Whit Munroe.
Author. Photographer. Metaphore maker. And an all-around delightful woman to talk to.
Whit and I got chatting about all things "you plus me equals infinity", websites, photography and love. We ate Tim Tams and lost track of time. She did her first-ever interview with me, and I realised that I not only talk too much but write too much too. Can you blame me? She's an interesting lady and I had SO many questions. Here are the ones we got to- I still have so many more!
J: Tell me a little about your book. What can readers expect from "you plus me equals infinity"?
W:
"you plus me equals infinity" is a celebration of love - it looks at the best in each of us and how we can come together to love each other. Over the past 3 years, I have been inspired by love (love of myself and love of others), and this book was born from those experiences. I have also travelled around the world, both by myself and with my partner, and the book features the photography that we have taken during our travels. The book is a beautiful combination of both words and photography, combining two of my passions into one hardcover book.
J:
You certainly have a way with words AND imagery, including your photography in the book. What came first: the eye or the voice? Did your love of the visual develop into poetry- a way to describe what you couldn’t show- or did your love of words need a visual counterpart?
W:
The words came first. When I was 12 years old and started writing in my very first Winnie the Pooh diary. I have kept a diary for most of my life and words have been a constant companion, although I didn't start writing poetry until around 4 years ago. Poetry runs in my blood; I am often inspired by my grandmother who wrote poetry and published two poetry books.
In 2018, I met my partner. He is a passionate photographer and early on in our relationship, we often went on dates where we would walk around the city or in local parks and take photographs. With his help and support, I was then inspired to combine my poetry with our photography. The end result is "you plus me equals infinity"!
J:
Oh wow, so the writing is in the family?
W:
Yes, writing runs in the family, along with various forms of artist endeavours and education! Not only did my grandmother write poetry, but so did my great-great-grandmother as well. One of the books my grandma published includes her poetry as well as my great-great grandma's poetry. One day, I plan to publish a poetry book that includes all of our poetry - three different generations of women writers! It's incredible how many similarities there are between all of our poems and stories.
J:
Oh my god, that is so cool! What a great plan to have all three generations in one book. That would be something very special.
So, you could almost say that your partner showed you another side of you, tapping into a talent you already had but just didn't know about.
W:
Yes, definitely. I always enjoyed taking photos, but I never considered myself a photographer until he and I started collaborating. He showed me all the technical aspects to taking photos and I combined that with my own personal photographic eye. Now, I will often grab his fancy camera and go spend an afternoon taking photos!
J:
That's so cool. And why have you decided to join them together into one book, rather than keep them separate passions?
W:
Two main reasons: 1) I enjoy mixing different art forms together and 2) I get bored. Having multiple passions means I am constantly switching from project to project, always keeping things interesting. By combining poetry and photography into one project, I was able to stay engaged and passionate about the book. There were many months when I didn't feel like writing, so I would edit photos instead. And when I was unable to go out and take photos [due to Covid-19 related lockdown in Victoria], then I was able to work on book design or editing poetry. Plus, by combining different art forms, I feel that I am contributing something a bit new and unique to the world.
J: What a great way to approach it. We all know the struggling to focus on one project when your heart isn't in it.
W:
Yes, exactly. I also like to switch it up, try something new and expand my skillset. My next book of poetry will be poetry and pen illustrations. I've never done illustrations before - I'm enjoying the challenge!
J:
Do you think images in poetry books is becoming a more common thing? Is there something in that that people are resonating with?
W:
Absolutely - people value and enjoy pieces that make them feel something, art that moves them in some way. By combining illustrations, photography, or other artistic forms with words, the reader is engaging with the words in a whole new way. It adds a layer of depth to the experience, particularly when the words and the images complement each other, or expand on the feeling that is being evoked.
J:
I suppose that's like surround sound. You're not just watching the helicopter being blown up on your screen; you're surrounded by the sound of the explosion.
Only, it's surround sound for your heart and mind.
Let’s talk about the visual stuff for a moment, because I’m in love with your website and Instagram thread. Are all your photos in your book and on your platform your own work? Where do you get the inspiration for them?
And what inspired your deluxe art cards? Are they something you’ve seen before and wanted to do? They’re beautiful by the way.
W:
Yes, all of the photos are either mine or Sebastian's. At the back of "you plus me equals infinity", there is a list of all the photos featured in the book and the associated photographer. I wanted the book to fully represent us, both as individuals and a couple, so we went to great lengths to take photos that complemented the poems. And sometimes, the photos themselves inspired the poem, rather than the poem inspiring the photo.
