We are excited to celebrate one of Tellwell’s talented authors, Marielle de Vassoigne for this Author of the Month feature. Join us as we explore the beautiful world of Choosing Love Over Pride and its unique themes of love, acceptance, and individuality.
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Find out how Melissa helps get authors on track and ready for book production and her life down under!
In the world of independent publishing, there are heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes to bring authors’ visions to life. One such luminary is Melissa Barker, a talented publishing consultant at Tellwell. With her extensive experience and keen eye for detail, Melissa plays a crucial role in the book-production process, ensuring that every aspect of a manuscript is polished to perfection.
Join us as we unveil Melissa’s role in the book production process and gain insights into the life of a Tellwell publishing consultant from Australia.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Mmmm, where to start? I am a Pisces, and a Myers-Briggs ENFJ personality
type. I have a love-hate relationship with coffee. I have stepped foot in 35
different countries. I have been known to hold a plank for 10 minutes. I am the health nut of my family and the ocean equally intrigues me and terrifies me. But the generic answer is: I am 41 years old and currently live in Melbourne, Australia. I am the eldest of 4 children, yet to have children of my own. I am studying counselling and brain-body medicine, and have immersed myself in the health and wellness space for well over 10 years, with interests in nutrition, psychology, human development, and spirituality.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Definitely being able to connect with authors on a deep level and supporting and nurturing them, helping them feel safe, heard, and less overwhelmed. I love hearing the tone of excitement and passion in their voices as they explain their story to me.
What does a typical week look like for you at Tellwell?
Most days are the same: a mix of starting the day checking Slack and emails, then assessing new leads and making outbound calls, receiving any inbound calls and consulting with potential authors about their book and publishing needs.
What is a question you get asked the most by authors? How do you
answer it?
“How much will it cost to publish my book?” Closely followed by, “So, what are the next steps?” If an author is inquiring about the costs without us having discussed anything about their book, or about the process at all, I use it as an opportunity to explain that it depends on their goals, the needs of the book, and their budget.
I segue into the milestones that each book will journey through on it’s way to being published, and how the costs involved will depend on the depth of service required through each of those steps. I always like to provide a clear path ahead for an author when it comes to the next steps. I explain that once we have identified the service requirements and settle on a package together, they will then receive an invoice from me with a payment link for them to process their own secure deposit.
From there I am guiding them through the practical steps that cross the
bridge into production, and meeting and connecting with their project manager.
Do you have an achievement that you are most proud of? What inspires
you to succeed?
I often think that, as a whole, we underestimate how much of an achievement it can be to make it through some of life’s most tragic or challenging experiences, and come out the other side a better person with a kind heart. So for me, I am proud to have made it through some of my own personal life challenges still intact and more resilient and wise. And always with compassion and appreciation for this life. My inspiration to succeed is always driven by proving to myself that I can do hard things, and to live a life that I am proud of while being the best person I can be to myself and others. Aiming to live up to my potential inspires me.
What do you enjoy doing most outside work?
I’m a nature girl, so getting out into the mountains and the trees and exploring new tracks. Cooking. Or learning all about the human body, health, psychology and why us humans are the way we are and do what we do. And drinking coffee, reading, or writing.
Australia is known for its exotic wildlife. What is your favourite Australian animal?
Hahahaha—me! But I will say that baby kangaroos are pretty cute and adorable.
Do you have any good books to recommend?
Argh . . . too hard. But I think that The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a sweet
story and a classic for any age.
To start, tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at Tellwell.
My name is Scott Friesen and I am big into almost all sports, as well as travelling. My current sports pursuits include padel tennis and disc golf, but I am pretty much down for any sport. I have travelled to over 50 countries in the past ten years, and have worked abroad in countries like France, Spain, Mexico, and Colombia.
I have been a digital marketer for the last eight years and am going on two years working with Tellwell. At Tellwell I manage and assist with all things digital marketing, from online advertising and automation to sales funnels and our newly launched referral program.
Unlike some of our other Meet the Team features, your role is predominantly behind the scenes. Can you tell us what a typical day looks like for you?
The cool thing about Tellwell is that no day is typical. We are always testing and working on new projects to improve our online presence. Most days I will be reviewing our current online initiatives, analyzing the results of current campaigns and optimizing their performance. We are also constantly running new online campaigns. Operating in multiple countries and having so many different services in the self-publishing space truly gives us a large range of possibilities. I also generally spend time helping improve our automation, tracking, and analytics and helping out members of our team with the various software we use to make their jobs easier.
Welcome to another exciting month, where we gather to celebrate the incredible wins of our talented Tellwell authors!
This month of May, we’ll put the limelight on our Tellwell authors and celebrate their wins, including awards, media mentions, events, and great reviews.
