Pitch Perfect Submission Story: “Bobby Byrd Is A Poet” for Texas HighwaysIn the midst of my crazy-making summer, Bobby Byrd died. Bobby Byrd was one half of the incomparable duo that made up Cinco Puntos Press before they sold to Lee+Low last year. Cinco Puntos put Chicano, Border, and Texas literature on the map at a time when New York could care less. Bobby passed in July and I was extremely honored to be able to write this profile of a great man for a great Texas magazine. The Pitch: “I was heartbroken to see Bobby Byrd, one-half of the incomparable duo that ran Cinco Puntos Press in El Paso for over 30 years, passed on this July. Bobby (and Lee, his wife, still living) were beloved members, not just of the El Paso and Texas border communities, but also of the children’s publishing community at large. Bobby and Lee Byrd founded Cinco Puntos press in 1985 with the goal of championing diverse voices in Texas and Hispanic storytelling (and specifically children’s literature), long before either children’s literature or the diversity surrounding it was on the mind of the publishing industry. Bobby and Lee’s Cinco Puntos Press stood first behind the careers of many pre-eminent authors in children’s literature spaces—Luis Alberto Urrea, Isabel Quintero, Rudolfo Anaya, and more. By all accounts, Bobby was a joy to be around, forever passionate about his and Lee’s work, and always put kindness first. I got to experience that kindness first hand when I met Bobby and Lee at the Texas Library Association Conference in 2014. I grew up reading Cinco Puntos’ La Llorona by Joe Hayes and readily credit that publication with jumpstarting my literary interests and surrealist writing streak. I was overcome to meet the Byrds in person at the conference and asked them to sign a copy of the book, which I still have. They threw in a free (and very unique) “Honk If You’ve Seen La Llorona” bumper sticker, which is famous in my Nashville community. When I totaled my car at the start of the pandemic, Bobby offered to send me another bumper sticker to affix to my next ride—which I readily did. I would love to write a profile on Bobby and Lee Byrd to commemorate all the work they’ve done for children’s literature and diverse authors. I feel I can offer a more unique look at their work, due to my decades of work as a children’s librarian. Given how supportive the Byrds have been to writers and how readily they have communicated with me in the past, I feel certain I can secure an interview with Lee Byrd, Bobby’s other half. Would this profile be of interest to Texas Highways, perhaps for a Made in Texas feature? Timeline: I sent this pitch on July 19th. Mike, the editor, (who I have worked with before frequently) replied three hours later stating that another piece in their going-to-print issue had fallen through and they needed a replacement stat and wondered if this would work. Only problem? They only had 400 words to spare. That was not my ideal situation but I took it. Then, come to find out that the editor had mis-read and the CP Bookstore that he thought was still open and operating wasn’t any longer. But since we’d already agreed to the project (and he’d offered me a price), we agreed to write it for the online magazine. Which honestly, was exactly what I wanted because it meant I could go longer. The Writing: The editor specified that I should get a quote from Dagoberto Gilb and gave me his email. I came up with a list of a couple other people I knew I wanted to talk to as well — Lee Byrd, David Bowles, and Joe Hayes being a few. But as it always happens when you’re dealing with a beloved human subject, Lee Byrd told me to call Isabel Quintero, and Joe Hayes told me to get in touch with Rus Bradford, lending me even more stories and wondrous details I was dying to include. Bobby was a massive figure, not just in Chicano publishing, but in the poetry world as well. Everyone I spoke to demanded that I characterize Bobby the way Bobby characterized himself—a humble poet. He left a long trail of lovely friends and his sudden death left them reeling. When I spoke to most, it almost seemed like the loss had yet to really become real for them. Most spoke about him as if he was still alive. Hence the title “Bobby Byrd is a Poet,” which was the working title I gave to the editor and we went with it (with some editorial tweaking.) After several phone calls and emails and reading that left me with a treasure trove of quotes, I wrote a draft. I wrote it longer than the 800 words that is the usual for online pub. I turned the first draft in on August 1. The Editing: This piece was edited by Michael Hoinski, who is a boss. Mike was able to zero in on all the things I had left out because I ran out of room and gave me space and the freedom to add them in. On most comments, he would put one word or phrase and it would be all I needed—”When? Where’s he from? Why again?” He copyedits like a dream, retaining your voice while still keeping that journalistic integrity and flair. We did one revision to cover the big questions, then minor copyedits, photos, and last minute questions. I turned in the final revision on August 7th and the story published on August 11.
Pay: $400
Read the essay here. ____________________________________________________________________ P.S. I am seeking pitch perfect/submission stories for this newsletter! Did you have a pitch that landed? Did a story that got rejected 287982 times finally find a home? Share your story. Email me at lisa@allthingswords.com.
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