While most authors struggle to gain traction for books they write, Michele Olson of Green Bay is adding it to her resume of artistic success.
Olson, owner of Lake Girl Publishing (lakegirlpublishing.com), might say that she is retired, but that belies the time spent on her numerous pursuits. She is a voice pro, artist, speaker, doodler, and author.
“I have what I call is a creative imprint,” Olson said. “Everything creative I do falls under Lake Girl Publishing. I do voice work all over the country and internationally. I speak, I teach doodling and killing the inner critic, and write novels.”
The novels, now a series of five, are set in her favorite vacation destination — Mackinac Island, Michigan. The island, as described by the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau, is a place “Where the horse in king, where the streets have been car-free for over 100 years ... where life moves at the clip-clop pace of a carriage.”
It is there where Olson, who has visited for the past 40 years, set her characters. The books are mysteries with personalities who experience real-life challenges.
Olson said, “Everything I hear, read, watch or think — it all falls in to the story. I began by writing a book I would enjoy which includes lots of Hollywood, pop culture, quirky things, and authentic faith.”
And even though she says her stories are getting better with every book, she has had loyal fans since the first book in the series, "Being Ethel" (in a world that loves Lucy). That success was followed by "Being Dorothy" (in a world longing for home); "Being Alice" (in a world lost in the looking glass); "Being Wendy" (in a world afraid to grow up); and this year, "Being Nancy" (in a world lost in mystery).
So, how has she succeeded as an author in a field where it is commonly said that most books sell relatively few copies?
“I wouldn’t be this far (I didn’t start writing until I was over 60) if I hadn’t taken a class with Jerry Jenkins, author of the New York Times best-selling Left Behind Series. After the class, he invited us to Nashville to meet with him and other authors starting out. That was huge in my learning fiction and getting out of the gates,” Olson said.
There were other factors, as well. Instead of going the traditional route of getting an agent to shop the books to a publishing house, she self-published through Lake Girl Publishing.
She said, “I considered going the traditional route, but it’s very slow going, hard to get an agent, and then you have to give them control over the cover, title, etc. You get an advance, but if you don’t outsell that, they may not want another book.”
There are pros and cons to both, but she believes that she wouldn’t have five novels out there already if that route had been pursued. However, with her earned notoriety, she doesn’t rule out getting an agent for a future series.
Another advantage she brought to the table was her decades of marketing experience. Having spent so much of her career in advertising, Olson knew how to “market like crazy.” The setting of the series was another excellent step.
“Setting the books on an island that gets over a million visitors a year was the first thing that was a good move,” Olson said. “Going to the island, signing books, and being involved with social media about the island is also good, as well as reader social sites that have people who want new books.”
That has led to dozens of interviews and being featured on podcasts that are of interest to readers. She has also been highlighted in a number of national and international global publications. Olson takes advantage of every opportunity to get her name out there.
“If you want to write so you finish a book and that satisfies you, that is an attainable goal" she said. "Getting it out in the marketplace is a whole other ballgame. The truth is that writing is probably 40% of it and marketing is 60% and most authors hate that. Seeing the author at the lake writing their book while an editor waits for the manuscript as in the movies is pretty far off from the truth.”
Olson has also found that writing is a time-consuming task. It takes about a year to complete a book; she finds more joy in watercolor, mixed media, and doodling. She is the artist for her book covers and sells an assortment of art on Etsy and Fine Art America where a person can order her drawings on things like a phone case, tote, mug, and other items.
Her newest endeavor is custom-designed Bookmark Betty bookmarks that will be sold on Etsy. Another pursuit, one that she says puts a big smile on people’s faces, is doodling.
“I live doodle the sermon every Sunday night at Cre8 Church in Green Bay, a newer church that meets in the Old Larsen Canning building on Broadway. While you are listening to the sermon, you see it come to life at the same time,” she said. “There’s so much scientific research about retention and engagement while visually learning at the same time you are hearing the sermon.”
That is one trend she would like to see continue and grow. There are also trends in writing for writers to pay attention to.
She said, “Writing falls into tropes (defined as something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature like a motif or theme). If you study tropes, you will see there are many out there. I tend not to care about that because I have to write what I like. But graphic novels are getting bigger and I am interested in that with my drawing. I took a class with a New York Times artist, and am starting to understand that world, too.”
There are also plans to do more public speaking and teach classes in doodling and publishing. She has been asked to publish other author’s books, but has declined.
She said, “I can’t keep up with my own, but I would like to teach a class or two locally to help people understand the world of publishing that has taken me five plus years to understand.”
Ultimately, regardless of what she does and adds to her resume, her goal is to make someone’s life better by telling stories, through her books and art, about authentic faith; and helping with the hard questions that we all struggle with in life.
“At the end of each novel, there is hope and encouragement,” Olson said. “I want every reader to feel it was worth their time. I am encouraged by the feedback I receive from readers who didn’t know there would be questions raised in the stores. They always seem to enjoy the ideas and possibilities that the characters work through.”
Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.
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