When I was considering developing a product line to compliment "you plus me equals infinity", I wanted to create products that were a bit more unique. Rather than printing notecards, I thought the Deluxe Art Cards would be a beautiful way to showcase the photography and poems. They are truly incredible - you have to hold one, feel the weight of it, to really value the Art Cards. The photos on my website don't do them justice!
J:
Does having a keen eye for the visual help in putting together a website or social media platform? What are your tips for those who struggle with images?
W:
I wouldn't say I'm an expert at visual design. Most of what I have learned has been self-taught. I taught myself how to use Adobe Photoshop about 10 years ago (out of a desire to learn how to hand-code my own website). When I decided to write a book 3 years ago, I taught myself to use Adobe InDesign and Illustrator. I've also trailed many different apps and have learned how to make animated gifs, videos, and other media.
J:
That's amazing! That stuff intimidates me so much. Haha
W:
My biggest tip is: do what you love. I genuinely love visual design and can spend hours working on various design projects (just this morning I was designing a new logo and sticker for my upcoming project). If you have the passion and will, then you can do anything (especially with the help of YouTube videos)! Leverage off of others' expertise, especially when you are learning something new.
[The Adobe programs] can be intimidating; if you are feeling that way, my other piece of advice is: find a friend to talk you through the basics. Once you know the basics of how the program works, you can then jump off and explore on your own. Sometimes all you need is to get over the first hurdle.
J:
That's great advice for the tech/visual design challenged!
Speaking of your website, which platform have you built your website on and how easy was it to set up? Is there a secret to a great website?
W:
My website was an experience in gritted teeth and pulling hair. In short, no, there is no secret to a great website. I re-designed mine about 4 times before I was happy, and even still it is limited in some aspects. I use Wordpress.com to design my website; they have various templates that you can choose from, many of which require some experience and expertise to navigate and edit. It is easy to stick with a form template, but if you want to develop a website that truly captures your unique brand, then you will need to customise it. One thing I will say about WordPress - their customer service is excellent. Every time I have had a question, I sent them a chat message and they replied quickly, working through the problem with me. That support is invaluable!
J:
That's great to know. It's so hard to pick a platform to work on, and once you do there is so many more steps to getting it looking right and live. It can be overwhelming to start.
Switching gears now, can you tell me about your publishing journey? First up, I’ve been dying to ask, how did you come up with your title? Do you think there’s a trick to finding the perfect title and cover for a book?
W:
Deciding on the title for this book of poetry was effortless - it came to me when writing one of the poems. You may not know this, but I began my career in education as a secondary mathematics teacher. When I was growing up, solving equations and completing math problems wasn't something that came naturally to me - I had to work hard in all of my math classes in order to learn. I enjoyed the challenge and the feeling of reward when I found the solution. In a small and beautiful way, this book title combines my love of math and my love of writing, while also highlighting the effort and dedication required for both.
J:
Oh my god, I love that!
W:
I also wanted the title to be functional, to provide a way to structure the book. The title, "you plus me equals infinity", is divided up into 4 sections in the book: 1) You 2) Me 3) You + Me and 4) Infinity. I thought this was a simple yet beautiful way to organise the contents of the book, whilst also leading the reader on a journey.
My mum actually said it best. After reading the book, she said, "I loved how the book shows each of you individually, as unique, individual people, and then you came together to form a relationship. It reminded me of what's important in life."
It was the most heart-warming feedback I've received so far :)
J:
Let’s talk publishing nitty-gritty…
How did you go about publishing? What were some of your successes and failures during your publishing journey?
W:
I decided to self-publish "you plus me equals infinity" because I wanted complete freedom and control over my book, and I was impatient! I was keen to get the book printed as soon as possible; what I failed to realise was that I would have to learn an entirely new skill set in order to do this. The benefit of this is that I now have the knowledge of how to design manuscripts, how to size manuscripts appropriately for printing, the various technical aspects of printing a book, etc. I also trailed a few different printing companies, quickly learning that not all printers are created equal. In the end, I decided to print with Blurb, which is a print-on-demand service very similar to Amazon (although not as widely known). One of the benefits of Blurb is that they specialise in printing photography; in fact, the print quality of their books was high and above the other companies I trailed.
