Startinganewchapter

MICHAEL J Malone worked in the financial sector, then publishing, before turning his hand to writing.

Having penned 11 novels, the 54-year-old is now helping other aspiring authors in his role as a freelance editor and writing mentor after setting up his own company, MJM Ink, almost two years ago.

Here, Michael, from Ayr, tell us about his working day.

Can you tell us about the services you provide to clients?

I work with each writer to help and guide them on their journey towards publication. For some, that will be in the traditional marketplace. Others will seek to self-publish.

My work can start right from the initial idea, where I mentor the author through the process of writing their book.

Or it can be when they send me the completed first draft of their book, when I’ll offer a critique on the various elements that go into writing a novel – characterisation, plot, dialogue, etc – and suggest ways in which the book might better work for their readers.

Did you work in any other industries previously?

I’ve worked in a number of areas, mostly in financial services and, latterly, in publishing as the regional account manager (Scotland and North England) for Faber and Faber. I’m also a qualified life coach.

These jobs gave me a solid grounding working with people and in the publishing world, which means I have a good understanding of how the world of books work – an experience that I can bring to bear when advising my clients. ARROW XL

What training/qualifications did you need?

I’ve written 11 books myself and gone through the editing process countless times and that experience has given me a solid grounding in what makes a book work.

I’ve also judged a number of writing competitions and I’ve lectured on creative writing for years.

So, where I don’t have formal qualifications, I’m confident in the wealth of knowledge I’ve built up over the years. What’s a typical day like? In the morning, I’ll work on client files. Much of the time this is desk-bound but, from time to time, where geography allows, I will physically meet up with clients and offer feedback in person. In the Reporting to the transport managers at the Airdrie depot, 7.5 ton required drivers are to provide an extremely of customer high level service when making deliveries. They want experienced driving professionals with a valid 7.5t driving licence and CPC, plus excellent time management and organisational skills. afternoon and into the evening, I’ll work on my own novels. Favourite part of the job? After several drafts, one of my first clients recently self-published her debut novel. It took a lot of work on her part and demonstrated her huge growth as a writer. To be a large part of her realising her life-long ambition was hugely rewarding. Future career plans? My book, Dog Fight, has just been released by Saraband – the same publisher who brought out the Man Booker-shortlisted His Bloody Project. I also have a novel out in September called House of Spines. My plan is to keep writing until they nail the lid on my coffin shut. www.mjm-ink.com