147: The Author/Editor Team - Interview with Jenni Walsh and Bess Cozby

Hey there word nerds! Today we're doing something a little bit different. I have the pleasure of interviewing both a debut author, Jenni Walsh, and the editor who helped bring the book to life, Bess Cozby!  Bess may be familiar to some of you in the word nerd community, since aside from being an editor at Tor/Forge Publishing Bess is also the web editor at DIY MFA. Today this awesome author-editor team gives us a window into the side of publishing we rarely get to see, as we discuss what went into bringing Jenni's debut novel, Becoming Bonnie, to the shelves. In this episode Jenni, Bess, and I discuss: How to expand a concept to a broader audience, and how an editor can help you strategize for a long term career. How to use pieces of historical information as "guide posts" to shape your narrative and write a historical figure, like Bonnelyn Parker, who lacks a lot of historical documentation. How to create a strong author-editor relationship and why this can make your book even stronger. The less glamorous—but still important—parts of the publishing process, like what the editor does (aside from editing) to bring an awesome book to the shelves. How to juggle several writing projects, a full time job, and a family all at the same time. Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/147