Mary has very kindly invited me to write about my publishing experiences. I have read her features on both Trish Burr and Alison Cole, and have to say that my experiences are different again!

I'm an Australian, living in Sydney. We are fortunate in Australia to have a wonderful stitching heritage - nothing that is particularly Australian though, because we are too young as a country to have developed something that is uniquely ours. However, here in Australia, we have some excellent needlework magazines that focus on a wide range of needlework styles, and some really excellent publishers of embroidery books. All these things mean that Australians are quite adventurous embroiderers, happy to look for something new to try.

My mum tells me that even as early as Year 10 at school I had expressed a desire to be a book designer. After school I went off to study graphic design at university, and forgot about my desire to be a book designer, until my final year. I must have decided it was a good idea again, because I that's what I did for my final year major project.

After uni I worked for a number of years as a book designer for a major international publisher. I travelled about half an hour on the train each day, to and from work. I filled the journeys with stitching - usually hardanger embroidery. It was interesting to note how many men used to ask me 'Is that tatting?' Somehow tatting seems to have seeped into the Australian male's consciousness, though they have no idea what it is. Something to do with thread, I guess!

One of the projects I spent a lot of time working on was a major hardanger embroidery piece. I had designed it with the express purpose of entering it in the Nordic Needle Hardanger Contest. I entered, and was fortunate to be one of the winners in 2000. It was scary posting off the precious embroidery for judging, and such a relief to have it safely back in my hands again at the conclusion.

Somehow I got the idea in my head to send out press releases announcing my win. I sent some off to local Australian publishers of embroidery books in the hope that they might want to include a project or two of mine in a book that they already had going. I was completely surprised when two of them suggested that I might like to write a book for them.



As a result, 'Elegant Hardanger Embroidery' was published in 2002. I enjoyed the process of writing it, and then was casting around for a subject for a second book. Being passionate about whitework embroidery, I really wanted to do something along those lines. It was suggested to me that Mountmellick Embroidery would be a worthwhile subject. So in 2002, I went to Ireland to research the beautiful floral whitework embroidery that originated from the town of Mountmellick.

I invited my identical twin sister, Prue Scott to do this book with me. Prue is also an accomplished embroiderer, with the added advantage of being a trained botanical artist. In many ways, for a book on floral embroidery, she was the perfect partner.



Our book 'Mountmellick Embroidery: Inspired by Nature' was published in 2004, and has enjoyed great success. Someone wrote to me even just this morning and said it was 'the bible' on the subject, which was lovely to hear.

After some years, my book on Hardanger went out of print, and the publishers decided that they did not want to reprint. Having already had some experience both in the publishing and authoring sides of books, I considered self publishing. I knew it would be a huge learning curve, but as I believed in my book, I decided to give it a go. I redesigned the book, adding some new material, and released the self-published revised edition of 'Elegant Hardanger Embroidery' in 2005.

My next subject was Ukrainian drawn thread work. I had done a basic class on this at my local guild, and saw that there was definitely potential for a book on it. I considered it for quite some time, began working on it, and then put it aside. I decided that it was too niche to work. Some time later I re-evaluated the book, and decided to go ahead.

We did not feel confident going to Ukraine as a family, for me to research the book, because of the language barrier - I don't speak Ukrainian! So instead we headed to New York (which my husband was just itching to visit anyway!) where there is an excellent Ukrainian Museum. I spent some wonderful days trawling through their collection of merezhka embroidery, and through the personal collection of the textile curator.

The resulting book, 'Ukrainian Drawn Thread Embroidery: Merezhka Poltavska' was self-published in 2007. It has continually pleased me with its success. For such a terribly niche subject, it is now in its third print run.



Around this time, I was surprised by the fact that our Mountmellick book went out of print. As 'only' the author, no-one had thought to tell me that its stocks were about to run out. But run out they did, and the publishers decided that the rights could be returned to us. Almost as soon as it disappeared from the shelves around the world, people started emailing me to find out if I had any stock. I didn't because it had caught me completely unawares.

The demand impressed upon me the need to get the book back in print as soon as possible though. I knew the book was good, but I was determined to make it even better. I revised the stitch instructions, adding more variations and changed them all into colour. I also added close-up photos of every stitched motif in the projects. I re-did the knitting instructions to be much more comprehensive, and added another even more authentic knitted fringe method. Two new projects were added. The fully revised and expanded edition was released at the end of 2007.

