WOMEN in the SPOTLIGHT
Inside: Women in the Spotlight is a series of interviews that highlight successful entrepreneurs, educators, small business owners, and online influencers with the goal to inspire, educate, and motivate other women in their personal and professional lives. If you’d like to be featured in the series, email YOUR story to Karenferguson@illuminatecommunications.org
Questions with Diane O'Connell, author and editorial director of Write to Sell Your Book
What inspired you to start your own business and how long did it take before it became profitable?
When I first started working for Random House, it was possible to offer a deal to an emerging author who may have needed a lot of work to get the story into shape. Working with authors to develop their manuscripts was my favorite part of the job! But as publishers began to merge, things became much more bottom-line oriented. The job of staff editors became much more about acquiring manuscripts that were already polished and “marketable” and less about developing authors. So it became very frustrating for me. I also saw that there was a need for aspiring authors to work with experienced editors to help them develop their work so they could compete in the marketplace and be taken seriously.
When I first started out, I was very careful about not having a lot of overhead, so I was profitable right from the start. In the 25+ years I’ve been in business, I’ve kept that practice. I invest when I see that a service or product can help me grow my business and divest when a service is no longer justifying the expense.
What is your background and how did you develop the skills to start your business?
I have a pretty eclectic background. I originally set out to become an actor – so my training was in acting, singing, and dancing. I spent six years pounding the pavements, acting in regional and off-off Broadway productions – mostly musicals. Interestingly, I still use the skills I developed back then to this day. It takes a lot of persistence, organization, flexibility, ability to focus deeply, and people skills to be a working actor.
What actually changed my direction from the theater world to the world of publishing was my work as a temp secretary in between acting gigs. I got to experience different industries from the inside: finance, advertising, and publishing. When I landed a temporary job at Random House, I truly found my calling. I was lucky enough to work for a very generous editor who nurtured me and kept me on as a freelancer. When a full-time position opened, I went for it. It was there at Random House that I developed my editing skills and ability to work with authors.
What inspires your work and what sets you apart from everyone else?
This may sound clichéd, but I am constantly inspired by my authors/clients. Their dedication to learning the craft, to putting in the hours to make their work the best it can be, and their creativity all inspire me.
What sets me apart from other book editors is the way I work with clients. I don’t just write detailed critique letters and make comments in the margins. Instead, I work one-on-one in an intensive way with my clients. After reading their manuscripts multiple times, I create a custom workbook that acts as an in-depth roadmap for our work together. Then we either meet face-to-face or on Zoom and go through everything together. Our time together is an invigorating creative session. Writers need to be able to bounce ideas off someone else – and I know how to prod them to get to the heart of what they need to do. When they come away from our sessions, they know exactly how to revise — or finish — their book.
I’m also different in that I can work with authors at the very beginning stages. This is particularly helpful for business owners who want to write a book to brand their business. The process can be overwhelming to them. I have the advantage of having written a book to brand my own business, so I come at the process as both an author and an editor.
Diane working with Alka Dhillon, author of The OM Factor: A Woman’s Spiritual Guide to Leadership
How do you advertise your business? What do you do to attract new clients/readers/subscribers, and what do you do to retain them?
I get my clients from multiple sources: my website, which has a sign-up form for my bi-weekly newsletter; conducting writing workshops for organizations around the country; my listing in a well-respected book (Jeff Herman’s Guide to Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents); referrals from past clients; social media; and my book, The Novel-Maker’s Handbook.
To retain clients, I am always available to them to answer questions and offer guidance, even after a job has completed, and I go over and above the work that they have contracted for. I also have many different kinds of offerings that may fit them at various stages of their writing careers. So if they’re not sure or are working on a tight budget, they can start off with a Zoom Power Hour and continue from there. I find it’s sometimes a lot easier to sign up new clients with a modest offering so they can see whether we work well together. It’s good for me, too. It both helps with cash flow and getting to know my client well before committing to a more robust plan.
How do you define success, and has that changed over time?
For me, success is being able to create my business the way I want to, to change things up when new ideas come to me, and to have the freedom to work when and where I want to. Also, to be able to attract clients I love to work with without too much effort.
Early on as I was figuring out exactly what my business was going to be, I was more focused on income being the marker of success, but when I started focusing on the parts of my business that bring me joy, I found that quality clients came to me much easier.
How do you stay balanced and healthy in your life and business?
