Long story short, I’m living off what I earn through my writing right now. This isn’t so bad, except writing income tends to arrive over the course of months, and is less than helpful when you need money right away. So to meet some expenses in the meantime, I’m hiring myself out as a manuscript editor and self-publishing a guidebook for writers who want to get their work into print.
The Starter Guide for Professional Writers is a whole-picture handbook that helps you finish your story (whether by the age old butt-in-chair method or with the help of your imaginary friends), revise it, and publish it—whether online, in a magazine, though an Indie press, or with a New York publisher. The publishing industry looks really scary at first, but I think too many talented writers let themselves become so intimidated they never take the first steps to publishing, and getting paid for, their work. Over the years I’ve guided many friends and fellow newbies in the day-to-day of writing and selling, now I’ve written down my experience and advice to guide you all the way from the blankness of page one to the challenge of letting readers know your book is there on the shelves.
I’m running an IndieGoGo campaign as a way to take ‘pre-orders’ of the book and to raise some money for formatting, design, and distribution expenses. As encouragement I’m offering not only signed copies of the book but also the chance to get your first chapter reviewed b yours truly—or your entire manuscript if you want to be my hero. The campaign is here: http://igg.me/at/pro-writers-starter-guide/x/447089
Even if you’re not a writer, you can help out by signal boosting and by considering the purchase of my books (or any books; anything you buy after clicking through the affiliate links on my webpages will earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you).
About Therese
Therese Arkenberg's first short story was accepted for publication on January 2, 2008, and her second acceptance came a few hours later. Since then they haven't always been in such a rush, yet her work appears in places like Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Analog, Daily Science Fiction, and the anthology Sword & Sorceress XXIV. Aqua Vitae, her science fiction novella, was released by WolfSinger Publications in December 2011.
She works as a freelance editor and writer in Wisconsin, where she returned after a brief but unforgettable time in Washington, D.C. When she isn't reading, writing, or editing (it's true!) she serves on the board of the Plowshare Center of Waukesha, which works for social, economic, and environmental justice.