As we approach publication of We Suffered Much, I’m reflecting on the four-plus years of work that went into its creation. Some of that work actually took place while I was doing research for The Beautiful Snow.
Pictured are Lily Coyle (left) and Laurie Herrmann (right) at the Beaver’s Pond office in St. Paul Minnesota, in November 2023. My team at and through Beaver’s Pond Press has been juggling it all. Post-pandemic, their business is more stressful as costs soared and schedules got tighter. Not once was my editorial team able to meet in person, but we made heavy use of online video calls.
Despite the difference in communication methods, the editorial and publishing team continued doing everything with their usual attention to those tiny little details that others don’t see (example: one person, somewhere along the line, noticed that a comma hadn’t been italicized. I’m still boggled that someone could notice that a comma wasn’t italicized).
And here we are, just before Christmas 2023. I hope to have books-in-hand by February 2024. That schedule depends upon the press where the book will be physically printed. The single printer-proof copy should be ready for review soon after Christmas. Once that is approved, it’s just a matter of printing and getting the books to the warehouse.
This once-too-shy-to-speak-in-small-meetings person now casually steps up behind a podium, regardless of the number of people in the room or logged into the online broadcast platform. And I love it. I truly love meeting with others who are passionate about history, sharing these stories and hearing their own experiences or questions. It’s been an amazing four years since The Beautiful Snow was published, and I’m excited for the next phase, with We Suffered Much!