Tag Archives: tellwell publishing consultant

Meet the Team

Meet Christian, Our Talented In-House Book-Publishing Consultant!

Meet Christian Añasco! As our talented book publishing consultant, Christian is dedicated to guiding you through every step of your publishing journey.

Take a moment to get to know Christian!

How did you first become interested in book publishing, and what led you to join Tellwell as our in-house publishing consultant?

I am a fan of dystopian and fantasy books, but the question of how exactly they were made never occurred to me. Before Tellwell, I had zero knowledge about how publishing works. I was at a stage where I tried to pinpoint unknown areas of my life that were causing me discontent and left my job of five years to breathe. After that break, I came across this opportunity, a total pivot from being in software development to publishing. I am a guy who believes in the importance of continuous learning, and it has been my goal to be proficient in something new, be it in knowledge or practical skills. Why not get a grasp of how these paperbacks are being put together? Very informative!

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Meet the Team

Tellwell publishing consultant Josephine Cataluña talks about her personal inspiration and what each author brings to the world

Authors rely on publishing consultants to advise, inform, and set expectations through the production process. Josephine Cataluña has dedicated herself to ensuring authors access the right services to achieve their goals and bring their dreams to life. In addition to her passion for literary projects, Josephine also finds inspiration from music and nature.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a peaceful person who wants to enjoy life with my favourite people. I love animals and nature, especially white sand beaches. Summer is my favourite season. I do yoga and sing a lot. I was a bit of an introvert, especially during my younger years. I just hang out and open to a couple of friends. People who have high self-confidence who get to speak or perform in front of a huge crowd amazed me, maybe because I was not as confident then as I am now. I also enjoy learning about different cultures, cuisines, and fashion styles. I am a fan of romantic-comedy novels and movies.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

What I enjoy most about my role is being able to talk with different people from different walks of life and hearing about their life experiences and inspirations for writing their books. I get to understand things from their perspective, and I gain wisdom with each encounter, because more often than not I resonate with the stories they share. And when the book project is already done, it gives me a different fulfillment knowing I have helped an author figure their way forward in terms of publishing.

What does a typical week look like for you at Tellwell?

It gets quite busy at the start of the week with all the booked appointments and inquiries (by phone or email), talking with different authors, all at a different stage on their publishing journeys. Then I spend the middle part of the week towards Friday negotiating contracts while keeping in mind their service needs and what solution I could bring to each author.

What is a question you get asked the most by authors? How do you answer it? 

The question I get asked the most is “How much does it cost to publish?” and I answer it with full transparency, making sure that they understand the value of each service they will be paying for.

Do you have an achievement that you are most proud of? What inspires you to succeed? 

I am proud of my Sales Rookie 2022 award, because it means a lot of authors trust me and my consulting. I might be a neophyte at book publishing, but I am very passionate at delivering quality service and genuine advice. I understand the value that each author brings to the world.

If you authored a book, what would it be about? 

If I were to publish a book, it would probably be about love in general and how it impacts a person’s transformation in becoming the best version of themselves.

What do you enjoy doing most outside work? 

Singing and spending quality time with the people I love.

Do you have any good books or content to recommend? 

I do have a short list of romance novels that I would love to get a hold of by the end of the year. A couple of them would be the latest releases by Nicholas Sparks.

What inspires you? 

Ambition, happiness, and doing new things. Seeing someone achieve their dreams, seeing someone’s smile, doing adventures and thinking about happy moments with my daughter, family and friends—these are what inspire me. The beauty of nature, too!

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Meet the Team

Meet Tellwell publishing consultant Ben Belding, who shares his advice for authors considering self-publishing

There is no substitute for a professional editor, designer, marketer, etc.

Ben Belding, Tellwell Publishing Consultant

Tell us about your role at Tellwell.