That’s always a challenge! I make sure to spend time with my loved ones, including my pets – they come before everything else. Also, I try to keep myself physically fit by going to the gym regularly, walking, and cooking. Most of all, I have other outlets that give me great joy: I sing with a couple of choirs, I love to paint, and I try to spend as much time as I can in nature.
Who are your favorite/most influential podcasters/authors/bloggers/experts?
Jane Friedman has one of the best blogs/newsletters out there for authors. I also subscribe to Daniel Doan’s newsletter. He’s a brilliant copywriter, and he’s very generous with his knowledge. For podcasts, I listen to the Novel Marketing Podcast and Something You Should Know. And for relaxation and riveting storytelling, I love the podcasts Heavyweight and The Moth.
Think about any particular process, tactic, app, program, etc. that you use that makes running your business (and life) easier, and please share what it is and how it helps you.
Instacart certainly came in handy during the pandemic, and I use it when I’m in a time crunch to this day.
To be honest, I’m not real big on using apps and programs. I find they sometimes make things more complicated than they need to. The most important one for me is Quickbooks. Even though I have a bookkeeper and accountant, I do most of the entries myself. It saves me a ton of time during tax season, as well as money.
Mostly, though, I find that doing simple things like shutting my office door, which is a signal to myself, as well as my husband and my pets, that I’m working intensely on something and don’t want to be disturbed. I also quit out of my email program and silence my phone while I’m working on something, which helps keep me focused instead of being in response mode.
One thing that saves a ton of time and keeps me organized: I set up a system of hanging files with colorful labels that lets me know at a glance where each client is in the process.
Zoom has become an absolutely essential part of my business. I’ve actually been using Zoom for years, but only occasionally — until the pandemic hit. I had to convert all my in-person intensives and retreats to Zoom. Now, it’s become an integral part of my business. For instance, in the past, I would do potential client intakes by phone. Now I use Zoom and find I have a much higher conversion rate. Also, having the flexibility of doing my intensives via Zoom gives my authors/clients more options — especially if they don’t want to travel to New York City.
Diane with Jacqueline Freedman, author of Updraft: The Aerodynamics of Great Leadership
If a young woman just starting out came to you for advice on how to make a living doing what they love, what would you tell her?
Learn from the experts! Don’t try to figure it all out on your own. Join organizations in your field. Early on, I got so much support from an editorial alliance I joined. If you can, also find a networking group of other women Entrepreneurs. You can learn so much by tapping the expertise of others who are in different businesses than you. It helps to open your mind to other ways of doing things. I was lucky enough to belong to an organization called In Good Company. It was not only a co-working space with conference rooms, but a place where other entrepreneurial women would share their business skills with others. Sadly, it no longer exists, though I still retain the friends I made there to this day. And I still rely on my editorial alliance for professional and emotional support.
One other piece of advice: don’t devalue your expertise. I find that women have a hard time charging what they’re worth. Often, I’ll see women allow themselves to be bargained down because they’re afraid of losing the job. A man would never do that! Don’t allow a potential client to bargain you down on your prices. If it’s a matter of budget, offer a more modest service rather than cutting your price. You’ll get better clients that way.
What’s your favorite quote and who originally said it?
“I love having written.” — Dorothy Parker
Why I love this quote: in only four words, Parker encapsulates the struggle all writers have in getting that first draft down, and the satisfaction that comes from actually having done it. Coming from a legendary author, this quotation also gives all us other writers comfort that writing’s not easy – even for the best authors.
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Diane O'Connell is the author of The Novel-Maker’s Handbook: the no-nonsense guide to crafting a marketable story, winner of the Independent Publisher’s Award for best writing/publishing book of 2015. A former editor at Random House, she is currently editorial director of Write to Sell Your Book, a full-service author resource, which specializes in helping authors achieve publishing success and attract high-paying clients. Diane’s author/clients have garnered six-figure advances from major publishers and been featured in such media markets as Oprah, The Today Show, and TED Talks.
She makes her home in New York with her husband, a Golden Retriever, and a cat.
Website: https://www.writetosellyourbook.com
Link to sign up for her bi-weekly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/writetosellyourbook.com/wtsyb-newsletter-signup
Link to get the FREE template: How to Write a Client-Attracting Book:
http://www.writetosellyourbook.com/write-a-client-attracting-book-template/
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