Probably one of the main differences between me and other self-publishers is that because I did graphic design at university and am also a stitcher, I do pretty much everything for my books myself. (Although Prue and I worked on the first edition of the Mountmellick book together.) So when I do a book, I write it, I design the embroideries, I stitch the embroideries, I do all the illustrations, I take all the pictures, I draft the patterns, I design the book internals and the cover. These are all the parts I feel completely confident in handling myself. I always get several other people to proof-read everything though. My biggest learning curve has been the selling and distribution side of the business. I think I will always be learning new things in this area, which doesn't worry me in the slightest. It means I can always improve upon what I do.

I have my books printed overseas, so have gotten used to dealing with shipping agents and the like. It is wonderful to have excellent distribution in Europe, America and Australia. As time goes on, I'll work on expanding into other markets. I have already had one enquiry about translation rights, so probably further down the track I'll look more into that area.

So what have I been doing since the Mountmellick book revision? Several things! I began work on another book, but had to put it aside due to health issues. I have also completed the initial research on another book, which I am just so impatient to write! But because I am limited by health, I am working on a left-handed stitch dictionary which fits better with my current capabilities. I am so enjoying exploring stitches! And the book keeps getting bigger than Ben Hur because I keep finding more to put in it - more stitches and more detail.

Life could change a little this year, as my youngest child is beginning school. It will mean that its very quiet at home. I could either go mad with the quietness, or relish the solitude and get lots more work done. We'll have to see how things pan out! I just consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to do something that I love so much, as a job. I'll never get rich (publishing never makes anyone except the most famous authors rich) but I'm certainly having fun!

Alison Cole on Writing Needlework Books

Writing a book is the easy part - getting it published was going to be as well - until the unthinkable happened.

Over the period of a couple of years, I had had three publishers ask me when I was going to write a book on Goldwork and Stumpwork. To them I replied 'one day soon'.

I know another tutor that had told me of her experiences in producing a book - and how the publisher wanted 20 projects so that they could select 12. And how the publisher contacted her to get another project whipped up - needing it immediately and not realizing how long it takes to embroider a piece of work. So when I decided to sit down and write my book, I decided to have the book partially complete before contacting the publisher that I had chosen, to eliminate some of the stress of the deadlines that they give.

This seemed fine. I told the publisher of the estimated completion date of the manuscript and projects, and the publisher was happy. The publisher was going to send me the contracts - which never arrived. But it didn't bother me, as I knew the publisher well and knew that they would in time come. I went on with the writing and promoting of the book. But the contract never eventuated.

When the book was complete, I sent off the manuscript. When I called to find out when they required the pieces for photography, the publisher then told me that they weren't able to produce the book this year - or maybe even the next - but did like the book. This absolutely flattened me. I had been promoting the book the whole time that I was writing it. In every class when someone asked when I was going to write a book, I told them that it was coming and would be out next year. Now it was all at a halt.

I decided that my book was still going to come out when I said that it would - and looked into self-publishing it. This was the best decision that I have ever made - although it worried my husband somewhat. Publishing means footing the bill - taking all of the risk but also taking the profits. I knew that the book that I wanted to produce would sell, as there were no other project-based Goldwork books on the market at that time and in every class I was asked what project-based books were out there. I knew that if the book was laid out well and had lots of photographs that showed off the embroidery and its richness, it had to work.

I contacted a company that specializes in helping authors self publish and when they took my call they were skeptical as to how ready I was to get it published. They told me that for every 20 authors that contact them, only one has a manuscript that is really ready. I arranged a meeting with them and left the meeting feeling happy that this was the way to go.

I contacted a photographer that I had worked with before and asked him if he would take the photos for me - he was surprised to hear that I had already worked out what photos were required and that I had already done the styling and organized the props. The shoot was done and dusted in a single day - a long day - but still only one day.

The production company that I was using had me sit down with the layout designer, whom I briefed in exactly how I wanted the book to look and be laid out. He made some suggestions which I liked and then laid the book out to my instructions.

