Gold Medal 2015 IPPY Winner
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May 12, 2015

Congratulations to Elaine Mansfield Leaning into Love: A Spiritual Journey through Grief, by Elaine Mansfield (Larson Publications) has been awarded a national gold medal for the best book in the category Aging/Death & Dying from the world’s largest book awards contest. The Independent Publisher Book Awards, known as the IPPY, honor the year’s best titles from around the world published by academic, small and independent… [Read More]

Connecting Writers with Readers: Fox Cities Book Festival
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April 21, 2015

The Fox Cities Book Festival is April 20-26 in Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, Kaukauna, Little Chute, and Kimberly, Wisconsin. This book festival aims to connect writers with their readers and readers with those who write the books they read. During my first week of residency in Wisconsin, I plan to partake in this celebration of books. Throughout the week authors share their works through readings, panel… [Read More]

Jill Swenson relocates to Appleton, WI, on April 15, 2015
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April 7, 2015

  After more than twenty years in the Ithaca area, Jill Swenson moves to Appleton, Wisconsin this month. She arrived from Athens, Georgia, in 1992 to teach at Ithaca College and stayed in 2002 when she left the golden handcuffs of tenure behind. Living off the land and off-the-grid, she and her husband raised deer, elk, and bison. When Sam Warren died in 2009, she… [Read More]

Why You Need Your Very Own Writer’s Community
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March 31, 2015

  Writing is a lonely business. Sitting for hours, working and reworking the same scenes, trying your best to deal with rejection and still maintain some kind of hope… A caring partner or friend may give encouragement and support. But eventually, the hardworking writer will need more than even the most sympathetic supporter can provide. When this happens,  the writer needs to set up her own… [Read More]

Book Awards and Prizes
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March 10, 2015

Awards and prizes can be a fantastic complement to an author’s credibility, marketing strategy, and overall “brand.” The urge to apply for as many as possible is quite tempting. Yet when your book is newly published and you are considering the many choices, it is wise to step back and make an informed decision. Rather than send out of a flood of submissions, make a… [Read More]

Getting the editorial feedback you need
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January 6, 2015

Will you read what I’ve written? As soon as I think I’ve finished writing a new piece, there’s that irresistible urge to get feedback from a reader. What do you think, eh? It’s more than yearning for instant ego gratification. That’s pretty nice, too. But it won’t help me take my writing to the next level. The sense of accomplishment from getting it down on… [Read More]

Read more books in 2015
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December 30, 2014

If you are a writer who seeks publication, you need to read. Yes, more books. I often hear from writers who tell me they don’t read because they don’t want to be influenced by others’ works. Bah Hambug! Everything is a Remix! To combine or edit existing materials produces something new. Original ideas aren’t created in a vacuum. You don’t read because you don’t have… [Read More]

Top 10 Books of 2014
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December 16, 2014

It’s December and I reflect back on the books I’ve read this year which stand out above all others from my vantage as a book development editor. Here’s my top 10 list of great new books and why I think these works will stand the test of time. Fiction #1 A Tale for the Time Being  by Ruth Ozeki – March 2013 In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old… [Read More]

Giving Tuesday: An Interview with Mariam Raqib, Exec Dir Afghanistan Samsortya
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December 2, 2014

When I met Mariam Raqib at her Boston office at Simmons College, where she teaches Political Science, she welcomed me in with a warm, calming presence. From her gentle demeanor, one would never anticipate the weight of Mariam life’s story nor the power of her life’s mission. When she speaks about her organization and her work in Eastern Afghanistan, though, she does so with great… [Read More]

Who will review your book?
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November 4, 2014

As an author, this is a critical question to ask yourself as you begin to plan and write your book proposal. You’ll need to provide a list of reviewers as part of your marketing and publicity plans. Book reviews come in all sizes, colors, and styles these days. Once the purview of literary critics, many book reviews have turned into book reports. Remember fourth grade?… [Read More]