11:27 PM


I am back from Boston where I attended the 125th Annual Meeting of the American Historical Association. When the trade show opened, I walked booth to booth talking to book publishers about my research on the Arabia Steamboat. It was an enlightening experience checking out which presses were a good fit for Arabia's Story while at the same time, the presses were checking me out.

Above is the University of Missouri booth. I visited this one three times. This editor visited the Arabia Steamboat Museum with his son....so he knew the collection well and that meant a lot to me.

He mentioned  tourism should increase at the Arabia Steamboat Museum like it had at the Winchester House when the Captive of the Labyrinth came out.


And then he showed me the book Animals Always- 100 Years at the Saint Louis Zoo and thought it might be a good format for my research. I was very impressed with the quality of the paper used in the coffee table book. This one reminded me how Time Life Books (before merging with Warner) would layout their books.


I explained  my background and how I donated my time et al. He gave me some suggestions and asked me to submit an outline and a chapter and he would give me some feedback. Like other presses the University of Missouri Press receives many proposals and they have to cherry pick several to print for the year. None of this frightens me because I have a good story.

Enjoy the rest of my photo's- here's the Harvard Press booth. They gave me their card.


I shared my blog with the ladies at the McGraw-Hill Create -  I like the idea of having a digital course. (I need to read over their site.)


By the end of the afternoon, I began to think about....
  • which type of format is best.....book, journal, coffee table book, text book or digital book
  • the advantages and difference between a large press like Random House and a University Press
  • if I need to submit a proposal thru a literary agent or directly to the editor
  • who buys their books and how many do they reprint additional editions
  • what's the cost of the book
  • what am I responsible to pay for (photographic rights fees, obtaining permission for quotations...)
  • what would benefit Arabia Steamboat Museum best

Before leaving, I chatted with the ladies at the National Archives Booth how much I adored their collection.


And chatted with the United States Dept of State Office of the Historian. They are digitizing their Presidential papers and are just beginning to scan the President Carter Administration.