| Helping First-Time Writers Become Published Authors |
|
|
Diane O'Connell
Editorial Director |
|
|
|
|
|
|
From the Blog 5 Steps to Become Your Own Best Editor Embracing Ugly Drafts Decoding the Rejection Letter 5 Steps to Clutter-Free Writing |
|
|
|
|
Diane O'Connell interviews Jeffrey A. Friedberg, former private eye and author of the critically acclaimed paranormal
thriller, Black Road 2012.
|
|
|
| Connect with Diane |
|
|
|
| Receive my FREE Report |
| We respect your email privacy |
|
Our Fiction Successes
|
First-time Author Gets a $500,000 Book Deal
Cody McFadyen had never been published. But he had great talent and a promising manuscript. After working with Diane as his editor, he got an agent and received a $500,000 book deal from Bantam. His first book, Shadow Man, became an international bestseller. His fourth book in this bestselling series, Abandoned, has just been published. (Get help with your novel) |
|
From Cody McFadyen: "One of the great things about working with Diane is her obvious love of writing — the whole process: reading, editing, publishing. This combines with her actual experience in the field to give you a tremendous certainty that she speaks the truth. If she says the writing is good, then you know she is not just buttering you up. If she says it is not working you know she is probably right - and follows this with invaluable editing guidance delivered in a very positive way. She is the real deal." (more...) |
An Amazon Kindle Bestseller
A former private eye and 32nd top-degree Mason had a riveting story of conspiracy, mystery, shadow governments, and intrigue.
While he had the facts, skills, and characters he needed to write, nothing was working. Diane worked with him to pull it all
together for timely success. Through a series of programmed consultations and editing sessions, Jeffrey A. Friedberg was able
bring Lost Relic of The Gods to a top 10-20 Amazon Kindle ranking.
(Get help with your novel)
|
|
From Jeffrey A. Friedberg: "I had seen Diane O’Connell speak at a conference in New Mexico and was immediately both impressed by and drawn to her knowledge, skills, and bright personality. She worked fairly and tirelessly with me through my first outline, subsequent roughs, and the entire process, to completion of my first novel." (more...) |
|
Our Nonfiction Successes |
Featured Book Interview on ABC-TV
A prominent academic, Sanford L. Braver, PhD, brought Diane in as a collaborator to help him write a book based on a federally funded
study of divorced families. The book, Divorced Dads: Shattering the Myths (Tarcher/Putnam), became the subject of a 20/20 report by
John Stossel and went on to be used as a legislative tool.
(Get help with nonfiction) |
|
From Sanford L. Braver, PhD: "Diane proved masterful at taking my stuffy academic words and breathing life into them. This very successful book would simply never have happened if it weren't for Diane's gifts not only in writing and research, but in knowing how to work with..." (more...) |
From Unpublished Articles to a Branded Book Series
Dr. Jane N. Geiger, a minister with a thriving pastoral counseling ministry had written hundreds of brief articles over the years to help
her clients. She hired Diane to help her shape these one-page pieces into a book. Diane guided her in using her unique style to come up
with a branded series of self-help books, The Gracious Path series, which INDI Publishing Group launched in 2010.
(Get help with nonfiction) |
|
From Dr. Jane N. Geiger: "Thank you, Diane O’Connell, for your guidance, humor, vision, drive for excellence, and for partnering with me as this project grew from nothing to something. Without your faith and courage to risk on the nothing, we would not have created anything. Your particular gift for working with first-time authors reminds me of every great coach coach I’ve ever had.…Thanks for your gracious balance of kindness and courage." (more...) |
Sold Out of First Printing and Still Going Strong
A Nobel Peace Prize-winning physician hired Diane to make his book proposal more reader friendly and marketable. Based on the proposal,
New Horizon Press published the book, What’s a Parent to Do? Straight Talk on Drugs and Alcohol by Henry David Abraham, MD. The
book sold out of its first printing and is now in its second one.
(Get help with nonfiction)
|
|
From Henry David Abraham, MD: "Diane O'Connell brought more to the table than I could have imagined beforehand. She took the rudely formed clay of an idea and helped shape it into a concept, and the concept into a solid, pragmatic and readable book..." (more...) |
|
Our Memoir Success |
From Critically Acclaimed Book to TV Show to Trade Paperback
A retired Special Agent for the US Fish & Wildlife Service had a book idea — a personal story of danger, courage, and justice.
Diane helped Lucinda Delaney Schroeder craft a first-rate book proposal, which brought a contract with The Lyons Press. The
Discovery Channel picked up the book, A Hunt for Justice: The True Story of a Woman Undercover Wildlife Agent, for an episode
of its hit series, Investigations Discovery. After receiving consistently high reviews and selling strong for 4 years, the book
has been reprinted as a trade paperback.
(Get help with your memoir)
|
|
From Lucinda Delaney Schroeder: "I went to Diane for help on a book proposal and got more than I asked for. Not only did she help me with the proposal that sold my book, she found me a wonderful agent! Diane O'Connell is patient, professional and her insight into the publishing world is invaluable. Additionally, her knowledge of writing craft is amazing. I recommend Diane to any author looking to get their first book published." (more...) |
| Phone: 718-268-9282 |
|
© 2012 Write to Sell Your Book™, LLC - All Rights Reserved created by Speak to the Geek Ltd. |