Next I had to cut out a couple of projects as the book was too long, which was followed by inserting the photos and the diagrams. I then had to re-arrange some of the project layouts to accommodate the number of pages. Spelling and grammar edits and technical edits came next and then the print-ready proofs arrived. It was amazing seeing it all laid out and ready to go to print.

When the first air-freighted, hand-bound copies arrived, I could hardly believe it. All the work that had been done up until this, it still had not looked like a book. The end was getting closer. Finally, the truck arrived with the books. By the time the books arrived, I had arranged two Australian distributors and shortly after had arranged a UK distributor as well. I had enjoyed the whole process so much that I had also started on the second book which was to become 'The Midas Touch'.

Since then, 'All That Glitters' has gone into reprint and has been picked up and distributed outside of Australia and New Zealand by Search Press - throughout the UK, Europe, USA and South Africa.

'The Midas Touch' has also now gone into reprint, and is being distributed in the UK by Golden Hinde and in the USA by Nordic Needle.

While I have started work on the third book, it is going to be quite different than its predecessors. It is still featuring Goldwork - and has two projects already completed - but will take longer to complete. I am hoping that it will be released around 2011. Next year (2009), I have three commissions lined up on top of my usual teaching commitments.

Alison Cole's Background in Needlework

I was born, educated and married in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. I have always been around embroidery, as my mother was a professional seamstress. I have fond memories of sorting her threads and swapcard collection into colourways. I moved to Melton in January 2003 with my husband Stephen and two children.

It was when I was eight years old that my mother first put a needle in my hand and taught me to mend my teddy bear. From there she taught me to make a patchwork pillowcase which went on every school camp, but it was not until I was 12 that I took up embroidery. It became a passion for me - I used to stitch on the school bus to and from school, in my free periods and at lunch and recess. My friends used to laugh at me - always carrying around some piece of work.

Even when I starting dating - if my boyfriend wanted to sit beside me on the couch – he had to have my tapestry frame over his legs while I was working on it (one of my frames was over four feet long and took up the entire couch).

I worked in an office - working my way up to administration manager - and always stitched in my breaks. One time - while at lunch and stitching at my desk - some smart man said to me 'you have a good job'. Over the years, this became something that I heard regularly - sometimes, if I didn't want to be bothered with the smart remarks, I would stitch in the boardroom if it wasn't in use.

I joined the local branch of the Embroiderers' Guild and maxed out on classes - from Crazy Patchwork to Schwalm and everything in between.

After leaving work to have children, I started part time work at one of the local embroidery shops, where I was encouraged to teach and pass on my skills. I was told that I was already teaching - helping the customers with any problems that they had with their embroidery was teaching. And so I designed and taught classes in basic stitches, Stumpwork and Goldwork and loved every minute of it - as I still do to this day.

The more people that I taught, the more that word got around. I taught at my branch of the Embroiderers' Guild and then at other branches and at Guild Headquarters. I was asked to teach at conventions and seminars and find myself these days fully booked almost two years in advance, teaching all around Australia and New Zealand.

Through the years I have furthered my studies in embroidery, gaining an Intermediate Certificate through the Embroiderers' Guild in Melbourne and completing numerous other courses including Train the Trainer Adult Education Course and Art for the Stitch - a design and colour course for embroidery artists. I am currently working on a long term research project that I started some years ago, which will culminate in another book.

I have been the recipient of a local Embroiderers' Guild Branch Scholarship and the prestigious Ethel Oates Scholarship, of which I used part to research the history of metal thread embroidery. I have also been the recipient of the Florence Monod Award for Excellence - the top prize awarded at the Royal Melbourne Show - judged over 150 categories. These days I am a sponsor of the Melbourne Show, supplying an award for the Best Piece of Stumpwork or Raised Embroidery.

I am a regular contributor to Embroidery and Cross Stitch Magazine and, to a lesser extent, Australian Country Craft Magazine. I have also had projects appear in Handmade Magazine and UK Publication Stitch with the Embroiderers' Guild. For three years I provided Christmas decoration projects for the Country Womens' Association Magazine.

Achievements in 2005 included receiving a Commendation for Stitching Excellence from the Embroiderers' Guild United Kingdom for their 'Picture This' competition and the People's Choice Award at the Embroiderers' Guild Victoria Annual Exhibition for the piece Jacobean Elegance. I also created a three dimensional floral arrangement of Goldwork Liliums for display at the Johnston Collection's exhibition 'Taking Tea with English Bodies' and I am also represented in their collection of decorative arts.

