As much as I like seeing my byline online, I still get a real charge out of seeing my name in an old-school print publication, so I was pretty jazzed to find a copy of The Michigan Companion in my snail mail box the other day.
The Michigan Companion, published by Omnigraphics, is an encyclopedia with more than 1,200 entries covering people, places, history, events, and a whole host of other things that made our Mitten State what it is today.
I was one of 25 contributors credited in this 800-plus-page volume, and my topics included women's suffrage, civil rights, the furniture industry in Michigan, lighthouses, various immigrant groups prominent in Michigan's history, traffic firsts in the state, Idlewild, the history of several major Michigan retailers, and Elizabeth Denison Forth (who became Michigan's first African-American property owner with her purchase of land in Pontiac in 1825).
Interestingly enough, the work came to me in large part because of Midwest Guest and my coverage of Great Lakes lighthouses here on the blog.
It was also an interesting reminder of how long the publishing cycle can be for print. I wrote my entries in late 2009, and they're finally reaching the bookshelves now!
Want to learn more about Michigan history? Look for The Michigan Companion in the reference section at your local library, or purchase your own copy online.
© Dominique King 2011 All rights reserved
Congratulations! What a neat opportunity, and I love that it came about because of your blog.
Posted by: Sarah V. | November 28, 2011 at 08:42 AM
Sarah-Thanks!
You know, when I sat down and thought about it, all of the recent writing gigs I've gotten came my way in large part because of the blog! In this particular case, a friend from another online forum knew about my blog and recommended me to the book's editor when asked about other writers. Even more to the point, I'd just done one of my lighthouse stories...and that was the first entry the editor asked me about writing for the book.
Posted by: Dominique King | November 28, 2011 at 09:50 AM
Woo hoo, congratulations! Quite an accomplishment!
Posted by: WorkMomTravels | November 28, 2011 at 10:14 AM
Francesca-Thanks!
It was an interesting project, and I'd love to do more similar work. There were times when I wondered if the book was ever going to come out :lol:
Posted by: Dominique King | November 28, 2011 at 11:50 AM
Congratulations! I found your blog in a google search over a year ago, about silent film, but I've found it interesting to follow for all its other content too.
Posted by: Randy | November 28, 2011 at 11:29 PM
Nice, a big congrats to you!
Posted by: Charlie | November 30, 2011 at 05:29 PM
Randy-Thanks for stopping by! I do love silent films...and they'll occasionally find their way into the blog. Did catch the story I did just after this one about Gloria Pressman?
Charlie-Thanks! It was fun to finally see the book :)
Posted by: Dominique King | November 30, 2011 at 06:21 PM