Interview with Maria Papalia-Meier & Pamela Ackerson

Author of  I am a Runner the Memoirs of a Sepsis Survivor

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

I am originally from Upstate NY, Auburn to be exact.    We are currently in Plainville MA, we moved up here in December of 09 from Atlanta GA.

My co-author is originally from Newport, RI and now live in Florida

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

I went to school down south.   I attended Georgia Southern University.  After graduating in 96, I lived in Savannah then eventually moved to Atlanta.    Atlanta is where my husband and I met.   We moved to MA after he was promoted.

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

I had been thru a lot after going into Septic Shock.   I lost my toes and was told I should find a different sport because running wasn’t going to be an option for me.  Being a runner, never running again was not an option.  As I was going thru the process of getting stronger and eventually running again. I had family and friends tell me that I should write about my story because it could end up helping others.   The final push for me was the conversation I had with Linda from OOFO’s.   She is the one who finally made me say ok, maybe I can and should do this.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

The book will take you on a journey, my journey and will highlight who I was before I got sick and who I became after.   I also think it will show how your whole life can change in a blink of an eye.  And finally, I think they will come away feeling inspired, that you can do anything in life you want to do with hard work, focus and determination.

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

Runners for sure.   I think a runner will understand the want and the will to run again.   Once a runner always a runner.

I believe people who have encountered some type of tragedy or set back in life will be inspired by my story.

One saying that I sign my books with is “Celebrate the little victories in life, those can lead to the biggest changes.”

This has so many meanings but for a person who has had a setback or is just starting out on their fitness track learning to celebrate the little steps you are taking will help you achieve your final goals.

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

Timing, I feel sometimes things went really fast as far as edits etc. and then there were gaps were nothing really happened.   Then at the end it goes by so fast

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

It isn’t going to be easy.   I ended up meeting Pam because she is the sister of a gentleman I used to work with.   I had written authors to see if they would want to help me tell my story but out of the 10-15 request I sent I only had one back, and that particular author stated she only wrote fiction.   I met another woman through a neighbor of mine who took my information and started writing my story. In the end when it was time to talk about finances, we couldn’t agree.  When I let Pam know this she offered to help me.

My advice is to never give up.   If you have a dream go for it.

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

Ideally the book would reach a large audience, however I will feel like I have succeeded if I am able to help even just one person reach their goal.

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

The unknown.  Not knowing what to expect when the book first came out.  Trying to figure out how to market the book the best to reach the target audience.

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

I would say Pam is the expert on all of this.  During the process, I have been learning how to use Instagram/Twitter to help market the book.  I have also tried other marketing avenues such as donating bookmarks to book stores in areas were sales are lower than anticipated. She’s already an established author and knew most of the best companies to advertise with. We started promoting I am a Runner when we started writing it together, about a year before It was released. We’re both sales people, she’s more introverted and I’m more of an extrovert. It worked well for us as we marketed the books through different channels and book signings.

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

I wasn’t sure the best places to market the books and that was more Pam’s area of expertise. She admitted her weakness from the very beginning–personal one on one interviews, radio, tv, etc. I was fine with that because I love doing things like that. She has over 20 years experience with the publishing industry and once we started writing I am a Runner, it was all set with a marketing and writing plan.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I am not sure.  I think if I end up running the marathon, which is my next goal, I think I may write about my journey. As for my co-writer, Pam’s written several books, nonfiction and fiction. We’d love to get together again and write the next exciting journey.

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

We are published through Amazon. However, working with Pam was like working with a small press publishing house. She considers publishing books as a business and it was treated in the same manner in which a traditional publisher would have proceeded.