Your book adventure continues this May, as we bring you bookish delights full of information and fun-filled stories.
Discover your next favourite read in our May book giveaways!
Ready for another adventure?
Let us take your imagination to another world! Come along on another exciting journey with this book: One Polar Bear by Crystal Beach.
One Polar Bear is a delightful rhyming book filled with lovable animals from the Canadian Arctic. Polar Bear is home sick and alone. His many animal friends drop by to cheer him up. This counting story celebrates individuals with a variety of abilities and disabilities, and the text helps teach the numbers one to ten. Canada is a country made up of many peoples and cultures. This book reflects this diversity by featuring the word “welcome” in different languages amongst its pages. One Polar Bear is a wonderful bedtime story and a beautiful way to educate and celebrate the differences in our world. If you can be anything, be inclusive.
Click HERE to get your FREE copy
Fuel your aspirations, and take your sports passion to new heights!
Delve into chapters in a book that is more than just a guide—it’s a source of inspiration and motivation. Be inspired, informed, and empowered as you turn every page of Signed by Tim Burris.
It’s time to get serious and start preparing to take your football talents to the next level. But understanding the multiple recruiting pathways and signing to a postsecondary football program can be challenging. Don’t worry, though . . . Coach Burris of IRONWILL Football will help guide you through the recruiting process. Signed is a guide for Canadian football players in Grades 9 to 12 who aspire to play post-secondary football. Coach Burris gives you the football recruiting blueprint so you can make informed recruiting decisions for your future. With a dedicated chapter for parents, Signed breaks down everything you need to begin your journey toward the U Sports, NCAA, Junior football, CEGEP, and Junior college.
Paul Hart shares advice for career transitions and talks about the magic of writing for kids
I let the books write themselves. Whatever I feel at that moment in time, I write.
Paul Hart
This month we are featuring Paul Hart. Our interview delves into the fascinating journey of a man whose career has taken him from the high-stakes world of a Nashville bounty hunter to the enchanting realm of children’s literature. With eight years of experience in the thrilling bounty-hunting industry, Hart has now embraced a new passion as a children’s book author. As he embarks on this creative transition, we have the opportunity to gain insights from his unique perspective, seek his advice for readers considering a drastic career change, and discover the values he hopes to instil in the children who experience his stories.
His newest book, Shirley the Perky Turkey, recently launched through Tellwell publishing and reached #18 on the Children’s Animal Stories Kindle chart on Amazon.com.
You’ve had a versatile career with 8 years as a Nashville bounty hunter, and now you are making the transition into children’s book author. Do you have any advice for readers who might be thinking about a drastic career change?
At the risk of sounding cliché, my advice would be to go for it. Sometimes, our life interests change with the passing years. In my case, I wrote poetry and a children’s book when I was a teenager, long before the bounty hunting opportunity popped up in my life. Now that chapter is closed. I’m revisiting an old friend: children’s literature.
Your last book, The Nashville Bounty Hunters, was a memoir, and your current book, Shirley the Perky Turkey, is a story for children. What challenges did this creative shift pose for you as an author?
I have such a passion for all the different styles and designs of the craft of writing. Believe it or not, it wasn’t that challenging to transition. Firstly, it’s been ten years between publications of the two books. Secondly—and this may sound strange—but I let the books write themselves. Whatever I feel at that moment in time, I write.
What inspired you to write children’s books?
What has inspired me to revisit children’s books is that I see a path we are headed down and I don’t like it. Some literature that is being put in the school libraries is completely and utterly disgusting. In my own small way, I would like to combat this by being an author that offers good, wholesome stories with a positive message.
Who is your favourite children’s book author and why?
That is a tough question. I would have to say Aesop. His stories have stood the test of time and always contained a life lesson. Some of our favourite stories we’ve read as a kid were actually first created by Aesop: “The Lion and the Mouse,” “The Tortoise and the Hare,” and many others.
What was your favourite part of the children’s book creation process?
The very end. After the dust settles and the book is created, that’s when the magic happens. I’ll show you what I mean. Attached is a photo recently taken of my friend’s great-niece reading Shirley The Perky Turkey with her father. That’s my absolute favourite part.
Do you have anything else you’d like to share?
Whether you are a reader or a writer, you’re helping keep the craft of writing alive. If by chance you pick up a copy of Shirley The Perky Turkey, I hope it brings you joy.
For more information on Paul Hart and his books visit www.PaulHartbooks.com
At Tellwell Publishing, we’re extremely proud of our team of experts who work tirelessly to help our authors succeed. One of these experts is our resident book-publishing consultant, Nelson Ty.
