Award Winning iUniverse author Elaine Pereira-The Story Behind the Book

iUniverse blog asked the NIEA 2013 winning author of, “I Will Never Forget”, Elaine Pereira if she would recount her self-publishing journey. This is what Elaine said:-

Why the Book?

“I’m Elaine Pereira, author of the multi-award winning memoir “I Will Never Forget-A Daughter’s Story of Her Mother’s Arduous and Humorous Journey Through Dementia”. Writing a book or even journaling has never been on my bucket list.  In fact I’m more of a talker, especially when stressed. Just ask my husband, friends; strangers!

That said, my mother’s was a story that needed to be told. So encouraged by family and friends, I have.  Mom was a kind, talented and brilliant woman, attributes I’m sure I didn’t appreciate during the feisty teenage years.  But in the end she was none of these as Dementia steadily invaded her persona.  Like little Pac Men, Alzheimer’s gobbled up her brain cells bit-by-bit leaving an agitated, disoriented and painfully bewildered woman in its wake.

I was determined that the kind mother who raised me, the brilliant woman who once taught high school calculus, the talented lady who crafted masterful stitching projects, would be remembered for her lifetime of stellar accomplishments and not her final years of bizarre deterioration. Like the phoenix, from Mom’s ashes rose my winning memoir, “I Will Never Forget.”

Getting Published

“A few months before my manuscript was finished, I started investigating my options for getting it published.  A lawyer friend of mine, with several publishing industry contacts, sent out feelers in my behalf, but to no avail.  Then she suggested self-publishing.

Self-publishing?  What’s self-publishing?  I literally visualized cranking out page after page on some out dated copier in my kitchen.  Hmmm, maybe that’s not what she meant.  A Google search quickly revealed a lengthy list of self-publishing companies including iUniverse.  Several emails, a few phone conversations and a glass of wine or three later, I discovered that one of the few books I had read in recent years was published by iUniverse.  Good enough for me, I figured, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Last year, in early May 2012, my first copy of “I Will Never Forget” arrived.  I burst into tears to see in “living color,” and a lot of black and white text, the culmination of a powerful true story and incredible journey.”

Awards

“The awards, winning the National Indie Excellence Awards in The Aging Category 2013 and  a being a finalist in both The USA Book Awards for Best New Non-Fiction and The Hollywood Book Festival, have launched my memoir to amazing heights for which I am very appreciative; in part because a portion of the proceeds from book sales and presentation fees will be donated to Alzheimer’s research.

The memoir’s exposure and success to date is due to the cumulative efforts of many.  However I have been the energizer bunny, pursuing every lead, library, interview, event and opportunity I could generate.  But the traditional, and pricey, marketing campaigns have captured the prestigious television and national radio coverage.  iUniverse’s Rising Star program in affiliation with Barnes&Noble.com broadened the exposure base as well.”

Donating to Alzheimer’s Research

“My objectives in writing “I Will Never Forget” were multi-dimensional.  The original impetus was to capture and tell my mother’s incredible story.  Helping others to know they are not alone in the caregiving journey is tantamount to the theme. When my out-of-pocket expenses are met, I hope to donate generously to help end Alzheimer’s!”

iUniverse leaves the final words with the author here