My role as a publishing consultant is to support prospective authors during the first steps toward self-publishing. My first priority is to present them with all necessary resources, so that they may make an informed decision that suits their projects, families, and budgets. By taking the time to understand their needs and assess their intentions, I do my very best to ensure that the services they choose are appropriate for their book project(s) and, when required, recommend options that may be more suited to their project. I am always excited for the first chat with a new author. It’s a great opportunity to meet interesting, creative minds and develop relationships with people from all different backgrounds! It’s pretty neat to work in an industry where the young, the elderly, and everyone in between are on a level playing field. It’s especially rewarding to see their work go from an idea to fruition.

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Meet the Team

The one question you should always ask any self-publishing company – advice from Tellwell publishing consultant JH (John Hendrick) Abella

1. Tell us about your role at Tellwell.

If Tellwell was a clinic, a publishing consultant would be the doctor. First, we ‘assess’ your needs as an author and the requirements of your book project. Second, we ‘diagnose’ and match your project to a set of services that we offer. Thirdly, we ‘prescribe’ and recommend the most fitting set of services that would help accomplish your publishing goals and provide solutions to your author needs. And lastly, we ‘educate’ and impart our knowledge to you as experts in the field of self-publishing, all for the ultimate goal of giving you a positive and pleasant journey towards becoming a published author. 

2. What do you enjoy most about working with authors?

Apart from the sense of triumph, I feel after seeing my authors achieve their life-long dream of publishing their book, it would be the process itself – the consultation. Every conversation is both a surprise and a learning experience. You never know who you’re talking to next and their story. You can go from smiling ear-to-ear after hearing a sweet coming-of-age novel to getting your mind blown by a Chinese government-taking-over-the-world conspiracy story. Either way, it is never a bore!

3. What advice do you have for authors considering self-publishing their book?

Nothing beats the sense of relief as a result of an informed decision. That’s why I always tell my authors to spend time gathering information about the self-publishing industry. Ask questions, read literature and never hesitate to reach out to a publishing consultant. Above all, I always tell my authors to believe and have faith in themselves and in what they have written. 

4. What is one question you encourage authors to ask any assisted self-publishing company they are considering working with? 

I encourage authors to ask the company what their royalty structure looks and to break it down in detail. Ask, dissect and scrutinize even the smallest details of a company’s royalty structure. This will help you understand and realize what the company has to offer you in terms of returns in the long run.

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Meet the Team

Meet Tellwell publishing consultant Jennifer Chapin and learn about her own book publishing experience

By Jennifer Chapin

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About Jennifer
I work as a publishing consultant at Tellwell arriving here late in 2017.  Before Tellwell, I worked in non-profit engagement for eight years, assisting organizations around the world to become investment ready.  Part of this work included encouraging executive directors and their boards to tell their stories so they could receive the financing they deserved.  The move to Tellwell was seamless, in that I am still helping people bring their stories forward.

Work Experience
I also have a solid background in corporate sales and business development through Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. I first worked in Victoria and then moved to New York City. It was while I was working in New York that 9/11 occurred and I was heavily impacted by that event.  It was a turning point in my life. It made me take stock of my dreams and what I had left unaccomplished.  Writing a book was one of them and so I left the corporate world and went to France and wrote my first novel.

Writing Her First Book
I was raised to love books and my enduring memory as a child is all of us sitting around, father, mother, and siblings, reading silently.  I am a voracious reader now and enjoy historical fiction with a fantasy/time travel element. This is also the genre I have used in both books I have written.

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The Publishing Experience
I self-published A Song of Songs:  Mary Magdalene Awakes in 2008 with AuthorHouse. This is the novel that arose out of my travels to the south of France.  I followed the myths and legends about her there.  They are rife as she is the Patron Saint of Provence. This was in the aftermath of the Da Vinci Code days, but in my book,  I do not focus on the bloodline, but on her coming back at the end of time.  I have recently pulled my book out of AuthorHouse and am now in the process of a re-write over the next few months.

In reflection and after working at Tellwell, I would have approached the process of self-publishing differently.  I would have spent more money on editing, for instance, and commissioned a strong marketing team to assist me.  I worked hard to self-promote the book through a launch and many readings.  I found that Chapters and Indigo and private bookstores were receptive to carrying my book.  It was an amazing experience.  I cried when I got my first copy.

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