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| Wilson Wyatt |
Wilson Wyatt, Jr. is a
published writer and photographer. He is best known regionally for his
supportive roles within the writers’ community on the Delmarva Peninsula. He is
active in the Eastern Shore Writers Association, where he was a past president,
and he is a former coordinator of ESWA’s Bay to Ocean Writers Conference. He is
also a founder of The Delmarva Review,
published by ESWA as a literary journal open to the new work of all writers.
The Review is now in its fifth
printing. Wilson’s photography has been exhibited in galleries regionally and
in Phoenix, Arizona. He writes a blog: Writing
& Photography – the Art of Words and Images, at http://wilsonwyattjr.com.
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| Issue 5 - Delmarva Review |
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Jan: Thank you for taking the time from your
busy schedule to talk about your work as a writer, publisher and photographer. As one of the founders of The Delmarva Review, your influence is well established among Maryland writers.
What was the impetus to begin a new literary journal in Maryland
five years ago?
Wilson: The Eastern Shore Writers Association wanted
to produce a legitimate literary journal that would showcase the best writing
of authors from the region and beyond. I use the word “beyond,” because the Review is open to all writers, everywhere,
which assures its standing among other fine literary journals. About 70 percent
of the writers are from the greater region. In all, over five years, we have
published new prose and poetry from 116 authors, from 21 states, the District
of Columbia, and seven foreign countries. Submissions are competitive, as
expected for a journal with high quality standards. The result is that publication
represents a literary achievement for the selected writers. That is a significant
opportunity. The published prose and poetry of 24 authors have been nominated
for the prestigious Pushcart Prize.
Another purpose of the Review is to inspire inquisitive writers.
Each piece our editors select can become an excellent example of writing to
study for its craft and how it achieves “memorability” with readers.
Jan: What was your involvement in the start-up
process and what is your role now?
Wilson: I am humbled by my peers, and I humorously
refer to myself as an “instigator” and an organizer. I’m always amazed at the
incredible talent of so many people I meet in the writing community. When you
look at those who have been active volunteers with The Delmarva Review, it is obvious that the publication’s success
is due to their talents…as poets, writers, critics, designers, and editors. My
role has been to engage them in this effort, to develop the Review into a quality publication of
literary writing. My current role is executive editor, but the editorial board
members share equally in the work and success. We’re all volunteers. We do what
we do to encourage other writers and contribute to the literary community. That’s
important.
Jan: What kinds of work are you looking for when
you, and the talented Delmarva staff of volunteers, sift though the stories,
poems, and essays that are submitted?
Wilson: We encourage great story-telling and
moving poetry. Our standards are for “memorable” prose and poetry that exhibit
skillful expression. Each submission is read by more than one reader, which
minimizes the subjective nature of selection. Of course, we’re limited in how
much good work we can publish in a single issue. Our best advice is for writers
to read selections from past issues before submitting. The Delmarva Review is available to order from the website, www.delmarvareview.com, or in a
digital Kindle edition from Amazon.
Jan: You’ve written and given talks about the
state of publishing today. In your
opinion, what is ‘honest and true’ and essential to know about publishing
today?
Wilson: It’s a great time to be a writer. Thanks to
digital technology there are more authors, more publication services, and more
books being published than ever before. “Self-publishing” is now an accepted
practice, even for established authors, and it competes head-to-head with
traditional publishing. This is a permanent sea change. That’s the good news.
Jan: What is really happening in the
‘publishing’ and ‘self-publishing’ industries?
Can you talk about it from a writer’s perspective?
Wilson: What writers need to know is that the
quality of their work must appeal to a much more competitive market of readers.
It has to be good, in the eyes of readers. Ultimately, the best test for a
book’s success is one word, “sales.” Regardless of genre, the volume of sales
will determine the success of a book. You can win contests, get excellent
reviews, use all kinds of promotional devices, and advertise your book, but the
common denominator of success will always be sales, and repeat sales, from
readers. A good book will help sell the next one. Building a following of
readers is the author’s gold mine. With few exceptions, success is built upon
the substance of the book.
I emphasize this because
in this new world when anyone can become a published author overnight, many writers
may think their work can somehow achieve success merely by being published. They
can become disillusioned quickly when there are no readers and sales.
