A Year in the Life of a Songbird

It’s amazing what a year can bring.  Last year on March 24^th Songbird’s journey began, when I drove out to Watertown to pick the brain of long time family friend Jeff Allen, a successful independent author and publisher.

I hadn’t seen Jeff since I was a young kid, when we had spent summers camping near his home.   (In fact, the thing he most remembered of me was that I ate dip out of the serving bowl with my hands).  Still, as word trickled through the grapevine that Brian and I had a manuscript, and were facing the point of how to proceed, he was more than willing to meet me to discuss the nuts and bolts of creating an independent publishing house.   . . . I was more than eager to take him up on it, given his own successes with Inner Coaching, a publishing house that has developed a number of stress management resources for children.

It was a great, long visit — one which uncovered so many shared sympathies between us that our discussion took a number of delightful turns.  For nearly three hours Jeff graciously shared his expertise in independent publishing, expertise built over 10 years managing a company, and authorship, while all the while maintaining his professional commitments as the principal of an elementary school.

In a word, I saw in him evidence that it is possible to wear the three hats of educator, author, and entrepreneur successfully . . . while maintaining a sense of balance and grace.  They were necessary conditions for me to take on this enterprise; as I once wryly warned my over-competent friend, Dana Dillon, “Superwoman flies best without her hair on fire.” 

It was twilight by the time I left, and the songbirds were out in droves, filling the fading sky with their night calls.  I called Bal from the car, energized.  “If Brian is on board, I think we can do this.”

By May, Songbird Books was incorporated as a business, and its trademark was filed.  We were on our way.    

It has been an extraordinary year.  Since January 19^th, when the book became available to the public, over 200 copies of How Kwaku Ananse, Master Hairstylist, Saved the Animal Kingdom have been delivered into the hands of parents and educators around the world.  We have received strong printed reviews from a number of readers.  We are preparing materials to begin direct marketing to independent booksellers and media outlets . . . and we are still having a great deal of fun in doing all of it. 

That’s one metric of Songbird’s success that you’ll never see on an annual balance sheet, and here’s another.

Two months ago, I was sitting in a waiting room speaking to another  2^nd grade mom about our children’s class.  Through the course of our conversation, we began talking about the book, and about writing in general.  She had began graduate school in journalism before having children, but realized early on that the business was too cutthroat and controlled by corporate outlets for her.

“I miss writing,” she confided in me. “I enjoyed doing it so much.”

“Then you should,” I said, smiling at her with encouragement.

A couple weeks ago, I came into the waiting room to find her smiling ear to ear.  She had contacted the Elm Grove Times, sent in samples of writing that she had produced in those journalism classes — and the editor gave her an assignment.

“It’s a story about a local woman who made 60 dresses to send to Africa as part of a relief mission based in Michigan,” she explained.  “I went to her house and interviewed her.  It was a great story . . . I’m not getting paid for it, but it was wonderful to be able to write.”

I was overjoyed for her.  “You may not be paid for it, for now, but aren’t there are other ‘benefits’?  Your children get to see you doing something that you love to do.”   

She nodded in affirmation, and promised to get me a copy of the newspaper. 

“Thanks for inspiring me,” she said.

It may not be a strong indicator of the financial success of a business, but for the first year of this little publishing house, I can’t think of a better indicator that Songbird Books is living up to its mission than this.