PCC Instructor Wins NYC Big Book Award

A book on self-publishing authored by a Pasadena City College instructor has been named the winner of the 2020 NYC Big Book Award in the writing and publishing category, the organization announced this week.

Stacy Dymalski’s “The Memoir Midwife: Nine Steps to Self-Publish Your Book” claimed the honor.

Despite the pandemic, the competition remained strong this year, according to a statement from a representative for Dymalski, with entries flooding in from six continents.

In addition to being an author, screenwriter, producer, and comedian, Dymalski had begun teaching courses on self-publishing and story development at Pasadena City College last year, before the pandemic prompted its cancellation. But she said she hopes to be back in a classroom soon.

“I’m branded as the memoir midwife because I help people find, write and share their stories in the form of books and movies. I’m a story developer,” she said.

“And I enjoy it. I love helping people figure out how to make their stories work. And I think there’s always a way that you can do it,” according to Dymalski. “No matter what the story is, you can always find the right way to tell it, to make it relatable and interesting.”

A complete list of this year’s NYC Big Book Award winners is posted online at nycbigbookaward.com/2020winners.

More information on Dymalski and her book, which is available at major bookstores and on Amazon, is available at thememoirmidwife.com.