Elyse Salpeter said when she decided to take a creative approach to an essay in her ninth grade English class, her teacher humiliated her for it.
“She called me out right in front of the class and said it was the single worst piece of writing she’d ever seen,” Salpeter said.
Salpeter, a 20-year resident of Roslyn Heights, said it was not until her sophomore year at Stony Brook University in 1987 that was she able to actually start writing and sharing her work again.
“I wasn’t always a great writer but I had great ideas,” Salpeter said.
After more than 20 years, Salpeter’s persistence in the face of adversity has paid off.
Since 2011, Salpeter has self-published nine books in four different genres from thrillers, horror, fantasy to young adult novels.
Her most recent book “The Call of Mount Someru,” the third of a three-part series, continues the story of Kelsey Porter who embarks on a spiritual journey to a Buddhist Monastery in Alaska that she finds herself, yet again, thrust into situations that are seemingly beyond her control.
“I know it’s a very strange way to write but I just like writing in different genres,” Salpeter said.
Salpeter said her first book, “The Ruby Amulet,” was published in 2011 by Coolwell Press.
The book, she said, was written while she was in college but she held onto it because she thought she wasn’t good enough.
“I’m sure it’s all in my head,” Salpeter said.
She said she has gone on to self publish nine other books since then.
Salpeter said she decided to start self publishing after one of her drafts were rejected by a publishing agent.
“When I sent out the drafts, it was trashed by editors,” Salpeter said. “It took me almost 15 years to hit my strides.”
She said her writing improved when she met Denise Vitola, her current writing coach.
She said Vitola would give her writing prompts and assignments over the weekends and would rip apart the draft she submits.
“I do a lot of writing exercises for my blog. I do writing prompts and I’m still learning,” Salpeter said.
Salpeter, now 48, said she’s a better writer now through all the daily writing practices she does.
Salpeter who works during the day in sales and advertising, said she takes every opportunity she gets to write.
“My family leaves the house for me so I can be able to write,” she said.
Sometimes she writes at night while her husband sleeps next to her, she said.
For all the work involved in the writing process, Salpeter said, self-publishing is perhaps the hardest part.
“The process itself is pretty easy but the hardest thing is getting your name out there,” she said.
To publish a single book, she said, she often hires a cover artist who will create a suitable picture for the front cover.
She also hires an editor, usually Vitola.
She said she hires beta readers for feedback, a proofreader and a formatter in a process that costs her up to $2,000.
The downside to self-publishing, Salpeter said, is the number of books self-publishers sells.
She said authors often have to sell thousands of copies to recoup the money they’ve spent publishing the book.
“You also have to do a lot of the work yourself to make sure its the best work you’re putting out,” Salpeter said.
All the work done from self promoting on social media to individually telling people about the book doesn’t mean the sales would come in, Salpeter said.
“But it’s nice to get all the positive feedback and I hope a big book publishing company picks it up,” Salpeter said.
Salpeter will be speaking at Shelter Rock Library on May 4 about her writing journey and her newly released book “The Call for Mount Someru”.
All her books are available for purchase at elysesalpeter.com
