Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in Aviation

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Few figures loom larger in aviation history than Amelia Earhart. Yet after hundreds of books, countless documentaries, and nearly a century of speculation, how much do we actually know about the woman behind the legend?
In this episode, Laurie Gwen Shapiro talks about her bestselling book, The Aviator and the Showman. Drawing on newly digitized interviews, archival discoveries, and years of research, Laurie argues that the real mystery of Amelia Earhart isn't what happened to her at the end of her final flight—it's understanding who she was as a person.
We explore Earhart's journey from social worker and hobby pilot to international celebrity, the complicated role publisher and promoter George Palmer Putnam played in her fame, and the tension between aviation skill, public image, and advocacy. We also discuss the extraordinary ways Earhart used her platform to champion both aviation and women's rights.
Along the way, we venture into the world of some of Earhart's remarkable contemporaries, including Eleanor Smith, Louise Thaden, Lady Mary Heath, Bessie Coleman, and Jackie Cochran. We also talk about the challenges—and rewards—of writing history that is deeply researched, rigorously sourced, and unafraid to embrace the complexity of its subjects.
Whether you're a lifelong Amelia Earhart enthusiast or someone who has wondered why she continues to captivate the public imagination nearly a century later, I think you'll find this conversation both thought-provoking and illuminating. And if you're a writer hoping to dig into a different historical mystery, you'll learn from Laurie's expertise as an author, journalist, and professor of journalism. 

Buy the book: 

https://literaryaviatrix.com/book/the-aviator-and-the-showman/

Some links we discuss in the episode: 

NASM Amelia Earhart Project Recordings: https://sirismm.si.edu/EADpdfs/NASM.2020.0025.pdf

Archive Grid: https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/

Book Finder: https://www.bookfinder.com
Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available on Bookshop.org, you'll find a link to it on the book page. By shopping through the Literary Aviatrix website a small portion of the sale goes to support the content you love, at no additional cost to you. https://literaryaviatrix.com/shop-all-books/
Thanks so much for listening!

Stay up to date on book releases, author events, and Aviatrix Book Club discussion dates with the Literary Aviatrix Newsletter. 
Visit the Literary Aviatrix website to find over 600 books featuring women in aviation in all genres for all ages. 
Become a Literary Aviatrix Patron and help amplify the voices of women in aviation. 
Follow me on social media, join the book club, and find all of the things on the Literary Aviatrix linkt.ree. 

Blue skies, happy reading, and happy listening!

-Liz Booker

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What happens when a family scrapbook opens a door into a forgotten chapter of aviation history?
Author Cindy Weigand never intended to become a historian of women in aviation. While sorting through her late mother's belongings, she discovered scrapbooks and newspaper clippings connected to her great-uncle Jack, a barnstormer of the 1920s. What began as a family history project soon became a deep dive into the remarkable women pilots who shared the skies during aviation's Golden Age. 
In this conversation, Cindy and I discuss her novel Mavis Perkins: Flying Journalist, a work of historical fiction inspired by the real women aviators of the 1920s. Together we explore the world of barnstormers, air races, flying clubs, Billy Mitchell's controversial warnings about air power, and the women who flew alongside Amelia Earhart whose stories are rarely told today. 
The conversation also touches on Cindy's earlier work documenting Texas women who served during World War II, the challenges of historical research, self-publishing, and her efforts to adapt these stories for film.
If this history piques your interest, you might enjoy my Aviatrix Classics discussions with Dr. Jacque Boyd and Captain Jenny Beatty. You can find our latest conversation about Ruth Nichols, one of Mavis’ Snooty Skylarks in Cindy’s book, on the Literary Aviatrix website, YouTube Channel, and podcast. https://literaryaviatrix.com/ruth-nichols/
Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available on Bookshop.org, you'll find a link to it on the book page. By shopping through the Literary Aviatrix website a small portion of the sale goes to support the content you love, at no additional cost to you. https://literaryaviatrix.com/shop-all-books/
Thanks so much for listening!

Stay up to date on book releases, author events, and Aviatrix Book Club discussion dates with the Literary Aviatrix Newsletter. 
Visit the Literary Aviatrix website to find over 600 books featuring women in aviation in all genres for all ages. 
Become a Literary Aviatrix Patron and help amplify the voices of women in aviation. 
Follow me on social media, join the book club, and find all of the things on the Literary Aviatrix linkt.ree. 

Blue skies, happy reading, and happy listening!

-Liz Booker

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If you’ve ever wondered whether self-publishing is the right path—or how to do it without getting overwhelmed or taken advantage of—this conversation is for you.

In this episode, I talk with publishing consultant Polly Letofsky, founder of My Word Publishing, to walk through what self-publishing actually looks like behind the scenes. From maintaining your rights to building the right editorial team, Polly breaks down the process with honesty, clarity, and a few hard-earned lessons.

Using my own book-in-progress as a real-time example, we explore what happens when an author books a consult, what it really costs to publish well, and how to avoid the most common (and expensive) mistakes.

If you’ve got a story in you this episode is a roadmap for getting it into the world the right way.

In This Episode, We Talk About:
•Why Polly built a publishing model where authors keep 100% of their rights and royalties
•The difference between bad decisions vs. getting ripped off in publishing
•What actually happens during a self-publishing consult
•The real cost breakdown of publishing a professional-quality book
•Why editing is non-negotiable (and what kind you actually need)
•How to think about book length, structure, and audience
•The pros and cons of including photos in your book
•Why authors should not rush the final stages of publishing
•How Amazon KDP vs. Ingram impacts your distribution strategy
•What royalties really look like—and how authors make money
•The role of AI in writing and publishing (and where it falls short)

Key Takeaways
1. You don’t have to give up control to publish well.
Polly’s entire model is built around authors maintaining ownership—from ISBNs to royalties to final decisions.
2. Editing is where your book becomes your book.
Developmental, copy line, and proof editing all serve different purposes—and skipping them shows.
3. Your publishing “team” matters more than you think.
Editors, designers, and layout specialists aren’t interchangeable. The right fit changes everything.
4. Distribution strategy should match your goals.
If you’re speaking, selling at events, or reaching niche audiences, platforms like Ingram matter.
5. Don’t rush the finish line.
That final stretch is where good books either become great—or stay just good.

