Creator Five: Phyl Campbell
Phyl Campbell’s creative works in the literary and gaming worlds share a storytelling approach.
Whether sharing her own written works and games or helping to publish other authors, one of our area's most prolific in getting books to audiences is certainly Phyl Campbell, author, and champion of our local literary creatives.
Phyl celebrated one hundred books published of her own or for other authors this summer. She also organized and held the Splash! Book Carnival in Dover, Pennsylvania, whose proceeds benefitted the nonprofit, Autism at Face Value. Let's continue our look with five answers for our Creator Five series.
1) Campbell's passion for publishing is evident, and she's obviously well-versed in doing so. The publishing industry has changed drastically in the past few years and continues to do so, and it's often seen as providing unnecessary roadblocks for authors. Phyl comments on the topic, "I am incensed by gatekeeping. Most gatekeeping stems from people not knowing what they don't know and thinking that they need to preserve some abstract aspect of quality by getting someone else to judge them worthy -- whatever that means."
"I've been self-publishing for over a decade. I don't enter the contests anymore. I don't submit to agents or publishers anymore unless something is just absolutely calling me to do so."
"Just like in relationships, everybody is the right thing for somebody. Everybody could do more to help connect artists to their audiences. While we live in a world where so much is determined by dollar values, artists need help from people who know how to sell. In the publishing world, that does not mean getting a traditional publishing contract, and few people really understand that well because of the smear campaign the trad pub community has launched."
2) Word use and grammar are everyday tools for authors and concerns for publishers. Misuse can be a pet peeve. As Campbell notes, "Minor is relative, but this is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, I am driven crazy by errors in grammar and mechanics because I interpret what I read literally. On the other hand, I am sad when people are afraid to write messages to me because they're afraid I'm correcting their grammar. Or they apologize over and over."
"Look, typos happen. Autocorrect happens.”
“Clever Mermaid” is one of Phyl Campbell’s self-published games.
3) When helping others with their writing projects, Phyl is in a position to offer insights gathered from her own experiences in and out of publishing.
"Commit to doing the thing. Whatever your thing is. Don't wait until you're perfect, because you'll get in your own way. But I also don't think you have to work uninspired. I think you can wait for inspiration, but you have to look for it. Allow even the tiniest spark to move you."
"I still haven't learned when moving is just spinning my wheels, and that's OK."
“Wired Pie” was written by Campbell at age eight and was just released for sale.
4) Someone who has published one hundred books has read more than their fair share and must have favorites. And perhaps it's because of that large number that she asked to "flip" the question and tell us about artists.
"I tell everybody about the art of Krissy Whiski -- she even painted a scene from a dream that I had. Very cool local artist."
"As a kid, my favorite artist was Josephine Wall. She combined my love of fantasy art and made it accessible and affordable in the form of puzzles."
5) Perhaps it's in the books that Phyl wouldn't need to travel far for her favorite day trip.
"Dreamland! I know -- most people have to go away to see things and do things. I get the same energies from reading a book, watching media, or especially dreaming. I write what the voices in my head tell me to, and a really good writing session beats a crowded airport or highway over and over and over!!"
And fortunately, we don't have to travel far to find Phyl's works!