Eileen Boggess is another local author I met at the Author Fair here in Des Moines this fall.  I think you will agree that she has a very interesting story:

Where are you from?

I was born in Davenport, IA and currently live in Urbandale, IA

How long have you been writing?

I started writing stories in elementary school, but didn’t start writing for publication until I was in my 30’s. I always say I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up until I was already grown.

What do you write?

So far, I’ve written three books for the middle school or “tween” audience. I used to teach middle school and I love this age!

Tell us a little about your publisher and agent.

My editor is Bruce Bortz at Bancroft Press. Bancroft Press is a small publishing house in Baltimore, MD. I do not have an agent.

How many books have you published so far?

3 books. Mia the Meek (Bancroft Press, 2006), Mia the Melodramatic (Bancroft Press, 2008), and Mia the Magnificent (Bancroft press, 2009)

What is your writing day like?

I am currently running the Urbandale Food Pantry, so my writing days have become few and far between. But when I am lucky enough to dedicate an entire day to writing, I usually stay in my pajamas and write from 9:00 to 2:30 P.M. Then I rush to take a shower and go get my kids from school—I am usually late J

Can you tell us how you found a publisher and/or agent?

I found Bancroft Press through the Writer’s Market Guide. I submitted my first chapter of Mia the Meek to them and didn’t hear back for a year and a half! An intern eventually found it buried in the slush pile, really liked it, and asked for the rest of the book. Luckily, I had been revising my manuscript during that year and a half, so when I sent it to her, it was in pretty good shape.

Do you have anything that just came out?

Mia the Magnificent was released on December 1.

What are you working on now?

I am working on a young adult book that includes a scandal, a dead body, and of course, tweeting.

What would you do if a publisher asked you to change a major part of your story, like the ending? (Is it more important to get published or to be true to your story?)

Mia the Melodramatic, my second book, originally took place from the summer after Mia’s freshman year to the middle of her sophomore year. My editor thought the story should only take place during the Mia’s summer vacation. So, I cut the book in half and stretched the first half of the book. When I sent my revised manuscript to my editor, he said that there wasn’t a story arc, which was true because it was only half a book. So, I rewrote the entire book and it turned out to be a lot stronger than my original version. Oftentimes, an author can’t see the weaknesses of their own writing. It is usually a good idea to take your editor’s advice—especially since they are the ones who pay us.

Do you have some words of wisdom for us unpubs?

Write for the joy of it, but learn the business side as well. When I wrote Mia the Meek, I was a 7^th grade teacher. I assigned my students the task of writing a realistic fiction book and when they complained about how hard the assignment was, I told them I would write one with them. I started writing about a shy girl named Mia and had so much fun telling her story, I kept on writing until I finished a book. Thinking I had created a masterpiece, which would eventually make me rich and famous and become life-long friends with J.K. Rowling, I submitted it to a bunch of editors and agents. After I received 38 rejection letters, I decided maybe my manuscript wasn’t as great as I originally thought it was. So, I joined SCBWI (Society of Book Writers and Illustrators), joined a writer’s group, studied the craft of writing, and through a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck, I eventually got published.

My website is www.eileenboggess.com.

I’m not a tween but the book Eileen is working on that includes a scandal, a dead body and tweeting is intriguing. I was unable to include Eileen’s newest release, Mia the Magnificent on this blog but you should be able to recognize Mia on the cover.  Thanks for the interview.  If anyone is looking for young adult Christmas presents, you might check out Ms. Boggess’ work.

Until next time, keep writing,

Virginia