There are reasons for
this, but the biggest one is that the substance and quality of the work does
not meet the reader’s expectations. Since the marketplace is now being flooded
with new books, especially eBooks, the quality of the work must stand out.
Quality writing is more important than ever before, in every genre.
Jan: What are the benefits and problems
associated with social media for writers?
Wilson: The greatest benefit of social media is
that it can alert a huge worldwide audience of your work, if done properly. That’s
amazing! The biggest problem, however, is that most people promote their work
without regard to the original purpose of the social medium. They treat it like
typical advertising media, and it’s not. It’s “social,” not “commercial.” The
misuse of social media is far more prevalent than its accepted use and purpose.
The leviathan of social
media is Facebook. However, if one thinks they can simply post the title of their
book on Facebook, telling a billion people to buy it, they will be in for a
great disappointment. People joined to connect with other people, for many
reasons, but not to be sold anything.
Anyone wishing to use
social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, blogs, etc.)
should take the time to use or study each one. They are all different, and new
ones will develop. Understand them, first. Like in any marketing activity, a
little homework goes a long way. Knowing the medium is essential to using it
successfully.
Personally, I think
social media can be a powerful, complimentary piece of a much greater marketing
effort, especially for books. If you accept my premise that the greatest
promoter of a book is the reader, then a good marketing effort should begin
with knowing why a reader would want your book. Identify your reader.
Jan: What do you see as the changing role of
agents? Will agents be needed in the future?
Wilson: While most agents are still wedded to
traditional publishing, that is bound to change with the marketplace. A good
agent can be helpful with legal issues involving contracts and future rights.
Some will be a helpful bridge to many small publishers, or to the film and
broadcast industries. An agent can become a good “manager” for a book project.
As long as they know the marketplace, it’s likely they will have a better
future than the big publishers. The agent’s role is still evolving.
Jan: What factors are helping to establish the
legitimacy of self-publishing?
Wilson: Technology and numbers. Publishing is a
business. Digital publishing, especially POD (print-on-demand), has totally
changed the economics of publishing, giving authors the opportunity for more
lucrative sales, with little risk. Simultaneously, the Internet is now providing
the means for powerful mass marketing tools worldwide, thanks in large part to
Amazon and Google. By example, in 2012, the first multi-million-dollar contract
with a major publisher was turned down by a popular author who decided to
self-publish his best-selling novels. Add to that the advent of eBooks and
digital readers, and suddenly self-publishing is far more acceptable and
growing rapidly.
Ultimately, the reader
will decide the legitimacy of authors through sales volume. The gatekeeper will
be the marketplace. The former gatekeeper role of traditional publishers is diminishing.
However, as suggested earlier in this interview, the reader will become more
and more discerning and selective, as more and more books flood the market.
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| Sunrise at Thomas Point - Wilson Wyatt |
There will always be a
market for good writing.
Jan: Congratulations on your beautiful
photograph, “Sunrise at Thomas Point Lighthouse,” winner of Nikon’s Mentor
Series “Best of Maryland” photography competition. Your award winning photographs are among the
most recognized and admired photographs of Maryland landmarks around the
Chesapeake Bay region. What advice can you offer to photographers seeking to
“click” the right moment?
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| Sunrise Tapestry - Wilson Wyatt |
Wilson: Beauty attracts the eyes of everyone. The
Chesapeake Bay region, from the Bay to the ocean, is a constantly changing
landscape of natural beauty, from sunrise to sunset. No wonder it attracts so many
photographers and artists. Many are outstanding and inspiring.
I am constantly studying
and learning photography. Like with other artistic endeavors, including
writing, the more we do it, the better we are at our craft.
A big lesson I’ve
learned in photography is to take lots of images and to be fearless. Light is
always changing, even on a still landscape. I am not satisfied with a single
shot. Catch the changing light with many images. I tell myself, I may never be
at this spot or see this scene again.
In my photo that won the
Mentor Series Best of Maryland competition, I joined a number of experienced
photographers shooting Thomas Point Lighthouse. We were on a moving boat, just
before sunrise. Everyone wanted to catch the sunrise. Out of the corner of my
eye, I noticed a cruise ship approaching on the right and a tanker on the left.
