Interview with Lori Corbett

Author of Carving Award-Winning Songbirds

 

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born in Soda Springs, Idaho and I grew up in Pocatello, Idaho. I currently live in a small rural paradise, Saint Antony, Idaho, where the cattle outnumber the people.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

I left Pocatello over 30 years ago, after I met my then future husband.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I was contracted by Fox Chapel Publishing to write a how-to project book on my artform, bird carving. What started out as a 96 page, three-project book morphed into a 256 page behemoth.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

My book is a project book, that any beginner can pick up and learn the art of birdcarving, from first cut, to last brush stroke. Each of the three projects stands on its own, so the user can choose any of the three, and still get complete instructions on completing that project without having to refer to any of the other projects.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Mainly hobbyists, though more advanced artists would pick up a trick, or two.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

During the writing and photographing, I learned that I wasn’t as linear as I thought I was. Documenting each step in writing and photos made me rethink how I approached my art. I kept wanting to jump around to different areas of the work, but I couldn’t do that in a step-by-step book.

If you could, what advice would you give to past self yourself before embarking on this journey?

DEADLINES MATTER! This book took me a full 18 months from writing, photographing, illustrating, before it even reached the publisher. The publisher allotted one year, so we were editing the book as fast as I could provide content. I nearly got fired by the publisher, but once they had the full manuscript, they were quite pleased with the thoroughness and quality of the finished product. It went beyond their expectations.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

My artform, birdcarving, is a niche market, so I guess my answer would be tens of thousands. This isn’t really a NYT best-seller subject.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

The biggest challenge (other than time) was adapting my methods of working to a step-by-step format. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t approach my work in as linear a fashion as I thought. Also, it was frustrating to stop, photograph, then write the explanation for each step. It really messed with my workflow.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

a)I did love the writing process, even though it was disruptive to the carving process.
b & c) Publishing and marketing were not really issues for me, as I was contracted by an established publisher to write the book.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

a) Keeping to a predetermined word count for each step caption.
b & c) I probably could have done more self-promotion, but at the time, I was new at it, so I missed a few golden opportunities. Live and learn.

When do you think you will you write your next book?

I’m not sure. This book was extremely difficult, and took a lot out of me, but I think that was due to the fact that it was my first book, and i had no idea what I was doing. I’ve had some ideas for a while, now. It’s just a matter of girding my loins, and stepping up.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

My book was published by a traditional publisher, Fox Chapel Publishing