For writers and authors
Advice and practical help for writers.
I work with writers on story and manuscript development, publishing questions, connecting with readers, and the marketing plan that holds it all together.
There are lots of ways we can work together. Some folks need to talk through uncertainties about the industry or their work. Others need a deep dive into agents working in their genre, a launch plan, or a website. There’s always plenty to talk about.
Talk to Sean→The first 20-minute call is free and confidential.
How I can help
Three overlapping approaches.
We can take problems one at a time, but they rarely stay separate for long. A manuscript question turns into a publishing question, and a launch turns into a website project.
Writing & Publishing
The manuscript, and what happens to it next.
Advice
We can brainstorm revisions, revive a stalled manuscript, discuss that six-figure deal, or improve your creative routines.
Hands-on work
Manuscript analysis and development plans. Research into agents who represent your genre, so you query the right people. Submission plans, introductions to editors, agents and other people in the business where it makes sense, accountability strategies and more.
- Creative brainstorming and idea development
- Feedback on drafts in progress
- Regular check-ins to keep the writing going
- Traditional, independent and small-press options
- Agent research and query lists
- Using available tools for research and inspiration, keeping the creative flame pure
Marketing
Getting the book in front of readers.
Advice
Who is the audience, where do they gather, how do we reach them? What’s the plan that leaves you the most time for what matters most, the writing?
Hands-on work
I help find the channels that get your work in front of the people who care the most. Festivals, conferences, podcasts, media, and more. From there we build a plan and supporting materials to make everyone’s job easier.
- Build a memorable narrative around you and your book
- A publicity plan that won't get in the way of your writing
- Launch timelines that fit the rest of your life
- Strategic outreach to media, libraries, bookstores, and festivals
- A press kit that makes it easy for people to say yes
- New life for a book that didn't get the support it needed the first time around
Design
Author websites and visual identity.
Advice
We plan and build a site that supports your work and career over time. There’s room for the books you haven’t written yet, and we pick the setup that suits how you like to work.
Hands-on work
Every site is designed from scratch for you, with nothing from a template. It loads fast, stays secure, and connects to your newsletter and social accounts, so readers get the same picture of you wherever they find you.
- Author websites, custom designed and built on platforms that you can actually use
- A look and feel that suits and supports your books
- Bios, book pages and press material, built so editors and festivals can find what they need fast
- Training so you can update the site yourself, without calling me every time
- A clear, well-organized website that search engines can read and describe accurately
- Your own domain and email address, in your name
Experience and work
More than 30 years in the book business.
I came up as an independent bookseller in the age before Amazon, and I’ve watched the business remake itself several times since. I’ve run a literary awards program, spent fifteen years producing a reading series that put more than 300 writers on stage, and sat on arts council juries and advisory committees. Now I work with writers directly, helping them stay focused while they finish books, find readers and get published.
More about Sean→Begin with a conversation
Tell me what you’re working on.
You don’t need to have it figured out. Almost nobody does.
We'll talk about your current project, how it fits with the vision for your work, and where the openings are in a business that doesn’t always explain itself.
By the end of the call we’ll both know whether I can help, and how.
Talk to Sean→The first 20-minute call is free and confidential.
