org/advance-copy-submission-guidelines for information on submitting your report.

Publication of NASW author reports in Advance Copy does not constitute NASW's endorsement of any publication or the ideas, values, or material contained within or espoused by authors or their books. We hope this column stimulates productive discussions on important topics now and in the future as both science and societies progress. We welcome your discussion in the comments section below.