{"id":4143,"date":"2022-12-01T14:49:49","date_gmt":"2022-12-01T14:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/?p=4143"},"modified":"2022-12-01T14:49:50","modified_gmt":"2022-12-01T14:49:50","slug":"thanks-it-has-pockets-an-interview-with-jess-driscoll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/2022\/12\/thanks-it-has-pockets-an-interview-with-jess-driscoll\/","title":{"rendered":"Thanks, It Has Pockets! An Interview with Jess Driscoll"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This week on the <a href=\"https:\/\/microcosm.pub\/podcast\">People&#8217;s Guide to Publishing podcast<\/a>, we <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/sxP08v8kiFw\">talked with Jess Driscoll<\/a> about her sweet new book, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/catalog\/books\/13358\">The Magic of Pockets: Why Your Clothes Don&#8217;t Have Good Pockets and How to Fix That<\/a><\/em>. We had a great conversation about traditional and underground publishing (Jess is a <a href=\"https:\/\/jessdriscoll.itch.io\/\">longtime zinester<\/a>, blogger, and multi-media creator), what it was like working together (including some solid advice for coming up with and pitching a book idea), and of course our many and big feelings about pockets in clothes! Below the video, you can read the answers to some more questions Jess kindly answered for us, plus her original pitch that sold us on the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&quot;Thanks, it has pockets!&quot; with Jess Driscoll (Magic of Pockets) (A People&#039;s Guide to Publishing)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sxP08v8kiFw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What inspired you to write your book?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In August 2018, I made a zine every day, and one of them was called, <em>Thanks, it has pockets!<\/em>, titled after a viral tweet about how femmes compliment each other\u2019s clothes. It was a tiny, messy guide to how to sew pockets into your clothes, and I always thought I might go back and make it a longer zine. Then in September 2018, I visited Portland and the Microcosm store, and I immediately recognised that the zine could be a book, and it might belong on those shelves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"764\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-zine-764x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-zine-764x1024.png 764w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-zine-224x300.png 224w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-zine-768x1029.png 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-zine.png 842w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jess and one of her many zines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What was it like to publish with Microcosm?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It felt like working on a project with friends. I met Elly and Joe in 2019, and it just confirmed to me that I wanted to publish a book with Microcosm. I\u2019m a teacher in my daily life and a DIY kinda person at heart; I was already writing instructional zines. Elly was a great editor, always there with gentle nudging reminders and helpful suggestions for this first time author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What was the submission\/query process like for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have been thinking about publishing since I was a teenager, so I\u2019ve read every book and website about the querying process. But the submission guidelines on Microcosm\u2019s website were so comprehensive and clear that I just followed them exactly. I workshopped the pitch with my two closest friends, then sent it in. I woke up the next morning to an enthusiastic acceptance!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do you still have your original query to us? Are you willing to share it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yep! Here it is:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Thanks, It Has Pockets! How to Alter Your Clothes and Cut Down Capitalism is do-it-yourself guide for sewing pockets into store-bought, pre-made clothing, the kind that never seems to come with pockets built-in. While many sewing books teach by guiding students through the construction of an entire garment, this book has a tight focus for those who don\u2019t want to sew their whole wardrobe, who simply want to learn a skill to make life a little better. This book is a practical guide to a single alteration that makes a big difference.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks, It Has Pockets! fits among Microcosom\u2019s DIY titles, like Fix Your Clothes, Bread of the Resistance, and Honing Your Craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks, It Has Pockets! How to Alter Your Clothes and Cut Down Capitalism contains step-by-step instructions and line drawings to sew six simple pockets, along with suggested alterations to give the reader freedom to create exactly the pockets their wardrobe needs, while sidebar essays and lists teach a short history of pockets. All of these projects can be sewn by beginners, and most can be made by hand, no machine required.<\/p>\n<cite><em>[note: Jess&#8217;s original pitch included an annotated table of contents which was excellent but we&#8217;re not sharing it here because it&#8217;s also very long!) <\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"832\" height=\"932\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-dress-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-dress-1.png 832w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-dress-1-268x300.png 268w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-dress-1-768x860.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 832px) 100vw, 832px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A full view of the amazing, handmade Strawberry Shortcake dress Jess is wearing in the podcast video<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What else have you written?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In another lifetime, I thought I might fiction, but for the last five years, my focus has been nonfiction and zines. Most of them are <a href=\"https:\/\/jessdriscoll.itch.io\/\">free to download on itch.io<\/a>. This year, I started making zines on a livestream so the audience can watch me write and do layout and follow the whole process. As someone who has been blogging since 2001, I enjoy seeing works in progress as much as the finished product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What are you currently reading?