April 2016 Program

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Editing self-published authors

The world of self-publishing is exploding, and authors themselves must get their books into readers’ hands. For independent editors, this presents new opportunities. But how do you start? What types of services can you offer? How do you find authors? And how can you make your services affordable and, at the same time, meet your own expectations for pay?

On Tuesday, April 26, Sharon A. Crawford, Ali Cunliffe, and Susan Viets will share their considerable experience and knowledge on self-publishing from both the editor and the writer perspectives. The three panellists will offer a wealth of tips and stories to help you decide if this is an area of editing for you.

Sharon A. Crawford, a former journalist, is a freelance memoirs and fiction writer, writing consultant and instructor, blogger, book reviewer, editor, and actor. She is the author of the Beyond mystery series and the short story collection Beyond the Tripping Point (Blue Denim Press, 2012). Her latest novel, Beyond Blood, was published by Blue Denim Press in fall 2014. She has appeared with her Beyond mystery books, along with other Crime Writers of Canada authors, in libraries and cafés. Sharon also belongs to Sisters in Crime and the Toronto Heliconian Club, and she runs the East End Writers’ Group.

Ali Cunliffe worked at the Toronto Star for more than 30 years, mostly as an editor. She’s supposed to be retired, but she loves tinkering with other people’s words and just can’t stop. She has edited almost 30 books, mostly fiction. Ali’s clients have included New York Times and USA Today best-selling authors, as well as a mid-sized U.S. publisher. She writes, too, specializing in personal finance, and she has published several short crime stories. Ali also writes romantic comedy novels.

Susan Viets is a former BBC journalist and reporter for the Guardian and the Independent newspapers. She covered the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union from 1988 to 1998, returning to the region in 2004 to report on the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. In 2012, Susan self-published Picnic at the Iron Curtain: From the Fall of the Berlin Wall to Ukraine’s Orange Revolution. She holds an MA (history), as well as an MBA, and she works as an economics researcher.


Program details for Tuesday, April 26
Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, 750 Spadina Ave., Room 318
7 PM Mingling and informal Q&A session for new and prospective members
7:30 PM         Program
9 PM Mix-and-mingle

** Dinner at Famoso **
All members and guests are welcome to come to Famoso (386 Bloor St. West, between Brunswick and Walmer) at 6 PM for dinner and drinks before the program. Hope to see you there!