UNC sophomore self-publishes novel

Emily Palmer received so many rejection letters from publishing companies that she started to lose count.

“I don’t know how many query letters I sent out, but there were a lot,” Palmer, a UNC sophomore, said.

But instead of giving up, Palmer decided to take matters into her own hands. She self-published her first novel, “The Gingerbread Philosophy,” in August 2011.

She will read from the novel Thursday in Bulls Head Bookshop.

With the guidance of Stuart Albright, her former creative writing teacher at Jordan High School in Durham, Palmer self-published her work through McKinnon Press.

Albright is both the founder and president of the publishing company, which has published 28 class anthologies and 19 student novels.

He said he attributes his motivation in starting the company to his teaching and writing careers.

“I started the company to publish my own work, and after I started teaching creative writing I thought it would be a great vehicle to publish student work,” he said.

Palmer said self-publishing allowed her novel to be available to an audience outside those close to her.

“The Gingerbread Philosophy” can be found on lulu.com, an online book retailer.

“It was cool to see that the first comment (on the site) had come from a stranger and not someone that I already knew,” Palmer said.

She said she did the bulk of her writing as a senior at Jordan High when she took an independent study class.

“That’s when I finally immersed myself in the voice of my narrator,” she said.

Palmer, who has family from North Carolina and Mississippi, said the novel’s inspiration was her love of her Southern heritage.

The plot centers on a psychiatrist living in New York who returns to her native Mississippi after a family tragedy, Palmer said.

“The main lesson from the novel is that you can’t just run away and start a new life, you have to learn from your roots,” she said.

Since Palmer is not represented by an agent, she promotes her novel herself.

“I have had to order copies and physically take them over to stores,” said Palmer.

Palmer said she has sold a total 39 hard copies at $16 apiece. The e-book is also available to download for free.

It was Palmer who first approached Bull’s Head to do a reading of her novel, said Kyle McKay, the store’s marketing manager.

He said that the store is always open to having members of the UNC community read.

“We are here to serve the University and embrace its literary talent,” he said.

McKay said the store rarely hosts student authors.

“We don’t get a lot of students who’ve published,” he said.

“It really makes a difference for an author who holds an event for people to come out, it gives them encouragement.”

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