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a long few years of not having the attention span for books, I\u2019ve been trying to read again. Currently, I\u2019m in the middle of Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman and Easy Beauty by Chlo\u00e9 Cooper Jones, and I\u2019m rereading Animal Farm by George Orwell because I\u2019m teaching it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the best book you read in the last year?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/a\/1273\/9780593189481\">Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times<\/a><\/em> by Katherine May. I started a year ago after reading<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/04\/05\/opinion\/katherine-may-winter-covid.html\"> a Charlie Warzel article which referenced it<\/a>. Even though <em>Wintering<\/em> was written before the pandemic, it\u2019s the perfect pandemic book, about seasons and cycles and quiet living. I picked it back up again in the spring of 2022 and finished it, like the universe knew exactly what I needed at that moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s next for you?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I haven\u2019t pitched my next book yet, but I\u2019m thinking a lot about living alone, how life changes with the seasons, and boredom.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where can people find you online?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jessdriscoll.com\/\">Jessdriscoll.com<\/a> is my website, and I write a regular newsletter, which will be the best place to connect with me going forward. I\u2019m feeling burned out on social media (again), and I\u2019d love nothing more than to spend the next year reading and writing and hiking rather than spending time on someone else\u2019s platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Any in-person events coming up soon?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would love to do some events! But it just isn\u2019t safe yet. The pandemic isn\u2019t over. I was sick in February 2020, and this year, I\u2019ve been dealing with a chronic fatigue like I\u2019ve never felt before. And then I got Covid in September. But I\u2019ve been planning some videos for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCQ1Jw3tmRxLW89yvgWLkArA\">my YouTube channel<\/a>, and I\u2019m available for your podcast!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week on the People&#8217;s Guide to Publishing podcast, we talked with Jess Driscoll about her sweet new book, The Magic of Pockets: Why Your Clothes Don&#8217;t Have Good Pockets and How to Fix That. We had a great conversation about traditional and underground publishing (Jess is a longtime zinester, blogger, and multi-media creator), what&#8230;  <a class=\"excerpt-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/2022\/12\/thanks-it-has-pockets-an-interview-with-jess-driscoll\/\" title=\"Read Thanks, It Has Pockets! An Interview with Jess Driscoll\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[14,11,26],"class_list":["post-4143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blogifesto","tag-books","tag-interviews","tag-podcast"],"my_excerpt":"<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This week on the <a href=\"https:\/\/microcosm.pub\/podcast\">People's Guide to Publishing podcast<\/a>, we <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/sxP08v8kiFw\">talked with Jess Driscoll<\/a> about her sweet new book, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/catalog\/books\/13358\">The Magic of Pockets: Why Your Clothes Don't Have Good Pockets and How to Fix That<\/a><\/em>. We had a great conversation about traditional and underground publishing (Jess is a <a href=\"https:\/\/jessdriscoll.itch.io\/\">longtime zinester<\/a>, blogger, and multi-media creator), what it was like working together (including some solid advice for coming up with and pitching a book idea), and of course our many and big feelings about pockets in clothes! Below the video, you can read the answers to some more questions Jess kindly answered for us, plus her original pitch that sold us on the book.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:embed {\"url\":\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/sxP08v8kiFw\",\"type\":\"video\",\"providerNameSlug\":\"youtube\",\"responsive\":true,\"className\":\"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/sxP08v8kiFw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:embed -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>What inspired you to write your book?<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In August 2018, I made a zine every day, and one of them was called, <em>Thanks, it has pockets!<\/em>, titled after a viral tweet about how femmes compliment each other\u2019s clothes. It was a tiny, messy guide to how to sew pockets into your clothes, and I always thought I might go back and make it a longer zine. Then in September 2018, I visited Portland and the Microcosm store, and I immediately recognised that the zine could be a book, and it might belong on those shelves.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":4192,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-zine-764x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4192\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jess and one of her many zines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>What was it like to publish with Microcosm?<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It felt like working on a project with friends. I met Elly and Joe in 2019, and it just confirmed to me that I wanted to publish a book with Microcosm. I\u2019m a teacher in my daily life and a DIY kinda person at heart; I was already writing instructional zines. Elly was a great editor, always there with gentle nudging reminders and helpful suggestions for this first time author.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>What was the submission\/query process like for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I have been thinking about publishing since I was a teenager, so I\u2019ve read every book and website about the querying process. But the submission guidelines on Microcosm\u2019s website were so comprehensive and clear that I just followed them exactly. I workshopped the pitch with my two closest friends, then sent it in. I woke up the next morning to an enthusiastic acceptance!<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Do you still have your original query to us? Are you willing to share it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Yep! Here it is:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Thanks, It Has Pockets! How to Alter Your Clothes and Cut Down Capitalism is do-it-yourself guide for sewing pockets into store-bought, pre-made clothing, the kind that never seems to come with pockets built-in. While many sewing books teach by guiding students through the construction of an entire garment, this book has a tight focus for those who don\u2019t want to sew their whole wardrobe, who simply want to learn a skill to make life a little better. This book is a practical guide to a single alteration that makes a big difference.