J:
A lot of people don’t discuss it, but I’m curious to know how you decided on the price of your book. For those who don’t know, it’s 216 pages, hardcover, with coloured images coming to $48 a pop. Did you set this price, and if so, how did you come to that amount?
Also, poetry has had a less than favourable stigma attached to it over the years- less so now, but still pretty prevalent. Do you think people will appreciate the value of your book at $48 AUD for what some might consider as “just” poetry?
W:
The price of my book is $35; when you purchase it on my website, the final price of $48 includes shipping and handling, packaging, and credit card processing fees. If you happen upon my stall at one of the local Melbourne markets, you skip all the additional fees and pay the $35.
Determining the price of my book was a conundrum for me. I researched the market and saw that most hardcover books were selling for anywhere between $35 and $40. Because my book is printed in colour, the cost of printing 216 pages is $30.26 per book. Thus, if I sell the book for $35 cash, I make $4.74 per book. If the customer pays with a credit card, I pay $1.01 in fees, making $3.73 per book. I debated for weeks about whether or not I should increase the price but, ultimately, I wanted my book to be accessible so that it could bring joy to others. I also considered printing in black and white because that would decrease the product cost significantly, but again, I didn't want to compromise the quality and effect of the photographs. Ultimately, I am content with the price and believe that "you plus me equals infinity" is worth the $35 :)
J: Thank you for being so transparent about your costs/royalty rate. It can be so hard to decide on pricing and deciding what your art is "worth". What exactly is a heart worth? And more importantly, how do you know what other people might think your heart and soul in a physical form is worth? Money is such a touchy subject for many but talking about it can make it easier for others to feel more at ease with their choices.
Moving on…
Poetry can be a rough gig. In my experience, you go into publishing expecting NOT to sell a lot of your books- but cross your fingers anyway. How has your experience been? How do you view success?
W:
[It’s] been heart-warming and disheartening at the same time. Of course, we all have expectations and hopes about what will happen, and let me tell you, I have had to re-adjust my expectations a few times. But I don't view that as a negative; this is a learning experience for me. Everything I learn now will help me when I publish my next book. I feel successful every time someone picks up my book and smiles, whether or not they purchase it. Knowing that my words and photographs have influenced another human being is all the success I need. Seeing people interact with my book has been the most rewarding part of the whole experience.
J: That's such a beautiful and healthy approach.
One of the reasons I’m doing Your Story in 2021 is because we often jump in and out of peoples DMs, but we don’t really know anyone. Until last year I didn’t know you! Tell me three things about yourself that I, and everyone reading this blog post, don’t know about you.
W:
1. I am grateful to be living on the land of the Boon Wurrung people and I pay my deepest respects to their elders past, present and emerging. Aboriginal peoples have cared for this land and waters for tens of thousands of years; culture and history runs deep in these lands. It is one of my personal life-long goals to continually educate myself about Aboriginal history, culture and peoples, and to advocate for social justice and equality.
2. I have a weakness for cheese, all types of cheese.
3. My favourite book is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
J:
And lastly, what are your writing goals in the coming years? Will you stick to poetry and prose or do you have secret plans to be a romance novel author in the future? What can we expect to see from Whit Munroe?
W:
Let's just say that my writing goals will be keeping me busy for decades to come! I am currently working on another book of poetry and illustrations, due to come out late this year or early 2022. I also have a couple of novels in the works, but those won't be completed for a few years at least. And yes, you nailed it, I do have a couple of romance novels planned for the future! But, more than anything, I write about what inspires me, the experiences in life that engage and impact me, and the feelings that move me. You can expect to see a lot from me in the future - I have momentum and I'm running with it!
J: OOH! How exciting! I will definitely be following your journey, eager to read all your work and share all my favourite bits with the world.
Thanks so much for your time and sharing Your Story, Whit.
That's all this month. I really enjoyed chatting with Whit and can't wait to see what she brings us next.
Next up we have an old school mate of mine, the newly published Alex Clifford!
I am so excited to talk to Alex about her debut novel, The Mark of Things Unwanted.
Alex is such a sweet and funny person. She sent me a message back in February 2020, asking about my experience with publishing. Her exact words were "I’m thinking about potentially maybe possibly looking into publishing a book." Only 11 months later and she now has a book in her hand!
I have been so blown away by how much she has accomplished in the past year, and I can't wait to bring you that interview.
See you back here on 10th March, with more Your Story in 2021.