IP eNews 43

[Editor's Note: This was a letter sent to Nicola Evans at the Australia Council on the occasion of IP not receiving a grant this year.]

I'm writing to you on invitation of Susan Hayes, who suggested my views might be helpful for your next Board meeting. You'll forgive me for my bluntness, but the time for gentle diplomacy has passed.

As you know, IP was very disappointed by our failure to gain support for our application under your Publishing grants program, for the first time in eight years.

While grateful for all past support provided by the Board to us, I have to say that we do not feel the system, as presently constituted, has given us proper consideration, given the quality of IP's publishing program, our industry-leading innovation in the area of digital composing and publishing, our strong commitment to marginalised forms such as poetry, and our continuing support for emerging and regional authors. Even when the Board expressed more enthusiasm for our nominated list - on two occasions supported ALL the nominated titles but only funded two - there has been a sense of token rather than substantial support in the funding provided.

Our location – Brisbane – places us at a distinct disadvantage in keeping our activities before the Board between grant applications. We are constantly stretched for resources, so it is simply not possible for us to lobby and network with the Board other than by means of email and phone calls. On the other hand, we are disappointed that we receive so little contact from the Board, given its mandate to support all publishers, not just those located in Melbourne and Sydney.

There seems to be an assumption that everything important in the publishing industry is happening in the larger centres, and if the health of these centres is maintained, then the health of the industry as a whole will be assured. That assumption is wrong.

An obvious example of this has been the Board's activities in the digital area, where it has relied on "experts" in digital publishing from the major centres and overseas rather than approaching IP, which is leading the way in the local industry, for input. A notable exception was the Story of the Future session two years ago where I was invited as a featured speaker. I was told thereafter I would be involved in developments after that, but I have not been consulted or invited to subsequent sessions. Out of sight, out of mind? Much has happened at IP in the digital area since then, but how aware of these developments is the Board? IP has made amazing strides entirely out of its own resources, and we could be doing much, much more, if we had ongoing support from OzCo.

OzCo's centrist focus only serves to maintain the status quo and does not allow decentralisation of funding support to the regions, where an increasing number of authors - and readers - reside. The Board needs to do much more to assist enterprises in the places where publishing faces greater challenges but is nonetheless crucial to developing a vital cultural scene across the country. Policy pronouncements are fine, but concrete and substantial support is required.

Our view is that the current peer review model for deciding grants discriminates against regional publishers. It only stands to reason that "peers" will tend to favour publishing companies that they know in the first instance, and that regional enterprises will always have to work harder to have their list seriously considered. One only has to look at the list of small independents supported by the Board over the last few rounds to see that almost all are located in either Melbourne or Sydney.

The Board needs to review this process, and to consider carefully the implications of supporting Melbourne/Sydney publishers at the cost of regional enterprises, given the changing demographic of this country. The Board should be making a greater effort to support regional independents as a matter of priority, and not just through the Presentations Program, but by other means of ongoing support.

Surely, when a publisher like IP has been in business for 13 years and has gained a national and international reputation for producing quality literary titles, as well as proving itself as an innovator in the new technologies, we deserve better treatment than we received this year.

We are not owned by a multi-national. We are not associated with a university. We are staffed by dedicated individuals who believe in the IP model and who receive little or no compensation for their efforts. But we all have bills to pay, and a "living" to make. You reach a point when dedication and commitment wear thin, especially when we see that our national funding body is indifferent to our needs and those of our authors. That point has been reached. It is not enough to be told that we are valued and that next year we may do better – when there may not be a next year.

[Recently we issued a media release on the issue of parallel importation, in which David Reiter expressed his views on the Productivity Commission’s Report that would see the end of territorial restrictions on the importation of books. David’s comments are summarised here.]

What Alan Fels and his colleagues don’t realise is that deregulation will force the hand of Australian publishers to take drastic action to protect their margins. IP is already simplifying their supply chain by selling titles on Amazon and other online sites world-wide.

The new publishing model followed by IP is already seeing physical distributors and bookshops largely bypassed in favour of digital channels.

