Interviewed by Eileen Key
Jeanne Marie Leach, one of the newer members of The Christian PEN, edits part time and writes Christian historical fiction, all while running a Colorado bed-and-breakfast. Eileen Key, long-standing TCP member, recently asked Jeanne about her editing business, the writing life, and her favorite reads.
When did you start editing?
I started editing other people’s work in 2002. I remember the first person I mentored. She didn’t know what a period was. Her writing was probably the worst I’ve ever seen. So I began showing her areas to work on, one by one. It took nearly a year, but when we were finished, she had a marketable book. She sold it to a publisher and went on to write and publish two more books without me. The success she realized spurred me on to find other beginners who needed help, and it has been very rewarding to me.
How did you break into the field?
Last April, I joined The Christian PEN. I signed up for every class offered through TCP, which helped me hone my editing skills and prepare me for working professionally as an editor. Along the way, I got my first paying client, and I was thrilled.
The last class I took, Establishing Your Freelance Business, which just ended in March, was the icing on the cake. In this course, I learned everything from how to word a bid letter to following up with potential clients. This gave me the boost I needed to feel completely ready to strike out on my own. I’ve been bidding on jobs with confidence and getting almost half of them as clients. I couldn’t have done this without TCP and those awesome classes.
Describe a day at the desk. Do you have an office?
I have an “office” at home, which consists of an armoire desk and swiveling desk chair. The armoire is situated in the living room between the glass sliding door and a picture window. It holds everything I need for editing and writing. All my reference books line the top shelf. Files and supplies are neatly placed in cubbies. I work exclusively on a laptop, which I often take to the sofa or out on the deck for a more relaxed atmosphere.
After showering, breakfast, and walking the dogs, I usually get to my desk around ten AM. I always check my e-mail first and respond to those that require an answer. Then I check my eBay account to see if I sold anything (a hobby that gives me a little extra spending money). The rest of the morning is spent marketing my book.
After lunch, around one PM, I work on any editing that needs to be done, including mentoring and my critique group. For whatever time is left, I work on my own books until five-thirty.
You must be an avid reader. What’s your favorite genre and the latest book you just couldn’t put down?
My favorite genre is Christian historical fiction. Next to that, I love to read American history. I haven’t read too much in the past few months due to time constraints with that class I took through TCP, helping my mentees prepare for the Genesis Contest with ACFW, working extra hours at the bed-and-breakfast, galleys for my book, and then marketing the book upon release.
There are several books I reread every year. The latest was It’s Your Misfortune and None of My Own by Stephen Bly. This is book one in the Code of the West series, which is in my top five all-time favorite series. I’ll never part with these books.
Congratulations on your new release. Tell us a bit about your book and where we might order it.
Thank you. Mountain View Publishing released The Plight of Mattie Gordon, a Christian western romance, in March.
Mattie Gordon’s ordinary life is turned upside down when bounty hunter Cyrus Braydon arrives on her doorstep showing a wanted poster for her son. Consumed with finding her son and making sure his soul is ready to meet eternity, Mattie embarks on a desperate race to reach Will before the bounty hunter finds him.
The book can be purchased through the publisher at Treble Heart Books.
Or you may ask your local bookstore to order it from Baker and Taylor, ISBN: 1-932695-47-8.
Do you have a mentor?
I have tried for years to get a mentor, and all I end up getting is someone else for myself to mentor. I do have to say that the ACFW and TCP organizations have mentored me through their classes, conferences, critique groups, and many other modes of teaching the craft of writing and editing. They have been invaluable to me, and I am sure I’ll be a lifetime member in both.
Has your family been supportive as you sit before a computer for hours on end?
My family consists of my husband, who has worked from home for almost twelve years. He is my biggest fan and offers to help me by sending me to conferences, doing what he can to ensure I get as much time as I need at my desk, and encouraging me to reach for my dreams.
Visit Jeanne on the Web.
