Press Room
peggyt@tbowtl.com502-541-4670
“Your book is not your baby…your book is your business!” Peggy DeKay
Writing was never a part of my life plan. I came to it in small steps—a business woman first, a writer second. After a short career in banking, I went back to college for a computer science degree and opened a computer and network design company. The company had a small teaching center and I developed and taught many of the computer training classes. I left the computer business after thirteen years to become CFO of a small company that marketed a medical discount card. Again I found myself writing copy for brochures, developing power point presentations and writing contracts and position papers. For a short time I ran my own B2B marketing company. It seemed to me that the two consistent things in the many iterations of my career were computers and writing.
An avid reader all my life, I began to think I could spin a yarn, or re-tell a story as well as some of the published authors I was reading. Deciding what I lacked was support; I found a group of like minded would-be authors, and we met weekly. We worked hard, and wrote prolifically, averaging three to ten thousand words per week. It really is true that you need to write every day to become a better writer. After eighteen months, I applied for a job as a weekly newspaper columnist.. My column, Thoughts from the Hungry Side of Daybreak ran weekly in two newspapers in 2008.
DeKay is a past director of Women Who Write, Inc., a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1992. In 2009 she was awarded first place for a non-fiction short story called Banking on an Angel. Two poems, Roots, and Fifteen, were published in Calliope, the 16th Annual Anthology of Women Who Write, available on Amazon.com. The poem Chemo appeared in the 17th annual anthology of Women Who Write. As Director of Women Who Write, Inc., DeKay led the group in self-publishing their 16th anthology using POD (print on demand) technology. She has led the group in the publication of three print-on-demand books.
DeKay regularly holds seminars and workshops and is an adjunct instructor at the University of Louisville and Indiana University Southeast. She also teaches seminars at the Carnegie Center for Literary in Lexington and at the Writer’s Workshop in Asheville and Charlotte, NC. She has also been a presenter at the Kentucky Women’s Book Festival, Children’s Writing Workshop, Duckon.com Science Fictions Writers Conference, MidSouth Con 30, and FandomFest.com.
DeKay speaks regularly on the following topics:
- Self Publishing
- Book Promotion and Marketing
- Creating and promoting E-books
- Branding and Building an Author Platform
- Author-preneurship
- Buiilding Your Second Career with a Book
- Writing groups
A Selection of Column Credits:
Author, Self-Publishing for Virgins: The first time writer’s guide to self-publishing
Her knight in tarnished armor—January 15, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
Of mad men and geniuses—January 25, 2008 the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
A player for all time— April 23, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
The chance of a lifetime— May 14, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
Nation of sheep will begat sheep— February 6, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
Sub-prime goes over the Top— February 27, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
Giving—a right and a privilege— March 12, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
How low can we go— March 19, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
Same as we ever were— March 26, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
Moments in time change lives— April 02, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
Let the talk match the walk— April 09, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
Our gas dollars at work— May 21, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
Oh, the books you can read— May 28, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
The level playing field— October 22, 2008, the Evening News and the New Albany Tribune, online at www.news-tribune.net/archivesearch
Other Writing Credits:
Editor, The Business of Writing Today with Peggy Dekay Blog
Co-host, The Business of Writing Today with Peggy DeKay Podcast
Editor, Women Who Write Writer’s Wire monthly newsletter 2009-2010
Banking on an Angel—Non-fiction short story-First Place Prize with online and in print magazine December 2009, On Angels Magazine; published November 2010
Chemo— a poem will be published in Calliope 2010: the 17th Annual Anthology of Women Who Write, publication date November 2010
Banking on an Angel— a non-fiction short story which will be re-published in Calliope 2010: the 17th Annual Anthology of Women Who Write, publication date November 2010
Fifteen —a poem published in November 2009 Calliope, the 16th Annual Anthology of Women Who Write
Roots —a poem published in November 2009 Calliope, the 16th Annual Anthology of Women Who Write
Appearances and Seminars:
WordThirst Literary Journal with Ashea Goldson – Interview, September 9, 2011 (Click here to listen)
Jay Earley Blog/Talk Radio media4success.com, Germany – Interview, July 17, 2011 (Click here to listen)
Connie and Sheila Talk podcast, Nashville, TN – Interview, July 16, 2011 (Click here to listen)
Kentucky Women’s Book Festival, Louisville, KY – Presenter, May 21, 2011
American Association of University Women Annual Author’s Luncheon, Louisville, KY – Honoree, May 21, 2011
Children’s Book Writing Group, Louisville, KY – June, 2011
CHradio.net or (Cresent Hill Radio), Louisville, Ky – Interviews 2010 (2)
Duckon.com Writers Conference, Chicago, Ill. – Presenter, Guest Author, June 2011
Fandom Fest 2011, Louisville, KY- Presenter, Author Guest, Panel Moderator –July 22-24, 2011
Teaching Seminars:
Writer’s Workshop – Charlotte, NC – Seminar on How to Self-Publish Your Book
Writer’s Workshop, Asheville, NC – Seminar on How to Self-Publish Your Book, March, 2012
Carnegie Center for Literacy, Lexington, KY – Seminar on How to Market and Promote Your Book, February 2012
University of Louisville, Louisville, KY – Seminar on How to Self-Publish Your Book, February 2012
Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, IN – How to Self-Publish Your Book, February 2012
University of Louisville: How to Self Publish Your Book, Book Marketing and Promotion, E-books, 2011
Indiana University Southeast – How to Self Publish Your Book, Marketing and Promotion, E-books, 2011
Carnegie Center for Literacy – (Lexington, Ky) How to Self Publish Your Book, 2011
Writing Conference Workshops
Kentucky Book Fair, Frankfort, KY – Symposium on Self-Publishing, Self Publishing for Virgins, November 2011
FandomFest.com, Louisville, KY 2011 – Horror and science fiction literary track where she presented the following workshops: Making the Most of Amazon, How to Self Publish Your Book, How to Publish and E-Book, panel discussion on Joining Writing Groups
Duckon.com, Shaumberg (Chicago, ILL), 2011 – Science fiction literary track where she presented the following workshops: How to Self Publish Your Book, How to Publish Your E-Book, panel discussion on e-books
Business Writing Credits:
Employee and procedure manuals and other technical writing for clients
Speech writer
Brochures, Web content, other copy for small business
Classroom training and development of training manuals for Peachtree Accounting, Excel, Microsoft Word, Quicken and Quick Books Pro
Current Book Projects:
E-books for Virgins: the first time author’s guide to publishing and promoting their e-book
Book Marketing for Virgins: an author’s guide to selling and promoting books
Galloping through Neverland —a PMS book (poetry, memoir and short story) about people dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
“Writers are people who see the scenes in conversations, hear the music in words, and shape the heart of any story.” Peggy DeKay • peggy@tbowt.com