The beacon of the lighthouse was revolving, and the sun started peaking above
the lighthouse. Each was in motion. I kept shooting until all of these elements
came together, filling my lens. Out of many shots, there were only two that
captured the ultimate scene. I wanted more than just another sunrise over the
lighthouse.
Jan: Tell me about your favorite photo
adventure as you’ve participated in the Mentor Series Worldwide Photo Treks
sponsored by Nikon and Popular Photography magazine. What did you photograph?
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| Blue-Footed Booby & Chicks - | | |
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Wilson: I learn a great deal from mentors, and I
try to mentor others, as well. The “Mentor Series,” guided by at least two
Nikon professionals, is one of several great photography programs. I’ve also
joined other photography treks in Yosemite, Alaska, and the Galapagos Islands.
Photos by Wilson Wyatt - Galapagos Islands
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| Pelican in Flight - |
While
constantly learning on treks with other experienced photographers, the best
ones are hard work. Yosemite involved eight miles of hiking every day, on
difficult terrain, but it was worth it. My favorite was a week in the Galapagos
Islands several years ago. That was an opportunity of a lifetime. I’d like to
repeat it. Knowledge and practice improves us over time.
Jan: If a great picture tells a story, which of
yours provides the richest narrative?
Wilson: I took a photo of a young couple in
Yosemite who had ventured “off trail,”
standing on the edge of a granite boulder hanging 3,000 feet above Yosemite
Valley. It was a precarious, dangerous scene. The image showed the young man
looking in one direction, over the edge, while the young woman was looking back
toward the trail, as if wanting to return to safe ground. It showed danger, fearlessness,
and fear, simultaneously…from two different perspectives. I actually felt dizzy
taking the photo. A writer could create an intriguing story from the image, but
the photo told its own.
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| Yosemite - Catching the Light |
Jan: Your book, “Yosemite: Catching the Light,”
is a collection of 75 color images taken in Yosemite Valley and wilderness in
early June 2011. You’ve dedicated the book to your son, Wilson Wyatt III, a
professional photographer in Phoenix, Arizona.
Published as a collector’s limited edition, you offered it to those who
have an interest in fine art, photography and nature. What are you working on now?
Wilson: I’m completing a new limited edition book,
“Chesapeake Views, Catching the light,” which will be published this spring. It
is a collection of photographic images taken around the Chesapeake region, on
land and water. In addition to “catching the light” and creating a feel for the
region, I am including photographic data on how some of the images were taken.
This may appeal to many enthusiasts who want to enjoy photography as a hobby. I
always want to know how a photographer takes an interesting shot.
Jan: Thank you for taking the time for this
interview, Wilson. I have admired your photography and appreciate the fact that you are a legend among photographers and writers here in Maryland. What advice would you share with aspiring writers and
photographers about nurturing the creative process?
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| Yosemite Valley - Wilson Wyatt |
Wilson: For me, life is a journey, not a
destination. Even in silence, the muse is always with us. All we need to do is
take the time to listen carefully, look around us with an inquisitive eye,
absorb the beauty, and put our imagery on paper. Learn as much as we can from
others, with humility, but always be willing to offer a helping hand.
Creativity and inspiration are not passive endeavors.
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| On the Edge - Wilson Wyatt |
Yosemite - photos by Wilson Wyatt
To obtain a copy of “Yosemite: Catching the Light,” or his new
book, “Chesapeake Views, Catching the light,” contact Wilson Wyatt, Jr.
directly for a signed copy. Email: wwwtwo@earthlink.net
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About Jan Bowman
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Jan Bowman’s work has appeared in Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, Broadkill Review, Trajectory, Third
Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree
(97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes, and others. She won
the 2011 Roanoke Review Prize for Fiction. Glimmer
Train nominated a story as an Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short
Story Award for New Writers. Her stories
have been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes, two O’Henry Awards and Best
American Short Stories. A story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working
on two collections of short stories and currently shopping for a publisher for
a completed story collection. Her nonfiction work appears in Pen-in-Hand and Trajectory. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with
writers, editors and publishers.
Learn more at:
Interview with Deepan Chatterjee – “The First Propetical: A collection of poetry and short fiction.”