During 2006, I was a featured artist at the Craft and Quilt Fairs, touring Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide, exhibiting, teaching and promoting the art of Goldwork. It is amazing how many people said to me 'Oh, this is new', only to have me cheekily reply 'Yes, these techniques are only about four hundred years old!' To the people that told me Goldwork was too difficult for them to try, I asked if I could borrow their grandchildren, and invited the kids to apply some purl in an area of chipping on my work.

2007 saw me participating as Artist in Residence for a group project with the South Western Branch of the Embroiderers' Guild of Victoria, creating two panels 30 cm x 75 cm in memory of two of their members that are local benefactors. 2007 also saw me being commissioned to embroider a piece of Goldwork for the front cover of the UK magazine 'Stitch with the Embroiderers' Guild' for their 50th issue. This was also the year that I had my new studio built. A purpose-built studio with work room, store room, wet area and toilet - and more cupboards and shelf space than in my house!

2008 has seen another People's Choice award at the Embroiderers' Guild Victoria Annual Exhibition with the piece Gloriosa Lily and the release of my second book 'The Midas Touch'. My first book 'All That Glitters' was released in 2006.

All That Glitters

It all started in about 1990 when I was living in Zimbabwe. My introduction to embroidery came from humble beginnings..... I did not learn at my grandmother's knee, I did not learn from my Mother (she is here today and will confirm), I did not do domestic science at school; in fact, everything I learnt was from a book - however, I did enjoy art, so perhaps the creative leanings were there. It was not until I got married that I tried my hand at various crafts including sewing - this began a series of home industries where I sold my wares at craft fairs hoping to get rich quick from the proceeds. Then I learnt to do cross stitch and was hooked.

In 1993, an opportunity arose to take on the DMC agency in Zimbabwe which would prove to change the course of my life. This little agency was a great success and eventually we were providing every needlework shop in Zimbabwe plus some of the neighboring countries.

We imported the threads direct from France and then distributed them to the shops. There was a chronic shortage of foreign currency in Zimbabwe so I had to borrow from my Dad's currency allocation for the farm. If I remember correctly, we had to put the threads down as tractor spares or tobacco twines or something like that!

At this time, I became interested in thread painting and spent many hours pondering the techniques in books and trying them out on little pieces of scrap fabric. I would copy little pictures from cards, books, or wrapping paper in an effort to reproduce the original as closely as possible. I was not aware of any embroidery guild in Zimbabwe and certainly did not know of anyone who did this type of embroidery who could help me, so I just developed my own style of thread painting.

In 1999, we went on a trip to the DMC factory in France. They saw some of my work and asked me if I would like to publish a book for them, but when the contract came through, I noticed it was to be published in French.

So I sent the synopsis out to some English speaking publishers and in 2000 I was offered a contract by Sally Milner Publishing in Australia. Their contract stated that I had to give them first offer of any new book titles and so I have continued to publish with them to this day.

Since then, I have published four books, approximately one every two years - three on thread painting and one on cross stitch. The cross stitch book was compiled from a number of kits I had done previously and was published in 2003.

The first [thread painting] book was Redoute's Finest Flowers in Embroidery, published in 2001 - I had bought a book in the London art gallery on Redoute's flower paintings and felt compelled to stitch them. I thought it was my job to send them a complete layout of the book, page for page. Computers didn't do what you wanted them to do in those days and I spent many frustrated hours trying to get pictures in the right place on the page, only to be told that was the designer's job!

I found out I was pregnant at the age of 43 (I have two grown up daughters) and... moved out of our house into a small cottage while they were doing major alterations to our house - didn't think I would finish the book. My family pushed me to get it finished and about four months before Katie was born, the book went off to Australia.

I remember well the arrival of this first book. Katie was about 2 months old and I had tears in my eyes. When I saw the book in print, it was an amazing feeling.

This little book exceeded all my expectations, going into a reprint within the first three months - I didn't even know what a reprint was... since then, it's been reprinted four times. The whole thing was a bit overwhelming: not only was I trying to get to grips with motherhood in my latter years, but the publishers were already asking for a second title.