With a focus on quality and reliability, Joswin plays a key role in helping authors bring their books to life and into the hands of their readers.
Learn more about his role at Tellwell.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m Joswin Berdon, and I’m 26 years old. I’m cheerful, easygoing, and fun to be around. My hobbies include reading web novels, hanging out with friends, or simply dozing off in a quiet corner of the house.
Meet Ryan, a trusted book-publishing consultant at Tellwell, with one year of dedicated service to our team. He’s here to make your publishing journey a success!
Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi there! I’m 34 years old and I absolutely love medieval fantasy books. I’m also a big fan of movies, anime, and manga.
How did you end up in the world of book publishing?
A friend of mine encouraged me to dip my toes into the publishing industry, and I’m genuinely grateful that I took the leap. I find great satisfaction in my work, where I assist budding authors in their initial steps of the publishing journey. I guide them through the various options at their disposal and outline how we can support them through every phase of the process.
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!
Meet Tellwell’s new president, Jason Farris! A jack of all trades, Jason has worked in the marine world, the banking industry, the software industry, and the NHL before joining us here at Tellwell. Read on to learn about what attracted Jason to the self-publishing industry, and what he wants authors to know about publishing with Tellwell.
Tell us about your role at Tellwell.
I am the president of Tellwell, working closely with our founder to take the wonderful things that have already been built and find ways to take those capabilities and services to new authors. We’re just starting to expand outside of North America, and there’s a whole world out there of authors we can connect with to continue to support creativity and contribute to a broader cultural enrichment, helping to grow the opportunities for new authors, and providing top-notch arts-based jobs.
What did you do beforehand?
Before this, I was in the electric marine world, helping bring to market a 50-horsepower electric outboard motor. We developed a world-leading product, began delivering to our large list of pre-order customers and brought in General Motors as a 25% partner in the business.
Prior to that, I was chief operating officer of the Dallas Stars hockey club, helping bring them out of bankruptcy as part of the management team that rebuilt the franchise in an important market in the US for the National Hockey League.
I’ve had the benefit of working in a variety of industries before that as well, including banking and software. So, coupled with being a self-published author myself, I’ve had a range of experiences that give me the ability to connect with our authors about what they do and want to accomplish, but also enable me to share my company-building experiences with our employees to help them grow and develop as Tellwell grows.
We’re passionate about books so it’s no surprise that some of us at Tellwell not only love helping authors through their publishing journey but are going through our own! Project manager Joy is currently writing her novel. Learn more about Joy, her role as a Tellwell project manager, and what her book is about!
What puts a smile on your face every day?
Learning something new, helping others in small ways, and showing appreciation. When I push my limits and accomplish things that I once thought were very difficult, that puts a wide smile on my face.
What do you enjoy most about working with authors?
“Meeting” a lot of interesting people, knowing their stories and how they came up with their books is delightful. My absolute favourite feeling is when my authors tell me I’ve helped them fulfill their dreams.
What advice do you have for authors going through the publishing process?
My advice is to ask a lot of questions, especially for first-time authors. Having patience throughout the process is really important too. I understand the excitement in wanting to be published quickly, but I advise authors to not rush through approving drafts— take the time to carefully review them:)
What advice do you have for authors who are considering publishing their manuscript?
I’m trying to write a book myself as well so I would say, don’t hesitate and take a leap of faith because it will be your legacy.
Award-winning author Kristin Pierce’s children’s books are full of empowering messages about finding our real-life super powers of creativity, imagination and intuition. And it’s that message the author, herself, has fully embraced by not only writing a series of children’s books, but taking the lessons learned in self-publishing and coaching others on how to bring their own story ideas to life.
“It has been a lot of work and a ton of learning, but it has been so much fun,” said Saskatchewan-based author and mother of two.
The inspiration to write a children’s story first came a few years ago when she was putting together a rhyming scrapbook for her son about his first six-months of life. The rhymes began flowing and the book ended with some empowering verses.
“I looked at those last couple pages and said to my husband, “Wouldn’t it be neat to turn these lines into an empowering children’s book?”
Pierce says she couldn’t believe she had said those words aloud. “For almost my whole life, I didn’t believe I was creative, so this idea didn’t align with who I thought I was, so I dismissed it,” she said.
But the rhymes wouldn’t stop flowing, and several months later, while her son was napping, she wrote the first draft of her first book, Your Inner Compass That Could, in an hour and a half.
You are the one who knows your true self the best
You have an Inner Compass inside of your chest
If you learn how to listen, it will be your best guide
On life’s wonderful, magical, adventurous ride
Your Inner Compass That Could was published by Tellwell in early 2018. The story encourages children to connect to and trust their inner self to guide them in life. It teaches children that there are no limits to what they can achieve and to pursue their passions and share their unique gifts with the world.
1. Tell us about your role at Tellwell.
As the head of marketing, my role is multi-faceted. I lead and manage Tellwell’s digital and content marketing, book marketing as well as work directly with authors. This means I create and optimize our ads, landing pages, value offerings, manage our social media accounts, blog, and newsletter. I also lead our wonderful book marketing department, where we help authors promote and market their books. I do work directly with clients as well. I really enjoy the variety in the role and working with my talented colleagues and authors.
2. What did you do beforehand?
I had a career as a journalist prior to Tellwell. I worked as a television reporter, video-journalist and anchor for CHEK News, CBC and Global News. I not only reported but also filmed and edited my own stories. Before that, I worked in various marketing roles in both the non-profit sector and the private sector.
3. How would you describe your personality?
I am a happy and positive person who is self-motivated. I believe attitude is everything, and being mindful of our thoughts and emotions is crucial. I’m extroverted and enjoy playing in the abstract.
4. What inspires you?
People who are living their optimal life, especially people who have overcome tremendous obstacles to achieve success.
5. What do you enjoy most about your role at Tellwell?
I enjoy the combination of creativity and analytics. I have a lot of opportunities to develop creative materials, write, and think outside the box, but I also enjoy studying the numbers to see what is working and what can be further optimized. I appreciate working in a startup environment where ideas quickly turn into action. I also enjoy working with authors and staying on top of trends in the publishing industry.
By Jennifer Chapin
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.
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.