We can now produce a master and upload it to online distributors anywhere in the world, and, with the click of a button, make our books available for new generation eBook readers like the Kindle and iPhone in print and audio formats. People who prefer physical books can still order them online and have them supplied from quality print on demand companies that can produce books economically one at a time.

The big advantage for independent publishing houses like IP is that the new model will eliminate costs like warehousing, physical distribution and freight. We upload the title to the territory where we want to sell it and orders are filled as they come in. The online distributor handles all the paperwork, and we get guaranteed compensation with each sale.

IP is keen to see the new Espresso Book Machine spread in Australia like wildfire. In its current form The Espresso can produce a finished paperback book in less than five minutes from an ATM-like machine. There’s no reason why Espressos can’t be located in coffee shops, libraries or next to banking ATMs. Bookshops and physical distributors could become irrelevant.

We’d like to see a more measured approach to the issue of parallel importation. But we really think that bookshops have more to lose than to gain by forcing the issue.

Now entering its ninth year, the annual IP Picks Awards are on again, with the usual opening date for entries of 1 October and the closing date of 1 December. As usual, the competition will be blind-judged this year, which means that emerging authors have a better chance of competing with their more established counterparts.

The Awards are open to citizens and permanent residents of Australia and New Zealand. Check out the Picks website for details on past winners from the inception of the competition.

This year, we’ve added a new category for Best Junior Fiction or Non-fiction work. The winner is guaranteed full royalty publication under our IP Kidz and/or IP Digital imprints. Depending on the standard of entries, we may well offer publication to the best fiction and non-fiction entries.

Best Fiction
Best Creative Non-Fiction
Best Poetry
Best Junior Fiction / Non-fiction
Best First Book

You can enter more than one category with the same manuscript (an additional fee applies).

Last year, we offered entrants the option of requesting a Short Report assessment at a reduced rate when they apply and pay for it with their entry fee. This proved to be quite popular, so we will be offering this as an option again. The discounted rate is $199 (normal rate is $249).

There’s still plenty of time to get those gems polished before the deadline, so get to it!

Lauren Daniels interviewed Nadine Neumann about her upcoming memoir Wobbles.

LD: According to several sports icons, including John Konrads and Duncan Armstrong, and the IP Picks judges, Wobbles is no ordinary sporting memoir. This narrative spans the growth of an athlete from a young girl into a fierce, Olympic competitor; but it also brings something else to the reader. How would you describe the additional elements that make this book more holistic and appealing for a wide audience?

NN: WhenI began writing Wobbles I knew that I wanted to write a story, not just an account of my trials and triumphs in the pool. I wanted to capture the voice of the little girl with a dream, the angry teenager facing obstacles, the maturing young woman on a mission and the lost soul at the end of her career. I wanted these voices to speak directly to the audience so they could learn and grow and experience the journey along with Nadine. So I employed all the literary skills I had learned through my love of literature and my English teaching to try to bring this story to life. It is honest; the language reflects the character ateach stage of development and the structure takes the reader into the world of the competitor in a way that I believe is quite unique for a sports memoir. My swimming journey was not one that ended in the glorious victories that so often characterise such memoirs and I believe that this very fact enables the reader to connect with the story in an intimate way, a way that I hope will shed some light on their own situations.

LD: An Australian breaststroke swimmer in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, you are now a successful educator and motivational speaker. Wobbles reflects a desire to encourage not only the next generation of athletes and their families, but anyone with a dream. Tell us about the memoir’s themes of setting goals and pursuing dreams against the backdrop of harsher realities.

NN: My ‘little girl dream’ of going to the Olympic Games was innocent of the trials ahead and I am so grateful that my parents, no matter how amused they were by my ideas at the time, never dampened my enthusiasm. If I had said that I wanted to be an astronaut or a dancer or a collector of bugs they would have supported me and I think this is the most important ingredient in making a dream come true – someone to believe in you when you forget how to believe in yourself. I faced some enormous obstacles and I sometimes doubted that pursuing my dream was really worthwhile, but with the help of my family I was able to reassess my goals, adjust them, break them into manageable ‘baby steps’ and get back on track. And in the end, despite perhaps not achieving my ultimate dream, I was able to realise that the strength, discipline, self-confidence and courage that I had developed as a result of all those years of striving was reward enough. I guess that’s why I’m now pursuing a new dream – the journey is always worth the effort in the end.

