We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Deb Obermeier a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Deb, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

As an author, the most rewarding part of my craft is in the writing process itself. There’s nothing quite as rewarding as sitting quietly, immersed in a setting with my favorite characters and letting my imagination take me on an adventure.

Unfortunately, that’s the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to the publishing process, it can be an investment. There are so many steps putting your manuscript into a published product. I put my trust in a Publisher that brought with her a team of editors, formatting/layout professionals, cover design and marketing professionals. This comes with a hefty up-front cost. I, as many authors, while trusting the publisher, feel as if we are investing in ourselves. After all, we have poured our hearts and souls into the written word.

After six years and four publications, I find myself back to square one. I’ve broken my relationship with my publisher, reverted my works from her and find myself currently working on polishing my manuscripts so I can put out better quality editions on my own. I am working with a fellow author that has used a self-publishing platform and found success while having better control of her royalties and printing costs.

There are so many vanity publishers in the industry that cannot live up to their promises. I wish I could have had this insight before spending thousands of dollars and years of my time, only to end up starting over.

The good that is coming out of this experience is that I find my writing has improved, I am restructuring my sentences and polishing my manuscripts for my next audience, while moving forward with my new works for my followers patiently waiting.

Deb, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

While I have always had a creative side, I’ve enjoyed sharing it through many outlets in my life. Baking for special occasions has been a passion of mine for many years. I love decorating, gardening, painting and entertaining. Deep down, I have carried the dream of one day having a B&B. Now, in this season of my life I have decided to pursue my passion of writing.

While I still love to bake, garden, decorate and entertain, I have found the inspiration in my own setting to create A Simple Stitch series. My main character, Eliza, followed her dream and opened a yarn shop called A Simple Stitch in her hometown. Although the shop is the setting for customers, friends and creativity along with fellow merchants on Main Street, Eliza keeps her family Homestead, Slipknot Farm intact. Much of her time is spent there with friends and family, cooking and entertaining.
I live on a farm in a twelve-room farmhouse filled with antiques and uniques, just as I write about in my series. I try to keep my novels and characters solid and storyline uplifting without a heavy sugar-coating. Life happens, and we have some bumps, a touch of mystery and celebrations at every turn.

My works include A Simple Stitch, A Common Thread, A Simple Stitch, A Time to Mend, A Simple Stitch, A Familiar Pattern, all novels. In the third novel, my beloved character, Aunt Mildred actually writes a cookbook called A Simple Stir, A Memory Served that is an actual cookbook using 84 of my favorite family recipes and pictures of my home and creations, as if penned by Aunt Mildred and reflecting of the characters within the pages of my novels.

My website, debobooks.com has pictures, stories and a recipe box that paints a good recollection of both my life and my novels. It is a good place to go to relax and refresh. I take pride in the quality of faith, family and friends…and a whole lot of cooking, and A Simple Stitch series is a good reflection of these qualities.

I have the next novel in the works as well as a short read about a Secret Garden Tour. They will be right behind the re-release of my four original works as I complete the revision process this winter.

I have many loyal followers that have said as they read my novels, they can picture me among the setting with a cup of coffee in my hand enjoying the moment. That is the best compliment I could ever ask for.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I have often said standing in front of a possible customer, when trying to sell a novel you wrote was like trying to convince someone to buy a box with a lid on it while telling them how great the contents is, sight unseen.

It was difficult for me to openly start or join in a conversation saying that I had published novels. I finally realized that this was not a form of bragging, and being humble would not get the word out of my accomplishments. It was difficult to do.

Even though I have a website and Facebook presence for my writing, I sought out festivals and events in surrounding areas and set up a table with my novels. I had a few local authors that joined me in this marketing effort. Every market was different. With a nice visual set-up and our books displayed proudly, it took a great deal of communicating with passers-by to hold their attention long enough to give a brief but convincing idea of a storyline and sell a book.

Events ranged from small town festivals of 500 people meandering by in a day to a four-day farm show with 25,000 people daily buzzing past your table caught up in the shuffle of the crowd. These took a positive presence of acknowledging each potential customer, handing out a business card or carrying on just the right conversation, no matter how tired, hot or hungry you were. Time out to sign each copy sold was as rewarding as it was humbling. Just the set-up and break-down of these events, carrying totes of books and props was exhausting, but so rewarding on a successful day.

Agreed, we didn’t sell books to the masses, but it was a rewarding experience promoting our published works and from time to time having a new prospect come up to you and tell of a friend that read your book or an article they had seen about you.

The thing is that you have to be confident in what you have to offer and the ability to relay that to those that cross your path.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I love the feeling I get when a follower comes up to me and says something about a particular part of one of my novels or how a character reminds them of someone. I live in a small farming community. There have been so many times that a reader or an acquaintance/friend says to me, that reminded me so much of growing up with my grandparents.

I suppose the connection with a complete stranger that later becomes a casual friend is the perfect description of a feel-good moment. Return customers reaching out to see if the next novel in the series is out yet, because they just can’t wait is priceless. Then there are those who make one of my recipes for a special family occasion of their own and can’t wait to tell me how good it turned out.

It’s the little moments like these that turn in to my own special memories.

Contact Info:

• Website: debobooks.com
• Instagram: debobooks
• Facebook: A Simple Stitch series – novels