Liisa Kovala: Historical Mysteries and the Business Behind the Books | S5 EP247: Book Banter
Award-winning author Liisa Kovala shares her journey from family stories to fiction, the realities of publishing, and what aspiring authors need to know.
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Hello My Happy People,
Every once in a while, I have an interview that makes me wonder how in the world I'm going to edit it down to a reasonable length without losing something important. My conversation with award-winning author and book coach Liisa Kovala was definitely one of those interviews! We covered so much fascinating information about writing, publishing, and her personal experiences that deciding what to keep in the podcast was ridiculously difficult.
Unfortunately, there simply wasn't room for everything, and I had to concentrate on the conversations most relevant to the episode. But some of what we discussed was far too interesting and valuable to leave on the editing room floor, so I decided to share three of those aspects of our conversation here.
One of the most remarkable stories Liisa shared was about her first book, Surviving Stutthof: My Father's Memories Behind the Death Gate. When her father was 84 years old, Liisa interviewed him about his experiences as a 16-year-old imprisoned in a concentration camp in Poland during World War II. Her intention wasn't to become a published author. She simply wanted to preserve her father's memories for their family, especially future generations who might never have the opportunity to hear those stories firsthand.
Liisa originally imagined making a few photocopied, bound copies for relatives, but interest in the story grew beyond the family. She eventually self-published the book in 2015, and two years later, a traditional publisher picked it up. What I found particularly interesting was that, despite having taught English and creative writing for years, Liisa enrolled in a creative writing program at the University of Toronto because she wanted to tell her father's story as well as she possibly could. She also pointed out that her transition from self-publishing to traditional publishing was unusual and depended largely on circumstances aligning at the right time, so it's not necessarily a publishing strategy other authors should expect or even hope to follow.
Another topic I hated cutting was about knowing when to hire a book coach. Since Liisa works with authors at different stages of their writing careers, I wanted to know when she thought professional guidance would be most beneficial. Ideally, she would love to work with writers from the very beginning, when they're developing their ideas and making decisions about their stories. Having someone to discuss those decisions in the early stages can save a great deal of time and frustration.
However, she explained that most authors don't seek help until they've already written a substantial portion of their manuscripts and find themselves struggling with what comes next. That's when a coach can help them examine what they've created and figure out how to move forward. I also found it interesting that Liisa sometimes works with another book coach on her own projects. Even someone who helps other writers professionally can benefit from having another person to talk through an idea with, especially when that conversation sparks new possibilities or helps clarify something that wasn't working.
That led into another subject I've discussed frequently on the podcast this season: finding your writing community. Liisa talked about how much she benefited from experienced writers who helped guide her early in her career and why she believes it's important to offer that same support to others. She previously served as president of the Sudbury Writers Guild and was president of the Toronto chapter of Sisters in Crime when we recorded our interview.
We discussed how difficult it can be to find other writers, particularly when you live somewhere without many established writing groups. Liisa suggested that writers consider starting their own groups or connecting with people online rather than assuming they have to work alone. I shared my experience of finding an international online memoir writing group because, as an American living in Germany, I don't have many opportunities to meet locally with other English-speaking memoir writers. Our group gets together virtually to write, exchange ideas, and critique one another's work. It's a wonderful example of how writers can build meaningful connections regardless of where they live.
These were exactly the kinds of conversations that made editing this interview so difficult. Liisa had so much interesting information to share, and I wanted listeners to benefit from as much of it as possible. Ultimately, I had to choose what was most essential to the podcast, but I didn't want these additional stories and insights to disappear simply because we ran out of time.
If you haven't already listened to S5 EP247, be sure to catch my conversation with Liisa about her historical novel Like Water for Weary Souls, her writing career, book coaching, and the realities of the publishing business. And now, thanks to this behind-the-scenes blog, you get a little more of the conversation that made this interview such a challenge to edit!
Enjoy,
Dianne
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