LD: One of the most substantial themes of this book wrestles with contemporary definitions of success. At a time when achievement can be associated with material, fleeting or superficial qualities, what are some of the deeper messages you would like readers to consider?

NN: So often the people we look up to as role models are the superstars that achieve things beyond many of our wildest dreams and when mere mortals fall short of those lofty ambitions, we can be left feeling cheated, or worse still, like a failure. It took me a long time to learn that success is about striving and growing and fearlessly looking challenges in the face regardless of the outcome. It is this message that I hope readers will take from my story: the idea that striving for a beautiful, exciting goal, no matter what it may be, is worthwhile for its own sake. Whatever riches, accolades or fame may come is icing on the cake, but just being there and giving it a shot is what really makes you a success. It can be hard to remember this when the media only reports on the ‘winners’, when ‘losers’ are chastised and threatened with being dropped from their teams, when the big sponsorships go to the record-breakers and when the only pictures in glossy magazines are of the ‘golden’ girls and boys. But I believe the people who are always there, doing their best, working on improving themselves, are the true heroes. They are the people I cheer for.

LD: You mentioned that Wobbles is the product of ten years of writing and editing. What has drafting and revising been like for you? How have you managed to get through the endurance trials of creating a good, solid story?

NN: Drafting and re-drafting has been an amazing experience. Initially my writing was a purging process, an opportunity to vent all my frustrations, past hurts and demons. What emerged was extremely cathartic, but completely unreadable! I put this first draft aside for almost two years before I braved a second shot at it and I was amazed to find how much my view of events had changed with a little distance. Over the next eight years I found that each time I revisited the book, I learned something new about myself. I was able to heal deep wounds and find a sense of peace and satisfaction with my achievements. It has almost been as though refining my self-indulgent, sentimental drivel into a solid, entertaining read has allowed me to shape a clearer perspective on my personal history. The last phases of editing with the help of some amazing critical readers has taught me an enormous amount about writing and I’ve realised how much I still don’t know about the art! Overall, it has been challenging and at times overwhelming, but like every great dream, it has been worth every minute.

LD: As a wife and mother living in the western suburbs of Newcastle in New South Wales, what were some of the writing resources which supported you through this process? Have you got any tips for writers?

NN: I’ve received an enormous amount of help from the New South Wales Writers Centre through their mentorship program, short courses and newsletters. I’d recommend every writer connect with their local writers’ centres. I have also drawn great inspiration from writers who have shared their approaches to the craft. Books like Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, On Writing by Stephen King and Finding the Secret River by Kate Grenville have reminded me that even the masters get blocked, feel unsure, face rejection and self criticise to the point of despair. I’m also often pressed for time with a busy one year-old to keep entertained, so I do most of my writing in my mind on car trips, during feeding time, while preparing dinner or folding nappies. And when silence finally descends upon the house and I find myself paralysed by the inner critic, I try to remember that the important thing is to get something down, anything down, because you can always fix it later... either before or after your critical readers have told you that it needs ‘a bit’ of work!

LD: Writing a memoir often alters the way we perceive ourselves. How has writing Wobbles changed the way you see yourself, your journey and the people around you?

NN: Wobbles has changed everything. I have been forced to recognise and change destructive thought and behaviour patterns. I have been challenged to see my life from an outsider’s perspective. I’ve learned to appreciate the gifts and the trials in equal measure and I feel that my life is so much richer for it. I have realised that there is no hurt that cannot be healed with the right help and that gazing at one’s navel long enough does indeed reveal profound truths, metaphorically speaking! I have found my new passion, a path I can envisage treading for the rest of my days, and I have been given the chance to pursue my writing with the unwavering support of family and friends. But best of all, my publisher proved that miracles do happen – when the world told me that a book about an unknown swimmer would never find a place on the shelves, IP came along and said ‘Yes’.