Resources Mentioned
•Polly Letofsky – My Word Publishing mywordpublishing.com
•Polly’s “Publishing 101” video https://youtube/HJRkczc9m08?si=7WlDI9S3jsuWbiu8
•Aviatrix Writer’s Room resources:
oInterview with literary agent Amy Collins https://literaryaviatrix.com/amy-collins/ 
oInterview with hybrid publisher Brooke Warner https://literaryaviatrix.com/brooke-warner/
oInterview with editor Marilyn Noble https://literaryaviatrix.com/professional-editing/
oInterview with book promoter Jen Coburn https://literaryaviatrix.com/book-promotion/

Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available on Bookshop.org, you'll find a link to it on the book page. By shopping through the Literary Aviatrix website a small portion of the sale goes to support the content you love, at no additional cost to you. https://literaryaviatrix.com/shop-all-books/
Thanks so much for listening!

Stay up to date on book releases, author events, and Aviatrix Book Club discussion dates with the Literary Aviatrix Newsletter. 
Visit the Literary Aviatrix website to find over 600 books featuring women in aviation in all genres for all ages. 
Become a Literary Aviatrix Patron and help amplify the voices of women in aviation. 
Follow me on social media, join the book club, and find all of the things on the Literary Aviatrix linkt.ree. 

Blue skies, happy reading, and happy listening!

-Liz Booker

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Heidi Porch was 540 miles east-northeast of Hawaii when her engine began losing oil pressure.
She was 500 feet above the Pacific when she turned off the master switch and prepared to ditch.
In this episode, Heidi joins me to talk about Ditching the Sky, her gripping memoir of ferrying single-engine Cessnas across the Pacific in the 1980s—and the day her engine quit over open ocean.
We talk about:
Growing up with a dream of becoming an airline pilot
Building time as a glider pilot and ferry pilot
Flying 17-hour legs over open ocean without autopilot
Trusting your instincts when your “little voice” says something isn’t right
Calling a Mayday when others aren’t convinced
Engineering your own ditching plan mid-flight
Surviving impact
Climbing into a life raft in the open ocean
Being rescued during the Cold War by a Soviet refrigeration vessel
And going on to fly the DC-9, Airbus 320, Boeing 747-400, Airbus 330, and Gulfstream 500
We also talk about writing the book decades later, self-publishing, narrating her own audiobook—and the unexpected recognition that followed.
This is a story about preparation, intuition, resilience, and the long arc of a career that almost ended before it began.
Buy the book: https://literaryaviatrix.com/book/ditching-the-sky/
Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available on Bookshop.org, you'll find a link to it on the book page. By shopping through the Literary Aviatrix website a small portion of the sale goes to support the content you love, at no additional cost to you. https://literaryaviatrix.com/shop-all-books/
Thanks so much for listening!

Stay up to date on book releases, author events, and Aviatrix Book Club discussion dates with the Literary Aviatrix Newsletter. 
Visit the Literary Aviatrix website to find over 600 books featuring women in aviation in all genres for all ages. 
Become a Literary Aviatrix Patron and help amplify the voices of women in aviation. 
Follow me on social media, join the book club, and find all of the things on the Literary Aviatrix linkt.ree. 

Blue skies, happy reading, and happy listening!

-Liz Booker

Send us Fan Mail
Australian private pilot and author Fran West joins me to talk about her remarkable three-month journey flying around the coastline of Australia in a Cessna 172—an adventure she later captured in her photo-rich journal, Plane Reflections.
What began as inspiration from the 1978 aerial circumnavigation known as “Pelican’s Progress” became Aus Flight ’99—a meticulously planned, shoestring-budget flight completed with grit, humility, and hard-earned wisdom.
Fran shares what it really takes to execute a marathon aviation journey:
·       52 charts
·       67 flight plans
·       75 mainland airstrips + 15 in Tasmania
·       101 landings
·       Multiple weather turn-backs
·       And the emotional weight of flying in a community that didn’t always support her
We talk about:
·       Growing up inspired by aviation books (and inheriting a library of them)
·       Becoming a private pilot while building a career as a librarian
·       Navigating male-dominated flying spaces
·       The curious scrutiny around “solo” flights
·       Why turning back is not failure
·       Writing and self-publishing Plane Reflections
·       And an unforgettable chocolate cake “mud map” story
This conversation is about aviation, resilience, self-trust, and doing the dream.
Buy the book on Etsy.
Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available on Bookshop.org, you'll find a link to it on the book page. By shopping through the Literary Aviatrix website a small portion of the sale goes to support the content you love, at no additional cost to you. https://literaryaviatrix.com/shop-all-books/
Thanks so much for listening!

Stay up to date on book releases, author events, and Aviatrix Book Club discussion dates with the Literary Aviatrix Newsletter. 
Visit the Literary Aviatrix website to find over 600 books featuring women in aviation in all genres for all ages. 
Become a Literary Aviatrix Patron and help amplify the voices of women in aviation. 
Follow me on social media, join the book club, and find all of the things on the Literary Aviatrix linkt.ree. 

Blue skies, happy reading, and happy listening!

-Liz Booker