Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Helen J. Darling.
Helen is the author of two humorous women’s fiction novels: Terms and Conditions and I’ll Know Me When I Find Me. She is also the resident self-publishing expert and columnist at DIY MFA.
Helen worked in publishing for twenty years before acknowledging she’d like to write something herself. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she dabbles uncontrollably in hobbies from photography and painting to gardening, carpentry, and home renovations. She reads three or four books at a time. She also keeps bees. That’s why she takes so long to write her novels.
You can learn about her latest distractions by joining her mailing list or following her on social media. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two children, a codependent beagle, and a cat who owns them all.
In this episode Helen and I discuss:
- How working in academic publishing led to Helen’s writing career
- The flexibility that comes with self-publishing
- How self-publishing has changed
- Why writers choose self-publishing over traditional
- The two most important people on your self-publishing team
- Choosing the right people for your self-publishing team
- An overview of the editorial and publishing process
- The main parts of a book launch
Plus, her #1 tip for writers.
About Helen J. Darling
Helen J. Darling is the author of two humorous women’s fiction novels: Terms and Conditions (forthcoming) and I’ll Know Me When I Find Me.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two children, a codependent beagle, and a cat who owns them all. Helen worked in publishing for twenty years before acknowledging she’d like to write something herself. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she dabbles uncontrollably in hobbies from photography and painting to gardening, carpentry, and home renovations. She reads three or four books at a time. She also keeps bees. That’s why she takes so damned long to write her novels.
You can learn about her latest distractions by visiting her website, joining her mailing list or following her on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and BookBub.
Terms and Conditions
An ambitious single woman. A lifelong goal within reach. Will Manhattan’s unexpected challenges turn her fantasy into a disaster?
After ten lackluster years in a dead-end job, Jane Desmond can’t wait to pursue her enduring ambition of a career in the glittering NYC literary scene. But the city starts throwing her curveballs the moment she arrives and what’s worse, her nervous mother, petrified for Jane’s safety, won’t stop texting her. Determined to reclaim her sanity, Jane posts a selfie challenge to prove to her mom she’s living the dream.
As she struggles to find an apartment and blows critical interviews, her online pics tell a very different tale. Caught up in a web of social lies, Jane digs herself deeper with every update. Worried that she doesn’t have what it takes to make it in the city and on the verge of calling it quits, she races the clock to get her life together before her parents and friends learn the sad truth.
Can Jane get comfortable in her own skin before the deception comes crashing down around her?
Witty and endearing, Terms and Conditions follows Jane as she discovers the thrill, the challenge, and ultimately, the joy of living truly for herself.
If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!
Link to Episode 304
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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!
