Whether fiction or nonfiction, quality books require diligent research, experience, wisdom, imagination, and years, if not decades, of time. From concept through publication and on through marketing, books are the offspring of authors. We live and breathe them.

Most books have a life, a period of time in which they are relevant and of interest to the public. Some, with periodic updating, outlive their authors.

However, out of the hundreds of thousands of books produced each year, few garnish enough revenue for an author to pay their bills. And it isn’t as if publishers are retaining most of the profits. I’ve been on both ends of publishing and know that overall, the financial return on most books is minimal.

We write and produce books because it is our passion. Our desire is to entertain, inspire, educate, and touch hearts. When readers acknowledge that we’ve achieved our goal, we feel our investment worthwhile.

Most of my books are considered best sellers. They consistently sell well for years including The Rosary Prayer by Prayer and Grieving with Mary. I am grateful for these sales and the readers who share their comments about my works, especially if the book made a difference to them or helped them in some way.

It’s also quite satisfying to be awarded recognition by my peers. My latest book, “The Alzheimer’s Spouse” Finding the Grace to Keep the Promise, which was published last year, just received First Place in the CPA (Catholic Press Association) 2020 Book Awards in the category of Marriage and Family Living.

Out of the eleven books I’ve had published, The Alzheimer’s Spouse is the most personal. I shared the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on my husband, Marshall Brodien, me, and our marriage and what I learned from my experience. The book offers ways to deal with the demanding, disheartening, and stressful situations spouses encounter and a level of understanding few receive from their family and friends who have not cared for a loved one with dementia 24/7.

My other books that received award recognition include Navigating Alzheimer’s, Gold Medal, 2017 Illumination Awards; Young in the Spirit, Honorable Mention, 2013 Catholic Press Association and Honorable Mention, 2013 The Great Midwest Book Festival; Saint Theodora and Her Promise to God, Honorable Mention, 2013 Catholic Press Association; and Mentoring Heroes, Certificate of Excellence, 2000 National Publishers Freedom Award.

***

Read “Masked Since Antiquity” on my blog, Midwest Mary.