In this Meet the Team, we’ll be taking a closer look at Nelson’s role at Tellwell and learn more about the valuable contributions he makes to our team. So let’s dive in and get to know Nelson Ty a little better!
Tell us your background and how you came to work in book publishing.
I’ve mostly worked in sales all my life. I originally used to sell business and first-class airline tickets and due to the pandemic I had no choice but to switch options. Luckily book publishing is one of the better options here in Cebu to work with, so here I am 😀
What does a typical day working as a book-publishing consultant look like?
Mostly prospecting and keeping constant communication with authors.
Making sure you I always have a healthy pipeline of clients.
How do you approach building and maintaining relationships with authors?
I present them with my natural personality in a strategic way. With every author I get a chance to talk with I always approach them with a process that I’ve developed toward closing a deal.
What changes have you seen in the book-publishing industry over the past years, and how are you able to adapt to these changes?
The publishing industry experiences business seasonality. Some months of the year will be tougher because some authors aren’t really in the publishing mindset yet, and some months will be extra rewarding. You just have to keep an open mind about these things and do what you do best everyday.
Can you share any advice or tips for authors who are looking to work with a publishing consultant?
Make sure they have a proven track record as a publisher and that you trust them. Just start your book project, because it can end in only two ways. Best-case scenario you’ll be a published author, and worst-case scenario you put everything on the back burner, and all those hours, days, months, or years of effort in creating the manuscript will be gone.
How do you and your team collaborate with other departments, such as editorial and marketing, to ensure the success of a book?
Book publishing is always a team effort, and that’s why I always make it a point to explain everything in full detail and set the right expectations to make sure everything is smooth sailing. And I always go the extra mile to help my authors transition to the production stage of their book.
What’s something about your role or your team that people might be surprised to learn?
I’m a very simple guy and I like to keep complicated things plain and to the point.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work, and how do you balance your personal and professional life?
I like everything fun. I’m basically a jack of all trades when it comes to my leisure in life.
What better way to enjoy April than by diving into a world full of adventure with every page you turn? Whether you’re a fan of self-help reading or fun-filled and imaginative fiction, you’ll find something to love in our April giveaway!
Check out our book giveaways this month. You might just discover your next favourite read!
Searching for your next favourite story?
Discover the power of financial literacy and take control of your financial destiny with this insightful book: Invest Your Way to Financial Freedom by Bradford Woods.
Whether you are a seasoned stock investor looking for higher and more consistent returns, or a relative newcomer seeking to build the necessary knowledge to be successful in the stock market, Invest Your Way to Financial Freedom was written for you.
Regardless of your level of experience, the share market can be a daunting and at times perplexing forum. The challenge is to know where to start, which markets to invest in, how to select quality companies, when to buy, when to sell, how much to invest and how best to structure and manage your portfolio. Importantly, this book will teach you how to achieve optimum returns whilst minimizing risk.
If your objective is to have life choices that only financial freedom can provide, Invest Your Way to Financial Freedom will guide you through a disciplined system based predominantly on the teachings of investing gurus Ben Graham and Warren Buffett. Rich in detailed examples, this book will serve to educate and provide you a highly structured step-by-step process to research, analyze, and invest in quality companies at a discount.
If any of the above resonates with you, or you simply want to learn how to implement a disciplined investment methodology, Invest Your Way to Financial Freedom will guide you through the process.
Click HERE to get your FREE copy
A must-read full of thrilling escapades!
Don’t miss this must-read as Barry Fellinger takes us on an imaginative, adventurous, and fun-filled journey with his book, The Almost True Adventures of Brandon and Josh.
When Josh gets kidnapped by aliens because he refuses to eat his broccoli, he and his cousin Brandon end up having a hilarious outer-space adventure. The two eleven-year-old boys must face down the Intergalactic Council, rescue an alien who starts a flood every time she cries, fly an air sled, travel through time, and deal with a talking broccoli plant that might even eat them! Whether you like broccoli or not, you will definitely want to find out what happens, and after reading this you may even find you eat your vegetables all the time! But the fun doesn’t end there. Brandon says, “I can’t wait until our next adventure to see how we rescue our cousin Adam!” While Josh says, “I hope we don’t have to go back up there to rescue Adam. Those aliens give me the creeps!” They’ll find out in the next book, so watch for The Not So True Adventures of Brandon, Josh and Adam, coming soon!
New month, more moments to celebrate! We’re shining the spotlight on authors who have reached new heights in their careers. From book events to public recognition and earning top reviews with their incredible books, we’ll be celebrating their journey and sharing their insights and inspiration. So grab a cup of coffee and join us as we toast the hardworking and talented authors out there!
Events
To kickstart the exciting events, Tellwell author Marielle de Vassoigne recently had her book launch for her book Choosing Love Over Pride.
