Interview With Author Gene Miller
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my first authored book! I retired in May 2023 after 44 years in public education. I’ve been a Junior HS and Highschool English and History teacher for 19 years-coaching a high school sport in every year. Then a two-year HS assistant principal at Hammonton HS and then a 14-year middle school principal grades 6-8th grade. I know young people! I retired form public schools after 35 years and went to Stockton University as an adjunct instructor in The School of Education until May of 2023. Supervising student teachers in school placements and teaching a Human Geography course, it was a true fulfillment of an education career, only to be topped by my first book released in June 2024.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
WARNING: Short Stories for Middle School Boys Only, Because Girls Have Cooties! It’s a non-fiction 15 standalone story collection with color illustrations. It was inspired by my two oldest grandsons on the verge of middle school, grades 5-8. I desired to share the many adventures and humorous situations, including bad decision-making that occurred in those approximate middle school years. There’s a life lesson a chapter for middle schoolers and it’s a “time capsule” read for adults to travel back into the 1965-1970 time period. I believe it’s interesting to compare growing up around 1970, then comparing growing up in the 21st century. What has changed and what has remained the same over 50 years ago. We all know that technology has had a tremendous effect on all of us.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I kinda think so. I write all the time and everywhere I go. I jot down notes on a pad during the day in the home and while driving. At night while watching TV I type in story paragraphs as I watch television with my wife. After a couple of weeks, I lay out all the information and attempt like clay to mold the ideas into paragraph formats to begin story building.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Twain, Steinback, Hemingway, Steinback and JD Salinger. I guess they connect from the middle school level to adulthood. I read them in middle school, high school, college and as an adult. They have heavily influenced my writing style.
What are you working on now?
Currently I have 10 more stories in the computer but mostly working on marketing and getting the book out for readers to experience. It’s complicated, yet it shouldn’t be. The stories were written for my oldest grandsons. They are middle level/YA readers. But when I couldn’t land a literary agent, I noticed that Scholastic Books on the web had an offer where if you had a teacher’s guide to accompany your manuscript, they would review both. So last November I began creating Chapter Lessons for each individual standalone story. For each chapter I completed Intro to New Vocabulary Root words, Prefixes/Suffixes, Critical Thinking Questions, Writing Prompts and Cross Curricular Research Ideas. In the very back I included Literary Terms and Types of Conflict as overview strategies for all of the chapters. I proudly prepared to email Scholastic. I went back on the web to discover this, “As of January 1, 2024, we will no longer accept manuscripts w/teacher guides without a literary agent.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website at : www.genemiller56.com I personally have struggled on the web. As we speak my Facebook account was hacked last week, and I am locked out. I haven’t been able to contact anyone for a reset and I don’t want to lose the following I have. In September I took a business trip from the Philadelphia area of South Jersey to Cleveland. I made two stops to promote my book. In each location I did a quick 2-minute video clip for my LinkedIn page. At my second stop at a store called, The Index , I shot a video outside, then went inside to place my book between Tom Sawyer and Treasure Island. I did this because a Reedsy Discover reviewer, Vincent G., claimed that my descriptive writing style reflected these two legendary authors. What a compliment! He gave me a 5 Star Must Read Trophy Award. It was done in June before my book had launched. I was so proud, so when I went into The Index in September, saw those two books and did my thing, I shot a second video. I mentioned in jest (I was feeling way too good about myself) that I had been in Ohio for almost 20 hours and I hadn’t seen anyone eating cats. LinkedIn notified me by email by the time I returned, my account was suspended for 176 days. Lesson learned.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes! Plan, Write, Plan Again, Rewrite and edit. The double planning is to prepare for the oversaturated book market. If your book is good-maybe great-you need a literary agent. If you can’t query one you either need query help or your book isn’t ready or good enough yet. Grab a high-quality freelance editor in your genre. It matters and makes good-GREAT!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you are an author, the best I can come up with are the lyrics and advice from a band called Cumbawamba. The song,”Tubthumpimg”, most famous for their chorus, “I get knocked down, but I get up again…” Going through the stages of the actual writing, edits, querying, developmental edits, line edits, copy edits, final edits, cover art, publishing, and then finally marketing, it’s a battle. You have to make a comeback around every corner. I have so much respect for all of the published authors out there, all are special, gifted and talented–but TOUGH and DRIVEN.
What are you reading now?
Over the summer I read a middle level indie author, Una Mannion’s book, “A Crooked Tree.” It was a terrific mystery, kind of out of my genre, but I loved it then I shifted into “Owning Up” by George Pelecanos. I’m stalled in the middle due to my marketing workload and my creative thoughts flowing around marketing with FB down and LinkedIn suspended until April. The next read waiting on my desk is “War” by Bob Woodward. That’s what I’ve been reading going into 2025.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on bringing the book into middle schools. I look forward to book presentations in schools, book clubs, book fairs and book shops-Barnes and Noble are you reading this? As an indie writer, if I can cover a large amount of the costs, I have another 10 stories ready for a second short story collection, continuing the middle school tales into high school. The second book would probably be a little darker with the coming of age of sex included. I might lose some fans with that, but if I tastefully present it, it’s an important part of growing up.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Lincoln by Carl Sandburg. It would fill my days and nights getting the skinny on one of our greatest presidents. I never finished it, but that’s on my bucket list. I had read James Mitchner’s Centennial, but I never got to read more of his outstanding works like Hawaii, Chesapeake, and The Covenant. Huckleberry Finn by Samuel Clemmens would be of interest as well. I enjoy Stephen King, but on a desert island, King would increase the fear factor that already would be present.
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