Website → http://www.ericmeade.com
Twitter → http://www.twitter.com/reframingpvrty
Facebook → http://www.facebook.com/reframingpovrty
Tell us
about your book! What is it about and what inspired you to write it?
My book
offers a significant reframing of the issue of poverty. We often talk about
“eradicating” poverty, but poverty is an inherent part of the human experience,
and if we ever eradicated poverty as it exists today, we would likely redefine
the threshold at a higher level and start “eradicating” it all over again. So
the question that guides Reframing Poverty is not, “How do we eradicate
poverty?” but rather, “What am I, as a human being, to do, living as I do in a
world where poverty exists?” This is a bigger and more complex question, and it
requires us to look at the experience of poverty from several different angles.
Tell us
about your publishing process. What was it like? Did you go indie or the
traditional way?
I decided
to self-publish the book. I was confident in the content and I did not want to
wait. I had already spent a decade conceptualizing the book, so I was ready to
see it published! I sought help from Polly Letofsky of My Word Publishing here
in Denver. She provided overall project management and connected me
to her network of editors, layout designers, cover designers, etc. She made
things a lot easier than they otherwise would have been.
How did
you choose the title for your book? Did it come to you right away, before you
started writing it, or did it come later?
I was
talking through my book with a friend and colleague, Jessica Hartung, who at
the time was finalizing her book, The Conscious Professional. When I got
done explaining a few of the key concepts, she said, “It sounds to me like
you’re reframing poverty.” And I thought, well, OK, that’s the title. I like it
since that’s a lot of what I do as a consultant - helping clients reframe the
issues they’re facing so they can find new opportunities for action. Hopefully
that’s what the book does for readers.
Tell us
about the cover design process. Did you have a basic idea of what your book
cover would be like?
I was
very involved in generating ideas for the cover design. I probably started out
a little too left-brained, trying to represent both the “reframing” and the
“poverty.” As the cover design evolved, it became a little less “on the nose,”
which is a good thing. I have gotten positive comments about the cover, and I
think the professional look of it is on the level of more traditional
publishers’ titles.
Who is
your cover designer and how did you find him/her?
Victoria
Wolf of Red Wolf Marketing designed my cover. Polly Letofsky (mentioned above)
introduced me to Victoria.
How was
your experience working with the designer?
I had a
good experience working with Victoria. She and I were able to exchange ideas, and then she would
quickly send me some mock-ups of the options we had discussed so I could
provide some feedback and we could move forward.
What has
been the readers’ response to your cover?
Readers
have said nice things about the cover. For example, some have said they like
that the poor area in the front of the image is in color while the skyscrapers
in the back are black and white. They see that as breathing life into the
concept of poverty, which is something I had intended to do with both the cover
and the text.
What tips
would you give to authors who are looking for a cover designer?
Get
started early on the cover. Of course the design cannot be finalized until
you’re done with the layout, the ISBN, etc., but hopefully you can get pretty
close with the overall concept.
Anything
else you’d like to say about your book?
I thought
the book would be more controversial than it has been. In fact, I’ve been
pleasantly surprised by the two awards the book has won. I think this is
because even though some of the points I make are quite provocative, the
sincerity with which I approach the issue comes across in the writing. And I
think the blend of provocation and sincerity is key to the book’s success in
creating a rewarding experience for the reader.
About the Book:
We
typically view poverty as a technical problem we can solve with more
money, more technology, and more volunteers. But there is an adaptive
side to the problem of poverty as well. Reframing Poverty directs
our attention to the emotional and often unconscious mindsets we bring
to this issue. Meade’s approach is as unique as it is challenging.
Rather than trite tips or tricks, he offers a series of nested insights
from diverse fields like political science, physics, complexity theory,
and psychology. Most importantly, he provides a path of self-exploration
for those eager to become the kind of people who can successfully
navigate the tensions of a world in need.
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