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Thanks, It Has Pockets! fits among Microcosom\u2019s DIY titles, like Fix Your Clothes, Bread of the Resistance, and Honing Your Craft.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Thanks, It Has Pockets! How to Alter Your Clothes and Cut Down Capitalism contains step-by-step instructions and line drawings to sew six simple pockets, along with suggested alterations to give the reader freedom to create exactly the pockets their wardrobe needs, while sidebar essays and lists teach a short history of pockets. All of these projects can be sewn by beginners, and most can be made by hand, no machine required.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><cite><em>[note: Jess's original pitch included an annotated table of contents which was excellent but we're not sharing it here because it's also very long!) <\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":4194,\"sizeSlug\":\"full\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-dress-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4194\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A full view of the amazing, handmade Strawberry Shortcake dress Jess is wearing in the podcast video<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>What else have you written?<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In another lifetime, I thought I might fiction, but for the last five years, my focus has been nonfiction and zines. Most of them are <a href=\"https:\/\/jessdriscoll.itch.io\/\">free to download on itch.io<\/a>. This year, I started making zines on a livestream so the audience can watch me write and do layout and follow the whole process. As someone who has been blogging since 2001, I enjoy seeing works in progress as much as the finished product.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>What are you currently reading?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>After a long few years of not having the attention span for books, I\u2019ve been trying to read again. Currently, I\u2019m in the middle of Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman and Easy Beauty by Chlo\u00e9 Cooper Jones, and I\u2019m rereading Animal Farm by George Orwell because I\u2019m teaching it.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the best book you read in the last year?<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/a\/1273\/9780593189481\">Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times<\/a><\/em> by Katherine May. I started a year ago after reading<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/04\/05\/opinion\/katherine-may-winter-covid.html\"> a Charlie Warzel article which referenced it<\/a>. Even though <em>Wintering<\/em> was written before the pandemic, it\u2019s the perfect pandemic book, about seasons and cycles and quiet living. I picked it back up again in the spring of 2022 and finished it, like the universe knew exactly what I needed at that moment.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>What\u2019s next for you?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I haven\u2019t pitched my next book yet, but I\u2019m thinking a lot about living alone, how life changes with the seasons, and boredom.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Where can people find you online?<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jessdriscoll.com\/\">Jessdriscoll.com<\/a> is my website, and I write a regular newsletter, which will be the best place to connect with me going forward. I\u2019m feeling burned out on social media (again), and I\u2019d love nothing more than to spend the next year reading and writing and hiking rather than spending time on someone else\u2019s platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Any in-person events coming up soon?<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I would love to do some events! But it just isn\u2019t safe yet. The pandemic isn\u2019t over. I was sick in February 2020, and this year, I\u2019ve been dealing with a chronic fatigue like I\u2019ve never felt before. And then I got Covid in September. But I\u2019ve been planning some videos for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCQ1Jw3tmRxLW89yvgWLkArA\">my YouTube channel<\/a>, and I\u2019m available for your podcast!<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","my_excerpt_rendered":"\n<p>This week on the <a href=\"https:\/\/microcosm.pub\/podcast\">People&#8217;s Guide to Publishing podcast<\/a>, we <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/sxP08v8kiFw\">talked with Jess Driscoll<\/a> about her sweet new book, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/catalog\/books\/13358\">The Magic of Pockets: Why Your Clothes Don&#8217;t Have Good Pockets and How to Fix That<\/a><\/em>. We had a great conversation about traditional and underground publishing (Jess is a <a href=\"https:\/\/jessdriscoll.itch.io\/\">longtime zinester<\/a>, blogger, and multi-media creator), what it was like working together (including some solid advice for coming up with and pitching a book idea), and of course our many and big feelings about pockets in clothes! Below the video, you can read the answers to some more questions Jess kindly answered for us, plus her original pitch that sold us on the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&quot;Thanks, it has pockets!&quot; with Jess Driscoll (Magic of Pockets) (A People&#039;s Guide to Publishing)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sxP08v8kiFw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What inspired you to write your book?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In August 2018, I made a zine every day, and one of them was called, <em>Thanks, it has pockets!<\/em>, titled after a viral tweet about how femmes compliment each other\u2019s clothes. It was a tiny, messy guide to how to sew pockets into your clothes, and I always thought I might go back and make it a longer zine. Then in September 2018, I visited Portland and the Microcosm store, and I immediately recognised that the zine could be a book, and it might belong on those shelves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"764\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-zine-764x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-zine-764x1024.png 764w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-zine-224x300.png 224w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-zine-768x1029.png 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-zine.png 842w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jess and one of her many zines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What was it like to publish with Microcosm?