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Lauren Daniels also had the chance to chat to Josh Donellan of the upcoming release A Beginner's Guide to Dying in India.

LD: With dashes of the comic, tragic, romantic and even the thriller, A Beginner's Guide to Dying in India has it all. Where did you get your ideas for such a playful and complex novel?

JD: I believe art should, in some capacity, reflect real life, and real life cannot be pigeon-holed as a ‘comedy’ ‘thriller’ ‘romance’ or ‘tragedy’, although God only JoshD knows my own life has more than enough of the latter. The idea was to construct something that reflects portions of the full gamut of human experience as I’ve perceived it thus far. Of course, occasionally I’d get stuck for ideas and just raid people’s live journal entries. I’m pretty sure that’s how Hemingway wrote most of his books, too.

LD: Also a poet, artist, musician and teacher, you had many sources from which to draw your inspiration for the novel. How do some of your other creative areas colour the narrative?

JD: Music definitely features heavily in the novel. I occasionally work as a music journalist for 4ZZZ Radio, mostly so I can casually mention this fact at parties and in interviews to delude people into thinking that I’m slightly cooler than I actually am.

I love the idea of describing music, and the fact that readers will all imagine their own version of that song. I think that’s something special about stories told in books that separates them from film or theatre. The reader’s imagination is guided, rather than dictated. It’s like they are a partner in the creative process of their own version of the story. But I’m not giving anyone else co-writing credits so don’t bother asking. Write your own damn book!

LD: Starting in Australia and traversing Indian locations like Goa and the snowy northern mountains, A Beginner's Guide to Dying in India is imbued with a deep love for India. What were some of your own personal experiences of India that beckoned you to write this story?

JD: I ended up in India completely by accident, so it was strangely fitting that I started writing this book accidentally as well. I was on my way to Japan to teach English, and then with my usual complete absence of logic decided I’d just hop over to India afterwards, but there were no decent connecting flights so I just decided to skip Japan. At the time I was in the process of writing a fictional autobiography of a young rock star who slowly goes mad. I was trying to write about western metropolitan landscapes whilst being surrounded by jungles and mountains and it just wasn’t working.

One afternoon I was sitting on the roof of a hotel in Leh, playing guitar and gazing out at the mountains and felt the urge to pick up a pen. I threw down the sketch for the first chapter in a tattered notebook sitting on the roof as the sun set behind the Himalayas. It was all very poetic, but I haven’t got pictures to prove it so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

A couple of the characters are very loosely based on real people. Sabine is based on a strange and marvelous Austrian girl named Anna that I met whilst working at Mother Teresa’s in Kolkata. She was very unimpressed when I told her that I had changed her character into a German.

Also the scene at the end with the snow leopard (did I just give something away? Should I have said *spoiler alert?*) is actually based on an experience I had in Malaysia about five years ago where I was wandering around in the jungle and I came face-to-face with a tiger that very graciously decided not to devour me. It was an unforgettable moment. I remember thinking, ‘Well, I’m a little too young to die, but at least this is an interesting way to go.’

True story. Well, you know, as true as you can expect from a fiction author right?

LD: Since some of the book is based on your travels through India, are there any similarities between yourself and your main character, Levi? Differences? What do you find most likable about him?

JD: There’s plenty that I like about Levi, whereas there’s very little that I find likable about myself. Certainly the sardonic tone he employs is something that reflects the way I sometimes talk. Levi has the advantage though, I spent hours poring over each and every line of his dialogue trying to make it witty and hilarious. Can you imagine how witty I would be if I could pause conversations to compose droll replies? I would be the comeback king. God, high school would have been a hell of a lot more enjoyable…

LD: It seems that when a person travels in India, they need to have a certain ‘roll with it’ attitude towards whatever comes their way. Levi begins to learn this valuable philosophy through the fiasco of his circumstances at the start. How does this lesson permeate the book? How does it, in general terms, change Levi?

