SHALLA CHATS with freelance editor Mike Sirota
“Working with a Freelance Editor”
“Working with a Freelance Editor”
First of all, who ’s Mike?
I am a writing coach, a freelance editor, and a “spirit guide” to many successful and aspiring writers. I’ve written nineteen published novels including The 22nd Gear, Bicycling Through Space and Time, Demon Shadows and The Well, from such publishers as Bantam Books, The Berkley Publishing Group, Pocket Books and Zebra Books. Among my most recent client successes are Michele Scott's Death Reins In, due out from Berkley Prime Crime in June (her fifth published novel), and Whitney Lyles’ First Comes Love (Berkley Trade), her fourth published novel, as well as many others.
I was an editor and award-winning feature writer for a San Diego newsmagazine, I evaluate and edit manuscripts professionally, and I have taught writing classes at many educational venues, including the University of California, San Diego Extension and Palomar College. I am also a long-time faculty member for the Southern California Writers’ Conference and the La Jolla Writers ’ Conference.
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Remember Barry Eisler, the NY Times Bestselling Author Shalla interviewed?
SHALLA CHATS with Barry Eisler
“Insider’s Look at Publishing the Rain Series”
by Shalla DeGuzman
First of all, who ’s Barry?
A writer with a longstanding interest in what he thinks of as “forbidden knowledge,” Barry spent three years in a covert position with the CIA's Directorate of Operations. During his time with the Agency, he was trained in small arms, long arms, hand-to-hand combat, improvised explosive devices, small water craft, air drops to friendly forces, surveillance, counter-surveillance, counter-terrorism, agent recruitment and management, and interrogation and manipulation techniques. After leaving the CIA he went to live and work in Japan, where he earned his black belt from the Kodokan International Judo Center.
The Rain books, featuring half-Japanese, half-American freelance assassin John Rain, have won the Deadly Pleasures Barry Award and the Mystery Ink Gumshoe Award for Best Thriller of the Year; have been included in numerous “Best Of” lists, including those of Amazon.com, Deadly Pleasures, News-Press, Publisher’s Weekly, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the San Jose Mercury News; have been translated into nearly twenty languages; and have been optioned for film by Barrie Osborne, Oscar-winning producer of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
I wanted to let you know that Rain Fall: The Major Motion Picture is coming along smoothly. It looks like Gary Oldman is on the verge of being attached, and there's other news, too—check it out in Variety. Keep your fingers crossed...
I'll be promoting in Amsterdam and London later this month, so if you're in the area, check my new appearances link and come on by.
For anyone who was impressed by the way Rain shorted out a pacemaker in the opening scene of Rain Fall, I can only say: he was ahead of his time... Finishing revisions on the seventh book now. It's my first standalone thriller, so not set in John Rain's universe, though it does contain the usual compelling characters, edge-of-your seat action, realistic tradecraft, exotic locales, and steamy sex (if I do say so myself). Very happy with how it's turned out and so is my new editor, Mark Tavani of Ballantine, who will be publishing the book in early '09. I'll have more news on all that soon. For a hint of what's coming, here are a few photos from my peripatetic research expeditions... For all you politics and language addicts, swing by my blog, Heart of the Matter. For you social networkers, give me a shout on MySpace and Facebook. And if you really want to have fun, there's my website discussion board... a lot of interesting people talking about writing, the Rain books, politics, single malt whisky, and anything else that strikes people's fancy, so if you have a chance, stop by and say hello. It would be good to see you there...
Thanks for all your support! —Barry
www.barryeisler.comwww.myspace.com/barryeisler
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Online class: May 1-30, 2008
"DEEP EDITING: The EDITS System, Rhetorical Devices,and More" by Margie Lawson
Registration $30 at www.WriterUniv.com/
DEEP EDITING is for the writer who wants topsychologically impact the unconscious of the reader. For the writer who wants to learn fresh editingtechniques. For the writer who wants to edit for power. If you were introduced to Margie's EDITS System in her Empowering Characters' Emotions course, you'll learn how to expand the EDITS System in DEEP EDITING.
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