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It felt like working on a project with friends. I met Elly and Joe in 2019, and it just confirmed to me that I wanted to publish a book with Microcosm. I\u2019m a teacher in my daily life and a DIY kinda person at heart; I was already writing instructional zines. Elly was a great editor, always there with gentle nudging reminders and helpful suggestions for this first time author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What was the submission\/query process like for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have been thinking about publishing since I was a teenager, so I\u2019ve read every book and website about the querying process. But the submission guidelines on Microcosm\u2019s website were so comprehensive and clear that I just followed them exactly. I workshopped the pitch with my two closest friends, then sent it in. I woke up the next morning to an enthusiastic acceptance!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do you still have your original query to us? Are you willing to share it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yep! Here it is:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Thanks, It Has Pockets! How to Alter Your Clothes and Cut Down Capitalism is do-it-yourself guide for sewing pockets into store-bought, pre-made clothing, the kind that never seems to come with pockets built-in. While many sewing books teach by guiding students through the construction of an entire garment, this book has a tight focus for those who don\u2019t want to sew their whole wardrobe, who simply want to learn a skill to make life a little better. This book is a practical guide to a single alteration that makes a big difference.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks, It Has Pockets! fits among Microcosom\u2019s DIY titles, like Fix Your Clothes, Bread of the Resistance, and Honing Your Craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks, It Has Pockets! How to Alter Your Clothes and Cut Down Capitalism contains step-by-step instructions and line drawings to sew six simple pockets, along with suggested alterations to give the reader freedom to create exactly the pockets their wardrobe needs, while sidebar essays and lists teach a short history of pockets. All of these projects can be sewn by beginners, and most can be made by hand, no machine required.<\/p>\n<cite><em>[note: Jess&#8217;s original pitch included an annotated table of contents which was excellent but we&#8217;re not sharing it here because it&#8217;s also very long!) <\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"832\" height=\"932\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-dress-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-dress-1.png 832w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-dress-1-268x300.png 268w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/jess-dress-1-768x860.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 832px) 100vw, 832px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A full view of the amazing, handmade Strawberry Shortcake dress Jess is wearing in the podcast video<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What else have you written?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In another lifetime, I thought I might fiction, but for the last five years, my focus has been nonfiction and zines. Most of them are <a href=\"https:\/\/jessdriscoll.itch.io\/\">free to download on itch.io<\/a>. This year, I started making zines on a livestream so the audience can watch me write and do layout and follow the whole process. As someone who has been blogging since 2001, I enjoy seeing works in progress as much as the finished product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What are you currently reading?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a long few years of not having the attention span for books, I\u2019ve been trying to read again. Currently, I\u2019m in the middle of Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman and Easy Beauty by Chlo\u00e9 Cooper Jones, and I\u2019m rereading Animal Farm by George Orwell because I\u2019m teaching it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the best book you read in the last year?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/a\/1273\/9780593189481\">Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times<\/a><\/em> by Katherine May. I started a year ago after reading<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/04\/05\/opinion\/katherine-may-winter-covid.html\"> a Charlie Warzel article which referenced it<\/a>. Even though <em>Wintering<\/em> was written before the pandemic, it\u2019s the perfect pandemic book, about seasons and cycles and quiet living. I picked it back up again in the spring of 2022 and finished it, like the universe knew exactly what I needed at that moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s next for you?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I haven\u2019t pitched my next book yet, but I\u2019m thinking a lot about living alone, how life changes with the seasons, and boredom.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where can people find you online?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jessdriscoll.com\/\">Jessdriscoll.com<\/a> is my website, and I write a regular newsletter, which will be the best place to connect with me going forward. I\u2019m feeling burned out on social media (again), and I\u2019d love nothing more than to spend the next year reading and writing and hiking rather than spending time on someone else\u2019s platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Any in-person events coming up soon?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would love to do some events! But it just isn\u2019t safe yet. The pandemic isn\u2019t over. I was sick in February 2020, and this year, I\u2019ve been dealing with a chronic fatigue like I\u2019ve never felt before. And then I got Covid in September. But I\u2019ve been planning some videos for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCQ1Jw3tmRxLW89yvgWLkArA\">my YouTube channel<\/a>, and I\u2019m available for your podcast!<\/p>\n","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4143"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4195,"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4143\/revisions\/4195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}