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Getting Published
- Is it easier to get an agent or a publisher?
- How can I find an agent?
- Will a publisher read my manuscript without an agent?
- What material should I send to an agent or publisher?
- What is the standard rate for e-book royalties?
- What is reasonable to expect in my contract?
- Can I negotiate?
- What are the pros and cons of self-publishing vs a small press?
Coaching: Bringing the Dream to Print
A positive approach opens the way to fresh insight, both in writing and in publishing. I enjoy cheering on fellow writers. We share with each other the same human impulse to create as artists who painted on cave walls thirty thousand years ago. But after 22 years of publishing internationally, I also have the experience to address the concrete issues that every published writer has to face in the electronic age.
The Grind
Before I began writing fiction full-time I was—believe it or not!—a chartered accountant. This is how it came about. I’d planned on being a writer ever since, at the age of ten, I discovered that not all authors were dead. But after graduating from university with an honours English degree, I got a deadly boring entry level office job, where I was treated like a stupefied idiot. At the end of every day, I was too tired and demoralized to write, and, at the age of twenty-two, gave up on my hope of ever being a “real?writer.
The Journey to Knowledge
I wanted to be a something, anything that would put me in a place where I’d be treated like a human being. I wanted to become my own boss because I am a bossy person, and I could only afford to go to school part-time. Accounting fit the bill, and I attended university 3 nights a week for several years, while working full time as an indentured accounting student, in order to get my credentials. After sitting for a series of exams, I passed and immediately struck out on my own. I had an uncommon ability, understanding both numbers and words, which allowed me to carve out a consulting niche.
Success
For the next ten years, I had my own small accounting practise while writing in a garret. Then in 1999, The River Midnight became a best-seller, and I was able to quit accounting. More books followed. The garret is now the third floor of the house I own.
From Knowledge to Wisdom
Now I’m on the other side of the equation as a writer with an accounting background. After 22 years of writing and publishing, I find myself answering a lot of common questions about the practical side of the writing life. In my coaching practise, I focus on writers?strengths. As a writer and as a writing teacher, I have discovered that’s the way to keep enthusiasm alive and energy strong.
Together, we can bring your dream to fruition. Sessions available by phone, chat, or Skype.
To book a session, please contact me.
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