Interview with Vijaya Bodach

[RiverRun]

I was poking around the writer's Unboxed website looking for a little inspiration, and discovered this beautiful interview with Vijaya Bodach. Lovely to see her story featured here!


https://writerunboxed.com/2021/12/02/author-up-close-vijaya-bodach-play-dream-believe/

A couple highlights.

GW: As I mentioned, you’re what’s considered a hybrid author, meaning you are traditionally published as well as self-published. Why did you choose this path?

VB: With my conversion to Catholicism, I was seeing everything anew, through eyes of faith. I was grappling with several big questions about life and love, so I ended up writing Bound as a way to understand them. It took me three years to write, revise, and polish the book, and I spent a couple of years querying both agents and select publishers. The good rejections hurt the most. One publisher loved the story but said they didn’t make enough money on fiction, so had to pass. One agent planted the seed for self-publishing. He mentioned that although Bound was well-written, compelling, and important, he didn’t think it would sell, given it was counter-cultural. And publishing is a business. That was in 2012. I wasn’t ready to self-publish because I knew that marketing would be a challenge.

GW: What changed your mind?

VB: I read PW Children’s Bookshelf on a regular basis, and once in a while I would come across a publisher or agent I thought would be a good fit, but I was going nowhere fast. I submitted Bound one last time in 2018, and when the rejection came, I felt, it’s now or never. I’d already wasted too much time. How many years would pass before someone came along who’d have the same vision I did? I had to learn how to publish Bound myself because even if one life was saved because of it, it’d be of infinite value.  I had many contacts in the trade world so approached my editors and art directors for guidance. They were amazing and generous. And, Grace, I’ve enjoyed the entire process of making a book so much, I wish I’d done it way back in 2012...


GW: What advice would you give a newbie writer who someday wants to be doing what you’re doing?

VB: Marry well. Seriously. Having a supportive spouse makes the writing life so much more enjoyable. Read lots. Write what you love, what you’re curious about, what brings joy. Play. Dream. Believe. When God places a dream upon your heart, surely He will give you the means to accomplish it. Don’t let fear get in the way. As I learned early in life, it’s a stealer of dreams. Use the fear to challenge yourself to greater heights. And never stop writing. Never stop learning. Never stop dreaming.

[Vijaya]

Thank you, River. I really enjoyed doing this and gosh, don't we all have things we'd like our younger selves to know about this writing life. I'm so grateful for it.