Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

EP 217 - Dynamic Writer & Editor Partnerships with Sarah Kades & Adrienne Kerr

Oct 27, 2021

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Mark has a conversation with Sarah Kades and Adrienne Kerr about how their relationship as a writing and editing team, about Sarah's recent release, Kiss Me in the Rain and about their pathways into the writing and publishing world.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word about this episode's sponsor: Stark Publishing and his books for writers.

In their conversation, Mark, Sarah, and Adrienne talk about:

How Sarah got into writing and how Adrienne got into editing
The first book that Adrienne edited and the intriguing story behind it
Sarah's first experience with a nurturing editor and how that led to a positive experience ensuring she stuck with writing
The importance of having a solid connection and relationship with an editor who understands your goals
How Adrienne and Sarah first met and the huge faux pas Sarah made trying to connect with Adrienne
The airport pickup story and how Sarah and Adrienne bonded in the car on the way to the conference hotel
The way the two helped one another at mutually critical junctures in their lives
A bit about the novel Kiss Me in the Rain and the elements Sarah likes to include in her novels
How the setting in Kiss Me in the Rain is a character in the novel
Earning your right to criticize as an editor
Sarah's writer voice and confidence growing stronger by working with Adrienne
Keeping in mind a book in a series as a stand-alone story for readers of that book as well as the readers of the entire series
And more...

After the conversation Mark reflects on the importance of a solid writer/editor relationship as well as the value of being specific when offering both positive and negative feedback.

Sarah Kades writes action adventure thrillers with strong environmental themes as Sarah Kades and socially responsible narrative nonfiction as Sarah Graham. She is passionate about culture, landscapes, knowledge accessibility, the arts and Momma Earth. She loves writing books that remind us of the natural nature within each of us, a re-wilding to our true, authentic, best awesome self!

She has studied in the United States, Canada and Scotland, and for the last twenty years her day job has been as an archaeologist and Indigenous Knowledge studies and engagement facilitator. In 2020, she received her first literary arts grant and was a two-time Energy Futures Lab Banff Summit storyteller. When she is not writing you can find her running, bumping into her next adventure or trying to figure out where in the garden to put the makeshift wood fired pizza oven.

Adienne Kerr has more than twenty years of experience in book publishing, with expertise in retail, sales, acquisitions, and editing. As Senior Editor at Penguin Random House Canada from 2009 to 2015, she acquired and edited thirty national bestsellers and in 2011, The Canadian Booksellers Association named her Editor of the Year.

Since 2016 as a freelance editor Adrienne has worked with publishers, literary agents, and private clients. She speak at events such as the Surrey International Writers' Festival, Calgary's When Words Collide, and the Ontario Writers' Conference and lectures on publishing topics at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada.

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0