JD: I think the fact that he loses everything is what really liberates him. It’s like when it starts raining and you’re worried about getting wet, but then once you get soaked it doesn’t even matter anymore. Because he’s got nothing to connect him to his old life: no possessions, no partner, no employment, it liberates him to slowly let go of his inhibitions and immerse himself in this new experience. I traveled around India with a Buddhist friend, and the whole idea of material possessions being meaningless and death being a doorway to a new experience was very much influenced by what I gleaned from spending time hanging out in temples with Buddhist monks.

I had one particularly incredible experience where I got to witness a kalachakra ceremony, where these monks spent a week constructing an incredibly intricate sand mandala and then they just threw it in the river. The idea is to symbolise that no matter how beautiful a thing may be, nothing lasts forever.

Afterwards they all threw buckets of water at us. I’m not sure if this was really part of the ceremony, or if they just thought that saturating a bunch of sunburnt tourists would be a good way to unwind after a hard week’s mandala making.

LD: A Beginner's Guide to Dying in India contains great themes like love and loss, identity and spirituality; but at the same time, it has a brilliant sense of humour. Levi’s wit and self-effacing outlook balance the themes beautifully and make this a very approachable book. How would you describe the humour of this novel? What would you say is in store for your readers?

JD: To be honest I’d rather not dictate to people what to expect from this book, I’ll leave that to Oprah. I’m really looking forward to hearing what people take away from it, and hoping that there is a wide range of responses.

This book is highly varied, and I don’t just mean in terms of narrative. I mean, you could use it as a paperweight, a doorstop, kindling, or even as a short-range projectile. You can’t say that about War and Peace, now can you? I can barely lift that thing, let alone throw it with any degree of accuracy.

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Lauren caught up with Dale Kentwell, author of the recently released Mum: Speaking Latin with a Singlet Tan.

LD: Your paintings are a personal story of your time in the outback with your family, what inspired you to make them into a book?

DaleK DK: I guess it wasn't until I began painting the images, as they are, that they naturally developed into a story...The image is with you for a long time in the painting process so the narrative developed from just watching. I liked the way the narrative further developed the images and from that point a story was born. Words belong in books.

LD: What is the reasoning behind the title?

DK: I guess in reflection the title is deeply rooted in my own childhood. With a horticulturist father and florist mother. I grew up on a bush property, with a farm and a nursery. My parents worked hard; they even had singlet tans and spoke Latin (the botanical name of the plants). It’s funny how these things come back. In my life time I have developed a passion for the Australian bush and its conservation and promoting the value of remnant vegetation. Mums don’t get much time to secure an all over tan anyway.

LD: I find it intriguing that you have painted yourself and the Australian fauna in detail throughout the book yet the children have very little detail or facial expressions, why is that?

DK: That hadn't really occurred to me, however, children are born very beautiful and uncomplicated. I guess it is perhaps symbolic of the lack of baggage they carry.

LD: You spent sixteen months traveling in the outback where you must have experienced and seen a lot of different things. How did you choose what aspects of your time in the outback to represent in the book?

DK: I did a lot of drawing during the time away and I guess that in itself is a selective process. From these preliminary sketches just add imagination, research, collective consciousness, myths, universal pondering, artistic license and a bit more imagination, lots of time (when the kids are at school), and a painting is born.

LD: In a few paintings your expression is of deep sadness, but yet you are surrounded by this beautiful landscape, is there a reason for this?

DK: I'm not sure how to answer that… Perhaps I'm just tired...

LD: The artworks cover a range of images; from you passed out on the beach, to giving birth in the bush. Did you find it difficult to find the right words to support your emotion and meaning behind each of the artwork?

DK: Not really, I suppose I wanted to create a sort of edginess in further developing the images. The narrative came easily. I had an idea of the themes and issues I wanted to address throughout the series of work, so it flowed relatively easily.

LD: What do you hope people feel when they read your book?

DK: I guess people react differently according to their own history. I would hope people could get a little chuckle. That usually makes you feel good.