It’s a rollercoaster of emotions! Grab your copy of Choosing Love Over Pride here.
Unleash your imagination at another book launch with Barry Fellinger with his book The Not So True Adventures of Brandon, Josh, and Adam.
A hilarious and occasionally serious story of past, present, and future antics, based on some of the three cousins’ escapades in real life! Sounds like a fun read, doesn’t it? Wait no more and grab your copy of The Not So True Adventures of Brandon, Josh, and Adam here.
Step into the pages of another new release as Tellwell author Diane Martin launches her book When Time Stands Still.
A wonderful book full of mystery and adventure you don’t want to miss! Grab your copy of When Time Stands Still here.
Here’s another book to get lost in, as Mick Burke launches his page-turner, The Blue Mask.
Get ready to experience a range of emotions with this unforgettable read. Grab your copy of The Blue Mask here.
Reviews
To start the top reviewed books, Tellwell author Colleen Millsteed received a glowing five-star review from Reader Views for her book Battle Angel.
This book should be shared with all the women in your life. So often, women feel alone—wallowing in self-loathing, heartbreak, and feeling defeated. These poems create a sense of solidarity. What could be better than a collection of poems to ignite your soul and fill you with hope? This book may be what you need to get started. Read this five-star-worthy book and prepare to be inspired.
Reader Views Book Review
Find the inspiration and power you need from the poetry written in every page of this book. Grab your copy of Battle Angel here.
Jayda Addleston’s masterpiece, Unspoken Emotions, also earned a five-star review from Reader Views Book Review!
The poet is honest and genuine as she explores various incidences in her life, the result being a personable gala of 5-star poetry collections that are pushed on by the essence of hope and healing.
Reader Views Book Review
Get lost in this must-read poetry! Grab your copy of Unspoken Emotions here.
Dr. Sarah Zadek, the author of It Takes Two… And A Uterus, also earned an outstanding review from Reader Views Book Review!
A holistic approach to answering a wider range of questions than an OB or other targeted specialist may have.
Reader Views Book Review
Understand the science behind fertility with Sarah Zadek. Grab your copy of It Takes Two… And a Uterus: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding and Enhancing Your Fertility here.
Another glowing review from Reader’s Favorite for Indigo Johnson for her book, The Kindness Quilt.
Indigo Johnson writes this children’s book with a poignant simplicity. She captures a whimsical quality throughout the story with colorful illustrations.
Reader’s Favorite Book Review
It’s a heartwarming and adventurous read will surely enjoy! Grab your copy of The Kindness Quilt here.
Publicity
Dennis and Jenny D’Alessandro, authors of the book Chantry Island, have graced the pages of The Hamilton Spectator!
Dennis and Jenny describe it as an adult novel, mature in its content and style, meaning that “Chantry Island” deals frankly with men-women issues, sexuality and the pressures of life, morality and larger social and even political dynamics.
The Hamilton Spectator
This book will keep you on the edge of your seat with every page! Grab your copy of Chantry Island here.
From humble beginnings to making headlines, Yvonne Van Lankveld was recently featured on PelhamToday.ca with her remarkable book The Part Street Secrets.
The central themes of Van Lankveld’s novels deal mostly with real-life experiences like betrayal, reconciling relationships after they end, finding a new purpose in a life that’s somehow been messed up, and the need for human connection.
PelhamToday.ca
Get lost in this read and uncover the mystery of The Park Street Secrets! Grab your copy here.
Blast off into the inspiring true adventures of one of Tellwell’s sci-fi/children’s authors
Start putting words to paper or screen, even if they are only ideas, maybe just a few sentences. It’s quite possible the more you write, the more the story will start writing itself, or at least help you write it.
Barry Fellinger
Today we have the pleasure of interviewing an incredibly hard-working author and comic book enthusiast, Barry M. Fellinger. Residing in St. Thomas, Ontario, Barry not only works as a director in health care but also teaches leadership courses and seminars. His latest book, The Not so True Adventures of Brandon, Josh, and Adam, reached #1 on Amazon’s Children’s Time Travel Books chart. He is currently on the promotional trail with interviews and appearances in southwestern Ontario. We’re excited to learn more about his journey as an author and his tips for finding inspiration.
Your newest book, The Not so True Adventures of Brandon, Josh, and Adam, is part of a series. What prompted you to create a series instead of standalone stories?
I can’t honestly say it started out that way, but when I ended the first book on a cliffhanger, it kind of demanded a sequel some day. During an email conversation with my Tellwell project manager, Sem, about the possibility of at least the two books possibly being part of a series, we (actually he) came up with the suggestion “True Adventure Series,” which totally resonated with me. The new book also ends on a cliffhanger, so that lends itself to another book in the series too.
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