Many years ago I had a typing service and placed an ad in "Writers Digest" stating "It's My Job To Make Your Work Look Great!" I soon found myself editing and formatting manuscripts for authors--many of them Harlequin romance writers.
People started asking me how I got started, what made it successful, and similar business-type questions, so I wrote, "Pages To Go! How To Start and Maintain a Successful Freelance Typing Service."
These experiences "primed the pump" and served me well when I went back to school and had to write a thesis and dissertation for my Master's and PhD degrees.
Where can we find your current work?
I am an anchor writer for SibylMagazine, a regular contributor to Evolving Your Spirit magazine, and I currently have a non-fiction under consideration with a literary agent in the San Francisco area.
What inspires you?
My creative muse is "wabi-sabi"--a practice where inessentials are trimmed away or eliminated.
The intersection where wabi (minimal) an sabi (functional) meet is the foundation for my creativity--space. Space to move at my own pace, space to invest my time the way I want, space for inspiration and quiet solitude.
Please share one of your successful marketing techniques
As a non-fiction writer, it's important to establish and maintain a "platform". In other words, exposure, Exposure, EXPOSURE.
I have a high-traffic blog (Tuesdays with Laurie) and an author website (Laurie Buchanan) am active in several online social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Do you attend writer's conferences?
I attend the annual Writers' Institute at UW-Madison. I have found that spending a weekend with other writers, literary agents, and publishers keeps me excited and engaged.
Parting words
"Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing." -Laurie Buchanan
